12 h. ago ‘The idea of building Britain’s largest Christian landmark wasn’t mine – it came to me from God’

The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will be twice the height of Angel of the North, and seen by more than 500,000 every day. Alex Ross speaks to the man behind it – and the donor who spent £30m to make this ambitious plan a reality

Politics

19 h. ago Former Met police officer accused of using sex workers while on duty

Exclusive: Imran Patel, who resigned last year after reports about his conduct, is being investigated by the IOPCA former Metropolitan police officer allegedly used sex workers while on duty in the midst of a major investigation into behavioural standards, the Guardian can reveal.Britain’s largest police force has been described as “institutionally misogynistic” after widespread claims that a “toxic” sexist culture has been allowed to thrive for decades. Continue reading...

Events

42 h. ago Hidden Roman amphitheatre no one knows about next to huge tourist attraction

It's one of the largest surviving examples from the Roman occupation of Britain, and —hiding in plain sight — it is completely free to visit all year round.

Society

3 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Bulgaria moves to seize Russian refinery while Poland seeks to be US gas conduit

Lukoil’s Burgas plant is Bulgaria’s only refinery; Slovakia running out of reasons to buy Russian gas as US import deal takes shape. What we know on day 1,352Bulgaria is preparing to seize control of Lukoil’s Burgas oil refinery and sell it to a new owner after the Russian oil company came under US sanctions, according to Bulgarian media reports. Burgas is Bulgaria’s only oil refinery and as part of Lukoil is at risk of having to shut down because of the sanctions. The US joined Britain last month in imposing sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, over Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Legislation was being drafted to allow the seizure, Bulgarian outlet Mediapool reported on Wednesday. Lukoil said last week that it was moving to sell foreign assets because of the sanctions.With international action progressively choking off Russia’s petroleum exports, Poland said on Wednesday that it was working on a deal to import liquefied natural gas from the US to su...

Events

3 w. ago French customs reject British shellfish shipments after UK ‘reset’ deal with EU

One of the largest mussel exporters in Britain lose £150,000 after three lorries were prevented from entering the EU One of Britain’s largest mussel exporters has suffered a £150,000 loss, after three of its shipments to the EU were rejected in recent weeks by French customs.Family-run business Offshore Shellfish, based in Devon, has continued exporting blue mussels to its European customers since Brexit, despite the administrative burden and onerous paperwork requirements. Continue reading...

Economics

4 w. ago Jewels of the Nile: how a new exhibition finally gives Egyptian artists their due

They may not have called themselves artists but, as a new exhibition explores, the mostly anonymous painters, sculptors and craftspeople working under the pharaohs still made their mark in distinctive styleThe earliest creator in world history whose name is known to us today was Egyptian. The priest Imhotep is credited with designing the step pyramid of King Djoser at Saqqara about 4,700 years ago, and so starting the sublime aesthetic achievements of the ancient state that straddled the Nile.Yet ancient Egyptians did not imagine creativity as an individual achievement or see artists as celebrities – unless they were literally gods. Imhotep was believed to be the son of the creator god Ptah and was deified as a god of wisdom and knowledge, patron of scribes. Most Egyptian artists were no more likely to be remembered by name than Stonehenge’s builders. “Art” was not an idea. Golden mummy masks and statues of spear-wielding pharaohs were not made to be admired...

Politics