Women usually take the lead in household finances, paying bills and drawing up a budget, but research shows we are still not making big life decisions and are at risk when major midlife changes strike.

If you’re in a longstanding and happy relationship and never run into financial trouble, it can be tempting to leave your finances as they are.

But divorce, widowhood or the responsibility of caring for children and elderly parents can derail your finances when you least expect it. Your 50s, when you’re still likely to be healthy, earning a wage and contributing to a pension, is the crucial decade to make sure you are in charge of your personal finances to ensure you are in a strong place for the decades ahead.

Our checklist, devised with financial planning experts, reveals the seven most important things you should have in place once you hit this milestone age. ‘Women who engage with long term finances feel more resilient, comfortable and in control of their financial future,’ says Claire Trott, of wealth management group St James’s Place.

If you can check off all seven financial accomplishments in the list below, you’ll be far better prepared for anything the future throws at you.

1. Keep own savings and current accounts

If you’re married, it’s likely you and your husband’s finances are intertwined – especially if you’ve been together for decades.

Women in their 50s are more likely to have joint current and savings accounts than younger women.

There are clear benefits to having a joint account – it makes paying the bills much easier for one. But it’s important that you keep your own current and savings account, too.

This will give you more autonomy should you ever need it.

Most joint accounts allow one party to empty the entire account without the other’s permission, which could leave you in a difficult position if something goes wrong.

As a woman, you’re more at risk of financial abuse, with one study from the University of Manchester showing that around 30 per cent of women had experienced some form of financial control from a partner.

This is a form of domestic abuse that involves someone controlling another person’s access to money and their spending as a form of power over them.

‘If you’re unhappy, then having savings gives you options,’ says Helen Morrissey, head of retirement at wealth platform Hargreaves Lansdown.

Setting up new savings and current accounts is simple and free, though talking about financial change as a couple might be harder.

Separate accounts also help you to cut your tax bill as both you and your partner will have your own tax-free allowances.

Everyone can save up to £20,000 into a tax-free Isa each year. Basic rate taxpayers can earn up to £1,000 in interest on cash savings, while higher rate payers get a £500 allowance. Additional rate earners receive no allowance at all.

2. Have a full set of NI contributions

The state pension is the bedrock of most retirements. It rises each year by the highest of inflation, wages and 2.5 per cent under the triple lock and is available for life, unlike most modern pension provision.

The only catch is that you must have a full record of contributions to national insurance to ensure you get the full amount every year.

To receive any state pension at all you need 10 years on your record, while you need 35 years to receive the full amount of £241.30 a week.

If you are in your 50s, you have time to fill any gaps or top up your NI contributions and fix shortfalls.

Start by checking your state pension forecast on the Government’s website, to see if you are on track to receive the full weekly payout

Start by checking your state pension forecast on the Government’s website, to see if you are on track to receive the full weekly payout, at gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record or by contacting the Government’s Future Pension Centre on 0800 731 0175.

This may tell you, for example, that you are already going to get the maximum state pension and therefore don’t need to make any voluntary contributions, even if you have some gaps in your record.

If anything on your forecast looks wrong, such as if there are any missing contributions in years when you were working or caring, you can query it.

You should check to see if you qualified for a benefit that comes with a National Insurance credit at that time. Examples include child benefit, jobseeker’s allowance and universal credit.

If you have missed out, see whether you can claim them back by visiting gov.uk/national-insurance-credits as the method may vary depending on the period you’re claiming for.

3. Get up-to-date wills and attorney powers

More than half of adults don’t have a valid will. That means that if they die suddenly, their families won’t always receive what has been earmarked for them.

This can lead to arguments and larger tax bills than necessary.

While you can use a DIY pack from a stationer to make a will, or an online service like Rocket Lawyer, using a solicitor or will writer can ensure that your will is legal and less likely to be contested.

It is crucial that you make sure it is witnessed properly.

