by Reported by Ben Smee and presented by Laura Murphy on (#5HR96)
Research shows that victims and survivors of domestic and family violence – especially Indigenous women – are being mistaken for perpetrators by police. This treatment can have serious and fatal consequences. Ben Smee explores concerns about the culture of the Queensland police, and Dr Hannah McGlade discusses how Indigenous women are being criminalised by this systemIf this episode raised any issues for you: Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#5HR6Y)
Unions and young people urge incoming education secretary to take immediate action over ‘ghost exams’Scotland’s incoming education secretary is being urged to take immediate action over so-called “ghost exams” – where pupils face high stakes testing up to three times a day with none of the usual support – as high school assessments fall into chaos for the second year running.With a post-election reshuffle expected by the end of the week, and current incumbent John Swinney expected to be moved on after a barrage of criticism, young people have described a looming mental health crisis after National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams were cancelled because Covid disruption had made it impossible to ensure consistency of learning, in particular for pupils from less advantaged backgrounds. Continue reading...
Palestinian Hamas militants and the Israeli army have traded fresh rocket fire and airstrikes in the worst violence since the 2014 conflict. Intense fighting continued overnight as the UN’s Middle East envoy warned the two sides were heading towards a full-scale war
The long-running daytime talkshow’s ratings have tanked recently following allegations of bullying and a toxic workplaceEllen, the long-running daytime television chatshow hosted by Ellen DeGeneres will end next year, it was reported on Wednesday, after allegations of bullying by employees and a toxic workplace environment caused ratings to tank.An official announcement by DeGeneres and Warner Brothers, which produces the show that has run for 18 seasons and more than 3,000 episodes, was expected on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Daily Mail website. The show was regarded, for many years, as a groundbreaking addition to daytime television as DeGeneres was one of only a handful of openly gay celebrities at the time. Continue reading...
UK agrees to transfer of ex-Bosnian Serb leader convicted of genocide over 1995 massacre in SrebrenicaRadovan Karadžić, the former Bosnian Serb leader convicted of genocide over the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica, is to be transferred to a UK prison to serve the rest of his life sentence.The 75-year-old was found guilty in 2016 of 10 of the 11 charges he faced at the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia over his role in the mass killings of civilians in the conflict that tore Bosnia apart more than a quarter of a century ago. In 2019, judges at The Hague in the Netherlands increased his sentence from 40 years to life following a failed appeal attempt. Continue reading...
Research finds figure fell by almost half between 2017-2019, backing claims of coercive fertility policiesBirthrates in Xinjiang fell by almost half in the two years after the Chinese government implemented policies to reduce the number of babies born to Uyghur and other minority Muslim families, new research has claimed.The figures show unprecedented declines which were more extreme than any global region at any time in the 71 years of UN fertility data collection, including during genocides in Rwanda and Cambodia, according to the authors of the report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (Aspi). Continue reading...
Officers recorded babysitting plans, births of campaigners’ children and movements of teenage activistsUndercover police officers who infiltrated political groups frequently spied on children as part of their covert deployments, a public inquiry has heard.They secretly recorded the political activities of children as well as details of their parents’ domestic lives. On one occasion, an undercover officer sent back to his supervisors the babysitting rota that had been organised by leftwing campaigners. Continue reading...
by Hazem Balousha in Gaza City, Peter Beaumont and Ha on (#5HR4R)
Heavy bombardment of Gaza City tower-block homes stirs memories of 2014 Israeli, Hamas warThe tower blocks of Gaza City’s Rimal district, one of its wealthier neighbourhoods, look towards the sea and over the beachside al-Shati refugee camp out of which Hamas, which rules Gaza, first emerged in the late 1980s.On Tuesday Israeli jets hit one of the towers, an eight-storey apartment block, where Hassan Abu al-Ata, deputy commander of Islamic Jihad’s Gaza Brigade, who is blamed for rocket attacks against Israel, was sheltering. Continue reading...
by Oliver Holmes in Jerusalem, Harriet Sherwood and a on (#5HR29)
Defence minister rules out ceasefire as Israeli military says it has killed four senior Hamas commandersIsrael will not stop its military operation in Gaza until “complete quiet” has been achieved, the country’s defence minister has said, as airstrikes and rocket fire continued throughout Wednesday.The Israeli military said it had killed four senior Hamas commanders and a dozen more Hamas operatives in a series of strikes. It said it had undertaken a “complex and first-of-its-kind operation” jointly with the Shin Bet security service. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#5HR2C)
News raises hopes that the much delayed and over-budget project will open to customers within a yearTest train services have begun running under London on the Crossrail project, boosting confidence that the Elizabeth line should finally open to customers within a year.Four trains an hour are operating as part of rigorous safety testing, described as a “crucial milestone” in the development of the £19bn east-west rail link across the capital. Continue reading...
