As emissions continue to rise and governments fail to respond with anything like the urgency required, it’s tempting to conclude that the prospects for a liveable planet are growing dim.

But as spring arrives, there is one striking spark of light. Sunlight, to be precise – captured on solar panels and pumping out electrons down the wires, on a scale unimaginable even a decade ago.

The amount of solar installed worldwide doubled between 2022 and 2024 alone. In the first three quarters of 2025, it accounted for 83% of all new electricity-generating capacity. Key to this is the continuing collapse in costs, which have fallen by close to 90% per kWh in just the last decade. Crucially, the cost of batteries – essential for storing the power generated – has plunged by a similar amount in that time.

Over a longer period, the vertiginous fall in solar’s costs is unprecedented for any energy technology: in 1975, it was $100 (£75) per watt. Today it’s just $0.20 (£0.15) – a fall of 99.8%. It used to be just about the most expensive way imaginable of generating power. Now, for much of the world, it is the cheapest.

It’s not just affordability that’s boosting solar, but alacrity, too. In 2004, it typically took a year to install a gigawatt (GW) of solar power (an amount roughly equivalent to the capacity of a nuclear reactor or one of the larger gas-fired power plants). In 2016, that had come down to a week. By 2023, it took just 24 hours. And it’s still falling.

In his new book, Here Comes the Sun, veteran environmentalist Bill McKibben highlights some of the consequences of this double whammy in price and pace. In Pakistan alone, to give one example, enough solar has been installed in the last 18 months to account for one-third of the country’s current grid capacity.

Combined with similar, if less dramatic, falls in the cost of wind power (down 80% in a decade), these trends explain why, as of this year, renewables are now growing fast enough to exceed all new global electricity demand, and are already producing more energy than coal.

In the UK, renewables now meet 37% of our needs, compared to 35% from fossil fuels. Sure, the latter still delivers over half the world’s electricity, but their share is starting to shrink. Donald Trump may continue to “dig coal” and rail against the “stupidity” of wind and solar, but when it comes to new power sources, the energy markets are trumping Trump, all while his war in Iran adds fresh urgency to the renewable energy transition.

This has a direct knock-on effect on the prospect for curbing carbon emissions. Globally, these are still on the rise – albeit fractionally. But a shift is under way, and no more strikingly so than the world’s biggest emitter – China. It may be notorious for its large number of coal plants, but it’s also a world leader in renewables. It added nearly 400GW of solar and wind capacity in 2025 – as much as the rest of the world combined.

In 2004, it took a year to install a gigawatt of solar power. By 2023 it took just 24 hours, and it’s still falling

Along with industrial efficiency improvements, this explains why analysts now believe the country’s carbon emissions are flatlining or even starting to decline – despite growing electricity demand. And if China, the world’s factory, can achieve that particular elusive feat of ‘decoupling’, then anyone can.

It’s no coincidence that it’s also leading the way on the electrification of its massive transport feet. One in two vehicles now sold in China is electric. And EVs’ growing market share is now being mirrored elsewhere, including in the UK, where the figure is one in four – and rising. By comparison, petrol car registrations are down by a quarter year on year.

Since power and transport combined account for a hefty share of global carbon emissions, the trends under way here offer an unmistakable ray of hope amid increasingly serious climate warnings. There’s a mountain still to climb, but at least there’s a path to the summit.

Martin Wright is a director of Positive News

Main image: Shutterstock

Eating out, even occasionally, can quickly add up – turning what should be a simple lunch into a significant expense.

But across the UK, major restaurant chains, pubs and supermarket cafés are rolling out “kids eat free” and £1 meal deals, helping families enjoy meals out without stretching the budget.

These offers are becoming increasingly important as households continue to feel the squeeze.

Zoe Morris, savings expert at VoucherCodes, says: “The school holidays can put extra pressure on family finances, especially when it comes to food.

“Eating out can feel like a luxury, but these deals make it far more accessible.

“Whether it’s a quick lunch while shopping or a family dinner, planning around kids eat free offers can make a real difference. In some cases, families can cut the cost of a meal out by nearly half.”

The deals are available across breakfast, lunch and dinner, and while many require the purchase of an adult meal, the savings can still be substantial – particularly for larger families.

