44 m. ago And they're off! Glamorous revellers arrive for sunny Grand National race in floral prints and VERY bold headwear as final day at Aintree begins

Crowds of eager revellers packed into the racecourse in Merseyside for the third day of the annual racing festival, which is by far the most anticipated of the weekend.

Sport

65 m. ago ‘We can’t sit back and watch’: Former MI6 boss says Britain must get ready for war as Putin threatens Europe

Exclusive: As a Russia-Ukrainian ceasefire looks no closer, Sir Alex Younger tells The Independent how the UK is too detached from the threat posed by Putin – and that our ‘collective effort’ needs to change

Events

2 h. ago Metroid Prime 4 is a graphical powerhouse on Switch 2 – and I seriously enjoyed its mouse controls

Those who have waited nigh on two decades for a brand-new entry in the Metroid Prime franchise will be more than happy with this fourth mainline entry.

Politics

2 h. ago 'Meghan Markle used common tactic to drive As Ever sales but it can quickly fall flat'

Meghan Markle finally launched her first batch of products from her As Ever lifestyle brand and they sold out in minutes - and an expert has weighed in on how she can ensure similar success in the future

Politics

2 h. ago Russell Brand says he WILL return to the UK to contest rape and sex assault charges and is 'incredibly grateful' for the opportunity

Taking to social media on Friday, Brand denied all the charges against him and said he was looking forward to clearing his name, adding the law was being used as a 'weapon' against him.

Events

3 h. ago Marketing’s ‘woke’ rebrand has ultimately helped the far right | Eugene Healey

Our industry must reckon with how we’ve trivialised activism by turning it into comms strategy – only to abandon itNobody likes to admit we need marketing, but the discipline has always been necessary to match people with the products and services that fulfil their needs and desires.It started simply enough, with us focusing primarily on brands’ features and tangible benefits. But as consumer society evolved, we moved on to symbolic benefits: identities, lifestyles. Finally, we began selling values: an ideology that hit its zenith between 2015 and 2022 in the era of “brand purpose”.Eugene Healey is brand strategy consultant, educator and creator Continue reading...

Economics

3 h. ago Here are four of the best cherry perfumes for your fragrance collection

With cherry beauty being all of the rage at the minute we rounded up some of the best cherry scents on the market

Politics

3 h. ago Highstreet brand Ghost loved by Kate Middleton unveils new affordable bridal collection

Ghost, a high street brand that the Duchess of Cambridge is a fan of, has launched an affordable bridal collection that's perfect for brides, bridesmaids, and wedding guests on a budget

Politics

4 h. ago Five affordable, easy and speedy ways to give your home an update

Nicole Gray's five simple interiors ideas will make your home feel brand new - without any stamp duty to pay

Politics

4 h. ago Streaming: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and the best older women age

The recent Bridget Jones sequel, a big hit at the UK box office, celebrates the romance between its middle-aged star and her gen-Z lover, but from Babygirl to The Mother, how do women on screen with younger partners usually fare?At this admittedly early stage of 2025, with all the noisy blockbusters of summer still ahead of us, the UK’s box-office report tells a nostalgic story. The year’s highest-grossing new release, raking in more than double its nearest rival, Captain America, is Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy – a sequel in which its American distributors had so little confidence that they booted it straight to streaming. Brits who missed it in cinemas can finally access it on VOD this week. The film itself is something of a pleasant surprise too: a tender-hearted, flannel-cosy romcom – easily the best in the series since the first, 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary – now suffused with the gentle melancholy of middle age.Age, of course, is a critical concern of this instalment, whi...

Politics

4 h. ago FKA Twigs pulls out of Coachella last minute as angry fans brand her 'unprofessional'

Singer songwriter FKA Twigs announced the news on social media, as the Cellophane songstress shared a statement to cancel her Coachella appearance and some tour dates

Sport

5 h. ago Trump tariffs come into effect in ‘seismic’ shift to global trade

‘Baseline’ 10% import levy takes effect at US seaports, airports and customs warehouses on Saturday, with some higher tariffs to begin next weekUS customs agents began collecting President Donald Trump’s unilateral 10% tariff on all imports from many countries on Saturday, with higher levies on goods from 57 larger trading partners due to start next week.The initial 10% “baseline” tariff took effect at US seaports, airports and customs warehouses at 12.01am ET (0401 GMT), ushering in Trump’s full rejection of the post-second world war system of mutually agreed tariff rates. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Russell Brand grins as he is seen in public in the US for the first time after being charged with rape and sexual assault in Britain

Actor and comedian Russell Brand has been spotted in public for the first time since facing rape and sexual assault charges against four women in the UK.

Events

6 h. ago Primark brings back 'lush' £12 bag 'just like' £380 designer version

Primark shoppers have compared the £12 bag to one by designer brand Dragon Diffusion - but there's a huge price difference

Economics

7 h. ago It could set the industry back 50 years: fashion braces for impact of Trump tariffs

From farmers to designers, the entire supply chain will be hit – but it is unclear what duties apply to a finished productFirst it was steel producers. Then automobiles. Now the fashion industry has been left reeling from Donald Trump’s announcement on Wednesday that he was imposing tariffs on more than 180 countries including severe levies aimed at some of fashion’s biggest manufacturing regions.Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs included a 10% duty on all imports to the US but “worst offender” countries – those with whom America has bigger trade deficits – face a higher rate. Several of these are key to fashion’s supply chains. China, where everyone from Prada to Zara outsource production, faces a 54% duty. Vietnam, where more than half of Nike’s footwear was produced last year, will be subject to a 46% tariff. Pakistan, a key manufacturer of denim items, will be hit with a 29% duty. Bangladesh, where garment manufacturing makes up to 80% of its total exports, will be subjected to 3...

Politics

7 h. ago Everton vs Arsenal prediction: Premier League betting preview, odds and tips

For the last time Arsenal will travel to Goodison Park in the Premier League as the Gunners look to close the gap on Liverpool while Everton seek to end their winless run

Politics

8 h. ago Incredible transformation in £1m Cardiff home from bland to bold on a budget

A dramatic 'before and after' transformation influenced by top interior designer Abigail Ahern's London home and recreated by a Cardiff homeowner

Economics

8 h. ago UK crime lord issues terrifying threat amid gang war and firebombing campaign

Chilling new footage has emerged of the latest attacks in Edinburgh's gang war, with the mysterious perpetrators seeming to brand their operation with a gang name

Events

9 h. ago You can now get free Jacquemus pyjamas when you fly Air France, but here's the catch

Beloved French fashion brand Jacquemus is serving up serious style at 30,000 feet in the air by giving Air France travellers free pyjamas on their flights, but there’s a catch

Politics

11 h. ago GUY ADAMS: How Russell Brand, once a darling of the Left adored by Ed Miliband, moved to America

The day before he was charged, Russell Brand used his podcast 'Stay Free' to discuss two of the more high-profile women on his romantic CV.

Politics