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2025

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This page provides a snapshot of Lyn Paul's career focusing on xxxx. To find out what else was happening in xxxx select any of the following options:

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Lyn Paul as Bird Lady in 'Mary Poppins', Milton Keynes Theatre.


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Lyn Paul as Bird Lady in 'Mary Poppins', Milton Keynes Theatre.


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Lyn Paul as Bird Lady in 'Mary Poppins', Milton Keynes Theatre.


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Feed The Birds

Lyn Paul and the cast of Dick Whittington herald in the New Year with a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne. The pantomime continues at the Theatre Royal Windsor until 12th January.

Linda Nolan, who found fame alongside her sisters as one of The Nolans and who, like Lyn Paul, also went on to star as Mrs. Johnstone in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, dies in Blackpool on 15th January, aged 65. Lyn is among the stars who attend her funeral at St. Paul's Church, Blackpool on Saturday, 1st February.

On Tuesday, 11th March Liverpool’s Empire Theatre celebrates its centenary with a gala performance of Blood Brothers. Lyn Paul is amongst those attending, along with Everton manager David Moyes and ex-Blood Brothers cast members Danny Taylor and Marti Webb. A ceremony is held before the performance to honour the show’s producer, Bill Kenwright, who died in October 2023. Bill’s granddaughter Moon, accompanied by her mother Lucy and by Bill’s long-term partner Jenny Seagrove, unveils a sculpture of her grandfather by Liverpool sculptor Tom Murphy. Alongside the bust is a quotation from Bill, who described the Empire as "my favourite theatre in the world.” Asked at the gala what the Empire means to her, Lyn Paul says: “Oh my goodness, I always say that the Liverpool Empire is like a second home because I’ve played it so often.”

On 12th June Lyn and her husband Alan fly to Rhodes to enjoy some glorious weather, delicious food and, to quote Lyn, “plenty of Aperol Spritz”. On 26th June, as their holiday comes to an end, it is announced that Lyn will be joining the cast of Mary Poppins. Sharing the news on X (formerly Twitter), Lyn writes: “I will be joining the tour of ‘Mary Poppins’ in November. Beyond excited, thrilled and grateful!” (X, 26th June 2025, 3:13pm)

Lyn's joy is short-lived, however, On 12th July, just after 9.20pm, Lyn gets a phonecall from the Oak House Care Home to let her know that her father's health was deteriorating. Lyn and her husband Alan rush to the care home with their son Ryan but arrive to find that Lyn's dad had died just a few minutes before their arrival.

Mr. Belcher's cremation is held on 25th July. Afterwards Lyn posts a message on Facebook: "Goodbye dad, give mum a hug for me and make sure you both meet me when it’s my time, we’ll have a lot to talk about!" (Facebook, 25th July). On 8th August Mr. Belcher's ashes are laid to rest next to Lyn's mum. The next day, posting a message on Facebook, Lyn writes: "Yesterday we laid my dad to rest next to my mum, which is the only place he ever wanted to be. Today I feel lighter and more at peace." (Facebook, 9th August).

On 27th August, after six weeks of hearbreak, Lyn and Alan fly to Spain for a 10-day break in Lubrin, where they celebrate their wedding anniversary and try their best to "get away from everything". Their holiday does not get off to the best of starts. As they are waiting to board their flight, Lyn writes: "We are in the lounge at Luton Airport, and I am surrounded by people scraping their dishes, slurping drinks, talking on phones. So much for relaxing lounges! The staff are miserable and rude... No more Luton for me!" (Facebook, 27th August).


Milton Keynes Theatre.

Mary Poppins,
Milton Keynes Theatre.


Up. Down.


On 5th November, four days after the Huntington train stabbings which caused injuries to eleven people, Lyn travels to Milton Keynes to begin rehearsals for Mary Poppins. Before she leaves, Lyn posts a message on Facebook: "First day of rehearsals today and I’m more nervous about getting on the train!" Speaking in a promotional video ahead of her first performance, Lyn says: "I cannot wait I'm so excited... and I'm very lucky at my age to be given the chance to do something like this."

Lyn's role in the show is the "Bird Woman", an old woman who sits on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral, selling bags of breadcrumbs to passers-by for tuppence a bag. She sings one of the show's most important songs, Feed The Birds. In the original film the song was sung by Mary Poppins, played by Julie Andrews, to visuals of the elderly bird woman. In the stage musical, however, the song is performed by the Bird Woman herself. Upon hearing the song for the first time, Walt Disney reportedly remarked: "That's it, isn't it? That's what this is all about. This is the metaphor for the whole film."

On Saturday, 22nd November, Mary Poppins last day in Milton Keynes, Lyn Paul remembers the anniversary of her mother's death and posts a message on Facebook: "15 years today since I lost my mum. She was not only the most wonderful mother but my best friend. The show tonight is for you mum."

A week later, on Saturday, 29th November, Lyn Paul is a guest on Lucy Owen's show on BBC Radio Wales. During her interview Lyn talks about her costume for the role of the Bird Woman: "I've got the best wig ever... When they first put it on me it looked really, really nice and Helen, who made the wig, she said: 'Ah no, it's looking too nice. You've got to pull it apart a bit.' Well, it's getting tattier by the day." Although her costume is "scruffy and rough" it does have one advantage in the cold weather, it's warm: "I love wearing it.. especially when it's so cold. I'm all wrapped up, it's great." And then there are the boots: "Once the boots are on, because they take so long to lace up... they stay on all day."

Towards the end of the interview Lucy Owen surprises Lyn by playing a message from "a Welsh legend and Radio Wales DJ", H from Steps, who says: "Lyn Paul, you absolutely gorgeous human, I am in absolute awe of you. I remember being a massive Lyn Paul fan before I worked with you. I saw you do 'Blood Brothers' and you were just phe-nom[enal, the definitive Mrs. Johnson for me. But then I got to work with you and know you, your hubby, your son - and you are just a glorious family. You are just such good people to be around."