Below is the full list of where kids can eat free or for less this Easter 2026.

(Image: Ian West/PA Wire)

Supermarket cafés and casual stops

(Image: IKEA)

Restaurant chains

Pubs and family dining

Breakfast deals

Recommended reading:

The Easter school holidays in most parts of the UK run from late March into mid-April, although dates can vary by region.

With demand likely to be high, it’s worth checking terms and booking ahead where possible.

Most offers require an adult meal purchase and may be limited to specific days, times or locations. It’s always worth checking details in advance.

Adam Crolla worked as an extra on The Immortal Man and has shared his behind-the-scenes experiences working with Cillian Murphy on the Netflix film

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Adam Crolla, who appeared as an extra in the Peaky Blinders film, has shared insights into his time on such a prestigious production, whilst also disclosing what Irish actor Cillian Murphy was like off-camera.

Peaky Blinders has established itself as one of the most celebrated television dramas since debuting in 2013, with enthusiasts delighted when Peaky Blinders: The Immortal launched worldwide on Netflix.

Taking place in 1920s Birmingham, the film centres on Tommy Shelby (portrayed by Cork native Cillian), who is compelled to emerge from retirement to rescue his son Duke Shelby (Barry Keoghan), after the young man becomes entangled in a Nazi conspiracy to secure victory in WWII, reports the Mirror.

Discussing his own part in the production, Adam revealed: “It wasn’t a speaking role. There were over 150 extras on the first day and around 30 on the second. During the boxing match scene, I had to react with shock and fear when Tommy (Cillian) got in the ring and fired a gun.

I was instructed to duck and look uneasy as he spoke. On the second day, I was simply walking down a staircase behind him in Parliament. Being an extra mostly involves basic actions rather than detailed direction.”

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Adam, who initially featured as an extra in 2017, revealed to Betway: “During rehearsals, when Tommy (Cillian) got into the ring, he once used his fingers as a gun and shouted “bang! bang!” instead of firing a prop”, noting: “It was hilarious to see compared to how much he stayed in character during actual takes.”

Adam further praised how he enjoyed watching other leading actors “fully inhabited their characters”, which he observed they maintained “even when they weren’t the focus of the scene”.

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Adam described the Liverpool Astoria set as ‘incredible’, noting that even the ‘tiniest details were considered. “like period-accurate coins at a betting table, or tickets littered on the floor with real fight schedules. It genuinely felt like stepping back in time”, he remarked.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man has been screening in selected cinemas since 6th March – spoilers ahead.

The film effectively brought the curtain down on the present generation of Shelbys, who perished in different circumstances. Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson) meets his end at the hands of his cherished younger sibling Tommy before the film’s events unfold.

Tommy ultimately achieved the tranquillity he’d been yearning for after he also passed away. Before this, Tommy had been living in isolation within a deserted mansion, haunted by memories of departed loved ones and accompanied only by his final true companion, Johnny Dogs (Packy Lee).

The Immortal Man concluded with dawn breaking on a fresh chapter for the Shelby dynasty, with Duke positioned at the helm as the new head of the notorious Birmingham gang.

Alonso, who is in the final year of his contract with Aston Martin and has not said whether he wants to stay in F1 beyond 2026, is not due to take part in Friday’s first practice session.

The team’s reserve driver Jak Crawford will be driving the car in one of the team’s mandated rookie sessions this year.

Alonso has insisted he has faith in Honda’s ability to put things right but acknowledged that he does not know how long that will take. It is the second time he has been on the receiving end of Honda being unprepared in a new relationship in F1, after a difficult three years with McLaren in 2015-17.

Aston Martin have had a troubled start to the season as a result of major reliability and performance issues with their Honda engine, while the car is also behind on development after its design was started late.

They are last in the world championship after two races, the worst possible start to their new factory partnership with Honda, which won four drivers’ titles and two constructors’ titles with Red Bull from 2021-24.

Alonso has retired from both events in Australia and China and team-mate Lance Stroll retired in China and finished last, 15 laps behind the winner, in Melbourne.

Honda’s first-order issue is a severe vibration from the engine that has been leading to failures in the battery.

Its engineers have been working to isolate the battery, a critical part of the hybrid system, from the vibrations but these have still been causing problems for the rest of the car – Alonso retired in China because holding the steering wheel was proving too painful.

