3 h. ago Outcry as Swedish ‘cultural canon’ snubs Abba and anything since 1975

Critics argue ‘shared map’ of Swedish culture is ‘very exclusionary’ and a ‘nationalist education project’The Gustav Vasa 1541 bible, Pippi Longstocking, Ikea, the right to roam, paternity leave, Sámi joiks, the Nobel prize and works by Ingmar Bergman and August Strindberg all made it into Sweden’s long-awaited, much-criticised proposal for a “cultural canon”.However, notable omissions from the list of 100 works and references that have formed Sweden’s culture and history – intended, its creators said in Uppsala on Tuesday, to establish a “shared map and compass” for Swedish citizens and new arrivals to Sweden – included Abba and anything from after 1975, a period that has seen Sweden transform into an international, multicultural society. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago Billy Bragg releases song in support of Palestine and Greta Thunberg aid flotilla

Hundred Year Hunger – which has a chorus in Arabic – has been released by the British protest singer to coincide with a humanitarian aid flotilla heading for GazaBilly Bragg has released a new original song to show his support for the people of Palestine. The title of Hundred Year Hunger was inspired by a new book of the same name by E Mark Windle about the history of chronic malnutrition and deprivation in Gaza and will raise money for the Amos Trust’s Gaza Appeal.Writing on Instagram, the British protest singer said that the song “looks at the current famine that Israel has created in Gaza through the lens of a century of enforced food insecurity and malnutrition imposed on the Palestinian people, firstly by British imperialism, then as a weapon of mass displacement by the state of Israel”. Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago Donald Trump could stop Gaza’s famine. Instead he’s following Biden’s lead | Mohamad Bazzi

A hunger-monitoring group has confirmed what we already knew about Palestinians’ suffering. The US has the power to end itA global hunger-monitoring group declared last week that Gaza’s largest city and its surrounding area were suffering from an “entirely man-made” famine, mostly caused by Israel’s deliberate starvation strategy and continued siege of the territory. This news won’t surprise anyone who has paid even scant attention to the images and videos of emaciated children and desperate parents that have been coming out of Gaza for months.But the first confirmation of famine by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which includes the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization and other aid agencies, is an important institutional marker. Years from now, it will serve as a reminder of how Israel used starvation as a weapon of war while western powers did nothing. And it will be a source of shame for all those who will inevitably claim that they didn’t ...

Politics

4 d. ago US soldiers could be liable for war crimes in Gaza. Will they be prosecuted?

Human Rights Watch says US military personnel could face criminal prosecution for assisting Israel’s war in GazaHuman rights groups and activists who protest against continued US support for Israel have focused primarily on the flow of US weapons, warning that continuing to send weapons to a state which has been documented using them in probable war crimes makes the US complicit.However, this week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) highlighted another facet of US military support for Israel: military cooperation and intelligence sharing. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Democratic leaders still support arming Israel. Their voters largely do not, citing Gaza ‘genocide’

An internal DNC dispute about withholding weapons sales to Israel reflects a larger truth: Democratic support for Israel is dwindling the longer the war in Gaza goes on, Eric Garcia writes

Politics

2 w. ago ‘You will have AI friends’: Character.ai bets on companionship chatbots

Company argues persona-based chatbots will aid real-life interactions but critics say they create dependency

Politics

2 w. ago Pictet bankers’ move to Italy sparks fierce Swiss tax debate

Relocation prompts critics to argue that Geneva’s tough regime deters super-wealthy

Economics

2 w. ago Aid groups call on Israel to end 'weaponization' of aid in Gaza

Over 100 nonprofit groups have warned that Israel's rules for aid organizations in Gaza and the West Bank will block crucial relief efforts

Politics

2 w. ago NGOs call for end to Israel’s ‘weaponisation’ of aid – Middle East crisis live

More than 100 international NGOs sign letter saying more than 60 requests to bring in food, water and items for shelter were denied by authorities in July aloneThe UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has just issued a warning on X, saying that soaring temperatures in Gaza are now above 40°C, making an already dire humanitarian situation “far worse”.“With very limited water available, dehydration is increasing,” the agency said in a post on X. It added that bombardments and forced displacement continue, while limited electricity and fuel mean there is “no relief from the extreme heat”.Approval of construction plans in E1 buries the idea of a Palestinian state and continues the many steps we are taking on the ground as part of the de facto sovereignty plan that we began implementing with the establishment of the government.After decades of international pressure and freezes, we are breaking conventions and connecting Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem. This is Zionism at its best – bui...

Events

3 w. ago Marles insists Australia ‘not supplying weapons to Israel’ but critics argue ‘parts of weapons are weapons’

Acting prime minister decries ‘misinformation’ regarding arms exports while Greens claim ‘hollow talking points aren’t washing with the public’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government won’t follow Germany and introduce new export restrictions to pressure Israel, with the defence minister, Richard Marles, insisting no weapons are being sent from Australia to aid the killing in Gaza.Marles, the acting prime minister, said on Sunday that Australia was not exporting any weapons for use by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a claim rejected by human rights campaigners and the Greens. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Joe Biden is complicit in Gaza’s starvation. Blood is on his hands | Mohamad Bazzi

At several points during his presidency, Biden could have stopped starvation from spreading in Gaza. He didn’t do thatIn March 2024, the global authority on food security warned that Palestinians were experiencing “catastrophic levels of hunger”, and famine was imminent in northern Gaza as Israel continued its siege of the territory. That report was one of the most direct warnings from the UN and international relief groups, which had been raising alarms about the potential for widespread starvation in Gaza since December 2023.Joe Biden was in the White House at the time, and his administration not only failed to heed those repeated warnings, but it worked to undermine UN agencies and humanitarian groups that tried to focus attention on Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. Today, Donald Trump and his administration are deeply complicit in the human-made famine unfolding in Gaza, but it’s important to remember that US complicity predates Trump – and it’s another sta...

Politics

3 w. ago Does the UK still sell arms to Israel? Germany announces halt in response to Israel's latest plans

There is growing concern amid the international community about Israel’s continued expansion of military efforts

Politics