43 m. ago The way a child plays is the way they live’: how therapists are using video games to help vulnerable children

Minecraft and other creative games are becoming recognised as powerful means of self-expression and mental health support, including for traumatised Ukrainian refugeesOleksii Sukhorukov’s son was 12 when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. For months, the family existed in a state of trauma and disarray: Sukhorukov was forced to give up his work in the entertainment industry, which had included virtual reality and video games; they became isolated from friends and relatives. But amid the chaos, his boy had one outlet: Minecraft. Whatever was happening outside, he’d boot up Mojang’s block-building video game and escape.“After 24 February 2022, I began to see the game in a completely different light,” says Sukhorukov. I discovered that Ukrainian children were playing together online; some living under Russian occupation, others in government-controlled areas of the country that were the targets of regular missile attacks; some had already become refugees. And yet they were still ab...

Society

49 m. ago Trendy soft drink loved by millions could 'protect against bowel cancer' in some people, study reveals

A drink that has surged in popularity in recent years, lauded as a natural electrolyte, has now been found to ward off a host of inflammatory bowel disease that increase the risk of cancer.

Economics

1 hour ago A Year With the Seals review – what to know about the elusive sea creature

A science journalist delves deep into our sometimes fraught relationship with these intelligent animals‘There is no creature born, even among the greater apes, which more resembles a human baby in its ways and its cries than a baby grey seal,” wrote the ecologist Frank Fraser Darling in 1939. Seals’ large eyes, the five digits of their flippers, their lanugo – the soft down with which they (and sometimes we) are born – all erode the mental barriers we erect between ourselves and our marine cousins. According to Faroese legend, there are even seals, known as selkies, that can shed their skins, assume human form and live undetected among us.The selkie myth is just one that appears in the Maine-based science writer Alix Morris’s compelling book, which explores seals’ fraught relationship with culture, the economy and our imaginations. She charts the varied and conflicting ways in which we conceive of these creatures: as reviled competitors for fish, magnets for great white sharks, or d...

Politics

2 h. ago 'Our street is full!': 'Chaos' fears after 88 new homes given green light

Residents objected to the plans

Events

2 h. ago Women’s Euro 2025 live: England handed key advantage after thrashing Wales to reach quarter

England progressed to the quarter-finals with a thumping win over Wales and will now face Sweden in the last eight

Politics

2 h. ago Call the Midwife's Helen George sobs over traumatic past in ITV's new reality show tonight

Helen George swaps the world of showbiz for literal shark-infested waters in ITV's new reality show, while Channel 4's The Couple Next Door returns with a steamy new story

Events

2 h. ago Liverpool transfer news: Arne Slot proposes swap deal and tables 'take it or leave it' Marc Guehi offer

Liverpool have been busy in the transfer window but there could be more arrivals at Anfield with Arne Slot on the hunt for further additions before the window slams shut

Economics

3 h. ago Shane Lowry: ‘If I win another Open, I’ll celebrate twice as much’

Irishman explains the emotion of winning Claret Jug at Portrush in 2019 after the ‘toughest 24 hours of my sporting life’The gable end of a house on Causeway Street in Portrush delivers a reminder of Shane Lowry’s Open triumph in 2019. The fantastic mural not only depicts Lowry with the Claret Jug in hand, but how Ireland, whether north or south, unites behind its sportspeople. Lingering memories from six years ago recall Lowry stretching away from the field towards the end of round three. He was in an unassailable position.The subsequent epic, week-long celebrations are another key reference point; the new Open champion showed the sporting world how to party and it fuelled a misconception, a tired cliche of the bearded, drinking Irishman. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Scotland’s colleges offer pathways for everyone: Here’s how to find the best one for you

What could be more important than choosing your future? If you’re exploring your next steps in education or thinking about a new career, your local college could be the key to unlocking your potential.

