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Cop29 agrees $1.3tn climate finance deal but campaigners brand it a ‘betrayal’
Deep divisions remain after high-stakes talks end with agreement to help developing world shift to low-carbon economyRich and poor countries concluded a trillion-dollar deal on the climate crisis in the early hours of Sunday morning, after marathon talks and days of bitter recriminations ended in what campaigners said was a “betrayal”.The developing world will receive at least $1.3tn (£1tn) a year in funds to help them shift to a low-carbon economy and cope with the impacts of extreme weather, by 2035. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 23:47:59
Russia ‘aggressive’ and ‘reckless’ in cyber realm and threat to Nato, UK minister to warn
Pat McFadden will tell cyber summit that Russia ‘won’t think twice about targeting British businesses’ and danger to Nato must not be underestimatedRussia is “exceptionally aggressive and reckless in the cyber realm” and “no one should underestimate” the threat to Nato, a senior UK minister will warn in a speech on Monday.Pat McFadden, whose portfolio includes national security, will tell a Nato cybersecurity conference in London that Moscow “won’t think twice about targeting British businesses”, according to excerpts of his address released on Sunday by his ministry. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 03:58:02
Ukraine war briefing: No ‘red lines’ when it comes to support for Ukraine, says French foreign minister
Jean-Noël Barrot tells the BBC Ukraine could fire French long-range missiles into Russia ‘in the logics of self defence’, but does not confirm if French weapons have already been used. What we know on day 1,005See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 01:58:51
Homeless people to be given cash in first major UK trial to reduce poverty
Led by King’s College London, study will recruit 360 people in England and Wales to explore benefits of schemeResearchers are conducting the UK’s first major scientific trials to establish whether giving homeless people cash is a more effective way of reducing poverty than traditional forms of help.Poverty campaigners have long believed that cash transfers are the most cost-effective way of helping people, but most studies have examined schemes in developing countries. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 06:00:05
Gunman dead, police injured in shooting near Israeli embassy in Jordan
Police shot a gunman who had fired at a police patrol in the Rabiah neighbourhood of Amman, officials and media reportA gunman was dead and three policemen injured after a shooting near the Israeli embassy in Jordan, a security source and state media said on Sunday.Police shot a gunman who had fired at a police patrol in the Rabiah neighbourhood of Amman, state news agency Petra reported, citing public security, adding investigations were ongoing. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 07:07:00
‘We live in a climate of fear’: graphic novelist’s Elon Musk book can’t find UK or US publisher
Darryl Cunningham blames fear of ‘legal consequences’ for reluctance to take on book, now only available in FrenchA biography by a British graphic novelist of Elon Musk is struggling to find an English-language publisher due to feared “legal consequences”.Elon Musk: Investigation into a New Master of the World is the latest graphic novel by Darryl Cunningham, from West Yorkshire. Cunningham, 64, has written and illustrated seven nonfiction books on topics ranging from the 2008 global economic meltdown (Supercrash), to Russian leader Vladimir Putin (subtitled The Rise of a Dictator). Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 16:00:01
Trump picks Brooke Rollins to lead Department of Agriculture
Choice of president of America First Policy Institute completes top cabinet picks for president-electDonald Trump has chosen Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, to be agriculture secretary.“As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are truly the backbone of our Country,” the US president-elect said in a statement. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 21:57:13
Parents of surviving Bali Nine inmates ‘quietly hopeful’ as minister confirms talks under way to return them to Australia
Five remaining members would continue to serve sentences upon returning under proposal, trade minister Don Farrell saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe parents of the surviving Bali Nine members are “quietly hopeful” their children will be repatriated to Australia in a deal with the Indonesian government, according to a pastor who has been in close contact with them for 20 years.The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, raised their repatriation during a meeting with the Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Peru last week. Senior Australian ministers have confirmed negotiations between the two nations are ongoing.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 01:34:37
Dartmouth sorority and two fraternity members charged over death of student
Won Jang drowned in Connecticut River in July after party where alcohol was supplied by his fraternityA sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity are facing charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party this summer.Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had been reported missing in July after the party. State and local emergency responders searched the Connecticut River and found his body. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 15:46:43
Rebel Wilson to appeal after US court rejects bid to have defamation case thrown out
The Los Angeles superior court rejected the actor’s claim that she couldn’t be sued by the producers of her film The DebRebel Wilson’s lawyers say they will appeal a California court’s decision that cleared the way for the Australian actor to be sued for defamation, in a claim that could run into millions of dollars.On Sunday, Wilson’s attorney Bryan Freedman said in a statement that an immediate appeal would be lodged against a Los Angeles superior court decision that was handed down on Saturday morning AEDT. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 05:29:23
AI increasingly used for sextortion, scams and child abuse, says senior UK police chief
The fast-developing technology is providing opportunities in ‘any crime type’ – and police must ‘move fast’ to catch upPaedophiles, scammers, hackers and criminals of all kinds are increasingly exploiting artificial intelligence (AI) to target victims in new and harmful ways, a senior police chief has warned.Alex Murray, the national police lead for AI, said that the use of the technology was growing rapidly because of its increasing accessibility and that police had to “move fast” to keep on top of the threat. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 07:00:09
Fires, first aid and guns: meet the Finnish women training for war with Russia
Anxious Finns are learning how to survive in the wild in preparation for an invasion by their hostile neighbour It is Friday night on a forested military base in western Finland. A group of women dressed in camouflage with matching purple beanie hats are sat in a dark tent discussing how their perspectives have changed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.“I didn’t think it was a real threat that Russia would attack us,” says Sari, 42, who works in sales and lives in a nearby town. But then, she adds: “They attacked Ukraine. I saw that it is possible that we are next.” Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 20:13:22
‘It’s boorish’: E-scooter firms threaten to leave Italy after highway code updated
Fear for jobs after parliament votes for helmets, insurance and big fines for ‘wild’ riders and rogue parking, amid rise in traffic accidentsOn a road by Rome’s traffic-clogged Piazza Venezia, an e-scooter rider weaves through a crowd of pedestrians, who in turn are trying not to trip over a scooter dumped on the pavement. At the adjacent crossing, two e-scooter riders whiz through a red light as another glides around the curve with his passenger capturing the journey on her mobile phone.Such scenes have become common in the Italian capital and other towns and cities in recent years, amid the boom in popularity of rented e-scooters. But now the government is getting tough on wayward use of the vehicles as part of a broader overhaul of the highway code. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 11:00:42
Developing countries urged to reject ‘bad deal’ as Cop29 climate talks falter
Talk grows of a walkout from poor countries in response to ‘unacceptable’ and ‘insulting’ finance proposalDeveloping countries were being urged by civil society groups to reject “a bad deal” at the UN climate talks on Friday night, after rich nations refused to increase an “insulting” offer of finance to help them tackle the climate crisis.The stage is set for a bitter row on Saturday over how much money poor countries should receive from the governments of the rich world, which have offered $250bn a year by 2035 to help the poor shift to a low-carbon economy and adapt to the impacts of extreme weather. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 18:17:47
‘Protect the climate for whom?’: Palestinians highlight Gaza at Cop29
Advocates and officials argue that consequences of Israeli siege are inextricably linked to tackling the climate crisisAs countries negotiate over climate finance, Palestinian officials and advocates have come to Cop29 in Baku to highlight global heating’s intersection with another crisis: Israel’s siege on Gaza.“The Cop [meetings] are very keen to protect the environment, but for whom?” said Ahmed Abu Thaher, director of projects and international relations at Palestine’s Environment Quality Authority, who had travelled to Cop29 from Ramallah. “If you are killing the people there, for whom are you keen to protect the environment and to minimise the effects of climate change?” Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 05:00:33
