Author: The Guardian

AAt 7.12am on the day we speak, Dr Hilary Caldwell is running naked into Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin for the annual winter solstice swim. It was an exciting start to a big day. At 11 a.m., she returned to her desk for another adventure: speaking publicly for the first time about being a sex worker.Caldwell never spoke about her sex work to reporters, and almost never to anyone outside her intimate circle, with whom she practiced what to say. Even her adult children didn’t know about it until recently, ahead of her new book, “Sluts: Reclaiming Shameless Sexuality.””They’re really supportive,”…

Ollie on SimoneWhat were you hoping for?Not to break any crockery or otherwise make a complete fool of myself.First impressions?Simone was 20 minutes late as her train was delayed, and arrived apologising profusely. But it genuinely didn’t matter as I had an instant gut feeling we were going to have a really nice time.What did you talk about?Living in Germany. Whether to start with a glass of sangria or a jug. Siblings. Parents. Boomerang kids. Whether to ask the restaurant to choose our food for us (Simone’s idea – genius move). Politics.Most awkward moment?The lid to that sangria jug was…

Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including Roseanne and Arrested Development, has died, his daughter said Friday. He was 80 years old.Mull’s daughter, TV writer and comic artist Maggie Mull, said her father died at home on Thursday after “a valiant fight against a long illness”.Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and the starring role in its spinoff Fernwood Tonight, on…

According to the most intriguing bit of her between-song chat, Dua Lipa’s headlining Glastonbury slot came about as a result of an act of childhood manifesting. The singer claims she wrote out her desire to top the bill on the Pyramid stage in detail, up to and including what night said event should take place on: a Friday, so she “could spend the rest of the weekend partying”. And now here we are: watching a slightly peculiar video of Dua Lipa signing her name and writing the words “GLASTO 24” on a pane of glass, then licking it.Whether you buy…

Science, art or haute couture? Dutch designer Iris van Herpen is known for her sculptural, futuristic garments that have been influenced by dance, architecture, the natural world, science and technology, and worn by the likes of Björk, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.Arriving in Australia direct from its Paris premiere at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses is a showcase of more than 170 items from Van Herpen’s career showing at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane from 29 June to 7 October.The Heliosphere dress, designed for Beyoncé, is made from tulle, silver-marbled silicone and…

Elena Kagan issued a devastating dissent to the decision of her hard-right fellow supreme court justices to overturn the Chevron doctrine that has been a cornerstone of federal regulation for 40 years, accusing the majority of turning itself into “the country’s administrative czar”.Kagan was joined by her two fellow liberal-leaning justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, in delivering a withering criticism of the actions of the ultra-right supermajority that was created by Donald Trump. Such caustic missives have become commonplace from the three outnumbered liberals, with each carefully crafted dissent sounding more incensed and despairing than the last.In a…

A A crash out of Thursday’s semi-final between England and India in Guyana would be disastrous for this T20 World Cup. One semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan has a reserve day and the other does not, which is really not ideal. The ruling that the top team in the Super Eight Group advanced to the finals despite being given up was also unconvincing. It must also be strange for people that India knew before the tournament where their semi-final would be played if they made it this far. I’m glad the game is going ahead.The conditions on offer are…

Marc Fennell doesn’t begrudge his many commitments. The award-winning journalist and documentary-maker is energised by the friction between his projects. He thrives on the collision of perspectives and ideas. “If I’m not doing three things at once, I’m a massive pain in the ass,” he says.I meet Fennell, 39, on Dixon Street in the heart of Sydney’s Chinatown. The crystalline afternoon light is falling at a slant on the ceremonial gates, which advocate for “trust and virtue”.In a black jacket and spotless white Nikes, Fennell combines warmth and effusive energy with an instinct for stories only possible if you’ve spent…

What was the worst moment? Perhaps when one especially rambling sentence of Joe Biden’s ended in a mumbled, confused declaration that “We finally beat Medicare”, as if he were the enemy of the very public service Democrats cherish and defend. Maybe it was when the president was not talking, but the camera showed him staring vacantly into space, his mouth slack and open? Or was it when he was talking, and out came a thin, reedy whisper of a voice, one that could not command the viewer’s attention, even when the words themselves made good sense?For anyone who cares about…

Panicking Democrats were speculating about whether Joe Biden should be replaced as their party’s nominee for US president following a disastrous debate performance that turned whispers about his age and fitness into a roar.Biden’s shaky, raspy-voiced showing against Donald Trump at the first presidential debate in Atlanta on Thursday was widely panned as a disaster that, instead of assuaging fears about his mental acuity, amplified them on the biggest political stage.Even before the torturous 90 minutes were over, senior Democratic figures and donors were calling or texting in despair and exploring the potential to draft a late alternative to Biden…