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The French are in uproar about gen Z not lunching with colleagues. I’m on Team Solo Dining | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

The French are in uproar about gen Z not lunching with colleagues. I’m on Team Solo Dining | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

For once we can celebrate a British custom: grabbing lunch away from your colleagues to do whatever you like It’s often striking to me – as a British person and a Francophile – what prompts bewilderment among the French. Most recently, an article in Le Monde describes a concerning trend: younger adults are choosing to dine alone during their lunch breaks, flying in the face of longstanding workplace tradition. Almost one-third of employees under 25 regularly lunch alone, according to a survey by Openeat, compared with 22% of 25- to 34-year-olds, 16% of 35- to 49-year-olds and 12% of over-49s. These statistics were shocking to me too, but in entirely the opposite way: so few? I forgot that when I was a waitress in Paris, I would serve groups of colleagues all the time. Whenever I visit, I am always struck by tables of people in workwear eating a prix fixe lunch menu of several courses, normally traditional French fare and often with a glass of wine. It always seems so very civilised. This culture may well be shifting, but it remains far more the norm there than in this country. Continue reading...

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Jordan Pickford’s ‘best save ever’, Antoine Semenyo’s shifting mentality and Liverpool’s set-piece threat grows Premier League top scorers: check the latest standings Arsenal won the battle of set pieces, beating Chelsea 2-1 to keep Manchester City at bay. In a game that offered few clearcut chances from open play, it was a familiar story of Arsenal overpowering their opponents from corner kicks. Gabriel bullied Reece James to set up William Saliba for their first goal and Jur​riën Timber punished a flailing Robert Sánchez for their second. Mikel Arteta’s side have equalled the record for the most goals scored from corners in a Premier League season (16) with nine games still to go. Meanwhile, Chelsea have conceded seven goals from set pieces in Liam Rosenior’s first 13 games in all competitions. Despite posing a threat offensively through Reece James’s delivery for Piero Hincapié’s own goal, they repeatedly failed to match Arsenal’s physicality when defending. Xaymaca Awoyungbo Match report: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea Match report: Manchester United 2-1 Crystal Palace Match report: Fulham 2-1 Tottenham Match report: Newcastle 2-3 Everton Match report: Leeds 0-1 Manchester City Continue reading...

Lack of a clear Iran plan could suck US into a long conflict: ‘Where does this go?’

Lack of a clear Iran plan could suck US into a long conflict: ‘Where does this go?’

Fears that decision to strike could be open-ended as Trump comes under pressure to spell out his vision for the country US-Israel war on Iran – latest updates Sign up for the Breaking News US email Donald Trump is under pressure to spell out his vision for Iran amid the ongoing attacks on the country and reports of the first American casualties since the launch of unprovoked US and Israeli military strikes. Trump’s critics are demanding that the White House provide greater clarity about what comes next. Opponents and analysts say the lack of a clear plan outlined so far has created a danger of the US being sucked into a long-lasting conflict of the sort that Trump repeatedly vowed to avoid. Continue reading...

Is 14 the magic number? Promoted trio make instant Super League impact

Is 14 the magic number? Promoted trio make instant Super League impact

Decision to expand top flight has seemed justified with Bradford, Toulouse and York grabbing early wins against established rivals When the Super League fixtures were released late last year, it was hard not to be drawn to this weekend. Clearly the headline attraction was Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR squaring off in Las Vegas but there was also another game that carried immense intrigue. Super League’s decision last year to expand to 14 teams was met with scepticism, to say the least. The general feeling was that there simply was not enough quality in the Championship, and with Salford Red Devils going into liquidation due to financial problems, the notion of three second‑tier teams coming up at once did not exactly scream of excitement. Continue reading...

‘I love midges because I know what their hearts look like’: is the passion for taxonomy in danger of dying out?

‘I love midges because I know what their hearts look like’: is the passion for taxonomy in danger of dying out?

Insect taxonomist Art Borkent has described and named more than 300 species of midges but fears his field of science is dying out, despite millions of insects, fungi and other organisms waiting to be discovered Once Art Borkent starts speaking about biting midges, he rarely pauses for breath. Holding up a picture of a gnat trapped in amber from the time of the dinosaurs, the 72-year-old taxonomist explains that there are more than 6,000 ceratopogonidae species known to science. He has described and named more than 300 midges, mostly from his favourite family of flies. Some specialise in sucking blood from mammals, reptiles, other insects and even fish, often using the CO 2 from their host’s breath to locate their target, he says. Tens of thousands remain a mystery to science, waiting to be discovered. But to Borkent’s knowledge, nobody will continue his life’s work of identifying and studying this group of flies once he has gone. Continue reading...