52 minutes ago ‘Listen my soul to the glad refrain’: poetry prescriptions to beat the January blues

If the dark nights and bleak days are getting you down, Poetry Pharmacy founder Deborah Alma has treatments available from Philip Larkin, Imtiaz Dharker, Edward Thomas and more‘Last year is dead, they seem to say,” wrote Philip Larkin in his poem The Trees. “Begin afresh, afresh, afresh.”In the heart of the winter (both literally and metaphorically, as the world is in such turmoil), the distilled quality of poetry can work its particular kind of alchemy, as we attempt to make sense of things. I have been “prescribing” poetry at festivals, conferences, hospitals and schools from the back of my “Emergency Poet” ambulance since 2011, and later via the Poetry Pharmacy bookshops. Here I’ve compiled a first aid cabinet to lift your spirits and help you face this January.At the first frost, when cold made sugar bloom meager into the sloes, cows steamed the valley, down from the hillsides. Geese woke us in the night. Larches turned like old men toward the wind and let go. In the house, pipe...

Politics

66 minutes ago ‘We can’t forget the girls behind her’: Indigenous family fights for justice after daughter’s death

Sixteen-year-old Selena Not Afraid vanished on the way home from a New Year’s party in 2020. Now a man has been charged in her death, and Selena’s aunt tells Andrea Cavallier that she’s ready to hear the whole story of what happened that day.

Society

2 hours ago River Island's 'stunning' £25 dress looks 'gorgeous' on mums and daughters

Fashion fans fell in love after sisters Jessica and Natalya Wright teamed up with their mother, Carol, to style the "gorgeous" outfit

Economics

2 hours ago Fan who mocked dead player at derby match fined and banned from football

A district judge heard how Brandon Pedryc, 23, typed out ‘Where’s Baldock’ in large letters on his phone and waved it at rival fans.

Sport

41 minutes ago Date set for inquest into death of woman who died following police chase

Xena Georgiou died after colliding with a parked car during a police chase

Events

9 hours ago What time is Love Island: All Stars on TV tonight? ITV channel and start time for 2025 show

Love Island: All Stars returns to TV tonight - and the start time has been confirmed 📺

Culture

2 hours ago 'Chinese mystery virus HMPV sent me into lockdown – one thing reminded me how hard it was'

EXCLUSIVE: With social media awash with footage of Chinese hospitals overrun with people suffering from 'HMPV', Daily Star man Tom McGhie did the safest thing and locked himself down

Science

58 minutes ago Maya Jama looks utterly sensational in new bikini selfie shared before Love Island All Stars kicks off

ITV presenter Maya Jama proved she looked just as good in a bikini as her Love Island contestants as she posed in South Africa just hours before the new series

Politics

2 hours ago Man moves to luxury beachside Turkey hotel as it is cheaper than paying UK rent

Josh Kerr, 24, was fed up of paying his high rent in Manchester

Society

5 hours ago Inside The Vivienne's £1.3million luxury stately home where beloved star died

The Vivienne was reportedly due to move into a £400,000 home in the weeks before their death aged just 32. But at the time they were living alone in a former stately home worth an eye-watering amount

Economics

17 hours ago Friends and fans of The Vivienne gather in Liverpool to pay tribute to the Drag Race UK winner at emotional vigil after the star's sudden death

The drag artist, real name James Lee Williams, who shot to fame after winning the first series of RuPaul 's Drag Race UK, died at the age of 32 earlier this month.

Sport

51 minutes ago Experts solve mystery of 'emission' that appears alongside Northern Lights

The mystery of the aurora borealis’ companion is finally solved

Events

10 hours ago George Orwell celebrated on new Royal Mint £2 coin to mark 75th anniversary of 1984 author's death

The Royal Mint said the commemorative coin is being released to mark the 75th anniversary of the author’s death

Culture

3 hours ago Cases of China's mystery HMPV virus 'increasing' in Wales as health bosses raise concerns

Confirmed cases of the virus - which is causing concern in many countries across the world - have risen over the past week

Science

67 minutes ago Weird ITV rules Love Island All Stars cast have to follow including cooking regulation

Love Island: All Stars kicks off tonight with a slew of memorable characters returning for a second chance at love in South Africa

Politics

5 hours ago Inside EastEnders 40th anniversary week with explosive return, live episode, and Mitchell wedding

EastEnders is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a huge week of storylines, including the return of a soap legend, a live episode and the resolution of a Christmas Day mystery

Society

5 hours ago AT LAST! Six years late and four times over budget at £400MILLION, SNPs fiasco

The Glen Sannox has formally entered service with CalMac, conducting its first service to the island of Arran at around 7am this morning.

