62 m. ago Ed Sheeran sparks backlash from fans after revealing he 'identifies culturally as Irish' despite being born and raised in England and describes Ireland as his 'second home'

While the singer-songwriter, 34, was brought up in Suffolk, his father John hails from Belfast , meaning he spent much of his childhood in Ireland.

Politics

73 m. ago Rachel Reeves says she ‘chooses investment’ as she prepares to unveil Labour’s spending review – UK politics live

Chancellor will reveal how the government plans to spend almost £1.4tn in 2026-27, rising to almost £1.5tr in 2028-29In Wales politcians from almost all parties have been complaining for years about the UK governments decision to categorise HS2 as a project for England and Wales, even though the line does not go through Wales at all. Treating it as a project that nevertheless benefit Wales means Wales does not get equivalent money for its own infrastructure, under the Barnett formula.According to a report by ITV Cymru, Wales will get £445m for rail in the spending review. ITV quotes a Welsh Labour source as saying:This investment is more than Wales would have had so far had HS2 been Barnettised. It will make a massive difference economically and politically.We need to go much further and faster to get one step ahead of the tactics used by small boat gangs.That is why we will boost investment to secure our borders, with up to £280m per year in the Border Security Command by 2028/29. ...

Politics

90 m. ago Something in the water: how kelp is helping Maine’s mussels boom

When a US firm saw the seaweed was making their shellfish the ‘biggest and best’ scientists realised they’d hit upon a natural way to combat ocean acidificationPhotographs by Greta RybusMore on this story: A drop in the ocean: does experimental technology hold the key to saving the world’s seas?On a glimmering May morning, Tom Briggs pilots a 45ft aluminium barge through the waters of Casco Bay for one of the final days of the annual kelp harvest. Motoring past Clapboard Island, he points to a floating wooden platform where mussels have been seeded alongside ribbons of edible seaweed.“This is our most productive mussel site,” says Briggs, the farm manager for Bangs Island Mussels, a Portland sea farm that grows, harvests and sells hundreds of thousands of pounds of shellfish and seaweed each year. “When we come here, we get the biggest, fastest-growing mussels with the thickest shells and the best quality. To my mind, unscientifically, it’s because of the kelp.”Zoe Benisek, oyster l...

Politics

90 m. ago Nashville at 50: Robert Altman’s defining masterpiece of the 1970s

The director’s immersive look at the Nashville music scene remains an audacious narrative experiment that continues to influence film-makersReleased smack-dab in the middle of the 70s, like some gravitational mass at the center of the galaxy, Robert Altman’s Nashville is the defining work of a decade when iconoclasts upended Hollywood and took stock of the country during a turbulent stretch.For Altman, it was the culmination of a film-making style he had been refining since M*A*S*H in 1970, one built on spontaneity, a rich evocation of time and place, and actors empowered to create characters who seem to simply exist in their worlds, rather than impose themselves on it. The offhand magic of Nashville is that it feels modest, despite a who’s who of two dozen stars convening for an epic that offers Music City as a microcosm for America herself. Rarely are great films this casually profound. Continue reading...

Politics

90 m. ago From Resident Evil to 007: the 15 best games at 2025’s Summer Game Fest

There’s a lot to take in at the yearly live video event: from Paralives to Felt That: Boxing, Dosa Divas to Resident Evil Requiem, here are our favouritesThe ninth mainstream instalment in the survival horror series returns us to the wreckage of Racoon City and promises a blend of cinematic action and psychological horror. FBI agent Grace Ashcroft appears to be the main character, but is anything in this series ever what it seems? Continue reading...

Politics

92 m. ago Where the Club World Cup will be won and lost – and why it matters more than you think

The inaugural version of the revamped Fifa tournament could offer up plenty of surprises to reflect football’s new reality and, as Miguel Delaney outlines, provide new opportunities for the club game

Politics

97 m. ago Russell Martin pops out for vegan scran at popular Glasgow restaurant as Rangers boss shows his true colours

New Rangers manager Russell Martin was spotted at a popular restaurant in Glasgow's west end

Culture

1 hour ago Manchester City sign Tijjani Reijnders to take spending this week past £100m

Midfielder arrives from Milan as fourth summer buyHe follows Aït-Nouri, Cherki and Bettinelli to club Manchester City have taken their early summer spending to more than £100m after making Tijjani Reijnders their fourth signing in three days. The Netherlands midfielder has arrived from Milan for €55m (£46.6m) and joins Rayan Aït-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli and Rayan Cherki at the club.All four will be available for the Club World Cup, with City’s first match against Wydad AC taking place next Wednesday, after Reijnders signed before Tuesday’s deadline. Reijnders has a five-year deal as Pep Guardiola looks to revitalise his squad after an underwhelming season by the club’s standards, finishing a distant third in the Premier League and collecting no silverware thus far. City were also active in the January window, spending more than £180m on four players. Their outlay in 2025 stands at £288m. Continue reading...

Economics

1 hour ago 'Don’t price a generation of Londoners out of our city', Sadiq Khan warns Chancellor

The mayor said house building will not go up in the capital without government support

Events

1 hour ago England winners and losers: Good news for Ben White and Dominic Solanke in a bad week for Ivan Toney

Noni Madueke boosts World Cup chances but Kyle Walker suffers setback

Events

2 h. ago Glasgow investigation: Girl, 11, taken to hospital after collision as Police Scotland investigate

Police said the girl was taken to the city's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for treatment.

Events

2 h. ago Austrian school shooter sent his mother a farewell video telling her his plan but tragic twist meant she was unable to warn police in time

Investigators found the message yesterday when they searched the home of the 21-year-old shooter who took his life after his attack at BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in the city of Graz.

Events

2 h. ago Mums left without answers after Stirling pram shop collapses into liquidation

Stirling Pram closed its doors suddenly last week - leaving mums in the city out of answers and out of pocket.

Politics

2 h. ago Roy Keane says ‘something missing’ from ‘unhappy’ England after Senegal defeat

Roy Keane has questioned England’s group spirit following their shock 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal.

Events

2 h. ago Man Utd and Chelsea miss out as Man City confirm £50m signing of transfer target

Manchester United and Chelsea have suffered a transfer blow after AC Milan star Tijjani Reijnders has signed for Manchester City in a £50m deal

Economics

2 h. ago Man City seal £46.3m signing of midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan

Reijnders’ arrival follows the signings of Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Marcus Bettinelli this week.

Economics

2 h. ago Man City sign Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan in fourth summer transfer

The all-action midfielder signed just in time for the Club World Cup

Politics

2 h. ago Cleveland Clinic London First to Offer Robotic Focal HIFU in England

Cleveland Clinic London First to Offer Robotic Focal HIFU in England  Cleveland Clinic Newsroom

Politics

2 h. ago Three ways to discipline a badly behaved dog without harming your relationship

If your pooch is acting up, there are things you can do to discipline them without putting making them hate you

Politics

2 h. ago Greta Thunberg's angry reaction when she is asked about some of 'freedom flotilla' group's support for Hamas and Hezbollah

The 22-year-old activist was welcomed by crowds waving Palestinian flags, who presented her with flowers and a keffiyeh scarf as they shouted 'free Palestine!'

Politics