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Tenko and Doc Martin actress Stephanie Cole dies aged 84

She was best known for playing the character Dr Beatrice Mason in the 1980s BBC wartime TV drama

'I worked for King Charles and he made his feelings about Princess Diana's death clear'

Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, has made a series of claims about King Charles in his new book, including a revealing account of how the monarch reacted to his sister’s death

Russian hybrid attacks against Europe intensifying, says Macron

The French president says he has tasked the government with protecting critical infrastructure and defence industry sites.

At least 17 killed after vehicle loaded with explosives rams Pakistan mosque

A four-year-old child is among those killed in the attack, during which gunmen also opened fire on a police facility.

Gabriel, 15, in Barcelona amid speculation over future

Man Utd youngster JJ Gabriel travels to Barcelona as some of Europe's biggest clubs continue to vie for his signature.

Ireland's relationship with UK under Burnham off to 'very good start'

The visit came days after US President Donald Trump made comments about supporting a "unified Ireland".

Watch: Sixth batch of UFO files includes orbs from 1952

The footage was filmed by a US Navy officer who reported the group of bright airborne objects to the Air Force's UFO investigation programme.

British woman rescued in Malawi shootout that left four suspected kidnappers dead

The mother of two young children was kidnapped last week in the middle of the day in the main city, Blantyre.

Putin's government declares UK facilities 'legitimate targets' in retaliation warning

Russian President Vladmir Putin's government has warned that it is considering of making British facilities “legitimate targets” in “retaliatory measures' should they aid Ukraine in striking Russia

Flight chaos caused by software defect in space of a millisecond, report says

The failure led to more than 2,000 flights being cancelled and hundreds of thousands of passengers affected.

Will England boss Tuchel 'embrace the chaos'?

After the World Cup, England boss Thomas Tuchel wanted greater control. Two months on, he is keen to "embrace the chaos" after naming his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.

Bash the bookies with a banker of a bet builder from our top tipster Wardy's Wagers

Britain's funniest tipster has top picks on the weekend's NFL, football and horseracing plus a tip on how sprinter Amy Hunt could end her feud with Sydney Sweeney

'Not a catastrophe' - Carrick dismisses Man Utd job fears

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick says there is no point wasting any time worrying if his job is under threat.

Trump threatened to withhold relief funding if Magas don’t win the midterms in case you’re wondering how democracy in America is holding up

Right after he told them their home state was the worst in the nation, Donald Trump followed that gem up with a joke about withholding disaster relief funds. The President was in North Carolina desperately stumping for his Maga candidates ahead of the midterms when he mentioned that if Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley doesn’t […]

The post Trump threatened to withhold relief funding if Magas don’t win the midterms in case you’re wondering how democracy in America is holding up appeared first on The Poke.

'Insufficient funds' to pay Brewdog creditors and unpaid wages after takeover deal

Administrators say about £489,000 was owed for staff wages and holiday pay and £2.4m was owed to HMRC for unpaid VAT.

Donald Trump’s been wondering if he’d rather be killed by a shark or electric shock and we’re going to need a bigger boat for all of these hysterical clap backs

Never admit weakness. Always attack. It’s the Donald Trump approach. Unfortunately for him, the only thing he is not afraid of (talking in public) has revealed his deepest fears (sharks and… batteries?) The President was speaking at a White House Rose Garden dinner yesterday in front of a group of outdoorsmen when the subject of […]

The post Donald Trump’s been wondering if he’d rather be killed by a shark or electric shock and we’re going to need a bigger boat for all of these hysterical clap backs appeared first on The Poke.

Football club apologises for United 93 shirt advert

Oxford United apologises for the image, which features the call sign of one of the planes used in the 9/11 attacks.

Oxford apologise for United 93 shirt advert

Oxford United apologises for the image, which features the call sign of one of the planes used in the 9/11 attacks.

Sisters of 'Putney pusher' suspect say DNA will clear his name

Nicholas Brandram's sisters tell the BBC he did a DNA test to speed up the inquiry but never got the results.

Coronation Street and Waiting For God actress Stephanie Cole dies

Actress Stephanie Cole, best known for her roles in Coronation Street, Tenko and Open All Hours, has died aged 84, her agent said.

Resident Evil: The video game adaptation with a lot to prove

The video game adaptation is a hit with critics, but director Zach Cregger says the fan response surprised him.

