As a large amount of debris is on the motorway, the traffic remains held with delays on approach. A spokesperson for National Highways said: “The collision has left a significant amount of debris in the carriageway.
“We are working alongside police to get this cleared so we can open a lane running past the scene. We have no confirmed ETA for this at present.”
FESTIVALS full of Pride, ideas and comedy are the headline acts in Charles Hutchinson’s selection of culture in colourful bloom as May turns to June.
Putting the unity into community, love and equality: York Pride 2026, Knavesmire York, today, 11am to 7.30pm
THE 90-munite York Pride parade sets off from Parliament Street to Knavesmire at 12 noon for a full day of Pride, protest, visibility, music, cabaret, family entertainment and community celebration.
The main stage line-up features Nadine Coyle, Joe McElderry, Urban Cookie Collective, Nicki French, Michael Marouli, Roxanne Cooper, Sweet Like Sabrina, Heavenly Bodies, Jordan Smart, DJ Rory Hoy and York Stage’s cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. For full festival details, go to: yorkpride.org.uk. Entry is free.
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Festival of the fortnight: York Festival of Ideas, Place & Space, today until June 12
YORK Festival of Ideas 2026 explores Place and Space in more than 200 mostly free in-person and online events designed to educate, entertain and inspire.
Led by the University of York, the event features world-class speakers (such as Nicola Sturgeon, Clive Myrie, Dame Kelly Holmes, Alexander McCall Smith, Sally Wainwright and Sian Williams), performances, exhibitions, tours, family-friendly activities, a Michael Morpurgo celebration day and much more, with topics ranging from archaeology to art, history to health, politics to psychology, football to Manchester’s Music Soul. For the full programme, go to: yorkfestivalofideas.com.
Comedy event of the week: Pocklington Comedy Festival, today, from 1pm
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POCKLINGTON Arts Centre’s Comedy Festival opens with Seeta Wrightson’s work-in-progress (WIP) Fringe Preview of Middling at 1pm, followed by Out Of The Box at 2pm and Brennan Reece’s WIP Fringe Preview of New Jokes at 2.45pm.
Marcel Lucont presents Les Enfants Terribles – A Game Show For Awful Children at 4pm. Then come Tom Neenan’s WIP Fringe Preview at 4.30pm; Sarah Roberts’ WIP Fringe Preview at 6.15pm and the Mixed Bill finale at 8pm, bringing together Lou Wall, Marcel Lucont, Tal Davies, Pravanya Pillay and Raj Poojara, hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Tribute gig of the week: The ELO Experience, York Barbican, tonight, 7.30pm
The ELO Experience: Celebrating 50 years of Jeff Lynne songs at York Barbican
IN 2025 Jeff Lynne’s ELO performed their last live shows on the Over & Out Tour. Now tribute act The ELO Experience are mounting their own 20th anniversary tour with a set of greatest hits and album gems spanning more than 50 years of Lynne’s music.
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Between 1972 and 1986, ELO achieved more combined UK and US Top 40 hits than any other band, including 10538 Overture, Evil Woman, Living Thing, The Diary Of Horace Wimp, Don’t Bring Me Down and Mr Blue Sky. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Premiere of the week: Black Sheep Theatre Productions in Love At First Bite, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, June 4 to 6, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
JOSH Woodgate directs Dan Poppitt and Molly Whitehouse’s seductive new work Love At First Bite, wherein dating can be hell, but what if one of them were a creature of the night?” What happens when Alan and Minnie meet at a speed-dating night? A spark flickers. Dates follow. Laughter lingers.
“Yet beneath the rhythms of a familiar rom-com, something waits in the dark,” say Poppitt and Whitehouse, who play the lovers in York company Black Sheep’s premiere. “One of them is a vampire – but the secret shifts. Each night, the actors trade fangs and the audience is left to wonder who is hunter, who is prey.” Blending sharp-fanged wit with a brush of gothic shadow, their play toys with romance, rewrites folklore and invites audiences to consider what it means to love…and to hunger! Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
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Musical of the week: SplitLip in Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, Grand Opera House, York, June 2 to 6, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees
THE year is 1943 and we are losing the war but, luckily, we can gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. Singin’ In The Rain meets Strangers On A Train in SplitLip’s Operation Mincemeat, the Olivier and Tony award-winning musical take on the unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us the Second World War.
