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The world in brief
Catch up quickly on the global stories that matter
Updated 10 hours ago (22:16 GMT+1 / 17:16 New York)
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Police in Jerusalem fired stun grenades at Palestinians throwing stones and launching fireworks to protest against the “flag march” of right-wing Jewish nationalists through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. Muslims were locked inside a mosque on the Al-Aqsa compound on Temple Mount as Jewish visitors visited the site and waved Israeli flags to mark “Jerusalem Day”, the anniversary of Israel’s capture of the east of the city in 1967.
In his first official appearance outside the capital, Kyiv, since the invasion Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, visited the city of Kharkiv and met troops on the frontline nearby. On Saturday Mr Zelensky said that conditions in the Donbas region in the east of the country were “indescribably difficult”, as Russian forces intensified their assault there. His government reiterated a plea to be sent more long-range weapons by Western countries.
America’s Department of Justice said that it would review the police’s response to the mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, last Tuesday, in which 19 children and two teachers were murdered. Officers reportedly waited for 50 minutes before tackling the killer. On Sunday President Joe Biden visited the town, where he met victims’ families.
Germany’s economy minister, Robert Habeck, warned that EU unity on sanctions meant to punish Russia for invading Ukraine was starting to “crumble” ahead of a meeting of its leaders on Monday. On Saturday the European Commission proposed delaying restrictions on imports of Russian oil through a key pipeline in an attempt to appease the government of Hungary, which has been holding up a deal.
Polls opened in Colombia’s presidential election. Voters will choose between Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla who hopes to become Colombia’s first ever leftist president; Federico “Fico” Gutiérrez, who represents a coalition of right-wing parties; and Rodolfo Hernández, a populist outsider running as an independent.
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said talks with diplomats from Finland and Sweden had not persuaded him to drop his veto over the countries joining NATO. Mr Erdogan accuses the countries of harbouring members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Turkey considers a terrorist organisation, and followers of Fethullah Gulen, whom he accuses of fomenting a failed coup in 2016.
Some public transport services resumed in Beijing on Sunday, after officials claimed that they had brought the covid-19 outbreak in China’s capital under control. In Shanghai—where cases are at their lowest level since mid-March—authorities announced that the testing requirements needed to enter public places will be loosened from Wednesday, as the city attempts to ease out of a two-month lockdown.
Word of the Week: Jubilee, a celebration of stasis. Britain is preparing to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. Read the full story.
Weekend profile: Sir Michael Lockett, Britain’s official party monster
PHOTO: ALAMY
Who better to portray Queen Elizabeth II than a 22-year-old Singaporean dancer? On June 5th Janice Ho will play the future monarch as a young princess, dancing with a 21-foot-tall dragon puppet, in an elaborate pageant in central London to mark the climax of the platinum jubilee celebrations. Ms Ho was selected for the role, say the organisers, to reflect the “make-up of Britain and London today”.
Following more traditional fare such as military bands, the dragon dance sets the tone for a day-long carnival, the highlight of four days of hoopla and holiday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the queen’s accession to the throne. And as so often for such national events, Sir Michael Lockett will be at the heart of it all. Meanwhile, some 150 official “national treasures”, including fellow nonagenarian Sir David Attenborough, will help Her Majesty party. There will be a retro-fashion show of Britain’s “tribes”—jivers, punks and ravers—and an interpretation of the 1953 coronation in “Afro-Caribbean style”. Finally, the queen will be serenaded by Ed Sheeran, a pop star.
This eclectic mix of ancient and modern, pomp and pop, flair and tradition, has become the hallmark of Britain’s post-imperial ceremonies, and Sir Michael has been involved in almost all of them. The lean, unassuming 74-year-old is at the helm of this pageant as co-chairman. He also helped steer the golden jubilee concerts at Buckingham Palace in 2002 and the diamond jubilee’s Thames river pageant ten years later. Sir Michael’s events company also helped organise the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics in 2012. He opened the Shard and oversaw the inaugural New Year’s Eve fireworks at the London Eye. The country rarely parties without Sir Michael.
He admits to being an “obsessive”, waking up in the small hours to worry about his to-do list. The son of an army officer, Sir Michael chose to go straight into business rather than attend university. He says that storytelling is the most powerful means of communication, and on June 5th he hopes to be telling the story not just of “an incredible life” but also “the second Elizabethan age”.
