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Noongar author Kim Scott has been combing through colonial records, looking for entries related to his people’s culture and history. In this interview he describes travelling across Noongar country, piecing these records together with the knowledge of elders and community members – both Indigenous and non-IndigenousThis interview with Kim Scott is based on an essay he has written for the Fire, Flood and Plague anthology series. You can read it here or buy it in an anthology published by Penguin Random House. Continue reading...

I thought my good grades, hard work and exceptional achievements would somehow lead me to a comfortable life. This is all fake

‘When he changed his top, I saw his tattoos and said: “Oh man, we should try something without your shirt on”’I started shooting the music industry in 1992 just as hip-hop was becoming more popular. Some people thought it was going to be a fad and not all photographers were interested in these jobs. But I was, so I began to work with a lot of hip-hop artists, shooting everyone from Public Enemy to LL Cool J.Many of the artists come with a huge entourage – they bring the party with them. Sometimes that’s fun but other times it can get in your way. When I got the assignment to photograph Tupac from Rolling Stone magazine in 1993, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew Tupac had been in trouble recently, but I grew up not judging people until I met them. He showed up with just one other guy. He was on time and very cordial, he came in and shook my hand. He had a couple of different changes of clothes with him – he was very prepared. I think he knew that at the time Rolling Stone was not putting a lot of hip-hop in the magazine, so saw a great opportunity for himself and his music. Continue reading...

Move paves way for high-protein maggot-like insect to be approved for consumption across EuropeYellow mealworm finger foods, smoothies, biscuits, pasta and burgers could soon be mass produced across Europe after the insect became the first to be found safe for human consumption by the EU food safety agency.The delicacies may not be advisable for everyone, however. Those with prawn and dustmite allergies are likely to suffer a reaction to the Tenebrio molitor larvae, whether eaten in powder form as part of a recipe or as a crunchy snack, perhaps dipped in chocolate. Continue reading...

Sarah Ferguson says historical tale Her Heart for a Compass is inspired by experiences in her own lifeThe Duchess of York has landed a book deal with the romantic fiction publisher Mills & Boon, revealing that she “drew on many parallels from my life” for the historical tale.Sarah Ferguson’s debut novel, Her Heart for a Compass, will be released in August and tells a fictional account of the life and love story of her great-great-aunt, Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott. Continue reading...

One woman drowned and five were rescued after a group of people were swept off rocks at Bushrangers Bay near Cape SchanckTwo people are dead after separate drownings on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, while a child is fighting for life following another waterside emergency in Melbourne’s outer south-east.In one incident, four people were swept off rocks at Bushrangers Bay near Cape Schanck, close to the southern-most point of the peninsula, about 3.30pm on Wednesday. Continue reading...

A Covid-safe march is planned on Gadigal land on 26 January, while a ticketed and seated dawn service will be held in MelbourneIndigenous organisers of an Invasion Day protest planned for Sydney on 26 January are vowing to press ahead with a Covid-safe march despite NSW Health restricting the number of people allowed to gather to 500.The rally on Gadigal land was still scheduled to start at 9am on the public holiday from Djarrbarrgalli, or the Domain, organisers said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

If you want to understand global heating, you have to measure and examine ocean warming trends

Tony Wittman fails in a bail application as it is alleged he forced the woman onto her knees and tied her upA man accused of holding a woman at gunpoint while demanding to know where the cats were at a Melbourne animal shelter allegedly returned the next day, while police were present, to collect his missing cat.Tony Wittman, 44, was charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, burglary and weapons charges after allegedly threatening a 23-year-old woman with a loaded assault rifle at the Lost Dogs Home in Cranbourne West on Monday. Continue reading...

Two men started debating what type of ammunition a Luger handgun used, and ended with a stabbing death, court toldAnthony Lentjes wasn’t too concerned when his friend and another man started placing bets over what type of ammunition German soldiers used in their Luger handguns during the second world war.His friend Jarrod Frank claimed to have one answer, but another man – Scott Bury – said he knew the answer was 9mm because he’d once robbed a bank with that gun and that’s what he’d used. Continue reading...

In an acclaimed new film, the story of a night between four major figures – Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali – is brought to lifeOne thing is certain: vanilla ice cream was eaten. The rest? If only we knew.The year is 1964 and activist Malcolm X, singer-songwriter Sam Cooke and American football player Jim Brown gather in Miami, Florida, to cheer boxer Muhammad Ali – then Cassius Clay – to his first world heavyweight championship. No celebration is planned because he was not expected to win, so the four repair to Malcolm’s hotel room in the segregated African American part of town. Continue reading...

When Taal volcano, a popular tourist site in Batangas, erupted a year ago 5,000 people fled the island. It’s still considered dangerous. The government bans former residents from returning but some still live there in tents Continue reading...

