83 m. ago Billy Joel to close beloved New York motorcycle shop after diagnosis

20th Century Cycles on Long Island, New York, will close down after nearly 15 years

Economics

2 h. ago A journey to belonging: asylum seekers reflect on 10 years in Europe – in pictures

Ten years ago, 1 million people fled into Europe, escaping conflict and poverty. Many had travelled for years in search of peace, prosperity or stability, and found it in countries such as Italy, Germany and Belgium. But the journey to truly belong continues.A decade on, after finding work and learning a new language, four asylum seekers feel torn. They recall the woodlands of northern Nigeria, a river that flows through a Syrian town – or the nightmare of child abuse in Afghanistan. They are still homesick and wrestle with the possibility – or impossibility – of return. They are part of a new, transformed Europe Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago David Stratton, esteemed Australian film critic, dies aged 85

The international cinema expert was beloved for his film reviews, particularly on television with Margaret PomeranzDavid Stratton’s closing credits: ‘I’ve done the best I could’David Stratton, the revered Australian film critic and beloved co-host of television programs The Movie Show and At The Movies with fellow critic Margaret Pomeranz, has died aged 85.Born in the English town of Trowbridge in 1939, Stratton was sent to live with his grandmother in Hampshire during the second world war. An avid filmgoer, she took Stratton to the cinema almost every day, which changed his life. In the 2017 documentary David Stratton: A Cinematic Life, Stratton said he watched “at least one” film he hadn’t seen every day, and had seen more than 25,000 films in his life. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Rachel Roddy’s recipe for almond and cherry biscuits | A kitchen in Rome

If a fig roll married a bakewell tart, their offspring might well end up looking like these rustic, fruity and nutty Puglian biscuitsSimilar in principle to fig rolls, biscotti di ceglie consist of pastry wrapped around a filling of jam, so they have an irregular and extremely rustic cube form. Known locally as u’ piscquett’l, these biscuits are typical of the town and commune of Ceglie Messapica in the province of Brindisi in Puglia. Ceglie Messapica is also part of the southern reaches of the Murgia, a karst topographic plateau sometimes called the backbone of Puglia, with remarkable agricultural biodiversity, including 40 local varieties of almonds, including tondino cegliese. Like many visitors to the area, we bought a packet of biscotti di ceglie from a bakery in Ceglie Messapica, although this was years ago, when the band my partner plays with toured in Puglia every summer and when we consumed every regional treat in a claustrophobic Fiat van.Unlike the great fig roll, however...

Politics

3 h. ago ‘No country is safe’: deadly Nordic heatwave supercharged by climate crisis, scientists say

Historically cool nations saw hospitals overheating and surge in drownings, wildfires and toxic algal bloomsThe prolonged Nordic heatwave in July was supercharged by the climate crisis and shows “no country is safe from climate change”, scientists say.Norway, Sweden and Finland have historically cool climates but were hit by soaring temperatures, including a record run of 22 days above 30C (86C) in Finland. Sweden endured 10 straight days of “tropical nights”, when temperatures did not fall below 20C (68F). Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Why you might want to think twice before using a period tracking app

Millions of women are using digital platforms to make sense of their menstrual cycles, without necessarily thinking about the implications for their personal data. Katie Rosseinsky speaks to the experts about the risks, and hears from women who’ve quit the apps

Politics

3 h. ago Popular town 'on the brink' as hundreds of cruise ships bring tourists flooding in

Kotor, a coastal town in Montenegro, is a hugely popular tourist destination - but its soaring visitor numbers are reportedly beginning to have a negative impact

Events

4 h. ago As Ukraine battles to hold lines, Trump may find Putin difficult to persuade

Despite huge numbers of casualties, Russian leader believes he is slowly winning war – so he can afford to string talks outFor Ukraine, the break in the frontline is unfortunately timed. Lightly armed Russian saboteur groups – three on one count – cut though Ukrainian positions in the Donbas countryside east of the key junction at Dobropillia. Though one group has been eliminated, as of Tuesday two were thought to remain at large – and although their numbers are small for now, perhaps 20 to 30, the breach is significant.At the beginning of the year it was safe to visit Dobropillia, which had become a bustling market centre busy with soldiers and locals, nearly 15 miles north of the frontline in Pokrovsk. But since then the town, where once busy supply roads from Pokrovsk to Kramatorsk split, has come under sustained attack with glide bombs, while FPV (first person view) drones strike targets on the move. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Welsh town's cliff railway pulls you up to incredible coastal views and hilltop café attraction

Something curious rises from the northern end of this Welsh promenade and features unique attractions.

