54 m. ago Girl Taken review – Alfie Allen is incredible in this twisty tale of teen abduction

This tale of a family dealing with a kidnapped daughter is a deeply engaging, psychologically complex thriller that is a cut above the restA summary of Girl Taken is disheartening; a teenage girl is abducted by a man she trusted and kept for his own grim purposes in a remote secret location, and must use her wits to survive the depravities and maybe one day escape. But in full, Girl Taken, like the 2016 book Baby Doll by Hollie Overton on which it is based, is something much better. It takes the neglected parts of such stories – the sadder, quieter, far less titillating and voyeuristic aspects of what it means to take a person out of her home, her world and her life, and away from those of the people who love her – and fleshes all that out instead. It makes for a slower burn, but a much more deeply engaging and psychologically complex thriller than we customarily expect from such a setup, and – in asking what it really means to survive an act of profound violence – harrowing in a mo...

Politics

2 h. ago Australia hold on to win fifth Ashes Test leaving England to rue missed chances

5th Test, D5: Australia, 567 & 161 bt England 384 & 342, by five wicketsAlex Carey hits winning runs at SCG as hosts wrap up series 4-1 There were a couple of wobbles along the way but at 2.30pm on the final day in Sydney, Australia had knocked off a target of 160 runs to win the fifth Test by five wickets and claim this Ashes series by a 4-1 scoreline.Like their tour as a whole, there was a nagging sense of what might have been for England with a few more runs on the board, or better catching and tighter bowling earlier in the contest. But there could be few quibbles from the injured Ben Stokes as he watched the final rites from first slip. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Sydney Sweeney joins forces with American Eagle again after 'great jeans' campaign ignited controversy

The Anybody But You actress partnered up with the clothing brand once again in her latest social media drop, a carousel capturing her winter adventures.

Politics

4 h. ago Rapists and violent thugs were hired by the Met as full checks were axed in a rush to recruit officers, force admits

The Met was one of at least six forces to secretly drop employment checks on new recruits in a rush for extra cash as part of an attempt to find 20,000 new officers.

Events

8 h. ago Manchester City drop more points in title race as Brighton earn draw

Erling Haaland’s penalty put City on course for a return to winning ways but Kaoru Mitoma’s first goal since September brought more frustration

Sport

8 h. ago Tottenham player ratings vs Bournemouth: Randal Kolo Muani fails test as Guglielmo Vicario 'suspect'

Striker struggled to affect the game as Spurs drop points again

Sport

8 h. ago Man City player ratings vs Brighton with two 5/10s as Phil Foden struggles

Manchester City struggled to a 1-1 draw with Brighton in the Premier League to drop points for the third game in a row

Sport

8 h. ago Arsenal receive huge Premier League boost as Man City drop more points vs Brighton

Arsenal's golden dreams of a first Premier League title in over two decades received a massive boost on Wednesday evening as Manchester City dropped more points

Politics

9 h. ago Primary schools in North Lanarkshire given chance to win specifically curated Burns Supper from Aldi

The UK’s Cheapest Supermarket 2024 is set to host its first-ever Great Scottish Supper, with one primary school class winning an unforgettable Robert Burns celebration.

Events

11 h. ago Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear to miss upcoming tour dates after ‘bizarre gardening accident’

Many fans made the same joke after the former Nirvana touring guitarist injured his left foot

Politics

11 h. ago AA shares simple way to avoid car frosting up overnight with one household item

The AA has urged all drivers to try this trick to prevent having to scrape the windscreen as the temperatures continue to drop

Politics

12 h. ago Frankie Dettori performs one of his final flying dismounts on farewell tour

Legendary jockey Frankie Dettori was victorious in Uruguay during the latest leg of a trip to South America that has also taken him to Brazil before he hangs up his saddle for good

Politics

12 h. ago 10 best pregnancy pillows that provide support and help ease back pain

A top-rated pregnancy pillow could be your ticket to a good night’s sleep

Politics

12 h. ago From 'default industry' in Edinburgh to caddying on PGA Tour in US

Tim Poyser on seeing his ‘luck’ change since teaming up with rising star Kristoffer Reitan

Events

12 h. ago Robyn returns: patron saint of sad pop bangers is finally back with a new album

The Swedish star says ‘Sexistential’ is ‘like a spaceship coming through the atmosphere at a really high speed and crash landing’

Politics

13 h. ago Five affordable cars and SUVs to consider if you’re buying a vehicle in 2026

The cheapest model on the list comes in at just over $26,000

Politics

13 h. ago Tennis wildcarder serves 20 double faults and wins just three points in 37 minutes

Unranked Egyptian player Hajar Abdelkader was handed a wildcard for the W35 Nairobi tournament in Kenya but delivered a dismal performance

Politics

14 h. ago Two Ryder Cup stars competing for golden LIV Golf ticket after shock Brooks Koepka twist

Chris Wood and Anthony Kim will tee up in the four-day qualifying event in Florida where the top three will win wildcards to the Saudi-backed league this season

Sport

14 h. ago Imelda (Marcos) in Paris: Lily Collins shows off INCREDIBLE designer shoe collection for her character Emily in behind

Lily Collins shared an incredible clip from behind-the-scenes of filming Emily In Paris last year which showed off the huge designer shoe collection on set.

Culture

15 h. ago 'Perfect' fantasy starring 'work of art' Jamie Campbell Bower is a must

The 2013 film stars Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower and is being recommended by viewers

Sport