58 h. ago ‘The damage is terrifying’: Barbara Kingsolver on Trump, rural America and the recovery home funded by her hit novel

Demon Copperhead, the author’s retelling of Dickens during Virginia’s opioid crisis, was a global success. Now she has used royalties from the novel to open a recovery residenceIn the spotless kitchen of a white clapboard house in the Appalachian mountains, a retired deacon, a regional jail counsellor and I form an impromptu book club. The novel under discussion is Barbara Kingsolver’s bestselling, Pulitzer prize-winning Demon Copperhead, which is set in this area, Lee County, Virginia, during the 1990s, at the beginning of the opioid epidemic. I say that I loved the novel, that it was vivid and brilliant, heart-warming and tragic. Their reaction is more complex – there’s a real sadness behind it. Julie Montgomery-Barber, the jail counsellor, tells me she found the book “hard to read”. The Rev Nancy Hobbs agrees that reading it was painful, “because I felt like: I knew these people. At every level, from foster care to the football coaches to Demon. I knew Demon.”Hobbs and Montg...

Events

5 d. ago What would I do if I won the lottery? I’d blast the world’s worst people into space | Arwa Mahdawi

It shouldn’t be hard to lure them into my spaceship. I’d just have to tell them it was hosting a multimillion-dollar wedding partyThoughts and prayers to the thousands of Norwegians who have just had one of the best weekends of their lives, followed by one hell of a comedown. Thanks to a currency conversion snafu by the state lottery operator, numerous people were incorrectly informed on Friday that they had won life-changing amounts of money in the Eurojackpot. On Monday, a text message was sent to players informing them of the mix-up.It seems Norwegians are a prudent bunch; I haven’t found any examples of people spending Jeff Bezos-levels of money as soon as they were told they had won big. Me? I would have gone into evil billionaire mode immediately. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Bobby Vylan's 'death to IDF' chant turns Glastonbury into 'Summer of Hate' festival

Attitudes towards violence appear to be changing amid alarmingly high levels of support for undemocratic ideas among young people

Events

1 week ago ‘A pause before something worse’: Iranians wary of what future holds

From renewed conflict to a resurgent regime, people tell of their fears, concerns and a glimmer of hopePeople from the Tehran area said the hours of darkness before Donald Trump’s ceasefire took hold were the most terrifying of the war as Israel intensified its bombardment.“We felt jets flying so low above our apartment that the windows shook. The bombing intensified to a level I’ve never experienced before. People ran into the streets, terrified and panicking,” said Mariam, 39, from the village of Kordan, about 30 miles (50km) north-west of the capital. Like everyone quoted in this article, she chose to use a pseudonym. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Noise pollution harms health of millions across Europe, report finds

About 110 million people suffer stress and sleep disturbance that lead to tens of thousands of early deathsMore than 110 million people across Europe suffer high levels of health-damaging noise pollution, according to a report. The resulting physiological stress and sleep disturbance leads to 66,000 early deaths a year and many cases of heart disease, diabetes and depression.The report, from the European Environment Agency (EEA), focuses on noise from cars, trains and aeroplanes and found that 20% of the population of the European Economic Area (EEA) were affected. Separate research, using a slightly lower threshold for dangerous noise pollution, found that 40% of the UK population were exposed to harmful transport noise. Continue reading...

Science

2 w. ago Experts pinpoint simple mindset change that could slash the risk of early dementia

Researchers tracked more than 10,000 people aged over 50 and found those with higher levels were more likely to have better scores on memory tests.

Events

3 w. ago Luke Littler sent fierce warning by German rivals ahead of World Cup of Darts debut

Luke Littler has been sent a fierce warning by England's German opponents Ricardo Pietreczko and Martin Schindler before their World Cup of Darts clash

Events

3 w. ago MBE pair Luke Littler and Luke Humphries warned they won't be treated like royalty at World Cup of Darts

German duo Ricardo Pietreczko and Martin Schindler are gunning for the hot favourites in Frankfurt

Events

3 w. ago Luke Littler sent warning over playing darts tournament that 'levels people out'

Luke Littler will make his World Cup of Darts debut on Saturday as he looks to lead England to the title alongside Luke Humphries, but former winner Simon Whitlock has called for caution

Events

3 w. ago Luke Littler warned about playing darts tournament that 'levels people out'

Luke Littler will make his World Cup of Darts debut this weekend alongside Luke Humphries for England, and the teenager has received some words of warning from former winner Simon Whitlock

Events

3 w. ago ‘People see government as the enemy’: Bangladesh’s interim leader on the legacy of a toxic system

A year after a student-led revolt unseated Sheikh Hasina, Muhammad Yunus is fighting to convince both sides of politics to agree to reformA year on from the political uprising that swept the prime minister of Bangladesh into exile, people still see government as the enemy, according to the country’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus.Rooting out corruption at every level, from village to government, is the only way for people to believe in a “new Bangladesh”, he says. Continue reading...

Politics