32 m. ago 'I would gamble my wages away as soon as I got them': How I lost £50,000

Adverts that target women and too-good-to-be-true offers have sparked a rise in female gambling. One victim tells Steve Boggan how she became an online gaming addict

Economics

33 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

34 m. ago Thursday Murder Club's Daniel Mays shares 'uncomfortable' behind the scenes secret

Daniel Mays plays DCI Chris Hudson in The Thursday Murder Club film.

Society

64 m. ago Daughter helps find missing mum's body on girlfriend's porch after 'foul smell'

Shannon McCarthy from Jacksonville has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing her partner, Heather Sheppard, whose remains were discovered on a porch

Events

73 m. ago Girl, 13, from Greater Manchester dies as boy arrested for murder and rape

Casey was found unresponsive in a flat in Huddersfield on Monday evening and was pronounced dead in hospital

Events

93 m. ago My Cultural Awakening: Years & Years helped me accept my bisexual identity

Olly Alexander’s stage presence and his band’s lyrics pulled together the two sides of my nature, and accept my desire for menI first discovered Olly Alexander, of Years & Years, by accident. I was teaching English as a foreign language in South Korea, and I showed a video of a BBC Glastonbury roundup on the projector as part of the lesson. I remember glimpsing an incredibly cute blond guy on stage, and being transfixed. I knew immediately that he was gay because the way he moved was unashamedly fluid and graceful. He was doing a pirouette.The clip was so short there wasn’t even a mention of the name of the band, so I had to do some detective work. I Googled something ridiculous like “bleached hair gay man Glastonbury 2015” and trawled through hundreds of search results until I found him. Continue reading...

Politics

94 m. ago Welsh lighthouse horror as keeper forced to live with corpse as he went slowly mad

The Lighthouse, directed by Robert Eggers, is a psychological horror film that was partly inspired by a real-life tragedy that took place more than 200 years ago on the far coast of Wales

Society

1 hour ago Gardener who tended to £200,000 cannabis factory was caught when police found a set of keys

Blloshmi Albi, 33, who came to the UK illegally in order to 'make money', was stopped by police who found his mobile phone and a set of keys

Events

2 h. ago Classic superfood diet eaten by millions has multiple health benefits

The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy eating plan that has been associated with a number of health benefits. Now, a food expert has shared the 10 essential ingredients to include in the diet to help lower the risk of heart disease and premature death

Society

2 h. ago ‘I have a daily battle with myself not to go on Ozempic’: Jade Thirlwall on anorexia, protest in pop and life after Little Mix

As part of the hugely successful girlband, she had to contend with an eating disorder, racism and a hostile tabloid press. Now JADE the solo artist is conquering the charts with her unorthodox pop bangers and unfiltered attitudeIt’s customary for former girlband members to shun their manufactured roots the second they go solo. But now that Jade Thirlwall is no longer a member of Little Mix, she’s become their biggest fan. “I look back and I’m gagged at us!” she tells me, eyes wide with delight. “I still watch our music videos or performances and wonder how we weren’t even bigger, because we were fucking amazing.“Before I released my first solo song, I listened to Little Mix’s entire discography and cried. I was this young lass from South Shields who just wanted to make it as a singer, and I went on to be in the best, coolest girlband ever.” And now? “Now I get to have a bonus round, doing my own songs,” she beams. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Monastic music that survived Henry VIII’s dissolution brought back to life

Buckland Abbey recreates music telling of medieval life in extraordinary discoveryAlmost five centuries ago a community of monks in the West Country of England gathered to sing, imploring their God to help them endure the challenges of medieval life.Thanks to an extraordinary discovery of music that survived Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries in the early 16th century, the songs created by the Buckland Abbey monks were ringing out again across the hills and woods of the Tavy valley in Devon this weekend.The University of Exeter Chapel Choir will perform the music live in Buckland Abbey’s medieval Great Barn on 16 and 17 August. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago ‘What I eat in a day’ videos are everywhere. Are they a toxic influence or helpful reminder to eat well?

Influencers are sharing everything they eat in a day as part of a viral social media trend but is this fuelling unhealthy obsessions with food asks Chloe Laws

Events

2 h. ago 'Having the time and space to say our goodbyes to our daughter helped us grieve'

'Those three weeks were absolutely crucial'

Politics

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

4 h. ago Schoolgirl meets woman who saved her life as bone marrow donor flies from US to Scotland

Ava Todd, now 12, met up with the stranger from Oklahoma who helped to save the brave girl's life in 2016.

Culture

4 h. ago Trump tells Fox News that Zelensky has ‘got to make a deal’ with Putin after Alaska summit

Speaking on Fox News’ ‘Hannity’, Trump vowed to attend a meeting with leaders of Ukraine and Russia: ‘They both want me there, and I'll be there’

Politics

5 h. ago Trump says no Ukraine agreement after Putin talks as he advises Zelenskyy to ‘make a deal’ – live

US president tells Fox’s Sean Hannity meeting with Russian leader in Alaska was ‘10’ out of 10 and puts onus on Ukrainian presidentNo deal after brief Trump-Putin talks on Ukraine in AlaskaThe president has yet to deplane, but is currently greeting Alaska governor Muke Dunleavy and senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, all Republicans, aboard Air Force One, per the White House.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also says that for the expanded bilateral meeting and lunch, Trump, Rubio, and Witkoff will be joined by treasury secretary Scott Bessent, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Five common myths about PIP that could be costing people up to £749 a month

Personal Independence Payments can be a much-needed lifeline for disabled people, but thousands may be unnecessarily turning down this help

Economics

5 h. ago Bob Simpson, former Australia cricket captain and coach, dies aged 89

Simpson played 62 Tests across more than two decades after debut in 1957Australia’s first full-time coach helped guide team’s reemergence in 1980sFormer Australia cricket captain and coach, Bob Simpson, has died in Sydney aged 89.Robert Baddeley Simpson was an influential figure in Australian cricket for more than four decades as a player, captain and coach, and also made his mark on the game as a law-maker, referee and commentator. Continue reading...

Events

6 h. ago Gardening expert names exactly the best time to prune apple trees

If you're growing apple trees in your garden make sure to follow this expert's advice on when best to prune them to help avoid disease and ensure optimal fruit growth

Politics