Along with a will, setting up lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) can be vital. This is a legal agreement in which you appoint a loved one to make key decisions regarding your finances and healthcare on your behalf if you cannot do so.

Ms Morrissey, of Hargreaves Lansdown, says an LPA is ‘one of the most important documents you will ever fill out’.

There are two types of LPA, each with a separate application form, which you can find on the Government website at gov.uk/power-of-attorney/make-lasting-power. The process can be complex and take eight to ten weeks.

The average credit limit for all credit cardholders is just under £6,000 – enough to deal with most financial emergencies

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One for ‘property and financial affairs’ can be used as soon as it is registered, with your permission. It gives your attorney power to, for example, pay your bills or manage your bank account.

You can choose whether to enact your financial LPA immediately, so someone can deal with your financial affairs straight away, or only if you are unable to do so yourself, while a health LPA will never be used unless you are incapacitated.

4. Get an emergency high-limit credit card

Discipline with credit cards is essential – but having one available to get you out of a hole can be useful.

The average credit limit for all credit cardholders is just under £6,000 – enough to deal with most financial emergencies. Keep this credit card clean and unused if you can – some people even store their emergency card in water in the freezer if they’re tempted to use it for everyday spending.

If you do need to spend on it, make sure you have a plan to pay the money back before the bill comes due, or can shift the debt on to a 0 per cent balance transfer credit card so you’ve got more time to pay it off without paying exorbitant interest.

5. Have a spreadsheet with all pensions on

You’ve probably worked for several companies and it’s easy to lose track of all your pension money.

There are 3.3 million lost pensions in the UK and the average pot is worth almost £10,000, according to research by the Pension Policy Institute.

Making the spreadsheet is a one-off job. Sit down and write out every job you’ve ever had. If there’s even the possibility that you paid into a pension in that job, write it into the spreadsheet.

You know where that pension is and have been receiving annual documentation on it? Great – mark it in. If you don’t, visit the Pension Tracing Service at gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details to find contact details for your old employer and its pension trustees.

Contact them to ask if they have an old pension of yours. Remember to give old names and addresses you’ve had when inquiring. Once you’ve got details of all your pensions and their values, update the spreadsheet every year to know what you’ve got – and where.

6. Have an idea of ‘your number’

Everyone needs a different amount of money to live on in retirement – if you’ve always imagined a life of travel and haven’t paid off the mortgage, you’ll need a lot more than someone who is happy with a frugal life at home.

The Retirement Living Standards estimates a single pensioner now needs £32,700 a year to achieve a moderate lifestyle, while a couple would need a combined income of £45,400 a year

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Consider how much income you think you’ll need in retirement and try to come up with ‘your number’. The Retirement Living Standards, a guideline set by Pensions UK and used by the pensions industry, can be useful markers.

It estimates a single pensioner now needs £32,700 a year to achieve a moderate lifestyle, while a couple would need a combined income of £45,400 a year.

Check on your pensions to see how they are expected to grow. Once you know the value of all your pensions and projected state pension, a calculator like the one offered by pension provider PensionBee (pensionbee.com/uk/pension-calculator) will give you an indication of whether you’re on track for your dream retirement.

In your 50s you’ve got time to grow your pension by upping your savings. If you have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension, you will be paying at least five per cent of salary into your pot monthly, while your employer will typically pay three per cent.

Check if your firm will match your monthly contribution. If you can afford it, increase the total you pay in. Not only is this a tax-free way of saving, you may be able to save on National Insurance if your firm offers salary sacrifice.

7. Hold investments in your own name

Over the long term, investing in the stock market usually leads to far larger returns than leaving your savings in cash.

But older women are far less likely to invest than older men. Women are also 50 per cent more likely to feel apprehensive about making investment decisions.

But when women do invest, they typically do better than men. A study by Warwick Business School has shown that women outpace male investors by nearly two per cent every year on average.

