26 h. ago Sentence reductions should be less generous if ‘no question of guilt’ – MP

Conservative MP Sir Ashley Fox said there should be ‘a range of discounts available’, as opposed to an automatic one-third reduction for guilty pleas.

Politics

3 d. ago Aldi makes huge change to entire range to reduce plastic waste

Aldi said it will be the first UK supermarket to make the move

Politics

3 d. ago ‘I have a pathological need to be right’: Ash Sarkar on culture wars, controversy and Corbyn’s lost legacy

She’s been described as divisive by the left and ‘the Queen of woke’ by the right, but does the journalist’s new book really signal a change in her entire belief system?“You’re not going to believe me when I say this: I’m a conflict-averse person,” says Ash Sarkar. She’s laughing as she says it. Even if I did believe her, a lot of people wouldn’t. Over the past decade, Sarkar has built a reputation for bringing the fight, robustly defending her positions, and generally putting herself in the line of fire – on television panel discussions, on social media and in her journalism (for this paper and as a contributing editor at Novara Media, among others). Even her detractors would admit she’s very good at it, cutting through the politicians’ earnest bluster and articulating what’s on ordinary people’s minds – none of which has endeared her to the rightwing.Now Sarkar has annoyed the leftwing as well. In her new book Minority Rule, she contends that embracing identity politics and cultur...

Events

4 d. ago Aldi makes major change to entire product range in 'UK supermarket first'

The budget retailer is removing the protective sleeves over corks of its own brand wine to help reduce plastic waste, with the change expected to be rolled out by the end of 2025

Politics

7 d. ago Going to the gym gives me so much more than the physique I want, even if body dysmorphia lingers | Bertin Huynh

I feel more focused and energetic than ever before. But as I have changed, so has my algorithmFor almost my entire life I hated how I looked.I was by no means unhealthy but a youth spent playing video games and eating heaping mounds of white rice meant I was far from the models, superheroes and movie stars I looked up to.Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morningBertin Huynh is a multimedia journalist and producerIn Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, call or text Mental Health America at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Antioxidants in fruits and flowers seem to counteract harmful effects of microplastics, study shows

Anthocyanins in nuts, fruits and vegetables seem to lesson harmful effects of microplastics on reproductive systemsSign up for the Detox Your Kitchen newsletterAntioxidants that give fruits and flowers their vibrant colors seem to counteract some of the most dangerous reproductive system effects of exposure to microplastics, such as decreased fertility, and could ultimately be used in developing treatments, new peer-reviewed research shows.The paper focused on microplastics’ reproductive toxicity and plant compounds called anthocyanins, which are widely found in nuts, fruits and vegetables. The new review of scientific literature on anthocyanins found that the compounds are probably protective against a range of plastic-induced impacts on hormones, reductions in testosterone and estrogen, decreased sperm counts, lower sperm quality, erectile dysfunction and ovarian damage. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Security for Ukraine could be achieved with fewer troops, say UK sources

Defence figures suggest heavy use of long-range monitoring could reduce need for soldiers on the frontline with RussiaBritain believes that a European-led security guarantee to Ukraine could be provided with considerably fewer troops than the 100,000 to 150,000 called for by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week in the event of a peace agreement.A European-led assurance force for Ukraine would not necessarily involve large numbers stationed on the frontline, defence sources indicated on Tuesday, and could therefore be in the region of a few tens of thousands strong – or even fewer. Continue reading...

Events