Steve Backshall said it was important to recognise climate anxiety
A television wildlife presenter said climate change “is happening” and people should ignore politicians and public figures who think otherwise.
Steve Backshall was speaking as a guest at the Youth Climate Conference at Suffolk One Sixth Form College in Ipswich on Tuesday, which gave 250 young people from across the county the opportunity to engage in conversations about the climate.
Previous speakers at the event includes Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin and activist Scarlett Westbrook.
He said: “If you hear a politician or public figure trying to throw shade on the simple facts of climate change do not listen to another word they say in public ever again… it is happening.”
The event featured talks from the charity, Kids Against Plastic, workshops and advice from location environmental groups.
Known for children’s shows including Deadly 60, Backshall said it was a “great privilege” to share what he has experienced in his career, see how the planet is changing and feel a sense of hope.
He said: “It’s critical that someone in position recognises that climate anxiety is a real thing… especially for young people there is nothing that takes away your impetus to act, than just a sense it’s all screwed and there’s nothing we can do about it.
“People need to be empowered. They need to have a sense that they are important and the things they do can make a difference.”
John Fairhall/BBC
Amy Meek says children play a “pivotal” role in climate change and plastic pollution
Backshall said: “A young person who is energised, who has a purpose, who has a vision, who thinks they can make a massive change is the most exciting thing to be around on the planet.
“We hear endlessly about Greta Thunberg. Well there are tens of thousands of Greta Thunbergs in this nation along and 250 possible Gretas right here, sat right here today – the things they could achieve are boundless.”
The co-founder of Kids Against Plastic, Amy Meek, said young people play a “pivotal part” in tackling climate change and plastic pollution.
She said: “Young people have this really infectious energy, especially kids who we often discount as being too young to really care about these issue… if we can mobilise that energy and that interest into actual positive action that can have a massive difference.”
The acting chair of Creative Australia has apologised to Khaled Sabsabi and his curator Michael Dagostino for the “hurt and pain” caused by the decision to rescind their Venice Biennale commission, and said their artworks had been “mischaracterised”.
Wesley Enoch, who took over from a retiring Robert Morgan three months after the then chair told a Senate estimates hearing he would not be resigning over the controversy, apologised to Sabsabi and Dagostino live on air on Thursday, telling ABC RN the artist’s work was not about the glorification of terrorism, as suggested in parliament in February.
“Those who mischaracterise the work aren’t being honest to the intention of the work or the practice that this artist has, who is an incredibly peace-loving artist in the way that they construct their images,” he said.
“To Khaled and Michael – I’ve done it in person, but to say it here very publicly, I want to apologise to them for the hurt and pain they’ve gone through in this process.”
An independent external review by Blackhall & Pearl into Creative Australia’s actions in cancelling Sabsabi’s commission found there was no single or predominant failure of process, governance or decision that had occurred, but there were “a series of missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities that meant neither the leadership of Creative Australia, nor the board, were well placed to respond to, and manage in a considered way, any criticism or controversy that might emerge in relation to the selection decision”.
The report did not go as far as to list among its nine recommendations the reinstatement of Sabsabi and Dagostino.
The arts minister, Tony Burke, said on Wednesday he had told Creative Australia’s chief executive Adrian Collette last week that he would support whatever decision the organisation made in the wake of the report’s release.
But the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said although the decision to reinstate Sabsabi and Dagostino was the right one, it was “a terrible day for the board and CEO of Creative Australia who have disgraced themselves throughout this ordeal”.
“It is clear that the leadership of Creative Australia needs a clean out in order to rebuild trust within the artistic community and the Australian public,” she said in a statement.
Also calling for Creative Australia and Burke to “explain themselves” over the backflip was the Liberal MP and shadow minister for the arts, Julian Leeser, who told ABC RN on Thursday that there was “nothing in the report [that] suggested that they needed to remake that decision”.
“One of the reasons that [Creative Australia] made their decision back in February to withdraw this is because they were concerned about issues in relation to the broader Australian community,” he said.
“I believe those issues continue to remain, and I believe that Creative Australia should not have unmade their decision that they previously made back in February to withdraw Mr Sabsabi from this exhibition,” he said, adding that Burke needed to explain “how at this time, with this antisemitism crisis that Australia has faced, where we’re a multicultural country, why this particular artist who has this particular history is being chosen to represent our country at this time and receive taxpayer funding to do so”.
