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The Guardian
Eighth Labour MP quits party to join breakaway Independent Group (mer., 20 févr. 2019)Joan Ryan says party has become ‘infected with scourge of anti-Jewish racism’ Joan Ryan has become the eighth Labour MP to resign and join the breakaway Independent Group, claiming Jeremy Corbyn’s party has become “infected with the scourge of anti-Jewish racism”. Ryan, the MP for Enfield North, said she had been a member for four decades – but could no longer remain as a Labour MP. Continue reading...
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Brexit backstop: Theresa May to put new proposals to EU (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
PM heads to Brussels as Philip Hammond declares ‘Malthouse compromise’ unviable Theresa May will present the EU with new legal proposals to solve the Irish backstop issue on Wednesday, which Downing Street hopes will be enough to convince Eurosceptics to back her Brexit deal. The chancellor, Philip Hammond, confirmed late on Tuesday that the government no longer intended to pursue alternative arrangements for the backstop in the withdrawal agreement, which had been championed by cross-factional MPs including Eurosceptic Steve Baker and soft Brexiter Nicky Morgan. Continue reading...
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Bernie Sanders announces run for presidency in 2020: 'We're gonna win' (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
Independent senator, 77, to run again on leftwing platform Raises $4m from 150,000 donors in first 12 hours after launch Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont whose 2016 presidential campaign helped energize the progressive movement and reshaped the Democratic party, has entered the 2020 race for the White House. Related: Can Bernie Sanders repeat his surprising success this time around? | Robert Reich Continue reading...
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South Korean government sparks outrage by saying K-pop stars 'look identical' (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
Guidelines issued over fears singers’ similar looks may promote unrealistic and narrow standards of beauty New broadcasting guidelines produced by the South Korean government have prompted outrage for suggesting that television programs feature K-pop stars that look too similar. The guidelines, which criticise the stars as “skinny” with “similar hairstyles and makeup, and with outfits that expose their bodies”, were issued earlier this month by the ministry of gender equality and family (Mogef). Continue reading...
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Thousands take to streets of France after antisemitic attacks (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Surge in ‘poisonous’ acts includes Jewish cemetery desecrated with swastikas Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in cities across France to protest against a recent rise in antisemitic attacks. Political leaders from all parties, including former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, gathered in Paris, filling the Place de la Republique, to decry anti-Semitic acts with one common slogan: “Enough!” Macron visited the national Holocaust memorial in Paris with the heads of the Senate and National Assembly. Continue reading...
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Revealed: asthma’s deadly toll on young people in the UK (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
European health report finds Britain has highest mortality rate of countries studied Young Britons are dying from asthma at a higher rate than any of the other European countries examined in a new study, researchers have revealed. Experts have found the UK is languishing near the bottom of an international league table for a host of problems, including obesity, lack of exercise in children and the burden of chronic health issues – and in many cases the situation is getting worse. Continue reading...
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Shamima Begum: Isis Briton faces move to revoke citizenship (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Family disappointed at Home Office decision and considering legal position, says lawyer The row over the fate of Shamima Begum, the teenager who travelled from east London to Syria to join Islamic State in 2015, has taken a further twist as the home secretary ordered she be deprived of her British citizenship. Sajid Javid has sought to adopt a tough stance in respect of Begum’s case but he was immediately faced with the prospect of a legal battle as Tasnime Akunjee, a lawyer for her relatives, said they were “considering all legal avenues to challenge the decision”, that had left them “very disappointed”. Continue reading...
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British children living in poverty 'could hit record high' – report (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
By 2023-24, the proportion of children living in relative poverty is on course to hit 37% The proportion of children in Britain living in poverty risks hitting a record high in the next few years as incomes stagnate and benefit cuts continue to bite, a report has warned. A study by the Resolution Foundation thinktank said UK households had experienced flatlining living standards due to a lack of economic and pay growth in the past two years. Average incomes will not rise materially over the next two years either, it said. Continue reading...
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Met police spending on plastic bullets triples in a year (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Other UK forces also increase spending on ammunition amid fears of no-deal Brexit disorder The Met police have tripled their spending on plastic bullets in a single year, according to figures seen by the Guardian. The force spent more than £500,000 on the ammunition in 2017 – more than three times the average annual spend for the previous five years. Continue reading...
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'It was insensitive': Burberry apologises for 'noose' hoodie after model complains (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
Liz Kennedy said the design at London Fashion Week evoked lynchings and suicide The chief executive and chief creative officer of luxury fashion brand Burberry have apologised for putting a hoodie with strings tied in the shape of a noose on its London Fashion Week runway. The knotted strings surfaced after Sunday’s show when a model complained both before the show and on Instagram, saying the noose not only evoked lynchings but also suicide. Continue reading...
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Fortnite makers sue organisers of disastrous UK event (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Epic Games takes action over game-themed festival where people spent hours queuing The makers of Fortnite have taken legal action against the organisers of a disastrous live event based on the computer game. Hundreds of people demanded refunds after spending hours queueing to enter the site and collect wristbands at the Fortnite Live event on Saturday in Norfolk. Continue reading...
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David's mother killed his father, but he wants her freed – podcast (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
In 2010 Sally Challen hit her husband Richard more than 20 times with a hammer, killing him. Her son David Challen explains why she did it. And: Lauren Gambino on why 16 states are suing Trump’s administration Nine years ago Sally Challen killed her husband, Richard. She was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. In March 2018, she won leave to appeal against her conviction, on the grounds that she had suffered under “coercive and controlling behaviour” from her husband. This only became a criminal offence four years after her trial, under the 2015 Serious Crime Act. Later this month, the court will hear the appeal. India Rakusen talks to Sally Challen’s son David about why he is fighting for her to be freed. Rakusen also hears from Harriet Wistrich, her lawyer, who hopes to show that for 30 years, Richard’s behaviour pushed his wife to the brink. Last year, Wistrich successfully blocked the release of the “black-cab rapist” John Worboys. Continue reading...
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Send me home: what should happen to the Isis wives? – podcast (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Hoda Muthana, an American who joined Isis four years ago, now wants to return home. The Guardian’s Martin Chulov describes his time at al-Hawl refugee camp, where an estimated 1,500 foreign women and children are seeking safety. And: Polly Toynbee on the split within the Labour party Last month, Hoda Muthana and her one-year-old son were captured by Kurdish forces after fleeing the last pocket of land controlled by Islamic State. American-born Muthana travelled to Syria to join the terror group in 2014, and was at one time one of Isis’s most prominent online agitators. Muthana has said she now deeply regrets the decision to go and wants to return to America. The Guardian’s Middle East editor, Martin Chulov, talks to India Rakusen about his time inside the sprawling camp of al-Hawl, where he interviewed Muthana. The camp, currently home to 39,000 refugees, is situated about two hours from Baghuz, where a final battle to oust extremists is days from being completed. Continue reading...
