Families should utilise the scheme before it comes to an end on September 1

The Government has urged families to make the most of the cost-of-living scheme during the summer holidays, which will soon come to an end.

Families should use the coming days to take advantage of the Government’s summer holidays scheme, Chancellor John Healey has said.

Mr Healey has reminded people across the country that the Great British Summer Savings scheme will come to an end on September 1.

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The scheme was announced back in July, launched in August, and aimed to support families in being able to enjoy summer activities; despite the rise in living costs caused by the Iran war and other global turmoil.

Throughout the whole of August, the VAT is reduced from 20% to 5% on kids meals in restaurants, as well as tickets for attractions like theatres and soft play, and the scheme also provides free bus travel for children between five and 15.

Mr Healey said: “I want every family to get out and enjoy the bank holiday weekend by taking advantage of the final days of Great British Summer Savings.

“This Government is determined to give people a bit of breathing space. So families can afford the days out that make the summer holidays special. Whilst giving our world-class attractions and businesses a welcome boost in trade.”

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The Government has listed more than 2,100 restaurants and attractions on its deal finder website as part of the scheme, where families can find discounts near to them.

It comes as the Chancellor on Thursday, August 27, visited a holiday park, the Haven Kiln Park site in Pembrokeshire, as the company announced its customers across the UK had collectively got back £4 million as a result of the scheme.

Some 251,000 families have benefited from the savings across Haven sites UK-wide, and 39,000 families across Wales.

Greene King, which is also participating in the scheme, said its customers had saved a cumulative £740,000 as a result of it.

This was a result of 1.1 million children’s meals being sold, and more than 80,000 entries to soft play areas, the pub company said.

The six part docuseries follows the former footballer Michael Owen and his chaotic family life

Football legend Michael Owen is opening the doors to let fans see inside his family life in a brand new documentary series. The former England striker will star in the six-part Prime Video show titled ‘Meet the Owens.’

Viewers will be given a front-row seat to the daily struggles as they navigate the pressures of running a horse racing business alongside the everyday chaos of family life. The newly released trailer reveals that keeping the family’s ambitious stables afloat is becoming increasingly difficult each year.

The series also promises an intimate look at Michael and his wife Louise as they prepare to become empty nesters. Their four children are all currently standing at major crossroads while pursuing their own high-pressure ambitions.

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Influencer daughter Gemma is trading her glamorous television career for the saddle as she trains at her father’s racing yard. The popular social media star has firmly set her sights on competing as a jockey at Glorious Goodwood.

Meanwhile, twenty-year-old James is determined to join the family business despite battling a degenerative eye condition. Eighteen-year-old Emily is striving to become the first Owen to attend university, while the youngest child, Jessica, dreams of Olympic show jumping glory.

How to watch ‘Meet The Owens’ for free

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Sign up for Amazon Prime to watch the six-part docuseries following former England striker Michael Owen and his family as they juggle a horse racing empire and a chaotic home life.

With autumn just around the corner, rival streaming companies are also gearing up to keep folks entertained as the evenings grow longer. Apple TV, for example, will be dropping Series 6 of Slow Horses on September 16.

The darkly funny espionage thriller follows a team of failed British intelligence agents led by the brilliant but often unlikeable Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). Over at Disney+ Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu are about to embark on a feature-length mission to protect the galaxy.

The highly anticipated movie will be available for Disney+ subscribers to watch on September 2. Meet the Owens isn’t the only documentary from a football legend; Netflix recently launched its series with Jose Mourinho, Sky TV shoppers can get Netflix included for no extra cost in its Ultimate TV plans.

How to watch Meet the Owens for free

All six episodes of the docuseries will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video from today, August 28. This means fans with an Amazon Prime subscription can watch at no extra cost, alongside benefits such as next-day delivery, Amazon Music Prime and Amazon Reading, as well as early access to promotional events and personalised offers throughout the year (fees may apply).

After the initial one-month trial, standard membership is usually £8.99 a month, or customers can opt for an annual subscription for £95. A caveat, and negative to point out, is that the subscription will automatically renew at the usual £8.99 when the trial ends, so customers wanting to avoid this must remember to cancel within 30 days or get hit a bill.

New members can sign up today for an Amazon Prime 30-day trial to enjoy the full library completely free. This also grants access to other fan favourites, including other Amazon Original series such as Clarkson’s Farm, Last One Laughing UK and Bait.

An inquest heard that Conor Hillyard, who lived in Farnworth and had Pallister-Killian syndrome, died at Royal Bolton Hospital on May 12.

A statement from his mother, Lindsay Hillyard, read out at Bolton Coroners’ Court painted a picture of a young man whose warmth and enthusiasm for life touched those around him despite the significant health challenges he faced throughout his life.

