37 m. ago Mountain marvel: how one of biggest batteries in Europe uses thousands of gallons of water to stop blackouts

‘Much-loved’ Dinorwig hydroelectric energy storage site in Wales has a vital role to play in keeping the lights onSeconds after a catastrophic series of power outages struck across the UK in the summer of 2019, a phone rang in the control room of the Dinorwig hydropower plant in north Wales. It was Britain’s energy system operator requesting an immediate deluge of electricity to help prevent a wide-scale blackout crippling Britain’s power grids.The response was swift, and in the end just under million people were left without power for less than 45 minutes. While trains were stuck on lines for hours and hospitals had to revert to backup generators, that phone call prevented Britain’s worst blackout in a decade from being far more severe. Continue reading...

Politics

37 m. ago Chilling photo of couple's last moments before they were shot to death in middle of nowhere

It's been almost two decades since the brutal murders of 19-year-old Lisa Gurrieri and her boyfriend, 20-year-old Brandon Rumbaugh - and Lisa's mother Paula is still desperate for answers

Events

87 m. ago Oasis fans say key band member 'missing' in reunion tour rehearsals

The Gallagher brothers are back together for the first time in a decade

Events

97 m. ago Hush over Hollywood: why has it become so hard to make films in Los Angeles?

The drop in productions is causing alarm – can Tinseltown halt the exodus and reclaim its spot as the home of movie-making?When Adam Scott was working on the hit TV show Parks and Recreation in the early 2010s, the Los Angeles studio where the show was filmed was packed – “every stage was filled and working”.These days, he told his former co-star Rob Lowe in a much-discussed recent podcast conversation, “it’s quiet over there” – in part because “it’s just too expensive to shoot here”. Continue reading...

Culture

2 h. ago Jay Slater detective says Spanish police ignored bombshell audio evidence that could shed light on British 19

Mark Williams-Thomas has accused Spanish authorities of failing to investigate an audio recording he offered to share which may have shed light on the British teenager's disappearance.

Events

2 h. ago All injured in stable condition after stabbing at Hamburg train station in Germany

More than a dozen people who were injured in a stabbing attack at the central train station in the German city of Hamburg are reported in stable condition

Events

2 h. ago ‘Alexa, what do you know about us?’ What I discovered when I asked Amazon to tell me everything my family’s smart speaker had heard

For years, Alexa has been our on-call vet, DJ, teacher, parent, therapist and whipping boy. What secrets would the data reveal?She is always listening. She is unfailingly polite. She is often obtuse. She is sometimes helpful. She frequently frustrates. She isn’t great with bashment artists. Or grime. Or drum’n’bass. She needs to be spoken to slowly and clearly, as you’d talk to an aged relative with diminished faculties. She doesn’t like French accents.‘“Alexa, how long do wasps live for?” Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Full timeline of the hunt for missing girl Pheobe Bishop, 17, whose disappearance has gripped Australia

For the family of Australian teenager Pheobe Bishop, the last nine days have been nothing short of agonising - after the 17-year-old never made it onto the flight she was supposed to catch.

Events

3 h. ago Original stars of Glee today – from tragic death to surprising new lives

When Glee hit screens in 2009, it became a global sensation. From tragic losses to award-winning success, here’s where the original cast members are now, nearly a decade after the show ended

Events

3 h. ago Mystery 'sea monster' bones baffling boffs for years finally confirmed as brand new beast

A bunch of prehistoric bones seemingly belonging to one freaky sea creature has baffled scientists for decades, however a new discovery may have finally revealed who they belong to

Economics

3 h. ago Inside Queen icon Freddie Mercury's 'close and loving' bond with 'cherished' secret daughter

Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury's secret daughter, who he had a 'close' and 'loving' relationship with, has been revealed after being hidden from the world for decades

Politics

4 h. ago Billy Joel admits he has been forgetting song lyrics for at least a decade as star, 76, reveals brain disorder diagnosis and cancels all concerts

The Piano Man singer, 76, took to Instagram on Friday to share that he has been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).

Science

4 h. ago Russell Mael: ‘Describe myself in three words? One handsome dude’

The Sparks singer on shoplifting red liquorice as a child, a head-to-head with Godzilla, and underselling his life storyBorn in California, Russell Mael, 76, and his brother, Ron, first recorded under the names the Urban Renewal Project and Halfnelson, before becoming Sparks in 1972. Two years later, they relocated to London and had a hit with their song This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us. More recently, they composed a radio opera, The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, collaborated with Franz Ferdinand in supergroup FFS, and released a film, Annette, which won five César awards in 2022. Their 28th studio album is Mad! and their tour comes to the UK in June. Mael lives in California.What was your most embarrassing moment? Signing away the rights to my life story to a major motion-picture company for a sum that I have since been told was way below the market rate. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago What happened to 90s star Maria McKee? Singer, 60, who topped the charts with Show Me Heaven and was pals with U2 and Johnny Depp admits she found touring 'horrible'

Now aged 60, after a career spanning five decades, Maria has revealed that she hasn't just slowed down, she's stopped altogether.

Politics

5 h. ago Children with special needs in England may lose legal right to school support

Exclusive: Schools minister declines to rule out replacing EHCP documents as part of plans to change Send systemHundreds of thousands of children with special needs could lose their legal entitlement to extra support in schools in England under plans being considered by ministers, a move that campaigners warn could force thousands more pupils out of mainstream education.The reforms relate to education, health and care plans (EHCPs), statutory documents families have relied on for more than a decade to guarantee their children’s right to support for conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and mental health issues. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Christine Lampard uses this £15 setting spray to keep makeup in place while filming Lorraine

Christine Lampard's makeup artist has shared the setting spray she uses to keep the TV presenter's makeup in place all day - and it's perfect for the heatwave

Economics

6 h. ago Bestselling Chocolat author JOANNE HARRIS on the disgusting quip Harvey Weinstein made to her at the Oscars

Author of multimillion-selling novel Chocolat JOANNE HARRIS talks the day Juliette Binoche turned up at her door and why it's taken two decades to write its prequel

Culture

6 h. ago Farewell Kevin De Bruyne: Manchester City’s genius and a law unto himself | Simon Hattenstone

Footballing great, dedicated family man and surprisingly outspoken, the playmaker leaves the Premier League this weekend after a decade of entertainmentKevin De Bruyne is leaving Manchester City, and I’m going through all five stages of grief at once. Denial (the club will give him a new contract); anger (how could they not renew his contract?), bargaining (at 33, he’s past his peak and injury prone), depression (life without Kev is no life) and acceptance (it was never going to last, and I not only got to watch him for 10 years, I got to meet him.)They say you should never meet your heroes. I’ve always stood by that maxim when it came to Manchester City players, with the one exception. Oh Kevin De Bruyne. (For the uninitiated, chant endlessly to the chorus of Seven Nation Army.) As De Bruyne is a law unto himself as a player, so he is as an interviewee. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago My wife insists on showing potential buyers around our house

We've lived in our house for decades but now need to downsize. My wife likes to show buyers around the house, but we've had zero offers.

Politics

6 h. ago India and Pakistan extend airspace ban after worst violence in decades

Delhi and Islamabad continue airspace ban for each other’s flights a month after the deadly Kashmir attack

Events