- Billie Eilish criticises musicians for releasing multiple vinyl variants: ‘I can’t even express how wasteful it is’ The Guardian
- Why Billie Eilish Insists on Sustainability In Her Career: ‘It’s a Never-Ending F–king Fight’ Billboard
- Billie Eilish slams other musicians for being ‘wasteful’ with various versions of their vinyl records Yahoo! Voices
- Billie Eilish drags ‘big artists’ like Taylor Swift for releasing multiple versions of albums in ‘wasteful packaging’ Page Six
- Billie Eilish Slams Stars Releasing ‘Wasteful’ Multiple Vinyl Albums Us Weekly
Tag Archives: criticises
US criticises Israel on Gaza civilian toll as UN to hear ceasefire demand – Reuters
- US criticises Israel on Gaza civilian toll as UN to hear ceasefire demand Reuters
- Dec. 7: Biden official says US hasn’t given Israel deadline for end of Gaza military op The Times of Israel
- US and Israel have discussed notional timeline for operations in Gaza -White House’s Sullivan Reuters
- Why is the US still sending an endless supply of arms to Israel without conditions? The Guardian
- Israel-Hamas war live: Blinken notes ‘gap’ between Israel’s ‘intent to protect civilians’ in Gaza and ‘actual results’ The Guardian
North Korea: Kim Jong-un sister says Joe Biden is ‘in his dotage’ as she criticises nuclear pact – The Guardian
- North Korea: Kim Jong-un sister says Joe Biden is ‘in his dotage’ as she criticises nuclear pact The Guardian
- Biden Threatens Kim Jong With A Nuke Response If He Attacks South Korea | US North Korea News LIVE CNN-News18
- “Provocative & Dangerous”: Biden to Send Nuclear-Armed Subs to South Korea as Activists Demand Peace Democracy Now!
- A friendly visit to Washington is also a crucial summit on global security The Hill
- Tackling the threat: The Hindu Editorial on the U.S.-South Korea cooperation agreement, the Washington Declaration The Hindu
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Angela Levin criticises Prince Harry and Meghan’s decision to bring their children to the Queen’s celebration
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been slammed for adding “another burden” to the Queen’s packed Platinum Jubilee weekend.
Angela Levin, a royal biographer, has criticised Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to bring their two small children – Archie and Lilibet – with them to the Platinum Jubilee in early June.
Speaking to GB News, the royal expert said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose the “wrong timing” to introduce Lilibet to her namesake and great-grandmother the Queen.
Meanwhile, the program’s host Stephen Dixon suggested that the arrival of the children could be a “good ice-breaker” between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are excited to bring their children, 3-year-old Archie and 10-month-old Lilibet to the UK.
However, Ms Levin suggested that the couple should have chosen a better time to introduce Lilibet to the Queen for the first time.
She responded to the announcement on GB News: “I think it is wrong for them to bring their small children over at this time.
“The Queen is going to be very heavily in demand. There is a lot she has to do during that weekend.”
She continued: “It will be hard for her because she doesn’t have the energy nor the mobility.
“To have small children, who don’t know her, coming around for tea is another burden on her.
“They could have come any time before now, and done it quietly and nicely, and that would have been a very special and intimate family event.
“But with so much going on during the Jubilee, it is just the wrong time. In my view, it’s another chance to make more money out of Netflix.”
On ‘Easter of war’, pope implicitly criticises Russia over Ukraine
VATICAN CITY, April 17 (Reuters) – Pope Francis implicitly criticised Russia for dragging Ukraine into a “cruel and senseless” conflict and urged leaders to strive for peace as he marked what he called an “Easter of war” on Sunday.
The 85-year-old pope made the comments in his “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) address – traditionally an overview of world conflicts – to about 100,000 people in St. Peter’s Square.
It was the first Easter since 2019 that the public was allowed into the square to hear the twice-yearly address following two years of COVID-19 restrictions.
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Francis dedicated much of the message to Ukraine, comparing the shock of another war in Europe to the shock of the apostles when the gospel says they saw the risen Jesus.
