Mestra is a forthcoming short story from Madeline Miller (Circe, The Song of Achilles); it’s “a powerful reimagining of Ovid’s Pygmalion”. Miller is also working on a novel about Persephone.
Fifa chief says he has been ‘hammered’ for 2026 prices
Fans’ group tells Infantino to focus on cheap tickets
Gianni Infantino made a joke about British football fans’ behaviour and defended ticket prices for this summer’s World Cup in North America during a speech to world leaders on Thursday.
Fifa’s president addressed concerns around the staging of this summer’s finals in the US amid rising domestic tensions there, telling the World Economic Forum in Switzerland how there had been “a lot of critics” before Qatar 2022.
Continue reading...Blueprint presented by Jared Kushner shows unified Gaza run by Palestinians, with Rafah crossing to open next week
Amid the hullabaloo and self-congratulation of Donald Trump’s “board of peace” launch in Davos, his administration laid out specific plans for the short- and long-term future of Gaza, aimed at a lasting peace.
The blueprint set out on Thursday was extremely ambitious. It envisages a unified Palestinian-run Gaza, which represents a rebuff to the aims of Israeli extremists, including some in the governing coalition, who have sought the deportation of Gaza’s population and the building of Israeli settlements in its place.
Continue reading...Liam Ramos, a preschooler, is just one of a number of kids caught up in dystopian ICE surges in Minnesota and beyond
As symbols of the indiscriminate disproportionality of the Trump administration’s militant anti-immigrant crusade in Minneapolis, the images are hard to surpass.
One recent image shows the innocent figure of Liam Ramos, a five-year-old preschooler wearing a blue bobbled winter hat, standing next to a black vehicle with a dark-clad adult figure standing behind him, whose hand is proprietorially placed on his backpack.
Continue reading...Giel Malual and John Kuei trekked from Dungeness to John o’Groats to raise funds for new schools in Sudan
When Giel Malual set out to walk the length of the UK to raise money to open a school for displaced children from his home country of Sudan, he did not expect the welcome he would receive from the British public.
“All the houses that we slept in, all the welcome that we were given, all the warmth and the support, the cheers and the encouragement that we have received, it has been overwhelming,” said Malual, who completed the 900-mile walk over a month with his friend John Kuei, who is also from Sudan.
Continue reading...
Pensioenfondsen die vanaf dit jaar zijn overgestapt op het nieuwe stelsel hebben hun uitkeringen gemiddeld met 14 procent kunnen verhogen.
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BRUSSEL (ANP) - Volgens EU-buitenlandchef Kaja Kallas hebben de betrekkingen met de VS deze week een behoorlijke klap gekregen vanwege de situatie rondom Groenland. "En die onderlinge meningsverschillen komen vooral Rusland en China ten goede", zei ze voorafgaand aan overleg met de EU-leiders.
"Alle meningsverschillen die bondgenoten zoals Europa en Amerika met elkaar hebben, komen onze tegenstanders alleen maar ten goede. Zij kijken vanaf de zijlijn toe en genieten van het schouwspel", zei ze.
Volgens de buitenlandchef gaat de EU niet tachtig jaar aan goede trans-Atlantische samenwerking "weggooien vanwege meningsverschillen". Ze hoopt dat de relatie snel weer verbetert, zodat die zich kan richten op "daadwerkelijke bedreigingen". Daarmee doelde ze op de oorlog in Oekraïne.
DAVOS (ANP) - De Amerikaanse president Donald Trump is onderweg van het World Economic Forum (WEF) naar Washington, meldt hij op zijn eigen platform Truth Social. Trump schrijft dat hij een "ongelooflijke tijd" heeft gehad in Davos, waar hij een toespraak gaf en met NAVO-chef Mark Rutte afspraken maakte over Groenland.
Trump hield een speech op het WEF waarin hij stelde dat hij Groenland per se bij de Verenigde Staten wilde voegen. Enkele uren later kondigde hij aan dat hij en Rutte het eens waren geworden over een "raamwerk voor een toekomstige deal" over dat eiland. De details daarvan blijven onduidelijk.
"Er wordt gewerkt aan het Groenland-raamwerk", schrijft de president nu. "En het wordt geweldig voor de Verenigde Staten." Groenland en Denemarken benadrukten open te staan voor gesprekken met de VS, maar willen in elk geval geen land afstaan.
BRUSSEL (ANP) - Oekraïne moet weer de belangrijkste prioriteit worden, zei de Poolse premier Donald Tusk. "Dit is een cruciale kwestie voor de veiligheid van Europa", zei Tusk bij aankomst in Brussel voor de ingelaste EU-top met regeringsleiders. "Het mag niet zo zijn dat Oekraïne, door zowel noodzakelijke als onnodige afleidingen en emoties, naar de achtergrond is verdwenen."
