TV tonight: Game of Thrones heads thrillingly into the unknown

Can the fantasy drama top last week’s spectacular battle? Plus: an eye-opening investigation into rape cases at US colleges. Here’s what to watch this evening

What to do after you have conquered death itself? Dany, Jon and co are about to find out, as their heavily depleted forces prepare for an encounter with Cersei’s decidedly fresh ones. Will infighting sink the northern forces? And, more importantly, will the rest of the season seem an anticlimax after last week’s spectacular? Gwilym Mumford

Mon, 06 May 2019 05:20:00 GMT

‘I was cast as the exotic girl – then as the terrorist’s mother’: Madhur Jaffrey on acting, food and race

First she was a movie star, then she taught the west to love Indian cookery. At 85, she looks back on two remarkable careers

Winter is emptying the last of its sleet from the sky as Madhur Jaffrey opens the door to her home in upstate New York. The house, built in the 1790s, smells of ancient wood. Jaffrey and her husband, the violinist Sanford Allen, spend a few days a week here, driving up from the Greenwich Village apartment where they have lived for 52 years. At 5ft 2in, with her hair in a shiny bob, Jaffrey cuts an unfussily elegant figure.

We are here to talk about her newest venture, Madhur Jaffrey’s Instantly Indian Cookbook. A compendium of recipes for the Instant Pot, an electric pressure cooker that has won itself an army of devotees known as “potheads”, it is her 30th cookbook. What makes this particularly impressive is that, for Jaffrey, writing about food has always been a second career.

Mon, 06 May 2019 05:00:13 GMT

Shane Meadows: ‘For many years I didn't remember it... but it caused me a lifetime of anguish’

The director speaks for the first time about the horrific event from his childhood that inspired his new TV drama The Virtues

I’ve interviewed director Shane Meadows a few times now, and it’s always been fun. He’s an entertaining person to spend an hour with: enthusiastic, emotional, funny, a natural talker. Plus there’s lots to talk about, as his work is great. From his first features, Small Time (1996) and A Room For Romeo Brass (1999), through Dead Man’s Shoes, into 2006’s This Is England and the three TV spin-off series that came out of that (This Is England 86, 88 and 90), as well as his Stone Roses comeback documentary, Made of Stone, Meadows makes brilliant British films and telly. He calls himself “kitchen sink”, but he’s a rare combination of artist, storyteller and near-documentarian who often uses his life growing up in Uttoxeter in Staffordshire as inspiration. His methods – lengthy casting process, lots of rehearsals – mean that he helps actors, and people who have never acted before, to give authentic and award-winning performances. His work leaves me in bits.

So I’m looking forward to seeing him again. Except that this interview turns out to be far from fun. It goes very dark, very quickly. If I were a continuity announcer, I’d say something like: the following contains content that some people might find upsetting.

Sun, 05 May 2019 08:00:39 GMT

Eoin Morgan and Jofra Archer star in England T20 win over Pakistan

• Pakistan 173-6; England 175-3. England win by seven wickets
• Morgan hits unbeaten 57 as Archer presses World Cup claims

This was not the most significant cricket match ever played, even in Cardiff, which may explain some of the empty seats: a T20 contest in a World Cup year makes little sense except that contracts have to be fulfilled. But there are always scraps of insight on offer no matter what the duration of the game. And a victory against the top-ranked T20 side in the world, Pakistan, is not be sniffed at, especially since England were missing so many regulars.

Guided by Eoin Morgan, who struck 57 from 29 balls, they won by seven wickets with four balls to spare on a chilly, sunny evening. It was too early for him to get over-excited afterwards. “It was a solid performance, a cagey affair and we played OK,” he said.

Sun, 05 May 2019 18:00:17 GMT

Your pictures: share your photos on the theme of 'occasion'

Wherever you are in the world, this week we’d like to see your pictures on the theme ‘occasion’

The next theme for our weekly photography assignment, published in print in the Observer New Review is ‘occasion’.

Share your photos of what occasion means to you – and tell us about your image in the description box.

Sun, 05 May 2019 08:00:40 GMT

Remembering the cream of Jewish footballing talent killed in the Holocaust

While Bert Trautmann became a household name in England despite previous Nazi links, the names of the Jewish players murdered in the death camps remain largely forgotten

It is interesting what people choose to remember. A recent film celebrates Bert Trautmann, a member of the Hitler Youth who later became a goalkeeping legend in England. Trautmann apparently regretted his former antisemitism and did wonders for Anglo-German relations. How touching. I wonder how many people throughout Europe know the names of the Jewish international footballers who were gassed, worked to death, beaten to a pulp or shot into pits by the regime Trautmann fought for.

Poland’s first goal in international football came in Sweden in May 1922. It was the centre-half Józef Klotz who made history, converting a penalty. Whenever you see Robert Lewandowski score for Poland, remember he is the latest link in a chain that started with Klotz, star of Jewish clubs Jutrzenka Krakow and Maccabi Warsaw, and murdered in Warsaw in 1941.

Mon, 06 May 2019 09:00:11 GMT

Julian Assange and the story of WikiLeaks – podcast

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching bail conditions after spending almost seven years inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Today, he has an extradition hearing, which could conclude with him being sent to the US. Esther Addley and Julian Borger chart his rise and fall. Plus: Sean Ingle on the Caster Semenya ruling

Julian Assange and WikiLeaks are responsible for the largest data breach in US military history. In 2010, they released about 470,000 classified military documents concerning US diplomacy and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, then later that year, they released a further tranche of more than 250,000 classified US diplomatic cables.

The breach shocked the world and propelled WikiLeaks and Assange to global fame. In November 2010, a Swedish prosecutor issued a European arrest warrant for Assange over sexual assault allegations involving two Swedish women. Assange denies the claims. In 2011, a British judge ruled he could be extradited to Sweden. Fearing Sweden would hand him over to US authorities, Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy, where he was granted political asylum. He remained there until 11 April 2019, when police arrested him at the embassy after his asylum was withdrawn.

Thu, 02 May 2019 02:00:11 GMT

Federal election week three roundup: kicking goals, avoiding questions – video

Each week of the 2019 Australian federal election campaign, Guardian Australia takes a quick look back at the hot topics. Week three began with a combative, half-hour interview with Barnaby Joyce which failed to shed any light on a Murray-Darling water deal. Bill Shorten was more polite, but not much more forthcoming, on Labor's approach to Adani. On the other hand, there was a heap of sport and plenty of circus action

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 07:55:05 GMT

How rediscovering my faith is helping me cope with a chaotic world

The Catholicism of my childhood was overshadowed by books and politics in my 20s. But speaking to survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire encouraged me to find solace and support at church

The first time I went to church as an adult, I had been up all night drinking in a friend’s living room. Tumbling home as the morning mist enveloped the common near my flat, almost nothing was visible but the church spire on one corner. Going to bed seemed a let down: I had finished a book on the bus and felt wired and awake. Instead, I crept into the church and sat at the back, intermittently burning myself on a hot radiator and feeling the effects of the unholy volume of wine I had drunk drift away. The bell rang, the congregation stood and a cloud of incense delivered the priest. The next hour passed in a haze of kneeling, chants and actions built into my muscle memory.

