Barak Ravid has written a fascinating account of four chaotic years in which some progress was nonetheless madeTrump’s Peace is a blockbuster of a book. Barak Ravid captures the 45th president saying “Fuck him” to Benjamin Netanyahu and reducing American Jews to antisemitic caricatures. Imagine the Republican reaction if Barack Obama had done that. Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham would plotz. But Trump? Crickets.Ravid also delivers a mesmerizing tick-tock of the making of the Abraham Accords, the normalization of Israel’s relations with four non-neighboring Arab states. Continue reading...
I was drunkenly eating a kebab outside Halfords when I was mistaken for a master criminal. It wasn’t the only thing that went wrong that lovely, eventful winterNo one, my friends decided, should be alone at Christmas. Especially no one as desperately, soul-searchingly, what’s-wrong-with-me single as me. In the late 00s, when internet dating was for nerds, meeting people wasn’t easy – unless you got talking to someone at a party or something, which I never did, because I was too busy banging on to my mates about why I was so achingly single.Thus, a plan was hatched. Three friends would each set me up on a blind date. I’m good-looking (with a squint), charming (after a few drinks) and a good catch, they assured me. What could go wrong? Continue reading...
by Adrian Searle, Jonathan Jones and Oliver Wainwrigh on (#5T7E7)
As the galleries reopened, Jean Dubuffet was recast as an incendiary prophet, Poussin revealed his raunchy side – and a giant Swedish ‘plyscraper’ showed the miracle of wood. Our critics rank the highlights of 2021 Continue reading...
When Wesley Rowell realised he was gay, he swapped church for the library, and became a performer. Then, in his seventh decade, he heard the call to join a seminary
Participants in women’s fasting relay will demand Boris Johnson repay £400m to Iran for 1970s arms dealWomen around the world will take turns to fast for 24 hours in an attempt to put pressure on the UK government to secure the freedom of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from detention in Iran.The campaign by FiLiA, a female-led volunteer organisation working for the liberation of women, follows the 21-day hunger strike Nazanin’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, mounted outside the Foreign Office in London until mid-November. Continue reading...
Legislative elections marred by record low turnout following crackdown on political dissentPro-Beijing candidates will occupy nearly every seat in Hong Kong’s new legislature, after party loyalists swept the first elections under a revamp by Beijing ensuring that only “patriots” could run for office.The elections were marred by record low voter turnout that observers say signal a general political apathy in the city, 18 months since authorities began a crackdown on political dissent in the name of national security. Continue reading...
by Luke Harding in Kyiv and Andrew Roth in Moscow on (#5T7DA)
Actor turned president has had profound political transformation in the face of Russian aggressionIn 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskiy rode a protest vote to victory in Ukraine, telling his supporters he would jail corrupt politicians and negotiate directly with Vladimir Putin to end Russia’s war in east Ukraine. Nearly three years later, Zelenskiy is staring down the threat of a Russian invasion, while he rallies western powers to his side and calls for aid. “We know what it means to defend one’s own state and land with weapons in hand,” he said during an address last week to the Kyiv Jewish Forum.Under pressure from Putin, Zelenskiy has undergone a profound political transformation. One thing is clear: he is no longer the same dove that he was on the campaign trail. Russia is pushing Ukraine toward Nato, he says, and a membership action plan is now central to his foreign policy. This month, Zelenskiy toured the frontline outside Donetsk. Wearing a flak jacket and helmet, he chatted with service personnel who will be the first line of Ukraine’s defence should tanks from Russia begin to roll. Continue reading...
Boric comes from a cohort that is grimly determined to bury dictator Augusto Pinochet’s bitter legacy once and for allFour months ago, 35-year-old Gabriel Boric confounded the polls to claim victory in a presidential primary he had barely been old enough to compete in. But on 11 March next year, he will now be sworn in as Chile’s youngest ever president – having amassed more votes than any presidential candidate in history.Boric is the driving force behind Chile’s abrupt changing of the guard. He belongs to a radical generation of student leaders who are grimly determined to bury dictator Augusto Pinochet’s bitter legacy once and for all. Continue reading...
The bill, yet to be signed into law, would tighten rules around foreign ownership of mediaPoles have staged nationwide protests including a thousands-strong rally outside the presidential palace to demand the head of state veto a law they say would limit media freedoms in the European Union’s largest eastern member.Unexpectedly rushed through parliament on Friday, the legislation would tighten rules around foreign ownership of media, specifically affecting the ability of news channel TVN24, owned by US media company Discovery Inc, to operate. Continue reading...
Death toll surges past 200 as rescue efforts continue in towns on devastated island of BoholAt least 208 people have been killed in the devastation caused by Typhoon Rai, the most powerful typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.More than 300,000 people were forced to flee their homes by the storm, which barrelled into the country on Thursday with wind speeds of 195km/h (120mph). The typhoon smashed through the southern and central regions of the Philippines, destroying homes and infrastructure and causing flooding that has affected millions. Continue reading...
