The fortuitous – some would say suspicious – unearthing last week of the tomb of Dmitry Donskoi, a fourteenth-century Grand Prince of Moscow, is a reminder not only of a long tradition of the handy “discovery” of relics at useful moments, but also of Vladimir Putin’s efforts to recast his rule and war in religious terms.
Donskoi is one of the state-building heroes of Russian history, the prince who struck the first serious blow against the Mongol-Tatar Golden Horde after a century of their rule.
In 1380, at Kulikovo field on the banks of the River Don, he broke the forces of the Golden Horde through hard fighting and cunning deception.
Inside the UK’s youth unemployment capital
On the surface, the Birmingham suburb of Erdington seems like a typical small town, with a handful of pubs and a somewhat bustling centre complete with a Greggs and a B&M.
The nation’s Neet blackspot
- Erdington, near Birmingham, has the highest rate of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) in the country.
- 16.2 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds are on unemployment benefits.
- The national average is just 5.7 per cent.
What young people told us
It makes me feel worthless. I spend two or three hours a day looking for work online, and then I’ll spend another two hours going out handing CVs every day
Will Butler, 18, finished college in July
Young people overlooked
Companies don’t really want to hire young people… they want to hire the person with the most experience
Lewis McKeirnan, 18
Businesses struggling too
But small business owners in Erdington told The i Paper they could hardly afford to pay their own salaries, let alone take on a young trainee.
Kamlesh Bali, who runs a newsagent, said she and her husband work from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, because they cannot afford to take on another member of staff. “What we take in, it’s very hard for us, and to pay a wage as well, we struggle as it is as a small shop,” she said.
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- Ministers are also expanding their nationwide Youth Guarantee, with a £2.5bn package including 300,000 new work and training placements for young people and financial incentives of up to £3,000 for employers who hire and train eligible young jobseekers.
Football’s coming home? Burnham plots UK World Cup bid
The move would bring the World Cup back to the UK for the first time since England hosted in 1966.
Burnham bids for the North
Burnham told colleagues at a Friday morning meeting at No 10 North he is planning a World Cup bid, The i Paper can reveal.
Plans are underway
He said he is already in talks with the nation’s footballing bodies about how to run the campaign.
Prioritising the North
He also wants to put on a “Northern Olympics” and bring the 2035 Ryder Cup to Bolton.
The UK has only hosted the World Cup once
It makes you wonder whether the authorities at the European and global level have something against us. The country that invented the game, you’d think we would have had a bit more of that attention
Andy Burnham told the podcast
It would ‘not be fair’ for the Olympics to be hosted in London
A coalition of Northern mayors has been pressing for a multi-city Olympic and Paralympic bid, arguing the Games should be used to rebalance the distribution of major events and investment away from London.
Burnham has said it would not be “fair or right” for London to host the Olympics for a fourth time and has backed a Northern Games as “what Britain needs right now”.
First meeting of No 10 North
The meeting in which Burnham discussed his Men’s World Cup plans was the first virtual “situation room” held through No 10 North. This is his new base for bringing Whitehall and local leaders together and was focused on giving mayors more power, expertise and resources to deliver investment in their areas.
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English is lit! Great Expectations rewritten by AI in Gen Z slang
‘I call myself Pip. It’s not a name with much rizz’
One of the great classics, written by Charles Dickens, has been modernised – but it’s not aimed at children studying the text in class.
- The Dickens classic has been fed into the AI model Claude Opus 4 to produce “Bare Expectations”.
- The shortened adaption uses the slang of teenagers today, using words like “ick” and “drip”.
- It was made by Tesco Mobile, in partnership with author Chloe Combi, to help parents better understand their children and keep them safe online.
- It was also read as an audio book by Allan Mustafa, from Kurupt FM.
Classic for the modern age
You’d think the best MC in the galaxy would know all the latest slang, and I do. If any kid tells you otherwise, they’re lying. Any words I don’t know are just not cool enough for me to care about!
Allan Mustafa, MC Grindah from Kurupt FM, told Retail Times.
A closer look at the detail
But 77 per cent of parents worry about their online safety. One in four parents felt unprepared when giving their child their first phone. More than half are confused by their child’s language at least once a week.
But campaigners say the best way to keep children safe online is by not giving them a smartphone in the first place.
Are Channel crossing numbers down?
The French authorities have become more “effective” at stopping migrants crossing in dangerous small boats across the Channel, the UK Government has said.
What do the figures tell us?
The figures compared to last year
5%
The increase in the number of small boats intercepted in the last three months compared with last year.
The Home Office said, citing French figures, that since April, 61 per cent of small boats have been intercepted.
The deal agreed by the UK and France in April.
This includes £161m in performance-based targets.
Channel crisis
In the past few weeks, three boats were stopped – two of which were at sea.
Numbers falling
Some 15,897 migrants have crossed the Channel, 43 per cent down on the same period last year.
Last month, a record 165 migrants reached the UK in a single boat.
