Latest news with #Bjork
Middle East Eye
7 hours ago
- General
- Middle East Eye
Israel deports international activists from occupied West Bank
The Israeli authorities are deporting two international activists who were documenting settler violence against Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, in the southern occupied West Bank. Swedish citizen Susanne Bjork and Irish citizen Deirdre Murphy were arrested on 31 May in the village of Khallet al-Daba, where they had been filming settler attacks against its Palestinian residents. The two women, who are both UK residents, arrived weeks after the hamlet had been razed by Israeli bulldozers, in what residents described as the 'biggest demolition' the village had ever seen. Shortly after, settlers raided the village, forcing families out of their homes and establishing an illegal outpost on the edge of the community. Since then, the remaining villagers have been subjected to daily settler attacks. 'Women and children were moving out of their houses because of the harassment,' Bjork told Middle East Eye. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'The settlers come with their sheep and go round the houses terrifying the locals'. On 30 May, while attempting to document this, Bjork was assaulted by settlers who stole her phone. Israel to take full control of land registry in West Bank's Area C, cementing annexation Read More » 'We'd been filming and following them for hours. And then two of them attacked me and robbed me of my phone,' she said. The pair then called the police. Shortly after, Israeli police arrived along with the military, who Bjork said had likely been contacted by the settlers. The police took their statement, and instructed the pair to go to the police station in Hebron the next morning. 'Neither the army or the police said that we weren't allowed to be in the area,' Bjork said. The two women spent the night at the village. The following morning, at around 6:30am, they were awoken by three masked soldiers banging on the door, instructing them to leave as they were in a 'firing zone'. 'They gave us 10 seconds to get out,' Bjork said. The soldiers took their passports and instructed them to gather their belongings and leave the house they were staying in. The two complied, asking for permission to leave the village so they could report to the police station. The soldiers agreed and handed back their passports. But as they were trying to leave, they were stopped by a man driving an all-terrain vehicle, claiming to be a soldier. While he was wearing fatigues, he did not have official Israeli forces insignia on his clothing. 'He wouldn't identify himself, and so we wouldn't give him our passports, but he wouldn't let us continue on to leave the firing zone,' Bjork told MEE. 'He wouldn't let us go back to the soldiers. We didn't know who he was, so I then again called the police,' she said. Tourists documenting war crimes The police arrived and took them to the station where they were detained and interrogated. 'They said that we hadn't shown ID when asked, that we hadn't left the area and complied with instructions,' Bjork said. 'We were asking them, 'What are you doing? These are children.' They said, 'No, they are terrorists - they run too fast"' - Susanne Bjork During their interrogation, two Palestinian boys were brought into the station, handcuffed and zip-tied. 'We were asking them, 'What are you doing? These are children,'' Bjork said. 'They said, 'No, they are terrorists - they run too fast.'' Bjork and Murphy were released that night, but instructed to report to Ben Gurion Airport's immigration authority the next day for a hearing. At the airport, they were told that if they agreed to leave voluntarily, they would be driven across the border to Jordan, but the pair refused as there would be no official paper trail. They were then threatened with 72 hours in detention prior to deportation. 'So they'd already made their minds up about the deportation,' Bjork said. The two were interrogated and told that they had 'intimidated and humiliated police and soldiers'. 'The immigration officer said to me, 'I don't believe anything you're saying,'' Bjork told MEE. Bjork was then told her visa was cancelled, that she was there illegally and was now detained. Bjork opted to get the first flight out, while Murphy continues to be detained in order to contest the order. 'She wanted to stay in detention because we hadn't done anything wrong. The police report was full of inaccurate information and she wants to highlight the injustice of it all'. Days after Bjork and Murphy's arrests, Basel Adra, co-director of No Other Land, an Oscar-winning film about Israel's control of the West Bank, reported that masked soldiers barred international journalists from entering Khallet al-Daba. 'This is just a tactic for the occupation to stop anyone trying to document what's happening to these communities,' Bjork said. 