From the “flamingo” position, which has been linked to hypermobility, to sleeping on your left side (which may be the best option), how you sleep matters.

And according to research conducted at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, how partners (literally) lie together might reveal how they feel about their relationship.

Professor Richard Wiseman asked 1,000 partnered people to describe their ideal sleeping position, their personality, and their relationship satisfaction.

“One of the most important differences involved touching”, he said: couples who stayed in physical contact throughout the night were more likely to say they were in a happy relationship.

Among those Professor Wiseman surveyed, the most popular couple’s sleeping positions were:

Then, there was the question of distance.

12% of couples slept less than 2.54cm (an inch) apart, and 2% spent the night over 76.2cm (30 inches) apart.

In this research, the further apart a couple slept, the less likely they were to report high relationship satisfaction.

86% of those who slept less than 2.54cm apart said they were happy in their relationship, with that figure dipping to 66% for those who slept over 76.2cm apart.

“One of the most important differences involved touching, with 94% of couples who spent the night in contact with one another were happy with their relationship, compared to just 68% of those that didn’t touch,” Professor Wiseman said.

The survey also suggested that more extroverted people tended to sleep closer to their partners, while creative people were more likely to sleep on their left side.

“This is the first survey to examine couples’ sleeping positions, and the results allow people to gain an insight into someone’s personality and relationship by simply asking them about their favourite sleeping position,” Professor Wiseman said.

Labour has been installed as the bookies’ favourites to win the next general election after 18 months out in the cold.

Keir Starmer’s party has been trailing in both the opinion polls and the betting odds for most of the prime minister’s time in office, but it looks like Labour are finally enjoying a stroke of luck.

Star Sports have narrowed Labour’s odds of winning the most seats at the next general election to13/8 from 15/8 last week.

Meanwhile Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has gone the other way as the party’s odds drifted from 13/8 to 15/8.

William Kedjanyi, political betting analyst at Star Sports, said Labour have been going up in the market after ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe unveiled his rival party: Restore Britain.

The right-wing party appears to have threatened Reform’s success, with 10/1 odds compared to 20/1 last week.

They’re getting closer to the Greens, who sit at 17/2 and the Conservatives at 6/1 as betters try to predict who will be most popular at the next general election.

Kedjanyi said: “It’s been 18 months since we saw Labour as favourites to win most seats at the next General Election, but Keir Starmer’s party have been in the ascendency in the market, shortening into 13/8 from 15/8 in the past week to supplant Reform at the head of the betting.

“That change has largely been driven by the introduction of Restore Britain to the growing number of political parties set to contest the next General Election, and they look likely to eat into the Reform vote.

“As a result, Nigel Farage’s party has drifted out to 15/8 from 13/8 and now have ground to make up on Starmer’s Labour in the betting.”

The odds looking at who might be the next permanent prime minister after Starmer also favour Labour, with former deputy PM Angela Rayner leading with 7/2 odds and health secretary Wes Streeting just behind her on 6/1.

Farage comes in third on 7/1 closely followed by energy secretary Ed Miliband on 8/1.

The bookmakers’ update will come as a relief to Labour, as the party has been struggled to connect with disillusioned voters frustrated with a series of government scandals and Starmer’s policy U-turns.

However, pollsters at YouGov have still put Labour on 19% in the opinion polls, trailing behind Reform who sit comfortably in the lead on 24%.

The Conservatives are snapping at Labour’s heels on 18% while the Greens are on 17% and the Lib Dems are on 13%.

President Donald Trump is really acing it …when it comes to being unpopular.

The president’s disapproval rating is the highest it’s been in five years, according to a Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll. The data, which was published on Sunday, comes just before Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

Conducted between February 12 17 among 2,589 US adults, the poll places Trump’s current approval rating at 39% positive and 60% negative. The Post also highlighted how nearly half of respondents — 47% — said they strongly disapprove. This number trumps those who say they strongly approve, of the president’s performance which was only 19%.

In November 2025, the Post, ABC News and Ipsos released a similar poll that showed 59% of US adults disapproved of Trump’s handling of the presidency, while 41% approved. At the time, this was considered Trump’s highest disapproval rating in his second term.

But the Post reported on Sunday that the last time Trump received a disapproval rating of 60% was in 2021 — shortly after the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

Respondents seemed most annoyed with the way Trump is affecting their pocketbooks.

Inflation got the highest disapproval rating at 65%, with only 32% approving. The next highest disapproval rating was followed by tariffs on imported goods, which received a 64% disapproval rating. Americans also don’t seem particularly pleased with the way the rest of the world is currently viewing them, with U.S. relations with other countries receiving a 62% disapproval rating.

And thanks to the recent nightmare that unfolded in Minneapolis, the majority of respondents also said that Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown is giving them the ick — with 58% of respondents disapproving.

