Roy Ayers, the jazz-funk pioneer whose hit Everybody Loves the Sunshine has become a summer staple across the globe, has died aged 84. A post on the musician’s official Facebook page said: “It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March … Read more
JRR Tolkien was so irritated by a careless typist’s slapdash work on one of his manuscripts that he vented his frustration in a letter that has come to light. The Lord of the Rings author said in despair: “She reduced [my manuscript] to nonsense. I have some sympathy with the typist faced with such unfamiliar … Read more
An alarming rise in obesity in Africa has been compared with the HIV epidemic, with stigma and lack of treatment having a disproportionate impact on women. Almost half of women in Africa will be obese or overweight by the end of the decade, according to a recent study by the World Obesity Federation. While people … Read more
Police are investigating after a man allegedly attempted to board a Jetstar flight with a gun on Thursday afternoon, frightening passengers. Victoria police have confirmed they were called to the airport outside of Melbourne at 2.50pm, after reports a man with a firearm attempted to board a commercial flight. The man was detained before getting … Read more
A voluntary promise to phase out toxic lead shot in the UK has failed, meaning wildlife and human health are being put at risk, a study has found. The vow, made in February 2020 by the UK’s nine leading game shooting and rural organisations, aimed to benefit wildlife and the environment and keep toxic lead … Read more
China’s ministry of foreign affairs has promised that China will “fight to the end” with the US in a “tariff war, trade war or any other war”, marking China’s strongest rhetoric on US president Donald Trump since he entered the White House. On Tuesday, in response to Trump imposing an extra 10% tariff on Chinese … Read more
Female doctors in the UK now outnumber their male peers and there are more medics from an ethnic minority background than white ones, new figures show. Both major changes in the make-up of Britain’s almost 330,000-strong medical workforce are outlined in an analysis released on Thursday by the General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates the … Read more
The news that the US had suspended military aid to Ukraine stunned world leaders and led to a rapid reassessment of how much we can really rely on our American ally. Is this the end of the western alliance? John Harris asks our diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour. Plus, as the UK pledges to boost defence … Read more
South Korea’s air force has apologised after one of its fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs in the wrong place during a training exercise on Thursday, resulting in civilian injuries. “Eight MK-82 general-purpose bombs were abnormally released from an air force KF-16 aircraft, landing outside the designated firing range,” the air force said. “We deeply … Read more
“I’d quite like to just try and get a deposit together, to buy a house and stuff.” After Mark* saw an advert for a financial trading website, he signed up to what he believed was access to an adviser who called herself Lilliana. Through long phone calls together, Mark believed that he was making investments … Read more