Zoological Society of London commissions poet laureate for animation to mark its 200th anniversary Over its two centuries, acclaimed writers and artists have found inspiration at London zoo, from Edwin Landseer’s Trafalgar Square lions, to AA Milne’s naming “Winnie” after resident bear Winnipeg, and Sylvia Plath’s poem Zoo Keeper’s Wife. Plath’s husband, Ted Hughes , who would become poet laureate...
Zoological Society of London commissions poet laureate for animation to mark its 200th anniversary Over its two centuries, acclaimed writers and artists have found inspiration at London zoo, from Edwin Landseer’s Trafalgar Square lions, to AA Milne’s naming “Winnie” after resident bear Winnipeg, and Sylvia Plath’s poem Zoo Keeper’s Wife. Plath’s husband, Ted Hughes , who would become poet laureate, worked at the zoo briefly as a dish washer, an experience said to have helped fuel his inspiration for The Thought-Fox. Continue reading...
National Gallery, the Box in Plymouth and the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge also shortlisted for £120,000 Art Fund prize The V&A East Storehouse, the National Gallery and an accessible castle in Norwich are among the contenders for this year’s Art Fund museum of the year award, the most prestigious UK prize in the sector. The annual prize offers the winner £120,000, with £20,000 going to each of the ot...
National Gallery, the Box in Plymouth and the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge also shortlisted for £120,000 Art Fund prize The V&A East Storehouse, the National Gallery and an accessible castle in Norwich are among the contenders for this year’s Art Fund museum of the year award, the most prestigious UK prize in the sector. The annual prize offers the winner £120,000, with £20,000 going to each of the other finalists, who the Art Fund’s director, Jenny Waldman, said had all “innovated in different ways”. Continue reading...
To get John Authers’ newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, sign up here . Today’s Points: The Strait of Hormuz is closed again — not clear it ever reopened. Brent crude rebounded more than 7% to top $95 at the Asian opening . Kevin Warsh ’s date with the Senate is set for Tuesday. The date for the SaaSpocalypse remains unclear. AND: Some golden oldie anti-tax songs (and a new one ). Stock D...
To get John Authers’ newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, sign up here . Today’s Points: The Strait of Hormuz is closed again — not clear it ever reopened. Brent crude rebounded more than 7% to top $95 at the Asian opening . Kevin Warsh ’s date with the Senate is set for Tuesday. The date for the SaaSpocalypse remains unclear. AND: Some golden oldie anti-tax songs (and a new one ). Stock Depart from the Strait and Narrow Who to believe? On Friday, while markets were still open, the Iranian leadership announced that the Strait of Hormuz was open , while the US declared that Iran was surrendering all its nuclear material . Over the weekend, we learned that these things weren’t strictly true. Foreign ships came under Iranian fire , and US forces seized an Iranian ship . This happened during a ceasefire still due to last until Wednesday. Volatility like this, with two regimes who dislike and distrust each other showing no message discipline whatsoever, should be a recipe for turbulent and choppy markets. Instead, they’ve fostered what is now one of the most remarkable one-way rallies in history. Monday offers the next chance for all the scary news to have a financial impact. So far in Asian trading, equities are muted but oil has had a big reaction: The Strait — through which flows 20% of the world’s oil and many other vital commodities — is not a faucet that can simply open or close. The flow of tankers through the waterway fell virtually to nothing a week into the conflict, and had shown only the slightest sign of recovery: As oil traders point out, the effects wouldn’t yet be evident in much of the world, as it typically takes a tanker about six weeks to get from the Strait to New York and almost a month to reach Shanghai. Companies keep inventories of oil. The problem is yet to make itself felt with full force in the world’s two biggest economies. As for the chances of traffic returning to normal by the end of this month (i.e. Thursday of next week), as defi...
