It’s not all bad news.
Yes, the situation in Ukraine is dangerous and depressing. In Yemen, it’s dire. There’s a cost-of-living crisis, and the prospect of unrest in countries where millions of people are living – quite literally – on the breadline. Rather than the "Roaring Twenties", the 2020s may see even more economic dislocation and further migration away from conflict zones and countries where global heating hits agriculture hardest.
But then, almost at random, I came across this inspiring tweet from an archaeologist, Alison Fisk, accompanied by a very beautiful photo: “An ancient amber bear. Carved about 10,000 years ago, this magical find washed up on a beach at Fano in Denmark from a submerged Mesolithic settlement under the North Sea. National Museum of Denmark.”
Looking at Ms Fisk’s picture of the elegant bear carving, we could be staring at a tiny modern sculpture from the late Henry Moore, and yet, for some reason, someone somewhere 10,000 years ago in the cold regions of northern Europe created this. The bear reminds us in the grim times of 2022 that humans have always needed art. What happened to the bear carver? Was he or she working by the light of a fire in a cave or rough wooden shack? Did the bear have religious significance in a pagan world? Was it just for decoration – or maybe simply to give the carver something to do in long summer’s evenings in northern Europe?
I saw the picture of the bear just a few hours after being at the O2 arena in London for another kind of artistic experience.
Young Voices is the largest school choir in the world. It has been growing for 25 years. The O2 – which holds 20,000 people – was packed, and there were professional performers, singers, dancers, musicians and beat boxers – but the stars of the show were the several thousand children in the choir. They sang their hearts out for two hours, tackling everything from Carmina Burana to the Beatles and selections from the Lion King, while stage performers added a bit of Vivaldi plus Lady Gaga.
For those magical two hours, it was as if all the conflict in Ukraine, the political mess in Westminster, questions about the cost of petrol and electricity and gas, were no longer relevant. Even better, the show's organisers scored a huge hit by thanking the teachers in the audience – especially the music teachers – for preparing their school choirs so well that they could quickly combine into a cultural force of about 6,000 young people having the time of their lives. I talked with some of those involved in the organisation afterwards and their pride in their work was obvious.
Equally obvious is the fact that – to steal the name of a popular TV show – Britain’s got talent. The young dancers, musicians and singers demonstrated that the true global genius of Britain as a cultural power is safe in the hands of our children. The creativity on show was obvious, and so was the enthusiasm. What a relief. Here was genuine talent showcased in London after months of vacuous Westminster political blather about "Global Britain" and the self-congratulation and boasting of Downing Street policy makers.
Art can be an escape from reality, and the music at the O2 was certainly that. But art is also a reality in itself, a different reality, the illumination of the human desire to connect and create.
Astonishingly the Mesolithic bear carver connects with us 10,000 years later. The children in the choir connected with each other, with the audience, with popular culture, with classical music and with professional musicians. In fact, one of those professional musicians was inspired into her career by being part of Young Voices as a child 20 years ago.
In other news – I’m back at my desk today, planning on chairing a debate with MPs and commentators this week on whether the UK is destined to fall apart. The local government election, which has just taken place, shows that the Conservative Party, which forms the British government, controls no local councils anywhere in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
In Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein, once the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, is now indisputably the largest party. Unionists – those who want to remain part of the UK – are in disarray. In Westminster, the government of Boris Johnson continues to be knee-deep in various kinds of dodgy dealings.
But the message of hope and inspiration from the children in the choir to the genius of the bear-carving artist remind us that these things will pass. Perhaps there is worse to come in Ukraine, with climate change or the economy. Perhaps things will, for a time, get better, as they usually do. Either way, art is a consolation, an inspiration and simply fun. Ask the children who sang their hearts out. Or imagine what was going through the mind of the bear carver. Or remember the famous Roman saying, "Ars Longa Vita Brevis", which roughly translates to "Art is long. Life is short".
It’s not all bad.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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MATCH INFO
Aston Villa 1 (Konsa 63')
Sheffield United 0
Red card: Jon Egan (Sheffield United)
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
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Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
Results:
5pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600 metres
Winner: Dasan Da, Saeed Al Mazrooei (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Saabah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Mukaram, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: MH Tawag, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) | Dh70,000 | 1,400m
Winner: RB Inferno, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Juthoor, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ASHES SCHEDULE
First Test
November 23-27 (The Gabba, Brisbane)
Second Test
December 2-6 (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
Third Test
December 14-18 (Waca Ground, Perth)
Fourth Test
December 26-30 (Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne)
Fifth Test
January 4-8, 2018 (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney)
Mountain Classification Tour de France after Stage 8 on Saturday:
- 1. Lilian Calmejane (France / Direct Energie) 11
- 2. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) 10
- 3. Daniel Martin (Ireland / Quick-Step) 8
- 4. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / LottoNL) 8
- 5. Warren Barguil (France / Sunweb) 7
- 6. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 6
- 7. Guillaume Martin (France / Wanty) 6
- 8. Jan Bakelants (Belgium / AG2R) 5
- 9. Serge Pauwels (Belgium / Dimension Data) 5
- 10. Richie Porte (Australia / BMC Racing) 4
'Midnights'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Taylor%20Swift%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Republic%20Records%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
