A North Sea drilling contractor has said staff evacuated from a rig after several of its anchors came loose during Storm Babet are being sent home following the incident.
06.10.2023 - 03:53 / dailyrecord.co.uk
Developers of Rosebank oil field are in line for a massive £2.8BILLION tax break, campaigners have claimed - enough to install a heat pump in every home in the north-east.
Norwegian fossil fuel giant Equinor can claim back in relief around 91 per cent of construction costs at Rosebank thanks to a loophole in the UK Windfall Tax, it emerged.
It comes as Rishi Sunak’s Tory government last week approved the controversial drilling scheme off Shetland - the country’s biggest untapped oil field.
Friends of the Earth Scotland said the move was not only a “terrible decision for the planet” but also a “colossal waste of money for the UK public purse”.
Equinor - which raked in an astonishing £62billion in pre-tax profits last year - has pledged to invest around £3.1billion to develop Rosebank.
But a deliberate loophole in the Windfall Tax known will allow the firm to claw back £91.40 for every £100 they plough into the project.
The eco charity said that amounted to £2.84billion - enough to fit an eco-friendly heat pump and insulate each of the 224,000 homes across the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire council areas.
The UK has some of the leakiest housing stock in Europe, meaning we produce higher household emissions and get higher fuel bills.
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s just transition campaigner Rosie Hampton blasted: “It defies logic that the UK Government is choosing to hand over billions in tax breaks to an obscenely profitable oil company when people are desperately in need of action to fix our cold leaky homes.
“Fossil fuels are driving the cost of living crisis as well as the devastating extreme weather we are increasingly witnessing around the world.
“If politicians were genuine about a fair and fast transition away from oil and gas,
A North Sea drilling contractor has said staff evacuated from a rig after several of its anchors came loose during Storm Babet are being sent home following the incident.
An oil rig lost several anchors after being battered by severe wind and strong waves during Storm Babet. Coastguard helicopters were scrambled to assist off the coast of Aberdeen.
Scottish TV presenter Storm Huntley, 36, has been tipped as a 'front runner' to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning following her shock announcement last week that she was stepping down from the flagship ITV programme after 14 years.
Music Venue Trust (MVT) – a leading charity devoted to protecting, securing and improving UK Grassroots Music Venues across the country – detailing that the UK is set to lose 10 per cent of its grassroots music venues in 2023 due to issues such as the cost of living crisis.Now, to help save grassroots music venues across the country from closure, taxi app FREENOW has launched a new ‘Ride for Music’ initiative – pledging £1 for each taxi ride to Music Venue Trust.Already, the music industry has rallied behind the initiative, and the likes of Ed Sheeran, Steve Lamacq, Ticketmaster and Academy Music Group (AMG) have all come forward to pledge their support.With the ‘Ride For Music’ incentive, FREENOW has guaranteed a minimum commitment of £200,000 to be donated to the cause, and all users need to do to ensure the donation is made is top ‘opt in’, at no extra cost to them.“Like so many musicians, I started out playing in grassroots music venues. They are such a vital part of the music ecosystem.
The wedding of the decade saw Prince William marry his university girlfriend, Catherine Middleton, in front of a global TV audience of more than 60 million people. While few fans need reminding that their romance started ten years earlier when they were both studying at St Andrews University in Scotland, the couple had a very near miss the year before as they both undertook gap years.
Holly Willoughby shocked TV viewers when she dramatically quit her presenting role on ITV's This Morning after 14 years.The 42 year old star shared a surprise statement on Tuesday, 10 October, that said she was leaving the show and "will not be returning." It began: “I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so much.This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together." But now fans believe she's in talks to join the BBC, suggesting that Phillip Schofield could join her. Holly's This Morning co-host Phillip quit the show himself in May this year, after he admitted to a relationship with a younger male former colleague.
Good Morning Britain host Ben Shephard has broken his silence on becoming a potential replacement for Phillip Schofield following the groundbreaking news Holly Willoughby has also stepped down from her role on This Morning.
Good Morning Britain presenter Ben Shephard has broken his silence on the possibility of joining the This Morning team on a more permanent basis, after stepping in to co-host the show last month following the departure of Phillip Schofield. Since Phillip left the ITV daytime show in May after admitting to having an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague, Holly Willoughby has been joined by a number of guest co-stars including Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle.
Blue Peter presenter Yvette Fielding claims her first year on the kids' TV classic Blue Peter was so "horrific" due to the "relentless bullying she suffered, that she actually resigned from the show.The Most Haunted star joined the programme in 1987 as the youngest ever presenter when she was just 18 and eventually fronted the show for five years. But she claims that by the end of her first year she was left "a shaking, gibbering wreck," due to being "berated" by her boss Biddy Baxter.
Big Brother viewers were left fuming after Olivia Young's comments about her fellow housemate.
Taylor Swift’s upcoming new ‘Eras’ tour film has broken more box office records this week.The upcoming film will play at ODEON and Vue cinemas across the UK and Europe starting October 13, the same day it is released in US cinemas via AMC. The concert film is expected to be available in more than 100 countries worldwide.Directed by Sam Wrench, the upcoming film is described as a “breathtaking, cinematic view” of Swift’s latest tour, which runs through her biggest hits and rarities across all ten of her studio albums.It’s now been revealed that the film has has already surpassed $100m (£82m) globally in advance ticket sales, with more than a week to go before it hits cinema screens across the world.According to the film’s official distributor, AMC Theatres, this total reflects all showtimes, locations and circuits that will be showing the movie, not just AMC (via The Independent).
Richard Madeley, who formerly hosted This Morning, has revealed he is still in contact with good pal Phillip Schofield who stepped back from all his roles at ITV following a confirmed affair with a younger male colleague.
Richard Madeley has revealed he got in touch with Phillip Schofield following his ITV exit to offer a message of support. The former This Morning host called Phillip’s sacking from the show “brutal” and said he felt “very sorry” for the presenter, after he left the show after admitting an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague. Phillip had been a regular presenter on the show for over 20 years and it is still being decided who will replace him following his departure.
Five Just Stop Oil protestors were arrested last night after disrupting a performance of Les Miserables in London’s West End.
Josie Gibson has been feeling betrayed by ITV bosses after being side-lined in favour of Ben Shephard.
As eager viewers tune in to watch the second episode of the latest series of The Great British Bake Off, chaos is set to unfold as one contestant mischievously steals another's dough. In the episode set to air on Tuesday 3 October, the bakers are tackling their next challenge in Biscuit Week, and it appears one contestant has made a cheeky error.
There’s devastation ahead in the Dales as three residents are involved in a horrifying car crash in latest Emmerdale spoilers. Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) and Chloe Harris (Jessie Elland) are preparing to leave for a holiday break in Scotland - with the hope of moving there permanently soon. But what Mack doesn’t realise is that Chloe knows about his betrayal with Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).
The Scottish Government is pledging to make up to £728 million available in the next seven years to help Scots tackle fuel poverty by installing greener heating systems.
Phillip Schofield's replacement for This Morning has reportedly been decided by ITV bosses. The former presenter of the daytime show, 61, stepped down from his role before resigning from all ITV presenting duties after admitting to having an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger male former colleague. Since his exit earlier this year, producers have been looking for his replacement to work alongside Holly Willoughby on the sofa.
As temperatures begin to drop, many UK households will be tempted to turn on the central heating - but there are a few things you should check first.