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The Guardian — page 93

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The Smithsonian chief’s exit is a blow to democracy | Kimberlé Crenshaw and Jason Stanley

The Trump administration wants a feel-good version of American history. That is not a feature of a democratic system On Tuesday, Lonnie G Bunch III announced he would step down as the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian. Bunch was the first historian to lead the august institution, as well as the first African American. His retirement comes as the Trump administration has pressured the Smithsonian to adopt its agenda of “patriotic” education. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Kimberlé Crenshaw and Jason Stanley11 Sept

‘The place lost its way. Now that’s changed’: can a Manchester art museum move beyond its troubled past?

The Centre of Chinese Contemporary Art closed in 2021 after a series of controversies. Now it’s been relaunched under a new name – and with a new mission In March 2020, the visual artist JJ Chan was assembling video footage for a group exhibition scheduled at the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art in Manchester. Centred on family VHS tapes, and titled A New Constellation: Chinese Diaspora Now, the artwork was an exploration of Chan’s emotionally complex relationship to Hong Kong, their parents’ birthplace. When Chan asked for guidance after the sudden departure of the initial curator, the artist discovered that the gallery did not employ anyone who was Chinese: 12 out of the 13 staff members were white, while most of the front-facing (unpaid) volunteers were of Chinese descent. Fearing their art would be shaped through a white lens, Chan withdrew and published an open letter to the centre, writing: “My experience, and my trauma, are being used as a leg-up into an industry for an already overrepresented demographic.” Later that year, the organisation recruited seven artists of Chinese heritage to address the lack of diversity before that initiative was cancelled when the artists raised issues surrounding institutional racism with the gallery. The artist-led working group subsequently petitioned for an international boycott of the institution resulting in the resignation of six board members and several employees. After closing due to Covid in 2020, the arts space never reopened. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Lauren Kelly11 Sept

How Ron DeSantis politicized Florida’s higher education by placing his loyalists at the top

Term-limited, hard-right governor instituted an ideological infiltration of universities by placing allies in powerful posts In fewer than four months’ time, Ron DeSantis, Florida’s hard-right governor, will be termed out of office, and what critics saw as his relentless eight-year, “anti-woke” assault on higher education in the state will finally be over. But while DeSantis himself will be gone, numerous hand-picked loyalists will remain in positions of power to protect his ideological makeover of universities and colleges. The latest, Alex Kelly, the governor’s former deputy chief of staff, and Florida commerce secretary, was named last week as the sole finalist in Pensacola state college’s search for a new president, at least the 12th close DeSantis ally to win such a plum post. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Richard Luscombe in Miami11 Sept

Cocktail of the week: Cometa’s carajillo – recipe | The good mixer

The classic Mexican combo of espresso and Licor 43 gets a shot in the arm with a decent hit of cold-brew coffee liqueur The carajillo is a ubiquitous drink found across Mexico, and it comes in many forms. Some bars simply pour espresso over ice and add a shot of Licor 43 , while others shake coffee with the liqueur and serve it straight up. Whatever the variation, the non-negotiables are coffee and Licor 43. Our version takes those two core ingredients and lengthens the drink with a light, delicious cold-brew coffee liqueur. It’s the perfect serve for a warm afternoon, a sweet after-dinner treat or an uplifting nightcap. Tom King, head bartender, Cometa , London W1 Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Tom King11 Sept

How Ron DeSantis politicized Florida’s higher education by placing his loyalists at the top

Term-limited, hard-right governor instituted an ideological infiltration of universities by placing allies in powerful posts In fewer than four months’ time, Ron DeSantis, Florida’s hard-right governor, will be termed out of office, and what critics saw as his relentless eight-year, “anti-woke” assault on higher education in the state will finally be over. But while DeSantis himself will be gone, numerous hand-picked loyalists will remain in positions of power to protect his ideological makeover of universities and colleges. The latest, Alex Kelly, the governor’s former deputy chief of staff, and Florida commerce secretary, was named last week as the sole finalist in Pensacola state college’s search for a new president, at least the 12th close DeSantis ally to win such a plum post. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Richard Luscombe in Miami11 Sept

Iran’s Houthi allies capture strategic island on vital oil shipping route

Rampant Yemeni rebels take control of island in narrow point of Bab al-Mandab strait, which Saudi is relying on for oil exports Violence in Yemen: why it matters and how it is linked to the US-Iran war Yemen’s rampant Houthi forces have captured a strategic island in the Bab al-Mandab strait, expanding their control of the narrow waterway, one of the ​world’s vital shipping routes. The Iran-aligned Houthis took control of the volcanic island after forces allied to the UN-backed, Aden-based government left in the latest of a dramatic series of reverses along Yemen’s west coast in recent days, including the loss of the port city of Mocha on Thursday. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor11 Sept

