22 m. ago Fresh out of luck! Amazon shutters ANOTHER of its Just Walk Out cashless Fresh stores bringing total closing to 19

As the latest in a string of branches that have abruptly closed their doors, the Richmond shop was the 10th UK Fresh store, opening just over three years ago, in December 2021.

Politics

33 m. ago 'I bought Britain's most expensive coffee – you'll never believe how much one cup costs'

A food and drink lover, who often spares no expensive on his meal times, decided to try London's most expensive coffee shop to see if it is worth the staggering price tag or not

Politics

43 m. ago CCTV appeal issued after armed man assaults shop worker in attempted robbery

Officers want to speak to the man pictured

Events

2 h. ago Women's spring 2025 fashion guide: trench coats, lace blouses, and studded sandals

The six trends to know, and where to get them

Politics

2 h. ago Scotland weather: Edinburgh to be hotter than Barcelona this week as temperatures soar to 17C

The temperature gauge is forecast to soar across Scotland next week as the country basks in spring sunshine

Politics

3 h. ago The Tallis Scholars review – inspired pairing of Palestrina and Pärt brings shining warmth and clarity

St George’s BristolThe consummate vocal ensemble beautifully highlighted symbolic connections between the 16th-century Italian composer and soon-to-be 90 Arvo PärtThis year marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of Palestrina, the Italian composer who took the name of his native town, just east of Rome, now part of the metropolitan city. In director Peter Phillips’s inspired pairing of Palestrina with the music of Arvo Pärt in the year of his 90th birthday, there was a particular frisson in knowing that in January, the Tallis Scholars had sung this very programme in the cathedral of Sant’Agapito Martire in Palestrina, where the young Giovanni Pierluigi may have been a chorister and was certainly organist from the age of 19.Phillips has described Palestrina as the “most consummate of renaissance composers”: it may surely be said that the Tallis Scholars are the consummate vocal ensemble. Opening with his motet Surge Illuminare, the 10 Scholars immediately brought a shining warmth t...

Events

3 h. ago ‘They started nibbling at its head’: the bold plan to rid an island of albatross

South Africa’s Marion Island is a breeding ground for the birds, but their chicks are being eaten alive by rodents. Now, the world’s largest operation to eradicate the invasive species is about to get under wayBy 2015, scientists knew from camera trap evidence that mice were attacking albatross chicks on Marion Island, but no one had ever witnessed it first-hand on the small volcanic outcrop off the coast of South Africa. So, when researchers Stefan and Janine Schoombie came across a badly wounded wandering albatross chick in a relatively accessible part of the island, they resolved to return at night. After hiking for 30 minutes in the dark, Stefan started quietly setting up his camera equipment behind a rock. “We were expecting to have to stalk, but the mice were climbing all over us,” he says.It didn’t take long for the mice to start feeding on the albatross chick. “The bird was a complete fluffball,” says Janine. “So, they just climbed up its back and started nibbling at its hea...

Politics

3 h. ago A new start after 60: I was never a great swimmer – but I took up diving and now somersault into the pool

After moving to a new city, Antonia Murphy was captivated by the local diving facilities. Now 68, she can launch herself off a 7.5-metre platformAntonia Murphy has always loved water. It can be warm or icy, wild or maintained in a municipal facility. Although “not a great swimmer”, she is a confident one. So when she moved to Edinburgh two years ago, she promptly checked out the public leisure centre. She was captivated by the alluring, deep blue of the diving pool. “I thought: ‘This is unbelievable.’ I felt seduced,” she says.She had “larked around” as a child, but never learned to dive, so she went along to the Royal Commonwealth’s public session. “This bloke was standing there. We got chatting.” He told her about coaching sessions – and Murphy, then 66, booked a taster class. Continue reading...

Politics

10 h. ago UK city eyes up plans to introduce 'exciting' new hovercraft service for passengers, becoming the second in the world

Plans have been mooted for a hovercraft service to be introduced in Fife and Edinburgh, Scotland, with officials describing the development as "exciting"

Politics

14 h. ago ‘Woodstock for elder millennials’: the Garden State soundtrack anniversary concert

The music from Zach Braff’s seminal comedy drama took centre stage for one special night bringing back artists from Imogen Heap to The ShinsIt’s been two decades since the release of Garden State, Zach Braff’s film about an alienated young actor’s struggle to find meaning in life. But while the movie itself became a cult classic, perhaps its biggest legacy is its soundtrack, which went platinum, won a Grammy and became a cultural touchstone among a certain subset of the American population.So it was no surprise that, when Braff announced a 20th-anniversary concert celebrating the album, at which each of its dozen or so artists would perform, tickets were going for hundreds of dollars. This was Woodstock for elder millennials – at least a certain swath of us who, when the soundtrack came out in 2004, found an outlet for our big teenage feelings in bands like the Shins, Frou Frou and Iron and Wine. All three were among the performers at Los Angeles’s Greek Theater on Saturday evening ...

