Artist claims piece was rejected from exhibition for addressing imprisonment of the WikiLeaks founderAi Weiwei has accused the organisers of a large UK art exhibition of rejecting his artwork for the show because the piece addressed the imprisonment of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.The Chinese dissident artist and activist said the piece for The Great Big Art Exhibition featured an image of the treadmill which Assange used while seeking asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy. Continue reading...
Diop is the first French writer to win the prize for translated fiction – split with his translator Anna Moschovakis – for novel about a Senegalese soldier fighting for France in the first world warDavid Diop has become the first French novelist to win the International Booker prize for translated fiction with At Night All Blood Is Black, his first novel translated into English.Diop, the author of two novels, and his translator Anna Moschovakis, split the £50,000 annual prize, which goes to the best author and translator of a work translated into English. At Night All Blood Is Black follows Alfa Ndiaye, a Senegalese soldier fighting for France in the first world war, whose descent into madness after the death of a childhood friend on the frontline begins to show itself in extreme brutality against enemy German soldiers in the trenches. Continue reading...
It is part of a year of events to mark the first time a British sovereign has been on throne for seven decadesA four-day bank holiday weekend will mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee next summer to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.National events will include a live concert featuring some of the world’s biggest stars, a service of thanksgiving and, perhaps the Queen’s own highlight, a day at the races. Continue reading...
The Iranian navy’s largest warship caught fire and sank in unclear circumstances in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, semi-official news agencies have reported.The blaze began at about 2.25am and firefighters tried to contain it, Fars said. The vessel sank off the Iranian port of Jask, near the strait of Hormuz. The crew are thought to have evacuated.
The poet, a songwriter for artists including the Weeknd, explains how music helped him explore the loss of friends to inner-city violence: ‘Sorrow is meant to be experienced and felt’Appearing on a Zoom call from his Los Angeles apartment, sporting the white, perforated kufi skullcap worn in mosques, 24-year-old Canadian musician Mustafa is a long way from Regent Park, the predominantly Black, working-class neighbourhood in downtown Toronto where he grew up. Regent Park is a place with a dual identity: one of camaraderie and community, the “building blocks for how I think, how I breathe and how I speak”, he says; the other deprivation and violence, where Mustafa’s adolescence was shaped by grief and death, including the murders of friends such as Ano, Santana, Ali, and the rapper Jahvante “Smoke Dawg” Smart.Using the vulnerability of folk music – a genre that rarely makes space for the Black Muslim experience – Mustafa’s stunning debut long-form project, When Smoke Rises, is an elegy to these friends, a dialogue with those grieving and a love letter to his community. “Don’t crease your Air Forces, just stay inside tonight,” he begs his friends to a rhythm beaten out on acoustic guitar. Of Smoke Dawg, who was killed in 2018, he pleads, “Please come back, at least in my dreams”, over tender piano played by James Blake. Continue reading...
As Benjamin Netanyahu’s status as prime minister hangs in balance, MPs have elected a scion of prominent political familyIsaac Herzog’s election by MPs as Israel’s new president, set against the backdrop of coalition deliberations that could seal the end of Benjamin Netanyahu’s long grip on power as the country’s prime minister, is a neat piece of symmetry and certainly symbolic.As Allison Kaplan Somer put it in the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper, Herzog is as close to “royalty” as Israel’s political system can conceive, part of the once-dominant Ashkenazi elite – referring to Jews who arrived from Europe – who shaped the Israeli state for decades after its founding in 1948. Continue reading...
Temperatures reach 26.6C in parts of London on Wednesday, after UK’s fourth wettest May on recordThe UK has recorded its third successive warmest day of the year, with temperatures reaching 26.6C in parts of the country.Northolt in west London reached the temperature before midday on Wednesday, beating the previous day’s highs of 26.1C in Cardiff on the first day of meteorological summer. Continue reading...
The melancholic singer was a gem in Brazil’s musical history, but many thought he had been killed in a motorcycle accident. At 72, he is releasing his lost recordings and finally reclaiming his legacyIt was the summer of 1995 when José Mauro discovered he was dead. The Brazilian musician, then 46 years old, was living on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, teaching guitar, when a friend called from London saying he’d spotted a CD of Mauro’s long-deleted 1970 LP, Obnoxius, on sale in a London record shop.“He called and explained about this CD, and about how it said I’d been killed in a motorcycle accident,” says Mauro today, now 72. “That was the day I knew I had died.” Continue reading...
Letter signed by Lisa Chester, Ged Kearney and Joanne Ryan calls on PM to sack MP from parliamentary committee roleLabor members of a parliamentary committee chaired by Andrew Laming are calling on the prime minister to sack the controversial Queensland MP, saying his position is “untenable”.In a letter sent to Scott Morrison on Wednesday, the opposition members of the employment, education and training committee expressed “deep concern” about the conduct of Laming, saying the Liberal MP’s behaviour towards women had been “completely unacceptable”. Continue reading...