Mary Poppins opens at the Cardiff Millennium Centre on 3rd December. The reviews are, without exception, positive:

"This UK & Ireland Tour, directed by James Powell with choreography recreated by Richard Jones, doesn’t just replicate the West End production - it revitalises it. It feels fresh. Bigger. More celebratory. More needed." (Jak Rhys Birch, The Edit)

"Memorable performances also come from Rosemary Ashe as Mrs. Brill, Lyn Paul as the Bird Woman (her Feed The Birds was really emotional), [and] Sharon Watts as Mrs. Corry in her shop of words." (Cardiff Mummy Says, 5th December 2025)

"Whether you know it from the film, the book or previous stage versions, this tour stands head and shoulders above the rest. It is charming, heartfelt and visually stunning from start to finish." (It's On Cardiff, 6th December 2025)

"There’s also a lovely treat in the shape of Lyn Paul as the Bird Woman. Those of us who remember the days of the New Seekers, and that hugely famous song ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing‘ were more than thrilled to see her step into this role." (South Wales Life, 6th December 2025)

"The supporting cast also shines, particularly Lyn Paul’s poignant Bird Woman and Cameron Thomas Jones’ animated, touching Neleus." (Llywelyn ap Gwilym, Art Scene in Wales, 6th December 2025)

"Lyn Paul (Blood Brothers’ Mrs. Johnston) brings a touch of West End legend to Disney as Bird Woman, with the touching Feed The Birds." (Chris Williams, Buzz, 7th December 2025)

"Michael D. Xavier and Lucie-Mae Sumner were excellent as George and Winifred Banks, capturing both the sternness and tenderness of the household, while Rosemary Ashe as Mrs. Brill and Lyn Paul as the Bird Woman added memorable touches of humour and heart." (Katherine Peach, View mags.co.uk, 8th December 2025)


Incidentally...

On 22nd January The Songwriters Hall of Fame announces its inductees for 2025. Among the songwriters to be honoured is Tony Macaulay, who wrote or co-wrote many of the New Seekers best-loved songs, among them the hit singles You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me and I Get A Little Sentimental Over You (both co-written with Geoff Stephens); Rusty Hands Of Time (issued as a solo single by Peter Doyle); Songs We Sang Together (from the Peter, Paul & Marty album) and three songs from the New Seekers' Farewell Album - All Pull Together Kind Of World, Oh My Joe and Somebody Warm Like Me.

On Sunday, 9th February New Seeker Paul Layton and his daughter Lucy Layton take part in the Up Yours Cancer! charity concert at the Corn Exchange in Hertford. The sell-out show is organised by Steve Young, a school teacher from Stevenage, who had been one of the first NHS patients to receive the mRNA vaccine for melanoma. The headline act is Nik Kershaw, whose set includes his ‘80s hits Wouldn't It Be Good and The Riddle. Paul and Lucy perform I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing and join Nik and the other 16 acts on the bill for the finale, Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds.

On 11th March the V&A in Dundee hosts the premiere of a new BBC documentary, Icons Of Style. The red carpet event is attended by the show’s host, former Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, and by many of the people who appear in the two-part documentary, among them former New Seeker Eve Graham. The first episode, which is played at the premiere, is broadcast on BBC Scotland at 9.00pm on Sunday, 16th March.

Mike Berry, known for his top 10 hits Don't You Think It's Time (1963) and The Sunshine Of Your Smile (1980), as well as his role as Mr. Spooner in Are You Being Served? (1981-85), dies on 11th April, aged 82. Mike had worked with Lyn Paul on a couple of occasions. In 1984 they both featured on the K-Tel album, Hooked On Number 1s (ONE 1285) as well as appearing together in the panto Mother Goose at the Kings Theatre, Southsea. Eleven years later they worked together again, appearing in cabaret at London's Café Royal.

Brian Engel, a member of the New Seekers from 1978 to 1985, dies on 23rd August.

On 14th September former New Seeker Eve Graham is one of the guests on Sunday With Michael Portillo (GB News). Described as "making a comeback", Eve is interviewed about her forthcoming trip to Alabama as part of an 'Icons & Inspirations' tour celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence. The year ends on a high note for Eve, who is awarded a MBE in New Year Honours list for services to the music industry.


Autograph.


Up. Down.

In the News - 2025
   
Jan

In the early hours of the morning on New Year's Day (3.15am local time) a man drives a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Fifteen people are killed including the driver of the truck, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who dies in a shootout with police. Later that morning (8.39am PST) a Tesla Cybertruck filled with fuel canisters and firework mortars explodes outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. The driver, Matthew Alan Livelsberger, dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head just before the explosion.
The singer and guitarist Wayne Osmond, who co-wrote many of The Osmonds' biggest hits, including Crazy Horses, Goin' Home and Let Me In. dies of a stroke on 1st January, aged 73.
The Vivienne (James Lee Williams), the drag queen known for winning the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019, dies on Sunday, 5th January, aged 32, from a cardiac arrest caused by the effects of taking ketamine.
On 6th January Justin Trudeau announces his resignation as both Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Liberal Party.
On 7th January wildfires break out in the Counties of Los Angeles and San Diego and are not fully contained until 31st January. Jeff Bridges, Billy Crystal and Mel Gibson are among the stars whose homes are destroyed by the fires.
The actor and comedian Tony Slattery dies on 14th January, aged 65, having suffered a heart attack two days before.
Tulip Siddiq resigns as Economic Secretary to the Treasury on the same day, stating that as the niece of the ousted former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, her links to her aunt would be "a distraction" for the UK government.
The President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol is arrested on 15th January. Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), who had failed to arrest him on 3rd January, are forced to scale barricades and cut through barbed wire in order to take him into custody.
The filmmaker David Lynch, known for films such as The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986) and Mulholland Drive (2001), and for the TV series Twin Peaks, dies on 16th January, aged 78.
Dame Joan Plowright, the stage actress who once remarked "You do films if the roof needs mending", dies on the same day, aged 95.
The former Scotland, Manchester United and Manchester City striker Denis Law - the only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d'Or - dies in Aberdeen on 17th January, aged 84.
On the same day the US Supreme Court upholds a law, passed in April 2024, banning the social media app TikTok in the USA unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sold the platform to an approved US buyer by 19th January. On Saturday, 18th February TikTok is taken offline in the USA but returns after the president-elect Donald Trump says that he will "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a ban.
A hostages-and-prisoners exchange and armistice to end the Gaza war comes into effect on 19th February. The agreement, made four days earlier, is carried out in three stages, each six weeks (42 days) long. The first stage provides for the release of 33 Israeli hostages (civilian women, female soldiers and hostages over the age of 50) in exchange for up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners.
On Wednesday, 22nd January Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) settles its long-running legal dispute with Prince Harry, agreeing to pay him "substantial damages" and offering "a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by 'The Sun' between 1996 and 2011 into his private life".
On 29th January an PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airliner collides in mid-air with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River, about half a mile (800 meters) short of the runway at the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC. The 64 passengers and crew on board the airliner and the 3 people in the helicopter all lose their lives.
Marianne Faithfull, best known for her 1964 hit As Tears Go By, dies in London on 30th January, aged 78.
On the same day FireAid concerts are held at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum in Los Angeles to raise funds to help the area recover from the wildfires and to help prevent future wildfires. Artists appearing at the Intuit Dome include: Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart, Sting and Stevie Wonder; the concert at the Kia Forum includes performance by Joni Mirchell, Stevie Nicks and P!nk.

