The Voice Reveal

Corruption scandals, an economic crisis and widespread leader dissatisfaction have dogged the party yet it remains in contention. All eyes are now on whether it will secure a majority Bruised by months of financial scandals , a cost-of-living crisis and unpopular leaders, some might be forgiven for expecting to see the end of Japan’s beleaguered ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP), which has been in office for most of the past seven decades. The election on 27 October will take place a year earlier than many had expected, following the surprise resignation of the former prime minister, Fumio Kishida, following record low approval ratings and public anger over his party’s apparent addiction to in “money politics”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/sDWntUm via IFTTT

Trafalgar theatre, London Zinnie Harris’s version of the Jacobean play makes potent points about power but is hamstrung by an overbearing production John Webster’s revenge tragedy contains a terrible timelessness. To modernise this story of a woman who refuses to be submissive and is killed by her brothers for it is to highlight the eternal relevance of male domestic violence, even against a figure as powerful as Webster’s wealthy duchess. Zinnie Harris’s updated version from 2019 , taking place in an indistinct present with swearing and sex alongside some 17th-century formalities, makes hard-hitting points on the sociopathic reasoning for murderous misogyny. But it is too much of a melange of tone and ideas. Jodie Whittaker , returning to the stage after more than a decade’s absence, gives a spirited leading performance but is hamstrung by the strangeness of Harris’s own production. At Trafalgar theatre, London , until 20 December Continue reading... from The Guardian https://i

Despite a sighting by pig hunters this month, Tom Phillips and his three children continue to evade New Zealand authorities It is a question that has gripped New Zealand for three years, and one that has become more urgent over the past week. The country is desperate to know where fugitive father Tom Phillips is and why – after three winters spent hiding in rugged backcountry with his three young children – he hasn’t been caught. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2gResY5 via IFTTT

Researchers show more energy needed to get going than later in walks when body is working more efficiently Researchers have hit on an unusual tip for walkers who want to burn more calories: rather than plodding along steadily from start to finish, consider taking rest stops. The advice emerged from a study of volunteers who were put through their paces in the laboratory to measure the oxygen and energy demands of short strolls versus longer walks. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Nj3wOCI via IFTTT

We’ve all been there. We’ve all felt like a badly made-up, odd-limbed, irritable floor-dwelling mess As you contemplate the wonders of evolution, and how a creature can be born with something weird and new, and that thing can either help it get ahead or not hurt its chances, and it can then reproduce and make another one like it, spare a thought for the red-lipped batfish. A real animal, it has the kind of mouth that, as a kid, you may have made from Babybel cheese wax, to go with your red wax fake nails. It has a beard of white whiskers. It has fins that bend backwards, like a person’s arms at yoga when they are about to do upward dog. Before your eyes, it sprouts a new limb from its nostril. Its nose – technically a snout – is long, at the top of its head, and hook-shaped. It cannot swim, only crawl. Its crawl is more like a waddle. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/XIEneCv via IFTTT

Co-leader has had to prioritise the most urgent constituency cases until finally assembling his full team When Adrian Ramsay confounded more than a century of Conservative hegemony in rural East Anglia to win Waveney Valley for the Greens on a wave of local enthusiasm , he might have expected to enjoy a pleasant political honeymoon. Pledging to work constructively with the new government, Ramsay’s first significant parliamentary intervention at the inaugural PMQs 20 days into his new job was an innocuous inquiry about how Keir Starmer would show leadership at the forthcoming Cop16 conference on nature. It was met with the football-loving prime minister’s rhetorical equivalent of a two-footed tackle. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/t9xOjDs via IFTTT

In the 1960s, Marilyn Hewish and Dean bonded over stars, shells and science fiction movies. She didn’t expect declarations of love – then he returned from a trip away Find more stories from The moment I knew series Dean and I met in 1967 at the University of Adelaide when we were 18 years old and in the second year of our science degrees. We worked back to back in the biochemistry laboratory. I soon discovered to my delight that he was on top of the subject and could answer my questions. I remember thinking: “This man is smart, and useful.” Soon I would “accidentally” come across him at the cafeteria, library and bookshop. Eventually he asked me out but we only dated for a few months. There was no drama. We drifted apart. He told me later he found me too frivolous; I found him too serious. Fast forward two years and we were both studying for our honours. We began running into each other late at night in the library and we fell back into comfortable conversation. My mother noticed

