Bananas in art: a short history of the salacious, disturbing and censored fruit
ShortcutsArtNatalia LL’s 1973 artwork of a model sucking on a banana was removed from an exhibition in Warsaw. But bananas aren’t just suggestive – they can be subversive, too
Bananas are not the only fruit but in art they are the most outrageous. Last week, a 1973 video and photowork of a model sucking on a banana by Natalia LL was removed from display at Warsaw’s National Museum, after its director was reportedly summoned to the Polish culture ministry.
Bulgarian gas pistol attack 'was stunt' | Bulgaria
Bulgaria This article is more than 11 years oldBulgarian gas pistol attack 'was stunt'This article is more than 11 years oldGunman reportedly wanted to show politician he was 'not untouchable', while some suggest whole incident was stagedAhmed Dogan, the leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms party in Bulgaria, escapes an apparent assassination attempt ReutersIt was a shot almost heard around the world as millions watched a man storm a stage in Bulgaria and then point his gun at a prominent opposition politician live on television.
Nun who wowed The Voice of Italy becomes waitress in Spain | Italy
Italy This article is more than 1 year oldNun who wowed The Voice of Italy becomes waitress in SpainThis article is more than 1 year oldCristina Scuccia, who stunned judges in 2014 contest, explains decision to leave nunhood on talkshow
A nun who became a singing sensation after winning Italy’s version of The Voice has stunned TV viewers again after announcing that she has kicked the habit and is now a waitress in Spain.
Republican senator finally ends crusade to defend white nationalists
Republicans This article is more than 6 months oldThis article is more than 6 months oldTommy Tuberville, from Alabama, had seemed determined to support extremists despite condemnation from his colleagues
Politicians typically enter office with a variety of interests, goals and focuses.
A wave of progressive Democrats were elected in 2018 with the stated goal of bringing universal healthcare to the US. Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised to lead the country out of the Great Depression with the New Deal.
Sarah Waters's top 10 Victorian novels | Sarah Waters
Top 10sSarah WatersSarah Waters's top 10 Victorian novelsSarah Waters is the author of three thrillers set in Victorian London. Her latest, Fingersmith, is on the Orange prize longlist, and has been described as a modern Woman in White.
Buy Fingersmith at Amazon.co.uk
Read Julie Myerson's review
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Marred only by the fact that Charlotte clearly liked Mr Rochester too much; but we can forgive her that.
Scarlett Johansson interview: 'I would way rather not have middle ground' | Scarlett Johansson
The ObserverScarlett JohanssonInterviewScarlett Johansson interview: 'I would way rather not have middle ground'Carole CadwalladrThe star talks to Carole Cadwalladr about playing an alien in Under the Skin – Jonathan Glazer's low-budget sci-fi film set in Glasgow – and her role in the recent SodaStream controversyMark Kermode reviews Under the Skin
There is something very levelling about seeing a major Hollywood star walking past Primark. And not just any Hollywood star but Scarlett Johansson, twice crowned Esquire's "
Subway manspreaders told: close your legs and let other people ride | New York
New York This article is more than 9 years oldSubway manspreaders told: close your legs and let other people rideThis article is more than 9 years oldPoster campaign will attempt to stop antisocial practiceDoctors say crossing legs will not affect reproductive powersAs 2014 comes to an end, one thing New York commuters can expect in 2015 is an official city campaign against a growing problem: “manspreading”.
Manspreading is the act or practice – typically male – of spreading one’s legs in a manner which prevents others from occupying nearby seats on the subway, commuter train or bus.
The worlds sexiest foods: from pine nuts to pomegranate juice
Pass notesFoodWant to get your pulse racing? Oysters are a recognised aphrodisiac, but there are plenty of alternatives, including two varieties of ‘red Viagra’
Name: Aphrodisiacs.
Age: As old as food.
Appearance: Poised to turn up on Valentine’s Day menus across the nation.
It’s just a fancy word for foods that give you the horn, yeah? If you must put it that way.
Such as oysters, for instance. Oysters are a recognised aphrodisiac – they contain a lot of zinc, which plays a part in the production of testosterone, but they’re not acceptable to vegans, or people who hate oysters.
We know that anger: the return of David Mamets incendiary Oleanna | Theatre
TheatreInterview‘We know that anger’: the return of David Mamet’s incendiary OleannaArifa AkbarWhat does Mamet’s 1992 play about a college professor accused of sexual harassment say in the wake of #MeToo? Lucy Bailey, director of its West End revival, discusses its power
Director Lucy Bailey didn’t see David Mamet’s campus drama Oleanna when it was first staged almost 20 years ago, but she remembers the fire and fury it detonated across auditoriums.
40 years of Ramones in pictures | Music
40 years of Ramones – in pictures Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Four decades ago, on 30 March 1974, the Ramones played their first gig in New York. Four months after celebrating this momentous anniversary, the band’s founder has died aged 62. We look back on their life in music, from their eponymous debut album to their time spent with Marc Bolan and Debbie Harry