Economics

33 hours ago Conor McGregor plays amateur football and 'tackle' has fans making the same jokes

The UFC star, who recently threatened to buy two professional Irish football teams, took an opposition player to the ground in a move that wouldn't look out of place in the octagon

Sport

53 minutes ago Channel 4 star Clare Crockett on way to becoming a Saint years after tragic death aged 33

Clare Crockett was a teen actress and turned down a chance to become a presenter on Nickelodeon before turning to the church and becoming a nun - and has now started the process of being canonized

Events

21 hours ago Jeremy Kyle 'to make TV comeback' five years after controversial show was axed

Jeremy Kyle is set to make his big ITV comeback with a celebrity interview after his controversial daily show was axed back in 2019 following outcry over the death of one of the contestants

Culture

7 hours ago Why did Love Island All Stars' Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville split? Inside cheating scandal

Love Island's Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville appeared to have the perfect relationship after meeting on the ITV programme back in 2017 after entering as a bombshell

Science

68 minutes ago Love Island All Stars 2025: Discover the 12 islanders' top romantic advice

The islanders are offering some advice ahead of the latest series of the ultimate dating show.

Politics

16 hours ago Inside Maura Higgins' millionaire lifestyle with a £1.5 million house, flash cars and lavish gifts for her parents

EXC: MailOnline can reveal that Maura is set to add to her vast empire as it can be revealed she will return to the US as host of the American version of the Love Island spin-off show, Aftersun.

Society

9 hours ago New £2 special coin celebrates the life of literary great 75 years after his death

The reverse or tails design of the Royal Mint coin pays tribute to 1984, a dystopian novel centred around the character of Winston Smith, who lives in a society restricted by totalitarian rule and mass surveillance.

Economics

59 minutes ago Monster Manual 2025: ft. A haunted house, and an ooze with a dead god's skull inside

The updated Monster Manual enters the D&D Multiverse in 2025, here's everything you need to know ahead of its release in February.

Events

24 hours ago Jeremy Kyle to return to ITV over half a decade after show was axed following tragedy

Jeremy Kyle is set to return to ITV next week, more than five years years after his controversial show was axed following the death of a former guest

Culture

33 hours ago HMPV virus infected 28,000 people in the US last year alone, worrying research reveals

The 'mystery virus' has sparked fears of another devastating pandemic due to videos of patients being treated in overwhelmed Chinese hospitals circulating on social media

Science

81 minutes ago Love Island fans startled over Marcel Somerville revelations as he joins All Stars cast

Love Island All Stars is back for its second series tonight and fans of the ITV2 reality show have been left having their say on the full cast, including Marcel Somerville

Politics

18 hours ago California fires live: LA fire chief says ‘we are ready’ ahead of ‘critical fire weather’ and heavy winds forecast

At least 16 people have been killed so far as death toll expected to rise, Los Angeles county sheriff says Full story: stronger winds threaten further destruction, officials warnPoliticians quibbling as LA burns: Newsom’s latest beef with TrumpDetails emerge about the LA fire victimsA video shows a fire tornado spotted in the Palisades blaze:As is noted in our news report on the California wildfires, at least 20 arrests have been made for looting. Officials have imposed a mandatory curfew in evacuation zones as well as in the city of Santa Monica, which is next to Pacific Palisades. Continue reading...

Society

30 hours ago Wealthiest royal revealed... and it is NOT the King: How Charles fails to top rich list despite estimated £900m fortune

The finances of the Royal Family are something of a mystery - and that's the way they like it. 

Economics

1 hour ago Police say a man has been arrested in series of weekend stabbings that left 2 dead in Denver

Police say a man has been arrested in connection with a series of weekend stabbings that left two people dead in Denver

Events

32 hours ago What will my descendants make of my photo 100 years from now? | Seamas O'Reilly

Looking at a sepia-tinged picture of my grandmother, she has the kind of face you don’t see any more The photo shows my grandmother. She’s among the adults at the back, fourth from right, peeping out from a row of old-timey faces. The kind of faces you don’t see any more, faces that could only come from the past. Even without the sepia tint and the period clothing, you know you’d have a hard time showing them an iPhone or talking to them about AI. Frankly, you’d have a hard time explaining ITV4.But it is sepia-tinted, this photo, almost artificially so; its stock-still adults and fidgety kids captured in eerie permanence, so perfectly composed as to recall the cover of a stirring Irish childhood memoir. Judging by the boys and girls in their little suits and sparkling white dresses, it’s from a first holy communion ceremony, presumably one with pupils from the small primary school in Mulleek, Fermanagh, where she taught for 30 years. Continue reading...