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What a European education project can tell us about Brexit – podcast (Mon, 18 Feb 2019)
When the writer Peter Pomerantsev was a teenager, he was sent to a school that was part of the European Schools network, which counts Boris Johnson among its alumni. He discusses what the project can tell us about the EU. Plus: the Guardian’s UK technology editor, Alex Hern, on AI advancements The writer Peter Pomerantsev was 15 when his parents moved to Germany and enrolled him at the European School in Munich. The schools were set up in 1956 with the aim of educating the students to be “in mind Europeans, schooled and ready to complete and consolidate the work of their fathers before them, to bring into being a united and thriving Europe”. One of the architects of Brexit, Boris Johnson, attended one of the schools, in Brussels. Pomerantsev discusses with Anuskha Asthana his experiences at the school and what the project tells us about the EU. He wonders whether the school successfully promoted integration, or actually had the opposite effect. Continue reading...
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Malcolm X at Oxford: 'They're going to kill me soon' (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Just before his assassination, the radical black activist took part in a debate at Oxford. Tariq Ali recalls their meeting, which left him in a state of shock – and is now the subject of a TV show Malcolm X became internationally famous the day after President John F Kennedy was assassinated. Asked to comment, Malcolm calmly informed US TV reporters that he was not at all surprised that “the chickens were coming home to roost”. It was November 1963 and he was by then a leading member of the Nation of Islam, a black separatist organisation. Its leader, Elijah Muhammad, publicly disavowed him and banned him from public speaking. I had arrived at Oxford a month previously and witnessed the Kennedy assassination on the BBC and read Malcolm’s comments in the press. A year later, Eric Abrahams – the radical Jamaican president of the Oxford Union (and a friend) – decided to invite Malcolm to participate in his farewell debate. The subject was a quote from Barry Goldwater, the alt-right Republican candidate for the presidency: “Extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” Continue reading...
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Kaiser Karl: 12 moments that made Lagerfeld a legend (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
The late designer spent 65 years at the top of fashion, but he was equally known for his put-downs, his personal style and even his pets Continue reading...
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A British girl has asked to come home. We must meet our responsibility to her (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Shamima Begum’s disturbing case holds a mirror up to a weak, vengeful Britain, as opposed to the strong, tolerant and humane society we could be Imagine this: a British teenage girl is groomed online at the age of 15. Stay with her nationality for a moment. She is British. She is indoctrinated by one of the world’s most brutal terrorist cults and within 10 days of fleeing her home country is married to an extremist fighter. Stay with her age for a moment. She is 15. Four years later, two of her children have died and she has escaped across the desert, nine months pregnant, to a refugee camp. There, aged 19, she gives birth. And now she is asking to come home. Remove the inflammatory dog-whistle references to Isis brides and jihadi runaways and how much more likely is Shamima Begum to incite our pity and mercy? How much more likely are we to prioritise our duty of care to her as a British citizen? To treat the question of whether she poses a terrorist threat as one to be settled by the rule of law rather than trial by tabloid? Continue reading...
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100 Vaginas review – an extraordinary and empowering spread of the legs (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
It’s not until you see a full set of female genitals filling your TV screen that you realise how little they feature in our culture. Bravo, Laura Dodsworth Me and my vulva: 100 women reveal all First things first: the documentary 100 Vaginas (Channel 4) was not about 100 vaginas – it was about 100 vulvas. They were photographed up close and personal by the artist Laura Dodsworth with their owners invited to sit, look and talk about them afterwards as part of a project that follows on from similar ones she has done involving breasts and penises (separately, for the avoidance of doubt). Presumably the powers that be thought calling it 100 Vulvas would lead too many unsuspecting viewers to settle down in anticipation of a programme about the history of Swedish engineering. It was not. It did what it should have said on the tin. My mother was a gynaecologist for nearly 40 years and I now feel like the Queen Mother felt about the bombed-out East End after Buckingham Palace was hit; I can look her in the eye. Mainly because I’m never looking at anyone anywhere else ever again. Continue reading...
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Elizabethan Treasures: Miniatures by Hilliard and Oliver review – small wonders (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
National Portrait Gallery, LondonThese tiny masterpieces, blazing with passion, desire and mystery, are among the most magical creations in British art A young man with dark hair erupting like fire in a crest on his forehead poses with his white shirt open to expose his chest. Golden flames surround him but he is unscathed. It’s an image straight out of an Elizabethan love poem. This unknown but red-hot youth was portrayed by Nicholas Hilliard in about 1600 on an oval piece of vellum just under 7cm tall – which makes it one of his larger works. Yet this tiny masterpiece is also a key to how his miniature art functions, its purpose, and why it is still so full of life after more than 400 years. Around his neck the ardent young man wears a gold chain, and with his left hand he fondles the ornament it suspends. Within that is another miniature – the image, surely, of the person for whom this one was painted. This portrait is a none too subtle symbol of blazing desire, given as a love token – but to whom? Continue reading...
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Only Fools and Horses – The Musical review: vintage gags need better tunes (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
Theatre Royal Haymarket, London Amid the delightful comic dialogue, some of the musical numbers can feel like padding The smooth transition from dialogue to songs in musicals is the genre’s toughest trick, with the talk sometimes feeling like a warm-up for the key material. Unusually, the musical adaptation of Only Fools and Horses – the revered BBC sitcom featuring deluded Peckham entrepreneur Del Boy Trotter – has the opposite problem. The comic dialogue is so delightful that it’s tempting to resent its interruption by songs that sometimes seem to have been included merely to justify the show’s title. Continue reading...
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Leaving Neverland: first trailer for 'devastating' Michael Jackson documentary (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
HBO/Channel 4 production features the testimonies of two men who allege the singer sexually abused them as children It’s a documentary Michael Jackson’s estate doesn’t want you to see. But despite legal threats, HBO and Channel 4 will air Leaving Neverland next month. A new trailer offers a first look at the troubling two-part, four-hour film that premiered at Sundance film festival last month, featuring the testimonies of James Safechuck and Wade Robson, who allege that Jackson sexually abused them as children. Continue reading...
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First daughters’ club: Chelsea and Jenna rush to Malia’s rescue – while Ivanka stays silent (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
The offspring of former presidents share an uncommon bond that crosses political lines. So when the knives came out for Malia, most of them rallied round Think “wild girls-only weekend” and a bottle of wine split between four people is hardly what comes to mind. But that’s what the Daily Mail is suggesting as former first daughter Malia Obama enjoys a Miami getaway with friends – publishing paparazzi shots (and a short video) of her on a poolside sun lounger, clutching a bottle of Whispering Angel rosé. The coverage of a 20-year-old “drinking wine all day” – glugging a tipple that costs $80 (£60) on the resort’s wine list (£17.99 at Waitrose, Malia!) – has emboldened Trump supporters to condemn Obama’s bare-faced law-breaking as “privileged and #illegal”. “Living like the 1%? Drinking underage? Let’s see the #democrats and media scream about “privilege” here …” tweeted conservative talkshow host Andrew Wilkow ominously. Continue reading...