Upper-caste actor playing Dalit politician Mayawati shown dishevelled and holding broom in publicity for new film

Relentless and escalating programme of refugee evictions amounts to a campaign of harassment, say activistsShortly before sunrise on 9 January, about 40 officers and officials gathered outside Calais police station as temperatures dipped to -3C (26.6F). Shortly after, in a well-drilled procedure, a nine-vehicle convoy started down the road towards the first of five forced evictions of makeshift refugee camps planned for that morning.When the convoy arrived at the camp, just a few miles from the city centre, masked police in black uniforms chased refugees away from their tents and belongings. Some of the other 150 refugees who had been sheltering at the camp had already packed and fled before authorities arrived. Soon the camp was empty; frost-covered sleeping bags and jackets were all that remained. Continue reading...

Over the last four years, the Gulf state has been accused of bombing and killing Yemeni civiliansBritain spent £2.4m over the last four years to help Saudi Arabia’s military comply with international humanitarian law – during which time the Gulf state has been accused of indiscriminately bombing and killing Yemeni civilians.The figures – obtained via parliamentary questions – are the first time the UK has detailed the amount spent via secretive funds to the kingdom, prompting a campaign group to say British taxpayers were backing the country’s military. Continue reading...

Miho Imada has won international acclaim as a tôji, or master brewer of the traditional Japanese tippleAs a child, Miho Imada promised herself she would never perform “women’s work” to support her family’s sake brewery. She saw how her mother juggled looking after five children with cooking three meals a day for groups of visiting seasonal workers, and devoted what little time she had left to doing the accounts.“I never saw my mother sleep, and she never seemed to catch a cold,” Imada said. “She was always working. I thought ‘there’s no way I’m going to do that.’” Continue reading...

One of Africa’s most prominent literary figures says the election will be crucial for the continentGlobal outrage at the storming of the US Capitol risks diverting attention from repression by Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, the Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka has said on the eve of Uganda’s election.Soyinka, a Nobel laureate and one of Africa’s most prominent literary figures, described Thursday’s election as “crucial for the African continent”, and called for the 76-year-old Museveni and other older African leaders to step aside for a younger generation. Continue reading...

The human form has inspired artists for centuries for both its beauty and challenges. Now a Brazilian septuagenarian sculptor has won a surprise newfound notoriety for his celebrity waxworks. Six years after it was filmed, a local TV story on an exhibit by Arlindo Armacollo has gone viral for the distorted depictions and the gushing reporter's commentary. Armacollo's work is the latest in an increasingly long list of celebrity sculptures that have gained fame for not quite nailing the brief

Device is expected to help investigators determine what caused the Boeing 737-500 to nosedive into the ocean in heavy rainIndonesian navy divers searching the ocean floor have recovered the flight data recorder from a Sriwijaya Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea with 62 people on board.The device is expected to help investigators determine what caused the Boeing 737-500 to nosedive into the ocean in heavy rain shortly after taking off from Jakarta on Saturday. Continue reading...

‘We embraced judgmental, moral certainty and perverse religious morality,’ says taoiseach

The family of a photojournalist held in Syria must raise a multimillion-dollar ransom after the Danish government refuses to negotiateOver the last couple of decades, Danish cinema has increasingly proved to have a strong aptitude for emotive, nuanced drama and intelligent engagement, particularly through documentary-making, with conflicts abroad. This inspired-by-a-true-story feature, from journeyman director Niels Arden Oplev (who helmed the original Girl With the Dragon Tattoo film) skilfully combines those two strands to tell the story of Daniel Rye, a young Danish photographer who was captured by Isis in Syria in 2013.Filmed in a wiggly, handheld fashion – such a signature of the Dogma 95 years it almost feels like a retro affectation – the plot tracks methodically through Daniel’s story, holding tight on the expressive face of Esben Smed, who rises to the physical challenges of the role. For starters, he has to convincingly pass as Rye when he was young enough to be a contender for the Danish gymnastics team, although presumably a stuntman performed most of the acrobatics we see. Continue reading...

Snow forecast in Scotland and north-east England and wintry weather in central EnglandSnow is likely to fall across many parts of northern England on Thursday, with the possibility of a Beast from the East 2 in the middle of next week.The Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said freezing rain could turn to snow in parts of Scotland and north-east England from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Continue reading...

Simone Ledward accepts honour on behalf of her late husband as Riz Ahmed and Nicole Beharie pick up best actor and best actress awardsThe first significant awards event of the current film cycle spread its net wide, but the main attention of the 2021 Gotham awards, designed to reward independent film-makers, was focused on a tearful speech given by Simone Ledward as she accepted an award on behalf of her late husband Chadwick Boseman.Related: ‘Chadwick will be remembered as a hero’: Denzel Washington and Viola Davis on making Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Continue reading...

