We need a national movement strategy, writes Dr Davina Deniszczyc of Nuffield Health Re your report ( Record 3.7m workers in England will have major illness by 2040, study finds, 17 April ), what isso tragic about these findings is that many long-term conditions can be prevented through a less sedentary lifestyle. Our latest data from the Healthier Nation Index highlights that the UK is facing a crisis of inactivity, with implications for our health, economy and future generations. Three in four

Metro mayors including Andy Burnham and Sadiq Khan urge voters to check that their photo ID is valid for Mays elections, and to register for a voter authority certificate by Wednesdays deadline if it is not Voters head to the polls on 2 May for a crucial set of local elections. Never has there been so much anger about what the Conservatives have done to our communities. Whether on housing, the environment, the state of our local high streets, or the ongoing cost of living crisis, their record is

Sale 37-31 Harlequins Arron Reed marks century of appearances with two tries Arron Reed celebrated a century of appearances with a double as an entertaining Sale side outwitted Harlequins to win a 10-try thriller 37-31. Captain Ben Curry, openside Sam Dugdale and scrum-half Raffi Quirke all crossed the try line for Alex Sandersons side, with the win giving Sale a serious chance of making the playoffs. Continue reading...

It is difficult to get away from the analogy of two bald men fighting over a comb when it comes to Celtic, Rangers and this curious Scottish season. A day after Celtic lumbered past Aberdeen, Rangers were only marginally more impressive when seeing off Heart of Midlothian. A team with more punch and vigour than that managed by Steven Naismith would have increased the sense of panic around Ibrox. Instead, Rangers know that regardless of what happens over the closing weeks of the Premiership seaso

The former PMs whingeing, unintentionally hilarious and scapegoating rant about the economy-crashing disaster of her time in No 10 is best read as a cautionary tale of hubristic zeal Three people, none of them the author, emerge from this book looking prophetic. One is her constituency agent in Norfolk. Told she is thinking about running for the Tory leadership, he tells Liz Truss it would be for the best if she lost. Another is her husband, Hugh. He faithfully backs the tilt at No 10, but predi

What a week for Aston Villa: following up a memorable victory away to the Premier League leaders with a last-gasp shootout triumph in Europe, Ollie Watkins inspired them to this ultimately comfortable win over Bournemouth to stretch their lead over Tottenham to six points in the chase for fourth place. If Watkins was most peoples man-of-the-match, tireless in his running and the creator of two more goals as Villa overcame Dominic Solankes early penalty to make it five home games unbeaten, then E

Musician had held top roles at Glyndebourne opera and in Chicago, Melbourne and Toronto orchestras Sir Andrew Davis, a conductor who performed with many of the worlds finest orchestras, has died at the age of 80. Throughout his long career Davis held many roles, including for more than a decade those of chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBCSO) and musical director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Continue reading...

I dont think Totos problems are his drivers, says Horner Question marks raised over efficacy of Red Bulls engine for 2026 The Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has issued a stern rebuke to his counterpart at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, insisting he needs to focus on solving the problems at his struggling team rather than trying to poach Red Bulls world champion driver Max Verstappen. Verstappen won the Chinese Grand Prix with a dominant drive from pole, his fourth win from five races this sea

Two more years? Increasingly unlikely. If exiting the Europa League to Bayer Leverkusen, Europes most in-form team, was excusable, the manner of West Hams defeat to Crystal Palace may have put a line through David Moyes extending his stay. This was punishing, West Hams manager doing little to hide his personal disappointment as a former nemesis came back to haunt him. Two seasons ago, Oliver Glasners Eintracht Frankfurt team denied Moyes Hammers in the Europa League semi-final, and had Palace no

Kennet Properties sells off Thames Water land, whose owner, Kemble Water, has warned it would not be able to pay a 190m loan A development company that sells off land no longer needed by Thames Water has paid out a 14m dividend despite warnings that it could become engulfed by the embattled water groups financial woes. Accounts filed at Companies House show Kennet Properties paid out a 14.5m dividend during the year to 31 March 2023, despite the difficulties faced by the wider group, which is fa