A US move to freeze the Lunar Gateway orbiting space station could render Japan’s new technologies redundant – but its space agency is expected to be diplomatic in its response. The gateway project was initially planned as an installation that would orbit the moon as part of the United States’ Artemis programme, which recently made headlines for a record-breaking journey that went deeper into spac...
A US move to freeze the Lunar Gateway orbiting space station could render Japan’s new technologies redundant – but its space agency is expected to be diplomatic in its response. The gateway project was initially planned as an installation that would orbit the moon as part of the United States’ Artemis programme, which recently made headlines for a record-breaking journey that went deeper into space than anyone had ever flown before. Artemis’ aim is to return astronauts to the moon’s surface for...
In December 2018, Bill Browder , the chief executive officer of Hermitage Capital LLP , received an unexpected visitor at his London office: the then-CEO of Swedbank AB , Birgitte Bonnesen . Browder is a well-known campaigner against corruption and human rights abuses in Russia, spurred on by the death of Hermitage’s lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, in Russian police custody in 2009. At the time of his a...
In December 2018, Bill Browder , the chief executive officer of Hermitage Capital LLP , received an unexpected visitor at his London office: the then-CEO of Swedbank AB , Birgitte Bonnesen . Browder is a well-known campaigner against corruption and human rights abuses in Russia, spurred on by the death of Hermitage’s lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, in Russian police custody in 2009. At the time of his arrest, Magnitsky had been investigating a $230 million tax fraud. “We made it our life’s work to figure out who benefited from the crime that led to his murder,” Browder said. Documents obtained by Browder’s team traced funds from Russian banks to accounts abroad, including some at branches of Nordic banks operating in the Baltic States, in particular, Danske Bank A/S ’s operations in Estonia. In 2016, investigators began looking into billions of dollars of suspicious transactions flowing through the branch. In mid-2018, Browder filed a criminal complaint against the bank. Swedbank’s Bonnesen wanted to know if Browder was planning to file a similar complaint against the Stockholm-based lender, and told him that her bank didn’t share Danske’s problems, he said. It was a position that Bonnesen went on to state publicly. Within weeks, Swedbank had been drawn into the scandal, after journalists obtained documents showing that its Baltic operations had also processed suspicious transactions coming from Russia. What followed was a rolling crisis across the Nordic banking industry. Investigations found that failures in anti-money laundering procedures had contributed to nearly $230 billion of money linked to Russia being illicitly moved through Baltic branches. The total cost to lenders in the region was billions of dollars in fines, regulatory upheaval and management changes, which weighed on their outlooks and forced them to invest heavily in operational reforms. Swedbank spent years under the scrutiny of US authorities. Nearly a decade since the first investigations began, the ...
In this article 7011.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (L) and Japan's Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro (R) pose for a photo with Eisaku Ito, Pesident and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, before the signing of the contract for Japan to deliver the first three of Mogami-class warships, in Melbourne o...
In this article 7011.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (L) and Japan's Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro (R) pose for a photo with Eisaku Ito, Pesident and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, before the signing of the contract for Japan to deliver the first three of Mogami-class warships, in Melbourne on April 18, 2026. Japan agreed on April 18 on a deal to provide Australia's navy with the first of almost a dozen stealth frigates, part of a wider military build up by Canberra aimed at boosting its long-range firepower to deter China. William West | Afp | Getty Images Shares in Japan's largest defense company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries climbed nearly 4% Monday after the country finalized an agreement with Australia for building three general purpose frigates. This will be Japan's first ever warship export project , with the first vessel scheduled to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in 2029. Shares of MHI have gained about 75% in the last 12 months. The 10 billion Australian dollar deal, first announced in August , comes on the back of reports that Japan is preparing to loosen its restrictions on arms shipments later this month, paving the way for the official export of lethal weapons. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Canberra, meanwhile, has committed as much as AU$20 billion toward a fleet of 11 general purpose frigates. The first three will be built by MHI. The new warships, based on the upgraded Mogami-class frigate, will replace the current ANZAC-class in the Australian Navy, which have been in service since the 1980s. Japan's MHI beat German rival ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems to bag the deal. Japan said Australia could receive the first of the upgraded warships ahead of its own navy, tipping the AU$10 billion contest in MHI's favor, according to Australian news outlet ABC . Nikkei reported that other companies involved in the deal include NEC Corporation, M...
