51 minutes ago ‘In the distance I see tiny glowing silhouettes sprinkled like salt’: birdwatching on Devon’s Exe estuary

The spectacular estuary is a haven for thousands of migrant birds each winter, and perfect to explore on foot and by boatThe Christmas market doesn’t know what’s hit it. At 8.30 on a mid-November morning Exeter is a whirl of white, a city half-blinded by tumbling flakes. Four market workers, caught out by this overly authentic addition to the festive decor, are busy shovelling the ground in front of the bao stalls and craft gin chalets. Above them, the cathedral’s medieval towers stand tall and cold in the heaven-filling flurry. Winter has arrived in Devon with bells on.I’m here to catch a train to see some birdlife. A breakfast blizzard wasn’t part of the plan, but sometimes these things don’t go as expected. The city’s Queen Street has turned into a real-life snow globe – Narnia with ...

Politics

78 minutes ago Crackdown on employers who flout visa laws and exploit foreign workers

Ministers plan to extend sanctions against companies who breach employment rights like the minimum wage and who repeatedly flout visa rules

Society

95 minutes ago A blueprint for the town ‘dominated by traffic’ and ‘without a centre’

Plans for Whitefield seek to create a 'people-oriented town centre where residents want to spend time and make full use its high street'

Politics

97 minutes ago Government targets reform of private prosecutions after Post Office and Single Justice Procedure scandals

The government is drawing up plans for private prosecution reform after the Post Office and Single Justice Procedure scandals

Politics

1 hour ago Scottish Greens urge SNP to scrap road dualling project and focus on public transport

SNP’s former coalition partner says plans will be too costly and hinder bid to hit emissions targets

Politics

1 hour ago Referendum over Scottish national park plan binned as independent review demanded

MSP Fergus Ewing claimed no independent analysis of Scotland’s national park performance and local opinion had taken place

Politics

2 hours ago 'It's a bird! It's a plane!' In Alaska, it's both, with a pilot dropping turkeys off to rural homes

In the remotest reaches of Alaska, there’s no relying on DoorDash to have Thanksgiving dinner delivered

Politics

2 hours ago From disaster to hope: A Vermont family thankful for community support after flood destroyed home

A Vermont family who lost their home, cars, barn and most of their possessions in flooding in July will be getting a new start thanks to scores of donations to an online fundraising effort

Events

2 hours ago The Madness review – Colman Domingo’s slick, smart conspiracy thriller gets better and better

Colman Domingo is a charismatic presence in this expertly crafted cat-and-mouse story about a TV host caught up in far-right machinations – which really gains heft as it goes onJust because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you. Words I have lived by since I first saw them on a badge at a Camden market stall when I was 14. And here I am, still alive to tell you about it. Makes you think, doesn’t it?It is the guiding principle behind all successful conspiracy thrillers, and The Madness has taken it to heart. Our hero is CNN-ish TV host and media pundit Muncie Daniels (Colman Domingo), who is on the brink of being offered his own show and all coming right with his world, professionally at least, and so takes a little break in the Poconos mountains to try to start his nov...

Politics