34 m. ago Free TV licence and other freebies for some older people in 2026

Around 910,000 eligible families are missing out on a benefit that could provide weekly payments and perks

Politics

55 m. ago Mix and mismatch: if it doesn’t go with anything, it goes with everything

Bring your ostracised wardrobe items in from the cold by forgetting about whether they go with each other. Instead, let them shine in all their gloryFashion is a dance between rules and rebellion. Great style requires a bit of both. The rules are essential, because one of the key emotional benefits that a great wardrobe can deliver is a sense of control in a chaotic world. The rules are there to simplify and clarify, lighting our route to a well put-together outfit. That well put-together outfit has the power to help you feel calmer, simply because you look in the mirror and see a competent person and therefore feel like a competent person. Style rules also come in useful for making sense of the world around us. Dress codes, style tribes, the signals we send – whether as blatant as the slogan on a T-shirt, or as subtle as the brand of your rucksack – hold an important social function, making other people legible to us.But style also needs friction. Fashion dies if it stops movi...

Politics

84 m. ago Bank offers extra £200 to anyone who switches accounts, but you only have weeks to get the cash

'When it comes to banks, it’s important to remember that loyalty doesn’t pay'

Economics

1 hour ago Woman, 24, who swindled infirm grandparents out of £30k spared jail after magistrates accept her thefts were a 'stupid immature mistake'

Charlotte Booth, 24, used a bank card in the names of Robert and Christine Booth to splurge on shopping and pay off rent and direct debits after her own mother was given power of attorney.

Economics

1 hour ago ‘The locals don’t really benefit’: the dark side of Detty December party season

What began as a welcoming home for many in the global Black diaspora is threatening to cause frictions that no amount of fun can resolve• Don’t get The Long Wave delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereHello and welcome to The Long Wave. It is now unmistakably post-holiday season, and in some parts of Africa, the last of the “Detty December” revellers are packing their bags. The few weeks of heavy partying that attract Black diaspora travellers from all over the world have been a fixture on the calendars of cities such as Lagos and Accra for almost a decade. But this year, it feels as if the darker sides of the festivities are encroaching on the year-end celebrations. Have we reached peak “Detty December”?A party scene has taken off on the African coastlines. In less than a decade, an annual gathering, increasingly attracting members of the Black diaspora, grew large enough to gain its own name. “Detty December” is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the untrammelled fun, indulgence and eve...

Politics

1 hour ago Masts removed from historic Glenlee Tall Ship in next stage of £1.8m restoration

Rigging to be replaced as latest stage of major overhaul of 130-year-old vessel

Economics

2 h. ago MPs 'not convinced' Chancellor's cash Isa limit cut to £12,000 will result in investing boom

MPs 'remain to be convinced' the Government's cut to the cash Isa allowance, unveiled in the Budget,will spark a culture of investing in stocks and shares.

Economics

2 h. ago Martin Lewis warns of 'dangerous' debt that is 'worse than a credit card'

Some of these options could charge as much as 40% interest as Brits reign in their finances

Events

2 h. ago I replaced my weekly shop with food waste apps – here’s how much I saved

These apps can help you save on food, but Molly Greeves discovers a catch

Politics

2 h. ago Claudia Winkleman lined up to replace TV legend in schedules within weeks

Claudia Winkleman's new chat show is set to start very soon and The BBC has decided to launch it in March in a slot previously taken by a long-showing TV talkshow

Politics

3 h. ago DWP PIP update for millions as Timms Review gives new progress statement with ‘lived experience’

The review could alter the entire PIP system following Labour’s welfare reforms

Politics

3 h. ago Bizarre moment referee shows fan red card as Stirling Albion boss has a laugh at viral post

The moment from Stirling Albion's win over Edinburgh City has surpassed 2.5 million view on X

Politics

3 h. ago URC in talks to replace Welsh region with English team as WRU get permission to cut

A significant hurdle in going down to three sides could soon be removed for the WRU

Events

3 h. ago Harry Cobden replaces Nico de Boinville on JP McManus star in Ascot big race

Cobden, whose role as the billionaire owner’s first jockey does not officially start until May, will ride Jonbon in the Clarence House Chase

Politics

3 h. ago Historic Tall Ship Glenlee's masts removed in Glasgow for first time in 30 years

Rigging to be replaced as latest stage of major overhaul of 130-year-old vessel

Politics

3 h. ago Witch doctor who trousered £30k to use powers to make Mali win AFCON arrested after loss

Spiritual guide took bundles of cash after claiming God gave him powers to promise Mali victory in the football tournament but was then held by cops after the team crashed out

Economics

4 h. ago New DWP update on State Pension annual uprating and income tax threshold

The Personal Allowance will remain frozen at £12,570 until April 2030.

Economics

4 h. ago Giant darts star has special agreement with girlfriend as he vows to 'win loads of money'

Jimmy van Schie is now a PDC tour card holder after picking up a pair of WDF titles in 2025, as he looks to make 2026 and 2027 the years that he truly announces himself to the darting world

Politics

5 h. ago New 2026 rates and dates confirmed for universal credit, PIP, state pension and more

Some benefits will increase in April while others have been frozen

Economics

5 h. ago Scots face huge council tax rises as SNP Budget 'does not deliver' for local authorities

Cash-strapped councils are already closing community centres, swimming pools and other local services in a desperate bid to balance their books.

Economics