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Sabsabi and Dagostino welcomed the reversal of the decision on Wednesday, saying “it offers a sense of resolution and allows us to move forward with optimism and hope after a period of significant personal and collective hardship”.
Philanthropist and prominent arts advocate Simon Mordant resigned as Australia’s International Ambassador for the 2026 Venice Biennale after the announcement of Sabsabi and Dagostino’s removal. The resignation ended 30 years of active involvement in the Biennale, including two previous terms as commissioner and leader of the fundraising drive for the new Australian Pavilion in Venice.
On Wednesday Mordant confirmed that the pair’s reinstatement had led to his re-acceptance of the role, and described Creative Australia’s decision as “a watershed moment for the Australian arts community, whereby we can work towards eliminating any form of racism including antisemitism across the arts industries”.
“I am confident that the work presented will reflect the highest artistic standards and align with the values I have always upheld – integrity, inclusion, and respect,” he said, going on to reaffirm his position on upholding ethical boundaries in artistic representation.
“I would never knowingly support an artist or art that glorifies terrorism, racism or antisemitism or went against my values,” he said.
The chief executive of the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) Penelope Benton, who was highly critical of Creative Australia’s initial decision to cancel the commission, said despite the “messy turn of events”, Creative Australia’s willingness to admit it had got it wrong would go a long way to renewing trust in the transparency and integrity of Australia’s principal arts funding body.
“Artistic freedom and independent decision-making are fundamental to the role of a national arts body,” she said.
Ringo Starr feels he hasn’t aged since his mid 20s
Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr still feels as young as a 24-year-old.
The rocker, who turns 85 on July 7, opened up on Wednesday about his milestone birthday.
“It blows me away. I look in the mirror and I’m 24. I never got older than 24,” Starr told the New York Times.
Starr indicated that the secret to his vitality is his passion for the drums.
“I love what I’m doing. When I first started… my mother would come to the gigs. She would always say, ‘You know, son, I always feel you’re at your happiest when you’re playing your drums.’ So she noticed. And I do,” he said. “I love to hit those buggers.”
Starr also noted that he enjoys spontaneity.
“I live in the now,” he said. “I didn’t plan any of it. I love that life I’m allowed to live.”
On the work front, Starr released a country album Look Up in January. In another recent admission, Starr hinted that he may be far from retiring despite frequent considerations.
“Sometimes when I finish a tour, I’m like, ‘That’s the end for me.’ And all my children say, ‘Oh, Dad, you’ve told us that for the last 10 years.’ And they get fed up with me,” Starr told People Magazine in March.
“I do feel, ‘Oh, that’s got to be enough,’ and then I get a phone call: ‘We’ve got a few gigs if you’re interested.’ Okay, we’re off again!”
Kate Middleton, months after announcing she was in remission, following abdominal surgery and a subsequent cancer diagnosis in early 2024, has revealed
Kate Middleton discusses the emotional challenges of her cancer recovery, emphasizing the difficulty of adjusting post-treatment.(AFP)
The Daily Beast reported that in her first public remarks since abruptly pulling out of the Royal Ascot in June, which caused “a real sense of panic” within the palace, Kate’s team explained at the time that she skipped Ascot in the interest of “balance.”
During a hospital garden visit on Wednesday, the Princess of Wales didn’t directly address her absence, but expressed, “You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult,” per People Magazine.
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“You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to. And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable.”
“You have to find your new normal and that takes time… and it’s a rollercoaster, it’s not smooth, like you expect it to be. The reality is you go through hard times,” she added.
Kate Middleton reassesses life after cancer
Kate finished chemotherapy in September 2024 and confirmed remission in January 2025. Her office said her latest garden visit was meant to “celebrate the incredible healing power of nature and raise awareness of the important role that spending time in nature plays in bringing us joy and supporting our mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.”
“Kate is recalibrating her entire life, her entire work-life balance,” one insider told The Daily Beast. “Ascot was a wakeup call, not a one-off.”
“The last few years have been horrific; the disgusting things that Harry said about her and William and her family, the relentless speculation about her and William, the queen’s death, the king’s diagnosis which had them both thinking they were going to have to take over and then her own cancer diagnosis and treatment,” the source claimed.
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“It’s all taken its toll, and if she needs more time to recover, William will fight tooth and nail to see she is given it.”