This Norwegian TV ad about how things don’t last as long as they used is both important and an absolute Scandi treat

Here’s public service broadcasting at its best, or something like it, and there’s not a phrase we’re often using on these pages. It’s a Norwegian TV ad about how things don’t last as long as they used to, and it manages to have both a very important message and be an absolutely fabulous watch, both […]

The post This Norwegian TV ad about how things don’t last as long as they used is both important and an absolute Scandi treat appeared first on The Poke.

Ronaldo named in Jesus' first Portugal squad

Cristiano Ronaldo is named in the first squad selected by new Portugal coach Jorge Jesus for their upcoming Nations League games.

'Millisecond' software error caused air traffic outage that grounded thousands of flights

The air traffic outage that grounded thousands of flights was not caused by a 'military operation' but by a software problem, an initial investigation has found.

At least 16 killed in car bomb at mosque near police compound in Pakistan

At least 16 people have been killed in Pakistan after a vehicle carrying explosives rammed into a police compound and a gunfight broke out.

MI5 accepts it gave evidence based on lies in neo-Nazi spy case

It is the first time MI5 has confirmed the BBC's revelation that it gave evidence based on lies in court while defending the violent informant.

People have been sharing the most unfortunate and downright wrong nicknames someone ended up with – 21 absolute head-shakers

Being given a nickname is usually a gesture of affection. It means you’re well known enough in a group to warrant a special tag. However, it often turns out that the more esteem you are held in by your friends, the worse the nickname will be. They’ve been discussing this on the AskReddit page after […]

The post People have been sharing the most unfortunate and downright wrong nicknames someone ended up with – 21 absolute head-shakers appeared first on The Poke.

UK's 'dismal' Eurovision Song Contest record to be scrutinised by MPs

The UK's "dismal record" in the Eurovision Song Contest is going to be investigated by MPs after years of poor results.

Lindsay Clancy holdout juror says he had no doubt she deliberately killed her children

It is the first time the juror, who refused to side with the others and acquit Clancy, has spoken publicly about his decision.

People shared their most embarrassing moments that mortify them to this day – 23 hilarious foul-ups to make your day better

Schadenfreude – the name for the feeling of pleasure derived from the misfortune of others – tends to be applied to events that are bad for unpleasant people. Like when Liz Truss got the boot from being Prime Minister for her insane mini-budget, for example. But sometimes we can feel a nice twinge of it […]

The post People shared their most embarrassing moments that mortify them to this day – 23 hilarious foul-ups to make your day better appeared first on The Poke.

A Little Englander was asked on LBC to define what it means to be ‘English’ and it’s an absolute classic of the genre

To the airwaves now, where this particular Little Englander was asked to define what it means to be ‘English’ and it’s an absolute classic of the genre. They rang in a little bit back in the day, to coincide with a far-right London protest organised by Tommy Robinson, and we share it again because it […]

The post A Little Englander was asked on LBC to define what it means to be ‘English’ and it’s an absolute classic of the genre appeared first on The Poke.

British rapper Sway dies aged 44

Sway, whose hits included Still Speedin' and Level Up, was living in Ghana at the time of his death.

Canada captain loses sleep 'four to five nights a week' over England's World Cup win

Canada captain Sophie de Goede says she still loses sleep over their World Cup final loss to England last year.

We bought our £242,000 home without a deposit - here's how

The share of UK mortgages with smaller deposits is the highest it's been since 2008. The BBC spoke to borrowers about how they manage the risks.

Everyone’s talking about Grand Designs this week and this video condensing every single episode into 96 seconds flat is just brilliantly done

Grand Designs is back on Channel 4 this week and the return – specifically, this particular tweet announcing its return – went wildly viral with people making very educated guesses what will happen in the episode, and very entertaining it was too. Bryony and Matt are spending £820,000 on a modern, high-performance home on the […]

The post Everyone’s talking about Grand Designs this week and this video condensing every single episode into 96 seconds flat is just brilliantly done appeared first on The Poke.

Badenoch says she is instructing lawyers to challenge government after Tory-run council's 94% tax hike

A row is growing over Wandsworth Council's rise, which the local authority is blaming on government funding cuts.

MOBO-winning rapper and Top Boy star dies at 44

British rapper Sway, who made history as the first unsigned artist to win a MOBO Award, has died aged 44.

Man dies in fifth fatal shark attack this year in Australia

A man has died after being mauled by a shark while swimming at a popular beach in the state of Western Australia.

