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The 80s put the gay man front and centre of pop. Then came the Aids crisis – and three decades of demonisation and displacement. As Troye Sivan leads a new wave of gay stars, has true change finally arrived? Troye Sivan is the hottest gay pop star in the world. For his legion millennial and Generation Z fans, he’s among the first artists of their lifetime to frankly explore gay sex in pop – notably on his recent second album, Bloom – and they’ve hailed him as a trailblazer. But Sivan is part of a complex legacy of male queerness in music, one that exploded during disco and commanded the mainstream centre in the 80s only to wither in the 90s. Why has it taken two decades for the gay male experience to reclaim its place in pop? Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Jr6CUB

The former chancellor admitted on Newsnight that the case for the EU was belatedly, and badly, made. What good is that now? Scientists working deep beneath the Swiss Alps notice anomalies in their data indicating the existence of a mysterious particle unknown in the laws of physics. Hundreds of miles away, in a BBC television studio, George Osborne admits to mistakes made during his time in government. The former chancellor regrets that he and David Cameron did not make a better case for British membership of the European Union. Maybe this unprecedented ripple of humility is the substance detected by researchers at Cern. Perhaps the hypersensitive instruments of the Large Hadron Collider registered the blip of Osborne’s conscience. To be fair, Osborne was reputed to be more thoughtful than Cameron when they were in their pomp, although he came across as meaner in public. His face at rest bears the sneering grimace of a man relishing the smell of his own farts – but there is more to ...

I live with severe mental illness and enjoy a good horror film. So please drop the lazy, scary cliches about anyone who’s different I love horror films. I’m not ashamed of that, yet saying it still feels like a slightly dirty confession. That’s because I also experience severe mental illness, and I want to see people like me represented fairly. Most horror films are designed to do the exact opposite. Ever since Dr Caligari first appeared in 1920, horror films have tended to exaggerate the faintest sign of being psychologically “different” into something threatening. I feel cheated by the way horror leans on lazy cliches when it comes to representing people experiencing mental illness. It is especially concerning as films are hugely effective mass communication devices, and many people’s first contact with severe mental illness is through film. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Q7PDsU

Not surprisingly reinstating Russia to international competition has not gone down particularly well, and the Wada president’s insistence he had no alternative is a laughable response I am affronted on behalf of the World Anti-Doping Agency president Craig Reedie to learn that he was pointedly not invited to this week’s White House event entitled “Advancing International Commitment to Clean Sports: Reforming the World Anti-Doping Agency”. In many ways the White House should be a place of camaraderie for Sir Craig. He certainly wouldn’t have been the only guy in the place who thinks he has been treated very unfairly over matters relating to Russian urine. “I am used to athletes complaining,” sniffed Reedie of the outrage over last month’s Wada decision to reinstate Russia to international competition. “But my question to them is what, in practice, is the alternative?” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2EQloFO

The 21-year-old has been a revelation since joining Bournemouth for £10m and proves to the likes of Manchester United that they do not have to always spend big to succeed Bournemouth have been one of the stories of the season so far, and one of the stories behind the Cherries’ rise to sixth place in the table has been David Brooks’ almost instantly establishing himself as a Premier League performer. The Warrington-born midfielder is a big Manchester United fan, despite starting his football career in Manchester City’s academy, and when José Mourinho and his players pitch up at the Vitality Stadium for Saturday’s early kick-off, Brooks will get a bigger thrill than most from the fact Bournemouth are currently three points and two places better off than their illustrious visitors. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Debgon

EU seminars will cover citizens’ rights, transport, border controls and financial services The European Union is pressing ahead with plans for a no-deal Brexit, amid uncertainty about when high-level negotiations will resume. With 149 days until Brexit day, time is running out to secure a deal that the British government wants to nail down this autumn, to allow time for the agreement to gain assent from parliament and the European parliament. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2P29s8o

William Sitwell steps down after he sent email joking about ‘killing vegans’ and force-feeding them meat The editor of Waitrose magazine has left the publication after mocking vegans, suggesting a piece exposing their “hypocrisy” and joking they should be force-fed meat. William Sitwell made the comments in a private email to a freelance journalist and immediately apologised but on Wednesday the upmarket supermarket said he would be stepping down with immediate effect. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Q8QDgm

Christie’s sale includes copy of A Brief History of Time signed with thumbprint and Simpsons’ script Personal items belonging to Stephen Hawking, including one of his wheelchairs and medals, are to be sold at an online auction. The world-renowned British physicist , best known for his research on black holes, died in March, aged 76. Hawking, who was wheelchair-bound for much of his life and used an electronic voice synthesiser, suffered from motor neurone disease. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2qljYck

Direct action and civil disobedience is now needed to force governments to see that our survival as a species is at risk • Molly Scott Cato is Green party MEP for South West England On Wednesday I will join hundreds of others in Parliament Square to assert that we will not stand idly by in the face of climate breakdown and ecological crisis. We will affirm a commitment to engage in non-violent but illegal activities to try and force urgent action. Collectively we have signed a declaration to this effect; an Extinction Rebellion against the British government for criminal inaction. Over decades we have all operated in our different spheres of life – whether as journalists, academics, politicians, campaigners and educators – to ring the alarm about the way planetary life support systems are being destroyed. But a powerful alliance of wealthy individuals and multinational corporations, backed by complicit politicians, has subverted the political process and blocked action. This is wh...