We would like to hear from people living in Israel and those who are part of the diaspora on the situation in the regionIn the worst violence since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian militants and Israeli jets have exchanged airstrikes and rocket fire.We would like to hear from those living in Israel and who are part of the diaspora on how they have been affected. Continue reading...
The pandemic made dating a lot more complicated – but it didn’t stop it. Here, seven couples share their storiesJenny, 31, and Sophy, 29, Margate Continue reading...
An intricate tapestry of 17th-century political intrigue and family feuding is bolstered by fabulous costumes as Chinese invaders are dealt withThe Swordsman, a pacy, crisply choreographed South Korean action film set in the 17th century handicaps itself by opting for such a bland, generic title. It’s like naming a Hollywood action movie The Gunman or The Cop. Debutant writer-director Choi Jae-Hoon could have been a little more specific about the protagonist Tae-yul (played by boy-band-beautiful star and sometime rapper Jang Hyuk) by calling it The Blind Swordsman, given the character’s vision impairment. But then that title has already been used several times. Also, Tae-yul is not quite blind yet, although the threat to his vision and his need to access an expensive medicine hang over the plot throughout.As it happens, the intricate tapestry of action, family drama, political intrigue and period spectacle is anything but generic. Unfolding during a period when ruling dynasties in China and Korea were in major flux, the story springboards off the fall of the Joseon dynasty’s 15th king; a disgrace in combat sends Tae-yul, one of the finest swordsmen in the country, into exile with his baby daughter. Continue reading...
Chief executive says findings are ‘extraordinary’ and that council must earn back city’s trustLiverpool city council has accepted the findings and recommendations of a damning report which found a “serious breakdown of governance” at the local authority, including reducing the number of councillors and changing the way they are elected.It also pledged to work with the commissioners appointed by the government to oversee some council departments. Continue reading...
French artist Xavier Marabout wins case and €10,000 in damages after Moulinsart contacted galleries displaying his artThe French artist who was sued by the Tintin creator Hergé’s heirs over his paintings that place the boy adventurer in romantic encounters has won his case after a court deemed them parodies.Xavier Marabout’s dreamy artworks imagine Tintin into the landscapes of Edward Hopper, including a take on Queensborough Bridge, 1913, or talking with a less-clothed version of Hopper’s Chop Suey. Continue reading...
From Jeffrey Tambor to Joss Whedon, high-profile accusations of improper behaviour are a minefield for TV makers – especially if the A-listers go rogueIn 2018, HBO breathlessly announced a brand-new drama from one of television’s most celebrated auteurs. The network was, it said, “honoured” to be providing a home for The Nevers, Joss Whedon’s long-awaited return to the small screen. A complex Victorian-era fantasy led by tormented female protagonists with supernatural powers, it had the Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator’s fingerprints all over it. Whedon would be writer, director and executive producer, and described his “odd, intimate epic” as “the most ambitious narrative” he had ever created.Then, in November the same year, Whedon abruptly abandoned his passion project. He attributed his exit to tiredness (“I am genuinely exhausted, and am stepping back to marshal my energy towards my own life”). In a statement, HBO said: “We have parted ways with Joss Whedon. We remain excited about the future of The Nevers and look forward to its premiere.” But behind the scenes, a reputation-destroying storm appeared to be brewing. In July last year, the actor Ray Fisher claimed Whedon had been abusive while directing the blockbuster Justice League. Then he was accused of being “casually cruel” and perpetuating a “toxic” atmosphere on the Buffy set by the actors Charisma Carpenter and Amber Benson. Michelle Trachtenberg, who was 14 when she was cast as Buffy’s younger sister, claimed that Whedon was not allowed to be in a room alone with her. (In February, HBO’s chief content officer Casey Bloys said that the company had received “no complaints or no reports of inappropriate behaviour” against Whedon. Representatives for Whedon did not immediately respond when approached for comment for this piece.) Continue reading...
by Vincent Ni China affairs correspondent on (#5HQXS)
While Covid-19 crisis has led to more positive reporting on Beijing, global news outlets have become more reliant on official viewsOver the past year, researchers who study China have begun closely scrutinising how the country is positioning itself in a world that its leader, Xi Jinping, has said is “experiencing profound changes unseen in a century”.Supporters say that as a major player in international politics, China’s viewpoint deserves to be heard. Opponents, however, worry that the world’s media are becoming too credulous of China. Continue reading...
