2 h. ago People are only just learning what rude hand gesture means and it's surprising

The middle finger gesture is one of the world's most recognised insults, but few people know where it actually comes from and the answer is rather surprising...

Politics

4 h. ago People are only just realising what common rude hand gesture really means

People have been left stunned after learning the origins of a common rude hand gesture - especially given how it has managed to keep its original meaning for centuries

Politics

27 h. ago People gobsmacked after learning why we call it 'upper and lower case' letters

The everyday terms uppercase and lowercase letters have sparked a lively discussion on social media, after users admitted they had no idea where the phrases originated and simply accepted them as fact

Politics

3 d. ago ‘The world needs to know what’s happening’: families of protesters killed in Iran tell of heartbreak

As Tehran’s internet blackout means names of those killed in the uprising are only starting to emerge, the diaspora is reacting with shock, sadness and angerThe families of Iranians killed by the regime in its crackdown on anti-government protests over the past week have told the Guardian of their devastation on learning of their relatives’ deaths.More than 2,500 people have been killed so far, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, but the death toll is expected to rise substantially as the regime eases a communications blackout imposed since 8 January. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago ‘Gifted learner dogs’ can learn words by eavesdropping, study says

Certain canines can learn using cues from people’s gaze, gestures, attention and voices, researchers findWhether it is a piece of food or a four-letter expletive, words can be learned by young children overhearing adults – but now researchers have found certain dogs can do something similar.Scientists have discovered canines with the unusual ability to learn the names of myriad objects can pick up such labels by eavesdropping on conversations. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago People are only just learning the reason winter hats have pom

The fluffy bobbles on winter hats weren't always just purely for decoration – they actually have various practical reasons that have been used throughout history

Politics

2 w. ago Learner drivers making lives hell for people in Welsh village

It has been named the 'easiest place' to get a driving licence which is attracting learner drivers from all over

Politics

2 w. ago The dark, cold journey 8,000 Greater Manchester pupils could make when schools go back

The journeys will give children resilience, in all likelihood, but it won't give them the right frame of mind to learn. Ethan Davies reports on what 8,000 young people might have to go through - and tells you what you can do to make it better

Politics

2 w. ago The dark, cold journeys 8,000 Greater Manchester pupils could have to make when the schools go back

The journeys will give children resilience, in all likelihood, but it won't give them the right frame of mind to learn. Ethan Davies reports on what 8,000 young people might have to go through - and tells you what you can do to make it better

Politics

2 w. ago I went to a place many think people only go to die but learned something surprising

One nurse said she 'had never laughed more in a job'

Events

3 w. ago People only just learning 2 major reasons why their dogs let out huge sighs

If you've ever caught your dog letting out a huge sigh, you might be wondering what they're trying to tell you - and it turns out there are a few different reasons behind this common behaviour

Politics

3 w. ago People are only just learning what a dog's sigh actually means

Dog experts have revealed the top reasons why your pooch might let out a huge sigh after spending the day relaxing in the house - but it doesn't always mean they're relaxed and content

Politics

3 w. ago People just learn meaning behind 'why did the chicken cross the road' joke after years

Someone claims to have uncovered the deeper meaning behind the age-old riddle of why the chicken crossed the road, and it has caused everyone to completely lose their mind

Politics

3 w. ago People just learn why Sally in Nightmare Before Christmas has a familiar voice

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a hugely popular festive film – but despite this, many people are only just discovering who voiced the iconic character of Sally

Politics

3 w. ago What is Yuletide? The meaning behind the word and how it's different to Christmas

The word Yuletide is used a lot around Christmas time, but it turns out many people have no idea what the word actually means. So do you have a clue of its meaning?

Politics

3 w. ago People are only just learning what Yuletide means this Christmas

Yuletide is featured in several Christmas songs and films - but do you know what the word actually means? It turns out many of us had no idea where the term originated

Politics

3 w. ago Drivers are only just learning what strange bridges over roads and motorways are

People have been left baffled after only just learning what the 'weird' wires going over motorways in some areas of the UK are as they serve a very specific purpose

Transport

3 w. ago People only just learn reason why Brits love to eat turkey at Christmas

A history fanatic named Scott has revealed the reason why Brits love to have turkey for their Christmas dinner, as the tradition goes back almost 500 years to a trader in Yorkshire

Politics

3 w. ago Despite his knack for slick pop, the principled and passionate Chris Rea never took the easy road

The late musician bristled against his record companies, his producers and fame itself – but that friction ignited both his AOR hits and his raw, spirited take on the blues• Chris Rea, rock and blues singer-songwriter, dies aged 74• Gallery: a life in pictures• Comment: Driving Home for Christmas captures the season’s true spiritFor an artist best-known for a string of slickly commercial adult-oriented rock hits – Josephine, On the Beach, The Road to Hell, the Yuletide perennial Driving Home for Christmas – Chris Rea’s career was a rather more fraught business than you might have expected.He had something of the splendidly grumpy refusenik about him. His debut single, Fool (If You Think It’s Over) was a transatlantic hit, earning him a best new artist Grammy nomination (he lost to Billy Joel, an artist the single had garnered comparisons to), but Rea announced that he “despised” the song: “It’s just not me.” He chafed at his record company’s expectations: his 1978 debut album, Whate...

Politics

3 w. ago Timeless Christmas hit is the gift that keeps on giving for Wizzard

Research shows 97% of the band’s streaming revenue comes from the 1973 single I Wish It Could Be Christmas EverydayIf you listen closely to the start of Wizzard’s yuletide standard I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, you’ll hear the kerching of a cash register.The sound might have been “a winning speck of cynicism in the tinselly facade” of 70s consumerism, according to the Guardian’s Alexis Petridis, but five decades on it has proved prophetic – the song accounts for nearly all of the band’s streams on Spotify. Continue reading...

Events