4 h. ago Families in certain Council Tax bands could save up to £400 on energy bills this year

A scheme could help low-income households save up to £400 each year on their fuel bills through new energy efficiency upgrades

Economics

23 h. ago England's 'most beautiful' seaside town is 'UK's best holiday destination'

Scarborough in North Yorkshire was named the top holiday destination in the UK by Time Out magazine and was also hailed as the most beautiful seaside town in England

Politics

4 d. ago Mumford & Sons stick to the same format on their latest album, Rushmere

On their first album in seven years, the British band keep to familiar territories of Ye Olde England and the dusty Americana that suits their holy-rolling emotional tone

Politics

7 d. ago The picture postcard villages tormented by tourists: How overcrowded streets, clogged roads and coach parties peering through windows are shattering tranquility of Britain's prettiest places to live

Families and businesses across the UK's tourists hotspots say they have reached breaking point over the mass influx of tourists bringing chaos to their doorsteps time and time again.

Society

8 d. ago Pretty English village overrun by tourists weighs ban on coaches after angry clashes

Village leaders say the surge in tourists visiting their community has become ‘intolerable and unacceptable’

Politics

8 d. ago Tourist invasion of 'England's most beautiful village' could see coaches BANNED after families lose patience with the thousands of visitors

People living in Bibury, Gloucestershire, once described by 19th Century writer William Morris as the 'most beautiful village in England', say it has increasingly become inundated with tourists.

Events

1 week ago Loud Zoom calls, hogging space, spending a pittance: no wonder laptoppers’ antics irk cafe owners | Emily Watkins

Cafes are cracking down on remote workers – but we can save ourselves by following a few simple rulesOnce upon a time, it was socially acceptable to smoke inside, wear those mad, wide ties and pat your secretary on the bottom. Norms change, and that’s often for the best. But when it comes to laptops in cafes, falling from favour as owners lose patience with remote workers, I am begging society to reconsider. Don’t take my cafe nook – it’s the only thing keeping the WFH brigade and lonely freelancers like me sane.My kitchen table, where I do most of my work, is fine. It’s got a window next to it. There’s a kettle I can use whenever I like. I can play my own music, make loud phone calls and migrate to the sofa when being upright gets a bit much. But variety is the spice of life, and truly I would lose my mind if those were my only options. Yes, I’m aware of co-working spaces, but they are a) full of awful people and b) I can’t afford one. Luckily, the buzz of the outside world, the so...

Politics

1 week ago UK's 'most beautiful' seaside town is 'one of best places to visit in England'

This charming coastal town in North Yorkshire has been named one of the best places to visit in the UK and has also been called one of the most beautiful seaside towns

Politics

2 w. ago Trump administration mulling new travel restrictions on citizens from dozens of countries

New memo lists 41 countries – including Afghanistan, Cuba and Syria – that could face new restrictions, evoking first-term Muslim banThe Trump administration is considering issuing travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban, according to sources familiar with the matter and an internal memo seen by Reuters.The memo lists a total of 41 countries divided into three separate groups. The first group of 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea, among others, would be set for a full visa suspension. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Incredible UK seaside town frozen in Victorian times with pier and cliffside lifts

Once a small fishing hamlet, this charming seaside resort draws thousands of visitors each year with its well preserved Victorian landmarks and surf-friendly beach

Politics

2 w. ago ‘We’re on the edge of chaos’: families with trans kids fight for care as bans take hold

A federal judge blocked Donald Trump’s executive order banning trans youth healthcare, but access remains uncertainAryn Kavanaugh was sitting in her living room in South Carolina when her 17-year-old daughter came into the room and said: “I’m really scared. I think people are gonna die.” Katherine, who is using her middle name for her protection, told Kavanaugh that she thought transgender youth may be the target of violence due to the hate generated by Donald Trump’s recent action.On 28 January, Trump issued an executive order to ban access to gender-affirming care for youth under 19 years old. It directed federal agencies to deny funding to institutions that offer gender-affirming medical care including hormones and puberty blockers. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Andy McDougall on 20 years of Edinburgh Art Fair: 'I'm proud we've helped artists on their journey'

Since its first edition in 2005, Edinburgh Art Fair has introduced visitors to hundreds of galleries and thousands of artists from all over the world. As he prepares for this September’s 20th birthday celebrations, the event’s founder Andy McDougall tells Susan Mansfield that his goal has always been to make art accessible to everyone

Politics

3 w. ago Holland review – twisty Nicole Kidman thriller is a disappointing mess

SXSW film festival: Fresh director Mimi Cave delivers an underwhelming follow-up that can’t make the most of its hard-working leading starNicole Kidman is, in general, providing a public service with her seemingly inexhaustible energy. She’s been working consistently with female directors – 19 in the last eight years – while also attempting to rescue the tight domestic thrillers of yore and consistently probing the gap between women’s placid public facades and private turmoil. The quality of Kidman’s performances – and she is almost always delivering something a little weird, a little off and very magnetic – does not indicate the quality of the project, which can range from the provocative (if underwhelming) Babygirl to her personal beach-read cinematic universe of mediocre TV roles.Holland, Kidman’s latest film as a star and producer (under her Blossom Films banner), finds Kidman in a familiar groove: a suburban housewife with secrets and suspicions, beset by paranoia and straining...

Politics

3 w. ago Sasami: Blood on the Silver Screen review – a quirky move to the mainstream

(Domino)The US artist segues from industrial metal to radio-friendly pop most memorable for its vividly relatable lyricsSasami Ashworth’s gentle indie rock debut, Sasami (2019), felt reasonably familiar to fans of her previous band, Cherry Glazerr; the bracingly industrial metal of 2022’s Squeeze less so. Now the California musician has moved into sprightly, shiny pop for her third solo album, picking over matters of the heart. And the groin – apparently, Lana Del Rey-alike Nothing But a Sad Face On is about Eve’s mixed emotions after being “banished from the Garden of Eden for fucking a snake”. Don’t fret if you can’t recall that precise bible story; Ashworth has plenty more relatable tales of compromised, messy modern-day dating.Pop may not always come naturally to her. Most of Ashworth’s choruses linger on the ear no longer than a lost ladybird, and the deft Taylor Swift via Grimes-sounding production can’t conceal a dearth of durable material. But Slugger is surefooted, summery ...

Events

4 w. ago Trump threatens to lose patience as Europeans float proposals for Ukraine ceasefire

Trump threatens to lose patience as Europeans float proposals for Ukraine ceasefire  Reuters

Events

4 w. ago The most hated 'on hold' phrases revealed as UK customers lose patience with call centre bots

Endless waits and robotic responses are leaving UK customers fed up 😤

Economics