"Ik zal mijn best doen om onze partners ervan te overtuigen terug te keren naar de juiste geopolitieke positie en onze gezamenlijke activiteiten", zei Tusk.
De Poolse premier vindt dat er geen reden is voor "overmatig optimisme" nu er woensdag afspraken over Groenland zijn gemaakt met de Amerikaanse president Donald Trump. Hij is opgelucht dat de spanningen rond de extra importheffingen zijn afgenomen en dat de situatie met Groenland enigszins is gekalmeerd, "maar er liggen nog serieuze uitdagingen in het verschiet".
Mobiliseren
"Kruiperigheid, concessies en het tonen van zwakte zijn geen effectieve methoden", zo heeft Tusk zijn EU-collega's de afgelopen periode voorgehouden. "Partners respecteren ons dan niet, om nog maar te zwijgen van onze tegenstanders. Het is dus goed dat de Unie zich mobiliseert en meer vertrouwen krijgt in haar eigen kunnen."
Dit moet niet als anti-Amerikaans worden opgevat, benadrukte Tusk. "De EU maakt misschien wel de ernstigste crisis door in jaren, maar het vergt geduld en innerlijke rust om deze maanden door te komen." De trans-Atlantische relatie is te belangrijk om die overboord te gooien, benadrukte de Poolse premier.
De sleutel tot trans-Atlantische samenwerking en veiligheid voor zowel Europa als de VS is vertrouwen en niet dwang, voegde hij eraan toe.
Your Best Shot 2025 delivered stunning photography from start to finish. Over 9,300 Flickr members submitted more than 7,500 photos across five categories: People and Portrait, Wildlife and Nature, Urban, Open, and Through Her/Their Lens. Our judges selected one category winner from each group, then crowned one grand prize champion from that incredible lineup.
So what did our winners take home?
Each category winner scored a year of Flickr Pro plus a stunning metal print of their winning shot. Our grand prize winner? They get to choose a brand-new camera AND lens from this impressive lineup:
- Sony A7 IV with 28-70 f3.5-5.6 kit lens
- Canon EOS R6 Mark II RF24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM Lens Kit
- Nikon Z7 II with 24-70mm f4 lens
- Fujifilm X-T5 Mirrorless Digital Camera XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR Lens Kit
Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for: Meet this year’s Your Best Shot Contest winners!
Wildlife and Nature Category
Frolicking – Young Bears by Lukasz Wielec
Meet the photographer: I’m an amateur wildlife photographer from Warsaw Poland. Engaged in photography activities seriously since 2018. Other places to check out Lukasz’s work besides Flickr are Instagram and TikTok.
About the winning photo: The picture was taken July 2025 in Slovenia. It’s an afternoon shot of two young bears playing with each other. It was shot on a Canon 5Rmk2 using a Canon RF 400 /2.8 lens.
Portrait and People Category
Dramatic Kate by John Purvis
Meet the photographer: I’m based in Northern Ireland and enjoy nature, astro and street photography but in the last few years have developed a real love of Dance and Theatre photography – trying to catch the movement and drama in performance.
About the winning photo: This image was made during a ballet photography session at the famous Sadlers Wells Theatre, London. Full credit goes to Ballerina Kate who made sure each shot was exactly right.
Through Her/Their Lens Category
In full bloom by Cornelia Schulz
Meet the photographer: Originally from Germany, I have called New Zealand home for the past 13 years. By day, I work in software localisation. Outside of the office, I am an avid runner and nature enthusiast. My passion for the outdoors translates into my photography, with a particular focus on capturing the raw beauty of New Zealand’s landscapes and the clarity of the southern night skies through astrophotography.
About the winning photo: I took this photo a little over a year ago when, on my way from Christchurch to Queenstown to tackle the Queenstown Marathon, I decided to stop over at Lake Tekapo. I headed out at sunrise to find the lake wrapped in low-hanging clouds and a heavy, beautiful silence. It was the perfect moment of stillness.
Open Category
farm 2025 09 by James Gehrt
Meet the photographer: I’m a fine art photographer, archivist, and adjunct professor. I live in Western Massachusetts but grew up in Wisconsin. My parents live on a small farm in central Wisconsin, and I visit them a few times per year.
