Rightwing candidates lead polling ahead of fragmented left amid country’s worst economic crisis in four decades
Bolivians are going to the polls in an election that could mark a shift to the right – and the end of nearly 20 years of rule by the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas).
The party, which came to power with the first election of Evo Morales in 2005, risks losing its legal status if it fails to reach 3% – a threshold it has not hit in polls.
The band were as big as it got, topping the Irish singles chart seven times. Then they were stopped at a bogus checkpoint in County Down – and three were shot dead. Fifty years on, survivor Des Lee looks back on that terrible night
‘It was absolutely despicable,” says Des Lee, his voice trembling with emotion, “to think that those people who were supposed to be protecting us had planned our murder …” I’ve never heard a story as astonishing as Lee’s. His memoir, My Saxophone Saved My Life, recounts the events of half a century ago, in which his much-loved pop group, the Miami Showband, were ambushed by loyalist paramilitaries operating a fake army checkpoint, with half his bandmates murdered as he lay still, playing dead to stay alive.
Though the attack carries strangely little traction in Britain, the Miami Showband massacre of 1975 is deeply etched into Irish cultural memory. Even amid the context of the Troubles, whose bleak statistics – more than 3,600 dead, more than 47,500 injured – made slaughter almost normalised, the killing of three members of the Miami Showband left Ireland in shock. Fifty years after the atrocity, Lee, 79, tells me about a tangled plot with its roots in the uniquely Irish phenomenon of showbands.
Series aims to follow original in tackling ‘thornier issues’, and to support talent from lower-income backgrounds
It was one of the most influential British television series of the last century, renowned for exploring thorny societal issues and bringing the work of emerging talent, such as Ray Winstone, Alison Steadman, Helen Mirren and Dennis Potter, to mass audiences.
Now Play for Today is being revived on Channel 5, to give young writers, actors and producers from lower-income backgrounds a way into TV, helped by established talent.
Festival theatre, Edinburgh Mary births a balloon and Elizabeth I towers on stilts in Sophie Laplane and James Bonas’s production about the queens’ distant relationship
The second half of this show is much better than the first. It’s often the way in (loosely) narrative ballet. There’s all the scene-setting and character introductions before you can get to the guts of it – the relationships, the tension, the betrayal. Scottish Ballet’s new Mary, Queen of Scots, created by choreographer Sophie Laplane and director James Bonas, stumbles in the setup. Sometimes it’s just helpful to know where we are and who’s who. How would we know this scene where the men have porky prosthetic bellies protruding from their jackets is the French court, for example?
The central conceit is that this is Mary’s story told through her cousin Elizabeth I’s eyes and the creators have set themselves a challenge there: in literature, one person can easily tell another’s story, but you can’t dance someone else’s dance. Older Elizabeth (Charlotta Öfverholm), however, is the most distinctive presence on stage, frail and losing her dignity, with a sense of confusion around her.
Charli xcx dances, Dax Shepard’s podcast and Mario Kart on the sofa are all enjoyed across the generational divide in our family. What happened to shouting up the stairs to turn that music down?
Some things you know without being told. Kids reached peak summer holiday boredom last week – on 12 August to be precise – according to a survey. If you’re a parent you may have laughed hollowly there, in the unlikely event you still have enough energy.
Exhausted and bankrupt after standing in endless queues for more wholesome activities, we’ve started Cinema Club, which is totally different from just watching a film on the sofa, in ways I’ll explain, er, later. I was excited to share a particular childhood favourite of mine with my son, who turned 11 a fortnight ago, although this can be a risky business (ooh, is he too young to watch Risky Business?).
Military claims it is displacing population ‘to ensure their safety’ even as health officials report deadly attacks on previously designated safe zones
The Israeli military will begin preparing for the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza City, it said on Saturday, as health officials said it had killed at least 40 people including a baby in a tent and people seeking aid in its latest attacks.
The announcement came days after Israel said it intended to launch a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban centre, in a plan that raised international alarm. The Israeli offensive has already displaced most of the population, killed tens of thousands of civilians and created a famine.
Exiled former lawmaker with $200,000 bounty for his arrest, who now works as a solicitor in Adelaide, says he and his family granted protection visas this week
The former pro-democracy Hong Kong legislator Ted Hui, who is wanted by authorities in the Chinese city, has been granted asylum in Australia, he said in a social media post, calling on Canberra to do more for those who remain jailed.