An Indigenous New Zealand lawmaker was thrown out of New Zealand’s parliament for performing a Māori haka in protest against what he said were racist arguments.Rawiri Waititi told lawmakers in the chamber that he was forced to listen to a ‘constant barrage of insults’ directed toward Indigenous people. Speaker Trevor Mallard told Waititi to sit down, but instead he performed the haka, a traditional dance or challenge accompanied by a chant.‘Order. The member will now leave the chamber,’ Mallard told Waititi, which he did along with his co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Health minister would not be drawn on whether Aishwarya Aswath’s death could have been avoided over Easter weekendThe Western Australian government has apologised for a “failure” at a Perth hospital where a seven-year-old girl died after her parents’ desperate pleas for help were ignored.Aishwarya Aswath spent two hours waiting in the emergency department at Perth Children’s hospital during the Easter weekend after presenting with a fever and being triaged in the second-least urgent category. Continue reading...
Labor’s Linda Burney says migrants ‘have consistently been left behind and neglected by this government’The Coalition’s proposal to force migrants to wait four years for family and carers payments has been labelled “unusual” and “harsh” by the federal opposition.The $671m cost-cutting measure was the largest saving in Tuesday’s budget. It sets up a political fight with Labor which could try and block the changes which will require legislation but won’t deliver substantial savings until 2024-25. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Political correspondent on (#5HQSR)
County court judgment puts prime minister at potential risk of bad credit rating and action by bailiffsBoris Johnson has had a county court judgment issued against him for a debt that has not been repaid, official records show, placing the prime minister at risk of not only a bad credit rating but potential enforcement action by bailiffs arriving at Downing Street.The official register of county court judgments for England and Wales shows that Johnson had a judgment against him in October last year over an unpaid debt of £535. The register does not give details of to whom the debt is owed. Continue reading...
by Calla Wahlquist (now) and Amy Remeikis (earlier) on (#5HQB6)
Coalition budget delivers $30bn in tax breaks and money for fossil fuel projects but no measures to help struggling universities or clean energy projects. Follow all the latest news and reaction to the 2021 federal budget as it happens
Cox’s character in the revenge thriller given deep voice of Roberto Pedicini, sparking backlash over European dubbing of trans actorsThe Italian-language version of Emerald Fennell’s revenge thriller Promising Young Woman has come under fire for giving trans actor Laverne Cox a male voice. Scheduled to hit theatres across the country on 13 May, the release has been pushed back after a clip of Una Donna Promettente was posted by Universal Pictures Italy on 6 May. In the since-restricted video, Cox’s character, Gail, talks to protagonist Cassie, played by Carey Mulligan, in a distinctively masculine tone. The Orange Is the New Black star was given the deep tones of voice actor Roberto Pedicini. Italian viewers couldn’t believe their ears, immediately taking to social media to voice their outrage.“I think this dubbing choice was a straight-up act of violence,” Italian trans actor and voice actor Vittoria Schisano tells the Guardian. “It’s insulting. I’d feel bullied if I were [Cox],” she added. Schisano dubbed Cox on Netflix documentary Amend: The Fight for America, and was the Italian voice behind trans character Natalie on the latest season of Big Mouth. Her most recent project is Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon, where she voices General Atitaya. Schisano says she doesn’t know any other trans voice actors in Italy and wasn’t even asked to read for Cox’s role in Promising Young Woman. Continue reading...
Languishing in a lunch rut? Extremely bored of omelettes? Here are some super-fast, super-tasty alternatives – from crab crumpets to a roast pepper delight
Nick Bailey begins action against force over trauma he continues to suffer three years after being exposed to nerve agentThe police officer who was poisoned in the Salisbury novichok attack has lodged papers in the high court suing Wiltshire police over the trauma he continues to suffer three years after being exposed to the nerve agent.Nick Bailey was critically injured after coming into contact with novichok when he entered the house of the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in March 2018. Continue reading...