Heavyweight rematch ends with devastating knockout Ben Whittaker bout ends early after freak injury Fabio Wardley produced a first-round knockout in his rematch against Frazer Clarke to defend his British heavyweight title in spectacular fashion. The pair had gone the full 12 rounds in their initial fight at London’s O2 Arena in March that had ended in a draw. It proved a far shorter affair – around two and a half minutes – in Riyadh on the Artur Beterbiev v Dmitry Bivol undercard. Wardley caught and hurt Clarke with a looping overhand right hand, then sent him to the canvas with a violent follow-up barrage. A dazed Clarke gamely tried to get to his feet but the referee waved the contest off. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/8rpudjK via IFTTT

While some embrace technological innovations, others are forced to close as global heating causes lack of snowfall Sitting at his window in Västerås, central Sweden, Thomas Ohlander is wondering when the winter season might start for his outdoor adventure business, Do The North . “To schedule a trip we have to be sure of snow,” he says, “And that start date is going backwards at a crazy speed.” Each year, Ohlander’s local ice-skating club has recorded the first date on which its members managed to get out on the frozen lakes. In 1988, that date was 4 November; this year the prediction is 4 December. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ul54Hz3 via IFTTT

Ukrainian leader also invites Vatican to take part in prisoner-of-war conference; Russian court orders arrest of CNN journalist. What we know on day 962 See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/rFTDY74 via IFTTT

Republican nominee holds rally in Aurora, Colorado and exploits swirl of local rumors to push anti-immigrant plan Donald Trump intensified his politics of nativism and xenophobia on Friday by announcing a sweeping plan to deport Venezuelans he claimed have “infected” a once peaceful city in Colorado. The Republican presidential nominee held a campaign rally in Aurora on a stage adorned with posters displaying mugshots of people in prison-orange uniforms with descriptions including “illegal immigrant gang members from Venezuela”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CUsihZN via IFTTT

A novelist meets a financier two decades her junior at a writers’ retreat in Morocco, in this welcome addition to a flurry of age-gap romances released this summer Be it a quirk of timing or the invisible hand of trend cycles, Hollywood seems ready to reconsider the idea of the “older woman”. A wave of age-gap romances have brought the traditionally objectified mommy-age lover into the mainstream this year, including Anne Hathaway’s tryst with a boybander in The Idea of You ; Carol Kane’s free-spirited grandmother involved with a decades-younger widower in Between the Temples ; and Nicole Kidman’s transgressive dalliances in both A Family Affair (with Zac Efron’s movie star) and the forthcoming Babygirl (with Harris Dickinson’s intern). And that’s not to mention the weirder, psychosexual French version – a 50ish lawyer seducing her gangly teenage stepson – in Catherine Breillat’s Last Summer . Now Lonely Planet, a Netflix film from Susannah Grant, writer of Erin Brockovich and mos

Former president to run for mayor of Davao amid fight for power against formidable Marcos family Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, 79, returned to politics this week when he registered to run as mayor in his family’s stronghold, Davao city. It leaves little doubt: two of the country’s most powerful political families, the Dutertes and the Marcoses, are set for an epic struggle for power. For the Dutertes, it could prove a battle for their survival. Rodrigo Duterte is facing an investigation by the international criminal court for crimes against humanity over his brutal war on drugs, and the family needs political clout and powerful friends. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Sk7jgBh via IFTTT

The small, resilient horses are more than just working animals – they are cultural symbols On the parched plains of Sumba, a remote island in Indonesia’s eastern archipelago, a breed of hardy ponies plays a vital role in the lives of the local people. Known as sandalwood ponies, these small, resilient horses are more than just working animals – they are cultural symbols, markers of status, and increasingly, a draw for tourists eager to experience the island’s untouched landscapes and traditions. Gerson swimming horses, West Sumba regency, Nusa Tenggara Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/nZ5Q8KA via IFTTT

He has had a hand in some of the 21st-century’s most daring structures – including Zaha Hadid’s Phaeno science centre. We meet the Uganda-born engineer, who has just won architecture’s prestigious Soane medal From the wayward columns of Will Alsop , to the gravity-defying curves of Zaha Hadid , there has always been someone in the background making architects’ improbable visions stand up. More often than not, in the case of the 21st-century’s most unlikely structures, that person has been Hanif Kara. The Uganda-born engineer has just been announced as the 2024 recipient of the Soane medal , an illustrious gong that has so far been awarded to architects and their theorists, but never before to an engineer. As the mathematical brains that so many have relied on, and a professor who has inspired generations of designers, Kara’s contribution to architecture is eminently worthy of recognition. It’s no exaggeration to say that, without him, many of the most daring buildings of the last tw

