“At the same time, I’ve used shared experiences as the basis for songs which try to delve into why we humans behave as we do, so the record is a mixture of fact and fiction.”
The tour –Lily AllenPerforms West End Girl – will see the singer perform the album in its entirety in the order the songs feature on her record.
When is Lily Allen’s 2026 tour?
Lily Allen’s 2026 West End Girl tour is scheduled to take place throughout March 2026.
The British singer is set to perform her acclaimed fifth studio album at venues, theatres and concert halls across the UK.
This tour marks her first headline shows since her No Shame Tour in 2018-19.
The tour dates and venues for Lily Allen Performs West End Girl UK in March 2026 are:
March 2: Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
March 3: Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
March 5: Birmingham, Symphony Hall
March 7: Sheffield, City Hall
March 8: Newcastle, City Hall
March 10: Manchester, Aviva Studios (The Hall)
March 11: Manchester, Aviva Studios (The Hall)
March 14: Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
March 15: Cambridge, Corn Exchange
March 17: Bristol, Beacon
March 18: Cardiff, New Theatre
March 20: London, Palladium
March 21: London, Palladium
How can I get tickets for Lily Allen’s 2026 tour?
Tickets go on general sale from 10am GMT Friday, November 7, 2025, via Ticketmaster and LiveNation.
For fans who want to secure tickets before the general release, thankfully there is a presale, taking place from 10am on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
But to access this presale, you will need to register with co:brand before midnight on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
Selected venues have already confirmed ticket prices for Lily Allen’s UK tour.
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall said they start at roughly £40 and go up to around £85.
METALLICA are bringing the M72 World Tour back to the UK in summer 2026, and demand is sky high.
If you missed out on the first wave, do not panic—here are the confirmed dates, who is supporting, and the most innovative ways to still grab seats for Glasgow, Cardiff, and London.
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With Metallica promising fresh setlists and huge production for M72, the extra effort will be worth itCredit: Tim Saccenti
What are Metallica’s UK tour dates 2026?
Metallica have set four massive UK shows for June and July 2026 as part of the M72 World Tour, with different setlists and support lineups across the weekend.
Glasgow, Scotland Venue: Hampden Park Date: Thursday, June 25, 2026 Supporting acts: Gojira and Knocked Loose
Cardiff, Wales Venue: Principality Stadium Date: Sunday, June 28, 2026 Supporting acts: Gojira and Knocked Loose
London, England Venue: London Stadium Date 1: Friday, July 3, 2026, with support from Pantera and Avatar Date 2: Sunday, July 5, 2026, with support from Gojira and Knocked Loose
The M72 World Tour is built around the No Repeat Weekend format, which means two different shows and two different setlists in the same city, plus a rotating cast of special guests.
It is designed so fans can go twice and get a completely fresh night each time.
Two‑day tickets for the 2026 European leg went on general sale on May 30, 2025, with fan club presales earlier that week.
For London specifically, single‑day tickets were released later and went on sale on Friday, July 25, 2025.
How can I still get tickets for Metallica’s UK tour?
If your chosen date is now sold out, you still have a few solid routes to get in. Some are official and face value, others are resale and often carry a markup.
Here is what to try, in order.
1. Check primary sites for drops and verified listings
Start with the official primary agents. Inventory does move.
Extra production holds and restricted views can be released closer to the show, and Ticketmaster remains the key place to check for any new London Stadium allocations and verified listings when they appear.
Keep refreshing on on-sale anniversaries and ahead of staging deadlines.
The show is designed so fans can go twice and get a completely fresh night each timeCredit: Getty
2. Try official hospitality for guaranteed seats
Hospitality and VIP packages are often still available even when standard tickets are sold out.
Seat Unique is the official hospitality partner for Metallica’s UK dates, with packages for London and Cardiff that bundle premium seats, lounge access and extras.
These are pricier but secure, and availability tends to last longer than standard tickets.
VIP options typically include fast‑track entry, lounge access, premium seating and early access, which can be a game-changer if you want a smoother day out.
3. Look at Enhanced Experiences and fan club options
Metallica also run official Enhanced Experience packages via their own channels for the M72 tour.
Perks vary by city, but expect premium views, early entry or special access, plus exclusive merch.
The band have also offered an I Disappear ticket for this tour, granting general admission floor access with early entry across multiple shows, subject to availability and terms.
If you are flexible and planning more than one date, that pass can be highly valuable.
4. Use trusted secondary marketplaces carefully
If the primary route is tapped out, secondary marketplaces can help.
Sites like Viagogo and StubHub may have tickets listed by other fans.
Prices can be above face value, and fees add up, so read the listings closely and check seller guarantees before you buy.
Ticombo is another option some fans use for peer‑to‑peer resales.
Only purchase from platforms that offer clear protection in case of event changes or invalid barcodes.
5. Set alerts and keep checking back
Speed matters. Set up alerts so you are first in line when something drops.
Services like Twickets let you create notifications for specific dates and price points, and receive them from other fans at face value.
It is also worth checking the venue sites in the final run‑in, as Hampden Park, Principality Stadium and London Stadium sometimes free up last‑minute seats after production is locked.
Oct. 18 (UPI) — Senate Democrats and Republicans are not budging on their demands to temporarily fund the federal government and end the shutdown as key dates approach.
The shutdown is the federal government’s third-longest and entered its 18th day on Saturday after the Senate failed to approve a temporary funding measure for the 10th time on Thursday and adjourned for the weekend.
More votes are expected to be held next week, but if the Senate stalemate continues, active federal workers won’t receive their full paychecks on Friday for the first time during the current shutdown, according to The Hill.
Those federal workers who are still on the job also received only partial pay on Oct. 10, which affected an estimated 2 million employees and their families.
Federal workers are guaranteed back pay when the shutdown eventually ends and the government is funded, in accordance with a 2019 federal law.
While active federal workers could miss their first full paychecks on Friday, military personnel are slated to be paid a week later on Oct. 31.
President Donald Trump earlier announced his administration has located $8 billion in unused research-and-development allocations from the 2025 fiscal year that ended on Sept 30.
He used that money to pay 1.2 million military personnel on Wednesday, but several congressional lawmakers question the legality of doing so.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., intends to hold a vote to pay military personnel and other “excepted” federal workers.
“We’re going to give [senators] a chance to pay the military next week,” Thune told media.
Senate staffers also are slated to be paid on Monday and House staffers on Oct. 31, but the funds are not available.
Another pressing issue is the Affordable Care Act’s annual open enrollment period starting on Nov. 1.
A House-approved continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through Nov. 21 does not include an extension of ACA tax credits, which expire at the end of the year.
