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 emailsA task force aimed at supporting workers at risk of redundancy at Mossmorran will meet for the first time on Wednesday.The Fife Ethylene Plant will close next month, with more than 400 jobs put at risk, according to owners ExxonMobil.The global energy giant said the plant was no longer economically viable and they were unable to sell it, forcing the decision to shutter the facility in another blow…

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 Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett is set to headline a stellar line-up of acclaimed actresses gracing the National Theatre stage in 2026, as the London institution unveils its ambitious new programme.Blanchett, who earned Academy Awards for her performances in The Aviator and Blue Jasmine, will star alongside Nina Hoss and Ella Lily Hyland in Benedict Andrews’ new production Electra / Persona this August. This innovative theatrical event…

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 emailsA new team that aims to help small businesses win more defence contracts and make defence an “engine for growth” has been launched by the UK Government.Luke Pollard, minister for defence readiness and industry, described small business as the “backbone of UK defence” as he announced the establishment of the Defence Office for Small Business Growth (OfSBG).The OfSBG team will be made up of staff who are policy…

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 Beckham family dispute has now found its way onto the West End. Titanique, the Olivier Award-winning comedy musical currently playing at London’s Criterion Theatre, commemorated its first anniversary with a gala performance that folded in the latest episode of Beckham family discord. In an explosive post this week, Brooklyn Beckham, 26, shared his side of the story regarding his long-rumoured feud with his family. In 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 emailsThe FTSE 100 ended a volatile week in subdued fashion on Friday, closing slightly lower, despite a batch of encouraging economic data as retail sales, consumer confidence and business activity all picked up.The FTSE 100 index closed down 6.61 points, 0.1%, at 10,143.44.The FTSE 250 ended 53.40 points lower, 0.2%, at 23,317.53, and the AIM All-Share closed up 5.08 points, 0.6%, at 822.75.For the week, the FTSE 100…

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailMore than 50 organisations collectively employing over 1,400 individuals transitioned to a four-day working week in 2025, according to new figures. The 4 Day Week Foundation revealed that the total number of employees now benefiting from this model stands at over 6,000 across 253 accredited businesses.The newly certified employers represent a broad spectrum of industries, including business, consulting, management, charities, technology, retail, housing, engineering, marketing, arts and entertainment, manufacturing, gaming, recruitment, heritage, healthcare,…

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 Producers of the Broadway musical Six are taking action after Dylan Mulvaney’s recent casting sparked online bullying.The 29-year-old performer and influencer, who is a transgender woman, announced earlier this month that she’ll be making her Broadway debut in Six, which reimagines the six wives of King Henry VII as a girl group performing at a concert. Mulvaney will be playing Anne Boleyn, Henry VII’s second wife. Mulvaney…

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 wealthBritish consumers are set for a boost in choice when it comes to where to park their money, with the launch of a new bank.The new entity, named This Bank – stylised as a single word, thisbank – aims to provide savers with competitive savings rates and an ability to have personal relationships.“We’ve built thisbank around people. While we are technology-forward,…

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 emailsA new set of stamps and co-ordinated nose drop events will mark the 50th anniversary of the first commercial Concorde flights.The Royal Mail said it has produced 12 stamps which pay tribute to the supersonic aircraft’s “innovation, elegance and engineering excellence”.The nose cones of three Concorde planes exhibited in the UK will be moved simultaneously at 11.40am on Wednesday to mark the moment the first commercial Concorde flights…

Sign up to our free Brexit newsletter for our analysis of the continuing impact of Brexit on the UKSign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit’s impactSign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit’s impactRachel Reeves will use her appearance at the summit of the world’s most influential politicians and investors to turn Donald Trump’s global turmoil into an opportunity for the UK.The chancellor and business secretary Peter Kyle will both be attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos with a message to investors that in a time of uncertainty, the…