Plus: dynamic doubles by substitutes, teams in negative points equity and Sepp Blatter: footballer. Mail us or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU “What is the fastest debut goal ever scored?” wonders Carl Worswick. Step forward former Plymouth striker Jamie Mackie who, having signing from rivals and then-non league Exeter City, endeared himself to the Pilgrims’ faithful on 12 February 2008 by scoring 11 seconds after coming off the bench in his debut against Brighton; Mackie ended up with a brace in that game. Also bagging a double is reader David Williams, who identified Maheta Molango’s fast start for the Seagulls, finding the target 12 seconds into his bow for the club against Reading in August 2004. “Sadly that was as good as it got for Maheta in a Brighton shirt, but he’s doing OK now as a lawyer.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2OidLaz

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Rookie manager returns to Chelsea for a Carabao Cup tie and expects to be reunited with ‘40,000-plus friends’ “It will feel nice,” says Frank Lampard, chuckling a little sheepishly when asked about the inevitable moment when the Chelsea supporters sing his name on his Stamford Bridge homecoming. “I always appreciated it as a player. You work as a player to try to please the fans. They pay the money to come and watch you – they are the club. To be getting that support after, when you are working for an opposing team, yeah … it will be nice.” The corresponding “Super Frankie Lampard” banner will doubtless be draped across the Matthew Harding Stand, opposite the Shed End, on Wednesday evening. As Lampard puts it, going back to Chelsea with Derby – in only his 19th competitive match as a manager – is a big deal. In his first game in charge, at Reading in August, he masterminded the art of the smash and grab , and since the birth of his daughter, Patricia, six weeks ago, he admits to being...

Five-times champion is the dominant force in grands prix and on social media, with no other driver coming close to his publicity generating profile in the wider world Two years into their tenure as the owners of Formula One and Liberty Media have known only one champion. With Lewis Hamilton taking the title in four of the last five years Liberty have inherited a period of singular supremacy by the British driver. Ordinarily this might be cause for concern as they seek to expand the sport but right now they must be positively relieved that if there is to be a dominant star, it is Hamilton. Hamilton and his Mercedes team have been the pre-eminent force in F1 since 2014. They have won every title since then, with only Nico Rosberg’s 2016 victory denying Hamilton a clean sweep. Over the next two races the team are likely to make it five drivers’ and constructors’ championships in a row to match Ferrari’s record achieved with Michael Schumacher between 2000 and 2004. Continue reading......

St Mary’s University will no longer offer students places irrespective of A-level grades A university in London has banned the controversial practice of offering prospective students unconditional places in a move designed to “maintain standards”. St Mary’s University in Twickenham announced the plan after admitting that a number of students who had been given unconditional offers did not go on to achieve their expected grades. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2qmrDXK

Chemnitz is the tip of an iceberg. Media equivocation and a failure to prosecute hate crimes has made the far right stronger Media coverage of racist riots in the east German city of Chemnitz earlier this year showed just the tip of the iceberg: what lurks beneath the surface remains hidden. I’m a university student and an antifascism activist living in Saxony, not far from Chemnitz. For a long time I underestimated the extent of rightwing extremism in Germany. Before I moved to this area a few years ago I didn’t know Saxony, and took antifascism for granted. I’d never come across “real” Nazis or violent racists. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RnCFr9

On the centenary of Polish independence we should be unified. Yet behind the flag-waving lies a divided and unhappy country On 11 November, as much of Europe marks the centenary of the armistice that brought the first world war to an end, Poland will celebrate 100 years since the re-establishment of an independent Polish state after more than a century of partition by foreign powers. In theory, at least, the commemorations should be a time to unify the nation in a way that next year’s 30th anniversary of the negotiated fall of communism in 1989 – the nature of which continues to divide Polish society – cannot. Membership of the EU meant money and respect, but little attention was given to the transformation of Polish society Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2DdN7ON