The 18-day shutdown will last at least into Monday and only has been surpassed by a 21-day shutdown from Dec. 16, 1995, to Jan. 6, 1996, and a 35-day shutdown that started on Dec. 22, 2018, and lasted until Jan. 25, 2019.
Senate Democrats mostly have refused to approve the continuing resolution and instead offered an alternative funding measure that would fund the federal government through Oct. 31 and would include an extension of the ACA tax credits and Medicaid eligibility.
Senate Republicans mostly prefer to negotiate such things in the 2026 fiscal year budget, though.
Another pressing date is Nov. 21, which is the Friday after Thanksgiving and one of the busiest travel weekends in the United States.
If the shutdown extends into the Thanksgiving weekend, a shortage of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration workers would greatly affect air travel.
The president has cited the shutdown when laying off federal workers, but U.S. District of Northern California Judge Susan Illstonhas temporarily blocked the Trump administration from continuing to lay off federal workers who are represented by two public sector unions.
On Friday, Illston said she might expand the injunction to include members of three more labor unions, Roll Call reported.
Former President Bill Clinton appointed Illston to the federal bench in 1995.
Dearest gentle reader, Lady Whistledown — voiced by Julie Andrews — is back.
Netflix released a trailer for the fourth season of “Bridgerton” on Monday, and the Ton’s resident gossip columnist promised to have all the delightful details. The teaser also revealed that the next chapter of the Regency-era romance will be released in two parts on Jan. 29 and Feb. 26.
The eight-episode season will follow Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) fairy tale-inspired romance. The beloved second-eldest sibling of the Bridgerton brood is is known for being commitment averse and uninterested in marriage, but, if the trailer is to be trusted, it seems a masked mystery woman he brushes past on a staircase might change that.
“With each passing season, one is known to experience plenty of ups and downs,” Whistledown says in the teaser footage. “So then we must ask ourselves, do we rise to the occasion? As always, time — and this author — will tell.”
Unbeknownst to Benedict, the mystery woman, also known as the Lady in Silver, is Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). According to Netflix’s in-house blog Tudum, the staircase encounter featured in the trailer is the first time the pair cross paths during Lady Bridgerton’s masquerade ball.
Benedict and Sophie’s romance is based on the events in “An Offer From a Gentleman,” the third book in Julia Quinn’s “Bridgerton” book series. Much like the wicked matriarch in “Cinderella,” Sophie’s stepmother (Katie Leung) is more concerned about her two daughters’ (Michelle Mao, Isabella Wei) societal debut and marriage prospects than whatever her stepdaughter is getting up to.
“Bridgerton” showrunner Jess Brownell previously told The Times that Benedict’s character arc “has a lot to do with being someone who is learning how to exist between society and and being unconventional.”
“Benedict [is] trying to figure out what his place is in the world and how to circumvent certain rules, which is something Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) [taught] him [in Season 3],” she said last year. “I think we will continue telling the story of his [sexual] fluidity going forward.”
The brief “Bridgerton” Season 4 teaser focuses solely on Benedict and Sophie. Those interested in updates about the state of Penelope’s writing career or what Francesca, John and Michaela Stirling have been up to since the end of the third season will have to keep waiting.
Tim Hentschel, CEO of HotelPlanner.com and HotelPlanner.ai, says his virtual travel agents are already taking 50,000 real calls a day and will hit the 100,000 mark before the year is out
The robo travel agents are coming(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“I’m sorry. That was a generic answer. Let me come up with something a little more meaningful.”
There’s something quite novel about a robot apologising to you. Cassandra, one of HotelPlanner.ai’s American representatives, was as quick on the contrition as it was on suggesting hotels in Tupelo, Mississippi, that I might want to stay in.
I chucked a few requirements at Cassandra and it quickly found me a place that ticked all of the boxes. Cassandra even obliged when I asked for a description of the rooms, and then apologised when I cut it off, demanding that those descriptions be a little less lifeless.
Try as I might, my efforts to wind Cassandra up failed. It kept delivering helpful answers and even extra titbits of information without being prompted, all with an upbeat tone of voice against a backdrop of fake call center sounds.
Robo-travel agents such as Cassandra are currently fielding calls on HotelPlanner.ai, where you can choose the language and gender of your call handler before taking it on a test run. It’s working on a beta trial basis in the UK at the moment, but in the US, the world of AI travel agents is very much here already and booming.
Tim Hentschel, CEO of HotelPlanner.com and HotelPlanner.ai, says his virtual travel agents are already taking 50,000 real calls a day and will hit the 100,000 mark before the year is out. He claims that 10% of HotelPlanner.com’s bookings are made by bots.
That’s no small potatoes, given the company’s expected $1.8 billion gross revenues this year and the 1.5 million properties it can book.
Tim is a huge believer in the power of AI to transform customer service in the travel industry and argues that HotelPlanner.com’s agents are trained to be “more helpful and efficient” than humans and already able to “compete head-to-head” when it comes to customer satisfaction and sales.
While Tim says the company has no desire to stop using humans to answer calls, the AI side of the business is growing quickly and could one day field 100% of all calls. Partly because they’ve learned from the best. The large language model bots were trained using eight million human phone calls.
What’s arguably a little unnerving is that customers aren’t told they’re speaking to a robot, and they often don’t realise.
“We only tell customers if they’re speaking to an AI agent if they ask. Sometimes it has come up as customers have asked them out on dates,” Tim told the Mirror.
“We find AI works best with older customers as it’s extremely helpful and patient—sometimes to a fault, as the AI doesn’t understand the money value of time. The question is, if you want a service, who can perform it better? A human or AI with unlimited information?
“The agents have accents. They make an attempt at humour. The robots are programmed always to be helpful, it has nothing but kindness.”
Whether the idea of an AI customer service bot excites or appalls you, their arrival in increasing numbers seems inevitable. Just this week, OpenAI announced it had struck a deal with travel giant Expedia, paving the way for holidaymakers to book trips directly through the platform.
At the Travel and Tourism Summit in Rome at the end of September, Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, predicted that AI would “double the travel market” – because “people will work three days due to AI, and take much longer holidays.”
Jane went on to describe how she thought AI would improve customer service.
“We must make sure our customers are very well looked after with good customer support. 30 seconds, an AI in your native language will be able to speak to you over the phone. Within 30 seconds a call centre employee will be able to answer your call. Within two minutes of a crisis, our team will be able to call them to get them to safety. This will be powered by AI,” she said.
How do you feel about AI travel agents? Let us know in the comments below or by emailing [email protected].
Fifa president Gianni Infantino wants football to keep an “open mind” about when World Cups are played.
The tournament has traditionally been contested in the northern hemisphere’s summer months – though the 2022 competition, in Qatar, took place in December to avoid playing in the hottest conditions.