Growing up in south Wales in the 90s, religion had not been of great importance to my family. Catholicism was little more than a duty to baptise the babies and something you did to widen your school choices. It was a slight background hum that only grew louder for births, weddings and deaths.

Sun, 05 May 2019 13:00:41 GMT

Gaza ceasefire halts fighting between Israel and Palestinians

Three-day battle killed 23 in Gaza, including two pregnant women, and four in Israel

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza stopped firing just before dawn as an unconfirmed ceasefire appeared to take hold, suspending some of the deadliest fighting since a war in 2014.

While neither side announced an end to a three-day battle that killed 23 people in Gaza and four in Israel, both Israel and Hamas, which controls the strip, signalled an end to hostilities.

Mon, 06 May 2019 09:40:50 GMT

Convinced this stitch-up can end the Brexit ordeal? Think again | Matthew d’Ancona

The whole idea underpinning any possible deal between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn is nonsense on stilts

Those who argue for a people’s vote on Brexit are frequently warned that a fresh referendum would infuriate millions of voters who thought they had made their position perfectly clear in 2016. It would be idle to deny that many might indeed be affronted – especially if the campaign to stay in the European Union were foolish enough to frame the argument as a rematch rather than as a completely new judgment upon the shambles of the past three years.

But the anger that such a vote could conceivably trigger is as nothing compared with the democratic recoil there will be from the Labour-Conservative stitch-up that many at the apex of both parties now favour.

Mon, 06 May 2019 05:00:12 GMT

Japan's new emperor Naruhito formally ascends throne in brief ceremony – video

Naruhito formally ascends to the throne in a brief ceremony after his father, Akihito, ended his 30-year reign as head of the world's oldest continuing hereditary monarchy. On Wednesday, Naruhito took symbolic possession of the imperial regalia – a sacred sword and jewel – which were concealed inside decoratively wrapped boxes. No female members of the imperial family were permitted to attend, after the government controversially decided to honour precedents set by previous accession rites

Wed, 01 May 2019 11:05:45 GMT

Moscow airport plane fire: more than 40 die in Aeroflot emergency landing

The Russian Sukhoi Superjet with 78 passengers on board bounced along tarmac before bursting in to flames

A Russian passenger jet burst into flames on Sunday while attempting an emergency landing at a Moscow airport, leaving as many as 41 passengers dead and more injured.

Video from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport shows the plane bouncing along the tarmac before it suddenly burst into flames. The tail section of the Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 became engulfed by fire, discharging thick, black smoke as crew members evacuated passengers using emergency slides. Fire engines sped toward the blaze while some passengers were seen fleeing across the tarmac in tears. Some were carrying luggage.

Sun, 05 May 2019 23:04:26 GMT

Ramadan and a Star Wars festival: the weekend’s best photos

The Guardian’s picture editors select photo highlights from around the world from preparations for Ramadan in Jakarta to a Star Wars festival in Ireland

Sun, 05 May 2019 14:44:55 GMT

UK backpacker speaks of her rape and kidnap ordeal in Australia

Elisha Greer describes her month of captivity as abductor is due to be sentenced

A British backpacker who was kidnapped and raped by a man in Australia has spoken of her terrifying ordeal, which lasted more than a month.

Elisha Greer, 24, from Liverpool, was held captive for weeks by Marcus Martin, who she said beat her and held a gun to her head. She required hospital treatment for injuries including facial fractures after eventually being found by police near Mitchell, Queensland, in March 2017.

Sun, 05 May 2019 18:15:57 GMT

CBD: a marijuana miracle or just another health fad?

The cannabis-derived compound is popping up in everything from mineral water to bath bombs. We ask experts and users if it actually works

Aaron Horn first came across cannabidiol, or CBD, about three years ago in Glastonbury – the town, not the festival. “I found it at this amazing hemp shop, Hemp in Avalon,” recalls Horn, a musician who is now 35. “It’s run by a guy called Free. His last name is Cannabis. He changed his name by deed poll to Free Cannabis.” Horn bought a tube of high-concentration CBD paste – “it comes out like a brown toothpaste, almost” – and it was recommended he put a tiny dot on his finger and pop it in his mouth.

Horn’s adult life had been spent in the shadow of a horrific accident that took place when he was 22. In June 2006, he had been shooting at a target with an air rifle in the garden of his family home; his parents are the music producers Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn. Horn didn’t realise his mother was nearby, and a stray pellet lodged in her neck and severed an artery. Sinclair experienced hypoxia, which caused irreversible brain damage, and she spent years in a coma before dying in 2014.

Sun, 05 May 2019 07:00:42 GMT

National Guard armoured vehicle drives into protesters in Venezuela – video

Hundreds of demonstrators in Caracas have confronted military vehicles on a road outside La Carlota airbase. One of the vehicles fired a water cannon at protesters crowded around it. At one point, the vehicle accelerated over a median barrier and appeared to hit demonstrators

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 16:48:52 GMT

Owen Jones meets Extinction Rebellion: 'We're the planet's fire alarm' - video

For the last 10 days Extinction Rebellion has blocked roads, railways and bridges in a campaign of peaceful civil disobedience. Now that the period of action has wound down, Owen Jones asks some of the organisers what they have achieved, what they’re planning next and whether it’s capitalism itself that they should be protesting against

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 20:01:06 GMT

Meadow larks: orchids and alpine views in Slovenia

Fields of wild flowers, and a festival to celebrate them, plus fantastic food … The mountains of Slovenia really are bursting with life

Meadow flowers, mountain fishing, food from one of the best chefs in the world. All are on offer in Slovenia, though from the looks of my fellow passengers on the late-night flight, few will venture far from Ljubljana’s bars and throbbing club scene. My companion and I, however, are drawn by more pastoral daytime delights: the Julian Alps, aquamarine streams, the glacial lake of Bohinj (pronounced Bokhin), and particularly the appeal of the Bohinj International Wild Flower Festival.

I grew up reading Heidi aloud to my slightly scary grandmother, so alpine mountain meadows have long loomed in my imagination. I am armed with a signed Edwardian edition of Constance L Maynard’s An Alpine Meadow. It’s packed with her hand-tinted photographs, but I am still unprepared for the saturated colours and abundance. We join a guided wildflower tour, made up mostly of English people. Our group is a little bit Agatha Christie (they could happily be cast as extras in an updated version of The Lady Vanishes).