Author, who usually writes poetry, beat two previous winners to the prestigious NZ$57,000 book awardA collection of short stories has won the top prize at the Ockham New Zealand book awards – only the second time a collection has won the fiction prize in the awards’ history, and the first time in over a decade.Airini Beautrais won the NZ$57,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn prize for fiction for her collection, Bug Week & Other Stories. Beautrais has published several books of poetry, but Bug Week is her first work of fiction. She was nominated alongside two previous winners of the award – Catherine Chidgey and Pip Adam – as well as a past nominee, Brannavan Gnanalingam. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan, Jamie Macwhirter, Meital Miselevi on (#5HQNF)
More than six years after Houthi rebels seized Yemen's capital and forced its government into exile, a bloody civil war still rages across the country. Despite a Saudi-led bombing campaign that has destroyed Yemeni infrastructure and crippled its economy, the Houthis remain in control of most of the country's population centres.The Guardian's Middle East correspondent, Bethan McKernan, explains why a new Houthi offensive could heap more misery on the millions of civilians caught in the crossfire
Peter Brathwaite knew Bobby (Don’t Worry Be Happy) McFerrin but not his father Robert, the first Black man to sing at the Met. He celebrates a trailblazer and an inspiration
Rawiri Waititi had accused the opposition of racism and was asked to sit down by the speaker, but instead performed the ceremonial danceMāori party co-leader Rawiri Waititi has been thrown out of New Zealand’s parliament after denouncing rhetoric from the opposition as racist and performing a haka.Waititi said the opposition was inciting racism across New Zealand through its stance on Māori healthcare. The haka is a ceremonial dance for Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand – it can represent a challenge, and is sometimes performed in moments of conflict. Continue reading...
Next week, after 14 months of closure and despair, the arts are reawakening. But the damage caused by Covid runs deep – and recovery is by no means assured“If we had to close down again,” says Andrew Lloyd Webber, “we couldn’t survive.” Webber is staging his new musical Cinderella, with book by Oscar-winner Emerald Fennell, in a full-capacity theatre in July, having already delayed its premiere twice. He has mortgaged his house in London and will be selling one of his seven theatres. “It cost £1m a month to keep them dark,” he says. “You can’t just lock them up and throw away the key. I don’t run the theatres for profit and there wasn’t a reserve.”Across the UK, the arts are reawakening after over 14 months of unprecedented disruption. As venues reopen – dates differ across the nations, though 17 May is a key date in Scotland and England – there will be much to celebrate, and many delights in store for audiences. But the pandemic hit culture and entertainment more severely than any other part of the economy, including hospitality, throwing fresh light on already deep inequalities. Continue reading...
When he applied to university in the 80s, Brown was told to leave the UK. Decades later, finally awarded a law degree, he set about helping people who had been targeted by the Home OfficeIn the summer of 1982, Anthony Brown, then 21, was hoping for an acceptance letter for a place to study law in London. He had worked hard for his A-levels in computing, maths and physics at North Trafford College in Manchester and was full of energy and idealism. After his degree, he planned to join the police, to help counter the violent style of policing he had seen in television coverage of the recent Brixton riots.Instead, he received a letter from the Home Office telling him he was in the UK illegally and needed to report to Manchester airport for deportation. Brown, who was born in Jamaica but moved to England as a six-year-old in 1967, had been classified as an immigration offender. It was immediately clear that he was not going to be able to start a law degree. Continue reading...
Three recruitment staff suspended as police commissioner labels alleged discrimination ‘completely disappointing’Two hundred men missed out on joining the Queensland police force because recruiters discriminated against them in favour of women, a new report states.The Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission has said the state police service’s 50/50 recruitment strategy resulted in discriminatory practices being used against male candidates. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Costs of War study looked at losses suffered by Nato allies over 2001-17, finding UK lost 455 livesBritish and Canadian troops were more than twice as likely to get killed in Afghanistan as their US counterparts, according to a study that looks at the scale of the sacrifice made by Nato allies over the course of the 20-year war.The UK also gave more to Afghanistan than the US in the form of economic and humanitarian assistance as a percentage of GDP, the study published on Wednesday by the Costs of War project at Brown University found. Continue reading...