People in Staffordshire described how their houses rumbled and shook after the area was hit by a 3.3-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday.
The epicentre was 7.3km below the village of Tean near Stoke, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS).
It is the largest of 21 earthquakes to hit the UK in the past two months, beating two 1.8-magnitude tremors felt on the Isle of Mull in May.
But it falls some way short of the record earthquake in the UK, which the BGS records as a 6.1-magnitude tremor in the North Sea, about 120km north-east of Great Yarmouth, on June 7, 1931.
Filey felt the strongest effects of that earthquake, resulting in the rotation of a church spire. It was, however, felt as far away as Surrey, Norway, Denmark and Germany.
The BGS said it had received reports from the area on Wednesday night, mainly from within 20km of the epicentre, describing "an initial rumbling, then a bang" with what "felt more like a shunt, like something had hit something".
One resident of the area said he heard a “tiny rumble” that got bigger.
“Was using my computer and heard a tiny rumble sound that got bigger and a sudden shaking under my feet. Its either [an] earthquake or a HUGE explosion. It felt like a small quake,” he wrote on Twitter.
Local councillor for the area, David Williams, said “quite a few people” felt it.
Writing on Twitter, he said: “Looks like quite a lot of reports coming in,” he added. “18km SE of the city.”
Mark Begg, 30, said he was at home in Uttoxeter when he felt "a very large shake".
He said he checked "around the house to see if I could see anything" and "after noticing there were no signs of damage I concluded it was most likely a mini earthquake".
Tom, 38, in Cheadle, Staffordshire, said: "I was sitting watching an episode of Only Connect with my wife on YouTube and as we opened another bottle of wine the whole house shook.
"I thought either one of the children had fallen out of bed or something else had happened."
The BGS says it detects and locates between 200 and 300 earthquakes in the UK each year.
Between 20 and 30 earthquakes are felt by people every year, while the others are recorded only by sensitive instruments.
Experts say earthquakes below a magnitude of 2 can only be detected by instruments, while anything from 2 to 2.9 may cause hanging objects to swing.
Anything between the magnitude of 3 and 3.9 creates tremors that are comparable to the vibrations of a passing lorry.
Larger quakes which register between 4 and 4.9 may break windows or cause small or unstable objects to fall.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Final scores
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Dubai Creek Open in numbers
- The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year's Mena Tour
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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