Art

• Italian police shut down a wrap party for the upcoming film *Three Incestuous Sisters* on the island of Stromboli. • The event, attended by Sir Mick Jagger and stars Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley, Saoirse Ronan, and Josh O'Connor, violated a local ordinance banning music on Wednesdays. • The shutdown highlights the strict enforcement of regional noise regulations on the island, even for high-profile international celebrities.

• A viral social media trend known as the "Cockroach Janata Party," which originated in India, has spread across the border into Pakistan. • The movement has evolved into several regional variations, including the Cockroach Awami Party, Cockroach Awami League, and the Muttahida Cockroach Movement. • These satirical groups, such as the Cockroach Awami Party, describe themselves as political fronts created "of the youth, by the youth, for Pakistan."

• The "Cockroach Janata Party" has emerged as a new political disruption in India, originating from internet memes and digital culture rather than traditional political institutions. • This movement is driven by widespread unemployment anxiety and a sense of "democratic exhaustion" among the youth, who are increasingly disillusioned with established ideological manifestos. • The phenomenon signifies a shift where digital noise and desperation are translating into a form of political expression that challenges the traditional reflexes of the political establishment.

• The "Cockroach Janata Party" has emerged on digital platforms in India following a controversial remark by Chief Justice Surya Kant. • The party was formed after the Chief Justice reportedly compared unemployed youth pursuing journalism and activism to cockroaches during a court hearing last week. • This development highlights the rapid intersection of judicial commentary and digital political mobilization among India's youth.

Michael Agzarian was charged despite internal legal advice that the images were ‘political satire’, court hearsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice charged an artist who depicted prominent Australians in military uniforms emblazoned with Nazi symbols despite internal legal advice the images were “political satire”, a court has heard.Police dropped the case against Michael Agzarian before the Downing Centre local court on Friday, almost a year after he had been charged with one count of displaying Nazi symbols by a public act without lawful excuse. Continue reading...

• The newly launched Cockroach Janta Party and its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, are facing allegations from BJP leaders claiming the party is an "ISI asset" with 50% of its followers based in Pakistan. • Following these accusations and the suspension of the original account, Dipke created a new X handle titled "Cockroach Is Back" to maintain his social media presence. • The new account has rapidly gained nearly 1.56 lakh followers, including prominent figures such as Mahua Moitra, Sagarika Ghose, Gul Panag, and Prashant Bhushan.

• Pakistan has seen the emergence of satirical political groups, including the Cockroach Awami Party and Cockroach Awami League, mimicking India's viral Cockroach Janta Party. • This trend has sparked a cross-border social media frenzy, reflecting a shared culture of political satire and digital mimicry between the two nations. • The movement highlights how viral political trends can transcend borders to critique governance through humor and absurdity.

• Former civil servant Ashish Joshi has officially withdrawn his support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), citing concerns over the movement's integrity. • Joshi claims the initiative is "not genuinely independent," describing it as a "covert political project" rather than a grassroots effort. • The controversy is heightened by the involvement of Dipke, a former Aam Aadmi Party strategist who worked on social media and campaigning from 2020 to 2023.

• A wave of satirical political groups has emerged in Pakistan, including the Cockroach Awami Party (CAP) and Cockroach Awami League (CAL), following the viral success of India's Cockroach Janta Party. • The trend was sparked by remarks made in mid-May by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who described certain unemployed youth activists as "cockroaches" and "parasites." • This cross-border phenomenon highlights how social media is being used to turn judicial and political commentary into widespread satire across South Asia.

• Inspired by India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), satirical political accounts have emerged in Pakistan, most notably the Cockroach Awami Party. • The movement uses the cockroach as a symbol for resilience and the ability to survive despite attempts at elimination. • These accounts position themselves as satirical alternatives to Pakistan's established political giants, including the PTI, PML-N, and PPP.

• Indian authorities have blocked the social media accounts of the "Cockroach Janta Party," a satirical youth political movement. • The party was established as a response to critical remarks made by a top judge regarding the behavior and attitudes of the youth. • This action has sparked a significant controversy regarding the balance between government regulation and the right to free speech.

• LTM has issued an offer to acquire Randstad's Technology and Consulting Services business across France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Australia. • The acquisition targets a business segment representing over $500 million (€469M) in annual revenue. • This strategic move aims to scale LTM's domain-driven solutions and AI services within these key international regions.

‘This is a change byelection,’ says Labour mayor as he launches bid for Makerfield seat and lays out policy viewsUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has formally launched his campaign for the Makerfield byelection with a barely coded pitch for Downing Street, saying a vote for him to become the MP there was “a vote to change Labour”.While not explicitly saying that he would seek to replace Keir Starmer, the Greater Manchester mayor used a speech to Labour MPs and activists in the constituency, followed by questions from the media , to lay out a series of national policy views, including on economy, immigration and electoral reform. Continue reading...

