27 m. ago Sales rise for Zara owner Inditex but pace of growth slows ahead of summer

Inditex, which is Europe’s largest fashion retailer, said spring and summer collections were being received well by shoppers.

Politics

27 m. ago Helen Skelton's romance with Gethin Jones gets steamy as he treats her to a country club spa date

BBC Morning Live co-stars Gethin, 47, and Helen, 41, have found themselves at the centre of romance rumours as news of their reported relationship circulated last month. 

Politics

58 m. ago DWP confirms who will and won't get winter fuel payment in 2025 after U

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that pensioners with an income of £35,000 or less will receive the winter fuel payment later this year

Economics

1 hour ago The Sexual Evolution by Nathan H Lents review – colourful tales of animal reproduction

From gay penguin parents to snake orgies, a biology professor looks at sexual adaptation in the animal world In 1998, Roy and Silo, a pair of male chinstrap penguins at Central Park Zoo in New York, were given an abandoned egg to incubate after zookeepers observed them performing mating rituals together. For 34 days, they took turns sitting on it. When the egg hatched, the story became a viral sensation. The New York Times celebrated “A Love That Dare Not Squeak Its Name”. Roy, Silo and their daughter Tango became the subject of a LGBTQ-friendly children’s book, And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell.Biology professor Nathan Lents remembers receiving copies of Tango as a gift when he and his husband became foster parents. Fast-forward to the present day, and Tango tops Pen America’s list of the most frequently banned picture books in the US. It was part of a high-profile lawsuit in Nassau County, Florida, and was designated for pulping by officials in...

Politics

1 hour ago Hide the pain: how a war reporter keeps going when their own family are victims

At least 225 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since 2023. One was the son of Wael al-Dahdouh, who also lost his wife, two other children and a grandchild. Here, he talks about regaining his sense of purpose amid the desolationPurpose was never something Wael al-Dahdouh struggled with. Even when struck by personal tragedies, the Palestinian journalist would take his place in front of Al Jazeera’s cameras to report the news from Gaza.He returned to work almost immediately after his wife, two of his children and his toddler grandson were killed by an Israeli airstrike in October 2023. He showed the same determination seven weeks later when he was himself injured, and his friend and colleague Samer Abu Daqqa killed, as they reported on the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on a school. Continue reading...

Events

1 hour ago A moment that changed me: I went to a death cafe – and learned how to live a much happier life

I felt peace flood over me as I realised I no longer needed to seek validation from others. Rather than saying yes to everything, I became more open, present and patient‘Are you afraid of dying, or are you afraid of not living?” Last year, I was sitting in a circle of strangers – half Buddhist monks, half morbidly curious members of the public – when someone asked one of the most profound questions I had ever heard. I was at a “death cafe”, at my local Buddhist centre in south London. A plate of biscuits was passed around while people nursed mugs of hot tea. At 29, I was one of the youngest attending the informal chat about death and dying, which was part of an initiative to encourage more open conversations about the ends of our lives.During the session, people reflected on the lives of those they had lost. Stories were shared about the joyful moments they had had together. A woman asked me why I would want to come to something like this, at my age. I looked around before revealing...

Events

2 h. ago 'My childhood disappeared an instant after our British Airline flight was taken hostage'

A fascinating Sky Documentary airing tonight tells the shocking scandal of British Airways Flight 149, that was held as a hostage of war by Saddam Hussein in 1990

Events

3 h. ago ‘Made for sex’: the hedonistic party palaces of New York’s Fire Island – and the blond bombshell who made them

It is a ‘queer Xanadu’, a sliver of sand where weekend-long revelling takes place in fabulous modernist beach-houses. As Fire Island gets its mojo back, we celebrate the Speedos-wearing architect who defined its lookPosters advertising a “bear weekend” cling to the utility poles on Fire Island, punctuating the wooden boardwalks that meander through a lush dune landscape of beach grass and pitch pine. It’s not a celebration of grizzlies, by the looks of the flyers, but of large bearded men in small swimming trunks, bobbing in the pools and sprawled on the sundecks of mid-century modernist homes. You might also find them frolicking in the bushes of this idyllic car-free island, a nature reserve of an unusual kind that stretches in a 30-mile sliver of sand off the coast of Long Island in New York.Over the last century, Fire Island Pines, as the central square-mile section of this sandy spit is known, has evolved into something of a queer Xanadu. Now counting about 600 homes, it is a pl...

