36 m. ago EastEnders confirm Sharon Watts' return in rare teaser and it's not what fans expected

The BBC has released a rare EastEnders trailer which has confirmed the return of two legendary characters - and fans are over the moon

Politics

59 m. ago An expert reveals the five easy ways you can improve your focus and concentration span

It's official: our concentration spans are shrinking. Bookworm turned doomscroller Harriet Green laments the lost pleasure of novel reading

Politics

74 m. ago Pussycat Doll star 'in talks' to return to I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts is reportedly in talks to return to I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! for the All Stars series, which is set to take place in South Africa

Politics

1 hour ago Tottenham and Arsenal miss Eberechi Eze release clause deadline

Crystal Palace star’s £68m buyout clause expired on Friday

Events

1 hour ago The Guide #204: The local dystopian TV shows captivating global audiences

In this week’s newsletter: A new wave of post-apocalyptic dramas are serving up disaster tales shaped by the cultures they come from, and the results are fascinatingI’m scandalously late to The Eternaut (El Eternauta), the Argentinian dystopian thriller that was released way back in April on Netflix. I inhaled all six episodes of the show’s first season only a few weeks ago, after a glowing review on the podcast The Watch (which was also fairly late to it, making me feel a little better about my own finger-off-the-pulseness). Anyway, it’s absolutely terrific, an end-of-the-world chiller that is vividly, realistically rooted in the socio-politics of the country in which it is set. This despite a premise that sees Buenos Aires beset by an unseasonal flurry of what turns out to be killer snow.That specificity, as anyone familiar with The Eternaut will know, is mixed into the story’s foundations. The show is based on Héctor Germán Oesterheld’s 1957 comic strip of the same name, which pr...

Events

1 hour ago What links Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Ariana Grande? The Saturday quiz

From chicken jockey to swearing consultant, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz1 Which singer was officially declared a national hero of Barbados in 2021?2 What made a landfall on 29 August 2005 near Buras-Triumph, Louisiana?3 Which film immortalised the phrase “chicken jockey”?4 What is the oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture?5 Ian Martin was the swearing consultant on which TV series?6 What are China’s two special administrative regions?7 Skeet and trap are disciplines of which Olympic sport?8 What organisation did Harry Pollitt lead for almost 30 years?What links: 9 An American Tragedy; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; Mrs Dalloway; The Great Gatsby; The Trial?10 The Beatles; John Travolta; John Lennon; Frankie Goes to Hollywood; Madonna; Ariana Grande?11 Reeves; Reeve; Cain; Routh; Cavill; Corenswet?12 Iquitos; Leticia; Manaus and Macapá?13 Adam and Eve; Four Horsemen; Praying Hands; Rhinoceros; Young Hare?14 Giuseppe Savoldi (Napoli) and Olivia Smith (Arsenal)?15 1960...

Politics

1 hour 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

1 hour ago Long Story Short: this Jewish family comedy from the creator of BoJack Horseman is painfully beautiful

A sweeping, hilarious family saga told in multiple timelines from the 50s to the present day. Yes, that’s right – it’s basically Bluey meets TolstoyLike schoolboys, my friend Charlie and I send each other coded messages. One of these is “Am back on the horse”, which means “Rewatching BoJack Horseman”, which means “Having a mental health crisis”. The recipient knows to go to the other’s house with Danish pastries and some grass to touch. That show changed my life. The Simpsons had redefined what a cartoon could be, Ren & Stimpy and South Park were transgressive thrill-rides. But Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s tale of a washed-up actor chasing redemption wasn’t just adult; it was profound.So I was worried, approaching the new animated series from that show’s creators. It’s not about celebrity. There are no talking dogs or porcupines, or underwater worlds. No Will Arnett. How could I watch without expectation? It feels unfair yet unavoidable to keep an artist’s previous work in mind. Isn’t...

Politics

2 h. ago South London hospital staff set to strike over 'Mickey Mouse' contracts

Ballot result showed 98% support for the strike

Events

2 h. ago Shark launches limited edition cordless vacuum inspired by Brad Pitt blockbuster

Shark has released a new cordless vacuum inspired by Apple's F1: The Movie, and it comes with a feature users 'didn't know' they needed.

Politics

2 h. ago New skills needed for driving theory test and when exam will change

The new questions will be rolling out from early 2026, with official guides and learning material already updated

Events

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 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 Prisoners who break jail rules 'should be barred from early release'

The Scottish Tories made the call amid a rising number of incidents

Events

3 h. ago Miracle as boy SURVIVES three days trapped at bottom of ravine after 240ft plunge

Dakota "Cody" Trenkle Jr had a skateboarding accident near his grandmother's home in Goose Creek Lake, Missouri, and became trapped down the ravine as a result

Events

3 h. ago What to Stream: Offset, John Cena, John Grisham and legal fights by Jussie Smollett and Amanda Knox

Migos rapper Offset releasing his third solo album “Kiari” and Samara Weaving playing a reformed getaway driver in the heist thriller “Eenie Meanie” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you

Sport

4 h. ago SNP and Labour spending row as Nationalists claim £100bn 'wasted' since general election

It comes after figures released earlier this week showed that £91.4bn in tax receipts was raised in Scotland last year, with £117.6 billion forked out in public spending.

Economics

6 h. ago Trump planning $50 million ad blitz to support Kristi Noem’s deportation campaign after she was roasted on South Park

Noem, dubbed ‘ICE Barbie,’ has been criticized for publicity stunts where she dresses up as a federal immigration agent

Politics

8 h. ago Former Nashville officer gets probation after alleged participation in adult video while on duty

A former Nashville police officer has been sentenced to probation on a charge of felony official misconduct after law enforcement officials say he allegedly participated in an adult video while on duty

Events

8 h. ago Fuzzy hats and a ban on swearing: the New Zealand town that bonds over curling

Scottish goldminers first brought the sport to Central Otago and the traditions live on as farmers sweep stones and catch up on the iceOn a July evening in Alexandra, a small town in New Zealand’s South Island, the temperature is a chilly 3C. While most of the town is in quiet darkness, at Ice Inline Molyneux Park, the lights are on and the banter is abundant. It’s a social curling night, and the shouts of “sweeeep!” can be heard from the car park. Players from teams with names such as the “Plonkers”, “Too Dam Cold” and “Doome and Broom” gather on the outdoor ice rink, sweeping furiously as 11kg curling stones move across the ice.L-R: A collection of enamel badges from curling competitions and tournaments. Curling stones ready to be put away after a Thursday night social curling game in Alexandra. Continue reading...

Politics