Controversial US philosopher who sought to understand and explain the science of the mind Daniel Dennett, who has died aged 82, was a controversial philosopher whose writing on consciousness, artificial intelligence, cognitive science and evolutionary psychology helped shift Anglo-American philosophy from its focus on language and concepts towards a coalition with science. His naturalistic account of consciousness, purged as far as possible of first-person agency and qualitative experience, has

Poll shows voters are put off by such messages and are prepared to show their displeasure at the ballot box Voters have been left frustrated with desperate culture war tactics deployed by politicians and are prepared to punish those who use them at the ballot box, a survey has found. Electoral strategies based on culturally charged and divisive issues repulse swing and undecided voters, who see politicians as playing to the crowd or jumping on the bandwagon, according to research from More in Co

Government auditors must look into claims of complicity in corruption on arms deals with UK, says Labour peer Alleged Ministry of Defence complicity in the national scandal of bribery on arms deals in Saudi Arabia must be investigated by government auditors, a senior Labour politician has said. Peter Hain, the antiapartheid campaigner and peer, said in a letter to the National Audit Office that a timely, targeted investigation was now necessary after the conclusion of a major criminal trial. Con

Outcry over cancellation of Antonio Scuratis Rai talkshow appearance as note says move was taken for editorial reasons A high-profile Italian author has accused Rai of censorship after his antifascist monologue was abruptly stopped from being aired, in what he called the definitive demonstration of alleged attempts by Giorgia Melonis government to wield its power over the state broadcaster. Antonio Scurati was due to read the monologue marking the 25 April national holiday, which celebrates Ital

A painfully funny cartoon about a neurotic graphic artist deftly explores the themes of self-obsession and ecological disaster Enter the Faber/Observer/Graphica graphic short story prize 2024 Ive read Luke Healys new graphic novel twice: first, on screen last October (which was long before we asked him to be a judge of this years Faber/ Observer graphic short story prize ) and then in hardback a couple of weeks ago. The mark of a truly good book is that its even better second time around, and th

I want a spiritual role model who would have understood how to avert a meltdown at school pickup. So who are the women spiritual leaders? Sometimes I think the entire point of religion is to help men behave more like women. Members of a religious community are supposed to get along with each other, even if they dont like each other. But women dont need religious rules to teach them social graces. From birth, we are socialised to prioritise the needs of the collective above our own. Continue read

Scottish NHS boards have spent more than 125m since 2019 to provide temporary cover amid drop in consultant numbers Mental health campaigners have protested about the significant use of temporary locum psychiatrists in Scotland, alleging it leads to substandard and harmful medical care. Peter Todd, a campaigner based in Caithness in the north of Scotland, said the heavy reliance on locum psychiatrists by the NHS was evidence of a growing crisis in mental health services across the country. Conti

It was three valuable points gained for Everton and no one can take them away after they defeated Nottingham Forest in the deduction derby . While lawyers plot the two clubs appeals, the talking was done on the pitch amid a backdrop of financial breaches and the relegation battle. Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil settled the result with long-range shots that went in off the post to boost Evertons chances of staying up and put Forest in further peril. It was error-strewn and short on quality, pote

Stone Nest, London Dante or Dies intriguing but underdeveloped story is based on the case of two men, each convicted of a homophobic murder, who became the first same-sex couple to marry in a UK prison Basing a play on real events offers a safety blanket of authenticity, but the facts of a story being true is not always enough to make us believe in them. Dante or Dies new production about a homophobic gay man in prison is packed with energy and built on significant research, but the storytelling

Guitarist, singer and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band best known for writing their 1973 hit Ramblin Man Dickey Betts, who has died aged 80, was a founder member of the Allman Brothers Band, one of the most influential US southern rock groups of the 1970s. The hard-living outfit blazed out of Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 with a mix of rock, blues, country and jazz that defined the genre, also influencing artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, the Black Crowes and Kid Rock. They sco