Holly Mackay, at Boring Money, says: ‘Start with a stocks and shares Isa: you can open one online in 10 minutes with £50. Once set up, you choose what to invest in, with some banks and online advisers offering recommendations based on your goals.

‘Find a simple collection of investments that is spread widely. Beginners should look for one simple investment solution that is well diversified.

‘Investment platforms Monzo and JP Morgan Personal Investing have decent options, or Moneybox has a nice round-up feature that allows users to invest spare change. Once you’ve started, set up a direct debit so you’re growing your wealth over time.’

The woman, 69, fell on a woodland track running alongside the River Croal and sustained a ‘very painful’ lower leg injury. 

Bolton Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) were called to assist the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) at 3.34pm on Friday, July 31.

She was stabilised, given pain relief, and her leg was splinted.

Mountain Rescue Team members and an NWAS crew then carried her on a stretcher to an ambulance parked 650m away on Prestolee Road, by the River Irwell.

The team wished her a full recovery after her rescue.

Period drama fans don’t want to miss out on this “outstanding” series labelled the “best Jane Austen adaptation”.

Period drama fans need to watch this “perfect” series that BBC viewers cannot get enough of. Jane Austen is one of the world’s most celebrated authors, with several of her most renowned novels adapted for both the big and small screens, including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion.

However, one of her most cherished classics is the 1815 novel Emma, which was adapted into a four-part drama in 2009 and is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Described as a “comedy of manners”, the story centres on “rich, clever and spoiled young woman” Emma Woodhouse, who considers herself a skilled matchmaker.

“She meddles in the romantic lives of her neighbors with disastrous results, ultimately learning about maturity, social class, and her own heart”, the official synopsis teases.

Ever since the BBC’s remake aired 17 years ago, fans have been unable to get enough of Emma. Describing it as a “heartwarming masterpiece”, a viewer wrote on IMDb: “Previous versions were not bad, especially Paltrow and Northam movie which I enjoyed a lot. But 2009 series is superior by far.”, reports the Express.

A second echoed: “Perfection. Outstanding. 10/10 I recommend watching this if you have never seen it, and if you have, watch it again, it is well worth your time.” Someone else said: “This is perhaps the best adaptation of a Jane Austen novel that I have seen put to screen.

“It is faithful to the book, interprets the characters beautifully and the casting is inspired.”

A fellow enthusiast described it simply as “faultless” before adding: “This adaptation is so delightful it’s hard to describe just how good it is.”

What makes this Jane Austen remake all the more appealing is its stellar cast.

Taking centre stage as Emma Woodhouse is actress Romola Garai, who has most recently appeared in Vigil, Scoop and Betrayal alongside Shaun Evans.

Further stars joining Garai in Emma include Elementary’s Jonny Lee Miller, Friday Night Dinner favourite Tamsin Greig, Harry Potter legend Michael Gambon and The Gilded Age actor Blake Ritson.

Emma is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

At least seven people have been killed and 23 injured after a 14-year-old boy opened fire at his home and school on the outskirts of Thailand’s capital Bangkok.

The gunman – a student at the Debsirin School in Nonthaburi – killed his grandparents and five teachers before taking his own life, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters. The attacker still had “more than 30 bullets left” when he turned the gun on himself, Anutin added.

Nine of the injured people remain in a critical condition, authorities say.

The shooting – the second at a school in Thailand this year – has renewed pressure on the government for greater action on gun control.

Police were deployed to the scene during the active shooting, which began just after 10:00 local time (03:00 GMT).

National police chief police general Kittiratt Phanphet told reporters that forensic officers had found the gunman’s shots were quite accurate, with several hitting vital spots on the body.

The prime minister said the attack was “well prepared” with “clear steps and clear goals”.

The attacker has not been publicly named, and police haven’t disclosed a motive – though the prime minister said the boy may have been stressed about his studies.