The special administrative region, handed back to China by the UK in 1997, has seen dissent quashed since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law following huge and at times violent pro-democracy protests that erupted in 2019.
Joe Schmidt’s side turned a 22-point deficit into a first win at Ellis Park since 1963. If this is a redrafting of the story, then the sport will be better off
For 18 minutes, everything was going according to script. The double world champions were running riot at Ellis Park, stomping over the gain line with every carry, shrugging off tacklers and hammering anyone unlucky enough to be wearing a gold jersey.
Australia had touched the ball twice before Kurt-Lee Arendse scored the opening try; once when James O’Connor kicked off, then again when Tom Wright spilled a contestable kick. Twelve minutes later André Esterhuizen sliced through the right before Siya Kolisi bulldozed over under the posts. Manie Libbok kicked seven extra points to nudge the score to 22-0 in South Africa’s favour. We’d not yet reached the quarter mark of this one-sided contest.
Program providing key aid halted after complaints from Laura Loomer, the far-right influencer close to Trump
The US state department announced on Saturday that it would stop issuing visas to children from Gaza in desperate need of medical care after an online pressure campaign from Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer close to Donald Trump who has described herself as “a proud Islamophobe”.
“All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days,” the state department said in a message posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which Loomer was banned from before it was purchased by Elon Musk.
Former Labour leader says rising UK poverty ‘would make Dickens furious’ and calls for wealth tax to help reverse it
Labour must scrap the two-child cap on benefits to lift children out of poverty, the party’s former leader Neil Kinnock has urged.
Rising levels of poverty “would make Charles Dickens furious”, Lord Kinnock said in an interview with the Sunday Mirror, in which he also called on ministers to introduce a wealth tax.
Move comes after claims earlier this month that two stars of the TV dance show used cocaine
The BBC has asked the police to investigate Strictly Come Dancing amid fresh allegations, according to reports, after claims two of its stars used cocaine.
The Sun on Sunday reported that the corporation has alerted the Metropolitan police to new allegations about the dance competition show, the details of which it does not specify.
South Carolina and Ohio join West Virginia in pledging troops, fueling protests thatnational guard should not be used for ‘a political policing mission’
West Virginia said it was deploying 300 to 400 guard troops, while South Carolina pledged 200 and Ohio said it would send 150 in the coming days.
The moves announced on Saturday came as protesters pushed back on federal law enforcement and national guard troops fanning out in the heavily Democratic city following Donald Trump’s executive order federalizing local police forces and activating about 800 District of Columbia national guard members.
Counter-demonstration offers welcome to refugees as anti-migrant protesters gather outside Cladhan hotel
Anti-racism campaigners held a counter-demonstration against people protesting against “uncontrolled illegal immigration” outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers in Scotland.
Stand Up to Racism Scotland, Falkirk Trades Union Council and local people said they organised the gathering in Falkirk on Saturday to show that refugees are welcome in the town.
Organisers described it as a “safely stewarded community event with music, speeches from the local community, the trade union movement, local campaigns, faith groups and others”.
Demonstrators held placards with messages such as “stop the far right”, “refugees welcome” and “migrants make our NHS”.
Details of post-summit call were leaked in which US president supports plan for Kyiv to give up Donbas region
Donald Trump will back a plan to cede unoccupied Ukrainian territory to Russia to secure an end to the war between the two countries, it was reported on Saturday, after details of his post-summit call with European leaders leaked out.
Trump told European leaders that he believed a peace deal could be negotiated if the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, agreed to give up the Donbas region, which Russian invaders have not been able to seize in over three years of fighting, the New York Times reported, citing to two senior European officials.
Winner extends perfect record and closer to world title shot
Veteran sent crashing to canvas within two minutes
Moses Itauma blew away Dillian Whyte with a devastating first-round knockout in their all-British heavyweight clash in Riyadh. The 20-year-old extended his perfect record through 13 professional fights as he sent veteran Whyte sprawling to the canvas inside two minutes.
The 37-year-old Whyte, a former WBC interim heavyweight champion, was not given any time to settle as Itauma – who had been made to wait in the ring by a delayed walk-in from his British rival – immediately went on the front foot.
