65 m. ago Hurricane Melissa live updates: storm makes landfall in Cuba; ‘extensive’ damage in parts of Jamaica

Reports of families trapped by floodwaters in Jamaica as hurricane hits CubaHurricane Melissa makes landfall in JamaicaVisual guide to Hurricane MelissaTell us if you’ve been affectedAs Cuba prepares for the storm to make landfall any minute, officials in Jamaica are preparing to assess the damage on Wednesday.A video shared by the Jamaican Constabulary Force shows officers surveying extensive destruction in Black River, close to where Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm. Continue reading...

Events

86 m. ago Dead and Alive by Zadie Smith review – essays for an age of anxiety

From cultural appropriation to gender, Smith nails the politics of creativity. But on actual politics, she is less assuredAccepting a literary prize in Ohio last year, the novelist Zadie Smith described “feeling somewhat alienated from myself, experiencing myself as a posthumous entity”. Smith is only 50, but there is indeed something of the afterlife about the material gathered in her new book, which bundles various odds and ends from the past nine years: speeches, opinion pieces, criticism and eulogies for departed literary heroes – Philip Roth, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel.In Some Notes on Mediated Time – one of three completely new essays in the collection – Smith recalls how the “dreamy, slo-mo world” of her 1980s childhood gave way, within a generation, to the “anxious, permanent now” of social media. If you lived through that transition, you don’t have to be very old to feel ancient. When this estrangement is compounded by the ordinary anxieties of ageing, cultur...

Events

86 m. ago The young local talent breathing new life into the Isle of Skye’s food scene

A new generation of chefs and distillers are showcasing the Hebridean island’s outstanding produce and creating jobs for fellow islandersWith its dramatic, rugged mountain skyline, winding roads and ever-changing weather, the Isle of Skye has long appealed to lovers of the wild. Over the last decade, however, the largest island in the Inner Hebrides has been drawing visitors for other reasons – its dynamic food and drink scene. Leading the way are young Sgitheanach (people from Skye) with a global outlook but a commitment to local, sustainable ingredients. It’s also the result of an engaged community keen to create good, year-round jobs that keep young people on the island.Calum Montgomery is Skye born and bred, and he’s passionate about showcasing the island’s larder on his menus at Edinbane Lodge. “If someone is coming to Skye I want them to appreciate the landscape, but also the quality of our produce,” he says. “Our mussels, lobster, scallops and crab are second to none.” Montgo...

Politics

86 m. ago Facing War review – cool customer of a Nato secretary general marshals world on the brink

Gripping documentary follows Jens Stoltenberg through his final year as Nato chief – balancing diplomacy, egos and all-out war with unnerving calmJens Stoltenberg is the Norwegian politician and international diplomat whose destiny it was to be secretary general of Nato in the second most fraught period of its postwar history (if we accept that the Cuban missile crisis is in pole position). He was in charge from 2014 to 2024 and this documentary, with remarkable access, shows us his final 12 months – day-by-day, moment-by-moment – after Joe Biden had persuaded him in 2023, when his tenure was technically at an end, to stay on for another year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Perhaps, until that moment, Stoltenberg had been happy to assume that for all the meetings and stress, the secretary-generalship was an agreeable prestigious technocratic position without any real danger. But now he was faced with the possibility of executing Nato’s raison d’être. Ukraine can’t be admitted to ...

Economics

1 hour ago A moment that changed me: I hated running – until I saw it through my daughter’s eyes

She was five when I first took her to a junior parkrun and I was amazed at her attitude and ability. After a lifetime of seeing exercise as punishment, I could suddenly appreciate itAs a teenager, I was very much a “don’t put me down for cardio” girl. At school I would volunteer to be the goalkeeper as it required the least amount of movement. When it came to sports day, if I couldn’t blag a sicknote, I’d reluctantly sign up for long jump, since the long-jump pit was tucked away behind the bike shed and drew no crowds. The idea of running on the track in front of the whole school felt like a nightmare brought to life.Unlike lots of my male friends who played football or rugby for fun, I only saw exercise as punishment. Diet culture in the 90s dictated that thinness – and subsequent “goodness” – was a simple case of calories in versus calories out. Exercise was a gruelling way to stay slim and nothing more. I knew nothing of the feelgood effects of exercise, since I only ever experie...