Hundreds of asylum seekers removed from UK to France have disappeared, say NGOs

Human rights organisations concerned about people – including age-disputed children – returned under one in, out out deal Hundreds of asylum seekers – including at least 41 age-disputed children – removed to France under the “one in, one out” deal have disappeared, human rights organisations have said. The one in, one out pilot scheme was hailed as “groundbreaking” by the former prime minister Keir Starmer when he and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced it in July 2025. Under a treaty drawn up for this agreement, it forcibly returns one small-boat asylum seeker to France in exchange for another asylum seeker brought legally to the UK from France. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Diane Taylor11 Sept

Hundreds of asylum seekers removed from UK to France have disappeared, say NGOs

Human rights organisations concerned about people – including age-disputed children – returned under one in, out out deal Hundreds of asylum seekers – including at least 41 age-disputed children – removed to France under the “one in, one out” deal have disappeared, human rights organisations have said. The one in, one out pilot scheme was hailed as “groundbreaking” by the former prime minister Keir Starmer when he and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced it in July 2025. Under a treaty drawn up for this agreement, it forcibly returns one small-boat asylum seeker to France in exchange for another asylum seeker brought legally to the UK from France. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Diane Taylor11 Sept

Olid’s United on back foot due to late business and unforgiving WSL start

Head coach has harsh spotlight on her as she prepares for Chelsea on Sunday, but she deserves time and investment It was tough watching Manchester United’s players labour ineffectively against the hungry and aggressive press of London City Lionesses. Simi Awujo’s late consolation goal did little to ease the mounting concern for a side that have several teams nipping at their heels. Don’t panic; that has to be United’s message. To an extent, it is very early to be writing the team’s obituary. The new head coach, Eva Olid , had only three weeks to try to implement her ideas about the way the team should play before their season opener in Bromley. That is not long enough for her to peel away Marc Skinner’s imprint on the team. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Suzanne Wrack11 Sept

Olid’s United on back foot due to late business and unforgiving WSL start

Head coach has harsh spotlight on her as she prepares for Chelsea on Sunday, but she deserves time and investment It was tough watching Manchester United’s players labour ineffectively against the hungry and aggressive press of London City Lionesses. Simi Awujo’s late consolation goal did little to ease the mounting concern for a side that have several teams nipping at their heels. Don’t panic; that has to be United’s message. To an extent, it is very early to be writing the team’s obituary. The new head coach, Eva Olid , had only three weeks to try to implement her ideas about the way the team should play before their season opener in Bromley. That is not long enough for her to peel away Marc Skinner’s imprint on the team. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Suzanne Wrack11 Sept

Don Giovanni review – reality recedes in visually dizzying Mozart tour de force

Royal Opera House, London This revival of Kaspar Holten’s 2014 staging puts the focus on the Don’s psychology. Aigul Akhmetshina’s Elvira is a standout performance in a strong cast Post #MeToo and #TimesUp, Mozart and Da Ponte’s tale of a predatory sex addict feels more pertinent than ever. Kaspar Holten’s 2014 staging , revived here with care and clarity by Greg Eldridge, may not be played in modern dress – Anja Vang Kragh’s semi-stylised costumes and Es Devlin’s Escher-inspired revolving set locate the action somewhere between 1850 and 1900 – but the contemporary resonances come over loud and clear. If only it wasn’t so frustratingly inconsistent. In Holten’s hands the overture becomes a visual as well as a musical tour de force. Luke Halls’ video design starts small, scrawling a single woman’s name on the grey stone facade. Soon, however, the trickle swells to a torrent as a catalogue of sexual conquests appear before our eyes. Projections are a constant throughout with scribbles, ink blots and splashes of blood spattering scenery and singers alike. In the famous Champagne Aria, images of buildings, rooms and staircases rotate at dizzying speed with the Don standing in the eye of the storm anticipating his latest binge. Remarkably, they rarely distract from the action, a testament to Bruno Poet’s dextrous lighting design. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Clive Paget11 Sept

Maresca backs Anderson over ‘kings of Manchester’ dig before derby clash

Maresca: ‘City dominant when Anderson grew up’ O’Reilly due to return but Doku not fit after injury Enzo Maresca has backed Elliot Anderson’s assessment that Manchester City are the “ kings of Manchester ” as he prepares for his first derby in charge of the club. City travel to Old Trafford on Sunday seeking to continue their perfect start to life under Maresca and further prove Anderson’s point. The 23-year-old midfielder made his claim upon signing from Nottingham Forest for £116m in the summer and having from afar witnessed City win eight Premier League titles during the past 14 years, compared with United’s one. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Will Unwin11 Sept