Gielgud theatre, London Rylance is entertainingly Chaplinesque as a dissolute husband in Seán O’Casey’s 1924 tragicomedy, but Succession’s J Smith-Cameron is its heart and soul as the long-suffering wife A volley of gunshots at the start signifies the violent backdrop to Seán O’Casey’s 1924 tragicomedy, which takes place during the Irish civil war of 1922-23. But it is a distant sound, and musical hall-style comedy and drunken shenanigans take prominence in this production. The second in O’Casey’s Dublin trilogy, Juno and the Paycock dramatises tenement life for the Boyles, whose breadwinner, Jack (Mark Rylance), prefers drink to work while his wife, Juno ( J Smith-Cameron ), is left to earn their keep. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/rfblyAQ via IFTTT

Thousands attend Pennsylvania rally to see Republican candidate, while Elon Musk warns of ‘last election’ if supporters don’t turn out to vote Donald Trump has returned to the site where he narrowly escaped assassination in July, pushing the emotional buttons of his supporters and suggesting that his political opponents “maybe even tried to kill me” to stop him regaining the White House. The Republican presidential nominee – and perennial showman – mounted an unabashedly sentimental spectacle in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. He was joined by billionaire Elon Musk, who made the baseless claim that if Trump’s supporters fail to turn out, “this will be the last election”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/BQNy1wd via IFTTT

Bomber reportedly shot down near city of Kostiantynivka as Russian forces claim capture of another eastern Ukrainian village. What we know on day 956 See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Ukrainian forces said they shot down a Russian warplane in Ukraine’s east on Saturday . The bomber was downed near the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region, the head of its military administration, Serhiy Horbunov, was quoted as saying by Ukraine’s public broadcaster, Suspilne. Photos showed charred remains of an aircraft after it landed on a house that caught fire. Ukraine said five civilians were killed by Russian shelling in the country’s south and east while Russian forces claimed to have made gains in Ukraine’s east . A 65-year-old woman and an 86-year-old man were killed in the city of Toretsk and the village of Velyka Novosilka, prosecutors in the Donetsk region said. In the Zaporizhzhia region, two men aged 44 and 46 were killed by Russian shelling in the village of Mala Tokmachka,

More than 1.4 million have already voted in the presidential election, as battleground state polls show no clear frontrunner More than 1.4 million people have now voted in the presidential election, as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump continue to crisscross the country in the final stretch of a neck-and-neck campaign. Their vice-presidential picks, JD Vance and Tim Walz, also faced off this week in the only vice-presidential debate of this cycle. But initial polls suggested voters saw the debate as a draw , without clear impact on the race. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5pefx89 via IFTTT

Nir Oz, a ‘paradise’ now inhabited by just two people, sustained the most damage and bloodshed per capita in Hamas attack Post is no longer delivered to Nir Oz kibbutz; the lights in the mailroom are off, and the floor is gathering dust. Many of the metal boxes bearing each family’s name now have new labels: red and black stickers that say “killed” or “hostage”. Natan Bahat, 82, knew nothing would be waiting for him, but half-heartedly checked his postbox anyway. “Time stopped here on 7 October,” he said. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/sWRZmMJ via IFTTT

Ukrainian military intelligence says it eliminated ‘war criminal’ and collaborator; blaze after strike on Voronezh oil depot, Russia. What we know on day 955 See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverage Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/kOv7S0U via IFTTT

COO Andrew Northwall last month left the company that now owes almost 800,000 shares to an investor US politics – live updates The chief operating officer of Truth Social’s parent company has resigned, and the company must hand over almost 800,000 shares to one of its investors as part of a court ruling, according to a regulatory filing. Andrew Northwall, the former COO, resigned from Trump Media & Technology Group Corp late last month, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission filing, adding that the company plans to “transition his duties internally”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CgilzrY via IFTTT

Trump speaks in Fayetteville after Kamala Harris touts economic policies in critical swing state Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a hard-right congresswoman of Georgia, is once again facing criticism for peddling a baseless – and just plan bizarre – claim about the weather. “Yes they can control the weather,” Greene said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/gjDEFIQ via IFTTT

International Longshoremen’s Association announces agreement for wage hike and immediate work resumption The US ports strike that shut down shipping on the east and Gulf coasts for three days came to an end on Thursday after dock workers and port operators reached an agreement for a wage hike. The International Longshoremen’s Association announced that the union agreed to a tentative deal with the United States Maritime Alliance on wages and will extend the contract through January 2025. Work would resume immediately, the union said. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/PpNcg4L via IFTTT