News

As the long-awaited Oasis reunion tour draws near, the band is cashing in on the hype with a string of official merchandise stores opening across the UK and Ireland — giving fans a chance to stock up on everything from bucket hats to branded cutlery sets. The first shop opens in Manchester’s Spinningfields on Friday, two weeks before Liam and Noel Gallagher take to the stage together for the first time in 16 years, kicking...

A revolutionary UK-built spacecraft engine that runs on metal is preparing for its first test in space this weekend, in a mission that aims to demonstrate the UK’s leadership in space technology and next-generation satellite propulsion. The plasma thruster, developed by Oxfordshire-based start-up Magdrive, heats minuscule pieces of solid metal into a high-temperature gas to create bursts of thrust. Though the engine currently relies on onboard metal fuel, future designs could see satellites recycle parts...

GB News has surged to become the UK’s fourth largest news brand, according to the newly released Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025, marking a major milestone for the self-styled “People’s Channel”. The report, widely regarded as the most authoritative global study on news consumption, found that GB News has jumped from eighth to fourth place based on weekly reach across radio, TV and print — overtaking Channel 4 News, Channel 5 News, and CNN...

Wine drinkers could face supermarket shortages this summer after workers at the UK’s largest wine bottling plant voted to go on strike in a dispute over pay and conditions. The Encirc plant in Bristol, which bottles nearly 300 million litres of wine a year and supplies all major UK supermarkets, will see industrial action from Thursday until July 5, union Unite has confirmed. The site handles around 40 per cent of the UK’s wine bottling,...

Retail sales across the UK fell sharply in May, recording their steepest monthly drop in 18 months, as consumers scaled back spending on essentials such as food and clothing, official figures show. According to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), retail sales volumes declined by 2.7 per cent last month — significantly more than economists had forecast. It marks the largest monthly fall since December 2023, and comes in contrast to a...

The government’s borrowing bill came in lower than expected in May, as higher business tax revenues and falling debt interest payments helped to improve the UK’s public finances. According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), public sector net borrowing fell to £17.7 billion last month — below economists’ forecasts of around £18 billion, and down from £20.2 billion recorded in April, the first month of the new fiscal year. The fall...

Inheritance‑tax receipts reached £1.5 billion in April and May, the first two months of the 2025‑26 tax year, HM Revenue & Customs revealed on Thursday. The figure is £98 million higher than in the same period last year and keeps the levy on its long‑running upward trajectory. Yet the latest surge comes just as ministers weigh a rethink of one of their most controversial reforms: extending inheritance tax to the worldwide estates of non‑domiciled residents. The measure,...