@UTRs - think you'll like this story We need jungle' - Amol Rajan on how a University Challenge question spawned a remix craze Published 9 hours ago By Amol Rajan In idle moments this week, of which there have been fewer than usual, I have wondered about the precise circumstances that led Nathan Filer, a best-selling writer based at Bath Spa University, to post on Twitter/X about University Challenge. The curious thing, given what followed, was that he was playing catch-up. Monday night's edition of the quiz on BBC Two featured Lincoln College, Oxford, against Imperial. But earlier that day, Filer had been watching the previous week's show, Sheffield against Aberdeen, perhaps to make sure he wasn't behind. I infer he is an aficionado who watches on iPlayer. And at lunchtime too - it was at 13:29 that he had a moment of utter inspiration. A bonus round for Aberdeen included a question about jungle, the dance music emanating from the sound system culture of the 90s. There is an ancient debate about where drum 'n' bass ends and jungle begins, or vice versa. More on that later. In any case, when Emily Osborne, Aberdeen's immensely clever and impressive captain, answered "drum 'n' bass", my response prompted Filer to post: "Please, please will someone sample @amolrajan saying: 'I can't accept Drum & Bass. We need Jungle, I'm afraid.'" All hell broke loose. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67955753
i always thought the ban was an islamic thing Saudi Arabia to get first alcohol shop in more than 70 years Published 1 hour ago Share please log in to view this image IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, A bar tender mixes a non-alcoholic cocktail at a pop-up bar in Riyadh. But the real stuff could soon be heading to the Saudi capital. By Graeme Baker BBC News Saudi Arabia has said it will open a shop in Riyadh selling alcohol to a select band of non-Muslim expats, the first to open in more than 70 years. The clientele will be limited to diplomatic staff, who have for years imported booze in sealed official packages known as diplomatic pouches. Saudi officials said the shop would counter "the illicit trade of alcohol". Prohibition has been law since 1952, after one of King Abdulaziz's sons drunkenly shot dead a British diplomat. The new store will be located in Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter west of the city centre, according to a document seen by the AFP and Reuters news agencies. A source familiar with the plans told Reuters the shop was expected to open within weeks. There will be limitations, however: Thirsty envoys would need to register beforehand and receive clearance by the government No one under 21 will be allowed in the store and "proper attire is required" at all times inside Drinkers will not be able to send a proxy, such as a driver Monthly limitations would be enforced, the statement said. However - according to the document seen by AFP - these will not be particularly stringent. Patrons will be limited to 240 "points" of alcohol per month. One litre of spirits will be worth six points, one litre of wine three points and one litre of beer one point. There are also no suggestions that the clientele will be widened to "ordinary" foreigners in the kingdom without diplomatic privileges, who officially have no access to alcohol. While alcohol will become part of Riyadh life, drinkers would be wise to be mindful of where they drink and how they behave afterwards. Under current Saudi law, penalties for consumption or possession of alcohol can include fines, jail time, public flogging and deportation for unauthorised foreigners. The document also said authorities are planning a "new regulatory framework" that would also allow "specific quantities" of alcohol to be brought in by diplomats to "put an end to... an uncontrolled exchange of such goods", it added. For years diplomatic staff have had to use their "pouches", which cannot be tampered with by authorities in their host country, to bring in limited amounts of alcohol. The moves are the latest in a series of initiatives known as "Vision 2030" to liberalise Saudi society under the crown prince and de facto ruler of the country, Mohammed bin Salman. Other Gulf states operate similar alcohol regimes. However, the UAE and Qatar also allow the sale of alcohol to non-Muslims over 21 in hotels, clubs and bars. There is no suggestion from the Saudi document that the government there is considering doing the same. While alcohol is forbidden under Islam, Saudi Arabia had until 1952 held a conciliatory attitude to its presence inside the kingdom. That changed after Mishari bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, a prince, shot dead Cyril Ousman, the British vice-consul in Jeddah, in 1951 for refusing to pour him another drink at a function. A year later, King Abdulaziz imposed a total ban on alcohol. Mishari was convicted of murder