'We were tourists just documenting war crimes,' she added. 'I asked one of the soldiers why they were masked. One of them said 'If we're not masked, it's too difficult for us to travel abroad'. So in effect, they were admitting to committing war crimes.' A new policy Khallet al-Daba has had to contend with years of settler violence. The hamlet is one of 19 Palestinian villages facing demolition in Masafa Yatta, which was designated a 'firing zone' for military practice in the 1980s. In May 2022, despite multiple appeals from residents, the Israeli High Court ruled that Palestinians are not permanent residents, and, in so doing, removed the last legal barriers to their forced transfer. Israeli forces regularly demolish buildings that the authorities say were illegally built in the area, which is home to over 1,000 Palestinian residents. Since Israel's war on Gaza was launched in October 2023, state-backed settler attacks and demolitions have skyrocketed across the occupied West Bank, while illegal settler outposts have proliferated. The Israeli authorities have also increasingly targeted international activists in the occupied West Bank for deportation in the last 18 months. Masafer Yatta: An Israeli firing zone and the ancient Palestinian village fighting for survival Read More » In 2024, far-right Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir created a special task force to 'deal with anarchists who harm state security'. Israeli media reported that the task force was formed in response to US and EU-imposed sanctions against settlers and their illegal outposts. According to an anonymous security official quoted by the Israeli news site Ynet, the targeted 'anarchists' include 'foreign nationals who come here from all over the world straight to the territories and create provocations' against Israeli soldiers. Bjork has been travelling to the occupied West Bank regularly over the past decade, but this is the first time she has faced arrest and deportation. 'We were quite shocked, this seems to be a new policy,' Bjork told MEE. 'Before, you would just get a ban from entering the occupied West Bank'. Murphy and Bjork's arrests follow that of Janet Adyeri, another British activist, in at-Tuwani, another Masafer Yatta village. Israeli police said she had entered a 'closed military zone'. A BBC report said that during her interrogation, 'she was found to have posted anti-[Israeli army] sentiments on social media and to belong to an organisation calling for the boycott of Israel'. Adyeri was deported shortly after. Bjork warned that the arrests of activists and the barring of journalists from the occupied West Bank will reduce scrutiny on the escalating displacement and harassment of Palestinians there. 'The Palestinians are just left to fend for themselves. There really needs to be some international protection for these communities…they are being harassed and attacked every day. And as soon as someone stands in solidarity with them and tries to document it, we are also removed,' Bjork said.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
‘We're not really threatening' – Irish activist, 71, arrested in West Bank by Israel did nothing ‘to warrant detention'
A SWEDISH woman arrested by Israeli authorities in the West Bank along with Irish woman Deirdre 'D' Murphy insists they did nothing wrong. Furious Susanne Bjork, who was 1 Irish woman Deirdre 'D' Murphy was arrested in the West Bank Ms Murphy, who is 71 and originally from ISM said Ms Murphy was arrested in the village of Khalet Al-Daba'a in Masafer Yatta in the southern part of the occupied West Bank. They were interrogated in a local police station accused of being in a military zone, as parts of Masafer Yatta have been designated by Israeli authorities a closed military zone since the 1980s. Speaking to Most read in Irish News 'People are absolutely terrified and the escalation of violence and settler violence and demolitions happening all over the West Bank is just horrendous and no one's reporting on this. 'I mean our governments are completely ignoring the situation not just in Gaza, but also in the West Bank. It's people like D and myself who are highlighting the situation.' This was the first time that Ms Bjork had been arrested, but it was not the first time she had experienced such intimidation. She explained: 'Usually that would have meant a ban from a certain area, perhaps, that you were not allowed to enter that area. Most read in The Irish Sun 'But my lawyer said that this is a new policy that they've implemented in the last few months, where they arrest people and deport people straight away and send them to immigration hearing at Ben Gurion. 'And this is, I think, quite a new policy. Israeli military says it began extensive ground operations in northern and southern Gaza 'They're just trying to get rid of anyone who tried to document the reality of the occupation and the war crimes taking place.' When asked if she would return, Ms Bjork said she would if she could, but it seemed unlikely because she did not receive any of the documentation she was promised at the police hearing. 