About the winning photo: My dad, Roger Gehrt, is now 88 years old and continues to run this small farm, doing the chores twice per day. On this particular summer late afternoon/early evening, he was feeding his herd and the sun was glowing through the window behind him. The dust from the feed filled the air as he quickly walked toward me, bucket in hand. It was a moment where everything came together. I’ve been casually documenting this farm for the past 20 years or so, here is an album of images.
My work is in black and white. I look at the history of photography as my toolbox, with over 180 years’ worth of technology to use. I work with digital, large format, and historical processes. History seems to play an important role in my work. I recently exhibited work based on, and inspired by, George Eastman’s invention of the Kodak camera in 1889. You can learn more about that work here or more broadly about me here.
Urban Category and Grand Prize Winner!
La Última Pizza by Axel Freiria
Meet the photographer: I’m Axel, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am a Systems Engineer and a dedicated father, navigating a world often governed by logic and the intangible. Photography is my necessary counterpoint: it grounds me and serves as my tool to stop time. I look for calm within chaos and beauty in the everyday. My images act as a collection of pauses and silences rescued from the daily rush.
About the winning photo: This image captures the soul of “Güerrin,” one of the most iconic pizzerias on Corrientes Avenue in Buenos Aires. It’s a place that never sleeps, permeated with the aroma of mozzarella and the orchestrated chaos of the waiters. I was captivated by the cinematic atmosphere of the scene, the human warmth present among the cooks, the waiters, and the diners. I wanted to capture that precise moment when the frenetic energy of the city merges with the timeless tradition of sharing a slice of pizza.
Congratulations to all our winners! And a massive thank you to the Flickr community for making Your Best Shot 2025 another unforgettable contest. Every year, you show up with work that reminds us why this place is home to some of the best photography on the planet.
Feyenoord kende voor de verandering een ogenschijnlijk probleemloze avond in de Europa League en won met 3-0 van Sturm Graz. Al vlug in de eerste helft kopte Tsuyoshi Watanabe zijn ploeg op voorsprong. In het tweede bedrijf deden ook Aniss Hadj Moussa en Gonçalo Borges een duit in het zakje.
Thomas Hawk posted a photo:
date stamped on slide,March 1973, handwritten on slide, "Mt. Sutro Tower, San Francisco"
Thomas Hawk posted a photo:
date stamped on slide, July 1970, handwritten on slide, "Service Station, El Camino"
A collection of 3D characters and environments created to celebrate the magic of Christmas, family, and the charm of every detail. New characters, such as an adorable gingerbread cookie, bring this universe full of warmth and emotion to life.
Cinephiles, get excited, because the following story is going to have you rushing back to the theaters: A24 has released the director’s cut of Marty Supreme that includes the full 13-hour scene where Mr. Wonderful spanks Marty’s ass.
So much yes!
With box office success and several Oscar nominations to its name, it’s safe to say Marty Supreme is a massive hit. But as much as audiences are loving the film and its inspiring “Dream Big” message, fans have had one major critique: why was the scene where Mr. Wonderful (Mr. Wonderful) spanks Marty’s (Timothée Chalamet) ass so short? Director Josh Safdie clearly agrees.
According to a note written by Josh Safdie for A24’s Instagram, the director explained:
“As has always been my intention, Marty Supreme is the incredible story of a wiry, tiny guy who misbehaves until he gets a good spanking. In the script, the climactic scene in which Mr. Wonderful spanks Marty’s ass red and raw was written as a proper 13-hour spanking. Although we shot the scene in full, due to pressures from producers, financiers, and theater owners, I was forced to cut the scene down to an extremely brief two minutes. This was a heartbreaking loss of verisimilitude for the film, as spankings during the 1950s took much longer than what was depicted onscreen. Fortunately, this director’s cut restores my original vision, and you can see the film as it was meant to be seen: a 15-hour epic exploring the American Dream of getting spanked by a guy from reality TV.”
Incredible!
Marty Supreme: The Director’s Cut will be playing exclusively at Alamo Drafthouse, featuring the film’s restored tagline, “SPANK BIG.” Comment below if you’ll be checking it out this weekend!
Claims that Chinese technology for AI lags the US are a "fairy tale," Arthur Mensch, the chief executive officer of Mistral, said. From a report: "China is not behind the West," Mensch said in an interview on Bloomberg Television at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday. The capabilities of China's open-source technology is "probably stressing the CEOs in the US."
The remarks from the boss of one of Europe's leading AI companies diverge from other tech leaders at Davos, who reassured lawmakers and business chiefs that China is behind the cutting edge by months or years.
The remarks from the boss of one of Europe's leading AI companies diverge from other tech leaders at Davos, who reassured lawmakers and business chiefs that China is behind the cutting edge by months or years.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.