“We have summer and winter and in the world if you want to play at the same time everywhere you can play in March or in October,” said Infantino, who runs the sport’s world governing body.
“In December you cannot play in one part of the world and in July you cannot play in another part.
“We need to consider all these elements and let’s see how we can make it better for everyone.
“Maybe there are ways we can optimise the calendar. We are discussing. We have to have an open mind.”
The international match calendar is fixed until 2030, with the United States, Canada and Mexico hosting next year’s men’s World Cup in June and July.
Morocco, Portugal and Spain host the World Cup in 2030 – with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay holding matches to mark 100 years since the first World Cup was held in, and won by, Uruguay.
Saudi Arabia will host the tournament in 2034.
Meanwhile, Infantino also confirmed Fifa’s desire to further grow the Club World Cup.
The US hosted an expanded 32-team tournament during a major heatwave in the summer, with temperatures in New York reaching a record 39C in June.
This drew criticism from footballers and players’ unions, who raised issues over player welfare and the number of games adding to a packed calendar.
Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Maheta Molango said in July the competition was devaluing football.
Chelsea beat Paris St-Germain in New York to claim the title.
Infantino, speaking at the European Football Clubs’ general assembly in Rome, said: “When the Champions League was created the first revenue was 40m (euros), now it is 4bn (euros). If the first Club World Cup generated 2bn (euros) in 30 years we should generate 200bn (euros).
“This has created revenues for the clubs. Now we work together to see how we can make it better, bigger and more impactful in collaboration with the clubs and stakeholders because it will benefit everyone.
“I’m biased but it was a huge success from every possible angle. We had 2.5m spectators in the stadiums. We had an average [attendance] of 40,000 and only the Premier League is doing better.
“There is interest in the entire world and we need the interest to boost the national leagues, the European and global competitions.”
GET ready, Prime members! Amazon’s next major sales event is just hours away.
In recent years, Prime members have been treated to two exclusive sales – Prime Day in July and Prime Big Deal Days, which typically takes place in October.
Amazon’s Prime subscription service gives you access to a treasure trove of benefits
Amazon Prime Day deals
Amazon’s last Prime Day sale kicked off on July 8 and ran for four days, ending on July 11.
We also spotted plenty of deals on Amazon devices such as Echo speakers, Fire TVs, and Ring security systems, plus major price drops on top brands and trending tech products, such as dash cams, and we’re predicting similar savings next week.
It’s the last major sales event from Amazon ahead of Black Friday – so make sure you don’t miss out, especially if you’re hoping to get a head start on your Christmas shopping or pick up a few affordable winter essentials.
Just remember: to take advantage of the deals, you’ll need an Amazon Prime subscription (there’s a 30-day free trial), currently costing £8.99 per month or £95 per year.
Jump to…
When does Amazon Prime Day 2025 start?
Amazon’s second Prime Day sale of the year, Prime Big Deal Days, will take place on October 7, 2025.
The two-day shopping event ends on October 8, 2025.
In 2024, Amazon Prime Big Deal Days ran from October 8 to 9.
Amazon Prime Day: The best deals live now
We’ve rounded up a wide range of deals you can shop right now.
Best Amazon home deals
Prime Day is the perfect time to pick up big-name brands for lessCredit: Amazon
Treadmill Walking Pad Running Machine, £149.99 for Prime members (was £599.99) – buy here
LEENON Dehumidifiers for Home, £109.99 (was £159.99) –buy here
Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor (Newest gen), £26.99 (was £69.99) – buy here
Alexander Graham 3 Tier Heated Clothes Airer Dryer, £92.65 (was £109) – buy here
Slumberdown Sleepy Nights Electric Blanket King Size, £32.60 (was £42.99) – buy here
Slumberdown Feels Like Down King Size Duvet 13.5 Tog, £21.56 (was £31.19) – buy here
Yankee Candle Scented Candle Vanilla Cupcake Large Jar, £16.99 (was £29.99) – buy here
LEGO Botanicals Orchid, £29.99 (was £44.99) – buy here
LEGO Harry Potter Book Nook: Hogwarts Express Set with a Train Toy, £67.99 (was £89.99) – buy here
LEGO Halloween Barn, £9.99 (was £12.99) – buy here
Monopoly Harry Potter Edition, £21.99 (was £37.99) – buy here
MEGA Pokémon Charizard Action Figure, £14.99 (was £22.99) – buy here
Paw Patrol Adventure Bay Bath Playset, £19.99 (was £29.99) – buy here
PAW Patrol Fire Rescue Command Center with Marshall Figure, £37.49 (was £49.99) – buy here
AOLEVA Wooden Afternoon Tea Set for Toddler, £14.75 (was £17.35) – buy here
Pukomc 36/60in Toddler Trampoline for Kids, £26.59 (was £49.99) – buy here
LeapFrog Build-a-Slice Pizza Cart, £39.99 (was £59.99) – buy here
Best Prime Day deals on Amazon services
During the sales event, Amazon offers promotional deals and free trials on several services, including Prime.
Here are just a few of our favourite deals you can snap up today:
When was the last Prime Day event?
The last Prime Day sale took place between July 8 and July 11, 2025, giving bargain hunters four days to shop exclusive deals.
Prime members were treated to thousands of discounts across everything from tech and beauty to home essentials and fashion, with many items hitting their lowest-ever prices.
Here are the dates of past Prime Day sales:
2015: 15 July
2016: 12 July
2017: 11-12 July
2018: 17-18 July
2019: 15-16 July
2020: 13-14 October
2021: 21-22 June
2022: 12-13 July
2023: 11-12 July
2024: 16-17 July
2025: 8-11 July
Do I need to be a Prime member to take part in Prime Day?
Never been a member before? You’re in luck – Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for newbies.
This essentially gives you full access to the mammoth sale and all the Prime perks, without spending a penny.
Just be sure to set a reminder – you’ll need to cancel before the 30-day trial ends to avoid being charged the £8.99 monthly fee.
If you’re planning to keep Prime long-term, you can save by opting for the annual membership at £95.
How much is Amazon Prime?
An Amazon Prime membership costs £8.99 per month or £95 for the whole year – but with all the perks on offer, it could save you a fortune.
Amazon’s yearly subscription service gives you access to a treasure trove of benefits, from quick delivery to binge-worthy telly and exclusive discounts.
The annual membership works out cheaper than paying monthly, saving you nearly £13 over the year – perfect if you’re planning to stick with Prime long-term.
Not sure if it’s worth splashing the cash? Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new members (or anyone who hasn’t been a member in the last 12 months).
This means you can enjoy all the Prime perks, including access to the Amazon sale, without spending a penny – just remember to cancel before the 30 days are up if you don’t want to be charged.