The winners of this week’s quiz
Thank you to everyone who took part in this week’s quiz. The winners, chosen at random from each continent, were:
Asia: Izumi Waki, Tokyo, Japan
North America: Jane Gose, Kihei, Hawaii, United States
Central and South America: Celso Covre, Brasília, Brazil
Europe: Marga Peeters, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Africa: Machaba Sathekge, Klerksdorp, South Africa
Oceania: Linda Haselhurst, Sydney, Australia
They all gave the correct answers of Jimmy Stewart, Avro Lancaster, Hanover, Paul Tudor Jones and Windsor knot. The theme is British royal houses: Stuart, Lancaster, Hanover, Tudor and Windsor.
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Weekly crossword
Welcome to our new crossword, designed for experienced cruciverbalists and newcomers alike. Both sets of clues give the same answers:
Cryptic clues
1 down Lancastrian town where sheep droppings come from? (10)
1 across Boris hides inside Indian sage (5)
2 across Fab South forms German world-beater (4)
3 across Irish county Romeo gets a dressing (5)
Quick clues
1 down Where Britain saw roistering in 1809 (10)
1 across Tory windfall exploiter (5)
2 across The world's largest chemicals company (4)
3 across What Gustavo Petro was in Bogotá (5)
Email all four answers by 9am BST on Monday to crossword@economist.com, along with your home city and country. We will pick randomly from those with the right answers and crown one winner per continent in Friday's edition.
The Indian Premier League scores big
PHOTO: AP
Few moments in cricket are as exciting as watching a batsman belt the last ball of a run-chase for six to win the match. Last month Rahul Tewatia, an Indian player, hit two sixes off the last two balls of a game to secure victory for his team, Gujarat Titans. On Sunday the Titans take on the Rajasthan Royals in the final of the Indian Premier League, cricket’s glitziest tournament.
Expect delirium at the 132,000-seater Narendra Modi stadium in Gujarat, now the biggest cricket ground in the world. Seeing the game played live is especially welcome after two years of covid-19, during which matches were played in near-empty grounds with pre-recorded crowd noise.
Over 400m viewers tuned in to watch each of the last four editions of the tournament. Small wonder media companies want a piece of the action. Next month Reliance, Amazon and Disney are expected to compete to bid more than $5bn for the right to broadcast the IPL from 2023 to 2027. With that kind of money, the Indian cricket board has hit a sweet spot.
Colombia’s dangerously polarised election
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
On Sunday Colombians go to the polls to choose a new president in the most important election in the country’s recent history. Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla, hopes to become Colombia’s first ever leftist president. He has promised a job guarantee, free university tuition and a ban on new exploration of oil and gas, which make up half the country’s exports. These policies could cost 5.5% of GDP over four years. Mr Petro hopes to find the money by raising taxes and reforming pensions.
The other contenders include Federico Gutiérrez, an establishment candidate who represents a coalition of right-wing parties, and Rodolfo Hernández, a populist outsider running as an independent. Mr Petro leads the race, but is unlikely to win the 50% of votes needed to avoid a run-off. Mr Hernández’s surging support means the pair could meet again on June 19th. The campaign has been tense. Mr Petro has received death threats. A close result could be disputed, and that risks trouble.
New York’s Blue Note festival hits the right notes
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
One of jazz’s most enduring legends began in 1939 when two German Jewish exiles, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, founded Blue Note Records in New York City. It was to become the most successful label in jazz history. The record label is now part of Universal, a music giant, but the Blue Note Club, an intimate venue in Greenwich Village, is still independently owned. Opened in 1981, the club’s reputation has kept on growing. In 2011 its owners founded the Blue Note Jazz Festival. That has grown steadily too; it now lasts for the whole of June.
The Blue Note brand draws top acts to the city-wide festival, while free outdoor gigs attract a diverse audience. This year, these include concerts in Central Park by Herbie Hancock, a celebrated pianist, on June 11th, and the George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic collective on June 15th. On June 1st Robert Glasper, a pianist and arranger who described jazz as the “mother” of hip-hop, will headline a new stage in Washington Square Park.
Israelis and Palestinians brace for trouble
PHOTO: REUTERS
The anniversary on Sunday of Israel’s capture of the eastern part of Jerusalem during the Six Day War in 1967 is commemorated very differently. Israelis celebrate the unification of their capital as “Jerusalem Day”. But to Palestinians it was the start of 55 years of military occupation.
One of the most contentious Israeli celebrations is the “flag march”, organised by right-wing activists. Its route, through Palestinian parts of the city, is a source of tension and often violent clashes. Last year the Israeli government changed the route at the last moment. But that didn’t stop Hamas, the Islamist organisation that rules the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, from launching rockets into Israel, sparking an 11-day war. Under pressure from the right-wing of his precarious coalition Israel’s prime minister, Naftali Bennett, this year intends to revert to normal. Even as 3,000 police officers try to prevent violence in Jerusalem, eyes will be on Gaza as well.
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.