13 h. ago My big night out: I realised I could leave the house party behind – and everything else that made me feel small

It was New Year’s Eve and there had been fireworks, drinking and dancing. Amid it all, I felt ashen and cold. As I walked out, I felt my first surge of quiet liberationWe drove out along the coast one afternoon, to a fireworks shop a couple of towns along. It was late in the year, and the light was low and dismal, rain scudding the windscreen. In a couple of days’ time it would be New Year’s Eve, and then our small town would scatter itself to parties held in bars and houses and nightclubs, and out along the harbour. At midnight, there would be an amateur firework display on the roof of the old lido.In the shop that afternoon, some of the fireworks sat behind a glass-fronted cabinet. They had names like Stinging Bees, Vendetta and Sky Breaker, and beneath each item was a small laminated caption: “One hundred shot roman candle firing high whistling bees,” read one. “Twenty-five secs of time rain salutes. Noisy,” read another. Continue reading...

Society

32 h. ago New footage may show missing Texas teen on day of disappearance as cops refuse to rule out kidnapping

Camila Mendoza Olmos was last seen leaving her house just before 7 a.m. on December 24

Events

34 h. ago Households urged to act now over 150,000 ‘zombie’ energy meters or face being left without heating or hot water in weeks

THOUSANDS of households are sitting on a ticking time bomb that could leave them freezing cold and without hot water within weeks, energy watchdog Ofgem has warned. In a desperate final push, the regulator is urging 150,000 customers to ditch their "zombie" electricity meters before the signal that powers them is killed off for good....

Society

59 h. ago Califonia man plans to sue over bear who won’t leave his house

“If I kept track of everything I tried, it would be Bear 14, Homeowner 0.”

Politics

63 h. ago Do not leave magnifying mirrors on windowsills, warn fire chiefs after house fire sparked by reflecting sunlight

A blaze tore through a home in Poole, Dorset on Saturday after the sun reflected off a mirror, setting a curtain and blind alight. The fire service has now told families not to leave mirrors by windows.

Events

3 d. ago I was there: Red Roses lifted the Rugby World Cup with a roar like no other

A sell-out crowd for the final helped deliver a once-in-a-lifetime experience as England’s captain Zoe Aldcroft raised the trophy after defeating Canada Recalling the moment that England’s captain, Zoe Aldcroft, lifted the Rugby World Cup still brings goosebumps. Twickenham was bathed in September sunshine, there was not one empty green seat and when the Gloucester-Hartpury star raised the silverware with gold streamers and fire pyrotechnics, the roar from the crowd was a sound unmatched at any other women’s rugby game I have attended.England had rewarded the home fans as they executed the perfect gameplan against Canada, the in-form team who were the underdogs despite knocking out the six-time champions New Zealand in the semi-final. The stadium was sold out with a women’s rugby record of 81,885 creating an electric atmosphere. Future World Cup finals will be sell-outs with a party-feel celebration but I am unsure if anything will be able to replicate the feeling on 2025 final day ...

Politics

5 d. ago White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expecting a baby girl: ‘My husband and I are thrilled’

Karoline Leavitt and Nicholas Riccio welcomed their son in July 2024

Society

5 d. ago My big night out: I danced alone in a nightclub – and realised I could make my own good time

I had gone out with friends to mark the end of university, and one by one they disappeared. With the music throbbing, I learned I could be comfortable in my own companyBetween the ages of 16 and 21, the big night out wasn’t just a hobby, it was a calling. Getting together with friends, getting drunk, being blasted by music, meeting new friends in the smoking area, getting more drunk, somehow making it home eight hours later – these were things I excelled at, the precious moments where I could try to lose myself and avoid the anxiety that inevitably came with daybreak.The escapism wasn’t just selfish fun. It felt like a necessary avoidance of reality, which for me consisted of having a mother with a terminal illness who would die when I was 19, leaving me at university to cope with my grief. Going out, dancing and chatting rubbish to friends was one way to survive. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago In Gaza we’re trapped in an endless maze of waiting – for peace, for the deaths to stop and for our lives to begin again | Aya Al

A ceasefire was announced on 10 October. But despite ‘peace’ being on the lips of world leaders ever since, we Palestinians are still under siege and afraidHere in Gaza we hear the word “peace” constantly – even more often than we hear the roar of warplanes or the thuds of shelling. It appears on television screens, in the statements of world leaders, in promises repeated again and again. Every country claims to want peace for Palestinians. Yet have we ever lived it for a single day? The truth is that we have not.We are now living under a ceasefire, or at least that is what the US and the rest of the world have been telling us. But in Gaza, we haven’t felt it at all. It was announced on 10 October, amid great celebrations in Sharm el-Sheikh. Since then, Israeli forces have killed more than 360 Palestinians, including about 70 children, in Gaza. Because of the explosions I keep hearing, I am still afraid to leave the house. We are trapped in an endless maze of waiting: for the suffer...

Events

5 d. ago ‘It’s the ultimate embarrassment’ fashionistas warn over a common mistake to be aware of if you got a new coat this Xmas

BY now, most of us will have unwrapped our Christmas presents - and if you found a coat underneath the tree, there's a mistake to be aware of. Before you leave the house to show off your new outerwear, there’s one thing you need to do – or you risk embarrassing yourself without even realising...

Events

7 d. ago Inside Home Alone house now as 'sickening' makeover leaves place unrecognisable

Home Alone is one of the best-known Christmas films of all time, but if you took a trip down to Illinois to visit the iconic property in real life you'll be left severely disappointed

Society

8 d. ago I spent a Christmas night out with a group of strangers and I realised one thing

I took the plunge and joined a group of people I didn't know for a Christmas party

Politics

9 d. ago Should I keep paying into my Lifetime Isa now that they could be scrapped?

In the Autumn Budget, it was announced that the Government will launch a consultation into Lifetime Isas in 2026. Where does this leave those saving for a house deposit in one?

Politics

1 week ago 'I couldn't leave the house after domestic abuse then a miracle happened'

A project set up by a small group of volunteers, to support adults with mental health and tackle social isolation in Bolton, is celebrating its 30th birthday.

Events

2 w. ago Energy expert confirms ideal thermostat temperature to save on heating

Where your thermostat sits in the house and how you use it could leave money wasted in energy bills

Economics

2 w. ago Tenant from hell leaves house packed full of rubbish and owing £40k in unpaid rent

The single mum, who works in a school, found rotting food, rubbish, cobwebs, dog hair, mould, and traces of rodents in the five-bedroom house she rented out.

Society

2 w. ago Mother of Karoline Leavitt's nephew questions press secretary's faith and slams White House as 'liars' in furious first interview after ICE arrest

Bruna-Caroline Ferreira, 33, the mother of Karoline Leavitt's nephew, slammed the White House press secretary in a fiery interview after she was detained by ICE for almost a month.

Events

2 w. ago Melania announces mystery new initiative and Trump admits he has no idea what she’s talking about

First lady leaves president baffled by cryptic remark at White House Congressional Ball

Politics

2 w. ago Stop scrubbing toilets as 2 household items will leave it sparkling overnight with little effort

You can wake up to a sparkly clean toilet by using two common kitchen ingredients that create a chemical reaction to dislodge dirt and grime while you sleep

Politics

2 w. ago Incredible moment massive explosion blows house apart in California, leaving six people injured

The horrific moment in Hayward, California - about 30 miles southeast of San Francisco - was captured by a Ring doorbell around 9.38am.

Events