“Our eyes, too, are incredulous on this Easter of war. We have seen all too much blood, all too much violence. Our hearts, too, have been filled with fear and anguish, as so many of our brothers and sisters have had to lock themselves away in order to be safe from bombing,” he said.
“May there be peace for war-torn Ukraine, so sorely tried by the violence and destruction of the cruel and senseless war into which it was dragged,” he said.
Moscow describes the action it launched on Feb. 24 as a “special military operation”.
Francis, who did not mention Russia by name, has already rejected that terminology, calling it a war and previously using terms such as unjustified aggression and invasion.
“Let there be a decision for peace. May there be an end to the flexing of muscles while people are suffering,” Francis said on Sunday, going on to thank those who had taken in refugees from Ukraine, most of whom have gone to Poland.
Earlier this month in Malta, Francis implicitly criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion, saying a “potentate” was fomenting conflict for nationalist interests. read more
Pope Francis leads the Easter Mass at St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, April 17, 2022. REUTERS/Yara Nardi
NUCLEAR SPECTRE
Francis again raised the spectre of the war leading to a nuclear conflict, something he has spoken of several times since the Russian invasion began.
This time, he quoted the 1955 manifesto by philosopher Bertrand Russell and physicist Albert Einstein: “Shall we put an end to the human race, or shall mankind renounce war?”
Francis, who suffers from leg pain, appeared comfortable during the long Mass that preceded the “Urbi et Orbi” address, and then toured the crowd in the square and a nearby street while sitting in an open white pope mobile.
Afterwards, he read most of the address from the balcony sitting down, standing only at the start and for the final blessing.
On Saturday night, he attended but did not preside at an Easter vigil service, apparently to rest up for Sunday, the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar. read more
“Please, let us not get used to war,” Francis said, looking down on the square bedecked by tens of thousands of flowers donated by the Netherlands.
“Let us all commit ourselves to imploring peace, from our balconies and in our streets. May the leaders of nations hear people’s plea for peace.”
“I hold in my heart all the many Ukrainian victims, the millions of refugees and internally displaced persons, the divided families, the elderly left to themselves, the lives broken and the cities razed to the ground,” he said.
He also called for reconciliation among Israelis and Palestinians and among the people of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which he is due to visit in July.
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Reporting by Philip Pullella
Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Helen Popper
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Michigan school shooting latest: Sheriff criticises school for not reporting Ethan Crumbley
Oxford school chief says suspect was not disciplined on day of attack
Teachers at the high school in Oxford, Michigan, where 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley was accused of fatally shooting four students dead on Tuesday have said they alerted school officials to his “concerning” behaviour in the classroom within hours of the attack.
The sophomore student also allegedly had counselling and his parents summoned for meetings, as CNN reported.
Mike Bouchard, the Oakland County Sheriff, said on Thursday night that in light of the teacher’s revelations, “we would have liked to have been part of that discussion and information”. The school has meanwhile defend itself by saying that “no discipline was warranted.”
On Wednesday, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald cited a “disturbing” piece of evidence that could not be made public, as she announced charges of terrorism and first-degree murder against Mr Crumbley, who was charged as an adult.
Ms McDonald said there was “undeniable” evidence that Tuesday’s attack at Oxford High School was planned, and that there was a “mountain of evidence” against the student, including a chilling countdown on Instagram hours before the shooting, writing: “Now I become death — destroyer of worlds — see you tomorrow Oxford.”
Schools remain closed amid ‘not credible’ threats
Threats to schools in the area around Oakland County were not credible, sheriff Mike Bouchard has said, as dozens of schools in southeastern Michigan remain closed for another day.
“If you’re making threats, we’re going to find you,” Mr Bouchard said threats that were reportedly circulating online. “It is ridiculous you’re inflaming the fears of parents, teachers in the community in the midst of a real tragedy.”
