16 h. ago Swedish punks Viagra Boys: ‘It’s freeing for people to see a dude let his gut hang out’

They’ve hauled themselves from the toilet circuit to arenas, as frontman Sebastian Murphy has got over drug addiction – but, he says, they’re still letting their freak flag flySlouched on a sofa in a former cement factory in Stockholm, Viagra Boys’ Swedish-American frontman and lyricist Sebastian Murphy is recalling a low point in his life, several years ago. He points to a tattoo on his heavily inked torso that sums it up. “It says ‘You need me’,” he explains in a tobacco-stained California burr. “When I did this tattoo, I was such a piece-of-shit drug addict who only cared about himself. I thought it was funny. I don’t need you guys – you need me.” It inspired You N33d Me, one of the best tracks on the sax-blasting post-punk band’s electrifying, sort-of-self-titled fourth album Viagr Aboys. Hooked on amphetamines, pills and Valium at various points in his past, Murphy has been, by his own admission, the last person anybody needed around.But the strongest thing Murphy is consuming ...

Politics

24 h. ago DWP PIP cuts with exact percentage of each condition that will lose benefits

The DWP's response to a Freedom of Information Act request shows the number of people with various disabilities and illnesses who currently receive the PIP daily living allowance, having scored under four points in all categories.

Politics

58 h. ago The moment I knew: the Veronicas were on stage when I spotted him apologetically squeezing past people

Music journalist Ash London wasn’t looking for love when she took her seat at the Arias in 2016, but her stomach flipped when she saw a curly haired man in a black suitFind more stories from The moment I knew series hereLike most sane people, I’d always assumed “love at first sight” was a concept reserved solely for sappy romcoms and teenage diary musings. It certainly didn’t happen in real life, to real people, and it certainly couldn’t happen to me. I was entirely devoted to my career in radio and, after a particularly bad breakup, had all but sworn off love.It was November 2016 and raining. I remember, because I’d just had my hair and makeup done. I cursed the grey Sydney sky that was quickly turning my hair frizzy as I raced to the Star casino, like I did every year around this time. It was the Aria awards, which meant I’d soon be in a room with a few thousand people sipping free booze and growing increasingly raucous as the night progressed. This night was one for debauchery, d...

Politics

64 h. ago ‘People lay at my feet. I said: get up. They were silent’: Ukrainian survivors speak after Russia’s attack on Sumy

Alla Shyrshonkova was on a bus when Russian missiles hit the city. Now a toy bear and hippo mark the spot where 35 people, including two children, were killedLast weekend, Alla Shyrshonkova got on the 62 bus on a journey to her cottage near the Ukrainian city of Sumy. It was a warm spring day. “I thought I’d sit with friends, have some tea. Birds were singing. The weather was beautiful. It was so nice,” she recalled.“The bus was packed. There wasn’t a single free seat. People were standing. Some were going to church for Palm Sunday. There were families with children.” Continue reading...

Events

64 h. ago ‘I saw cars on fire. People were lying at my feet’: Ukrainian survivors describe Russia’s attack on Sumy

Alla Shyrshonkova was on a bus when Russian missiles hit the city. Now a toy bear and hippo mark the spot where 35 people, including two children, were killedLast weekend, Alla Shyrshonkova got on the 62 bus on a journey to her cottage near the Ukrainian city of Sumy. It was a warm spring day. “I thought I’d sit with friends, have some tea. Birds were singing. The weather was beautiful. It was so nice,” she recalled.“The bus was packed. There wasn’t a single free seat. People were standing. Some were going to church for Palm Sunday. There were families with children.” Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Free the nipple: Why are people still so afraid of women’s breasts?

