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The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Tuesday briefing: The story behind the Edinburgh University ‘skull room' – and a reckoning over its history
Good morning. I'm Phoebe Weston, and I'll be bringing you First Edition alongside Aamna this summer. If there is anything you would like to see covered over the coming weeks, please hit reply and send us your suggestions. Today's newsletter takes you behind a series of locked doors at the University of Edinburgh's Anatomical museum. The 'skull room' is at the end of a long corridor, rarely visited by anyone outside the university – and inside it are mahogany-framed glass cabinets containing appropriately 1,500 human skulls, some with peeling labels and catalogue numbers, others bare. Hundreds of these were shipped to Scotland by supporters of 'phrenology', the belief that you can calculate someone's intelligence and character by looking at the shape of their skull. Spoiler alert: it was all nonsense. But back in the 18th century it carried weight. Generations of Edinburgh alumni dispersed across the British empire with beliefs about racial superiority encapsulated by the collections in this room. These skulls tell a story about the role played by one of the UK's oldest and most respected universities in creating and perpetuating ideas about white superiority from the late 1700s on. That is what prompted the university to commission the most extensive review by any UK university into its connections with transatlantic slavery and empire. For today's newsletter, I spoke to the Guardian's Scotland editor, Severin Carrell, on what has been found in this landmark inquiry and what the university is going to do about it. That's after the headlines. Israel | Two leading human rights organisations based in Israel, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, say Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, and Israel's western allies have a legal and moral duty to stop it. Donald Trump has told Israel to allow 'every ounce of food' into Gaza as he acknowledged for the first time that there is 'real starvation' in the region. Politics | The US president heaped praise on Keir Starmer as the two met in Scotland, but in a domestic intervention that will not have been appreciated by the British PM, Trump urged him to cut taxes and tackle illegal immigration to win the next election. Economy | The French prime minister, François Bayrou, said the EU had capitulated to Donald Trump's threats of ever-increasing tariffs, as he labelled the framework deal struck in Scotland on Sunday as a 'dark day, when an alliance of free peoples, brought together to affirm their common values and to defend their common interests, resigns itself to submission'. Labour | Angela Rayner has hit back at anonymous No 10 officials who have briefed against senior cabinet ministers in recent months, warning them they are committing 'self-harm'. Cost of living | Food prices rose by 4% in July from a year earlier, up from 3.7% in June and above the three-month average of 3.5% according to the latest snapshot from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The rising cost of staples like meat and butter – which have both increased by over 15% – has been blamed for large retailers struggling to entice shoppers back to the high street. In recent years there had been debate from within the university about its role in slavery. 'Working in Scotland for the Guardian for the past 19 years, I have been watching and following stories about Scotland's entanglements with transatlantic slavery and empire,' says Severin. In 2018 the University of Glasgow became the first UK institution to critically examine its role with transatlantic enslavement. That triggered other institutions – including the Church of England and the National Trust – to look into this issue. The Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 turbocharged these conversations. The Guardian has also done its own investigations into its founders' complicity with the slave trade in the Cotton Capital series. The Edinburgh review, though, is the most extensive investigation of its kind carried out by any university in the UK. The inquiry examined its own academics' conduct at the time, and also did investigations into the university's current demographics and its underrepresentation of Black professors and students. This included having two research fellows spend months going through archives, reading reams of lecture notes from the 1700s. 'Now that is a substantial advance on what other UK universities have done so far,' says Severin. It's likely that other universities might find similar material in their archives, says Severin. 'One of the interesting arguments that's levelled about Edinburgh is that, in its day – in the late 1700s early 1800s – it was one of the most significant and important academic institutions in Europe and possibly the world. The Edinburgh medical school was one of the world's first, so it had a disproportionate impact on the teaching of medicine, and also what the doctors it then taught were doing when they went out to work in the British colonies or immersed themselves in the plantation economies of the Americas.' What do we know about the skulls? The University of Edinburgh skull room was part of the former anatomy museum built in the 1880s (the museum is still there, just smaller). It was open to the public and was where the university could showcase its research. The skulls were obtained through networks linked to the British empire and the Edinburgh Phrenological Society. Many heads