‘Disaster is about caring. I’m not selfish any more’ – This is climate breakdown
We are used to seasonal droughts in the Karoo. But this did not stop. This is Sybil’s storyLocation Sutherland, South AfricaDisaster Southern Africa drought, 2015-2023Isabella Visagie, known to everyone in her life as Sybil, is a 57-year-old sheep farmer, wife and mother from the Karoo, in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. In 2015 a drought began that would bring the community in which she lived to its knees. The province has been locked in a drought since then. The climate crisis intensified flash droughts across southern Africa in 2015-16, increased the probability of the 2015-17 drought in the south-west of neighbouring Western Cape, and is increasing temperatures in the Northern Cape, as well as decreasing rainfall in parts of that province. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 12:00:42
Huge election year worldwide sees weakening commitment to act on climate crisis
Among sweeping rightwing electoral victories across the globe, the ‘big loser of the elections has been climate’An unprecedented year of elections around the world has underscored a sobering trend – in many countries the commitment to act on the climate crisis has either stalled or is eroding, even as disasters and record temperatures continue to mount.So far 2024, called the “biggest election year in human history” by the United Nations with around half the world’s population heading to the polls, there have been major wins for Donald Trump, the US president-elect who calls the climate crisis “a big hoax”; the climate-skeptic right in European Union elections; and Vladimir Putin, who won another term and has endured sanctions to maintain Russia’s robust oil and gas exports. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 11:00:40
The climate crisis and all the evil in the world drives me to despair
The world will continue to be absurd, but you, with all your passion, can still make your corner of it more bearableThe question I am finding it ever more difficult to be in this nasty world. Everything that I cherish is being destroyed and there is nowhere to go to find solace. I’ve always loved nature – but when I go for a walk now, I see every ash tree dying, I hear the loss of birdsong, I see how few insects there are. When I read the news, I just cannot comprehend how cruel humans are able to be, racism, misogyny, religious hate, cruelty to animals… The list is endless.I work in climate change and am having to pretend every day that there is still a chance we can prevent catastrophic climate change. I find it ever harder to be around people who don’t get just how bad things are. I don’t have kids and am single. I can’t talk to my family about it because they are rightwing, wealthy climate sceptics. They patronise me (despite the fact I’m nearly 60 and a chief executive). Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 06:00:02
Not quite religion, not quite self-help: welcome to the Jordan Peterson age of nonsense
Unintelligible as it is, new book is part of a ‘manifesting’ trend offering the young and spiritually lost an illusion of controlWhat links these two news stories? The first: “manifesting” has been declared Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year. The self-help practice, based on the magical belief that mental rituals can move the universe in your favour, has exploded in popularity.Having kicked around for years, it surged into the mainstream during the pandemic, when Google searches of the term rose by 600%. Since then, manifesting courses and retreats have sprung up everywhere, and celebrities from Dua Lipa to Simone Biles are now claiming they “manifested” their success. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 06:30:03
‘It’s been a lot of detective work’: Madame de Pompadour’s £1m wall lights discovered in Yorkshire hotel
Four gilt-bronze sconces that lit up home of Louis XV’s mistress are set to go on sale at Sotheby’s in DecemberFor almost 140 years, four massive gilt-bronze wall lights have hung in the 18th-century drawing room at Swinton Castle in Yorkshire, now an opulent luxury hotel.Guests will almost certainly have noticed the one metre-high rococo appliques with their entwined branches decorated with leaves, berries and cherubim, and passed them off as impressive reproductions of more valuable original works. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 07:00:10
The power of one: the rise of single living, as seen in the year 2000
Experts came together to consider the growing rise in singledom – the answer seemed to be ‘get a dog’What do you get when you take a psychologist, an academic, a life coach, a ‘social theorist’, three writers, an editor and a sex columnist? The Observer’s panel on singledom in 2000.By 2010, it was predicted, 40% of all households would be one-person (actually, the 2011 England and Wales figure was 30%). Was that ‘terrifying’, as Kathryn Flett, moderating, suggested? That depended, trend forecaster Professor Richard Scase pointed out, on your gender. In psychological and physical health terms, relationships were ‘Good news for men, bad news for women’. Women who left relationships became ‘happier, healthier and fitter’; the opposite was true for men. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 06:00:04
Dutch office workers ditch smart shoes for ‘versneakering’ in trainers
Difficulty of cycling in suit and leather shoes is one reason casual footwear has gone corporate in the NetherlandsWouter de Wit was polishing his six pairs of leather shoes, ready for a new job in Amsterdam’s business district, when he received a text message from his new boss.“He said: ‘Before you go any further, come in and look at the dress code’,” says De Wit. Smart shoes were out, trainers were in. “I had no sneakers, so I bought these,” the 41-year-old consultant adds, pointing at his box-fresh, white Adidas trainers. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 17:00:03
Rufus Wainwright: ‘I had a great party trick, but it once blew up in my face’
The singer-songwriter on his most memorable fan, his love of Chappell Roan, and his close friend and nemesis Jake ShearsGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailIf you could have a sandwich named after you, what would be on it?I would have a really gross sandwich named after me that nobody would want to eat. The one time I tried to cook – many, many years ago, when I was in college – I decided to make all the things that I love and put them in one dish. And so it was brussels sprouts, macaroni and cheese, merguez sausages, extra blue cheese and broccoli. And it was literally grey. So yeah, it would be something revolting like that, between two pieces of cardboard. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 19:00:01
David Nicholls: ‘I’m genuinely deathly at a dinner party’
The bestselling author on why he finds it easier to be funny on the page, being inspired by Sue Townsend and Victoria Wood, and his struggle with the ending of You Are HereDavid Nicholls, 57, is a screenwriter and author whose six novels include Us, longlisted for the Booker prize in 2014, and the multimillion bestseller One Day (2009). His latest novel, You Are Here, is currently on the shortlist of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize for comic fiction, the winner of which is announced on 2 December. The story of a divorced copy editor who meets a depressed geography teacher while on a hike across the north of England, it’s been praised by the New York Times as “an affectingly hard-won romance… sharp-tongued and irresistible, the most intelligent treat”.How did this book come together? I was going to write a big London novel, then lockdown happened and suddenly I didn’t know what a London novel would look like. Everyone was at home, anxious and distracted. I guess that planted the seed. I was aware of how much I missed the countryside, even though I’m a Londoner who’s never really lived in the countryside. I was aware how difficult it was for friends living alone, and I was aware how difficult communication was becoming. After lockdown, I found myself tongue-tied and awkward. So those were the strands: I wanted to dig into my craving for the countryside, I wanted to write about the benefits and demands of conversation, and I wanted to write about loneliness.Not to mention the enduring psychological impact of random street violence… That, again, seemed a tough subject to include in what is essentially a romantic comedy. I love London and I fight against its portrayal as somehow a place of no-go zones and constant threat – it really isn’t that. At the same time I’m aware of how a moment on the tube – a look, a remark – can flare up into something that can change the course of a life. It’s something I feel all the time in the city.Let’s make clear you’re up for a comic fiction award here. I know [laughs]. I’ve tried to write six comic novels now and this is the first time I’ve been nominated. There’s no contradiction between writing a comedy and writing something that’s about melancholy or depression or alcoholism. I guess this is just the first one where I’ve really tried very precisely on a line by line basis to make it funny.What’s involved in that? Chiselling away at the sentences and dialogue until they take it off me. I’d always love to do another draft post-publication. I don’t open the document that will be the novel until quite late; for a year I just scribble jokes and observations and character sketches and ideas for scenes in a big sketchbook. The first draft is always straining too much to be funny, a bit like someone trying too hard at a party. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 18:00:03
