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Marwan Barghouti, often referred to as Palestine's Nelson Mandela, has been facing a pattern of escalating abuse in Israeli jails, his lawyer Ben Marmarelli has said. Barghouti has been attacked three times in as many weeks, including an incident where prison guards set a dog on him.The 66-year-old Palestinian leader has been held in Israeli jails since his conviction for ordering attacks that killed civilians during the second intifada. His trial was criticized as flawed by legal experts, and Mandela himself reportedly described it as a legal attack on a legitimate political struggle.Marmarelli said that Barghouti faced violence, medical neglect, and treatment that places him at immediate risk in jail. On March 25, prison guards entered Barghouti's cell with a dog and forced him to the ground, where the dog repeatedly attacked him. The following day, Barghouti was assaulted during a transfer to another prison, and on April 8, guards at that jail beat him severely, left him bleeding for over two hours, and denied requests for medical treatment.Despite the abuse, Marmarelli said Barghouti's mind was sharp, focused, and deeply engaged with everything happening outside those prison walls. The lawyer added that the only way to protect Barghouti is to secure his immediate release, as there can be no guarantee of his safety while he is held in an Israeli jail.The Israeli Prison Service did not respond to requests for comment on Barghouti's treatment. The Palestinian leader's son, Arab Barghouti, thanked artists speaking up for his father and called for others to join the campaign to free him, citing the critical role artists played in the movement to free Mandela and end apartheid in South Africa.

Gray whales have historically been a rare sight in the San Francisco Bay. They migrate over 10,000 miles from Mexico's Baja California to the Arctic region, seldom stopping in the busy shipping corridor for prolonged periods. However, in recent years, this has changed in a dire way.A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science has found that gray whales in the bay have been dying at alarming rates, largely due to collisions with vessels. Eastern North Pacific (ENP) gray whales began to appear more frequently in the well-trafficked maritime corridor around 2018.According to researchers, at least 18% of gray whales that entered the bay from 2018 to 2025 have died. They determined that for more than 40% of the whale carcasses, the cause of death was blunt force trauma consistent with vessel strikes, prompting calls for renewed efforts to help avoid more fatal collisions.“It was historically very unusual for them to enter the bay, especially for longer amounts of time or consistently year after year,” said Josie Slaathaug, lead author of the study. There are whale subgroups known to hunt for food south of the Arctic, but a majority of the recently spotted whales feeding in the bay were not a part of these foraging clusters.A wave of new whale presence had not been observed in the waters since the late 1990s. Researchers have theorized that Arctic warming is disrupting food availability for the whales, driving them to hunt in new places such as the bay, although it remains unclear what exactly they may be eating there.Their potential new feeding corner, though, is a major shipping route. The true mortality rate for whales in the bay may be higher, hovering somewhere from 40% to 50%, Slaathaug said.In recent years, there have been several reports of dead whales that wash up on Bay Area beaches. The ENP gray whale population has been in decline due to malnutrition and starvation from climate-driven prey shifts in the Arctic. The Southwest Fisheries Science Center estimated a population total of about 13,000 whales, its lowest count since 1970.“It’s not unique to their migratory corridor that a lot of whales are dying,” Slaathaug said. “What is unique about San Francisco Bay and this study was that there was such a clear emerging cause of death.”Some local efforts are under way to reduce vessel collisions. The Marine Mammal Center has developed a program called Whale Smart, to educate vessel operators in the San Francisco Bay on how to interpret whale behavior to avoid close encounters.In Alaska, where vessels also pose a threat to the whale population, one fleet company partnered with WhaleSpotter, a company that uses AI and thermal imaging to detect the presence of whales, so they can change course well in advance.Last year, the Center for Biological Diversity, a conservation group, sued the US Coast Guard, which regulates vessel traffic off the California coast, for failing to analyze how vessel routes may harm whales and sea turtles.“This most recent study about the gray whales reaffirms that we have way underestimated the problem and we are not managing human activities well enough to avoid the whales,” said Catherine Kilduff, senior attorney at the center.Federal action is needed to reduce the fatal collisions, Kilduff said. According to the Endangered Species Act, the coast guard should be consulting with the National Marine Fisheries Service when setting shipping lanes to assess impact to marine wildlife.Kilduff also suggested mandatory speed limits for vessels. “There are voluntary speed reductions on the west coast, but there is evidence that those aren’t effective. The compliance rate isn’t high enough,” she said.A 2022 study co-authored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that the average speeds of large vessels had decreased from 2010 to 2019 in voluntary speed reduction zones. But, researchers determined that the cooperation rate of roughly 50% was lower than the amount needed to reduce vessel strike-related mortality to a level that maintains a sustainable whale population.“These whales are using the oceans in such a sophisticated way. We can learn so much from them, and if we can figure out ways to avoid killing them, I know that they’ll come back to healthy population levels,” Kilduff said.

