Newcastle boosted their hopes of ending a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy when they took a firm grip on their Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

An £800 million deal which will create two further battery energy storage sites in Scotland – each of which are the largest in Europe – has been hailed as “formidable” by First Minister John Swinney.

The mercury is set to drop sharply, with lows of minus 16C possible in Scotland and northern England overnight on Thursday.

Seafarers at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have voted to accept an improved pay offer, ending a long-running dispute. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said the deal includes “significant ...