Feb

Brian Murphy, best known for his role as George Roper in the 1970s sitcoms Man About The House and George And Mildred, dies on Sunday, 2nd February, aged 92.
A 15-year old schoolboy, Harvey Willgoose, is fatally stabbed at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on Monday, 3rd February.
On 4th February a mass shooting occurs at Campus Risbergska, an adult education centre in Örebro, Sweden. Eleven people are killed, including the perpetrator, 35-year-old Rickard Andersson.
On 6th February the Greek government declares a state of emergency on the island of Santorini after days of consecutive offshore earthquakes in the Aegean Sea.
On 11th February Mount Etna begins erupting, forcing Catania Airport to divert dozens of flights because of ash clouds in the area.
On 15th February Muhsin Hendricks, often described as the world’s first openly gay imam, is assassinated in Bethelsdorp, South Africa, by two masked gunmen who ambush the car in which he was travelling.
On 17th February a Delta Airlines CRJ900 aircraft operated by Endeavor Air (Flight 4819 from Minneapolis) crashes and overturns while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The 76 passengers and 4 crew all survive. 18 are injured, 3 of them seriously.
On 21st February, after a two-week trial in Chautauqua County Court in western New York state, Hadi Matar is found guilty on charges of assaulting and attempting to murder the author Sir Salman Rushdie. On 16th May Matar is sentenced to serve 25 years in prison.
The conservative CDU/CSU alliance led by Friedrich Merz wins the largest share of the vote (28.5%) in the snap election held in Germany on 23rd February, with the Alternative für Deutschland, (AfD) becoming the strongest party in five states of the former the East Germany.
Roberta Flack, best known for the hits The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Killing Me Softly With His Song, dies on 24th February, aged 88.
On 28th February Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, meets with the US President Donald Trump and his Vice President, J.D. Vance in the Oval Office of the White House. Televised live, the meeting becomes antagonistic. It ends abruptly and without an expected minerals deal being signed.
On the same day the bodies of the actor Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and one of their dogs named Zinna, are discovered at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. An investigation into their deaths reveals that Arakawa died from Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease contracted by contact with mouse droppings and that Hackman, who had heart disease and complications caused by Alzheimer's disease, died from natural causes.

Mar

Carl Dean, the husband of Dolly Parton, dies on Monday, 3rd March, aged 82.
The Australian tennis player Fred Stolle, who notably lost his first five Grand Slam singles finals but who went on to win the 1965 French Championships and the 1966 US Championships, dies on 5th March, aged 86.
Athol Fugard, hailed by South Africa's Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie as "a fearless storyteller who laid bare the harsh realities of apartheid through his plays", dies on 8th March, aged 92.
An oil tanker, MV Stena Immaculate, and a cargo ship, Solong, collide in the North Sea off the coast of Hull on Monday, 10th March.
Refuse workers in Birmingham represented by Unite the Union begin a strike on 11th March in a dispute with Birmingham City Council over proposed pay cuts and the elimination of Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles.
On Friday, 14th March, five days after being elected leader of the Liberal Party, Mark Carney is sworn in as the 24th Prime Minister of Canada.
On Saturday, 15th March US President Donald Trump invokes the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport 137 Venezuelans to El Salvador, to be immediately and indefinitely imprisoned without trial, without prison sentences or release dates. A further 101 Venezuelans are deported under regular immigration law.
62 people are killed and 193 injured on 16th March after a fire breaks out at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani, North Macedonia.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore return to Earth on 16th March aboard on the SpaceX Dragon capsule after nine months in space, so ending a mission that was supposed to last for just eight days.
Ekrem Imamoglu, the Mayor of Istanbul and the main political rival to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is arrested on 19th March and charged with corruption. His arrest prompts widespread protests across Turkey.
Late at night on 20th March a fire breaks out at an electrical substation in Hayes, cutting the power supply to Heathrow Airport and forcing its closure. Normal operations at the airport resume on 22nd March.
Eddie Jordan, the founder and team principal of the Formula 1 team Jordan, dies on 20th March at the age of 76.
Former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman dies on 21st March, also aged 76.
On 28th March a 7.7-7.9 earthquake strickes the Sagaing Region of Myanmar, killing up to 5,352 people in Myanmar and 103 in neighbouring Thailand.
Richard Chamberlain, who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare (1961-66), dies on 29th March, aged 90.
On 31st March Marine Le Pen, eight other MEPs, and 12 assistants are found guilty of embezzlement for misappropriating over €4 million of European Parliament funds to fund National Front staff. Le Pen is sentenced to four years in prison and a five-year ban from running for political office.

Apr

Val Kilmer, who starred in some of the most successful films of the 1980s and '90s, including Top Gun and Batman Forever, dies on Tuesday, 1st April, aged 65.
On 2nd April the US President Donald Trump announces "Liberation Day" tariffs of 10% on imports from nearly all countries, with higher rates for major trading partners. These were in addition to the tariffs announced in February on imports from Canada, Mexico and China.
Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords are recalled from their Easter break for 12th April to pass the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025. The Act, drafted in response to the threatened closure the two British Steel blast furnaces at Scunthorpe Steelworks, enables the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to intervene in the operations of steel manufacturers if their assets are at risk of closure.
On 16th April, in a case brought against the Scottish government by the campaign group For Women Scotland, the UK Supreme Court unanimously rules that "the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex".
Jean Marsh, who co-created and starred in the television series Upstairs Downstaris (1971-75), dies on 13th April, aged 90.
Four people are killed in a cable car accident on Mount Faito, near Naples, on Thursday, 17th April.
Clodagh Rodgers, who represented the UK in the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Jack In The Box, dies on Friday, 18th April, aged 78.
Pope Francis dies on Easter Monday (21st April), aged 88. His had made his last public appearance the day before, for an Easter Sunday blessing at the Vatican's St. Peter's Square.
On 22nd April gunmen open fire on a group of tourists visiting Pahalgam, a popular beauty spot in Indian-administered Kashmir. 26 people are killed.
Virginia Giuffre, who had accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, commits suicide on 25th April, aged 41.
Around midday on Monday, 28th April a massive power cut occurs across the Iberian Peninsula, affecting Portugal, Spain, Andorra and parts of southwestern France.