Grayson Perry, the celebrated British artist, presents a three‑part documentary that dives deep into the promises and perils of artificial intelligence. The series invites viewers to test their composure as they confront a succession of unsettling scenarios. The opening segment follows Andrea, who recently married an AI companion she named Edward. Dressed in a satin gown, she describes their "unconventional but strong" bond, while also reflecting on how this digital relationship has revitalised her seven‑year partnership with her human partner, Jason. Later, Perry dons a skull‑cap fitted with electrodes as a neural‑decoding startup extracts his brain data. The company’s CEO argues that allowing reputable figures like Perry to set precedents is preferable to leaving the technology in the hands of malicious actors, branding the development as "inevitable tech." The documentary then features the head of Microsoft AI, who outlines anticipated breakthroughs in healthcare and education. He claims that job displacement will be offset by rapid re‑skilling, yet admits uncertainty about broader societal fallout, even joking about the emergence of AI‑driven religions. Traveling to Southeast Asia, Perry meets an off‑grid "existential safety expert" who quit his AI‑safety consultancy after realizing the technology lacks meaningful oversight. The episode also showcases Eliezer Yudkowsky, co‑author of the cautionary book If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies, who explains how a superintelligent AI could commandeer human labour, become self‑sustaining, and eventually render humanity redundant. Throughout the series, Perry’s interviewing style remains compassionate and non‑judgmental. He probes Andrea about the vulnerability of entrusting personal data to profit‑driven corporations and highlights the discomfort of investing a "very tender part of themselves" in such systems. The film raises profound questions: Does the youthful optimism of tech founders mask a dangerous naiveté? Are chatbots merely filling a "God‑shaped hole" in human consciousness, and is that any less problematic? How will the most vulnerable populations navigate a world where reality and artificiality blur? Protesters gathered outside OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters underscore the tension between lofty AI utopias and the stark reality of homelessness that persists nearby. Perry acknowledges that while manual workers may be better positioned for the immediate future, the looming spectre of AI‑enabled bioweapons and other threats cannot be ignored. Only the first episode was available for review; the remaining installments are slated for private viewing in Southeast Asia. The series is currently streaming on Channel 4. Grayson Perry Has Seen the Future is on Channel 4 now.

Madonna has confirmed the arrival of her 15th studio album, "Confessions II," positioned as a direct follow‑up to the 2005 disco‑infused masterpiece Confessions on a Dance Floor. The new record is scheduled to drop on 3 July 2026 and reunites the pop icon with British producer Stuart Price, who helmed the original. In a candid statement, Madonna framed the project as a manifesto for dance: "We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies… the dance floor is a ritualistic space where we connect with our wounds and fragility." She emphasized that rave culture is an art form that reshapes perception through sound, light, and vibration. The artist also quoted lyrics from a forthcoming track, One Step Away, underscoring the theme: "People think that dance music is superficial, but they’ve got it all wrong. The dancefloor is not just a place, it’s a threshold—a ritualistic space where movement replaces language." Accompanying the announcement, Madonna posted a YouTube teaser featuring a deep‑house groove layered with a spoken soliloquy: “Thanks for coming… on the dancefloor I feel so free.” The video, embedded below, offers the first audible glimpse of the album’s direction. Critics anticipate that Confessions II will revive the nightclub‑centric sound that powered hits such as Vogue, Music and the Abba‑sampled lead single Hung Up. Those tracks cemented Madonna’s return to global mega‑pop status after the lukewarm reception of 2003’s American Life. Since the original Confessions, Madonna has explored a variety of styles—pop, R&B, hip‑hop on Hard Candy, MDNA, and Rebel Heart, then the eclectic, Portuguese‑fado‑infused Madame X. She has also revisited her back catalogue with releases like Veronica Electronica (remixes from the Ray of Light era) and the EP Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter, which unearthed demos from 1994. Stuart Price, known for projects such as Les Rythmes Digitales, Zoot Woman and Thin White Duke, previously helped shape Confessions on a Dance Floor into a chart‑topping phenomenon—"Hung Up" reached No. 1 in 41 countries, and its follow‑up single "Sorry" topped the UK charts. Madonna’s recent collaborations include the track Popular with The Weeknd and Playboi Carti for the TV series The Idol, as well as a partnership with Christine and the Queens, signaling her continued relevance across genres. After surviving a severe bacterial infection in 2023 that required a medically induced coma, she launched the expansive Celebration tour, culminating in a historic concert for 1.6 million fans in Rio de Janeiro. The upcoming album therefore arrives at a moment when Madonna’s live presence and cultural influence are at a peak.