Investigations are continuing, with officers seen carrying away computer equipment and boxes from the home the shooter shared with his grandparents, who he shot dead before the school rampage.

The attacker had lived with his grandparents as his parents were divorced.

Both the father and the mother were called in for questioning at a local police station later on Friday.

Torsion Construction Limited, based in Leeds and founded in 2015, specialised in residential and living sector developments and employed 115 people.

The firm had delivered £287 million worth of projects across the UK, including in major cities such as York, Birmingham, Manchester, and Newcastle.

PROJECT UPDATE: Lancaster Wharf, Birmingham
Our 23-story, 266-apartment development. Façade work underway and internal fit-out advancing rapidly, we’re on track for a winter 2025 handover. Exciting times ahead for the city’s skyline! #birmingham #construction #Propertydevelopmet pic.twitter.com/fEwbEFiKZs

— Torsion Group (@TorsionGroup) August 22, 2024

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At the time of its collapse, a further £303 million worth of work was still under construction, according to the Torsion Construction website.

Torsion Construction ceases trading after falling into administration

After more than 11 years in business, Torsion Construction has ceased trading, having fallen into administration.

James Clark and Howard Smith of Interpath were appointed joint administrators on July 29.

Like many firms in the construction sector, Torsion had been under liquidity pressures linked to delayed capital events, contract margin pressure, and rising input costs.

A broader downturn in the market compounded the company’s financial difficulties, Interpath explained.

Mr Clark, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator of Torsion Construction, said: “Torsion Construction has faced many of the immense challenges that have confronted leadership teams right across the sector.

“Despite its efforts to find a sustainable solution and protect its clients from those pressures, the business’ liquidity ran out of road.

“With regret, Torsion Construction could not continue in its current form and was left with no other option but to cease trading.

“We have a team providing the appropriate information and support to staff as we work through an orderly wind down of operations.”

The business ceased trading upon entering administration, with the majority of staff made redundant.

A small number of employees have been retained to support the administrators during the winding-down process.

Other UK companies that have closed or entered administration/liquidation in 2026

It has been a tough year for the UK high street, with several other retailers entering administration or liquidation and others announcing widespread store closures.

Major high street brands LK Bennett, Claire’s, and Quiz have been forced to close all their remaining stores after falling into administration.

UK fashion retailer Leading Labels is also set to close its remaining 15 stores after falling into liquidation.

Whitbread recently confirmed it will be closing all its UK restaurants in September:

• Brewers Fayre (89 locations) – September 7
• Beefeater (106) – September 10
• Bar + Block – September 3
• Table Table – September 3
• Cookhouse + Pub – September 3

TG Jones and the British Heart Foundation will also both be closing around 150 stores across the UK.

Other retailers have been forced to close stores this year, including:

The company responsible for iconic British bikemaker Raleigh, Accell Group, also filed for administration this week, putting the 139-year-old British bikemaker at risk of closing.

Several UK travel companies have also ceased trading or entered administration in 2026:

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation:

What has a nose, wings and runs off of hydrogen? Ecojet 😎 pic.twitter.com/y8QGiBdFe2

— ecotricity (@ecotricity) July 17, 2023

UK delivery company Yodel is set to be phased out after being acquired by InPost.

It’s also been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.

It hasn’t all been bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.

Meanwhile, brands including Evans and Bodycare have returned to the UK high street this year after previously closing all their stores.

Which business/store closure in 2026 has impacted you the most? Let us know in the comments below.

Series three of Granite Harbour has had fans hooked from the very start

The concluding episode of a Scottish detective drama, perfect for Death in Paradise fans, is airing tonight.

Granite Harbour, which first hit screens in 2022, recently made its return with a third series, two years after the second run, which aired in May 2024.

The synopsis for tonight’s episode, which airs at 8pm and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, reads: “As the case reaches a conclusion, Lindo and Bart face a race against time to find the real killer as long-held secrets are finally revealed.”

