BIRMINGHAM

The grand concert production will take place at Arena Sofia Hall

Self-effacing Irish actor Cillian Murphy is having to get used to red carpet glitz and acceptance speeches.

The 47-year-old Cork native won his first Oscar on March 11 on his first nomination for his leading role in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," capping a glittering awards season that saw him snare a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and other prizes.

Dublin-based low-cost giant Ryanair recently announced it was adding Albania to its roster for the first time as its 37th country destination, with new flights from Edinburgh, London Stansted and Manchester, alongside a host of European cities.

In a rehearsal studio in central England, dancers are getting to grips with new, heavy metal-inspired ballet steps. Moving gracefully in unison, they team pirouettes with air guitar, leaps with head banging.

Duran Duran, the British band who led the New Romantic movement in the 1980s, are to reunite with guitarist Andy Taylor for a new project.

The band said Taylor, who was diagnosed with stage four metastatic prostate cancer last year, would join them "for a few tracks."

The U.K. government on March 9 announced a two-year delay to construction on part of the HS2 high-speed railway connecting London with cities in the north of England.

The part of the line running into central London would also be delayed, as part of cost-saving measures, Transport Minister Mark Harper said.

Birmingham-based British indie rock band Editors will take the stage in Istanbul on Feb. 5.

Alamy Photo

British airline Flybe said on Jan. 28 it had ceased trading and all flights had been canceled.

"We are sad to announce that Flybe has been placed into administration," the airline tweeted.

"Flybe has now ceased trading. All Flybe flights from & to the U.K. are canceled & will not be rescheduled," it said.

As reported by the Huffington Post, Liz Truss, at the meeting in Birmingham where she was speaking, was asked by the host if she would give the order "to release the nuclear weapons" from the Trident program and, if necessary, to press the nuclear button.
Answering the question, Liz Truss said that she is ready to do it.

Train drivers at eight British rail companies will go on strike later this month in the second large-scale industrial action set to affect commuters in July.

The Aslef train drivers' union said its members will walk out for 24 hours on July 30 over pay disputes.