News Atlas

GuardianSep 27Preview

‘I’d like to explain why I was such a monster back then’: six writers on the apologies they wish they’d made

From making life hell for a young teacher to doubting the motives of a caring foster mother, Olivia Petter, Derek Owusu, Annie Lord and other writers repent for past bad behaviourAt school, I was not a good girl. Actually, that’s putting it mildly: I was an emotional terrorist hellbent on inflicting torture and humiliation on my year 6 teacher, Ms Hill, one whoopee cushion at a time. That’s how it began, anyway, but like all crimes, mine followed a strategic pattern of escalation, carefully executed alongside my best friend and accomplice. Continue reading...

Olivia Petter, Derek Owusu, William Rayfet Hunter, Poorna Bell, Annie Lord and Nikesh ShuklaHealth & wellbeingLife and style

GuardianSep 27Preview

‘I turbocharged my career then pressed eject’: why couples are getting divorced later

Financial pressures, legal changes and shifting attitudes may help explain why couples are staying married for longer“We don’t know anyone whose marriage hit the skids after just a few years,” Celia said, reflecting on her divorce. “Everyone seemed to cling on to their relationships for as long as they possibly could.”It took Celia two years to initiate divorce after realising her 12-year marriage wasn’t going anywhere – and the latest figures show this experience is increasingly common, with marriages that end in divorce now lasting longer than at any point since records began. Continue reading...

Amelia HillDivorceDivorce

NYTSep 27Preview

He Ran a Top Lady Gaga Fan Page. Then He Vanished.

Kirill Nguyen, the founder of Gaga Daily, said he had been imprisoned in Belarus for participating in pro-democracy protests. He resurfaced this week after an absence of more than two years.

Francesca RegaladoPrisons and PrisonersPop and Rock Music

GuardianSep 26Preview

Greek authorities seek answers after six killed in Athens apartment block explosion

Emergency teams discovered victims after two-storey building in historic Plaka district collapsed ‘in seconds’Greek authorities say they are trying to discover what caused a two-storey apartment block in the heart of ancient Athens to collapse “in a matter of seconds”, killing six people.Emergency teams found the victims, including four American tourists, on Saturday, more than 24 hours after the early morning explosion in the historic Plaka district. Continue reading...

Helena Smith in AthensGreeceEurope

NYTSep 26Preview

Six Dead After Explosion in Athens Tourist District

Officials said a gas leak might have caused the blast, which destroyed a building and rattled a part of the Greek capital that draws many visitors.

Niki KitsantonisAthens (Greece)Rescues

BBCSep 26Preview

British national among six dead in building explosion close to Acropolis in Athens

Four Americans and a Greek national are among those killed in a suspected gas explosion, officials said.

GuardianSep 26Preview

How Athens discovered a new, confident Greek cuisine

Athens is now a food capital where you can enjoy bustling bars, traditional taverna fare or unearth a new-wave gem in its many restaurants – but it wasn’t always this waySee our recommendations for eating and drinking around AthensVisiting Athens for its food might have sounded like a joke to previous generations. Unlike many other Mediterranean countries, including Italy, Spain and Turkey, Greece had no renaissance and no aristocracy to fund chefs and develop sophisticated cuisines. Simple village dishes didn’t always translate well: in the past, tourists would suffer a summer scorching and some desiccated moussaka so they could puff up the Acropolis in August before skedaddling to an island. However, recently the Greek capital has undergone a gastronomic renaissance.Athens always offered the joys of eating outdoors – by the sea in summer, or winter sunshine on the city’s streets – but

Sofka ZinovieffGreek food and drinkAthens holidays

NYTSep 25Preview

His Novel Had a Shot at a Top Book Prize. Then Someone Ran an A.I. Test.

“It Was Either That Or Die,” by the Haitian-Canadian author Thélyson Orélien, was the hit of the French literary season. Now it has been pulled from the shortlist for a prestigious prize.

Catherine Porter, Ségolène Le Stradic and Tiffany HsuOrelien, ThelysonGrasset

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