Describing her son as having a “wonderful personality”, she said Conor loved music, lights and water, and found happiness in life’s simplest pleasures.

Ms Hillyard said: “He had complex medical needs, but despite that Conor brought great joy to all those around him.”

The court heard that although Conor required extensive care and support, his health had remained stable for many years.

However, Coroner Michael Pemberton said his condition had deteriorated in the years leading up to his death despite the dedication of both his family and medical professionals.

Mr Pemberton told the hearing that Conor had received “excellent care” throughout his life and highlighted the commitment shown by those closest to him and the healthcare professionals that worked alongside his family.

He recorded Mr Hillyard’s cause of death as sepsis and aspiration pneumonia, with contributing factors including Pallister-Killian syndrome and the misplacement of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube.

The inquest heard that PEG tube misplacement is a recognised but extremely rare complication and was not something that could reasonably have been foreseen.

Offering his condolences to Mr Hillyard’s loved ones, Mr Pemberton said the young man had left a lasting impression on everyone who met him.

He said: “I wish to express my deepest condolences to members of his family.

“It is very clear to me that Conor, despite his physical ailments and challenges he faced throughout his life, was a beacon of brightness and joy to all who knew him.

“He had an extremely committed family that cared for him and loved him immensely.

“My thoughts will remain with them after today’s hearing.”

The inquest concluded that Conor’s death was the result of natural disease complicated by a rare medical event.

Although his life was cut tragically short, the tributes heard in court made clear the lasting impact he had on those around him, and the love that surrounded him throughout his life.

SOKOTO, Nigeria (AP) — Multicolored strobe lights sweep across a dance floor soon to throng with sweaty revelers and shrilling voices singing along to Afrobeats in a nightclub that is thriving despite being in one of northern Nigeria’s most deeply conservative states.

As the DJ prepared his set and attendants arranged bottles of expensive liquor on tables, Vincent Tabat joined those streaming into the venue, which is one of a handful along a street in Sokoto state.

It was an ironic scene given that the conservative Sokoto is known as the “seat of the caliphate” for its storied place in the birth and propagation of Islam in West and Central Africa. Despite its reputation, there is a thriving nightlife alongside strict religious codes, a morality police, and security challenges fueled by attacks by jihadi groups.

“This is nearly 2 a.m., and as you can see, everyone is outside to have fun,” Tabat told The Associated Press. Tabat was fired up by the booming music all night, dancing with female companions as he portioned out drinks into emptying cups on the table.

Partygoers shun regulated daily life

At the center of northern Nigeria’s strict religious code is the local Islamic police, known as the Hisbah force, whose personnel are tasked with upholding public morals across some of the region’s 19 states.

They often patrol cities and raid key spots to enforce Shariah and local laws, such as dress codes, haircuts and alcohol bans, with seized bottles often destroyed. Partygoers, however, say they are not deterred.

For frequent reveler Benjamin Danjuma, weekend outings are nearly sacrosanct. The few clubs and bars in Sokoto city are his haunts, and the scene for him is no different from those in the more liberal southern Nigeria.

“We are living our life more than anybody’s expectation in this state,” he said. “There is so much groove going on. We are not left behind.”

Gone are the days when nightlife and partying were considered taboo in conservative Nigerian society, as people have been partying for a long time, said Oluwamayowa Idowu, founder of Culture Custodian, a leading culture publication based in Lagos.

Amid the security crisis and its fallout of economic hardship in the region, nightlife offers people an escape from the tough realities, said Idowu. “The north has been ravaged by insecurity, but people still live there, and people still participate in life there daily,” he said.

Social division runs along religious lines

Both Tabat and Danjuma said they are not bound by Hisbah’s rules as non-Muslims, but they acknowledged that there have been run-ins with the group.

This represents the dynamics of Nigeria’s religious composition in one of the few places in the world where the population is almost evenly split between Christians, who live predominantly in the south, and Muslims, mostly in the north.

Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clementine and Nancy became familiar faces as cameras documented everyday life at the family’s 2,000-acre Ravenseat Farm in Upper Swaledale.

But much has changed since the programme first aired in 2018.

Some of Amanda and Clive’s eldest children have now left school and developed careers of their own, while others continue to help with farming and the family’s ambitious restoration of neighbouring farmhouse Anty John’s.

The family has also returned to television in Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids, with a fourth series due to continue their story.

So what are Amanda and Clive Owen’s nine children doing now?

Raven Owen

Raven is Amanda and Clive’s eldest child and has followed a very different career from the traditional farming life viewers saw at Ravenseat.

She studied Biomedical Science at York St John University, graduating with first-class honours in 2022 before going on to complete a master’s degree in the same subject.

Raven’s professional profile says her research has included work relating to oncology and improving chemotherapy drugs.

