40 m. ago ‘Unjustified money grab’: Why my beach hut shouldn’t be slapped with extra £600

For almost 30 years, the owners of the 344 beach huts at Mudeford Sands in Dorset have enjoyed a discount on their second home council tax, but that is about to end. Alex Ross arrived by boat to discover a community feeling aggrieved

Economics

66 m. ago Cosmic Princess Kaguya! review – trippy anime adapted from Japanese folk dives into virtual reality popworld

Emojis explode all over the screen in this hyperactive adaptation of a Japanese folk tale about a princess who has run away from the moonNever has a film been more deserving of an exclamation mark at the end of the title than this animation from Japan. Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is an adaptation of a Japanese folk tale, the story of a princess from the moon discovered inside a bamboo stalk in a poor rural village. A decade ago, Studio Ghibli adapted the tale into a gorgeously animated movie with a traditional, lovingly hand-painted feel. This film could not be more different, a trippy, high-energy, techno anime set in the near future, half of it in a virtual reality world – and TikTok-ifed with emojis and stickers exploding all over the screen.It begins when a 17-year-old high school student called Iroha finds a baby girl inside a glowing lamppost (rather than the bamboo stalk of the original). Iroha (voiced by Dawn M Bennett in the English dub) is a sensible kid, a talented musician a...

Politics

77 m. ago David Squires on Frank and the Spurs supertanker getting in a tight spot again

Our cartoonist on the latest manager in north London to take the good ship Tottenham in the wrong directionBuy a cartoon | David’s favourite work of 2025And his latest book, Chaos in the Box: get it now Continue reading...

Events

96 m. ago Channel 4 drama that's heartbreakingly beautiful is just like book it's based on

Channel 4 is known for showing captivating dramas, but one is so heartbreakingly beautiful, it stands out as one of the best things I've watched in recent months. In fact, it's a perfect depiction of the book that inspired it

Events

1 hour ago BREAKING: Man found dead in Bristol park as police 'completely surround' Cotham Gardens

Members of the public raised the alarm after discovering the man's body on Tuesday morning, with witnesses saying the area has been 'completely surrounded by police'

Events

1 hour ago Australian Open 2026: Osaka and Tsitsipas in action; Sinner and Bencic ease through – live

Live updates from all the action at Melbourne Park Dramatic day two marred by retirements | Email KatyFritz’s 2025 was a slight disappointment, he didn’t quite push on from his US Open final appearance in 2024, and as a result he’s no longer the highest-ranked American – that’s Ben Shelton. Fritz has also been dealing with a knee injury during the early stages of this season, but he leads Royer, the Frenchman who’s making his Australian Open debut, 7-6, 5-5.I’m loving the new multiview action on Discovery+. It’s making this job much easier. Gone are the days of needing an extra laptop, mobile and iPad just to keep track of everything. So I’m currently keeping an eye on Sinner v Gaston, Boulter v Bencic, Fritz v Royer and Dimitrov v Machac. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Cameo by Rob Doyle review – a fantasy of literary celebrity in the culture war era

In this larky autofiction, the ups and downs of creative life are cartoonishly dramatised as the writer becomes an action heroRob Doyle’s previous novel, Threshold, took the form of a blackly comic travelogue narrated by an Irish writer named Rob. In one episode before Rob becomes an author, we see him as a sexually pent-up teacher abroad, masturbating over an essay he’s marking. That the scene is an echo of one in Michel Houellebecq’s Atomised (once named by Doyle as the best book from the past 40 years) hardly lessens our discomfort, and it’s hard not to feel that our unease is precisely the point. “Frankly, a lot of my life has been disastrous,” he once told an interviewer – which might not be quite as self-deprecating as it sounds, given that Doyle has also argued that “great literature” is born of “abjection” not “glory”.The autofictional game-playing continues in his new novel, Cameo, but instead of self-abasing display, we get a perky book-world send-up for&nbs...

