Author: INDEPENDENT

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe offshore energy industry will hold an exercise to test its response to simulated threats involving suspicious vessels, drones and cyber attacks.Ahead of a conference taking place in Aberdeen this week, “exercise Granite Resolve” will gauge how the industry, police and other agencies deal with a complex emergency situation.While the desktop exercise does not specify the origin of the potential threat, it comes after the UK and allies…

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear ThisGet our free music newsletter Now Hear ThisGet our free music newsletter Now Hear ThisIt’s February 2016. Backstage at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Chris Martin is doing vocal exercises with a Bristolian woman in her seventies. Minutes from now, Coldplay will headline the Super Bowl 50 halftime show before an audience of 115 million.Martin, his nerves humming like a live wire, has flown out his vocal coach from London just for this. Not, one imagines, that he needed the training. After all, he’s Chris Martin!…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Think back to the turn of the century. Political correctness had “gone mad”, so it was said, and the cutting edge of comedy was a battleground for the busting of new taboos. Gen-Xers, weaned on the ironic, pop-culture-literature nectar of The Simpsons, were making their own stabs at transgression. It was an era that gave us Family Guy, South Park, and, on stage, Avenue Q, a musical…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe UK’s biggest mobile providers have been outperformed by smaller rivals in an annual customer service survey by watchdog Which?Three, O2 and Lycamobile were the lowest performing networks in the survey of more than 5,000 mobile users, receiving customer scores of 65%, 67% and 68% respectively.Three received a two-star rating in every category including network reliability and technical support, the consumer group found.O2 received just two stars for…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emails Asian stocks were lower Friday even after Wall Street set another record, as investors watched for signs of more U.S.-Iran talks and an extension of the ceasefire of the Iran war that is expiring next week.Oil prices fell Friday, while U.S. futures edged up modestly.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 1% to 58,930.87 after reaching an all-time high on Thursday. South Korea’s Kospi was 0.6% lower at 6,191.19. Hong…

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planetGet our free Climate emailGet our free Climate emailOil prices fell to around $94 on Thursday morning and Asian stocks climbed as optimism over a potential deal to end the Iran war and strong corporate earnings lifted markets across the region.Brent ‌crude opened 0.4 per cent lower at $94.55 a barrel after reports that Iran could consider allowing ships to sail freely through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz without risk of attack as part of proposals offered in negotiations with the United States.…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Controversial remarks made by actor Timothée Chalamet regarding ballet and opera have unexpectedly led to an “immediate boost” in ticket sales for the Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO), its chief executive has revealed.The Hollywood star faced a significant backlash after claiming that “no-one cares” about the art forms during a discussion about the future of cinema.Alex Beard, RBO chief, expressed gratitude for the actor’s comments, stating the…

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planetGet our free Climate emailGet our free Climate emailAsian stocks climbed to their highest level in six weeks on Wednesday and oil prices extended their decline below $100 a barrel after Donald Trump said US-Iran peace talks could resume in Pakistan within days, calming markets rattled by weeks of conflict-driven volatility.Mr Trump said negotiations could restart in the next two days after weekend talks collapsed, prompting Washington to impose a blockade on Iranian ports. Pakistani and Iranian officials also said that negotiations could restart.The signs of…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Kim Kardashian is making the leap from screen to stage by producing her first Broadway play.The Skims founder, 45, has joined the producing team for The Fear of 13, which is currently in previews and stars Tessa Thompson and Adrien Brody in both of their Broadway debuts. The play, written by Lindsey Ferrentino, centers around the true story of Nick Yarris, who was imprisoned on death row…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsAround 65,000 young people will be able to train to enter the defence, clean energy, digital and manufacturing industries under the latest round of Government investment into colleges.The Government will provide £175 million for 19 new Technical Excellence Colleges across the country to deliver training in sectors deemed important for the future of the UK.Minister for skills Baroness Jacqui Smith said the investment would help build a pipeline…