Russia is executing soldiers in Ukraine for refusing orders, according to Vladimir Putin’s own troops.

The servicemen offered up horrifying tales of what life is like for the Russian army as the Ukraine war enters its fifth year, including how the soldiers are forced to kill one another.

Speaking to the BBC’s documentary, The Zero Line: Inside Russia’s War, one man said he saw a soldier killed on the order of his commander who was previously rewarded as a “Hero of Russia” in 2024.

Another said he saw 20 bodies of fellow soldiers lying in a pit after being executed by their own side.

The men have given detailed accounts of how they were tortured for refusing to take part in the offensives which they say amounted to suicide missions.

Troops reportedly call these moves “meat storms”.

One soldier told the BBC he is the only survivor from a group of 79 men whom he was mobilised with.

He claimed he was tortured and urinated on because he refused to go on the frontline, while others would be electrocuted, starved and then forced across the front line unarmed.

One man, named Dima, said: “I have dreams. I see [a] forest full of dead bodies, just smashed people with faces, dirty white mouths full of blood. The smell… it doesn’t smell, it tastes.”

He added: “I’m a criminal, and nobody cares – my crime is just I don’t want to kill.”

Their revelations come after Russia has suffered an estimated 1.2 million casualties – including up to 325,000 troops deaths – between February 2022 and December 2025, according to the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

Putin has continued to force his soldiers forward at a high rate of attrition for minimal gain just in the hope of securing more Ukrainian land.

Russian currently holds around a fifth of Ukraine’s sovereign territory but Putin is determined to seize the last 10% of the Donbas region in the east.

While Donald Trump has attempted trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US, Putin is sticking to his maximalist goals and refusing to compromise unless he gets the Donbas.

The Kremlin has also suppressed almost all public opposition to the invasion, even as its economy struggles to stay afloat with the rising cost of war.

The Russian government said its armed forces “operate with utmost restraint, as far as possible under the conditions of a high-intensity conflict, treating their personnel with maximum care”.

A spokesperson said information regarding alleged violations and crimes is duly investigated, telling the BBC they have been “unable to independently verify the accuracy or authenticity” of its report.

Putin has long been accused of deploying “meat grinder” tactics on the battlefield.

Previous MoD reports suggest soldiers have struggled with widespread alcohol issues and that Putin is forcing abducted Ukrainian children to fight against fellow Ukrainians on the battlefield.

In a statement issued on Monday night, Robert’s family confirmed that he had taken his own life, following what they described as a “nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder”.

Hilary Duff, who played Robert’s on-screen daughter in the Disney show between 2001 and 2004, shared a tribute to her former co-star shortly after the announcement.

“This one hurts,” Hilary wrote on Instagram. “It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend. There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. I’ll be forever grateful for that.

“I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him,” she added, alongside a broken-hearted emoji.

Meanwhile, Jake Thomas, who played Lizzie’s little brother Matt, wrote on his Instagram: “I was fortunate to know Bobby for most of my life. And he was one of the coolest guys you could ever meet. Funny, pragmatic, sometimes cranky, always a little eccentric. He was a talented actor, musician and director. But more than anything, he was family.

“I have many fond memories of being with him and his family throughout my life. Good moments, challenging moments and lots of laughs in between.”

He continued: “I looked up to him growing up. And later, I came to realise he thought I was pretty neat, too. So I guess I was doing something right.”

Alongside playing Sam McGuire, Robert appeared in the 1984 cult classic Revenge Of The Nerds, as well as Escape From LA, The Long Riders and Django Unchained.

His most recent on-screen credit was in the 2024 Western thriller The Night They Came Home, although the actor has three films currently in production, which are set to be released posthumously.

Per Deadline, Robert is survived by “his children, grandchildren, brothers, nieces, nephews and anyone who had the honour of having him in their life”.

• Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
• Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
• CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
• The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
• Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.

Nick Robinson skewered Ed Davey over his past praise for the “excellent job” the then Prince Andrew was doing as the UK’s trade envoy.

The Lib Dem leader was left embarrassed during an excruciating grilling on Radio 4′s Today programme.

Davey is forcing a vote in the House of Commons today which could force the government to publish all documents relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment and performance as trade envoy.

He said: “I think we’ve seen too often in the past that people, because of their title or their friends or whatever, have not been properly held to account.

“The rules of the House of Commons have prevented, and Speakers have overseen this over the centuries, prevented MPs from criticising members of the Royal Family and sometimes even mentioning them, and that really seems old fashioned and is the wrong thing to do.”

But Robinson told him: “It’s what you did when you were a minister though, isn’t it?”

Davey then admitted praising the job the then Prince Andrew did as UK trade envoy during a Commons debate in 2011, when he was business minister in the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government.

“I regret doing that,” he said.

Robinson said: “You said the Duke of York’s done ‘an excellent job’. You said he’s been ‘a longstanding success in the role’, you said he’s ‘a real asset for our country, supporting UK business’.