Events

4 h. ago Scotland's jails at 'breaking point' as prison officers demand urgent action on overcrowding

A damning new report from the prison warder’s union has laid bare staff fears after jail numbers reached record levels.

Events

7 h. ago Erik ten Hag 'tried to CANCEL disastrous Man Utd transfer' but was ignored for one reason

Antony will go down as one of the worst Manchester United transfers in recent memory after failing to justify his £85m price tag - and a recent report has claimed ex-manager Erik ten Hag never wanted him in the first place

Events

8 h. ago Government urged to disrupt ‘addictive grip’ of smartphones on children’s lives

Urgent action is needed to create more opportunities for children to play outdoors and away from digital devices, report suggests.

Politics

8 h. ago Spain's economy minister says 'overtourism' challenges need to be addressed

Spain could receive as many as 100 million tourists this year, according to some projections

Politics

10 h. ago Reeves places £39bn affordable homes plan at centre of spending review

But the chancellor’s large scale capital investment will contrast with tight budgets for many Whitehall departments

Economics

10 h. ago Florian Wirtz to Liverpool gets closer as Reds 'agree British record deal' to sign German star

One report claims Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, with the Reds now seemingly even closer to meeting the Bundesliga side's demands

Economics

10 h. ago Stephen A Smith finally rules himself out of presidential bid: ‘Have to give up a lot of money to do that’

The bombastic TV personality has positioned himself as a centrist, criticizing everyone from President Donald Trump to Democrats and progressives

Politics

10 h. ago He was trapped in hospitals for a decade because he’s autistic – now Nicholas is finally free

Special Report: For more than 10 years, Nicholas Thornton was detained in dementia care homes, psychiatric units and A&E wards because he couldn’t get the help he needed for his autism. It took a huge toll on his health, leaving the 29-year-old unable to speak. Now, one year after The Independent told his story, Nicholas is in his own home – and even able to talk again. Rebecca Thomas reports

Politics

10 h. ago Tricks to keep FULL £300 winter fuel allowance: JEFF PRESTRIDGE's guide to Labour's U

The volte-face is good news for 9 million pensioners who live in England and Wales who will now receive an annual payment worth up to £300.

Economics

10 h. ago Bathgate MP praises role of company in delivering national environmental goals

TOMRA, a global leader in reverse vending technology, hosted Kirsteen Sullivan MP at their Scottish storage and distribution centre, where she was welcomed by John Lee, TOMRA’s Vice-President for Public Affairs UK and Ireland.

Politics

10 h. ago Cheikh Sabaly’s clincher condemns England to sobering defeat by Senegal

Thomas Tuchel wanted smiles. He wanted a response after the lacklustre performance against Andorra in Barcelona on Saturday, albeit in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win. What he got was another line to his brow, plenty to ponder as he begins what could be a long summer debrief. And more boos.There had been a bit of zip and character from Tuchel’s team in the final 25 minutes of regulation time. He made attacking changes, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder, Morgan Gibbs-White, showing up. Eberechi Eze, who played from the start, was good. The only problem was that Senegal were 2-1 up by then, having played around and through England far too easily. Continue reading...

Politics

11 h. ago Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs keeping his discussions with team about viral boat video private

New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs is declining to share specifics about his conversations with coach Mike Vrabel and the team in the aftermath of a viral video that showed him passing what appeared to be a bag of pink crystals to women on a boat last month

Politics