It’s never been more important to find the best beard trimmer. Like a lot of men, I became alarmingly obsessed with the quest for the perfect beard styler during lockdown. Unable to go and ask a Turkish barber to trim my facial hair into a contoured thing of beauty, I was forced to try and do that myself in my bathroom. Initially, the results were mixed, to put it politely.

Not that there are any lack of products for the man who wants to trim his beard at home – the market has become flooded with choices. “I think a great deal of it is down to the vogue for beards that began around 10-15 years ago with the hipster/lumbersexual trend and has stayed that way ever since,” said Stephen Doig, Men’s Style Editor at The Telegraph. “And with it, a cottage industry devoted to making sure that men are appropriately kitted out for their beard maintenance.”

I’ve spent the last few months testing the latest trimmers from all the major manufacturers. You can read my findings in the reviews below, followed by some more advice from Stephen in the FAQs section. But if you’re in a rush, here’s a quick look at my top five:

The best beard trimmers: At a glance

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How to choose the best beard trimmer

Doig says you should think about safety and flexibility first when choosing grooming tools. “I think it’s important to get the basics right; a good grip on the handle because slip ups can cause cuts, a safe razor and the ability to switch between lengths,” he says.

He explains that once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you can start exploring additional tools that suit your grooming goals. After that, it’s really a matter of how much you want to invest in precision equipment for shaping your beard, trimming edges, and maintaining hair on your head and body.

To understand how best to deploy trimmers and razors, Doig recommends learning from professionals who handle them daily. “Whenever I speak to barbers, the key thing is to shave and trim in the direction the hair grows, so avoid going against the grain and meeting resistance which will irritate the skin,” he said.

Paying attention to these small but essential techniques can help achieve a closer, safer, and more comfortable finish.

How we test beard trimmers

Faye Singleton, originally from Cheshire, studied BioMedical Science at the University of York and has since built a career working for Thirsk-based company CardioLogic.

She has been using her expertise in the field to best support local football teams based in the North Riding FA, working closely with the FA to help provide cheaper ECG tests, a potentially-life saving initiative. With around 1 in 300 people that have an ECG test, finding a life-threatening abnormality.

A member of the York City Ladies squad, but currently recovering from an ACL injury, Faye was on the pitch when former teammate Summer Paley collapsed during a match in September 2024 due to an undetected heart condition.

Now Faye’s looking to get the message out that ECG heart screenings are easily accessible, having worked with the North Riding FA to provide over 150 tests so far.

Faye told the Press: “People aren’t aware of how common sudden cardiac death is. 12 young people a week die from sudden cardiac death in the UK alone.

“An ECG can prevent it, and this is around half the cost of a private ECG test, which is over £70.

“It’s potentially life-saving, so we’re hoping as many people reach out for it.

“Within North Riding FA we’ve done over 150 tests but it’s time for more sports clubs, schools, colleges, and universities to join the initiative.”

“We’re also working with British Athletics and other County FA’s now, we’ve got Birmingham, Cumberland and Liverpool on board with the device and the project.

Faye hopes to one day support the lower reaches of the women’s football game. Picture: Supplied

“It’s the device, which is an innovation in tech, that has enabled us to do this.

“Without this next step forward in the technology, we wouldn’t be able to offer an ECG at this price. ”

A typical ECG test requires medical professionals to position electrodes correctly. This new technology has those electrodes pre-positioned in one sticky patch. Faye explained that even players can apply it themselves.

All it takes is one sticky patch, stuck to the centre of someone’s chest, it records a 12-lead ECG through BlueTooth connectivity to a mobile phone. The tracings are sent off to UK Cardiologists who can analyse the ECG and create a report highliting if there is an underlying heart condition.

Therefore Faye, who has been working closely with Jasmine Morris – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Officer at the North Riding FA – has recently linked up with local side Fulford FC under-13’s girls team, to help provide them with ECG screenings.

Faye continued: “We worked with Fulford FC under-13’s girls recently, and they all stuck it on themselves no problem.

“They did the ECG, which takes 10 seconds, and their parents got a report a week later in a secure email, which said whether their child’s ECG is normal or abnormal.

“Jas is a huge part in this, she takes the device to the clubs.

Local team Fulford FC’s under-13’s girls recently underwent cardiac screenings in partnership with the North Riding FA. Picture: Supplied

“We try and contact the clubs to say this is on offer, do you have anyone interested?