Politics

5 h. ago I went to tiny Welsh town filled with charity shops in the shadow of the mountains

It is a small town that many people wouldn't think to stop at - but it's filled with thift shops, a bustling market and a delicious bakery

Politics

7 h. ago Beautiful seaside town in Devon that's so pretty it 'could be from a postcard'

Brixham is a charming seaside town that seems to have sprung straight from a postcard - here's everything you need to know about the stunning coastal retreat

Politics

7 h. ago New Mexico governor declares state of emergency in rural county afflicted by crime, drug use

The governor of New Mexico has declared a state of emergency in response to violent crime and drug trafficking across a swath of northern New Mexico, including two Native American pueblo communities

Events

8 h. ago Climate change made ‘relentless’ Nordic heatwave in July hotter and more likely

The latest findings on global warming driving more extreme heatwaves come as parts of Europe are hit by scorching temperatures and the UK swelters.

Society

9 h. ago Priscilla Presley hits back at lawsuit claiming she 'pulled the plug' on daughter Lisa Marie's life support

Priscilla Presley has hit back at a bombshell $50million lawsuit claiming she 'pulled the plug' on daughter Lisa Marie's life support to regain control of the Presley estate.

Events

12 h. ago Man United drawn away at League Two side Grimsby Town in Carabao Cup second round

Grimsby will host the 2023 winners at Blundell Park

Politics

13 h. ago Historic Scottish town with 'charming' streets with some of UK's cheapest houses

Homes in town sold for an average of £154,688 last year, with prices rising from the previous year.

Politics

15 h. ago ‘Death always feels imminent’: a moving Netflix documentary on prison, music and forgiveness

In Songs from the Hole, a man convicted of murder when he was a teenager finds healing in music during his sentenceIn 2014, a sergeant at a California state prison sent James “JJ’88” Jacobs, who was 25 at the time, to “the hole” – solitary confinement in a 6-by-6 cell. One bunk, one strip of a window. Jacobs had already been incarcerated for a decade by then; at 15, he was given a double life sentence for second-degree murder. Alone in the hole, Jacobs thought, as he always did, about the most devastating month of his life, April 2004: on the 16th, he shot and killed a fellow teenager outside a nightclub in his home town of Long Beach, California. Three days later, another young man shot and killed his beloved older brother Victor. For years, Jacobs was caught in a terrible cycle of grief – for what he had done, for what had been done to him.In the hole, Jacobs would lie on the floor, eyes closed, and imagine his life outside prison. He’d make beats by pounding on his bunk or chest....

Events

15 h. ago Merz’s manoeuvres on world stage fail to quell doubts about his leadership

The German chancellor’s high-wire statesmanship on Ukraine has done little to alleviate his domestic woesEurope live – latest updatesFriedrich Merz hosted the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Wednesday as a weakened leader 100 days into his term, with his attempts to rally western support for Kyiv and wrangle Donald Trump failing to silence his domestic critics.The German chancellor took the initiative for Wednesday’s lightning round of telephone conferences bringing in EU leaders, Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance. Zelenskyy’s surprise arrival in Berlin to sit in on the calls underlined Merz’s starring role in the diplomatic efforts. Continue reading...

Politics

15 h. ago Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant claims he could be an 'Elvis impersonator'

The LED Zeppelin legend Robert Plant has always been a mega fan of the King of rock 'n' roll and does a rather convincing impression, he claims, as he reflects on his music career

Politics

16 h. ago Linlithgow MSP thanks constituents after village summer surgery programme concludes

Surgeries were held in 10 locations over two days

Politics