Bursting at the seams with chaos beyond invention, the question is: how did a dead body, a fake love letter and MI5 operative Ian Fleming come together to wrong-foot Hitler? Let Christian Andrews, Holly Sumpton, Seán Carey, Charlotte Hanna-Williams and latest recruit Jamie-Rose Monk tell the tale. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Immersive murder mystery of the week: Silver Stage & Solent University presents Club Mistero, Helmsley Arts Centre, June 5, 7.30pm
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LOSE yourself inside the dazzling but dangerous Club Mistero in 1920s’ New York City, where a flighty barman, outspoken diva, secretive showgirl, neglected wife and an owner with eyes on every corner all become suspects when someone is, seemingly, nowhere to be found. Clutch your pearls, ol’ sport, murder is afoot.
In the heart of a speakeasy, surrounded by deception and secrets, a web of betrayal, revenge and power is spun, whereupon tensions rise as the line between friend and foe is blurred, but who will survive the night? Silver Stage’s Evelyn Foy, George Mclean, Niamh Boyle, Sofia Romano and Borna Vitlov will keep you guessing to the very end. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Exhibition launch of the week: Navigators Art presents On Location, City Screen Picturehouse, York, June 7 to July 3, from 10.30am each day
ON Location, a free art exhibition of some of York’s finest visual artists, explores ideas of place and space, venturing widely beyond conventional landscapes. Open every day in the cafe and upstairs gallery from 10.30am, the show will be launched officially on June 8 from 6pm to 8.30pm in the gallery (free admission, no booking required, all welcome).
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Gig announcement of the week: Shalamar, The Gold Tour, Celebrating 50 Years, York Barbican, July 2, 7.30pm
Shalamar: Marking their 50th anniversary at York Barbican on July 2
FORMED in Los Angeles in 1976,Shalamar became a defining force in late-1970s and 1980s’ R&B, funk and dance music with 18 UK Top 75 hits, 11 Top 40 singles, four Top Ten hits and more than 25 million records sold worldwide.
Body-popping Jeffrey Daniel and Howard Hewett, from the classic 1982 line-up, are joined by Carolyn Griffey, the female lead vocalist since 2001, to perform A Night To Remember, Take That To The Bank, The Second Time Around, Make That Move, Dead Giveaway, There It Is, Friends and Dancin’ In The Sheets et al. Special guest will beGwen Dickey, The Voice of Rose Royce. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
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Ah, summer. The season of lying around in the grass, dripping with sweat, and spending hours exasperating over what to pack.
At least, if you’re me. As a chronic overpacker, I consistently struggle to choose the right suitcase for holiday.
Even for weekends away, a mere weekend bag isn’t enough to contain the belongings I tell myself I’ll definitely use, wear, or need.
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Naturally, that means I’m constantly looking for a suitcase that has just the right amount of storage, isn’t too heavy, won’t make that annoying sound when you drag it, and has all the compartments I need to pretend I’m organised.
Ahead of the holidays I have planned this summer, I made it my job (as in, it is my job) to find the best suitcases – both carry on, and checked – that make packing and travelling easier.
Keep reading for my selection.
How I chose the best suitcases
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Myself and the HuffPost team tested a range of suitcases to assess which would make our pre-holiday planning more manageable. Those we couldn’t test ourselves were crowdsourced through reviews from friends, family, and customers.
In each case (geddit?) we considered its size, whether it was carry-on or checked, how efficient its wheels were, what pockets it included, whether it came with a warranty and for how long, whether it was protective, its capacity, and any added extras like waterproof rating, locks, and battery packs.
Our favourites are listed below.
The best suitcases to shop now
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Best carry on with pocket
No one wants to undo their whole case mid-flight. So if you’re (somehow) the kind of person who doesn’t take multiple bags on a flight with them, you can rest assured that you’ll be able to find all your essentials – laptop, book, and chargers – all in the handy front pocket to this carry on. But it’s not just what’s on the outside that counts, because inside is a removable compression pad, and straps to keep everything in place. That rock hard exterior will also make sure even your most delicate items are protected.
Specs Size: 56 x 38 x 25cm Weight: 4.7kg Capacity: 44L Warranty: Lifetime.
Best medium check in
You’re about to fly through the skies, so you might as well dress for the occasion. This opal blue case is as practical as it is stylish, as Away has checked all the boxes. For the aesthetic-conscious among us, the top and side handles match the shade of the shell, and it comes with a matching luggage tag in case someone happens to be as stylish as you. The inside boasts an impressive array of mesh pockets, including smaller ones for knick knacks, a water-resistant laundry bag, and a compression system that means packing for a 10 day trip is suddenly a dreamy concept.
