1 hour ago In the Green Heart by Richard Lloyd Parry review – neocolonial jungle fever

An intensely political story of a new father’s escape with his baby through a rainforest during wartimeRichard Lloyd Parry, a longtime foreign correspondent whose experiences of war and regime change are recorded in his remarkable 2005 memoir In the Time of Madness, can be said to know whereof he speaks. Many of that book’s issues, including the psychic damage he incurred from events he witnessed in Indonesia, East Timor and Afghanistan in the 1990s and early 2000s, are reinflected in this, his first novel.Kit and Lara live in a remote village in the deep rainforest. She works for a small, undependably financed NGO. He’s a stay-at-home husband, living for their baby daughter Helen. While Lara presents as impulsive yet practical and barely able to contain her own energy, Kit is dreamy, internalised, exhibiting a calmness that falls easily into dissociation. “This is your life,” she shouts at him shortly before they leave the UK, “a day of your life, and it requires your presence.” He...

Politics

1 hour ago Tom Kerridge shares rare family insight and admits 'he's got a red mist'

Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge has shared a rare insight into his home life with his wife Beth Cullen and their nine-year-old son Acey, with the TV star admitting he and Acey are 'massively similar'

Politics

2 h. ago Climate crisis harming world heritage painted houses in Burkina Faso, say residents

Tiébélé’s wavy-walled houses covered in geometric lines showing signs of disintegration amid erratic weatherA world heritage site that was once a famous tourist destination is suffering from signs of disintegration, as climate change affects weather patterns.The wavy-walled houses covered with singular geometric lines of the Royal Court of Tiébélé in Burkina Faso, established in the 16th century, are recognisable all over the world. The paintings represent the thoughts, culture, and religion of the Kassena people, literally written on the walls. Continue reading...

Society

3 h. ago I ignored my itchy legs and common sleep complaint. Then doctors found something horrifying on a scan. I'd left it far too late

Mike, then 27, thought what he was suffering was harmless. But the CT scan revealed a horrifying illness. He had left it far too late.

Society

3 h. ago ‘What about our lives?’: emotions run high in frontline Ukrainian city over ceding land to Russia

Trump’s talk of ‘land swaps’ as a simple transaction belies grim reality of what it would mean for people in Zaporizhzhia The city of Zaporizhzhia, an industrial hub in south-east Ukraine, is as good a place as any to grasp the stakes of freezing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine along its current frontlines, or of implementing a “land swap for peace” deal as envisioned by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.Since Russian troops began rolling into Ukraine in February 2022, Zaporizhzhia, with its broad avenues and Stalin-era apartment blocks, has been a 30-minute drive from the frontline. It has been under near-constant attack from missiles and drones. On Sunday, a Russian guided air bomb hit a bus station, wounding 24 people – just another day of suffering in a city that has known many of them. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Coney Beach: Terrified parent describes horror as rollercoaster derails at theme park

Children were among the 14 people injured at Coney Beach Pleasure Park in Porthcawl, south Wales after a popular rollercoaster - the Wacky Worm ride - malfunctioned

Events

5 h. ago Man Utd transfer news: Rasmus Hojlund set for exit as Red Devils in midfielder talks

Manchester United have just a few weeks remaining to get their summer business sorted and it appears that a few deals could be confirmed sooner rather than later

Politics

5 h. ago Amid the chaos after the fall of Kabul, two men became my lifeline | Shadi Khan Saif

Exactly four years later, our reunion in the safety of my new home in Melbourne was sweetSitting cross-legged on a richly patterned Afghan rug in a Melbourne living room, we chatted for hours, reflecting on the fall of Kabul four years ago that brought us together and nurtured a bond of friendship across continents.We had first connected in the chaos of August 2021, when the fall of Kabul shattered decades of fragile progress towards democracy, freedom and peace in Afghanistan. Our reunion this winter in Melbourne should have been pure joy – a celebration of survival and friendship – but it began in the quiet rows of a Muslim graveyard. We were there for the funeral of our mutual friend, Barez. Continue reading...

Events

6 h. ago Gorgeous European destination with barely any tourists, £16 flights and 50p wine

Znojmo, a town in the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic, is one of the most pleasant yet overlooked places in Europe and the flights are so cheap.

Economics

7 h. ago Megadeth announce they are retiring: ‘Don’t be sad, be happy for us all’

Frontman Dave Mustaine says he is writing the thrash metal band’s final album and they will embark on a farewell tour in 2026Call it a symphony for dissolution. American thrash metal giants Megadeth have announced they are retiring and that their forthcoming album will be their last. They will also embark on a farewell tour in 2026.“There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,” Megadeth founder and frontman Dave Mustaine shared in a statement on Thursday. “Most of them don’t get to go out on their own terms on top, and that’s where I’m at in my life right now. Continue reading...

Politics

8 h. ago United Airlines flyer who had 'biohazard diarrhoea' shares mistake that cancelled flights

The United Airlines plane had to be grounded - causing knock-on delays - after Meghan Reinertsen suffered a "disturbance deep, deep" in her bowels on the aeroplane

Transport

10 h. ago The secret to success for Florian Wirtz to live up to his icon potential

Arne Slot has detailed how Wirtz could live up to the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah

Society

10 h. ago BBC EastEnders icon quits job after being 'humiliated' and has already landed another

An EastEnders legend has had enough of her job

Politics

10 h. ago Brandon Blackstock's death certificate reveals Kelly Clarkson's ex suffered severe symptom amid cancer battle

The former stepson of Reba McEntire had been fighting skin cancer - malignant melanoma - for three years. He died last week at his home in Butte, Montana at the age of 48.

Events

11 h. ago Daniel Ricciardo speaks his mind about Max Verstappen in rare interview after F1 axe

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were Red Bull team-mates for a time, and also worked together in the latter stages of the Aussie's F1 career when he drove for sister squad Racing Bulls

Politics

12 h. ago Salford Red Devils chief quits club alleging ownership 'suggested she sleep with individual from RFL'

It has sparked an investigation.

Politics

12 h. ago Wayne Rooney disagrees with Man United icon Roy Keane in ultimate Premier League prediction

The new Premier League season is almost upon us and the pundits have had their say on Manchester United, Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal

Politics

12 h. ago Countries urged to ‘hold the line’ in Geneva plastics treaty negotiations

Talks continue amid warnings from environmental groups over being ‘sold out’ without meaningful or legally binding measuresTalks between nations to hammer out a plastics treaty to end plastic pollution continued behind closed doors in Geneva on Thursday, the final day of negotiations, as civil society groups urged countries to “hold the line” to secure a strong agreement.With time running out to seal a deal between 184 countries, environmental groups expressed concern that frontline communities, Indigenous people and others suffering the worst impacts of the world’s growing plastic crisis were being “sold out” in an effort to secure a treaty, without meaningful or legally binding measures that would address the scale of the problem, “at any cost”. Continue reading...

Politics

13 h. ago Two miraculously survive as speeding Mercedes driver leaves cars mangled wreck

John Wilds ran a red light and drove at up to 80mph before ploughing into another vehicle

Events

13 h. ago Mercedes F1 star Kimi Antonelli suffers mishap on holiday as friends come to his rescue

Like many of his fellow Formula 1 drivers, Kimi Antonelli is making the most of a few weeks off in this packed season to recharge before returning for the 10 rounds that remain in 2025

Events