* Italian departs Stamford Bridge role after 18 months * Tensions behind the scenes damaged relationships Enzo Maresca has left his job as Chelsea’s head coach. Maresca’s relationship with the club’s board has broken down and the split has led to a parting of the ways. It had seemed Chelsea would give the Italian time to turn around his side’s form but events have moved quickly during the past 24 hours. There was deep dissatisfaction with the 45-year-old’s decisions during games but the bigger issue was his conduct away from the pitch. The situation has been volatile ever since Maresca made cryptic comments about experiencing his “worst 48 hours” at the club after the win over Everton on 13 December. Continue reading...

Boys are to be taught the difference between porn and real life and teachers given more training

As we prepare to launch our eighth edition of our global list we present the members of this year’s voting panel, our biggest ever

Chelsea and England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton is voted BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2025 after a superb 12 months for club and country.

Plantlife charity enlisted help of 850 volunteers to look for waxcaps in places such as private gardens Graveyards, sheep farms and garden lawns are among the hundreds of new sites for rare pink and purple fungi discovered by citizen scientists. The charity Plantlife has enlisted 850 volunteers to look for waxcaps in their local areas, so scientists can get data from places such as private gardens they have not previously had access to. Continue reading...

People are being evacuated from an industrial estate following a "serious" explosion.

With her retro blend of jazz-pop, the Icelandic artist seems an unlikely superstar. She discusses her surprising path to fame – and how much of her personal life she is willing to put into her music

* Alessia Russo and Leah Williamson among nominees * Scott McTominay on men’s list after winning Serie A Five of England’s European Championship-winning squad have been nominated for this year’s women’s Ballon d’Or, including three Arsenal players who claimed a club and country double of European titles this summer. Leah Williamson, Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly all shared Champions League and Euros triumphs, and are joined on the nominees list by Lucy Bronze and Hannah Hampton, who both won domestic trebles with Chelsea and clinched back-to-back European titles with victory over Spain in Basel last month. Continue reading...

The Gaiety Theatre, which was designed by Frank Matcham, first opened its doors on 16 July 1900.

Exclusive: Health service estimated to be spending £50bn a year on effects of deprivation and child poverty * Britain in 2025: sick man of Europe battling untreated illness crisis * Downing St has a radical change in mind for the NHS: shifting its focus from treatment to prevention Britain’s “medieval” levels of health inequality are having a “devastating” effect on the NHS, experts have warned, with the health service estimated to be spending as much as £50bn a year on the effects of deprivation. Rising rates of child poverty have led to a growing burden on hospitals, with the knock-on cost to the NHS comparable to the annual defence budget. Continue reading...

Sandy Baltimore made the difference for Chelsea while United’s Celin Bizet struggled in attack and conceded a penalty

Unflustered, unrivalled and unbeaten. Sonia Bompastor’s Chelsea team were at their clinical best as they completed a 30-game unbeaten domestic treble with a 3-0 win against Manchester United in the FA Cup final. For the most part, United weren’t that bad, Chelsea were just better when it mattered most, again and again and again, two goals from Sandy Baltimore, arguably the Blues’ player of the season, sandwiching Catarina Macario’s headed effort. Continue reading...