After forming a one-off criminal gang, Stevens and co come to regret kidnapping a gangsters daughter played by Matilda star Alisha Weir Few actors appear to derive such lip-smacking relish from the job as former Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens . The bigger the performance, the greater the gusto with which he sinks his teeth into the role. And if a bit of scenery gets chewed along the way, well, thats just collateral damage. As sneering and sadistic criminal Frank, Stevens is one of several reaso

Woman Begging With Two Children, by an unknown artist, shows what appears to be a denim skirt in 17th-century Italy The origin of the worlds most enduringly popular fabric is in dispute, as anew exhibition spotlights a claim that firmly links denim with 17th-century Italy and takes its history back 200 years. Blue denim, that all-American symbol of informality and a life lived on the open range, is already also contentiously attributed to southern France, while modern jeans mythology still has i

Patrick Harvie said party faces biggest crisis in its history after rebellion over climate policy Patrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens, has admitted his coalition deal with the Scottish government could collapse after a rebellion by party members over climate policy. Harvie said the Scottish Greens faced the biggest crisis in their history after party activists forced the leadership to hold an emergency meeting on whether to remain in government with the Scottish National party.

Royal Opera House, London Nadine Sierra is sensationally good as Lucia in this revival of Katie Mitchells production of Donizettis romantic tragedy a dark, thoughtful and sometimes shocking interpretation for the post-#MeToo era These are beleaguered times for opera in Britain. But this revival of Donizettis adaptation of Walter Scott showcases one immense reason why opera will outlast its critics: the singing. After acclaim for Asmik Grigorians Cio-Cio San and Aigul Akhmetshinas Carmen in rece

Yorkshiremans training affected by cousins car crash and coma Kenyan Alexander Mutiso Munyao wins mens race in 2:04:01 Britains Emile Cairess underlined his enormous potential as he weaved through the London Marathon field in the final stages to move from eighth to third and book his place for the Paris Olympics. It was performance of soul and substance and it came, as the 26-year-old revealed afterwards, despite his training being deeply affected after his cousin was left in a coma for over a m

Shoreditch Town Hall, London Talk of street parties, barbecues and book clubs gives way to politics in this work about authoritarianism, colonialism and how history gets rewritten The historical significance of the year 1884 is not explained at the beginning of this piece of game theatre. The atmosphere is neighbourly as we settle into groups around purpose-built model homes in a garden community on the fictional Wilhelm Street. Upon friendly instruction, we become families making the homes our

Shareholder calls for softening of postal services obligations after failed takeover bid by Czech billionaire for owner IDS One of the top investors in Royal Mails owner has said it is vulnerable to corporate predators, arguing that a recent takeover bid by a Czech billionaire significantly undervalues the company. Redwheel called for regulators to water down the UK postal services legal obligations after Daniel Ketnsks failed takeover attempt of its parent company International Distributions Se

200 years after the revolutionary Romantic poet Lord Byrons death, Greeks are celebrating his place in their national pantheon On Wednesday 18 August 1880, a sale was held at Sothebys in London. Among the items up for grabs were interesting relics of Lord Byron . The articles, once the property of Augusta Leigh, the poets half-sister, included the crown of Greek laurel placed on the aristocrats coffin when laying in state in Great George Street. Joannes Gennadius, a diplomat-cum-scholar born and

If Im not stressed out by these modern dilemmas, then trust me, you neednt be either I dont like to blow my own trumpet but Im really good at worrying. If a family member fails to answer my message within 30 seconds, theyre definitely dead. Every name I forget means Ive got Alzheimers disease; every brown envelope is a court summons for a crime Ive forgotten doing (because of Alzheimers disease); every Do you have time for a quick chat? is a cataclysm about to detonate, destroying my life. Ive l

Family restaurant, working for Jamie Oliver, starring in food TV Georgina Haydens new cookbook, Greekish, is the result of her lifes work When it comes to dreaming up new dishes for cookbooks, Georgina Haydens sternest critic is her grandmother her yiayia as she affectionately calls her in Greek. I spend days with her in the kitchen, says Hayden, who still lives close to her Greek-Cypriot family in north London. She can be quite scathing. Shell tell me very easily if somethings not right. But