Princess of Wales Kate Middleton has spoken candidly about her ongoing struggles following her cancer treatment, admitting that returning to normal life has been more challenging than expected.
During a visit to Colchester Hospital on July 2, 2025, the 43-year-old royal revealed that although her treatment is complete, the recovery journey has been far from easy. “You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment,” she shared. “Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually [that’s not the case].”
Kate explained that despite being cancer-free and no longer under clinical care, she has found it difficult to function normally at home. She emphasized the importance of support during the post-treatment phase, saying, “Finding a ‘new normal’ takes time. It’s a roller coaster… you go through hard times.”
Kate first disclosed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024 following abdominal surgery and a temporary break from royal duties. She and Prince William requested privacy during her treatment to protect their children—Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.
After completing chemotherapy in September 2024, Kate announced she was cancer-free in early 2025. Since then, she has gradually resumed public appearances, including her participation in Trooping the Colour in June. However, her absence from the Royal Ascot later that month underscored the ongoing challenges in her recovery process.
Kate remains focused on healing and finding balance as she adjusts to post-treatment life.
Rita Ora is looking back at finding herself in the middle of the “Becky with the good hair” controversy.
On her 2016 album Lemonade, Beyoncé appeared to reference the woman at the center of the Jay-Z cheating rumors on the song “Sorry.” After the album was released, many believed that Jay, 55, and Rita, 34, had an affair.
In a new interview, Rita shared how Beyoncé, 43, came to her defense during that time.
Keep reading to find out more…While appearing on the Begin Again with Davina McCall podcast, host Davina McCall brought up the “Becky with the good hair” controversy, to which Rita said that she’d been “affected worse” by other things over the years.
“Because it wasn’t real,” Rita said. “I wish I had good hair.”
“None of that was real. That was the first time I experienced what it means to be in a messy situation, I guess,” she added.
Rita also noted that “behind closed doors,” Beyoncé was her “fairy godmother.”
“She was my protector. That’s what’s insane because there was nothing but love,” Rita emphasized. “And, you know, again, being signed to Jay-Z, her husband, she being my biggest inspiration, she came to my first show in New York at The Box.”
At the time Lemonade was released, Rita was filming Fifty Shades of Grey and said she was “so confused” as to why she was being associated with the “Becky” rumors.
“I was like, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ What have I done?’” she asked herself.
Rita and Beyoncé then officially put the “Becky” rumors to rest by taking a selfie together at the 2016 Met Gala.
“Then it was gone,” Rita said. “Because there was never anything there in the first place.”
Rita also recalled being 21-years-old and performing “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child in front of Beyoncé.
“I was actually genuinely upset because that’s my big sister protector. She took it upon herself to really look after me,” Rita shared. “And I still see her to this day and she’s always been so, so nice and proud, checking in on my family and friends that I’ve had since childhood and remembering their names.”
Back in April, Rita was one of the many stars in attendance at Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter Tour stop in Los Angeles!
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Paris Photo is delighted to announce the list of 224 exhibitors selected for its 28th edition, which will take place from November 13–16, 2025 at the Grand Palais. This year, the event will be bringing together 183 galleries and 41 publishers from 33 countries, with 59 who are participating for the first time.
With this edition, Paris Photo is reaffirming its role as an international platform dedicated to photography and the image-based art. The fair brings together, in the nave of the Grand Palais, the market’s leading names, accompanied by new voices from the emerging scene as well as committed curatorial projects.
“This 28th edition of Paris Photo affirms our desire to provide the market with a rigorous and open artistic vision. Bolder, more diverse and more international, this edition brings together galleries and artists from every continent, confirming Paris’s central role as a place for showcasing, reflecting on and promoting the medium.” Florence Bourgeois, director of Paris Photo
Main and Voices sectors This year, the Main sector features 138 galleries and the Voices sector 12 galleries. This edition welcomes major new galleries as well as returning ones, including Eva Presenhuber (Zurich, Vienna, New York), Peter Kilchmann (Zurich), Richard Saltoun (London), Rose Gallery (Los Angeles), Papillon (Paris) and Poggi (Paris). These will be joined by Vadehra Art (New Delhi), Ayyam Gallery (Dubaï) and Hafez Gallery (Jeddah), which will help to broaden artistic representation in the nave. Paris Photo’s loyal galleries will also be present, including Pace (New York, London, Seoul), Fraenkel (San Francisco), Thomas Zander (Cologne), Taka Ishii (Tokyo), christian berst art brut (Paris), Luisotti (Los Angeles), MEM (Tokyo) and Yancey Richardson (New York), confirming the fair’s well-established central role in the photography market. Scattered throughout the nave are Prismes projects, which feature wide-ranging propositions like those of Poggi and Klemm’s (Berlin). After its inaugural edition in 2024, the curated Voices sector is this year being located at the heart of the nave. Entrusted to Nadine Wietlisbach, director of the Fotomuseum Winterthur, and Devika Singh, art historian and curator, Voices has two main axes: exploring relationships and forms of kinship as well as the critical reflection of the ambivalent dynamic between photographer and portrayed; and reflecting on the social, political, ecological and personal dimensions of landscape. Conceived as a separate curated space, Voices reaffirms the desire of Paris Photo to place bold curatorial visions at the heart of the venue.
