5 h. ago Cheltenham racecourse identifies ‘most likely cause’ of hole in the track

The final race of Cheltenham Festival Trials Day went off almost half an hour late and was completed in near darkness after an inspection was called to examine the area

Politics

17 h. ago Do writing retreats actually work? Reader, I finished my novel in style

The distractions of daily life can make writing a book a frustrating task, so I sought boltholes offering creative support and solitude in inspiring landscapesThe idea for my novel came in a rush: as I walked over the Thames on the Golden Jubilee Bridge in central London, the scene at the heart of it leapt out of the deep blue dusk and clung on to me until I committed to writing it into existence.A few months later, it became depressingly clear that the half-hour snatches of writing at the end of my working day just weren’t going to get me over the finish line. Continue reading...

Politics

60 h. ago Busy UK motorway used by 130k drivers a day is shutting in just HOURS – check your journey

DRIVERS are being warned about a potentially disruptive overnight closure on the M20 this weekend. The M20 in Kent will be affected eastbound with the closure focused on Junction 11A - the exit slip used to leave the motorway for the Eurotunnel at Cheriton, Folkestone. The closure is due to run from 6:00pm on Saturday,...

Transport

4 d. ago The Guardian view on toddlers and screens: more reasons to be fearful of big tech | Editorial

Growing concerns about the impact of smartphones on the youngest children must be addressedThe first UK government guidance on young children’s use of tablets, smartphones and other screens, expected in April, cannot come soon enough. The laissez-faire approach to the boom in social media, handheld devices and other digital technology was arguably nowhere less suitable than when such machines were placed in front of babies. The Department for Education’s ongoing Children of the 2020s study has found that 98% of two-year-olds watch screens on a typical day for more than two hours. Those who spent the most time had smaller vocabularies, and were twice as likely as other children to show signs of emotional and behavioural difficulties.Correlation must not be mistaken for causation. This is still a relatively new area of research, and much remains uncertain. But the findings of a recent survey by the charity Kindred Squared, combined with observations by teachers, are highly concerning....

Politics

4 d. ago How screen time affects toddlers: ‘We’re losing a big part of being human’

In the UK, 98% of two-year-olds watch screens on a typical day, on average for more than two hours – and almost 40% of three- to five-year-olds use social media. Could this lead to alarming outcomes?At Stoke primary school in Coventry, there are many four-year-olds among those starting in reception class who can’t sit still, hold a pencil or speak more than a four-word sentence. Lucy Fox, the assistant headteacher and head of foundations, is in no doubt what is causing this: their early exposure to screens, and a lot of it. When the children experiment with materials and creativity, and make things in the classroom, she says, “We notice a lot of children will cut pieces of cardboard out and make a mobile phone or tablet, or an Xbox controller. That’s what they know.”At another school in Hampshire, a longtime reception teacher says in the last few years she has noticed children getting frustrated if activities aren’t instant and seamless – something she thinks comes from playing game...

Politics

5 d. ago Parents given urgent warning over children wasting teachers' time in school

Teachers are wasting a total of 2.4 hours of teaching time each day - 1.4 hours of which is taken up with kids not being toilet-trained, such as nappy changing or multiple accidents

Events

5 d. ago Acer's touchscreen laptop that's just £49 is 'ideal' for school work

Its 15-hour battery life makes it capable of lasting a full day if you need to take it to the office or to school

Economics

6 d. ago NASA will close the International Space Station after three decades. Here’s why

Since 2000, for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, NASA and its partners have sustained a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit

Technology

6 d. ago The 75p candle trick that’ll keep you bathroom taps pristine for days and free from pesky water

THERE'S nothing worse than spending hours scrubbing the bathroom, only to spot water-stains the following day. Luckily, there is a solution that promises to keep your taps sparkling - and you've likely already got it in your home. Cleaning hacks influencer, Anna Loiusa, buffs up her bathroom taps with a candle. Yes, you're reading that...