The mega-sale features a mix of different deal types, including:
“Deals of the day,” which last a limited time – or vanish even quicker if stock runs out.
Limited “lightning deals” which appear and disappear in the blink of an eye once stock is gone.
Some offers (particularly Amazon’s own devices) will stick around for the full sale period.
How long will Prime Day 2025 deals last?
As mentioned above, Prime Big Deal Days is a two-day event that will take place between October 7 and 8, 2025.
The sale is slightly shorter than July’s Prime Day event, which gave shoppers four days of unmissable deals.
It was the biggest Prime Day event to date, with customers saving billions on deals across more than 35 product categories.
Our top tip? If you spot something you’ve been eyeing up with a massive discount, grab it quickly.
Hesitate and you’ll likely miss out – these deals wait for no one!
Does Amazon have Prime Day deals on everything?
Prime Day is a shopaholic’s dream, with discounts across virtually every Amazon department.
Here are several categories worth checking out:
Whether you’re shopping for yourself or hunting for gifts, you’ll find something on sale in whatever category catches your eye.
Can students take part in Prime Day?
Yes, students can get in on all the Prime Day bargains.
Amazon offers students a special Prime Student membership that comes with the same perks as regular Prime but at a serious discount – just £4.49 monthly.
Even better, students get an incredible six-month free trial (compared to the normal 30 days), giving you access to all the Prime Day deals without spending a penny.
To qualify, you’ll need:
A valid university email address
Proof of enrollment
The student discount lasts for four years or until you graduate (whichever comes first) – making this one of the best bargains going for cash-strapped students.
How do I cancel my Amazon Prime 30-day free trial after Prime Day?
If you’re taking advantage of an Amazon Prime trial to grab Prime Day bargains, you’ll need to cancel before your 30 days are up to avoid being charged the full membership fee.
Luckily, cancelling is a doddle – here’s exactly how to do it:
On your phone or tablet:
Open the Amazon app and tap the profile icon at the bottom
Tap ‘Your Account’
Select ‘Manage Prime Membership’
Tap ‘Manage Membership’ at the top
Hit ‘Update, cancel and more’
Scroll down and tap ‘End membership’
On your computer:
Head to Amazon.co.uk/gp/primecentral
Click ‘Update, cancel, and more’ below ‘Membership’
Click ‘End membership’
Select the yellow ‘Cancel My Benefits’ button
Click ‘Continue to Cancel’
Confirm by clicking ‘Cancel Membership’
Even after cancelling, you’ll still keep all your Prime benefits until the end of your trial period.
You’ll see the exact end date displayed on the screen after cancelling.
If you end up forgetting to cancel and get charged, Amazon may offer a full refund if you haven’t used any Prime benefits since the trial ended.
How often is Amazon Prime Day?
Amazon Prime Day typically takes place once a year in July.
The retail giant also hosts a second major sales event in October, known as Prime Big Deal Days.
In addition to these two events, Amazon runs regular sales throughout the year, including a Spring Sale in March.
The retailer also offers unbeatable deals during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so there are plenty of opportunities to save.
CMAT has shared the sad news that she’s cancelling her October tour dates, revealing on Instagram that she’s due to undergo surgery following a medical emergency
The singer D4vd called off a series of upcoming tour dates, including a concert this weekend at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, as police investigate his connection to the death of a teenage Inland Empire girl whose decomposed body was discovered this month in a car registered to the musician.
A representative for the Greek said the show, which was scheduled for Saturday night, had been canceled. Other tour dates in San Francisco and in Europe had either been removed from or were listed as canceled on Ticketmaster’s website by Friday afternoon.
An event at L.A.’s Grammy Museum scheduled for Wednesday — in which D4vd planned to perform and to take part in a conversation about his work — has also been called off. A representative for D4vd didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, D4vd, 20, announced that he would release a deluxe edition of his 2025 album, “Withered,” on Friday, but the project hadn’t appeared on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music by Friday morning.
Police are investigating the singer’s ties to Celeste Rivas, who was reported missing in April 2024 and whose whereabouts were a mystery until this week, when authorities identified her remains after they found a body in the trunk of a Tesla in a Hollywood tow lot on Sept. 8.
School holidays mean many parents are having to fork out staggering amounts in order to go on holiday during the summer and a leading travel expert has urged schools to change their term breaks
Parents are forking out fortunes in order to go on holiday during the school breaks(Image: Getty)
Many parents have to plan their holidays around their children’s school breaks – but one leading expert has said this needs to change. It’s no secret summer holidays can cost families a fortune, having to travel in peak times, which is why many reluctantly take their kids out of school during term time in order to book a trip away for significantly less.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership has demanded drastic changes to school calendars, and said recorded temperatures in the Mediterranean were making it harder for families to go away in the summer.
School holidays currently run from late July to early September in England and Wales, and Ms Lo Bue-Said thinks they should be shortened by two weeks and each week saved could then be added to the current May and October one-week half terms instead.
Summer holidays have become the most expensive time to go away (stock photo)(Image: Getty)
She told The Independent: “We see trends that are really impacting how families are thinking about holidays now. With 40C weather in parts of Europe, families just do not want to be going to those destinations at that time of year.”
With these proposed date changes, she said it would be better for children and their wellbeing, as well as better for families and teachers who are all “constrained” to having to go away in the school holidays.
At the moment, parents who take their children out during term times face fines of £80 or more, and the expert said: “Frankly, people are traveling out of school holidays. We’re seeing exceptional increases in fines by schools now to families. The change is happening, people want to reconsider the school calendar.”
Ms Lo Bue-Said believes holiday prices could fall if the demand for trips were spread across the year instead rather than just in the peak demand of when schools close.
While families in Scotland, where school summer holidays tend to run from the end of June to mid-August are able to take advantage of cheaper deals from English airports during the early part of the break.
In Northern Ireland, schools are closed for all of July and August. Most of England’s schools are now academies who can set now their own holidays, and some have already opted for five weeks in summer and two weeks in October.
According to BBC, Surrey’s county council has decided to follow suit for all the schools it supports from autumn 2026.
Parentkind, the charity for parent-teacher organisations, has released polling suggesting 53% of parents would like a four-week summer holiday, rising to 60% in families with a child with special educational needs.
AN American rock band has canceled their remaining tour dates, with the frontman making a confession about the ‘hardest decision’ he had to make.
Earlier this month, The Dangerous Summer, which was formed in 2006, revealed their summer tour would expand into the fall – but this is not the case anymore.
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The Dangerous Summer have canceled the remainder of their tourCredit: X / @dangeroussummer
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Frontman AJ Perdomo shared a statement with his fans on social mediaCredit: Getty
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The band were formed in 2006 before disbanding in 2014 and then reuniting in 2017Credit: Getty
Fans are gutted after learning that the band has unexpectedly canceled all of their remaining tour dates for the year.