Culture

86 minutes ago Love Island's Lucie Donlan takes trip to Paris with lookalike sister after wedding update

Love Island star, Lucie Donlan, engaged to the winter edition's Luke Mabott since 2021, begins the year with a trip to Paris accompanied by her lookalike sister

Politics

20 hours ago The Vivienne vigil leaves family 'completely overwhelmed' as hundreds pay tribute in Liverpool

A moving vigil was held in honour of RuPaul's Drag Race star The Vivienne - whose name was James Lee Williams - in Liverpool on Sunday following their sudden death last week

Society

2 hours ago Kiena Dawes' brutal abuser raps about her death and swigs prosecco in sick video

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT. Ryan Wellings posted a twisted video of himself rapping and blaming Kiena Dawes' mum for her death less than an hour after being charged with manslaughter

Events

2 hours ago Inside 'world's most crowded island' where residents 'have just 10 square metres each'

The tiny Santa Cruz de Islote in Colombia is the most densely populated island on earth, and even though it doesn't look it at first glance, the lack of space is clear from the moment you arrive

Politics

21 hours ago California fires live: Governor Newsom suspends environmental laws to allow rebuilding in fire zones

At least 16 people have been killed so far as death toll expected to rise, Los Angeles county sheriff says Full story: stronger winds threaten further destruction, officials warnPoliticians quibbling as LA burns: Newsom’s latest beef with TrumpDetails emerge about the LA fire victimsA video shows a fire tornado spotted in the Palisades blaze:As is noted in our news report on the California wildfires, at least 20 arrests have been made for looting. Officials have imposed a mandatory curfew in evacuation zones as well as in the city of Santa Monica, which is next to Pacific Palisades. Continue reading...

Society

2 hours ago Killer who stabbed 'peace maker' trying to calm roadside feud down is jailed

Kevell Blake was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison for the death of Badri Issa. He was killed in Moss Side, Manchester, in October 2023

Events

2 hours ago What Love Island stars eat in the villa and why viewers don't see them at mealtimes

It's not just the cameras that are off while the Love Island contestants are eating

Politics

24 hours ago Grieving mum of student murdered by sex offender demands law change to 'save women's lives'

Lisa Squire, whose daughter was murdered by a prolific sex offender, is pleading with ministers to learn the lessons of Libby's death so her daughter’s memory can be ‘honoured’

Society

3 hours ago Beloved soap star dies aged 79 with more than 2,000 episodes under her belt

Charleson is best known to audiences for her longtime role as Dr. Monica Quartermaine on ‘General Hospital’

Events

2 hours ago What happened between Marcel Sommervile and Gabby Allen as exes return for Love Island: All Stars?

The exes are enduring awkward reunion in Love Island: All Stars

Politics

25 hours ago LIZ JONES: It's weird you can have sex in different locations... but men are too scared to do just one simple thing

Candid, confessional, controversial.

Society

3 hours ago BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Tasha Ghouri makes emotional admission before giving fans 'rare' appearance

The former Love Island star was seen making it to the final of the BBC One dance contest back in December

Events

4 hours ago Marvel is ready to recast Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa in Black Panther. Should they?

The multiverse has has made room for a lot of unlikely reinventions, but murmurs that the late actor’s iconic character may be reworked with a new star could prove controversialMarvel’s multiverse has become a narrative Swiss army knife capable of slicing through the thorniest of creative dilemmas and papering over the widest of cracks. That said, few dilemmas are as sensitive as how to move forward with a superhero as iconic as Black Panther. Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa wasn’t just a performance – it was a cultural touchstone, woven so tightly into the fabric of modern blockbuster cinema that imagining anyone else in the role feels like attempting to rewrite history. Four years after Boseman’s untimely death from colon cancer, Marvel faces the delicate task of continuing a legacy that seems impossible to replicate. If rumblings out of Hollywood this week have foundation, however, the studio is beginning to countenance just that, a new T’Challa from an alternate reality...

Politics

29 hours ago Horrifying moment Czech restaurant turns into fireball inferno after gas cyclinder exploded

This is the horrific moment a Czech restaurant was consumed by a fireball inferno after a gas cylinder exploded, leaving six people dead. 

Society

3 hours ago Love Island: All Stars reveals its first bombshell as their arrival causes chaos in the villa

Ekin-Su Culculoglu is the first bombshell for the new series of Love Island: All Stars, it's been revealed.