May

Reform UK wins 677 seats in the local elections held in England on 1st May, taking control of eight authorities from the Conservatives as well as Doncaster, the only Council Labour was defending, and Durham, where Labour was previously the largest party. The Reform UK candidate Sarah Pochin also wins the Runcorn and Helsby by-election held on the same day.
The Lobor Party, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, wins the federal elections held in Australia on Saturday, 3rd May, securing a landslide victory over the opposition Liberal–National Coalition, led by Peter Dutton.
Presidential elections are held in Romania on 4th May, with a second round of voting on 18th May. George Simion, the leader of the far-right AUR party, wins the first round but loses in the second round to the liberal, pro-EU mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, who takes up the Presidency on 26th May.
The German Bundestag elects Friedrich Merz as Chancellor on 6th May. A second round of voting is required after he fails to be confirmed as Chancellor in the first round, a situation unprecedented in Germany's post-war history.
On Thursday, 8th May Cardinal Robert Prevost is elected Pope. He adopts the papal name Pope Leo XIV.
On the same day the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the US President Donald Trump agree to the General Terms of an Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD). Reduced tariffs for British car and aerospace manufacturers exporting to the USA come into effect on 30th June.
Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American serving in the Israeli army, who had been captured by Hamas during its terrorist attack on Israel on 7th October 2023, is released and reunited with his family on 12th May.
Austria, represented by JJ with the song Wasted Love, wins the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, held in the St. Jakobshalle in Basel on 17th May.
Two staff members from the Israeli embassy, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, are shot dead outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC on Wednesday, 21st May.
On Thursday, 22nd May a cargo ship, the NCL Salten, runs aground and nearly crashes into a house in Byneset, Trondheim. The watch officer, who admitted falling asleep, is charged with negligent navigation.
On Monday, 26th May a man drives a car into a crowd on Water Street in Liverpool, after the victory parade celebrating Liverpool Football Club's 2024–25 Premier League title win.
On the same day King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in Ottawa on Monday, 26th May for a two-day Royal Visit to Canada. On Tuesday, 27th May King Charles delivers the Speech of the Throne to Parliament, laying out the government's priorities and goals.
On Saturday, 31st May, following Paris Saint-Germain's 5–0 victory over Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final, the fans' celebrations trun into riots, resulting in two fatalities and 192 injuries. 559 people are arrested, including 491 in Paris. Despite the violence and vandalism, the club's victory parade in central Paris goes ahead the following afternoon.

June

The Labour Party candidate Davy Russell wins the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election held on 5th June. The by-election had been triggered by the death of the incumbent, Christina McKelvie of the Scottish National Party (SNP), on 27th March.
Protesters take to the streets of Los Angeles on 6th June following raids at several city locations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The following day US President Donald Trump orders the deployment of 2,000 National Guardsmen to deal with unrest, contrary to the wishes of the Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom.
Uribe Turbay, a Senator from the conservative Democratic Centre party, who was campaigning to be his party's candidate in the 2026 presidential election, is critically injured on 7th June after being shot three times - twice in the head - at a rally in Bogotá.
Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys dies on 11th June, aged 82.
On Thursday, 12th June an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (Flight 171 to London Gatwick) crashes 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport. 229 passengers and 12 crew members all lose their lives. An additional 19 people are killed on the ground. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a passenger in seat 11A, is the sole survivor.
Israel launches surprise attacks on Iran on 13th June, assassinating a number of Iran's military leaders, nuclear scientists and politicians. Iran retaliates by launching missile and drone attacks against Israeli cities and military sites.
On Saturday, 14th June a military parade is held in Washington DC marking the 250th anniversary of the US Army. The parade is watched by US President Donald Trump, also celebrating his 79th birthday. Anti-Trump protests take place across the USA on the same day.
Activists belonging to the Palestine Action protest group break in to RAF Brize Norton on 20th June, spraying two planes with red paint.
On Saturday, 21st June (early Sunday morning, Tehran time) the United States Air Force and Navy attacks three nuclear facilities in Iran, at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.
The 12-day war between Israel and Iran ends with a ceasefire mediated by the United States and Qatar, The ceasefire comes into effect on 25th June.
Tens of thousands gather for the annual Budapest Pride Parade on 28th June, despite attempts by the police and the Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to ban it.

July

On Wednesday, 2nd July MPs vote in favour of an amendment to the Terrorism Act 2000, proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.
On the same day, at the end of a two-month trial, a jury in Manhattan finds Sean "Diddy" Combs guilty of transporting people to engage in prostitution but finds him not guilty of the more serious charges against him of sex trafficking and racketeering. On 3rd October he is sentenced to 50 months in prison with credit for 12 months time served.
Footballer Diogo Jota dies in a car crash on 3rd July. His brother, Andre Silva, who was travelling with him in Jota's Lamborghini, also dies in the crash. Jota had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children, just 11 days before the fatal accident.
On Friday, 4th July, after months of rain had fallen in just a few hours, the Guadalupe River bursts its banks, sending flood water through Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' summer camp in Kerr County, Texas. In the aftermath at least 111 people are confirmed dead across the state, 27 of them from the summer camp.
Norman Tebbitt, a member of Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet from 1981 to 1987, dies on 7th July, aged 94.
On the same day Erin Patterson, who on 29th July 2023 had intentionally poisoned four of her relatives with highly toxic death cap mushrooms, is found guilty at the Supreme Court of Victoria of three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder.
Sir Wyn Williams' report on the Post Office Horizon IT scandal is published on 8th July. It reveals the scale of suffering caused to more than 900 sub-postmasters, who were wrongly accused of stealing, based on incorrect information from the Horizon computer system.
Adam Carruthers and Daniel Michael Graham, the two mwn who felled the Sycamore Gap tree on 28th September 2023, are sentenced on 15th July to 4 years and 3 months in prison.
Connie Francis, the first woman to top the Billboard Top 100, dies on 16th July, aged 87.
On 21st July, at Woolwich Crown Court, Yostin Mosquera is found guilty of murdering Paul Longworth and Albert Alfonso, whose remains had been found in two suitcases on Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol on 10th July 2024. On 24th October he is sentenced to .
Ozzy Osbourne, the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, dies on 22nd July, aged 76, just 17 days after the band's final live performance at the Back to the Beginning farewell concert at Aston Park, Birmingham.
Jazz singer Cleo Laine dies on 24th July, aged 97.
The Online Safety Act comes into effect in the UK from 25th July, aiming to prevent young people from encountering harmful content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and pornography.
The EU and USA agree a trade deal on 27th July, with 15% tariffs for European exports to America.

