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Friday’s briefing: Four points, Three Lions and two FA Cup ties
Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League is four points after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford. England boss Thomas Tuchel signed a contract extension ahead of the Nations League draw, which put his side up against Spain, Croatia and the Czech Republic. Manchester United co-owner S...
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Friday’s briefing: Four points, Three Lions and two FA Cup ties
Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League is four points after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford. England boss Thomas Tuchel signed a contract extension ahead of the Nations League draw, which put his side up against Spain, Croatia and the Czech Republic. Manchester United co-owner S...
James Van Der Beek family fundraiser surpasses £1.46 million after actor’s death
A fundraiser set up in support of Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek’s family has surpassed more than 2 million dollars (£1.46 million). The US actor died on Wednesday aged 48, after suffering from bowel cancer. Van Der Beek rose to fame playing Dawson Leery in the popular US teen drama Da...
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James Van Der Beek family fundraiser surpasses £1.46 million after actor’s death
A fundraiser set up in support of Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek’s family has surpassed more than 2 million dollars (£1.46 million). The US actor died on Wednesday aged 48, after suffering from bowel cancer. Van Der Beek rose to fame playing Dawson Leery in the popular US teen drama Da...
Starmer seeks new top mandarin in Downing Street shake-up
Sir Keir Starmer will begin the process of appointing a new cabinet secretary after Britain’s top civil servant stepped down “by mutual agreement”. Sir Chris Wormald left the role on Thursday after just 14 months as Sir Keir sought to shake up his Downing Street operation in the wake of the Pe...
Wintry weather to continue across UK with warnings for snow and ice in place
Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice remain in force across parts of the UK as forecasters warn of icy roads and travel disruption. An Arctic Maritime air mass is bringing colder conditions from the north of Scotland southwards with outbreaks of rain expected early on Friday, the Met Office said...
Starmer to meet European allies at security conference overshadowed by Trump
Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet European allies gathering in Germany as the continent faces antagonism from Donald Trump and growing threats from China and Russia. After a torrid few weeks domestically, the Prime Minister will travel to the Munich Security Conference on Friday. He is expected to hol...
RSPB hails boost for bird species but says ‘still a lot of work to be done’
The RSPB has revealed a significant boost for the critically threatened capercaillie in Scotland. RSPB Abernethy recorded 30 lekking males in 2025, a 50% increase since 2020. The capercaillie was once more widely spread across the UK but is now confined to native pinewood forests of Scotland where t...
Retailers enjoy ‘bright start to 2026’ as sales and footfall bounce back
Economists have hailed a “bright start to 2026” for Scottish retailers, after figures showed sales and footfall in January both saw their best performance since last April. According to figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and KPMG, total sales in Scotland rose 3.3% compared with Ja...
Energy giant Centrica announces £2.4m partnership with charity Multibank
Energy giant Centrica has announced a £2.4 million partnership with Multibank in a huge boost to the charity set up by former prime minister Gordon Brown. Under the three-year partnership, Centrica will help provide further essential household goods to those who need them. Mr Brown and Centrica chi...
Hundreds of school leaders to get extra training thanks to £800,000 investment
Up to 280 senior school teachers could benefit from extra training, thanks to cash from the Scottish Government and a charity set up by businessman Sir Tom Hunter. Both the Government and the Hunter Foundation will contribute £400,000 to the Head Teacher Leadership Academy – which helps head teac...
Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘vast wartime archive’ joins Imperial War Museum collection
A Second World War trove of objects, letters and documents that belonged to Dame Vera Lynn has become the Imperial War Museum’s latest acquisition. The late singer’s wartime archive – which includes more than 600 fan letters – will go through a “rigorous collection care process” before i...
Stroke victim with just one rare symptom highlights unusual signs of condition
A stroke survivor whose only symptom was being unable to read has urged people to look out for uncommon signs of the potentially deadly condition. Gordon Robb had a bleed on his brain but was reluctant to seek emergency care after not experiencing the usual symptoms of the condition, including facia...
Glasgow homeless applications from outside Scotland surge by over 3,500%
Homeless applications in Glasgow from people from outside Scotland have surged by more than 3,500%, figures suggest. The statistics, obtained by the Tories under a freedom of information request, reveal a dramatic rise in those seeking help with homelessness who had no local connection. The party cl...
Scottish child payment has handed £1.3bn to 241,000 parents in five years
The Scottish child payment has delivered more than £1.3 billion to over 241,000 parents and carers since it launched five years ago. The Social Justice Secretary said the benefit is a key part of the Scottish Government’s strategy to eliminate child poverty. Shirley-Anne Somerville told the Press...
Davey joins beach clean as he demands improved sewage spill monitoring
Sir Ed Davey will travel to Edinburgh on Friday to help clean up a beach. The Liberal Democrat leader will join the Surfers Against Sewage group at Portobello Beach. Sir Ed has called for better sewage monitoring in Scotland, saying only a fraction of spills are currently recorded. He said: “I’m...
James McAvoy to premiere directorial debut at Glasgow Film Festival
Hollywood star James McAvoy and director Mark Jenkin will be among the big names taking to the red carpet at this year’s Glasgow Film Festival (GFF), which begins later this month. The 22nd edition of the festival, which opens on February 25, will host 126 films in 12 days – including 12 world, ...
Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘vast wartime archive’ joins Imperial War Museum collection
A Second World War trove of objects, letters and documents that belonged to Dame Vera Lynn has become the Imperial War Museum’s latest acquisition. The late singer’s wartime archive – which includes more than 600 fan letters – will go through a “rigorous collection care process” before i...
Derry Death Notices - Friday, February 13, 2026
Latest Derry obituaries and death notices The following deaths have occurred:- • Malcolm Gray, 2 Drumbane Gardens, Caw, Derry • Samuel (Sammy) Kineton, 6 Yeats Court, Ballymagroarty, Derry • Georgina (Georgie) Linton (née Brown), 32 Brown Drive, Maghera • Ann Martina Marshall (née McNicho...
James McAvoy to premiere directorial debut at Glasgow Film Festival
Hollywood star James McAvoy and director Mark Jenkin will be among the big names taking to the red carpet at this year’s Glasgow Film Festival (GFF), which begins later this month. The 22nd edition of the festival, which opens on February 25, will host 126 films in 12 days – including 12 world, ...