For years, Hong Kong has been one of just two cities in China allowed to mark anniversaries of the deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989. This year, however, Hong Kong authorities banned the vigil for the second consecutive year, citing the coronavirus pandemic. Critics say the authorities are using the pandemic as an excuse to silence pro-democracy voices. Last year thousands of people gathered in Victoria Park despite the ban, and weeks later police arrested more than 20 activists who had taken part in the vigil. Organisers have urged people to mark the anniversary in private this year by lighting a candle at home Continue reading...
Australia’s Covid vaccination program has lacked urgency at every stage, with the government forced to revise its own targets and never seeming to meet its own goals. Victoria’s latest outbreak has exposed the Morrison government’s failure to successfully get the vaccine out to even the most vulnerable in the community. The outbreak has hit unvaccinated aged care workers, despite federal promises they would be vaccinated by March. Along with mixed messages about the urgency of getting Australia vaccinated, the Morrison government became mired in a debate about whether Australia’s coronavirus vaccination rollout is or is not a race
The shuttering is almost at an end, but as hotels reopen on 2 June, how will the county cope with domestic-only tourism?Ireland has endured one of Europe’s longest lockdowns, so its hotels have been busy blowing away cobwebs, training staff and restocking the kitchen as they prepare to reopen today.As with other Irish hotels, the Ferrycarrig on its south-eastern tip is hoping this landmark day will signal the beginning of a rebirth of a devastated tourism industry. Continue reading...
This weekend, Carrie Symonds married Boris Johnson in a wedding dress she had rented. She isn’t alone. From dresses to shoes to hairbands, clothes hire is growing fastWhen Carrie Symonds married Boris Johnson over the bank holiday weekend, it wasn’t in a dress handed down by a relative, or a custom-made designer frock destined to take up space in her wardrobe for years to come. It was in a dress she had rented for a few days from a website called My Wardrobe HQ.You might not expect a person who spends tens of thousands redecorating a flat that she will only temporarily live in to be much of an economiser, but it turns out that Symonds – now Johnson – is a frequent renter. “Carrie has always rented from us,” says Sacha Newall, the founder of My Wardrobe HQ, who had no idea that this particular dress was destined for Westminster Cathedral. “As a regular customer, nothing flagged as being unusual about the order.” Continue reading...
Ambassador to be summoned after 16 Chinese planes allegedly flew into Malaysian air space off BorneoThe foreign ministry of Malaysia has said it would summon China’s envoy to explain an “intrusion” by 16 air force planes into its airspace, after the south-east Asian country’s military detected “suspicious” activity over the South China Sea.Malaysia’s air force said it scrambled jets on Monday after the planes flew within 60 nautical miles off Sarawak state of Malaysian Borneo. It described the incident as a “serious threat to national sovereignty and flight safety”. Continue reading...
New Victorian Covid-19 restrictions have been announced in response to a growing number of cases in a Melbourne suburbs coronavirus outbreak. Can you leave home? Is mask-wearing compulsory? Are schools closed? Is travelling permitted? What is the 5km radius for? Here are the new rules
Killings took place near Ethiopia’s Abuna Yemata church on 8 May, according to multiple testimoniesEritrean soldiers killed 19 civilians in a village at the foot of an internationally celebrated rock-hewn church in Tigray three weeks ago, witnesses, relatives and local residents have claimed, the latest alleged atrocity in the war-torn Ethiopian region.Most of the victims in the alleged attack were women and young children. Continue reading...
Newlywed, 33, may be youngest spouse but her political nous should serve her well in keeping the plus-ones happyNewly wed and with her new married name, Carrie Johnson takes on her first challenge as Britain’s first lady when she hosts the partners of world leaders at next week’s G7 summit.At 33, the conservationist and erstwhile political PR will be the youngest spouse as she stands by the side of Boris Johnson, 56, at their first key event since their secret marriage on Saturday. Continue reading...
With uncertainty around the lifting of restrictions at the end of June, we would like to hear your plans for the warm weatherPeople across the country have been enjoying the hot weather over the bank holiday with the heatwave to last throughout the week.This comes as the government’s former chief scientific adviser, Prof Sir Mark Walport, said it was “not impossible” that the country was in the foothills of a new wave as the government said it would be guided by data when it comes to deciding whether to lift restrictions in England on 21 June. Continue reading...
Labor MP Julian Hill lashes out at Greg Hunt for ‘lack of a national public health campaign to combat misinformation’ after his vaccine photo on Facebook receives ‘batshit crazy’ responses• Follow the Australia coronavirus live blog
by Daniel Hurst Foreign affairs and defence correspon on (#5JGG9)
Beijing says the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand made ‘irresponsible’ comments after Queenstown talksBeijing has accused the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand of making “irresponsible” comments, after the pair condemned “destabilising activities” in the South China Sea and raised grave concerns about human rights in Xinjiang.China’s foreign ministry says it “firmly opposes” the joint statement issued by Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern after talks in Queenstown, arguing the trans-Tasman allies had “grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs” but would not shake Beijing’s resolve. Continue reading...