“They come back and say ‘yes we’ve got ten players’ that want the test, so we then send the consent form out to each player or parent, if they are under 18, then Jas or myself will go to their training night and test each player which takes around five minutes.

Faye is currently helping to provide ECG testing to local teams throughout the North Riding FA, but in the long-term, she’d also like to make a change in the senior section of the women’s game and offer this to schools, colleges, and universities.

Summer’s collapse in 2024 was a scary moment for everyone there, and due to the level of football that York City Ladies play at, Faye confirmed that a free prior ECG test had been unavailable to the Minsterbelles squad.

That’s something she hopes to see change, looking to bridge the gap for the lower reaches of the women’s game.

“Since seeing Summer’s collapse in person, I was at the game when she collapsed, it was just so scary,” Faye said.

“I did a lot of research into what screening was available for us as a tier four club.

“If you’re a tier four team in the men’s game, you get a free ECG test, but if you’re a female, it’s only the top two tiers in the women’s side.

York City Ladies have benefitted from Faye’s support. Picture: Supplied

“I wanted to bridge that gap and even offer it to those lower than tier four, because there’s nothing stopping them from having the same cardiac arrests.”

Once a person has finished their simple ECG test, their information is forwarded on to our Head Cardiologist, Professor of Cardiology Aneil Malhotra.

Aneil, who is also an expert in sports cardiology, has been offering his full support to Faye in her battle for ECG testing, after he worked closely with some of the biggest names in sport: “He’s been brilliant, he does all the reporting.

“He reads the ECG, writes up if there are any abnormalities and then sends it back.

“He’s based in Manchester and screens all the Premier League teams in the North, plus other sports.

“He’s an expert in cardiology for the UK, so we’ve got the backing of him, which is fantastic.”

For more information, you can find Cardiologic’s new dedicated Facebook page at Cardiologic Diagnostics, which can be found HERE, or on Faye’s LinkedIn page HERE.

Alternatively, for any further information or if you’d like to get involved, you could reach Faye directly at faye@cardiologic.co.uk.

Vladimir Putin’s “hidden hand” is likely helping Iran respond to Donald Trump’s war, the UK defence secretary has said, as it emerged that Iranian-linked drones hit a base in Iraq where some British troops are located.

They were not hurt.

John Healey said attacks by Iranian forces against targets across the Middle East “have the hallmarks” of how Russian troops operate in their war against Ukraine.

This included a change in how Iran uses its drones.

Tehran sold thousands of “Shahed” one-way attack drones to Russia in the early months of President Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Russians, with Iranian help, then developed their own version of the unmanned aerial vehicle and now the lessons they have learnt from fighting in Ukraine appear to be helping the Iranians in their response to waves of US and Israeli strikes against Iran.

“No one will be surprised to believe that Putin’s hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics, potentially some of their capabilities as well,” Mr Healey said, speaking to reporters during a trip to the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) at Northwood, the main base overseeing military operations overseas.

The defence secretary said this likely Russia link was “not least because the one world leader benefitting from the sky high oil prices at the moment is Putin”.

He was referring to a spike in the price of oil after Iran used its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz off its coastline to block one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes.

The defence secretary said the Russian president “is clearly likely to welcome this war more than anyone else.”

Lieutenant General Nick Perry, the chief of joint operations who oversees all UK military operations around the world, said there was “definitively” a link between Russia and Iran, which have a long-standing military relationship.

“We have definitely seen the Iranian tactics of the use of their drones learnt from Russians – flying them much lower so they are more effective,” Lieutenant General Perry said, speaking to Mr Healey as they looked at a map of the Gulf in a room at the military headquarters.

“There is no doubt [the Iranian] tactics have changed,” Lieutenant General Perry said.

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Iranian attack triggers huge blaze in Bahrain

He said drones were causing the most damage by the Iranian side across the region.

Read more:
What we know about the deadly Iran school strike
IEA announcement not enough to bring down oil price

This included an Iranian-linked drone – potentially fired from Lebanon or Iraq – that struck a Royal Air Force base in Cyprus on the second day of the war, landing near a hanger.

Mr Healey said the components of that device are being investigated to find out if they included Russian parts.

“We will update you on the findings from that,” he said.