were taken without consent from prisons, asylums, hospitals, archaeological sites and battlefields. In the 19th century scientists were intent on classifying the natural world into taxonomic categories. Typically, non-white populations were depicted as inherently inferior (a convenient truth for those promoting colonialism). Some of Edinburgh's most celebrated intellectuals argued that different human races were so distinct that they ought to be considered separate species. Despite the fact that phrenology was never formally taught at Edinburgh (it was criticised by some for its unscientific approach) the skull room was built to house these collections. Modern genetics has since shattered the idea that there are biologically distinct racialised groups – although this piece by Hannah Devlin shows there is a resurgence in interest about theories of racial exceptionalism. Once a source of pride, these heads are now a source of shame to the university. The skull room has been preserved in situ, but 'it's not accessible to the public and is rarely visited by anybody outside the university', explains Severin, who described coming face-to-face with the skulls as 'quite unsettling and sobering'. More than 100 of these skulls have already been repatriated, with plans for many more to be returned. In 2023 the remains of four tribal warriors were returned to Taiwan. Many of the skulls will never be identified and their provenance is likely to remain unknown. 'The university now regards this as a place which needs to be protected and looked after with respect and decorum. It's not a place they want people ogling,' says Severin. What has the inquiry found? The inquiry found that Edinburgh became a 'haven' for professors who developed theories of white supremacy in the 18th and 19th centuries. These individuals played an important role in the creation of discredited 'racial pseudo-sciences' that placed Africans and their descendants at the bottom of a racial hierarchy. Hundreds of graduates went on to make fortunes from the transatlantic slave trade or generally profiting from the empire. They served as doctors on slave ships, administrators, lawyers to enslavers, merchants, plantation owners, or were slavers themselves. The university raised the equivalent of at least £30m today from former students and donors with links to slavery or colonial wealth building, the report found. That £30m can, however, be interpreted in different ways: it can be argued it should be seen as the higher figure of £202m based on the growth of wages since they were received, and as much as £845m based on economic growth since then. The report's authors have said their findings show a darker side to the Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th and 19th centuries during which time the university became famous for the work of celebrated individuals such as the economist Adam Smith and the philosopher David Hume. Sir Peter Mathieson, the university's principal, who commissioned the investigation, said Edinburgh could not have a 'selective memory'. Severin says: 'It's crucial that we understand our history accurately and are candid about what our country's societies, economies, history has involved in the past, and denying the bad things is not an intelligent way of grappling with our inheritance.' Demands to decolonise the curriculum One of the academics leading the university's inquiry is Tommy J Curry, who is the first Black philosophy professor in the university's 442-year history. The point is not to simply produce a report but to act, he said. Fewer than 1% of its staff and just over 2% of its students are Black, well below the 4% of the UK population, and despite Edinburgh's status as a global institution. The university will set up a new race review implementation group, which will actively support the review's call for Edinburgh to establish a centre for the study of racism, colonialism and anti-Black violence. Reparations are a key part of recommendations. 'Academics argue it's not about cutting a cheque, it's about making substantive change which addresses all of the damage and violations from our past, and making sure that we repair the harms,' says Severin. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion She'd be too modest to recommend it herself, but just before joining First Edition, in her day job as a biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston put together this stunning feature explaining in excruciating detail what microplastics do to our world, our wildlife … and our bodies. Charlie Lindlar, newsletters deputy editor Nesrine Malik wrote powerfully about children starving in Gaza (illustrated above). 'Every single one of these deaths, and those that will come, is preventable,' she writes. An aid worker overheard children telling their parents that they want to die and go to heaven, because 'at least heaven has food'. Phoebe The EU has 'capitulated' to Trump with its new trade deal, writes academic Paul Taylor in his breakdown. Worse? The 'humiliation' Ursula Von der Leyen and company have put the continent through doesn't even put a permanent end to its economic problems with the US. Charlie Sympathies to Samuel Rowe who returned home from his allotment in Manchester with a trug of vegetables only to be arrested by armed police. Within a canvas sheath he had a Niwaki Hori Hori gardening trowel that aroused particular suspicion. 