The International Monetary Fund has laid out the unprecedented economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, sharply lowering its forecast for global growth this year. The IMF said on Wednesday that this 'crisis like no other' would send the global GDP plunging by 4.9 percent this year and wipe out …...Read More

Scotland Yard’s former top female Asian officer is suing the force in a £500,000 racism claim, saying she was told to keep quiet about a swastika at her police station. Superintendent Nusrit Mehtab was once a poster girl for the force, and even starred in an ITV show named ‘Mehtab …...Read More

The move will allow ministers to bypass opposition from teaching unions He wants to increase class sizes from 15 to more than 30 pupils by September The Education Secretary's plan to double class sizes will be published next week Bubbles will replace social distancing which is to be scrapped inside …...Read More

Whisper the words Screaming Eagle or Penfolds Grange to a wine buff and they’re likely to go weak at the knees. Why? Because these are two of the most sought-after cult wines in the world — the first a Californian Cabernet, the second an Aussie red — made in such …...Read More

Cowering in her bedroom all night, Caroline Straw’s heart pounded. She knew the chest of drawers barricading her door offered scant protection from the potential killer in her home, who had threatened to suffocate and poison her. Caroline’s terror was complicated by a conflicting urge to love and protect — …...Read More

British style expert Amy Kester, shared her advice for keeping cool this summer. Pictured: Sun hat, £40, and swimsuit, £45.50, boden.co.uk 1. Breezy chic with a midi The Holy Grail of your summer wardrobe, the midi skirt is the perfect way to feel cool without flashing too much flesh. Pair …...Read More

Dame Esther Rantzen remembers — and how would you forget? — that she celebrated her 50th birthday by running round the garden stark naked. ‘Actually, not stark naked,’ she clarifies. ‘I was wearing a hat, quite a big chiffon hat. I’d leapt out of bed, seen the hat on a …...Read More

When you work in TV you have to develop a thick skin, and I have certainly grown used to criticism. If I search online, I can find objections every morning to what I’m wearing, how I’ve done my make up (‘is it Halloween?’) and why my hair is a mess. …...Read More

Every Wednesday evening for the past ten weeks, I have religiously phoned my 91-year-old mother to remind her that our favourite programme is on. She then writes a note telling herself to be in front of the TV screen at 9pm sharp. Like five million viewers nationwide, we were utterly …...Read More

Dame Judi Dench has warned that Britain's theatres may never reopen in her lifetime as entertainment venues face permanent closure after lockdown. The 85-year-old actress said she 'can't imagine Britain without its arts heritage' as theatres across the UK face an 'existential risk' of closure. Her intervention comes as theatre …...Read More