Five reasons England will lose tonight
Gareth Southgate’s England face a huge challenge tonight when they host Slovakia - their biggest threat to automatic qualification to the 2018 Fifa World Cup. Southgate’s side have come under scrutiny following a below par performance against Malta on Friday night. A 4-0 victory doesn’t reflect how sloppy England were, with three goals in the final ten minutes overshadowing a frustrating night for England fans. England currently lead Group F by two points, ahead of tonight’s opponents, meaning victory at...
Film Review: The Boy and the Beast (Dir. Mamoru Hosoda, 2017)
News that Hayao Miyazaki’s decision to retire back in 2014 may have been a tad premature, and that as of earlier this year he was back working with Studio Ghibli – possibly on a feature-length version of his new short film, Boro The Caterpillar – was doubtless enough to get even the most apathetic anime fan prancing around the living room like a bounding Totoro on a moonlit night. However, one can’t help but be concerned that this return of...
ED-SHELL – Right wing group under fire for painting EDL slogans on a TERRAPIN
A foreign terrapin branded with right-wing 'EDL' graffiti has been spotted in a public park. Nick Leonard was walking with his one-year-old daughter when he spotted the defaced animal in a grassy area near a pond. The small reptile's shell was daubed in white paint with the slogan "EDL" alongside a crudely-drawn cross of St George – seemingly a reference to the far-right nationalist group, the English Defence League. In a bizarre twist the species is considered an invasive species...
Couple spend just £1,200 a year living in off-grid hilltop coastal fort
A free-spirited couple have told how they live totally off-grid in a hilltop coastal fort - spending just £1,200 a YEAR. Trained teacher Sarah Simpson, 27, and estate manager Nigel Mepham, 44, decided to leave behind conventional life two years ago in a bid to live a more simple and sustainable existence. They get to live rent-free in their 18th Century Cornish coastal fort in exchange for tending the land, and second-hand solar panels give them all their electricity. Mini...
Grazing reindeer ‘could protect plant diversity despite global warming’
Grazing reindeer help increase plant diversity in Arctic regions despite climate change, according to new research. Swedish scientists have found global warming actually reduces the number of plant species in the tundra. But plant-eating animals, such as reindeer and voles, can help plant diversity in the long run. The researchers believe animals could help protect diversity by preventing losses of small and slowly-growing species. Doctor Elina Kaarlejärvi, of Umeå University in Sweden, said: “By eating tall and wide-leaved plants, reindeer...
Watch – Garish Lego brick extension nominated as Britain’s ugliest house
This garish Lego brick-style house has been nominated for the unflattering crown of Britain's UGLIEST building. The four storey Victorian villa - which has a pitched tiled roof, decorative stone facades and light cream steps - looks from certain angles to be a picturesque, historic property. However, neighbours were left in horror when the owners erected a huge extension - which locals say resembles a light industrial unit - in July this year. The vast rectangular box was put together...
Petition to ban ‘cruel’ donkey rides gains more than 110,000 signatures
A petition to ban 'cruel' donkey rides from a traditional English seaside resort has gained more than 110,000 signatures in just six days. Supporters say the animals endure unnecessary suffering as they are forced to walk up and down seafronts carrying children in hot weather with no rest. The petition was set up by a woman known on as 'Kirsty D' who visited Clevedon, Somerset, on a hot day. It calls on the local council to ban the rides on...
63% of people suffer with a persistent gut problem but 29% don’t seek help
New research has revealed that 63 per cent of people have experienced a persistent gut or abdominal problem or symptom, but 29 per cent have not sought professional medical help. The research, which was conducted for Love Your Gut Week (4-10 September), an initiative from a group of digestive health charities and organisations, showed that the most common gut problems experienced were: 1. Constipation (44%) 2. Diarrhoea (43%) 3. Heart burn (39%) 4. Bloating (33%) 5. Persistent stomach pain (15%)...
Pound slips towards parity with Euro as Brexit weighs
Speculation that the pound is set to reach parity with the Euro is rife after construction PMI data highlights Brexit’s negative impact on the economy. Following a week of heightened tensions over the North Korean missile aggression and stalled Brexit negotiations sterling took yet another battering at the start of the month as Construction PMI data reveals weak economic growth and a new BBC survey finds an interest rate rise from the BoE is unlikely until 2019. Commenting on the results Paresh Davdra, CEO...