That came after team principal Adrian Newey said at the first race of the season that the vibrations were so bad they were risking permanent nerve damage for the drivers within 25 laps of running.

The Japanese Grand Prix is not only the home race for Honda, but it is held on their own Suzuka track, built on the orders of the company’s founder Soichiro Honda in the 1960s.

Shintaro Orihara, Honda’s trackside general manager and chief engineer, said: “In China, we made some progress in terms of battery reliability thanks to a reduction in the vibration affecting the systems, but we must find more solutions to establish the cause of the vibrations affecting the drivers.

“We have also focused our efforts in the gap between China and Japan to continue to improve our reliability, but still our performance is not where we want it to be, especially regarding energy management.

“Suzuka Circuit is a tough track for this, so we have been using the learnings from Australia and China to prepare better for the Japanese Grand Prix.

“We are not at the level where we wanted to be going into this weekend, but we will keep working hard to maximise our package. We are looking forward to seeing the home crowd and the Honda fans. I want them to see that we have made some progress since Bahrain [testing].”

Beyond the vibrations, Honda’s power-unit is down on power from both the internal combustion engine and electrical system, which can neither recover nor deploy energy at the full permitted 350kW rate.

As for the car, team principal Adrian Newey has admitted that they started work on its design late after he began work at the team in March last year, but has said he is confident it can become competitive as a chassis by the later part of the season.

Donald Trump has insisted Iran wants a deal “so badly” – saying on Tuesday that Iran gave the US a “very big present worth a tremendous amount of money”.

The US president hinted at a “very significant prize” gifted to the US by Iranian negotiators, adding it was related to oil and gas, and the Strait of Hormuz. However, he gave no specific details on what the present was.

More on this story.

Highs of around 7C or 8C are expected, but with temperatures largely between 4C and 6C, strong winds will make it feel near freezing.

Showers are set to continue from morning into the afternoon, with more than 95 per cent chance of rain at times.

Some heavier bursts could turn wintry, bringing hail and, over higher ground in the North West, snow.

Wind speeds in Bolton are expected to reach around 20mph to 21mph, with gusts reaching up to 47mph.

The strongest winds will be seen during the morning, easing as the day progresses.

As evening arrives, conditions are forecasted to calm, with showers becoming less frequent and winds decreasing.

Under clearer skies, temperatures will fall rapidly overnight.

A cold night with frost and the risk of icy patches is expected by early Thursday.

Overnight temperatures could fall to about 0C, with perceived temperatures lowering to around -1C.

The Met Office regional forecast indicates that Wednesday will have bright spells, but will be noticeably colder than recent days due to brisk north-westerly winds, enhancing the wintry atmosphere.

Bolton’s visibility is mostly forecast to be good, and both air pollution and pollen levels are low.

The supermarket said their “hard-working” hourly-paid staff will all receive a 4 per cent rise.

It will be implemented in two stages, with the first as early as next week [April 1] and the second on July 5.

Staff working outside the M25 will jump from earning £12.60 per hour to £13.10 by summer and those working inside the M25 move from £13.82 to £14.35 per hour.

UK supermarket rankings 2025

The Office for National Statistics recorded the consumer price index inflation figure at 3.2% for February, meaning Asda’s increase is 0.8% higher.

Asda said the “pleasing” news represents an £80 million investment.

The news means hourly pay has increased by around 40% since Asda’s acquisition by TDR Capital and the Issa brothers in 2021.

James Goodman, Chief People Officer, Asda, said: “Our store‑based colleagues are at the core of our business and the role they play serving customers is central to our ‘formula for growth’ turnaround plan.

“I’m pleased we have been able to give them an above‑inflation pay award and invest in this way.

“I’d also like to thank them for their continued hard work and commitment to making Asda better every day.”

Shoppers at Tesco, Asda & more missing out on £442 vouchers

Thousands of families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland may be missing out on free food vouchers worth up to £442 .

More than 200,000 families have previously been warned they could be missing out on the Healthy Start scheme.

The NHS scheme offers support to families with young children and pregnant women who are on a low income and receiving qualifying benefits.

It can be used to buy healthy food such as milk, infant formula, and fruit and vegetables.