The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup

Massif by Garth Nix; Revolution in the Heart: Stories Inspired By Ursula K Le Guin edited by Jonathan Strahan; An Immaculate Deception by Isabela Livino; Serenity Falls by CJ Tudor Massif by Garth Nix (Gollancz, £25) The bestselling fantasy author’s first science fiction novel for adults is set three centuries from now, when humanity has spread out to the stars. The colonisation of other planets has been enabled by contact with mysterious aliens, and with much of the population split into competing economic spheres, war over territory is raging between the two biggest: United Earth Government and the Mars and Beyond Prosperity Sphere. This war in space is possible only because the godlike aliens continue to supply us with spaceships – but why? What do they want? Answers must await a sequel to this compelling, action-packed space opera with wonderfully weird aliens. Revolution in the Heart: Stories Inspired By Ursula K Le Guin edited by Jonathan Strahan (Titan, £22) The authors of these 15 original stories range from the well-established (Karen Joy Fowler, Kelly Link, Molly Gloss) to newer writers (Chana Porter, Ai Jiang, Vandana Singh). A few make direct reference to Le Guin, but most reveal her influence subtly, by shared interests in questioning established ideas and imagining other ways of living, whether among non-human beings, in the future, on other worlds, or in ours. My favourites include Sarah Pinsker’s Travelling, Home, about a young woman in present-day America seeking her place in the world, Ann Leckie’s Five-Eyed Jane, an ironic look at misunderstandings among aliens, and Karen Joy Fowler’s Blaumont, a dark fairytale that’s as disturbing and thought-provoking today as Le Guin’s The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. Probably the best original anthology of the year: a must-read. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Lisa Tuttle11 Sept

Curse of the Nile’s gold: how Sudan is losing its fertile fields and ability to produce food

An artisanal mining boom driven by war and poverty is causing a public health emergency, as chemicals poison soil, water and society In Abu Hamad, on the banks of the Nile, verdant orchards, gardens and fields once produced a bounty of dates, citrus fruits, winter grains and cereals for the towns and cities of eastern Sudan, including Khartoum and Port Sudan. Today, the land looks drastically different. Trees have been cut down, agricultural areas cleared, and farms have been replaced by shops and commercial sites. Dotted around the town and its outskirts, more than 700 mounds of grey waste are poisoning the soil, water and air. The mounds are the toxic remnants of artisanal gold mining, a practice that began in about 2008 and has intensified over the past six years. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Samira Hassan Khalifa in Abu Hamad11 Sept

‘You’re fired!’ The TV shows you can’t stomach any more

Hating The Apprentice? Bored silly of House of the Dragon? Given up on your favourite soap opera after 50 years? Guardian readers share the shows they can’t bear to watch We loved this show for the first four or five seasons. It had a really good mix of candidates, different ages and walks of life. I think it was after season nine that we started to feel the programme was losing its authenticity. Contestants started to look like homogenous Love Islanders, all the same demographic – 20-30 age bracket, highly polished body image, eye on a post-show influencer career, etc. It lost its uniqueness and became just another reality show. Ngaire Vine, 56, Derbyshire Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Alfie Packham and Guardian readers11 Sept

Curse of the Nile’s gold: how Sudan is losing its fertile fields and ability to produce food

An artisanal mining boom driven by war and poverty is causing a public health emergency, as chemicals poison soil, water and society In Abu Hamad, on the banks of the Nile, verdant orchards, gardens and fields once produced a bounty of dates, citrus fruits, winter grains and cereals for the towns and cities of eastern Sudan, including Khartoum and Port Sudan. Today, the land looks drastically different. Trees have been cut down, agricultural areas cleared, and farms have been replaced by shops and commercial sites. Dotted around the town and its outskirts, more than 700 mounds of grey waste are poisoning the soil, water and air. The mounds are the toxic remnants of artisanal gold mining, a practice that began in about 2008 and has intensified over the past six years. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Samira Hassan Khalifa in Abu Hamad11 Sept

Curse of the Nile’s gold: how Sudan is losing its fertile fields and ability to produce food

An artisanal mining boom driven by war and poverty is causing a public health emergency, as chemicals poison soil, water and society In Abu Hamad, on the banks of the Nile, verdant orchards, gardens and fields once produced a bounty of dates, citrus fruits, winter grains and cereals for the towns and cities of eastern Sudan, including Khartoum and Port Sudan. Today, the land looks drastically different. Trees have been cut down, agricultural areas cleared, and farms have been replaced by shops and commercial sites. Dotted around the town and its outskirts, more than 700 mounds of grey waste are poisoning the soil, water and air. The mounds are the toxic remnants of artisanal gold mining, a practice that began in about 2008 and has intensified over the past six years. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Samira Hassan Khalifa in Abu Hamad11 Sept

Céline Dion fans gather in Paris as singer prepares for sold-out comeback shows

More than 30,000 due to attend Canadian artist’s opener at Plenitude arena, as thousands without tickets plan Friday night karaoke More than 30,000 Céline Dion fans have gathered in Paris for the Canadian singer’s long-awaited return to performing on Saturday night – four years after she revealed her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological condition. Thousands more people without tickets have flocked to a series of giant karaoke events across France to belt out Dion’s famous power ballads, in celebration of the star’s health stabilising enough for her to return to the stage. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Angelique Chrisafis in Paris11 Sept