'They were supposed to provide us with an English transcript of the interview. I never received that. I also didn't receive any protocol from the immigration hearing.' AWAITING COURT HEARING Ms Murphy was initially held in a detention centre at Ben Gurion Airport. However, ISM said she will be transported to another facility to await a court hearing. Her pal added: 'The immigration officer brought up charges, saying that we were threatening and humiliating soldiers and police. 'D is a 71-year-old woman, I am a 48-year-old woman. We're not really threatening. We definitely wouldn't be threatening heavily armed men.' Ms Bjork said that Ms Murphy was still being detained because she had decided to contest her charges, rather than agree to leave. 'FALSE ACCUSATIONS' She explained: "D is still detained. After we had done the immigration hearing, we had separate hearings, but I was told that my visa had been cancelled. I was now in Israel illegally and I was detained. "Legally, there's a three-day turnaround for them to deport you, but I had signed a paper to say I was willing to take the first flight out. "I was put on a plane to Athens. D, however, decided to fight this deportation, because we had done nothing wrong. These are completely false accusations." She added: "And so, she has remained in detention, waiting to see a judge, which I don't know when that may be."
ABC News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Sigur Rós have always made grand, evocative music. Now they're doing it with orchestras
You never forget your first time hearing Sigur Rós. Their evocative, ethereal compositions sound unlike anybody else — a mix of post-rock grandeur, ambient soundscapes and neo-classical that manages to feel epic yet intimate. Twenty-six years after their groundbreaking second album, Ágaetis Byrjun (translation: A Good Beginning), made them Iceland's biggest sonic export since Björk, Sigur Rós continue to spellbind audiences with music that's difficult to categorise but easy to be swept up in. This week, they bring the magic back for an Australian tour that sees the group accompanied by a full-scale orchestra. "We always wanted to do a show with a full orchestra, but we never really wanted to do the kind of classic 'band and orchestra show'," bassist Georg Holm tells Double J's Karen Leng. There's a long history of rock bands teaming up with orchestras, from Deep Purple to Metallica and Kiss, but Holm explains Sigur Rós aimed for a subtle difference — being absorbed into the wider ensemble as opposed to just fronting it. "Every night has been a collaboration," says Holm, and what began as an experiment, "with a few shows" in New York City with the Wordless Music Orchestra, has grown into a global trek featuring local orchestras in each city. In Australia, Sigur Rós will be accompanied by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra for Vivid LIVE. "We like the idea of working with local people everywhere we go because it gives the music something else … It's great to hear the nuances and different ways of how people express the music." Touring with the band is conductor Rob Ames. "He is the glue. He puts everything together [and] it's a unique experience every night," Holm says. "It is amazing how you have the music written down — it's on sheet music … and you would think it's like reading from a book. But it's like the book is in Latin. "It's just like a universal language, no-one knows how to pronounce it, but the conductor is there to tell you how to pronounce it. "Everyone will put something from themselves into it. It's fantastic!" Having played in the US, Europe, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore already, Holm has "definitely noticed" the unique subtleties of each place and performance. "[There are] differences in culture, and you do see how people react differently to your music. But I have to say, the old cliché of music being a universal language [has] a certain amount of truth." In concert, the band's celestial textures and stirring songs often provoke intense emotional reactions from audiences. "Through the years, we've kind of gotten used to that, people fainting and crying" Holm laughs. "I think it's absolutely amazing that people get a physical reaction to music." The phenomenon reminds Holm of an anecdote from his late friend, British producer Ken Thomas, who worked on Ágaetis Byrjun and it's 2002 follow-up, ( ). "He pointed out to us that the amazing thing about music is that it's just moving air. It is nothing else. You can't see music, and it is basically just air hitting your eardrums in different frequencies. "I always find that amazing standing on stage. It's a bunch of musicians, and all we're doing is just creating a frequency that's