Aug

Dame Stella Rimington, the first woman to be appointed Director General of MI5, dies on 3rd August, aged 90.
The actor Ray Brooks, who narrated the 1970s children's television show Mr. Benn, dies on 9th August, aged 86.
On 15th August the US President Donald Trump and the Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Anchorage, Alaska to discuss the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. The summit ends without an agreement being announced.
Terrence Stamp, whose many film credits included the title role in Billy Budd (1962) and the role of Bernadette in The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (1994), dies on 17th August, aged 87.
On Friday, 22nd August the actor Noel Clarke loses his libel case against The Guardian for printing allegations made against him of sexual misconduct.
On 27th August two children are killed and 21 other people injured in a shooting at the Church of the Annunciation in the Windom neighborhood of Minneapolis. The perpetrator, Robin M. Westman, commits suicide.
On the same day Royal Mail announces its plans to roll out 3,500 solar-powered postboxes across the UK, following a successful pilot in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Ahmed al-Rahawi, the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Houthi-led government in Yemen, is killed on 28th August in an Israeli air strike on Yemen's capital, Sanaa.
On 29th August, at the Court of Appeal, Lord Justice Bean overturns a temporary injunction obtained by Epping Forest District Council that would have prevented asylum seekers from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping.
Andriy Parubiy, the former speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, who supported Ukrainian membership of NATO and the EU, is shot dead in Lviv on 30th August.
On 31st August a magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes eastern Afghanistan, causing around 3,000 deaths, 4,000 injuries and the collapse of 8,000 homes.

Sep

On 2nd September Zack Polanski is elected as leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.
16 people are killed and 23 injured in a funicular train crash in Lisbon on 3rd September.
The Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani dies on 4th September, aged 91.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who presented the Ladies' Singles trophies at Wimbledon between 1976 and 2001, with only three exceptions, and who famously consoled a tearful Jana Novotná after her loss in the 1993 final, also dies on 4th September, aged 92.
On 5th September Angela Rayner resigns as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and from her government posts as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, after a report concludes that she had broken the Ministerial Code by underpaying stamp duty on a property purchase. Her resignation prompts a reshuffle of the Cabinet: David Lammy replaces her as Deputy Prime Minister; Yvette Cooper becomes Foreign Secretary, with Shabana Mahmood replacing her as Home Secretary.
London Underground staff begin a five-day walkout over pay and conditions on Sunday, 7th September.
The French government led by François Bayrou loses a confidence vote on 8th September. The following day Bayrou is replaced as Prime Minister by Sébastien Lecornu.
On 9th September the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launches an airstrike against the leadership of Hamas as it met in the Leqtaifiya district of Qatar's capital Dohto to discuss a ceasefire proposal presented by the United States.
On the same day Russian drones are shot down in Poland's airspace by Polish and other NATO aircraft during overnight attacks by Russia on Ukraine. On 14th September Romania reports that a Russian drone had also breached its airspace.
The right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, is assasinated on 10th September while speaking at a public debate at Utah Valley University.
On 11th September the former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, is found guilty of plotting a military coup.
The dead body of former world light-welterweight boxing champion Ricky Hatton is discovered at his home in Gee Cross on the morning of 14th September by his manager, Paul Speak.
Robert Redford, whose acting career spanned more than 50 films, dies on 16th September, aged 89.
On the same day the US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive for a state visit to the United Kingdom.
Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets fly into Estonian airspace on Friday, 19th September, prompting Estonia to call an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
On Sunday, 21st September the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom each announce their country’s formal recognition of a Palestinian state.
The former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday, 25th September after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy relating to the alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign.
The pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), led by the Moldovan President Maia Sandu, wins the.parliamentary elections held in Moldova on Sunday, 28th September.
On 30th September an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 strikes the Visayas archipelago in the Philippines, killing at least 72 people.

Oct

Dame Jane Goodall, a world-leading expert on chimpanzees, dies in California on 1st October, aged 91, while on a speaking tour of the USA.
On Thursday, 2nd October (Yom Kippur) two Jewish people are killed in a car ramming and stabbing attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester. The perpetrator of the attack, Jihad Al-Shamie, is shot dead by armed police.
On 3rd October Dame Sarah Mullally is announced as the new Archbishop of Canterbury - the first woman to be chosen for the role..
Dame Patricia Routledge, best known for her role as Hyacinth Bucket in the BBC One comedy series Keeping Up Appearances (1990-95), dies on the same day, aged 96.
The author and journalist Dame Jilly Cooper dies on 5th October, aged 88.
Sébastien Lecornu resigns as Prime Minister of France on 6th October after just 26 days in office, only to be re-appointed by President Emmanuel Macron four days later.
A Gaza Peace Plan between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the USA, is signed on 9th October and comes into effect the following day. On 13th October Hamas hands over all 20 of the living hostages it had been holding in Gaza in exchange for the release of almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli jails.
On 10th October the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for "her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy".
On the same day 16 people are killed by an explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) munitions factory in Hickman County, Tennessee.
The Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins, who was serving a 29-year sentence at HMP Wakefield for child sex offences, dies from a stab wound to the neck on 11th October after being attacked in prison.
Diane Keaton, known for her starring roles in films such as Reds (1981), The First Wives Club (1996), Something's Gotta Give (2003) and eight Woody Allen films, dies on the same day, aged 79.
Fayaz Khan, a 26-year-old Afghan national who had threatened on TikTok to kill the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, is sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, 14th October to five years in prison.
On 17th October, amid continuing accusations about his association with Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew issues a statement confirming that he would stop using the title Duke of York and give up the other honours conferred upon him.
On Saturday, 18th October millions of people take part in "No Kings" protests against President Donald Trump's policies in cities across the USA, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Washington DC.
On Sunday, 19th October eight pieces of the French crown jewels valued at €88 million are stolen from the Louvre by thieves disguised as construction workers.
Dave Ball of Soft Cell dies on Wednesday, 22nd October, aged 66.
King Charles and Pope Leo XIV pray side by side at an ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, 23rd October - a first for the leaders of the Church of England and Catholic Church.
On Friday, 24th October Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian national who had been serving a 12-month sentence for sexual offences, is mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford. He is re-arrested in Finsbury Park two days later.
Lucy Powell is elected Deputy Leader of the UK Labour Party on 25th October.
Prunella Scales, best known for her role as Sybil Fawlty in the BBC television sitcom Fawlty Towers, dies on 27th October, aged 93.
Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, 28th October, causing catastrophic damage and killing at least 48 people.
On 30th October it is announced that King Charles had "today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor."

