Couples living together urged to check if they could extra cash boost worth up to £1,256

Dark Souls books have been announced, with pre-orders available today by Irish publisher Tune & Fairweather.Abyssal Archive: The Mythology of Dark Souls explores the lore and mythos surrounding Dark Souls as a franchise and as a location, with fans working to put together the “most comprehensive fan analysis of the game’s mythos ever undertaken”. The premium softcover edition comes with a fold-out companion map of Lordran, the setting of the game, and retails for £25 ($33).You Died: The Dark Souls Companion, meanwhile, contains analysis of “what makes Dark Souls so riveting, enduring, and influential”, with interview with creator Hidetaka Miyazaki included throughout the game, taken over the years since the game was launched.

Social Security Scotland has confirmed that thousands of people claiming Carer’s Allowance will receive one-off payments for £288.60 in June and December this year. Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an automatic payment made twice each year by the Scottish Government to recognise the important contribution made by unpaid carers.

Janey Godley opened up about living with her terminal cancer diagnosis and how she's taking steps to make things easier for her family.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is urging people to help any older family members or friends check if they could be eligible for Pension Credit. The benefit provides people over State Pension age on a low income with an average of £3,900 each year to help with daily living costs and can also act as a gateway to access help with housing costs, fuel bills and Council Tax.

The largest ever scheme to restore an underwater “wonder plant” to Scotland’s seas has been launched with £2million of funding.

Love Island’s Nas Majeed and Eva Zapico have split after four years together.

A planned heritage attraction telling the story of Scotland's Co-operative societies has been awarded almost £2 million from the National Lottery.

Retirement expert Helen Morrissey is urging nearly one million people over State Pension age on a low income not to miss a crucial deadline to claim the £299 cost of living payment. New claims for Pension Credit made before the end of March 5, which later turn out to be successful, will also qualify for a backdated payment of the final round of cost of living support from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Comic Jerry Sadowitz whose Edinburgh Fringe show was cancelled for being too controversial said if he didn’t need the money he would have given up on comedy a long time ago.

The best fish and chips takeaways and restaurants in the UK have been crowned at a prestigious award ceremony, and a number of Scottish chippies were recognised.

Humza Yousaf has been urged to ditch a “devastating” £190million housing cash cut in this week’s Scottish budget amid soaring rents and a homelessness emergency.

Livingston goalkeeper Shamal George reckons they have a chance to pull their rivals into the relegation fight.

The number of people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is at an all-time high with the latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showing there are now more than 3.4 million people over the age of 16 in receipt of the disability benefit. Adult Disability Payment (ADP) has replaced PIP for all new claimants in Scotland, but an online ‘PIP test’ could also help people north of the border decide whether they should make a claim for support worth up to £691 each month.

Scottish Ministers have coughed up extra funding as a sweetener for local authorities over a bitter council tax freeze row.

People living in Scotland are in a unique position as there will be 15 benefits and payments only available for those living north of the border by the end of this year. A pilot rollout of Carer Support Payment began in November in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and the Western Isles and will gradually replace all new claims for Carer's Allowance, delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics show that in 2021, 3.3 million people aged 65 years and over were living alone in England and Wales, with around 337,000 single pensioner households recorded in Scotland. Navigating the ongoing cost of living crisis can be challenging for any household, but for older people on their own it’s essential that they are claiming all the additional financial support they are entitled to.

Past Lives, the Oscar-nominated Korean drama, is now available to stream on Netflix UK.READ MORE: Oscars 2024 nominations – see the full listKorean-Canadian writer and director Celine Song’s debut movie is nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at next month’s Academy Awards.The widely acclaimed film was released in UK cinemas in September, but is now available to watch on Netflix at no extra cost for subscribers in the UK and Ireland.Starring Greta Lee (The Morning Show) and Teo Yoo, Past Lives follows the characters of Nora and Hae Sung, two childhood friends in South Korea who are torn apart when Nora’s family moves to Canada. Decades later, the pair reconnect via social media and, after meeting up in New York, ponder their romantic compatibility.NME named Past Lives as its top film of 2023, placing it above Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer.In a glowing five-star review, we wrote: “Past Lives possesses quiet power.

A competition named after the legendary Sean Connery is calling for entries from filmmakers.

A humble service station off the M4 was the unlikely incubator for an idea that spawned the beginnings of one of the UK’s most successful candle-making enterprises.

Alex Ritman With the 2023-24 awards season galloping towards the finish line, the whirlwind of ceremonies, red carpets, dinners and other glitzy occasions for feted stars of the moment to be feted some more is keeping most of the nominees exceptionally busy. Among the busiest must be Cillian Murphy, tipped to add both Oscar and BAFTA wins to the Golden Globe he’s already won for his lead turn in “Oppenheimer.” But just as his diary demands reach near farcical levels of back-to-back events, the Irish actor is making a quick detour to Germany to open the Berlinale.