Star Romario Simpson, who plays detective Lindo, has spoken of his excitement at returning for the new series. “It feels exciting to be back. It’s thrilling to be able to delve back into these characters and explore a completely different crime and tell a story set within the travelling community,” he said. “It’s another story that people can relate to and learn from. It’s exciting to be able to do it all again.”

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Speaking about where his character finds himself in the third series, Simpson added: “We find Lindo in his third year as a detective. He’s much more comfortable in his role and is dealing with bigger, more intricate cases. We also explore his love life a bit more, and you still see him sticking to his renegade tactics of going off the books for the greater good. It’s never selfish — it’s always about helping others. This series really shows Lindo in his element.”

The series has drawn comparisons to fellow series Shetland and Death in Paradise, with viewers heading to IMDb to share their verdicts on how the two shows measure up. One viewer wrote: “The other reviews are just negative for the portrayal of Aberdeen and the comparison to Shetland. I’ve heard of neither, so this is purely based on the show. Three episodes and a simple whodunnit case. Very easy watch and I genuinely didn’t guess the end when I usually do at shows like this.”

Another noted the visual similarities with its Scottish counterpart, writing: “The sweeping scenery is reminiscent of Shetland, but the bizarre music is an odd choice for this arena.”

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Not all viewers were as impressed, however. One wrote: “It was nice to have a crime drama set in Aberdeen and in Scotland, but this isn’t a Shetland or Taggart or Vera.” Others drew wider comparisons to the world of feel-good crime drama, with one commenting: “Death in Paradise meets Taggart.”

The third and final episode runs from 8pm until 9pm, and the BBC has already confirmed what will fill the slot the following Friday.

The One Show will broadcast a special hour-long episode on Friday, August 14, marking its 20th anniversary, followed by the European Athletics Championships, which will run from 8pm until 10pm.

The prestigious sporting event, held in Birmingham, will be broadcast on BBC One, with Gabby Logan at the helm. The synopsis reads: “Gabby Logan presents further coverage of the evening session on day five from Alexander Stadium.

“One of the most eagerly anticipated events of the championships brings the night to a close, with reigning champion Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain, Dutch 400m world record-holder Femke Broeders-Bol, and rising Swiss star Audrey Werro all expected to be in women’s 800m contention.

“Finals also take place in the men’s high jump, 400m hurdles and 200m, and the women’s discus. With analysis from Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford, and commentary by Steve Cram, Steve Backley, Andrew Cotter, Colin Jackson and Paula Radcliffe.”

Granite Harbour is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

It’s febrile Fringe season again: a time of frantic lists and spreadsheets, and that panicked sense you might not be able to catch all the essential shows.

To make life easier, I have compiled a list of the 11 shows that I – an academic specialising in humour and comedy – am most excited about this year in Edinburgh. In the interests of transparency, I should state my tastes skew towards clown and performance art, but hopefully there’s something here for everyone.

1. Soho Theatre: Underground Monk Show

This year sees the return of this clown/performance art supergroup from LA. Top-tier performers, their 2024 work-in-progress show was a cult favourite, and this summer the group are unmissable.

2. Lady Bolognese: Class War

More clowning from the gurning duo Lady Bolognese, winners of the 2026 Leicester Comedy Festival best variety show. This is their Fringe debut as dinner ladies Barbara and Veronica dishing the dirt.

3. Frankie Thompson: Horrible Things

“Things from down the back of the sofa and floating in her soup, things from the bins of people in power.” Clown and performance artist Frankie Thompson returns to the Fringe with Horrible Things. An interesting and innovative performer, Thompson is restlessly experimental and satisfyingly eccentric.

4. Ratbags Theatre: How to Art

Another Fringe premiere
from New Zealand’s Ratbags Theatre. How to Art sees two bananas wake up duct-taped to the wall of an art gallery – a conceit clearly referencing Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous Comedian artwork, which saw a duct-taped banana fetch $5.2m (£3.85m) in 2019. The show humorously probes ideas of classification and gatekeeping in art.