Sun, 05 May 2019 06:00:48 GMT

Global youth movements: tell us about your grassroots campaigns

We want to hear about movements and campaigns led by young people from around the world

The past year has seen two of the most powerful youth protest movements in decades. When 16-year-old Greta Thunberg started a school strike calling for climate action, she sparked a global campaign – now more than 1.4 million schoolchildren have taken part in strikes.

Last March, young people in the US rallied together in March for Our Lives after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, making it one of the biggest youth protests in the country’s history.

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 13:00:04 GMT

Table for one: how eating alone is radically changing our diets

From grazing on snacks to dining solo, a third of Britons now regularly eat every meal on their own. Is this fuelling the loneliness epidemic or providing hidden health benefits?

Eating alone has become a defining feature of modern life: the breakfasting commuter; the household members with conflicting schedules; the widower who receives few visitors. Almost a third of British adults are eating alone “most or all of the time”, according to the latest Wellbeing Index, compiled with data from more than 8,000 people for Sainsbury’s by Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social Research. Similarly, a Mintel survey of 2,000 UK consumers aged 16 and over has found that one in three are “regularly eating every meal alone”. In London, the figure rises to almost half.

Much of this solitary munching takes place behind closed doors. Single-occupancy homes are the second-most-common household size in Britain and a record 35% of over-16s are single, according to the Office for National Statistics. This is why, in 2018, Tesco announced plans to stock more than 400 single-portion products including burgers, steaks and vegetables.

Mon, 06 May 2019 07:00:08 GMT

The Florida teachers who think arming them is the 'most dangerous decision ever'

Teachers share their concerns after a bill allowing educators to carry guns in classrooms was approved by the state legislature, and awaits Republican governor’s expected approval

Vivid in Joy Jackson’s memory is the sound of a bullet whistling just past her ear, fired towards her head during an incident at the Miami school where she is a teacher.

A teenage student with an emotional/behavioral disorder had brought the gun to campus, and as it was being secured by a police officer, the weapon accidentally discharged. Nobody was hurt but the incident a few years ago certainly alarmed Jackson.

Sun, 05 May 2019 18:24:38 GMT

Fired by Trump: former US attorney Preet Bharara on American justice – podcast

The ‘sheriff of Wall Street’, who took on mafia bosses and terrorists in court, looks back on his career. Plus: Tim Gordon on the silencing of the oceans

Preet Bharara rose to become one of the best-known lawyers of his generation. Nicknamed “the sheriff of Wall Street” after becoming the US attorney for the southern district of New York, he took on Russian oligarchs, mafia bosses and terrorists. He is even cited as the inspiration for the prosecutor in the hit TV series Billions.

Having been appointed by Barack Obama, Bharara was initially told he would be kept on in the job by Donald Trump. But just two months into the new presidency, Bharara was fired. He looks back on his career and at the subsequent investigations into Trump.

Mon, 06 May 2019 02:00:02 GMT

Are non-disclosure agreements out of control? – podcast

Zelda Perkins worked for Harvey Weinstein in her early 20s. She signed a non-disclosure agreement when she left his company, but 20 years later decided to break it when allegations about the film producer’s behaviour became public. She has subsequently questioned the widespread use of NDAs. Plus: Dan Sabbagh on Gavin Williamson’s short-lived cabinet career

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are widely used across many industries, including film, advertising, finance, universities and the health service. Zelda Perkins, a former assistant to Harvey Weinstein, signed one in 1997 after leaving the film producer’s company Miramax, but broke it in 2016 after allegations surrounding Weinstein’s behaviour were made public. Weinstein has always denied any criminal acts.

India Rakusen talks to Perkins about why she signed an NDA and her misgivings over the way the negotiations were handled. Rakusen also talks to Georgina Calvert-Lee, who leads a UK employment and equality team at the law firm McAllister Olivarius. Since the #MeToo movement, Calvert-Lee has met a growing number of people asking for advice about breaking their NDAs. The UK government has recently drawn up proposals to prevent employers using “gagging clauses” to conceal sexual harassment, intimidation and racism complaints.

Fri, 03 May 2019 02:00:27 GMT

Venezuela: Maduro denounces 'coup plotters and traitors' – video

The Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, has said 'the time to fight has come', in a televised address surrounded by his military high command. Maduro gave the warning following clashes in the past two days after the opposition attempted a military insurrection

Venezuela: Maduro thanks military and denounces 'senseless coup-mongers and traitors'

Thu, 02 May 2019 18:00:36 GMT

'I see any dinosaur, I buy it': at home with the embattled owner of the Flintstone house

Florence Fang’s colorful home is a landmark for many in California’s Bay Area. But the town of Hillsborough is suing her, declaring the property a ‘public nuisance’

When Florence Fang purchased a new house in Hillsborough, California, in 2017, her first thought was to landscape the property with cherry trees. But cherry trees did not “fit” with the look of the house, so she kept thinking. Her next idea, not uncommon among wealthy Californians, was to plant a vineyard and make her own wine. A friend warned her off, however, advising that grape vines would attract animals.

Then, inspiration struck.

Mon, 06 May 2019 08:00:06 GMT

Labour MPs say they won't back a Brexit deal without a people’s vote

Corbyn faces opposition from at least 60 MPs to a customs pact with May without a second vote

Jeremy Corbyn will not be able to get enough of his MPs to back a Brexit deal without the promise of a second referendum, even if Theresa May makes a big offer on a customs union and workers’ rights this week, senior Labour figures believe.

Senior party sources said they believe two-thirds of Labour MPs, including several shadow cabinet ministers and many more frontbenchers, would refuse to back a deal without a people’s vote attached.

Sun, 05 May 2019 20:02:37 GMT

Suspected serial rapist taken into custody by police in Cheshire – reports

Man believed to be Joseph McCann held by police after standoff in rural market town of Congleton

A man believed to be Joseph McCann, the suspect in three rapes in south-east England, has been taken into custody after a stand-off with police, according to reports.

Late on Sunday night, the suspect was encircled by police, who had tracked him down to an isolated rural area in the market town of Congleton.

Mon, 06 May 2019 05:36:14 GMT

Flee! French police forced to close Paris station after flea invasion

Working conditions have become ‘intolerable, says police union, calling for the station to be completely fumigated

A police station in north-eastern Paris had to be evacuated on Sunday after it was invaded by fleas, a police union said.

“Police station closed until further notice!” read an notice stuck to the front door of the station, which is located in the 19th arrondissement of the French capital.

Mon, 06 May 2019 02:04:24 GMT

From Spain to Turkey, the rise of the far right is a clash of cultures not civilisations | Elif Shafak

Vox and other extremists are making huge political gains for the first time in years. Their success risks tearing societies apart

I spent part of my childhood in Ankara and part of it in Madrid. Commuting between Spain and Turkey in the early 1980s was a strange experience. Spain had recently returned to democracy after years of dictatorship, and Turkey had experienced yet another military coup. Both countries were at the fringes of Europe, neither part of the EU. It was said that “Europe finishes at the start of the Pyrenees”, but if the mountain range between France and Spain was regarded as a border, another frontier was the waters of the Bosphorus. It often felt as though I was travelling from one end of Europe to the other.