Eve Babitz and Joan Didion may be dead. But their feud isn’t
A new book on the Los Angeles authors leaves no petty stone unturned as it explores their fraught friendshipJoan Didion, the original girlboss of American letters, keeps inspiring new takedowns. Critiquing Didion’s racism, the writer Myriam Gurba compared her to an onion: “She’s very white, very crisp, and she makes people cry.” An anonymous woman in a Los Angeles bar called Didion “that lady from Sacramento”. (Didion might have fooled the New York Times, but Angelenos know she wasn’t from Los Angeles.)Eve Babitz’s recent takedown of Didion might be the most extraordinary, though, because it has been issued from beyond the grave. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 13:00:46
Las Vegas Grand Prix: F1 – live
Formula One night race at Las Vegas Street CircuitLights out at 10pm PST/6am GMT/5pm AEDTAny thoughts? Email or get in touch on X @joeylynchyOff the track, Russell is also a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), who are increasingly losing patience and confidence in the FIA and its president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.Giles Richards has more from Nevada. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 07:19:57
Australia v India: first men’s Test, day three – live
Updates as the series opener continues at Optus StadiumPlay starts in Perth at 10:20am local/1:20pm AEDTAny thoughts? Email Jonathan61st over: India 191-0 (Jaiswal 95, Rahul 74) India have carted 17 runs from the first three overs – not the start Australia were looking for. Can Starc atone for the 11-run over last time around that took his figures to 54-0 from 13 overs? He leaks a single from the fourth ball as Rahul drops and runs for an easy single. A leg bye from the fifth means this pair have equalled the greatest opening stand for India against Australia.60th over: India 189-0 (Jaiswal 95, Rahul 73) Here comes Hazlewood. A maiden would be so valuable for Australia now, anything to slow the progress of India’s fast march to a 250-lead and fire a shot for a home side on the back foot. Four dots becomes five thanks to a diving save by McSweeney at a wide third. That atones for his error in the Starc over. Rahul squashes the maiden on the last, stepping out and cover driving for three. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 07:15:54
Manchester City obsess over projection while neglecting fundamentals | Jonathan Liew
The champions are increasingly concerned with how things are portrayed and the basics appear to be an afterthoughtStill, at least Manchester City can now concentrate on the Ballon d’Or. There was a lavish celebration for the world’s best player before this game: the word RODRI illuminated in giant letters on the pitch like a Vegas cabaret show, City’s injured midfield linchpin holding his trophy aloft as fireworks lit the night sky. The tailoring was immaculate; the audiovisuals impressive; the crowd rapt.And then came a game of football, in which the champions were beaten 4-0 by a team with Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies at centre-half. It was City’s biggest home defeat in more than two decades: the sort of result that draws small involuntary gasps, that causes spectators to get their phones out and zoom in on the scoreboard, capturing for posterity this curious rip in the space‑time fabric. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 21:49:57
Schooled like Mourinho: Amorim’s path from pioneering Lisbon university
Portugal’s coaches and players are all the rage in part thanks to links forged between academia and the gameThey always knew Ruben Amorim was a special one at the faculty of human kinetics. “I interviewed him for the course and from the start it was obvious,” says Prof António Veloso, José Mourinho’s former classmate, who runs the high-performance football coaching course at the faculty, which is affiliated to the University of Lisbon.“The students needed to do an essay on specialist topics and Ruben’s results were fantastic. He had a leadership role in the group. When we were doing tactical drills on the pitch all the other students were looking at Ruben’s and asking for his opinion. But he was very humble.” Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 22:00:04
Andy Murray returns to coach old rival Novak Djokovic for Australian Open
Djokovic: it turns out our story has one final chapterMurray retired as a player earlier this year at OlympicsDuring Andy Murray’s emotional retirement ceremony this summer at Wimbledon, his interviewer, Sue Barker, wondered whether Murray would be keen to return purely as a spectator. She noted he had many options; a spot among the club members, an invitation into the royal box or even the commentary booth.Murray, however, had other thoughts: “I’d probably be more comfortable sitting up there in a coaching box than somewhere else,” he said, pointing to the seats his own coaching team occupied. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 16:11:30
Warren Gatland will ‘let dust settle’ before deciding on his future
Wales head coach may take new role at the WRUThe 61-year-old admits the negativity is ‘challenging’Warren Gatland will “let the dust settle” on Wales’s awful autumn before he considers his future as their head coach. His team suffered their 12th straight defeat, when they were beaten 45-12 by South Africa. Gatland said he wanted to talk to his family and his bosses at the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) before he makes a decision. For its part, the WRU has committed to bringing in two independent experts to help with an end‑of‑season review, which will decide whether Gatland stays in post if he doesn’t quit first.Gatland did not deny rumours that he could move into a different role at the WRU, which would involve him stepping away from the day-to-day running of the team but give him more influence over the overall strategy for the sport in Wales. He admitted, with a wry smile, that he had been discussing the idea with his wife on the morning of the game. “There are a number of things that need to be talked about,” he said. “About strategy and the deal with the regions. For a long time there have been issues in the game and the success we had in the past papered over those cracks.” Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 21:06:50
Barry Hawkins sends Ronnie O’Sullivan out of UK Championship in first round
Hawkins comes from 4-2 down to seal 6-4 victoryDefending champion O’Sullivan: ‘I’m used to it’Ronnie O’Sullivan crashed out on the opening day of the UK Championship with a 6-4 defeat by Barry Hawkins in York. Hawkins reeled off four frames in a row to haul back a 4-2 deficit and clinch only his third win over O’Sullivan, the defending champion, in 21 career attempts.It was a remarkable revival by the 45-year-old Hawkins, who compiled four consecutive half-centuries that left the eight-time champion stuck in his seat for three straight frames. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 18:04:03
Shiffrin can complete century at home after taming Gurgl for 99th career win
Shiffrin bags slalom for record-extending 99th winUS star, 29, can earn milestone victory at KillingtonMikaela Shiffrin is taking the quest for her 100th career World Cup victory to North America.The American ski star might even get the one win she needs for the milestone in what is like a home race for her in Killington, Vermont, which hosts a giant slalom and a slalom next weekend. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 16:22:11
For now, let’s revel in Bluesky’s promised land and kid ourselves it will never get like X | Tim Adams
Watching the numbers migrate from Elon Musk’s toxic platform is addictive, but the best social media is finiteThe fabulous Carol Vorderman got me briefly hooked last week in watching a particular number increase by the second. The number was the user count for the social media site Bluesky, the chosen distraction engine for those who can no longer stomach the toxic inanity of Elon Musk’s X. Most days, the ticker on the screen suggested the number of new Bluesky users had grown by about a million. And, of course, the newbies, inevitably myself included, revelled in the latest online promised land, a place where things would be done differently – with kindness and respect – without quite acknowledging the fact that, as yet, no platform which confuses a venture capitalist’s favourite metrics – scale! reach! influence! – with something that anyone might, say, care about, has yet avoided a descent into banal or shouty extremes. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 06:00:06
Trump depends on the EU and UK to act as peacemakers more than he thinks
The US doesn’t need to spend more on Ukraine. Britain can bring funding to the table – and help Trump reboot alliancesWith Donald Trump the very meaning of words is up for negotiation. What does he really mean when he promises to “build a wall”? When he pledges to end the Russo-Ukrainian war in one day?His supporters say they don’t take him literally but seriously – but who decides what “serious” is? The very ambiguity can be part of Trump’s appeal. There’s something exhilarating in the sense one is in an exclusive negotiation with the president to define reality. It’s as if he’s welcoming you backstage from the reality show of politics to the discrete board room where meaning is made. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 05:00:01
Kim Kardashian cozying up to a robot is another example of AI entering our lives | Arwa Mahdawi
The next time you see dystopian thirst traps, we should be thinking about how these robots are going to be used by the self-proclaimed ‘warrior class’On a scale of one to 10, just how desperate do you think Kim Kardashian is for attention? Judging by the billionaire’s weirdly sexual photoshoot with a robot, the answer may be an 11. The entrepreneur and influencer, who is a big Tesla fan, recently posed with the company’s Optimus bot in a Tesla Cybercab (a self-driving taxi) for a series of photos which might be described as avant-garde if you’re being polite, and dystopian thirst traps if you’re not. She also posted some rather less sultry videos of her interacting with the humanoid robot. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 14:00:44
