10 h. ago 17% of people ‘heading into winter struggling to repay debts’

Nearly a fifth of people have a ‘deficit budget’ where the cost of essentials outweighs their income, Christians Against Poverty said.

Economics

43 h. ago Ed Sheeran fans 'swarm' star as they spot him in shopping centre – but then realise truth

Swarms of people queued up and followed a red-headed man in a Manchester shopping centre over the weekend, insisting it was Ed Sheeran and took photographs, until they realise the truth

Economics

6 d. ago Blackout warning risk during two months this winter if there are ‘tight days’, says energy system regulator

WARNINGS of potential blackouts this winter have been issued, with "tight days" for energy supply expected in early December and mid-January. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has warned that there may still be tight periods this winter where electricity supply struggles to meet demand. In these cases, system notices could be issued to increase...

Events

6 d. ago Only those with sharpest vision can find all the hidden circles in optical illusion

This optical illusion has been leaving people scratching their heads for years – so will you be able to figure it out? It's tougher than it appears at first glance

Politics

6 d. ago Easter Island mystery is SOLVED: Scientists finally pinpoint exactly how ancient people moved the iconic head statues 900 years ago

Using a combination of 3D modelling and real-life experiments, scientists have confirmed that the statues actually 'walked' to their final destinations.

Politics

6 d. ago Optical illusion with hidden circles has left people 'questioning their eyes'

An optical illusion has resurfaced online and has left people scratching their heads as they try to find the hidden circles within the image - but can you spot them all?

Politics

7 d. ago You have to eyes of a sniper if you can find hidden circles in optical illusion

People have been left scratching their heads over a popular optical illusion - and while some say it's easy, others are convinced it's a 'troll' created to keep them guessing

Politics

7 d. ago Only 1% can solve this 'impossible' brainteaser and choose the right cup

A tricky brainteaser has left people scratching their heads as they try to work out which cup will get full first - but only 1% of people will be able to get it right

Politics

8 d. ago ‘It’s more than a pretty backdrop’: crime writer Ann Cleeves on the magic of Orkney in Scotland

With her latest book, the author moves detective Jimmy Perez from Shetland to Orkney, where she was inspired by the deep history, huge skies and warm peopleFifty years ago, I headed north for the first time. I’d dropped out of my university literature course – with the arrogance of youth, I thought I could read books anywhere. After a chance meeting in a Putney pub, I got a job as assistant cook in the Bird Observatory in Fair Isle. At that point, I didn’t even know where Fair Isle was. I came from Devon and hadn’t made it farther north than Durham. Scotland was unknown territory.Of course, Fair Isle is part of the Shetland group and lies halfway between Shetland mainland and Orkney. That summer, I fell in love with the Northern Isles, with the romance of the isolation, the bleak beauty and the stories. Over the summer, I worked in the observatory with Alison, an Orcadian lass, who was there for her college holidays. “When you’ve finished your contract,” she said with the easy hospi...

Events

1 week ago You have the eyes of a sniper if you can spot the cat hiding in optical illusion

An optical illusion has left people scratching their heads as they try to spot a cat hiding in plain sight in an image of a woman sweeping the floor - but can you see it?

Politics

1 week ago Heard of aztec broccoli? Let me tell you about my favourite new superfood ... | Adrian Chiles

A few months ago I was unaware of this leafy, fast-growing vegetable. Now I’m growing it, recommending it – and giving away as much as I canMy neighbour Sharon was having no luck growing broccoli. So I gave up growing broccoli before I even started. If she couldn’t, I wouldn’t. Then she gave me six little plants, something called, mysteriously, aztec broccoli. It’s not actually broccoli, she told me. The plot thickened. Not being the kind of horticulturist who likes to get bogged down in details, I bunged them in the ground and hoped for the best. Before I knew it, they were knee, waist and then head high. A jungle was taking shape. It was time to start eating it.It’s always nice to come across something not that many people seem to know about. I got shakes of the head from a friend with a marvellous allotment in York; a seed supplier from Suffolk I sat next to on a train to Swansea and a woman who won nearly every prize at a horticultural society event to which I’d been invited to ...

Politics

2 w. ago Man seen decapitating sea lion in California as worrying trend grows

The disturbing trend has seen people hack off the heads of dead sea lions before stuffing them into plastic bags, offering a reward of $20,000 - almost £15,000

Politics

2 w. ago OVO Energy to give away free boilers and electric blankets from October 1

OVO Energy has announced a new support package for customers struggling to heat their homes this winter, with free electric blankets and boilers up for grabs

Science

2 w. ago A car bombing outside a Pakistani security force headquarters kills at least 8 people

Pakistani officials say militants set off a powerful car bomb outside the headquarters of the country's paramilitary security force in the southwestern city of Quetta, killing at least eight people and wounding several others

Events

2 w. ago You'll need eyes of a sniper to spot fourth person hiding in optical illusion

A photo of a group of friends clinking their drink bottles together has left people scratching their heads as they try to spot the fourth person hiding somewhere in the photo

Politics

2 w. ago Man who killed four people in New York City building containing NFL headquarters had CTE

Medical examiner says autopsy of Shane Tamura, who played football in high school, showed evidence of brain diseaseThe mass shooter who suspected he had CTE when he killed four people and himself in a Manhattan office building in July did in fact have the degenerative brain disease, the New York City medical examiner said on Friday.Shane Tamura, who was 27 and played football in high school, had “unambiguous diagnostic evidence” of low-stage chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the medical examiner found. The condition, which can only be diagnosed posthumously, is caused by repeated exposure to head trauma and is most commonly associated in the US with tackle football players, in particular those who have made it to the NFL. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Brand new day for Atlético as Julián Alvarez tees up derby with dramatic rescue | Sid Lowe

Atlético Madrid needed their own superhero in the win over Rayo, but next comes a derby they cannot lose“Football is fantastic,” Diego Simeone said, which he could say by then. All night he had watched Marcos Llorente fly up the wing; for the last half an hour he had watched his son do so too, all clenched jaw and bulging veins, stuck on fast forward, a determination so intense it looked like he might explode. Now it was the Atlético Madrid manager’s turn, who had literally been on his knees for much of the night, sprinting up the touchline in his black suit and shiny shoes, screaming and let loose again. Simeone had been here before, a week earlier, when he had admitted that Atlético’s victory had brought relief not joy. This was even wilder: five goals, four of them belters, and 54,098 people losing their heads.Simeone especially. Six weeks into the season and for the sixth time, Atlético had scored first; for the fifth time, though, they weren’t going to win. Worse, this time the...

Events

2 w. ago Doctor shares 86p household hack that could cut two days off your cold

This home remedy could save people from heading to the pharmacy for over-the-counter medication.

Society

2 w. ago Children's TV star 'fired over topless snaps' couldn't afford to turn heating on

The presenter admitted she had previously not put her heating on "at all over the winter" due to financial struggles

Society

2 w. ago Strictly Come Dancing legend Brendan Cole 'has failed to repay a £100,000 debt' after his dance firm went bust

The former Strictly Come Dancing professional launched Brendan Cole Ltd while he was still making regular appearances on the BBC show in 2009.

Economics