5. Harriet Richardson: Creep

Harriet Richardson’s show may well be cut from similar cloth. Her Fringe debut Creep is about obsession and the strange connections we feel with celebrities or performers, as she moves from the performance pieces of her earlier work to stand-up and storytelling. Richardson is perhaps best known for the project which saw her tattoo the mothers’ names of every man she had ever slept with, an ode to the intimacy she tacitly shares with these women.

6. Em Humble: Lady of the Lakes

Over in the realm of character comedy, which has been newly flourishing in the last couple of years, we have Em Humble doing Arthurian-inspired characters and creatures in Lady of the Lakes. Humble’s quirky short film, Chicken Girl, is a delight and gives a taste of her off-beat humour.

7. Bebe Cave: Swoon

From Arthurian legends to the Victorian era: in Swoon, Bebe Cave is doing the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. Last year’s Fringe show saw her plundering the 14th century for inspiration; now Cave skewers the pretensions of the pre-Raphaelites “and the women they love to drown”.

8. Li Jin Hao: Falling From A Moon

Big-hitter Li Jin Hao was nominated for best newcomer in the 2024 Edinburgh Comedy Awards with his debut, Swimming In A Submarine, which introduced his distinctive comic style: softly spoken surrealism but with definite bite. His return to the Fringe, Falling From A Moon, looks to be in the same vein.

9. Sam Eley is Basil Crumbwick: Soul Sewage

This year Sam Eley is doing horrid as his Soul Sewage character, Basil Crumbwick. The show arrives with a lot of buzz and the whiff of cult status – Basil’s papier-mâché head feels loosely reminiscent of 1990s avant-garde icon Frank Sidebottom.

10. Demi Adejuyigbe: Sells Out

Another comedian in the ascendant, Demi Adejuyigbe was also nominated for best newcomer at the 2024 Edinburgh Comedy Awards, a debut that received a lot of love. Adejuyigbe’s new show looks very promising, and ticks the musical comedy box.

11. Daniel Kitson: Thrum

And finally, there’s the legendary Daniel Kitson, a byword for artistic integrity and the stubborn pursuit of one’s own particular muse. He’s only doing a short run, so catch him while you can.

Click here for more information on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was immediately recognised as she attended a charity concert featuring Kneecap and Bob Vylan last night.

Ms Thunberg, 23, turned up to the Upper Falls gig at Falls Park last night sporting Kneecap’s trademark tricolour balaclava and a keffiyeh.

She danced and clapped along to the two pro-Palestine headliners, before she was later photographed leaving while carrying the balaclava in her hand.

The groups were performing at the Féile an Phobail arts festival in west Belfast, raising money for Irish language organisations including Belfast’s Glór na Móna and Londonderry’s Seán Dolan’s.

Bob Vylan, who made headlines at Glastonbury last year after leading the crowd in a ‘death, death to the IDF’ chant, took to the stage directly before Kneecap.

The two-man punk band avoided any similar controversies in Belfast, although frontman – real name Pascal Robinson-Foster – suffered a hairy moment when he was dropped while crowd-surfing.

Last year the band were heavily criticised for the chant on the main stage of Glastonbury, with the BBC also forced to apologise after airing the events live.

In July they announced plans to sue the corporation over the row after it branded their comments ‘absolutely unacceptable’. 

Two members of rap duo Kneecap perform at the Féile an Phobail arts festival in west Belfast last night

The duo said in a statement: ‘We have decided to take legal action against the BBC. In the immediate aftermath of our performance at Glastonbury 2025, The BBC wasted no time in placing labels upon us that did not, do not and never will fit.

‘As a corporation that receives the majority of its funding from the public, it has disappointingly continued to prove how little it represents the interests of the people and our access to unbiased news and information.

