reports: Last News

ABBA Voyage has contributed £1.40billion to the UK economy, according to new figures.The virtual concert residency, which features digital avatars depicting the Swedish pop icons as they appeared in 1979, generated the sum between its opening in May 2022 to May 2024.During that time, the live concert experience has attracted over two million visitors, with 31 per cent travelling from outside of the UK.According to a new report by music, culture and creative economy consultancy Sound Diplomacy, attendees spent an average of £220 per day in London, as well as the cost of the ticket to the show at Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.The most positive impact is felt in the local boroughs of Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest, with local restaurants and bars receiving £51.26million, commercial shops gaining £27.28million and accommodation £66.38million.The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said: “ABBA Voyage has been a phenomenal success story for London, boosting our economy by more than £1bn and showing again why our capital is a global leader for music and culture.“The fantastic show is an enduring testament to ABBA’s timeless popularity, as well as providing cultural, financial and social benefits. London is proud to host ABBA Voyage and we look forward to continuing to welcome fans from far and wide to see this unique concert as we build a better London for everyone.”In October, it was reported that the show grossed more than £100million in 2023, according to documents filed in the UK with Companies House by Aniara, the company behind the shows.A total of 1,097,597 visitors attended the shows across 2023, with an occupancy rate of 97.8 per cent.

A woman has died after being mauled by a dog in a block of Scots flats.

The jungle has crowned its new winner as Danny Jones from McFly emerged victorious on I'm A Celeb... last night, with Coleen Rooney snagging the runner-up spot.This series featured plenty of bonding and revelation-sharing amongst the celebs, including Coleen's unexpected insight into the Rooney family holidays.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Fandom has revealed its top franchises among users over the past year, including “Warhammer,” Marvel comics, TV series and movies, “League of Legends” and its Netflix adaptation “Arcane,” and cross-medium franchise “Fallout.” Gaming IP “Warhammer” (currently in the works as a TV series at Amazon starring Henry Cavill) was the top franchise overall, with the other leading titles being “Terraria,” “League of Legends,” Marvel (primarily propelled by “Deadpool vs. Wolverine” and “Agatha All Along”) and “Final Fantasy.” Per Fandom, key findings within the lists include video games claiming a majority 15 of the 20 spots for the first time; the effect of reduced TV and film output during 2024 due to Hollywood’s strikes in the previous year; and the continued power of evergreen content showcased within “almost every gaming entry on the list, thanks to quality updates, events, and releases.” “’Deadpool & Wolverine’ clearly had an impact, leading to a resurgence in the value of the Marvel franchise,” Fandom CEO Perkins Miller said, adding: “The depth and quality of stories in gaming continues to resonate beyond the console and PC: They are truly multi-platform franchises.” Fandom says its franchise rankings are a weighted calculation against five criteria: worldbuilding, high critical and fan ratings, fierce fanbase, cultural relevance and consistency.

A body has been found following a search at Elton Reservoir over the weekend, the area's MP has announced. Emergency services were called out to the reservoir, in Bury, at around 11.30am on Sunday (December 8).

A plane wreck discovered off a Scots coast with human remains inside has been confirmed as a missing German aircraft.

Princess Eugenie was noticeably absent from the 'Together At Christmas' carol service at Westminster Abbey this week, an event that saw many royals rallying around Kate.

Paramount UK network Channel 5 saw turnover and operating profit rise last year but made an overall loss of £159.5M ($200M) due to a one-off payment to a Paramount Global subsidiary.

B&M is offering a new range of beauty products that shoppers claim are reminiscent of the high-end brand Byoma. The budget retailer's 'Myomi' range includes several skincare items now available in stores.

Two Oldham council directors are to leave the town hall. Finance boss Sarah Johnston and economics chief Paul Clifford have handed in their notices.

A woman had the surprise of her life after being told to dress up for a cinema date to watch Paddington with her partner.

Workers have spoken of their shock after finding sheep trotters outside an abattoir in Stockport. Pictures and video handed to the Manchester Evening News also appear to show blood running out of Manchester Abattoir Ltd into the road.

The streamers‘ newly-discovered drive to prioritize profit over subs will soon be felt in the landscape in a big way, according to an Ampere Analysis report.

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! viewers believe Coleen Rooney narrowly missed out on being crowned Queen of the Jungle due to a last-minute mistake. It comes after Coleen, 38, sparked a bit of a stir with her unusual table manners during the I'm A Celeb final.

Taylor Swift is back at the top!

Juan Soto has reportedly signed the biggest sports deal ever!

Mariah Carey concert, which is part of her ongoing ‘Christmas Time’ tour.TMZ reported yesterday (December 8) that in Baltimore, Maryland’s CFG Bank Arena on Saturday (December 7), a physical altercation broke out in the audience that involved 4-5 people – it apparently escalated quickly after a drink was thrown.The fight reportedly took place during a choir rendition of the encore set, which preluded Carey’s return to the stage to perform ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.Stereogum also reported that this was the second brawl to take place on Carey’s ‘Christmas Time’ tour – it happened at Salem, Massachusetts’ Enterprise Center between two women, and it involved a thrown drink and some male counterparts intervening. See footage from both incidents below.A fight occurring at Mariah Carey’s Christmas concert.

Naman Ramachandran Maxtime Pictures’ “Her Story,” a comedy-drama film told from a largely female perspective, topped the mainland China box office for the third consecutive weekend. Disney’s “Moana 2,” which had debuted in second place, dropped to third. Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway showed “Her Story” sliding from its previous weekend’s showing by earning RMB90.1 million ($12.7 million) between Friday and Sunday.

Prince Harry admitted that he "felt free" following the release of his memoir, Spare.The 40 year old made the revelation as he sat down with trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté, a renowned speaker and bestselling author, for what was billed as an '"intimate conversation" about "living with loss and personal healing'" back in March 2023.The £17 tickets for the livestream also included a hardback copy of Harry's memoir, which was published on 10 January the same year and is the fastest selling non-fiction book of all time. Speaking about the release of his hit autobiography, the Duke said, "Once the book came out, I felt incredibly free.

Jay-Z has been added in a civil lawsuit that accuses both the rapper and Sean “Diddy” Combs of allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000, according to a NBC News report.

While Tina O’Brien is best known for playing the role of Sarah Platt on Coronation Street, she didn’t actually originate the role. Instead, her character was first brought to life by newborn twins Leah and Lynsay King in February 1987.The twins were chosen to play the role of Sarah Platt after they were born two months prematurely. According to reports, the show prefers to use identical twins for newborn roles, with Leah and Lynsay being the perfect fit.