AVA: The Vending & Automated Retail Association has welcomed the government’s announcement of the UK deposit return scheme, officially named 'Exchange for Change'. The AVA has played a significant role in the scheme’s creation, ensuring the full representation of the needs of vending and automated retail operators.

LNER has released a fleet name and the latest interior images of the trains, built by manufacturer CAF and financed by Porterbrook, to show customers what they can expect following their introduction to the UK rail network in the coming years. The new fleet will help support and accommodate strong demand for rail travel on the East Coast Main Line.

Two Yorkshire lawyers have completed the ‘World’s Toughest Row’, an unsupported Atlantic crossing from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua, in aid of two much-loved regional charities.

When news broke recently of two Chinese spies who were caught but then allowed to walk away on legal grounds, followed by MI5’s warning that a proposed super-embassy could conceal a nest of intelligence operatives, it felt like an echo from another age. Espionage had slipped back into public view.

Missing People today announces the launch of SafeCall, a new free and confidential support service designed to keep children and young people safe before harm escalates. SafeCall is available to children and young people up to the age of 25 who are at risk of going missing, being exploited, or who feel unsafe and unsure where to turn.

The life of a remarkable artist and pioneering inventor who lived and worked in Lancaster more than a century ago will be celebrated this year, thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Lancashire-based arts and heritage charity, Mirador, has been granted £91,430 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to mark the centenary of Karel Klic’s death.

A major archaeological excavation at Harden Quarry, nestled in the Cheviot Hills within Northumberland National Park, has revealed an extraordinary 360-degree view of Bronze Age life, offering the clearest insight yet into early settlement and farming in upland Northumberland. Archaeologists uncovered a fascinating Bronze Age settlement on a hilltop.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is urging people to take immediate safety precautions as amber weather warnings are issued ahead of the arrival of Storm Chandra. Storm Chandra, the third major storm to affect the UK this month, is expected to bring a combination of damaging winds and heavy rainfall from Monday into Tuesday.

Individual patients and relatives impacted by safety failings at the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Trust gathered in Middlesbrough yesterday for a pivotal briefing as they prepare for a statutory public inquiry.

One hundred MPs have joined forces to demand compensation for WASPI women ahead of a crucial update from ministers promised next month. The letter, signed by 100 MPs across 10 different parties, calls on the Work and Pensions Secretary to “reach the right decision” and to set out plans to compensate affected women as quickly as possible.

British Wool has officially unveiled its 2025 Sheep of the Year, following an enthusiastic public vote celebrating the very best of Britain’s woolly wonders. Each week, British Wool shares its ‘Sheep of the Week’ to Instagram, showcasing photos sent in by farmers from across the UK.

Ministers plan to impose tax on the clean-up of ports, rivers and canals. Tens of millions of pounds will be added to the cost of planned developments around waterways that are crucial to the UK’s growth plans. projects ranging from green energy plants to flood protection will be “unviable”, ministers told in cross-industry letter led by the British Ports Association

Last Wednesday's White House meeting between Marco Rubio and his Danish and Greenlandic counterparts wasn't your typical diplomatic gathering. They were there to discuss the United States essentially 'buying' Greenland.

Holiday cheer has faded, credit card bills have arrived, and motivation is running low; Blue Monday on 19th January is billed to be the most depressing day of the year. But what if instead of being something to endure, it marks the start of a powerful reset?

Dear Editor, Many people want to give back to their communities, but sometimes finding the time to volunteer can be a real challenge. It’s not always easy to commit to a traditional volunteering shift, at a specific time or on a regular basis. Balancing giving back with work, family, and other responsibilities can be difficult.

The Government has unveiled plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), a multibillion-pound scheme aimed at transforming rail travel across the North of England and boosting the UK economy by up to £40bn. An initial £1.1bn has been allocated for design and preparation, with construction not expected to start until after 2030 and total central funding capped at £45bn.

Millions of UK households may already have an important financial safety net built into their life insurance – and many don’t even realise it. Research from life insurance expert MoneySuperMarket shows that millions of policyholders aren’t aware that many life insurance policies include terminal illness benefits.

As more UK residents look to the likes of Etsy and Vinted to make room in their wardrobes this year, tax professionals are raising the alarm. HMRC now has visibility into online selling activity, and non-compliance could lead to in-depth investigations or large fines that exceed your earnings.

New analysis suggests gross costs of net zero could exceed even the highest official predictions of £7.6 trillion. Official estimates of the cost of net zero are often driven by “fantasy assumptions”. Public bodies have consistently underestimated the cost of renewables, heat pumps and electric vehicles, while assuming implausibly low borrowing costs. New analysis warns that misleadingly low figures risk shutting down serious democratic debate over one of the most expensive policies in British history.

2026 looks set to be a landmark year for the rail industry as the journey towards Great British Railways accelerates - and the seven train operators already in public ownership are leading the charge, with a range bold plans for the year ahead.

Columnist Claire Kenny paid a visit to South Leeds charity Women’s Whispers, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping women and children who’ve experienced domestic violence, other types of abuse, ill-health, and other gruelling situations.

Britain is facing a work-related stress crisis, according to new TUC data. Almost eight in ten (79 per cent) of union reps taking part in the TUC’s 15th biennial survey reported stress as one of the main concerns they face at work - and that employers are routinely failing to assess or act on the risks.

Every year the AJ Bell Great North Run is a bucket list event for runners across the globe – will you be one of the 60,000 people running the iconic 13.1 course from Newcastle to South Shields on Sunday 13 September? This is your chance as the January ballot for this year’s AJ Bell Great North Run is now open, but be quick, the ballot closes this Sunday 11 January at midnight.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak has called on the Government to have a relentless focus on affordability in 2026 or risk the further rise of the far and populist right.  The call comes as new polling by TUC/38 Degrees, carried out by Survation, lays bare the scale of Britain’s affordability crisis: 

The AA is urging drivers to check their tyres before heading back to work and school after the Christmas break, warning that thousands of avoidable breakdowns explain why the post-Christmas period is one of the busiest times of the year for its patrols.