by Elena Ferrante and Elizabeth Strout on (#5WSEA)
The author of the Neapolitan quartet and the Pulitzer prize-winning novelist discuss identity, ambition, truth – and the ‘convulsive’ urge to writeThank you for all of your work. I am a huge fan, and I have read all your books, and by reading them I was able to take new risks with my own work. So thank you for that as well. In this new book you go deep, deep into the things that matter for readers and writers alike. I am very glad to be in a conversation with you about it.“And your novel?”“Oh, I put in my hand and rummage in the bran pie.”“That’s what’s so wonderful. And it’s all different.”“Yes, I’m 20 people.” Continue reading...
On a weekend away with friends, she tells everyone about my medical issues. I’d forgotten how indiscreet she isMy wife and I are setting off on a weekend away; she’s driving. After about 20 minutes conversation flags, and I take my phone out of my pocket.“Ow,” I say, examining my fingers. Continue reading...
Scientists identify impact of sudden cleaning of skies and drop in greenhouse emissions in 2020China’s record-breaking rainfall during summer 2020 was linked to Covid lockdowns, research suggests.Hundreds of people died and millions were evacuated as unprecedented rains fell over heavily populated regions of eastern China during June and July of 2020. Continue reading...
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Arugam Bay on (#5WS9Z)
Women and girls have challenged conservative attitudes in the hallowed surf spot of Arugam BayGrowing up in a small fishing village along the east coast of Sri Lanka, Shamali Sanjaya would often sit on the beach and look out at the boisterous waves. She would watch in envy as others, including her father and brother, grabbed surfboards, paddled out into the sea and then rode those waves smoothly back to shore. “I longed for it in my heart,” she said.But as a local woman, surfing was strictly out of bounds for her. In Sri Lanka’s conservative society, the place for women was at the home and it was only the men, or female tourists, who were allowed to ride the hallowed waves in Arugam Bay, considered Sri Lanka’s best surf spot. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe (now); Dani Anguiano, Gloria Ola on (#5WR39)
Linda Thomas-Greenfield tells emergency security council meeting Russia actions were ‘reckless’; Jens Stoltenberg warns of ‘more death, more suffering and more destruction’
A blogger in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv had been recording a video message to his followers as an airstrike hit near him. Nikita Demenkov was telling his followers about the use of donations they had sent when a missile exploded above him on Wednesday. The blast sent him scrambling to seek shelter in a basement.
by Interviews by Nick Ames and Larisa Kalik on (#5WS5K)
Four players and a coach with Ukrainian clubs reveal how their lives have been turned upside down by Russia’s invasionOn the day the war began, I was in Kyiv with my family. I have been injured recently, so could not train with the team. At 5am my young son awoke, and my wife got up to calm him. Then we heard the explosions, one after the other. We thought there had been an accident, but then we read online that the war had begun. We quickly began to gather our belongings. I am Georgian, and was in Georgia in 2008 when Russia attacked our country, so this is not the first time I’ve been through a war. I told my wife: “Let’s get ready more quickly.” I drove the car closer to our house, loaded it with things and then waited for a couple of my teammates. They are foreigners and also have young families. We drove away from Kyiv together. Continue reading...
Footage shows team’s vehicle being attacked by a Russian ambush squad on Monday near KyivA Sky News crew has been evacuated back to the UK from Ukraine after journalists were shot during an ambush by a suspected Russian “death squad” on Monday.The team of five were attacked while out in a car, after unsuccessfully trying to visit the town of Bucha near Kyiv. Continue reading...
$27m boat impounded after EU blacklists owner Alexei Mordashov following Moscow’s attacks on UkraineItalian police have seized a yacht owned by Alexei Mordashov, the richest man in Russia before being blacklisted this week by the European Union following Moscow’s attack on Ukraine.The 65-metre (215-ft) “Lady M” was impounded in the northern Italian port of Imperia. Continue reading...
His career statistics are extraordinary but he will be best remembered for playing the game with joy and panacheThe first thing I did was watch that clip. Shut your eyes and you can probably picture it. Shane Warne’s first ball in the Ashes, his choppy peroxide blond hair ruffling in the wind, the zinc cream smeared across his lips and the tip of his nose, his top button undone, his collar turned up, a flash of the gold chain bouncing around his neck. Seven steps, then he sweeps his arm over, sends the ball flying. It dips, hits the pitch, zips, spins the width of Mike Gatting, clips the off-stump. Bowled him! Warne roars, Gatting baffled, stares back down the pitch trying to figure out what’s just happened, umpire Dickie Bird tries to hide the ghost of a smile that’s crept across his face.It was some introduction. And it turned into some story, too. Continue reading...