Events

5 hours ago Inside India Reynolds split with Ovie as model returns to Love Island All Stars

India Reynolds coupled up with professional basketball player, Ovie Soko, on the fifth series of Love Island, but the pair called it quits just four months after leaving the villa

Politics

3 hours ago Jools’ Law: Mother battling social media firms for answers over son’s death urges MPs to act

Left not knowing why her 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died, Ellen Roome has campaigned for years for access to his online data – now her petition on proposed changes to online safety law is being debated in parliament

Events

6 hours ago Lewis Capaldi ‘in a much better place now’ claims Love Island ex Paige Turley

Scots Love Island winner Paige has given a health update on Lewis Capaldi as reports of his musical comeback continue.

Politics

3 hours ago Killer of teenager Kelyan Bokassa who was stabbed to death on London bus still at large, police say

Aspiring rapper Kelyan Bokassa, 14, was fatally injured on a route 472 bus in Woolwich, south east London

Events

6 hours ago 16 best travel backpacks, tried and tested during hiking holidays and city breaks

These travelled with us to India, the Middle East and beyond, so you can trust that they’re up to the job

Politics

3 hours ago Love Island All Stars bosses forced to take extreme measures amid stark warning

Love Island All Stars will be handed a set of guidelines for the day, with advice to stay in the shade and even stay inside the villa during the hottest hours of the day

Events

6 hours ago Just Stop Oil activists deface Charles Darwin’s grave inside Westminster Abbey

Protesters write ‘1.5 Is Dead’ in orange spray chalk

Politics

3 hours ago California counts the cost as wildfires continue to rage – in pictures

Wildfires fuelled by intense Santa Ana winds are still burning across Los Angeles county despite some progress at containing them. At least 24 people have died and more than 100,000 are under evacuation orders, while at least 12,000 structures have been incineratedLA wildfires: death toll rises to 24 as winds threaten further destructionCalifornia wildfires live: latest updates Continue reading...

Events

6 hours ago Just Stop Oil activists spray paint Charles Darwin's grave inside Westminster Abbey

The protesters entered the Abbey around 10am on Monday and sprayed ‘1.5 Is Dead’ on Charles Darwin’s grave

Politics

4 hours ago Tributes paid to Tartan Army foot soldier hailed as 'one of a kind' after death

Billy Gilfillan - who was known as Gil or Billy G - died aged 63 following the "bravely fought illness" on Sunday, January 5.

Events

7 hours ago ITV Love Island All Stars' Scott Thomas reveals which famous brother convinced him to return to villa

Scott has revealed Adam and Ryan's response to his return to the villa for another shot at finding love in the sun

Politics

4 hours ago Helston business park: Man in his 60s found dead inside parked vehicle named

Glen Manders, 66, was found dead inside a car at Helston Business Park in Cornwall in the early hours of December 18. An inquest has now been opened into his death

Events

7 hours ago Who Will Win Love Island All Stars 2025? Here are the bookies' odds for all 12 islanders

The bookies aren’t offering particularly long odds on any of the returning islanders - but there are clear favourites.

Politics

4 hours ago Revealed: Latest celebrity homes destroyed in apocalyptic LA wildfires including Mel Gibson and Bella Hadid as thousands more flee for their lives and death toll climbs to 24

Dozens of A-listers abandoned their luxurious California mansions and fled for their lives after the fires ignited, with many now confirming that their homes were reduced to rubble in the blazes.

Events

7 hours ago Love Island All Stars, its 'too old' cast and why ITV will never win with fans

OPINION: Love Island is back with another All Stars series to warm up our cold winter nights, but fans are already up in arms about the huge age difference between some cast members

Politics

4 hours ago Man cleared of causing death of partner who took her own life after controlling relationship

Kiena Dawes left a suicide note saying ‘Ryan Wellings killed me’ before her death in July 2022, but a jury found him not guilty of her manslaughter

Events

8 hours ago Louise Redknapp pays tribute to 'brightest star' The Vivienne with touching snaps of pair

The Vivienne's death has shocked fans across the globe and left a huge hole in the drag community, Louise Redknapp is the latest celebrity to pay tribute to the "brightest star"

Politics

5 hours ago Trial date set for men accused of murdering 'loving son, father, brother and uncle'

Following his death the family of Joshua Norman described him as a "beautiful person whose smile and sense of humour would light up any room and any heart"

Events

8 hours ago Love Island All Stars 2025: All 12 islanders reveal why they wanted to return to the villa

All 12 reckon they need another bite of the Love Island cherry.

Politics

5 hours ago Japan braces for tsunami after huge 6.9 earthquake as 'stay away' warning issued

Japan has been warned a tsunami may be set to follow the earthquake, which occurred off the island's Pacific south coast leaving witnesses further seismic activity

Events