54 m. ago My cultural awakening: a punk band told me quit drinking. So I did

As a teen, I was surrounded by binge culture. But then a band called Minor Threat taught me it was radical to be sober – and it changed my lifeI started drinking when I was 14. It was how we’d have fun as kids in Aberdeen – I didn’t come across any youth clubs or anything particularly productive. You drank beer or alcopops in some shady lane, and you drank so quickly that you’d get drunk but then be sober enough to get home at 11pm so your parents wouldn’t notice anything. It wasn’t drinking for pleasure: binge drinking was just what everyone – regardless of social groups – seemed to be doing.During my teenage years I worked at a newsagent and I would read Kerrang! every week, which was extremely formative for me in discovering music. It’s incredible how many new bands I was introduced to, and just how my music taste evolved – from nu-metal bands such as Korn to Rage Against the Machine and, most influentially, Fugazi. Continue reading...

Culture

55 m. ago Original Sin book review: How we were fools to be fooled by Joe Biden’s people

Since this book was written we have learned Joe Biden has prostate cancer. The sad news was greeted with sympathy from all sides of the political divide, including Donald Trump. That would have been the response if, as president, Biden had declared in 2023 that he wasn’t going to run again on the basis of his age; there would have been lots of love, as there was at the start of George Clooney’s celebrated open letter to Biden in The New York Times telling him he loved him, but it was time to go.

Politics

55 m. ago Readers Letters: Trans extremists shut down hopes of reasoned discussion

Calm discussion, not insults, is needed in the gender debate, says reader

Politics

1 hour ago Tim Dowling: let my tortoise’s humiliating mishap be a lesson to him

A freak thunderstorm soaks the middle one on his way to our house (he’s come to raid the fridge), but the real drama is the toppled tortoise After an hour’s work on a hot morning I leave my office shed and return to the kitchen for a coffee. Halfway there I find the tortoise lying on his back on the path. He can’t have been there for more than an hour, as he wasn’t there when I came out.“What happened to you?” I say, setting him on his feet. But it’s pretty obvious what happened: he tried to exit the garden bed by climbing over the border of diagonally laid bricks and overbalanced. It’s an obstacle he surmounts without difficulty between five and 10 times a day in the warmer months, but occasionally – perhaps once every four years – he puts a foot wrong. So far, I have always been there to turn him back over. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Arsenal sent fresh Alexander Isak transfer warning ahead of final decision

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is one of a number of big names mentioned in connection with an Arsenal switch after Mikel Arteta's comments about the club's plans

Events

1 hour ago Tottenham must learn lesson from Man Utd's disastrous Erik ten Hag moment

MAC OF THE NET: Ange Postecoglou has given Daniel Levy a dilemma at Tottenham after winning the Europa League and ending the club's trophy drought amid a disastrous domestic campaign

Events

3 h. ago Gardeners urged to check underside of leaves immediately in May

As your plants begin to bloom this spring, experts warn to take care when checking your plant's leaves - you could be in a for a nasty shock that risks destroying your garden

Politics

3 h. ago Football fans to be given powers to stop clubs deserting local areas under new law plan

EXCLUSIVE: Labour by-election candidate David Russell says he will introduced a member's bill if he wins.

Society

3 h. ago Police make dire Charlotte May Lee vow after former TUI flight attendant's 'record cannabis haul'

Charlotte May Lee was arrested after stepping off SriLankan Airlines Flight UL 405 at Bandaranaike International Airport after staff allegedly discovered a stash of synthetic "kush" cannabis

Events

3 h. ago McVities Hobnobs and real reason behind biscuit's name leaving fans baffled

McVities' brand has become a household name worldwide, but do you know the story behind the name of their biscuits Hobnobs? It's so British - but it has caused some confusion.

Politics

3 h. ago Can you spot the hidden letter in this brain teaser? Only high IQs can in under 13 seconds

People with a high IQ can spot the hidden letter in this puzzling brainteaser with just a 13-second time limit - but it's really quite tricky, and has left plenty of people stumped

Politics

5 h. ago Kneecap brazenly mock the police and lead singalong about the death of Margaret Thatcher at latest London show

The Northern Irish group consisting of Mo Chara, DJ Provai and Moglai Bap held a last-minute gig at The 100 Club on Oxford Street ahead of a headline appearance at a London festival.

Events

6 h. ago REAL reason for Daniel Brocklebank's departure from Coronation Street is 'revealed'

News that the actor, 45 - who plays Billy Mayhew in the show - would be leaving Weatherfield in a 'sensational storyline' broke on Friday morning.

Politics

7 h. ago Terrifying moment hot air balloon crashes back down to earth near Mexican pyramids

The balloon made a 'forced landing' in San Martin de las Piramides after hitting an air pocket, according to a statement from the civil protection agency for the state of Mexico.

Events

8 h. ago Gary Neville responds to Nottingham Forest ban as Jamie Carragher makes feelings clear

Gary Neville has released a statement criticising Nottingham Forest after the club banned him from entering the City Ground to commentate on their upcoming game against Chelsea for Sky Sports

Politics

9 h. ago Thomas Tuchel points to Jude Bellingham and warns England stars over 'very unwise' snubs

Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham will link up with England next month even though he is due to undergo shoulder surgery after the Club World Cup this summer

Events

9 h. ago Challenge Cup: Bath breeze past Lyon in Cardiff to take massive step closer to historic treble

The Somerset club are riding high ahead of the Premiership run-in

Politics

9 h. ago Avengers: Doomsday update leaves Marvel movie fans bitterly disappointed

Disney has made a crucial decision around the upcoming features Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars

Politics

9 h. ago Gary Neville: Sky pundit denied access to City Ground for Nottingham Forest season finale against Chelsea

He had previously compared the club’s owner to a ‘mafia gang’

Sport

10 h. ago Love Island icon Maya Jama slips famous curves into slinky cut

Love Island host Maya Jama recently posed for a series of pictures wearing a white and black dress with cut-out sections as she sipped on cocktails with friends and fans

Politics