Qualifier Atmane in his first ATP Masters 1000 semi
Jannik Sinner, the top seed and defending champion ended the French qualifier Terence Atmane’s dream run at the Cincinnati Open with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 win to reach the final of the US Open warm-up event.
Sinner, playing on his 24th birthday, won a remarkable 91% of his first-serve points, did not face a single break point during the 86-minute match and converted two of five break points in his first career meeting with Atmane, the world No 136.
Multi-part series on ex-NFL player who protested racial injustice will not continue over ‘creative differences’
Director Spike Lee’s multi-part documentary series for ESPN Films about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a national debate when he protested racial injustice nearly a decade ago, will not be released, the filmmaker and ESPN said.
“ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences,” ESPN said in a statement to Reuters on Saturday. “Despite not reaching finality, we appreciate all the hard work and collaboration that went into this film.”
Lightweight, affordable and supernaturally durable, the Xero Genesis are the shoe to buy when you’re ready to be done wearing out sandals
After a strenuous day of running or hiking, there’s nothing quite like slipping your aching feet out of muddy shoes and into a breezy pair of sandals. From Nike and Adidas slides to Chacos and Birkenstocks, I’ve churned through many styles and brands. But now I think I’ve finally found a pair that’ll last me a lifetime – the Xero Genesis.
With an unprecedented 5,000-mile guarantee, these barefoot sandals are built for the long haul. I’ve been wearing a pair of Genesis for two years now, taking them on trips around the globe and racking up thousands of miles. Despite their light weight and minimalist design, they’ve held up remarkably well. And at just $45, they’re a shockingly affordable investment for anyone seeking a durable, travel-friendly pair of sandals that aren’t destined for the trash in a few years.
In the end Marcus Rashford did get to make his competitive debut for Barcelona as they began their defence of the La Liga title. Formally registered a little after 10.30 on Saturday morning, Barcelona’s economic obstacles overcome, he was introduced just after 9pm with 22 minutes left of a sticky and ultimately successful night in Mallorca. By the time he pulled on his shirt and stepped up the line, one of three subs brought on, the temperature had dropped a little, if still not enough, the game was already won, he was up against just nine men, and he got 10 touches. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.
Earlier than expected, too: Rashford had insisted he was confident but the doubts over him being registered were not resolved until the morning of the match. And so, on 68 minutes, there he was waiting to come on.
Author of Natchez Burning trilogy had battled blood cancer for decades, according to his literary agent
Greg Iles, the Mississippi author of the Natchez Burning trilogy and other works, has died. He was 65.
Iles died on Friday after a decades-long battle with the blood cancer multiple myeloma, his literary agent, Dan Conaway, posted on Saturday on Facebook.
The Islamic Council of Victoria has reported an increase in Islamophobia, warning that the number of victims is likely far higher than reported.
On Saturday, the council held its first conference on Islamophobia, with politicians, police, religious leaders and academics among those in attendance at the event in Melbourne.
As world’s largest living reptile reclaims the Fitzroy River in Queensland, some say athletes shouldn’t worry while others warn against ‘running the gauntlet’
Andrew Miller is only minutes into a crash course on how to use a V8 ocean ski when he first drops the C-bomb. The former red beret paratrooper and current president of a Rockhampton canoe club is explaining to a first-time paddler why he won’t begin on a K1 – the kind of craft the world’s best canoe sprinters will paddle when and if they come here to central Queensland to compete at the 2032 Olympic Games.
“It’s like sitting on a pencil,” Miller says. “If a crocodile so much as tapped your hull, you’d be straight into the drink!”
Many of us suffer with bad sleep. Could changing what – and when – we eat improve our chances of sleeping well?
Have a glass of warm milk. No, a cup of herbal tea. Eat carbs, but only the right carbs. Have fats, but not too much. Have a filling meal. No, not that filling. Eat early, but not too early or you’ll get hungry again later.
Ask the internet for advice on how to eat for a good night’s sleep and you could lose a whole night trying to find a clear answer. But amid a global shortage of good sleep (48% of Australian adults report having at least two sleep-related problems), dietary habits are emerging as an important factor that can make the difference between refreshing rest and a night spent regretting every food choice you made in the previous 24 hours.
Connexion
