72 m. ago Can a brown Hindu be English? English people say yes. Why do so many on the right say no? | Kenan Malik

An argument about Rishi Sunak’s identity reveals how ideas of ethnicity and race have become conflated‘They think they’re English because they’re born here. That means if a dog’s born in a stable it’s a horse.” That was a staple of the comedian Bernard Manning’s routine back in the 1970s. Enoch Powell had, a decade earlier, expressed the same sentiment in more refined language: “The West Indian or Asian does not, by being born in England, become an Englishman. In law he becomes a United Kingdom citizen by birth; in fact he is a West Indian or an Asian still.”Few today would laugh along with Manning or take seriously the claim that only white people can be English. Britain has transformed over the past half-century and most English people now embrace Ian Wright and Idris Elba as being as English as David Beckham or Joanna Lumley. Continue reading...

Politics

72 m. ago ‘I stripped away this caricature that I created’: Pamela Anderson on makeup, activism and gardening

The star of Baywatch and The Last Showgirl answers questions from Observer readers and famous fans including Stella McCartney, Liam Neeson, Ruby Wax and Naomi KleinPamela Anderson, makeup-free and beautiful in a floral Westwood suit, is making a fuss of my dog. My dog likes her. I’m not a particular believer in the idea that animals are great character judges but, in this case, me and the dog are aligned. I like Anderson too. She combines openness with a kind of vulnerability, and you warm to her immediately.Settled on a sofa in a small dressing room off a photography studio, she asks for a coffee and promptly spills it everywhere. “I strive for imperfection,” she jokes. “I strive for it, and I just hit it every time.” Cortado mopped, she takes a breath, before talking excitedly of a new phase in her eventful life. “A door opened, and I walked through,” she says. “It’s hard to believe.” Continue reading...

Politics

72 m. ago ‘It’s not ethical and it’s not medical’: how UK rehab clinics are cashing in on NAD+

They are beloved by A-listers and surging in popularity. But claims that NAD+ infusions are a fix for addiction are unproven, risky – and possibly illegal, an Observer investigation revealsIt is billed as a “miracle” treatment that can reverse ageing and regenerate brain cells. And getting hooked up to IV drips containing NAD+ has surged in popularity, with record Google searches and celebrity fans such as Kendall Jenner and Joe Rogan.Now NAD+ is being touted in the UK as a treatment for substance ­misuse. Infusions of NAD+, which is derived from vitamin B3, are being sold across the country as a ­“clinically proven” and “effective” way to quit drinking or get off drugs. Continue reading...

Science

87 m. ago Gino D'Acampo denies he 'drew explicit photo of TV producer' in 'unsettling encounter'

Gino D'Acampo has been accused of drawing an explicit photo of a female TV producer during live filming, with the woman claiming she was left 'shocked and humiliated'

Culture

1 hour ago Pope Francis had ‘restful night’, Vatican says, morning after respiratory crisis

Pontiff had fallen into critical condition, receiving high flows of oxygen and blood transfusions in hospital as he battles complex lung infection Pope Francis had a “restful night” in hospital, the Vatican said on Sunday morning, after announcing on Saturday that he was in critical condition following a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis linked to pneumonia and a complex lung infection.The 88-year-old pope received “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe, it was announced on Saturday. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said in a late update. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Redrawing of global energy markets map set to heap benefits on US

The prospects of peace and the return of Russian gas looks likely to serve the interests of Donald TrumpThe Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago has reverberated through the global energy industry; unravelling Europe’s decades-long reliance on gas imported via pipelines from Russia, and triggering a global squeeze on gas markets that unleashed a cost of living crisis still felt today.The prospect of a peace deal has many wondering whether the energy industry could be upended once again; this time giving way to a market serving the interests of the US president hoping to broker the deal. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago I see my wife once a year. Can I question her on her love life?