by Presented by Katharine Murphy, with Daniel Hurst a on (#5WRXJ)
Katharine Murphy speaks to the Australian National University’s professor of international security and intelligence studies John Blaxland and Guardian Australia’s foreign affairs and defence correspondent Daniel Hurst about the events leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, what lies ahead for global peace and security, and the effect of Australia’s response on its international reputation and the upcoming federal election Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#5WRVJ)
The artist was in court for a dispute with two musicians who claim Shape Of You plagiarises parts of their songEd Sheeran has been accused of being a “magpie” who allegedly “borrows” ideas from other artists for his songs on the first day of a three-week copyright trial over his hit single Shape Of You.Sheeran, 31, appeared at the high court on Friday for the dispute with two musicians who claim Shape Of You – the UK’s bestselling song of 2017 and the most streamed song in Spotify’s history – plagiarises parts of their earlier song Oh Why. Continue reading...
Gustavo Zanchetta convicted by court in a major blow to Pope Francis, who had initially defended the bishopA court in Argentina has sentenced a Roman Catholic bishop to four and a half years in prison for sexual abuse of two former seminarians in a major blow to Pope Francis, who had initially defended the bishop.Gustavo Zanchetta, 57, was convicted on Friday of “simple, continued and aggravated sexual abuse”, with his offense aggravated by his role as a religious minster. Continue reading...
William Warrington in custody after his parents were found dead with stab wounds at separate locationsA man has been charged with the murder of his parents who were stabbed to death in Gloucestershire earlier this week.Clive Warrington, 67, and his former wife, Valerie Warrington, were found dead at separate locations about 15 miles apart on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Readers respond to an article by Nesrine Malik about how the invasion of Ukraine has been viewed differently to other conflicts across the globeNesrine Malik’s comment has one further compelling dimension to it: seeing this horror in Ukraine and all conflicts through the eyes of children (Let the horror in Ukraine open our eyes to the suffering of war around the world, 1 March). Fright, despair and bewilderment are etched on every face that appears on TV or in the papers. Adults should be ashamed of what we are doing to these innocents all over the world. Malik is right. We are appalled by what is happening in Ukraine, yet appear to ignore or be indifferent to other conflicts.Millions of children are frightened and starving to death in Afghanistan because of sanctions imposed upon a new government. Millions are frightened and starving in Yemen, where western arms support allows Saudi Arabia to cripple food supplies. Children in Syria are frightened and hungry as the civil war drags on. Iraq is failing and the children suffer. In Africa, starvation and fear permeate the continent in places such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. And everywhere the faces of children are a fierce and damning testimony to adult behaviour.
Shane Warne’s reputation as a cavalier cricketer, on and off the field, is justified but is not the whole storyThe shockwaves are not confined to Australia. Shane Warne, like Rod Marsh, was a global presence in cricket. We were all trying to come to terms with the loss of Marsh, reading the torrent of tributes including this one from Warne, which suddenly acquired a haunting quality: “Sad to hear the news that Rod Marsh has passed. He was a legend of our great game and an inspiration to so many young boys and girls. Rod cared deeply about cricket and gave so much – especially to Australia and England players.” Then the second thunderbolt struck and this time without any warning.Warne was a legend and an inspiration. He started under Marsh’s wing at the Adelaide academy before graduating in spectacular fashion to become the greatest spin bowler I’ve ever seen, someone who singlehandedly kept the art of wrist-spin bowling alive in the 1990s. Continue reading...
Anas Sarwar believes totally integrating social and health care is essential to NHS reformAnas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has pledged to spend nearly £1bn to provide free residential care for all elderly people and free home care in a bid to address Labour’s slump in support.Sarwar said Scottish Labour planned to expand the ethos of the NHS, which provides free care regardless of income, to the social care service. He said totally integrating social and health care provision was an essential prerequisite for NHS reform. Continue reading...
Hamilton says retaining seat with majority of 3,266 shows party is ‘finally turning a corner’The new Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington has said her byelection victory shows the party is “finally turning a corner” after she secured the seat with a majority of 3,266.Paulette Hamilton, a former nurse, will become the city’s first black MP after getting 9,413 votes, beating the Conservative candidate, Robert Alden, who got 6,147. Labour’s vote share rose to 55.5% from 50.3% in 2019. Continue reading...
At least 56 people killed in attack on Shia Muslim mosque in Peshawar during Friday prayersA suicide bomber has struck inside a Shia Muslim mosque in Pakistan’s north-western city of Peshawar during Friday prayers, killing at least 56 worshippers and wounding 194 people.No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Both the Islamic State group and the Pakistani Taliban – a militant group separate from the Taliban in Afghanistan – have carried out similar attacks in the past in the area, located near the border with neighbouring Afghanistan. Continue reading...
Dog borrowers are stepping in to help with the challenge of fitting new pets to a post-lockdown lifestyleAfter a difficult year including a bad breakup and her parents moving abroad, Aimée Lou McAvoy was desperate for a change of scene. She started occasional dogsitting, escaping London for days at a time to stay in country homes and care for adorable pets while their owners were away.With more people returning to the office after the end of the government’s advice to work from home because of the Covid pandemic, the business of looking after dogs has been booming. New customer inquiries at Barking Mad, which offers local dog home-boarding services, are up by 1144.36%, in the year to date for 2022 against the same period last year, and up by 482.75% compared with pre-pandemic demand in 2019. Continue reading...
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has appealed to Russians to stage protests over Russian forces' seizure of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. A building at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was set ablaze during intense fighting, triggering fears of a potential nuclear disaster.The Ukraine president also urged the west to consider imposing a no-fly zone for Russia in response to the attack
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been seized by Russian military forces, according to regional authorities, after a fire sparked by overnight shelling burned for several hours at the largest facility of its kind in Europe. Volodmyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia of resorting to 'nuclear terror'. 'No country other than Russia has ever fired on nuclear power units,' the Ukrainian president said
From Ukrainian history to Putin’s kleptocracy and Gogol’s stories, author and former Russia correspondent Oliver Bullough chooses the best titlesWith Russian forces pushing deep into Ukraine, bombarding Kharkiv, Kyiv and other cities, and an unprecedented wave of western sanctions pushing the rouble down to an all-time low, it is hard for any of us to tear our eyes away from the news. But the currents of history that led up to this crisis are deep and complex, and understood in profoundly different ways in Moscow and Kyiv.The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy is a great place to start reading up on the background to the crisis. It tells the story of this large but less well-known country without the Moscow-centric bias that many of us Russian speakers have long struggled to free ourselves of. It is learned and considered, but lightly written and leavened by anecdotes. Continue reading...
‘Truly kind soul’ Shatha Ali killed after collision involving lorry near Holborn station on TuesdayA lawyer described by her family as a “truly kind soul” has become the eighth cyclist to be killed on or near a notoriously dangerous gyratory in central London since 2008.Shatha Ali died after a collision involving a lorry near Holborn station on Tuesday morning as she battled her way through commuter traffic at the height of the tube strike. Continue reading...
As the raunchy TV show about a time-travelling nurse and an ageing highland warrior returns, its stars open up about the vibrant love lives of the over-70s – and respond to criticism of the show’s troubling use of sexual violenceOutlander isn’t a show that can be described in a nutshell. Is it a period drama? Sci-fi? Action? Romance? Caitríona Balfe, who has been the show’s star for eight years, still doesn’t know. “God, yeah,” she puffs. “It sort of defies definition, but that’s part of the appeal.” One thing agreed upon among fans is that, against a dedicated attention to historical detail and endless panoramic shots of Scotland, Balfe’s raunchy relationship with co-star Sam Heughan is the beating heart of the story. Heughan, however, insists it’s not just constant shagging: “When it’s written off as a ‘bodice-ripping drama’ I think, ‘But there’s so much more to it.’”The adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s novel series follows the story of second world war nurse Claire, played by Balfe, who is honeymooning with her husband, Frank, when she touches a stone in the Highlands and falls back in time to 18th-century Scotland. There, she falls in love with clansman Jamie, played by Heughan. He affectionately calls her “sassenach” – gaelic for “English outlander”. Together, they travel around the world, encountering and often disrupting historical events, moving back and forth between centuries (only Claire has the gift of time travel), going into battle, saving lives, dealing with witchcraft trials, becoming a power couple and having a lot of sex. Continue reading...
James Rutherford resigns from board of Evraz, steel and mining group in which Roman Abramovich has stakeThe London Stock Exchange suspended trading in more Russian companies on Friday, while an independent director resigned from the board of Evraz, the steel and mining group in which Roman Abramovich holds a 29% stake.The LSE suspended trading in the remaining eight companies with strong links to Russia that were not included on a list of 27 companies suspended on Thursday. Continue reading...
A new trailer reveals that Secrets of Dumbledore, the third Harry Potter prequel, will throw open the doors of the wizarding school for the first time on film since 2011They say never go back. But then “they” never had to cope with derisive reviews, tumbling box office receipts and the highly public fall from grace of an A-list star. In the ranks of movies based on the works of JK Rowling, Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald, released in 2018, was the Wizarding World equivalent of that time Neville Longbottom accidentally transplanted his own ears on to a cactus; an episode so muddled and painful that the average Hogwarts student would need a magic spell just to understand what the hell was supposed to be going on and why any of us should care.And so the saga’s next instalment, The Secrets of Dumbledore, is probably best off harking back to the good old days, when Harry, Ron and Hermione only had to worry about Voldemort’s next appearance rather than the potential cancellation of an entire movie series. Duly, the new trailer for the film arrived this week, and we were treated to our first look at the famous wizarding school since 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. There’s even a clip of Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore, just to remind everyone that this was a very successful movie series once. Continue reading...
