55 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

5 d. ago Clinical Russo leads Arsenal to epic comeback victory against Real Madrid

Arsenal laid their Champions League credentials out on the crisp Emirates stadium pitch, a remarkable 3-0 victory ensuring their passage to the semi-finals.This was arguably the Gunners’ finest performance of the season, Kim Little was metronomic, Leah Williamson elite, Mariona Caldentey hungry, Alessia Russo clinical and Chloe Kelly unplayable, as they utterly dominated from start to finish in front of a record quarter-final crowd of 22,517 fans. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Mariona Caldentey: ‘One day we’ll realise what we achieved, all we did for change to come’

Arsenal’s Spanish forward on fighting to win support for women’s football, leaving a successful Barcelona team and the stress of winning the World CupWhen Mariona Caldentey was a student, reading sports science at university, she could see the Camp Nou scoreboard from her bedroom window on the top floor of 63 Travessera de les Corts. On the nights when she and her flatmates didn’t stroll across to the stadium, they would hear goals before they saw them on TV. They played too, becoming league champions, but never imagined themselves over there. “Our reality was Astroturf pitches with no stands,” she recalls.Yet in April 2022, eight years on, 91,648 people came to watch them, breaking Barcelona’s own world record set a fortnight before. “It all happened so quick; one day we’ll realise what we achieved, all we did for change to come,” she says. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Budget 2025: What time is the Spring Statement – and what will be in it?

There have been several big policy announcements in the run-up to the event, most recently welfare changes to achieve £5 billion in spending cuts by 2029/30

Politics

9 d. ago I spent a day travelling around Cardiff by train and realised I can save a fortune

Using the new Pay-As-You-Go system, I even made it to Newport on a single fare for the entire day

Transport

1 week ago Stacey Solomon says it's 'so strange' as she issues family update and fans make same comment

The Loose Women star marked a very special day for her eldest son, Zachary, and made a particular realisation about him growing up

Politics

1 week ago When is the Spring Statement – and what will be in it? From taxes to spending cuts

There have also been several big policy announcements in the run-up to the event, most recently welfare changes to achieve £5 billion in spending cuts by 2029/30

Economics

1 week ago Man, 24, reveals astonishing 14 stone weight loss he achieved by changing one simple habit

Harry Spacagna, from Southampton, Hampshire, said he had struggled with his weight for as long as he could remember and had used food as an 'emotional crutch'.

Politics

last month Oil and gas giants cannot be trusted with the just transition, warns climate expert

Climate Change Committee member says net zero is still achievable if more people switch to electric vehicles

Events