Artist also known as Ye, who has attracted controversy in recent years over antisemitic outbursts, to perform two shows in October

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, will perform two shows in St Petersburg this October, becoming the most well-known western star to play in Russia since its invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

The artist has attracted controversy in recent years, with his antisemitic outbursts and expressions of sympathy towards nazism increasingly overshadowing his music and making some countries and venues uneasy about hosting his tour.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

© Photograph: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

© Photograph: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

A coalition backed by the Google co-founder Sergey Brin and wealthy tech investors is trying to neutralize a proposed one-time tax on the state’s richest residents.

© Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Seit Wochen fordern Zehntausende in Albanien den Rücktritt von Ministerpräsident Edi Rama. Der wollte nun sein Image mit einem Auftritt von Kanye West aufbessern – doch das scheint nicht besonders gut geklappt zu haben.

What’s it like to catch a gig so great it goes down in history? Our writers relive incredible performances by everyone from Amy Winehouse at the North Sea jazz festival to Kanye West at Glastonbury

Talking Heads, the Rock Garden, London, 13 May 1977

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella

© Photograph: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella

© Photograph: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella

The wealthy are fighting back with two ballot issues that could nullify the measure in November. The battle reflects a broader tension as American politics contends with deep inequality.

© Philip Cheung for The New York Times

The health care workers’ union that made it to the ballot with its plan to impose a 5 percent tax on billionaires’ wealth told Gov. Gavin Newsom it would accept a 2 percent levy instead.

© Dave Sanders for The New York Times

A proposed wealth tax on billionaires is headed to the ballot unless Gov. Gavin Newsom and other opponents reach a deal with backers to remove it.

© Mike Kai Chen for The New York Times

Taylor Swift ist eine der erfolgreichsten Sängerinnen weltweit. Im Laufe ihrer Karriere war sie immer wieder mit Anfeindungen konfrontiert. Wie der Star daran gewachsen ist.

A surprising array of left-leaning interest groups is trying to kill a wealth tax initiative before the November ballot is finalized. Gov. Gavin Newsom is at the center of negotiations.

© Max Whittaker for The New York Times

Eine Eilklage des dortigen Zentralrats der Juden wurde abgewiesen. Donald Trump will eine „Trump-Promenade“ bauen. Und Chris Hemsworth durfte nicht ins Flugzeug.

Dänemarks führender Wal-Forscher bereitet sich auf die Obduktion von „Timmy“ vor, Kanye West wird nicht in Italien auftreten, und Nina Hagen freut sich auf ihren „neuen himmlischen Körper“.

Reggio Emilia prefect stops gig after Jewish community ‘concerns’ over rapper’s previous antisemitic remarks

A Kanye West concert in Italy has been cancelled over “public order and safety issues”.

The 48-year-old rapper, who changed his name to Ye in 2021, was due to perform at the Pulse of Gaia festival at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia on 18 July, but the city’s prefect, Salvatore Angieri, stopped the gigs after “concerns” from the local Jewish community over previous antisemitic remarks by West.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Coachella

© Photograph: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Coachella

© Photograph: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Coachella

The measure calls for placing a one-time 5 percent tax on the assets of California residents with at least $1.1 billion. Opponents are backing competing measures to counter the tax.

© Mike Kai Chen for The New York Times

FC Basel and Polish stadium stop US rapper’s upcoming shows, after similar cancellations in France and UK over antisemitic comments

Kanye West’s upcoming concerts in Poland and Switzerland have been cancelled, as a growing number of European countries have stopped or postponed the US rapper’s performances amid a furore over his past antisemitic comments.

Swiss football club FC Basel, which is responsible for concerts and events that take place at its St Jakob-Park ground, told Reuters on Saturday that after reviewing a request for West to perform there in June, it decided against it.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Ashley Landis/AP

© Photograph: Ashley Landis/AP

© Photograph: Ashley Landis/AP

Interior minister is ‘highly determined’ to block US rapper from performing in the southern city in June due to his past antisemitic remarks, sources say

Kanye West has announced he will postpone an upcoming concert in France, just after reports emerged that France’s interior minister is seeking to block the US rapper from performing due to his antisemitic remarks.

“After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice,” the rapper, legally known as Ye, wrote on X.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

Industry experts say booking of controversial US rapper was calculated risk that has implications for all festivals

The fallout over Wireless announcing Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) as its 2026 headliner was both swift and considerable.

Last Sunday, major sponsors of the three-day festival, including Pepsi and Diageo, began to withdraw their involvement in the face of a significant backlash to Ye’s shocking pronouncements on the Jewish community and the Holocaust. UK Jewish groups threatened to protest if the shows went ahead. Keir Starmer called the decision to book the rapper who wrote a song titled Heil Hitler “deeply concerning”.

Continue reading...

© Composite: Guardian Design/Getty Images

© Composite: Guardian Design/Getty Images

© Composite: Guardian Design/Getty Images

Rooted in colonialism, legislation backed by governments eager for popularity is obstructing real progress for queer minorities

• Don’t get The Long Wave delivered to your inbox? Sign up here

Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. It’s Morgan here, covering for Nesrine this week. There has been a recent rise in anti-LGBTQ legislation across a number of African countries that already have strict sexuality laws.

I spoke with LGBTQ+ people and activists fighting against the narrative that their identities are an imported “western” creation to better understand the impact of these new laws, why they are happening, and how foreign lobbying groups are pushing for more draconian laws.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: AP

© Photograph: AP

© Photograph: AP

Rapper had been booked to play at festival in London, prompting outcry over his past antisemitic remarks

The Wireless music festival has been cancelled after the artist formerly known as Kanye West was banned from entering the UK amid a deepening political row over his previous antisemitic statements.

West, legally known as Ye, was due to headline all three days of the festival in July and made an application to travel to the UK via an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) on Monday, but this was blocked by officials.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

© Photograph: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

© Photograph: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

The Reform UK leader says he is ‘shocked’ by the remarks which were ‘over the top in every single way’

The Green party is backing resident doctors who are on strike. This morning the party issued a statement on the dispute from its co-deputy leader, Mothin Ali, saying:

Rather than shifting goalposts or arm twisting resident doctors with threats over training places, Wes Streeting needs to get serious about resolving resident doctors long term concerns over pay, training and working conditions. The government’s 10-year plan for the NHS will go nowhere if the workforce feels unappreciated, devalued and demotivated.

I think I’m going to stay out of the selection of music by different bands. We live in a free country; people are going to say things. Let’s just let people listen to the music they want to.

People should choose their music and they don’t really they need advice from John Swinney unless they want to listen to The Jam or Amy McDonald.

Well, the government should go on and take their decisions within their powers, but I’m not going to give a running commentary on music taste.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Rapper who has previously made antisemitic remarks responds to criticism over his booking at London festival

The rapper formerly known as Kanye West has broken his silence and offered to “meet and listen” to members of the UK’s Jewish community after a fierce backlash over his booking at London’s Wireless festival.

West, who is legally known as Ye, has been criticised for making antisemitic remarks, including voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler. Last year he released a song called Heil Hitler a few months after advertising a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Amy Harris/Invision/AP

© Photograph: Amy Harris/Invision/AP

© Photograph: Amy Harris/Invision/AP