Stranger things

'Lucky I was safe and only suffered a little bit of whiplash and at the end of the day it’s just a car, but the thing that has really upset me that they didn’t stop to check I was okay,' she said. … [Read more...] about Young driver caught in ‘scary hit-and-run’ tried to chase down the culprit who slammed into her car and sped off – as an expert lists the four critical things to do if that happens to you

It then listed a number of ailments the dog suffered from, including: 'no white blood cells present in blood, anterior fontanelle not completely ossified, body condition 3/5, liver congested, spleen enlarged congested, adrenal glands enlarged, kidneys congested, colon congested, lungs congested and Heart right ventricle dilated.'  … [Read more...] about ‘Things are just not making sense’: Molly-Mae Hague’s Pomeranian puppy was ‘healthy’ when the Love Island star took him home, claims breeder

Just a few hundred metres from the spot where George Floyd begged for his own life, we met Andy and Leslie. They were kind enough to let us use their toilets. We were two strangers knocking on their door in these weird COVID times and they could not have been more welcoming - offering us water just like they had to every stranger who'd walked by in mourning and protest. … [Read more...] about George Floyd death: The people of America are saying they’ve had enough – this time it feels different

Grenfell truth at a distance – Builders behind the disastrous Grenfell Tower refurbishment are set to face public questioning over the fire that killed 72 people. As the public inquiry resumes today, strict social distancing rules have angered the bereaved, with hundreds of survivors, families and residents prohibited from attending and instead told to follow proceedings online. First under cross-examination will be Exova, the fire engineers accused of playing down non-compliance of the cladding system. Project emails showed main contractor Rydon, Exova and the architects Studio E discussing the fire safety of the cladding before its installation, including warnings it might fail. Tony Pearson, of Exova, told the architects: “If significant flames are ejected from the windows, this would lead to failure of the cladding system, with the external surface falling away and exposing the cavity.” … [Read more...] about Monday briefing: Arts sector hails coronavirus rescue package

The Mountain and The Wall by Alisa Ganieva The Russian authorities are planning to build a wall to isolate the troublesome Caucasus from the rest of the country. That’s the rumour that drives Alisa Ganieva’s 2012 novel, set in a dystopian-yet-real version of her hometown of Makhachkala, Dagestan’s coastal capital city. Shamil, a young Dagestani reporter, wanders the streets while his girlfriend, Madina, dons a hijab and heads for the hills to marry a murderous zealot. It’s another prophetic narrative and Ganieva’s picture of the social and psychological fallout of apocalyptic events feels a bit near the knuckle in 2020. A few years ago, I joined a press trip to Makhachkala to see a new art exhibition and take a trip (with armed escort) into the waterfall-braided mountains. Dagestan is not really a holiday destination, even when there’s no pandemic, and a novel about Islamic radicalisation isn’t likely to encourage tourists. But Ganieva … [Read more...] about 10 of the best novels set in Russia – that will take you there