“People smugglers should be in no doubt, we’re taking down their operations, seizing their equipment and breaking their business model for good,” said Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood.
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British rapper Yung Filly to face retrial on rape charges in Australia
The rapper and YouTuber who appeared on Celebrity Bake Off will face a retrial after a jury could not reach a verdict during trial.
Yung Filly denied all charges
The Colombian-born rapper, whose real name is Andrés Felipe Valencia Barrientos, was charged with raping and assaulting a 20-year-old fan after his show in Perth 2024. He denied all 10 charges and a jury last month found him not guilty of three charges of rape.
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He was accused of raping a fan
Barrientos was accused of having consensual sex with her until he turned violent and didn’t stop when asked. His lawyer said the evidence was full of “inconsistencies, embellishments and outright lies”.
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A closer look at the detail
- Last month, a jury found him not guilty on three counts of rape.
- He was cleared of one assault charge and another of strangulation.
- But he was found guilty of two counts of assault.
- Jurors were unable to make a decision on three counts of sexual penetration without consent.
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
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A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
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It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
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The kitchen gadgets under £25
Victorinox paring knife
It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.
ProCook cast iron pan
For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice.
Tesco chopping board
Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Pyrex jug
It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.
Salter scales
“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”
Microplane grater
It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match.
Braun hand-held blender
It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce.
Bodum cafetiere
As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.
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The kitchen gadgets under £25
Oxo peeler
What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.
Falcon pie dish
Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe.
It would take another century for Russia to truly be free of the Mongols – in 1382 they burned Moscow down. Nonetheless, he was elevated as a hero and in 1988 canonised as a Russian Orthodox saint.
This makes it all the more significant that, in the course of restoration work in the crypt of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael within the Kremlin, three sarcophagi were reportedly discovered, one of which turned out to hold Donskoi’s remains.
This was quickly turned into a story of divine providence and favour. Vladimir Medinsky, a presidential aide who as culture minister pumped money into books, plays and films pushing the state-approved “patriotic” spin on the country’s history, claimed it was a symbol of divine approval, a “smile from God”.
Konstantin Malofeev, owner of the nationalist news site , was even more fulsome: “In the midst of our fateful confrontation with the collective West, by God’s Providence, Saint Dmitry Donskoi himself once again stands at the head of the Russian army.”
Putin visited the site on Thursday, and there is talk that some of the relics may be sent to the front lines in Ukraine to bolster soldier morale. Relics of another sainted medieval prince, Alexander Nevsky, followed a similar path earlier this year.
Putin – who is a practicing Orthodox Christian – has long associated his rule with the church. When he annexed Crimea in 2014, he defended the move as securing a location of “enormous civilisational and sacral meaning for Russia”. Crimea was where Vladimir the Great supposedly converted to Orthodox Christianity, bringing the faith to the East Slav peoples.
In recent years, priests have blessed tanks on their way to the front in Ukraine, raised money to buy equipment for soldiers and have encouraged volunteers to join the army. The Church’s leader, Patriarch Kirill, has defended the invasion of Ukraine as a “holy war” in order to “protect the world from the onslaught of globalism and the victory of the West, which has fallen into Satanism”.
The Church has also played a significant role in efforts to mobilise the so-called “Russian World” to generate support for Putin and his war from the diaspora abroad, not least to justify Moscow’s supposed right to authority over Belarus and Ukraine.
In return, Putin has given it an increasingly central role in Russian life, from education to business. And thanks to special laws allowing it to claim back property seized in Soviet times, it has built up a huge property portfolio and also runs a number of businesses, many of them operating tax free. Kirill was photographed wearing a £19,000 gold Breguet watch, much to his embarrassment.
For Putin, couching his war and rule in terms of a religious crusade has an obvious appeal, as war fatigue grows and Ukraine increasingly looks for ways to bring the conflict home to ordinary Russians.
He may hope that identifying himself with the Orthodox Church and wrapping himself in Donskoi’s shroud will make up for his people’s growing discomfort with his war. But it also means undermining his standing as the leader of a multi-confessional state.
Two-thirds of Russians say they are Orthodox Christian, but Islam accounts for up to 15 per cent of the population. They are disproportionately represented in the army, something Putin would do well to remember.
That said, Putin may see a need to strengthen his legitimacy, with parliamentary elections next month and no clear strategy to stopping Ukraine’s drone strikes across Russia. With his approval ratings falling, and dwindling numbers express confidence in Russia’s future under his leadership, Putin looks notably weaker than in the last decade or two.
This is also hardly the first time that relics have surfaced at convenient moments. A shard of iron found in Antioch in 1098 was spun as the Holy Lance that pierced Christ’s side, heartening the besieged Crusaders enough that they routed their more numerous enemies. Meanwhile, the discovery of “King Arthur’s tomb” in the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey after it burnt down in 1184 was used to help raise funds to rebuild it.
Putin will be hoping it works out just as well for him.