‘The BBC have attempted to silence those that oppose the heinous crimes taking place in Palestine, instead labelling them as anti-semitic, editing their speeches, removing their content and even blocking the release of documentaries that challenge the desired narrative of The BBC and its top brass.

‘These responses are unacceptable. So seeing the opportunity to remind them the power of the people that they are attempting to silence, we had no choice but to take on this fight. In fact, we take great pleasure in serving them that reminder in court.’

They were followed on Thursday night by rap trio Kneecap, made up of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí, real names Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and J J Ó Dochartaigh.

Ó hAnnaidh was previously charged under terrorism legislation after allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a gig in London – Hezbollah is a proscribed terrorist organisation under UK law.

But the case against him was eventually dropped on a technicality, after a judge ruled that police and prosecutors failed to authorise the charge within six months of the alleged offence in November 2024.

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring ruled the proceedings were ‘instituted unlawfully’, and this was upheld by two judges at the High Court on appeal in March.

Ms Thunberg (pictured centre wearing the balaclava) was seen clapping and dancing along

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Bob Vylan performs at the arts festival on Thursday, a month after announcing the duo would sue the BBC

Ms Thunberg was seen sporting a tricolour balaclava, similar to that worn by Kneecap last night (Pictured: Ó hAnnaidh during the concert)

Judge Goldspring had agreed with Ó hAnnaidh’s lawyers that prosecutors needed to seek the Attorney General’s permission to charge the rapper before informing him on May 21 that he would be charged with a terror offence.

This permission was sought and given the following day, which the court heard meant the charge fell outside the six-month time frame in which criminal charges against a defendant can be brought.

Both Kneecap and Bob Vylan acts have been fierce proponents of the Palestinian cause amid backlash against Israeli actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. 

Ms Thunberg has also become heavily involved in campaigning for Palestinians in recent months.

In December she attended a Palestine Action protest and held a sign reading: ‘I support Palestine Action prisoners, I oppose genocide’.

She was arrested by officers from City of London Police.

Around the same time, Ms Thunberg spoke out in support of several imprisoned Palestine Action activists who were on hunger strike.

She described them as ‘political prisoners’ and joined calls for the charges against them to be dropped. 

She was also detained last year by Israel after warships intercepted the aid flotilla headed for Gaza she was on.

Ms Thunberg’s detention was the second such incident, after she was also taken by Israeli forces while onboard a separate ship headed for the Palestinian state last June. 

If she had hoped to fly under the radar at the Belfast concert last night, she would have been disappointed to have been quickly recognised by others in the crowd.

Ms Thunberg was spotted leaving at the end of the night clutching her balaclava but with the keffiyeh still round her neck. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of its $400 million ballroom at the White House without congressional approval.

President Donald Trump doesn’t have the unilateral authority to construct a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom where the White House’s East Wing stood before he ordered its demolition, according to the decision by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction. The court said it would stay its own ruling for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the court wrote.

“This holding has nothing at all to do with whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or not, as a matter of policy. This ruling does not even necessarily mean that the Defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom.

“What it does mean,” the court continued, “is that the Defendants may not do so during the district court’s expeditious litigation without securing Congress’s authorization, as the Constitution and laws require.”

The panel upheld an April 16 order from U.S. District Judge Richard Leon for the administration to halt above-ground work on the ballroom. Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, allowed for construction to continue on below-ground work on a bunker and other “national security facilities” at the site.

Trump, a Republican, railed against Leon’s decision on social media, calling him a “Trump Hating” judge who “has gone out of his way to undermine National Security, and to make sure that this Great Gift to America gets delayed, or doesn’t get built.”

The appeals court case was assigned to Judges Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated to the court by Democratic President Barack Obama. Trump nominated Rao. Garcia was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden. Both Millett and Garcia backed the decision, while Rao opposed it.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to challenge the project in December 2025, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that Trump said would fit 999 people.