Specs Size: 66.1 x 47 x 28cm Weight: 4.7kg Capacity: 72L Warranty: Lifetime.
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Best hybrid carry on
“Yes, this compact (and cabin baggage compliant) suitcase is pretty. But more importantly, it’s practical, which in this case means loaded with storage. Inside its deceptively tough shell is three mesh pockets, perfect for little items like socks and chargers. Behind that, a generously-lined sleeve – perfect for a laptop or even a suit – offers reassuringly thick padding and plenty of room. The best feature, though, is the part that added more height to the case when unzipped. The stunning design, 360-degree wheel spin, and remarkably comfy handle (with a stylishly satisfying little release button) doesn’t hurt either.” – HuffPost lifestyle writer, Amy Glover.
Specs Size: 55.6 x 35.6 x 23cm Weight: 3.9kg Capacity: 34L Warranty: Lifetime.
Best expandable hard shell carry on
The joy of holiday is buying mementos from other places to bring back to your house. If you find you never quite have enough room in your case, this carry on from Antler is expandable, for 5cm of extra depth. There’s also plenty of space inside to store all your bits and bobs, thanks to its three mesh pockets on one side and a compression strap. And, your belongings are sure to stay safe as the case has four external stripes designed to protect against bumps.
Specs Size: 55 x 36 x 23cm Weight: 2.8kg Capacity: 46L Warranty: Lifetime.
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Most equipped carry on
Pink to make the boys wink! But this carry on will have you feeling flirty, too, thanks to the fact it’s lightweight, deceptively small, and the wheels spin a full 360 degrees with no effort. Although it’s more petite than other carry ons, you can fit just as much in – six to eight outfits, to be precise. It even comes with its own laundry bag, so your dirties are ready to go at any moment (no one wants that mingling in with all their clean clothes). The pièce de résistance, though, is the built-in battery pack, which means you’ll never be without phone charge while you’re waiting to board.
Specs: Size: 55 x 38.5 x 21.5cm Weight: 3kg Capacity: 42L Warranty: Lifetime.
Best check in overall
Nothing will ever be out of place in this check-in, due to the sheer number of pockets it has on the inside. As well as capaciously spacious compartments on either side, there are two compartment separators that double as shoe, underwear, or toiletry storage. It also has silent wheels, to avoid that annoying ever-present rolling sound while you’re travelling, and the handle is cleverly designed so the release button is on the underside, making for an easy departure.
Specs Size: 76 x 53 x 28cm Weight: 4.79kg Capacity: 93.7L Warranty: Lifetime.
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Best lightweight check in
When you’re checking a suitcase, you know things are about to get serious. I don’t know about you, but I can never pack a sensible amount when I have a big case, so luckily this one is shockingly light considering its size. As well as weighing pretty much the same as a carry on, it’s lined with interiors made from fully recycled materials, and can expand an extra 5cm for the inevitable goodies you’ll want to bring home with you. Inside is a removable wash bag, which will save room on the thousands of toiletries you’ll no doubt convince yourself you need. Feel smug about that while you glide it along on its seamless 360 degree wheels.
Specs Size: 80 x 55 x 35cm Weight: 4.7kg Capacity: 156L Warranty: 10 years.
Best budget carry on
If you’re looking for a bag that’ll tick all your boxes, this one from M&S is it. Although it costs just £59, reviews comment on the face it looks and feels as sleek as more expensive brands. It has a hard shell interior, and its zips are made with anti-burst technology, so there’ll be no nasty surprises when you open the overhead locker. It even comes with a lock, so you won’t have to worry about anything mysteriously going missing.
Specs Size: 55 x 35 x 21.5cm Weight: 2.65kg Capacity: 30L Warranty: 10 years.
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Best budget check in
If you’re not a heavy packer but want to make the most of your hold luggage, this budget case will be just the right size to see you through a long weekend trip away (and good news: it’s Ryanair compliant). It might be lightweight, but that doesn’t sacrifice security, as according to reviews its hardshell exterior provides all the protection you need to keep your things safe. Plus, it comes in a range of colours that’ll be the first spotted on the conveyor belt. No more waiting around!
Specs Size: 67 x 44.5 x 25cm Weight: Not stated Capacity: Not stated Warranty: None.
Builders for a huge watersports plan in Co Armagh also came at a time when councillors made a proposal for safe cold water swimming in Co Down.