The Spain that I experienced was vibrant, welcoming and warm-hearted. Despite the occasional pro-Franco mutterings of an older generation, Spain embraced democracy. How I wanted my motherland to follow suit. But one day, on my way to school, I saw something that made me stop in my tracks. All the walls down the street were plastered with posters of dead babies thrown into bins. I froze. The disturbing and distorted images had been distributed by an ultraconservative Catholic group that claimed family values were being attacked, women had gone too far in the name of emancipation. A patriarchal backlash still lurked under the surface. The culture wars were under way.

Mon, 06 May 2019 05:00:08 GMT

Olivia Laing: ‘I was hooked and my drug was Twitter’

In a period of loneliness, Olivia Laing turned to Twitter. But then it trapped her…

I was a late adopter of technology. In the 1990s, I lived off-grid. If anyone wanted me, they had to call my pager. When it buzzed, I’d walk two miles across fields to ring them back from a dusty phone box on a country lane. Even after I rejoined the modern world I remained a Luddite. I was late to email and so late to laptops that I wrote all my degree coursework by hand. I was years late to Facebook and only bought my first smartphone last summer. Not, on the face of it, the most likely person to become addicted to Twitter.

My relationship with it began during a long period of loneliness about a decade ago, in my mid-30s. I was living in New York, away from my family and friends, weathering a miserable break-up. The time-zone difference meant an ongoing glitch in communicating with people back home. Skype, with its two-second time lag and perpetually frozen screens, made me feel further away than ever. I wanted to talk to people who were awake when I was.

Sun, 05 May 2019 09:00:36 GMT

Inspired touch: how blind women outdo doctors at finding breast cancer

Visually impaired women in Colombia are using their enhanced sense of feel to improve early breast cancer detection

As a child, Francia Papamija started progressively losing her eyesight due to a retinal detachment. Today, everything is darkness for the 36-year-old – except for the job she holds in a clinic in Cali, Colombia, where she contributes to the early detection of breast cancer.

Papamija is a medical tactile examiner (MTE), a role created especially for women who are blind and have higher sensitivity in their fingertips.

Mon, 06 May 2019 06:00:16 GMT

Edinburgh closes roads to cars in city centre to cut air pollution

Motorised traffic will be banned during Open Streets event on first Sunday of each month

Roads in the centre of Edinburgh were closed to traffic for the first time on Sunday as the city joined the Open Streets movement to reduce air pollution.

Sun, 05 May 2019 22:03:01 GMT

Rainbow warrior: bold colours for spring

This season, step out in strong primary colours – the brighter the better

Sun, 05 May 2019 08:52:36 GMT

Australia's capital cities face water restrictions as dams near 50%

Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have seen water levels hit near-decade lows after a hot summer and dry autumn

Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane and Melbourne are all facing the prospect of dams below 50% capacity after low rainfall and high temperatures across the country.

In Sydney, inflows are at their lowest since 1940. Greater Sydney’s 11 dams were at a combined 55% capacity on Sunday – compared to 73% at the same time last year.

Mon, 06 May 2019 08:46:33 GMT

The big picture: Aladura churchgoers in Peckham taking a break

Sophie Green’s image of worshippers in Rye Lane captures a moment when tradition meets urban life

Every Sunday morning, Rye Lane in Peckham, in the London borough of Southwark, becomes filled with groups of worshippers wearing white robes. Photographer Sophie Green, who lives in the area, was enchanted by these figures, spilling in and out of the local Aladura spiritualist African churches. Aladura, which means “praying people” in Yoruba, is a denomination of Christianity characterised by its adherents’ flowing white garments, symbolising tradition, spiritual cleanliness and uniformity. Southwark has the highest concentration of African churches outside the continent itself.

On a Sunday in 2016, Green stopped one of the women in the street to compliment her on her dress; the woman invited her to attend the seven-hour service, which involved singing, dancing and group prayer. Over the following two years, Green got to know the pastors and congregations, organising dance and photography workshops for the children and young worshippers. During this time, she photographed the community and the project is now collected in a book, Congregation. “I wanted my photographs to intimately demonstrate the beauty of these churches,” says Green.

Sun, 05 May 2019 06:00:46 GMT

Donald Trump blames political correctness for Kentucky Derby chaos

Maximum Security disqualified as winner after stewards’ review
65-1 outside Country House declared winner of race

Donald Trump has expressed his displeasure at the result of this year’s Kentucky Derby, blaming the chaos at the end of the race on political correctness.

An explanation of the historic inquiry ruling that disqualified Maximum Security, making Country House the @KentuckyDerby winner. pic.twitter.com/YZqqn4ucbJ

Sun, 05 May 2019 14:35:30 GMT

Tolkien review – lumpen life story

The magic is missing from this biopic of the Lord of the Rings author

A decades-long trudge through Middle-earth would seem like a carefree skip through the park compared to this slog of a literary biopic. Nicholas Hoult makes heavy weather of the role of orphaned academic and philologist John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, who survived childhood privation and the Battle of the Somme to become one of the most successful fantasy writers ever.

Delirium in the trenches offers the opportunity for Tolkien to hallucinate scenes from the books he is yet to write; other links between his early life and his fiction are underlined equally forcefully – the young Tolkien forms a “fellowship” with three other artistically inclined school friends.

Sun, 05 May 2019 07:00:41 GMT

Diana Ross says she felt 'violated' by airport security check

Soul legend says, ‘I still feel her hands between my legs, front and back’ after alleged incident at New Orleans airport

Diana Ross has said she was left “violated” by an airport security check in New Orleans.

The soul singer was travelling to the city to perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival, when she complained of an invasive check by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff. In a series of tweets, she wrote: “On one hand I’m treated like royalty in New Orleans and at the airport I was treated like shit.

Mon, 06 May 2019 08:27:10 GMT

Coronation of Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn – in pictures

King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been crowned at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, beginning three days of elaborate, centuries-old ceremonies

Sat, 04 May 2019 11:05:28 GMT

Notre Dame: time to call in the French builders with medieval skills

Artisans creating a ‘13th-century’ castle in Burgundy might well be the ideal team to restore the cathedral

In a clearing in a forest in northern Burgundy, the stonemasons and carpenters of Guédelon are awaiting a call.

If anyone can rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral as it was – if that is what is required – they can.

Mon, 06 May 2019 05:00:11 GMT

Markets tumble after Trump threatens to dramatically increase China tariffs

Wall Street set for a fall after president says trade talks are going ‘too slowly’ and threatens to more than double tariffs

Global financial markets have been sent into a tailspin after Donald Trump risked jeopardising delicate trade talks with China by unexpectedly saying he would raise tariffs further on Chinese goods this week.