You can view full eligibility criteria, and apply online, here .

Those eligible could receive top-ups of £4.25 or £8.50 per week based on their child’s age.

You can apply by email or phone if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant, or have at least one child under 4 years old, and get Income Support, Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit run-on) and you do not get Child Tax Credit, or Pension Credit (which includes the child addition).

You can also apply by email or phone if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant and either under 18 years old and not getting any benefits, getting Child Tax Credit and not getting Working Tax Credit and your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less, or getting income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

The Loose ladies stopped by to chat to the Mirror at the RTS Awards about dating, sisterhood and the panellist they think should give Celebs Go Dating a go next

The Loose Women were out in force – and looking extremely glamorous – at Tuesday night’s RTS Programme Awards, where the ITV daytime show was nominated for Best Daytime. Alas, the ladies may not have won (the gong went to BBC Breakfast for ‘Our Girls: The Southport Families) but when we caught up with them, its stars were clearly having a ball.

Catching up with Coleen Nolan, Kelle Bryan and Brenda Edwards on the red carpet, all dripping in glamour in beautiful evening wear, they told us why they keep coming back to the chat show – in some cases, like OG Coleen, after many years.

Brenda, who joined the panel on a permanent basis in 2019, told us, “My favourite thing about Loose is just being able to be myself and to be able to help in whatever way I can who we call our fifth ‘Loose Woman’, which is the viewers at home. That’s what I really love – being able to have that platform and use it for something worthwhile.”

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Coleen agreed, adding, “Also it’s the fact that, contrary to what people say sometimes, it is like coming to work with your sisters and your family.

“And for me, coming from such a big family, I feel like I’ve gained another big sisterhood. Like Brenda said, just being yourself, having fun, and sharing life experiences with them and feeling safe to do that is why I love it.”

There are often rumours of ‘feuds’ and fallouts behind-the-scenes, but the Ladies shake their heads in disagreement.

Asked if it annoys them when they see women pitted against each other, former Eternal singer Kéllé says, “We’ve been chosen because we come from different places and have different opinions.:

She adds, “It’d be a really boring show I think if we all just agreed on everything, wouldn’t it?! The fact that we all have different opinions is what truly makes the show.”

Coleen – who split from former boyfriend of three years, Michael Jones last April, has also been busy filming for the next series of Celebs Go Dating, which hits our screens this summer, hoping that she might find The One, with the help of the show’s dating gurus.

Though she admits coyly that she can’t tell us much, she will concede that filming is ‘intense’. “It’s like 14/15 hour days filming, so it’s really intense. But I have never – apart from Loose – enjoyed or laughed so much in twelve weeks. I loved every single second of it!”

“But I also learned so much about myself. Some of my favourite moments are when you go in and sit with the agents because it’s a therapy session. I learnt a lot about myself, and I think it’s changed me in a lot of ways.”

Asked who of their fellow Loose Women who’s single that they would choose to go on the reality show next, Kéllé – who came runner up on the second series of Celebrity Love Island in 2006, laughs, saying, “I’ve been in the villa, I’m alright.”

Brenda adds, “I can’t wait to watch Coleen on the show, I think it’s going to be amazing. Ruth? She;s single. And she deserves it. She’d be great.”

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As we’re on the topic of romance, who are the ladies’ celebrity crushes? Giggling, Coleen says, “Ooh I’ve got loads, where do I start?!”, while Brenda reveals her dream A-lister is Idris Elba, who she’s also met. “He’s an absolute gent, he’s a lovely, lovely man – and he’s very tall.”

Coleen tells us she also met the star, confessing, “Yeah, he’s gorgeous, actually. It’s always been George Clooney for me, just because he’s funny and apparently he’s charming and a little bit small but that’s alright! I’m good with small.”

For Kéllé, it’s Sir David Beckham that gets her weak at the knees, telling us, “I’ve always liked a bit of Beckham. I mean, Bend it like Beckham and all that, that’s the one”, as Coleen chips in, “Sorry Victoria!” before Kéllé adds, “Nah, she knows that’s definitely hers. He’s hers all day, every day.”

