Raised by addicts, abused, neglected, broke: how Katriona OSullivan escaped her fate | Poverty
‘Choice is a myth that’s perpetuated by the middle classes’ … Katriona O'Sullivan in Dublin. Photograph: Johnny Savage/The Guardian‘Choice is a myth that’s perpetuated by the middle classes’ … Katriona O'Sullivan in Dublin. Photograph: Johnny Savage/The GuardianPovertyInterviewRaised by addicts, abused, neglected, broke: how Katriona O’Sullivan escaped her fateEmine SanerPregnant at 15, and soon to be homeless, O’Sullivan never expected to succeed – but became a leading academic. The author of Poor talks about everything that conspired to keep her down – and her ‘miraculous and rare’ ascent
Who said: 'If you are not part of the solution, you must be part of the problem'? | Notes and Querie
YESTERYEARWho said: 'If you are not part of the solution, you must be part of the problem'? THIS IS a misquotation of Eldridge Cleaver. The correct (full) quote is: 'There is no more neutrality in the world. You either have to be part of the solution, or you're going to be part of the problem.' T. Siedner, London NW2.
Probably the Editor of "Notes and Queries." Garrick Alder, London Eldridge Cleaver was hardly being original.
40 best spa breaks in the UK
The ObserverSpa breaksAnd relax … our roundup pampers to all tastes and wallets, from city-break, pet-friendly and affordable to holistic, medical and wellness
Great value breaksGarage Spa at the Morritt, County Durham
Twice-winner of the Good Spa Guide’s best boutique spa, the Garage Spa has been cleverly converted from its original use as a stopping station en route from London and Carlisle. Against a backdrop of exposed timber and weathered stone, the spa boasts a trio of indoor hot tubs, a steam room and a secret garden with alfresco hot tub.
A history of Australias Indigenous art in 10 objects
Bark painting of a barramundi. Western Arnhem Land, c1961. Courtesy of the British MuseumBark painting of a barramundi. Western Arnhem Land, c1961. Courtesy of the British MuseumArtThe Australian continent is larger than Europe, has been inhabited for more than 60,000 years and once belonged to hundreds of Indigenous groups. Ahead of a major British Museum show, curator Gaye Sculthorpe presents 10 objects that sum up the controversies of this complex national story
Buenos Aires has first snow since 1918 | World news
World newsBuenos Aires has first snow since 1918The Casa Rosada, the Argentinian president's "Pink House", verged on turning white overnight after Buenos Aires was blanketed in snow for the first time in nearly 90 years.
Children threw snowballs while photographers tried to capture the falling flakes as a party atmosphere descended on the city. Crowds gathered at the Obelisk monument in central Buenos Aires, the traditional focal point for Argentinian celebrations and protests.
John Travoltas Saturday Night Fever suit up for sale with authentic sweat marks | John
John Travolta This article is more than 8 months oldJohn Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever suit up for sale – with ‘authentic’ sweat marksThis article is more than 8 months oldOne of two identical white three-pieces worn by star in 1977 role expected to fetch $250,000
It’s one of film’s iconic images: a smouldering John Travolta, in a white three-piece suit, lapels licking the shoulders, raising his right arm on a glowing dancefloor.
Red Birds by Mohammed Hanif review a thrilling satire of US foreign policy
Book of the dayFictionReviewThe ugliness of war is brilliantly captured in this wildly original novel narrated by a teenage refugee and a philosopher-dog
“When I look up, I see people cashing in. I don’t see heaven or saints or angels. I see people cashing in on every decent impulse and every human tragedy.” So says John Yossarian, the bombardier protagonist of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, a work to which Mohammed Hanif’s Man Booker-longlisted first novel, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, was widely compared.
Snake island: Massachusetts to establish colony of venomous rattlesnakes | Massachusetts
Massachusetts This article is more than 7 years oldSnake island: Massachusetts to establish colony of venomous rattlesnakesThis article is more than 7 years oldThe plan is to save a species that’s been wiped out in the state – but some residents fear the snakes, which are capable of swimming, will escape the island
A colony of venomous rattlesnakes is to be established on an uninhabited island in Massachusetts in a bid to save a species that has been virtually wiped out in the state.
The 20 best films set on trains ranked! | Movies
Tickets, please … Yoo Gong in Train to Busan. Photograph: Well Go USA Entertainment/AllstarThe Railway Children Return is shortly to arrive on UK platforms and Bullet Train speeding down the tracks behind it. Until then – as rail strikes bring stations to a standstill – here are 20 vicarious train trips by Ryan Gilbey20 Silver Streak (1976)The sight of Gene Wilder blacking-up under the tutelage of Richard Pryor is enough to get this lightweight comedy-thriller cancelled faster than a train on strike day.
TV tonight: secret KGB files revealed in timely Chernobyl documentary | Television & radio
TV tonightTelevision & radioTV tonight: secret KGB files revealed in timely Chernobyl documentaryThe first part of Channel 4’s fascinating examination of the world’s largest nuclear disaster to date. Plus: Welsh crime drama Hidden gets grittier. Here’s everything to watch this evening
Chernobyl: The New Evidence7.30pm, Channel 4Here’s the second big Chernobyl documentary to air over recent weeks (see also Sky’s Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes). The world’s largest nuclear disaster to date is understandably an endless source of fascination – but Russia’s capture of the plant in February means a more urgent interest in revisiting the event to help contextualise the war.