“And concerns being raised by a Labour backbencher, Paul Flynn, at the time, echoing the concerns of human rights groups about Prince Andrew, you dismissed as ‘innuendo’.”

The Lib Dem leader replied: “First of all, can I apologise to all those victims of Epstein who may have read those words and been upset by them. I really regret them.

“I was taking over a debate from another minister and wasn’t really over the brief.”

Robinson went on to remind Davey that he had criticised Flynn for bringing the debate, saying his “timing is particularly inappropriate as it comes four days after the Royal wedding [between William and Kate], when I believe the whole country showed the support that they give to the Royal Family”.

“It’s quite embarrassingly at odds with what you’re now saying, isn’t it,” Robinson asked him.

Davey said: “Yes. I didn’t know what we now know back then and it’s interesting to note that the prime minister at the time ensured that Prince Andrew stood down from the role two months later.

“So clearly someone in government did know there were huge problems with the way he was conducting his role.”

He added: “I’m pretty angry, to be honest, that I was put in that position.”

But Robinson then asked: “Shouldn’t you have learned that people in power should not merely read out words provided for them criticising others who raise questions, and not go back to their office and say ‘how do we know this is actually true’?”

The Lib Dem leader said: “I wish I hadn’t said those words, and I think we are all learning that the need to make sure that whatever position of power is held by an individual, they are accountable for that.”

PinkPantheress has become the first woman in history to be awarded the Producer Of The Year title at the Brit Awards.

Ahead of this year’s ceremony, which is due to take place on Saturday night, PinkPantheress has been unveiled as the latest recipient of the prestigious title, previously awarded to the likes of Brian Eno, Paul Epworth, Calvin Harris and A.G. Cook.

In addition to being the first woman to be given the prize since it was first awarded in 1977, PinkPantheress is also its youngest ever recipient.

She told BBC News: “I guess it’s bittersweet that I’m the first one, the first woman, to get it.

“As young as I am, it feels almost a bit crazy. Like, I’m not really legendary enough to be receiving it – but you know, I will definitely take it!”

Last year, PinkPantheress received huge acclaim for her second mixtape Fancy That, which spawned the chart hits Illegal, Tonight and Stateside.

Following the success of the release, she’s also in the running for British Artist Of The Year and Best Dance Act at Saturday night’s ceremony, having also been nominated for two awards at the Grammys earlier this year.

The 2026 Brits will take place in Manchester for the first time, with Lola Young and Olivia Dean both leading the way with five nominations each, ahead of Sam Fender’s four nods.

Performers on the night will include Harry Styles; Album Of The Year nominees Wolf Alice; Rosalía; and Mark Ronson, who is being awarded the prestigious Outstanding Contribution award.

Meanwhile, Noel Gallagher has been awarded Songwriter Of The Year, a somewhat controversial decision given the Oasis musician didn’t actually release any new music in 2025.

The Brit Awards 2026, hosted by Jack Whitehall for the sixth time, will air live on ITV1 on Saturday 28 February from 8.15pm.

Robert De Niro has made no secret about what he thinks of Donald Trump, but he got very emotional about the state of the US under the presidentduring an interview with MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace on Monday.

“The story is our country, and Trump is destroying it, and who knows what his reasons are, but it’s sick, it’s fucked up,” De Niro said. “We have to save this country.”

Toward the end of the interview, De Niro seemed on the verge of tears when Wallace asked him why he makes a point of thanking the people who work for him at awards shows.

“You have to — you have to lift people up,” the actor said, with his voice starting to crack, before explaining, “You have to bring them together. You can’t divide people, you can’t win that way.”

Things got emotional as De Niro pivoted back to discussing Trump’s divisive presidency.

“It’s a no-win situation, and look what we have, look who we have there, it’s almost like a destiny to have this thing there, destroying… attempting to destroy this country and maybe not even understanding why. So it’s up to us to protect the country,” he said.

“You weren’t supposed to make me cry,” Wallace told De Niro before she noted that the US seems to be facing a moment where things could go “one way or the other” — a seeming reference to whether the country’s democratic traditions continue. She asked point-blank: “You think it’s going the other way?”

De Niro admitted he didn’t know for sure.

“All I know is people have to have to resist, resist, resist,” he said. “There’s no easy way. It’s not going to come to you easy. You know, there’s a time when you know in your own life and your own survival, you better do this. You better jump and run through the fire because if you don’t run through the fire, you’re not getting out, and that’s what we have to do.”

De Niro has been a big critic of Trump over the years, and explained why in an interview last May.

“The man is a bully, and you can’t let bullies win. If a bully comes for your lunch money on Monday, he’s going to ask for more on Tuesday. You have to stand up. And I wouldn’t want to look at myself if I didn’t,” he told The Guardian.