A second military commander said that British forces had shot down two drones fired towards a military base in Erbil, northern Iraq, overnight.

“A number did impact the camp,” the officer told Mr Healey.

He said there had not been any British casualties.

However, the defence secretary said there had been reports of a number of US casualties, though none had been seriously injured.

21 people have been accused of breaking the UAE laws against filming or uploading social media posts of conflict

A British tourist is facing two years in prison for allegedly filming Iranian missiles flying over Dubai while on holiday. The 60-year-old man from London is one of 21 people accused of breaking the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) strict laws against filming or uploading social media posts of conflict, according to legal advocacy group Detained in Dubai.

The man was arrested in Dubai on Monday, March 9. He is said to have deleted the footage from his phone immediately when asked by authorities, and claimed to have had no knowledge of committing any offence, The Mirror reports.

Radha Stirling, director of the London-based Detained in Dubai organisation, said: “Amongst those charged is a British man who says he deleted the video immediately when asked and meant no harm, but is still among those facing charges.

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“The official allegation relates to: ‘broadcasting, publishing, republishing or circulating rumours or provocative propaganda that could disturb public security.’

“Under UAE cybercrime laws, one post can lead to many arrests. Anyone who shares, reposts or comments on the same content can face the same charges. and be named on the same charge sheet. The charges are vague and broad but serious nonetheless. Those charged could face lengthy prison sentences.

“Residents could also be detained under national security laws, held indefinitely, denied access to their embassy and be subjected to human rights abuses. In times of tension, extreme caution is advised.”

Prosecutors in the UAE had warned last week over the risks of sharing “rumours” about incidents in the UAE amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

A social media post from UAE Public Prosecution said: “Any person who shares or reposts content from unknown sources shall be subject to legal accountability in accordance with the applicable legislation, even if they are not the original creator of such content. Be aware and informed… Information is a responsibility, and spreading rumours is a crime.”

Iranian drones have continued to hit Dubai over the past 24 hours despite Tehran ‘apologising’ to its Gulf neighbours last week for the impact of the war. Two drones launched from Iran fell near Dubai International Airport yesterday, leaving four people injured.

And authorities rushed Dubai Creek Harbour area late last night after another drone struck a high-rise building, sparking a fire on several floors. Photographs taken this morning showed windows blown out and smoke damage on a section of the building’s façade.

The Dubai Media Office said multiple emergency teams responded to the incident in the waterfront district, with residents evacuated as a precaution.

The force said it received more than 40 reports of disruption on the roads on Thursday (March 12), which included a van being “blown over”.

A yellow weather warning for wind has been issued for York and North Yorkshire until 8pm on Thursday.

North Yorkshire Police said winds exceeding 50mph have been recorded at Fylingdales in the North York Moors.

Forecasters said coastal areas are set to experience the strongest gusts.

On the North Yorkshire coast, a van had been “blown over” in Sneaton, near Whitby, and collided with another vehicle on Thursday, a police spokesperson said.

Fallen branches were also been recorded across the A19 near Easingwold, they added.

The police spokesperson urged motorists travelling in North Yorkshire to take “extreme care”.

“Emergency services and other teams who maintain our infrastructure are working flat out to keep everyone safe. But please drive cautiously and expect the unexpected, especially on exposed rural roads,” they said.

“The Met Office is forecasting more heavy rain today followed by freezing temperatures in rural parts of the county overnight, so please anticipate localised flooding and ice if you’re travelling tomorrow morning.”

How to report incidents

Anyone who sees an incident that poses an immediate threat to life is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 999.

Incidents relating to items, such as trees, blocking a road should be reported to the North Yorkshire Council Highways Team on 0300 131 2131.

Fallen or damaged power lines should be reported to Northern Powergrid on 105, but if they are across a road, footpath or anywhere else that could pose a risk to life, people should immediately dial 999.

Debris on the motorways should be reported to National Highways on 0300 123 5000 or 999 if there is a risk to life.

The spill was reported in the waters of the River Teith as concerned locals looked for answers.

A clean-up is underway after another fuel spill was reported in the waters around rural Stirling.

The presence of fuel in the water was reported and captured by images in the River Teith near Callander last week – leading to concerns over a link between the discovery and the major leak just up the water in Killin.

A connection between the two leaks was dismissed by initial investigations as officials from Scottish Water and SEPA got to work in sorting out the leak in the Teith and advising locals.