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Guardian film Black Sheep nominated for best short documentary Oscar (Tue, 22 Jan 2019)
Ed Perkins’ film about a young black boy’s response to a racist gang after he moves out of London is up for an Academy award Oscars 2019: Roma and The Favourite vying for glory with 10 nominations each Full list of nominations Black Sheep, a film commissioned by the Guardian, has been nominated for best short documentary at the 2019 Oscars. Directed by Ed Perkins, Black Sheep tells the story of Cornelius Walker, a black 11-year-old from London who moves with his family to a housing estate in Essex after the murder of schoolboy Damilola Taylor in 2000. Walker, the same age as Taylor and of similar background, found himself confronting a gang of local racists and, after first fighting back, went to extraordinary lengths to fit in and gain their friendship. Continue reading...
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Taking Shamima Begum's citizenship risks making her a martyr | Robert Verkaik (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Whatever her alleged crimes, there is every reason to try Shamima Begum in the UK where justice can be seen to be done The decision to strip Shamima Begum of her citizenship will turn a young British woman into a martyr. In the same way Guantánamo Bay became a recruiting sergeant for extremism, cases like that of Begum will serve only to radicalise more young British Muslims. Continue reading...
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The return of King Rat Derek Hatton marks a new low for Labour (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
What with the vicious antisemitism row and a party split, it seemed things couldn’t get worse. Then look who turned up In a single day, the Labour party has lost Luciana Berger and “gained” Derek Hatton. As swaps go, this isn’t dissimilar to giving someone an orgasm and them giving you gonorrhoea: the loss of a hard-working, campaigning constituency MP (Berger was among seven MPs to resign from Labour) and the official welcoming back, by a three-person panel, of a man so odious that he infamously delivered redundancy notices by taxi to his own council staff. To sum up Hatton in a brief vignette: at the 2016 Labour party conference in Liverpool, I was in a coffee shop searching for wifi, and hit on a hotspot someone had called “Derek Twatton”. Continue reading...
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Steve Bell on the seven MPs who have resigned from Labour – cartoon (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
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At times like these, Corbyn is his own worst enemy | John Crace (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
The Labour leader refuses to change tack. After all, a stopped clock is right twice a day It was the merest hint of an olive branch. A chink in the denial. During a rather tetchy and uninspired speech at the annual conference of the manufacturing trade organisation, Make UK, Jeremy Corbyn did just about manage to squeeze out, by way of a passing aside, that he was disappointed a small number of MPs had decided to take a different path. Then it was back to the business at hand. The Labour leader had arrived at the conference accessorised by his shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner, and the shadow junior education minister, Gordon Marsden. Neither of whom was asked to contribute a word and who appeared genuinely confused as to why they were being made to sit on the stage throughout the half-hour session. As was everyone else. Maybe it was a hostage situation. In case they were thinking of defecting to S Club 7. Continue reading...
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The Guardian view on Honda’s closure: of course it’s partly about Brexit | Editorial (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
The Japanese carmaker’s decision to shut its Swindon factory is part of a pattern in which Brexit uncertainties play a significant role First, the uncontroversial bit. Honda’s decision to close its factory at Swindon is a body blow to the west of England economy, to the British car industry, and to the UK manufacturing sector more widely. It will not be easy for the Wiltshire town to absorb the massive hit. Now, the more controversial part. The Japanese carmaker’s decision reflects several factors. These include a Europe-wide market shift from diesel to electric cars. But it unquestionably also reflects continuing uncertainty about Brexit’s impact on the UK economy and the fear of a no-deal exit from the EU – and anyone who pretends otherwise is simply not telling the truth. Honda has been in Swindon since 1989. It came because the UK went to great lengths to persuade the car giant that Swindon was the right site to supply the European Union market, of which Margaret Thatcher’s Britain was a keen advocate. Output has declined since the financial crisis, leaving only one model, the Civic, in production at a factory that used to produce three. Nevertheless, until now, Honda has not closed a vehicle factory in its 70-year history anywhere in the world. It has also tried hard to keep Swindon open, even though production of 160,000 vehicles a year there is “sub-scale” when compared with the output of 2m in China and the US. Now Swindon is to close in 2021, leaving 3,500 Honda workers out of work, along with at least that number in the supply chain and associated businesses. Continue reading...
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The choice is clear for Labour MPs. Stay with Corbyn or leave the party | Rafael Behr (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
The idea of a ‘broad church’ makes no sense when its congregants don’t profess the same political faith There is a phrase that has a lot of currency among Labour MPs who hate the direction their party has taken under Jeremy Corbyn. They say they will “stay and fight”. The vow is sometimes taken in private, sometimes declared on social media alongside a plea for others to do the same. It has become so familiar that its meaning is rarely interrogated. But what is this fight? Who is it against? What does victory look like? The answers are not comfortable for the stayers. The enemy is the elected leader of their party and he enjoys the overwhelming support of its members. Corbyn’s position is so unassailable that his would-be assailants hardly dare to criticise him. They grumble about Labour’s position on Brexit and agitate for the endorsement of a second referendum. They express horror at the way antisemitism has eaten into the party like gangrene and demand surgical intervention. But in public, the dissenters avoid pointing blame squarely at the leader or even at individuals in his entourage. Continue reading...
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Liverpool and Bayern Munich trade blows but draw leaves tie poised (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Jürgen Klopp’s prediction of a “blockbuster” between two five-times champions of Europe proved misplaced. His warning about the enduring strength of old adversaries Bayern Munich did not. Wise heads rather than old legs told for the German champions as Liverpool were frustrated at home for the first time in this season’s Champions League. They will hope for greater adventure from Niko Kovac’s team at the Allianz Arena and to punish it. Related: Liverpool need more courage to beat Bayern Munich, says Jürgen Klopp Continue reading...
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Barcelona held in Champions League at Lyon after failing to take chances (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Barcelona failed to score despite managing 25 shots in their goalless stalemate at Lyon in the Champions League last-16 first leg, leaving the tie finely balanced. Only five of the visitors’ attempts were on target but neither Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembélé nor the disappointing Luis Suárez could beat the Lyon goalkeeper, Anthony Lopes, at the Groupama Stadium. Continue reading...