On Thursday, a teenager was arrested not far away from Oxford. in Flint, for making a false threat in a video recorded on a school bus, as The Associated Press reported.
Gino Spocchia3 December 2021 12:42
Sheriff appears critical of school not disciplining Crumbley
The Oakland County sheriff has appeared to criticise Oxford High School for not alerting him to what was allegedly unfolding in the classroom ahead of Tuesday’s fatal shooting.
Mike Bouchard, the sheriff, said on Thursday that “In light of where we are today, certainly we would have liked to have been part of that discussion and information.”
His remarks were an apparent reference to a meeting between Oxford High School and the accused’s parents, which was confirmed by Tim Throne, the school’s superintendent on Thursday.
Mr Throne said “discipline not warranted”.
Two teachers meanwhile told CNN that they alerted the school to both “concerning” and “disturbing” behaviour exhibited by the 15-year-old, Ethan Crumbley, in the 48 hours before the attack.
He allegedly received counselling the day before the shooting.
Gino Spocchia3 December 2021 12:09
Michigan school chief says ‘discipline not warranted’ for suspect
The superintendent of Michigan’s Oxford Community Schools has said the 15-year-old suspect in Tuesday’s mass shooting was not disciplined during a meeting in the school’s office earlier on the day of the killings.
“To say that I am still in shock and numb is probably an understatement. These events that have occurred will not define us,” a stoney-faced Mr Throne said.
The Independent’s Shweta Sharma has more details.
Shweta Sharma3 December 2021 09:11
A journal and a chilling ‘countdown’: What were the red flags around Michigan suspect Ethan Crumbley
Revelations about suspect Ethan Crumbley’s menacing social media posts, confessional videos and ‘disturbing’ classroom behaviour have sparked a debate over whether more could have been done to prevent the deadly shooting at Oxford High School.
The Independent’s Megan Sheets has more details.
Shweta Sharma3 December 2021 06:28
‘Discipline not warranted’ in meeting before shooting, school chief says in first remarks
In his first remarks following the tragedy, school superintendent Tim Throne has said that it was decided “no discipline was warranted” during a behavioural meeting with the suspect just hours before the shooting.
“To say that I am still in shock and numb is probably an understatement. These events that have occurred will not define us,” Mr Throne, leader of Oxford Community Schools, said in his first extended remarks since the incident.
His remarks came in a 12-minute video as he spoke slowly with a grim expression.
“I want you to know that there’s been a lot of talk about the student who was apprehended, that he was called up to the office and all that kind of stuff. No discipline was warranted,” Mr Throne said.
“There are no discipline records at the high school. Yes this student did have contact with our front office, and, yes, his parents were on campus [on] 30 November.”
Mr Throne lamented that Oxford High School looks like a “war zone” and won’t be ready for weeks. But he repeatedly lauded the students and staff for how they responded to the violence at the time of shooting.
“I want you to be as proud of your sons and daughters as I am,” Mr Throne said, adding that he also urged the sheriff’s office to publicly release the video of the students from Tuesday.
Mr Throne said he couldn’t immediately release additional details as sheriff Mike Bouchard has said Crumbley’s classroom behaviour on the day of the shooting was a matter for the investigation.
Shweta Sharma3 December 2021 05:35
60 Michigan schools closed down after copycat threats
About 60 schools in Michigan have been temporarily closed following copycat threats following the Oxford school shooting, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said, reported Newsweek.
Mr Bouchard said there were at least 100 instances of threats either direct or on social media across the state.
But investigators believe that they were false copycat threats, as several students might have been doing it for fun or to get class cancelled.
“It is not [funny],” Mr Bouchard said. “It is a crime, and if you’re making threats, we will find you.”
“It is ridiculous you’re inflaming the fears of parents, teachers in the community in the midst of a real tragedy,” he added.
The sheriff complained that the false threats are “overrunning our resources” and stretching the local law enforcement thin.
Shweta Sharma3 December 2021 05:05
Can parents be charged in shootings involving children?
Prosecutors have suggested that the parents of the Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley, 15, could themselves be charged after the incident that left four students dead.
