Big bones: Victoria the ‘simply terrifying’ T rex arrives at Melbourne Museum
When the crates containing the fossilised bones of Victoria the T rex arrived at Melbourne Museum, one of Australia’s leading palaeontologists was giddy with excitement – and trepidation. “It’s the closest I’ve ever got to the skull of a T…
Sandwich by Catherine Newman review – emotional crisis and comedy in Cape Cod
‘You’re supposed to retrace your steps when you lose something, but none of my losses are like that. Where would I look for them? And what would I do if I found them?” wonders the narrator of Sandwich, the follow-up…
Wednesday briefing: Why the UK is so chilly this June – and why it won’t get much warmer any time soon
Good morning. First of all an apology, yesterday’s newsletter was sent out in error – we apologise for the mistake, and below is today’s First Edition. Isn’t it an unseasonably chilly one? Yesterday I found myself fishing out a winter…
TV tonight: it’s the last ever episode of Inside No 9
Inside No 9 10pm, BBC TwoHow will Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith end their deliciously dark cult-hit anthology series? They are keeping details about the final episode tightly under wraps (making it all the more intriguing), but – after a…
Global heating will increase risk of parasite outbreaks, say South West Water owners
The owner of South West Water has warned that global heating will increase the risk of outbreaks of the parasite that caused diarrhoea and vomiting in south Devon. Pennon Group said that “gradual and significant increasing average and high temperatures”…
Presumed Innocent review – Jake Gyllenhaal gets his first TV role … and it’s impossible to care about it
When the new miniseries Presumed Innocent, based on Scott Turow’s bestselling legal whodunnit, was announced, I scoffed. They made a film of that 10 minutes ago! Harrison Ford being gravelly, Bonnie Bedelia being overlooked, Greta Scacchi being a sex bomb….
Birdwatch: pochards are one of Britain’s rarest breeders
Among the egrets, bitterns and cranes on Somerset’s Avalon Marshes, it would be easy to ignore a rather stocky diving duck, with a pale grey body, black breast and tail, and rich chestnut head. As I scan the reedbeds, I…
Country diary: Bulky bullfinches are the sweetest of songsters | Jim Perrin
Bullfinches! Human-designated pariahs of the natural world! They’re currently nest-building in my hedge. Why anyone should wish harm on these lovely creatures is beyond comprehension. Their presence has visionary intensity. The brightness, particularly of the male, is thrilling. He’s among…
Azerbaijan accused of media crackdown before hosting Cop29
Azerbaijan’s government has been accused of cracking down on media and civil society activism before the country’s hosting of crucial UN climate talks later this year. Human Rights Watch has found at least 25 instances of the arrest or sentencing…
Childhood, interrupted: 12-year-old Toby’s life with long Covid
It is a few days after Arsenal have beaten Spurs and I’m discussing the game with 12-year-old Toby. A huge Tottenham Hotspur supporter, Toby is also magnanimous in defeat. He admits that, despite a major second-half wobble, Arsenal (my team)…