64 m. ago When they chose to die together, my grandparents wrote the final chapter of a love story spanning 70 years

My Nan held my hand, convincing me this was what they wanted. I felt like a little girl, crying and being comforted by my grandmother one last timeIn their final moments, Ron and Irene lay together in a single bed, soft smiles on their faces. They wore special shirts picked out for the occasion; his a cranky cockatoo print, and hers the same white and floral print blouse she wore to their 70th wedding anniversary a few months previously.The only sign of what was to come were the twin cannulas, one in each of their intertwined hands, with long thin tubes winding back behind the beds and out of sight.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

Events

64 m. ago I am a trans teenager. This is what it means to hate the shape of your own skin | Elsie Thwaites

There are sudden moments of ecstatic joy, but it’s terrifying to realise what you want to be and everything you’ve forced downYou’re fairly sure your skin has always been a problem. A problem before you even realised, lurking in the background of your earliest memories. Never with a clear mark for when you realised it was a problem. (When you realised what it means, to hate your skin so much.) But with signs scattered throughout your life.The very earliest sign was swimming. Or clothes in general, really, but swimming was the easy one. When you swam, you always wore (and always still wear) a shirt, even though the males of your family don’t. More broadly, you refuse to ever be seen without one. You called it modesty, but now you know it as shame. Shame for your square-ish, flat, slightly hairy flesh prison. Because, even then, you knew your chest should be covered up, even though your skin is flush against your ribs and males don’t need to cover up. Continue reading...

Politics

93 m. ago EastEnders star suspended by BBC bosses after using 'disabled slur' on Strictly set

Jamie Borthwick apologised after he was suspended by bosses after making a cruel and sick joke towards Blackpool locals while on the set of the much-loved longtime BBC soap

Economics

1 hour ago ITV Love Island hunk admits bad habit that could ruin villa harmony

The rugby star could stir up some drama

Politics

2 h. ago Love Island boy admits bad habit that could upend villa harmony

It could cause some major drama this series

Politics

3 h. ago Tyson Fury waiting for Anthony Joshua to sign deal for comeback fight

The 'Gypsy King' retired earlier this year after losing to Oleksandr Usyk - but has been tipped to make a dramatic return to the ring and face Joshua

Economics

3 h. ago Passau car horror as man 'deliberately drives into crowd containing wife and daughter'

This is a breaking news story and is constantly being updated as the story develops

Events

3 h. ago 'Beautiful daughter' was 'dismissed multiple times' by doctors before heartbreaking death

The family of "beautiful" and "caring" Bethan Amy James, 21, claim that medics they encountered before their daughter's tragic death failed to respond to the gravity of her condition and repeatedly dismissed her symptoms

Events

5 h. ago Florian Wirtz has already told Liverpool boss Arne Slot how to get the best out of him

Liverpool are hoping to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz this summer and the 22-year-old has already explained how Arne Slot can get the best out of him

Politics

5 h. ago Conor Coady to Rangers transfer talks opened with Leicester as one decision set to clear route to Ibrox

Gers are stepping up their attempts to sign the former Liverpool and Everton centre back

Politics

5 h. ago Donald Trump wants his new Air Force One as soon as possible. That could be an issue

Air Force One is the call sign for any plane that's carrying the president

Politics

6 h. ago Transfer news LIVE! Arsenal to sign Kepa, Sesko update; Liverpool make new Wirtz bid; Mbeumo to Man Utd latest

The first of two summer transfer deadlines is now drawing near

Sport

7 h. ago ‘A wonderful mystery to be solved’: Search begins in Dorset for ‘the Mother of all tanks’

Lost for over a century, discovery of wartime letter has rekindled interest in unlocking the secret of the world’s first prototype tankAt the height of the second world war, while British authorities were calling on citizens to donate metal to be recycled into weapons and warships, attention at the army base of Bovington Camp in Dorset turned to a collection of historic vehicles dating from the first war – among them a legendary tank that had been nicknamed “Mother”.Mother was the prototype for the world’s first battlefield tank, the Mark 1, which had been developed by Britain in 1915-6 to break the deadlock of the trenches. The vehicles were a huge technological leap forward that caused a sensation when rolled out on the battlefields (“astonishing our soldiers no less than they frightened the enemy”, as the Manchester Guardian put it) and helped tip the scales in favour of the allies’ eventual victory. Continue reading...

Events

7 h. ago Jadon Sancho's stance on playing for Man Utd again after Chelsea's £5m decision

Jadon Sancho is facing an uncertain future in the summer transfer window after Chelsea's decision not to sign him permanently forced Manchester United to confront their previous mistakes

Economics

7 h. ago Doctor's 3 ingredient smoothie that could reduce cancer and diabetes risk

The smoothie has endless health benefits

Events

7 h. ago Home Office plans to spend £2.2bn of foreign aid on asylum support this year

International rules allow countries to count first-year costs of supporting refugees as overseas development assistance.

Economics

8 h. ago Chilling red flags everyone missed before 'killer' dad Travis Decker 'snapped and murdered his three daughters'

Whitney Decker, the mother of three girls who were allegedly murdered by their father Travis, had no idea that he was close to snapping... until people close to them detailed the red flags.

Events

8 h. ago Dog owners are just finding out what it means when pooch sleeps on your pillow

A common sight in many households, dogs sleeping on pillows may be more than just a comfort-seeking habit, according to a viral TikTok that has left viewers feeling quite emotional

Politics

8 h. ago Tiger Woods has already made his worries about his son Charlie clear as he shows attitude

Tiger Woods has always been keen to shield his son Charlie from the pressures of fame, and the 16-year-old's recent success on the golf course suggests he's doing just that

Politics

8 h. ago England v West Indies: rain stops play in third women’s cricket ODI – live

Rain stops play early on in TauntonSign up to The Spin | And mail TanyaA smidgen of movement and Grimmond can’t resist. International cricket pricking any bubbles – cruel mistress that it is.Out come the players – as the raindrops freckle the camera lens. Continue reading...

Events