An RNLI lifeboat station was closed due to far-right protests and these ‘patriotic’ replies are an unutterably grim indication of the state of things right now

As we’ve already written about elsewhere, shocking news today that the RNLI has had to close its Portsmouth lifeboat station due to far-right protestors unhappy at them helping migrants. We’ve highlighted 14 of the most totally on-point responses here, but while they surely represent 99% of the country right now, the 1% tends to shout […]

The post An RNLI lifeboat station was closed due to far-right protests and these ‘patriotic’ replies are an unutterably grim indication of the state of things right now appeared first on The Poke.

Move faster to solve climate challenges, Prince William says

The Prince of Wales tells the BBC we need to "accelerate" in finding solutions to climate challenges as Earthshot nominees are unveiled.

Our 25 Favourite Funny Tweets of the Week

Hello and welcome to our weekly round-up of the things that have made us laugh on Twitter – proving that it’s not just a sewer of angry bigots, bots, and trolls. It’s also a lot of people, commenting on current affairs, sharing their dad jokes, and generally being funny. If you see something you like, […]

The post Our 25 Favourite Funny Tweets of the Week appeared first on The Poke.

Women told breasts removed needlessly as NHS trust finds more than 300 suffered harm

The trust's new chief executive says he apologises unreservedly - "What happened was utterly unacceptable."

Donald Trump just considered banning fishing and as a real-time indication of his mental state it’s hard to beat

Time to return to the thoughts, such as they are, of Donald Trump. We’ve published no end of posts about the mental state – and we really do mean mental – of the American president on these pages, but for a real-time indication of where his head is at right now, this is surely hard […]

The post Donald Trump just considered banning fishing and as a real-time indication of his mental state it’s hard to beat appeared first on The Poke.

Reform UK-er Danny Kruger was brilliantly called out by Fiona Bruce and his reaction made it even better

Question Time was back on BBC1 on Thursday night, which must mean that Reform UK is back on Question Time, right? Of course they were, and this time it was the turn of Tory turncoat Danny Kruger, who was naturally doing his bit to defend all those mega millions of pounds donated to Reform UK. […]

The post Reform UK-er Danny Kruger was brilliantly called out by Fiona Bruce and his reaction made it even better appeared first on The Poke.

Far-right protestors have forced the closure of Portsmouth lifeboat station and these 14 A++ responses will surely not be bettered

Astonishing news from the south coast of England where Portsmouth lifeboat station has been forced into temporary closure bedcuae of far-right activists. You’ll remember earlier this month protestors targeted the station and other sites run by the RNLI because they had the temerity of going to the aid of people trying to get to the […]

The post Far-right protestors have forced the closure of Portsmouth lifeboat station and these 14 A++ responses will surely not be bettered appeared first on The Poke.

British man detained in India for nearly nine years granted bail

A British man who has been detained in India for nearly nine years without conviction has been granted bail - but must remain in the country facing trial over alleged terror offences.

Melania Trump’s post about the upcoming lavish White House state dinner was as far as it could get from reading the room – 17 fed-up reactions

We cross now to the US, where a cost of living crisis caused largely by the war with Iran, Doge cuts, and Donald Trump’s tariffs has seen ordinary Americans having to choose between food, healthcare, and fuel to drive to work. In that environment, and with Donald Trump’s approval ratings at an all-time low, you’d […]

The post Melania Trump’s post about the upcoming lavish White House state dinner was as far as it could get from reading the room – 17 fed-up reactions appeared first on The Poke.

Teenager jailed for piloting 'mega dinghy' across the Channel

A 19-year-old has been jailed for more than two years for piloting a "mega dinghy" carrying 167 people across the Channel.

Tailgate parties, marching bands... and Ted Lasso? Wembley hosts US college game

Wembley will host its first American college football game on Saturday and one of Kansas' most famous fans could be among the 60,000 crowd.

Reform’s Danny Kruger claimed that the crypto billionaires want nothing in return for donations, and the Question Time audience’s laughter said it all

BBC’s flagship political panel show, Question Time, has just returned after the long parliamentary recess, and we were all hugely shocked by the presence of a Reform representative – in this case, Danny Kruger. They so rarely get to have their say. In an act of extraordinary televisual innovation, unheard of in the history of […]

The post Reform’s Danny Kruger claimed that the crypto billionaires want nothing in return for donations, and the Question Time audience’s laughter said it all appeared first on The Poke.

