The reinvention of Kate Hudson: Why actress, 46, is finally back in favour with the Academy 25 years after her first Oscar nomination
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Retired couple forced to tear down £4,500 seven-foot tall privacy fence after neighbours complained it was more intrusive than the nine-foot high hedge it replaced
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Trump says he's not ready to make a deal with Iran despite them asking for a ceasefire: 'The terms aren't good enough yet!'
Donald Trump said he is refusing a ceasefire deal with Iran despite signals from Tehran that it wants negotiations, as Israel warns the war could last weeks.
Villagers 'held to ransom' by travellers: Family set up illegal camp after buying plot of land 'for £15,000' - and are now demanding £600,000 to leave
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Outrage as champion racehorse is killed and served to unwitting diners at council-run soup kitchen
The four-year-old racehorse, named Smart Latch, had been retired with an injury but ended up being served at a soup kitchen in southern Turkey, in the Yenshir district in the Mersin province.
Should Banksy Remain Anonymous?
He's "the most famous anonymous man in the world," suggests Reuters. But investigating Banksy's artworks in a bombed Ukrainian village (and other clues in the U.K. and Manhattan) have led them to "a hand-written confession by the artist to a long-ago misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct — a document that revealed, beyond dispute, Banksy's true identity."
But Banksy's long-time lawyer "urged us not to publish this report, saying doing so would violate the artist's privacy, interfere with his art and put him in danger" and "would harm the public, too."
Working "anonymously or under a pseudonym serves vital societal interests," he wrote. "It protects freedom of expression by allowing creators to speak truth to power without fear of retaliation, censorship or persecution — particularly when addressing sensitive issues such as politics, religion or social justice."
Reuters took into account Banksy's privacy claims — and the fact that many of his fans wish for him to remain anonymous. Yet we concluded that the public has a deep interest in understanding the identity and career of a figure with his profound and enduring influence on culture, the art industry and international political discourse... As for the risk he might face of retaliation or censorship, Britain's legal and political establishments seem comfortable with Banksy's messages and how he delivers them...
His mastery of disguise began as a way of shaking the police, says former manager [Steve] Lazarides. In an interview, Lazarides said anonymity served a practical purpose in Bristol, where authorities enforced "draconian" policies against graffiti... Eventually, keeping the secret became a burden. By the end of their partnership, Lazarides estimates he spent half or more of his time managing and maintaining the artist's mystique. "I think it became a good gag, and then, if you want my honest, honest opinion, I think it then became a disease," he said.
Lazarides wrote a two-volume book about managing Banksy from the late 1990s to 2008, including a story about Banksy's arrest in 2000 for this defacing of a billboard. Reuters geolocated that building, then found police documents and a court file including the hand-written confession. This investigation spawned a 7,000-word article with everything from a comic strip Banksy drew when he was 11 to his connections with Robert Del Naja of the trip hop band Massive Attack — and a 2017 podcast interview where a music producer apparently revealed Banksy's real first name.
But the article also reveals how protective the art community is of Banksy's secret. Reuters investigated that Banksy auctioned in 2018 for $1.4 million — and then immediately started shredding itself with a device Banksy embedded in its frame:
That piece, renamed "Love is in the Bin," sold three years later for about $25 million. Art dealer [Robert] Casterline was at the auction and remembers when the shredder began to beep. He pulled out his phone to take pictures. "Unfortunately, there was one person standing in front of me," blocking the view, he said. It was an eccentric-looking man with a broad neck scarf and thick eyewear. Oddly, the man wasn't watching the painting get shredded. He was looking in the other direction, observing the crowd's reaction. Only later, reviewing what he shot, did Casterline notice that the man's glasses appeared to have a small camera built into the bridge. (Banksy later posted a video of the stunt, including shots of the astonished audience.)
Having seen a photo of the man suspected of being Banksy, Casterline confirmed to Reuters that he was "pretty sure" it was the same man.
But "I don't want to be the guy who exposes Banksy."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Police share photo of wheelie bin where body of man with distinctive tattoos was found in park
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British Museum to pay £1.2million to move Bayeux Tapestry across the Channel - as iconic artwork gets its own police escort and special Eurostar service
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'He has no fixed views on anything': Labour insiders despair at Keir Starmer's dithering over decisions as he's branded 'the passive PM'
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Record number of immigrants apply for British citizenship under Labour ahead of crackdown and threat of Reform government
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It's terrible to admit on Mother's Day, but I regret having my miracle twins. I blamed my husband for agreeing to IVF and now he's left me. Here's my warning to any woman who's not sure if she wants children
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Brooklyn Beckham takes another brutal swipe at mum Victoria by sharing a late birthday tribute to 'the best mother-in-law' Claudia Peltz - as Britain celebrates Mothering Sunday
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David and Victoria Beckham lead the celebrity Mother's Day tributes after Brooklyn's latest snub - as fellow stars Holly Ramsey and Coleen Rooney mark the special occasion
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Prince William shares never-before-seen photo of Diana with himself as a child in poignant Mother's Day message
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Remarkable oak furniture collection with items dating back to the 1500s sells for £1million
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Nicole Kidman poses with daughters Sunday, 17, and Faith, 15, at pre-Oscars event as she reveals who her Met Gala date will be
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Jake Quickenden says rise of manosphere is 'deeply worrying' after Netflix doc
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Incredible Google Earth photos show how Chelmsford has changed in 20 years
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Jake Quickenden says rise of manosphere is 'deeply worrying' after Netflix doc
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The perfect Easter sun breaks - away from the Middle East conflict: Our experts pick the 11 safest and warmest spots for families and couples that are still taking bookings for April
April is something of a sweet spot for travel - Europe wrestles winter back into its suitcase and a slew of long-haul favourites sit neatly between rainy seasons and peak humidity.