50 m. ago Why west Cornwall is the perfect place to mark the winter solstice

With ancient standing stones and modern midwinter festivals, the West Penwith peninsula is a land of magic and mysteryThe light is fading fast as I stand inside Tregeseal stone circle near St Just. The granite stones of the circle are luminous in this sombre landscape, like pale, inquisitive ghosts gathered round to see what we’re up to. Above us, a sea of withered bracken and gorse rises to Carn Kenidjack, the sinister rock outcrop that dominates the naked skyline. At night, this moor is said to be frequented by pixies and demons, and sometimes the devil himself rides out in search of lost souls.Unbothered by any supernatural threat, we are gazing seawards, towards the smudges on the horizon that are the distant Isles of Scilly. The clouds crack open and a flood of golden light falls over the islands. My companion, archaeoastronomer Carolyn Kennett, and I gasp. It is marvellous natural theatre which may have been enjoyed by the people who built this circle 4,000 years ago. Continue...

Politics

78 m. ago Sick couple jailed after leaving baby with fractured skull, broken wrists and brain damage

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Craig Neill and Amy Cave have been jailed after a baby was left with life-threatening injuries, having been swung or thrown against a wall

Events

80 m. ago Sir Ian McKellen lends his support as Number One Apple Peeler, as our Winter Appeal passes £2.6M

“Without places like this, I would be starving.” Ian McKellen and Evgeny Lebedev visit a doughty project getting life-saving fresh food from a funded partner of our appeal

Economics

85 m. ago 'I have to live the rest of my life without my son... I just want this change to happen'

Eli Testa was tragically killed after a cross on top of a gravestone fell on him in Rawtenstall

Politics

91 m. ago Golf v woke: Why tonight’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year has the potential to be the most controversial ever

Comment: After the year of his life, the award should go to Rory McIlroy - though it does not make it a scandal if the public decides to crown someone else

Sport

99 m. ago 'At 4am on a Sunday morning, I faced the worst moment of my life'

On Mother’s Day 2021, Natalie Bolton’s husband suddenly collapsed and died at home. In the years since, she has faced grief, PTSD, and the challenge of rebuilding her life.

Politics

1 hour ago How city living is persuading Glaswegian tawny owls to change their hunting habits

In bad news for rats, tawny owls are adapting to life on brightly lit city streets

Politics

2 h. ago When panto goes horribly, painfully wrong: ‘it was the worst chafing of my life’

Panto season is upon us, and for the performers, anything could happen. Actors recall their most excruciating moments – from a panic attack while dressed as a cow, to dripping blood while in flight as Peter PanWhen panto goes wrong, the show must always go on. And there is a lot that could go wrong: malfunctioning pyrotechnics, panic attacks, chafing thighs, broken props, broken bones, bruised egos – and that’s before you get live animals involved. Missed cues and forgotten lines are small potatoes by comparison. So with panto season once again in full swing, we speak to seasoned professionals about the exhausting, error-laden, explosive truth behind the most “magical” season of the year.Adam Buksh played The Genie in Aladdin at Howden Park Centre, Livingston, West Lothian, in 2013 It was halfway through the show when Aladdin got trapped in the cave. Our version was based on the original story, One Thousand and One Nights (not Disney’s), in which Aladdin possesses two magical entiti...

Politics

4 h. ago Washington plane crash: US government admits mistakes made before 'needless loss of life'

The US government has admitted it is partly liable for the collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet near Washington DC that killed 67 people

Events

4 h. ago US government admits part in 'needless loss of life' after deadly Washington plane crash

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the American Airlines jet in January, killing 67 people

Events

5 h. ago Princess Ingrid Alexandra breaks silence over the Bondi Beach shooting after settling into uni life in Sydney

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, who has lived in Sydney this year, is the latest royal to speak out to the people of Australia and the Jewish community following the Bondi Beach massacre.

Politics

5 h. ago Couple who won dream £3million Omaze home are in bitter fight to evict their son from house they bought him... because he's not paying any rent

A bitter courtroom battle, which pits Rose and Tony Doyle against her son Brian Cassidy, centres on a home in Birmingham which the couple bought following their life-changing raffle win.

Economics

6 h. ago Alarming rise in whooping cough cases as vaccination rates drop, investigation finds

Whooping cough starts out like a common cold but can be life-threatening to babies

Events

6 h. ago Couple who won dream £3million Omaze home are in bitter fight to evict their son from house they bought him for not paying any rent

A bitter courtroom battle, which pits Rose and Tony Doyle against her son Brian Cassidy, centres on a home in Birmingham which the couple bought following their life-changing raffle win.

Economics

7 h. ago EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Divorce blow for inspiring disabled artist Alison Lapper

Those who have followed the remarkable life story of Alison Lapper - born without arms and with shortened legs due to phocomelia - will be dismayed by the latest jink in her road.

Politics

7 h. ago Children's tsar urges parents to their ditch phones during Christmas family time

Smartphones are a 'tragedy' for family life as parents and children get swallowed up by social media. Campaigners and the Children's Commissioner are urging parents to ditch their phones

Society

9 h. ago Frankie Bridge's 'heartbreak' as youngest son struggles with life

Frankie Bridge says she feels 'helpless' as her son refuses to go to back to school.

Politics

9 h. ago Parents of Scots teen who took own life after sextortion scam sue tech firm Meta

Murray Dowey died after he was preyed upon by Nigerian scammers posing as a young girl.

Politics

9 h. ago Former Welsh boxer loses leg after being hit by Royal Mail delivery driver

The Royal Mail driver, who had been waving to someone while behind the wheel, had a 'momentary lapse of concentration' which led to the man suffering life-changing injuries

Events

10 h. ago 21 fascinating photos of Wales from the 1900s to 1920s showing life 100 years ago

These captivating images from the early 20th century provide a fascinating glimpse into how Wales has transformed over time

Culture