16 minutes ago How a simple banana became a $6.2million art piece that's still baffling critics

The jaw-dropping $6.2 million sale of a single banana duct-taped to a wall at a New York auction has left many in the artworld stunned - and not just because of the eye-watering price.

Economics

18 minutes ago London revellers dealt blow as popular Winter Wonderland closes after Storm Bert wreaks havoc on capital

Three of London’s top attractions forced to close as Met Office wind warning persists

Events

37 minutes ago Isaac Newton’s wealth ‘intimately connected’ with slavery, author says

Scientist and banker benefited from gold mined primarily by enslaved Africans in Brazil, book claimsSir Isaac Newton, whose theory of gravity revolutionised science and who later rose to the upper echelons of London’s banking world, had closer financial ties to the transatlantic trade in enslaved people than was previously understood, a new book has claimed.The book, Ricardo’s Dream, covers the life and work of David Ricardo, a contemporary of Newton who was a pioneer of economic theory and the wealthiest stock trader of his day. It also re-examines Newton’s time as master of the mint at the Bank of England, where the scientist wielded political influence and amassed vast personal wealth after leaving his academic position in Cambridge. Continue reading...

Culture

49 minutes ago Woman lost in forest for 11 days claims she was saved by 'God's messenger'

A miracle rescue mission saw a search party follow a dog barking, which led them to a stranded woman before the supposedly imaginary dog completely vanished into thin air

Politics

57 minutes ago Gemma Atkinson told 'ridiculous' over stunning appearance before revealing BBC Strictly Come Dancing support

It came as the Hits Radio host was on stage as the host of the radio station's Hits Radio Live sold-out gig at Co-op Live Arena

Politics

76 minutes ago David Moyes could make Everton return to replace Sean Dyche once takeover completed

American businessman Dan Friedkin is looking to complete his takeover of Everton and former Toffees boss David Moyes could return as manager and replace Sean Dyche

Politics

96 minutes ago London revellers dealt blow as Winter Wonderland closes due to Storm Bert's dangerous winds

Three of London’s top attractions forced to close as Met Office wind warning persists

Events

97 minutes ago The circus that bought a tiny California town: ‘We’re creating our own Disneyland’

Nipton sat neglected for years until Las Vegas’s Spiegelworld turned it into a circus havenFrom 10 miles out, the tiny town of Nipton suddenly appears in the middle distance like a mirage: a huddle of lush eucalyptus trees in an otherwise impossibly vast, barren expanse of the California desert.From closer up, the place still feels dream-like. Old west-style buildings, including the Nipton Trading Post and a five-bed hotel built in the early 1900s, dot the community but are shuttered to the public. Other than the freight trains that regularly slice through the edge of town, Nipton is often completely silent. The unincorporated area is home to only about a dozen people, depending on the season, and spans just 80 acres. (“Blink and you’ll miss it,” one of the town’s caretakers says.) Cont...

Politics

98 minutes ago How to care for a Venus flytrap and the truth about it digesting human flesh

When John Lewis released its highly anticipated Christmas advert, which features a Venus flytrap named Snapper, it raised many questions over how exactly the plant works

Transport

98 minutes ago Warning over beautiful plant that's illegal to grow outside your garden

The Himalayan Balsam is a non-native weed from the Himalayas and probably due to its attractive buds was introduced to the UK as a garden plant in 1839 - but it is very invasive

Events