While Love Island has become a big hit, its format is rigid and doesn’t allow for same-sex relationships. E!’s new show could be the answer Along with the blistering heat and the glimmer of World Cup glory, the overriding theme of the summer was just how invested the nation became in one Spanish villa. Love Island was the sleeper hit turned national phenomenon, with even peripheral player Hayley Hughes briefly steering the nation’s Brexit conversation. But one criticism frequently levelled at the show was its overwhelming straightness , its format not truly allowing for same-sex relationships (there was one in the show’s second series, between the late Sophie Gradon and Katie Salmon). Enter E!’s The Bi Life – hosted by Drag Race and Celebrity Big Brother alum Shane Jenek AKA Courtney Act. On the face of it, this new series appeared to be both a vehicle for redressing dating shows’ lack of queerdom, and also a ripped-from-Twitter attempt at emulating the success of ITV2’s hit. Conti...

Ex-chancellor says promise of migration target was undeliverable, and admits fears for Tories’ future George Osborne has admitted the Conservative government “didn’t spot the shift in politics” that led to the leave vote in the EU referendum, saying it had failed to fix the banking system or explain the positives of immigration or the EU. The former chancellor, who edits the Evening Standard, said his party “did get things wrong” in the run-up to the 2016 vote, including promising a net migration target – of tens of thousands – that could not be delivered. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ETfCTR

The statement likely results from a falling out between the rapper and a rightwing provocateur over the ‘Blexit’ concept Is the strangest political marriage in America finally over? Rapper Kanye West, who earlier this month hugged Donald Trump in the Oval Office, declared on Tuesday that he had been “used to spread messages I don’t believe in” and would now be “distancing” himself from politics. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2yJmHAO

Local groups complain about cost of 182-metre-high tribute to nationalist hero India has inaugurated the world’s biggest statue with pomp, fireworks and tight security amid an outcry among local groups over the cost of the 182-metre (600ft) high reproduction of an Indian independence hero. Activists said about a dozen of their leaders had been detained before the prime minister, Narendra Modi, officially unveiled the tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, with an air force jet flyover, helicopters showering flowers on the statue and fireworks in the national colours of green, orange and white. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2JrDBbe

From the timings to the costumes, the festival’s protocol puzzles me. We need a nationwide consensus Every year I’m puzzled by the protocol of Halloween. For a two-week period near the end of October, I find myself asking “Is it now?”. I mean, yes, the calendar says 31 October, but on which night adults dress up, or the kids dress up, or when either group is coming to my house, is anyone’s guess. Last Saturday, I saw a woman walking the streets dressed as the chef from Ratatouille with a tiny rat on her shoulder. Top marks. Loved it. It was also a snappy reminder that I needed to buy something to throw, underarm, into children’s pillowcases. I went out and bought a pre-apocalypse-sized bag of Haribo, thinking some kids, yet to get type 2 diabetes, would, that night, be screaming “TRICK OR TREAT???!!!!” way too close to my face. Unfortunately, the scariest thing that happened was I worked my way through the entire bag without so much as a buzz on the doorbell. But good for my dentist,...

As a juror for a gay film festival, I’ve been reminded of the bleakness that has come to typify LGBT cinema. To progress, it must allow for some joy A drag queen dies of cancer. A closeted gay man chooses a loveless marriage over a man he loves. An older lesbian woman returns from a brief, joyful sojourn to a life of staleness. A gay man decides to stay in the closet for his career, saying goodbye to his lover. A gay father kills himself after being ostracised. A young gay man is left alone in a society that doesn’t understand him. A gay couple are forced apart by circumstance. A lesbian couple ends their relationship. Related: Why are there so few queer female coming-of-age movies? Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2SAJ97g

Health aside, this budget makes little difference to most public sector staff, and there’s no extra money for police or prisons For most public sector staff the budget will make little difference. The government adds £20bn more for health over five years, then waves £650m more for social care. But at the end of Philip Hammond’s show , public services are still far from fully clothed. Available money that could have saved services was instead used to seduce taxpayers; the fiscal sustainability of ageing Britain remains as bleak as ever. The size of the public sector will at best stay constant as a proportion of GDP: this depleted state is the new normal. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Rs0mPg

With less than 12 months to the World Cup, Eddie Jones’s squad cannot afford to treat autumn Tests as mere sparring sessions There are two schools of thought before the November internationals. According to Eddie Jones, the Tests are mere sparring sessions as preparation for next year’s World Cup in Japan. Those who have paid serious money to watch the All Blacks tackle England and Ireland beg to differ, preferring here and now evidence to pie in the sky potential. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Rare is the northern hemisphere side who drag their feet through the autumn leaves and still go on to conquer the world within 12 months. There is a particularly strong correlation between England’s November form and their World Cup destiny stretching back years. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2PvLulh

