70 m. ago BBC snooker's John Virgo saw home repossessed as he battled addiction and two failed marriages

John Virgo is one of the most recognisable voices in snooker and has been part of the BBC's coverage of the sport for over 30 years, but his life has been marred by addiction

Events

2 h. ago Mum of 6 addicted to scratch cards spent £150 a day and couldn't go out alone for months

Marie Ellefsen, 45, said she was hooked when she won £20 on her first-ever scratch card but then felt guilty as she funded her gambling with universal credit

Economics

3 h. ago Baby food pouch hysteria? It’s just another way of making mothers feel guilty | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

We need a society that supports parents and makes good food choices achievable – not more lecturing of exhausted mumsLike many modern mothers, I have on occasion piped cold bolognese directly from a pouch into my small child’s open mouth and, radical though it may seem, I refuse to feel guilty about it. There is a lot of panic about ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and baby food pouches, with their high sugar content and dubious nutritional value, are the latest targets. Researchers at the University of Leeds School of Food Science and Nutrition found that 41% of main meals marketed for children had sugar levels that were too high and that 21% of ready-to-eat fruit products, cereals and meals were too watery and not providing adequate nutrition.It’s not great. But is it news? No parent picks up something called “Heinz fruity banana custard” believing it a fantastic alternative to actual mashed banana, yet this is being treated as the Watergate of the under-4s sandpit crowd. I’m startin...

Politics

5 h. ago Notes to John by Joan Didion: Dispatches from the therapist’s chair are a guilty pleasure

Joan Didion, who died in 2021, never intended Notes to John to be published. They are, as the title intimates, notes to her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and they are about meetings with her psychiatrist, Dr Roger MacKinnon, over the course of a little more than a year, beginning in 1999. These 150 pages of notes were in her archive and, given that there wasn’t going to be any more Didion fiction or journalism, someone must have thought that this was a way to continue her story.

Politics

11 h. ago First Minister John Swinney to focus on making Scots ‘healthier and wealthier’

The SNP leader will set out his plans for the coming year in his Programme for Government statement on Tuesday.

Politics

13 h. ago FLOURISHING AFTER 50: I've just retired after losing my husband five years ago and I want to enjoy life again

This week, leading money educator Vanessa Stoykov helps a mum who is recently retired and wants to enjoy her life - but also feels guilty about her children's inheritance.

Politics

14 h. ago Police expert testifies that officers who fatally beat Tyre Nichols used excessive force

Expert testifying for the defense acknowledged that Memphis officers’ blows were unnecessaryA police training expert testifying on Saturday as a defense witness in the trial of three former Memphis officers charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols acknowledged that kicks and punches to Nichols’ head were unnecessary and excessive.Don Cameron took the stand on the sixth day of the trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who have pleaded not guilty to state charges including second-degree murder. They already face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges last year. Continue reading...

Events

14 h. ago Warren Buffett announces retirement from leading Berkshire Hathaway

Billionaire shocked audience of investors with disclosure and said his vice-chair, Greg Abel, should take overWarren Buffett, the billionaire investor and philanthropist, has announced his intention to retire at the end of this year. He is 94 years old.Buffett, the fifth-richest person in the world, shocked an arena full of shareholders on Saturday when he announced that he would step down as the CEO and chair of the trillion-dollar conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway at the end of 2025. He will recommend to the 11-person board that his vice-chair, Greg Abel, who currently oversees most of the company’s investments, be named as his successor, Buffett said. Continue reading...

Events

15 h. ago Local elections were ‘devastating’ for Labour, says top pollster John Curtice

Exclusive: Professor Sir John Curtice has warned that Starmer’s failings have opened the door for Reform, while fellow pollster Luke Tryl suggests the Tories only have 12 months to turn things around

Politics

15 h. ago Voices: The real problem for Labour is why votes for the party collapsed in its own heartlands

How the votes at the local elections were spread will give concern for Labour as much as Tories, says politics professor and electoral analyst Sir John Curtice

Politics

16 h. ago Netflix fans obsessed with 'twisted Taken' movie that's beaten Tom Hardy film

Netflix's latest action thriller starring Scottish actor Dougray Scott has been dubbed a twisted mix of John Wick and Taken by viewers.

Culture

17 h. ago Are you watching, Ruben Amorim? Darts sensation and Man United super

The Manchester United super-fan dispatched a penalty for YouTuber Angryginge's Under-18s team Winton Wanderers Yanited. His penalty was far from perfect but it was in adverse conditions.

Politics

17 h. ago Fed up Lexus driver left thieves trying to steal his car takes drastic action with mad note

A Lexus car owner in London was so sick and tired of the persistent thieves who tried to steal his luxe car three times, he penned them a put down note highlighting their ineptitude

Events

18 h. ago John Gosden reacts as 'unlucky' favourite Field Of Gold beaten by Ruling Court in 2,000 Guineas

Kieran Shoemark's mount Field Of Gold made up a huge amount of ground from the rear in Newmarket's race sponsored by Betfred, which had a prize fund of £525,000. But he could not catch Godolphin-owned winner Ruling Court (9-2)

Events

18 h. ago 'Chat GPT saved my relationship – my robot therapist has put an end to our constant rows'

EXCLUSIVE: Grace Carter typically uses her phone to interact with ChatGPT asking how to resolve issues within her relationship

Politics

19 h. ago BBC star John Virgo had house repossessed amid addiction struggle and two failed marriages

The legendary snooker commentator has overcome personal struggles to become a fan favourite on the BBC

Events

20 h. ago Voices: Yes, Nigel Farage really could be prime minister in 2029

The magic number of 30 per cent is what really matters in today’s politics – and Reform got there in the latest local elections, putting Nigel Farage in a very new position, writes John Rentoul

Politics

23 h. ago Judd Trump complains to referee during Mark Williams clash as John Virgo baffled by issue

Judd Trump was in a foul mood after losing the opening frame of his World Snooker Championship semi-final against Mark Williams and he made his feelings clear to the referee

Politics

24 h. ago Hamilton Accies boss: Players feel angry and let down by relegation but in my mind we've finished seventh

John Rankin's reaction to the club's relegation to League One and their 3-1 defeat to Falkirk last night

Sport

26 h. ago The execution that haunts prison worker 28 years later: Death row officer had therapy for a decade after horrific mishap filled cells with the smell of 'burning flesh'

Ron McAndrew witnessed executions using the electric chair in Florida, but one traumatising death never left him and the botched execution led to the prison ending the use of the electric chair.

Events