Politics

4 h. ago Grilled sardines and tomato and anchovy pie – Irina Janakievska’s Balkan recipes for summer

A tomato, olive and anchovy pastry pie, and grilled sardines with a funky fermented green tomato sauceAlong the Adriatic coast, sardines are usually grilled over an open fire (na gradele) and served with lemon, excellent local olive oil and blitva, a side dish of young swiss chard, potato and garlic. Fresh sardines are key (they should smell of the sea) and do cook them whole (the heads add wonderful flavour and the small bones soften during cooking). On the Croatian island of Vis, two beloved pogačas (bread)– viška and komiška – tell a tale of friendly rivalry. Both are savoury bread pies (pogača being the word for bread and similar in both composition and etymology to Italian focaccia) filled with onions and salted fish (typically anchovies or sardines), a nod to the island’s ancient fishing and seafaring heritage. The key difference? Tomatoes. In Vis town (one side of the island), they’re absent; in Komiža (the other side of the island), they’re essential and cooked down into a r...

Politics

4 h. ago Man City have two new partnerships that could transform their fortunes

Manchester City will have a new-look squad this season and a couple of partnerships down the spine of the team could be key.

Politics

5 h. ago Terrible night’s sleep? Here’s how to make it through the day – and maybe even enjoy it – one step at a time

Coffee or no coffee? Almond croissant or exercise snack? Early night or bedtime as usual? You’ll be grateful you made the right choices Ah, sleep – “nature’s soft nurse” to Shakespeare, “the foundation of our mental and physical health” to the less poetically minded neuroscientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman. By now, you hopefully know that getting a consistent seven to eight hours of shuteye is crucial for everything from your short-term decision-making to your long-term health, and you’re familiar with all the usual advice on getting it (have a consistent bedtime, make your bedroom really dark, no double espressos at 9pm). But one question that’s considered less is: what if you have one restless night? How do you best get through the day – and what can you do to avoid a single interrupted slumber snowballing into several? Let’s take it one hour at a time.When you first drag yourself out of bed, it’s tempting to click the kettle straight on – but should you hold off your first ho...

Events

5 h. ago Liverpool transfer news: Swap deal for £86.5m star and 'final' £40m Marc Guehi offer

Liverpool have already been busy in the transfer market but could still have more work to do in the final seven weeks of the window amid speculation over Marc Guehi and Rodrygo

Economics

6 h. ago Popular plants that love common kitchen item so it never goes to waste

Want to cut down on food waste and help your flowers grow? These three gorgeous blooms are ubiquitous in British gardens and absolutely love one popular ingredient

Politics

7 h. ago Bake your scones 'soft and light' by swapping out two key ingredients

Looking for the perfect scone recipe? According to food experts, if you swap two ingredients in your recipe you'll get the perfect bake every time

Events

7 h. ago Man Utd transfer news: Marcus Rashford to hold key talks as Alejandro Garnacho rejects move

Manchester United have made just one major signing so far this summer, but plenty of incomings and outgoings are expected before the transfer window slams shut

Politics

9 h. ago Could newbuild tower blocks put YOU in line for a huge payout over 'right to light'? Legal experts say couple's £500k payout will encourage others to make compensation claims

Stephen and Jennifer Powell complained that the Arbor tower, part of the £2billion Bankside Yards development, 'substantially' reduced the natural light getting into their 6th floor apartment.

Economics

10 h. ago Scientists detect biggest ever merger of two massive black holes

Ripples in space-time from collision recorded by gravitational wave detector forces a rethink of how the objects formScientists have detected ripples in space-time from the violent collision of two massive black holes that spiralled into one another far beyond the distant edge of the Milky Way.The black holes, each more than 100 times the mass of the sun, began circling each other long ago and finally slammed together to form an even more massive black hole about 10bn light years from Earth. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago Chelsea stun PSG to win Club World Cup after Cole Palmer’s cool double

Final: Chelsea 3-0 Paris Saint-GermainPalmer 22 30, João Pedro 43The boy from Wythenshawe who had sat on top of the Rockefeller on Friday took Chelsea to the top of the world on Sunday. It was 90F down on the pitch in New Jersey but, oh, this was cold all right.Two wonderful almost identical strikes, executed with an effortless ease, and a lovely soft-shoed assist from Cole Palmer made Chelsea the first winners of the 32-team Club World Cup, history made here. Continue reading...

Politics

14 h. ago Man United finally get green light for Andre Onana replacement transfer as deal 'agreed'

Manchester United transfer news as Aston Villa edge towards goalkeeper transfer that could solve United's problems

Economics