In another fraught year full of depressing news, animals, celebrities and headline writers kept things wonderfully absurdIn a year that began with the US Capitol attack, continued with the fall of Afghanistan and is ending with the rapid spread of Omicron, the global news cycle has at times felt overwhelming.But while 2021 has been another fraught year, not all the news has been negative. Here are a few of the funniest and weirdest stories and headlines published this year. Continue reading...
by Vincent Ni, Rhoda Kwan and agencies on (#5T6S2)
Only 30% of registered voters cast their ballots for lawmakers in Sunday’s pollHongkongers have snubbed a legislature poll taking place under new “patriots only” rules imposed by China, with the lowest turnout since residents started electing lawmakers three decades ago, according to official figures released on Monday.Only 30%, or 1,350,680 of the 4,472,863 registered voters, cast their ballots for city lawmakers in Sunday’s election, Hong Kong’s top election official, Barnabas Fung, told reporters. Continue reading...
Head of Catholic Church makes some of his strongest comments yet on violence against womenPope Francis has said that men who commit violence against women engage in something that is “almost satanic”.He made the comment – some of the strongest language he has used to condemn such violence – during a programme broadcast on Sunday night on Italy’s TG5 network in which he conversed with three women and a man, all with difficult backgrounds. Continue reading...
Afghan resettlement scheme still not up and running four months after fall of Kabul, says Refugee CouncilThe UK’s failure to create safe routes for vulnerable Afghans is forcing thousands to make the “gut-wrenching” decision to embark on “perilous, life-threatening journeys” to seek safety in Britain, the Refugee Council has warned.Four months since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August, causing mass displacement of hundreds of thousands, the government’s Afghan citizens resettlement scheme was not yet up and running, the charity said. Continue reading...
Video from Pyongyang shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un looking very dour as he attends the memorial service to mark the 10th anniversary of his father's death. As part of the national memorial, North Koreans have been banned from showing any sign of happiness. The restrictions include an explicit ban on laughter and alcohol during the 11-day period of mourning. On the exact anniversary of Kim Jong-il’s death, 17 December, North Koreans were even banned from going grocery shopping
Baritone had been performing with the band in the UK in December before tour postponed due to illnessThe Il Divo singer Carlos Marín has died aged 53, the group has announced.The baritone’s bandmates – David Miller, Sébastien Izambard and Urs Bühler – paid tribute to him on Sunday. In a statement on Twitter, they said: “It is with heavy hearts that we are letting you know that our friend and partner, Carlos Marín, has passed away. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#5T74T)
Foreign secretary is assuming responsibility for UK’s relationship with EU, says Downing StreetThe foreign secretary, Liz Truss, is to take over responsibility for the UK’s relationship with the EU after the Brexit minister David Frost’s resignation, Downing Street has said.She will be adding ministerial responsibility to her foreign portfolio with immediate effect. Continue reading...
PC Will Scott-Barrett was charged after an investigation by the force’s online child sexual abuse commandA Metropolitan police officer is due to appear in court on Monday charged with sexual communication with a child.PC Will Scott-Barrett, who is based in the Met’s intelligence command, was charged in November after an investigation by the force’s online child sexual abuse and exploitation command. Continue reading...
The campaign has resurfaced deep divisions and revived bitter memories of the country’s recent pastChilean voters headed to the polls on Sunday to chose between two presidential candidates offering starkly contrasting visions for the future, in the country’s most divisive elections since it returned to democracy in 1990.Leftwing candidate Gabriel Boric, a tattooed former student protest leader, has pledged to empower women and Indigenous people and raise taxes and spending in order to create a fairer Chile. Continue reading...
by Daniel Boffey in Brussels and Lisa O'Carroll in Lo on (#5T6Y8)
Minister for the EU Clément Beaune admits to difficult relationship with ex-Brexit minister and calls for resetThe French government has called on Boris Johnson to use David Frost’s resignation as Brexit minister to “rebuild trust” with the EU amid uncertainty over the prime minister’s approach in the new year.Clément Beaune, France’s EU affairs minister, who had a series of run-ins with the prime minister’s pugnacious minister, suggested that Downing Street should use the moment to reset the troubled relationship. Continue reading...
by Presented by Michael Safi with Bryan Armen Graham; on (#5T72F)
Breakthroughs in computing have changed how high-level chess is played, making draws all too common. But the Norwegian champion’s stunning performance in Dubai wrests the game back from the grip of the supercomputers, Guardian US deputy sport editor Bryan Graham reportsNearly 25 years ago, world chess champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue in a series of matches watched around the world. The Guardian’s US deputy sport editor, Bryan Graham, tells Michael Safi he vividly remembers those games, played in his home town of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It seemed as if chess had been changed forever.Now the game of chess is in the midst of another pivotal transformation. With the rise of online chess and the recent success of the Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit, the game has never been more popular – or accessible. But breakthroughs in computing have made it increasingly bloodless: top players simply study and memorise the ‘perfect’ moves (as determined by computers), reinforcing a style of play that more often than not ends in a draw. Continue reading...