Stocks in China closed down 5.5% on Monday as investors in Asia Pacific were caught off guard by the US president’s tweets and reports indicating the government in Beijing might pull out of this week’s scheduled talks.

Mon, 06 May 2019 08:38:43 GMT

Making waves: the radio DJs changing the way men talk about mental health

By blending banter with heartfelt discussion, rising radio stars John Robins and Elis James have created a forum that allows men to open up about masculinity and mental health – with jokes attached

In the two days between the announcement that their weekly Radio X show would be ending and the final broadcast, comedians John Robins and Elis James received 110 pages of emails from their listeners. One of the emails they read out in that final show in April, from a fan called Frank, said the show had been his greatest solace in his darkest moments, during its five years on air; that James and Robins were “the most constant positive voices in my life”. Frank added that he’d been moved to try out standup comedy himself, and finished by saying, “You’ve both inspired me to be a better man: a man who isn’t afraid to tell his best mate that he loves him.”

It was a typical message. Almost every one of their 264 podcasts – edited down to an hour from the three-hour radio show, with the Kasabian songs and adverts taken out – begins with heartfelt letters of gratitude from their “PCDs” (Podcast Devotees), male and female alike. There are more than 11,000 PCDs in the dedicated Facebook group, and they have often shared their experiences of depression, anxiety, loneliness, grief, breakdowns, break-ups, addiction, suicidal thoughts – with each other and with the two DJs. And each of them contained some variation of the phrase: “The one thing that got me through this period was knowing that, every Saturday, your podcast would cheer me up.”

Sun, 05 May 2019 10:00:37 GMT

What is the European parliament and do the elections matter?

As Europe prepares to go to the polls, we look at the workings of the union and where its power lies

Europe’s twice-a-decade parliamentary elections are the second largest democratic contest in the world after India’s (which are incidentally still ongoing).

Mon, 06 May 2019 06:00:17 GMT

Emu Mini ebike preview: ‘A nuggety, indestructible appeal’ | Martin Love

The Emu Mini folding electric bike is small enough to fit into your life and sturdy enough to take the hard work out of your commute

Emu Mini ebike
Price £999, emubikes.com
Motor 250w
Range 12-20 miles
Gears Shimano Nexus

With its chunky 16in wheels and bouncy tyres, thick tubes and sturdy set-up, the Emu Mini is the Thelwell pony of folding ebikes. So many portable rides tend to be on the feeble and flimsy side. In order to be light enough to carry, manufacturers have to make concessions. So the pipework becomes thinner, handlebars and saddles are trimmed, accessories are cut back. If you are spending a lot of money, this is no problem as only the highest quality and most technical materials are used. But at the cheaper end you are left with a bike that feels at best skimpy and at worst dangerous. The Emu Mini, however, exudes a nuggety, indestructible, go-anywhere appeal. Sit on it and you feel safe and secure. It’s versatile and has a neat fold that makes it compact enough to carry and stow. It saves weight by having a relatively small battery. The whole thing tips the scales at 17kg. It only has a range of about 20 miles, but that’s plenty as the bike is intended to be a mixed-mode commuter – or a final-mile solution. It has a three-speed hub gear and disc brakes. Integrated lighting and full mudguards are included. Saddle up and the city is yours to explore.

Sun, 05 May 2019 05:00:40 GMT

Slow fashion: tell us about the oldest item of clothing you own

We want to hear from readers about the oldest outfit in your wardrobe, and the memories you associate with it

We live in a throwaway culture, especially when it comes to fashion, but there will always be certain items of clothing that stick with us.

As the slow fashion movement and environmental awareness of the industry grows, we want to hear from readers about the oldest item of clothing you have. Where did you get it, and why have you hung onto it for so long?

Fri, 03 May 2019 13:45:35 GMT

Eliud Kipchoge plans 'super human' 1:59 marathon in London in October

• Ineos behind October attempt in London
• It will be history for the human family, says Kenyan runner

Exactly 65 years ago on Monday in Oxford Roger Bannister collapsed into a swarm of bowler-hatted men before hearing words that revived him quicker than any pharmaceutical pick-me-up. “Result of event eight: one mile. In a time of three minutes and … ” Bannister had achieved what many thought was impossible by smashing the four-minute-mile barrier. Now, Eliud Kipchoge, four times a London marathon winner, the last of them only days ago, has announced his intention to shatter athletics’ last great barrier – running a marathon in under two hours.

Sun, 05 May 2019 23:01:07 GMT

Ramadan: ‘It will be a test but the peace you get is beautiful’

A month of fasting brings both challenge and rewards. Three Muslims explain how they combine its spirituality with their busy lives

Tonight, after sunset, hundreds of millions of Muslims across the world will embark on Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic calendar, in which it is believed the Qur’an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad. For 30 days, many Muslims will be fasting – no food, no water – from sunrise to sunset, getting on with life while taking on one of the greatest acts of faith. Not eating, or drinking even the tiniest drop of water, is hard.

It is more difficult still in the long days of a British summer, where the morning meal (sehri) has to be eaten by 2.30am and the fast can’t be broken with the evening meal (iftar) until after 9pm. But it can definitely be done. Some will keep working out, playing football or heading to the gym, even after a day at work or school. Others will dedicate more time to meditative prayer or studying the Qur’an. As so many of us will attest, the challenge is mental rather than physical. Feeling weak or lethargic by the end of the day is common, but the body adjusts and willpower is extraordinary – as with any sort of training, fasting gets easier as you go on.

Sun, 05 May 2019 07:00:35 GMT

We must demand of candidates: how real is your commitment to fixing democracy? | Lawrence Lessig

Nancy Pelosi’s HR1 bill is an important start but the key to tackling a broken system is a president committed to fundamental reform

The wires were abuzz last week with news that the presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg was returning $30,000 in contributions from lobbyists. He has now joined many other Democratic candidates in swearing off particular kinds of money, whether from corporate Pacs or lobbyists. Since Beto O’Rourke launched his campaign for Senate in 2017, this type of reform-through-abstinence has become a single metric for whether a candidate is a reformer for democracy. If you don’t give up corporate cash, then you can’t be for us.

Sun, 05 May 2019 10:00:37 GMT

Struggling South Africans lose faith in Nelson Mandela’s legacy

Crime is high and the economy is getting worse. After 25 years of ANC rule, Cyril Ramaphosa’s party will be re-elected this week – but it faces a moral crisis

Andiswa Kolanisi looks out over the corrugated iron roofs, the shelters of salvaged plyboard, the washing fluttering in the raw wind, and smiles as she remembers a day 25 years ago. “The memories of that time are there but it is like we are telling a fairy tale now,” she says. “When we think about the difference between now and then, we ask: what happened?”

