65 m. ago The kindness of strangers: a woman cleaned up my toddler’s vomit – and paid for the paper towel

I was sleep deprived and completely overwhelmed when she stepped in and took chargeRead more in the kindness of strangers seriesAs a twin mum the work is constant. It is double the love and double the laughs, but also double the illness. Of course, my twins would never get sick at the same time. As one recovered, the other would start showing symptoms.One day, when my girls were three, one had a vomiting bug. She hadn’t thrown up for 24 hours so I took my chance to do a quick run to the chemist to stock up on supplies. My husband worked away during the week, so I had to manage on my own. I was exhausted, carrying the sick kid in my arms, while walking the healthy one along next to me as quickly as I could. Continue reading...

Politics

65 m. ago Ronni Ancona and Alistair McGowan look back: ‘We would have killed each other if we’d stayed as a couple. Instead, our friendship is eternal’

The comedians on their Bafta-winning sketch show, the reason they split up – and why she reminds him of Diane KeatonBorn in Louth, Lincolnshire in 1969, and raised in Troon, Ayrshire, Ronni Ancona is an actor, writer and impressionist. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and trained as a teacher before turning to comedy. Born in Evesham, Worcestershire, in 1964, Alistair McGowan studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before becoming an impressionist. The pair met on the London comedy circuit in the 1990s. They co-created the Bafta-winning Big Impression, which aired between 1999 and 2003 and became one of the BBC’s most popular sketch shows. Ancona’s new podcast with Hal Cruttenden – Hal & Ronni in Pieces – is available now. Continue reading...

Events

68 m. ago At least 120 hurt in gen Z protests over corruption and drug violence in Mexico

Clashes erupt between protesters and riot police in the capital as rallies take place in cities across the countryAt least 120 people were injured as thousands of gen Z protesters took to the streets of Mexico City and across the country to voice their anger at corruption and the drug violence that claims tens of thousands of Mexican lives each year. Saturday’s rallies, which took place in dozens of cities from Tijuana in the north to Oaxaca in the south drew large crowds, with some demonstrators carrying the One Piece pirate flag that has become a global symbol of the youth movement. Continue reading...

Events

1 hour ago Premier League's forgotten Players of the Month including Birmingham hero and Chelsea flop

Bryan Mbeumo was named the Premier League's Player of the Month in October and joins an illustrious list that includes some true greats, but also some cult heroes and forgotten names

Sport

2 h. ago A puppy and unlimited toilet paper? Legal experts say Ghislaine Maxwell’s alleged prison life is uncommon

Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking of teen girls – and her treatment is prompting speculationSince Ghislaine Maxwell’s controversial transfer to a low-security prison camp this summer, her time at Texas’s FPC Bryan has prompted uproar over alleged favorable treatment – including claims this week that she was provided custom-made meals, access to a puppy and as much toilet paper as she wants.Some of the recent accusations were in a 9 November letter thatJamie Raskin sent to Donald Trump. The Democratic representative’s letter, which cited whistleblower information, demanded answers about Maxwell’s conditions – including whether Trump directed anyone in his administration to give her special treatment. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Coronation Street's Lucy Fallon 'crazy in love' as she celebrates 30th with footballer beau and co

The ITV soap actress was seen marking the milestone occasion in Manchester, but it wasn't all she was celebrating

Politics

2 h. ago Gemma Collins reveals 'toughest week of my life' as she shares health update on mum

Gemma Collins has revealed she's endured the 'toughest week' of her life as she still remains unclear why her mother, Joan, is unwell, and is still requiring hospital treatment

Politics

3 h. ago Inside Trump’s scramble to reduce US dependence on Chinese rare

The White House has made it a top priority to return the rare-earth industry to US shores. But is it really feasible?Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, returned from South Carolina last week brandishing a small piece of metal, proclaiming that it was the first rare-earth magnet made in the US in a quarter of a century.It was, he indicated to Fox Business, proof that the US is ending “China’s chokehold on our supply chain”. Thanks to the South Carolina company eVAC’s new rare-earth mineral processing center, Bessent added: “We’re finally becoming independent again.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Alan Titchmarsh shares update as he teases 'future plans' on Love Your Weekend

Alan Titchmarsh welcomed Phil Tufnell, Brian May and Denise Black onto his ITV show on Sunday afternoon.

