An acclaimed female author who won a coveted book prize in Spain has turned out to be three men. TV scriptwriters Agustín Martínez, Jorge Díaz and Antonio Mercero shocked guests, including Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia, when they took to the stage to pick up the award and revealed the celebrated crime author, Carmen Mola, did not actually exist. Mola had previously been portrayed as a female university professor who lived in Madrid with her husband and children.
‘Oldest map’ of stars to go on display
The world’s oldest map of the stars is to go on display at the British Museum. Dating from the Bronze Age, the Nebra Sky Disc is widely believed to be 3,600 years old. However, some scholars believe that the bronze disc, which was unearthed in Germany in 1999, may not be authentic. One said: “If you urinate on a piece of bronze and then hide it in the ground for a few weeks you can produce the same patina as on the disc.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Nude photoshoot in Israeli desert
Hundreds of people wearing only white body paint have walked in the desert near the Dead Sea. American photographer Spencer Tunick curated the gathering in the spot in southern Israel as a guest of the tourism ministry to draw attention to the shrinking Dead Sea via nude subjects. One of the models said: “We’re lucky to have clouds today so it’s not too hot.”
-
Critics’ choice: Watering holes for gourmandsFeature An endless selection of Mexican spirits, a Dublin-inspired bar, and an upscale Baltimore pub
-
Argentinian beef is at the center of American farmers’ woesThe Explainer ‘It feels like a slap in the face to rural America,’ said one farmer
-
‘Businesses that lose money and are uncompetitive won’t survive’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Gaza’s reconstruction: the steps to rebuildingIn The Spotlight Even the initial rubble clearing in Gaza is likely to be fraught with difficulty and very slow
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
‘Extraordinary asymmetry’: the history of Israeli prisoner swapsIn The Spotlight Exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees is the latest in a series of trades in which Israeli lives appear to count for more
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace planSpeed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Israel and the Gaza flotillaThe Explainer Activists fear loss of life after blaming Israel for drone attacks on ships
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