A caring Thomas Cromwell makes good TV, but beware the ‘yes’ men who enable tyrants| Kate Maltby
Mark Rylance’s sensitive portrayal blinds us to the lessons Henry VIII’s righthand man could offer for Donald Trump 2.0 Thomas Cromwell is back, and this time he’s a romantic. In Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, the latest BBC TV adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Tudor novels, we see Henry VIII’s chief facilitator turn 21st-century empath, offering a listening ear to half the young women of the Henrician court.Mark Rylance, former artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe, is an actor with an extraordinary capacity for vulnerability. Here he is at his best and most sympathetic. As Cromwell, we watch him safeguard the victimised adolescent Mary Tudor, coaching her to negotiate her way out of looming execution at the hands of her axe-happy father, Henry. (Cromwell made a promise to Mary’s dying mother, you see, and he’s a sweetie like that.)Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at [email protected] Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 18:00:04
The Observer view: ICC’s Israel arrest warrants are a test the world must not fail
International criminal court’s intervention must be supported if global rules-based order is to have a meaningful futureThe decision by the international criminal court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and Yoav Gallant, Israel’s former defence minister, for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza has huge implications for Israel and Palestine, for international justice and the rules-based global order that the UK and its allies are pledged to uphold. This unprecedented, necessary and impartial supranational attempt to prosecute democratically elected western politicians accused of grievous wrongdoing is a test the international community dare not fail.Netanyahu’s reaction to the charges was to dismiss them as “absurd” and “antisemitic” and the ICC as a biased, politicised body. “No outrageous anti-Israel decision will prevent us – and it will not prevent me – from continuing to defend our country in every way,” he said. Netanyahu will have to do better than that. This case is not remotely about antisemitism. It’s not about Israel’s right to defend itself, which nobody disputes. It’s a matter of how it goes about it. It’s a question of impunity and justice. Netanyahu and Gallant should voluntarily surrender to the court and fight their case.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at [email protected] Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 19:00:04
The Observer view: Selling a piece of fruit for £4m isn’t bananas, it’s decadent. Art is better than this
The sale of Maurizio Cattelan’s work, Comedian, to a crypto entrepreneur is a grim concept that has little to do with disruptionPaulina Brandberg, the Swedish minister for gender equality and work life, has a phobia of bananas so severe, her aides check rooms for the fruit before she’s due to enter them. Like other sufferers of this most unlikely of conditions, she is triggered by the merest traces of banana: a skin mouldering in a far-off wastepaper basket; a lingering smell; the sense that until recently something bendy and yellow lurked next to the perfectly innocent apples and oranges in the bowl on that coffee table.We can only hope, then, that the minister was – trigger warning – nowhere near the big auction house news of last week, in which a banana sold for $5.2m (£4.1m) at Sotheby’s New York. This wasn’t, of course, any old banana. It was a banana called Comedian, the work of Maurizio Cattelan, an Italian visual artist. Cattelan describes it as a “sincere commentary on what we value”, which must have sounded a touch desperate until the moment when everyone started comparing its auction price with the cost of a banana down at their local Tesco.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at [email protected] Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 19:30:00
Revealed: Home Office ‘completely lost grip’ at notorious Manston asylum centre
Court documents contain admissions by officials that they were unable to control the situation at the Kent facility where 18,000 asylum seekers were illegally detainedRacial abuse, physical assaults and no beds: life at Manston migrant centreHome Office officials have admitted that “we completely lost our grip” on the situation at a notorious asylum processing centre that led to 18,000 people being unlawfully detained in horrific conditions.Overcrowding at Manston, a former RAF base in Kent, in autumn 2022 led to an outbreak of diphtheria and scabies. Asylum seekers who had crossed the Channel in small boats were forced to sleep on filthy floors or on flattened cardboard boxes, while toilets were overflowing with faeces. Women and children were forced to sleep close to unrelated men and there were claims of assaults by guards. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 18:10:11
UK jobcentres not fit for purpose, says Liz Kendall ahead of major reforms
The work and pensions secretary is to overhaul benefits system, pushing young people into work or educationBritain’s network of jobcentres has become a hollowed-out “benefit administration service” that is shunned by employers and jobseekers alike, a cabinet minister has warned before a government overhaul of out-of-work support that will oblige young people to take up education or employment.In an interview with the Observer, Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, warned that the nation’s 650 jobcentres are no longer “fit for purpose” and need to become hubs for those looking for work or a better position, as well as those dependent on welfare. Reforms to integrate the jobcentre network with healthcare and careers services in England will be unveiled this week, as part of a long-awaited plan to deal with economic inactivity. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 06:00:07
Masked gang broke into home of Conor McGregor accuser, Dublin court was told
Incident revealed after civil court found MMA fighter had assaulted Nikita Hand in December 2018A gang of masked men broke into the home of a woman who had taken a civil case against the mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor that accused him of raping her, it can now be revealed.The incident was referred to at the start of the court case in Dublin but could not be reported until now as it emerged during legal discussion while the jury were not present. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 13:08:04
Hamas says Israeli female hostage killed in north Gaza combat zone
Group’s armed wing says unnamed woman’s death established after long break in contact with her captorsHamas’s armed wing said on Saturday that an Israeli woman taken hostage during the October 2023 attack had been killed in a combat zone in northern Gaza, as the Israeli military said it was investigating.The spokesperson for Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, said contact had been restored with the woman’s captors after a break of several weeks and it was established that the hostage had been killed in an area of north Gaza where the Israeli army has been operating. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 18:46:50
Jaguar boss defends new ad and rebrand amid ‘vile hatred’ online
Social media clip features models in colourful clothing but no car in what Rawdon Glover describes as a ‘reimagining’The boss of Jaguar has defended the company’s move away from “traditional automotive stereotypes” after a clip of its new advert was met with a barrage of “vile hatred and intolerance” online.This week, Jaguar Land Rover, the luxury UK carmaker owned by India’s Tata Motors, posted a 30-second clip on X featuring models in brightly coloured clothing set against equally vibrant backdrops, without a car or the company’s traditional cat logo. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 11:27:08
Makeup, floss and hair dye use in pregnancy leads to more PFAS in breast milk – study
‘Forever chemicals’ pose health threat to developing children and linked with preterm birth, shorter lactationHigher usage of personal care products among pregnant or nursing women leads to higher levels of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in their blood and breast milk, new research shows, presenting a serious health threat to developing children.The new study helps connect the dots among previous papers that have found concerning levels of PFAS in personal care products, umbilical cord blood, breast milk and shown health risks for developing children. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 15:00:45
Couple accused of stealing nearly $1m of Lululemon products from stores
Jadion Richards, 44, and Akwele Lawes-Richards, 45, were arrested on 14 November in Minneapolis-St Paul A couple has been accused of stealing nearly $1m worth of Lululemon products from its stores across the US.Jadion Richards, 44, and Akwele Lawes-Richards, 45, were arrested on 14 November in Minneapolis-St Paul and have each been charged with one count of organized retail theft, according to a criminal complaint filed in Minnesota and reviewed by multiple outlets. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 17:23:06
UK justice secretary attacks assisted dying bill as ‘state death service’