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My form is having a mental effect on England’s opponents, says Jonny May (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
The wing is the most improved player in world rugby and, with Wales next up on Saturday, he admits his searing displays now constitute a psychological barrier for opposition teams At this rate Jonny May might have to consider changing his surname. Nowadays it is less a case of “may” than “will” when the Leicester wing hurtles towards a try-line, to the point where Wales will have to make special plans for England’s prolific flyer in Cardiff this weekend. Give him half a yard and he will – not may – take full advantage. Twelve tries in his last dozen Tests, including a hat-trick inside the opening 29 minutes against France last time out, is a world-class strike rate by anyone’s standards. The last time he faced Wales he scored twice at Twickenham, the only tries of a low-scoring game. His tally of 22 tries in 42 Tests has elevated him to seventh on the list of England’s all-time try scorers, with the power to edge past, among others, Jason Robinson’s 28 in 51 Tests by the end of the year. Continue reading...
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British driver Lando Norris makes a fast start on F1 track bow for McLaren (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
• 19-year-old’s time in testing is second only to Charles Leclerc • Lewis Hamilton completes 74 laps and is 10th-fastest Lando Norris, who took to the track for the first time as a Formula One driver in testing on Tuesday, capped a strong performance by setting the second-fastest time. The 19-year-old McLaren driver will be the youngest British driver to take part in F1 when he makes his debut at the Australian Grand Prix in March and has made a controlled and confident start to his new career. Norris has already shown promise and he was able to exploit McLaren making a far stronger start in testing than they have in the previous four years. His time, set in the last hour of a day during which he completed an impressive 104 laps, was just over three-tenths down on Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari, who led the timesheets throughout. Continue reading...
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Eoin Morgan expects West Indies to put England’s dominance to the test (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
• England highly favoured before 50-over series begins • Captain looking to fine-tune in run-up to World Cup The Kensington Oval has already chewed up and spat out the concept of favourites and underdogs on this Caribbean tour, so while Eoin Morgan’s England one-day side appear to be very much the former going into Wednesday’s series opener against West Indies, the captain remains distinctly wary. England’s 50-over side are a different beast from their Test equivalents, of course, sitting top of the rankings and entering a fine-tuning mode ahead of a World Cup they are fancied to win. West Indies, meanwhile, are eighth in the ladder, squeaking into this summer’s tournament via qualifying, and it is over four years since they last emerged victorious in a one-day series by beating Bangladesh at home. Continue reading...
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Kevin De Bruyne says quadruple ‘nearly impossible’ for Manchester City (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
• Pep Guardiola’s side may have been ‘figured out’ • City set to face Schalke in Champions League last 16 Kevin De Bruyne has said Manchester City have been “figured out” but he still believes they can win three competitions and so better last season. City, in Germany for Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first leg against Schalke, won the Premier League last season with a record 100 points and also claimed the Carabao Cup. This season they are still in contention for a quadruple and, though De Bruyne described this as “nearly impossible”, he is unfazed by City having to adjust their play to beat teams. Continue reading...
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Wales turn England changing room into a theatre for Ray Gravell play (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
• Squad sees actor called Gareth Bale play the late Wales centre • ‘It reminded you of the reasons some of us play rugby’ Wales have turned to Gareth Bale to ensure they maintain their winning start to the Six Nations against England at the Principality Stadium on Saturday. They were at the ground on Monday night to hear his impassioned one-man performance of one of the Welsh game’s most lauded figures, the late Ray Gravell. Not the Wales and Real Madrid footballer Gareth Bale, but an actor of the same name who has taken Grav, Owen Thomas’s play on the Llanelli and Lions centre, around the country for the last four years. Most of the Wales squad and management watched the performance in the dressing room England will change in this weekend. Continue reading...
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Naomi Osaka loses to Kristina Mladenovic days after coach split (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
• Osaka beaten 6-3, 6-3 in Dubai • Australian Open winner parted with Sascha Bajin this month The world No 1, Naomi Osaka, crashed out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after losing in straight sets against France’s Kristina Mladenovic. Osaka, who announced a surprise split from her coach Sascha Bajin this month, was beaten 6-3 6-3 in the second round, having received a first-round bye as the top seed. Continue reading...
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Owen Jones meets the naked anti-Brexit protester: 'We are a nation of prudes' (Fri, 15 Feb 2019)
Dr Victoria Bateman hates Brexit so much that she is taking her clothes off and is challenging Brexiters to debate with her in the nude. But is it an effective campaign strategy? Or just a sign of our fevered political times? A fully clothed Owen Jones tries to find out This video obviously contains nudity Continue reading...
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Bernie Sanders 2020: where the presidential candidate stands on key issues – video profile (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont who ran against Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic nomination, has announced his run for the presidency in 2020. Sanders, 77, running as a Democrat, will be up against a more crowded and diverse field this time round Bernie Sanders announces run for presidency in 2020 Continue reading...
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The Breadmaker: on the frontline of Venezuela's bakery wars – video (Fri, 15 Feb 2019)
In the midst of Venezuela’s spiralling economic crisis, Natalia and fellow members of a Chavista collective have stepped in to take over production at a local bakery, La Minka. Authorities had suspended operations when the owners were accused of overpricing their loaves and hoarding flour. In March 2017, with the tacit support of the government, the collective began selling affordable bread. This is the story of their fight to safeguard the bakery’s future and keep the Chavista dream alive Continue reading...
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Brexit breakdown: fear and anger on the Irish border – video (Wed, 13 Feb 2019)
As fears of a no-deal Brexit increase, John Harris and John Domokos go to where everything gets real: the line that separates Northern Ireland and the Republic. In parts of the province where support for Remain and anxiety about what might now happen run deep, they find ghosts from the Troubles, passionate opinions, and a new crop of politicised young musicians, desperate to escape the pull of the past Brexit breakdown: southern discomfort – video Continue reading...
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Flat Earth rising: meet the people casting aside 2,500 years of science – video (Tue, 05 Feb 2019)
Though not a new phenomenon, flat Earth theory has enjoyed a huge resurgence recently. A YouGov poll indicated that a third of Americans aged 18 to 24 were unsure of the shape of our planet, in spite of scientific proofs from Pythagoras to Nasa. Why has this happened now, and what does it tell us about society today? Continue reading...
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Orbán, my dad and me – video (Mon, 28 Jan 2019)
A Guardian film-maker and his father, who left communist Hungary for Britain in the 70s and now supports the nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, take a road trip through the country in the hope of understanding each other and overcoming their differences Continue reading...
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Brexit breakdown: southern discomfort – video (Thu, 24 Jan 2019)
As parliament falls into uncertainty and deadlock, John Harris and John Domokos go back on the road, sampling a very English mixture of frustration, boredom and seething anger. En route to Dover, a lorry driver complains about the mounting political chaos, while in Portsmouth a Brexit debate in a Wetherspoons pub gets rowdy. From warehouse employees to tech workers, everyone has their own take on Brexit. But one big question cries out for an answer: which way will get us out of this mess? Continue reading...
