UK tanker seizures dominate front pages
AFP/Getty Images Chancellor Philip Hammond’s indication that he could back moves to bring down a Conservative government to stop a no-deal Brexit draw criticism in some papers Iran’s seizure of a British-flagged ship in the Gulf is the lead for most of Saturday’s newspapers. For the Times, it raises the stakes in the highly charged […]
Barack and Michelle Obama announce details of series
Getty Images The former first couple signed the production deal last year Barack and Michelle Obama have unveiled their first batch of projects in development with Netflix. The diverse seven-title run from the Obamas Higher Grounds Production company addresses social and political activism. It includes a film on early slavery abolitionist Frederick Douglass, adapted from […]
The German clinics for burnt-out parents
Getty Images The German seaside is a popular spot for family health retreats (Credit: Getty Images) Germany has a long tradition of health retreats for struggling parents. Do they make a difference? Sebastian Schwerk lay awake at night, his mind racing. His father had recently died of leukaemia. Schwerk had been caring for him for […]
Crypto boss eats banana artwork bought for $6.2m
Getty Images “It’s much better than other bananas,” Justin Sun said A Chinese-born cryptocurrency entrepreneur has followed through on his promise to eat the banana from a $6.2m (£4.9m) artwork he bought last week. Justin Sun outbid six others to claim Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous 2019 work Comedian – a banana duct-taped to a wall – […]
Can the ad industry persuade us to eat more vegetables?
Alamy Popeye encouraged children to eat spinach in the 1930s. Should something equally creative be tried today? Advertisers are the experts at persuading us to eat burgers, crisps and fizzy drinks. But what if they tried to sell us something healthier? Popeye may be half the size of his arch-rival Bluto, but one gulp from […]
UKIP ‘burka ban’ policy ‘got in way’ of other issues
BBC UKIP should be anti-Islamic extremism, not anti-Islam, says Neil Hamilton UKIP’s election manifesto pledge to ban full-face veils worn by some Muslim women “got in the way” of other issues, Neil Hamilton has said. He said it would now be part of a post-election “policy review”. Former leader Nigel Farage has warned UKIP against […]
India police arrest journalists over China funding claims
Getty Images NewsClick’s founder Prabir Purkayastha was arrested on Tuesday evening Police in the Indian capital, Delhi, have raided the homes of prominent journalists and authors in connection with an investigation into the funding of news website NewsClick. NewsClick’s founder Prabir Purkayastha and a colleague were arrested. Police also seized laptops and mobile phones. Officials […]
Is there such a thing as the ‘friend-zone’?
Alamy Misreading signs of sexual interest is to be expected when we make friends with people we find attractive. “Men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way,” says Harry Burns in When Harry Met Sally, having been told moments earlier that friendship is all that he is getting. […]
Michael Kiwanuka on the ‘wake-up call’ that changed his music
BBC When Michael Kiwanuka was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2020, he thought he knew the deal. He’d been up for the prestigious album award twice before. Like most artists, he said it was an honour to be nominated. A win would be nice, but not particularly life-changing. He was wrong. When Annie Mac […]
How those missed off the shielding list have fared in lockdown
Bev Pearson/Liz Goldfinch Transplant patient Lucy Pearson and Liz Goldfinch, who has a rare lung disease, were initially missed of the government’s shielding list As the coronavirus outbreak spread across the UK in the spring, about two million people with certain health conditions were advised to “shield” – to stay at home and adopt stricter […]