moving air out into the audience. And the people out in the audience are getting a physical reaction to that. Despite the fact very few fans speak the Icelandic band's native tongue, it's never been a barrier to their success. In fact, frontman Jón Þór Birgisson — or simply, Jónsi, often sings in the fictional language of Hopelandic, and his extraterrestrial falsetto is a large part of the band's otherworldly appeal. "The amazing thing about him is that he's just getting better. Obviously with age, voices change but it doesn't seem to happen to Jónsi. His voice just seems to be growing and getting better with the years." The catalyst for the current tour is the orchestral Átta (Icelandic for eight), the group's first album of original material since 2013's darker, louder Kveikur (translation: fuse/candlewick). "It didn't really feel like a whole decade between records … I didn't realise it until someone pointed it out to me," remarks Holm. The band's parts were mostly recorded in Los Angeles before they linked up with the London Contemporary Orchestra at the legendary Abbey Road studios. "We've worked at Abbey Road a few times before, and it's always such an honour to be in that studio," Holm says. "The history there, the people that work there are fantastic, and obviously the equipment is just unique." Significantly, Átta is also Sigur Rós's first album since the return of multi-instrumentalist Kjartan Sveinsson (who departed before Kveikur's release). "He was instrumental — excuse the pun — in getting this whole thing together," adds Holm. Sveinsson — with the assistance of Ames and his wife Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir of Icelandic group (and frequent Sigur Rós collaborators) Amiina — wrote orchestral arrangements for the tour, including reworks of the band's older material. "We thought it would be great to play some of the songs that we haven't played before, or that we have tried to play before, but we've never felt worked in a live environment," says Holm. "Also, maybe some songs that would be interesting to sort of reinvent. It's a fantastic opportunity to have a whole big orchestra behind you. We looked at it as an opportunity to do something new, something fresh." That includes 'Starálfur', a string-centric highlight from Ágaetis Byrjun, and the title track to 1997 debut album Von. The latter, reinvented version has delighted even Holm. "We were playing in Taipei and a thought just popped into my mind when we were playing 'Von'. We haven't really played it in a long time [and] now we're playing it in a completely different way. So, what has surprised me is that [the songs] do have a life of their own. They do evolve." Sigur Rós perform at the following dates: Friday, May 16 – AEC Theatre: Kaurna Land, Adelaide Saturday, May 17 – AEC Theatre: Kaurna Land, Adelaide (sold out) Monday, May 19 – Hamer Hall: Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Land, Melbourne (sold out) Tuesday, May 20 – Hamer Hall: Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Land, Melbourne (sold out) Wednesday, May 21 – Palais Theatre: Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Land, Melbourne Friday, May 23 – Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House: Gadigal Land, Sydney Saturday, May 24 – Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House: Gadigal Land, Sydney Sunday, May 25 – Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House: Gadigal Land, Sydney (sold out) Tuesday, May 27 – QPAC Concert Hall: Turrbal Jagera Land, Brisbane (sold out) Wednesday, May 28 – QPAC Concert Hall: Turrbal Jagera Land, Brisbane
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Percussionist DAME EVELYN GLENNIE reveals her life-changing payday
Dame Evelyn Glennie, 59, is the first person to sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist, performing worldwide with great artists and orchestras, writes Peter Robertson. Born in Aberdeenshire, her hearing declined from the age of eight, making her achievements all the more remarkable. She's worked with artists include Danny Boyle (on the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics), Bjork and Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler. She was made a Dame in 2007. Divorced, she lives in Cambridgeshire. What did your parents teach you about money? To be financially independent and responsible with it. Being brought up on a farm, the holidays were always spent doing things like picking potatoes at other farms, where I'd get £6 to £10 a day, and that went into a jar I could use to buy things such as Christmas presents. When I left home at 16 to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London, it was important to be responsible with money. What was your first pay packet? One of my jobs on the farm was to look after sick lambs. If I managed to keep them alive, once they were sold at the mart, Dad allowed me to have that money. So that was a