Also in the month of May plans for a city centre drive-thru located on site of Newry’s new £23m theatre were signed off by the planning committee without further scrutiny in chambers.
Here is your latest round up of council matters for the month of May
Council to tackle ‘scourge’ of scramblers and E-scooters amid fatality and drug run concerns
A NI council is to crack down on the illegal use of scramblers due to public safety fears and the sinister use of youths for “drug runs” in the district.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s active and healthy committee approved a strategy to tackle the “scourge” of off-roaders, including E-scooters and quad bikes.
New joint patrols of PSNI officers and community volunteers could look to confiscate the vehicles in order to prevent a further fatal tragedy such as that of Dublin teenager Grace Lynch earlier this year.
A Co Down park could gain its own dog safe space amid “major concern” children are playing in pets’ mess.
The move comes as residents also report kids and older people “frightened” by dogs on the loose at Downpatrick’s Dunleath playing fields.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s active and healthy communities committee agreed to consider a dedicated exercise area for owners to let their pets off lead.
Pilot scheme proposed for winter cold water swimming at Blue Flag beach
A Co Down Blue Flag beach is set to be officially opened to cold water swimmers this winter as a health boosting benefit.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s active and healthy communities committee approved a proposal to engage with a health trust to promote the benefits of an unseasonal plunge.
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However, cost concerns have been raised due to the need for staff, showers and changing rooms outside of the more popular summer period.
NI city set for drive-thru restaurant at new £23m theatre
A Newry family business is to complete a “Beau Arts” development linked to the city’s new £23m theatre.
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The Sugar Island location is aligned to the council’s planned 250-seater theatre on the site of the old Sean Hollywood Arts Centre, which is now due to be demolished.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s planning committee signed off on the Downey Developments application without further scrutiny in open chambers.
Builders approved for water sports hub to be ‘game changer’
Builders for a major £4.6million Co Armagh water sport facility have been approved to begin developing a “game changer” for the community.
The Camlough Lake recreational hub design was approved by the council’s planning committee in February with early images now released ahead of construction.
In a significant step forward in the decade old vision, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s strategy, policy and resources committee has now signed off on preferred contractors behind closed doors away from the public and media.
Grandpa’s Fish Bar in Lanchester, which opened in March 2025, is a finalist in Best Mobile Fish and Chips and Best Fish Fryer of the Year at the English Fish and Chip Awards.
Earlier this month, the chippy urged its customers to vote in the awards, and it has now made it as a finalist in two categories.
Writing on Facebook, the chippy said: “Thank you SO much to everyone who voted for us.
“We’re thrilled to have been announced as finalists in best mobile fish and chips, and best fish fryer!!
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“We’ll be heading to Manchester next month to take part in some live cook offs before enjoying the awards ceremony. Keep your fingers crossed.”
Grandpa’s Fish Bar, Lanchester (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
The gala final takes place on Monday, June 22 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester.
The chippy is run by brothers Rich and Aidan Weatherburn, and Grandpa’s Fish Bar’s mobile van can regularly be spotted throughout the North East and County Durham.
You can still catch the van this month at the following locations this month:
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Saturday, May 30 – Consett Community Market – 10am – 3pm
Sunday, May 31 – Tudhoe Cricket Club – 11am – 4pm
Grandpa’s Fish Bar was launched after the brothers bought a catering van in February and fitted it out with fryers.
The business is named after their grandfather, who the pair said described the project as the result of “months of hard work”.
The van is expected to appear at food festivals, weddings and village events as the brothers build a mobile fish and chip business across the region.
Drive on Interstate 10 along the Gulf Coast of the United States, through Louisiana and into Texas, and you’ll see signs of the oil industry everywhere. There are offshore rigs out in the water and refineries lining the shoreline, where tankers deposit crude oil extracted from the Gulf floor.
But what you might not realise from looking at the surface, is that this area is also home to a network of underground salt deposits, known as salt domes.
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And dug down deep inside them are caverns, carved out in the late 1970s, that contain the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, America’s huge stockpile of oil.
With the Strait of Hormuz now closed for more than two months, global oil supplies are being squeezed, with warnings mounting about shortages affecting global industries, from aviation to agriculture. In March 2026, as part of a co-ordinated move by members of the International Energy Agency to release 400 million barrels of oil to prevent price spikes, the U.S. began releasing 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Globally, at the end of 2025, global strategic oil stockpiles were estimated at 2.5 billion barrels, with China holding the most.
