15 h. ago The best mattresses for back pain – and how to choose one, according to osteopaths and sleep scientists

Is a firm orthopaedic mattress best for your back? How soft is too soft? We ask the experts• The best mattresses in 2025, testedBritish backs are in crisis. Almost a million people in the UK are too sick to work because of back and neck problems, according to official figures, while the charity Versus Arthritis says 5.8 million experience “severe” back pain each year. The causes of back problems are complex, and treatments often fail to bring relief, especially where the pain is chronic and debilitating.Long-term back pain is unlikely to be cured by upgrading your mattress, and a doctor or physiotherapist should be your first port of call if pain is affecting your quality of life. But studies suggest that switching to the best mattress for your body type and sleeping position can genuinely help. I’m lucky to not experience chronic pain, but in years of testing mattresses, I’ve often suffered temporary backache after sleeping on a surface that doesn’t suit me. Switching to a more app...

Politics

20 h. ago More young infant deaths are linked to close relative marriage than substance abuse, official figures show

Data from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) linked close relative marriages to the deaths or ill health of 72 infants younger than one-year-old in 2023/24.

Events

56 h. ago ‘Motherhood penalty’ costs women an average £65,618 in pay by time first child turns five

Women’s average monthly earnings fall by 42% compared with one year before birth, ONS study findsMothers lose an average of £65,618 in pay by the time their first child turns five, as the “motherhood penalty” risks their financial security, official figures show.Mums in England are hit by a “substantial and long-lasting reduction” in their pay after they have children, as they become less likely to stay in paid employment, the Office for National Statistics have said. Continue reading...

Economics

56 h. ago From where it all began, to when it all fell apart: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's complete relationship timeline as they split after 19 years of marriage

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban left many fans shocked after it was revealed they had split after 19 years together.

Politics

58 h. ago 'Daughter refuses to go to school, and my marriage is suffering because of it'

Agony aunt Coleen Nolan has advice for a reader who's struggling to cope with her daughter's anxiety around going to school, and her relationship is under pressure too

Politics

4 d. ago Keith Urban's ugliest Nicole Kidman moments from 'cocaine clause to public dig'

Country singer Keith Urban and Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman have split after 19 years of marriage, but their relationship has gone through its battles - from Keith's alcohol abuse to a brutal swipe

Politics

4 d. ago Gareth Southgate would reject Manchester United approach if Ruben Amorim is sacked

Gareth Southgate has close links to United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, but appears to have turned his back on football management

Politics

4 d. ago 'Razor blade throat' symptom as Stratus and Nimbus variants soar in UK

Types have specific symptom as latest figures show infections have 'doubled' and officials say 'stay at home' if people think they've got it

Politics

5 d. ago Keith Urban makes an emotional confession about his relationship with Nicole Kidman in resurfaced clip: 'I blew our marriage to smithereens'

A telling video has resurfaced of an emotional Keith Urban in the wake of his split with wife Nicole Kidman.  

Politics

6 d. ago Mystery as giant 'hairy' object smashes into farm after falling from sky

Public officials are left scratching their heads as they try to figure out what exactly this mysterious object is that landed from the sky and where on earth it came from

Politics

7 d. ago Icelandic lawyer’s bid to speed up huge Scottish courts backlog

VICTIMS of crime face delays of nearly three years for justice in the most serious cases, including murder and rape, as court backlogs continue to grow. The most recent official figures reveal the typical time from offence to verdict in the High Court has risen to 1,032 days, almost double the 520 days recorded before...

Events

7 d. ago Palhinha strikes in stoppage time to spare Tottenham blushes and deny Wolves

From zero to thwarted heroes, life breathes yet through Wolves. Though it should have been three points rather than one. Wolves had been full of a fight and determination hitherto lacking from their season, only for João Palhinha to strike an equaliser in the depths of stoppage time.It had been close to a tactical triumph for Vítor Pereira, linked with the West Ham job that is now Wolves predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo’s. Pereira signed a new, three-year contract last week, despite his team being on nil Premier League points. From a home defeat by Leeds last week that heightened the growing disquiet at Molineux, his starting team selection featured nine changes, including an initial shift to four at the back. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Defra's 2025 UK bird data: Three species which are declining

Official figures show some birds are handling our changing world better than others 🐦

Politics

1 week ago BBC Radio 2's Zoe Ball admits 'worst heartbreak' took her 'years' to overcome

While she has had a number of high profile relationships over the years, including her marriage with Fatboy Slim, Zoe Ball has revealed how one heartbreak took her "years" to overcome

Politics

2 w. ago Pupils shun French, Spanish and German leaving third of sixth forms as language deserts

Official figures reveal 35 per cent of state schools and colleges had no pupils taking exams in any of the three most popular modern foreign languages last year.

Politics

2 w. ago Thousands gather at Charlie Kirk memorial in Arizona where Trump to pay tribute to slain organizer

US Secret Service leads massive security presence, while conservatives demand punishment of those who disparaged rightwing ‘youth whisperer’Thousands were gathering in Arizona on Sunday for a public memorial honoring Charlie Kirk, the rightwing youth organizer who was fatally shot during an event at a Utah college.Donald Trump, his vice-president, JD Vance, and Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, were among a long list of prominent officials and figures expected to pay tribute to the slain activist, a reflection of his deep imprint on the president’s Make America Great Again (Maga) movement. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago The moment I knew: 10 days after we met, I wrote him a marriage proposal

When Daniel Clarke locked eyes with Nick Pelomis, there was an immediate spark. As their time together started to run out, he put pen to paper to express how he was feelingFind more stories from The moment I knew seriesIn 2006 I was working as a theatre producer in the UK, and I was presenting a show at Adelaide Fringe festival called The Bogus Woman starring British actor Sarah Niles. I was standing outside the theatre in Adelaide when I first spotted Nick. He was with a mutual friend, Eliza, who introduced us.We made eye contact and I was immediately drawn to him. I thought Nick was extremely handsome; I remember his beautiful hands and his gorgeous thick hair. It turned out we shared a lot of mutual friends, as Nick was an actor. Eliza later told me she had a premonition that me and Nick were going to fall in love and get married – this was before gay marriage was even legalised in the UK. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Strictly Come Dancing Dani Dyer's relationship with soap star dad, Love Island win, and marriage to 'hot' neighbour

After finding fame in the Love Island villa, Dani Dyer will be taking on the glamour of Strictly

Culture

2 w. ago Grieving families pay £3.7bn in inheritance tax in just five months

The taxman raked in £200m more in the first five months of the financial year than it did in the same period last year - a 5.7% hike, official HMRC figures reveal.

Economics

2 w. ago Think tank proposes Universal Credit boost and end to pension triple lock to tackle rising living costs

The Resolution Foundation, which has close links to Labour's front bench, says scrapping the triple lock would free up money to end the two-child cap on benefits

Economics