nice incentive, although I'd have looked after the lambs for no money, of course, as they were so cute. When I started doing sessions for Harry Secombe's TV series Highway, I got double what I'd expected so I told them they must have made a mistake, but it was explained that as I played multiple instruments I earned more. Have you ever struggled to make ends meet? Not really. I've been lucky on that front. As a student in London I tried to get through each week on £10-£25 – I wasn't the sort to buy new jeans over a piece of music. In those days you could buy lunch in the Academy canteen cheaply. My diet was practically sausage and beans. I had a complete focus on creating a career as a solo percussionist. Have you ever been paid silly money? In the late 1980s I was asked to take part in a TV advert, playing the marimba on top of a Fuji Bank building in Paris. The fee was £20,000, so of course I was going to say yes. They also gave me free rein to buy a dress, so I went to Harrods and got one for more than £1,000. It seemed absurd to buy that without a worry. The £20,000 allowed me to buy a 3.5-ton van to transport my own equipment, to tour Europe and build a team of people. So that money was a godsend. What's been the best year of your financial life? My first 20 or so years in the music business were very lucrative, in that many of the arts organisations, promoters and venues and so on were well supported. That's not the case nowadays – it can be a real challenge. I was lucky to become financially independent quite early on, in order to do things like employ a team of people. If I started out now, I don't think that would be possible in quite the same way. Are you a spender or saver? I'm certainly a saver, but I do spend quite a bit on percussion instruments, which I love, think are beautiful and am curious about, and I still use a lot of them. That is really my thing. I can probably count the pairs of shoes I have with one hand – though I sometimes record and perform barefoot to feel physically more connected to the sound. The Evelyn Glennie Collection in Huntingdon, which people can visit, includes over 3,800 instruments. What's the most expensive thing you bought for fun? I had a midlife moment when playing in Austria about 25 years ago. I had just passed my motorbike test and bought a lovely MV Agusta for about £12,000, and took it home in the 7.5 ton truck I had then. But insurers seemed to target musicians, and with my hearing impairment the cost went through the roof, so I never rode the bike. I still have it though, and when people tour my Collection it's the first thing they see... and the last thing they expect to see. What has been your biggest money mistake? That was in about 1988 when I bought my first property – a one-bedroom flat in west London. I'd had no advice. Then, when properties were sold in Scotland, you just paid the asking price – there was no haggling. I assumed that was true of the UK. I moved out of London to where I am now in 1992 – I wish I'd been in a financial position to keep the flat. In the Collection there's a card written by a neighbour in London threatening to 'take things further' if I didn't keep the noise down! The best money decision you've made? Employing someone who knows more about money than me. That has been important because, although I'm a saver and like to know what's in the bank and what my money is doing, I'm not one who wants to manage it day to day. Do you have a pension? Yes, on my parents' advice, I've had one since I was a young professional. Do you own any property? I own a five-bedroom house in a tiny village, two houses that are rented out and a business unit. Do you donate money to charity? Yes. I've always done quite a lot for charities, whether doing something or donating financially. But at the moment the bulk of my energy is towards supporting my own charity, The Evelyn Glennie Foundation. Its mission is to teach the world to listen. For example, we work in prisons where listening is key to what goes on. Listening has been an important part of my journey. If you were Chancellor of the Exchequer, what would you do? We put a lot of importance on wellbeing, and people are living longer, yet I think the elderly are not always well treated. We need to think about the quality of care and the respect that we put towards that generation, because they can be incredibly valuable to society. What is your top indulgence? Aside from percussion instruments, I enjoy going to antique fairs, for walks and cycles, and metal detecting – but those aren't expensive hobbies. I was given a metal detector about 12 years ago by a friend as a Christmas present. I've never found anything valuable – mostly bits of old farm machinery – but it's a lovely, relaxing thing to do. What is your No.1 financial priority? To make sure there's always financial independence, and the wherewithal to ensure everything is protected as much as possible.