Kolanisi lives in the Cape Flats, a flat and dusty swath of land behind the stunning Table Mountain. Around her, neighbours in the squatter camp on the ragged fringe of a township called Khayelitsha listen carefully. Kolanisi supports four children and her unemployed husband by selling “fat cakes”, deep-fried bread rolls, at a nearby crossroads. Here there are no roads, no formal electricity or water supply, and those living in the few hundred shacks use half a dozen overflowing portable toilets supplied by the local authority. They all face eviction at a moment’s notice.

Sun, 05 May 2019 06:00:39 GMT

The K-pop wannabes – a photo essay

An estimated 1 million wannabe stars of K-pop, from South Korea, Japan and beyond, are hoping to get a taste of fame by competing in auditions for talent agencies, which take on a select few as trainees

Photography by Kim Hong-Ji and Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters. Reporting by Ju-min Park

Yuuka Hasumi put high school in Japan on hold and flew to South Korea in February to try to become a K-pop star, even if that meant long hours of vocal and dance training, no privacy, no boyfriend, and no phone. Hasumi, 17, joined Acopia school, a prep school in Seoul offering young people from Japan a shot at K-pop stardom, teaching them the dance moves, the songs and the language.

Mon, 06 May 2019 06:00:19 GMT

The 20 photographs of the week

Violence in Caracas, the aftermath of the bombings in Sri Lanka, the London marathon and May Day demonstrations in Europe – the week captured by the world’s best photojournalists

Sat, 04 May 2019 07:02:19 GMT

I don’t want my bullying mother on our holiday. Am I being unfair? | Dear Mariella

Your marriage has been hijacked enough, says Mariella Frostrup. Stop taking on your mother’s problems

The dilemma I’m 50 soon. I’m happily married, I have friends and my work is fulfilling – but I’m desperate. My mother has Avoidant Personality Disorder. She’s getting therapy, which she says won’t work. She never remarried or had a relationship since I was a baby, and she has no friends. Over the past few years, my husband and I have taken her on holiday. Now she keeps hinting that my husband “needs a holiday” – I know exactly what she means. I don’t know how to tell her that we need time to ourselves. She looks for chinks in my armour and is delighted when I’m wrong. I’m exhausted by her bullying, catastrophising and ridiculous silent treatment. I can stand up to her, but she denies her bad behaviour. She hit me once – she knew she’d gone too far and could see I was angry. She uses her illnesses, jealousy and loneliness as a lever against us. I’m forever treading on eggshells. I want a holiday, with my husband, alone, but it feels like I’m asking for too much. I feel like a crap daughter.

Mariella replies You’re certainly not. Though if you stopped accepting your mother’s load as though it were your own you might be an even better one. Supporting her struggle to lead a normal life is the decent thing to do, enabling her not to have to confront her peccadilloes is altogether different. There is a natural evolution in the relationship between parent and child that culminates in the end of dependence, but hopefully not of love and mutual care. It’s a clear line that needs to be respected on both sides of the generational divide and my sense here is that her situation has engulfed you in a tangled jungle of compassion, responsibility and guilt.

Sun, 05 May 2019 04:59:33 GMT

Original Observer photography

Maisie Williams, Shawn Mendes, Brexit and a globe-trotting chicken – the best photography commissioned by the Observer in April 2019

Sat, 04 May 2019 10:30:10 GMT

Vox Lux director Brady Corbet: 'The movie is about the desire to be iconic'

The US film-maker on creative burnout, working with Scott Walker and his new film starring Natalie Portman as a messed-up pop star

Having made his first, brazenly ambitious feature at the age of 27, and finding himself compared to the young Orson Welles, American writer-director Brady Corbet is used to being on the receiving end of the brutal P-words – “precocious” and “pretentious”. “Those are things you steel yourself for,” he says. Corbet, now 30, expects strong responses because, as he puts it, his films go for “operatic heights… When people totally hate a movie that I’ve made, I totally understand, and if they love it I also understand.”

In London to promote his second feature, Vox Lux, Corbet – pronounced “Cor-bay” – initially resembles your average indie bro: the regulation backwards baseball cap and fuzzy beard, coupled with a comfortable bulk, suggest a laid-back bar-band drummer. However, we’re absolutely not dealing with another Sundance brat. Articulate and thoughtfully confident, Corbet is a hardcore, highbrow Europhile. His passions include writer W G Sebald, artist Anselm Kiefer, and the Finnish modernist composer Kaija Saariaho; his track record as an actor includes work with such blue-chip auteurs as Michael Haneke and Lars von Trier; and he thinks of himself as making “movies where the form is the content”.

Sun, 05 May 2019 10:00:40 GMT

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Manchester United’s slump means they have to support City in the FA Cup final, Ramsey’s tears show passion Arsenal are missing and Chelsea can do better than Higuaín

Manchester United have suffered their share of indignities already this season but now they will have to start supporting Manchester City in the FA Cup final. A tame draw at Huddersfield finally ended Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s slim hopes of creeping into the Champions League, but Watford winning the FA Cup and United finishing sixth would bring forward the latter’s Europa League involvement with a qualifying round on 25 July. That will lead to some rescheduling as United are supposed to be in Shanghai then for a meeting with Spurs in the International Champions Cup. Solskjær spoke of the positives Arsenal and Chelsea have drawn from the Europa League this season, but United did all that two years ago when they beat Ajax in the final. Wonder where Ajax are now? United have gone a long way backwards since finishing second last year. Paul Wilson

Mon, 06 May 2019 07:59:03 GMT

Nxivm former members to break vow of silence by testifying against cult leader

Opening arguments are set for Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court as prosecutors have been tight-lipped about who will testify

It was called “collateral” – nude photos and other embarrassing material that female members of an upstate New York self-improvement group turned over to their “masters” to guarantee obedience, silence and sexual fealty to the organization’s spiritual leader, Keith Raniere.

Now some former members of the group, called Nxivm (pronounced nexium) are poised to break their vow of silence by testifying against Raniere, who has been compared to a cult leader. Opening arguments are set for Tuesday at a federal court in Brooklyn.

Mon, 06 May 2019 05:00:07 GMT

It is not up to the UK government to decide whether I’m Irish or not | Emma DeSouza

It’s a cruel side-effect of Brexit that the people of Northern Ireland are being forced to be ‘British’ – as if the Good Friday agreement means nothing

The Good Friday agreement is widely revered as a model of peace and celebrated worldwide. Yet the Home Office has openly disregarded the agreement, and is actively seeking to undermine its very foundation. I should know: I have spent the past four years in legal proceedings battling the Home Office.

Mon, 06 May 2019 09:00:14 GMT

Australian DJ Adam Neat dies in Bali 'after crashing through glass'

Forty-two-year-old was reportedly rushing to help a friend who had fallen

An Australian DJ, Adam Neat, has died in Bali after reportedly crashing through a glass door while trying to help a stricken friend.