Hosted at London’s JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel by comedian and presenter Tom Allen, the glitzy RTS Awards celebrate the best of UK television across all genres. Among the attendees yesterday evening were Erin Doherty, Steve Coogan, Stephen Graham, Lucy Punch, Davina McCall and Alison Steadman.

For more on all the nominees and winners on the night, see https://rts.org.uk/awards

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Casemiro announced his departure from Man Utd in January but there has been a push from supporters for him to stay recently.

Casemiro will be able to start every remaining game for Manchester United this season after a clause in his contract that would have led to an extension was ripped up.

It is understood that the 34-year-old had a clause in his deal that would have led to a one-year extension if he started 35 Premier League fixtures in his final season at the club, a tally that he remains on course to reach.

But the Manchester Evening News understands that the club and Casemiro reached an agreement in January to waive the clause during talks to formally announce that he would be leaving Old Trafford at the end of the season.

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The Brazilian midfielder was told by United officials earlier in the season that his contract wouldn’t be renewed, but in early 2026, he decided to make the news public, a request to which United agreed.

That came soon after news around the clause that would see his £350,000-a-week extended for a fifth season had come out, but the two parties agreed that it wouldn’t be activated, even if the target was hit.

At the time, that looked unlikely. Casemiro would have needed to start all of the final 21 Premier League games of the season to hit the target of 35 after missing the December trip to Aston Villa through suspension.

But the former Real Madrid midfielder has emerged as an integral part of the side, especially since Michael Carrick was appointed in January, and he is now up to 14 successive starts in the Premier League.

Had the clause remained in place, it would have meant United would have had to drop him from the starting line-up for a game, potentially bringing him on early in a fixture just to avoid the total of 35 starts being hit. Both parties agreed that it was unnecessary, leaving Carrick free to pick him in the starting line-up for all remaining Premier League games.

Casemiro’s recent form has led to calls for United’s decision not to renew his contract to be reversed, but that stance at Old Trafford isn’t going to change and plans are already afoot to sign a replacement.

Indeed, it is thought that Casemiro is actually close to agreeing terms over a move to a new club when his contract expires at the end of June.

The owner of one of Hong Kong’s last independent bookshops has been arrested and books including Jimmy Lai’s biography seized, local media have reported.

National security police arrested Book Punch’s owner Pong Yat-ming and three female staff on Tuesday, Ming Pao News, the South China Morning Post and TVB reported.

They were arrested for “knowingly selling seditious publications”, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.

Police searched the shop in Sham Shui Po and seized books, including a biography of jailed British media tycoon Jimmy Lai by Mark Clifford, a friend of Mr Lai’s and a former non-executive director of Next Digital, the media company owned by Mr Lai.

The 78-year-old billionaire was sentenced last month to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong for sedition, conspiring with foreign forces and conspiring to publish seditious material under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.

A police spokesperson told local media the force “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.

Mr Clifford, who wrote The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became A Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident and China’s Most Feared Critic, said it was a “cruel irony” that selling a biography of a man “who is in jail for his activities as a journalist, for promoting free expression” would lead to sedition charges.

“It shows how far Hong Kong has fallen from its tradition of free expression and free speech that providing a book could be considered a national security offence,” he added.

The author and president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong foundation said threats against bookstores are “not an aberration but part of a continuing crackdown” and are a breach of China’s promise to continue to maintain Hong Kongers’ freedom after the UK handed Hong Kong back to Beijing in 1997.

Read more:
Andrew Tate should be extradited to UK from Hong Kong to face charges, say MPs
Retired police office denies he’s a Chinese spy and says he’s ‘quite a boring guy’

Apple Daily, Mr Lai’s now defunct newspaper, was one of a few local papers to initially cover the 2015 disappearance of five booksellers at another bookstore, Causeway Bay Books, known for selling political books banned in mainland China.

It is widely believed they were detained in mainland China, with Guangdong authorities then confirming they had been taken into custody over an “old traffic case”.

Their disappearance shocked Hong Kongers, and then British foreign secretary Philip Hammond said it was a “serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong”.

One of the booksellers, Lam Wing-kee, returned to Hong Kong and said he had been held in detention for eight months and been forced into a confession, which made worldwide headlines. Mainland authorities denied the accusations.

A police spokesperson, when asked about the reported ​arrests, did not comment directly but told Reuters in a statement that police “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.