Wednesday 1st July 2026

News

Jacinda Ardern and eight others awarded with honorary degrees

The recipients include former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern; actress and theatre director Adjoa Andoh MBE; and literary critic and host of Finding Your Roots Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Tommy Robinson’s invitation to Oxford Union met with protest: Live updates

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, otherwise known as Tommy Robinson, is due to speak at the Oxford Union at 8.30 pm this evening at a debate on the motion “This House Believes the West is Right to be Suspicious of Islam”. The event has drawn condemnation from University societies, local politicians, and local faith leaders.

Home Office proposes doubling of Campsfield capacity

The Home Office has proposed a second phase of development to the Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre (IRC), increasing its capacity from 160 to 400 beds.

New Oxford campaign seeks to demystify genetic and neurological conditions using animations

A new educational campaign developed by the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Oxford aims to make neurodevelopmental disorders easier to understand through a series of animated videos. 

Taking stock

It has been an eventful long vacation. Whether you were stuck in an office in the city, sunning yourself in exotic climes or living...

So what are you doing with your life?

Oxford careers literature proudly proclaims that this university has educated twenty-five Prime Ministers, six kings, and three saints. This alone might go some way...

Obituary of the broadsheet

OBSERVANT NEWSPAPER readers may have noticed, over the last year and a half, papers have been getting a lot smaller. However, unlike the scandalous...

Passe Notes

So, you’re at Oxford now. You must be pretty clever then. But then again you’re probably pretty ugly too. And a virgin. And that’s...

He’s coming to get you

In the cult novel American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis describes, necessitating frequent book closing and book reopening for the faint of heart, the axe...

Figs, Figures and Figureheads

FIGS, “SAID my father to me once, emphatically, “are not fruit.”“Are not fruit.”“Are not vegetables… they are inverted flowers.”“Inverted flowers?” was my puzzled answer.“Inverted…...

Stage Exposed

Emma JenkinsonMagdalen College, 3rd YearActressEmma last starred in the Edinburgh Fringe’s critically acclaimed How I Learned To Drive, and played Titania in Merton’s Trinity...

Doctor Faustus

Doctor Faustusdir Andrea Ferran11 to 15 OctoberOld Fire StationDoctor Faustus is getting dangerously close to becoming an unstageable play. Perhaps that makes it even...

It’s all Greek to us

Orestesdir Pippa Needs11 to 15 OctoberOxford PlayhouseThis term’s staging of Orestes marks the 125th anniversary of the first Greek play to be put on...

Comedy

Puppetry of the Penisdir Simon Morley27 SeptemberNew TheatreEngland’s Ashes victory is under discussion. British Woman: “Loser!”. Australian Man: “Thank you, madam, but you’re the...

Edinburgh cuts the finest Fringe

Thank the Lord for Scottish opening hours. As the body clock slowly begins to get back to normal and daylight hours once more become...

Singled out

I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)Rachel Stevensout now« « « « «You’d be forgiven for thinking this sex-with-your-ex ditty is the comeback...

Alice in Ultraland

Alice In UltralandThe Amorphous Androgynousout now« « « « «The Amorphous Androgynous may not be a band that many people have heard of. This...

Size does matter

Taller in More WaysSugababesout 10 October« « « « «Perhaps what is most striking about the new Sugababes record is its schizophrenic stance. What...

Mud, mirth and beyond

Ever wondered what goes on in those bits of the festival that are rarely shown on TV? Months ago you were up at three...

The porter reporter

The job has changed in the six years that I’ve been doing it, in terms of the college being much busier. I think financial...

Small screen

The Secret of DrawingBBC28 October, 8.10pm« « « « «Love SoupBBC111 October, 9pm« « « « «Drawing is everywhere, proclaims presenter Andrew Graham Dixon...

Polanski with a twist

Oliver Twist. Cinema has already been there, done that. Many times, in fact. You’ve probably already got the t-shirt. Yet the last cinematic attempt...

Miss England finalist

Pip Stewart, an historian of Queens College, is the first Oxford student to get through to the Miss England finals. The competition is an...

HIV cure research

Oxford University has been selected to recieve $26.4m (£14.5m) from the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health to fund research into malaria, AIDS...

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