Author: The Guardian

Courtney Kosnik was 16 when she met the man who would become her husband in a Detroit coffee shop. She thought she’d met her savior. She was living in poverty, under the care of an alcoholic mother who struggled to hold down jobs. He promised her stability. Two months later, he proposed.No one in Kosnik’s life seemed bothered by the fact that the man was 28, more than a decade older than his bride-to-be, and he had a plan to get around her status as a legal minor: They just needed her mother’s permission to wed, and if she didn’t…

SThere will be another huge clash between New Zealand and England this weekend. Note the intentional use of the word “collision.” Every modern test requires such a thrilling level of commitment that the “game” feels inadequate. Eden would no longer be a habitat for pacifists, and neither black nor white gladiators would consider the possible long-term effects of their cruel trade.However, at the University of Auckland, more than two miles outside town, they are busy doing just that for them. “The dream of neuroscientists is that people maintain their abilities throughout their lives,” says Maurice Curtis, professor of neuroscience and…

Suella Braverman has attacked “liberal Conservatives”, saying she was angered by the flying of the Pride flag in her department as UK home secretary, calling it a “monstrous thing”.In comments during a speech on Monday night that brought a backlash from LGBTQ+ Conservatives, Braverman said the party had failed to “stop the lunatic woke virus” and had been dumped out of office on a failure to keep its promises.“We won a great majority in 2019 promising to do what the people wanted,” she told the National Conservatism conference in Washington DC. “We were going to use our Brexit freedoms and…

Three or four?Precedent is outdated. Gareth Southgate has always been a cautious manager, one who sets out his blueprint and sticks to it – and then there’s this Championship. He made cuts and changes after failing to find a partner for Declan Rice in midfield; this, combined with a lack of left-footed defenders, led to a switch to a back three against Switzerland. Luke Shaw was fit enough to play the final 12 minutes of that game as well as extra time, so he might be able to start and provide natural width on the left. Even if he does,…

The verdict handed down to the former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby last week brought to an end more than 21 months of court proceedings. After two trials and two attempts to appeal, Letby has been convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others. She is serving whole-life sentences.For many there has been little room for doubt that Letby is the worst child serial killer in British history. Jurors heard harrowing testimony from the parents of the babies who died, and were shown notes scrawled by Letby and shift rotas that were used to condemn her.Throughout the trial…

AAt the beginning of this year, Alexandre Sarr was playing in the Australian NBL, where the average salary was about $100,000. Reed Sheppard played in college and earned nothing but zero trades. Now, both are millionaires after taking the second and third picks in June’s draft. Sarr’s rookie deal with the Washington Wizards is guaranteed $23 million, while Shepard will have to earn $20 million from his contract with the Houston Rockets (these two contracts could end up paying $45 million for both men above) . It’s not just the top picks who suddenly gain wealth, either. Nine players in…

Perched atop blackened trees, howler monkeys survey the ashes around them. A flock of emus treads, disoriented, in search of water. The skeletons of alligators lie lifeless and charred.The Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland and one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, is on fire. Huge stretches of land resemble the aftermath of a battle, with thick green shrubbery now a carpet of white ash, and chunks of debris falling from the sky.More than 760,000 hectares (1.8m acres) have already burned across the the Brazilian Pantanal in 2024, as fires surge to the highest levels since 2020, the worst…

2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas has called Ineos Grenadiers’ management structure “like a coalition government” and described his experience of this year’s Tour as “up and down” .Thomas finished third in this year’s Giro d’Italia, 25th overall, 9 minutes and 33 seconds behind leader Tadej Pogacar of the United Arab Emirates.The Welshman is ostensibly taking on a support role for designated Ineos Grenadiers leader Carlos Rodríguez. The team has yet to win a Grand Tour since December 2021, when former team principal Dave Brailsford was appointed as Ineos sporting director.Asked if he was satisfied with a series of…

I am a 63-year-old woman married to a man I love and find very attractive. I enjoy vaginal penetration, but struggle to engage in foreplay. I feel anxious and not especially aroused by having my breasts touched. Clitoral stimulation is almost unbearable and while penetration with fingers had been off the menu for a long time, with a lot of patience and talking I am now beginning to enjoy it once again.I have had a lot of therapy to get over some very unpleasant sexual experiences and when I was younger my libido was powerful and less inhibited. It’s as…

HLast month, the treatment of domestic staff at Britain’s richest Indian family’s Swiss mansion made its way to the courts and front pages. But in India, it didn’t attract even a shred of attention.Many Indians treat their cooks, maids, drivers and nannies well. They offer decent wages and time off, talk to them politely, and thank them for their hard work. They educate their employees’ children in good schools and help pay for family weddings. When employees get too old to work, they receive a one-time bonus and monthly retirement payments as a token of appreciation. During their illness, they…