Politics

1 hour ago NHS issue message to people who wear contact lenses or glasses

People have been warned they're at risk of having common eye conditions - and it's likely you have it if you're wearing glasses or contacts

Politics

2 h. ago Hurricane Melissa live updates: category 3 storm nears Cuba; ‘extensive’ damage in parts of Jamaica

Reports of families trapped by floodwaters in Jamaica, as hurricane moves on to threaten Cuba’s second-largest cityHurricane Melissa makes landfall in JamaicaVisual guide to Hurricane MelissaTell us if you’ve been affectedAs Cuba prepares for the storm to make landfall any minute, officials in Jamaica are preparing to assess the damage on Wednesday.A video shared by the Jamaican Constabulary Force shows officers surveying extensive destruction in Black River, close to where Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago This Regatta coat is perfect for when it’s raining outside but you still want to look good on the school run

The perfect waterproof jacket to help you look good even if its pouring down with rain.

Politics

2 h. ago A pregnant mother in labour and wandering Inverness streets at night sums up the SNP's NHS

Women at the start of labour in Inverness’s Raigmore Hospital can be told to go home and wait, but if they live 100 miles away there may be few good options

Sport

3 h. ago Hurricane Melissa live updates: storm strengthens again to category 4 as it nears Cuba; ‘extensive’ damage in parts of Jamaica

Reports of families trapped by floodwaters in Jamaica, as hurricane moves on to threaten Cuba’s second-largest cityHurricane Melissa makes landfall in JamaicaVisual guide to Hurricane MelissaTell us if you’ve been affectedThe most recent 11pm ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned Melissa is “re-strengthening as it approaches eastern Cuba.”The hurricane is expected to make landfall “as an extremely dangerous major hurricane in the next few hours,” it said.Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las TunasSoutheastern and Central BahamasBermudaJamaicaHaitiCuban province of CamagueyTurks and Caicos Islands Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago ‘It’s been a cesspit, really, my life’: war photographer Don McCullin on 19 of his greatest pictures

At 90, McCullin has spent seven decades recording conflict and tragedy – while escaping snipers, mortar fire and capture. He reflects on pain, pride and regretWar photographers are not meant to reach 90. “Fate has had my life in its hands,” says Don McCullin. Over his seven-decade career covering wars, famines and disasters McCullin has been captured, and escaped snipers, mortar fire and more. How does it feel to be a survivor? “Uncomfortable,” he says. No wonder he finds solace in the beautiful still lifes he creates in his shed, or in the images he composes in the countryside around his Somerset home.McCullin is proud of escaping the extreme poverty he was born into, and the interesting and adventurous life he has lived, but he says the accolades – including a knighthood in 2017 – make him uneasy. “I feel as if I’ve been over-rewarded, and I definitely feel uncomfortable about that, because it’s been at the expense of other people’s lives.” But he has been the witness to atrocity,...

Events

3 h. ago Labour's asylum seekers plan in Inverness is sensible although system is broken

"It’s easy for the Liberal Democrats to carp from the sidelines. But if they have a better plan, they should speak up and reveal it."

Events

4 h. ago Australian women’s cricketers exceed $1m in earnings – with more riches on the horizon

Five players surge past mark amid growing financial opportunitiesThey could soon be joined by others with WPL ‘mega auction’ loomingFive of Australia’s all-conquering team set for a showdown against hosts India in the women’s cricket World Cup semi-final on Thursday have surged through the threshold of $1m annual earnings, as the growing financial opportunities in the global game approach and even exceed the value of Cricket Australia contracts.That group might soon expand too, given an Indian Women’s Premier League “mega auction” is scheduled for November. The Australians – who have won three of the past four world T20 titles and are defending 50-over champions – are set to attract significant interest from the five franchises, each of which have approximately $2.6m to spend for the month-long tournament. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Hurricane Melissa latest updates: storm strengthens to Category 4 as Cuba braces for landfall