Exclusive: 74-fold rise in cases, fuelled by Christmas mixing, leaves island’s only hospital struggling

Jeanne Pouchain has not existed in the eyes of France’s officials since 2017In the flesh, Jeanne Pouchain appears very much alive and well. Convincing the French authorities of this has proven another matter.After being declared dead by a court, Pouchain has spent three years trying to have herself officially resuscitated. Continue reading...

The horrific visions of the Spanish painter are about to go on display at New York’s Met. Americans should flock to this timely show – because no artist better captured collective delusion and mass fanaticismThe macabre art of Francisco Goya, the first truly modern artist, is due to be exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York next month and there could hardly be a more urgent moment for Americans to look at his images. For, over 200 years ago, this Spanish artist perfectly captured the kind of collective delusion and mass fanaticism that swarmed the US Capitol last week. The mob of Trump supporters who assaulted the home of American democracy were as inflamed as the crowd who march with crazed eyes behind a manic musician in The Pilgrimage to San Isidoro, as dangerous as the hate-drunk crowd in The Second of May 1808, spellbound by their goat-headed charismatic idol.And then there’s The Burial of the Sardine, in which a delirious crowd cavort around a huge banner of a madly grinning face. At first glance, it seems to be a joyous carnival scene, but look closer and the intensity of their rite becomes unsettling as you notice that face on the banner, their vacant lord of the dance. It has a definitive Trumpian air. Continue reading...

Social media users criticise the exclusion of some trans women at McIver’s Ladies Baths, forcing a change of policy wordingA women-only ocean pool in Sydney’s eastern suburbs has come under fire over a policy that excluded transgender women who had not had surgical intervention.The McIver’s Ladies Baths’ policy on transgender women, published on the FAQ section of its website, has been changed twice since attention was drawn to it on Monday afternoon. Continue reading...

Greens accuse Coalition government of trying to win votes from a ‘rabble of far-right nationalists, racists and conspiracy theorists’ after Michael McCormack’s remarksAustralia’s acting prime minister, Michael McCormack, has been criticised for “beyond disgusting” comments, after he stated that “all lives matter” when defending previous comments comparing the deadly US Capitol siege to Black Lives Matter protests.Rejecting calls from Amnesty International to retract the comparison, McCormack referred to lives lost in violence associated with Black Lives Matter protests in the US, telling reporters on Tuesday: “I appreciate there are a lot of people out there who are being a bit bleeding heart about this, and who are confecting outrage, but they should know that those lives matter too. All lives matter.” Continue reading...

First federal execution of woman in 67 years halted as judge cites need to determine her mental competenceA judge has granted another stay in what was slated to be the US government’s first execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades.Judge Patrick Hanlon granted the stay late on Monday, citing the need to determine Lisa Montgomery’s mental competence, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported. Continue reading...

President-elect Joe Biden said he was not afraid to take the oath of office outside on 20 January following the violent riots at the US Capitol.Speaking after receiving his second Covid-19 vaccination, the 78-year-old added the focus now was on holding those who engaged in the riot to account

NSW premier concerned over low testing levels as state grapples with growing number of mystery cases; partner of a Brisbane hotel quarantine cleaner who contracted new Covid-19 strain tests positive. This blog is closed

Amid rising infection rates, authorities suppress efforts to discuss levels of vital supplies, as relatives’ claims fuel concerns

A new auction marks 100 years since the birth of US photographer Ruth Orkin, who travelled the world making waves in an industry dominated by men Continue reading...

The toppling of slave trader Edward Colston’s statue provoked conversations on race – now policy change needs to happen too, says Bristol’s mayorBack in June, a group of Black Lives Matter protesters toppled the statue of Edward Colston from its plinth in Bristol and threw it off a quayside where the slave trader’s ships used to dock.More than six months on, the mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, describes it as an “iconic moment”. But not a simple one. “I think we need to be careful with it,” said Rees. “The danger is that iconic moments of great symbolic value occupy the space that should be filled by substantial action. Continue reading...

Analysis: Congress gathering ends with Kim taking symbolic post of general secretary and a warning the US needs a fresh strategyA rare meeting of North Korea’s ruling party has ended with a symbolically important new title for the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, speculation about the future of his influential sister, and a shot across the bow of the incoming US president.Less than two weeks before Joe Biden’s inauguration, much of what Kim told the first congress of the ruling Workers’ party for five years had a familiar ring to it. Continue reading...

Post-Brexit regulation doesn’t match new EU rules to tackle ocean pollution, despite UK being Europe’s largest plastic waste producerThe UK has been accused of failing to honour its promise to curb shipments of plastic waste to developing countries, after it emerged Britain’s new post-Brexit regulations are less stringent than those imposed by the EU.From 1 January, shipments of unsorted plastic waste from the EU to non-OECD countries were banned. Continue reading...

