Latest Stories
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Leonardo: artist, scientist, hipster, genius
This week, 500 years after his death, we honour Leonardo da Vinci, the man who created flying machines, scuba gear and a tennis racket — as well as the most beautiful artworks in history.
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Hope rises from the ashes of Notre Dame
The extraordinary global reaction to the huge fire in one of the world’s greatest cathedrals has prompted a profound debate about civilisation, spirituality and the failings of modernity.
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Divorce on demand to make ending marriage easy
Yesterday, the UK announced a divorce law revolution that would make it easier for couples to split without a painful “blame game”. Is the world’s most revered institution on its last legs?
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Rwanda remembers its genocide 25 years on
This week, Rwanda commemorates the massacres of 1994, in which 800,000 people were killed in just 100 days. The country is now stable, but how does any society recover from such a horror?
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Britain’s secret plans for nuclear apocalypse
Amazing records of official preparations for World War Three in 1981 have been revealed by the National Archives. Just 40 years ago, the world was on the brink of war. How safe are we today?
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The misunderstood genius of Vincent van Gogh
Does genius go hand-in-hand with “some touch of madness”? Aristotle thought so. No one exemplifies the idea more than Van Gogh, who has a new exhibition in London. But is it really true?
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Back me and then sack me, says last-ditch May
Rarely in British history has there been so much confusion over so many important issues with so little time to sort them out. Here is The Day’s early-morning guide to the key questions.
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Company behind Pret admits to Nazi past
The Reimann family is the second richest in Germany, with stakes in major brands like Pret and Krispy Kreme. Now they have found evidence of a dark Nazi past. How should this make us feel?
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The web at 30: a ‘monster hijacked by crooks’
Should we be celebrating its birthday? There is no denying that the internet has revolutionised every aspect of human life, from war to dating to shopping. But has it made things better?
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Nuclear powers India and Pakistan on red alert
The world holds its breath as Pakistan shoots down an Indian jet and the two historic enemies trade threats. A top scientist has warned that war between them could cause two billion deaths.
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Study finds signs that civilisation is ending
After analysing the lifespans of nearly 100 historic empires and their cultures, a Cambridge academic finds common warning signs of impending collapse. Alarmingly, many are evident today.
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Oscar winner Green Book accused of ‘whitewash’
Is this year’s Best Picture a masterpiece — or a whitewash of history? Green Book tells the story of a “true friendship” between a black concert pianist and his white chauffeur in 1962.
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Trump declares national emergency to build wall
What is it about walls? President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency in order to fund a wall along the US-Mexico border. Now he faces several challenges in the courts.
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Row erupts over claim Churchill was a villain
Can you be a hero and a villain at the same time? Labour’s shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, is under fire for branding Winston Churchill — once voted the “greatest Briton” — a villain.
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The real story of Britain’s forgotten Queen
Olivia Colman has won a BAFTA for her portrayal of Queen Anne, an overlooked monarch who was often dismissed as fat, ugly and dull. Has history been unfair to Anne?