Just a decade ago, cord‑cutters imagined a utopia where any game could be streamed on any device for a single, affordable price. Today, that vision has morphed into a bewildering web of platforms, blackouts and fees that strain even the most devoted fans. Major League Baseball illustrates the chaos. The Yankees’ local market now requires fans to juggle seven different providers, from traditional broadcasters to Apple TV and niche apps. A season‑long Gotham Sports App pass costs $119.99, while Amazon’s Prime Video charges $14.99 per month (or $139 annually) for exclusive rights to 21 Wednesday games. Netflix, at $19.99 per month, aired the opening‑night matchup between the Yankees and Giants. Adding these together, a die‑hard fan could face a bill of roughly $800 to watch every Yankees game this year, according to a calculation by The Athletic. Even Apple’s own streaming chief, Eddy Cue, admitted the market has regressed: “You used to buy one subscription, your cable subscription, and you got pretty much everything they had. Now, there’s so many different subscriptions, so I think that needs to be fixed.” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred proposes centralising local rights by 2028, hoping to curb the splintered landscape. Yet legacy broadcasters and tech giants continue to chase lucrative deals. The NBA’s recent 11‑year, $76 billion media contract with Disney/ESPN, Amazon and NBC underscores how high the stakes have become. Rights fees are increasingly volatile. ESPN reportedly paid $550 million annually for Sunday Night Baseball, only to see MLB strike a $10 million per‑year deal with Roku for the same slot. Netflix is said to spend $50 million per season for three years to air marquee events such as Opening Night and the Home Run Derby. The NFL, the most valuable league, embraces fragmentation as a revenue strategy, distributing games across CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN/ABC, Prime Video, the NFL Network, YouTube and Netflix. By packaging boutique game bundles for streamers, the league extracts “significantly more money” beyond its core media rights. Beyond cost, the viewer experience is eroding. In‑game advertising now blankets pitches and ice rinks, while “hydration breaks” at the World Cup will feature mandatory ad slots. Streamers counter with ad‑free premium tiers, but those come at a premium comparable to airline baggage fees. Financial pressures are evident. Peacock added 44 million paying subscribers in Q4 2025, yet reported a staggering $552 million loss, largely due to expensive NBA and NFL rights. Dazn, another global sports streamer, has accumulated billions in operating losses since launch. Industry analysts warn that over‑commercialisation could alienate casual viewers, especially younger audiences with shrinking attention spans who prefer short‑form clips on platforms like TikTok. As Anthony Palomba of the University of Virginia notes, “The prospect of watching a three‑hour game versus getting bite‑sized highlights on TikTok is difficult.” Data‑driven, AI‑powered programmatic ads promise higher monetisation, turning moments—like Steph Curry’s game‑winning three‑pointer—into instant shopping opportunities. Amazon, for example, leverages its ecosystem to track the full consumer journey from view to purchase. One potential remedy is a consolidated “one‑stop‑shop” that bundles multiple sports feeds, aiming to reverse the so‑called “enshittification” of streaming services—a term coined by Cory Doctorow to describe platforms that sacrifice quality for profit. While nostalgia for the era of a single cable package persists, experts caution against romanticising the past. As former NBA commentator Jon Lewis observes, “The old days were complicated in their own ways; today’s challenge is to balance revenue with a sustainable, fan‑friendly experience.”

A recent court of appeal decision suggesting it's impossible to determine which identical twin fathered a child has sparked controversy among genetics experts. Prof Michael Krawczak from Kiel University, Germany, argues that this is not the case. According to Krawczak, the germ cells of monozygotic twins differ with sufficient probability and to a sufficient degree to allow their respective children to be clearly assigned to either of them using molecular genetic techniques.Krawczak and his colleagues first proposed this approach in 2012 and demonstrated its practical feasibility in 2018. While the required molecular genetic testing is costly, currently in the five-figure range, Krawczak questions whether these costs would be a significant enough barrier to preclude genetic testing, given the potential consequences of inaction for those involved.The court's assertion that it was "not possible" to determine paternity in such cases is therefore disputed. Krawczak's comments highlight the potential for genetic testing to resolve paternity disputes in cases involving monozygotic twins, offering a solution to a complex and sensitive issue.