Three centuries after repeal of Witchcraft Act thousands tried as witches could get official apologiesFrom allegations of cursing the king’s ships, to shape-shifting into animals and birds, or dancing with the devil, a satanic panic in early modern Scotland meant that thousands of women were accused of witchcraft in the 16th-18th centuries with many executed.Now, three centuries after the Witchcraft Act was repealed, campaigners are on course to win pardons and official apologies for the estimated 3,837 people – 84% of whom were women – tried as witches, of which two-thirds were executed and burned. Continue reading...
by Daniel Boffey in Brussels and Sam Jones in Madrid on (#5T712)
‘Everyone will go shopping in Belgium and Germany,’ retailers warn as four-week closure beginsDutch shopkeepers say they have been “broken” by the Netherlands’ new Christmas lockdown, which has come into effect.“Nowhere in Europe is there such a strict regime as in the Netherlands,” said Jan Meerman, the director of INretail, the Dutch retailers association. Continue reading...
Unsettled weather to give way to cold and bright conditions in run-up to Christmas DayA white Christmas could be possible for some northern parts of the UK while much of the country is likely to see cold and bright weather, according to the Met Office.Unsettled weather in the lead-up to Christmas is forecast to give way to colder, clearer conditions on 25 December, the weather service said. Continue reading...
Cult Los Angeles lyricist reportedly attacked by group of people at Once Upon a Time festival in his home cityDrakeo the Ruler, the critically acclaimed Los Angeles rapper, has died after a reported stabbing at a music festival. His press representative confirmed his death to the Guardian but did not give further details.The 28-year-old, whose real name was Darrell Caldwell, had been scheduled to perform at the Once Upon a Time festival in Los Angeles. A source speaking to the LA Times said Caldwell had been attacked on the festival site by a group of people on Saturday evening. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition, where he later died. Continue reading...
‘The Great Frost’ remains a man on a mission with hopes of a political career beyond the present administrationOn what would prove to be his penultimate day as Boris Johnson’s Brexit minister, during which he spoke with his EU counterpart Maroš Šefčovič for one last time, David Frost was disappointed.He was disappointed with the state of the talks over the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland. He was disappointed with the EU for failing to finalise the UK’s involvement in its €95.5bn Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. Continue reading...
Thousands mark anniversary of revolt against Bashir regime with protest over military takeoverTens of thousands of Sudanese protesters have rallied to mark three years since the start of mass demonstrations that led to the ousting of the dictator Omar al-Bashir, as fears mount for the country’s democratic transition.Security forces fired teargas - leaving several wounded, witnesses said – at a huge crowd of protesters near the republican palace in the capital, Khartoum, chanting slogans against the military chief, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who led a coup on 25 October. Continue reading...
Crowds brave sub-zero temperatues after Taliban announces it will resume issuing travel documentsHundreds of people have braved sub-zero temperatures in Afghanistan’s capital to queue outside the passport office, a day after the Taliban government announced it would resume issuing travel documents.Many began their wait the previous night and most stood patiently in single file – some desperate to leave the country for medical treatment, others to escape the Islamists’ renewed rule. Tense Taliban personnel periodically charged crowds that formed at the front of the queue and at a nearby roadblock. Continue reading...
The UK health secretary refused to rule out imposing tougher Covid restrictions in England before Christmas, after warnings that hospitalisations could peak at up to 10,000 a day without further action.Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Javid acknowledged that the data on Omicron remained incomplete - but suggested it might be necessary to make decisions before a full picture is available
Urban and rural regions submerged as rivers burst banks after heavy downpours since FridayMore than 30,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Malaysia as the country battled some of its worst flooding in years.The tropical nation in south-east Asia often experiences stormy monsoon seasons towards the end of the year, with flooding regularly prompting mass evacuations. Continue reading...