Israel Katz criticises Turkish president over discussion with Ismail Haniyeh about Gaza attacks Middle East crisis live updates Israels foreign minister has hit out at the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, over his decision to publicise his latest meeting with the head of Hamass politburo. Israel Katz shared a photo on X which showed Erdoan shaking hands with Ismail Haniyeh at a presidential office in Istanbul over the weekend, writing that the Turkish president should be ashamed. Continu

Rick Astley sang for staff, VIPs and press in test event at UKs biggest indoor arena ahead of opening Thousands of people due to attend the first event at the UKs biggest indoor arena had their tickets cancelled at the last minute on Saturday. Rick Astley took to the stage at the new 23,500-capacity Co-op Live arena, which opens officially on Tuesday, to perform to 11,000 arena workers, VIPs and press at a free test event. Continue reading...

From right to roam to anger over polluted rivers, a new breed of activists is pushing back against environmental destruction Something very interesting is happening in the UK, to do with nature, the expanses of land we think of as the countryside, and where all those things sit in our collective consciousness. The change has probably been quietly afoot for 20 or 30 years. Now, it suddenly seems to be blurring over from the cultural sphere into our politics, with one obvious consequence the bela

Hopes investment to make Bitesize more personalised and interactive will attract future licence fee payers The BBC plans to use a multimillion investment in artificial intelligence to transform its educational offering and attract the licence-fee payers of the future. After being heavily relied upon by desperate parents during the pandemic lockdowns, the BBC is to announce a new 6m investment in BBC Bitesize to make learning more personalised and interactive for students from primary school onwa

Who are the candidates to be Trumps running mate in the 2024? Heres who might be on the shortlist for vice-president including Greg Abbott, Tucker Carlson and Ron DeSantis and what to know about each Republican hopeful Donald Trump has secured the necessary delegates to win the Republican presidential nomination for a third consecutive election. That result was never in much doubt, but the contest to be Trumps running mate is harder to predict . Once again, the Republican primaries demonstrate

A film debuting at Cannes charts the young developers relationship with the legendarily machiavellian lawyer It has long been considered that making a movie about Donald Trump was virtually impossible, if not for the divisive subject material itself, but because the former US president was already playing that character to the hilt and sometimes beyond. But last week, the Cannes film festival announced that it was adding the Iranian-Danish film-maker Ali Abbasis The Apprentice to its 2024 offic

A promising first novel takes a jazzy, improvised journey with a young woman who has a sudden loss of hearing A good test of a writer is to take a high concept and stretch it. In The Hearing Test , the debut novel by American Eliza Barry Callahan, a young woman loses her hearing or most of it without warning. One day, she hears a deep drone, and then her hearing is all rolling thunder like God adjusting his piano stool but never getting around to the song. When having her sudden deafness inves

Chief economist says common framework has failed to provide any new money to worlds poorest countries since it was set up in 2020 The mechanism for providing debt relief to the worlds poorest countries is failing to deliver and requires a major rethink, a senior official at the World Bank has said. Indermit Gill, the banks chief economist, said that after four years the G20s common framework designed to speed up and simplify debt restructuring had not provided a single dollar of new money. Con

Israeli leaders vow to oppose expected measures under Leahy law against the Netzah Yehuda battalion Middle East crisis live updates A unit of the Israel Defense Forces is facing US sanctions over its treatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, even as Congress voted for $26bn in new emergency aid to Israel. According to a reports in the Israeli media, US state department officials have confirmed they are preparing to impose sanctions on the IDFs Netzah Yehuda battalion, which has been

Soho theatre, London Set entirely within the stained walls of a mens public toilet, Sam Grabiners award-winning play is an ambitious, hallucinatory series of vignettes dramatising the gamut of male neuroses Recent plays set in toilets have dwelt on the modern-day weaponisation of this communal domain. The neutral WCs in Public: The Musical showed characters of assorted gender identities conversing across the cubicles, while Overflow confined one trans woman to a contested space. Boys on the Verg

