Ferdia Lennon, 36, was born and raised in Dublin. His first novel, Glorious Exploits, set in ancient Sicily, was the winner of this year’s Waterstones debut fiction prize. It follows two jobless potters who decide to co-direct a play performed by Athenian prisoners of war. The New York Times called it “a comic riff on … Read more
With a good seven months still to go until Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari’s retirement in April 2025, the contest to succeed her has already kicked into high gear in Telangana. As the first woman to ever hold the position, Santhi Kumari has become something of a trailblazer since her unexpected appointment in January 2023 … Read more
Toto Wolff remains open to bringing the world champion, Max Verstappen, to Mercedes even as the team announced signing Kimi Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season. Mercedes confirmed the 18-year-old would arrive next season alongside George Russell on Saturday yesterday morning at the Italian Grand Prix where McLaren’s Lando Norris went on to … Read more
Parents are routinely paying more than double the price for branded school uniforms compared with similar items offered by supermarkets and high-street stores, an analysis by the Observer reveals. Despite government guidance to reduce costs, the analysis shows that parents who are required by state schools to buy clothing featuring official school logos are still … Read more
A mother found to have been raped by her ex-partner was “devastated” after the family court permitted the convicted sex offender to have contact with their child. Kristoffer Paul Arthur White, a serial rapist, was granted unsupervised access to his daughter following a recommendation by a Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) … Read more
Summertime, 160 years ago. Abraham Lincoln, in a letter to then secretary of war Edwin Stanton, wrote: “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” Those words could be applied to a plethora of current, global challenges – climate change, inequality, war in Europe – but it seems social care might well … Read more
Reuters Russia has made sweeping advances in recent days that threaten to outweigh the gains made by Ukraine in its cross-border attack into the Kursk region. Russian forces are just a few kilometres from the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a crucial logistics hub used by the Ukrainian military. Home to a key railway station and … Read more
If Kieran McKenna is far too professional to have treated Ipswich’s opening two fixtures as acclimatisation to the Premier League, here was a first realistic opportunity to lay a marker. After Liverpool, after Manchester City, Fulham was a truer litmus test. And though the wins will have to come sooner rather than later, the conclusion … Read more
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature 3 min: Jarrod Bowen tries a curling shot that swerves quite viciously on its way towards Ederson, who punches it clear. Share 1 min: It’s a bright start for West Ham, who go close courtesy of a deflected cross. Mohammed Kudus … Read more
In 1940s Britain, at a time before fast food and ready meals were staples of the British high street and in a country struggling to deal with the ramifications of war, a popular new restaurant chain was established. It served high-quality meals at reasonable prices, attracted customers from the full spectrum of British society, and … Read more