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In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to Scott Montgomery, a former petroleum geologist who lectures in international studies at the University of Washington, about why these oil stockpiles were built up in the first place, and how they work.
Montgomery says salt is an ideal place to store oil because it’s impermeable, but also quite movable under the right amount of pressure. “These are not huge open gaping caverns … we haven’t hollowed out the salt dome. We actually have 60 separate smaller what are called bottles, about 200 feet (60 meters) in diameter and up to 2,000 feet (610 meters) in vertical length,” he explains.
But Montgomery says that there is only a certain number of times that oil can be taken out and put back into the bottles. “These really have a safety margin of about five cycles of drawing oil out of them and putting oil back,” he says, without dissolving the sides of the cavern too much. “The geological reality … is that we’re going too have to make new caverns.”
Listen to the interview with Scott Montgomery on The Conversation Weekly podcast, where he traces the history of strategic oil reserves, and explains what happens when they run out.
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This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Gemma Ware, Katie Flood and Mend Mariwany. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl.
Newsclips in this episode are from DW News and CBS News.
Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here. A transcript of this episode is available via the Apple Podcasts or Spotify apps.
But there was nothing lucky about Havertz’s masterful finish. Havertz, who has form on the big stage, having fired Chelsea to Champions League glory against Manchester City five years and one day ago, took three decisive touches with his left foot before unleashing his fourth into the roof of the net.
Gateshead Council is now considering plans to repurpose The Bensham Jockey, on Bensham Road, into seven flats with a new shopping area on the ground level. The plans call for the demolition of the current ground floor extensions to make way for a 178m2 commercial floor plan.
The pub had been previously known as the Ravensworth Hotel.
The proposals also include 11 parking spaces including one specifically for motorbikes. A disabled bay and electric car area are also planned.
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The application’s transport report states: “There is a huge number and wide range of local amenities within convenient walking and cycling distances of the site. It is therefore the case that the proposed development is located in an extremely sustainable location.”
The application goes on to state the site is well serviced by public transport including several bus routes.
A previous application for similar plans was approved by the local authority in 2024.
The council’s report at the time stated: “The application will see a redundant building brought back into use. The building has become rundown over the years and therefore it is considered the proposed external alterations would bring the building back to a usable state and the alterations would positively contribute to the immediate vicinity.”
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At the time of publication the application has yet not been decided by either councillors or council planners. The plans remain open to public commentary through the local authority’s online planning portal.
Queer Art, by curators Mollie E. Barnes and Gemma Rolls-Bentley, isn’t afraid to ask questions: what queerness is, what queer art can be, and why queer art matters.
The book’s introduction states that “queer art is not a genre but a gesture; a refusal to be pinned down by fixed identity categories”. Queerness in art can appear both openly and subtly, often through coded, abstract or unconventional forms that challenge heteronormative expectations.
The opening chapter asks “why talk about queer art?”, which is akin to asking why queer art matters. The book answers this in subtle and varied ways. Because queerness exists as a marginal identity, it offers alternative perspectives and forms of freedom that are often shared and experienced collectively.
The word “queer” was first reclaimed in the late 1980s among the homosexual or gay and lesbian community, as it then defined itself. As professor of gender studies Heather Love put it, the word evoked the “long history of insult and abuse – you could hear the hurt in it”.
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Queer Art manages to avoid reductive framing. Although sexual content is an important aspect, queer expression goes far beyond this, and the book reflects that range.
It covers a wide variety of subjects presented in different styles, from figurative work to collage and abstraction. This diversity is expanded through multiple mediums including painting, photography, film and even computer games.
A prime example is the paintings of Julie Mehretu, who resists labels such as “queer artist” or “Black artist”, instead framing her practice as a fluid commitment to complexity, multiplicity and resistance to hierarchy.
The book also includes a broad account of queer history, from Greek mythology to the present day. Contemporary and historical artworks are shown side by side, allowing earlier works to be reinterpreted through a queer lens.
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In doing so, queerness is brought into focus within art history, while historical works gain renewed relevance. Queerness as a marginal perspective encourages us to rethink past, present and future.
Inside queer art
The variety of artistic practices presented offers a carefully curated recognition of different aesthetic approaches. These often contrast but also complement each other across time periods and geographies.
For example, Tamara de Lempicka’s painting The Girls (1930), depicting a lesbian embrace, feels both contemporary and timeless. Salman Toor’s The Green Room (2019) suggests a tension between desire and prohibition.
