No. 10 tells Peter Andre: siestas wouldn’t work here
And other stories from the stranger side of life
Downing Street has told Peter Andre that British people could not be trusted to have a continental-style siesta because they would all go to the pub and get drunk. Speaking to Times Radio, the pop star said that when he raised the idea of introducing afternoon naps to improve productivity with a friend at No. 10, they gave his idea a thumbs down. “He said that when [UK workers] go the pub they can have quite a few drinks and they are not going to come back to work in the afternoon. And I thought that I kind of get that.” A Downing Street spokesperson denied the claims.
Calls for NZ’s public pooing law to change
A law in New Zealand that allows people to excrete in public as long as they do not think they are being watched must be re-visited, a camping group has said. The Guardian explained that although it is an offence to defecate in a public place, they can escape a $200 fine if the squatter can demonstrate that they had reasonable grounds for believing they were not being observed. The Responsible Campers Association Inc said the law should also require people to show they went about their business at least 50 metres from a waterway and that they buried their waste by at least 15cm.
Cinemas ban teens in suits
Some cinemas have banned teens from wearing suits to screenings of Minions: The Rise of Gru following complaints about rowdy behaviour. The Independent said the decision came after some young moviegoers were disruptive in cinemas as a viral trend erupted on TikTok. A staff member at one venue told the BBC they wanted to ensure the experience was not spoiled for younger children on what could be their first cinema trip.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The dazzling coral gardens of Raja AmpatThe Week Recommends Region of Indonesia is home to perhaps the planet’s most photogenic archipelago.
-
‘Never more precarious’: the UN turns 80The Explainer It’s an unhappy birthday for the United Nations, which enters its ninth decade in crisis
-
Trump’s White House ballroom: a threat to the republic?Talking Point Trump be far from the first US president to leave his mark on the Executive Mansion, but to critics his remodel is yet more overreach
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago