Economy Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

A three-year warning has been issued to millions of homeowners as mortgage costs are expected to rise once again. Almost five million UK households are set to see their mortgage repayments jump by hundreds of pounds over the next three years, the Bank of England has said.

Openreach has announced that another 167,000 homes and businesses across Scotland are set to get access to full fibre broadband. The company is announcing a further £50 million investment across 25 new locations, including Bannockburn in Stirling, Lochgelly in Fife and Clydebank in West Dunbartonshire.

New York is looking to help film and TV get back up and running after the strikes.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Writers returned to work two months ago, and the SAG-AFTRA strike has been over for nearly a month. Production has restarted but won’t be back to full strength until mid-January. But even as Hollywood tries to return to normal, dark clouds are forming on the horizon.

Naman Ramachandran The BBC has revealed a first look for season 2 of show “The Traitors.” Season 1 was a huge success and won two BAFTAs, including for host Claudia Winkleman. Set in a Scottish castle, the format sees 22 strangers compete in a series of missions for a chance to win £120,000 ($151,000). However, amongst the players lie the ‘Traitors,’ who meet in secret and decide who to eliminate from their fellow players known as ‘Faithfuls.’ “The Traitors” will return on Jan.

A family in the UK has managed to cut nearly £600 off their energy bills by using cardboard and polystyrene to properly insulate their home.

An Ayrshire town has been voted the most dog friendly in the UK. Girvan has been given the accolade of being the most picture pawferct place for pooches.

Stampede Ventures’ adaptation of Isabell Ronin’s YA romance webnovel Chasing Red will shoot in Saudi Arabia, it was announced at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah on Saturday.

EXCLUSIVE: Priority Pictures, the production company of Emmy-winning producers Lizzie Friedman, Karen Lauder, and Greg Little, has optioned Douglas Brunt‘s NYT bestseller The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel and will develop it for the screen, Deadline has learned. It’s not clear at this point whether the adaptation will be for film or TV.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and California Governor Gavin Newsom will take the debate stage on Thursday night, marking an usual event between a Republican presidential candidate and a high-profile Democratic governor. The 90-minute debate, moderated by Sean Hannity on Fox News, will begin at 9:00 p.m.

Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) has stripped Lawrence Jones of his honorary doctorate following his rape and sexual assault convictions.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi-owned MBC Group, the Middle East’s top broadcaster, has announced it is floating a 10% stake on the Riyadh stock exchange seeking to raise up to 831 million riyals ($222 million) in a move to boost growth and help fuel its output of high-end productions. “Institutional and retail investors will be allowed the opportunity to acquire shares and participate in the long-term growth plans of the company and the Saudi media market,” MBC Group said in a statement on Thursday.

Holyrood’s finance committee has warned Lorna Slater’s Circular Economy Bill lacks basic financial credibility in a stinging rebuke.

YouTube star Nella Rose had a dramatic time in the latest episode of I'm A Celebrity as it was announced she was 'being seen by a medic'.

In a sense, Central Appalachia is as threatened by climate change as much as any other place on Earth.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent BUENOS AIRES — Brazil is beginning to come back as Latin America’s production powerhouse. At Ventana Sur on Monday, representatives of key federal, state and city authorities as well as a leading producer outlined some of the directions the giant would like to take on its return.

UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt wants North East England to get in on the all-consuming Barbie hype. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief China’s nationwide annual box office passed the symbolic $7 billion and RMB 50 billion marks in recent days, confirming a decent, but still incomplete recovery of the theatrical cinema industry. According to consultancy Artisan Gateway, the running box office total to Nov. 26 was $7.15 billion.

Anna Marie de la Fuente With Brazil under focus at Ventana Sur’s this year, highlighting the work of Spcine, Cinema do Brazil and Projeto Paradiso, São Paulo film-TV commission Spcine has organized a series of panels and other events to signal Brazil’s return to normal after the devastating tenure of Jair Bolsonaro. With President Lula da Silva back in the saddle since his stunning re-election in October 2022, confidence in Brazil as a partner in film and TV investments is awakening large expectation.

An investigation is under way after a Manchester Airport flight to Sweden departed almost three hours late - without the luggage, according to passengers.

A new and improved Aldi store has reopened in North Ayrshire in a welcoming boost to the community.

There was some good news for Greater Manchester in the autumn statement today (November 22), but local leaders have warned that many people will still face a difficult winter. Jeremy Hunt announced changes to pensions, benefits and national insurance in his speech this afternoon, telling MPs the country has 'turned a corner' after a turbulent time which saw some 'difficult decisions' made.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made some major announcements as part of today's autumn statement which will affect millions receiving Universal Credit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered his autumn statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday (November 22) saying the country's economy is "back on track".

The National Finals of WorldSkills UK have taken place in Greater Manchester for the first time, showcasing the incredible talent of young people championing the UK skills sector.

The price of duty on beer, cider, wine and spirits will be frozen until next summer. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in his autumn statement on Wednesday that alcohol duty will be frozen until August 1 next year.

Workers at Ferguson Marine "deserve certainty" after the Scottish Government rejected a request for £25m of additional investment in the nationalised shipyard.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent As U.S. and European sales agents and distributors gather in Buenos Aires next week for Ventana Sur, there will be a very large elephant in the room: the stunning victory in Argentina’s presidential election Sunday of far right Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist.” Milei won 55.8% of the vote promising to do away with inflation, running at over 140%, as part of “drastic changes” which include scrapping Argentina’s central bank, dollarizing the economy and slashing public spending by 15% of GDP.

Scotland’s Finance Secretary has urged the Chancellor to avoid "ill-timed tax breaks" for wealthy people in the upcoming Autumn Statement.