'That's not a garden tool,' the officer said as he pulled it out. Phoebe Our film team's series on feelgood movies by design yields all sorts of surprising picks, but perhaps few quite so terrifying yet touching as James Cameron's genre-defining Aliens. Emily Steer writes thoughtfully on how the film's body horror and take on motherhood provided a release during 'an IVF crisis'. Charlie Football | Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton (pictured above) are expected to be awarded MBEs with England's Lionesses set to be lavished with nominations in the new year honours list after their historic European Championship victory. Cycling | Demi Vollering's hopes of continuing in the Tour de France Femmes were uncertain after she crashed at speed on the approach to the finish of stage three in Angers. Vollering landed on her back and left side, and hit her head, but was able to remount and finish the stage, which was won by Lorena Wiebes of Team SD Worx-ProTime. Cricket | Jamie Overton has returned to England's squad for the final Test against India, which starts at the Oval on Thursday, to provide cover should the seamers who toiled through the drawn fourth fixture fail to recover in time. 'Trump urges Israel to let food aid into Gaza to tackle 'real starvation'' says the Guardian while the i paper has 'You can't fake that starvation: Trump and UK send new Gaza warning to Israel'. The Financial Times leads with 'EU markets reel as bloc's big nation cast doubt on Washington trade deal'. The Mail says 'Trump tells Starmer how to see off Farage' and the Express splashes on 'Trump's 'pretty simple' advice for PM' – that advice being 'Cut tax to beat Farage', the Times shares. Similarly the Telegraph says 'Trump: Cut taxes and stop the boats'. 'It's come home again!' – the Metro continues to celebrate the Euros win. 'For my brother' – the Mirror reports on the posthumous graduation ceremony that awarded honorary degrees to Nottingham stabbing victims Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar. Protests against Zelenskyy as drones torment Ukraine Luke Harding talks to people in Kyiv protesting against the Ukrainian president's recent changes to the country's anti-corruption bodies, and analyses where the war against Russia is heading next A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad Three months ago, the Guardian's Arifa Akbar set out to kick that most modern of vices: her coffee habit. For our series The one change that worked, she writes about how she finally got off it … sort of. 'Three months ago, I decided, emphatically, not to kick the habit but to enjoy a single daily dose,' she writes. 'This was initially born out of necessity: I went to a retreat where we were limited to a single cup of freshly ground coffee a day, at a time of our choosing, and I took great pains over deciding when I'd have mine, and where. Then I savoured it, desperate to make its effects last. 'Strangely, when I got back home, I stuck to that single cup.' Why? Read on for more. Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply
Scottish Sun
07-07-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
All the places in Europe where it IS safe to drink tap water – after one French region banned it
Plus, the foods to avoid at the all inclusive buffet THIRST TRAP All the places in Europe where it IS safe to drink tap water – after one French region banned it Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FRENCH region recently banned residents from drinking tap water over chemicals found in the water. Alsace in eastern France sent 60,000 residents a letter back in April telling them that their water was contaminated and as a result from May, at risk groups should not drink tap water. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 A French region recently banned residents from drinking tap water due to chemicals found in the water - but it has revealed a wider water issue across Europe Credit: Getty The chemicals found were PFAS, also known as 'forever chemicals,' which originated from the Euro-Airport Basel-Mulhouse. Whilst most won't know the name of these chemicals, we use them in our everyday lives for things like non-stick frying pans, waterproof jackets, and food packaging. But there has been some evidence that PFAS can cause some cancers, kidney disease, high cholesterol, fertility issues, birth defects, and issues with the immune system. PFAS can be found in all water - so technically no where is safe from these forever chemicals. The Guardian's Phoebe Weston recently revealed that said: "There's more than 23,000 sites across Europe contaminated with PFAS, and in more than 2,300 of those - the levels were considered hazardous." You can check the Forever Pollution Map to see where contaminated sites are. But PFAS aren't the only thing that can make water unsafe to drink - for tap water to be deemed drinkable, it must be cleaned of all germs, pollutants and parasites that can cause us to become unwell. Here are the countries in Europe where tap water is considered safe and unsafe to drink... Places where tap water IS safe in Europe Vivid Maps found that only 50 countries around the world offer drinkable tap water, with the majority in Europe. Typically, tap water is safe to drink in the following European destinations: Andorra Austria Belgium Czech Republic Croatia Denmark Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece - the mainland Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Monaco Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal San Marino Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland UK Vatican City 5 Alsace in eastern France sent 60,000 residents a letter back in April telling them that their water was contaminated Credit: Getty Places in Europe where it is sometimes safe There are a few countries only with certain areas it is safe to