Virus spreads through mosquito bites and people in regional areas who are in contact with pigs may be at particular riskAustralia’s chief medical officer has beefed up the nation’s response to the Japanese encephalitis virus as New South Wales reports its first case.NSW Health confirmed on Friday night a woman from the NSW-Victoria border region was in intensive care in a stable condition with the virus, marking the state’s first case after outbreaks in Queensland and Victoria. Continue reading...
The usual deluge of invective prompted by coronavirus and vaccine issues is absent – Russia’s invasion may be a factorWhen David Fisman tweets, he often receives a deluge of hate within moments of posting. Fisman, an epidemiologist and physician, has been outspoken about Covid and public health.Even when he tweets something innocuous – once, to test his theory, he wrote the banal statement “kids are remarkable” – he still receives a flood of angry pushback. Continue reading...
More than half of women in South Africa projected to have condition, with no country expected to meet WHO target of halting rise, according to World Obesity Atlas figuresMore than a billion people around the world will be obese by 2030 – double the number there was in 2010, according to new global estimates.No country is on track to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) target to halt obesity by 2025, with one in five women and one in seven men predicted to have the condition by 2030. Continue reading...
by Stefanie Glinski in Kabul, Afghanistan on (#5WR59)
The photojournalist Stefanie Glinski reports on a country traumatised and tired, with an uncertain future as unemployment and poverty spread and memories of freedoms fadeAugust’s adrenaline may have worn off but the harrowing memories have not faded. It’s been six months since the Taliban took Kabul, the country’s then president and his cabinet fled and thousands of people flooded the airport in panic, so desperate for a way out that several men tried to hold on to a departing plane and fell to their deaths.Food distribution in the northern Jowzjan province. Due to the economic crisis, many people cannot afford food, even though it’s widely available in the market. Continue reading...
As they reboot the classic Buffalo Stance, the friends talk sisterhood, being Swedish and fighting the systemAs two of pop’s most innovative stars convene on Zoom – Neneh Cherry in bed in London, Robyn at home in Stockholm – it’s telling that they spend most of their conversation celebrating their collaborators and creative communities.Thirty-three years since Cherry emerged from the punk underground into the pop mainstream with Buffalo Stance, Robyn (alongside the producer Dev Hynes and the Swedish rapper Mapei) has covered that timelessly bolshie hit for a new covers collection celebrating Cherry’s first three albums. What may appear to be a pop year zero, says Cherry, was simply a threshold in an ongoing continuity that started in her native Sweden’s collectivist spirit, grew through New York City’s burgeoning rap scene and London punk and street style, and, ultimately, swept a preteen Robyn into its orbit. Continue reading...
Woman says officer suggested she and husband talk to alleged attacker ‘to set record straight’Greater Manchester police (GMP) have paid out £8,000 to a woman who reported being drugged and raped, only to be pressed into dropping the case without a proper investigation “because nothing will come of it”.The 31-year-old woman, who is married with three children, reported the rape on 14 July 2019, a few hours after waking up disoriented at the alleged perpetrator’s house in Wigan, Greater Manchester. Continue reading...
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia of nuclear terrorism after a fire burned for several hours at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. The shelling of the nuclear plant, the largest of its kind in Europe, prompted widespread concern about the safety of Ukraine’s atomic infrastructure. 'We are warning everybody – not a single state apart from Russia has ever shelled nuclear reactors,' Zelenskiy said. 'It is the first time in our history, in the history of humankind, that the terrorist state turned to nuclear terrorism'
by Rebecca Ratcliffe and Navaon Siradapuvadol in Bang on (#5WR1X)
Big brewers maintain monopoly as smaller operations incur huge fines for even sharing photos of their beerNaamcial’s craft beers often have distinctly Thai flavours, as he experiments with the country’s native produce, boiling the pulp of jackfruit and mango to mix into different creations. Yet his homemade products are forbidden in the kingdom.Talking to the Guardian under a pseudonym, Naamcial says he would like to operate a legal brewery, but Thailand’s laws around alcohol production make this ambition almost impossible for newcomers. Current laws restrict brewing licences to manufacturers that have capital of 10 million baht (£230,000), while brewpubs must produce at least 100,000 litres a year and only serve their beer on their premises. The legislation effectively blocks new, small breweries from opening, and tips the market firmly in favour of two powerful companies – Thai Beverage, which produces Chang beer, and Boon Rawd Brewery, which produces Singha and Leo. Continue reading...
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