Shabana Mahmood has written to her constituents saying she is ‘profoundly concerned’ about Friday’s Commons voteMPs will be placing the country on a “slippery slope towards death on demand” if they back legislation on assisted dying in England and Wales this week, the lord chancellor and justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has said in a letter to constituents before a historic Commons vote on Friday.Mahmood has received numerous letters about the bill from people in her Birmingham Ladywood seat, which has a big Muslim population, and sent out replies saying that she was “profoundly concerned” about the legislation, not only for religious reasons but also because of what it would mean for the role of the state if one of its functions became helping people to die. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 18:46:10
Meta is ‘reckless’ in ‘need-to-know situations’, Canada warns Australia as it braces for early bushfire season
Heritage minister says Facebook made ‘room for misinformation’ after turning news off in 2023 as Australia mulls actions that could lead to Meta doing the sameFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwelve months on from Canada’s worst-ever wildfire season unfolding during a news blackout on Facebook, the nation has warned Australia about Meta’s “reckless” behaviour during “need-to-know situations”.An early start to Australia’s bushfire season is looming for swaths of the country, with large parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory, the south-west of Victoria and south-east corner of South Australia facing higher risk, according to an official assessment in September.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 19:00:02
John Bolton rips into Trump’s pick for counter-terrorism chief Sebastian Gorka
Trump’s former national security adviser says Gorka is the ‘worst cabinet appointment in recent American history’Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton has laid into Sebastian Gorka, the president-elect’s pick for counter-terrorism chief, as a “conman” whose selection is not “going to bode well for counter-terrorism efforts when the [national security council’s] senior director is somebody like that”.Trump praised Gorka, an immigrant from Hungary, as a “tireless advocate for the America First Agenda and the MAGA Movement”. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 20:44:41
Trick of the light: the enduring appeal of René Magritte’s big tease
The record $121m sale of his most famous painting last week sealed the Belgian surrealist’s place in art’s hall of fame. What does it mean for his legacy?René Magritte painted brain-teasers – an air force of uniformed bureaucrats raining down on to a faceless city, a reverse mermaid with a sardine for her head and human legs, a pair of boots that sport real toes – but even he might have scratched his head if he’d known that last week, after a frenetic bidding war at a New York auction, his Empire of Light had been knocked down for $121m.“It’s an iconic image,” declared the dealer, Emmanuel Di Donna, uttering an idiotic tautology, although the painting’s subject – a suburban villa beside a canal – looks humdrum enough until you notice that it’s night in the lower half but bright daylight higher up. Rather than accounting for the contradiction, Di Donna reverted to the lucre-loving lingo of the art market and attributed the record price to “the brand recognition of Magritte”. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 17:00:03
Tim Robbins: ‘You’re telling me Netflix is the future of cinema? We’re in big trouble’
With Silo, the actor – known for his strong political stances – is still choosing roles he truly believes in that echo real life. But he’s now concerned about the wider future of his own industry, tooBefore I speak to Tim Robbins, the publicist for the series that he’s promoting, Apple TV+’s dystopian drama Silo, politely requests that our conversation sticks to the show and his wider career. No politics please. It’s a brave attempt at reputation management, and also a completely doomed one. Because, well … this is Tim Robbins! Has there ever been a Hollywood star more associated with the free mixing of performance and politics?This is the man, after all, who was banned, along with his then partner Susan Sarandon, from presenting at the Oscars after using their hosting stint at the 1993 ceremony to draw attention to the plight of Haitians being held in Guantánamo Bay; who, again along with Sarandon, became a hate figure after forcefully opposing the war in Iraq; and who – in marionette form, at least – came to a fiery end as a liberal do-gooder taking on the Team America: World Police puppets. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 11:55:41
From Strictly Ballroom to Sydney’s saviour: how heritage town halls are staging a comeback
Inner West council has thrown open the doors of seven town halls to arts organisations free of charge as it tries to revive its buildings and address a performing arts crisisFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt’s been more than three decades since Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom was filmed in Petersham town hall. But earlier this year, the 82-year-old building in Sydney opened its doors to the Inner West Theatre Company’s production of the classic, free of charge.Beautiful brick early 20th-century town halls were once venues for council meetings, award nights and country dances. But in recent decades many have been under-used or left entirely empty as modern buildings serve changing community needs. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 23:00:05
Ronan Farrow on surveillance spyware: ‘It threatens democracy and freedom’
The investigative journalist takes on the shadowy world of invasive surveillance technology in frightening new documentary SurveilledIn 2017, while reporting a story on Harvey Weinstein that would, along with a New York Times report, kick off the #MeToo movement, the investigative journalist Ronan Farrow found himself the target of covert surveillance.The efforts to suppress investigations into Weinstein’s history of sexual abuse, for which the Hollywood mogul paid the Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube, were mostly old-school: front companies and false identities, hired subcontractors staking out buildings or tailing targets, gumshoes eavesdropping on meetings. Black Cube was able to obtain some of Farrow’s geolocation data from his phone, thus tracking his movements, but the majority of its operations were contained to the analog world of traditional surveillance. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 09:09:37
Surrealism, cafes and lots (and lots) of cats: why Japanese fiction is booming
From tales of alienation to comforting novels set in bookshops, Japanese authors have written nearly half of this year’s bestselling translated novels in the UK. What’s their secret?• Read an an exclusive Q&A with Haruki MurakamiAnyone who has been in a bookshop in the last few years will have noticed that Japanese fiction is experiencing an extraordinary boom. In 2022, figures from Nielsen BookScan showed that Japanese fiction represented 25% of all translated fiction sales in the UK. The dominance is even more striking this year: figures obtained by the Guardian show that, of the top 40 translated fiction titles for 2024 so far, 43% are Japanese, with Asako Yuzuki’s satirical, socially conscious crime novel Butter topping the list. Butter also won the breakthrough author award at this year’s Books Are My Bag readers awards, which are curated by booksellers and voted for by the public.The popularity of modern Japanese fiction is not a new phenomenon in the UK, of course. In the 1990s, two writers broke through and became cult hits in this country. Haruki Murakami, a worldwide literary phenomenon, took off in Britain when Harvill Press published The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle in 1998. Scott Pack, who ran Waterstones’ buying team in the early 2000s, is a big Murakami fan and remembers giving him “lots of attention. Whatever books of his came out, we got massively behind.” This week, Murakami publishes his 15th novel The City and Its Uncertain Walls, about a man who travels to a mysterious walled town in pursuit of the woman he loves, finding himself in a strange world of libraries, maps and dreams. So what’s behind the lasting success of Murakami’s books, which tend to combine lonely protagonists, jazz, cats, and fantasy elements? “It’s fairly accessible, weird shit,” Pack says. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 09:00:37
Who are the shellsuit boys in image that captures the 1980s? New Tate Britain show solves mystery
Friends who posed for celebrated photographer Ingrid Pollard in 1989 are reunited for new picture 35 years laterIn 1989, three 15-year-olds, dressed in identical shellsuits and trainers, posed for a photo to commemorate the imminent closure of their south London school. It was one of 24 photos taken that day by Ingrid Pollard, an up-and-coming photographer in her mid-30s, who simply stored the contact prints away in a box at home.“From time to time, I would wonder what happened to those boys, particularly the ones in their shellsuits, because it was a very special photo,” said Pollard, who last month received the prestigious Hasselblad award, the top international photography prize. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 15:47:53
This is how we do it: ‘We did wonder whether sex at our advanced age would be difficult – but it’s been amazing’
Ella and Richard almost gave up on sex after she had health problems – but a clever solution helped them rediscover their intimacyHow do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymouslyRichard was interested in having a sex life, so I decided to try it – and it turned out to be really amazing Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 12:00:43
The moment I knew: a huge water balloon hurtled towards me – and he jumped in front of it