Politics

15 h. ago Countryfile presenter makes 'promise' after guest shares sad admission on BBC show

BBC Countryfile presenter Margherita Taylor was taken back by the guest's admission during the latest episode of the programme and vowed to return to the shop

Events

15 h. ago Preston’s attempts to bore Aston Villa to distraction crumble like pastry | Jonathan Liew

Championship perennials are beige down to their signature snack but their existence is still something to savourThe man behind the counter at Greggs on Fishergate has never heard of a butter pie, but try Poundbakery over the street. Poundbakery doesn’t do butter pie, but try Greenhalgh’s on the corner. Greenhalgh’s: closed on Sundays. The chip shop on Market Street does meat pie, meat and potato, steak, steak and kidney, chicken and mushroom, cheese and onion. Butter pie? A shake of the head.You’ve got to try the butter pie. That’s what everyone says the first time you visit Preston. It was created in industrial times, for the largely Catholic working population to eat on Fridays when meat was forbidden. Often you hear it described as a “delicacy”, but even this is to overstate its intensely yeoman nature. It’s layers of potatoes, onions and butter in a pie. It’s cheap. It’s hearty. It’s unpretentious. It exists to be consumed and then immediately forgotten. It is – with deepes...

Politics

18 h. ago Bespoke whisky business awarded licence in the heart of busy West Lothian town

West Lothian Licensing Board agreed to award a premises licence to The Wee Whisky Shop in Linlithgow High Street run by Andrew Ure.

Events

19 h. ago I thought I'd escaped my abusive foster father when he was locked up for raping me, but my world came crashing down when I came face to face with him in the supermarket

Emma Bardney, 54, was 13 years old when she was sexually abused by her foster father Stephen Noy, 67. She was horrified when she saw him again last June, doing her shop in Retford Morrisons.

Events

20 h. ago Unlikely royal star supporting King Charles for sweet reason

The Duchess Of Edinburgh, Sophie, is one member of the royal family who has been supporting King Charles in the background for several years, for one sweet reason.

Politics

21 h. ago Franco Smith makes bold Glasgow Warriors claim as he looks to burn candle at both ends

URC champions will now switch their attention to European Champions Cup

Events

22 h. ago Andrea Berta, Arsenal's new sporting director, with a reputation for making miracles

The Italian’s arrival is a bold change to the norm from Arsenal, but they bring in a man with a midas touch

Sport

23 h. ago Andrea Berta ‘thrilled’ to be named Arsenal’s new sporting director

Former Atlético Madrid executive is replacement for Edu‘I cannot wait to get started in my new role’Arsenal have confirmed the appointment of Andrea Berta as their new sporting director, with the Italian expected to attend their game against Fulham on Tuesday as he begins his new role immediately.Berta emerged as Arsenal’s leading candidate to replace Edu after he resigned from the post in November to join the network of clubs spearheaded by Evangelos Marinakis, the Nottingham Forest owner. Berta left Atlético Madrid in January after 12 years in the Spanish capital and has been credited with being behind a string of successful signings including Jan Oblak (€4m from Benfica in 2014) and Rodri (€25m from Villarreal in 2019). Continue reading...

Sport

23 h. ago ‘Alcohol became a second self to blame for my desire’: how drinking fuelled my experiences of sex

Since her teens, Anna Beecher used drinking as a gateway to sexual encounters, a mask for both her vulnerability and accountability. It took falling for someone in the sober light of day to realise what love wasI first got drunk at 13 in the upstairs room of a cheap Italian restaurant, sip by sip on other people’s wine. I giggled as the floor lurched, telling my companions, It’s like being on a boat.I first got paralytic at 13, a few months on. Remembering the pleasant, silly sensation I’d experienced, I went to a party and drank a pint of gin. Slipping in and out of consciousness, I was vaguely aware of piss seeping through my trousers and the kids around me debating whether or not to call an ambulance. Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Take the roof off: outside meets inside in a radically artistic Italian home

A creative couple’s house in the Romagna countryside is where sculptural simplicity meets curated eclecticismTucked into the rolling hills between Bertinoro and Cesena, Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba’s home is not just a place to live, it is a testament to the seamless fusion of art, nature and design. For the celebrated sculptor, artist and designer, whose whimsical creations have captivated the design world, this sanctuary is both a refuge and a continuous source of inspiration.“When I first visited the land, I was struck by its natural beauty,” he recalls. “The terrain had a peculiar shape – an almost perfectly rectangular hilltop. As I explored, two roe deer wandered past, an almost magical encounter. That was the moment I knew I would build my home-atelier right here.” Continue reading...

Politics