Video shared on social media shows anti-lockdown protester criticising MPs who voted for Covid curbsPiers Corbyn has been arrested on suspicion of encouraging people to burn down MPs’ offices.The Metropolitan police said a man in his 70s – whom they did not name – was arrested in Southwark, south London, in the early hours of Sunday. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#5T6V0)
Resignation of Brexit minister led to fevered online reaction – and blue on blue fire in a Tory chat groupBrexit minister Lord Frost’s late Saturday night resignation prompted frenzied reaction on social media including a lively row on a Conservative party Whatsapp group ending with culture secretary Nadine Dorries being deleted by former chair of Brexit supporting backbenchers in the European Research Group.Some welcomed Frost’s departure, others immediately went to leadership questions. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan and Quique Kierszenbaum in the sou on (#5T6T2)
Participants in a West Bank immersive language project tell of the strong bonds being forged that counter the rise in settler violenceIn the plywood hut in which Palestinian Iman al-Hathalin and her family have lived since their home was bulldozed by the Israeli authorities in 2014, the warmth from a rickety samovar is welcome. Outside the only window, the winter sky is blinding white: it floods the room with an icy light and sends shadows dancing up the flimsy walls.Everyone has been ill lately, it seems, including Hathalin’s two-year-old daughter, who sleeps fitfully on her lap, and Maya Mark, her Arabic-speaking Israeli guest. “It is not exaggerating to say Maya is like my sister,” Hathalin said. “I was so worried when she was sick. We are family.” Continue reading...
He is one of Hollywood’s hardest working and well-liked actors. As the next instalment of his epic Matrix series hits the big screen, Tom Lamont meets the famously thoughtful starKeanu Reeves covers his face with both hands. Long bands of the actor’s straggly, jet-black hair flit from side to side as he shakes his cradled head. Reeves, who is 57, has a new Matrix movie out soon. It will be the first instalment in that famous sci-fi series since the turn of the century, when a visually splendid trilogy – The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions – shook blockbuster cinema to its foundations. I have just been telling him what an unforgettable outing that first Matrix movie was for me, back in 1999, when I saw it in a packed, noisy cinema full of people who couldn’t sit still for excitement. I’ve also just admitted to Reeves that, when The Matrix Resurrections is made available later this month, via various platforms, I’ll probably stream it at home, probably on a laptop.I only intend this as a light prompt to get him talking about Hollywood in 2021, a curious time for showbusiness, with Covid precautions and advances in streaming tech combining to make so many movies available for home viewing at the same time as they appear in cinemas. But perhaps Reeves is someone who feels things more deeply than most, because suddenly he begins to plead with me, through muffling fingers: “Dude? Don’t stream that movie… Don’t you fucking stream that movie.” Continue reading...
This year’s Guardian and Observer campaign supports four charities fighting global climate injustice. Here, we look at the work of East African farmers and Kew scientists
Former foreign secretary calls on Britain to back French proposal over UN Security Council powersBritain must back calls for countries in the United Nations security council to give up their veto on cases of alleged mass atrocities, genocide and war crimes, the former foreign secretary David Miliband has said.Miliband, now the president of the New York-based NGO, International Rescue Committee, said he supported a proposal from France that would suspend the power of the US, China, the UK, France and Russia to block action in these cases. He called on the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, to back the measure. Continue reading...
Billionaire owner of Chelsea qualifies under Portugal’s naturalisation scheme for descendants of Sephardic JewsThe billionaire oligarch Roman Abramovich has become an EU citizen, three years after withdrawing his application for a UK visa amid diplomatic tensions between London and Moscow.The surprise development was confirmed on Saturday by his spokesperson, who revealed the Russian-born owner of Chelsea Football Club had secured Portuguese citizenship earlier this year. Continue reading...
After his father’s death, he was propelled to the top of the totalitarian dynasty. How has he been allowed to last so long?How do tyrants survive? History is littered with examples of cruel dictators and despots who dominated their countries for years, oppressing millions of “subjects”, and were never forcibly deposed. Joseph Stalin famously died in his bed at the age of 74. Mao Zedong lasted longer, dying of natural causes in 1976, age 82. Spain’s thuggish dictator, Francisco Franco, seized power in 1939 and was still in office when he died in 1975 at 82.The obvious answer is fear. Other factors – cunning, chutzpah, charisma – play a role, too. But terror is the tool of choice for your typical tyrant. This is a lesson Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s “supreme leader”, learned at his father’s knee. And when Kim Jong-il died, 10 years ago last week, his then 26-year-old son was propelled willy-nilly to the top of the totalitarian dynasty founded in 1948 by his grandfather, Kim Il-sung. Continue reading...
by Melissa Davey (now) and Justine Landis-Hanley (ear on (#5T6JR)
One dead and two seriously injured following storm on Sydney’s northern beaches; 80 Covid cases in South Australia as positive case linked to second Ashes Test; Tennant Creek lockdown ‘likely’ to be extended – this blog is now closed
Last week’s byelection result laid bare the growing anger felt towards the PM – both from outside and within his own partyShortly after Owen Paterson resigned as the Tory MP for North Shropshire in early November, Helen Morgan, who had been trounced when she stood as Liberal Democrat candidate at the last general election, rang her party’s HQ in London with a message that took senior officials by surprise.“She told us that we really had a chance in the byelection, that we had to throw everything at it. Initially there was a lot of scepticism,” said a party official. “Nobody really believed it.” Continue reading...