Experts say it is rare for parents to be charged in the US over school shootings involving their children, even in cases where a minor used their parents’ or relatives’ guns.
William Swor, a defence lawyer who is not involved in the case, told the Associated Press that charging the parents would require a “very fact-intensive investigation”.
“What did they know and when did they know it?” Mr Swor said. “What advance information did they have about all these things? Did they know anything about his attitude, things of that nature. You’re talking about a very heavy burden to bring on the parents.”
The child access prevention laws related to guns vary widely across US states and only just over half of them have such laws.
Gun control advocates say the laws are often not enforced and the penalties are weak.
“Our laws haven’t really adapted to the reality of school shootings and the closest we have are these child access prevention laws,” said Kris Brown, president of the Brady gun control advocacy group.
Shweta Sharma3 December 2021 04:40
Ann Arbor schools cancel all classes after threats
Ann Arbor has become the latest Michigan city to close public schools due to threats, with officials saying on Thursday night that all school buildings would be shut down.
“While these posts have not been determined to be credible at this time, the volume is quite high,” wrote city superintendent Jeanice Swift in an email to teachers and parents seen by All About Ann Arbor.
“Closing schools will allow school administrators and law enforcement an opportunity to investigate all reported concerns. It will also allow us to reset our learning environments that were significantly impacted today by rumors and concerns stemming from social media chatter.”
She added that the FBI and the Michigan State Police are monitoring threats on social media, and asked parents to explain to their children how severely such threats are treated.
“Law enforcement and school leaders will investigate every threat and take whatever action is warranted to protect our students and community, up to and including prosecution for those responsible,” she wrote.
Io Dodds3 December 2021 03:57
‘Far beyond negligence’: Prosecutor doubles down on suspect’s parents
As charges against the parents are expected to be announced on Friday, the prosecutor has repeated her criticism of the parents of the suspect, Ethan Crumbley, in the Michigan school shooting.
Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald told WJR-AM the parents’ actions went “far beyond negligence”.
“The parents were the only individuals in the position to know the access to weapons,” Ms McDonald said. The gun “seems to have been just freely available to that individual”.
The semi-automatic gun which was used for the shooting in the school was purchased legally by Mr Crumbley’s father last week, according to investigators.
Shweta Sharma3 December 2021 03:42
Why prosecutors charged Ethan Crumbley with terrorism
Why have Michigan prosecutors taken the unusual step of charging Ethan Crumbley with terrorism?
But, she said, the intent was to address how the shooting impacted people throughout the community who were not killed or injured, in the form of fear and trauma.
“What about all the children who ran, screaming, hiding under desks?” Ms McDonald said. “What about all the children at home right now who can’t eat and can’t sleep and can’t imagine a world where they could ever set foot back in that school?
“Those are victims, too, and so are their families, and so is the community. And the charge of terrorism reflects that.”
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said he “100 per cent” agrees with the charge, saying: “If you weren’t hit by a bullet, it doesn’t mean you weren’t terrorized that day and won’t have nightmares about (it) the rest of your life – whether you’re a parent, a teacher or a student in that class.”
The ability to levy such a charge is borne from Michigan’s controversial 2002 anti-terror act, passed in the aftermath of 9/11. Whereas most definitions of terrorism require some kind of political goal, Michigan’s defines it as a violent felony act “intended to intimidate or coerce” a civilian population or a government.
At the time, the American Civil Liberties Union urged Michigan’s legislature to limit the scope to “violent actions like those that occurred on September 11”.
Former federal prosecutor Matthew Schneider told the Associated Press: “This is why we have this law. It’s for this type of case. This is not just a murder case. It’s going to terrorize a generation of these kids who were in the school. The impact is on thousands of people.”
Mr Crumbley has pled not guilty to all charges.