The 42-year-old, known professionally as Adam Sky, died while trying to help a friend who had suffered several broken bones on the Indonesian island on Saturday, his management has confirmed.

Sun, 05 May 2019 21:32:08 GMT

Rugby union: talking points from the Premiership’s weekend action

Piers O’Conor and Mat Protheroe step up for Bristol, Newcastle left down and out while leaky Leicester require urgent repairs

A third Premiership try of the season for Charles Piutau against Sale on Friday night, in what was his ninth league start of the campaign, was not enough to secure the win for Bristol. He has been blighted by injury throughout the season, and is obviously not alone in that, but while Bristol will have hoped for more game-time from their marquee signing, it is to their credit that they have enjoyed such a prosperous return to the Premiership having been denied his services for long parts of the campaign. In his place the youngsters Piers O’Conor and Mat Protheroe stepped up admirably and their performances are proof of Pat Lam’s vision for Bristol coming to fruition. Gerard Meagher

Mon, 06 May 2019 09:00:08 GMT

Pompeo insists North Korea nuclear deal still possible despite weapons test

Secretary of state echoes the president, saying ‘there’s opportunity to get a negotiated outcome’ on a denuclearization deal

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted Sunday that a nuclear disarmament deal between the US and North Korea was still possible, despite the country’s launch of several short-range projectiles into the sea one day earlier.

“There’s an opportunity to get a negotiated outcome, where we get fully verified denuclearization” and said the US hopes to “get back to the table and find the path forward,” he told ABC’s This Week politics program on Sunday.

Sun, 05 May 2019 18:58:47 GMT

Brunei says it will not enforce gay sex death penalty after backlash

Sultan extends moratorium to death by stoning law in rare response to global criticism

Brunei’s Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, has extended a moratorium on the death penalty to incoming legislation on punishments for gay sex, after a global backlash led by celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John.

The country provoked an outcry when it rolled out its interpretation of Islamic laws, or sharia, on 3 April, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with death, including by stoning.

Sun, 05 May 2019 18:45:06 GMT

Suspected serial rapist surrounded by police in Cheshire

Man believed to be Joseph McCann encircled after two women face abduction attempt

A man believed to be Joseph McCann, the suspect in three rapes in south-east England, was surrounded on Sunday night by officers in Cheshire who suspect he may be behind an attempt to abduct two women in the area earlier that day.

The suspect was encircled by police, who had tracked him to an isolated rural area after the attempted double abduction in the market town of Congleton, and were confident they would capture him.

Mon, 06 May 2019 05:23:02 GMT

Madonna says giving her children mobile phones ‘ended their relationship’

The singer says her children’s lives became dominated by the technology

It’s a daily bane of modern parenting that even Madonna appears to have got hung up on: how to keep a child’s attention once you give them a mobile phone.

Madonna has complained of losing a link to her children after giving them mobile phones at a relatively young age, to the extent that she has prevented her 13-year-old son from having one.

Sun, 05 May 2019 14:58:15 GMT

Rugby World Cup committee warns Japan not to run out of beer

Issue was raised as part of briefing sessions in cities tipped to deal with the largest influx of international visitors

It’s the stuff of nightmares for rugby fans: organisers of the upcoming World Cup in Japan have raised fears that bars and restaurants in host cities could run out of beer during the tournament.

As part of the planning for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the organising committee has urged business operators to order in sufficient quantities of beer to avoid upsetting travelling fans, Japan’s Jiji Press agency reported.

Mon, 06 May 2019 05:29:52 GMT

Football transfer rumours: Alexandre Lacazette to Barcelona for £70m?

Today’s fluff is greying at the temples

Still picking shrapnel from the blue and white striped kitchen sink complete with seagull insignia that Brighton threw at them on Sunday, Arsenal may have to put their disappointment at failing to finish in the top four behind them and brace themselves for an audacious £70m bid for Alexandre Lacazette from Barcelona, according to the Express. With 18 goals to his name this season, the striker cut a forlorn figure as Arsenal’s players endured their post-match lap of disgruntlement at the Emirates and the Spanish champions are understood to have identified him or his compatriot Antoine Griezmann as the men to provide them with a little extra cutting edge.

Apparently resigned to losing their diminutive Danish dynamo Christian Eriksen this summer, Tottenham Hotspur got an opportunity to admire Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek from close – but perhaps not as close as they might have liked – quarters in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. The 22-year-old has been hugely influential in his side’s unexpected European success this season and has been identified as a potential target for Spurs, who will be hoping the midfielder flunks his next audition but will have to fend off interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich regardless. Still chasing a treble, Ajax are top of the Eredivisie, thrashed Willem II in the Dutch Cup final on Sunday and lead Tottenham 1-0 going into the second leg of this week’s Champions League semi-final.

Mon, 06 May 2019 08:36:18 GMT

Photographer Harold Feinstein, the unsung chronicler of Coney Island

He found fame in his teens with images of his native New York, then lost it again. A new film and show aim to give him the recognition he deserves

It began with a great outpouring of images. At 15, Harold Feinstein borrowed his neighbour’s Rolleiflex camera and started shooting scenes of everyday life on the streets and boardwalks of south Brooklyn. The year was 1946 and Coney Island, where Feinstein grew up, was still popular with New Yorkers, who flocked to its amusement parks and beaches in the summertime to let their hair down.

Feinstein found compelling dramas wherever he looked: the sergeant in full uniform flirting with an older woman on the boardwalk; the gypsy girl with a dirty face loitering by the carousel. In one shot, a man with a pencil moustache and a “bad luck” tattoo glowers menacingly down at the pint-sized photographer. In another, a cluster of sunbathing teenagers, including a radiantly smiling girl with a radio, bask in the camera’s attention.

Sun, 05 May 2019 09:00:36 GMT

Pep Guardiola calls Premier League his ‘toughest’ test as Leicester game looms

• Manchester City manager places this season among his finest
• Kevin De Bruyne still injured, Fernandinho faces fitness test

Manchester City must beat Leicester at home on Monday night to make sure they go into the final day of the season with the destiny of the Premier League title in their own hands.

Liverpool’s 3-2 win at Newcastle United on Saturday evening put Jürgen Klopp’s team two points ahead of City with Wolves left to visit Anfield on Sunday.

Sun, 05 May 2019 21:30:07 GMT

How ethical is it for advertisers to target your mood? | Emily Bell

ESPN and the New York Times are exploring how to match marketing to their users’ emotions

How do you feel about this article? Distracted already? Here, have some Ritalin, the extremely unproblematic drug that helps you concentrate. I see you are yawning: time for a giant cup of tasty Nescafe, every bit as good as something that has been blasted out of a shiny Italian steam machine for £10 a cup. Ah yes, Italy, now is exactly the right time to visit Venice, before it fills up with tourists, because I know that by this stage in the paragraph you are feeling in need of a holiday.