Hurricane causes property damage after hitting Jamaica as category 5 storm; Cuban authorities evacuate thousands ahead of landfallHurricane Melissa makes landfall in JamaicaVisual guide to Hurricane MelissaTell us if you’ve been affectedHurricane Melissa is predicted to be the most powerful hurricane to hit Jamaica on record and is reported to be the strongest storm anywhere on Earth so far this year when measuring wind speeds and central pressure.Its maximum sustained winds are 175 mph (282km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center, as of 2pm ET.We urge the public to exercise extreme caution: activities such as climbing roofs, securing sandbags, or cutting trees may seem manageable, but even minor mistakes during hurricane conditions can result in serious injury or death.Driving through flooded roads or areas with debris is also extremely hazardous. Health centres remain closed, but hospitals are open and attending to storm-related injuries. Please be wise, stay safe, and pr...

Events

4 h. ago Too bad I can’t run, but we’ll see what happens, says Trump on unconstitutional third term

Trump says he has read about constitutional two-term limit preventing him from running for president in 2028 and it was ‘pretty clear’, but that he ‘would love to do it’Donald Trump said “it’s too bad” he is not allowed to run for a third term, conceding the constitutional reality even as he expressed interest in continuing to serve.“If you read it, it’s pretty clear,” Trump told reporters on board Air Force One from Japan to South Korea on Wednesday. “I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad.” Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Court to reconsider ruling that allowed Trump to send troops to Portland

President remains barred from deploying national guard as appeals court agrees to ‘en banc’ rehearing of caseThe Trump administration remains barred from deploying the national guard in Portland, Oregon, following a federal appeals court ruling.The ninth circuit court of appeals agreed on Tuesday that it would rehear a case over the president’s authority with a broader court of 11 judges. The appeals court also vacated a ruling from a three-judge panel last week that sided with the Trump administration. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Moscow under drone siege for third night running

EU edges towards using ‘reparations loan’ using Russian frozen assets; Kremlin pressing ahead with year-round conscription. What we know on day 1,344Ukraine sent drones towards Moscow for the third consecutive night, closing airports, Russian authorities said late on Tuesday. Rosaviatsiya, the air transport watchdog, said Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports had flights halted or restricted. Russia usually says all incoming drones were destroyed, regardless of the outcome, and typically gives limited details about the effects of Ukrainian strikes unless civilians or civilian infrastructure are hit. Over the previous two nights, Russia’s defence ministry said there were 35 Ukrainian drones destroyed over the Moscow region. Ukraine says its long-range drone strikes of recent months on Moscow and other Russian regions are aimed at hitting military and industrial assets, damaging Russia’s war economy and bringing the conflict home to Russians.Ukraine also launched se...

Events

7 h. ago The 'secretive' fast track court system prosecuting hundreds for innocent mistakes: Campaigners urge reform of Single Justice Procedure after dementia

The Single Justice Procedure (SPJ) allows UK public authorities to bring quick prosecutions in hearings conducted behind closed doors.

Society

7 h. ago Inside the huge 'House of Guinness' opening in London this December

If you're a fan of a pint of Guinness - or even of Netflix's new series exploring its historical origins - you're in luck.

Politics

8 h. ago Hurricane Melissa latest updates: extensive damage reported in Jamaica’s St Elizabeth parish; Cuba braces for landfall

Hurricane causes property damage and uproots after hitting Jamaica as category 5 storm before weakening to a still dangerous category 4 cycloneHurricane Melissa makes landfall in JamaicaVisual guide to Hurricane MelissaTell us if you’ve been affectedHurricane Melissa is predicted to be the most powerful hurricane to hit Jamaica on record and is reported to be the strongest storm anywhere on Earth so far this year when measuring wind speeds and central pressure.Its maximum sustained winds are 175 mph (282km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center, as of 2pm ET.We urge the public to exercise extreme caution: activities such as climbing roofs, securing sandbags, or cutting trees may seem manageable, but even minor mistakes during hurricane conditions can result in serious injury or death.Driving through flooded roads or areas with debris is also extremely hazardous. Health centres remain closed, but hospitals are open and attending to storm-related injuries. Please be wise, stay...

Events