88 m. ago Trapped review – rough and ready abuse story that piles bleakness upon bleakness

This occasionally nuanced tale of a woman’s tough existence has some raw power, but is stymied by crude production and ropey performancesRaye, played by Gina Jones is, as the title of the film suggests, trapped. She is trapped in a bleak job, in a bleak relationship and in a bleak house. The bleakest element of this trifecta of bleakness is the relationship: she is involved with the utterly unlovely Frank (Shane McCormick) who, as one character observes, is the sort of guy who throws his entire life away then lashes out in every direction, blaming everyone but himself for how things have turned out. It’s hard to fathom why she stays with someone so awful – except, well, that’s the way the world works sometimes. Their dynamic is an abusive one, and in modern therapeutic parlance, they share the trauma bond of unstable, abusive childhoods. It’s not that Raye doesn’t know Frank’s no good; it’s that she doesn’t believe she deserves better, or that better exists.While Trapped’s poster ar...

Events

88 m. ago Loren Ipsum by Andrew Gallix review – chronically funny satire of the literary scene

Full of word games, in-jokes and grisly murders, this debut pours gleeful scorn on the pretensions of contemporary literary lifeFreud would have had a lot to say about a novel in which the central premise is writers being murdered. A manifestation of a repressed desire to eliminate rival literary talent? A clear case of the death drive? Either way, there’s some twisted business going on in Andrew Gallix’s chronically funny debut novel, Loren Ipsum.The morbid if intriguing premise quickly becomes secondary to an insouciant satire on the vanity fair of present-day literary culture. Not since Paul Ewen’s How to Be a Public Author has so much gleeful scorn for pretentious authors, critics and scenesters been poured on to the page. Taking its title from the placeholder text used while preparing a book for print, the novel features an eponymous protagonist, a journalist resident in Paris, who is researching a monograph on the reclusive English author Adam Wandle. ...

Politics

98 m. ago Cosmetic surgery influencer is sent to the Russian front line as punishment for 'blinding' a patient in botched surgery

Instagram cosmetic surgery influencer Dr Ekaterina Lonskaya, 40, was sentenced to 11 months in a grim penal colony and banned from working as a medic for two and a half years.

Science

2 h. ago Donald Trump says he has ‘obligation’ to sue BBC over speech edit – latest updates

US president claims broadcaster has ‘defrauded the public’ and reiterates his threat of launching a $1bn legal actionDonald Trump has grabbed the headlines after threatening to sue the BBC for $1bn (£760m) for what the corporation has accepted was a misleading edit of his speech on 6 January 2021 during the Capitol Hill insurrection.I wouldn’t want a board that’s guilty of groupthink, but the opposite of groupthink is different points of view. That makes the job of the chair challenging to try and organise and get consensus, but it’s important that people have a diversity of opinion on the board. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Streeting denies plot to oust Starmer and condemns briefings from No 10

Health secretary says attacks on him from Downing Street ‘self-defeating’ after reports PM’s job could be under threatUK politics live – latest updatesWes Streeting has denied leading a plot to overthrow the prime minister and called for those briefing against him to be sacked, widening an extraordinary rift at the top of government. The health secretary condemned the “self-defeating” attacks on him coming from Downing Street and said they were indicative of a toxic culture inside No 10. He rebuked the senior aides who were behind the anonymous briefings and said they proved that “there are people around the prime minister who do not follow his model and style of leadership”. Streeting was responding to the Guardian’s report that Downing Street has launched an operation to protect Keir Starmer against a leadership challenge his allies believe could come from Streeting after the budget or May local elections. The prime minister’s closest allies insisted he would fight any “reckless” ...

