6 d. ago Russell Grant's horoscopes as Pisces urged to take control of life

Today's star signs tell Libra to speak out and Cancer advised to be prepared.

Politics

7 d. ago Electric Spark by Frances Wilson review – the mercurial Muriel Spark

A canny biography of the early career of this strange, brilliant novelistMuriel Spark, born Muriel Sarah Camberg, was nothing if not protean. Her gravestone declares her a poet; posterity knows her as the author of 22 short, indelibly strange and subversive novels. In life, she was by turns an editor, critic, biographer, playwright, Jewish Gentile, Catholic convert, divorcee, abandoning mother, spy. As Frances Wilson observes in this canny biography, she looks in every photograph as if she is played by a different actor, so drastic are the changes in her face and style. From precocious Edinburgh schoolgirl to unhappy Rhodesian wife, spirited London bohemian to poised Roman socialite, Spark made an art of unsettling transformations. She was the queen of narrative control, not least the narrative of her own life.She was also the enemy of biographers, a pursuer of lawsuits who managed to delay the publication of her own authorised biography by seven years (“a hatchet job; full of insul...

Politics

1 week ago Serious and often overlooked risk of birth control revealed in new study

Millions of women use combined hormonal contraceptives every day

Events

2 w. ago Ana de Armas, 37, hints at reasons for not confirming 'romance' with Tom Cruise, 62, in rare interview

The actress, 37, has been rumoured to be dating the Hollywood legend, 62, for months, but neither has publicly confirmed their relationship status.

Politics

2 w. ago Davina McCall reveals 'letting go' was toughest move after brain tumour surgery

Davina McCall has opened up after going under the knife to remove a benign tumour from her brain and admits that not having control over her life was a tough journey

Politics

3 w. ago Cassie Ventura grilled about explicit messages on day four of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial

On third day of testimony the former girlfriend of music mogul details violence, abuse and blackmailSinger Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, returned to the stand on Thursday for a cross-examination that lasted the entire day and will continue on Friday.On Thursday morning,one of Combs’s lawyers, Anna Estevao, opened her cross-examination of Ventura by asking: “You and Sean Combs were in love for 11 years, right?” Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Cassie Ventura’s testimony continues with review of explicit messages in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial

Former girlfriend of music mogul, key witness in sex-trafficking trial, details violence, abuse and blackmailSinger Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, returned to the stand on Thursday for cross-examination.One of Combs’s lawyers, Anna Estevao, opened her cross-examination of Ventura by asking: “You and Sean Combs were in love for 11 years, right?”In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Cassie Ventura reviews explicit messages in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial

Former girlfriend of music mogul, key witness in sex-trafficking trial, details violence, abuse and blackmailSinger Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, returned to the stand on Thursday for cross-examination.One of Combs’s lawyers, Anna Estevao, opened her cross-examination of Ventura by asking: “You and Sean Combs were in love for 11 years, right?”In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Cassie Ventura returns to stand after testifying Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs raped her

Former girlfriend of music mogul, key witness in sex-trafficking trial, details violence, abuse and blackmailSinger Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, returned to the stand on Thursday for cross-examination.One of Combs’s lawyers, Anna Estevao, opened her cross-examination of Ventura by asking: “You and Sean Combs were in love for 11 years, right?”In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Cassie Ventura to return to stand after testifying Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs raped her

Former girlfriend of music mogul, key witness in sex-trafficking trial, details violence, abuse and blackmailSinger Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, is returning to the stand Thursday for cross-examination.During Ventura’s second day of testimony on Wednesday, she provided more details about the physical and psychological abuse she alleged she experienced from Combs during their on-and-off again relationship that lasted about 11 years, and accused the music mogul of rape and blackmail.In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Cassie Ventura tells court at day three of trial that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs raped her

Music mogul’s former girlfriend describes physical abuse, control and violence at trial in New York CityA timeline of allegations and charges against Sean CombsSinger Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, returned to the witness stand in New York City on Wednesday morning and testified that Combs raped her, assaulted one of his employees, and detailed abuse she says occurred in their over decade-long relationship.Ventura, who is eight and a half months pregnant, began her second day of testimony by revisiting the hotel surveillance footage of her 2016 assault by Combs. She said Combs was yelling at her and then threw a vase at her in the elevator lobby.In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counsellin...