Each chapter focuses on a theme, discussed in a two-page mini essay with an artwork and reading list – a format typical of Thames & Hudson publications. Each artist is then given a double-page spread combining image and text. These thematic groupings create space to explore queer subjectivity in more layered ways, broadening the dialogue between artwork and identity.
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The selected artists are international and often already well known within queer art discourse. The images are bold, striking and diverse.
The final chapter focuses on queer futurism – an approach that uses speculative storytelling to imagine futures where queerness is centred. It notes that: “Queer artists often explore the future, because the present feels insufficient, constricting or even hostile.”
Quoting critical theoriest José Esteban Muñoz, it states: “Queerness is ‘not yet here’ – it exists not only in lived experience but also in the realm of possibility.”
What connects queer futurism and Afrofuturism is their response to absence in dominant historical narratives. Afrofuturism draws on science fiction, history and African diasporic culture to reimagine Black identity across time. Both movements use imagination and fiction to fill gaps left by “official” histories.
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Two artists working across these ideas are Zanele Muholi and Isaac Julien. Julien’s film Looking for Langston (1989) blends archive, fiction and historical reconstruction to address the absence of queer lives within accounts of the Harlem Renaissance. It reimagines Black cultural life through a speculative lens, filling gaps in the historical record.
Muholi’s project Faces and Phases (2006–present) presents over 600 portraits of Black LGBTQIA lives, described as “participants” to emphasise agency. Their work forms a living archive, extending into their self-portrait series Somnyama Ngonyama II (2015) – where their gaze confronts the viewer, reflecting experiences of racial and queer violence while refusing easy consumption of suffering.
The queer futurism chapter emphasises that this is “not an escapist fantasy”, but one of “soft revolutions, radical propositions and acts of survival”. It includes new media such as gaming – for example, Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s work reconstructing Black trans histories through interactive digital archives.
As the book states: “Trans and non-binary artists are at the forefront of queer futurity, with works that challenge fixed categories and imagine new forms of embodiment.”
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The final statement in chapter one sums up the book’s aim: queer art history has often been shaped by white men, excluding people of colour, women and trans people from its definitions. The book expands this narrative to include a much wider range of queer identities and practices.
The front cover reflects this shift too. Following Barbara Kruger’s feminist work Untitled: Your Gaze Hits the Side of My Face (1981), Del LaGrace Volcano’s The Boxer Johnny Berlin (1996) shows an androgynous boxer wearing lipstick that matches their glove.
This image holds ambiguity between seduction and confrontation, desire and resistance. Meaning is carried in the boxer’s gaze, but interpretation is never fixed. This complexity captures the central premise of the book: queer expression as fluid, open and resistant to definition.
The result is a broader, more inclusive account of queer art.
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This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 30, 2026
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The Champions League final takes place tonight, Saturday, May 30, in Budapest, Hungary, with kick-off at 5pm.
Arsenal are looking to win the competition for the first time in their history, having reached the final only once before, in 2006.
They faced Barcelona in Paris and even took the lead before going on to lose 2-1.
They have also reached the semi-finals twice before, once in 2009 and again last year, where they lost to PSG.
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PSG are looking to win the competition for a second year in a row, having won it for the first time in 2025, beating Inter Milan 5-0.
Why is the Champions League final on at 5pm this year?
Both the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League finals kicked off at 8pm UK time this year, which saw two English teams, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, both win.
The Champions League final has always been played at 8pm UK time too, since it moved to Saturday in 2010.
The Champions League final takes place at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary (Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire)
UEFA have confirmed that the kick-off time has been changed to “enhance the overall matchday experience for fans, teams and host cities”.
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It follows complaints from supporters in previous years around logistical issues, for example, in 2023, when Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team did not receive the trophy after beating Inter Milan until 00:15 because of a 10pm kick-off.
As a result, thousands of fans struggled to return from Ataturk Stadium to Istanbul.
A statement from UEFA said: “Our goal is to make matchday a truly enjoyable experience for everyone who wants to be part of the excitement, while creating a welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy for families and children to attend the biggest and most important club football match of the season.
“For travelling supporters, it will mean improved access to public transport – especially after the match – and a safer, more convenient journey back from the stadium.
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“For the host cities, it will boost the positive economic impact of the event by giving fans the possibility to continue their celebrations.
“The new kick-off time also aligns with a more accessible broadcasting window, helping the final reach an even broader television and digital audience worldwide, with a particular focus on engaging younger viewers.”
Fans have been soaking in the atmopshere in Budapest ahead of the final (Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin adds: “With this change, we are placing the fans’ experience at the heart of our planning.