“By integrating the curated Voices projects into the heart of the nave this year, including large-scale projects in the galleries with Prismes and consolidating the presence of the Digital sector, we are reaffirming our desire to make Paris Photo a space for reflection and experimentation centred on photography and the image-based art.” Anna Planas, artistic director of Paris Photo
Digital sector For the third year running, Nina Roehrs has curated the Digital sector, which is bolstered by a selection of 13 exhibitors, including Heft (New York), Nagel Draxler (Berlin, Cologne, Meseberg), and Office Impart (Berlin). Rolf Art (Buenos Aires) and Anita Beckers (Frankfurt), also present in the Main sector, are enriching their participation with specific projects which reflect their desire to explore new digital formats.
Emergence sector Situated on the first floor of the Grand Palais, the Emergence sector features 20 projects by galleries promoting new approaches and singular voices on the international scene. This year, the emphasis is placed on powerful artistic projects with artists such as Bérangère Fromont (Bacqueville, Lille), Suwon Lee (Sorondo Projects, Barcelona), Mia Weiner (Homecoming, Amsterdam), Atong Atem (Mars Gallery, Amsterdam) and Louis Porter (Chiquita Room, Barcelona). Boasting a diversity of visions and origins, from South Sudan to Mexico and Venezuela, the selection testifies to the dynamic nature of emerging scenes.
Book sector This year, the Book sector features 41 publishers and offers a panorama of contemporary international publishing with publishers such as RVB Books (Paris), TBW Books (Oakland), and RM (Mexico City, Barcelona). The contemporary offerings of the sector are enriched by such new participants as Witty Books (Turin), Artpaper Editions (Brussels) and Perimeter Editions (Melbourne).
Fans are waiting to see what state Ozzy Osbourne is in on stage on Saturday
Ozzy Osbourne has somehow made it through decades of drink, drugs and debauchery – not to mention jail, life-threatening accidents and Parkinson’s disease – but is now preparing to perform for devoted fans one last time.
Black Sabbath made an indelible mark on music by forging the sound that became known as heavy metal – and on top of that, Ozzy practically invented the image of the wild rock star.
Swigging, snorting and shagging his way around the globe in a semi-conscious daze in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, he ensured his place in the rock ‘n’ roll hall of infamy by biting the heads off some poor unsuspecting creatures along the way.
Then in the 2000s, he and his family were catapulted to a new form of fame when they unwittingly pioneered reality TV as cameras captured the foul-mouthed (but affectionate) dysfunction of their home life.
The “Prince of Darkness” has threatened to retire before – but with health problems taking an increasing toll, Saturday’s farewell gig really does look like being his swansong.
Ross Halfin
The original Black Sabbath members will perform together for the first time in 20 years
The 76-year-old will reunite with his original Sabbath bandmates to headline an all-day stadium show featuring groups they have influenced over the years – including Metallica, Slayer and members of Guns N’ Roses and Rage Against the Machine. It has, not unjustly, been described as the greatest heavy metal line-up ever.
Titled Back to the Beginning, the show at Villa Park in Birmingham will really take the band back to their roots.
The football ground is a stone’s throw from Ozzy’s childhood terraced home in the suburb of Aston. On match days, the young Ozzy and his friends would charge match-goers half a shilling to “mind” their cars.
He has joked that his first job in the music industry was as a car horn tuner in a factory in the area, before getting work in a slaughterhouse, which allowed him to play practical jokes in pubs by putting cows’ eyeballs in peoples’ pints.
