39 m. ago How was Britain's most prolific serial killer able to 'shake hands and chat' with Princess Anne while awaiting trial for 15 murders?

A forensic psychologist traces Harold Shipman's journey from charming Princess Anne in prison to his 'arrogant' courtroom downfall.

Events

48 m. ago I'm an investor and made £21,000 from buying the tariff market dip: Here's how I did it

When markets dropped, 31-year-old personal trainer Megan from Bedfordshire saw an opportunity to make money when others were running for the hills.

Economics

48 m. ago Everything Evolves by Mark Vellend review – can Darwin explain JD Vance?

Why evolutionary theory should be applied to peacocks, politics, iPhones and quite a lot in betweenNobody expected the Spanish Inquisition, but then again no one could have predicted the giraffe, the iPhone or JD Vance. The laws of physics don’t demand them; they all just evolved, expressions of how (for better or worse) things happened to turn out.Ecologist Mark Vellend’s thesis is that to understand the world, “physics and evolution are the only two things you need”. Evolution, here, refers in the most general sense to outcomes that depend on what has gone before. Thus the world can be divided into things that are inescapable and things that are contingent, depending on circumstances. In the terminology he borrows from evolutionary biologist Graham Bell, the study of physical necessity is the “first science”; that of historical contingency the second. So, the periodic table of 90 or so natural elements, which are inescapable given the laws of physics, would fall under the first sc...

Politics

48 m. ago We criminalise the political stunt at our peril. It is a crucial art form that is impossible to ignore | Mark Borkowski

At the same time as we applaud the suffragettes and the likes of Peter Tatchell, Britain is losing the right to protestMark Borkowski is a crisis PR consultant and authorWe must ask ourselves: how would the heroic suffragettes or the remarkable Greenham Common women be regarded if active today? The answer is simple: they would be locked up. Just as they were locked up then. A century ago, women chained themselves to railings, set fires, endured prison and changed the world, and we celebrate their victories without thinking too hard about their methods. Yet today’s laws would criminalise them on sight.Last month, the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, wore a commemorative sash celebrating the suffragette struggle. Yet this is the same Yvette Cooper presiding over an age of repressive laws and mass arrests. It’s a paradox: we laud the rebels of the past while shackling the rebels of the present.Mark Borkowski is a crisis PR consultant and author. His BBC Radio 4 Archive on 4 documentary, ...

Politics

49 m. ago Brits warned to make vital check with their GP before heading on holiday

There are a lot of things to remember while preparing for a holiday - but the NHS has urged all travellers to book in with their GP ahead of their travels in order to stay safe

Events

1 hour ago Scenic Scottish drive with stunning loch views voted one of Britain's best road trips

Four other Scottish routes also made the top 20 list.

Politics

2 h. ago ‘Liam Gallagher is funnier than most standups!’: Is comedy the new rock’n’roll – or vice versa?

Oasis’s tour gobbled up Edinburgh audiences while fringe comics put on shows about Britpop and Arctic Monkeys. The music industry and the funny business could be more entwined than ever‘Comedy is the new rock’n’roll!” This line, variously attributed to a defunct listings mag, a member of the Comedy Store Players and Janet Street-Porter, became common currency in the 1990s, when comedy gatecrashed arenas with Newman and Baddiel’s maiden Wembley gig in 1993. Had the art of making people laugh eclipsed – in size, public enthusiasm, cultural cachet – the art of making people groove?It feels like a quaint conversation in light of the arrival of Oasis’s mega-tour in Edinburgh this month, which triggered panic among standups at the gazumping of their fringe audience. But has comedy returned to playing second fiddle to its sexier, better-loved big brother? Or are such distinctions meaningless in a cultural landscape unrecognisable from the 1990s? Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox review – shockingly tense TV from Knox and Monica Lewinsky

The script is often dodgy, and there is no involvement from the family of murdered student Meredith Kercher, but this show that’s executive-produced by Knox and Lewinsky is an astonishing tale of justice’s flawsTwo things need to be borne in mind about The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, a new true crime drama. The first is that Knox and Monica Lewinsky – both members of “The Sisterhood of Ill Repute”, as Knox has described them in the past – are executive producers of the show. The second is that the family of Meredith Kercher, the 21-year-old British exchange student with whose murder Knox and others were charged in 2007, were not involved in the series. Her sister Stephanie said last year to the Guardian: “Our family has been through so much and it is difficult to understand how this serves any purpose.”To the first point: it is undoubtedly true that the subject of The Twisted Tale is Knox and her survival of an extraordinary and extraordinarily awful experience, and while not hagio...

Events

2 h. ago Investors warn of ‘new era of fiscal dominance’ in global markets

Combination of record government debt and rising borrowing costs puts central banks under pressure

Events

2 h. ago Garden expert debunks common myth confusing Brits during UK heatwave

There's a myth going around warning gardeners to avoid one specific task - however an expert has debunked the myth and given advice on what you should do instead

Politics

3 h. ago Filthiest household item 'dirtier than your toilet' as GP issues stark warning

Brits are warned to keep an eye on certain household items used every day as they may contain thousands of harmful germs and bacteria despite keeping them 'clean'

Events

5 h. ago One summer mistake that could cost drivers their insurance, warns expert

With Britain having continuous heatwaves, motorist are being urged to ditch one common trick that could see insurance claims rejected should thieves strike when they're not looking

Events

6 h. ago Devastating health impact of vaping revealed in major global study

Figures show how the proportion of kids using e-cigarettes has exploded, with more than a third of 16 to 18-year-olds now regularly inhaling them.

Science

6 h. ago Lessons about periods for boys and girls should be compulsory at school, study finds

A study says school children are not provided with adequate menstruation education

Politics

6 h. ago Boys and girls should be taught about periods together in school, academics say

Mixed sessions could help male pupils understand menstruation better and support the females in their lives, a study suggests.

Politics

7 h. ago That didn't take long: Labour now as unpopular as Tories were on the eve of wipeout

Just over a year after handing him a landslide win, only 13 per cent of Britons now approve of the Prime Minister's record in office, YouGov polling found.

Politics

7 h. ago Rachel Reeves is under fire as Britain's borrowing costs hit highest level in 27 years

Yields on government bonds - known as gilts - have surged in recent days amid investor jitters over the Chancellor's plans, as well as rising inflation .

Events

7 h. ago One in five secondary pupils have felt pressured into sharing explicit images of themselves using smartphone, study reveals

The shocking study by Vodafone shows that nearly two thirds of the 11 to 17-year-olds later discovered that their images or videos had been forwarded on without their consent.

Events

7 h. ago Poor white pupils' low test scores exposed amid fears they've been 'written off' in 'national disgrace'

A study from the Institute for Government (IfG) suggests ethnicity may be a factor in how badly poverty impacts on educational attainment.

Sport

7 h. ago Do YOU have 'tipping torment' when abroad? Half of holidaymakers fear awkward faux pas

Almost half of holidaymakers are not confident about tipping restaurant staff or taxi drivers when abroad, new research reveals.

Events