38 h. ago What is Britain's elusive 'national character'? The Ballad of Wallis Island might just tell us | Gaby Hinsliff

Rain, cardigans and puns: a melancholic new romcom set on a windswept island hints at a relatable British identityIt is, according to no less an authority than the romcom king Richard Curtis, destined to be “one of the greatest British films of all time”. But don’t let that put you off. For The Ballad of Wallis Island – the unlikely new tale of a socially awkward millionaire who inveigles two estranged former halves of a folk-singing duo into playing a private gig on his windswept private island – isn’t some floppy-haired Hugh Grant vehicle, but a reflection on our national character that is altogether more of its times.It’s a lovely, melancholic comedy about the acceptance of failure, loss and the slow understanding that what’s gone is not coming back: an ode to rain and cardigans, lousy plumbing and worse puns, shot in Wales on a shoestring budget in a summer so unforgiving that a doctor was apparently required on set to check for hypothermia. Its main characters have not only all...

Politics

67 h. ago Canary holidaymakers blow as another island warns of new tourist taxes

The Canary Island of Fuerteventura will start charging British holidaymakers a tourist tax if they want to visit its most beautiful locations, officials on the Spanish holiday hotspot have announced

Events

4 d. ago British trio face death penalty on tourist island for allegedly smuggling cocaine

They are accused of smuggling drugs disguised as Angel Delight dessert mix

Events

4 d. ago Mystery as naked body of British woman is found on beach on Thai Full Moon Party island

The Brit was wearing only an orange bra when her body was discovered face-down on the beach by a villager early this morning. Police discovered her orange underwear drifting ashore nearby.

Society

8 d. ago British woman vanishes on Caribbean island holiday as desperate search launched

Mekealah Freemantle, 39, who is believed to come from the London area, disappeared after leaving a hotel in Jamaica - police have said they are 'worried about her safety'

Politics

8 d. ago Unsung British comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island is a modern day Local Hero, writes BRIAN VINER

BRIAN VINER: A pair of films open in cinemas today, each as British as a cream tea and both set way out west, yet strikingly different in tone. One is a hoot and the other anything but.

Politics

9 d. ago No Man Is an Island: a British society and its historic push for gay rights

This creative documentary immerses us in a little-known chapter of gay history. In 1992, the Isle of Man was one of the last places in western Europe to decriminalise homosexual acts. Through verbatim reconstruction and newly discovered archives, we understand the impact of discriminatory parliamentary debates, controversial media coverage and overreaching police surveillance. In a short period of time, this corner of the British Isles went on to create some of the most progressive legislation in the world. Do people change, or do laws change people?• If you have been affected by the issues raised in this film, help and support is available. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Why does Switzerland have more nuclear bunkers than any other country?

Switzerland is home to more than 370,000 nuclear bunkers – enough to shelter every member of the population. But if the worst should happen, would they actually work?At first, Zora Schelbert, the chief operating officer and tour guide at the Sonnenberg nuclear bunker in Lucerne, Switzerland, wasn’t sure whether the requests she was receiving were a joke. It was February 2022, and Russia had just dropped the first bombs over Kyiv. “People were asking me what kind of measures they should take, where they would have to go,” Schelbert said. She quickly realised they had confused the historical society she works for, Unterirdisch Überleben (Surviving Underground), for the local department of civil protection.To the alternating fascination, bewilderment and envy of its European neighbours, Switzerland, population nearly 9 million, has more bunkers per capita than anywhere else in the world – enough to guarantee shelter space to every single resident in the event of a crisis. (Sweden and F...

Events

1 week ago British man sentenced to 10 months in Bali for drug offenses after death penalty charge dropped

A court on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali has sentenced a British man to 10 months in jail for drug offenses after a charge that could carry the death penalty was dropped

Events

2 w. ago Pictured: The British island named one of the best places to travel in 2025 with secret beaches and hidden gems

Writer, photographer and adventure group leader Andy North reveals some of his favourite hidden gems and secret beaches from across the island, through stunning photography...

Society

2 w. ago British paratroopers parachute onto Swedish island as part of NATO exercise preparing to defend Europe from Russia... and are asked to show their PASSPORTS

Soldiers were carrying out exercises in Sweden as part of wider Swift Defense 25 NATO drills aimed at 'global deterrence'.

Sport

2 w. ago Chelsea Flower Show loses its bloom! Royal event is overrun by influencers and reality stars

Organised by the Royal Horticultural Society in London's chicest borough, the garden show has historically been attended by senior members of the British Royal Family.

Politics

3 w. ago Crete earthquake: Tourists on Greece island warned to 'move away from the coast'

The epicentre of the Greece earthquake was near the coast of Crete and so tourists on the island - popular with British holidaymakers - have now been warned to be vigilant

Events

3 w. ago Long wait for family after death of British police officer on Greek holiday island

Hannah Byrne, 22, had been out on the first night of her holiday when she suffered a fatal head injury

Events

3 w. ago Snag in inquest into British police officer’s death on Greek holiday island

Hannah Byrne, 22, had been out on the first night of her holiday when she suffered a fatal head injury

Events

3 w. ago Inquest into British police officer’s death on Greek holiday island delayed

Hannah Byrne, 22, had been out on the first night of her holiday when she suffered a fatal head injury

Events

3 w. ago Vancouer Island is Canada's coolest and easier to visit than you might think

Victoria's secret - with a heady mix of old and new, Dale Spridgeon gets a quick fix of Vancouver Island and British Columbia's delightful capital that is full of surprises

Politics