Are Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) piloted by aliens from outer space preparing to invade Devon? UFOs certainly seem to have been taking a great interest in this county in recent months. On 12 September 2016 a man saw two triangular objects fly at a fast rate over his back garden in Exmouth at 10.30pm. They were bouncing around the sky and were being followed by a helicopter. Other witnesses in the area also saw the same three craft in the...

The average couple spends a whopping £44,000 on their separation, but many could spend more if they're not aware of how to mitigate costs. New analysis of the true cost of divorce has found that on top of essential costs, such as legal fees and housing, separating couples regularly spend up to £13,000 on the hidden extras they feel they need to launch their new single lives. That means Brits are collectively spending tens of millions of pounds a year on the less...

Think the UK has a free press? You're sadly mistaken, and what's happening to journalism right now should worry you... Whilst the threat of litigation is silencing real journalists and publications, an even darker threat, fake news, is putting them clean out of business. Politicians, climate change deniers, corporations and even countries have been funding fake news to create confusion and division, dilute facts, and pursue agendas. Now they are using 'fake news' as their default denial against allegations. The digital revolution was...

Finishing other people's sentences, cracking your knuckles and biting your toenails all feature in a chart of Brits' worst habits. More than 90 per cent admit to having at least one bad habit, with one in ten admitting to ten or more weaknesses. Swearing was the most common trait, followed by nose-picking, not listening when others are speaking and biting your nails. Over-using social media, hoarding and not washing your hands after going to the toilet also feature in the...

Director Phil Wilmott’s Three Sisters in a version by Tracey Letts (August: Osage County) is full of micro aggression. In a small space such as the Union Theatre’s new venue, nothing can be bigged up too much: subsequently this production is full of nuances sometimes so macro you’d miss them if you blinked. For this reason there is a distinct lack of the sense of the epic and more a feel of claustrophobia. It’s as if the three sisters (yearning...

A gift voucher swap shop has been launched in Westfield Stratford which allows members of the public to exchange their unwanted gift cards for cash or a charity donation. Brits are parting with a massive £300 million a year in unused gift card and voucher credit, new research has found, with 47 per cent admitting to have been on the receiving end of unwanted gift credit this Christmas. Former EastEnders star Rita Simons swapped her market stall in Albert Square to launch the pop-up...

By Linda Marric @Linda_Marric Depiction of grief on film can sometimes prove problematic if not handled with a certain amount of lucidity and nuance. As portrayed in Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester By The Sea, guilt can be a cataclysmic force capable of destroying anything standing in its way if not confronted head on. So what makes a film about grief more memorable than an other? To answer this question and more, here is a list of some of the most critically...

The grieving family of a young father have told of their torment after he was left dying on a bus for almost five hours. Gavin Wudinge, 31, had only been on a Stagecoach bus for around half an hour before slumping in his seat after suffering a cardiac arrest. But the dad-of-three was left dying on the seat in the middle of the bus before being found by a passenger several hours later. Gavin got on the coach in his...

The reason why cold weather can cause a flu epidemic has finally been revealed. Each year, a national flu epidemic always follows a chilly dry week with average temperatures below 0C. Now, new research suggests that cold dry weather makes for the perfect conditions as it helps the virus stay airborne for longer. Scientists studied 20,000 virus samples taken from nasal swabs. They then compared the incidence of respiratory viruses with weather data from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute...