Add source Login
‘It would take 11 seconds to hit the ground’: the roughneck daredevils who built the Empire State Building

‘It would take 11 seconds to hit the ground’: the roughneck daredevils who built the Empire State Building

They wrestled steel beams, hung off giant hooks and tossed red hot rivets – all while ‘strolling on the thin edge of nothingness’. Now the 3,000 unsung heroes who raised the famous skyscraper are finally being celebrated Poised on a steel cable a quarter of a mile above Manhattan, a weather-beaten man in work dungarees reaches up to tighten a bolt. Below, though you hardly dare to look down, lies the Hudson River, the sprawling cityscape of New York and the US itself, rolling out on to the far horizon. If you fell from this rarefied spot, it would take about 11 seconds to hit the ground. Captured by photographer Lewis Hine, The Sky Boy, as the image became known, encapsulated the daring and vigour of the men who built the Empire State Building, then the world’s tallest structure at 102 storeys and 1,250ft (381m) high. Like astronauts, they were going to places no man had gone before, testing the limits of human endurance, giving physical form to ideals of American puissance, “a land which reached for the sky with its feet on the ground”, according to John Jakob Raskob, then one of the country’s richest men, who helped bankroll the building. Continue reading...

‘It would take 11 seconds to hit the ground’: the roughneck daredevils who built the Empire State Building

‘It would take 11 seconds to hit the ground’: the roughneck daredevils who built the Empire State Building

They wrestled steel beams, hung off giant hooks and tossed red hot rivets – all while ‘strolling on the thin edge of nothingness’. Now the 3,000 unsung heroes who raised the famous skyscraper are finally being celebrated Poised on a steel cable a quarter of a mile above Manhattan, a weather-beaten man in work dungarees reaches up to tighten a bolt. Below, though you hardly dare to look down, lies the Hudson River, the sprawling cityscape of New York and the US itself, rolling out on to the far horizon. If you fell from this rarefied spot, it would take about 11 seconds to hit the ground. Captured by photographer Lewis Hine, The Sky Boy, as the image became known, encapsulated the daring and vigour of the men who built the Empire State Building, then the world’s tallest structure at 102 storeys and 1,250ft (381m) high. Like astronauts, they were going to places no man had gone before, testing the limits of human endurance, giving physical form to ideals of American puissance, “a land which reached for the sky with its feet on the ground”, according to John Jakob Raskob, then one of the country’s richest men, who helped bankroll the building. Continue reading...

Five of the best food books of 2025

Five of the best food books of 2025

Sami Tamimi celebrates Palestine’s culinary heritage, Helen Goh uncovers the psychological benefits of baking and Roopa Gulati reveals tricks used in the best Indian kitchens Lugma: Abundant Dishes & Stories from My Middle East Noor Murad (Quadrille) One of the greatest tests of a cookbook is not just whether the recipes appeal on first glance, but whether they have the power to weave themselves into your regular cooking life. By this measure, Lugma is my top food book this year. Its author, Noor Murad, is a young Bahraini-British food writer who has previously worked with Ottolenghi. It is a delight to find her writing here in her own voice about the Middle Eastern ingredients that mean so much to her (you’ll need black limes!). The recipes hit a sweet spot between ease and specialness. Even a simple side dish of greens becomes a feast, sauteed with fried onions and turmeric oil. Alongside a pantheon of rice dishes for celebrations, there are simpler midweek hits such as tuna jacket potatoes enlivened with a spicy tomato sauce and preserved lemons. Noor’s deeply fragrant Middle Eastern bolognese is now the recipe against which I judge all other ragus. Baking and the Meaning of Life Helen Goh (Murdoch) The idea of baking as therapy is often bandied around, but Helen Goh knows whereof she speaks. Alongside her career as a baker, Goh (who was born in Malaysia to Chinese parents) was for a long time a practising psychologist. Whatever the theory behind the effect, every time I follow Goh’s wonderfully precise yet creative recipes, I feel a deep calm and happiness as well as a sense that she is teaching me new skills (“learning, growth and achievement” are among the psychological benefits of baking, according to Goh). The Shoo Fly buns are the currant buns of dreams (with a whole raw orange pureed into the dough) and I wanted to make the chocolate financiers with rosemary and hazelnuts so much that I bought a financier tin specially (no regrets there). Continue reading...