• Funding for Chinese AI start-ups tripled to US$16 billion in the first quarter, driven by heavy investor interest in Large Language Models (LLMs) and robotics. • This surge follows long-term state-led initiatives to prioritize capital flow into strategic sectors, including advanced computing infrastructure, chips, and manufacturing. • Foreign-currency investments saw a sharp rebound, with the number of deals more than doubling to 210 and the total disclosed value skyrocketing over 495% to 67.3 billion yuan.

Andry José Hernández Romero was deported from the US to El Salvador’s notorious Cecot prison before he was allowed to return to VenezuelaOne of the Venezuelan men sent from the US to El Salvador’s most notorious prison by Donald Trump has moved to Spain to request asylum after concluding that he did not feel safe back home and did not trust US authorities sufficiently to return to fight his legal case.Andry José Hernández Romero left Venezuela for Spain in early February and is due for his first asylum hearing in court there in a few days, hoping that the country’s liberal approach to immigration will afford him kinder treatment than the US or his own country had provided him, he revealed to the Guardian in his first interview since leaving for Europe. Continue reading...

Bill Winters faced backlash over remarks about some of near 80,000 staff set to lose roles to AIThe chief executive of Standard Chartered has apologised for referring to some of the almost 8,000 staff that are set to lose their jobs to artificial intelligence as “lower-value human capital”.Bill Winters offered the apology after a backlash over comments he made earlier this week as the London-headquartered lender became one of the first major global banks to lay out plans to cut about 7,800 back-office roles, primarily in response to AI. Continue reading...

Unopposed nomination comes seven years after Abbott lost his Sydney seat of Warringah at the 2019 electionTony Abbott will become the new federal Liberal party president in a return to the political frontlines for the conservative former prime minister.Abbott was the only nominee for the presidency after the other contender – former foreign minister Alexander Downer – chose to instead run for one of the vice-president’s positions. Continue reading...

Twelve dead as southern and central areas also suffer travel disruption, electricity outages and evacuationsHeavy, prolonged rainfall in southern and central China has resulted in weather warnings for flash flooding, landslides and waterlogging. The band of rainfall spanned 1,000km (620 miles) and steadily moved eastwards across the regions on Tuesday. It was a slow-moving band of rain, formed from the convergence of multiple bands originating from the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.Coupled with low wind speeds, high daily and hourly rainfall totals have been recorded, with as much as 75mm locally in Hunan, 85mm in Anhui in a 24-hour period and 95mm on the island of Hainan. As a result of flooding, 12 people have died and hundreds of residents have been evacuated by emergency services. There were major travel disruptions, electricity outages, as well as school and business closures. Along the flooded streets, social media posts showed submerged cars and people fishing. Continue reading...

The military alliance’s chief tried to manage expectations after Donald Trump said he would deploy 5,000 troops to PolandPoland’s Radosław Sikorski showed up beaming after last night’s US announcement on the deployment of 5,000 US troops to Poland.He thanks Trump for the decision, saying it means the presence of US troops in Poland “will be maintained more or less at previous levels,” after the Pentagon halted a planned rotation of 4,000 troops. Continue reading...

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with ministers and officials to emphasize the governance mantra of ‘reform, perform, transform and inform’. • The Prime Minister urged leadership to implement reforms focused on "ease of living" to ensure India becomes a developed nation by 2047. • These domestic goals are being pursued amidst global instability, specifically the crisis in West Asia and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz affecting energy supplies.

• Indian stock markets, including the Sensex and Nifty, have posted a recovery rally driven by a robust corporate earnings season featuring companies like Mamaearth and LIC. • This positive momentum persists despite significant headwinds, including geopolitical tensions and Brent crude oil prices climbing to $105 per barrel. • The rally reflects a broader trend of cautious optimism across Asian markets, with gains seen in Japan's Nikkei 225, South Korea's Kospi, and the Hang Seng.

Party apologises for posts by Chris Kennedy about attack on Jewish ambulances and says he has withdrawn for personal reasonsThe Green party’s candidate for the Makerfield byelection has withdrawn from the ballot less than 12 hours after being announced.Chris Kennedy was announced to be running in the seat for the Greens on Thursday morning, but nine hours later the party said he had dropped out, citing “personal and family reasons”. Continue reading...

Several MPs tell Guardian Australia they are keen to see tweaks, and some are engaging directly with treasurer’s officeGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor MPs expect the government will agree to capital gains tax concessions for startup businesses after a meme-fuelled backlash to the budget, with some wary that scare campaigns could “get out of hand” without clearer explanation of the changes from Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers.Guardian Australia spoke to a number of Labor MPs nationwide. Speaking on condition of anonymity, several MPs said they were keen to see change on CGT, with some engaging directly with Chalmers’ office. Continue reading...