Texas executes John Balentine, sixth inmate to be put to death in US this year | Texas
Texas This article is more than 11 months oldTexas executes John Balentine, sixth inmate to be put to death in US this yearThis article is more than 11 months oldBalentine, 54, was convicted of triple murder in what attorneys argued was a trial marred by racial bias
A man convicted of killing three teenagers while they slept in a Texas home more than 25 years ago was executed on Wednesday, the sixth inmate to be put to death in the US this year and the second in as many days.
Across Europe, the far right is rising. That it seems normal is all the more terrifying | Owen Jones
OpinionThe far right This article is more than 7 months oldAcross Europe, the far right is rising. That it seems normal is all the more terrifyingThis article is more than 7 months oldOwen JonesAustria, France, Germany, Sweden and now Spain – the firewall between the mainstream and the far right is crumbling
Normalisation is the process by which something unusual or extreme becomes part of the everyday. What once provoked horror and outrage soon barely registers.
Houseplant of the week: English ivy
Houseplant of the weekLife and styleBring this fast-growing creeper inside and it will filter the air for you
Why will I love it? English ivy (Hedera helix) is a modest plant that comes free from any hype. It has a bad rap for being an invasive outdoor plant, a destroyer of ecosystems and brickwork. But it makes a great indoor plant, one that’s good for the ego because it thrives with ease and may end up being a plant you have for life.
Let's have an answer! Take our fiendish University Challenge quiz
Television & radioAhead of the grand final of the brain-squeezing series next Monday, test your mental mettle with 15 questions set by the show’s quizmasters
The University Challenge grand final airs Monday 5 April at 8.30pm on BBC Two
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Sweet Bird of Youth review
TheatreReviewOld Vic, LondonEverything that art can do to boost this revival of Tennessee Williams's 1959 play has been done. Marianne Elliott's production is first-rate. The cast, led by Kim Cattrall, is as good as any you'll find in a national company. Yet nothing can persuade me that the play is anything more than overheated melodrama all too rarely alleviated by Williams's instinct for comedy.
The plot defies belief. It concerns two lonely outsiders brought together by circumstance.
Top US smoothie company accused of deception after toxic PFAS discovered | PFAS
PFAS This article is more than 11 months oldTop US smoothie company accused of deception after toxic PFAS discoveredThis article is more than 11 months oldLawsuit alleges Bolthouse Farms deceived customers by claiming Green Goddess smoothie is made with ‘100% fruit juice’
A new class-action lawsuit alleges US beverage maker Bolthouse Farms deceived customers with claims that its Green Goodness smoothie is made of “100% fruit juice” after testing found the drink contains toxic PFAS, a synthetic chemical, at levels far above federal advisory drinking water limits.
Sexual abuse in sportRowing This article is more than 9 months oldUS Rowing investigates claim famed coach Ted Nash abused teenage studentThis article is more than 9 months oldJennifer Fox says relationship started when she was 13Nash, who died in 2021, coached many young athletesUS Rowing has launched an inquiry into allegations that Ted Nash, an Olympic champion rower who went on to become a famed coach, had a relationship with one of his teenage students.
A day with Saira, one of the original topless painted ladies of New York City
Saira: ‘Here I am: topless in the heart of my city. It’s a very freeing feeling’. Photograph: Caterina ClericiSaira: ‘Here I am: topless in the heart of my city. It’s a very freeing feeling’. Photograph: Caterina ClericiNew York holidaysOver the summer, ‘desnudas’ have turned Times Square into an unlikely battlefield for gender equality, but for women who do it it’s a way to reclaim both their bodies and their city
Genius | Crosswords | The Guardian
Deadline for entries is 23:59 GMT on Saturday 4 December. You need to register once and then sign in to theguardian.com to enter our online competition for a £100 monthly prize Published: 5 Nov 2023 ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaJuipMC0w86rm6xno5q%2FqrHSaJ6eppmqwA%3D%3D
How many people have four kidneys?
The questionHealthMore than realise it. People with extra kidneys are often oblivious to their excess baggage, and only discover it after an ultrasound scan or surgery for a more urgent medical problem. Laura Moon, an 18-year-old from Whinmoor near Leeds, heard of her bonus kidneys during an ultrasound to investigate recurrent stomach pains. Her case is particularly unusual, as each of her kidneys appears to be fully formed, at around 11cm long.