She has since moved into scientific work and is listed by her management as working as an assistant scientist, while a more recent professional profile describes her work in analytical chemistry and chemical residue analysis.

The Owen family from Our Yorkshire Farm and Our Farm Next Door (Image: CHANNEL4)

Despite building a career away from Ravenseat, Raven has not left farming life completely behind.

She still returns to the family’s North Yorkshire farm and helps out when needed, while continuing to appear in Our Farm Next Door.

Viewers saw Raven return home during the third series in 2026 to join the rest of the family for youngest sister Nancy’s ninth birthday.

Reuben Owen

Reuben has arguably become the most prominent of the Owen children on television.

After viewers watched his love of machinery develop during Our Yorkshire Farm, he went on to build his own groundworks and heavy plant machinery business.

That eventually resulted in a television career of his own.

Reuben first appeared alongside his father in Beyond the Yorkshire Farm: Reuben and Clive before becoming the focus of Channel 5’s Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales.

The programme follows Reuben as he grows his machinery and contracting business alongside friends and members of his family.

A third series aired on Channel 5 in 2026, with episodes continuing through June.

His brothers have also become involved, with Miles appearing alongside him and Sidney joining Reuben for farming and machinery jobs.

Reuben continues to appear in the family’s Our Farm Next Door programme as well, meaning he now features across both the Channel 5 and Channel 4/More4 sides of the Owen family’s television story.

Miles Owen

Miles, the third eldest of the nine children, has remained particularly close to the farming world in which he was raised.

He is now described as a full-time farmer, splitting his time between work at Ravenseat and helping Reuben with his groundworks and digger business.

Miles is particularly interested in sheep and cattle farming but has ambitions to broaden his experience into arable agriculture.

His longer-term aim could eventually see him take on more responsibility at the family’s farm or establish a farming operation of his own.

He has also become increasingly visible on television.

Alongside appearances in Our Farm Next Door, Miles has joined Reuben on Life in the Dales, combining farming work with his interest in diggers and machinery.

Edith Owen

Edith was still a young child when viewers first became familiar with the Owen family, but she has now grown into one of the older siblings.

Unlike Raven, Reuben and Miles, considerably less has been made public about Edith’s plans away from television.

She nevertheless remains part of the family’s current TV story and has continued to appear in Our Farm Next Door alongside her parents and siblings.

That programme has given viewers an opportunity to see just how much the younger Owens have changed since the early days of Our Yorkshire Farm.

Production company Wise Owl Films recently highlighted that transformation itself, remarking on how much the Owen children had grown since filming on Our Farm Next Door began in 2023.

Violet Owen

Violet is another of the Owen children who has largely remained outside the individual celebrity spotlight.

She grew up on screen helping around Ravenseat and remains involved in the family’s television appearances.

Violet is among the children credited throughout Our Farm Next Door, which continues to show the siblings taking part in farm life and the restoration of Anty John’s.

Amanda has spoken about wanting her younger children to retain the freedom and independence that comes with growing up in the Dales, describing how they explore the countryside around their home rather than spending their lives indoors.

Sidney Owen

Sidney, often known as Sid, has increasingly emerged as another of the family’s practical hands.

Viewers have seen him working alongside his older brothers and father, including tackling jobs connected to the Anty John’s renovation.

During series three of Our Farm Next Door, Sid and Amanda inspected a collapsed bridge on the track leading to the farmhouse.

He later joined Reuben and Clive as they worked on repairing it.

Sid also appeared alongside Reuben and Miles during the 2026 series of Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales, including during sheep shearing at the family farm.

Like his older brothers, he appears to have inherited plenty of the family’s enthusiasm for machinery and practical farm work.

Annas Owen

Annas remains one of the younger Owen children living the rural life viewers first came to know through Our Yorkshire Farm.

Her recent television appearances have increasingly shown her taking responsibility for animals herself.

The Owen family (Image: CHANNEL4)

In series three of Our Farm Next Door, Annas and sister Clemmie were shown hoping to buy their first sheep.

Later in the series, Clive gave Annas, Clemmie and Nancy a lesson in working with the family’s sheepdog Nellie – continuing the tradition of the Owen children learning farming skills from an early age.

Clementine Owen

Clementine, generally known as Clemmie, has also continued to feature prominently among the younger members of the family.

Like Annas, she was shown attempting to negotiate the purchase of her first sheep during the latest series.

She has also joined Amanda on some of the historical adventures surrounding Anty John’s.

One episode saw Clemmie and Nancy accompany their mother and a local historian to a church connected with a former resident of the farmhouse, as Amanda continued researching the property’s past.

Nancy Owen

Nancy is the youngest of Amanda and Clive’s nine children and was only very young when Our Yorkshire Farm first put the family into millions of homes.