Stuck for a suitably spooky costume? Look no further than your own wardrobe for last-minute looks inspired by fearsome fictional characters If you have left buying your Halloween costume until now, then you don’t stand a chance in the shops. But if you are planning to celebrate (if that’s the word) Halloween on the day and have only 20 minutes to cobble something together, fear not. This year, it’s all about keeping your ghouls fictional and on trend, so you can wear something you already own. Key, of course, is your subject matter, and what exactly constitutes the 2018 “frightgeist”. We have long retired the sexy cat – the only acceptable cat is Salem from Sabrina – and while political posturing via your Melania Trump outfit is all well and woke (especially now that our Instagram feeds double as a lesson in virtue signalling), it just feels a little bit … sincere. And as for dressing up as Philip Green , avoid it. You’re in danger of trivialising a serious issue in the name of ban...

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Fox News Breaking News Alert Trump visits Pittsburgh synagogue to pay respects to victims of massacre 10/30/18 2:23 PM

Fox News Breaking News Alert Whitey Bulger, infamous Boston mob boss, killed in prison, multiple reports say 10/30/18 9:56 AM

Fox News Breaking News Alert President Trump, in interview, says he plans to sign executive order ending birthright citizenship for babies of non-citizens 10/30/18 4:29 AM

Christian woman to be freed after being sentenced in 2010, accused of insulting the prophet Muhammad Pakistan’s supreme court has struck down the death sentence for blasphemy handed down to Christian woman Asia Bibi, in a long-delayed, landmark decision that has seen the judiciary praised for its bravery in the face of threats of violence and protest from the country’s Islamist groups. The court, in a three-member bench led by chief justice Saqib Nisar, released the verdict on Wednesday morning in Islamabad, three weeks after they had reached a decision. The delay followed threats by blasphemy campaigners to hold large protests and kill the judges if they did not uphold the death sentence. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2CTeZqr

Emails suggest rightwing plot to discredit investigator … Commons Brexit vote could be multiple choice … and the lone voice of reason on Fox News Hello, it’s Warren Murray presenting the news to help you get woke. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2CTDAM9

Opponents fear ministers will use multiple choice system to pick their preferred answer MPs debating Theresa May’s final Brexit deal could have a succession of options put before them in a rare procedure that second referendum campaigners fear will be used by ministers to select the answer that suits them best. The clerk of the House of Commons has suggested that if ministers held to their insistence that no amendments could be put to May’s final deal for legal reasons, “stand-alone consecutive motions” could be debated instead. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2OiMmFz

FBI to investigate whether a hoaxer offered women money to make false allegations about special counsel investigating Russian election meddling The FBI has been asked to investigate whether a hoaxer offered women money to make false allegations about Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Several journalists and bloggers in the US received an email this month purporting to be from a woman who had been offered money to smear Mueller with bogus claims of inappropriate behaviour decades ago. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2zd2q6b

Health secretary will announce plan to reduce assaults and bring speedier prosecutions Violence against NHS staff has reached its highest level in five years, with one in seven health professionals attacked in the course of their work last year, figures reveal. Matt Hancock, the health and social care secretary, will announce the rising trend on Wednesday when he unveils an initiative to reduce assaults, including speedier prosecutions of offenders. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2PvfI7Z

Strain begins to show amid a wider slowdown in the world’s second biggest economy The Chinese economy has revealed fresh signs of the pressure of a trade war with the US and a wider slowdown at home as manufacturing activity fell and the yuan was fixed at a new 10-year low to the dollar. Related: No-deal Brexit would trigger lengthy UK recession, warns S&P Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RpxIhv

Northerners aged 25 to 44 more likely to die from causes such as suicide and smoking There has been a “profoundly concerning” rise in early deaths from accidents, suicide, alcohol misuse, smoking, cancer and drug addiction in the north of England, deepening the north-south divide, research has found. Socioeconomic deprivation has led to a particularly sharp rise in deaths among 25 to 44-year-olds , according to new data analysis from Manchester university. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2zeXiOY

Supreme court rules Petra László was incorrectly charged over 2015 incident on Serbian border A Hungarian television camera operator who made headlines in 2015 after tripping and kicking migrants fleeing police has been acquitted by the country’s supreme court. “The video reporter was acquitted owing to the lack of a violation,” a court statement said on Tuesday, after judges ruled that Petra László had not been correctly charged by lower courts. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2SqDdxT

Vishnu Viswanath and Meenakshi Moorthy of India apparently set up their camera near popular overlook with no railing An Indian husband and wife who fell to their deaths from a popular overlook at Yosemite national park in California were apparently taking a selfie, the man’s brother said Tuesday. Park rangers recovered the bodies of Vishnu Viswanath, 29, and Meenakshi Moorthy, 30, on Thursday about 800ft (245 meters) below Taft Point, where visitors can walk to the edge of a vertigo-inducing granite ledge that doesn’t have a railing. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2PuehHa