drink in. In Greece, the mainland is generally safe to drink tap water from. However, according to Hidropoliti Kakademi, visitors should avoid drinking water on the islands as: "it's rarely safe there - if in doubt, ask a local". Meanwhile, in Georgia, in urban areas like Tbilisi, tap water is typically safe to drink but in rural areas, travellers are advised to drink bottled water. Also in Hungary, the tap water is typically safe to drink in Budapest but it should be avoid outside of the country's major cities. Sites are more mixed about Cyprus though, with some saying tap water isn't safe to drink at all such as All Clear Travel Insurance and others saying it is absolutely safe, such as Visit Cyprus. If you are travelling to Cyprus, it is best to check local reports to find out whether the tap water is safe to consume. In Estonia, tap water is clean and safe to consume in Tallinn, according to Visit Tallinn. The site adds: "From spring until autumn, public drinking water taps can be used in various locations around the city." 5 There are some countries with areas that are safe, but other areas that are not Credit: PA Places where tap water ISN'T safe in Europe There are some destinations in Europe where it isn't safe to drink tap water, according to to multiple sources. The countries where visitors are recommended to drink bottled water include: Albania Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Kazakhstan Kosovo Lithuania Moldova Montenegro Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Turkey Ukraine 5 The chemicals found were PFAS - also known as 'forever chemicals' Credit: Reuters What should you do when travelling? If you are going on holiday and are worried about the levels of PFAS in the water or how clean the water is around where you are staying, there are a few things you can do. Firstly, it is worth checking local reports to see if your area has high levels of PFAS in the water or if the water has recently been contaminated. Alternatively, you can purchase bottled water. Water cleanliness can change over time, with some countries having cleaner water in some areas compared to others - so it is important to always check the tap water at your destination ahead of travelling. If you do fall ill when travelling and suspect it is from tap water, then stop drinking the tap water and opt for bottled or purified water. It is important to stay hydrated, so avoid alcohol and caffeine too. Keep and eye on your symptoms - such as chills, aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea - and if they worse, seek medical attention. Travellers have also been warned to never visit a hotel buffet during 'quiet' times on all-inclusive holidays. Plus, eight travel insurance mistakes to avoid that could cost thousands – including tricks to buying cover and what to pay. Foods to avoid at the all-inclusive buffet Cooked rice and pasta can also cause issues – starchy foods left at room temperature are ideal for bacteria growth. Cold meats and soft cheeses pose a risk if they are not properly chilled, then they're a common cause of illness. If sauces and gravies in hot trays are not kept piping hot, they can become bacterial breeding grounds. Any creamy desserts like custard tarts or tiramisu can spoil quickly in heat.
The Sun
07-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
All the places in Europe where it IS safe to drink tap water – after one French region banned it
A FRENCH region recently banned residents from drinking tap water over chemicals found in the water. Alsace in eastern France sent 60,000 residents a letter back in April telling them that their water was contaminated and as a result from May, at risk groups should not drink tap water. 5 The chemicals found were PFAS, also known as 'forever chemicals,' which originated from the Euro-Airport Basel-Mulhouse. Whilst most won't know the name of these chemicals, we use them in our everyday lives for things like non-stick frying pans, waterproof jackets, and food packaging. But there has been some evidence that PFAS can cause some cancers, kidney disease, high cholesterol, fertility issues, birth defects, and issues with the immune system. PFAS can be found in all water - so technically no where is safe from these forever chemicals. The Guardian 's Phoebe Weston recently revealed that said: "There's more than 23,000 sites across Europe contaminated with PFAS, and in more than 2,300 of those - the levels were considered hazardous." You can check the Forever Pollution Map to see where contaminated sites are. But PFAS aren't the only thing that can make water unsafe to drink - for tap water to be deemed drinkable, it must be cleaned of all germs, pollutants and parasites that can cause us to become unwell. Here are the countries in Europe where tap water is considered safe and unsafe to drink... Places where tap water IS safe in Europe Vivid Maps found that only 50 countries around the world offer drinkable tap water, with the majority in Europe. Typically, tap water is safe to drink in the following European destinations: Andorra Austria Belgium Czech Republic Croatia Denmark Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece - the mainland Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Monaco Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal San Marino Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland UK Vatican City 5 Places in Europe where it is sometimes safe There are a few countries only with certain areas it is safe to drink in. In Greece, the mainland is generally safe to drink tap water from. However, according to Hidropoliti Kakademi, visitors should avoid