She turned nine during events shown in series three of Our Farm Next Door, with Raven returning to Ravenseat to join the family celebrations.

Nancy has continued to provide some of the programme’s lighter moments too.

When new doors were being fitted at Anty John’s, she had an important question for the adults – why there wasn’t a cat flap.

She has also joined her sisters in learning to work the family’s sheepdog and exploring the countryside around Ravenseat.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — War’s timeless ache — death, captivity, the agonizing wait and the pull of home — has found a new stage in wartime Kyiv, with Homer’s epic reimagined as a contemporary Ukrainian odyssey.

The play “Odysseus, Maeotis” is ready to open in the Ukrainian capital as the ancient tale enjoys a global moment with Christopher Nolan’s IMAX spectacle and box-office hit “The Odyssey” starring Matt Damon.

In Kyiv, the story is performed by professional actors and active-duty soldiers, including Daniil Mireshkin, a serviceman who plays the warrior king Odysseus

“I think this combination of myth and modernity allows us to draw parallels and understand just how critical the question of return is: the return of military personnel to civilian life, the return of our territories and the return of ourselves to our true identity as Ukrainians,” Mireshkin said.

The actor spoke to The Associated after a final rehearsal Tuesday, ahead of a premiere that has been repeatedly delayed due to successive Russian attacks.

“This story helps us talk about these topics, which, as it turns out, haven’t lost any of their relevance,” Mireshkin said.

Drones and killing machines as modern monsters

The staging at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater is designed to be austere and unsettling.

Against a darkened set laced with neon light bars, projections wash over the actors themselves. The monsters of the original — the Cyclops and the sirens — are replaced by drones that buzz across the stage and models of robotic war machines.

The play unfolds in parallel: Odysseus’ punishing journey and the long wait at home by his wife, Penelope.

Director Ivan Uryvskyi is candid about how the play recasts the ancient poem’s themes of return and those trapped in exile and captivity.

“Of course, very little of Homer’s original text remains here, because the play was written from scratch. We simply took the core narrative arc — Odysseus’ return home,” he said.

At the edge of the known world

An additional Greek reference is carried in the play’s title: “Maeotis” is an ancient name for the Sea of Azov, taken from the people who lived along its shores, a place once considered to be the edge of the known world.

The sea is home to Mariupol, the port city seized by Russia after a 2022 siege, and the play is based on accounts by its defenders from the Azov brigade, now part of the 1st Corps Azov — a part of the National Guard of Ukraine.

Mireshkin, the lead actor, and playwrite Oleksii Dorychevskyi are members of the 1st Corps Azov. Dorychevskyi drew on a year of interviews with former prisoners of war for the production. According to the Corps, an estimated 600 Azov brigade servicemen are among the thousands still in Russian captivity.

For Daryna Leheida, who plays Penelope, the ancient queen’s plight resonates with the stories of women in Ukraine who wait for loved ones to return.

Officers were called by the ambulance service at about 11.10am on Saturday, August 15, following a disturbance on the Foss Islands Cycle Path off Wigginton Road near the junction with Crichton Avenue.

As reported, police said two people were injured in the incident, and four people were subsequently arrested.

The four arrested were three 16-year-old boys and a 64-year-old man. They were taken into custody on suspicion of wounding with intent.

All four were released on police bail.

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In an update, a spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police told The Press: “The investigation is  ongoing and there are no charges at this time.”

One of the injured was treated at hospital for minor knife wounds, police said at the time. The other person sustained ‘more serious injuries believed to have been caused by a wooden implement’.

The spokesperson confirmed that the second casualty has since left hospital.

The Pitbull Universe Party is taking place at Motel Mexicana on Mosley Steet, Newcastle on Sunday, August 30, with organisers promising an afternoon dedicated to the star’s music and collaborations.

Running from 2pm until 7pm, the over-18s event will feature DJs playing Pitbull tracks alongside songs by artists including Sean Paul, Flo Rida, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Jason Derulo, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin.

The event has been described as a “full afternoon dedicated to the Pitbull universe featuring the hits, collabs and the ones you forgot about until the chorus comes on”.

People take part in a Guinness World Records attempt for the largest gathering of people wearing bald caps ahead of Pitbull’s headlining show at BST Hyde Park (Image: David Parry/PA)

Organisers are also encouraging partygoers to embrace the theme by wearing bald caps inspired by the singer’s trademark look.

Food and drinks will be available throughout the event, while VIP packages can be booked for groups.

The event forms part of the August Bank Holiday celebrations in Newcastle and is being staged at Motel Mexicana, located at 36-38 Mosley Street in the city centre.

Early bird tickets are available through ticketing platform Fatsoma.