Straits Times
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
TV & Film Picks: Kian's Bizarre B&B, Bjork: Cornucopia, The Accountant 2
(From left) BTS' Jin with cartoonist-host Kian84 and actress Ji Ye-eun in Netflix's South Korean variety series Kian's Bizarre B&B. PHOTO: NETFLIX Kian's Bizarre B&B Netflix The nine-episode South Korean variety series is the brainchild of popular South Korean webtoonist-TV host Kim Hee-min. Better known by his pen name Kian84, he designed a quirky guesthouse set on a floating barge in the ocean off Ulleungdo Island, a popular holiday destination in South Korea. Together with boy band BTS' Jin and South Korean actress Ji Ye-eun, the trio host holidaymakers in a space where guests have to climb a rock wall to enter and go down a slide to exit. Sleeping arrangements are bunk beds suspended on the external walls, where guests must brave the elements. The dining area is on a lower level accessible only via a fireman's pole and guests are asked to eat with their hands to be 'one with the food'. While the series lives up to its 'bizarre' title, it should also be called The Jin Show as the K-pop global star is the anchor of the show. Not only does he cook and clean, but he is also the voice of reason in chaotic situations. His disarming appeal and natural comic timing keep the otherwise ridiculous show afloat. Kian's Bizarre B&B is one of Netflix's global top 10 non-English shows since its premiere on April 8. The trio have since teased their return with a second season. Bjork: Cornucopia 99 minutes, exclusively at The Projector on May 7 Concert film Bjork: Cornucopia will be released in 500 cinemas in more than 25 countries on May 7. PHOTO: SANTIAGO FELIPE Bjork's theatrical concert film Cornucopia will be released in 500 cinemas in more than 25 countries on May 7, and fans of the Icelandic singer can watch the film exclusively at The Projector on the same day. Cornucopia is taken from Bjork's eponymous concert in Lisbon, Portugal, as part of her concert world tour, which debuted in 2019 in New York City and ended in Bordeaux, France, in 2023. Known for her avant-garde live performances and groundbreaking music, Bjork told music publication Rolling Stone in 2023 that the concert tour was the most ambitious project she had travelled with. The film features three new music videos and includes 25 minutes of extra content not found in the version released on Apple TV+ in January. Featuring material from her 2017 album Utopia and 2022's Fossora, the film also incorporates instruments such as a magnetic harp, a circular flute and an aluphone . Where: 05-01 Cineleisure, 8 Grange Road MRT: Somerset When: May 7, 8pm Admission: $16 Info: The Accountant 2 (NC16) 132 minutes, now showing ★★★☆☆ (From left) Jon Bernthal and Ben Affleck in The Accountant 2. PHOTO: WBEI The actioner picks up eight years after the events of The Accountant (2016) and, this time, Ben Affleck's Christian, an accountant who is autistic , is joined by brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) to take down a criminal organisation. The Accountant was among the first Hollywood movies to view autism as something akin to a comic-book superpower. It also showed that Christian was trained by his strict military father to suppress the 'bad' traits while letting the 'good' ones through, like his ability to memorise and regurgitate the United States tax code. The film is fairly decent in delivering competent action and suspense, as one would expect from action film franchises such as The Equalizer (2014 to 2023) or Jack Reacher (2012 and 2016). Perhaps realising that Affleck's character works best when placed against a foil, the story brings in Braxton early on, so the two can spend the rest of the movie swopping bro banter and working out their issues while mowing down waves of henchmen. – John Lui Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