Mandal beats Ruby Bhogal and Kim-Joy after making doughnuts and an ‘edible landscape’ The Great British Bake Off 2018: final – as it happened A Rotherham-based Indian research scientist who started baking only two years ago has been crowned champion of this year’s Great British Bake Off. Dr Rahul Mandal said winning the programme was “the coolest thing that I have done in my life”. He said he had gained confidence by appearing on the show, adding: “I hope it helps me try new things and be a bit more adventurous in baking and life itself.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2qkRbUU

The author, whose real name was Louis Cha, is one of the world’s most-read Chinese writers Fans across the Chinese-speaking world mourned the death of martial arts writer Louis Cha, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, who died on Tuesday afternoon. Cha, 94, best known for his epic wuxia novels following kung fu heroes in ancient China, passed away in a hospital in Hong Kong after a long illness, according to Hong Kong media. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2JqSnyQ

They strode into the tent together, but there could only be one winner, and it was the perfectly unassuming baker this convivial show deserved The most joyful thing about this series of The Great British Bake Off – apart, possibly, from Kim-Joy herself – was that as we entered the final, the average viewer would have been equally content whichever of the three remaining competitors won. They strode into the tent together. Well, Ruby strode. Kim-Joy walked, and Rahul looked like he was being escorted by an invisible guard towards a burning stake and felt it no more than he deserved. It is his way. While all are worthy finalists, it is Rahul who has probably garnered the most attention and emotional investment over the weeks. There are those who saw his unremitting gloom, his certainty of failure and permanent air of doomy anxiety as a pose or a ploy. The rest of us simply saw ourselves. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Js1Beq

We’ve all had to deal with the person who starts a friendly chat then just … vanishes. Dating apps, Facebook and Google think they have the answers. But why do they care? This Halloween, ghosts aren’t welcome. Two dating apps have announced plans to use the season to crack down on the rudest of social media villains, the ghoster: the person who enthusiastically replies to your messages, starts a friendly chat and then, one day, just … stops. Earlier this week, Bumble, the woman-friendly dating service, announced it had created the post of “ghosting specialist”, bringing the journalist and author Kate Leaver in to hear confessions, dispense advice and be a shoulder to cry on for those whose attempts to find love ended with messages echoing in the void. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2zfxYrU

Having denied any sexual contact with accusers, Oxford academic now claims alleged France attacks were consensual It is the biggest repercussion of the #MeToo movement in France: the influential Swiss-born academic Tariq Ramadan , a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford University, has spent the past nine months on remand in prison after two French women accused him of rap ing them in hotel rooms in Paris and Lyon . Ramadan denies rape, the women stand by their allegations, but in recent weeks the case has increasingly played out in the public arena. Supporters of the well-known academic, who has spoken out against restrictions on the Muslim headscarf in France, say the justice system there is biased against him. They say the 56-year-old father of four is the victim of a conspiracy, has not been given due process and should not be on remand in jail, where he is being treated for multiple sclerosis in a hospital wing. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift...

‘Something terribly new’ goes bump in data yet to be confirmed by Atlas detector Scientists at the Cern nuclear physics lab near Geneva are investigating whether a bizarre and unexpected new particle popped into existence during experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. Researchers on the machine’s multipurpose Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector have spotted curious bumps in their data that may be the calling card of an unknown particle that has more than twice the mass of a carbon atom. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Rnjgqc

With Face ID and a decent screen, this phone attempts a happy medium between quality and price – but £750 still isn’t cheap The iPhone XR looks to offer most of what made the iPhone XS a knockout for £250 less – but with a colourful body and a slightly larger screen is this the iPhone to buy? With the iPhone XS and XS Max starting at £999 and £1,099 respectively, Apple has room to shoehorn a slightly lower cost, but still expensive, model in underneath. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2SxHr6I

Once again praised as a ‘voice of reason’ for his coverage of the migrant caravan, Smith just had his contract renewed for another three years The story of how Shepard “Shep” Smith got his break at Fox News explains much of his subsequent career, both its longevity and its controversy. A young reporter working for an affiliate station in Los Angeles, Smith was covering the OJ Simpson trial. But even this epoch-making legal soap opera had its lag times. In reporting these Smith was, as ever, honest. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RqZD0B

The struggles of the past teach us all about the present. Ninety years after Black History Month launched, this remains true • Lonnie Bunch is founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture One can tell a great deal about a people, about a nation, by what it deems important enough to remember: what graces the walls of its galleries? What elements of a country’s identity are featured in its national museums? What images appear on its currency and what holidays are celebrated? I would suggest, however, that one learns even more by examining what a nation chooses to forget. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2JqskYR