Their frontman AJ Perdomo penned a touching statement about needing to step away from music for a while.
He penned, “There is no easy way to say this, but I am burning out from being on the road so often.
“It is the hardest decision in the world to make, but I have decided to cancel the remaining tour dates for the rest of the year.”
Read More about Rock Bands
He added, “I need to go home and be a father, a fiancé, and a creative. I need to work on my life at home for a moment.
“I have the dreamer’s disease. Next year will be 20 years since this band has started.
“It has become such a large part of my existence, and how I value myself as an individual. I have been overworking to fill a hole in my heart that no amount of shows or success will be able to fill.”
Opening up further, AJ continued, “When I am standing up on stage singing a song like ‘What’s an hour really worth?’ I start to think about the life that is passing me by while I am away from home.
“It broke my heart to tell my band, my manager, and my team of agents—but they have been extremely supportive of my decision to take some time away from touring.”
Reassuring the band’s fans, AJ urged that this was not the end.
Madness star reveals he’s got incurable cancer as fans rally to support him after diagnosis
“This isn’t the end, and in fact, making new music is one of the driving factors in this decision,” he explained.
“Creating music is where my heart truly lies, and I need to get back to it.
“Please continue supporting live music, and the bands/venues that we had intended on hitting this fall/winter.
“Music and art need your support more than ever.”
Fans were quick to react to the sad news of the tour being canceled, but were understanding of AJ’s reasoning for doing so.
One fan replied to his post on X saying, “’ll speak for every fan and say take all the time you need! Cherish those moments with your fam and we’ll see you again later.”
A second added, “That sucks but totally understand AJ. Do what you need to do and see ya back on stage at some point.”
While a third wrote, “Much love and respect, AJ. Enjoy the time with your family.”
The Dangerous Summer had a “messy breakup” before reuniting.
They were initially together from 2006 until 2014 when they disbanded.
They then reunited in 2017.
When the band was not together, AJ had settled into a more lowkey lifestyle.
He had gotten into the groove of raising his daughter with his wife in L.A, as per a report three years ago.
“I loved the life I created,” AJ told Metro Times in 2022, adding, “I kind of loved having a nine-to-five. You know, the grass is greener.”
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Fans have supported the band’s decision to cancel their tourCredit: Getty
Travellers could face issues and delays on their trips after further strike action was announced which will take place on set days and times
10:09, 10 Aug 2025Updated 10:55, 10 Aug 2025
There could be delays(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Holidaymakers going to Spain are facing a fresh blow as new strikes have been announced affecting major airports and airlines across parts of the country. The UGT union previously stated there will be a series of strikes affecting Ryanair’s baggage handling department.
These are set to start on August 15. However there is now increased potential for delays and flight cancellations after 1,500 workers with a second firm, Menzies, said it would hold its own industrial action, which will also start in August.
Menzies services a number of major airlines including British Airways, easyJet, Wizz Air, American Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Norwegian. The UGT union said the strike by ground staff of the Menzies group will affect five Spanish airports, including Barcelona-El Prat, Alicante, Palma, Malaga and Tenerife South, on August 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31.
It is peak tourist season(Image: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
In a statement the union explained it is objecting to what it says are “serious and repeated breaches of labour agreements and the conditions established by agreement” by Menzies. Amongst these “violations”, UGT highlights “salary breaches, violation of subrogation rights, disorganisation in working hours and schedules.”
The union also claims there have been “constant errors in the management of personnel and payroll”, reports the Express. It also argues that there is a shortage of staff to handle the workload and an “arbitrary imposition of holidays.”
It claims Menzies is in breach of the sectoral handling agreement, the company’s own agreement, and the sectoral agreement ratified by the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA) in December 2024, which led to the cancellation of a previous strike. The union has already called for multiple strikes in Ryanair’s handling department.
These are set for the peak holiday season when Spain is brimming with tourists. This strike, which involves more than 3,000 workers who load and unload luggage, will be held this week – on Friday, August 15, Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 17 and then every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The Ryanair strikes could continue until next January unless an agreement can be reached. However legally, the workers must provide a “minimum service” which is yet to be determined, but the action will still significantly affect travellers.
The strikes could affect travellers significantly
The union says those protests are “against the sanctions imposed on workers and the abuse of hours.” Ryanair’s bases are situated in Valencia, Alicite, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Ibiza, Palma, Girona, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Santiago.
The strike at Azul Handling (Ryanair’s handling subsidiary) is set for August 15, 16 and 17 and will continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until at least December 31, as confirmed by the UGT in a statement. The actions could potentially extend into January.
The strike will take place between 5am and 9am, noon and 3pm and 9pm to 11.59pm. The FeSMC-UGT airline sector is requesting mediation before the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA).
The union has said the reasons for the strike call. It says these are:
Lack of stable job creation and consolidation of working hours for permanent part-time staff
Imposition and coercion in the performance of complementary hours, both ordinary and voluntary, apply in some cases, with disproportionate sanctions
Repeated failure to comply with the opinions of the Joint Committee of the Sectoral Agreement on guarantees and bonuses
Illegal restrictions on reinstatement after medical discharge and on the adaptation of working hours to exercise the right to family conciliation
It says: “UGT regrets having to go to these extremes and all the damages that may occur, for which the direct responsibility will be solely and exclusively the company and its reckless action with the workforce.”
Jose Manuel Perez Grande, Federal Secretary of the FeSMC-UGT Air Union, has accused Azul Handling of maintaining “a strategy of precariousness and pressure on the workforce that violates basic labour rights and systematically ignores union demands.”
The FeSMC-UGT Air Sector is calling for the company to withdraw the sanctions, stick to the recommendations of the Joint Commission, and start a real negotiation process aimed at enhancing the working conditions for over 3,000 employees across the country.
Stevie Nicks has postponed several upcoming tour dates after fracturing her shoulder.
“Due to a recent injury resulting in a fractured shoulder that will require recovery time, Stevie Nicks’ scheduled concerts in August and September will be rescheduled,” the Fleetwood Mac singer announced over the weekend.
The affected shows include all her August and September shows, which include Detroit, Brooklyn and Florida dates. Those dates have been rescheduled for later in the fall and winter.
Nicks’ shows scheduled for October are still on as planned, including Portland, Sacramento and Las Vegas.
“Stevie looks forward to seeing everyone soon and apologizes to the fans for this inconvenience,” the statement continued.
Nicks recently delighted Fleetwood Mac fans by reaching enough of a detente with her on-and-off bandmate Lindsey Buckingham to reissue their beloved 1973 collaborative LP “Buckingham Nicks,” their only album together before joining Fleetwood Mac. That LP is out Sept. 19.
