Author: The Guardian

wattWhen Barack and Michelle Obama visited Ireland in 2011, they drank Guinness, visited the birthplace of the president’s great-great-grandfather and spoke Perfect for jokes and speeches. The reception was in a warm atmosphere.Their current foray into Irish culture is proving even more divisive. The Obamas did not attend in person, but in their capacity as executive producers of the Irish comedy series “Bodkin,” which debuts on Netflix this week. Comments were polarizing.The Irish Times said, “This is yet another entry in one of the worst genres ever created – rural Irish tramps, booze flowing and scowl-faced nuns.” “This is a…

I was the only boy of five and my sisters would have said I was a spoiled child. It didn’t feel like it – they went off to a convent school and I was left at home in Belfast to do the hoovering with my mother. Every boy back then was trying to be George Best, so I was always out kicking a football. We were Catholic, but not furiously strict. I was even an altar boy for a while.I was still at school when the Troubles started in 1969. We lived in a mixed area and weren’t targeted, but…

Penny, 62 The catalyst for my first orgasm was a crush I developed on a co-worker. We shared a kiss I had my first proper orgasm when I was 52. Up until that point, I’d found sex underwhelming. If I curled up in bed on my own and masturbated in one specific position, I sometimes achieved a mild rush, but it wasn’t intense. I still adored my husband, Peter, but sexually we were in a rut. Peter encouraged me to experiment, but I didn’t even really believe in orgasms. I thought: is this all sex is?The catalyst for my first orgasm…

The Netherlands’ entry has been disqualified from the grand final of the Eurovision song contest due to an incident involving a female member of the production crew, the competition’s organisers have announced.Dutch singer and rapper Joost Klein, 26, had qualified for the contest’s main event but was absent from Friday’s dress rehearsals.It’s the first time in Eurovision’s 68-year history that a contestant has been disqualified after the start of the five-day event.“Swedish police have investigated a complaint made by a female member of the production crew after an incident following his [Klein’s] performance in Thursday night’s semi final,” Eurovision’s organisers…

So many recipes rely on chilli for flavour, but unfortunately it numbs my mouth and I then can’t taste anything, so it’s just an unpleasant experience. What’s a good substitute so dishes still pack a punch, but not in a painful way? Yvonne, NetherlandsJust fresh chilli or all chilli? Lots of dried chillies are much more about their smoky depth, and chocolatey, sweet notes than their kick – ancho and pasilla, for example, are wonderful. Also, if a recipe calls for chilli flakes, try red bell pepper flakes instead, or smoked paprika rather than smoky chilli: both bring the colour…

Menopause was previously seen as a source of ageist shame, an unexploded bomb, or a suspicious parcel. But it is a natural phase which marks the end of childbearing years and, at last, we have the science and the knowledge to resolve a lot of the surrounding mental and physical health issues. Now is the time to embrace menopause, rather than fear it, and tackle the changes holistically.As the actor Gillian Anderson – who wrestled with an early menopause herself – once said: “Perimenopause and menopause should be treated as the rites of passage they are and, if not celebrated,…

The questions1 Which couple’s tomb was “discovered” at Glastonbury Abbey in 1191?2 The M’Naghten rules are concerned with the legal definition of what?3 Which singer was nicknamed the Empress of the Blues?4 What was Jesus’s native language?5 “The Banker – Himself” was a credit on which TV show?6 What only became a public holiday in Scotland in 1958?7 Which heron is known for its booming call?8 Which mid-18th-century conflict has been called the first world war?What links:9 Stars; Rip It Up; The Race; American Idiot; All Rise; Galileo; Crush?10 Boat; bottle indentation; former currency; gamble; kick?11 Davis; Dellinger; Froines; Hayden;…

Maz on GianlucaWhat were you hoping for?To replace my sister as my emergency contact.First impressions?Welcoming: he immediately made me feel comfortable.What did you talk about?Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari. How today’s rap beefs (involving Drake, Kendrick and J Cole) ain’t what they used to be. My lack of hobbies because I’m too tired after my working day. Not being judgmental about me watching The Real Housewives or him watching football. The state of the dating game in London (awful). We had such lovely conversations.Most awkward moment? There wasn’t a moment of silence.Good table manners?Impeccable.Best thing about Gianluca?He was very easy…

The aurora borealis has lit up the night sky with rare sightings across the UK, Europe and the northern hemisphere.The northern lights were spotted in Whitley Bay on the north-east coast; Essex; Cambridgeshire; and Wokingham in Berkshire. They were also sighted in Suffolk, Kent, Hampshire and Liverpool.Kathleen Cunnea, in Great Horkesley, Essex, said: “It was absolutely stunning to see.”Sightings were reported in Ireland where the weather service Met Éireann posting images of the lights over Dublin and above Shannon airport in County Clare.Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said on Friday: “Although the shorter nights will limit the visibility window, there’s…

timeThe trophy, and the 30 pounds of Cheshire cheese that came with it, was handed to Zoffee’s owner Alan Peterson after the Chester Cup match on Friday, but it goes to show how much this unique competition means to the local area Michael Owen, the landlord of the Manor Stables where Zoffe trains with Hugo Palmer, is celebrating as if he had just scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final. “It was almost a lifelong dream of mine to win that game,” Irving said. “I said to the owner before the race: ‘I know this is your horse,…