Chinese researchers have developed a flexible 5G millimetre-wave antenna made from photo paper which they say slashes material costs by more than 95 per cent, potentially removing a key barrier to large-scale naval 5G adoption. They described a paper-based flexible multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna engineered specifically for shipborne 5G communications in a study published in the peer...
Chinese researchers have developed a flexible 5G millimetre-wave antenna made from photo paper which they say slashes material costs by more than 95 per cent, potentially removing a key barrier to large-scale naval 5G adoption. They described a paper-based flexible multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna engineered specifically for shipborne 5G communications in a study published in the peer-reviewed Chinese Journal of Ship Research and led by Yang Wendong of Liaoning Technical...
The team behind this adult animation is unbelievably stellar – Jason Schwartzman, John Waters, Whoopi Goldberg, Amy Sedaris … Sadly, it’s so awful it’s hard to even express its direness We need to talk about Kevin. We need to surround ourselves with soothing furnishings and sturdy stress toys and – deep breaths, everyone – discuss how and why Kevin has happened and what steps must be taken to stop...
The team behind this adult animation is unbelievably stellar – Jason Schwartzman, John Waters, Whoopi Goldberg, Amy Sedaris … Sadly, it’s so awful it’s hard to even express its direness We need to talk about Kevin. We need to surround ourselves with soothing furnishings and sturdy stress toys and – deep breaths, everyone – discuss how and why Kevin has happened and what steps must be taken to stop Kevin, or anything like Kevin, from ever happening again. But first, the unfortunate facts. Kevin is the title of a new adult animation from Prime Video and the name of the series’ protagonist; a self-doubting house cat who, after his owners’ breakup, opts to move into a chaotic pet rescue centre. Continue reading...
Vulnerable children placed in caravans, Airbnbs and holiday camps, with children’s commissioner saying practice must stop Ministers must get to grips with the “national scandal” of England’s shadow child social care system, the children’s commissioner has warned, as a shocking new report reveals the number of children in unregulated settings has increased by more than 370% in five years. Some of t...
Vulnerable children placed in caravans, Airbnbs and holiday camps, with children’s commissioner saying practice must stop Ministers must get to grips with the “national scandal” of England’s shadow child social care system, the children’s commissioner has warned, as a shocking new report reveals the number of children in unregulated settings has increased by more than 370% in five years. Some of the most vulnerable children in England are being temporarily placed in unregulated caravans, Airbnbs and holiday camps, which risk the “accumulation of increasing levels of harm for children who have already faced enough distress for several lifetimes”, according to a new report. Continue reading...
Report says lack of provision is harmful to health and damaging for high streets The number of public toilets in England has fallen by 14% in a decade, harming public health and creating vast swathes of lavatory “deserts” and unpleasant environments, a report says. The analysis by the Royal Society for Public Health found a “significant shortfall” in provision, with 15,481 people for each public t...
Report says lack of provision is harmful to health and damaging for high streets The number of public toilets in England has fallen by 14% in a decade, harming public health and creating vast swathes of lavatory “deserts” and unpleasant environments, a report says. The analysis by the Royal Society for Public Health found a “significant shortfall” in provision, with 15,481 people for each public toilet in England. That contrasts sharply with Scotland, where there are 8,500 people for each toilet, and Wales, with 6,748. Continue reading...
PM to give Commons statement on Monday, a day before sacked civil servant Olly Robbins tells his side of the story The next 48 hours will be crucial for Keir Starmer’s troubled premiership as he faces continuing calls to resign over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. On Monday, Starmer will give a statement to the House of Commons on the Guardian’s revelation that Mandelson was a...