microwave and salt ****ing americans US scientist recommends adding salt to make perfect cup of tea Published 3 hours ago Share please log in to view this image IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, How you make the perfect cuppa can be an intensely individual experience By James Gregory BBC News The British claim to know a thing or two when it comes to making a good cup of tea. The beverage is a cultural institution in the UK, where an estimated 100 million cups are drunk every day. But now a scientist based more than 3,000 miles away in the US claims to have found the secret to a perfect cuppa that many Brits would initially find absolutely absurd - adding salt. Prof Michelle Francl's research has caused quite the stir in the UK, and has even drawn a diplomatic intervention from the US Embassy. "We want to ensure the good people of the UK that the unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain's national drink is not official United States policy. And never will be," the embassy said on X, formerly known as Twitter. 60-second cuppa - an 'insult' or a teatime treat? It is not the first time the drink has caused controversy on both sides of the Atlantic. Back in 1773, demonstrators in Boston, colonial Massachusetts, threw 300 chests full of tea into the harbour in protest at British taxes - a key moment which sparked the American Revolution. "I certainly did not mean to cause a diplomatic incident," Prof Francl, a professor of chemistry at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, tells the BBC. "My emails have been going crazy today. I did not anticipate waking up this morning to see loads of people talking about salt in their tea." So why add salt? It turns out that it is not a new idea - the ingredient is even mentioned in eighth century Chinese manuscripts, which Prof Francl analysed to perfect her recipe. "What is new is our understanding of it as chemists," Prof Francl said. She explains that salt acts as a blocker to the receptor which makes tea taste bitter, especially when it has been stewed. By adding a pinch of table salt - an undetectable amount - you will counteract the bitterness of the drink. "It is not like adding sugar. I think people are afraid they will be able to taste the salt." She urges tea-loving Brits to have an open mind before pre-judging her research, which she has documented in her new book Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. "It is okay to experiment," she says. "I did experiments in my kitchen for this - channel your inner scientist." Prof Francl has loved tea ever since her mother made her first brew when she was 10 years old. Everyone has their own opinion on what makes the perfect cuppa, but Prof Francl recommends using loose leaves instead of tea bags and giving the drink a constant stir so the tea gets a good exposure to the water and milk. Adding a small squeeze of lemon juice can also remove the "scum" that sometimes appears on the surface of the drink, she adds. Other suggestions she makes include using short, stout mugs to keep the tea hotter, and warming up the mug and milk, with the latter added in only after pouring the tea. But chief among her advice is to never, ever heat up the water in a microwave: "It's less healthy and it does not taste as good," Prof Francl says. "You end up getting tea scum forming on the surface, and that scum contains some of the antioxidants and taste compounds." While the concept of microwaving tea might sound a bit alien in the UK, it is "totally common" in the US. "Americans have some truly awful tea-making habits," Prof Francl says. "I have had better cups of tea at service stations in Ireland than I have had at fancy restaurants in the US. "I think it is just that people do not know [how to make a good cuppa]. If you do not drink tea, you do not know you are making a horrible cup of tea for someone and giving them a miserable experience." She says she loves coming to the UK, where she knows she will be able to locate a decent brew. "I know when I land I can get a great cup of tea. It is good to have that common ground," she says. So, what next for British-American tea relations? The US embassy is not heeding Prof Francl's advice and says it will stick to what it calls the "proper way" of making tea - by microwaving it - while the UK Cabinet Office is adamant it can only be made using a kettle.
Slow news day in Southampton. https://x.com/dailyecho/status/1751090454786105669?s=46&t=IY6M0zI1h1T3HNaXabWIhQ https://x.com/dailyecho/status/1751090447232139540?s=46&t=IY6M0zI1h1T3HNaXabWIhQ https://x.com/dailyecho/status/1751090441293046070?s=46&t=IY6M0zI1h1T3HNaXabWIhQ
Hold the front page! https://x.com/dailyecho/status/1752903006813823200?s=46&t=IY6M0zI1h1T3HNaXabWIhQ
Alright, l can see some of you are chewing at the bit to be strutting your stuff on a Saturday night after the R'rsss have a win. We're got some real honkies busting some moves, out of sight, dynamite! On SALE Now! Your the da man!
I'd have had a 28-inch waist back then. I once encountered Brian Eno in Kensington Market while I was shopping for loon pants.