“The UEFA Champions League final is the highlight of the football season, and the new kick-off time will make it even more accessible, inclusive, and impactful for everyone involved.
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“While a 21:00 CET kick-off is well suited for midweek matches, an earlier kick-off on a Saturday for the final means an earlier finish – regardless of extra time or penalties – and offers fans the opportunity to enjoy the rest of the evening with friends and family, reflecting on the game of the season.”
Is the Champions League final free in the UK? How to watch
For the first time in its 34-year history, UK fans will not be able to watch the Champions League final without paying extra for it.
Anyone wanting to watch the action will need to be subscribed to HBO Max.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who supports Arsenal, wrote to TNT Sports to ask them to make the coverage free for UK viewers.
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However, TNT Sports said the option of a £4.99 month-long subscription to HBO Max to watch the games was “exceptional value”.
A TNT Sports spokesman said: “It has been a privilege to bring UEFA club competitions to sports fans across the UK throughout the season.
“Having three Premier League clubs reach the finals shows the strength of English football and something that we are proud to continue to support.
“We have made all three UEFA finals this year available from just £4.99, the price for a month-long subscription to HBO Max that also includes the great entertainment on the service.
“This represents exceptional value for fans to watch the conclusion of the competitions.”
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Get ready for a new week (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
A new month dawns, giving us a clean slate, followed by the shift of Mercury into Cancer, which brings family and home themes under the spotlight.
This may mean nostalgic memories surface and you want to recreate what was once so magical.
Summer isn’t far away now either — lazier days, longer nights, an invitation to be playful and have more fun. Let’s accelerate towards that lovely feeling now; a practice run if you like!
Let the tarot cards guide us towards the real fun awaiting us this week. What person, place or activity is going to give us a real good time?
Or, come join my magical, mystical tarot club, free for a whole month when you sign up using this link.
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Aries
March 21 to April 20
Get the party started (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Aries for this week: Seven of Cups
Meaning: The good times this week are already living inside your imagination — you are the zodiac’s ultimate party starter, after all. So, all you need to do is get what you are dreaming of doing into your real life. Tell them about it. Book it. Reserve it. Share it. Organise it.
Don’t worry about folk saying no thanks, or laughing, or belittling your idea. People are actually envious of your big dreams, your larger than life ideas, and your uncanny ability to pull it all off! Do something that will make this week a week to remember forever! I dare you.
You’re radiating main character energy right now (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Taurus for this week: Judgement
Meaning: You just want to do something for yourself, possibly by yourself (or with a mirror soul), and enjoy it without anyone judging, interfering or wanting a piece of the action or your time. Is that too much to ask? No it is not, Taurus.
Judgement wants you to be authentic and fully present, to invest in something that you alone crave doing and want to enjoy. A spa day, shopping, reading in a cosy spot, going on a hike, getting a major makeover, signing up to a class or course that fascinates you. Do it. Enjoy it. Embrace it. Make yourself the main character.
You might have a secret admirer (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Gemini for this week: Ten of Cups
Meaning: Your love life and inner circle is where it’s all at this week, Gemini, it is your sign’s season after all, so you’re kind of the centre of attention — rightly so! You may find yourself falling (deeper) in love, wandering out with a new friend who feels like a soulmate, receiving news of a secret admirer that makes you feel excited, or creating an alliance with someone at work and knowing you’ve got each other’s backs.
Folks underestimate your loyalty, your steadfast devotion to people and ability to enhance their life. You’re an asset, a treasure, and a gem of a person. Act like it, know it, believe it, and enjoy the fruits of it this week.
Put your blinkers on and do you (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Cancer for this week: Eight of Swords
Meaning: The good time for you this week is found by switching off the ‘overthinking’ and ‘assumption’ gears in your brain. All the way off. Stop assuming you know what folk really think about you. In fact, stop caring too!
Your self worth and inner value comes from your own perspective and understanding of your nature, progress and struggles. All you can do is measure the version of you now with the past version — do you think you’re growing, learning, improving? If so, celebrate and keep going. If not, don’t worry, just set a small goal this week that will take you from A to B, in some way. Prove you can do it. And repeat.
Meaning: Take a break this week! Kick back, switch on the ‘out of office’ (mentally if not physically), and make your leisure time feel like a true vacation… sunbathing, cocktails, late nights, long walks, romantic gestures, ‘what if’ thinking and ideas.
