Tommy Walsh has long been synonymous with British garden makeovers, but his own property in Cambridgeshire is where he really puts his skills to work.Best known from the BBC hit Ground Force, which ran through the late 1990s and early 2000s, Walsh helped make outdoor makeovers must-see TV alongside presenters such as Charlie Dimmock, Alan Titchmarsh, Will Shanahan and Kirsty King.The show's...

A court in Chelyabinsk has ordered an Oscar-winning documentary to be taken down from three online video services, saying the film promotes extremism and terrorism.The documentary, a Danish–Czech production that picked up both an Oscar and a BAFTA in 2026, chronicles how a Russian school became a site of pro-war indoctrination after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.The footage was shot by Pavel...

Two years after Dutch schools removed smartphones from the school day, teachers and education officials are reporting calmer corridors and sharper attention in class.Devices including phones, smartwatches and tablets are now kept out of classrooms, hallways and cafeterias across the country as part of a nationwide agreement reached with schools, parents and teachers rather than through new...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the government is drawing up contingency plans to shield the most vulnerable households if the war in the Middle East drives UK energy costs higher.Reeves warned the full economic fallout is still unclear but promised measures would focus on those most in need, while sticking to borrowing limits and a goal of keeping inflation and interest rates down.Households in...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will tell MPs how the UK plans to respond if the war in the Middle East pushes energy bills higher.Her Commons statement will cover three main areas: a short assessment of the economic fallout, measures to bolster energy security, and the principles that would guide any future household support.On energy security, Reeves will recommit the government to building more...

A recent Oscar-winning documentary has exposed how Russia’s wartime messaging has seeped into primary schools, placing children at the center of an expanding state-led patriotic program.Footage from a provincial town in the Urals, filmed by school events organiser Pavel Talankin, shows pupils taking part in flag ceremonies, scripted lessons and other activities that promote a...

A final report by the European grid body says a chain of technical problems — not a single fault — triggered the massive power outage that paralysed Spain and Portugal in April 2025.On 28 April, shortly after midday, large parts of the Iberian peninsula lost electricity.The disruption knocked out phone and internet services, halted public transport and closed schools and businesses; some...

Rachel Reeves arrives at today's Budget under intense scrutiny, aiming to steady a struggling government and buy a little breathing room for Labour.She will frame the package as a set of difficult but necessary trade-offs, focused on three headline goals: easing pressure on household budgets, shortening NHS waiting lists and beginning to bring public debt under control.Delivering on those aims...

Samir Shah, chair of the BBC, told MPs he intends to remain in post and tackle the problems exposed by the Panorama edit of a Donald Trump speech.Apologising for mistakes and their effects, Shah said his priority is to stabilise the corporation and lead a programme of fixes rather than step aside.The row began after a leaked internal memo from former editorial adviser Michael Prescott warned of...

Smiling is one of the most universal human expressions. It transcends language, culture, and background, making it a powerful tool for communication and connection. A simple smile can brighten someone’s day, create positive energy, and even improve health. But how important is smiling, really? Let’s explore its significance in different aspects of life.1. Smiling and HappinessA smile is often...