Despite various investigations and potential leads, murder case has never been solved On a sunny July afternoon in 1986 Suzy Lamplugh, the daughter of a solicitor and swimming instructor, vanished forever in one of the most notorious unsolved cases in recent criminal history. The 25-year-old went missing after leaving the estate agency where she worked to meet a Mr Kipper at a house in Fulham, south-west London. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2CQAfgD

Growing food without plants or animals sounds like science fiction. But it could stop environmental destruction It’s not about “them”, it’s about us. The horrific rate of biological annihilation reported this week – 60% of the Earth’s vertebrate wildlife gone since 1970 – is driven primarily by the food industry . Farming and fishing are the major causes of the collapse of both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Meat – consumed in greater quantities by the rich than by the poor – is the strongest cause of all. We may shake our heads in horror at the clearance of forests, the drainage of wetlands, the slaughter of predators and the massacre of sharks and turtles by fishing fleets, but it is done at our behest . As the Guardian’s recent report from Argentina reveals, the huge forests of the Gran Chaco are heading towards extermination as they are replaced by deserts of soya beans, almost all of which are used to produce animal feed, particularly for Europe. With Jair Bolsonaro in po...

This won’t be the first time a British coin has celebrated a schism with the rest of Europe “Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations”: what a curious motto for the new 50p coin that the Treasury has announced will commemorate Britain’s exit from the European Union. It has an air of playground desperation about it – the neediness of a kid who, having wilfully pissed off all 27 of his friends, is slinking nervously back into the schoolyard looking for someone – anyone – to play with. Related: Twitter users mint new jokes over Brexit 50p coin Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Q7zGTF

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The chancellor may have gambled with the UK’s cash, but at least his job is safe – for now Shortly before she was due to address the Nordic Council in Oslo, Theresa May was asked if she was planning on calling a snap general election. “No,” she replied sternly. “A general election would not be in the national interest.” As this was precisely the same answer she had given seven times before calling last year’s snap general election, many MPs must have feared the worst. Though one definition of insanity is repeating the same mistake and expecting a different result, it was still a fair question. Not least because no one can any longer count on the prime minister being sound of mind. How else to explain a budget in which the chancellor appears to have undergone a total personality change? Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2AA46IP

The case of the 25-year-old estate agent, presumed murdered in 1986, still fills me with horror at the dangers women face More than 30 years after her disappearance, police are carrying out yet another search related to the murder of Suzy Lamplugh . The news will send shivers down the spine of anyone who remembers the headlines in 1986, appealing for help in finding the missing estate agent. Smiling pictures of Suzy, a lock of brown hair falling over her forehead, were everywhere, but days lengthened into weeks and the woman herself was nowhere. The fact that a 25-year-old woman could leave her office, head for a perfectly ordinary street in southwest London and never be seen again defied belief. On the day of her disappearance, she had been due to show a house to a client, a routine appointment none of us would have thought twice about in those days. It was only afterwards that the man’s name, “Mr Kipper”, started to look like an obvious pseudonym – and one that suggested a twisted ...

JK Rowling understands that the supernatural needs to be frightening. ‘Light parties’ to replace Halloween are absurd The Church of England has just done another slightly silly thing. Senior figures, including Archbishop Justin Welby, are backing attempts to draw children away from the lure of Halloween into “ light parties ”, where they can share “fun activities” in church. It is suggested that attendees wear superhero costumes instead of dressing up as “scary witches and ghosts”. “Nowadays,” the church claims, “most people believe that you can’t fight evil with evil – you can only fight evil by doing good, and good will always win in the end.” Related: This year's topical Halloween costumes darkest fears modern life Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2qjIMkL

Overrun on White Hart Lane has begun to affect an overachieving manager who may tire of austerity Football fans. Save money on expensive TV subscriptions. Create your own Sky Sports Monday Night Football debate by standing behind a desk shrieking “Twenty‑nine million pounds net!” and “Five hundred million on a stadium!” in a voice so high-pitched it’s audible only to fish, dogs and snails, before almost coming to blows during a metaphysical debate over the meaning of success in an essentially meaningless world. Among the many oddities of Tottenham v Manchester City at the Wembley multisport complex on Monday was the sight of Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher being drawn, with a commendable degree of feeling, into the general uncertainty around where exactly Spurs and their manager stand right now. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ql3OPU

