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 emailsStocks ended a winning week on the front foot on Friday, while the pound pushed higher against the dollar after weak US jobs figures.The FTSE 100 Index closed up 33.20 points, 0.3%, at 10,901.09.The FTSE 250 ended up 159.44 points, 0.7%, at 24,854.86, another record close, while the AIM All-Share closed up 8.76 points, 1.1%, at 795.89.For the week, the FTSE 100 was up 0.3%, the FTSE 250…

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 Amanda Knox, the American student famously convicted and later acquitted of the murder and sexual assault of her British flatmate Meredith Kercher 19 years ago in Italy, has publicly defended her upcoming Edinburgh Fringe festival show against accusations of trivializing violence against women. The criticism comes from Kercher’s sister, who called for the show to be axed.Knox, now 39, took to Instagram on Thursday to state that…

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 emailsBritain’s retail sector faced continued challenges in July as persistent heatwave conditions deterred shoppers, with high streets particularly affected, new figures suggest.Total UK footfall declined by 2.1% year-on-year, an improvement from June’s 3.4% drop, according to British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic data. High street footfall was down 3.8% annually, better than June’s 6.2% fall. Shopping centres also saw a 1.4% year-on-year decrease, an improvement on the 2.5% drop recorded…

Sign up to our free money newsletter for investment analysis and expert advice to help you build wealthSign up to our free money email for help building your wealthSign up to our free money email for help building your wealthThe SpaceX share price had been enjoying a resurgence in recent week, but when markets open on Wednesday it is set to plummet by more than 11 per cent – and it’s nothing to do with an out of control rocket.A long-since disused part of a Falcon 9 spacecraft which launched back in 2025 is believed to have crashed into the…

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 FTSE 100 made steady progress on Tuesday as oil prices fell amid renewed talk of a peace deal in the Middle East.The FTSE 100 index closed up 21.68 points, or 0.2%, at 10,879.38. The FTSE 250 ended up 234.53 points, 1.0%, at 24,459.30, while the AIM All-Share closed up 5.75 points, 0.8%, at 774.36.Oil prices headed towards 80 dollars a barrel after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent…

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 The new stage adaptation of Trainspotting has failed to ignite a buzz among theatre fans, with its UK tour being cancelled due to poor ticket sales.Irvine Welsh’s adaptation of his own novel, which was made into an acclaimed Danny Boyle film in 1996, premiered in July this year at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket.But the appetite is not there, with booking pages for the show’s tour, which it…

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 emailsHSBC saw pre-tax profits for the first half of the year increased by 23%, the bank has revealed.Interim results reported a 3.7 billion dollar (£2.75 billion) rise in profit before tax to 19.5 billion dollars (£14.5 billion) compared with the same period last year.The bank said the growth was driven by higher net interest income and increased fee income, particularly from its wealth management and banking services.The rise…

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 Actor Geno Segers will no longer appear in Hadestown, just days after he was announced as the Broadway musical’s new Hades and his casting sparked backlash over past social media posts.Earlier this week, the long-running production revealed a new principal cast, with Segers set to join the show at Manhattan’s Walter Kerr Theater from September 1. But the announcement quickly drew criticism after social media users resurfaced…

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 emailsSearches for second-hand bridesmaid dresses are up 17% year on year as woman baulk at the cost of performing the honour, figures from resale platform Vinted suggest.Almost a quarter of women who have been a bridesmaid (24%) have considered turning down the role because of the cost, rising to more than one in three (35%) among women aged 25 to 34, a survey for the online marketplace found.Almost…

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 Boy George has addressed the backlash to his song that defends Israel’s military action in Palestine, saying that he “comes from a place of peace”. The singer, 65, released the track earlier this week, which refutes the idea that a genocide is being carried out in Gaza, and later quit Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar following the controversy. He was due to play the…