Io Dodds3 December 2021 03:24
Kyle Rittenhouse verdict live: Attorney criticises ‘disgusting’ attempts by Republicans to capitalise on teen
Kyle Rittenhouse found not guilty on all charges in homicide trial
Kyle Rittenhouse’s attorney has hit out at Republican politicians trying to capitalise on his client’s “celebrity”, calling their behaviour “disgusting”.
Mark Richards, who represented Rittenhouse at trial, told Insider that: “There’s a lot of people trying to profit on this, and I don’t think people should.”
He criticised Republican congressmen who have offered Kyle Rittenhouse internships following his acquittal, saying: “They want to trade on his celebrity and I think it’s disgusting.”
Some protests sprang up across the US on Friday night following the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse after a jury found him not guilty on all five counts in his homicide trial after four days of jury deliberations.
Most demonstrations were peaceful, with the exception of Portland, Oregon, where a small group of protesters broke windows of the justice centre.
Right-wing figures celebrated the decision, with Republican US Rep Madison Cawthorn offering Mr Rittenhouse an internship and telling supporters to “be armed, be dangerous, and be moral” while exercising the right to self-defense.
Fox News personality Tucker Carlson will interview Mr Rittenhouse on Monday, and the network is set to air a documentary-style film about the trial in December. Mr Richards told CNN on Friday that he did not approve of a film crew embedding with the legal team.
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What we know about the three men shot by Kyle Rittenhouse
Joseph Rosenbaum crossed paths with Kyle Rittenhouse in a used-car lot. He had just been discharged from hospital in Milwaukee where he had been treated for a suicide attempt.
It is not clear why he was out on Kenosha’s streets the night of the protests but his fiance lived in the city.
Rosenbaum was unarmed and carries a plastic bag containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, deodorant and some papers.
According to Rittenhouse’s lawyers, Rosenbaum came up to Kyle Rittenhouse and tried to “engage him”. Rittenhouse ran away and Rosenbaum chased after him.
A video shows that Rosenbaum threw his plastic bag at Rittenhouse, who responded by firing four shots at him.
Rittenhouse argued during the trial that Rosenbaum had reached for his gun.
After he shot at Rosenbaum, Rittenhouse panicked and started running away towards a line of police.
Several protesters saw him and thought he was an “active shooter”. A couple started chasing him, including Anthony Huber.
Anthony Huber, who was a keen skater, caught up with Rittenhouse and tried to stop him by hitting him with a skateboard. During the tussle, Rittenhouse shot Huber dead.
Gaige Grosskreutz was also among the number of people who chased after Rittenhouse.
He was armed with a pistol, but also had a pack of medical supplies. He had been to dozens of protests over the summer and said he was at this one to help out with medical care.
He was shot in the arm by Rittenhouse.
Holly Bancroft21 November 2021 10:19
Lessons to learn from Rittenhouse trial for other self defense cases
Following the recent jury verdict that Kyle Rittenhouse was acting in self defense when he shot two men dead, commentators are reassessing the expected outcome of other trials.
In Georgia, three men stand trail for killing Ahmaud Arbery, something they claim they did in self defense.
The verdict in that case is expected as soon as next week, with the closing arguments being heard on Monday.
William Bryan, Greg McMichael and his son Travis McMichael are charged with the murder of the 25-year-old Arbery. Prosecutors say they chased and shot Arbery to death as he took a Sunday afternoon job in February last year.
The result of Rittenhouse’s trial has caused activists to doubt the American justice system and some have been drawing parallels between the two cases.
“Is there any real justice in this system?” Barbara Arnwine, an activist who was attending the Arbery trial, told The Washington Post following Rittenhouse’s acquittal.
Others who were stood outside the Arbery trial, reacted to the news in the Rittenhouse case. Armiah Crawford told NPR: “If he can get off with that, then what can anybody else get off with? That’s crazy”.
Ahmaud’s father, Marcus Arbery, said: “It just scare you about this justice system. This world ain’t going to never get right till this justice system get right and be fair and start putting these people in jail behind this unnecessary killing.”