Five of the best food books of 2025

Five of the best food books of 2025

Sami Tamimi celebrates Palestine’s culinary heritage, Helen Goh uncovers the psychological benefits of baking and Roopa Gulati reveals tricks used in the best Indian kitchens Lugma: Abundant Dishes & Stories from My Middle East Noor Murad (Quadrille) One of the greatest tests of a cookbook is not just whether the recipes appeal on first glance, but whether they have the power to weave themselves into your regular cooking life. By this measure, Lugma is my top food book this year. Its author, Noor Murad, is a young Bahraini-British food writer who has previously worked with Ottolenghi. It is a delight to find her writing here in her own voice about the Middle Eastern ingredients that mean so much to her (you’ll need black limes!). The recipes hit a sweet spot between ease and specialness. Even a simple side dish of greens becomes a feast, sauteed with fried onions and turmeric oil. Alongside a pantheon of rice dishes for celebrations, there are simpler midweek hits such as tuna jacket potatoes enlivened with a spicy tomato sauce and preserved lemons. Noor’s deeply fragrant Middle Eastern bolognese is now the recipe against which I judge all other ragus. Baking and the Meaning of Life Helen Goh (Murdoch) The idea of baking as therapy is often bandied around, but Helen Goh knows whereof she speaks. Alongside her career as a baker, Goh (who was born in Malaysia to Chinese parents) was for a long time a practising psychologist. Whatever the theory behind the effect, every time I follow Goh’s wonderfully precise yet creative recipes, I feel a deep calm and happiness as well as a sense that she is teaching me new skills (“learning, growth and achievement” are among the psychological benefits of baking, according to Goh). The Shoo Fly buns are the currant buns of dreams (with a whole raw orange pureed into the dough) and I wanted to make the chocolate financiers with rosemary and hazelnuts so much that I bought a financier tin specially (no regrets there). Continue reading...

'Japan... do some serious soul-searching!' - China condemns Tokyo's insistence on Treaty of San Francisco amid ongoing row over Taiwan

'Japan... do some serious soul-searching!' - China condemns Tokyo's insistence on Treaty of San Francisco amid ongoing row over Taiwan

"Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian on Monday condemned Japan's insistence on the Treaty of San Francisco as a response to its ongoing row with Beijing over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan. “History must not be reversed, and the bottom line of peace must not be breached," Lin said. "The course of history must not be reversed, and the bottom line of peace must not be crossed. Japan prevaricated to downplay the situation while continuing down the wrong path. China would absolutely not accept that," he said. "We urge the Japanese side to learn the lessons of history, do soul-searching, take seriously what it has heard from the Chinese side, simply retract the erroneous remarks as it should and take practical steps to honor its political commitments to China," he continued. It comes amid escalating tensions over Tokyo's recent emphasis on the 1951 peace treaty, arguing it is 'fulfilling' its post-war obligations. Under the treaty, Japan renounced claims to Taiwan and other territories, as argued by the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on November 7 during a parliamentary session. Beijing, however, maintains that the Treaty of San Francisco is invalid, as China was not a signatory and the treaty excluded wartime allies such as the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. "They never truly learned the lessons from history, never truly did any soul-searching about Japan's war atrocities or looked at them squarely, and never truly sought to prevent the revival of militarism in Japan," Lin said. "They hope that by whitewashing and not mentioning the true history, they could somehow make the world forget and release Japan from its obligations, but the world will not be deceived," he added. Takaichi refused to retract her remarks at the time of publication, saying Japan's position remained consistent while hoping for good ties with China. Meanwhile, Taiwan ended its 2011 restrictions on Japanese food on November 21, 2025, and several top officials, including leader Lai Ching-te, shared photos of themselves eating sushi to show support for Japan."