65 m. ago Quiet UK village with amazing history could triple in size under huge new plan

The village could be set to grow from a small village of about 1,200 homes into a big 3,400-home new town, according to the latest plans

Politics

85 m. ago Beasts of the Sea: the tragic story of how the ‘gentle, lovable’ sea cow became the perfect victim

Iida Turpeinen’s novel has been a sensation in her native Finland. On the eve of its UK publication, she talks about her compulsion to tell of the sociable giant’s plightIida Turpeinen is the author of Beasts of the Sea, a Finnish novel tracing the fate of a now-extinct species: the sea cow. Similar to dugongs and manatees, the sea cow was only discovered in 1741 by the shipwrecked German-born naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller but by 1768 it had already become the first marine species to be eradicated by humans.Translated into 28 languages and shortlisted for the country’s most prestigious literary award, the Finlandia Prize, Beasts of the Sea was described by the Helsinki Literacy Agency as the most internationally successful Finnish debut novel ever. Turpeinen, 38, a PhD student of comparative literature, is now a resident novelist at Finland’s Natural History Museum. Her book will be published in the UK on 23 October. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago ‘I said goodbye to Heath Ledger at this urinal’: a stroll round Terry Gilliam’s pivotal places

The studio where he crashed the Life of Brian spaceship, the stage where he put on a Faust that caused fights, the pub where he last spoke to Heath Ledger the ex-Python takes a hilarious and evocative stroll down memory laneDown an alley in Covent Garden, on a building that was once a banana warehouse, there is a blue plaque. “Monty Python, Film Maker, Lived Here, 1976-1987,” reads the inscription. It’s easy to miss: the plaque is not at eye level as they normally are, but up on the first floor, almost as if the blue plaque committee lost confidence in their uncharacteristic joke. Or perhaps John Cleese put it up.Terry Gilliam arrives. I like his jacket. It looks like it’s been stitched together from bits of blankets. “Me too,” he says. “I got it 30 years ago in a secondhand store in New York.” We’re going to wander around London, revisiting places that have played significant parts in his career, as he approaches his 85th birthday. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago I fell at the top of a mountain – and trekked for five days with a broken spine in a snowstorm

While navigating a steep trail, Jean Muenchrath lost her grip. She was horrifically injured, with a shattered tailbone, pubic bone and hip fractures, internal bleeding, a head wound and one on her buttock that turned gangrenous. There was no choice but to get home ...As Jean Muenchrath stood at the summit of Mount Whitney, a storm thundered in. It was May 1982, and here, at the highest point of the contiguous US, she and her boyfriend Ken were coming to the end of a month-long ski and hike, 223 miles along the John Muir Trail, through the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California.The trip had been gruelling at times – equipment had broken and they had been threatened by bears and avalanches. But it had also been exhilarating. At 22, Muenchrath was fit, strong and an experienced hiker. She had skied since she was a child and worked as a ranger for the US national park service in Montana; she and Ken, who she had met at university, had been on many smaller adventures while preparing ...

Events

6 h. ago One dead after rare tornado topples construction cranes near Paris

The tornado killed one construction worker on a building site, injured 10 others and left four in critical conditionA tornado tore through districts north of Paris on Monday, toppling three construction cranes that killed one person and left four others with critical injuries, authorities said.The town of Ermont, about 20km (13 miles) north-east of Paris was worst hit by the sudden twister that caused damage across about 10 districts. Continue reading...

Events

6 h. ago The bargain properties that could leave their owners HOMELESS: estate agents rush to sell coastal homes for just £30k before they fall into the sea

The houses sit on the fastest-eroding stretch of coastline in Europe, where fierce storms can wash away 20 metres of beach overnight, meaning homes could be in the water within years.

Economics

6 h. ago 'She would view it as a victory': Virginia Giuffre's ghostwriter speaks out on shamed Prince Andrew losing his titles hours before memoir is released

In an interview with Newsnight on Monday, Amy Wallace, the co-author Nobody's Girl, welcomed the news that Prince Andrew was starting to see his 'life eroded'.