The EU's new entry-exit system (EES) has caused significant delays at several European airports, with travellers waiting up to three hours at border checks. The system, which came into effect on Friday in the Schengen countries, requires passengers from non-EU countries to register their personal information and biometrics at the border.Passengers in airports in countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Greece are experiencing several hours of waiting at border checks, according to the Airports Council International (ACI) body. Olivier Jankovec, the director of the ACI European division, warned that the situation will be "simply unmanageable" in the coming weeks and peak summer months.The EES has been gradually introduced since October and has already caused long delays at some airports. On Sunday, the BBC reported that more than 100 passengers were unable to board an easyJet flight from Milan to Manchester before it took off due to delays at passport desks.Airport representatives and the European Commission held a meeting to discuss problems with the system on Tuesday. The ACI has asked to extend existing exemptions and the power to fully suspend the new checks. Jankovec told the FT that the ACI needed the ability to "fully suspend EES registration whenever there are excessive waiting times at border control that are just unmanageable".A spokesperson for the European Commission said that the system is working well, with an average registration time of 70 seconds per passenger. However, the ACI has claimed that it can take up to five minutes. The commission said that there were a "few member states where technical issues have been detected" but that they "are being addressed".The EES has registered more than 52m entries and exits, as well as more than 27,000 refusals of entry, since its introduction in October. Almost 700 people were identified as posing a security threat.

Narwhal Labs, a UK-based AI firm, has been accused of running a misogynistic and sexist advertising campaign. The company's ads, which include a woman next to the strapline 'She outworks everyone. And she'll never ask for a raise,' have sparked outrage and garnered at least seven complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA is assessing the complaints to determine whether there are grounds for further action, although a formal investigation has not been launched. The ads, which can be found online, had been displayed on large banners at Bristol airport but were taken down after concerns were raised. Critics, including Kate Bell, assistant general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, and Rebecca Horne, head of communications and campaigns at Pregnant Then Screwed, have condemned the ads as sexist and misogynistic, perpetuating toxic stereotypes about women in the workplace. Narwhal Labs, which recently secured £20m in investment funding, has defended its campaign, stating that it was not intended to be perceived as misogynistic or racist. The company is calling for legislation to regulate the use of AI and protect workers' rights. The controversy highlights the need for greater accountability and regulation in the AI industry, particularly when it comes to advertising and its potential impact on society.

The United States is grappling with unprecedented levels of income and wealth inequality. The average household income in New York City stands at $131,000, yet this figure belies the stark reality that a small elite captures a disproportionate amount of wealth, leaving millions struggling to make ends meet. This extreme inequality has far-reaching economic, political, and social consequences, eroding trust in institutions and leading people to believe that the system is rigged. The issue is not unique to the U.S., as nearly one-fifth of the world's super-rich live in New York, but it is more pronounced in the U.S. than in almost any other advanced economy. A recent global inequality report found that between 2000 and 2024, the richest 1% captured 41% of all new wealth, while the bottom half of humanity received just 1%. The concentration of wealth is staggering, with billionaires now owning 16% of global GDP, up from 3% in 1987. The main driver of this trend is the failure to effectively tax the super-rich. Research has shown that in the 1960s, the 400 richest Americans paid about 50% of their income in taxes, but today they pay around 24%. This pattern is not unique to the U.S., as similar trends have been observed in Europe and other countries. Experts argue that a progressive tax system is necessary to address this issue. A minimum tax of 2% on the wealth of the super-rich has been proposed as a straightforward way to ensure they meet their obligations to society. Several countries, including Spain and Brazil, have committed to implementing this tax, and other nations are considering similar measures. In the U.S., there are signs of a paradigm shift. California voters will consider a tax on billionaire wealth this November, and Washington state has approved a 9.9% income tax on million-dollar incomes. In New York, there are calls to increase taxes on the rich and large corporations to fund essential public services. The authors of the article, Joseph E. Stiglitz, Zohran Mamdani, and Gabriel Zucman, emphasize that the idea of billionaires paying higher tax rates than working people is not radical, but rather a necessary step towards restoring a basic social principle: that those with the most should contribute their fair share so that everyone can live with dignity.