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My life in a hotel room: Ireland’s hidden homeless crisis - video (Thu, 20 Dec 2018)
Nuala and her teenage daughter, Laura, were suddenly evicted from their Dublin home when their landlord of 10 years was forced to sell by his creditors. They haven’t been able to find a new place to rent. Despite having been on the council house waiting list for more than six years they are still only around 600th in line. Now, like almost 10,000 other people and 1,700 families across Ireland, Nuala and Laura are homeless. Phoebe Greenwood went to Dublin to meet them and look into Ireland’s hidden homelessness epidemic. Continue reading...
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Met disproportionately white for another 100 years – police leaders (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Commissioner Cressida Dick says institutionally racist label not a ‘useful way to describe’ force The Metropolitan police will be disproportionately white for at least another 100 years at the current rate of progress, but are no longer institutionally racist, leaders of the force have declared. Related: Stephen Lawrence 25 years on: 'It was the moment we lost trust in the system' Continue reading...
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Poorer families to get text messages in trial to support early learning (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
Separate trials will test impact of home visits by experts as well as access to learning apps Parents are to be sent three text messages a week offering tips on how to support their child’s early learning at home as part of a government drive to improve school readiness among children from poorer families. The texts will be sent to disadvantaged families with four- and five-year-olds, encouraging activities to improve literacy and numeracy, “such as counting the number of plates on the table”, according to the Department for Education. Continue reading...
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Officer in charge at Hillsborough match was ‘basically a spectator’, court hears (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
David Duckenfield, newly promoted at the time, said to have had ‘impossible learning curve’ The South Yorkshire police officer in command of the 1989 FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough, at which 96 people were killed in a crush, was “basically a spectator” because he was so reliant on other officers, his trial for manslaughter has been told. David Duckenfield, who at the time was the newly promoted chief superintendent in charge of the match at Sheffield Wednesday’s ground between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, had “an impossible learning curve,” a former sergeant, who was in the police control box, told the court. Continue reading...
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Investigation after pupils say they were 'pinched and slapped' at faith school (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Ofsted refers safeguarding concerns after pupils at Talmud Torah Yetev Lev primary report physical sanctions A safeguarding investigation is under way at a private Jewish primary school in north London after pupils reported being pinched and slapped by staff as punishment. Ofsted inspectors who visited Talmud Torah Yetev Lev school, in north London, last month were told by pupils that “inappropriate physical contact” was used to manage pupil behaviour at the boys-only school. Continue reading...
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Alesha MacPhail murder accused denies being a 'confident liar' (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Sixteen-year-old tells court he was not involved in death of six-year-old girl on Isle of Bute The 16-year-old boy accused of the abduction, rape and murder of Alesha MacPhail has denied being a “confident liar”, after he told a court he had no involvement in the crimes. He told the high court in Glasgow: “I didn’t even know her name until everything happened,” and answered “no” and “absolutely not” as his defence lawyer took him through the charges on Tuesday. Continue reading...
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Fear of Barclays executive pay cuts prompted Qatari deal, court hears (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Former chairman says ability to offer board ‘competitive rates’ would have been compromised by UK bailout Barclays’ board worried that executive pay would be cut if the lender failed to raise private funds and succumbed to a government bailout at the height of the 2008 crash, the lender’s former chairman told a court on Tuesday. Marcus Agius is the first senior Barclays board member to be questioned during the trial at Southwark crown court in central London. Continue reading...
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National Lottery to give grant to transgender children's group (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Lottery’s Community Fund will donate £500,000 over five years to the charity Mermaids The National Lottery Community Fund has confirmed it will give the charity Mermaids, which supports transgender children, a grant of £500,000 over the course of five years after an initial outcry at the funding prompted a review. Mermaids, formed in 1995, is a UK charity providing support and advice to transgender or non-gender-conforming children. The charity has recently come under sustained criticism about its approach and practice. Continue reading...
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National Press Awards: Guardian and Observer receive 33 nominations (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Windrush and Cambridge Analytica coverage recognised in several categories The Guardian and the Observer have received 33 nominations at the National Press Awards, including multiple coverage of the Windrush and Cambridge Analytica scandals. The Guardian has been shortlisted for news website of the year, while both outlets are nominated for daily and Sunday newspaper of the year respectively. Continue reading...
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Russia moves to mask its soldiers' digital trail with smartphone ban (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Investigative sites have used social media posts to confirm Russia involvement in conflicts Russia’s parliament has voted to ban its soldiers from using smartphones and social networks after a series of open-source investigations revealed their secret participation in foreign conflicts. Russia’s Duma on Tuesday voted to ban members of the armed forces from publishing information online about their military units, deployments and other personal information, including photos, video and geolocation data. Continue reading...
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Deal to free Hodeidah may open way for aid in Yemen, UN envoy says (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Accord between government and Houthis welcomed but famine ‘still stalks this land’, warns UN A breakthrough agreement on the pullback of forces around the Red Sea port of Hodeidah may open the way for a large increase in the flow of aid into Yemen and prevent the country turning into a “bloody slaughterhouse”, Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy for Yemen said. The breakthrough was made at the weekend between military officials from the Yemen government and Houthi fighters controlling the port and city, and the redeployment of forces by the warring parties could start “possibly even today or tomorrow”. Continue reading...
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Sharm el-Sheikh locals lament 'wall' going up around resort (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Project aims to recoup lost tourism income since downing of Russian plane in Sinai Egyptian authorities have started work on a concrete barrier around the Sinai resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, which has struggled to attract tourists since a Russian passenger jet crashed in the region shortly after taking off in 2015 in a terrorism-linked attack, killing 224 people. Related: Egyptian president says Russian plane was deliberately downed Continue reading...
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Palestinians patrol Hebron after Israel ejects observer mission (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Volunteers in blue uniforms begin escorting Palestinian children past Israeli settlers to school Palestinian activists in the flashpoint city of Hebron have started patrols to prevent attacks by settlers after Israel’s widely criticised expulsion of an international observer mission. The Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) was first established more than two decades ago after a far-right Jewish extremist murdered 29 Muslims at a mosque in the city. Continue reading...
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Italian senate group votes to block criminal case against Salvini (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Rest of senate must choose whether to ratify decision over kidnapping charges An Italian parliamentary committee has voted to block a criminal case against Matteo Salvini, the deputy prime minister and interior minister, for refusing to allow migrants to disembark from a rescue ship. Prosecutors in Catania, Sicily, need the backing of parliament to continue investigations against Salvini, who also leads the far-right League party, for alleged abuse of office and kidnapping. Continue reading...
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Venezuelan opposition plans delivery of aid from Colombia and Brazil (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
Juan Guaidó calls for volunteers to carry stockpiled US aid over the borders of two countries on Saturday Members of Venezuela’s opposition are gathering in Cúcuta, Colombia to shift stockpiled US aid to their homeland this weekend in defiance of their country’s embattled president Nicolás Maduro. “Saturday will be a day that goes down in our history,” said Omar Lares, the former mayor of Campo Elías in western Venezuela, who has been living in exile in the border city for two years and is now helping coordinate Saturday’s planned delivery of aid. Related: Maduro government and Richard Branson to hold rival Venezuela concerts Continue reading...
