These Simple Self-Care Tasks Will Make You Healthier and Happier

When making a change for the better, it’s hard to jump into goals that require a long-term commitment

Latest stories

  • Australians hit back at Britain over  'bad tactics' ahead of trade negotiations

    Australian Government insiders have hit back at Britain over "sledging" by Liz Truss’s allies ahead of trade talks this week. The Telegraph revealed on Tuesday that sources close to the International Trade Secretary were briefing that Dan Tehan, the Australian trade minister, was "inexperienced" in comparison. Allies of Ms Truss complained of "glacially slow" progress over a UK-Australian trade agreement, and warned that Mr Tehan "needs to show that he can play at this level" when the pair meet for negotiations on Thursday. They also claimed that the British cabinet minister was plotting to sit Mr Tehan "in the Locarno Room [in the Foreign Office] in an uncomfortable chair, so he has to deal with her directly for nine hours". An Australian minister told this newspaper that the remarks were "full of hubris" and hit back that Mr Tehan is "from the land" and "has the stamina" to see off Ms Truss’s tactics. Unimpressed, the frontbencher commented ironically: "I love it when Brits underestimate us." The minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, continued: "Sledging is a fine art, which we have mastered on the pitch. This is just the Brits gobbing off." Australian officials also weighed in to counter the UK Government briefing. An official at the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: "If this was briefed by a member of Truss’s staff, that is very disrespectful." The official told the Sydney Morning Herald: "It’s also a very bad tactic. It won’t work." In response to the claim that Mr Tehan was "inexperienced" in trade talks, it was pointed out that while Mr Tehan only took on the post of trade minister in December, he first joined DFAT in 1995. He served as a diplomat between 1999 and 2001, and between 2002 and 2005 worked as a trade adviser to the minister, helping to negotiate Australia’s free trade deal with the US administration under George W Bush. Ms Truss is said to have texted Mr Tehan on Tuesday night to say she was looking forward to seeing him and hoped for a productive two-day dialogue in London. The UK High Commissioner Vicki Treadall faced questions over the UK briefing. She defended the sources close to Ms Truss, insisting that Australia is one of "our closest friends and allies", but that "this is a trade negotiation so there will be tactics on both sides". Some British politicians also took a dim view of the briefing. Alistair Carmichael, Lib Dem MP and home affairs spokesman, branded it "embarrassing" and tweeted: "It's also a reminder that the Government has chosen to turn trade negotiations with a supposed ally into another avenue for domestic politics, on the bet that no one will notice the long-term negative side effects."

  • COVID-19: Surge testing deployed in more parts of Birmingham after case of South African variant discovered

    Surge testing is being deployed in parts of Birmingham after a case of the South African variant was discovered. Areas of Alum Rock and Glebe Farm & Tile Cross have been targeted for testing and all those in the affected places are being told to come forward for a test. The person who tested positive for the variant has gone into self-isolation and their contacts have been identified, according to the Department of Health.

  • Mike Tindall speaks of his 'love' for the Queen as he describes 'eerie' Prince Philip funeral

    Mike and Zara Tindall were able to attend the funeral of her grandfather Philip at the weekend.

  • New ‘triple mutant’ Covid variant emerges in India as cases soar

    India has recorded over a million cases of Covid-19 in the last four days

  • Taking a knee, raising a fist to be punished at Tokyo Games - IOC

    Taking a knee during the Tokyo Olympics or lifting a fist in support of racial equality will be punished as the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday maintained its ban on athletes' protests inside stadiums, at ceremonies and on podiums. Against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement protesting racial injustice, calls have increased in recent months for a change to that rule that would allow athletes to protest. Some international federation chiefs, including World Athletics' President Sebastian Coe, have said that athletes should have the right to make gestures of political protest during the Games.

  • Putin warns foreign rivals against 'crossing red line' with Russia

    Russian President Vladimir Putin warns foreign rivals against "crossing the red line" with Moscow, as he gives a state of the nation address amid deep tensions with the West.

  • Prague gives Moscow ultimatum to let Czech diplomats return

    The Czech government on Wednesday warned Moscow it might expel more Russian diplomats unless the 20 Czech nationals ejected from Russia were allowed to return to work within a day.

  • Have your say: Should lockdown easing be brought forward?

    The next set of restrictions are due to be eased on 17 May.

  • Sacked minister launches astonishing attack on Boris Johnson's 'distrustful, awful' government

    Johnny Mercer's extraordinary attack also extended to the 'cesspit' of Westminster, which he said is populated by 'children' who are 'frankly unemployable elsewhere'.

  • Sombre mood as grieving Queen Elizabeth II turns 95

    Queen Elizabeth II turns 95 on Wednesday, just days after burying her late husband Prince Philip, in what will be her first birthday alone in more than seven decades.