PM to give Commons statement on Monday, a day before sacked civil servant Olly Robbins tells his side of the story The next 48 hours will be crucial for Keir Starmer’s troubled premiership as he faces continuing calls to resign over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. On Monday, Starmer will give a statement to the House of Commons on the Guardian’s revelation that Mandelson was allowed to serve as US ambassador despite failing a vetting process run by security officials. On Tuesday, Olly Robbins, the top civil servant at the Foreign Office, who Starmer sacked on Thursday and is trying to blame for the row, will give his side of the story. Here are the key questions Starmer must answer. Continue reading...
Dazzling performer, brilliant writer, maddening perfectionist, Easter Egg hunt maestro … on the 10th anniversary of Wood’s death, those who knew her best celebrate the shy introvert who redefined comedy Duncan Preston Continue reading...
Dazzling performer, brilliant writer, maddening perfectionist, Easter Egg hunt maestro … on the 10th anniversary of Wood’s death, those who knew her best celebrate the shy introvert who redefined comedy Duncan Preston Continue reading...
Jubilation is turning to disenchantment as young activists arrested after protest calling for election date to be set The arrest of several protesters in Madagascar has increased fears among young people that the military regime that took power last year after huge Gen Z demonstrations will be no better than the government it overthrew. Four Gen Z activists, Herizo Andriamanantena, Miora Rakotomal...
Jubilation is turning to disenchantment as young activists arrested after protest calling for election date to be set The arrest of several protesters in Madagascar has increased fears among young people that the military regime that took power last year after huge Gen Z demonstrations will be no better than the government it overthrew. Four Gen Z activists, Herizo Andriamanantena, Miora Rakotomalala, Dina Randrianarisoa and Nomena Ratsihorimanana, were arrested on 12 April, one of their lawyers said, two days after taking part in a protest calling for an election date to be set. Continue reading...
As fossil fuel prices soar ‘the era of clean energy security must come of age’, energy secretary will say Ed Miliband will double down on Labour’s commitment to net zero in the face of the Middle East conflict this week, insisting that as fossil fuel prices soar “the era of clean energy security must come of age”. The energy secretary is set to announce a package of new policies in a speech on Tue...
As fossil fuel prices soar ‘the era of clean energy security must come of age’, energy secretary will say Ed Miliband will double down on Labour’s commitment to net zero in the face of the Middle East conflict this week, insisting that as fossil fuel prices soar “the era of clean energy security must come of age”. The energy secretary is set to announce a package of new policies in a speech on Tuesday in response to an expected energy crisis prompted by Donald Trump’s war with Iran. Continue reading...
Social workers in England say they often have no choice but to place children in unregistered settings because no one else will take them The sinking feeling is familiar now, says Anna*. It’s Friday, the clock is ticking, and there is a vulnerable child in her care for whom – despite hitting the phones for days – she cannot find a place. Once the foster carers have been exhausted, and the register...
Social workers in England say they often have no choice but to place children in unregistered settings because no one else will take them The sinking feeling is familiar now, says Anna*. It’s Friday, the clock is ticking, and there is a vulnerable child in her care for whom – despite hitting the phones for days – she cannot find a place. Once the foster carers have been exhausted, and the registered private children’s homes begged, there is nothing for it but to look elsewhere. “It always seems to be on a Friday that you are struggling to place a child,” says the social worker. “They need somewhere safe tonight. You’re calling everywhere, already knowing the answer will be, ‘we haven’t got any spaces’. And then you’re left with what’s left of a hotel, a caravan … somewhere you know isn’t right, but you don’t have a choice.” Continue reading...
The children’s author answers questions from readers, friends and writers on losing his son Eddie, surviving Covid, who he’d invite to his perfect birthday dinner and where he goes for inspiration Whether you know him from reading his classic picture book We’re Going on A Bear Hunt as a child, from his viral YouTube videos or his tireless support for children’s literacy and the NHS, Michael Rosen ...