drinking water on the islands as: "it's rarely safe there - if in doubt, ask a local". Meanwhile, in Georgia, in urban areas like Tbilisi, tap water is typically safe to drink but in rural areas, travellers are advised to drink bottled water. Also in Hungary, the tap water is typically safe to drink in Budapest but it should be avoid outside of the country's major cities. Sites are more mixed about Cyprus though, with some saying tap water isn't safe to drink at all such as All Clear Travel Insuranc e and others saying it is absolutely safe, such as Visit Cyprus. If you are travelling to Cyprus, it is best to check local reports to find out whether the tap water is safe to consume. In Estonia, tap water is clean and safe to consume in Tallinn, according to Visit Tallinn. The site adds: "From spring until autumn, public drinking water taps can be used in various locations around the city." 5 Places where tap water ISN'T safe in Europe There are some destinations in Europe where it isn't safe to drink tap water, according to to multiple sources. The countries where visitors are recommended to drink bottled water include: Albania Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Kazakhstan Kosovo Lithuania Moldova Montenegro Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Turkey Ukraine 5 What should you do when travelling? If you are going on holiday and are worried about the levels of PFAS in the water or how clean the water is around where you are staying, there are a few things you can do. Firstly, it is worth checking local reports to see if your area has high levels of PFAS in the water or if the water has recently been contaminated. Alternatively, you can purchase bottled water. Water cleanliness can change over time, with some countries having cleaner water in some areas compared to others - so it is important to always check the tap water at your destination ahead of travelling. If you do fall ill when travelling and suspect it is from tap water, then stop drinking the tap water and opt for bottled or purified water. It is important to stay hydrated, so avoid alcohol and caffeine too. Keep and eye on your symptoms - such as chills, aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea - and if they worse, seek medical attention. Travellers have also been warned to on all-inclusive holidays. Plus, eight travel insurance mistakes to avoid that could cost thousands – including tricks to buying cover and what to pay. Cooked rice and pasta can also cause issues – starchy foods left at room temperature are ideal for bacteria growth. Cold meats and soft cheeses pose a risk if they are not properly chilled, then they're a common cause of illness. If sauces and gravies in hot trays are not kept piping hot, they can become bacterial breeding grounds. Any creamy desserts like custard tarts or tiramisu can spoil quickly in heat. 5
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
The French town that banned its tap water and the chemicals that could be in yours
Sandra Wiedemann was watching TV on a Saturday night when she first saw the news that the water where she lived was contaminated. Then, three days later – right at the end of April – it was made official. Sandra and 60,000 other residents of Alsace, eastern France, were told by the local government that it had found dangerously high levels of PFAs – or 'forever chemicals' – in the water. Those in high-risk groups – under-twos, immunocompromised people, pregnant women – were advised not to drink water from the taps for the rest of year. The Guardian's biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston heads to Alsace to speak to residents and activists, and goes to the local spot that has caused the contamination. As she tells Helen Pidd, it's a story that is unlikely to be limited to Alsace. For PFAs are used on an industrial scale right around the world. Valued because they just don't break down, they are used in products from non-stick frying pans to waterproof jackets. But the same quality means they are now found right across the environment too – from in the water and earth beneath our feet to inside even our blood. So, if the water in Alsace has been deemed too dangerous to drink, what does it mean for the rest of the world?
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
The French town that banned its tap water and the chemicals that could be in yours
Sandra Wiedemann was watching TV on a Saturday night when she first saw the news that the water where she lived was contaminated. Then, three days later – right at the end of April – it was made official. Sandra and 60,000 other residents of Alsace, eastern France, were told by the local government that it had found dangerously high levels of PFAs – or 'forever chemicals' – in the water. Those in high-risk groups – under-twos, immunocompromised people, pregnant women – were advised not to drink water from the taps for the rest of year. The Guardian's biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston heads to Alsace to speak to residents and activists, and goes to the local spot that has caused the contamination. As she tells Helen Pidd, it's a story that is unlikely to be limited to Alsace. For PFAs are used on an industrial scale right around the world. Valued because they just don't break down, they are used in products from non-stick frying pans to waterproof jackets. But the same quality means they are now found right across the environment too – from in the water and earth beneath our feet to inside even our blood. So, if the water in Alsace has been deemed too dangerous to drink, what does it mean for the rest of the world?