Holly Bancroft21 November 2021 08:04
Kyle Rittenhouse’s attorney calls Trump Jr an ‘idiot’ for offering the teen free guns
Kyle Rittenhouse’s attorney Mark Richards criticised Trump Jr and other Republicans trying to profit on the recent verdict.
Richards said he was unhappy with Republican party members such as Paul Gosar, Matt Gaetz and Madison Cawthorn offering Rittenhouse an internship.
“They’re raising money on it and you have all these Republican congressmen saying come work for me,” Rittenhouse’s attorney told Insider. “They want to trade on his celebrity and I think it’s disgusting.”
Richards also called out Trump Jr. for tweeting about a gun rights organisation wanting to award Rittenhouse with another AR-15 in a now-deleted tweet.
“He’s an idiot,” Richards said. “I don’t have to expand on that because it speaks for itself.”
Peony Hirwani21 November 2021 05:30
Fox News says the network did not pay the teenager’s family for any special access during trial
A Fox News executive said on Saturday that the network did not pay Kyle Rittenhouse’s family for any special access during the teen’s murder trial or after his acquittal, after it was announced that he would speak to Tucker Carlson for an interview to air on Monday.
Peony Hirwani21 November 2021 04:15
Fox News is to air documentary about Kyle Rittenhouse’s homicide trial
Hours after a jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse on charges of homicide, Fox News personality Tucker Carlson announced that he will not only interview the teenager but air a documentary about him.
On 19 November, the host of Tucker Carlson Tonight revealed that a film crew had followed the 18-year-old during the trial, although defence attorney Mark Richards told CNN that he did “not approve of that”.
“I threw them out of the room several times,” Mr Richards said on Friday following the verdict. “I don’t think a film crew is appropriate for something like this.”
Alex Woodward has the full story
Peony Hirwani21 November 2021 03:33
What’s next for Kyle Rittenhouse?
After avoiding a possible life behind bars, Kyle Rittenhouse left Kenosha courthouse a free man to pursue a potential life of either nursing, politics or relative anonymity.
But his acquittal of first-degree intentional homicide may not end his legal woes as a battle brews over who gets the $2m raised for his bond, and his case is referred to the Department of Justice for possible federal charges.
Immediately after the verdict, defence attorney Mark Richards said Mr Rittenhouse would likely leave Wisconsin, move to a new area, and fade into obscurity as the intense national media attention subsides.
Katy Clifton21 November 2021 01:13
Windows smashed in downtown Portland Rittenhouse protest
Law enforcement in Portland Friday night declared a riot as about 200 demonstrators protested the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse who killed two people and injured another in Wisconsin.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said the protesters were breaking windows, throwing objects at police and talking about burning down a local government building in downtown Portland, KOIN TV reported, but the crowd had dispersed by about 11 p.m.
Several people were given citations, the Portland Police Bureau said, but only one person who had an outstanding warrant from another matter was arrested.
Emily Atkinson21 November 2021 00:15
Rittenhouse attorney says he is inundated with death threats
Kyle Rittenhouse defense attorney Mark Richards told Insider that he “can’t count” the number of death threats he has received because they’re “too high”.
“I would love for things to change, for people to talk to one another without fighting, but, unfortunately, I don’t see it changing it any time soon,” he told the website.
He said after his client was acquitted on Friday in Kenosha and he “started answering my phone, the first three calls were death threats, and I just quit answering my phone,” he said.
“I’m going through my emails, there are threatening emails too,” he said.
Alex Woodward20 November 2021 21:51
Nearly half of Americans do not support stricter gun laws, poll finds
Roughly 49 per cent of Americans oppose stricter gun laws, while 45 percent are in support, according to a Quinnipiac University poll from earlier this month.
The results fall largely along partisan lines: 84 per cent of Republicans oppose restrictions on guns, while 91 per cent of Democrats support them.
For the first time since December 2015, fewer than 50 per cent of American voters support stricter gun laws. Among registered voters, 48 per cent oppose them, while 47 per cent are in support.
