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How France, a once-great nation, now cuts a diminished, slightly pathetic figure in the shadow of Germany and Britain. But she does have one thing going for her - she's still a nice place to retire. France has become a giant self-pitying museum This once-great country now cuts...

An amateur radio enthusiast managed to get a quick chat with the International Space Station (ISS) after a month of trying to get through from his shed. Adrian Lane, of Gloucestershire, sent out a call signal to the ISS and was "stunned" when he received a reply. He said: "They came back...

Tracy Borman reveals some lesser-known facts about the famous Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. 7 things you (probably) didn’t know about Elizabeth I Thursday 30th July 2015...

Sir Edward "Ted" Heath, British Tory Prime Minister from 1970 to 1974, is the latest high-profile, middle-age/elderly white male - along with the likes of Sir Cliff Richard and Jim Davidson - to face bizarre and unfounded allegations of paedophilia. Like other high profile white male figures...

It's a far cry from the rolling hills and quaint countryside of Downton Abbey, but Jim Carter, better known as the successful TV show's butler, Mr Carson, has revealed his favourite cultural attractions in London. In a promotional video Carter explains why he believes London is the...

As the eighth month gets under way, we look back at some of the strangest and most surprising things that have happened in August through history… 6 weird things that have happened in August through history...

Sometimes the most incredible treasures are lying right under your nose. Over three tonnes of explosives and thousands of detonators were used to reveal a stunning underground cave with a rare rock formation in Somerset. Owners of the Wookey Hole attraction were left stunned by the...

A 3,000-year-old Bronze Age knife has been discovered on a popular beach by two curious holidaymakers. Christopher and June Preece came across the ancient artefact hidden beneath a stone slab while visiting Sandown Beach on the Isle of Wight. Experts believe it would probably have been used...

The sister and stepmother of the former al-Qaeda leader and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden were among members of his family killed when a business jet ploughed into a car auction centre in Hampshire. Several members of the bin Laden family died after the private plane crashed into a...

This is the moment a crafty seagull decided to grab a fish out of a puffin’s mouth on the Farne Islands National Nature Reserve off the Northumberland coast. The paternal puffin had been returning from a flight over the North Sea with a beak full of sand eels for its newly-hatched chicks...

Prince Charles had a close encounter with an eagle in a flap as he visited a flower show earlier in Norfolk. The prince and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were meeting the Army Air Corps' mascot, Zephyr, a bald eagle, on the Sandringham estate. In the past the prince was forced to dodge its...

Britain will not become a "safe haven" for migrants in Calais, David Cameron has warned, after hundreds continued their attempts to reach the UK. The Prime Minister warned illegal immigrants would be removed from the UK, as migrants told the BBC they remained determined to reach Britain...

A jewel-encrusted ring discovered by an amateur treasure hunter at a monastery once owned by Henry VIII's advisor Thomas Cromwell is expected to sell for £30,000 when it is auctioned. The 15th Century 'love ring' was uncovered by an enthusiast with a metal detector near Launde Abbey in...

If the Americans think the American-Mexican border is bad, they want to take a look at the British-French border. For years, now, migrants have gathered in the far north of France to try and get over to Britain. The notorious Sangatte refugee camp saw riots in 2001 and 2002. But, in recent...

The far-left MP for (where else?) Islington North, Jeremy Corbyn, has taken a massive 20-point lead in the race to be the new leader of the Labour Party. Private polling shows Mr Corbyn set to top the ballot with 42%, way ahead of Yvette Cooper on 22.6%, Andy Burnham on 20% and Liz Kendall on...

The English troops who routed the French at Agincourt were famously described by Shakespeare as ‘we happy few’. But it appears they were fewer than anyone thought. Researchers at the University of Southampton now believe that Henry V’s fleet comprised just 650 ships – less than half...

A paw print made by a cat in Roman times has been discovered on a 2,000 year old roof tile in Gloucester. It was dug up in Berkeley Street in 1969 but the footprint has only just been discovered. Cat paw print discovered on Gloucester Roman roof tile 28 July 2015 BBC News...

What do Caligula, King John, Ivan the Terrible, Queen Ranavalona I and Mary, Queen of Scots have in common? They are all amongst the worst monarchs in history. 9 of the worst monarchs in history...

Here are five facts about Queen Victoria which might have slipped under your radar: 5 facts about… Queen Victoria On 20th June 1837 the 18-year-old Victoria became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland following the death of her uncle William IV...

The 4,000-year-old skeleton of a Bronze Age teenager has been unearthed on the site of a prehistoric earthwork close to the site of Stonehenge. The discovery was made during excavations of Wilsford henge, an ancient circular earthworks in the Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire, just 15 miles...