Edinburgh International Festival to mark 250 years of American independence This year’s Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) “will confront complexity with curiosity and openness” as it marks 250 years of American independence, its director has said. The 2026 programme – entitled All Rise – will feature some 147 performances and organisers said it aims to promote
MPs to look at fairness of student loans system MPs will examine the fairness of student loans repayment in a new inquiry following increasing debate over the system. The Treasury Committee is asking young people for their views on things like whether they would still take out loans today and how their student loan repayments
NHS trusts face ‘perilous’ financial situation with deficit of £780m last year Many organisations in the health service face a “perilous” financial situation, with analysis finding that NHS trusts ran a deficit of more that three quarters of a billion pounds last year. The situation is forcing health leaders to make “increasingly difficult choices” that
CPS loses appeal over Kneecap rapper terror case Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh will not face a terror trial after judges at the High Court rejected a Crown Prosecution Service appeal against the decision to throw out the case. The rapper, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was accused of displaying a
Starmer warned of ‘reputational risk’ over Mandelson’s links to Epstein Sir Keir Starmer was warned there was a “general reputational risk” over Lord Peter Mandelson’s relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein before giving him the role of ambassador to the US. The Government has released an initial batch of papers relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment
Some train services resume at Glasgow Central station after fire Some train services at Glasgow Central have resumed after a weekend fire devastated an adjacent building, but the main part of the station will remain shut for the rest of the week. Network Rail said it will not be possible to open the upper part
First tranche of Mandelson papers set to be published Downing Street could begin releasing documents related to Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington today, reports have suggested. Parliamentary sources said Cabinet minister Darren Jones is expected to address MPs after Prime Minister’s Questions, following media reports No 10 was preparing to release the
Cooper speaks to Rubio as US threatens ‘most intense day’ of Iran war The Foreign Secretary has emphasised “close co-ordination” on Middle Eastern security in a call with her US counterpart as Washington threatened its “most intense day” of strikes on Iran. Yvette Cooper’s conversation with US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Tuesday evening
Wet start to year causes surge in drivers hitting potholes hidden by puddles Heavy rain at the start of the year caused a spike in drivers hitting potholes hidden in puddles, new figures suggest. The RAC said the daily average number of pothole reports it received from broken-down drivers in February was three-and-a-half times higher
Older people concerned about climate change, with just 5.8% ‘dismissive’ – study Just one in 17 older people are dismissive of climate change, with the majority of over-50s viewing it as a serious risk, a study suggests. Researchers said that, contrary to common assumptions that older generations do not care about global warming, most older