Politics

3 h. ago Engineering jobs: historic firm Smiths expands UK workforce with 50 new roles, Birmingham hub

The historic engineering giant is expanding its UK workforce 📣

Economics

4 h. ago Why microsucks and macrosucks might be the missing pieces in your weight loss journey

Losing weight isn’t about willpower alone, in fact it’s more about brain power, says nutritionist Louise Pyne.

Events

5 h. ago Hitman Absolution, now on Switch, is not your typical Hitman game – and that is why I love it

13 years later from when it first released, the Nintendo Switch version of Hitman: Absolution further proves the kind of cinematic spy storytelling IO Interactive is capable of.

Events

5 h. ago Samantha and Jacob have a fairytale marriage and a baby on the way. The only problem? She's a straight woman and he's a gay man

In a meet-cute worthy of a Richard Curtis movie, the pair crossed paths while auditioning for a theatre production of Fiddler on the Roof. They're now married.

Politics

5 h. ago Skoda Superb Estate review: understated brilliance in a world of SUV excess

The new Skoda Superb Estate delivers classic practicality, plug-in hybrid tech and timeless design — a refreshing antidote to today’s SUV obsession

Politics

6 h. ago £20 tickets available to see orchestra performing Batman 1989 score live in Manchester

Witness composer Danny Elfman's music live in concert at this Batman gig

Economics

6 h. ago ‘I once said there’s no way I’ll still be playing Baggy Trousers at 30’: Suggs’s honest playlist

Prince Buster’s Al Capone changed the Madness singer’s life and Aretha Franklin is his go-to at karaoke, but what song makes him cry?The first song I fell in love with Judy Teen by Cockney Rebel. I’d seen Steve Harley on Top of the Pops and liked his look, with the mascara and bowler hat, like Alex from A Clockwork Orange. One day, me and my mates decided to cycle to Salisbury Plain. I had a transistor radio tied to the handlebars and Judy Teen came on. Unfortunately, the batteries ran out when we got to Swiss Cottage [in north London] and my legs ran out at the same time!The first single I bought The Wall Street Shuffle by 10cc, from Woolworths in Camden Town. Later on, we used to pinch records, but I paid my dues for a while. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Rachel Reeves urged to scrap international student levy over concerns for growth

Business groups slammed ‘university tax’ and warned a rise in fees will have ‘unintended consequences’ for the UK

Society

7 h. ago Cristhian Mosquera: ‘Arsenal were my team growing up. They had an aura’

The Spain Under-21 centre-back on his club’s ‘crazy’ defensive numbers, his dual identity and his love of multicultural London“Jesus Christ! All I want to do is get you in a straight bloody line. What do I have to do?” Gerald asks. So Horse says: “It’s the Arsenal offside trap, isn’t it?” Lomper here becomes Tony Adams, and Cristhian Mosquera starts to laugh.The Spain Under-21 international is sitting at a table in the team hotel in Lugo, Galicia. Through the window, the sound of rain falling; in front of him, the famous scene from The Full Monty, cinematic representation of a defence so perfect, so instantly identifiable it became part of popular culture; a backline never to be bettered. Until now? Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago Alan Titchmarsh's heartbreaking admission to mum before she made final gesture

ITV's Love Your Weekend presenter Alan Titchmarsh opened up about his final conversation with his mother and how it was the first time they'd truly expressed their feelings

Events

8 h. ago Jane McDonald halts show as she fights back tears over future 'I'm worried'

Jane McDonald will be back this weekend with a classic episode of her Channel 5 series Jane McDonald: Lost in Japan

Politics