Planning filings suggest nearly 100 new UK data‑centre sites are in the pipeline — a surge driven by cloud and AI demand that raises fresh questions over grid capacity, water use, local opposition and who will pay for the costs. The United Kingdom is on the cusp of a sharp…

Lidl will lift its national entry‑level hourly rate to £13 from 1 September 2025 and pay £14.35 within the M25 — 2p higher than Aldi — in the latest round of reciprocal pay rises as both discounters expand their UK store networks. Lidl has moved to match Aldi’s headline pay…

Grace Foods UK will be the official food and beverage partner for Notting Hill Carnival for a second year, supplying hot meals, snacks and drinks across the site and staging tastings and drink activations at The Tabernacle as organisers prepare for the August bank‑holiday event.Grace Foods UK has confirmed it…

A personal recollection of Hampstead Heath and the royal parks argues that differences in governance, funding and supply shape how green spaces feel — from Central Park’s Conservancy model to London’s mosaic of commons, squares and royal lawns. I have long returned, repeatedly and for stretches of months at a…

London‑born payments firm Yaspa has opened an Atlanta outpost and raised fresh capital to push its bank‑to‑bank Intelligent Payments product into regulated US gambling markets, pitching instant settlement plus AI‑driven identity and affordability checks as a way to cut chargebacks and embed player protections. Yaspa has begun to plant roots…

A major mixed‑media painting by Chris Ofili, exhibited at Tate Britain and the New Museum, will be offered at Christie’s London on 20 October with an estimate of £1m–£1.5m; proceeds from the sale of Blossom will support the Ole Faarup Art Foundation and accompany a wider collection including works by…

A major Imperial College analysis of 2002–2022 data reveals stark regional disparities in England’s suicide rates, with the North East facing roughly 40% higher risk than London; researchers and campaigners urge targeted investment, community‑led services and whole‑of‑government action to tackle social and environmental drivers. A major new analysis of suicide…

Swedish startup Neko Health has opened a high‑design clinic in Marylebone offering a one‑hour, sensor‑packed “Neko Body Scan” that delivers rapid, app‑backed results and doctor review for an introductory £299 — a consumer‑facing preventive service praised for speed and clarity but raising questions about clinical validation, NHS integration and equity…

The Open House Festival returns 13–21 September with more than 700 buildings open across all 33 boroughs. For a second year the Architects’ Journal curates an AJ Collection showcasing recent AJ Architecture Award winners and commended projects that highlight affordable housing, retrofit, landscape‑led density and sensitive conservation. London’s Open House…

Eighteen‑year‑old Ibrahim Fullah scored on his first full professional start as Charlton rotated their side to beat Stevenage 3–1 at The Valley, a night that doubled as a showcase for the club’s academy graduates and reaffirmed a new long‑term contract for the Lewisham‑born midfielder. Ibrahim Fullah emerged as the clear…

Scotland Yard says initial inquiries found no criminal offence after video showed a man entering a woman’s home on Marsh Wall on 13 August, while several people were arrested during disturbances linked to protests over plans to house asylum seekers at the Britannia Hotel. The Metropolitan Police has defended its…

A 180‑tonne, 250‑metre mound of congealed wet wipes and debris is being removed from the tidal Thames in a first‑of‑its‑kind excavation near Hammersmith Bridge, spotlighting years of citizen monitoring, the cost of wipes to sewer operators and calls for tougher product‑stewardship and regulation. A congealed mound of discarded wet wipes…