4 h. ago ‘I was struck by the grammar of it, the angular nature’: Elizabeth Day’s best phone picture

The author’s instinctive image of colourful windows in a house undergoing renovation was selected for the Royal Academy’s annual Summer ExhibitionElizabeth Day felt as if she hadn’t seen the sun for decades. It was a gloomy December morning and the podcaster and author was headed towards a London recording studio. On the way, she passed a row of houses that were being renovated. The windows on one particular house had just been replaced and covered with a translucent blue sheet and haphazard orange tape; the scene caught her eye, so she paused to capture it with her iPhone 15 Pro.“I’m known among my loved ones as someone who takes photos of random things, but I just found this so arresting,” Day says. “I was struck by the grammar of it, the angular nature. The tape reminded me of art’s golden ratio, the geometry like a Mondrian crossed with a Rothko. I was exhausted that morning and it completely brightened my mood.” Continue reading...

Politics

22 h. ago Explosion at LA law enforcement training facility kills three people

Pam Bondi says federal agents at scene of explosion as reports say three killed were sheriff’s deputiesAn explosion at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles has killed at least three people.The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, told reporters that federal agents were at the scene of Friday’s explosion and were working to learn more. She said her information came from US attorney Bill Essayli’s office, whose jurisdiction includes Los Angeles. Continue reading...

Events

22 h. ago Senior nurse said Sandie Peggie was ‘intolerant’ of trans people, tribunal told

Ms Peggie, a nurse, has lodged a claim against NHS Fife and trans medic Dr Beth Upton, citing four claims under the Equality Act 2010.

Events

55 h. ago 'Trolls told me my young daughter shouldn't lift weights – but I'm glad I ignored'

American mum Jes Bowen is a huge fan of fitness and wants to pass that on to her daughter. But over the years, many people told her not to allow her child to lift weights

Politics

61 h. ago Maurene Comey: prosecutor in Jeffrey Epstein case reportedly fired by DoJ

AP reports daughter of former FBI director James Comey terminated – but no specific reason given for decisionThe justice department has fired Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey and a prosecutor in the federal cases against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jeffrey Epstein, two people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press on Wednesday.There was no specific reason given for her firing from the US attorney’s office in the southern district of New York, according to one of the people who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Continue reading...

Events

63 h. ago Justice Department fires Maurene Comey, prosecutor on Epstein case and daughter of ex

The Justice Department has fired Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey and a prosecutor in the federal cases against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jeffrey Epstein, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press

Events

4 d. ago People in Wales told 'stop making your bed in the morning' — do this instead

A health expert has warned about the dangers of making your bed in the morning during the summer months as it can lead to health issues such as allergies, asthma and eczema

Politics

4 d. ago All people who mow their lawn told to avoid common mistake this summer

It's a common mistake that many people make when it comes to tending to their garden at this time of year, but it can actually do more harm than good to your lawn

Politics

5 d. ago Householders urged to reconsider hanging laundry with pegs this summer

People are being told to be cautious when drying clothes in the sunshine.

Politics

7 d. ago ‘You don’t get a second chance at a shot like this – horses wander off’: Mike Wells’s best phone picture

The former World Press Photo of the Year winner on why capturing a good image remains instinctive in the age of mobile photography‘Scrambling to catch this shot felt like 3D chess,” says photographer Mike Wells. “My eyes were balancing Connemara’s famous mountains, its wild ponies and the stone walls, while my mind computed the variables: the rush to catch the last rays of evening sun, that moment when a sea breeze lifts the ponies’ manes, and whichever way they will amble next.”In 1981, Wells won the World Press Photo of the Year for an image shot in Uganda depicting a malnourished boy’s hand resting in the palm of a Catholic priest. “When I was working in the 1970s and 80s, unless you could afford a motor drive for your camera, you often got just one chance at the critical shot,” Wells says. “You could never tell whether you really had captured the moment until you got back from Africa, or at least out of the darkroom. That image wasn’t well lit or well composed, ju...

Politics

7 d. ago Prince Harry's Invictus Games CEO addresses whether Royal Family are invited to next event

When asked whether members of Harry's family are due to attend the event in Birmingham, Helen Helliwell told People, 'We'd be delighted if members of the royal family were able to attend.'

Politics

8 d. ago Some abuse claims made because people ‘encourage’ each other, inquiry told

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was hearing evidence from a former employee at a special residential school in Fife.

Events

8 d. ago Police warn 'do not snitch' as hosepipe bans come into force for 34C heatwave

Hosepipe bans have come into force in parts of the country today after several months of dry weather - but people are being told not to call the police if neighbours break the rules

Events

8 d. ago Doctors are told to send people to the gym and job coaches instead of writing sick notes

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the UK could no longer afford to ‘keep writing people off’

Society

8 d. ago Doctors told to refer people to job coaches or the gym, not write sick notes

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the UK could no longer afford to ‘keep writing people off’.

Society

9 d. ago Fans praise 'excellent' movie on BBC iPlayer which gives viewers 'profound sense of hope'

It's been over 10 years since the release of the coming-of-age romance film The Fault in Our Stars, and yet fans are still holding back the tears with each watch

Sport

9 d. ago People with a fuse box at home told they need to 'take action fast'

Electricians say it's crucial to act fast to avoid a potential fire risk - here's what you need to know

Politics

9 d. ago Accessible toilet change as people told they're 'not disabled enough'

Some disabled people say they are confronted at least once a month thanks to a 'common misunderstanding'

Politics

1 week ago Brixton: fire closes tube station and people told to avoid area

Brixton: fire closes tube station and people told to avoid area  BBC

Events

2 w. ago ‘It really felt like I was in a fairytale’: Mustafa Seven’s best phone picture

The Turkish photographer on outsmarting the tourists to get the perfect shotMustafa Seven and his friend Hazem were attempting to escape the tourists in an Austrian village when they took this image. Rumoured to have inspired Disney’s Frozen franchise, Hallstatt has been known to attract up to 10,000 visitors a day during high season. Seven had seen many Instagram shots of the place and was curious to visit. He was taken aback by what he found.“There were tourist buses and people everywhere,” he says. “Frankly, neither of us like taking landscape photos, but the fairytale surroundings pulled us along. When I realised every image I’d shot had someone in the frame, we decided to change our route and walk up the slips of the village instead.” Continue reading...

Politics