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Four-day week: trial finds lower stress and increased productivity (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Study of pilot at New Zealand firm finds staff were happier and 20% more productive The founder of one of the first big companies to switch to a four-day working week has called on others to follow, claiming it has resulted in a 20% rise in productivity, appeared to have helped increase profits and improved staff wellbeing. Analysis of one of the biggest trials yet of the four-day working week has revealed no fall in output, reduced stress and increased staff engagement, fuelling hopes that a better work-life balance for millions could be in sight. Continue reading...
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UN experts condemn Ireland's migrant fishing workers scheme (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
System leaves migrant workers vulnerable to modern slavery, four UN special rapporteurs say Ireland’s permit scheme for migrant workers on its fishing trawlers breaches international human rights law, four UN special rapporteurs have said in a warning letter to the Irish government. Related: 'We thought slavery had gone away': African men exploited on Irish boats Continue reading...
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Teenage Wildlife: inside the song about Bowie's midlife crisis (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
In an extract from Chris O’Leary’s new book Ashes to Ashes, we witness David Bowie at a turning point in his career Around 1976, London clubs began having “Bowie nights”, where DJs played Bowie records and clubgoers came dressed as an edition of him. For some, it was the pupal stage before they became punks. Others kept at it. By 1978, the big Bowie night was at Billy’s in Soho, where Rusty Egan was the DJ and Steve Strange worked the door. By the turn of the 80s, the scene had shifted to the Blitz club in Covent Garden, where Bowie nights became competitive pose-offs. Doing a variation on Bowie was work. In summer 1980, Jon Savage saw a group whose lead singer, “banging around in a Lurex mini-dress, was drawing entirely from a vocabulary invented by Bowie. And people stood and took it.” Egan and Strange formed Visage, later described by Simon Reynolds as “a confederacy of punk failures looking for a second shot at stardom” (so, very Bowie). Bowie recognised his heirs, visiting the Blitz (he was sneaked in and ensconced in an upper room, like slumming royalty) and using Strange and other Blitz kids as mourners in his video for Ashes to Ashes. Each party had few illusions about the other. Strange regarded Bowie as a skilled operator, someone “allowed to get his ideas across quicker than up-and-coming bands. He’s always in the right place at the right time, checking out ideas. When he was in London he was always at the Blitz or at Hell.” And Bowie bottled his thoughts into Teenage Wildlife, his early midlife crisis song. Continue reading...
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Marina Abramović: The Life review – 'A pointless perversion that hurts your eyes' (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Serpentine gallery, LondonWhy would anyone want to watch a hologram of the famous performance artist doing nothing? Abramović’s much vaunted show is tedious and trite People are standing around with hi-tech devices strapped to their heads. I am one of them. Through the lenses that protrude from my face, I can see how daft my fellow audience members look. We’re like a bunch of drunks playing that game where you have a word stuck to your forehead. This is Mixed Reality, which lets you see a virtual image within a real physical space. In the middle of the gallery stands the world-famous performance artist Marina Abramović, wearing a bright red dress with her dark hair tied back. She paces a bit. She holds out an arm and stares at it as if mystified. Then she dissolves in a cloud of blue dots. Abramović, you see, is present only in digital form. She has been filmed by 36 cameras to create a mobile simulation of herself. This virtual animated sculpture seems to walk on the actual floor of the gallery. At times she vanishes, leaving just her shadow to move around the room, creeping towards audience members. Continue reading...
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Office Space at 20: how the comedy spoke to an anxious workplace (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
In the cult 1999 film about corporate malaise, the story of an everyman rallying against his sedate life found itself a loyal following Maybe it was Y2K anxiety. Maybe something was in the Hollywood water. Whatever the reason, 1999 yielded a bumper crop of movies about angry, ordinary men throwing off society’s shackles and finding something extraordinary in themselves. Related: Magnolia to The Matrix: was 1999 the greatest year in modern cinema? Continue reading...
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The Lego Movie 2 blocks Instant Family from top spot at UK box office (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
How to Train Your Dragon sequel flies high as school holidays arrive, but The Kid Who Would Be King fails to reign supreme Despite a strong challenge from Instant Family, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part hung on at the top, with weekend takings of £2.47m. The animated sequel declined by a reasonable 38% from its opening session, and stands at £7.41m after 10 days. Continue reading...
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How Amy Sedaris and her distinctive comedy finally found a home (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
The comic hasn’t always found the right outlet for her idiosyncratic humor but in the new season of At Home with Amy Sedaris, she has created something unique Told in a short story by brother David, Amy Sedaris once used cash fresh from a recently canceled TV show to buy a fat suit in order to prank her father. The comic and actor wore the bottom half to test his reaction, not the sort of extravagance one might expect from a celebrity with money to burn. His reaction to this provocation was to tell Amy that she must be bored. But, as shown throughout her career, Sedaris has remained anything but, her energy infused in everything she has done, from small roles in Broad City and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to a lead in her cult sitcom Strangers with Candy. She’s continued to reject assumptions and classifications placed on her, refusing to make the compromises many women are forced to make, and while this hasn’t always led to an accepting industry, last year she broke through with her surrealist show At Home with Amy Sedaris, the second season of which is about to begin. Related: Office Space at 20: how the comedy spoke to an anxious workplace Continue reading...
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Hockney book paints portrait of the artist through brother's eyes (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
The Hockneys: Never Worry What the Neighbours Think offers an intimate look at the painter David by his brother John A new book on David Hockney is set to offer readers the chance to view the artist from a fresh perspective – that of his younger brother. The Hockneys: Never Worry What the Neighbours Think is written by John Hockney, the youngest of four siblings, and promises to examine the close and complex relationships between the family members, as well revealing more about the life of one of Britain’s best-loved artists. According to a brief statement by David: “John has a view of me no one else has.” Continue reading...
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The insiders’ guide to Pays de la Loire (Fri, 04 Jan 2019)
From artisanal ice-cream to swimming lakes, the Pays de la Loire region of western France has lots to offer families planning their next summer holiday. Seven locals share their tips for what to see, do and eat ... Fun for all the family in Nantes“Spend an hour or so browsing at le passage Pommeraye, a beautiful arcade on two levels with some really cool shops,” suggests Angele Copik, a lamp designer and English teacher who lives close to Nantes in Château-Thébaud. “And don’t miss the giant elephant at Les Machines de L’île – a huge, moving, steampunk structure that sprays water and can carry up to 50 people. The nearby park is like the surface of the moon, with trampolines in the craters – it’s free of charge too.” Authentic French marketRichelieu, a 17th-century walled and moated town built around two squares with exquisite architecture, really comes to life on Friday mornings, when the food market takes place. “It’s packed with local produce,” says Tommy Barnes, microbrewer and author of A Beer in the Loire, who lives in Braslou, Indre-et-Loire. “There’s the famous St Maure de Touraine goat’s cheese, wines from Chinon, sausages, lush vegetables, and artisan beer made by me. After the market, I’ll go for a quick drink at La Taverne while the kids play in the beer garden – La Taverne is built into the walls of the town and overlooks the magnificent Richelieu park.” Continue reading...
