76 m. ago Art could save your life! Five creative ways to make 2026 happier, healthier and more hopeful

Engaging in creativity can reduce depression, improve immunity and delay ageing – all while you’re having funFor some reason, we have collectively agreed that new year is the time to reinvent ourselves. The problem, for many people, is that we’ve tried all the usual health kicks – running, yoga, meditation, the latest diets – even if we haven’t really enjoyed them, in a bid to improve our minds and bodies. But have any of us given as much thought to creativity? Allow me to suggest that this year be a time to embrace the arts.Ever since our Paleolithic ancestors began painting caves, carving figurines, dancing and singing, engaging in the arts has been interwoven with health and healing. Look through the early writings of every major medical tradition around the world and you find the arts. What is much newer – and rapidly accelerating over the past two decades – is a blossoming scientific evidence-base identifying and quantifying exactly what the health benefits of the arts are. Con...

Politics

1 hour ago Fire warning as people told 'do not' do this with electric heaters

You may not realise that this common habit could result in a fire

Events

1 hour ago Pensioners with health issues urged to contact charity for help claiming up to £441 every month

Independent Age can help older people with health issues claim Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment.

Economics

2 h. ago RAC shares the 10 cheapest cars to insure in 2026 for new drivers

The RAC has compiled a list of the cheapest new cars to insure in 2026 as it highlights the most effective ways for new drivers to reduce their insurance premiums

Transport

3 h. ago Venezuela ‘turning over’ $2bn in oil to US, Trump says, in move that could cut supply to China

Deal indicates Venezuelan government is responding to Trump’s demand that they open up to US oil companies or risk more military interventionDonald Trump has said Venezuela will be “turning over” $2bn worth of Venezuelan crude to the United States, a flagship negotiation that would divert supplies from China while helping Venezuela avoid deeper oil production cuts.“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump said in a post online. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Health experts issue 'cholesterol' message to people who eat eggs every day

A study has shown that eggs may have the opposite effect to what many think

Science

5 h. ago List of school closures as UK braces for Storm Goretti and temperatures plunge – are your kids affected?

HUNDREDS of schools will remain closed for a third day as yellow weather warnings for ice and snow blanket the UK. Fresh alerts were issued as Brits brace for Storm Goretti to hit, while temperatures on Tuesday plummeted as low as -12C. Thousands of pupils were affected across Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales on...

Events

5 h. ago OAP desperately tried to save mum & teen daughter from drowning in rough sea before they were swept away in front of him

AN OAP desperately tried to save a mum and her teen daughter from drowning in the sea before they were swept away in front of him. Rescue crews launched a major operation after three people disappeared in the water near Withernsea, off the East Yorkshire coast on Friday afternoon. Cops later confirmed that a mother and daughter,...

Events

5 h. ago Donald Trump says Venezuela to turn over '50 million barrels' of oil to US as he takes control

Trump said the 30 and 50 million barrels of oil will be sold at its market price and that he will control the money, which he said will be used to benefit the people of both countries

Politics

6 h. ago Venezuela ‘turning over’ up to 50m barrels of oil to the US, Trump says

The president’s announcement comes as Venezuela seeks to avoid deep cuts in output amid an ongoing blockade on exports imposed by the USDonald Trump has said Venezuela will be “turning over” 30 to 50m barrels of sanctioned oil to the US, as the South American country seeks to avoid deep cuts in output amid an ongoing blockade on exports imposed by Washington since mid-December.“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump said in a post online. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Hitting the sleep ‘sweet spot’ could add FOUR YEARS to your life, scientists discover

SLEEPING seven hours per night might add years to your life. A study found people who do not get enough kip were 24 per cent less likely to die young. Analysis by health insurer Vitality and the London School of Economics estimated healthy bedtime habits could extend life expectancy by up to four years. But...

Events

6 h. ago Bereaved families turn to loan sharks to pay for loved one's funerals as costs soar

The cost of a traditional attended funeral jumped 5.3% to £4,510 last year and some people may not be able to afford the burgeoning costs

Economics

7 h. ago Pep Guardiola tells depleted Man City squad that tiredness is in the mind

City have a lengthy list of absentees, particularly in central defence, with Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias joining John Stones on the sidelines.

Politics

8 h. ago US nearly triples list of nations whose citizens must pay visa bonds up to $15K

Payment of the bond does not guarantee a visa will be granted

Economics

8 h. ago How rising extreme weather can put people with these illnesses at 'growing risk', Manchester scientists discover

'Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s a health emergency'

Events

9 h. ago Sir Richard Branson honours late wife's life in moonlit ceremony on Necker Island

Sir Richard Branson said goodbye to his late wife Joan in an ethereal celebration on Necker Island, alongside his children, Holly and Sam, and a huge group of people who loved her

Politics

10 h. ago Cranking up the thermostat in freezing weather won’t help your home warm faster, heating experts warn

Cold snap forecast to last into the weekend means vulnerable people are at particular risk, officials warn

Events

10 h. ago Flights will face increasing danger and cancellations as space junk drops from the skies

Boffins say hold-ups caused by airspace shutdowns to allow bits of old rocket or dead satellite to fall to Earth could become as common as weather delays

Politics

10 h. ago Civil service hires 166 people with criminal records as part of scheme to give convicts a second chance

The recruitment programme is open to criminals found guilty of knife offences, assault, theft and shoplifting and has advertised 293 positions since it was launched in 2021.

Events

11 h. ago Woman on run after ‘killing girls with poisoned raspberries’ is arrested

Zulma Guzman Castro had gone missing after she had been allegedly behind a plot to kill people using raspberries — but now she has been found and detained by UK police

Events