  • Teen who filmed George Floyd arrest celebrates verdict, shares guilt she couldn’t save him

    Darnella Frazier receives widespread praise, including from Joe Biden

  • London mayoral election: Sadiq Khan vows to defy ‘vocal minority’ fighting plans to cut traffic in capital

    Clean air for children is ‘social justice’ issue says Labour candidate ahead of report on pollution death

  • Indian journalist live-tweeting wait for hospital bed dies from Covid

    India has recorded over 15.3 million cases of Covid-19, second only to the US with over 31 million cases

  • Boris Johnson ‘biggest threat to United Kingdom’, says Scottish Labour leader

    Anas Sarwar says he ‘understands’ why PM is not campaigning north of border

  • Richard Madeley says he’d consider replacing Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain: ‘I couldn’t give a f*** about trolls’

    Richard and Judy presenter is one of the show’s substitute hosts

  • What happened to the other officers arrested over George Floyd death?

    Three former police officers who responded to George Floyd call now face trial in August

  • Quiz: How well do you know your fictional doctors?

    The quiz doctors will see you now...

  • Russian family at heart of £450m divorce battle 'unhappiest to appear in my courtroom', judge says

    A High Court judge quoted Tolstoy on Wednesday as she said the Russian family at the centre of a £450 million divorce was “the unhappiest to ever appear in my courtroom”. Mrs Justice Knowles referenced a passage from the Russian writer’s 19th century epic, Anna Karenina, as she allowed a legal challenge brought by the ex-wife of a Russian billionaire against her son. Tatiana Akhmedova had sued Temur Akhmedov for allegedly helping his father, Farkhad Akhmedov, hide assets following the breakdown of their marriage. The 48-year-old was awarded a 41.5 per cent share of her ex-husband’s fortune, which exceeds £1 billion, in 2016, but has since got her hands on only £5 million. The £453 million divorce settlement was the biggest made by a British court, but Ms Akhmedova had since been the “victim of a series of schemes designed to put every penny of the husband’s wealth beyond her reach”, the ruling concluded. The judge agreed with Ms Akhmedova’s characterisation of her son as his father’s “lieutenant” and said the schemes had been carried out with his “knowledge and active assistance”. The court found that very large sums had been transferred to Temur, 27, and concluded he must pay his mother, who is from Russia but lives in London, around £75 million. In the opening words of the ruling, which spanned 128 pages, the judge wrote: “All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. “With apologies to Tolstoy, the Akhmedov family is one of the unhappiest ever to have appeared in my courtroom. “Though this case concerns wealth of which most can only dream, it is - at its core - a straightforward case in which, following their divorce, a wife seeks to recover that which is owed to her from a husband and his proxies who, it is alleged, have done all they can to put monies beyond her reach. “Nevertheless, it is a case not without legal and factual complexity though much of that stems from the details of dishonest schemes instigated by Farkhad Akhmedov and put into effect by his advisors and his eldest son, Temur Akhmedov.”

  • Boris Johnson urged to reveal number of those dying after taking COVID vaccine

    Tony Blair has said the information would help allay concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine.

  • Joel Glazer and John W Henry fear sanctions despite grovelling apology to fans

    Joel Glazer and John W Henry were forced into grovelling apologies on Wednesday night as they and English football’s other Super League plotters faced being made to pay for causing the game’s worst civil war. The disgraced American owners of Manchester United and Liverpool became the first ringleaders of the ‘Dirty Dozen’ clubs behind the reviled tournament to say sorry to their fans after pulling out of it just 48 hours after its launch. But they, the billionaire leaders of the Premier League’s other ‘Big Six’ teams, and their henchmen were facing action over arguably the biggest fiasco in football history, one that also saw calls for some of them to leave their clubs altogether. As the blame game began over the botched breakaway, it emerged that: Heavy fines fines or worse could be imposed on those involved for bringing themselves and the Premier League into disrepute. Ed Woodward, Tom Werner, Bruce Buck, Ferran Soriano and Vinai Venkatesham were asked to quit their roles on the league’s working groups or face being forcibly removed. The plotters were in danger of being stripped of their right to enter the revamped Champions League through the back door. One of the rebels accused Boris Johnson of forcing the collapse of the tournament because he feared it would undermine Brexit. The Government confirmed it would proceed with a fan-led review of the game that could see majority supporter ownership imposed on teams. The Duke of Cambridge hailed what was a stunning triumph for fan power. Glazer and Henry, two of The Super League’s four vice-chairmen, began the process of trying to make amends for throwing the game into chaos via statements on their respective clubs’ websites. In an open letter to United fans, Glazer wrote: “We got it wrong, and we want to show that we can put things right. “In seeking to create a more stable foundation for the game, we failed to show enough respect for its deep-rooted traditions – promotion, relegation, the pyramid – and for that we are sorry. “This is the world’s greatest football club and we apologise unreservedly for the unrest caused during these past few days.”