Al-Jazeera’s second expose prompted a slanging match with authorities but the question should be not whether spot-fixing exists but who is doing it and how often Seems like it was Mark Wood’s bad luck to draw a short straw last week. The day after al-Jazeera released the second part of their investigation into spot-fixing in cricket Wood was put up to talk to the press. He said the accusations reminded him of “the boy who cried wolf”. Maybe Wood always used to fall asleep before his parents made it to the end of the book. Right now, five months after the first part of al-Jazeera’s expose, we are still waiting to see whether the danger they are shouting about really exists, but Wood, like everyone else in English cricket, will hope this story does not end with everyone looking the other way while the wolf eats up the sheep. Related: Jonny Bairstow is one bad series away from being under serious scrutiny | The Spin Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2P05PQw

The Tour de France winner on overcoming frustration with Team Sky, meeting Lionel Messi and why he cannot wait for next year Geraint Thomas has already told me about the night he and Lionel Messi met in an underground car park and how it feels to have won the Tour de France . He has considered public suspicion of Team Sky and explained his long battle to be accepted as their leading rider in this year’s race ahead of Chris Froome. Thomas pauses briefly now and, stepping away from the whirlwind of the last four months, looks ahead. “I’d love to win it again,” he says. “Each year’s different but I still feel I’m improving even though I’m 32. I still have the motivation and commitment where I think Brad Wiggins, once he’d won it [in 2012] , didn’t have 100% motivation. I’ve still got the appetite. I enjoyed the whole race – not just the end.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2P30gRq

• Full-back omitted for first time in the Jones era • Brown has been a virtual ever-present since 2012 Eddie Jones has omitted Mike Brown, Ben Morgan and Michael Rhodes from his England squad to face South Africa on Saturday, with Courtney Lawes also ruled out through injury. Bath’s Zach Mercer and Ben Moon of Exeter are in line to play in a Test for the first time, with the New Zealand-born back-row Brad Shields also on course for a Twickenham debut. Chris Ashton and Manu Tuilagi are poised for their first Test involvements since 2014 and 2016 respectively but there is no room for the 33-year-old Brown, who has never previously been dropped by Jones when fully fit. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2zcI3Gf

• Leicester feel an away game is best way to restore normality • Book of condolence honours Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Leicester have made the difficult decision to play their Premier League game at Cardiff on Saturday, following the death of their chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others in the helicopter crash at the King Power Stadium. A minute’s silence will be observed before kick-off at Cardiff and the players will wear black armbands in honour of those who died when a private helicopter carrying Vichai, two members of his staff and two flight crew came down and exploded after Leicester’s match against West Ham. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2qhsEQD

Scale AI is hiring engineers to accelerate the development of AI by ayw | on Hacker News .

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One Degree (YC W14 Nonprofit) Is Hiring a Software Engineer by ericisaiah | on Hacker News .

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ReadMe (YC W15) is hiring Node engineers and product designers by gkoberger | on Hacker News .

Thousands of people died at Gettysburg – and they’re still here, ghost buffs say. A thriving cottage industry offers visitors the creeps Stroll Gettysburg’s darkened streets on any autumn evening and you’ll see guides in period costume leading packs of uneasy tourists from one macabre site to the next, lanterns held aloft. Approximately 10,000 lives were lost here, and 30,000 more people wounded, in the three-day 1863 battle to which the Pennsylvania town lends its name. Depending on who you ask, not all those casualties have left. Considered one of the most haunted places in the country, if not the world, Gettysburg has nurtured an appropriately robust ghost-tour industry. According to Destination Gettysburg, a tourism bureau, there are 10 ghost-tour and paranormal investigation companies operating in the town, which boasts a population of 7,700. For many visitors, the sober project of commemorating the dead by day at the Gettysburg national military park is followed by a lightheart...

In pursuit of a peaceful society, it is important that we record all perspectives of our complex human story Black History Month, which runs through October, is trying to address a problem. That problem is, how to move the study of black history away from focusing solely on slavery and colonialism so that we don’t end up with an unbalanced knowledge of the past, and inadvertently confirm rather than fight prejudices about black people and people of African descent. This is why films like Black Panther, with its depiction of the fictional state, Wakanda, captured the imagination of so many: it imagined what a sub-Saharan African kingdom free from colonialism could have become. Related: Cheddar Man changes the way we think about our ancestors Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2SvmucP

For the Germans, preserving the EU’s cohesion outweighs the risks from the UK crashing out with no deal The departure of Angela Merkel from the leadership of her party will make little difference to the Brexit negotiations. One of the few things Germany’s mainstream parties – the three in government and the Free Democrats and Greens in opposition – agree on is giving firm support to Michel Barnier, the European commission’s chief negotiator. So even if the parties in the coalition change, the German line on Brexit – which to the British government seems hard – will not. A few voices outside government, such as the chairman of the Bundestag foreign affairs committee, Norbert Röttgen, call for a softer approach. But when I was in Berlin last week I found nobody in the government who thought that Barnier should change his stance or become more flexible. The Germans are proud of the unity among the remaining 27 EU nations that they, the French and the commission have achieved. And they ar...