As Covid-19 has swept the world there has been an explosion of violence against women, and a full-blown assault on their rights. It’s time to fight back against a system that allows women to be sacrificed, erased and violated
First Nations groups say giving children a proper burial will help families find closure following discovery of 215 bodies at Kamloops schoolIndigenous groups in Canada are calling for a nationwide search for mass graves at residential school sites after the discovery of the remains of more than 200 children at one former school last week shocked the country.Prime minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that searching for more mass graves was “an important part of discovering the truth” but did not make specific commitments. Continue reading...
by Reporter in Yangon and Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangko on (#5JGAD)
Dozens of grassroots people’s defence forces have emerged to take on brutal militaryMyanmar is on the verge of a new civil war, a spokesperson for the country’s parallel government has warned, as communities increasingly take up arms to protect themselves from a relentless campaign of military violence.Conflict has raged for decades in Myanmar’s borderlands, where myriad ethnic armed groups are fighting with the military for greater autonomy. Since February’s coup, however, dozens of new, grassroots people’s defence forces have emerged to oppose the junta, with battles occurring in areas of the country that were previously peaceful. Continue reading...
by Edna Mohamed (now), Yohannes Lowe , Lucy Campbell, on (#5JFB5)
UK travellers to France face tighter curbs from Monday; Japan may require Games fans to test negative or show vaccine proof; India reports lowest case numbers since 11 April
The actor’s turn as a complex, fallible detective has been a privilege to witness, in a murder mystery that kept us guessing right to the profoundly moving endIn interviews, Kate Winslet always said it wasn’t a thriller. And she was right. Yes, Mare of Easttown (Sky Atlantic) began with a murder in a small, bleak Pennsylvania town and Winslet’s police detective Mare Sheehan being called upon to investigate. But it was almost immediately clear that the seven-part drama was setting up to be so much more – and even clearer soon after that it was likely to succeed in all its endeavours.It was a character study, of how a woman ground down by life after the loss of a son to drugs and suicide, the consequent divorce from her husband and raising of her grandson in the face of a custody battle with his mother (her son’s former girlfriend, rehabbed but fragile) endures. Continue reading...
Emergency services are seeking a teenager who was seen getting into difficulty in the waterEmergency services were searching the Thames on Monday for a teenage boy who was seen getting into difficulty in the water, hours after the body of a woman was recovered from the river two miles away.Thames Valley police said on Twitter that officers were at the river between Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, and Cookham, Berkshire on Monday, following a report of a fear-for-welfare incident. Continue reading...
by Jeremy Gwao in Naórua, Josh Nicholas and Kate Lyo on (#5JG4E)
The timber industry in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands has brought money and jobs – but also pollution, environmental devastation and food insecurity
Study suggests people who are most sure of their ability to discern fact from fiction are less likely to do soAre you a purveyor of fake news? People who are most confident about their ability to discern between fact and fiction are also the most likely to fall victim to misinformation, a US study suggests.Although Americans believe the confusion caused by false news is all-pervasive, relatively few indicate having seen or shared it, something the researchers suggested shows that many may not only have a hard time identifying false news but are not aware of their own deficiencies at doing so. Continue reading...
Attempts to discredit the international criminal court and obstruct its work cannot be tolerated if we are serious about upholding justice globally, write more than 50 former prime ministers, foreign ministers and senior international officialsWe welcome the support that European leaders have expressed for the international criminal court and its unique mandate of advancing justice following war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Consistent support for the ICC and promotion of its universal reach highlight Europe’s serious commitment to deter such violations and to promote a rules-based international order, peace and security.It is clear that Europe has long benefited from multilateralism rooted in international law and the institutions that uphold it. Now, in a time of increasing challenges to the multilateral order and an independent judiciary in many corners of the world and within Europe itself, preserving the ICC’s legitimacy and mandate becomes an imperative. Continue reading...
by Featuring Emily Maguire and Lucy Clark. Presented on (#5JFZH)
When do the objects we love become a health hazard? In this recording of Guardian Australia’s monthly book club, author Emily Maguire discusses her latest novel, Love Objects, with features editor Lucy ClarkYou can find past Guardian Australia Book club episodes and features here and read more about Emily Maguire’s Love Objects here.
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#5JFZ2)
Fall of 3.8% for EU member states in 2019 brought emissions to 24% below 1990 levelsThe EU’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by nearly 4% in 2019, data from Europe’s environmental watchdog has shown, as countries met online for the first time for UN climate negotiations.The fall of 3.8% for EU member states in 2019 brought EU emissions to 24% below 1990 levels – or 26% if carbon sinks are taken into account – according to the European Environment Agency. Continue reading...
Man, 18, arrested in connection with incident at Swanwick Lakes near Fareham on SundayA two-year-old boy is in a critical condition in hospital after being pulled from a lake in Hampshire.Police are appealing for witnesses after the boy was found unresponsive in water at Swanwick Lakes, a nature reserve near Fareham, on Sunday. Continue reading...
China has announced that couples will be permitted to have up to three children. What do couples think of the policy change?Jia Shicong is a 31-year-old education project manager. She is married to Hu Xuancheng, also 31, an engineer. They have a baby girl who is one year and seven months old. They live in Xi’an, in central China Continue reading...
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