53 m. ago London West End al fresco dining pilot start date is 'too late'

London West End al fresco dining pilot start date is 'too late'  BBC

Politics

61 m. ago Woman hospitalised after popping spot in her 'triangle of death'

Alisha was prescribed four different drugs in a bid to keep the swelling down

Events

63 m. ago ‘Now it's about personal happiness’: popular Granny Wang dating show belies China’s plummeting marriage rate

Zhou Mei’s matchmaking show draws crowds in person and online, but young Chinese increasingly choose singledomThe crowd is sweltering under a red and gold awning, but Granny Wang has them rapt. Packed into the space in front of the 62-year-old’s small stage, and spilling out on to the wooden bleachers above, hundreds of people have gathered to hear Granny Wang – real name Zhao Mei – play matchmaker to young men and women at a daily show in a theme park in Kaifeng, an ancient city in central China’s Henan province.One man who volunteers to be set up comes on stage and tells Zhao that a previous relationship broke down due to a lack of time. “Well, now that you’ve met your ideal partner here, you’ll have the time,” she assures him, and the crowd cheers. Continue reading...

Culture

64 m. ago 'I was forced onto streets after marriage split but now have unique job'

Invisible Cities offers tours run by people who have experienced homelessness. For dad-of-two Andy it's been life-changing – and his clients love it too.

Politics

71 m. ago Why ‘extreme day trips’ are the new horrendous holiday trend

As tour operators launch day-long itineraries that pack an entire vacation into under 12 hours, Helen Coffey argues that there has never been a worse travel experience – for people or the planet

Politics

73 m. ago People are only just realising how often they should wash mattress protector

Bedding experts insist that one part of your bedding should be washed more often than you might think – so here's everything you need to know on the matter

Politics

91 m. ago ‘Unlike any other kind of fear’: wildfires leave their mark across Spain

Near-disaster in Paüls is latest incident to show Spain’s vulnerability to the effects of the climate emergencyOn Saturday, the people of Paüls will celebrate the feast of their patron saint, Sant Roc, with a mass, followed by a communal meal eaten at stone tables, jota folk dances and a profound and lingering sense of relief.Last month’s wildfire – which turned the night skies a hellish orange, blackened the surrounding hills and devoured 3,300 hectares (8,154 acres) of land – was a near-disaster that stirred memories of the 2009 blaze in nearby Horta de Sant Joan that killed five firefighters. Continue reading...

Events

94 m. ago Death toll after monsoon floods in Pakistan rises to more than 320

Most of the dead were reported in the mountainous province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with more rain forecastThe death toll from heavy monsoon rains that have triggered flash floods across northern Pakistan has risen to at least 321 people in the past 48 hours, the country’s disaster authority said on Saturday.The majority of the deaths, 307, were recorded in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Continue reading...

Events

94 m. ago Adam Collard confesses real reason for postponing wedding to age

EXCLUSIVE: Adam Collard has revealed why he and his fiancée Laura Woods have postponed their wedding date for one surprising reason, and confirms when they will tie the knot.

Politics

1 hour ago Vet shares five things he'd never do with his dog but not everyone agrees

A vet shared the five things he would never do with his dog as he issued a warning to pet owners everywhere - and while most people agree, some think it's too extreme

Politics

2 h. ago 'I wanted to spend less time on my smartphone so I ditched it for this classic device'

A woman on TikTok has invented a landline phone that connects to her smartphone and landline via Bluetooth in her attempt to minimise her screen time once and for all

Politics

2 h. ago Woman gobsmacked after finding what previous owners left in her new house

A woman got the literal fright of her life when she moved into her new home and opened the door to find the shocking item the previous owners had left in the kitchen

Politics

3 h. ago ‘I’m the one to beat’: is Taylor Swift’s Showgirl era set to take h to even greater heights?

Just-announced album already looks like it will make singer and partner Travis Kelce hysterically famous at a new level – and that may be precisely their planTaylor Swift’s podcast interview with her American football player boyfriend, Travis Kelce, this week yielded plenty of tidbits for fans. Across two hours of loose chat on New Heights, the show Kelce helms with his brother Jason – also a football player – Swift revealed she was obsessed with sourdough and lurked on baking blogs. The couple spent the summer with her family, caring for her 73-year-old father, Scott, after he had a quintuple heart bypass. She gave Kelce a lesson on Hamlet and taught him how to avoid internalising speculation about their two-year relationship. You could call them the tentpoles of the 35-year-old pop star’s brand: literary passions and professional self-awareness.One surprising revelation came near the end. Until the record-breaking 149-date Eras tour that Swift mounted from 2023-24, she said she ha...

Politics

3 h. ago Blind date: ‘Did we kiss? My mom didn’t raise me to be a prude’

Jonah, 31, a data analyst, meets Sunny, 30, an arts and lifestyle journalistWhat were you hoping for? Someone fun to share the sunny evening with. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago ‘I’m the one to beat’: is Taylor Swift’s Showgirl era set to take her to even greater heights?

Just-announced album already looks like it will make singer and partner Travis Kelce hysterically famous at a new level – and that may be precisely their planTaylor Swift’s podcast interview with her American football player boyfriend, Travis Kelce, this week yielded plenty of tidbits for fans. Across two hours of loose chat on New Heights, the show Kelce helms with his brother Jason – also a football player – Swift revealed she was obsessed with sourdough and lurked on baking blogs. The couple spent the summer with her family, caring for her 73-year-old father, Scott, after he had a quintuple heart bypass. She gave Kelce a lesson on Hamlet and taught him how to avoid internalising speculation about their two-year relationship. You could call them the tentpoles of the 35-year-old pop star’s brand: literary passions and professional self-awareness.One surprising revelation came near the end. Until the record-breaking 149-date Eras tour that Swift mounted from 2023-24, she said she ha...

Politics

3 h. ago LookFantastic knocks over £20 off 'show stopper' designer perfume

'The best in my shelf. And the perfect go to for a date night/dinner night with your partner. The smell is mesmerising. The waiter walked past and turned around to ask what I was wearing. So definitely a show stopper perfume.'

Economics

3 h. ago People with 7 health concerns and disabilities may be eligible for extra DWP help

The Access to Work scheme is designed to help people with disabilities or conditions get jobs or stay in work

Politics

3 h. ago Thomas Edison and Henry Ford among the original snowbirds: The rich going to Florida for the winters

Thomas Edison and Henry Ford are famous for their innovations in electricity generation and automobiles respectively, but they were also at the forefront of a massively popular trend in Florida: Rich people from up north spending the cold winter months in the Sunshine State

Politics

4 h. ago ‘It’s nearly come full circle’: Charlestown proud of Gallagher connection as Oasis come to Ireland

Liam and Noel used to be taken for summer holidays with relatives in Mayo and kept returning after finding fameEmigration ripped the heart out of Charlestown: generations of young people took the boat to England and left behind derelict homes and shuttered shops, a hollowing chronicled in a landmark 1968 book, The Death of an Irish Town.Some returned to this corner of County Mayo for summer holidays – with children who were growing up with English accents and city ways – before vanishing back across the Irish Sea and leaving Charlestown to its decay. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Woman horrified after pregnant friend choses 'intestinal' name for baby girl

People urged her to 'risk her friendship' with the mum-to-be in order to try to save the child from inevitable bullying.

Politics