In her first year of university Chantelle Van Niekerk didn’t want a relationship. But then she met Rico, her intellectual and emotional equalFind more stories from The moment I knew series hereIt was January 2003 and I was about to start my studies at the University of Johannesburg – and had officially sworn off relationships. I’d had two serious relationships in high school, both with older boys, where I felt I needed to change who I was in order to be with them. I was done trying to please others and saw university as my fresh start to be truly me.The university had a start-of-the-year tradition – the campus residences would create and parade their floats for charity. My group was tasked with folding blommetjies vou (polystyrene-filled cellophane flowers) for our float, which was based on the Lord of the Rings movie. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 19:00:02
KFC drops pledge to stop using ‘Frankenchickens’ in the UK
Chain says it won’t be able to stop buying fast-growing breeds by 2026 because poultry industry cannot supply enough higher-welfare animalsThe fast food chain KFC has ditched its pledge in the UK to improve animal welfare by sourcing its chicken from slower-growing breeds by 2026.Fast-growing meat chickens have been called “Frankenchickens” because of welfare concerns, including higher mortality rates, lameness and muscle disease. More than 1 billion chickens are slaughtered in the UK each year for meat. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 11:18:31
Ask Ottolenghi: what’s the secret to a perfect poached egg? | Ask Ottolenghi
Four steps to poached perfectionPlease give foolproof advice on how to cook a soft poached egg.Anne Marie, County Donegal I’m here for you, Anne Marie, so let’s do this thing!Step 1 Don’t be afraid. Remember: it’s just an egg cooked in water. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 09:30:38
Trend watch: get ready to dazzle in metallic partywear
Metallics always make a big impression during party season, choose from new or vintage, bought or hiredThe festive season is almost upon us, and bagging yourself a look before it sells out can be challenging. Metallic is always a hit during party season, and ladylike glamour reigned supreme as the silhouette of AW24 designer runways, with a resurgence of feminine shapes and chic texture clashes. Combine the two for a gold standard look. Wyse’s faux leather gold skirt looks great paired with a blouse, velvet jacket and heels, or to dress down for a night in the pub pair it with a chunky knit and flat boots. Love & Roses has a fit and flare version, £50, at next.com, available in size 8-22.The sparkly options in Sienna Miller’s second collection with M&S do not disappoint, from the sequin mini dresses to a Gucci-inspired crystal embellished white vest top, £59, that will dress up your jeans. If a whole metallic look seems a little too in the spotlight, then look for detailing: KG Label’s jewel-clustered blazer is a more subtle party-perfect outfit, as is Monsoon’s Sarah wrap dress in black with gold sequin flowers (£150, sizes 6-24). Gold accessories are a quick way to jazz up a favourite LBD. &Other Stories’s Savoir collection features excellent statement satin gold shoes with a gold and crystal-studded heel (£195) and a brocade bag encrusted in gems with a metal handle (£87). For a unique look, try vintage. Etsy has a great selection from £40. Or hire a dress for the night: Ganni’s metallic midi dress is £30 for three days at byrotation.com, or check out hurrcollective.com, who have a great selection of embellished detailed looks from Simone Rocha to Saloni. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 23:50:06
‘It’s a pretty obscure, strange thing to do’: five Guinness World Record holders on their moment of glory, and life thereafter
To be crowned the world’s best at something – from lowest roller skate limbo to longest under-ice free dive – is a huge achievement. What happens next?Some people train their whole lives to earn a Guinness World Record. For others, picking one up is a happy accident. After all, the more than 40,000 records currently maintained by Guinness run the gauntlet from fastest marathon (an impressive 1hr 59min) to the largest number of hotdogs eaten in one minute (six, including the bun).So what motivates someone to pursue a world record – and what happens to your life after you get one? To find out, we spoke to five record holders, past and present. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 19:00:00
Share your experience of lightning strikes in Latin America and the Caribbean
We’d like to hear about the impact of dramatic lightning strikes in the region. How have you been affected?Scientists have warned for years that rising temperatures across the planet are likely to cause more lightning. The Caribbean is among those regions that have experienced an increase in damaging strikes over the past two decades, according to experts.Have you been affected by dramatic lightning strikes in the Caribbean? Do you have experiences or pictures of lightning impact in Jamaica, Belize, Barbados or any other country in the region? Or perhaps in Latin America? Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-20 12:00:05
Cryptocurrency traders: share what got you into crypto, and how you feel about recent developments
We’d like to hear from people who have bought cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, ethereum as well as smaller currencies how they have been faringIt’s been an eventful few days for the cryptocurrency market, with the price of bitcoin having risen above $87,000 for the first time amid traders’ hopes that cryptocurrencies will boom in a favourable regulatory environment when Donald Trump returns to the White House.Bitcoin reached a record high of $87,198, before slipping back slightly on Monday. The price more than doubled from about $37,000 12 months ago. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-13 12:10:42
Tell us your favourite podcast of 2024
We would like to hear about your favourite new podcast you’ve been listening to this year and whyWe would like to hear about your favourite new podcast you’ve been listening to this year and why. Let us know and we’ll run a selection of your recommendations in December. Tell us your favourite using the form below. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-21 12:48:34
Share your thoughts about the collapse of the German coalition government and the snap election
We’re interested to hear how people feel about the collapse of German chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government, and which issues may decide their vote at the general electionThe collapse of Germany’s three-party ruling coalition has triggered a snap election that is to take place in February 2025.The German government collapsed after the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, unexpectedly sacked his finance minister, Christian Lindner, during a row over the 2025 budget, plunging Europe’s largest economy into political disarray, after months of bitter infighting that has contributed to the administration’s growing unpopularity amid a stagnating German economy. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-13 14:55:48
‘It’s not drought - it’s looting’: the Spanish villages where people are forced to buy back their own drinking water
Spain is increasingly either parched or flooded – and one group is profiting from these extremes: the water-grabbing multinational companies forcing angry citizens to pay for it in bottlesAfter catastrophic floods engulfed Valencia last month, killing more than 200 people, it might seem counterintuitive to think about water shortages. But as the torrents of filthy water swept through towns and villages, people were left without electricity, food supplies – and drinking water. “It was brutal: cars, chunks of machinery, big stones, even dead bodies were swept along in the water. It gushed into the ground floor of buildings, into little shops, bakeries, hairdressers, the English school, bars: all were destroyed. This was climate change for real, climate change in capital letters,” says Josep de la Rubia of Valencia’s Ecologists in Action, describing the scene in the satellite towns south of the Valencian capital.In the aftermath, hundreds of thousands of people were reliant on emergency tankers of water or donations of bottled water from citizen volunteers. Within a fortnight, the authorities had reconnected the tap water of 90% of the 850,000 people in affected areas, but all were advised to boil it before drinking it or to use bottled water. Across the region, 100 sewage treatment plants were damaged; in some areas, human waste seeped into flood waters, dead animals were swept into rivers and sodden rubbish and debris piled up. Valencia is on the brink of a sanitation crisis. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 11:00:40
Reasons for hope as Democrats prevent Trump-led red wave in state races
Democrats had braced for a disaster but state results show a much more nuanced picture than the party had fearedAfter watching Kamala Harris lose the White House and Republicans wrest back full control of Congress, Democrats were bracing for disaster in state legislatures. With the party defending narrow majorities in several chambers across the country, some Democrats expected that Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential race would allow a red wave to sweep through state legislatures.Yet, when the dust had settled after election day, the results of state legislative elections presented a much more nuanced picture than Democrats had feared.This article was updated on 23 November 2024 to correct the number of legislative chambers Democrats controlled in 2016 – 29, not 31 – and how many they will control after the 2024 elections – 39, not 38. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 12:00:46
Women and LGBTQ+ people take up guns after Trump’s win: ‘We need to protect ourselves’
