21 m. ago Holidaymakers visiting popular Spanish islands warned of proposed £13 daily tourist tax

A union secretary said the tax was intended as a deterrent to potential visitors saying ‘there’s no room for more people here during the high season’

Events

44 m. ago Heard the one about the three vicars who went to the cinema – and were taught a lesson in tolerance? | Ravi Holy

Watching the film I Swear, at first I was irked by the shouting and swearing from an audience member. But I ended up thanking himWhat do vicars do in their spare time? Last week, I went with two friends, both fellow vicars, to see the new film I Swear. I knew from the trailer that it was about a man with Tourette syndrome (TS). What I didn’t know was that it was about a real person: John Davidson who was the subject of a 1989 BBC documentary called John’s Not Mad and who later received an MBE for his efforts to educate people about the condition and support his fellow sufferers.Before that programme, most people had never heard of TS. Nearly 40 years later, everybody (sort of) knows what it is, but it’s still often treated as a punchline – particularly on the comedy circuit.Ravi Holy is the vicar of Wye in Kent and a standup comedian Continue reading...

Politics

48 m. ago Hollywood legend celebrates birthday with selfie and people are convinced he's in a Welsh beauty spot

Back to the Future star Christopher Lloyd posted selfies on his Instagram account as he braved the cold weather on his 87th birthday

Culture

77 m. ago Reform UK MP apologises after hitting out at adverts ‘full of black people’

Sarah Pochin later said her comments had been "phrased poorly".

Events

1 hour ago ‘The best song to play at a party is the one that gets people to leave’: Sananda Maitreya’s honest playlist

Stevie Wonder rocked the singer’s 10-year-old world and he’s secretly a huge fan of the Carpenters. But what novelty song did he drunkenly sing in karaoke in Japan?The first song I fell in love withI Want to Hold Your Hand and She Loves You by the Beatles are like my villain origin story. I was two years old and have no conscious memory of life before that. I can remember walking around our little apartment in East Orange, New Jersey, singing those songs.The first album I bought I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian conservative family. Remember Footloose? It was exactly like that. No dancing, no movies, no records. My aunt bought me Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants and I fell in love with Send One Your Love. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Why do we yawn? It’s almost certainly not for the reason you think

Given that we’ve literally grown up with them, we often know surprisingly little about how our bodies work. This new series aims to fill the gapsAll vertebrates yawn, or indulge in a behaviour that’s at least recognisable as yawn-adjacent. Sociable baboons yawn, but so do semi-solitary orangutans. Parakeets, penguins and crocodiles yawn – and so, probably, did the first ever jawed fish. Until relatively recently, the purpose of yawning wasn’t clear, and it’s still contested by researchers and scientists. But this commonality provides a clue to what it’s really all about – and it’s probably not what you’re expecting.“When I poll audiences and ask: ‘Why do you think we yawn?’, most people suggest that it has to do with breathing or respiration and might somehow increase oxygen in the blood,” says Andrew Gallup, a professor in behavioural biology at Johns Hopkins University. “And that’s intuitive because most yawns do have this clear respiratory component, this deep inhalation of air. ...

Politics

1 hour ago Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary: How the classic sleepover party game really CAN summon a ghost in your mirror

While Bloody Mary has terrified people for generations, psychologists now say there is more to this party trick than the overactive imaginations of excited teenagers.

Events

2 h. ago Five reasons pet Halloween costumes could see owners banned from keeping animals

Many people like to dress their furry friends in cute outfits - but they could put both the animal and the owner at risk.

Events

2 h. ago Tom Blyth wants to 'keep audiences guessing' ahead of People We Meet on Vacation

The actor discusses embracing women-centred storytelling as he prepares for the Netflix rom-com

Events

2 h. ago Reform MP Sarah Pochin forced to apologise after criticising ads 'full of Black people'

After sparking a backlash, Reform MP Sarah Pochin said she hadn't meant to offend anyone with her rant about diversity in advertising and the comments were 'phrased poorly'

Politics

3 h. ago I tried making roast potatoes crispier with 2 ingredients — it was unexpected

A recipe developer claimed the secret to the perfect roast potato is all to do with the oil, so I put it to the test

Events

3 h. ago ‘Every day’s a fight’: join the commuters in Africa’s rapidly growing cities

With more and more people moving to big cities such as Nairobi and Abidjan, daily commutes are becoming tougherAfrica is a rapidly urbanising continent. Since 1990, the proportion of people who live in towns and cities has risen from 28% to 44%, according to the World Bank. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development predicts the continent’s urban population will double to 1.4 billion by 2050.In many cases, public transport has failed to keep up with this growth, with hours-long traffic jams a common feature of many metropolises. While some cities have light railways, such as Addis Ababa and Lagos, and others have public bus networks, many commuters rely on private minibus taxis. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Horror rat poisoning mystery sparks fears as child is one of FIVE victims in same town

Questions remain in an ongoing investigation into a mysterious rat poisoning incident which left five people in the same area hospitalised with symptoms, with a child understood to be part of this group

Events

3 h. ago Russian drone attack on Kyiv leaves three people dead and dozens wounded, mayor says

Vitali Klitschko says six children hurt in overnight attack that sparked fires in apartment buildingsAn overnight Russian drone attack on Kyiv killed three people and wounded dozens, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital has said.The head of Kyiv’s military administration said early on Sunday that “several” Russian drones were operating over the city, and warned people to “remain in shelters”. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago People could be sent to prison for pet habit that seems 'harmless'

People might be forced to give up their animals and go to prison over this kind of behaviour

Events

4 h. ago People could be banned from owning pets over 'cruel' October habit

It happens every year - and pet experts are warning against this kind of behaviour

Events

4 h. ago Of course most of us don’t know the state pension age – we don’t think we’ll ever retire

As a new study reveals that only one in five people are aware of when they can stick up an indefinite ‘gone fishing’ sign, Helen Coffey explores whether it’s indicative of a more troubling trend around pension ignorance and magical thinking

Politics

5 h. ago 'You are sharing a wall with people who don’t care if you live or die'

House shares have long been seen as a rite of passage for young adults. But for many, living cheek by jowl with strangers is far from ideal, says Greta Simpson.

Events

5 h. ago Mary Berry's 53p ingredient to make mashed potatoes 'velvety and perfect' with bangers

Mary Berry's mashed potatoes recipe is the perfect side dish to serve with bangers and will take you less than 30 minutes to prepare

Events

5 h. ago People risking £20,000 fines if they remove common plant from their garden

Gardening professionals shared some of the lesser-known laws around the UK, the potential fines for breaking them and what to be aware of before you start digging around your garden

Economics