Alex Woodward20 November 2021 21:30
Rittenhouse attorney says GOP lawmakers are trying to ‘profit’ from client
Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense attorney Mark Richards told Insider that he believes it is “disgusting” that prominent GOP officials are “trying to profit” from his client’s case and acquittal.
“There’s a lot of people trying to profit on this, and I don’t think people should,” he told Insider.
“They’re raising money on it and you have all these Republican congressmen saying, ‘Come work for me.’ … They want to trade on his celebrity and I think it’s disgusting.”
His comment follow widespread celebration among Republican officials following a not guilty verdict in Mr Rittenhouse’s double homicide trial, including three members of Congress suggesting that Mr Rittenhouse be their intern.
Alex Woodward20 November 2021 21:10
Jane Campion criticises superhero films: ‘I actually hate them’ | Jane Campion
Jane Campion has spoken out against superhero films calling them “noisy” and “ridiculous”.
The Oscar-winning writer-director of The Piano was asked about her thoughts on the genre at a recent screening of her new awards-tipped Netflix drama The Power of the Dog.
“I hate them,” she said to Variety. “I actually hate them”
When asked if she would ever consider making the leap, she gave a firm response. “I think it’s safe to say that I will never do that,” she said. “They’re so noisy and like ridiculous. Sometimes you get a good giggle, but I don’t know what the thing is with the capes, a grown man in tights. I feel like it must come from pantomime.”
In September, Campion told the Hollywood Reporter that she would never do one because she doesn’t need the money. “I don’t see so many people going backwards into smaller budgets once they go out and do a great big Marvel movie,” she added. “I think it’s hard to go back into personal stories.”
Campion is the latest acclaimed director to criticise superhero films, following on Martin Scorsese, who compared them to “theme parks” in 2019, and Ridley Scott, who called them “fucking boring as shit” earlier this month. Both Marvel and DC have tried to bring over more auteurs, most recently Chloé Zhao, the Oscar-winning Nomadland director who made this month’s Eternals. But the film has become the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s worst reviewed offering to date.
The Power of the Dog is the first film from Campion since 2009’s Bright Star and is one of the frontrunners for next year’s best picture Oscar. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a sexually repressed rancher who develops a strange fascination with an effete young man. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gave it five stars and called it one of Campion’s best.
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France criticises deal bringing Russian mercenaries into Mali
PARIS, Sept 14 (Reuters) – France’s foreign minister on Tuesday criticised plans that would bring Russian mercenaries into Mali, saying such a move was “incompatible” with the French military presence in its former colony.
Diplomatic and security sources have told Reuters that a deal is close between the Russian private military contractor the Wagner Group and Mali’s ruling junta for the mercenaries to train the Malian military and provide protection for senior officials.
Asked by lawmakers about the report, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said: “Wagner is a militia which has shown itself in the past in Syria and Central African Republic to have carried out abuses and all sorts of violations that do not correspond with any solution and so it is incompatible with our presence.”
“I am saying this so that it is heard,” he said.
Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told a separate hearing that she was “extremely concerned” by such a deal.
The sources told Reuters that Paris has begun a diplomatic drive to prevent the junta – which took power in coup in May – from enacting the deal. Paris would consider withdrawing from Mali if the deal went ahead, they said.
France is worried the arrival of Russian mercenaries would undermine its decade-old counter-terrorism operation against al Qaeda and Islamic State-linked insurgents in the Sahel region of West Africa just as it begins to scale down its 5,000-strong mission there to reshape it with more European allies, the diplomatic sources said.
President Emmanuel Macron announced those plans in July. France has hailed some successes against the militants in recent months but the situation is extremely fragile, compounded by the turmoil in Mali following the coup.
A European source who tracks West Africa and a security source in the region said at least 1,000 mercenaries could be involved in the Wagner Group deal. Two other sources believed the number was lower but did not provide figures.
Four sources said the Wagner Group would be paid about 6 billion CFA francs ($11 million) a month for its services. Reuters has been unable to reach the Wagner Group for comment
Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Angus MacSwan
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