Possible counteroffer by Blackstone could derail agreement with US fund Concord Chorus The troubled owner of music back catalogues ranging from Beyonc to Neil Young has said that it would accept a takeover offer from Blackstone, after the private equity investor revealed it was considering outbidding a rival rights owners deal. Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) put itself up for sale after a turbulent period on the London Stock Exchange, and now faces the prospect of a takeover battle after saying on S

Lock-ups are being marketed as more than just storage amid overcrowding and record rent rises Forget the gym membership and juicing regime, the new must-have to boost personal wellbeing is a self-storage unit. At least that is the claim from a new company urging space-squeezed thirtysomething renters to accept they cannot afford a home with enough cupboards in todays housing system and instead to sweep their clutter into a rented lock-up. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ex-double agent allegedly admitted to murder during training presentations to members of the security services Victims families have reacted with anger after it emerged that a former British double agent in the IRA who allegedly admitted to murder while giving training presentations to members of the security services will not be prosecuted. The case had emerged during an investigation by officers into the activities of the British spy known as Stakeknife and a criminal file was passe

Justices to rule whether abortion bans should undo Emtala, the Reagan-era law requiring hospitals to treat emergency patients One of the only universal rights to healthcare in the US is to be treated in the emergency room a place where doctors are required to stabilize patients if their future health or life is in serious jeopardy. That right, guaranteed by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, known across the country by healthcare professionals as Emtala, was borne out of what was on

Sad beige lover or slummy mummy? Youre damned either way when it comes to cleanliness and parenting Our flat is a mess. I write this looking at a pile of laundry taller than I am, besides which are two semi-unpacked suitcases and a Fisher-Price Little Snoopy that is conspiring to break my neck. Next to me is a used Calpol syringe, an ear thermometer, three mugs, lots of loose pages from the novel Im writing, and a multipack of Pom-Bear crisps. I have always been messy and, having grown up in a h

Officials urge municipalities to begin emergency planning after major rivers and reservoirs threaten to overflow Major rivers, waterways and reservoirs in Chinas Guangdong province are threatening to unleash dangerous floods, forcing the government to enact emergency response plans to protect more than 127 million people. Calling the situation grim, local weather officials said sections of rivers and tributaries at the Xijiang and Beijiang river basins are hitting water levels in a rare spike th

The Italian citys attempt to help its sleep-deprived residents is denounced as a step too far Milans leaders have been accused of waging war against ice-cream in their bid to combat wild nightlife in the northern Italian city. Marco Granelli, the deputy mayor for public security, recently announced a proposal banning the sale of takeaway food after midnight in the citys popular nightlife districts. Continue reading...

Restaurants are serving more unusual cuts of meat, with animal heads staring up at diners to teach them about their food Offal has become a staple on restaurant menus across the UK, with cheaper cuts attracting chefs with sustainability goals and tight budgets, boosted by the influence of nose-to-tail pioneers such as Fergus Henderson at StJohn in London. Now many are going further, creating dishes with animal heads staring at diners from their plates. At Fowl in central London, which describes

Tenants of the high-rise in New Rochelle, New York, want to abandon the name which has at times affected real estate value While Donald Trump endures the ignominy of being the first former US president to face criminal trial, there is further humiliation brewing, with a movement to strip the Trump name from a building in his home state. Residents at Trump Plaza, a 40-story high-rise in the suburban New York city of New Rochelle, are pushing for the building to be renamed and to escape a near-two

IMF has revised up growth forecasts but medium-term prospects remain poor as globalisation goes into reverse The 2020s are almost halfway over and are on course to be the most difficult decade for the global economy since the 1930s. Every finance minister and central bank governor at the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Washington last week knows that, even if they were not prepared to admit it publicly. The IMF likes to look on the bright side. It revised up slightly its for