Scottish island in the Firth of Clyde, part of Argyll and Bute
Fifteen towns have been shortlisted from nearly 400 applications to become the UK Town of Culture 2028. Each shortlisted town will receive £60,000 to develop full bids, with the winner receiving £3 million to host a year‑long cultural programme in 2028; runners‑up receive £250,000 each. The shortlist includes Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown, Strabane, Stockton Town Centre Ward, Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd, Port Talbot, Basildon, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham. The decision will be made by an independent panel early next year.
A collection of reports shows political leaders and scientists urging rapid, deployable climate solutions as El Niño intensifies extreme weather. The UK’s aid cuts and new energy projects are framed within a push for scalable, community-driven climate action.
Earl Spencer’s Swan Song excerpts accuse King Charles of saying Diana should be forgotten soon after her death. Buckingham Palace has rejected the claims, calling grief a factor in memory. The memoir also details Diana’s funeral tensions and other personal disputes amid a week of royal engagements and AI talks.