SwayBlog

RussiaObituaryFather Dmitri DudkoHeroic Russian priest tormented by his forced confession to the KGBOn June 20 1980, the Russian Orthodox priest Father Dmitri Dudko, who had been imprisoned that January as one of Russia's bravest dissidents, appeared on Soviet television and renounced his activities in a 20-minute interview, which was subsequently reported verbatim in nearly every Soviet newspaper. The KGB had clearly prepared the event as a decisive measure, not only against the "

Monsters of rock … (from left) Dave Murray, Bruce Dickinson and Janick Gers at Rock in Rio in 2001. Photograph: Mick Hutson/RedfernsAs The Number of the Beast turns 40 – and is set to crash back into the charts – we appraise the best of the band who brought epic, bloody storytelling to heavy metal by Alexis Petridis30. Burning Ambition (1980)Famously no fan of punk – music he described as “against my religion” – bassist and founding member Steve Harris has always denied its influence on early Iron Maiden.

The neo-noir revolution in the Arab world might be seen as nostalgic, but it allows writers to act as ombudsmen in the current political climate, writes Jonathan Guyer Published: 3 Oct 2014 ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaKiipLOquMRooaimkam1orqMoKyynaI%3D

Police respond to a shooting outside Masjid Muhammad Mosque in Newark, New Jersey, on 3 January 2024. Photograph: Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Rex/ShutterstockView image in fullscreenPolice respond to a shooting outside Masjid Muhammad Mosque in Newark, New Jersey, on 3 January 2024. Photograph: Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Rex/ShutterstockNew JerseyNew Jersey imam fatally shot outside mosque as shooter remains at largeCleric was attacked outside Masjid-Muhammad-Newark on Wednesday morning in Newark A New Jersey imam was shot and killed on Wednesday outside a mosque in the state’s largest city, authorities said as officers worked to identify and arrest the shooter.

Ash Abeyta and Mallika Singh pose with their harvest from Ashokra farm, a vegetable farm owned by queer and trans people of color. Photograph: Courtesy of Ashokra FarmAsh Abeyta and Mallika Singh pose with their harvest from Ashokra farm, a vegetable farm owned by queer and trans people of color. Photograph: Courtesy of Ashokra FarmOur unequal earthLGBTQ+ rightsTheir fight for diversity and inclusion in farming culture echoes the womyn’s land movement from the 60s and 70s

The ObserverIsrael-Gaza warPolice allow chant at 100,000-strong demo, despite the home secretary saying it calls for the destruction of Israel At 11.31am on Saturday, the first rendition was heard, drowning out the double-decker buses circling Marble Arch. Several dozen protesters had begun urgently chanting the controversial slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. Three metres away, a pair of officers from the Metropolitan police’s territorial support group looked on impassively.

True crime booksReviewA new, deeply researched Ripper theory from the writer of Withnail and I centres on Freemasonry and identifies a masonic grand organist as the serial killer Rarely has a book on Jack the Ripper been written with such visceral anger as this one by Bruce Robinson, the director and screenwriter of Withnail and I: anger at Jack, at “Ripperology”, at the establishment, and anger at the police cover-up that allowed one of the world’s most infamous serial killers to remain free.

7 July London attacks This article is more than 13 years old7/7 inquest hears emotional exchange between father of victim and survivorThis article is more than 13 years oldFather pays moving tribute to Carrie Taylor and questions passenger who helped his dying daughterThe father of a young woman who died in the Aldgate bomb on 7 July 2005 asked a survivor who helped his daughter whether she was still alive when he left the wrecked carriage.

How we madeMovies‘Forest Whitaker macheted his thumb, Tom Berenger knifed his foot, Willem Dafoe got medivacked – and Oliver Stone jumped up and down with joy’ Charlie Sheen, played Chris Taylor My brother Emilio Estevez and I were huge fans of Scarface and Midnight Express, which were both written by Oliver Stone. Emilio kept talking to me about Oliver’s new Vietnam film, which he was auditioning for. He got the lead part, Chris Taylor, but then couldn’t do it because of scheduling conflicts.