Three teenage girls arrested over death of man, 75, in north London

Police launch a murder investigation after officers were called to an incident in Holloway on Thursday night

Three teenage girls have been arrested over the death of a 75-year-old man in north London.

Police launched a murder investigation after officers were called to an incident on Seven Sisters Road at 11.35pm on Thursday.

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Continue ReadingThree teenage girls arrested over death of man, 75, in north London

The moment I knew: I was snot-crying through a Disney film when he placed his head on my shoulder

Watching a kids’ movie about self-acceptance reduced Will Hopkins to a blubbering mess. But Herschel’s reaction made him feel safe and free from judgment

In 2020, I was living in Sydney, working in real estate, attempting to finish my law degree on the side and struggling to juggle full-time work, full-time study and, admittedly, full-time partying. For a while I had been contemplating moving home to Brisbane to escape the chaos of Sydney but, at that time, chaos and I were old friends, and it was a friendship I thought would prevail my whole life.

I met Herschel on 20 December 2020 at about 10pm. I remember it well as it was also the day that a once firmly held belief of mine was shattered into oblivion.

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Continue ReadingThe moment I knew: I was snot-crying through a Disney film when he placed his head on my shoulder

Even rightwingers are mocking the ‘Epstein files’ as a lot of redacted nothing

It was yet another reminder that Trump and his associates will turn even the sex trafficking of minors into a photo op

Drum roll, please: the “most transparent administration in American history” is declassifying shocking new information about Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. After years of speculation that powerful people have been concealing information related to the late financier and convicted sex offender, the Trump administration said earlier this week that it would release unseen details about the case.

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Continue ReadingEven rightwingers are mocking the ‘Epstein files’ as a lot of redacted nothing

The number of people with chronic conditions is soaring. Are we less healthy than we used to be – or overdiagnosing illness?

Are ordinary life experiences, bodily imperfections and normal differences being unnecessarily pathologised? One doctor argues just that

School was a difficult time for Anna. It still haunts her. She recalls being a sociable child, good at making friends. But she also remembers becoming hyperfixated on one friend, then another and another in succession. She tended to be impulsive and, wanting to please others, easily led. One distressing incident in particular has never left her. On the first day after moving to a new school, she was relieved to be taken under the wing of two girls. At lunchtime, in fits of giggles, the girls egged each other on to do naughty things. Anna spat orange juice at the boys. She did it with relish, only to reproach herself later. She feels the episode coloured her whole school experience.

As a child and an adult, Anna felt sanctioned, judged and misunderstood. She considers herself a chameleon who adapts to new environments and survives by being funny, but all too often regrets things she has said. Her self-esteem is low. Anna is a nurse and, although she loves her job and is good at it, she still often feels inadequate. “People don’t think I’m as clever as I feel. I can’t get the words out quickly enough,” she says.

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Continue ReadingThe number of people with chronic conditions is soaring. Are we less healthy than we used to be – or overdiagnosing illness?

Lisa: Alter Ego review – a focus group-tested attempt at megastar success

(RCA)
The Blackpink singer’s high-energy debut solo album, astutely timed to coincide with her role in The White Lotus, is packed with styles and stars that only highlight her lack of musical identity

It must feel pretty damn good to be Lisa right now. Alter Ego, the debut solo album by the Thai rapper and singer, is arriving at a germane time: HBO is airing the third season of its venomous satirical hit The White Lotus, in which she stars as one of the titular resort’s receptionists. The show is one of the last vaguely monocultural products that seems to exist right now, making instant stars of its cast; not that Lisa, government name Lalisa Manobal, necessarily needed the profile boost. As a member of behemoth K-pop four-piece Blackpink – perhaps the most successful girl group of all time, with billions of streams and a trail of sold-out stadiums left in their wake – she is already one of the most famous people in the world. But a show such as The White Lotus, which everyone and their grandmother watches, brings with it a different kind of fame.

Alter Ego is the kind of debut album seemingly designed to capitalise on that newfound attention – it’s a brash, high-octane pop-rap record that clearly wants to cover all bases. Opener Born Again, featuring Raye and Doja Cat, taps into 80s disco sleaze, landing somewhere between the Weeknd and Dua Lipa. A collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion is a would-be bad bitch anthem; one with Future is begging for placement in the trailer for an edgy mainstream action film. There’s a song with Rosalía – perfect for insertion into one of Spotify’s many well-streamed musica urbana playlists – as well as a gratuitous 90s sample (on Moonlit Floor) and a collaboration with nascent Afrobeats star Tyla for good measure.

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Continue ReadingLisa: Alter Ego review – a focus group-tested attempt at megastar success

Paul Ready: ‘ I wanted to be a tennis player – but I was crap’

The actor, 48, on stage fright, dashed tennis dreams, meeting a naked Harvey Keitel and why he loves Mortherland

When I was five, I was in the front row of the choir for our school nativity and couldn’t hack it. I pulled a sickie, started crying, had to get out. I don’t know why the hell I wanted to perform in front of people.

My parents’ mantra was “do what makes you happy if you can”. They didn’t push my three siblings and me to be academic. Our home was beautifully relaxed. Behaving well and being nice was drilled into us. And we could throw a party and they would stay out of the way.

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Continue ReadingPaul Ready: ‘ I wanted to be a tennis player – but I was crap’