Politics

2 h. ago Politics latest: Streeting denies plotting to oust Starmer as fears escalate over Labour leadership challenge

Health secretary’s denial follows flurry of briefings from Number 10 in which allies of prime minister came out fighting on his behalf amid fears his job could be under threat after Budget

Politics

2 h. ago 'Must visit' seaside restaurant has 'best seafood' customers have ever eaten

This North Yorkshire café has been open since 1937 and is famous for its delicious fish and chips and other seafood dishes served with views of the coast

Society

2 h. ago Lions savagely maul zookeeper to death over 15 minutes as horrified tourists watch on

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT A zookeeper was mauled to death by a pack of lions in a savage attack which left visitors to the zoo terrified as they tried to help them

Society

2 h. ago Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev UFC 322: Date, TV channel, live stream and UK time for massive New York showdown

THE UFC makes its annual visit to Madison Square Garden this weekend. And the MMA leader are putting on one hell of a fight card for their return to 'The World's Most Famous Arena'. MSG will play host to the UFC's penultimate fight card of the year, UFC 322. Topping the bill is a historic...

Sport

2 h. ago Dozens of staff lose their jobs at major Scots uni in brutal wave of redundancies

DOZENS of staff have lost their jobs at a major Scots university in a brutal wave of redundancies. Aberdeen University announced more than 40 staff had been axed after a savage round of job cuts. The uni opened its voluntary severance and early retirement scheme in April as it tried to fill a £5.5million black...

Politics

2 h. ago Man Utd news: Ruben Amorim coaching decision and fiery reaction as star branded 'a joke'

Ruben Amorim seems to have turned things around at Manchester United, both in terms of Premier League results and his standing in the dressing room

Politics

3 h. ago Good Morning Britain fans 'switch off' as Susanna Reid admits 'it's like pulling teeth'

Good Morning Britain fans issued the same complaint on Wednesday

Politics

3 h. ago Strictly star La Voix makes awkward BBC resignation joke during live show as host left speechless

Strictly Come Dancing contestant La Voix left the It Takes Two studio speechless with a joke about resignations at the top of the BBC on Tuesday (11 November).

Events

3 h. ago Man United news as squad change their mind on Ruben Amorim and 'joke' player singled out

Ruben Amorim has been in charge of Manchester United for one year and has made several big decisions during his time at Old Trafford, although not all have gone down well

Sport

4 h. ago Scottish cancer patients being 'left behind' over genomic testing gap

Policymakers urged to deliver‘investment’ and ‘commitment’

Science

4 h. ago Beloved Scottish mountain on North Coast 500 protected for future as visitor numbers surge

Moves have been made at the mountain to create an all-round better experience for walkers and locals alike.

Politics

4 h. ago 'I became cannibal after working at morgue – nothing beats sensation of eating humans'

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT: Cannibal killer Nico Claux has explained what it was like to taste human flesh for the first time as he says he got a job at a morgue to get access to dead bodies

Politics

4 h. ago AD FEATURE: Welsh charity offers free home energy support to over

The Older Not Colder service is based around a free home visit that includes expert advice and tips

Politics

4 h. ago ‘Atrocious on every level’: sex case findings shame New Zealand’s senior police culture

Inspector general will be inaugurated to oversee service after report on how top officers steered investigation of Jevon McSkimming, who went on to become deputy commissionerNew Zealand’s government will take the unprecedented move of appointing an inspector general of police after a damning report found “significant failings” in the way senior police officers handled serious sexual complaints against a former high-ranking officer.The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) released a 135-page report on Tuesday detailing allegations made against the former deputy police commissioner Jevon McSkimming and the police’s response to them. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Ben Stokes warns England players to take Australian media frenzy in their stride

‘We can’t prepare how the has-beens maybe prepared’Captain says warmup will be ‘balls to the wall’ for squadBen Stokes has warned England’s players to be wary of an Australian media desperate to pounce on any indiscretion or hint of scandal, saying he and his team have already been the subject of some “unbelievable journalism” and that such treatment is “part of being in Australia it’s not just stuff out on the field that can get you, it’s also the off-field stuff.”The England captain’s disgruntlement with his side’s treatment in the press extends to recent criticism of their preparations, with Stokes hitting out at the “has beens” who have been leading the chorus of complaint and insisting that “we leave no stone unturned” and “have prepared incredibly well”. Continue reading...

Events