10 h. ago Gardening legend Monty Don says there's only one plant he 'doesn't like'

Monty Don, the popular host of BBC Gardeners' World, revealed on a podcast episode that there's one plant that he 'doesn't like' as he described what his dream garden would look like

Politics

15 h. ago Frostbitten plants could be saved as RHS expert explains how to spot a lost cause

While frost-damaged plants may sometimes seem dead, a simple test can reveal if it’s possible to save as one expert revealed how to do just that

Politics

25 h. ago Hope for redundant workers as Falkirk's Rosebank Distillery reveals winter opening plans

Workers who lost their jobs at Rosebank Distillery may be able to take on new roles as the owners revealed they would keep the Falkirk tourist attraction open over the winter.

Economics

25 h. ago Budget airline launches 'futuristic' new cabins with extra legroom, spacious seating and power outlets

The 'world's biggest budget airline' has revealed the revamped interiors of its economy planes, complete with extra legroom and a 'futuristic' design.

Politics

26 h. ago Sam Fender releases new song with Elton John, one day after Mercury prize win

John plays twinkling piano part in new song Talk to You, and says he ‘truly loves’ the Geordie singer-songwriterSam Fender has released a new song with Elton John entitled Talk to You, the day after winning the 2025 Mercury prize for his album People Watching.It features a twinkling piano line laid out by John, amid Fender’s full-bodied guitar-led songwriting. Fender sings on the chorus “Just wanna talk to you / Wanna talk with my best friend / Wanna let go of everything that I carry”, and has said the song is about: “the end of a long relationship – about the regret, the mistakes and the lessons that come with it. It’s that feeling of losing your best friend, and coming to terms with that. I was playing around with the riff and thought, ‘What I need is a really good pianist’, and then, ‘Hmmm, I wonder who I can call?’ And of course, who better than Elton John?” Continue reading...

Politics

27 h. ago Who won the Mercury Prize 2025? Sam Fender wins top music prize for album People Watching

Sam Fender beat out the likes of Pulp, CMAT, Fontaines D.C., Jacob Alon and more to win the 2025 Mercury Prize.

Culture

27 h. ago Sam Fender’s six best songs, ranked: from The Borders to Will We Talk?

With news that the Geordie artist has won the Mercury Prize, we rank his best songs

Politics

28 h. ago Sam Fender reveals how he plans to celebrate Mercury Prize 2025 win

Sam Fender has won the Mercury Prize 2025 for his third album, People Watching on Thursday (16 October).

Politics

30 h. ago What the datacenter boom means for America’s environment – and electricity bills

In this week’s newsletter: from Google to Amazon to OpenAI, the economic and climate cost of datacenters continues to grow• Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThe headlong rush to build huge new datacenters, in order to support the growth of AI, is raising a number of concerns in the US – around the impact upon the climate crisis, water use and electricity bills. It’s also set to reshape American politics in potentially unusual ways.Companies such as Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, Amazon and Meta are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into new datacenters that will form the backbone to the surging use of AI by businesses and the public.Bird migration is changing. What does this reveal about our planet? – visualisedTowns may have to be abandoned due to floods with millions more homes in Great Britain at riskThe plastic inside us: how microplastics may be reshaping our bodies and mindsDatacenter emissions probably 662% higher than big tech claims. Can it kee...

Science

31 h. ago Sam Fender dedicates Mercury Prize 2025 to 'mentor' as singer

Local lad Fender beat competition from Britpop band Pulp, post-punks Fontaines DC and Irish singer CMAT

Politics

32 h. ago Sam Fender didn’t need his Mercury prize win – but he earned it with his incisive social realism

They could have given the award to an album that wasn’t already a huge hit – but Fender’s blend of kitchen-sink drama and stadium choruses is expertly done‘You can expect all the usual excitement,” offered host Lauren Laverne at the start of this year’s Mercury prize ceremony. It’s the kind of thing people hosting awards shows are duty-bound to say, but the use of the word “usual” suggested she was diplomatically overlooking last year’s event, which – through no fault of the album that won, English Teacher’s This Could Be Texas – had all the excitement of a wake.The Mercury had lost its corporate sponsorship, necessitating what host Annie Mac called “an intimate celebration of this year’s shortlist”, in the same way that an estate agent might call a flat with the shower next to the cooker “cosy”. Continue reading...

Politics

37 h. ago Sam Fender wins the 2025 Mercury Prize for his album People Watching as shocked star admits he 'did not expect' it

The singer, 31, toom home the presitigous award at the ceremony in Newcastle on Thursday, the first time the ceremony has been held outside London.

Events

37 h. ago Defra reveals the ‘right’ plants to protect your garden from heavy rainfall

The Department for Environment highlighted five key plant types that can help gardens become ‘flood-ready’

Politics

38 h. ago Riba Stirling Prize 2025: Appleby Blue Almshouse named Britain's best new building

Riba Stirling Prize 2025: Appleby Blue Almshouse named Britain's best new building  BBC

Politics

38 h. ago Sam Fender wins the 2025 Mercury Prize with third album People Watching

Rock singer-songwriter won the prestigious music award in a homecoming triumph just a stone’s throw from where he was raised, in North Shields

Politics

39 h. ago Sam Fender wins 2025 Mercury prize for his album People Watching

Geordie singer-songwriter’s album reached No 1 on the UK album chart and led to a series of stadium-sized concerts this summerSam Fender is the winner of the 2025 Mercury prize, for his chart-topping album People Watching.Announcing the award, Sian Eleri, BBC radio DJ and one of the judges on the judging panel, said the album was characterised by “cohesion, character and ambition. It felt like a classic album, one that will take pride of place in record collections for years to come”. Continue reading...

Politics

39 h. ago Riba Stirling Prize 2025 won by ‘radical’ social housing complex

The Appleby Blue Almshouse, by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, claimed the prestigious award on Thursday for its community-centered design.

Politics

42 h. ago Mercury Prize 2025 LIVE: Start time, TV channel, live stream and full list of nominees

The Mercury Prize 2025 will be held in Newcastle for the first time ever, with Lauren Laverne hosting the ceremony and a number of live performances from the nominees

Politics

42 h. ago Mercury Prize Awards 2025: Who is CMAT? Irish singer tipped to beat Sam Fender

Irish singer-songwriter CMAT emerges as the frontrunner for Best Album at the Mercury Prize Awards in Newcastle tonight with her third record, Euro-Country

Events

45 h. ago Who is on the Scottish Album of the Year 2025 shortlist? All 10 nominees, prize money, ceremony and ticket details

We’re a step closer to finding out who will be the 2025 winner of one of the biggest arts awards in Scotland.

Politics