Author: The Guardian

Thieves go for specific items. Day after day, they hung out in the neighborhood and then went home to dump their loot. Before long, they had a huge haul: socks, underwear, baby sweaters, gloves and more socks.It’s not uncommon for cats to bring dead or petrified rats and birds, but showing up with random items is harder to explain. Researchers suspect a variety of reasons, but tend to agree on one: The stolen items were not present.”We’re not sure why the cats behave like this,” said Auke-Florian Hiemstra, a biologist at the Nature Biodiversity Center Museum in Leiden. “Cats do…

How do I keep my mandoline in tune after slicing cucumbers?Steve, USAI’m no expert on tuning mandolins, or being able to play one, for that matter, but when it comes to the kitchen instrument, I do have a few tips. First off, there seems to be a sweet spot with a mandoline. Used brand new and fresh out of the box, it will almost certainly result in a nicked finger or knuckle. But a dull mandoline can be just as bad, if not worse, for causing injury, not least because of the extra force you have to employ when pushing…

IIn his short time on the WTA Tour, Iga Swiatek has quickly established himself as one of the greatest players of the new generation. Her success, including four titles in the past five years at Roland Garros (the same venue where the Olympic tennis championships will be held), has been driven by her incredible, devastating forehand.Swiatek constantly looks to control the points with his forehand. The powerful topspin she generates on her shots forces her opponents back behind the baseline, which allows her to create greater angles and provides more security to her shots.Former British men’s No. 1 and World…

The questions1 In the British Library, what is Cotton MS Vitellius A XV, f. 132r?2 Which metal is used in batteries and antidepressants?3 What duetted with the cellist Beatrice Harrison for 12 years?4 Where might you encounter a Brocken spectre?5 What is the most populous US state capital?6 Which Ian Fleming title pluralised a slogan used by De Beers?7 NC500 is a route around where?8 Which Indian religion was founded in the late 15th century?What links:9 Aviva; Elle; Maoam; Nissin; Oxo; Xanax?10 1960-1976 (4); 1980 (8); 1996 (16); 2016 (24)?11 Oswald Cobblepot; Feathers McGraw; Mumble; Pingu?12 Another Brick in the…

FArida Abaroge jogs across the track and field track in Normandy in the early morning sunshine. “When you go through difficult times, mental and emotional health are just as important as physical fitness,” she said during training for the 1,500 meters at the Paris Olympics. Abarroge is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Group, which represents more than 100 million displaced people. “This team is like a family,” she said.When Agbaloji, 30, fled persecution in her native Ethiopia eight years ago, she was a karate black belt, soccer player and future track and field athlete who dreamed…

Ruth, 51 I started trying to avoid sex and that fuelled Lawrence’s suspicions. He thought I was having an affair But it stems from the fact that I had an episiotomy when I was in labour with my daughter, which means the doctor made an incision in my vagina to make it easier for me to give birth. When Lawrence and I started having tentative sex about 12 weeks after our baby was born, penetration caused me terrible pain. My midwife implied I was being hysterical and making the pain up.Lawrence is a deeply caring partner but as the months went on he…

AAs thousands of athletes, spectators and officials gather in Paris for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics next Friday, Nicolas Guillotto dreams that he can achieve something unexpected and special that the world will always remember as a ” Magical moment”.However, his Olympic events are not parallel bars, javelin or 100 meters. If the 41-year-old Frenchman is selected from the shortlist, he will perform with two turntables and a box of vinyl records – not as an athlete but to soundtrack the album under his pseudonym DJ One Up one of the disc jockeys.Breakdancing, more commonly known as “breakdancing”…

Nina on GraceWhat were you hoping for?An interesting evening with someone new, or a funny bad date story.First impressions?She came across confident and chill. Also, she’s a good height and I liked her tattoos.What did you talk about?Women’s football. Beavertown slippers. Travelling. Meghan Markle. Politics. Crab fishing. Christmas tree farms. Weird names given to pets.Most awkward moment?She insisted on splitting the drinks bill in the pub, and I wasn’t sure if that was her subtle way of saying she wasn’t interested.Good table manners?Very, although I then started questioning how I was holding my fork.Best thing about Grace?She was open and gave good…

England defeated France to claim their first Under-20 world title since 2016 with ruthless dominance and a stunning power-packed performance. Tries from forwards Joe Bailey and Arthur Green sealed England’s victory in Cape Town, but England’s forward quality proved too much for the defending champions.England were unstoppable at the scrum and won a penalty at will, less than a week after Borthwick complained about the senior team’s set-piece issues. Props Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Afolabi Fasogbon may soon find themselves developing at a rapid pace, such is their advantage in the absence of first-choice tight end Billy Sela. Other players earning…

Donald Trump said he had a “very good call” with Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday and pledged to end Ukraine’s war with Russia. The US Republican presidential nominee posted on Truth Social that as president he would “bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives”. “Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity,” he said. Trump has repeatedly claimed he would end the war quickly, without offering details on how. Zelenskiy said on X that in their conversation he…