Politics

6 h. ago UK's UFO hotspot revealed as tiny town sees more aliens per 100k people than anywhere else

With the UK recording on average around 400 UFO sightings each year, new data has now revealed the best place to spot them, as a quaint Welsh town tops the list

Politics

8 h. ago Hulu saw its rate of cancellations double after Kimmel was pulled from the air: report

Kimmel’s short suspension in September caused a wave of public outcry, which included boycotts of Disney’s streaming services

Politics

8 h. ago Parents of Sarah Everard killed by police officer call for 'life sentence' name change

Justice for Victims said the public is too often given 'the false assurance some of the most dangerous criminals will be locked away for life, when that is not the case'

Events

9 h. ago Three cases of severe mpox reported in California, health officials say

Unrelated cases mark first time clade I of disease formerly known as monkeypox has spread within US, officials sayThree California residents have been infected with clade I mpox, a more severe strain of the virus formerly known as monkeypox – marking the first time this type of mpox has spread within the US, health officials said on Friday.The unrelated cases, identified in Long Beach and Los Angeles county, involve patients who had not recently traveled abroad. All three were hospitalized and are now recovering, according to the California department of public health. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago At least one person dead and dozens injured after huge tornado strikes French town

AT LEAST one person has died and dozens injured after an enormous tornado hit a French town. The soaring twister also struck and collapsed three cranes as it tore through Ermont, northern Paris earlier today. Dozens of residents in the Val d'Oise have been evacuated from their homes and are taking shelter at a local...

Events

9 h. ago ‘It’s all just wonderful’: minnows Mjällby win unlikely Swedish title for first time

Team from a town with a population of under 1,400Jacob Bergström and Tom Pettersson score in 2-0 winMjällby scored twice in the first half to secure a 2-0 victory at IFK Gothenburg and claim a sensational first Allsvenskan league title for the unfancied club from a tiny fishing village in the south of the country.Jacob Bergström scored with a close-range bicycle kick in the 21st minute and Tom Pettersson poked home a second goal seven minutes later as their side took an unassailable 11-point lead over second-placed Hammarby with three games left to play. Continue reading...

Politics

10 h. ago Adele makes rare public appearance after 6 months with striking new look

Hit singer Adele has been seen for the first time in six months after she told crowds that she was 'going away for a long time'

Events

10 h. ago Adele makes rare public appearance after six months with striking new look

Hit singer Adele has been seen for the first time in six months after she told crowds that she was 'going away for a long time'

Events

10 h. ago Comey asks judge to dismiss criminal charges claiming selective prosecution

Ex-FBI director claims he is victim of selective prosecution and charges were filed by unlawfully appointed attorneyFormer FBI director James Comey formally asked a federal judge to dismiss criminal charges against him, arguing he was the victim of a selective prosecution and that the US attorney who filed the charges was unlawfully appointed.“The record as it currently exists shows a clear causal link between President Trump’s animus and the prosecution of Mr Comey,” Comey’s lawyers wrote in their request to dismiss the case, calling a 20 September Truth Social post in which he disparaged Comey and called for his prosecution “smoking gun evidence”. “President Trump’s repeated public statements and action leave no doubt as to the government’s genuine animus toward Mr Comey.” Comey’s lawyers attached an exhibit to their filing on Monday, which contains dozens of public statements from Trump criticizing Comey. Continue reading...

Events

10 h. ago Construction appears to start on Trump’s $250m White House ballroom

Demolition in East Wing reportedly under way for one of the largest projects at White House in more than a centuryConstruction crews appear to have started demolishing part of the East Wing of the White House to make way for Donald Trump’s planned ballroom.The Washington Post, which obtained and published photos of the demolition activity and cited two eyewitnesses, reported on Monday that demolition is under way and shared an image showing construction in progress and parts of the exterior ripped down. Continue reading...

Politics

10 h. ago This coastal walled town has a medieval castle and has waterside pubs

Located in beautiful Pembrokeshire, the particularly walled town offers a charming blend of historical charm with a traditional market atmosphere, local shops, and proximity to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

Events

11 h. ago Palace under pressure over claims Prince Andrew hired trolls to discredit Virginia Giuffre

Virginia Giuffre claimed in her posthumous memoir, which will be published tomorrow, that Prince Andrew's 'team' allegedly tried to hire 'internet trolls to hassle' her

Politics

11 h. ago Theo Walcott on his shock at Jack Wilshere’s manager decision and why he might be next

As Wilshere embarks on his first job in management, fellow Arsenal golden boy Walcott speaks to Will Castle about how his former teammate’s career path caught him by surprise - and why he might end up following suit

Events