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10 exciting reasons to head to Normandy in 2019 (Mon, 24 Dec 2018)
With the 75th anniversary of D-day to commemorate, the region has a packed calendar for the coming year. These are the 10 best reasons to visit Normandy in 2019 … Mont Saint-MichelChallenge your kids to climb the 900 steps of this tidal island to the Benedictine abbey at the top – afterwards you can reward them with a treat from of one of the many souvenir shops, creperies and restaurants that line the winding, cobbled streets. Visit in December to enjoy its spectacular Christmas lights – but remember to wrap up warm! D-day festivalEvery year since 2007, the towns around the D-day landing beaches have put on a three-week programme of more than 100 events to mark the anniversary. This year’s events run from 25 May to 16 June, and although the full schedule is yet to be announced, you can expect concerts, giant picnics, fetes and fireworks. Guided tours of other historic sites, such as ice stores and fortifications, as well military camp re-enactments and guided “memory walks” are also on the agenda. Continue reading...
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10 ways to connect with nature in Cantabria (Mon, 24 Dec 2018)
With outstanding beaches, a breathtaking national park and forested mountains, the Cantabria region of Spain gives visitors ample ways to commune with nature and explore the great outdoors Explore the Cabárceno wildlife parkJust south of Santander, a disused open-cast iron mine has been turned into an extraordinary nature reserve where Cantabrian brown bears, elephants, tigers, gorillas, hippos, rhinos and bison – to name but a few – roam around giant enclosures in a landscape of eerie limestone pinnacles and lush meadows. Explore the park by foot, car or bicycle, before taking a cable car ride for a bird’s-eye view. Enjoy a gentle cycle from Puente ViesgoAn old railway track is now a cycling path that leads from the spa town down the banks of the Pas River to the pretty village of Alceda, where there is also an adventure park. The route is mostly flat, only takes about an hour, and has picnic spots and playgrounds along the way, so it’s perfect for families. To add a little culture to your excursion, take a 5km (3-mile) round trip from Puente Viesgo to see the extraordinary cave paintings in the Monte Castillo and Las Monedas caves. Continue reading...
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An insider's guide to Bilbao (Fri, 11 Jan 2019)
It has the buzz of the city centre, and the laid-back vibes of the Bay of Biscay coast. Kat Webster, who left the London fashion scene to run a yoga studio in the Basque city, shares her insider tips on what to see, do and eat Start your day rightI often pop into Copper Deli (Mazarredo 6) first thing for a coffee or a smoothie – they do tasty sandwiches and delicious cakes too. If you fancy something more traditional, have breakfast sitting at a marble table at the splendid Café Iruña (Jardines de Alba), which has been going for more than a century, and is decorated with ornate tiles. I always find a yoga session and a walk along the waterfront an energising way to start the day, which is handy, as my studio is just two minutes from the beach, in Getxo. City slickingThe shimmering, titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum is a must. After taking in a few Picassos, walk along the riverbank to Santiago Calatrava’s Zubizuri footbridge, which looks like a harp made of white cotton threads, then cross the river to take the funicular up Mount Artxanda, one of the green hills that virtually encircle Bilbao, for panoramic views across the city. Continue reading...
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'I'm not spending money on that': the rise of the teetotal student (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Universities are seeing an increase in teetotal clubs and alcohol-free accommodation. Why are students drinking less? Like most students heading off to university, Emily Proctor, 19, felt apprehensive. But it wasn’t just the thought of leaving her family and making new friends that caused her to be anxious; Proctor was concerned about how she’d fit in as a teetotal student. “I was worried as I knew that much of university life involves going out drinking, especially in the first year,” explains Proctor, who is studying law at Swansea University. To help alleviate her concerns, she signed up for the university’s alcohol-free accommodation. “I didn’t want to be around people who were partying constantly and coming home drunk,” she says. “I wanted to be around similar people who I could chill with instead of going out every night.” Proctor, who doesn’t drink alcohol as it’s never appealed to her, says that decision has proven to be a wise choice. “It worked out well in the end as I have friends that I stay in with and we might play cards, or go to the cinema or out for meals.” Continue reading...
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Should every worker have a 75-minute lunch break? (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
MPs have recommended the optimal breaktime for schoolchildren – and it could make adults happier, healthier and more productive, too Schoolchildren should have at least 75 minutes of breaktime every day, say a group of MPs. Most schools, according to a report by the all-party parliamentary group on a fit and healthy childhood, have cut lunch and breaktimes, which has a negative impact on pupils’ concentration, health and social skills. This begs a question: if children need more than an hour of downtime a day, what about us adults? The amount of time people take as breaks during the working day seems to be going down. If we do have some time off, it is for lunch. But that is often spent eating a sandwich at our desk, catching up on work. If we are lucky, we get a “working lunch” – an unholy mashup of a meeting and a lunch hour. Continue reading...
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Does every box of eggs contain a potential chick? (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
A schoolboy has hatched a duckling from a Waitrose egg using an incubator he bought on eBay. It’s enough to put anyone off their boiled egg and soldiers … Fourteen-year-old William Atkins has put the cat among the pigeons – or perhaps the fox among the ducklings. He wanted to know if it was possible to hatch a supermarket egg, so he bought an incubator on eBay for £40 and half a dozen free-range duck eggs from Waitrose. Three days later, when he shone a torch on to one of the eggs, he was amazed to see a beating heart; three weeks later the egg started to rock; and then, 28 days on from the start of his experiment, a duckling hatched. This is very nice news for William and Jeremy, the duckling, but a little worrying for the egg industry. “People have a dual relationship with eggs,” says Mark Diacono, the author of The Chicken & Eggs River Cottage Handbook. “They love to eat them, but don’t want to think too hard about what they actually are.” Which, he says, is part of the female reproductive cycle. Continue reading...
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Light my fire: does the Queen really need a 'fendersmith'? (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
The Queen’s fire-poker made the news this week after allegations of ‘steamy trysts’ with a chambermaid. This lifted the lid on life in a realm replete with footmen and flag sergeants Name: Fendersmith. AKA: Gary Jones. Continue reading...
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Ten ways to cut it as a wine bluff (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Looking for a shortcut to oenological enlightenment? Here are some hints for making a little knowledge – and some orbital shaking – go a long way Never ruin your palate by drinking fine wine, they say: the last thing you want is to find that perfectly acceptable bottle of supermarket plonk turning sour in your mouth because you’ve supped too long at the altar of Gevrey-Chambertin. But talking the talk can still be pretty useful: there’s nothing like a smattering of well-chosen phrases about “botrytis” (mould, counter-intuitively, a good thing, also known as “noble rot”), “malolactic fermentation” and “ullage” to put the most irritating know-all in their place. Continue reading...