City’s leader accuses foreign critics of double standards when they condemn rioters in the US but support pro-democracy protesters in Hong KongHong Kong’s leader has defended the unprecedented mass arrest of opposition figures last week, and accused western powers of hypocrisy for condemning the siege on the US Capitol after supporting pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.At a weekly press briefing in Hong Kong on Tuesday, Carrie Lam was asked about the coordinated police raids last Wednesday, when 55 opposition figures were arrested on suspicion of breaching the national security law by holding unofficial primaries ahead of the since-postponed Hong Kong election. The raids were the latest use of the national security law against the pro-democracy movement. Continue reading...

The systematic promotion of the supremacy of one group of people over another is deeply immoral and must end

What is it like to live in a time machine? Five people explain why they made their home into the perfect replica of an earlier eraWill future generations look at the interior design of the early 21st century in appreciation? Possibly not. We do not appear to have crafted many design classics, unless slab-like corner sofas in mud-grey velvet are Eames chairs in the making. Our feature walls are gaudy; our furniture cheaply made. Scarcely anything seems to be built to last, which is just as well, as the next Instagram-led interior design trend will be along soon enough.But there are those who retreat from modern trends into the interiors of the past, drawn by the allure of original designs. We speak to five people whose homes are portals into the past. Continue reading...

After 10 years living in France, I returned to China to sign some papers and I was locked up. For the next two years, I was systematically dehumanised, humiliated and brainwashed

Embassy spokesperson rejects ‘false claims’ in report that alleges policies perpetuate supremacy of Jews over PalestiniansIsrael is not a democracy but an “apartheid regime” that enforces Jewish supremacy over all the land it controls, a leading domestic rights group has alleged in a position paper bound to provoke fierce controversy.“One organising principle lies at the base of a wide array of Israeli policies: advancing and perpetuating the supremacy of one group – Jews – over another – Palestinians,” said B’Tselem, an organisation that documents human rights violations. Continue reading...

Results of investigation expected to tell how 9,000 children died in 18 institutions between 1922 and 1998The grim history of a network of religious institutions in Ireland that abused and shamed unmarried mothers and their children for much of the 20th century is to be laid bare.A judicial commission of investigation into Ireland’s mother and baby homes has documented shocking death rates and callousness in institutions that doubled as orphanages and adoption agencies. Continue reading...

Gorillas are thought to have been infected by wildlife worker in what is believed to be first outbreak among captive primatesSeveral gorillas at the San Diego zoo safari park have tested positive for coronavirus, with some experiencing symptoms, in what is believed to be the first outbreak among such primates in captivity.The park’s executive director, Lisa Peterson, told the Associated Press on Monday that eight gorillas who live together at the park are believed to have the virus and several have been coughing. Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, confirmed at his Monday news briefing that at least two gorillas had tested positive while three were symptomatic. Continue reading...

The chief medical officer seems the only person left we can trust to tell us the harsh truth on Covid

Refugee support chief warned of Khairi Saadallah carrying out ‘London Bridge-type scenario’• Reading attacker Khairi Saadallah given whole-life prison sentenceRepeated warnings were given that Khairi Saadallah, who murdered three men in a Reading park last summer, could carry out a “London Bridge-type scenario” shortly before the killings took place, the Guardian has learned.Documents reveal that Nick Harborne, chief executive of the Reading Refugee Support Group (RRSG), who had had dealings with Saadallah since 2016, made four specific warnings to health and probation professionals between 4 December 2019 and 12 June 2020 that Saadallah could commit a violent crime if he did not receive appropriate support. Continue reading...

Surrey hospital morgues now full, as Kent facility provides 950 spaces and extra London capacity being built

As divers search for black boxes in Java Sea, families recall last-minute messagesRafik Yusuf Alaydrus’s wife, Panca Widia Nursanti, messaged him on WhatsApp as she sat on board the Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 flight. The weather in Jakarta was bad, she said. It was raining heavily and the flight, bound for Pontianak on Borneo island, had been delayed for an hour by the poor conditions.As she waited for takeoff on Saturday, Panca told him she had a bad feeling, and asked him to pray for her. “I tried to calm her down, saying that I would pray for her, and asked her to pray during flight. Inshallah she would be safe,” he said. Continue reading...

Applying for casual jobs is not an easy process anymore, writes Madeleine Rose. Every employer seems to want at least two years’ experience

Saadallah sentenced at Old Bailey, having pleaded guilty to three murders and three attempted murdersThe man who murdered three people within a minute in a Reading park was driven by terrorism and has been sentenced to spend his whole life in jail.Khairi Saadallah, 26, carried out the attacks on 20 June last year during which he shouted “Allahu Akbar”. Continue reading...

Conductor will take up a new role with Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for ‘personal reasons’