The first advice from Scottish Water insisted there was no risk to the drinking water as a result of the incident, while nearby Deanston Distillery was also notified as a precaution.

A later update from SEPA said the leak was due to a “localised issue” which was being washed from the road into the river through surface drains.

The SEPA statement to Stirling MSP Evelyn Tweed added that there may be the presence of “visible oil sheens” for the following days due to some of the residue being trapped in mud, but there was no risk to the local wildlife population.

In a response to the Observer, a SEPA spokesman said: “SEPA received reports on Thursday March 5 of pollution to the River Teith via a Scottish Water surface water outlet.

“We are continuing to investigate this incident and are liaising with Scottish Water and Stirling Council throughout this process.

“We would like to thank those who reported the incident to SEPA and encourage anyone who witnesses a pollution incident to contact us immediately on 0800 807060 or by submitting an online report with as much information as possible.”

The spokesman added that clean-up work was also being carried out on site by officials from Stirling Council as part of keeping the area safe.

A Stirling Council spokesman said: “We can confirm that we have been in contact with SEPA regarding the oil spill into the River Teith.

“Officers from our Roads Team attended the site to help clean residual oil which had spilled onto the road surface.”

The Callander leak comes on the back of the major fuel spill in the River Dochart in Killin.

Locals in the village were forced to use bottled water and make use of services elsewhere – including in Callander – for daily essentials as SEPA, Scottish Water and the council came together to find a solution to that spill.

The spill was initially linked to a botched robbery at a petrol station on the edge of the village, but the exact cause of the fuel leak remains under investigation for the precise circumstances.

Susan Aitken, the leader of Glasgow City Council, will be involved in meetings, along with various Scottish Government ministers, including Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, Finance Secretary Shona Robison, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop, Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan and community safety minister Siobhian Brown.

Morrissey has blamed the cancellation of his latest concert on ‘loud noise’ outside his hotel.

The English singer – full name Steven Patrick Morrissey – rose to fame as the frontman of the Smiths in the 1980s before embarking on a solo career.

But despite his success, he’s also developed a reputation for pulling the plug on a string of shows – often with questionable excuses.

Last year he cancelled 22 of his concerts, many of them last minute, then also failing to step on stage for his first one this year.

The reasoning he gave for that gig not going ahead was due to suffering an ‘adverse reaction to a prescription medication’.

Now, fans in Spain have been left with tickets that can’t be used after he cancelled his scheduled show in Valencia.

Morrissey had been due to play at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía tonight, but his gig has now ‘been rendered impossible due to sleep deprivation’.

It is currently the week-long Las Fallas festival in the city, which sees locals set off fireworks among other activities.

In a message posted on the singer’s website, ticketholders were initially warned the show may not proceed due to the loud noises outside of his hotel.

‘Having travelled for two days by road, Morrissey reached the hotel in Valencia late on Wednesday. Any form of sleep or rest throughout the night was impossible due to festival noise/ loud techno singing/ megaphone announcements,’ the update on his website said.

‘This experience has left Morrissey in a catatonic state. Before leaving for tonight’s scheduled concert, please check that the show remains possible under these circumstances.’

Then, in a second message, it was confirmed that the show would not be going ahead.

That statement read: ‘Tonight’s scheduled show in Valencia has been rendered impossible due to sleep deprivation. Morrissey drove from Milan to Valencia but has been unable to rest in Valencia due to noise.’

Despite the fact Morrissey would not be performing, his team attempted to claim it was ‘not cancelled’. Instead, they said that ‘circumstances render the show impossible’.

Meanwhile a follow-up post saw Morrisey declare his hotel in the Plaza Manises area as ‘indescribable hell’.

‘It will take me one year to recover. And that is an understatement,’ he added.

Soon after the concert was announced to not be going ahead, many people weighed in – and couldn’t help but poke fun at the singer.

‘The fact that Morrissey cancelled the concert in Valencia because he couldn’t rest due to the Fallas festival has me reeling,’ user HiImJoki posted on X.

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‘So, Morrissey was supposed to play in Valencia, and since the hotel was near a place where people want to party at night, he scrapped the show and didn’t play because he hadn’t rested. Rent a cabin, man. Stop messing around,’ Carla wrote.

