Churchill’s desk and rare artwork among items donated to UK cultural institutions

Churchill’s desk and rare artwork among items donated to UK cultural institutions

Items worth £59.7m allocated to museums, galleries, libraries and archives as part of Arts Council England scheme Winston Churchill and Benjamin Disraeli’s desk, a painting by Vanessa Bell and a rare artwork by Edgar Degas are among the items of cultural importance saved for the nation this year. The items, worth a total of £59.7m, will be allocated to museums, galleries, libraries and archives around the UK as part of Art Council England’s cultural gifts and acceptance in lieu schemes. Continue reading...

Trump is making China – not America – great again, global survey suggests

Trump is making China – not America – great again, global survey suggests

Exclusive: US is less feared by its traditional adversaries, while its allies feel ever more distant, results show A year after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, a global survey suggests much of the world believes his nation-first, “Make America Great Again” approach is instead helping to make China great again. The 21-country survey for the influential European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank also found that under Trump, the US is less feared by its traditional adversaries, while its allies – particularly in Europe – feel ever more distant. Continue reading...

Traces of cancer-linked pesticide found in tests at UK playgrounds

Traces of cancer-linked pesticide found in tests at UK playgrounds

Pressure mounting for use of glyphosate, listed by WHO since 2015 as probable carcinogen, to be heavily restricted Children are potentially being exposed to the controversial weedkiller glyphosate at playgrounds across the UK, campaigners have said after testing playgrounds in London and the home counties. The World Health Organization has listed glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen since 2015 . However, campaigners say local authorities in the UK are still using thousands of litres of glyphosate-based herbicides in public green spaces. Continue reading...