Woman with biggest breasts in Scotland plans to make them bigger despite warning

Doctors have told Ayla her planned surgery is not a good idea

The hilarious Twitter predictions for the new Grand Designs episode were made even funnier by the show’s own very self-aware bingo card

Channel 4’s architecture and self-build show, Grand Designs, has been on our screens for an incredible 27 years, fronted by the blunt yet enthusiastic designer Kevin McCloud. Season 24 has just launched, with episode one featuring Bryony and Matt’s ambitious build in the tiny village of St Minver, Cornwall. Here’s how the official account described […]

The post The hilarious Twitter predictions for the new Grand Designs episode were made even funnier by the show’s own very self-aware bingo card appeared first on The Poke.

British woman rescued after shoot-out between Malawi police and kidnappers left two dead

A British woman who was abducted in Malawi has been rescued and reunited with her family after a shoot-out between officers and the kidnappers, police said.

Learner drivers turn to YouTube and TikTok to cut costs - but instructors warn of risks

One learner says social media clips saved her money, but there was also misinformation online.

We regret to inform you that RFK Jr is ‘looking at chemtrails’, and there’s not enough facepalm in the world – 26 scathing responses

We can’t imagine what job RFK Jr is actually suited to. Talking head on Channel 5 ‘When X Goes Wrong’ shows, perhaps, or roadkill chef on his own YouTube channel. What he isn’t fit for is to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The man’s an anti-science conspiracy theorist who has overseen a […]

The post We regret to inform you that RFK Jr is ‘looking at chemtrails’, and there’s not enough facepalm in the world – 26 scathing responses appeared first on The Poke.

US fans with Ed Sheeran tickets left torn over Macklemore controversy

With Sheeran's next gig this weekend, some ticket holders said they were in two minds about going.

Not just 'Nice Guy Eddie': Lib Dems eager for leader to show radical side at party conference

There is a sizeable group of Lib Dem MPs who openly question whether the party's problem is with its leader, while others support his stance.

'Complete despair': Afghan female medical students fear being sent home from Pakistan

Since 2023, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been deported from Pakistan and over two million have left.

War may be coming. Are we psychologically ready?

The military and government say the risk of conflict is growing, but we may not be mentally ready for it

New wild cat species discovered - with only one known living member

A spotted wildcat long mistaken for relatives has been identified as a new species in Bolivia.

Brit mum 'kidnapped on school run' has been rescued by police as 'hero' officer shot

Nusrat Osman, a British mother-of-two who is believed to be from Leicester, has been rescued in a major police operation after she was kidnapped while on the school run

Diana claims about King are 'nuclear strike at the heart' and 'Harry is probably aware'

Former royal butler Grant Harrold has slammed claims made by Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer in his new book after making allegations regarding King Charles' conduct at the times

Weekly quiz: Why did women's sports stars criticise actress Sydney Sweeney?

How much attention did you pay to what happened in the world over the past seven days?

Afghan man who raped two intoxicated girls, 14, was 'driven by sexual gratification'

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Bakatash, 29, who once served in the British Army, was convicted of raping and sexually abusing two girls, both aged 14, after plying them with vodka until they were barely conscious

Couple's 'sickening and horrifying' plot to abuse child

Victoria and Shaun Lewis have been jailed after they had made plans for Shaun to meet the child, while Victoria knew he had plans to abuse her, police said.

Asylum camp plans plunged into chaos - by bats, badgers and great crested newts

Proposals to house up to 1,256 asylum seekers in the village of Piddington may have been scuppered after the site was found to be teeming with wildlife

1980s voted as best decade ever - and it's all about TV and music

The 1980s tops the charts as the nation's favourite decade - winning six out of eight categories including TV shows, music, pop culture and iconic catchphrases

King Charles 'elated like a lottery winner' in Diana death call, claims Earl Spencer

Earl Spencer has dropped bombshell claims regarding the moment he was called by King Charles following the death of his sister Princess Diana, allegedly that the then Prince was "like a lottery winner"

What’s the greatest ‘well, their career is over’ moment of all time? – 17 livelihoods that came to a crashing halt

Careers often gradually taper off as a person slowly winds down their obligations. But sometimes they come to an abrupt halt due to a massive screw up. And while it remains to be seen where Ed Sheeran sits on this spectrum, Ok-Poetry8702 wanted to hear about those unfortunate occasions where a person’s career drops off […]

The post What’s the greatest ‘well, their career is over’ moment of all time? – 17 livelihoods that came to a crashing halt appeared first on The Poke.