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Baked winter roots with feta and smoked garlic | Nigel Slater (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
A hearty salad of onion, swede and parsnip, roasted till slightly caramelised, with a smoky, salty dressing Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Peel a couple of red onions, cut them in half and then into thick segments. Peel and thickly slice 600g of swede, then cut each slice into pieces roughly 4cm long. Do the same with a couple of parsnips. Continue reading...
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Tell us: is your school facing budget cuts? (Thu, 20 Sep 2018)
With banners at some school gates we want to hear what cuts mean and how they are being explained to parents and community A cursory look at recent headlines speaks of deep problems in school funding in England. Special needs funding is at crisis point, sixth form and FE funding has fallen by a fifth since 2010, children are raising money for their own education and headteachers are using cash for disadvantaged pupils to prop up budgets. Related: School cuts: ‘Children now raise money for their own education’ Continue reading...
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Send us a tip on places to see early spring flowers in the UK – and win a £200 hotel voucher (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Tell us about wild flowers and colourful displays of early spring blooms in the countryside and gardens open to the public We want to hear about great places you’ve enjoyed spring flowers in the UK. You might have been out for a walk or cycle and come across clusters of crocuses, primroses, wood anenomes or celandines. And which park, National Trust, English Heritage or other publicly accessible gardens do you know that shows off great early spring blooms? Tell us about your discoveries, including details of walking or cycling routes and great viewpoints. Bluebells won’t be in bloom until mid-April on the whole, so it’s earlier spring flowers we’d like tips on. Continue reading...
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Tell us: how did you meet your partner? (Mon, 18 Feb 2019)
As part of a new series exploring romantic relationships we are looking to hear your stories Do you have an interesting story about how you met your partner? This could be your chance to share it with fellow readers. Related: Blind date: ‘I sensed she wanted to stay out longer’ Continue reading...
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Did you work for a UK high street chain that has closed? (Thu, 24 Jan 2019)
For an upcoming project, we would like to hear from former workers of chain shops that shut about how it affected their lives With thousands of high street shops closing over the last decade, communities have been rightly concerned about the decline and what the future holds. If you worked for a high street chain that shut down, we’d like to hear from you. Did you work for shops like Woolworths, BHS or Athena? What was your experience like? How did your life change after it closed? Continue reading...
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Leave to remain? The voters who have changed their minds over Brexit (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Since the referendum, some remain voters have become Brexiters; and vice versa. But what’s made them change their views so radically? Continue reading...
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How Britain's post-industrial cities got hooked on booze (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
With heavy industry mostly gone, cities such as Newcastle, Leeds and Liverpool have become worryingly dependent on the alcohol-driven night-time economy The night’s first visitor to the Safe Haven – a Peugeot ambulance with twin sick bays, parked in the shadow of the St Nicholas cathedral – is carried in by friends around 10.30pm. He is unable to walk, although at regular intervals he is able to throw up some of the bottle of rum he has just drunk. The St John Ambulance team here in Newcastle see dozens of these men and women every night: a head laceration on a rough sleeper, a student who thinks she broke a tooth when a friend accidentally closed a door on her, a German couple concerned about a man tottering precariously close to the edge of the High Level Bridge. Continue reading...
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'He did a lot of damage': Liverpool reacts to return of Derek Hatton (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Disquiet about Labour’s decision to readmit former Militant deputy council leader is easy to find among MPs and activists Derek Hatton’s readmittance to Labour after 34 years in the political wilderness has caused disquiet among centrist MPs and party activists in Liverpool. Hatton was expelled from the party for being a member of the Trotskyist grouping Militant. He was deputy leader of the Militant-controlled council which set an illegal budget in Liverpool in protest at local government spending cuts made by Margaret Thatcher’s government. On Monday it emerged that he has been told he can apply to become a member once again. Continue reading...
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Seth Meyers: 'Trump’s natural inclination is to be a dictator' (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Late-night hosts discuss Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to secure funding for a border wall Late-night hosts looked for the real national emergency. Continue reading...
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Honda's decision is a vote of no confidence in Britain’s future (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
There is a sense that while the Swindon plant’s days were numbered, Brexit tipped the balance Honda claims Brexit had nothing to do with the decision to shutter its Swindon plant, but almost nobody seems to be buying it. The consensus among industry pundits is that it suits Honda to avoid dipping its toe into the toxic pool of Brexit. Continue reading...
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Trump might have a solid case for emergency declaration, analysts say (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Though Trump himself suggested there is no real emergency, courts are unlikely to second-guess a presidents’ broad leeway Many legal analysts who watched Donald Trump declare a national emergency over immigration on Friday thought the president had weak legal grounds for doing so. In particular, many thought Trump hurt his own case by admitting, right there in the White House Rose Garden: “I didn’t need to do this, but I’d rather do it much faster.” “This quote should be the first sentence of the first paragraph of every complaint filed this afternoon,” tweeted George Conway, a top Washington lawyer and the husband of Trump aide Kellyanne Conway. Continue reading...
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The Snow Moon - in pictures (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
The February Snow Moon is the biggest and brightest super-moon of the year, lighting up the night skies across the planet giving stargazers a celestial treat. It appears brighter and bigger than other full moons because it is close to its perigee, the closest point in its orbit to Earth Continue reading...
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Final days of the 'Isis caliphate' – photo essay (Mon, 18 Feb 2019)
Photojournalist Achilleas Zavallis has been in Syria covering the collapse of Islamic State across the region and the resultant displacement of families For the past week the Syrian Democratic Forces have been trying to defeat the last remnants of Islamic State that fortified themselves in the small town located on the banks of the Euphrates River, near the Iraqi border. Continue reading...
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China's Forbidden City lights up for lunar new year show – in pictures (Wed, 20 Feb 2019)
For the first time in its history, Beijing’s famous landmark is bathed in light as part of the Lantern festival marking the end of the lunar new year celebrations. Continue reading...
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Karl Lagerfeld: the Chanel years – in pictures (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
The designer joined the fashion house in 1983, and remained for 36 years. Following his death, we revisit some of his most iconic shows and creations Continue reading...
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'We can't end FGM without talking to men' – in pictures (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
More than 200 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation and about 3 million more are at risk every year. Africa has the highest numbers, but its young people are fighting back Photographs by the Girl Generation Continue reading...
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Tossed and found: tiny sculptures of cast-off NY trash – in pictures (Tue, 19 Feb 2019)
Since the mid 1990s, Yuji Agematsu has used debris from New York’s streets to create a series of dioramas inside the cellophane sleeves of cigarette packets. The pieces below are from a year of his work entitled zip: 01.01.17 . . . 12.31.17 Continue reading...
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