But he wanted to escape the drudgery of a day job so put an advert for a band in a record shop. That eventually led him to form Black Sabbath with schoolfriend and guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward.
Other groups had summoned up a sound similar to heavy metal, but Sabbath really set the template with their combination of pounding rhythms, deep rock riffs and imagery of fantasy and horror.
Black Sabbath murals have been painted in Birmingham in the build-up to the gig
“They started from absolutely nothing to be global superstars,” says fan Joe Porter, 47, from Birmingham, while admiring murals of the band that have been painted in the city in advance of the gig.
“If you watch their early concerts, they’ve got basic [equipment] – one PA, one small drum set, a bass and a guitar and that’s it. The sound they could make from those four instruments was like there’s 20 people on stage.
“And Ozzy’s like a madman on stage, but really he’s just a normal bloke.”
Their appeal crosses generations, judging by the crowd at Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero, a new exhibition in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
“They started the year my mum was born, in ’68,” says 21-year-old Byron Howard-Maarij. “I’m a massive metal fan, so the fact that the originators are coming back to where it all started, it’s really exciting.”
Another fan, Riley Beresford, 25, from Nottingham, has inherited a copy of Sabbath’s 1970 single Paranoid as a family heirloom from his grandmother. “She got Paranoid on seven inch and it got passed down to my mum, and now it’s passed down to me. It’s going through the family.”
He adds: “They made heavy metal, didn’t they? Obviously the music’s great, but him being wild, it just adds to it even more. There’s no-one else like him, really, is there?”
Fan Byron Howard-Maarij is among those who have visited the new exhibition dedicated to Ozzy
“I think the reason people love Ozzy is he’s still very genuine,” says Toby Watley, director of collections at Birmingham Museums.
“He sees himself as a working class lad from Aston. He hasn’t really changed. What you see is what you get. It’s not going through a Hollywood lens and being glamorised in any way. People really love that and respect it. And it’s something that Birmingham can be really proud of.”
The exhibition features artefacts loaned by Ozzy and wife Sharon, including gold discs and awards such as his three Grammys and two Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame trophies (one for being inducted with Sabbath, the other as a solo artist).
They reflect his musical success, while pictures and videos of him on stage give a small glimpse of that wilder side.
“You never quite know what’s going to happen next, and I think people like that,” Mr Watley adds. “He’s not someone who attempts to stick to the rules. He will do it his own way, in his own style. I think that’s a big part of the appeal.”
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Some of his antics have become legendary.
The most notorious was biting the head off a live bat while on stage in Iowa in 1982. He had been catapulting raw meat into the audience on tour, which prompted fans to throw things on stage in return. He claims he thought the bat was fake before he took a bite.
He has not attempted to use the same excuse about the two doves whose heads he bit off during a record label meeting the previous year.
His other exploits included being arrested for urinating on Texas war monument the Alamo while wearing one of Sharon’s dresses; getting thrown out of the Dachau concentration camp for being drunk and disorderly while on a visit during a German tour; pulling a gun on Black Sabbath’s drummer while on a bad acid trip; blacking out and waking up in the central reservation of a 12-lane freeway; and massacring the inhabitants of his chicken coop with a gun, sword and petrol while wearing a dressing gown and pair of wellies.
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Black Sabbath suggested their 2016 tour would be The End
That all added to Ozzy’s legend, but in reality most of his behaviour was not very appealing or glamorous. He was a wreck, and the drink and drugs gave him a Jekyll and Hyde personality.
In 1989, he woke up in jail to be told he had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder for strangling Sharon. He could not remember anything about it. She dropped the charges.
In 2003, by now supposedly off drink, he broke his neck after falling off a quad bike, and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s the same year. In 2019, he suffered a spinal injury in a fall.
Fans are waiting to see what state he is in on stage on Saturday.
When he was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist last year, he had to sit on a large black throne – suitably adorned with skulls and a giant bat. The same throne has appeared in photos of rehearsals for this weekend’s gig in Birmingham.
His body has survived more abuse than virtually anybody else’s on the planet – but age and medical realities are catching up with him.
Sharon has said the concert will definitely be his final show.
He and his fans are likely to be forced to accept that is the case, although in the past he has found it impossible to stay out of the spotlight for long.
“You know the time I will retire?” he said in a 2020 documentary. “When I can hear them nail a lid on my box. And then I’ll do an encore.”
John Fairhall/BBC
John Fairhall/BBC