With relegation back, the basement battle is fierce and Yeovil, part-crowdfunded, hope to defy the odds against clubs with Premier League backing It has been two years since relegation from the Women’s Super League was determined by results. Now it is back. The rejigged professional top tier and semi-professional second tier will look to rebalance, with two teams promoted, pending meeting the tier one licensing criteria, and one relegated into the Championship. The top flight will grow to 12 teams while the Championship will be reduced to 10. Teams now have the threat of the drop and its financial implications hanging over them again. And Yeovil, for the first time since their promotion as tier two winners in 2016, having not won a game in the WSL are in the hot seat, rooted to the bottom of the table. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2yJGPTc

Order comes after Williams’ hit Happy was played at an event just hours after a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue Pharrell Williams has ordered Donald Trump to stop playing his music at rallies, after his upbeat song Happy was played at a Trump event in Indiana just hours after a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue . “Pharrell has not, and will not, grant you permission to publicly perform or otherwise broadcast or disseminate any of his music,” reads the letter from the R&B star’s lawyer Howard King. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RqEHHb

Wasi Mohamed, executive director of the Pittsburgh Islamic Center, says the muslim community has raised more than $70,000 for the victims of the synagogue attack and their families. Mohamed said: 'We just want to know what you need ... If it’s people outside your next service protecting you, let us know. We’ll be there.' US Muslims raise more than $120,000 for families of Pittsburgh shooting victims Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RqEaFb

A report says that early intervention is crucial to our children’s futures. But in Westminster, only quick gains seem to matter Just imagine: “Mr Speaker, it is clear that the developmental issues affecting millions of UK children are so severe, and of such enormous long-term cost to our country, that only a concerted national programme of early intervention will suffice. I propose to make that investment the centrepiece of this budget in the full knowledge that the benefits will be reaped by future governments, not my own.” No, we did not hear that from Philip Hammond in his budget statement this week. Nor are we likely to hear it from any chancellor, of any political stripe, any time soon. In the UK’s political system, the short term is all. Yet it is increasingly evident that focused, long-term support for children and young people at risk of poor outcomes, such as mental health problems , limited academic attainment or involvement in crime, must be key to tackling what former chi...

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Top half of households to benefit from 84% of the cuts, says Resolution Foundation Income tax cuts for millions of workers announced in Philip Hammond’s budget will “overwhelmingly benefit richer households”, analysis has found, with almost half set to go to the top 10% of households. The analysis by the Resolution Foundation thinktank found that welfare cuts would continue to affect the poorest households, despite Hammond’s announcement that austerity was coming to an end . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Rr8jnN

Niels Hoegel, already serving a life prison term, accused of deliberately overdosing victims A former nurse accused of killing more than 100 patients in his care has gone on trial in the biggest serial killing trial in Germany’s post-war history. Niels Hoegel, 41, has already spent nearly a decade in prison after being convicted over the deaths of other patients. He is accused of intentionally administering medical overdoses to victims so he could bring them back to life at the last moment. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Q5pXND

Gunman who murdered 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue held the belief that Jews ‘were committing a genocide to his people’ After he was taken into custody, the gunman who allegedly murdered 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue told a law enforcement officer his motive: he believed Jews “were committing a genocide to his people”. The “genocide” comment, described in the criminal complaint against Robert Bowers, mirrors the online trail of white supremacist comments posted by a “Robert Bowers” on Gab, a social network popular with extremists. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2CQ2Q5R

Met confirms officers carrying out search in West Midlands in unsolved murder case Police investigating the murder of the estate agent Suzy Lamplugh have begun to search a West Midlands property linked to a suspect in attempt to solve the 32-year mystery surrounding the case. Lamplugh was 25 when she disappeared in 1986 after leaving her west London offices to meet a client known only as Mr Kipper. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2OeDMaM

The pitch looked terrible and the match was patchy but the Manchester City forward showed what a top performer he is Raheem Sterling spent a fair amount of his childhood dodging potholes and wrong‑footing passers-by as he kicked a ball around Wembley. So no real change there on a strange night when Manchester City eked out a brittle, angsty 1-0 win against a brittle, angsty Tottenham team in front of a brittle, angsty Tottenham crowd. It is hard to think of many stranger Premier League fixtures than this, though this 1-0 victory for the champions was strange in an understated, slightly dreamy kind of way. For most of the first half it was almost impossible to look past the wretched spectacle of the Wembley pitch , heavily scarred by the markings of the NFL game on Sunday night and appearing here like a jilted bride in its faded Super Bowl suit, still mourning that scuppered elopement with the man from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/...