The children’s author answers questions from readers, friends and writers on losing his son Eddie, surviving Covid, who he’d invite to his perfect birthday dinner and where he goes for inspiration Whether you know him from reading his classic picture book We’re Going on A Bear Hunt as a child, from his viral YouTube videos or his tireless support for children’s literacy and the NHS, Michael Rosen has been a household name in the UK for decades. As he turns 80, we gave his peers and Guardian readers the opportunity to put to him the questions they’ve always wanted to ask. Which do you prefer, asking or answering questions? Roger McGough, poet Probably asking. I always worry if I’m answering questions I’m being boring. It feels quite exciting if you ask questions. And, as Roger knows, the moment you pick up a pen and start to write, you’re actually asking questions. You’re saying: “What’s the next word? What’s the next phrase? Why am I writing in this shape? Why am I writing in this tone of voice?” Continue reading...
Royal Opera House, London Incredible physical facility is married to expressive lyricism in this triple bill by the Royal Ballet’s ever adventurous resident choreographer. You never know what’s coming next Choreographer Wayne McGregor has a reputation for making dance that is hugely impressive but sometimes on the cold side. His experiments in AI , for example: totally fascinating for the mind, ar...
Royal Opera House, London Incredible physical facility is married to expressive lyricism in this triple bill by the Royal Ballet’s ever adventurous resident choreographer. You never know what’s coming next Choreographer Wayne McGregor has a reputation for making dance that is hugely impressive but sometimes on the cold side. His experiments in AI , for example: totally fascinating for the mind, arguably less engaging for the soul. But the triple bill Alchemies – two existing works and one world premiere – is a warm counterpoint to that view, featuring some of McGregor’s most human dance. McGregor has been resident choreographer at the Royal Ballet for 20 years. It was a controversial appointment to some, since he came from contemporary dance, not ballet. His influence has changed the company, expanded its outlook, pushed dancers to be more versatile – and it is noticeable that while the contortions of his early works could look awkward on the classically trained dancers, the new generation take it all in their stride. But the dancers must have influenced him too, with their incredible physical facility, but also their lyricism and their instinct as communicators (even in abstract works like these). Continue reading...
This is the forum for daily political discussion on Seeking Alpha. A new version is published every market day. Please don't leave political comments on other articles or posts on the site. The comments below are not regulated with the same rigor as the rest of the site, and this is an 'enter at your own risk' area as discussion can get very heated. If you can't stand the heat... you know what the...
This is the forum for daily political discussion on Seeking Alpha. A new version is published every market day. Please don't leave political comments on other articles or posts on the site. The comments below are not regulated with the same rigor as the rest of the site, and this is an 'enter at your own risk' area as discussion can get very heated. If you can't stand the heat... you know what they say... More on Today's Markets: Trump threatens again to blow up all Iran's bridges and power plants “Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!” Trump posted, adding that his representatives would travel to Islamabad, Pakistan for negotiations. Vance expected to lead Iran talks in Pakistan as major gaps persist Vance is expected to be joined by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Pakistan helped broker a two-week truce between Washington and Tehran that is set to expire Tuesday night. Iran has threatened to skip the talks, accusing the U.S. of making unrealistic demands. Iran rejects second round of U.S. talks, cites ‘excessive’ American demands The White House has publicly maintained that diplomacy remains possible, even as Trump has paired that message with renewed threats of military action if no agreement is reached. Trump says U.S. Navy seized sanctioned Iranian-flagged ship in Gulf of Oman “A US guided missile destroyer ‘intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, and gave them fair warning to stop,” Trump wrote on a social media post Sunday. “The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom. Right now, US Marines have custody of the vessel.” Oil surges, dollar gains, stock futures slip as Hormuz closure renews market anxiety Markets reversed some of Friday’s optimism, when Iran’s brief reopening of the key shipping route had lifted stocks and pushed oil lower on hopes the seven-week conflict might ease. Moderation Guidel...