6 h. ago My cultural awakening: Buffy gave me the courage to escape my conservative Pakistani upbringing

The vampire slayer’s tenacity and independence freed me from the judgment and violence of my conservative relatives – and now my mum appreciates me for who I amI was 10, cross-legged on the floor of my parents’ living room in Newcastle, bathed in the blue light of a TV. The volume was set to near-silence – my dad, asleep in another room, had schizophrenia and frontal lobe syndrome, and I didn’t want to wake him. Then, like some divine interruption to the endless blur of news and repeats, I stumbled across Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show may have been barely audible, but it hit me like a lightning bolt.Before Buffy, life was like a pressure cooker. I secretly yearned for a more alternative lifestyle, but even wearing jeans would have been a big deal in my family. I had an assisted place at a private school as my parents were quite poor. Mum would say: “If you don’t study, we’ll have to put you in the other school, and you’ll just get beaten up.” It sounds like fear-monge...

Politics

6 h. ago Ugly truth about beauty rating apps which 'distort child's sense of who they are'

Experts link 'prettiness' rating apps to anxiety and bullying in kids, while a new study warned the increasingly image-manipulated social media may even have a greater effect on mental health than seeing violence

Politics

7 h. ago Monty Don urges anyone growing tomatoes to do one thing in July

Gardeners looking forward to delicious tomato crops this summer should complete this one simple task to protect their plants from a fast-spreading and preventable disease

Politics

8 h. ago Countries should keep their statehood if land disappears under sea, experts say

Long-awaited ILC report examines what should happen to vulnerable countries as sea levels riseStates should be able to continue politically even if their land disappears underwater, legal experts have said.The conclusions come from a long-awaited report by the International Law Commission that examined what existing law means for continued statehood and access to key resources if sea levels continue to rise due to climate breakdown. Continue reading...

Events

8 h. ago Budapest Pride expected to be a rallying cry against Orbán’s rollback of rights

Record numbers expected at march despite Hungary’s leader saying those attending will face ‘legal consequences’Record numbers of people are expected to take part in Budapest Pride on Saturday, with Hungarians joining forces with campaigners and politicians from across Europe in a march that has become a potent symbol of pushback against the Hungarian government’s steady rollback of rights.“This weekend, all eyes are on Budapest,” Hadja Lahbib, the European commissioner for equality, told reporters in the Hungarian capital on Friday. “This is bigger than one Pride celebration, one Pride march. It is about the right to be who you are, to love who you want, whether it is in Budapest, in Brussels or anywhere else.” Continue reading...

Politics

11 h. ago Police chief, 48, reveals how she 'jumps if the doorbell goes' after 80

Assistant Commissioner Pippa Mills, 48, said the impact of being harassed by Richard Jackson now gives her 'sleepless nights'.

Events

16 h. ago US says Haitians can be deported – days after ruling Haiti unsafe for Americans

Trump administration revokes temporary protected status for citizens of country racked by deadly violenceMore than half a million Haitians are facing the prospect of deportation from the US after the Trump administration announced that the Caribbean country’s citizens would no longer be afforded shelter under a government program created to protect the victims of major natural disasters or conflicts.Haiti has been engulfed by a wave of deadly violence since the 2021 murder of its president, Jovenel Moïse. Heavily armed gangs have brought chaos to its capital, Port-au-Prince, since launching an insurrection that toppled the prime minister last year. On Tuesday, the US embassy in Haiti urged US citizens to abandon the violence-stricken Caribbean country. “Depart Haiti as soon as possible,” it wrote on X. Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago UN commission says Syria must end violence against Alawites and protect places of worship

The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria reports ongoing sectarian violence despite commitments from Syria's new government to protect minorities

Events

21 h. ago Great British Bake Off winner issues very honest response after BBC axes show

A Great British Bake Off legend has spoken out after the BBC chose not to commission her cooking shows, following more than 10 years of working with the broadcaster

Politics

21 h. ago Diddy trial live: Defense says they ‘own’ domestic violence claims before calling Cassie Ventura a ‘gangster’ who ‘played’ Combs

Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo is presenting his closing arguments

Events

21 h. ago 5 Greek government officials resign over EU farming subsidy fraud allegations

Five Greek government officials, including a minister, have resigned over allegations of corruption involving EU farming subsidies

Politics

22 h. ago Experts reveal what to wear during a heatwave if you want to look stylish AND stay UV protected

Two UK-based top stylists have share their tips for dressing for summer so you can look stylish, stay comfortable and protect yourself from the sun's rays.

Politics

22 h. ago UK's most senior female police officer left sleepless amid pensioner stalker hell

Met Police Assistant Commissioner Pippa Mills told magistrates how Richard Jackson's harassment gave her "sleepless nights" and left her fearful to go to work at New Scotland Yard

Events

22 h. ago Thug who tried to drown baby in bowl of water jailed after campaign of violence

Jay Dixon threw the four-week-old so high he hit his head on the ceiling, and pushed him hard on the chest when he was trying to get the baby to stop crying.

Events

22 h. ago Falkirk council say action needed to tackle 'epidemic of violence' against women

Members of all parties supported the motion to tackle the issue 'head on' and highlight the support available

Events

24 h. ago YouTuber who violently stabbed wife to death filmed himself packing hospital bag for baby

Habibur Masum, 26, repeatedly stabbed Kulsuma Akter, 27, after tracing her to a refuge where she had gone to escape his "violence, jealousy and controlling behaviour", a court heard

Events

24 h. ago Falkirk gymnastics programme to quit specialist centre facing repair backlog

Councillors heard the move would protect the programme - which has nearly 1000 participants - and allow it to expand

Politics

24 h. ago Diddy trial live: Defense to give closing argument after prosecution claims Combs used ‘power, violence and fear’

Attorney Marc Agnifilo expected to make the case on rapper’s behalf

Events

25 h. ago Four people arrested after Palestine Action incident at RAF Brize Norton

Two women and two men held after damage caused to two Voyager aircraft, say counterterrorism policeFour people have been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in an action claimed by the campaign group Palestine Action, counterterrorism policing south-east said on Friday.In a statement the force said: “A 29-year-old woman of no fixed abode, and two men aged 36 and 24, both from London, were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Continue reading...

Events

25 h. ago Legal clarity sought from Belfast High Court on Supreme Court gender ruling

There is ‘significant’ legal uncertainty on what effect the ruling will have in Northern Ireland, the Equality Commission has said.

Events