Nov

Passengers travelling on a train from Doncaster to London King's Cross are attacked in a mass stabbing on Saturday, 1st November, forcing the train to make an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon. Eleven people receive treatment for their injuries in Addenbrooke's Hospital following the attack.
Dick Cheney, who served as Vice-President of the USA for two terms under George W. Bush, from 2001 to 2009, dies on 3rd November, aged 84.
Zohran Mamdani is elected Mayor of New York City on 4th November. He is the city's first Muslim mayor and the first born in Africa.
On the same day a UPS Boeing MD-11 cargo plane crashes while taking off from Louisville Airport in Kentucky, killing fourteen people. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issuses a formal notice banning all MD-11 and MD11F aircraft from flying until safety checks are carried out.
Pauline Collins, who rose to fame portraying Sarah Moffat in Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-73) and who later starred in the Willy Russell play and film Shirley Valentine, dies on 6th November, aged 85.
The BBC Director-General Tim Davie and the CEO of BBC News Deborah Turness both resign on 9th November, following accusations that a BBC Panorama documentary had misled viewers by editing a speech by US President Donald Trump.
On 10th November a parked car explodes near the Red Fort in Delhi, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 20 others.
Catherine Connolly is inaugurated as the 10th president of the Republic of Ireland on 11th November, following her landslide election victory over Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys on 24th October.
On Saturday, 15th November an explosion on a railway line linking Poland and Ukraine damages a section of track near the village of Mika. The explosion is attributed to two Ukrainian saboteurs wotking on behlaf of Russian intelligence.
A statue of Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones is unvaeiled in London’s Leicester Square on 17th November.
On Friday, 21st November Nathan Gill, the Brexit Party MEP who went on to become the leader of Reform UK in Wales, is sentenced at the Old Bailey to ten-and-a-half years in prison, after admitting that he had taken bribes as part of a pro-Russian influence campaign in the European Parliament.
Jimmy Cliff, who had his first hit in the UK in 1969 with the single Wonderful World, Beautiful People, dies on 24th November, aged 81.
On 26th November a large fire breaks out at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Hong Kong, killing more than 150 people.
On 28th November Andriy Yermak resigns as head of the Office of the President of Ukraine following an anti-corruption raid on his home.
The playwright Tom Stoppard, whose plays include Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead (1966), Jumpers (1972) and Travesties (1974), dies on 29th November, aged 88.

Dec

Richard Hughes resigns as Chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) following the accidental release of the OBR's 2025 budget report prior to the Budget speech in the House of Commons by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
On 3rd December Dr. Salvador Plasencia, a California doctor who repeatedly supplied ketamine to Friends star Matthew Perry, is sentenced to 30 months in prison.
The architect Frank Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, dies on 5th December, aged 96.
On 6th December 25 people are killed in a fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, Goa.
Raul Malo, the frontman of The Mavericks, dies on 8th December, aged 60, after battling cancer and leptomeningeal disease.
The Employment Tribunal investigating a case brought by Sandie Peggie, a nurse who objected to sharing a female changing room with a transgender doctor, comes to its decision on 8th December. It finds that NHS Fife had harassed Ms. Peggie but dismisses her other allegations against the health board and all claims against Dr. Beth Upton.
The author Joanna Trollope, whose novels included Daughters In Law, Marrying The Mistress, The Rector's Wife and Second Honeymoon, dies at her Oxfordshire home on 11th December, aged 82.
The Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author Stanley Baxter dies on the same day, aged 99.
On Saturday, 13th December two students are killed and nine others injured in a mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
On Sunday, 14th December two gunmen - Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram - open fire on members of the Jewish community celebrating the first night of Hanukkah in Archer Park, next to Sydney's Bondi Beach. Fifteen people are killed in the attack. Sajid Akram is shot dead by police; Naveed Akram, who was critically injured during the incident, is charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act.
The film director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner are found dead in their Los Angeles home on the same day. Their son Nick Reiner is arrested and charged with their murder.
The far-right candidate José Antonio Kast wins the second round of voting in the Presidential elections held in Chile on 14th December, beating the governing left-wing coalition candidate Jeanette Jara decisively with more than 58% of the vote.
On Wednesday, 17th December resident doctors (formerly junior doctors), begin a five-day strike in England.
Chris Rea, whose hits included Fool (If You Think It's Over) (1978), Let's Dance (1987), Driving Home For Christmas (1988) and The Road To Hell (Part 2) (1989), dies on 22nd December, aged 74.
On Christmas Day the USA launches strikes against Islamic State in Nigeria.
On 27th December Thailand and Cambodia agree to an immediate truce, ending almost three weeks of fighting along the disputed border between the two countries, which began on 7th December and displaced almost a million people.
Brigitte Bardot dies on 28th December, aged 91.
The New Year Honours list published on 30th December includes a Damehood for the figure skating champion Jayne Torvill and a Knighthood for her skating partner Christopher Dean as well as MBEs for Cynthia Erivo, Ellie Goulding and Eve Graham of the New Seekers.


Autograph.


