4 d. ago House boasting bedroom and garden goes up for auction for just £59k

The adorable cottage (pictured) in Castle Donington, Leicestershire, will go under the hammer for around five times less than the average house price of £291,000 in the charming market town.

Economics

6 d. ago ‘Marriage feels like a hostage situation, and motherhood a curse’: Japanese author Sayaka Murata

The Convenience Store Woman author is renowned for challenging social norms in darkly weird near-future fiction. She discusses sex, feminism and her struggles to be an ‘ordinary earthling’“I have had relationships with humans, but I’ve also loved a lot of people in stories,” Sayaka Murata, the Japanese author of the bestseller Convenience Store Woman, confides a few minutes into our interview. “I’ve been told by my doctor not to talk about this too much, but ever since I was a child, I’ve had 30 or 40 imaginary friends who live on a different star or planet with whom I have shared love and sexual experiences.”It is 7pm in Tokyo, mid-morning in London. Sitting upright at a desk in an empty publisher’s office, the 45-year-old author – wearing a cream silk blouse and with a neatly curled bob – might be reading the news rather than discussing imaginary friends. For context, her latest novel to be translated into English, Vanishing World, depi...

Events

7 d. ago Ancient woodland hidden on the outskirts of Cardiff with a dreamy carpet of bluebells

These pretty woodlands are just a short hop from Cardiff

Politics

1 week ago Thatched cottage on sale for £800k mocked over décor as critics say owners have 'made it look like a prison'

From the outside it looks like a picture perfect English cottage but buyers have been warned to beware what lurks within this Marlborough abode.

Economics

2 w. ago Spring brainteaser challenges you to find deer hidden in woodland scene in 45 seconds

Do you think you can crack this seasonal challenge?

Politics

2 w. ago Tiny village with less than 700 people is 'one of prettiest in the Peak District'

Castleton in Derbyshire is a small village in the Peak District that is a big hit with tourists for its stunning scenery, walking routes and picturesque cottages

Politics

2 w. ago Ukraine’s military chief ‘must go’, says commander who quit to speak out

Oleksandr Syrskyi risking lives with ‘borderline criminal’ orders, says Bohdan Krotevych, former Azov brigade leaderA high-profile former Ukrainian commander has called for the head of the country’s military to step aside, accusing him of a lack of strategic imagination and putting Ukrainian soldiers’ lives at risk with “borderline criminal” orders.Bohdan Krotevych, who quit as the chief of staff of the Azov brigade in February partly so he could speak out, said he believed that armed forces commander, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, “must go” and Ukraine’s military leadership must be shaken up. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Gout Gout confirms Olympics plan with 'perfect storm brewing' after breaking Usain Bolt record

Australian sprinter Gout Gout has confirmed he is aiming to make the next two Olympic Games in LA and Brisbane, as Noah Lyles points out the 'perfect storm' of the locations

Events

3 w. ago Our lives depend on seeds. Trump’s cuts put our vast reserves at risk | Thor Hanson

Maintaining seed diversity and abundance is essential – and requires constant work. It’s time for Congress to return to the seed businessFrom 1862 until 1923, US senators and members of Congress provided vast numbers of seeds to constituents. At its peak, the congressional seed distribution program delivered over 60m seed packets directly to farmers and market gardeners every year, helping introduce new varieties of everything from wheat and corn to oats, soybeans, flowers and vegetables. A century later, far fewer Americans till the soil for a living, but seeds remain central to our lives.To understand the importance of seeds, try to imagine a morning without them. It would begin naked on a bare mattress, with no cozy sheets or pajamas, and there would be no fluffy towel to wrap up in after your shower. All of those things come from the seeds of the cotton plant. Stumbling wet into the kitchen, you would find no coffee, and no toast or bagel to go with it. There would be no eggs, n...

Politics

3 w. ago Imagine living in this hidden woodland cottage in a picture perfect location

It's got all you need to lead a peaceful and secluded life but with popular towns and a stunning coastline nearby too

Politics