26 m. ago Is this REALLY the UK's most romantic town? Residents of faded seaside community once ranked among the worst resorts in Britain refuse to believe it has become the new hot spot for lovers

It was ranked one of England's worst seaside resorts in Britain in 2023 but its new claim to fame is that the most top-of-the-range bouquets are bought here.

Politics

32 m. ago Gangster turned 'wellness influencer' caught pedalling fake cures for cancer online

Formerly Glasgow-based thug Scott Davis has traded his "life of crime" in Scotland for a new career in Spain promoting dodgy so-called health cures on social media

Events

48 m. ago Can a brown Hindu be English? English people say yes. Why do so many on the right say no? | Kenan Malik

An argument about Rishi Sunak’s identity reveals how ideas of ethnicity and race have become conflated‘They think they’re English because they’re born here. That means if a dog’s born in a stable it’s a horse.” That was a staple of the comedian Bernard Manning’s routine back in the 1970s. Enoch Powell had, a decade earlier, expressed the same sentiment in more refined language: “The West Indian or Asian does not, by being born in England, become an Englishman. In law he becomes a United Kingdom citizen by birth; in fact he is a West Indian or an Asian still.”Few today would laugh along with Manning or take seriously the claim that only white people can be English. Britain has transformed over the past half-century and most English people now embrace Ian Wright and Idris Elba as being as English as David Beckham or Joanna Lumley. Continue reading...

Politics

48 m. ago ‘I stripped away this caricature that I created’: Pamela Anderson on makeup, activism and gardening

The star of Baywatch and The Last Showgirl answers questions from Observer readers and famous fans including Stella McCartney, Liam Neeson, Ruby Wax and Naomi KleinPamela Anderson, makeup-free and beautiful in a floral Westwood suit, is making a fuss of my dog. My dog likes her. I’m not a particular believer in the idea that animals are great character judges but, in this case, me and the dog are aligned. I like Anderson too. She combines openness with a kind of vulnerability, and you warm to her immediately.Settled on a sofa in a small dressing room off a photography studio, she asks for a coffee and promptly spills it everywhere. “I strive for imperfection,” she jokes. “I strive for it, and I just hit it every time.” Cortado mopped, she takes a breath, before talking excitedly of a new phase in her eventful life. “A door opened, and I walked through,” she says. “It’s hard to believe.” Continue reading...

Politics

48 m. ago Michael Ball 'felt like a freak' after accident that meant he'd never have kids

Musical theatre legend Michael Ball has been with his partner, Cathy McGowan, for more than 30 years - but the BBC Radio 2 star revealed the sad reason why he's never had children

Politics

58 m. ago Hunt for Staffie after boy, three, left needing surgery on his face

Police say the dog was running free with no sign of an owner

Politics

69 m. ago Revealed: The astrological sign that is shared by some of Britain's most notorious serial killers

One strange astrological coincidence in the UK is the number of prolific serial killers who were born under the same star sign.

Events

78 m. ago Prince Harry's ‘alarm bells’ amid Meghan Markle’s surprise move with royal children

EXCLUSIVE: While Prince Harry tries to protect Archie and Lilibet’s anonymity, Meghan Markle is featuring their children – though not showing their faces – in her new ventures

Politics

1 hour ago ‘Photography is therapy for me’: Martin Parr on humour, holidaying and life behind the lens

He has a prolific career and extensive portfolio, with his images of British life especially iconic. At 72, he tells Miranda Sawyer, he’s still thinking about what to shoot nextAbout 20 years ago, I was on a judging panel for a photography competition, and one of the other judges was Martin Parr. He was charming and affable, almost teddy bear-ish. He was also utterly ruthless. When it came to deciding which photographs were worthy of a prize, he went through the selection swiftly – no, no, yes, no – without hesitation or doubt. His eye was impeccable. Has he always known what makes a good photograph? “Oh yes,” says Parr. “Right from the beginning. Total conviction. I knew I would be a photographer from the age of 13, 14, and I knew what was good even then. I was obsessive about photography. All artists are obsessive, I think.” We are in his agent’s office, a small upstairs flat on a market street in east London. Parr owns the building, and this room used to be packed with his work a...

Culture

1 hour ago Billie Shepherd's surprising TOWIE confession as she eyes up TV comeback

TOWIE OG Billie Shepherd admits that, nine years after her departure from the drama-filled reality show that made her a star, she will be 'forever' grateful for the opportunities it gave her

Politics

1 hour ago Pregnant woman shows how baby bump dramatically changes in size from morning to evening

Jenny Zhou was 13 weeks pregnant when she took to TikTok to share the difference in bump size between morning and night - and people were left baffled

Events

1 hour ago Cane Corso is new 'XL bully on steroids' but footballers love the controversial breed

EXCLUSIVE: The Italian mastiff is loved by celebrities, in no small part due to their natural disposition as guard dogs, with high profile name owners including Tottenham and England star James Maddison

Politics

2 h. ago Kanye West shares NUDE snap of Bianca Censori as he gives major update on their $25m film

Kanye West is gearing up for the premiere of his latest project, unveiling a provocative poster to announce a screening. He took to Instagram to share the image-a nude Bianca Censori reclining.

Politics

2 h. ago ‘Was this a big mistake?’: How Vera Drew defied Warner Bros and turned the Batman universe trans

‘The People’s Joker’ reframes the iconic DC Comics villain as a young trans comedian. After years of legal uncertainty, the film is finally out in UK cinemas. Louis Chilton speaks to its inimitable director and star

Events

2 h. ago Tate McRae: ‘I find the Britney Spears comparisons so flattering and scary’

As the 21-year-old Canadian pop star releases her third album ‘So Close To What’, she speaks to Ellie Muir about fame, toxic relationships and making music with her rapper boyfriend Kid Laroi

Politics

2 h. ago Dame Helen Mirren on death, guns and Yellowstone: 1923’s fraught second season

Taylor Sheridan’s sprawling ‘Yellowstone’ prequel returns with a darker, more brutal second season. Tom Murray speaks to Helen Mirren, who plays the Dutton family’s fierce matriarch, and her co-star about the trials that lie ahead for Montana’s most sought-after ranch

Events

2 h. ago Your rights if you get a private parking ticket as new rules introduced

Consumer rights expert Martyn James has explained what you need to know about changes that have been introduced for private parking firms

Politics

2 h. ago How Modus Super Series became darts' secondary super power after Luke Littler's double success

The popularity of darts has boomed over the past two years with the rise of Luke Littler - and his career was amplified in the Modus Super Series

Politics

2 h. ago 'I won £7m on EuroMillions – but then everything went horribly wrong'

Luís Lopes thought his life had changed when he won £8million on EuroMillions but, 15 years later, he's penniless and facing a crippling debt

Economics

3 h. ago Drivers warned to make one change or risk hefty fine from DVLA

The driving experts have said never to skip this step

Events