THOUSANDS on Universal Credit and 11 other benefits can expect early payments this month.
Benefits are paid into your bank or building society account earlier if your usual payment date falls on a bank holiday or the weekend.
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Universal Credit and 11 other benefits are being paid early this month to some claimantsCredit: Alamy
The nextbank holiday is on Monday, August 25, meaning if you’re expecting a payment on this date it will be made on August 22.
So, if you check your statement on August 22 and notice a surprise amount of money, it will likely be your benefit being issued earlier.
If you are paid earlier than usual this month, make sure the money stretches further as you will have to wait longer than normal to get your next payment.
Universal Credit and 11 other benefits are paid on the first working day before a bank holiday. The full list is:
Anyone paid one of the above 12 benefits on August 22 instead of August 23, 24 or 25, should receive the same amount as usual.
The only reason the payment amount might change is if you have had a change in your circumstances.
For example, if you are on Universal Credit and your earnings have increased, your payment might go down.
If you are expecting a payment on August 22 and don’t receive it, contact the DWP.
You can also submit a complaint to the Government department to get a problem sorted if your payment is wrong.
How does work affect Universal Credit?
After August, there are two more bank holidays before the end of the year which could impact when you receive your benefits.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
The new plans mean that anyone up to the age of 22 will not be able to claim the health element.
That means people claiming the health element of Universal Credit and new claimants with the most severe conditions will see their incomes protected in real terms.
The Government had put forward that people would need to score four points in one task such as washing and dressing to qualify for support.
Currently they can qualify with eight points across multiple activities.
The Government initially partially u-turned, saying the changes would come into effect in November 2026, but anyone claiming the benefit before this date would not be impacted.
Compound in Long Beach is hard to pigeonhole into any category because it’s so many things at once, and at the same time, is a singular L.A. experience. The peaceful, 14,000-square-foot cultural complex’s primary focus is to promote wellness through the avenues of contemporary art, food, healing workshops, live performances and community building.
Upon entering Compound, you’ll find yourself in a serene and minimalistic sculpture garden that leads toUnion, a restaurant helmed by local Baryo chef Eugene Santiago, who cooks with seasonality, sustainability and Southeast Asian flavors in mind.The all-day restaurant caters to the different needs of the community — as a place to get coffee, cocktails, as well as lunch and dinner.
Go deeper into Compound and you’ll see artwork seamlessly blend into the complex. Currently on display until August is Southern California artist Fay Ray’s “Puerperal” exhibition, an exploration on the female identity, motherhood and the postpartum experience told through porcelain and architectural sculptures and photo collages.
One of the hallmarks of Compound’s program is its wellness workshops that include sound baths, guided meditation, drum circles, tai chi and healthy cooking demonstrations. General admission to Compound is free, and many wellness and art workshops are also free or paid through a sliding scale.
Enhance the creative experience: Check Compound’s events schedule to attend the complex’s regular open mic nights featuring poets and musicians over dinner and drinks, or take it one step further and sign up for a slot to perform.
LA28 released the first look at the 2028 Olympic competition schedule on Monday, exactly three years before the Games open on July 14, 2028. The slate is highlighted by a break in tradition to accommodate the organizing committee’s unique, dual-venue opening ceremony plan.
Instead of beginning the schedule with swimming, as has been customary in recent Games, track and field will instead take place during the first week of competition from July 15 to 24 at the Coliseum. Swimming will follow from July 22 to 30 at SoFi Stadium, where an indoor pool will be built after the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony, now officially scheduled for 5 p.m. PDT on July 14, 2028, will be shared between the Coliseum and SoFi Stadium. Swimming will deliver the final competition of the 2028 Olympics as the last medal events are set to begin at 3 p.m. on July 30, 2028. Three hours later, the Olympic Games will conclude with the closing ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Coliseum.
Several sports will begin qualifying competitions before the opening ceremony, including cricket. The sport, which is returning to the Games for the first time since 1900, will be played at the Fairgrounds in Pomona and begin competition on July 12, along with soccer, handball, water polo, basketball, rugby and field hockey.
Making its Olympic debut, flag football will take place during the first week of competition from July 15 to 22 at BMO Stadium. The early competition could help reduce potential overlap with NFL training camps. Active NFL players are allowed to try out for Olympic national teams, but training camps typically begin in late July.
The sport will get a premier showcase opportunity in its Olympic debut as all flag football competitions are scheduled for afternoon and evening time slots. The men’s medal games are from from 6-8:30 p.m. on July 21, 2028 with the women’s finals beginning at 1 p.m. on July 22.
An artist’s rendering of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics swimming venue at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
(LA28)
Marquee events swimming, track and field, and artistic gymnastics (July 15-20, July 22-25) will dominate the prime-time windows in the United States as the Summer Games return to American soil for the first time since 1996.
U.S. viewership of the Olympics waned from 2018 to 2022 as three consecutive Games in Asian countries made for complicated time zone changes. Viewers in the Pacific Time Zone were 16 hours behind live coverage from Tokyo in 2021, when the pandemic-delayed Games averaged a record-low Olympic viewership for NBC. But numbers skyrocketed at the Paris Games, where evening sessions in Europe made for lunchtime viewing stateside, building interest just in time for L.A. to take the torch.
“We are energized by today’s milestones,” LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said in a statement Monday that also celebrated 1 million enrollments with the youth sports program PlayLA, “and remain focused on the work ahead as the Road to 2028 continues.”
A full list of times for specific events are expected to be released later this year.
LA28 announced its eighth sponsorship deal of the year last week, inking Uber and Uber Eats as the official rideshare and on-demand delivery partners, respectively. The private organizing group plans to release information for volunteer opportunities this year, and registration for the ticket lottery should follow in early 2026.
THE most iconic tennis tournament in the world is BACK for another year of scintillating action.
All eyes turn to the capital, as tennis superstars, celebrities, royalty and tens of thousands of fans descend on Wimbledon for two weeks of non-stop action.
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Carlos Alcaraz is aiming to win a third successive Wimbledon titleCredit: The Times
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Coco Gauff is among a number of women’s singles stars aiming for a first Wimbledon titleCredit: Getty
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Emma Raducanu reached the fourth round in 2024Credit: GETTY
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Brit heartthrob Jack Draper is hoping to go past the second round for the first time
Back-to-back winner Carlos Alcaraz is looking to build on a thrilling Roland Garros victory over rival and world No 1 Jannik Sinner this summer.
The 22-year-old star has already gone one better in SW19 than Rafael Nadal as the only Spaniard to win the men’s singles tournament in consecutive years, with two Nadal’s two titles in 2008 and 2010 split by Roger Federer in 2009.
