The public health emergency is over
Today should mark the official end of the coronavirus pandemic almost two years after the imposition of the first national lockdown. Boris Johnson is expected to end…
The Government terrified us into wearing masks. Now it should persuade us to take them off
At this stage in the pandemic, I assume anyone I see wearing a mask is a mugger. Some 85 per cent of over-12s have had at least…
Call the Midwife, series 11 finale, review: divine intervention denies disaster – thank goodness
But while the doctor’s bump on the head offered little cause for concern, Sister Julienne was struck down by an apparent heart attack; in the event, her…
Trigger Point, episode 5 recap: what is Karl really up to?
She begged DSU Marianne Hamilton (Nadine Marshall) to let her return to work. Her boss caved unrealistically fast (hey, this is TV drama) on condition she had…
Louis Theroux’s Forbidden America episode 2, review: do Brits care about the Florida rap scene?
What is it with Louis Theroux and America? A scroll through his CV brings up Gambling in Las Vegas, Law and Disorder in Philadelphia, America’s Medicated Kids,…
Jane McDonald: My Yorkshire, episode 1, review: a lovely if uneventful hour of local pride
McDonald started off in Holmfirth, prompted by warm memories of watching Last of the Summer Wine with her family: “Sunday nights in our little back-to-back in Wakefield……
ENO: The Cunning Little Vixen, review: animal passion drives the most curious of operas
Buffeted by the storm, Janáček’s Cunning Little Vixen was blown from Friday night’s cancelled premiere to a Sunday afternoon opening – but she emerged fresh and strong…
Free Covid testing to be limited to cut £2bn monthly cost, says Boris Johnson
Mr Johnson’s comments come ahead of a review of the Government’s Covid strategy, which is expected to be released on Monday. The “learning to live with Covid”…
Christopher Stalford: DUP left ‘devastated’ after politician dies aged 39
He was elected the High Sheriff of Belfast in 2010 and Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2013. In 2016, Mr Stalford was elected to represent South…
Ministers to reject making misogyny a hate crime
Rachel Maclean, the Home Office minister, said: “There is no excuse for abuse and I have been clear that I will do everything I can to prevent…
Donald Trump faces popularity test against potential successor Ron DeSantis
Mr DeSantis, the Florida governor, has seen his star rise among Republicans with his anti-lockdown, anti-mandate approach to the pandemic. At just 43, Mr DeSantis is already…
Angela Rayner’s call for police to ‘shoot terrorists and ask questions second’ was right, says Wes Streeting
The comments were criticised by Diane Abbott, the former shadow home secretary, who said they amounted to support for a “mandatory death sentence”. The hard-Left campaign group…
How to get a monthly income from your investments in 2022
With savings rates at a measly 0.5pc and inflation now at more than 5pc, holding all your savings in cash and taking out monthly amounts is not…
‘My son had £6,000 stolen in NHS Covid pass scam’
Sally says: Your son should have been full of excitement about starting university. Instead, crooks took that all away when they stole his money and left him…
Questor: after our 95pc gain, now is the time to sell Centrica shares
Centrica’s capacity to improve its market position and gain customers, other than through taking on those of failed businesses, seems challenging – especially when it recorded a…
Animal expert Julie Tottman: ‘I made £100k as head puppy trainer on 102 Dalmatians’
Julie Tottman, 51, has worked as an animal handler and trainer on feature films including the Harry Potter franchise, 102 Dalmatians, the 2005 version of Lassie, Nanny…
Record share of landlords let homes for over asking price
Landlords are raking in cash as a record number of rental properties have been let for above asking prices this year. Tenants battling to find homes amid…
Freelancers hit by ‘unfair’ taxman interest charges
The tax man has been accused of “stacking the deck in its favour” after it raised interest charges on owed taxes but not on refunds. Incomes for…
‘I’m swapping my useless heat pump for a log burner’
Increasing numbers of households are turning to traditional log burners to cut their heating bills as prices continue to spiral. In some cases the old-fashioned systems are…
‘Council tax is now worse than the hated poll tax’
Sarah Coles of broker Hargreaves Lansdown said: “When Rishi Sunak announced the rebate it highlighted huge problems in the current system. “Those in bands E and above…
Need for speed on ‘green’ truck development as hauliers risk backing wrong tech
“You need hydrogen infrastructure, but there’s also challenges in terms of actually getting a commercially viable product,” says Ian Foley, a former F1 engineer for Lotus who…
Dear Richard Madeley: ‘My great grandparents were murdered in the Holocaust – how do I tell my kids?’
Dear Richard, I have two children at primary school. The older one has been doing the Second World War as a topic and it’s all been quite…
Forget Dry January – adopt mindful drinking instead
If the recent antics at No 10 have told us anything it’s that our nation’s troubling drinking culture goes right to the top. Whilst nothing can excuse our…
How exercise transformed my experience of cancer
What’s more, the trials also found that exercise could reduce side effects from chemotherapy and even prevent cancer from spreading and returning, so boosting the chances of…
It’s deeply middle-class to get uptight about nudity – get a grip and turn the other cheek
Have you ever walked around your garden naked? I only ask since my favourite story of the week, quite possibly of all weeks ever, concerns the case…