Matthew Bell

This year’s appeal for votes has been awash with negative tweets, viral YouTube clips and memes galore – but does it really mean social media has come of age for elections?

Ukip says rescuing migrants off Europe “may actually be making matters worse”, while the Tories want to “dissuade migrants from making these perilous and illegal journeys in the first place”.

Scottish voters turned out in huge numbers to decide on independence, outdoing general election turnout by 20 per cent – so is the rest of the UK anywhere near as engaged?

The national party for Wales has so far failed to spark a “Plaid surge” to mimic its nationalist counterparts, the Scottish National Party – so is Election 2015 the moment Plaid Cymru comes of age?

The Green party reported a huge spike of membership in January, helping it overtake Ukip and even the Lib Dems – but as its spring conference opens, can it sustain growth through the general election?

A former US paratrooper beats up a suspected robber on his property, puts the footage on YouTube, adds a reggae soundtrack – and creates a viral hit.

The fire extinguisher system aboard the Norman Atlantic ferry which caught fire off the Greek coast “couldn’t handle” the blaze because of heavy winds, Channel 4 News has learned.

Elite US soldier Robert O’Neill has been “unmasked” as the man who shot the 9/11 mastermind – but does his desire for recognition threaten the future of special forces?

Why has Russia radically increased military flights on Nato’s borders – and how worried should we be?

The Home Secretary warns that if they are not disrupted, the Islamic State group could acquire weapons of mass destruction – but has that threat been ‘sexed up’?

Imagine a world where the World Cup and football didn’t exist – what on earth would the sport’s top managers be doing?

From the Titanic to Homeland, fiction has an uncanny habit of predicting reality – and it’s not finished yet.

As veteran Star Wars actor Harrison Ford recovers from a broken ankle sustained on set, is it time for the film industry to reconsider its reliance on ageing action stars?

Gary Barlow’s reworking of the Take That hit, Greatest Day, was supposed to become England’s World Cup anthem. Instead, it has been quietly axed.

Jonny Wilkinson, England’s hero of the 2003 World Cup, is due to retire from the game for good. We all know he was a bit special – but why?