Articles

France's new 45-man anti-small boats team 'will not have power to enter water'

A new French "surge team" of 45 police officers deployed to tackle the small boats crisis in Normandy will not have the power to enter the water. People traffickers have changed tactics in recent months preferring use so-called 'mega dinghies' carrying 100s of migrants from beaches further south along the coast from previous launch sites near Calais and Dunkirk.

Nigel Farage set to declare 'national emergency' in huge Reform speech

Nigel Farage will promise to declare a “national emergency” on his first day in government if Reform wins power in a major speech today. The Reform UK leader will give his keynote address at the party's conference in Birmingham.

Horror as vehicle 'collides with train' in 'very serious incident'

Emergency services were deployed to County Mayo last night after a vehicle collided with a train, Irish Rail said. The train which was travelling from Dublin Heuston to Westport collided with a car at a user-operated level crossing in Kiltybo, near Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, shortly before 9pm last night.

Lloyds Bank update over key dates for rewards scheme

Lloyds Bank has issued an update about a reward scheme available to certain customers. The response came after a question from an account holder about an issue with their payments.

DWP minister update over changes to payment sanctions

DWP minister Sir Stephen Timms speaking to the Work and Pensions Committee(Image: UK Parliament)

WATCH: Farmers and animals invade No10 in hilarious spoof video highlighting Labour policies hammering rural Britain

WATCH: Campaign for the Countryside releases hilarious new spoof video highlighting the plight of rural Britain

Richard Osman Just Keeps Getting Better

Boyd set out to write a trilogy when he introduced accidental spy Gabriel Dax in 2024’s Gabriel’s Moon but this third outing feels less of a finale and more an open door to future adventures. And why not? He might be an acclaimed literary novelist but Boyd’s books have often contained themes of espionage, deceit and betrayal and his thrilling spy series featuring a reluctant agent has won legions of new fans.

I'm an author but I had to throw out two-thirds of my new book

It’s enough to send shivers down the spine of any author – picking up someone else’s book and suffering a crisis of confidence in your own work. But that’s exactly what caused Adam Simcox to redraft huge sections of his new novel. “I read All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker and junked 70,000 words from Time Jump because I knew it wasn’t good enough,” he admits. But Adam has no complaints and it’s unlikely his readers will either. “It’s good to have a benchmark to aim for,” he continues with a smile. “I find it inspiring.”

The Golden Hours by Louisa Young review

Elizabeth Jane Howard’s niece has picked up the thread of her much-loved family saga series, taking the story into the 1960s

'It feels like Italy with the volume turned down': readers’ favourite (smaller) city breaks in Europe

You share your low-key alternatives to overcrowded hotspots, from an island city in the Med to a Norwegian art nouveau gem. Tell us about your trips in Europe’s mountains – the best wins a £200 holiday voucher.

What we know about the link between Nepal’s flash floods and our climate crisis

In this week’s newsletter: The full scale of the disaster is still emerging, but as rescue efforts continue, scientists warn that a warming Himalayas could mean more deadly hazards

I'm a car expert

Putting this one together took some thinking, as there are so many great family-oriented cars on the market at the moment. The Nissan Qashqai and the Skoda Elroq are just two examples of models that could have topped this list. After some deliberation, I’d say the Kia Sportage is probably the best all-rounder for families on the market for a new model at the moment.