National gun clubs field an influx of newcomers interested in learning how to shoot firearms for self-defenseThe misogyny and anti-trans rhetoric that were hallmarks of the 2024 election campaign have seemingly ramped up since Donald Trump’s win, prompting some women, queer and trans people to respond by buying guns – and learning how to defend themselves from potential attackers.The Guardian spoke to various Americans from marginalized groups taking firearms classes, arming themselves with stun guns and pepper spray and taking their friends shooting in an effort to protect themselves from bigots they fear will be emboldened by the president-elect’s return to power. A few left-leaning gun clubs say their numbers are increasing dramatically. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 16:00:01
Jeff Jarvis: ‘Elon Musk’s investment in Twitter seemed insane, but it gave him this power’
The US media pundit on the dangers of overregulation online, why he’s more frightened of the tech bros than AI itself, and how to reclaim the web by getting rid of the geeksJeff Jarvis was born in 1954 and studied journalism at Illinois’s Northwestern University. He worked as a TV critic and created the magazine Entertainment Weekly, later leading the online arm of US media company Advance Publications. Since 2001, he has been blogging at Buzzmachine.com and in 2005 he became an associate professor at City University of New York’s graduate school of journalism, directing its new media programme before retiring last year. Jarvis, who lives in New York, is the co-host of the podcasts This Week in Google and AI Inside.What made you want to write your new book, The Web We Weave?My glib answer is that somebody has to defend the freedoms of the internet because I fear they’re under attack. It’s important to say that I’m not defending the corporations or current proprietors of the internet, but I do think that moral panic over the net will lead to regulation that will affect freedoms for all. This turned into more of a critique of media’s coverage than I had predicted. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 13:00:45
‘I couldn’t admit I was afraid’: biologist Tina Morris on her fight to save the bald eagle
America’s majestic national bird was close to extinction when Tina Morris, a young researcher, was asked to help bring three chicks to adulthood. First, she had to conquer a fear of heightsIt was a daunting task, with little likelihood of success. An adventurous but anxious graduate researcher without any experience of looking after birds was dispatched to the wilds of upstate New York to become a human eagle mother: feeding, teaching – and keeping alive – three helpless eagle chicks.Tina Morris was to camp alone beside their artificial nest, find them food, track them when they began to fly, keep them away from danger and rescue them if they got into trouble. If they survived to adulthood, northwest America would begin to be repopulated with its national bird, the bald eagle, a majestic, much-loved raptor that had been driven to the brink of extinction by the 1960s. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 14:00:44
‘It looked as good as new’: readers share their tips for repairing household items
From YouTube video guides to sourcing parts, here are some ways to extend the life of your appliances and sentimental itemsChange by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprintGot a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at [email protected] of the best ways we can reduce our household’s carbon footprint is to repair things instead of throwing them away. But it’s also a way of life for many people.“Seems I’ve spent most of my life fixing stuff because I was brought up that way,” observes Phil, from Bedfordshire. “I look at everything that comes my way as potentially useful and more often than not, it is,” writes Richard, a designer from Essex. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 23:00:25
The Ukraine missile crisis: Putin’s shadow war against the west finally breaks cover
After Kyiv used Storm Shadow missiles, Russia’s leader asserted his ‘right’ to attack the UK and US. In truth, he has been doing exactly that for two years nowThe unprecedented firing by Ukrainian forces of British-made long-range Storm Shadow missiles at military targets inside Russia last week means the UK, along with the US, is now viewed by Moscow as a legitimate target for punitive, possibly violent retaliation.In a significant escalation in response to the missile launches, Vladimir Putin confirmed that, for the first time in the war, Russia had fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile, targeting the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Putin also said Russia now believed it had the “right” to attack “military facilities” in countries that supply Kyiv with long-range weapons. Though he did not say so specifically, he clearly meant attacks on the UK and US. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 15:18:19
Wire cutters: how the world’s vital undersea data cables are being targeted
Carrying 99% of the world’s international telecommunications, the vulnerable lines are drawing nefarious interestThe lead-clad telegraphic cable seemed to weigh tons, according to Lt Cameron Winslow of the US navy, and the weather wasn’t helping their attempts to lift it up from the seabed and sever it. “The rough water knocked the heavy boats together, breaking and almost crushing in their planking,” he wrote.Eventually, Winslow’s men managed to cut the cable with hacksaws and disrupt the enemy’s communications by slicing off a 46-metre (150ft) section. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 15:58:17
‘I’ll be making my own’: UK’s most expensive mince pie divides opinion
In the picturesque village of Orford, an ‘incredibly luxurious’ festive treat is thought to have set a record priceOrford, a picturesque pocket of the Suffolk coast, has a storied and rather bizarre history. It is home to an impeccably preserved medieval castle built by Henry II to see off dissenting barons, and for much of the 20th century the rugged seafront was sealed off and used as a top-secret military testing site, prompting rumours about death rays and UFO sightings.Now, the area may have another claim to fame, as home of the UK’s most expensive mince pie. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 12:29:57
‘We create gods because the world is chaos’: Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow and Stanley Tucci on celebrity, sin and papal thriller Conclave
In Edward Berger’s Oscar-tipped drama, the three actors play cardinals vying to become pope. Ahead of the film’s UK release, they form a huddle to discuss fame, food – and why Trump wonFaith, death and vengeful vaping: of all the Oscar contenders this year, Conclave is the one that best combines chewy religious inquiry and lavish side-eye. Adapted by Wolf Hall screenwriter Peter Straughan from the Robert Harris novel, Conclave has been directed by All Quiet on the Western Front’s Edward Berger as a heavy-breathing battle for hearts, minds and power.Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence, who, after the sudden death of the pope, must park his own religious doubts to wrangle the 113 cardinals who have descended on the Vatican. These men will be sequestered until they can elect one of their number as the new pontiff. Among them are the gentle progressive Bellini (Stanley Tucci) and smooth traditionalist Tremblay (John Lithgow). Both have secrets. But are they as lethal as those of their friends – and rivals? Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 05:00:03
Jacob Rees-Mogg on abortion, religion and reality TV; Marina Hyde on Musk vs Trump Jr; inheritance inequity; and teenage love – podcast
Marina Hyde asks us to spare a sob for Don Jr, replaced in Daddy’s affections by Elon Musk. The Bank of Mum and Dad – the unspoken dynamic behind society’s growing inequality of ‘inheritocracy’. ‘I’ve been called worse than a Nazi’: Simon Hattenstone meets Jacob Rees-Mogg. And psychologist Lucy Foulkes on why we should take teenage love more seriously Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 05:00:33
‘You tried to tell yourself I wasn’t real’: what happens when people with acute psychosis meet the voices in their heads? – podcast
In avatar therapy, a clinician gives voice to their patients’ inner demons. For some of the participants in a new trial, the results have been astounding. By Jenny Kleeman Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 05:00:05
James Carville on where he thinks the Democrats went wrong – podcast
Everyone in US politics has an opinion on why the Democrats lost the election, and finger-pointing within the party is rife. As the debate rages, Jonathan Freedland will be speaking to various experts about what the party got wrong – and how it can bounce back.This week, he meets James Carville, the veteran political strategist who helped get Bill Clinton elected twiceArchive: Pennebaker Associates, McEttinger Films, Cyclone Films, CNN, CBS News, MSNBC, PBS Newshour, BBC News Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 05:00:03
Nigel Farage and his ‘historic mission’: on the ground with Reform UK – podcast
Today in Focus presenter Helen Pidd goes out on the road – to Birmingham, Stalybridge and Clacton – to chart Nigel Farage’s bid to transform Reform UK into a modern, professional political partyAt the Reform UK party conference in September, its leader, Nigel Farage, announced a “historic mission” for his party: to professionalise, to modernise and mobilise a “people’s army” to win support all over the country.It came off the back of unprecedented success for Reform at the general election: no populist right party in the UK had ever taken as many as its five seats in July. And they were won despite a campaign marred by racist and Islamophobic remarks from Reform members and candidates. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 03:00:00
An arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu – Today in Focus Extra
The international criminal court has issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister, his former defence minister and a Hamas leader. Julian Borger reportsAfter 10 months of deliberation, the international criminal court has issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the former defence minister Yoav Gallant and the Hamas leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza war.Julian Borger, the Guardian’s senior international correspondent, explains the significance of this moment – the first time a western ally from a modern democracy has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global judicial body. He tells Hannah Moore how allies such as the US and UK are likely to react to the news, and the impact it has had in Israel. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-21 17:42:52
How having babies became so political - video
The pronatalist movement in the US is gathering pace once again, rekindled by Silicon Valley personalities and hard-right conservatives who are becoming increasingly vocal about whether or not women are having enough babies. But it's not just in the US, some governments in other countries have launched marketing campaigns encouraging people to have more children, while others have offered financial incentives. But while many of these policies claim to be about halting population decline, there are other factors at play. Josh Toussaint-Strauss interrogates efforts around the world to boost birth rates, as well as the underlying political motivations, from bodily autonomy to immigrationBirthrates are plummeting worldwide. Can governments turn the tide?When desperate measures to persuade women to have children fail, it’s time for fresh thinking Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-21 12:33:44
Drone footage shows Delhi cloaked in thick haze of toxic smog – video
Pollution levels in the Indian capital have soared to their highest levels this year, forcing schools and offices to close and cloaking the city in thick brown smog. In some parts of the city, a live air quality ranking by IQAir put pollution levels at more than 30 times the maximum level deemed healthy. The catastrophic levels of pollution have led to numerous emergency measures, including most schools being closed and lessons moved online. The smog arrives annually as the weather in the north of India gets colder, trapping toxic pollutants from the tens of millions of cars on the road, as well as from rubbish fires, construction and factory emissions. Experts say the toxic air quality is reducing life expectancy in the city by an average of seven yearsPollution in Delhi hits record high, cloaking city in smog Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 11:51:49
'World's most expensive banana' fetches $US5.2m at auction – video
Maurizio Cattelan’s duct-taped ‘banana’ artwork fetches US$5.2m at Sotheby’s auction in New York. The artwork, titled Comedian, debuted in 2019 as an edition of three, where its US$120,000 price tag made headlines worldwide. Its new owner has purchased the banana through Sotheby's China office and will receive a banana, a roll of duct tape, a certificate of authenticity and instructions on how to install the work► Subscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTubeMaurizio Cattelan’s duct-taped banana artwork fetches US$5.2m at New York auction Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-21 01:57:07
Atacms: what are the missiles Ukraine has fired into Russia for the first time?
American and Ukrainian officials have confirmed Kyiv employed US-made Atacms missiles to strike targets within Russia. The Kremlin stated that six missiles were launched at the town of Karachev, with fragments from one reportedly causing a significant explosion.In response, Russia has announced it is adjusting its nuclear doctrine. The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said Moscow would interpret any attack against it carried out by a non-nuclear state using weapons supplied by a nuclear state as a joint assault. But what exactly are Atacms, and why has their deployment unsettled Russia so deeply?Atacms: what are the missiles Ukraine has fired into Russia for first time?Russia-Ukraine war live Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-20 16:44:49
Vladimir Shklyarov: a look back at the career of the acclaimed Russian ballet dancer – video
Born in St Petersburg in 1985, Shklyarov joined the Mariinsky Theatre in 2003 and became its principal dancer – the highest-ranking position in a ballet company – in 2011. During his 20-year career, Shklyarov starred in productions of Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote and Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He performed all over the world, including with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and the Royal Opera House in London. Shklyarov has died at the age of 39 after falling from the fifth floor of a building, a spokesperson for the Mariinsky Theatre told the news outlet FontankaVladimir Shklyarov, Russian ballet star, dies aged 39 after falling from building Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-18 13:17:09
How the unrest unfolded in Amsterdam – video timeline
Conflicting reports emerged after violence erupted in Amsterdam around a Uefa Europa League football match between the Dutch club Ajax and Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv. The Guardian has analysed footage posted across social media to try to construct a timeline and understand what led to the clashes. For 24 hours, tensions rose across the city in what the mayor, Femke Halsema, called a 'toxic cocktail of antisemitism, football hooliganism and anger over the war in Palestine and Israel and other parts of the Middle East'‘Toxic cocktail’ led to Amsterdam violence, mayor says Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-15 07:25:50
A nostalgic photographic road trip across Australia – in pictures
When photographer Trent Mitchell was on the road looking for surf all over Australia he’d throw a couple of rolls of film in the bag and snap pictures here and there. He focused on scenes that reminded him of childhood road trips, ones he couldn’t get at home or had a surreal feeling to them.After collating the images into a fun zine-like exhibition catalogue, he realised there was a strong base to work from and the idea to publish a book was born.Maurizio Cattelan’s duct-taped banana artwork fetches US$5.2m at New York auction Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 23:00:06
We love: fashion fixes for the week ahead – in pictures
Upcycled tea towel ties, Helmut Newton’s Berlin and cosy knits Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 23:55:06
We shall satirise him on the beaches… Churchill through the eyes of cartoonists – in pictures
In one wartime image, Winston Churchill is portrayed as a dragonslayer; in another, a gun-toting gangster. Later, he appears old and dejected, overdue for retirement. The cartoons, on show in a new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum London, show a multitude of Churchills, reflecting how he was seen in different countries and at different times, from 1909 onwards. “There was never a consensus view of him,” says curator Kate Clements. “Some of the depictions were heavily critical and even grotesque”, while others “depict his determined nature and portray him as a British figurehead”. Clements hopes the exhibition will “add another layer to our visitors’ understanding of this complex individual” and show “how satirical cartoons played a part in shaping perceptions of Churchill during his lifetime and beyond”.Churchill in Cartoons: Satirising a Statesman is at the Imperial War Museum, London from Friday to 23 February 2025 Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 17:00:02
Elegant, quirky and unique: New Zealand architecture awards 2024 – in pictures
Winners were chosen by a panel of architects and are spread across 11 categories, including housing, commercial, heritage, interior and international architecture. Several unusual projects, including a church refurbishment in Wellington and a visitor centre in Nepal, received awards. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 18:00:19
The week around the world in 20 pictures
The war in Ukraine, the aftermath of the floods in Valencia, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and Rafael Nadal’s final match: the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists• Warning: this gallery contains images that some readers may find distressing Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 19:44:22
‘The rising smoke and setting sun made a magical backdrop’: Jurica Galić’s best phone shot
On assignment in South Sudan, the Croatian photographer used a natural framing device for this award-winning imageBefore he arrived for his three-day stay, Jurica Galić knew that the South Sudanese Mundari people set fire to dried cow dung before sunset to repel mosquitoes. What the Croatian photographer and travel journalist didn’t know was the depth of harmony between the tribe and their cattle, nor how he would capture it.“Ankole are breeds of domestic cattle originating from east and central Africa, characterised by their huge horns,” Galić says. “My goal was to capture the relationship between man and nature, and while staying in the camp I came up with the idea of taking some photos through the horns of one of the animals. They became the frame, leading the viewer to the scene. Meanwhile, the smoke rising, in combination with the setting sun and the remaining rays, created the most magical backdrop.” Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 10:00:39
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