Furthermore, Alcaraz goes into the tournament fresh off a Queen’s Club win after beating Jiri Lehecka by straight sets.
Last year’s women’s finalist Jasmine Paolini will be among names such as Coco Cauff and Arnya Sabalenka in the list of women looking for their first singles title at Wimbledon.
Gauff and Sabalenka were Roland Garros finalists, while Paolini won the women’s doubles title alongside Sara Errani.
Barbora Krejcikova is the defending women’s champion but has endured an injury-hit season and lost in the first round at Queen’s.
When is Wimbledon 2025?
Wimbledon 2025 takes place over the course of two weeks in the summer
The tournament will be played between Monday, June 30 and Sunday, July 13.
The men’s singles final will be on Sunday, July 13 while the women’s singles final will be on Saturday, July 12.
How to watch Wimbledon 2025 for FREE in the UK
Wimbledon remains FREE to watch in the UK in 2025.
The BBC will show ALL of the action from the capital this summer.
While they will remain the main domestic broadcaster of the tournament, TNT Sports will show the men’s and women’s singles finals, as well as a 90 minute highlight package each day.
However, full coverage will remain free, as mentioned above, on the BBC.
It will be broadcast across BBC TV channels, the BBC Sport website and can be live streamed on iPlayer.
Alternatively, SunSport will be running a blog with all the latest news and live action as it happens from the All England Club.
Are tickets still available for Wimbledon 2025?
In short, yes – tickets are still available for EVERY day of Wimbledon.
It is a much tougher ask to guarantee exactly which matches you could see on a specific day, however.
The ballot for specific matches and tickets has closed but Wimbledon remains one of the only remaining sporting events where the public can buy tickets on the day of play.
The Queue remains a very popular way to attend the event, although we’d advise early arrival (or even the night before).
Each day it is possible to purchase a limited number of Show Court tickets or Grounds tickets.
The different tickets will allow specific access to certain courts.
There is limited availability on both, but tickets do also frequently become available later in the day should those already inside choose to leave.
Wimbledon also offers a variety of hospitality packages which includes fine-dining, complimentary drinks, prime seating, a concierge service and buggy shuttles to the Gate.
Alternatively, tickets for specific matches on Centre Court, Court 1 and elsewhere are available to purchase on secondary ticket sites such as StubHub.
Hospitality packages can also be purchased via Seat Unique.
*Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.*
Wimbledon Ticket Options
There are a range of ways to get into Wimbledon…
The Queue
As one of the only major sporting events that allows guests to purchase tickets on the day of the event, demand is high.
Each day a large queue forms of people wanting either a Grounds or Show Court ticket – with many even arriving the night before and camping to guarantee a place.
Upon arrival, visitors are issued a Queue Card, which is numbered and dated and should be kept until a ticket has been purchased.
While there is a limited number of entries, it is possible to remain in the queue and wait for people already inside to leave, with those tickets then becoming available.
It is also possible to check the status of the queue on the Wimbledon website.
This year, organisers are asking potential queuers to download the Wimbledon app and create a myWimbledon account.
Show Tickets
If you get to the front of the queue, then there are a limited number of tickets available for purchase for Centre Court and Courts 1, 2 and 3.
Note that Centre Court tickets are available for the first 10 days of the tournament, the final four days were already pre-sold.
Prices vary depending on the Court, seat and day of the event and will increase the further into the tournament you visit.
For example, Centre Court rows A-T cost £105 on Day 1 and £315 on Day 14 (men’s final).
Grounds Pass
A Grounds Pass costs £30 and allows visitors to watch matches on Courts 3-18 on unreserved seats, though there will also be a queue to get into Court 3.
Ticket Resale
From 3pm each day, tickets may become available from people who have left Wimbledon and made their seat available.
A Grounds Pass is needed to join the virtual queue on the Wimbledon App.
Tickets cost £15 for Centre Court or £10 for Courts 1/2.
Hospitality
There are a range of hospitality packages still available on the Wimbledon website.
Hospitality packages offer guaranteed premium seating to major matches as well as fine dining experiences, complimentary drinks, a shuttle and concierge service.
Hospitality packages can also be purchased via Seat Unique.
Secondary Markets
Sites such as StubHub offer tickets for the main courts for specific days and times.
*Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.*
WASHINGTON — The go-broke dates for Medicare and Social Security trust funds have moved up as rising health care costs and new legislation affecting Social Security benefits have contributed to earlier projected depletion dates, according to an annual report released Wednesday.
The go-broke date — or the date at which the programs will no longer have enough funds to pay full benefits — was pushed up to 2033 for Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund, according to the new report from the programs’ trustees. Last year’s report put the go-broke date at 2036.
Meanwhile, Social Security’s trust funds — which cover old age and disability recipients — will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2034, instead of last year’s estimate of 2035. After that point, Social Security would only be able to pay 81% of benefits.
The trustees say the latest findings show the urgency of needed changes to the programs, which have faced dire financial projections for decades. But making changes to the programs has long been politically unpopular, and lawmakers have repeatedly kicked Social Security and Medicare’s troubling math to the next generation.
President Trump and other Republicans have vowed not to make any cuts to Medicare or Social Security, even as they seek to shrink the federal government’s expenditures.
Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano, sworn into his role in May, said in a statement that “the financial status of the trust funds remains a top priority for the Trump Administration.”
“Current-law projections indicate that Medicare still faces a substantial financial shortfall that needs to be addressed with further legislation. Such legislation should be enacted sooner rather than later to minimize the impact on beneficiaries, providers, and taxpayers,” the trustees state in the report.
The trustees are made up of six people — the Treasury Secretary serves as managing trustee, alongside the secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the commissioner of Social Security. Two other presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed trustees serve as public representatives, however those roles have been vacant since July 2015.
About 68 million people are enrolled in Medicare, the federal government’s health insurance that covers those 65 and older, as well as people with severe disabilities or illnesses.
Wednesday’s report shows a worsening situation for the Medicare hospital insurance trust fund compared to last year. But the forecasted go-broke date of 2033 is still later than the dates of 2031, 2028 and 2026 predicted just a few years ago.
Once the fund’s reserves become depleted, Medicare would be able to cover only 89% of costs for patients’ hospital visits, hospice care and nursing home stays or home health care that follow hospital visits.
The report said expenses last year for Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund came in higher than expected.
Income exceeded expenditures by nearly $29 billion last year for the hospital insurance trust fund, the report stated. Trustees expect that surplus to continue through 2027. Deficits then will follow until the fund becomes depleted in 2033.
The report states that the Social Security Social Security Fairness Act, enacted in January, which repealed the Windfall Elimination and Government Pension Offset provisions of the Social Security Act and increased Social Security benefit levels for some workers, had an impact on the depletion date of SSA’s trust funds.