‘A stiff breeze outside would be cause for Morrissey to cancel,’ Daniel joked.

‘Morrissey cancels 50% of his concerts; he’s stood me up several times. I didn’t fall for the Valencia show; I knew he wasn’t going to perform from the day the tickets went on sale,’ Manu declared.

‘If you keep buying tickets to see Morrissey, you’re simply an idiot,’ Jordy added.

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The axed Valencia concert is the sixth show of 2026 that Morrissey has cancelled, coming after ones in St Petersburg, Rancho Mirage, San Diego, St Louis, and Atlanta didn’t go ahead.

Despite the Valencia show being canned, Morrissey has performed the first nine shows of his European tour, including a sold-out date at the O2 Arena in London late last month.

Meanwhile his latest album, Make Up is a Lie, was released on March 6^. It is currently in second position in the UK Midweek Album Chart behind Harry Styles, with his album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

Morrissey is next set to play in Zaragoza in Spain on March 12, followed by a show in Seville two days later.

Over the past 12 years Morrissey has cancelled over 120 shows.

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Imagine looking up at the night sky and seeing a star suddenly burst into a blaze of light brighter than anything nearby. A flash so bright that it briefly outshines an entire galaxy before fading forever.

This violent fate is rare: fewer than about 1% of stars are big enough to end their lives this way. Indeed, these dramatic explosions only occur in so-called “massive stars”. These are stars with a mass roughly eight times or more that of the Sun.

But these cosmic explosions, known as supernovae, have naturally fascinated astronomers for centuries. In 1572, for instance, Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe observed a supernova explosion so bright that it could be seen with the naked eye for two years.

Yet what we can see with our eyes, or even with powerful telescopes, when these stars die, is only a tiny fraction of the story. Because most of the energy from a supernova is carried away by neutrinos, these are nearly invisible particles often called “ghost particles” because they pass through almost everything in their path.

Scientists are now finally on the verge of seeing these ghostly messengers. With the help of an extremely powerful telescope buried deep underground in Japan, astronomers may be able to catch a glimpse of these stellar “ghosts” – and with it the remnants of explosions from stars that died as long as 10 billion years ago.

Particles from before time

And there’s a really good chance that scientists might be able to finally see these ghost particles this year. This is largely due to Japan’s Super-Kamiokande telescope receiving an upgrade, which significantly enhances its ability to detect supernova neutrinos.

For me, as a particle astrophysicist, this would probably be one of the most exciting scientific achievements in my lifetime. Indeed, it would mean we could see particles that were produced even before the Earth itself existed, as the telescope is now sensitive enough to catch the faint “glow” of all the exploding stars in the universe.

This is all possible because neutrinos almost never interact with anything. They have no electric charge. So they can travel through space – and even through entire planets – without being absorbed or scattered, so almost nothing can stop them.

In fact, billions of these ghostly particles are passing through your body every second – and you don’t even notice – and some of them have been travelling for more than 10 billion years to get here.

When a star dies

Big ideas lead to big questions, and one such question astrophysicists are trying to figure out is what remains after the explosion of such a star.

Does the collapsing core become a black hole? Or does it form a different type of star known as a neutron star, which then slowly cools over time? A neutron star is an incredibly dense object, only about 20 kilometres (12 miles) across, roughly the size of a large city or about the length of Manhattan.

If scientists are able to detect the combined signal from all the supernovae that have ever occurred, it would bring us closer to being able to answer these questions. It would also allow us to study the deaths of stars across the entire history of the universe, using particles that have been travelling toward us for billions of years without ever stopping.

Supernovae are rare in our galaxy, happening only once every few decades. But across the universe, a massive star explodes in a supernova roughly once every second. When they explode, they release enormous energy: only about 1% is visible light, while 99% escapes as neutrinos.

Even though these neutrinos are almost invisible, they carry the story of every star that has ever exploded – and now, for the first time, we may be able to catch them.

So if 2026 does bring the first clear detection, it will mark a new era in astronomy. For the first time, we won’t just observe the brilliant explosions of nearby stars, but the collective story of all the massive stars that have ever lived and died.

And it all starts with a telescope buried deep underground in Japan, patiently watching for the faint, ghostly glow of the universe’s oldest explosions.

This article was commissioned as part of a partnership betweenVidenskab.dk and The Conversation. You can read the article in Danish.