CATEGORIES

'Safe sex for seagulls' Why plan to give contraception to birds may not fly

Their brazen swooping, squawking and chip-snatching has earned seagulls a reputation as a scourge of seaside towns - terrorising tourists and enraging residents.

Russell Group universities to be dropped from school ratings

The government will no longer measure schools in England on how many of their students go to Russell Group universities in an effort to encourage school leavers towards a wider range of universities and vocational options.

Daughter calls for reforms after her mother's suicide in prison

The daughter of a vulnerable woman who took her own life in prison after being denied phone calls with loved ones and left without clean underwear for 10 days has called for urgent reform of the justice system.

Promising treatments The new Alzheimer's drugs bringing hope to patients in the UK

This week England's health spending watchdog rejected a new Alzheimer's drug - the second such drug it has turned down this year.

Everybody wants this? Dope-smoking 'hot rabbi' welcomed by British Jews

It was the summer of 2022 when Benjamin Stanley was left pleased and slightly embarrassed to hear he was being referred to as the \"hot rabbi\" at the wedding where he was officiating.

Raye's second album to be delayed after songwriting books stolen

The chart-topping British singer-songwriter Raye has said her second album will be delayed after songs for it were stolen with her car.

One Direction albums back in Top 40 after singer's death

The whole of One Direction's five-album back catalogue has charted in this week's Top 40, as fans revisit their songs after Liam Payne's death.

Police face 'constant battle' after surge in drone use to fly drugs into prisons

The number of drones seen carrying drugs into prisons soared to more than 1,000 last year as police waged a \"constant battle\" against gangs flying in cocaine and cannabis from miles away.

Erotic frescoes revealed in tiny Roman house in Pompeii

A tiny house featuring erotic frescoes is the latest discovery in the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii.

Bit of a squeeze So does a three-minute hugging rule make sense?

Be it a brief squeeze or a bone-crushing bear hug, few can deny the comfort of a farewell cuddle from a person you love. Yet in a bid to keep traffic flowing at Dunedin international airport on New Zealand's South Island, bosses have decided to impose a three-minute cap on hugging in the airport's drop-off zone.

Emperor's new clothes Zuckerberg leads way with a tech bro glow up

For more than 20 years, Mark Zuckerberg made a Macbook-grey T-shirt and an equally drab-colored hoodie his trademark look. But now, the Facebook founder has ditched this combo in favor of something with a bit more oomph.

From easyJet to easyBet: billionaire airline founder makes move into online gambling

Stelios Haji-Ioannou has stamped the \"easy\" brand on everything from aeroplanes to pizza joints, with varying degrees of success.

Challenge to UK's climate adaptation plan fails in high court

An East Anglian man whose home fell victim to coastal erosion has lost his high court challenge against the government's climate adaptation plans.

Jail staff sacked over messages mocking suicide of prisoner

Two prison officers have been dismissed for joking about an inmate's suicide on a WhatsApp group in a string of abusive messages made just hours after his death.

Drugs, fans, Jackie O... 10 things we learned from Al Pacino's memoir

When Penguin bought the rights to Al Pacino's memoir in 2022 for $5m, it raised questions about the true Value of Hollywood celebrity autobiography at a time when most stars happily spill sanctioned life highlights for free on social media.

Inquiry into whether 'race science' group accessed genetic data

Concerns have been raised about access to a scientific repository of the genetic data and medical records of more than 500,000 people, after an investigation revealed that \"race scientists\" appeared to claim to have obtained the data.

Indo-Pacific Starmer will boost military presence to counter China

The UK will increase its military and economic presence in the Indo-Pacific to support regional stability, Keir Starmer will announce today.

Commons MPs divided over reform of working hours to aid parents

MPs tasked with modernising parliament are divided over family-friendly hours, with some lobbying for shorter days to return home to children and others hoping for shorter periods away from their constituencies.

Home Office carries on demanding fees unlawfully charged for language tests

Thousands of people applying for visas in the UK have been unlawfully charged for language tests, the government has disclosed, but the Home Office is continuing to demand the fees because it needs the money.

Road pricing Will the chancellor grasp the nettle to make up for lost fuel duty?

While the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, grapples with the parlous £40bn funding gap in Britain's finances, another £25bn of annual revenue is revving up to disappear into the sunset.

A defining moment Labour MPs fear tough budget will bring new set of problems

When Rachel Reeves stands up in the Commons on Wednesday, her budget will end months of speculation, allowing the government to fully set out what it stands for. And that, some Labour MPs fear, could herald a whole new set of problems.

What is a working person? Maybe we will find out by the time the chancellor sits down

It is a phrase that crops up 21 times in the Labour manifesto, 12 times in the Conservative manifesto and has been used in the House of Commons more than 3,500 times in the past decade. So, surely everyone knows what \"working people\" are - don't they?

Mescal reveals he was cast in Gladiator II after a Zoom call

The Irish actor Paul Mescal has revealed he was cast in Gladiator II after a 30-minute Zoom call.

Author offers seaside cottage to working writers for free retreats

On the wall of a Ramsgate house owned by the Booker winner Bernardine Evaristo hangs a large-scale cover of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. It might just as well read \"A Cottage of One's Own\", as that is precisely what the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) president is offering.

Mirren: 'It's sad Cobain died before he could experience GPS tracking'

The actor Helen Mirren has lamented that the Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain did not live long enough to be able to experience the excitement of tracking his location on his phone.

Man jailed for pet scam blackmailed victim again days after early release

A man who was let out of prison under the government's early release scheme, after being jailed for blackmailing people over their missing pets, went on to blackmail one of his previous victims within a fortnight of being freed.

Artisan cheesemakers in shock over £300,000 scam

The close-knit community of artisan cheesemakers has been dealt a blow by fraudsters who have stolen more than £300,000 worth of award-winning, clothbound cheddar in a sophisticated scam.

Catfisher who abused 70 young girls in 'horrif1c' case given life sentence

A man from Northern Ireland who abused at least 70 children online and drove one to suicide was sentenced to life in jail yesterday with a minimum term of 20 years in a \"horrific\" case that has caused 'catastrophic damage,' to young girls all over the world.

Surface water found to help oceans absorb carbon dioxide

A sliver of cool surface water less than 2mm deep helps oceans absorb carbon dioxide, a British-led team of scientists has established after spending months in the Atlantic measuring gas and temperature levels.

MPs push for clarity from Starmer on reparations for slave trade

Labour MPs have urged Keir Starmer to clarify his government's position on non-cash reparations for Britain's historical role in the slave trade, as No 10 says the issue is off the table.