As new research reveals most women disapprove of sheer outfits that expose their breasts, Olivia Petter asks what everyone is so afraid of

Politics

6 d. ago Handmaid’s Tale showrunners say show’s ‘chilling’ warning ‘was ignored’ by Trump voters

‘The series has been called a cautionary tale about what can happen when power is abused and people’s rights and freedoms are stripped away,’ said showrunner Eric Tuchman

Events

1 week ago Full list of people who can get free dental treatment worth up to £326.70

Unlike visiting a GP any dental check ups or treatment will cost you even if you have a NHS dentist

Economics

1 week ago New Mexico made childcare free. It lifted 120,000 people above the poverty line

The state, which has long ranked worst in the US for child wellbeing, became the first and only in the country to offer free childcare to a majority of familiesThere was a moment, just before the pandemic, when Lisset Sanchez thought she might have to drop out of college because the cost of keeping her three children in daycare was just too much.Even with support from the state, she and her husband were paying $800 a month – about half of what Sanchez and her husband paid for their mortgage in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Millions of people could see their State Pension taxed as 'freeze' set to end

The full New State Pension is set to increase from £221.20 to £230.30 per week - however the personal tax-free allowance will be frozen until 2028

Economics

2 w. ago Linlithgow MSP highlights 4.8 million free bus journeys made by under 22’s in West Lothian

New figures have revealed that over 200 million free bus journeys have been made by young people across Scotland.

Politics

2 w. ago People on DWP Universal Credit could get free £1,200 cash boost from Sunday

The Help to Save scheme gives Universal Credit claimants the chance to earn a bonus of 50p for every £1 they save – and there's a bonus at both the two and four year marks

Economics

2 w. ago More people claiming DWP Universal Credit can get free £1,200 cash boost from Sunday

The scheme was originally launched by the former Tory government in September 2018 as a way to encourage low-income households to save, and was due to end for good in April this year. However, Labour extended it for another two years

Economics

2 w. ago Monaka wears her cyclops mask to work: Niccolò Rastrelli’s best photograph

‘Japan is the mecca of cosplay. Monaka runs a cafe in Tokyo called Monster Party, where people go dressed as characters from a subculture known as tanganmen. Her brother is holding a picture of their mum’My personal projects have often focused on the topic of identity, so the world of cosplay immediately appealed to me. I knew nothing about it until I saw some photographs on Instagram and became interested in these people who spend their free time turning themselves into characters from manga, anime, movies and video games – or even into creations they’ve come up with by themselves.Italy’s biggest annual cosplay event is held in the region where I live, Tuscany. I started going and taking pictures, just on my phone at first, and that’s where I first approached cosplayers to ask if they’d like to help me with a project I had in mind. In the 1970s, John Olson took some portraits for Life magazine of musicians such as Frank Zappa and Elton John at home with their parents. They contrast...

Culture

2 w. ago New UK Government update on calls to change free bus travel scheme for people over 60

The national entitlement scheme operates UK-wide, but there are different eligibility rules under devolved governments.

Politics

2 w. ago Full list of people and benefits eligible for free NHS prescriptions and services

The NHS offers free prescriptions under a wide umbrella of eligibility criteria

Politics

2 w. ago Full list of people who can get free NHS prescriptions and services

The NHS offers extra medical help and support to those who suffer from specific conditions - and you could also be eligible for a range of free prescriptions or other services

Politics

2 w. ago Lawsuit claims Musk failed to make promised payments over 2024 petition signatures

A federal lawsuit accuses billionaire Elon Musk and the political action committee he started of failing to pay a suburban Philadelphia man more than $20,000 for getting people to sign a petition in favor of free speech and gun rights

Events

2 w. ago Trump will not stop until every American relic reflects his imaginary world view | Kellie Carter Jackson

The US president’s attack on the Smithsonian isn’t about truth. It’s about erasure, and ‘erasure is violence’Last week, Donald Trump issued another executive order, this one aimed directly at the Smithsonian Institution, and called for “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”. He contended that the Smithsonian had “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” and that it advocates “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive”. Specifically, the order targeted American history and art that focused on stories of race and racism.Being responsible for the distillation of the nation’s narrative is no small thing. The Smithsonian oversees 21 museums, libraries, research centers and the National zoo. Every year millions of people visit various sites that are free to the public. The collection of museums represents the pinnacle of public history and the story America tells the world about itself. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago People on this state benefit can claim 11 freebies and discounts worth £14,239 in April

As the cost of living crisis intensifies, pensioners on low incomes could get a financial boost by claiming a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit that's often overlooked

Economics