News about George Orwell

The Daily Mail's Tom Chesshyre visits the small town of Portrush in County Antrim, which lies amid 'rugged cliffs, ­towering dunes and sweeping beaches'. There is a world-class golf course, too, along with bizarre rock formations and a medieval castle. Read on for more...

A leading university has provoked fury for putting a 'ludicrous' trigger warning on Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales because they contain 'expressions of Christian faith'. Critics accused the University of Nottingham of 'demeaning education' for warning students about the religious elements of the works of medieval literature that tell the story of a pilgrimage to one of the most important cathedrals in all of Christendom. They said teachers were guilty of 'virtue signalling', adding that anyone studying such a famous collection would not need the Christian references pointed out. The Mail on Sunday obtained details of the notice issued to students studying a module called Chaucer and His Contemporaries under Freedom of Information laws. It alerts them to incidences of violence, mental illness and 'expressions of Christian faith' in the works of Chaucer and fellow medieval writers William Langland, John Gower, and Thomas Hoccleve.

With the row over donations from Lord Alli (right) swirling around him, Starmer's first major conference speech since becoming Prime Minister was the perfect opportunity to display the candour and transparency he once pledged would underpin his premiership. But he bottled it. We had the standard anecdote about a holiday in the Lake District. And a bizarre slip of the tongue where he called on Hamas to release the 'sausages'.

Everyone's swooning over Whoop, the AI exercise coach, stress expert and bedtime enforcer strapped to your wrist 24/7. Michael Odell hopes it will turn him into Superman, but fears he'll be brought crashing to earth, along with all his secrets

From Trump voter to would-be Trump assassin, Ryan Routh is now the second person to attempt to take the Presidential nominee's life in just two months. Dr Raj Persaud, a celebrity psychologist in the UK - who revealed theories behind attacks to this website, rather than his personal views - said the attacker was likely driven by a personality disorder or psychological problem rather than politics. He told DailyMail.com: 'People always look for political affiliations, but the research has shown over and over again that these people are not politically motivated. 'These are not hard-core Republicans or Democrats , these are people not driven by politics but by personality problems and resentment against society at large.'

The Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organisation - which protects trademarks and patents globally - has also vetoed masculine terms including 'forefathers' and 'brother­hood of man'.  Even 'man's best friend' has been blacklisted - with 'a faithful dog' to be used instead. And 'birth attendant' is suggested as an alternative to 'midwife'.

They had come to Britain for a romantic holiday and some much needed respite from the horrors at home. But Shimon and Talia's trip to the Edinburgh Fringe festival this week quickly turned into a hate-fuelled nightmare after the pair unexpectedly found themselves at the centre of an anti-Semitism row. It was only their second night in the city when this charming and friendly Jewish-Israeli husband and wife were literally hounded out of a stand-up gig by the comedian Reginald D Hunter and a baying mob.

They had come to Britain for a romantic holiday and some much needed respite from the horrors at home. But Shimon and Talia's trip to the Edinburgh Fringe festival this week quickly turned into a hate-fuelled nightmare after the pair unexpectedly found themselves at the centre of an anti-Semitism row. It was only their second night in the city when this charming and friendly Jewish-Israeli husband and wife were literally hounded out of a stand-up gig by the comedian Reginald D Hunter and a baying mob.

The Home Office will be reviewing draft guidance published in December under the then Tory government. MPs voted for the legislation last year to ban protests, including silent prayer, within 150 metres of a hospital or clinic providing abortion services. But the draft guidance, which has not yet come into force, allowed for silent prayer within 'safe access zones'. It also allowed 'consensual' communications within the zones, such as handing out leaflets or engaging people in conversation.

Why do Lefties have a problem with our national flag? It's a serious question. There are few nations in the world of which radicals should be prouder. Which country, down the centuries, did as much to enrich working people and give them a share in government? Where, in the sweep of history, would you rather have been poor, or female, or from a religious minority? What makes the latest bout of national angst about the Union flag interesting is the location. Some locals in the Norfolk village of Claxton are reportedly upset at plans to fly the world's most famous banner outside their village hall on special occasions.

The invitation which landed on the producer's desk at the BBC radio show, Steve Wright in the Afternoon, was as intriguing as it was cryptic. 'The KLF require your presence at a celebratory event to mark the summer solstice. You will be met at a location to be announced and transported to the lost continent of Mu.' It was the summer of 1991, and the esoteric nature of the summons was typical of the KLF. Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty were the world's biggest-selling pop group, with a reputation for elaborate, headline-grabbing stunts. Claire Pattenden, then a personal assistant at the Radio One show, was told to pack for the three-day trip. The 22 year-old, from a deprived corner of south London , had 'barely travelled north of Watford', so wherever 'Mu' was, she couldn't wait to get there.

EXCLUSIVE: Following the news the Treasury has no plans to mint any more 1 or 2p coins, MailOnline decided to put British currency to the test to find out how many pubs and clubs still accept coins. The Treasury's decision follows a sad recent trend of businesses turning their back on shrapnel. There are fears the cost of many basic items will now be rounded up to the higher full pound amount and hit vulnerable older people hardest.

OSCAR CAINER: George Orwell's '1984' described a dystopian world. Forty years on, his vision hasn't come to pass, but it's hard not to feel like we're being monitored - even if it's by 'big tech' rather than 'Big Brother'! Although with our browsing habits tracked by 'cookies', maybe the age of 'doublespeak' is already here! Today, a change of perspective can reshape our visions of the future in a more positive light.