You have been working so hard recently, investing a lot of mental energy into something, and you’re closer to a mini burnout than you may realise. Sidestep that outcome by simply resting, enjoying your time, turning away from the problems for a while (some may resolve themselves, and you’ll return to what’s left with a clearer head and new set of ideas). Vacation time.
Make the most of this lucky streak (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Virgo for this week: The Sun
Meaning: The Sun promises that you are due to have a wonderful week, maybe the best of 2026 so far! A bold promise, yes, but this is a great card. It’s like a portal is opening up in front of you — and if you’re bold enough to take a leap and jump through it, you will land in a realm of success, joy and happiness.
What bold leap can you take? Maybe it’s a pitch, an idea launched, an application, a trip booked, a date arranged, a person welcomed, a decision made. Something that represents hope and optimism for you, that represents a move forwards to a better place. You are being blessed with good fortune this week, use it to make a wonderful step to a brighter future.
Your task this week is to embrace the joy of life (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Libra for this week: Three of Cups
Meaning:You are the good time, this week, Libra! Ruled by Venus, you’re blessed with beauty, pleasure and wealth. You innately know how to be good company and how to make sure folk have a good time. So, your mission this week is to be social, to get around as many folk as you know and like.
Don’t make this a chore. Truly choose to spend time with people you love, have missed, or know match your upbeat vibes. Do new things together to create new memories and connections. Visit magical places, try something offbeat, do the luxury option, test the new venue in town. Live life well with folk you like. It can all be that simple.
Fence-sitting won’t cut it here (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Scorpio for this week: Two of Swords
Meaning: The good times are waiting for you, this week, on the other side of a big decision you’ve been putting off making or even facing up to. Not like you, because you’re typically a fearless progressive, always moving forwards with your ambitions. Maybe this is a head vs heart decision. Maybe you feel truly torn between options. Procrastination isn’t, however, helping matters. You may lose out altogether if you don’t ‘pick a side’ soon.
So, dedicate the first half of this week to researching, discussing and executing your preferred choice. Don’t overthink. You can always make a new choice if it proves to be wrong. Don’t worry. And then spend the second half of the week enjoying yourself and toasting your good judgement! I have a feeling you will do the right thing!
Tarot card for Sagittarius for this week: The Chariot
Meaning: If this week is all about enjoying yourself then The Chariot is a very apt card for you. It represents travel: journeys, outings, new vehicles, adventures, quests, holidays and major moves in home and/or location. You adore moving around, broadening your horizons, seeing new places and this card is a strong invitation to do so!
The Chariot also represents purpose and aligning your place or home with what you want your life to be about. Are you in the right place? Would a move open up fresh options? Consider carefully. You could be focused on travel very soon, certainly by July.
They’ll soon realise their mistake (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Capricorn for this week: Three of Swords
Meaning: The route to contentment, peace and simply feeling happy in your own skin this week is to surgically remove the known thorns in your side. And you know what (or who) they are.
The Three of Swords is permission to ghost, block and withdraw. Do what is necessary to distance yourself from toxicity, in all its guises. A toxic situation will change you long before you could change it. If you’ve been treated badly, lied to, betrayed, backstabbed, or cast aside… walk away. Give them the gift of your absolute absence. They deserve it.
A childlike creative energy flows through you this week (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Aquarius for this week: Page of Cups
Meaning: Your inner child knows that summer is on the way and is already awake with plenty of ideas for fun! Tune into your childhood memories, photos, music, friendships and hobbies this week with the wide-eyed, wholesome Page of Cups.
Get creative with how you could reinvent and repurpose something from your past for your present. Nostalgia is a lovely feeling and sometimes a signal that something from long ago can still be meaningful and useful and rewarding for you in the here and now. Tune in.
Tarot card for Pisces for this week: Nine of Wands
Meaning: Pisces, deploy a simple trick this week. Do the hard work first. Get up early, be first to it, and get the bad chores, the worst tasks, the dreaded stuff, out of the way. This is how you’ll have fun this week.
When you dread doing something, it infects your whole realm, your overall mood. Remove that fly from your ointment by resolving to do whatever it is that feels heavy or difficult way ahead of schedule. The Nine of Wands promises it will go a lot easier and quicker than you imagine, which will be a cause for celebration in and of itself.
Kerry King has been reading, teaching and creating tarot for 30 years. Join her magical, exclusive Tarot Club for forecasts, predictions, lessons and readings straight to your inbox. Enjoy one month free for all Metro readers (no lock-in or commitment) over on Patreon.
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