Faithlessness doesn’t only have to take the form of infidelity. It can be the slow erosion of trust and careThe question My wife and I live in different countries and see each other once a year. The last time we saw each other we argued all the time and slept in separate beds. I’ll be going to see her soon and I’m worried she’s seeing someone else, although I have no proof. She will expect sex from me, and I think I should protect myself by wearing a condom. How should I broach the condom suggestion without upsetting her, especially if she is actually being totally faithful?Philippa’s answer It seems that your marriage is not in great shape. Rather than worrying about condoms, I think you need to think and talk about your relationship together. It sounds like you’ll need time to adjust and get to know each other again, and gradually find a place that feels natural and comfortable for both of you. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Israel delays release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners over ‘humiliating’ handover of hostages

Hamas accuses Netanyahu of ‘stalling’ release of Palestinian prisoners

Events

3 h. ago ‘You’re not going on a birthday trip to Paris’: KLM ground staff get passport rules wrong yet again

The Man Who Pays His Way: Time to make airlines pay for needlessly wrecking passengers’ plans

Politics

3 h. ago The damning level of winter energy debt revealed in briefing to Scottish Parliament

The average energy debt of those seeking help in Scotland this winter is £2,500 and even higher for those from rural communities, a key support agency has warned.

Politics

3 h. ago I saw the devastation of homes burned and a school destroyed in Gaza

When the news of the October 7 attacks broke, I could never have imagined the devastating consequences of that Hamas attack and the subsequent war, and the horror that continues to unfold in the region.

Events

4 h. ago States threaten fines and jail time for local officials who resist Trump's immigration crackdown

Republican lawmakers in some states are threatening local officials with lawsuits, fines and jail time if they resist President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration

Politics

4 h. ago German voters head to polls facing world of change as far right waits in the wings

Europe holds its breath as world’s third largest economic power and most populous EU country faces crossroadsGerman voters go to the polls today but it is a different world from when the campaign began only a few weeks ago.Nearly 60 million ­people are choosing a government that will have to grapple with the breakdown of the transatlantic alliance under Donald Trump and new threats to European security just as the country’s vaunted economic model is hitting the skids. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Can Moldova – population 2.4m – show the world how to stand up to Putin?

The tiny former Soviet republic’s determination not to be cowed by the Kremlin could provide a template for the west on how to hold back the tide of subversion and corruptionHow can a democracy defend itself from an attacker who does not respect any democratic rules?When your assailant uses corruption, blackmail, economic war, cyber attacks, covert campaigns and street violence – while all you have are inefficient courts and even slower international institutions. Can you lose your sovereignty by being too soft? If you respond with censorship or even cancelling elections, don’t you lose your values? Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Europe’s big carnivores are on the rise – but can we live with bears next door?

Numbers of animals once hunted as vermin are rising across the continent. But scientists worry about how we are going to get along with these predatorsEurope’s carnivores have had a remarkable change in fortune. After tens of thousands of years of persecution that wiped out sabretooth tigers, hyenas and cave lions, there has been a recent rebound in the continent’s surviving predators.Across mainland Europe, bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine numbers have risen dramatically as conservation measures introduced several decades ago have begun to make an impact. There are now about 20,500 brown bears in Europe, a rise of 17% since 2016, while there are 9,400 Eurasian lynx, a 12% increase. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Manchester United's financial woes deepen as INEOS plans further job cuts at Old Trafford

Manchester United are reportedly preparing to sack up to 200 more members of staff at Old Trafford as they continue their cost-cutting measures amid financial concerns

Politics

6 h. ago How a letter hidden in Jaysley Beck's Army bedroom helped her mother get justice

A hidden letter in the room of Jaysley Beck, 19, who was subjected to a torrid campaign of sexual abuse by four superior male squaddies which contributed to her suicide, helped her get justice.

Politics

7 h. ago Hawaii man freed after 30 years in prison visits mother's grave and ponders ubiquitous cellphones

A Hawaii man released after spending 30 years in prison for a murder he has always denied committing has spent his first day of freedom visiting his mother's gravesite and marveling at how much the world is different

Events

7 h. ago ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Thanks a lot, Meghan, you've stolen my thunder

How can I continue to end emails and letters with the words 'As ever', which I've happily used for years, now that it would sound like an endorsement for Meghan's new homeware brand, As Ever?

Politics

8 h. ago Party of one: Donald Trump’s 75 minutes at CPAC talking about himself

Contemptuous and sure of himself, the US president boasted of his victories and taunted his enemiesGod save the king. Drunk on power, Donald Trump spent Saturday afternoon before adoring fans, boasting of his victories, taunting his enemies and casting himself as America’s absolute monarch, supreme leader and divine emperor rolled into one.Trump’s appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the National Harbor in Maryland began with country singer Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA and raucous cheers in a crowded ballroom that included January 6 insurrectionists. Continue reading...

Politics