5 h. ago How 'frightful dump' went from UK's 'crappest' town to world's top 25 cities

The city once topped polls for the worst place to live in the UK, but it has been voted the city of culture and now rubs shoulders with exotic locations as a must-visit destination

Politics

31 h. ago From monkey elixir to fentanyl: Tyler Skaggs’s death is merely a chapter in baseball’s 136

As the LA Angels stand trial over the pitcher’s death in the quiet shadow of the World Series fanfare across town, a sport confronts a truth practically as old as the game itselfBefore steroids, before amphetamines and before fentanyl, baseball’s first documented chemical dalliance came from monkey testicles. In August 1889, a worn-down pitcher for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys named James Francis “Pud” Galvin, so nicknamed for his once-devastating ability to reduce hitters to “pudding”, was in need of a spark. He was 32, his right arm a rubbery relic of nearly 5,000 innings pitched, his career on the fade. Then came salvation in a syringe. A French-Mauritian doctor by the name of Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard published a paper – The Effects Produced on Man by the Subcutaneous Injections of a Liquid Obtained from the Testicles of Animals – in which he claimed that a few drops of an extract sourced from dogs and guinea pigs might well make ordinary men stronger and more virile. Galvin, a...

Events

3 d. ago Tourists face tough new rules in Spain's 'best coastal town'

Nestled in Spain's mountainous Basque Country on the Bay of Biscay is a resort town known for its white sand beaches, world-class culinary scene and vibrant festivals.

Politics

9 d. ago Ghost town Hyena wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award

This year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year was won by South African wildlife photographer Wim van den Heever, who scooped top spot out of a record-breaking 60,636 images

Events

1 week ago ‘It’s a question of humanity’: how a small Spanish town made headlines over its immigration stance

Mayor explains why Villamalea unanimously backed call to regularise undocumented migrants – across party linesFlanked by farmland and nestled among the deep valleys of central Spain, few in Villamalea, a town of 4,200 people, expected to find their tranquil home splashed across Spanish media this summer.“I’ve never been contacted by so many media outlets in my life,” said José Núñez Pérez, the conservative mayor of Villamalea. With a laugh, he added: “It made me question, just what have we done here?” Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Greater Manchester town to host light festival with last chance to see Northern Lights display

The free event returns to the town this November with 'world-class' lights displays, immersive installations and street performances

Politics

2 w. ago Tiny market town with proper pubs on one of the world's most scenic train journeys

I love a Welsh market town, especially if it's got bags of character and history and proper pubs where you can get a round in without having to remortgage your house

Politics

4 w. ago ‘I’m feeling pretty confident’: powerlifter Kate Evert, 75, is on her way to the world championships

In October, Evert, who works out three times a week, will begin the journey from Missouri to South AfricaIn October, Kate Evert will begin the long journey from the small town of Republic, Missouri, to Cape Town, South Africa, to compete in the World Masters Powerlifting Championships. The competition is for athletes aged 40 and above – Evert is 75.“Seventy-six in November, heaven help me,” she says. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago Footballer 'in a world of his own' travels 200 miles to the wrong town for match

A non-league footballer unbelievably travelled 200 miles to the wrong stadium after mistakenly driving to a different town before having to drive to the correct location in time for a midweek match

Politics

last month ‘A gift from heaven’: the TikTok traders of Mauritania’s meteorites

Growing desertification is putting traditional livelihoods at risk in western Africa and encouraging the search for rare stonesBy night, Lamine Hanoun works as a hospital guard in Bir Moghrein, near Mauritania’s border with Morocco-occupied Western Sahara. By day, he twiddles his phone, checking TikTok and Facebook, which he uses to sell meteorites to the rest of the world.In this former French colonial garrison town, network signals come and go like the dusty wind. On a recent morning when the connection disappeared again and the Starlink at the local customs office was unavailable, he drove his silver Mitsubishi GLX to the town’s outskirts.Hanoun holds a fragment of debris he says is from Mars Continue reading...

Politics