Politics

6 d. ago Trump finally recognizes Martin Luther King Jr Day after hours of posting about elections and ICE raids

Every president for the last four decades has celebrated the famed Black civil rights leader on Jan. 19 each year, beginning with Ronald Reagan in November 1983

Politics

7 d. ago Hamilton Accies boss spending '10 hours a day' looking at signing targets as club run rule over trialists

Darian MacKinnon is looking to bring in young players as senior stars continued to be picked off amid the club's off-the-field woes

Economics

8 d. ago ‘I looked exceptional but I was out of breath’: the bodybuilder who switched to mindful movement

Ten years ago, Eugene Teo was obsessed with lifting weights. But, gradually, he realised his extreme mindset was making him unhappy. So he changed his outlookEugene Teo, 34, began lifting weights at the age of 13, looking for validation. “I was short, skinny and I thought it would give me confidence,” he says. “Bodybuilding for me was the ultimate expression of that.”Now living on the Gold Coast in Australia, with his partner and daughter, the fitness coach spent from age 16 to 24 training and competing. At times, he lifted weights for up to four hours a day, aiming to get as muscular and lean as possible. The ideal he was chasing? “If you grab your eyelid and feel that skin,” he says, “that’s the skin thinness you want on your bum and abs.” Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago I was warned my children would be ripped in half when we divorced. But I had no idea just how brutal custody cases can be

My experience of court was eye-opening. And when I sat in on other cases, I realised how often mothers are vilifiedIt’s 1836 and the French writer George Sand is swimming in the River Indre with her clothes on, weighed down by layers of ankle-length fabric. To anyone passing by, she must look mad or worse – driven by a death wish. But for her there is the relief of cool water sluicing hot skin, after walking for hours in 30C heat. She’s been moving all day because if she stops she’ll remember how frightened she is: she’s about to go to court to fight for her children against a husband driven by punitive anger.Custodire. To care. To look after. To guard. To restrain. Maternal care is, we are constantly told, the most natural of functions. But for century after century, women who transgress the expected norms of what a mother should be have battled for their children and been found wanting. Maternal care comes at a price when the law is involved. And all too often custody can be more ...

Events

1 week ago I dry clothes in 2 hours using device I can't live without — costs 45p a day

A dehumidifier like the Ebac 4650 can dry clothes indoors in just 2 hours while preventing mould and condensation – and it costs around 45p per day to run

Politics

1 week ago Pretty hilltop village perfect for a day trip – just an hour away from Manchester

The tiny village has beautiful cobbled streets, a 13th-century church ruins, and is home to Sylvia Plath's grave.

Politics

1 week ago He lived in a cage, jumped from a window and spent a year roped to a friend: is Tehching Hsieh the most extreme performance artist ever?

He has broken his ankles, endured 365 days in a cell and faced down the 20th century’s worst winter. Yet he says he is not a masochist. We meet the man Marina Abramovich calls ‘the master’For one year, beginning on 30 September 1978, Tehching Hsieh lived in an 11ft 6in x 9ft wooden cage. He was not permitted to speak, read or consume any media, but every day a friend visited with food and to remove his waste.The vital context here is that this incarceration was voluntary: Hsieh is a Taiwanese-American artist whose chosen practice is performance art, undertaking durational “actions” for long periods. Marina Abramović has called him the “master” of the form. In 1980, seven months after the end of Cage Piece, Hsieh began another year-long work, Time Clock Piece, which required him to punch a factory-style clock-in machine in his studio, every hour of each day for 365 days. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Five minutes more exercise and 30 minutes less sitting could help millions live longer

Research finds minor changes in physical activity could hugely reduce number of premature deathsJust five extra minutes of exercise and half an hour less sitting time each day could help millions of people live longer, according to research highlighting the potentially huge population benefits of making even tiny lifestyle changes.Until now, evidence about reducing the number of premature deaths assumed that everyone must meet specific targets, overlooking the positives of even minor increases in physical activity. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Keir Starmer tells MPs he is open to social media ban for young people

PM says he is alarmed at reports about children’s screen time and has shifted position on Australian-style policyUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has told MPs he is open to the idea of an Australian-style ban on social media for young people after becoming concerned about the amount of time children and teenagers are spending on their phones.The prime minister told Labour MPs on Monday evening he had become alarmed at reports about five-year-olds spending hours in front of screens each day, as well as increasingly worried about the damage social media is doing to under-16s. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago New rules for workers include paid leave from day one and 52 weeks off

Day-one rights to statutory sick pay, a ban on zero-hour contracts and new protections for new mothers and pregnant women are also included

Politics

2 w. ago Toddlers glued to smartphones and TVs for five hours a day say fewer words: Researchers warn parents over excessive screentime

The government is to give parents guidance on how long under-fives should spend watching TV or looking at computer screens.

Events