In a world of distraction, it’s easy to jump from one interruption to another. Could sitting doing nothing for an hour help us cope – or is it just meditation by another name?

Nihon Hidankyo receives accolade for campaign to rid world of nuclear weapons by ‘describing the indescribable’

ALT: an elderly woman wearing a pearl necklace and a floral shirt

Launched in 2023, the David Berry Fellowship provides an annual award of up to £2,500 to undertake research on the history of Scotland and the Scottish people worldwide. Applications for the 2026 Fell...

Jane Goodall Institute says ‘tireless advocate’ for natural world died in California during US speaking tour

A letter warns Shabana Mahmood that ‘targeting refugees will do nothing to tackle’ problems with housing and the NHS More than 100 charities have sent a letter to the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, calling for an end to the “scapegoating of migrants”. The letter, sent before her speech at the Labour party conference in Liverpool on Monday afternoon, was coordinated by Refugee Action and signed by 105 organisations from a wide range of sectors – including Save the Children, Mind, Oxfam, Shelter, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, as well as dozens of migrant and anti-racism charities. It has also been signed by the PCS union, which represents Border Force workers. Continue reading...

Little enthusiasm for US-style crackdown as voters back initiatives such as ‘broadening the curriculum’