Events

3 w. ago Diddy trial live updates: Cassie Ventura continues testimony after detailing shocking ‘freak off’ demands

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ex-girlfriend is expected to continue her testimony Wednesday morning as the rapper’s sex-trafficking trial enters its third day

Events

3 w. ago Diddy trial live updates: Cassie Ventura to continue testimony after detailing shocking ‘freak off’ demands

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ex-girlfriend is expected to continue her testimony Wednesday morning as the rapper’s sex-trafficking trial enters its third day

Events

3 w. ago Diddy trial live: Cassie Ventura to continue testimony after detailing shocking ‘freak off’ demands

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ex-girlfriend is expected to continue her testimony Wednesday morning as the rapper’s sex-trafficking trial enters its third day

Events

3 w. ago Despelote review – a beautiful, utterly transportive game of football fandom

Panic; PC, PS4/5, XboxSet during Ecuador’s 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign, this fascinating, semi-autobiographical game gives you control of the life of a soccer-mad eight-year-oldVideo games have been simulating football since the 1970s, but they have rarely ever thought about simulating fandom. You can play a whole international tournament in the Fifa titles, but what they never show is the way the competition seeps into the everyday lives of supporters, how whole towns are overtaken, how a World Cup can become a national obsession. The way most of us experience the really big matches is through stolen moments of vicarious glory on televisions and giant pub screens, surrounded by friends and family and the sounds and images of real life.This is the territory of Despelote, a beautiful, utterly transportive game about childhood and memory, set during Ecuador’s historic 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign. Football-mad eight-year-old Julián – a semi-autobiographical version of the...

Sport

3 w. ago Weeping Cassie Ventura details dictator Diddy's extreme punishments and control over her life

Cassie Ventura's took the stand on the second day of the infamous Diddy trial where she gave her bombshell testimony on the freak offs, the beatings by Diddy and the blackmail material used against her.

Politics

3 w. ago Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial live: Cassie Ventura recounts harrowing details about ‘freak offs’, physical abuse and blackmail

The 55-year-old music mogul’s ex-girlfriend is expected to testify a day after a witness described her alleged involvement in Diddy’s ‘freak offs’

Events

3 w. ago Bill to make pornography a federal crime introduced by GOP senator

Republican Mike Lee seeks to redefine ‘obscenity’ in order to empower prosecutors to punish those who make and distribute ‘extreme’ content online

Events

3 w. ago The Trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs: Rap mogul 'stared blankly' in courtroom as prosecution 'graphicly' detailed alleged coercive treatment of former girlfriend Cassie Ventura

Combs denies all charges against him. If found guilty, the rap mogul could spend decades behind bars. The sex-trafficking trial formally began on Monday.

Events

4 w. ago The kindness of strangers: I was homeless and addicted to heroin. Joanne saved my life

She said, ‘Come and stay at my house. I’ll look after you and we’re going to get you into rehab’Read more in the Kindness of strangers seriesBy the time I was 19, my life had spiralled out of control – I was homeless and destitute, my infant son was living with my abusive mother and I was addicted to heroin. I’d had a pretty dodgy childhood; my father died when I was very young and I was left with my mother. At 16, already very traumatised by what I’d experienced at home, I ran away and ended up living in Sydney. It was 1996.I was pretty much living with whoever I could take drugs with at the time, until that situation became unstable, and then I would go somewhere else. I wound up with this guy I met using. Together we came up with this grand plan to end our lives because we were both in hopeless situations. That didn’t work, obviously. He ended up in intensive care in a very bad way and I ended up in the psych ward, with nowhere else to go.In Australia, Lifeline offers 24/7 crisis...

Politics