Government lawyers have argued that the project — the biggest structural change to the White House in more than 70 years — includes critical security features to guard against a range of threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards.

“These upgrades, alterations, and improvements are essential to protecting the President, his family, and his staff, as well as the White House itself, and the entire project flows from them,” government attorneys wrote in a court filing.

Attorneys for the preservation group countered that the lack of a White House ballroom doesn’t constitute a national security emergency.

“That commonsense conclusion is not clearly erroneous, and there is no basis to disturb it,” they wrote.

In an initial ruling that the government also appealed, Leon barred above-ground work on the ballroom from proceeding without congressional approval. In response, the appeals court instructed the judge to reconsider the national security implications of stopping construction.

In his most recent decision, Leon ordered a stop only to the above-ground construction of the planned ballroom. The judge stressed that the White House is free to proceed with below-ground work, including the construction of any bunkers, military installations and medical facilities.

“Defendants argue that the entire ballroom construction project, from tip to tail, falls within the safety-and-security exception and therefore may proceed unabated,” the judge wrote. “That is neither a reasonable nor a correct reading of my Order!”

On April 2, Trump’s ballroom won final approval from the 12-member National Capital Planning Commission, which is charged with approving construction on federal property in the Washington region.

___

Barrow reported from Atlanta.

The Boyle Sports Premiership starts on Friday August 7th, with the final round of fixtures set for Saturday April 24

The World Cup kept local football fans ticking over, but now it’s back to the real thing – The Boyle Sports Irish Premiership.

It’s been just over three months since we last witnessed any action in the local leagues, as Coleraine waltzed off into the summer sun with the Clearer Water Irish Cup.

And the success might just keep on coming for the Bannsiders – according to AI tool Chat GPT.

We asked the Artificial Intelligence site who will come out on top in the Irish League this season, and it came up with a definitive answer.

It expects Coleraine to claim the top flight title for the first time in 53 years – and only the second time in history.

Chat GPT rate their probability of success as 35%, but warn that it is early for predictions.

“They have built on last season’s strong finish and are widely viewed as one of the main contenders heading into the campaign. Manager Ruaidhri Higgins has tried to play down the “favourites” tag, but that reflects the expectations around the club,” explained the AI site.

Higgins has been quick to dampen expectations around the Showgrounds in pre-season, despite the signings of Northern Ireland star Conor McMenamin, Jay Henderson, Ben Doherty, Aidan Wilson, Conrad Hunt and Rob Slevin.

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“When you finish second, win the Irish Cup and sign the quality of players that we have over the last two years, there’s going to be expectation,” said Higgins ahead of Saturday’s opening trip to Dungannon. “We have to embrace that.

“It’s interesting that we’re favourites, slightly disrespectful to the reigning champions in my opinion, but it is what it is.

“We haven’t won a league title in over 50 years. You can have all the ability in the world but you have to go and do it, talk’s cheap, you have to go and deliver and we have to go and do it.”

Defending champions Larne have a 30% chance of retaining their title, with Chat GPT saying: “They have the recent pedigree and experience to mount another challenge.”

Linfield suffered a difficult campaign last year, as defending champions themselves, and AI reckons things won’t get better any time soon for David Healy’s men.

“You can never discount Linfield. They remain one of the league’s strongest and deepest squads and are consistently among the betting favourites,” Chat GPT say.

Their Big Two rivals Glentoran are looking to end an 18-year wait for the Irish league title but they are given just a 10% chance of success, with the AI tool explaining: “Good enough to challenge if they find consistency, but I’d currently rank them just behind the top three. The biggest factor will likely be consistency after the league split. The title race in the Irish Premiership is often decided by how the top sides perform against each other in those final championship fixtures.”

That aligns roughly with what the bookmakers are expecting this season, though they give Coleraine a 52.4% chance of winning, pricing them at 10/11 for the title.

They make Linfield second favourites on 4/1, level with Larne, while Glentoran are priced at 5/1.

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