If only media purveyors could read your mind and offer you something in the moment you were likely to buy, all the financial woes of journalism would be over.

Sun, 05 May 2019 13:00:40 GMT

US deploys aircraft carrier and bombers after 'troubling indications' from Iran

National security adviser John Bolton says any Iranian attack on US or its allies will be met with ‘unrelenting force’

The US is sending an aircraft carrier and a bomber task force to the Middle East in response to a “number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings” from Iran, the national security advisor John Bolton has said.

It was unclear on Sunday night what Iranian actions Bolton was referring to. There have been no recent incidents in the Persian Gulf where US and Iranian navies are routinely in close proximity and the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group was already bound for the Gulf a month before Bolton made his announcement.

Mon, 06 May 2019 01:43:01 GMT

Black Mirror: post your questions for creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones

Fresh from the success of Bandersnatch, the minds behind the twisted series will be answering readers’ questions. What would you like to ask them?

Keeping up with the frenetic pace of modern life is a tall order for any show, but one that Black Mirror has never struggled with. Since its launch in 2011, Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones’s twisted anthology series has gained a reputation as TV’s most timely programme, a Twilight Zone for our tech-addled age.

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 14:35:54 GMT

Libyan officials say 200 people have been killed in recent fighting

Khalifa Haftar’s bid to topple UN-recognised government has displaced 50,000 people

Nearly 200 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in the most recent wave of fighting in Libya, officials said this weekend.

The offensive to take control of Tripoli launched by Khalifa Haftar, a military commander based in the east of the country, is now in its second month.

Mon, 06 May 2019 00:15:28 GMT

'Our ticket to Europe': North Macedonia elects pro-western president

Stevo Pendarovski wins vote focused on changing country’s name change, consolidating push towards EU and Nato membership

North Macedonia’s pro-western candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, won a run-off presidential vote after a campaign dominated by divisions over a change to the country’s name that was agreed to mollify Greece and open the way for EU and Nato membership.

The State Election Commission results based on 99.5% the votes counted showed 51.7% of the votes going to Pendarovski, who is the candidate of the ruling coalition and a long-serving senior civil servant and academic.

Sun, 05 May 2019 23:50:00 GMT

Joe Biden faces first 2020 test: his record on race

As Biden visits South Carolina, a battleground where black voters play a large role in determining the nominee, can he appeal to the party’s changing demographics?

For months, Joe Biden has signaled his third run for president will be rooted in wooing back the white working-class voters who swung away from Democrats in 2016 and helped propel Donald Trump to the White House.

But first, Biden faces a more imminent test: can he appeal to the changing demographics of the Democratic electorate, which is poised to be the party’s most diverse in history?

Sun, 05 May 2019 06:00:32 GMT

From Pulp to pulp fiction: musical book jackets – in pictures

Over the past three years, Todd Alcott has been turning famous song titles into alternative covers for vintage paperbacks. What started as a distraction for the LA-based screenwriter and graphic artist is now a continuing project with hundreds of entries. Alcott describes the “cultural mashups”, made using digital-altering software, as a conversation between the songwriter, the original designer, himself and the viewer. “All four bring a wealth of associations,” he says. “Most of the songs I pick I have strong emotional ties to. “The graphics are much more fun than screenwriting, where you work on a script for years and it never gets made into a movie. With these mashups, I execute it in a night, post it on social media and get an instant response.”

Sat, 04 May 2019 16:00:16 GMT

The Guardian view on extremism online: who will guard the watchdogs? | Editorial

The social media advertising giants of the web have great power. When they admit this, they will come under pressure

The decision by Facebook to ban six prominent figures of the alt-right movement, along with Louis Farrakhan, from both Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram, is a significant development in the struggle against online extremism. It is also a step on to a wobbly moral tightrope where decisions about censorship are made for the whole world by a few giant American advertising companies.

This is not an entirely satisfactory position, but it appears to be the least bad available at the moment. Global social media networks are neither traditional publishers, who can reasonably be held responsible for everything that appears on them, nor wholly neutral carriers, like the telephone companies. Their interests are not entirely aligned with society’s, nor with their individual users’. In particular, the social networks want users to spend as much time as possible with them, so that profiles of their interests and desires can be constructed and sold on to advertisers.

Sun, 05 May 2019 17:30:02 GMT

Saatchi Gallery covers up artworks after Muslim visitors' complaints

Paintings by SKU deemed blasphemous for combining Islamic text with nude images

A leading contemporary art gallery covered up works featuring an Islamic declaration of faith after complaints from Muslim visitors who said the artworks were blasphemous.

The Saatchi Gallery in west London hosted an exhibition of new material by the artist SKU featuring a variety of works. However, it decided to cover up two paintings that incorporated the text of the shahada, one of the five pillars of Islam, in Arabic script juxtaposed with images of nude women in the style of the US flag.

Sun, 05 May 2019 16:15:41 GMT

Protecţie Solară

http://aePiot.ro | http://aePiot.com | http://allGraph.ro

Primarul din Mioveni, Ion Georgescu, a spus astăzi într-o conferinţă de presă a PSD Argeş că lucrările de construire a noului spital orăşenesc din Mioveni decurg conform planurilor de până acum, iar pe 20 septembrie se vor muta aici şi secţiile de la spitalul "Sf. Spiridon". Pentru finalizarea lucrărilor şi pentru investiţii este nevoie de 20 milioane de euro, bani pe care primarul a spus că administraţia locală i-ar putea accesa printr-un credit dacă nu va primi până în mai un răspuns favorabil din partea Ministerului Sănătăţii către care a făcut mai multe solicitări de finanţare pe diverse programe. În ceea ce priveşte angajările, Ion Georgescu a precizat că nu primăria se ocupă de acestea, ci Ministerul Sănătăţii. Cei interesaţi trebuie să urmărească ediţiile din iulie şi august ale revistei "Sănătatea" în care vor fi publicate anunţurile de angajare. - ( 05.04.2019 ) ION GEORGESCU, VEŞTI DESPRE NOUL SPITAL DIN MIOVENI | MIOVENI

Stiri aleatoare din arhiva: www.argesulvorbeste.ro

Simona Bucura Oprescu, 71 de iniţiative legislative!

Simona Bucura Oprescu, deputat de Argeş al PSD, este unul dintre cei mai activi parlamentari ai partidului. Simona Bucura Oprescu a iniţiat sau a fost co-autor la nu mai puţin de 71 de iniţiative legislative, multe dintre acestea devenind legi. ...(Citește tot articolul)

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0200

Monday 6 May 2019

RO - EN - Mon 06 May 2019 09:49:07 - 631308024