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OpinionInstagram This article is more than 6 years oldInstagrammers are sucking the life and soul out of travelThis article is more than 6 years oldRhiannon Lucy CosslettMy view of Sri Lanka was spoiled by the peachy backsides of tourists obsessed with their social media feeds A recent trip to Sri Lanka reminded me of that well known Buddhist proverb: “If you visit a temple but do not take a selfie, did it actually happen? [Read More]

‘The more silence and stillness in a room, the more scope my brain has to flit about, searching for things to worry about.’ Photograph: David Yeo/The Guardian‘The more silence and stillness in a room, the more scope my brain has to flit about, searching for things to worry about.’ Photograph: David Yeo/The GuardianMindfulnessRather than filling every spare moment with distractions, could I find a way to be at ease in my own company? [Read More]

Australia news This article is more than 2 months oldOne in 10 Australian men report having sexual interactions with under-18s, study findsThis article is more than 2 months oldUNSW study finds nearly one in six men over the age of 18 had sexual feelings towards under-18s Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Francene Reo’s stepdad told her it was therapy. [Read More]

Robert Douglas-Fairhurst in his room at Magdalen College, Oxford: ‘It’s a community. People are hands off, except when I fall over, when I very much want them to be hands on.’ Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The ObserverRobert Douglas-Fairhurst in his room at Magdalen College, Oxford: ‘It’s a community. People are hands off, except when I fall over, when I very much want them to be hands on.’ Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The ObserverThe ObserverBooksInterviewWriter Robert Douglas-Fairhurst: ‘The less the body works, the more you appreciate any bit that still does’Rachel CookeThe professor of English literature on the shock of being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the books he turned to, and the more unexpected ways his life has been transformed [Read More]

Rich listsMusk, Zuckerberg and most of rest of the world’s richest got richer in 2023Fortunes of 38 of the top 50 richest people and 385 of the top 500 grew this year – in one case sevenfold The cost of living crisis has made it a struggle for many to put food on the table at Christmas, but for US tech billionaires and Russian oligarchs alike, the festive period is all gravy. [Read More]

MusicTarka Cordell was mentored by Keith Richards and Evan Dando, before he tragically committed suicide in 2008. So why did he never make it as a musician?Nobody can be sure what caused Tarka Cordell to take his own life on an April evening in 2008. On the face of it, he had much to live for: good looks, a loving family and a fantastic solo album, Wide Awake in a Dream, ready to be released at any moment. [Read More]

The big ideaPsychologyBefore making another new year resolution it’s worth asking if change is what you need It wasn’t until I’d finished reading a fourth article ranking “the best wellies for children” that it dawned on me that maybe I could be doing something better with this precious time on Earth. Many websites use a five-star rating to rank the boots, just as one might rate films or albums or restaurants. [Read More]

Anchorman 2: The Legend ContinuesAs the much-anticipated Anchorman sequel approaches, here are the lines we love to quote from its hilarious and moronic star, Ron Burgundy, played by Will Ferrell. Share yours below Will Ferrell: 'Playing super-sleazy is the most fun for me' Read our review of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means 'a whale's vagina'. [Read More]

GermanyThousands of tractors block Berlin as farmers protest over fuel subsidy cutsEstimated 30,000 protesters bring city centre to a standstill as they call on government to reverse decision Thousands of tractors have brought Berlin’s city centre to a standstill as farmers from across Germany protested on parliament’s doorstep over rising costs and a plan to phase out agricultural fuel subsidies. An estimated 30,000 protesters, including farmers supported by a wide range of representatives from other industries from fishing to gastronomy to logistics, blocked the streets around the government quarter on Monday with their vehicles, including lorries and forklift trucks, and even children’s toy tractors. [Read More]

Pope Francis This article is more than 7 months oldVirgin Mary apparitions ‘not always real’, says Pope after statue rowThis article is more than 7 months oldPontiff appears to reference a woman who drew pilgrims to a statue near Rome she claimed shed tears of blood Apparitions of the Virgin Mary are “not always real”, Pope Francis has said, in what appears to be an indirect reference to a woman who drew thousands of pilgrims to a town near Rome to pray before a statue that she claimed shed tears of blood. [Read More]