In the Charts
 

UK Chart débuts
 
  • Ravyn Lenae
  • MK featuring Chrystal
  • Sombr

UK Best-selling Singles
 
  • Justin Bieber
    Daisies

  • Lewis Capaldi
    Survive

  • Sabrina Carpenter
    Manchild

  • Sabrina Carpenter
    Tears

  • Olivia Dean
    Man I Need

  • Olivia Dean
    So Easy (To Fall In Love)

  • Sam Fender & Olivia Dean
    Rein Me In

  • Huntr/x
    Golden

  • Lady Gaga
    Abracadabra

  • Kendrick Lamar
    Not Like Us

  • Ravyn Lenae
    Love Me Not

  • Tate McRae
    Sports Car

  • Kylie Minogue
    XMAS

  • MK featuring Chrystal
    Dior

  • Raye
    Where Is My Husband

  • Chappell Roan
    The Giver

  • Chappell Roan
    Pink Pony Club

  • Chappell Roan
    The Subway

  • Ed Sheeran
    Azizam

  • Ed Sheeran
    Sapphire

  • Sombr
    Back To Friends

  • Sombr
    Undressed

  • Taylor Swift
    The Fate Of Ophelia

  • Alex Warren
    Ordinary

  • Lola Young
    Messy


Hit Albums

'Who Believes In Angels?' (album cover).

  • Bryan Adams
    Roll With The Punches

  • Lily Allen
    West End Girl

  • Richard Ashcroft
    Lovin' You

  • Sabrina Carpenter
    Man's Best Friend

  • Central Cee
    Can't Rush Greatness

  • Miley Cyrus
    Something Beautiful

  • The Darkness
    Dreams On Toast

  • Olivia Dean
    The Art Of Loving

  • Sam Fender
    People Watching

  • 5 Seconds Of Summer
    Everyone's A Star

  • Franz Ferdinand
    The Human Fear

  • Elton John and Brandi Carlile
    Who Believes In Angels?

  • Lady Gaga
    Mayhem

  • Tom Grennan
    Everywhere I Went, Led Me To Where I Didn't Want To Be

  • Lorde
    Virgin

  • Manic Street Preachers
    Critical Thinking

  • James Marriott
    Don't Tell The Dog

  • Tate McRae
    So Close To What

  • Mumford & Sons
    Rushmore

  • Pink Floyd
    At Pompeii - MCMLXXII

  • Pulp
    More

  • Reneé Rapp
    Bite Me

  • Ed Sheeran
    Play

  • Sleep Token
    Even In Arcadia

  • Sparks
    Mad

  • Bruce Springsteen
    Tracks II: The Lost Albums

  • Stereophonics
    Make 'Em Laugh, Make 'Em Cry, Make 'Em

  • Taylor Swift
    The Life Of A Showgirl

  • Teddy Swims
    I've Tried Everything But Thearapy (Part 2)

  • Those Damn Crows
    God Shaped Hole

  • Morgan Wallen
    I'm The Problem

  • Alex Warren
    You'll Be Alright Kid (Chapter 1)

  • The Weeknd
    Hurry Up Tomorrow

  • Wet Leg
    Moisturizer

  • Paul Weller
    Find El Dorado

  • Robbie Williams
    Better Man (Original Soundtrack)

  • Wolf Alice
    The Clearing

  • Yungblud
    Idols


'The Life Of A Showgirl' (CD cover).

At the Movies
 
 
  • After The Hunt
  • Avatar: Fire And Ash
  • Babygirl
  • Blue Moon
  • Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
  • The Brutalist
  • Bugonia
  • The Choral
  • Christy
  • A Complete Unknown
  • Die My Love
  • Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
  • F1: The Movie
  • Flow
  • Hard Truths
  • I'm Still Here
  • It Was Just An Accident
  • Jay Kelly
  • The Last Showgirl
  • Maria
  • Memoir Of A Snail
  • Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
  • Nickel Boys
  • Nosferatu
  • One Battle After Another
  • The Phoenician Scheme
  • Pillion
  • Plainclothes
  • Prime Minister
  • A Real Pain
  • The Roses
  • Saturday Night
  • The Seed Of The Sacred Fig
  • Sentimental Value
  • September 5
  • The Smashing Machine
  • Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
  • The Thursday Murder Club
  • We Live In Time
  • Wicked: For Good
  • Zootropolis 2

On Stage
 


Tony Award for Best Musical:
Maybe Happy Ending

Olivier Award
for Best New Musical:
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button


On Television
 
 
  • Adolescence
  • Amandaland
  • American Primeval
  • The Assembly
  • Asura
  • Big Boys (Series 3)
  • Boots
  • Canada's Drag Race (Season 6)
  • Celebrity Traitors
  • The Change
  • Dept. Q
  • Dope Girls
  • The Four Seasons
  • Get Millie Black
  • The Gold (Series 2)
  • Just Act Normal
  • The Last Musician Of Auschwitz
  • Miss Austen
  • Mo
  • The Residence
  • Reunion
  • RuPaul's Drag Race (Season 17)
  • RuPaul's Drag Race UK (Series 7)
  • SAS Rogue Heroes (Series 2)
  • The Settlers: Louis Theroux
  • Severance (Season 2)
  • Squid Game (Season 3)
  • Stranger Things (Season 5)
  • Strictly Come Dancing (Series 23)
  • The Studio
  • The Traitors (Series 3)
  • Unforgotten: Bradford City Fire
  • What It Feels Like For A Girl
  • You (Season 5)
  • Your Friends & Neighbors
  • Zero Day

Sporting Heroes
 


BBC Sport

BBC
Sports Personality
of the Year:
Rory McIlroy


Darts: 17-year-old Luke Littler wins the PDC World Darts Championship with an emphatic 7-3 victory in the final over the three-times champion Michael van Gerwen. Later in the year Littler goes on to secure the world number 1 ranking with a 16-11 victory over Luke Humphries in the final of the Grand Slam of Darts.

Snooker: Shaun Murphy wins the Masters for a seond time, defeating Kyren Wilson 10-7 in the final at Alexandra Palace.
Zhao Xintong becomes the first player from China to win the World Snooker Championship, beating Mark Williams in the final, 18-12.
Mark Selby beats the defending champion Judd Trump 10-8 in the final of the UK Championship to win the title for the third time.

