Latest News
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Salop Leisure nearing its £10,000 fundraising target
Salop Leisure pledged to raise £10,000 for Severn Hospice and has raised £7,880 so far through events, a charity auction, sponsorship and donations tied to sales and tree sales.
Mossmorran plant ends production as union criticises early closure
ExxonMobil’s Fife Ethylene Plant at Mossmorran stopped production on February 2, and Unite says the plant was closed earlier than planned; the company says decommissioning will continue with work expected to finish by early 2028.
T11 waste exemption for repairing or refurbishing WEEE
The T11 exemption governs repair, refurbishment and dismantling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) for reuse or parts recovery and requires registration with the Environment Agency; the exemption allows up to 1,000 tonnes to be treated in any 12‑month period.
NHS treatment sees further drop in year-long waits
Public Health Scotland reports nearly 63,000 waits of more than 12 months for inpatient and outpatient care, a 10% fall from the previous month, and separate data show operations rose 5.6% to 274,638 last year.
Gyles Brandreth recalls the shock of his grandson's cancer diagnosis
Gyles Brandreth said his grandson was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma at 15 months and was given the all‑clear in November 2017.
Hospital staff launch 979‑mile virtual cycling challenge to fund stroke patient library
Staff and patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital's West Raynham Ward will collectively cycle 979 miles on a new adaptive exercise bike and hope to raise £10,000 to fund an aphasia library to support stroke recovery.
Artemis II mission prepares for a 10-day lunar flyby in early February 2026
NASA's Artemis II will carry four astronauts on an approximately 10-day flight to circle the Moon and test deep-space systems; the launch window opens in early February 2026 with backup opportunities in March and April.
Gaza Rafah crossing sees first five medical evacuees
WHO and partners supported the evacuation of five patients and seven companions from Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah crossing on Feb. 2, in the first medical transfer through that route since 2025. More than 18,500 patients remain on evacuation lists, including over 3,000 children.
Major international science meeting on biodiversity begins in Manchester
About 1,000 scientists and policymakers from nearly 150 countries are meeting in Manchester until 8 February for the IPBES summit, which is focused on a Business & Biodiversity Assessment linking business with nature.
ER-positive breast cancer in younger women shows rising incidence and distinct biology
Younger premenopausal women with ER-positive early-stage breast cancer have rising incidence and face higher risks of recurrence and breast cancer–related death than older women; genomic differences and treatment-related factors such as ovarian suppression use and adherence to endocrine therapy are implicated.
Queen Máxima marks 24th wedding anniversary with bridal diamonds and 'cheeky' boots
Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander visited the Wijkpaleis community centre in Rotterdam on 2 February to mark their 24th wedding anniversary; Máxima re-wore the diamond earrings from her 2002 wedding and paired them with the Dutch Star Tiara, a Valentino gown and 'cheeky' boots.
Beatlemania returns to London as stars recreate New York street scene
Sam Mendes filmed London scenes recreating The Beatles' 1964 Plaza Hotel arrival for a four-film anthology starring Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan; production will use Abbey Road Studios and is scheduled for simultaneous release in 2028.
Record number of Scottish children living in temporary housing
As of September 2025, 10,480 children and 18,092 households were living in temporary accommodation in Scotland, the highest recorded levels; open homeless cases and reports of rough sleeping also rose.
Number of children in temporary accommodation reaches record level in Scotland
Scottish Government figures show 10,480 children were in temporary accommodation on 30 September 2025, a record high. Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan has sought an urgent meeting with the UK immigration minister and Glasgow City Council.
Russia ends week-long pause with attack on Ukraine energy sites
Russian forces launched a large aerial attack on Ukrainian power plants and energy infrastructure during extreme cold, leaving over 1,000 residential buildings in Kyiv without heating; negotiators from Russia and Ukraine are due to meet in Abu Dhabi later this week.
Siemens Energy says wind spin-off idea is valid but turnaround must come first
Siemens Energy’s CEO acknowledged an activist investor’s push to consider spinning off the loss-making Siemens Gamesa unit but said the division must be stabilised and returned to profitability before any separation; the article reports Gamesa posted a €1.36 billion operating loss in 2025 and is forecast to break even this year with a 3–5% margin by 2028.
Jack Thorne says Lord of the Flies is 'remarkably tender'
Jack Thorne describes William Golding's Lord of the Flies as a "remarkably tender" portrait of boys and is adapting the novel into a four-part BBC series.
Kelly Clarkson will end her talk show to prioritize her children.
Kelly Clarkson announced on Instagram that this season will be her last hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show so she can prioritize her children after the recent death of their father; she said she will continue making music and is slated to appear on The Voice: Battle of the Champions on Feb 23.
Warm Homes Plan may expand community energy in the UK.
The Warm Homes Plan commits £15bn to upgrading homes and includes up to £5bn for a Warm Homes Fund that offers support for cooperatives, which may help scale community energy.
Barnsley becomes UK's first government-backed Tech Town
The government has confirmed Barnsley as the UK's first government-backed 'Tech Town', announcing plans to support digital training, healthcare and education projects and to work with local partners and tech firms over the next 18 months.
Global plastics treaty talks remain deadlocked as a new chair is elected
Delegates to the UN plastics treaty negotiations have not reached agreement after six rounds of talks, and a new Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee chair is scheduled to be elected on 7 February.
New tissue models may aid drug research for liver disease
MIT engineers report a liver microphysiological model that recreates blood vessels and immune cell circulation and reproduces early inflammation and metabolic dysfunction seen in MASLD, according to papers in Nature Communications and Communications Biology.
Man finds £900 boots in charity shop priced at £9
A couple visiting a Save The Children charity shop in Leamington Spa found a pair of Loewe boots marked at £9, and coverage reported a retail value of roughly £900 to £1,100; they shared the discovery on TikTok.
Government will cover travel costs for children with cancer
The government has announced a new fund, worth up to £10 million a year, to help cover travel costs for children and young people with cancer and their families regardless of income. This measure is being announced as part of the National Cancer Plan, which is due to be published tomorrow.
UK shoppers buy more fruit and yoghurt in healthy start to 2026
Worldpanel by Numerator found annual grocery inflation eased to 4% in the four weeks to 25 January, and shoppers increased purchases of fresh fruit, yoghurt and other healthy staples while own-label products took a record share of spending.
Toy Fair exhibitors donate more than 6,000 toys to Kids in Mind
At Toy Fair 2026 in Olympia, London, exhibitors donated more than 6,000 brand-new toys in a trolley dash collected by Kids in Mind volunteers; the items have been sorted and will be distributed to children who have fled domestic violence. Kids in Mind also reported recent therapy programme figures showing hundreds of children have taken part since July 2025.
Kristen Stewart reveals she was told to hide relationships with women
Kristen Stewart said she was advised to hide relationships with women and chose to come out because she did not want to live a 'partial life'.
UK grocery price inflation eases to lowest level since April
Grocery price inflation in the UK fell to its lowest level since April, and own-label products reached a record high, accounting for more than half of grocery spending.
Iran's president seeks fair and equitable negotiations with the United States
President Masoud Pezeshkian instructed his foreign minister to pursue "fair and equitable" negotiations with the United States, saying talks should occur in a suitable environment free from threats. The U.S. has not publicly confirmed such talks, while a U.S. envoy is traveling in the region and expected to meet Israeli officials this week.
Grocery price inflation eases to 4% in January, lowest since April
Grocery price inflation fell to 4% in January, its lowest level since April, while spending on supermarket own-label goods reached a record 52.2% of grocery sales, Worldpanel by Numerator reports.
