Top World News
Cultural venues in England to share £130m under Arts Everywhere scheme
Apr 13, 2026 - World 
Galleries, theatres, museums and libraries to benefit from largest cash injection into the arts for a decadeMore than 100 cultural venues, museums, and libraries will share £130m extra funding as part of the largest cash injection into the arts for a decade, ministers have announced.The investment forms part of the Arts Everywhere Fund, a £1.5bn package to support cultural infrastructure projects over the course of this parliament, which was announced by the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, earlier this year. The fund aims to save more than 1,000 arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England. Continue reading...
UK households to be urged to use more power this summer as renewables soar
Apr 13, 2026 - World 
Incentives to absorb surplus wind and solar energy could help balance the grid and lower billsThe UK needs more North Sea gas, not greater reliance on US imports | Nils PratleyHouseholds will be called on to boost their consumption of Great Britain’s record renewable energy this summer to help balance the power grid and lower energy bills.Under the new plans, people could be encouraged to run dishwashers and washing machines or charge up their electric vehicles when there is more wind and solar power than the electricity grid needs. Continue reading...
‘Little progress’ in stopping drug drones at HMP Manchester, watchdog says
Apr 13, 2026 - World 
Chief inspector for England and Wales says prison remains in ‘precarious state’ more than year after urgent notificationThe Prison Service has made “very little progress” in enforcing a formal demand to stop drones from delivering drugs into one of its worst performing jails, a watchdog has concluded.Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales, said HMP Manchester remained in a “precarious state” after a failure to fix broken windows and install security to stop contraband being delivered to gangs. Continue reading...
Starmer’s ‘corrosive complacency’ on defence has put UK in peril, says ex-Nato chief
Apr 13, 2026 - World 
George Robertson says Iran war should be wake-up call to address military underfunding in scathing remarksThe British government has shown a “corrosive complacency towards defence” and put the UK “in peril”, according to a government adviser, in fierce criticisms of Keir Starmer’s military policy.The former Nato secretary general and author of the government’s strategic defence review, George Robertson, believes Starmer was “not willing to make the necessary investment”, the Financial Times has reported. Continue reading...
Canadian PM Carney secures a majority government in a special election
Apr 13, 2026 - World 
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney secured a majority government with a special election outcome Monday night, allowing his Liberals to pass legislation without the support of opposition parties.