Tennis: Aryna Sabalenka, who was aiming to win the Australian Open women's singles title for the third year in a row, loses in the final to Madison Keys, 6-3 2-6 7-5. Jannik Sinner wins the men's singles title for the second year in a row, beating Alexander Zverev in the final 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.
Coco Gauff defeats Aryna Sabalenka in the women's singles final at the French Open, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4. Carlos Alcaraz defends his title in the men's singles, defeating Jannik Sinner in the final, 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-2). The final lasts five hours and twenty-nine minutes, the longest final in the tournament's history.
At Wimbledon Iga Swiatek wins the women's singles title, defeating Amanda Anisimova in the final, 6-0, 6-0. Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz in the men's final, 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4.
Having lost in the finals of the Australian and French Opens, Aryna Sabalenka wins the women's singles at the US Open, beating Amanda Anisimova in the final, 6-3 7-6 (7-3). Carlos Alcaraz beats Jannik Sinner in the men's final, 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4.

Super Bowl LIX: the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22.

Rugby Union: France win the Six Nations championshp for the seventh time, securing victory with a 35-16 win over Scotland in the final match.

Football: Newcastle beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final of the Carabao Cup to win the club's first domestic trophy for 70 years.
On 27th April Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 to win the Premier League title for a record-equalling 20th time.
Crystal Palace beat Manchester City 1-0 to win the FA Cup for the first time, following defeats in the 1990 and 2016 finals.
Paris St-Germain beat Inter Milan 5-0 to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club's history.

Horse Racing: Inothewayurthinkin, ridden by Mark Walsh. wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Nick Rockett, ridden by jockey Patrick Mullins, wins the Grand National, denying a second victory to the 2024 winner I Am Maximus, who finished in second place ahead of Grangeclare West in third. The Top three horses were all trained by Mullin's father, Willie Mullins.
Lambourn, ridden by jockey Wayne Lordan and trained by Aidan O'Brien, wins the Epsom Derby.

Rowing: Cambridge win the men's and women's Boat Races - the men's third successive win over Oxford and the women's eighth.

Golf: Rory McIlroy beats Justin Rose in a sudden-death play-off to win the US Masters title. Having won the US Open, The Open and two US PGA Championships by the end of 2014, McIlroy finally completes the full set of major championships at his 11th attempt, becoming only the sixth man - and the first European - to do so.
J.J. Spaun, who had started the final day of the US Open seven shots off the lead, birdies the last two holes to win the tournament, finishing two shots ahead of the runner-up, Robert MacIntyre.
The world number one player Scottie Scheffler wins the remaining majors of the year, triumphing at the US PGA Championship by five strokes and winning The Open at Portrush by four strokes.
Europe secure a 15-13 victory over the United States at Bethpage to retain the Ryder Cup.

Athletics: Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa wins the London Marathon in a world record for a women's only field, beating the previous record, set by Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya in 2024, by 26 seconds. Kenya's Sebastian Sawe wins the men's race.

Boxing: Oleksandr Usyk defeats Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on 19th July, securing a knockout in the fifth round. In so doing he becomes only the second man to be a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion, after Muhammad Ali.

Cycling: Tadej Pogacar wins the Tour de France for the second year in a row and the fourth time in total.

Motor Racing: Christian Horner is sacked as team principal and CEO of Red Bull on 9th July, following a downturn in the team's performance.
McLaren win the F1 Constructors' Championship for the second year in a row and the 10th time in total. Lando Norris wins the Drivers' Championship by securing the third place he needed in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. His McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri finishes second in the race and third in the Championship. Four-time champion Max Verstappen wins the race in Abu Dhabi but finishes the season two points adrift of Norris's total.

Page-turners
 


Man Booker Prize

Winner:
David Szalay
Flesh


Susan Choi
Flashlight

Kiran Desai
The Loneliness Of Sonia And Sunny

Katie Kitamura
Audition

Ben Markovits
The Rest Of Our Lives

Andrew Miller
The Land In Winter

Women's
Prize for Fiction

Yael van der Wouden
The Safekeep




Top. Up. Down. Bottom.


Who said that?

Grief

Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest.
Jamie Anderson

Those whom we love and lose are no longer where they were before. They are now wherever we are.
Sir John Chrysostom

Never. We never lose our loved ones. They accompany us; they don’t disappear from our lives. We are merely in different rooms.
Paulo Coelho

Grief is not a disorder, a disease, or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical, and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure to grief is to grieve.
Earl Grollman

It’s so much darker when the light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.
John Steinbeck, ‘The Winter Of Our Discontent’

Dealing with grief

There are three needs of the griever: To find the words for the loss, to say the words aloud and to know that the words have been heard.
Victoria Alexander

Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.
Vicki Harrison

Give sorrow words; the grief, that does not speak,
Whispers the o-er frought heart, and bids it break.
William Shakespeare,
‘Macbeth’ (Act IV, Scene III)


Your memory feels like home to me. So whenever my mind wanders, it always finds its way back to you.
Ranata Suzuki

There is no timeline for grief, no template for healing, no guideposts to follow. There is only our heart letting us know when we're ready to heal in our own way and time.
Melvina Young

The strength to carry on

I did not know the work of mourning
Is like carrying a bag of cement
Up a mountain at night…
Look closely and you will see
Almost everyone carrying bags
Of cement on their shoulders.
That’s why it takes courage
To get out of bed in the morning
And climb into the day.
Edward Hirsch, an excerpt from ‘Gabriel’

You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.
Bob Marley

Many can brook the weather that love not the wind.
William Shakespeare,
'Love's Labour's Lost' (Act IV, Scene II)


Top Tweets and Facebook posts

In The News

Am I the only person who wants to put her foot through the TV when Rachel Reeves comes on?
26th November 2025

The budget… Rachel Reeves… Now to keep control of my right foot!
26th November 2025

All the atrocities that are happening in the world and the front pages are full of the fact that David Beckham’s son didn’t wish him happy birthday! Really?
4th May, 14:06pm

I was a big fan of Prince Harry, not any more!
3rd May 2025, 11:39pm

Offside

I so wish I understood the ‘offside’ rule, After over 36 years of first a husband and then a son being football mad (both West Ham supporters) I still have no clue! I do prefer the shorter shorts tho!!! 15th August 2025


Words of the Year

Parasocial
Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year 2025

Vibe coding
Collins Dictionary Word of the Year 2025

Rage bait
Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2025


Top. Up. Down. Bottom.


Autograph.


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240919
Last amended:
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