In his classic novel, 1984, George Orwell imagined how Britain might one day become a totalitarian surveillance state. Yet as Orwell's novel celebrates its 75th anniversary this month, British police are already deploying technologies that would put Big Brother to shame. From the facial recognition cameras watching you shop to the algorithms predicting crimes before they happen, these tools feel as if they've been ripped from the pages of science fiction. But there is nothing fictional about the AI cops already patrolling Britain's streets - and experts say there is only more to come. Jake Hufurt, head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch, warned MailOnline: 'We're sleepwalking into a high-tech police state.'

Will the rise of the hard-Right in Europe lead progressives to question their conviction that civilisation thrives south of Calais, whereas Brexit Britain is narrow, reactionary and inward-looking? Such prejudices are not new. For at least a hundred years, English intellectuals have looked longingly across the Channel in the belief that in almost every respect life is superior on the Continent. George Orwell wrote about the phenomenon in 1940, famously asserting that 'England is perhaps the only great country whose intellectuals are ashamed of their own nationality'.

Travellers to India often have to stop over in the capital, but Delhi is sometimes overlooked and that's a shame. It's not only vibrant and occasionally wacky (where else has a 'Museum of Toilets'?), it's also one of the world's most beautifully crafted cities. Here are eight highlights that are not to be missed.

Things might look a little grim for small-c conservatives in British politics right now. But there is some good news from the front line in Britain's culture wars. All hail the anti-woke revolution! The backlash against intrusive 'progressive' diktats, imposed trans ideology and politically-correct language is gathering pace, from hospitals and schools to public loos. In another blow to the gender extremists, the Government is introducing new rules designed to 'halt the march of gender-neutral toilets' in non-domestic premises. New buildings such as bars, restaurants, shopping centres and offices will be required to provide single-sex toilet facilities for men and women 'to alleviate safety, privacy and dignity concerns'. The new legislation follows a government consultation in which 81 per cent of respondents wanted separate single-sex facilities; 82 per cent also favoured 'universal toilets' - self-contained, fully enclosed lavatories for individual use, each with its own wash basin.

In 1935 the exquisitely pretty Paget sisters - identical twins who were also the Debutantes of the Year - took English society by storm. Society photographer Norman Parkinson used them as models and newspapers photographed them at every opportunity. Well-connected, they seemed destined for 'good' marriages and the relative obscurity of upper-class country life. Certainly no one could have predicted that, instead, two of the literary giants of the 20th century would become utterly infatuated with them. George Orwell was the first to be smitten, after meeting Celia at Paddington station. Some time later, in Paris, the French novelist Albert Camus fell madly in love with her sister Mamaine. As leading socialist intellectuals of their day, both authors were the antithesis of the chinless wonders the twins were expected to marry. On the surface at least, two more unlikely romantic pairings seem hard to imagine.

Photographs of innocent Scots are among more than three million mugshots being held indefinitely on 'Big Brother' police crime databases. An unknown number of victims and those who have been cleared of any crime, or who have never been charged, are part of the vast cache of data being stored in online vaults. Scotland's biometrics watchdog Dr Brian Plastow warned the true number could be 'significantly' higher. He said images stored by Police Scotland and other policing agencies included mugshots of people who were later found to be innocent. He warned of 'concerns around the necessity and proportionality of retention policies', as officers are still untrained on a new code of conduct on data storage.

A cult cartoonist who worked with Marvel Comics has died after posting a heartbreaking letter on social media claiming that trolls killed him. Ed Piskor, an award-winning comic book artist who gained a following for his graphic novels and his work on Marvel's X-Men: Grand Design, died on Monday at the age of 41, according to his family. In a 2,497-word farewell note, a cause of death was not given, but the Pennsylvania native took to Facebook hours earlier to post what seems to be a suicide note, condemning internet bullies and cancel culture.

The reality show began in 2000 and was a nod to the all-seeing presence in the George Orwell novel 1984, but the Diary Room's voice has never had a face attached to it – until now. The civilian version of the show was revived by ITV1 in 2023, and the winner of the new edition of Celebrity Big Brother was announced last week.

We could need to prepare a citizen army for war with Russia, according to Army General Sir Patrick Sanders last week. Gen. Sir Richard Shirreff, the former NATO deputy commander, recommended conscription. Can our Generals really be talking about mass armies in the age of high-tech warfare?Is a new global conflict inevitable, and with the poison of ' woke ' political correctness flowing through our society, are we in any state to defend ourselves? Our world is chaotic and risky, as it is unquestionably true. Two wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are ongoing, and they could escalate quickly. Putin is telling Russians that they are already at war with NATO, while his henchmen warn of nuclear strikes, which might be troubling us.

In the 1980s, their love affair captured the country, and we rejoiced as their lips finally met. No, not Charles and Diana, silly, but Nescafe's Gold Blend couple. Their love in the ad breaks was a soap opera, and when a new instalment was announced, only a few people took advantage of the ad break to put the kettle on. However, one thing is certain: the excitement surrounding it won't be present any more. Advertising is a dying art form, and no one could be excited about the dreadful, infantile, irritating drivel that adorns our screens these days.

This week Bel advises a reader who fears her marriage is in trouble