Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan among 380 writers and groups to call Gaza war ‘genocide’

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Letter also signed by Hanif Kureishi and Russell T Davies urges ceasefire and unrestricted distribution of aid

Three hundred and eighty writers and organisations including Zadie Smith, Ian McEwan, Russell T Davies, Hanif Kureishi, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and George Monbiot have signed a letter stating that the Israeli government’s war in Gaza is genocidal and calling for an immediate ceasefire.

“The use of the words ‘genocide’ or ‘acts of genocide’ to describe what is happening in Gaza is no longer debated by international legal experts or human rights organizations,” reads the letter, which was also signed by William Dalrymple, Jeanette Winterson, Brian Eno, Kate Mosse, Irvine Welsh and Elif Shafak.

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Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, first Arab and African director to win Cannes Palme d’Or, dies aged 95

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Chronicle of the Years of Fire took the prize in 1975 for its portrayal of the Algerian war of independence, drawing on his own traumatic history

Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, the first Arab and African director to win the coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival, has died aged 91, his family said Friday.

The film-maker was awarded the prize in 1975 for Chronicle of the Years of Fire, a historical drama about the Algerian war of independence.

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World faces new danger of ‘economic denial’ in climate fight, Cop30 head says

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Exclusive: André Corrêa do Lago says ‘answers have to come from the economy’ as climate policies trigger populist-fuelled backlash

The world is facing a new form of climate denial – not the dismissal of climate science, but a concerted attack on the idea that the economy can be reorganised to fight the crisis, the president of global climate talks has warned.

André Corrêa do Lago, the veteran Brazilian diplomat who will direct this year’s UN summit, Cop30, believes his biggest job will be to counter the attempt from some vested interests to prevent climate policies aimed at shifting the global economy to a low-carbon footing.

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Get ready for several years of killer heat, top weather forecasters warn – AP News

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  1. Get ready for several years of killer heat, top weather forecasters warn  AP News
  2. Global temperatures could break heat record in next five years  The Guardian
  3. Earth is heading for 2.7°C warming this century. We may avoid the worst climate scenarios – but the outlook is still dire  The Conversation
  4. World Has 80% Chance of Seeing Next Record Hot Year Before 2030  Bloomberg.com
  5. WMO Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update (2025-2029)  World Meteorological Organization WMO
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