Romina Boccia, a director of Budget and Entitlement Policy at the libertarian CATO Institute called the repeal of the provisions “a political giveaway masquerading as reform. Instead of tackling Social Security’s structural imbalances, Congress chose to increase benefits for a vocal minority—accelerating trust fund insolvency.”
“It’s a clear sign that populist pressure now outweighs fiscal responsibility and economic sanity on both sides of the aisle,” She said.
Pair that with a Republican reconciliation bill that increases tax giveaways while refusing to rein in even the most dubious Medicaid expansions, and the message is unmistakable: Washington is still in giveaway mode.
AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan said “Congress must act to protect and strengthen the Social Security that Americans have earned and paid into throughout their working lives.” “More than 69 million Americans rely on Social Security today and as America’s population ages, the stability of this vital program only becomes more important.”
Social Security benefits were last reformed roughly 40 years ago, when the federal government raised the eligibility age for the program from 65 to 67. The eligibility age has never changed for Medicare, with people eligible for the medical coverage when they turn 65.
Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group for the popular public benefit program said in a statement that “there are two options for action: Bringing more money into Social Security, or reducing benefits. Any politician who doesn’t support increasing Social Security’s revenue is, by default, supporting benefit cuts.”
Congressional Budget Office reporting has stated that the biggest drivers of debt rising in relation to GDP are increasing interest costs and spending for Medicare and Social Security. An aging population drives those numbers.
Several legislative proposals have been put forward to address Social Security’s impending insolvency.
Hussein writes for the Associated Press. AP reporters Amanda Seitz and Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
EasyJet flight attendants who are members of the USO Unión Sindical Obrera union will walk out later this month, impacting Barcelona, Alicante, Malaga and Palma airports
Butlin’s is introducing seven brand-new Big Weekenders in 2025 and 2026 across all three resorts—Bognor Regis, Minehead, and Skegness—and also offering a 20% discount off the adult-only breaks
Win the ultimate VIP experience at a Butlin’s Big Weekender!(Image: Butlin’s)
The biggest holiday park party weekend of the year is back and bigger than ever.
Butlin’s Big Weekenders is an event exclusively for adults that turns the three Butlin’s holiday parks into a riot of music and drinking. The event is known for bringing the same kind of chaotic good vibes that Brits typically venture out to Magaluf or Zante in search of.
“I went to a Skegness 80s one for my stag do (was 26). The best way I can describe it was freshers week (weekend) for people in their 40s and 50s who didn’t go to uni. Just mayhem, really. At one point I was drinking rum and Coke out of a large sock whilst watching a band,” one happy customer relayed on Reddit.
Another fondly remembered: “I think on the whole we can all agree the crowd is very much the salt of the earth (myself included), however in all the times, I haven’t seen even so much as an argument, never mind a fight. The whole setup is brilliant and everyone is just on their best, albeit their most unhinged behaviour. I’m a gay guy and I’ve been in fancy dress as a woman a couple of times – nothing but good vibes from every single person I met. No homophobia, nothing.”
The holiday park also hosts party people (Image: undefined via Getty Images)
Now Butlin’s is introducing seven brand-new Big Weekenders in 2025 and 2026 across all three resorts—Bognor Regis, Minehead, and Skegness—and also offering a 20% discount off the adult-only breaks. Many of them are themed and include weekends dedicated to the best electronic or funky 90s soul music and celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community and Mod culture.
The Big Weekender features bands and DJs alongside a packed schedule of daytime and evening activities, such as pool parties and pop-up exhibitions. The ticket price includes three nights’ accommodation.
Here’s what’s coming up:
2025
Halloweekenders (Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness, 3 – 31 October) from £53pp
Classic decade-themed Big Weekenders across all three resorts are getting a spooky makeover this October, transforming into Halloweekenders. From £53pp, guests can choose from Ultimate 80s Thriller, 90s Reloaded Fright Nights, Back To The 2000s Y2K Scares or a monster mash-up of all these decades with Replay Time Warp Terror. Headline acts include Chesney Hawkes, Claire Richards and A1.
DJ Spoony Presents UNDRGRND (Skegness, 7 – 10 November) from £96pp
For the first time, DJ Spoony is heading to Skegness for 72 hours of clubbing heaven with his brand-new multi-genre break UNDRGRND, following the sell-out success of his A House Full of Garage Weekenders. From £96pp, committed clubbers will not only see the garage pioneer himself, but also David Rodigan, Majestic and radio DJs Rickie & Melvin, playing a mash up of R&B and Dancehall, House and Garage, and Jungle and Drum n Bass.
Madness House of Fun Weekender (Minehead, 28 November – 1 December) from £205pp
Returning to Minehead’s Big Weekender line-up in 2025 is the House of Fun Weekender. From £205pp, fans will be treated to an incredible one-night-only performance by Madness, as well as performances from The Specials – Neville Staple, Aleighcia Scott, Janet Kay and over 20 other artists and DJs. There’s also a jam-packed schedule of activities throughout the weekend, from diving headfirst into The Nutty Professors Pool Party, breaking a sweat at Reggae Aerobics or shouting ‘BINGO’ at Bangerz Bingo.
2026
My Generation Weekender (Minehead, 9 – 12 January) from £131pp
Minehead will kick0start 2026 with a celebration of Mod culture in the form of the My Generation Weekender. The specially curated weekend for Mod fans will feature bands and DJs from the UK and international Modernist scene, including Ocean Colour Scene, Secret Affairs and The Dualers.
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Soul Power Weekender (Skegness, 16 – 18 January) from £114pp
Celebrate the ‘neo-soul’ era of the early 90s with the Soul Power Weekender at Skegness. With a fusion of funk, R&B and acid jazz jams, defining artists of the soul scene, such as Trevor Nelson, Craig Charles and The Brand New Heavies, will be taking the stage throughout the weekend.
Don’t Tell Mama (Bognor Regis, 23 – 26 January) from £113pp
The Bognor Regis resort will host a brand-new LGBTQ+ Big Weekender, Don’t Tell Mama. The Weekender is dedicated to a community that knows how to party, and they’ll be joined by Claire Richards and Louise Redknapp, drag icons Danny Beard and La Voix, plus a whole host of other artists and DJs.
Bugged Out! (Bognor Regis, 6 – 9 March) from £133pp
The legendary clubbing brand’s Weekender boasts a line-up of the best DJs and artists in the electronic music space, including Daniel Avery, Emerald and Helena Hauff. They’ll be blasting only the greatest electronic music, with acid house and techno for the energetic crowd and Balearic beats for those chasing a more chilled vibe. Before guests get ready for another unforgettable night, there’s pool parties, pub quizzes, fairgrounds and so much more, to ensure the good vibes last all day.