There’s never a bad time to rewatch the legend that is Steven the lazy horse

Back in 2022, Scottish TikToker @glittergreigy shared a short clip (clop?) that went wildly viral, and deservedly so, with the description – ‘He thought about it for a second .. he really thought about it.’ If you haven’t seen it, you’re in for a treat. If you have, we know you’re going to want to […]

The post There’s never a bad time to rewatch the legend that is Steven the lazy horse appeared first on The Poke.

Celebrity Traitors to return as Alan Carr's 2025 win named a top unifying moment

Alan Carr's 2025 Celebrity Traitors victory among the most unifying cultural moments of the past 25 years – alongside Queen's funeral

What does Britain do better than anywhere else in the world? – 17 little things to feel patriotic about

It’s all too easy to despair about the state of the nation. Trains always seem to be delayed, and now people are picking on the RNLI of all things. But there are lots of ways where this country actually excels. To learn more, Odd-Paramedic-3826 tasked r/AskUK with sharing the British things that are the best […]

The post What does Britain do better than anywhere else in the world? – 17 little things to feel patriotic about appeared first on The Poke.

‘What’s something that was hyped as ‘the future’ 10 years ago that you barely hear about now?’ – 17 gadgets and gizmos that never really took off

As the old saying goes, the future ain’t what it used to be. Time was, we were promised flying cars and bases on the Moon. Sadly, things haven’t worked out that way. Where did it all go awry though? How were we robbed when it came to developments? To find out, CottonCandyCloud9 turned to r/AskReddit […]

The post ‘What’s something that was hyped as ‘the future’ 10 years ago that you barely hear about now?’ – 17 gadgets and gizmos that never really took off appeared first on The Poke.

Noah Woods cops issue update on his death after 'most tragic of circumstances'

Suffolk Constabulary have issued an update following the death of three-year-old Noah Woods after formal identification of a body found in a pond yesterday has taken place

British businessman victim in Swiss Alps plane crash as tributes paid to 'adored grandfather'

Owain Davies, 55, managing director of Carmarthenshire engineering firm Amcanu, was a passenger in a light aircraft which crashed near the Leukerbad resort in the Swiss Alps

Student found with hundreds of indecent images of kids makes odd request during arrest

Ashraful Islam, 21, from Chippenham avoided jail after police seized his phone during an unrelated arrest in March 2026, uncovering hundreds of child abuse images including nearly 350 of the most serious category

Palace hits back after Diana's brother claims King Charles said world would 'forget' her

Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer has made a bombshell claim about King Charles in his new book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, alleging the King said the world would 'forget' Diana following her death in 1997

Noah Woods search volunteers break down in tears as cop's voice cracks after body found

Many of the hundreds of volunteers searching for missing three-year-old Noah Woods have wept at the heartbreaking news that a body has been found in local pond in Brantham

Body of child found in search for missing three-year-old Noah Woods

Superintendent Tom Pearse from Suffolk Constabulary has issued a new statement in the search for missing three-year-old Noah Woods after the toddler disappeared over 24 hours ago

Gang jailed for horror UK airport gas attack where people 'vomiting blood'

Heathrow Terminal 3 was shut down after tear gas was sprayed leaving people hospitalised and bystanders coughing and choking

Noah Woods police share message from missing boy's family as specialist diving team sent

Police searching for missing three-year-old Noah Woods have shared a short message from the his family as the operation continues to find him over 24 hours since the toddler was reported missing

Dad jailed over extremist posts said 'If I go to prison, it’ll be for making real change'

Ivan Jennings, a dad of four, has been jailed for encouraging terrorism in an online chat as he encouraged attacks on migrants and how to use poisonous mushrooms in the food of Jews and Muslims

Harry and Meghan hit with 'fiasco of own making' and have 'serious questions to answer'

Prince Harry and Meghan face a backlash after pulling their kids from school over a security blunder, with experts branding their UK return a self-made fiasco

Major update on missing boy Noah as police issue statement on 'criminality' speculation

Suffolk Police Superintendent Tom Pearse has issued a new statement following online speculation of criminality as the search continues for the missing three-year-old boy Noah

Netflix star's 'nuclear' response to Harry and Meghan becoming his neighbours

Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father star Michael Whitehall has shared a brutal verdict on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after the royal couple became his new neighbours in the Cotswolds

Sprint star Amy Hunt says her attack on Sydney Sweeney is 'nothing personal'

The British 200m ace sparked a huge reaction after hitting out at an ad where Sydney posed naked with strategically-placed footballs and other sporting equipment

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