Human brains are designed to detect faces as quickly as possible, which can lead to the perception of ‘false faces’Faces: we see them in clouds, electrical outlets and even a $28,000 toasted sandwich said to look like the Virgin Mary.Known as face pareidolia, seeing faces in inanimate objects or patterns of light and shadow is a common phenomenon. Continue reading...
People leaving Iran for Turkey tell of impact of bombs and internet blackouts, while others are travelling the other way to be closer to relatives in perilHe could not help but splutter out a laugh at the question. Amir, whose name has been changed for his safety, had just crossed the Kapıköy border point in eastern Turkey, a mountain pass between snow-topped peaks that is one of the few gateways to the west from Iran.Until a few weeks ago, this was a busy place, popular among Iranian daytrippers coming across to Turkey to do some shopping in the lively city of Van, a further two hours drive west, or to spend a couple of nights out in its discreet Iranian-only nightclubs and bars serving alcohol. Continue reading...
Simon Dudley fired after his comments were condemned by prime minister and families of fire victimsReform UK’s housing spokesperoson has been sacked his role after he described the Grenfell Tower fire as a “tragedy” but said that “everyone dies in the end”.Keir Starmer had called on Nigel Farage to sack Simon Dudley, a former head of Homes England, after his comments, which were condemned by Grenfell families and others. Continue reading...
Party’s housing spokesperson made comments while criticising safety regulations brought in after 2017 tragedyCampaigners for Grenfell families have called on Reform UK and its housing spokesperson to apologise after he said the tower fire was a “tragedy” but that “everyone dies in the end”.Simon Dudley, a former head of Homes England, had announced in February that he was joining Reform, as Nigel Farage said he was planning to bring more “experts” onboard to advise the party. Continue reading...
Following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, gas prices, grocery bills and mortgage rates have all climbed The US-Israel war against Iran has sent shockwaves through global markets, leaving many Americans grappling with a growing financial squeeze on everyday living costs.Following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran – prompting retaliatory attacks on US allies in the region and Iran’s decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime passage – costs have surged across the US. Gas prices, in particular, have spiked sharply, with the national average rising by roughly 30% over the past month. Grocery bills, mortgage rates and fertilizer costs have also climbed. Continue reading...
Two sailing vessels were part of Our America Convoy bringing food and medicine to island in face of what it called ‘the criminal US blockade’Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, has said his country will do everything it can to save the people on two missing sailing boats that disappeared while transporting humanitarian aid from Mexico to the Caribbean island.The boats, which set sail from the Mexican state of Quintana Roo last Friday as part of an international aid mission, had been expected to arrive in Havana by Tuesday or Wednesday, the Mexican secretariat of the navy said in a statement. Continue reading...
From a shop owner in India to a community worker in New South Wales, rising fuel prices are forcing people to ration oil usageMiddle East crisis – live updatesAlagesan, 35, needs liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to run his roadside drink and snack shop in Coimbatore, India, but with the fuel shortage since the US-Israel attacks on Iran, he worries his business could fold.“I am far away from the Middle East, but my life is affected,” he said. “The gas cylinder is not available because of the war. I don’t know what to do.” Continue reading...
PM will chair Cobra meeting with key ministers and Bank of England on Monday, as experts warn of economic shockUK politics live – latest updatesMiddle East crisis – live updatesKeir Starmer has promised to look at using “every lever that’s available to the government” to help with the cost of living impacts of the US-Israel war against Iran, ahead of an emergency meeting with senior ministers later on Monday.The prime minister is to chair a meeting of the Cobra committee on Monday afternoon, joining Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, as well as Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, and the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, among others, to discuss possible contingency measures. Continue reading...
The Woman’s Hour host, who has died aged 75, could talk about hydrangeas, campaign against domestic abuse, then tear a strip off a politician – all within a few minutesBefore she took over Woman’s Hour in 1987, Jenni Murray was a presenter on the Today programme. She had joined the BBC in Bristol in 1973, and became a TV reporter and presenter for South Today, so arrived with solid news credentials. But Today in the 80s was inveterately sexist – the guys took the politics, the women mopped up the rest – that the format was just too small for her.Woman’s Hour, on the other hand, was absolutely reshaped in her image: there was no preconception of tone, and nothing was too serious or too light for it. Murray, who has died at the age of 75, could tear a strip off a politician, talk about hydrangeas, then campaign against domestic abuse, all within a few minutes. She was instinctively open and generous about her personal experience, but never solipsistic – an incredibly fine balance. Continue reading...
Late-night hosts panned Trump’s joke about the 1941 attack, addressed new unredacted Epstein emails and talked popular puppy namesWith The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on hiatus until at least 27 March, late-night hosts on Thursday discussed Donald Trump’s snafu while meeting Japan’s prime minister, his caginess over Iran, and new findings in the Epstein investigations. Continue reading...
Changes revealed by Andy Burnham to support night-time economy follow rapid growth in ridershipNight buses will run to every borough in Greater Manchester as the city region expands its publicly controlled Bee Network.The mayor, Andy Burnham, announced a number of new services alongside figures showing rapid growth in ridership since buses were taken back under public control in 2023. Continue reading...
But Michael Shanks says government will not be rushed into plans to reduce costs faced by households due to war in IranBritain’s energy minister has said “every penny” levied on household energy bills will be scrutinised after suppliers warned that households could face a price hike of £250 a year due to the war in Iran.Michael Shanks told MPs that the government would stand ready to provide support wherever needed, but it would not be rushed into plans to reduce the costs faced by households or offer direct financial support. Continue reading...
Pakistani strike on Afghan capital kills 400 people, who burned in their beds or were crushed by collapsing wallsWitnesses and survivors have described the horrific scenes of a Pakistani air raid that hit a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, killing more than 400 people, who burned in their beds or were crushed by the collapsing building.Afghan rescue crews were still digging bodies out of the rubble on Tuesday after the strike, the deadliest single attack so far in a three-week war between the two countries. Continue reading...
Donald Trump has threatened Nato allies over failure to send ships to protect strait of Hormuz, but Pat McFadden says UK relation with US remain strongMiddle East crisis liveDonald Trump is a “very transactional” president, whose repeated demands on Iran must be seen in this context, one of Keir Starmer’s most senior ministers has said in an unusually blunt UK assessment of relations between the countries.Asked about the US president’s threats of some sort of retaliation against allies who do not supply ships to try to free up the strait of Hormuz, Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, said the UK was not obliged to agree to every US request. Continue reading...
US workers are finding it difficult to afford basic necessities as the president claims ‘the economy is roaring back’US workers are still struggling with the cost of living despite Donald Trump’s campaign promises to fix the US affordability crisis.The Guardian spoke to workers as an exclusive poll showed cross-party concerns about the Trump administration’s handling of the US economy. Continue reading...
As the New Scientist Book Club embarks on its read for March, Art Cure, author Daisy Fancourt gives a sneak preview into the myriad ways in which the arts can improve our health