An outstanding critical voice, his deep knowledge and love of music was evident in everything he wrote The Guardian’s long-serving and much admired classical music critic Andrew Clements died on Sunday aged 75 after a period of illness. Clements joined the Guardian arts team in August 1993, succeeding Edward Greenfield as the paper’s chief music critic. His appointment was clinched by a personal recommendation to the editor from the late Alfred Brendel, who argued for Clements to get the job on account of his deep understanding of contemporary music. For the next 32 years, Clements ranged across all fields of classical music in his writing for the Guardian, and often beyond. Continue reading...

Public figures sign letter calling on UK government to take ‘principled stand’ for torture victims at Europe summit The actors Michael Palin, Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley are among 21 well-known figures calling on Keir Starmer to drop plans to change human rights law and instead “take a principled stand” for torture victims, on the eve of a crucial European summit. As David Lammy prepares to attend a Council of Europe meeting in Strasbourg that will discuss legal changes to stop bogus asylum claims, the novelist Julian Barnes, the actor Adrian Lester and the comedian Aisling Bea have also signed a letter telling the prime minister: “Any attempt at undermining universal protections is an affront to us all and a threat to the security of each and every one of us.” Continue reading...

President von der Leyen's centre-right EPP yesterday broke the centrist coalition, joining with the far right in order to pass the climate deregulation demanded by Trump.

won't you celebrate with me  won't you celebrate with me what i have shaped into a kind of life? i had no model. born in babylon both nonwhi...