Events

3 h. ago Five interior design trends predicted to dominate Welsh homes in 2026

From lived-in luxury to warm coffee tones and tech-free spaces, discover the interior design trends transforming homes in 2026

Politics

4 h. ago 5 interior design trends taking over in 2026 — from 'midimalism' to digital detox

From 'midimalism' to warm coffee tones and tech-free spaces, discover the interior design trends set to transform British homes in 2026

Politics

4 h. ago Ice hockey and then some: Heated Rivalry is a worldwide hit – and no one is happier about it than us Canadians | Sue Carter

In a country plagued by underdog status and a sport fraught with a history of racism, misogyny and homophobia, this adaptation has reimagined what’s possible I grew up in a hockey town where there was no escaping Canada’s beloved sport. Our suburban streets doubled as rinks; the choppy slap of tennis balls reverberating against hockey sticks a constant sound. As pre-teens, my friends and I would put on lip gloss and tight jeans to hang out at the Friday night junior hockey games. I still find comfort in the sound of skate blades slicing across ice and that sweaty, chemical odour of public arenas.My experiences are not unique in a country with a 95-year-old broadcast institution called Hockey Night in Canada. Rachel Reid, the Nova Scotian author of the queer hockey romance Heated Rivalry, grew up a hockey fanatic, more interested in playing the game than ogling boys. Jacob Tierney, who wrote and directed the TV adaptation of Reid’s 2019 bestseller, was raised in Montreal, where the C...

Events

4 h. ago George R.R. Martin's unexpected The Winds of Winter update fans demand sequel

Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has been working on the sixth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series for 15 years - but when will The Winds of Winter be released?

Politics

4 h. ago Chilling position body of Brit climber killed in Everest's 'death zone' was discovered

While most bodies discovered on Everest are found covered in snow, this unlucky Brit seemed to pass away on his terms on the world's tallest mountain, although his body was only discovered a decade later

Events

4 h. ago George R. R. Martin gives Game of Thrones fans huge update on next book

Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin has updated fans on The Winds of Winter, revealing the highly anticipated sixth A Song of Ice and Fire book 'continues to get longer' after 15 years

Sport

5 h. ago Campsites closed as police investigate possible dingo link to death of Canadian on Australian tourist island K’gari

While violent dingo and human interactions have been increasing, police refuse to speculate whether 19-year-old woman drowned or was killed by the wild canidsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo campsites have been closed and park rangers are increasing patrols after a 19-year-old Canadian woman was found dead on a beach surrounded by a pack of dingoes on a popular Queensland tourist island.Two men made the grisly discovery while driving down the eastern beaches of K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island) at about 6:15am on Monday. The discovery came up to 75 minutes after the woman left the backpacker hostel at which she had been working for six weeks, where she told colleagues and friends she was heading to the beach that morning. Continue reading...

Events

7 h. ago Martin Lewis says 'check now' as council error means you may be owed cash

More than two dozen local authorities across England and Wales have made changes after an investigation discovered 69 had incorrect eligibility details on their websites

Politics

8 h. ago 'Incredible' Netflix thriller adapted from bestselling book hailed 'awesome'

Fans of mafia dramas can stop scrolling for their next binge-watch with this Netflix fan-favourite

Politics

8 h. ago Netflix viewers urge mafia crime drama fans to watch ‘great’ TV series

The show streaming on Netflix is based on a bestselling novel and has captivated viewers

Events

8 h. ago ‘Engrossing’ Netflix crime drama compared to Breaking Bad now streaming

If you're a fan of crime dramas, then look no further than this drama on Netflix, which has been adapted from a bestselling book

Events

9 h. ago Russell Brand due in court to face further sexual offence charges

The comedian and actor is set to appear in court charged with two further sexual offences, including rape.

Events

9 h. ago Man arrested on suspicion of murder after a grandmother, 68, was stabbed to death in her thatched cottage

Gilly Livie, 68, was discovered with a knife wound in her neck after emergency services raced to her home in Cheriton, Hampshire, at 10.30am on January 9.

Events