Pink Floyd star Roger Waters has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called for a ceasefire – but also said he believes the war was provoked – during an address to the UN Security Council at Moscow’s invitation.
The veteran musician was denounced by Ukraine‘s UN ambassador as “another brick in the wall” of Russian “disinformation and propaganda”, in reference to his former band’s most famous song, following his speech.
It comes amid an ongoing row between the Pink Floyd co-founder and the band’s guitarist and singer David Gilmour, over issues including comments he has made on Israel and the Ukraine war.
Image: Roger Waters addressed the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York
Russia called the meeting on Wednesday to discuss the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and asked Waters, who argued against the Western supply of arms to Kyiv in a letter published on his website in September, to brief.
The rocker, 79, also recently gave an interview to a German newspaper, which was translated into English on his own website, in which he said about Vladimir Putin: “According to independent voices I listen to he governs carefully, making decisions on the grounds of a consensus in the Russian Federation government.”
He added: “I wonder: is Putin a bigger gangster than Joe Biden and all those in charge of American politics since World War II? I am not so sure. Putin didn’t invade Vietnam or Iraq? Did he?”
Appearing virtually to address the security council at the UN headquarters in New York, Waters condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as illegal, but also said it “was not unprovoked”, according to the Reuters news agency. He condemned “the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms”, but did not give specifics.
“The only sensible course of action today is to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine,” Waters said.
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Credentials to speak on security issues questioned
Richard Mills, the deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, acknowledged Waters’ “impressive credentials as a recording artist”, but said his qualifications to speak on arms control or European security issues were “less evident”.
Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the council: “How sad for his former fans to see him accepting the role of just a brick in the wall – the wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda.”
Image: (L-R): Pink Floyd stars David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and the late Richard Wright reunited for the Live 8 Concert in London in 2005. Pic: Hubert Boesl/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
Waters was one of the co-founders of Pink Floyd with Nick Mason, Richard Wright and Syd Barrett, but left in 1985 – leading to legal battles over the use of the band’s name.
The influential prog rock group reunited for Live 8 in 2005 but Waters has not performed with them since.
What has Waters said?
His comments on Russia and the war, as well as comments on Israel, have sparked criticism.
Sharing the article with Berliner Zeitung on Sunday, the star said it had been published “against the backdrop of the outrageous and despicable smear campaign by the ISRAELI LOBBY to denounce me as an ANTI-SEMITE, WHICH I AM NOT, NEVER HAVE BEEN and NEVER WILL BE.
“Against [the] backdrop of them trying to silence me because I lend my voice to the seventy five year old fight for equal human rights for all my brothers and sisters in Palestine/Israel, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or nationality.”
On Monday, Gilmour’s wife Polly Samson – a lyricist who helped write several Pink Floyd songs for their 1994 album The Division Bell – criticised him on Twitter, accusing him of being “antisemitic” and a “Putin apologist”, among other claims.
Gilmour, who has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law and grandchildren, retweeted and liked her post, adding: “Every word demonstrably true.”
A statement in response was later shared by Waters’ official Twitter account, saying: “Roger Waters is aware of the incendiary and wildly inaccurate comments made about him on Twitter by Polly Samson which he refutes entirely. He is currently taking advice as to his position.”
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph published on Wednesday, Waters revealed he has re-recorded a new version of The Dark Side Of The Moon, the band’s seminal 1973 album, without any involvement from his former bandmates.
Speaking to the Telegraph about his forthcoming vinyl release of the album, Waters said he had “no idea” how to get around copyright issues, and that he remade it “because not enough people recognised what it’s about”.
He also spoke about his views on the Ukraine war, reportedly saying it would be “f****** insane” to believe that Russia’s invasion was unprovoked.
He also said: “The Ukraine… is a deeply divided country. In fact, it’s not really a country at all, it’s only been there since Khrushchev, 1956. So it’s a patchy sort of vague experiment.”
Sky News has contacted representatives for Waters and Gilmour for comment.
Police will take no further action over alleged chants at a Bob Vylan concert in London.
Met Police had launched an investigation after allegations the singer, real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, was heard in footage saying “death to the IDF (Israel Defence League)”.
The footage was filmed at a performance supporting Iggy Pop, 78, at Alexandra Palace in May.
In a video, Mr Robinson-Foster is also alleged to have said: “Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel.”
But the Met Police confirmed they are closing the investigation following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Image: The Glastonbury performance led to a police investigation. Pic: PA
‘No further action will be taken’
A spokesperson for the force said: “On Wednesday 2 July, officers became aware of footage that appeared to have been filmed at Alexandra Palace in London on 28 May. An investigation was launched into the language used in the footage.
“Early investigative advice was sought from the Crown Prosecution Service who considered a number of potential offences but determined that, based on the information and material available, there would likely be insufficient evidence to take the case forward.
“As a result, officers have decided that no further action will be taken. We recognise the concerns that the footage caused, particularly among many in London’s Jewish communities.
“It emerged during a period where we have seen a concerning rise in antisemitic hate crime.
“We continue to work closely with community representatives to understand those concerns, to ensure the safety and security of Jewish Londoners and to provide reassurance moving forward.”
It followed footage of Mr Robinson-Foster allegedly leading a chant of “death, death to the IDF” during a BBC live-streamed performance at Glastonbury Festival, in June earlier this year, leading to an investigation from Avon and Somerset Police.
A man, in his 30s, understood to be Mr Robinson-Foster, had voluntarily attended an interview on Monday in relation to the band’s Glastonbury performance, the force said.
Police added the individual was not arrested but an investigation is ongoing.
After the Glastonbury appearance, the group were dropped from a number of festivals.
Actor and director Samantha Morton has said councils who fail to prevent the deaths of children in care should face manslaughter charges.
Warning: This story contains references to suicide.
In a powerful interview with Sky News, the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning actor and director, who grew up in care, said Britain’s care system needs to be “completely rethought”.
It comes after a Sky News documentary, A Girl Called Nonita, told the story of 18-year-old Nonita Grabovskyte, who died in the care of the state following a catalogue of failures by those responsible for her care.
Nonita took her own life on railway tracks in December 2023, just two weeks after her birthday. She had previously told doctors and social workers that she intended to kill herself as soon as she turned 18. But nothing was done to prevent her death.
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44:43
Unseen: A girl called Nonita
“I was a child of the state, just like Nonita,” Morton told Sky News.
“I was put in care at birth until I got the letter to say I was no longer the council’s responsibility. I was kicked out at 16 and put into a homeless hostel.”
After spells of homelessness, she found a local TV actors’ workshop and managed to secure roles that would eventually lead to Hollywood.
But she says she has never forgotten her childhood, which saw her in and out of children’s homes and foster families.
“The lack of care historically is shocking,” she said. “But the lack of care today is worse. Back then, it felt like there was at least some comeuppance.
“The system now is not fit for purpose. It needs root and branch reform. It needs to be completely rethought.”
The young people who grew up in care who have died in England since 2020
2020: 40
2021: 30
2022: 60
2023: 90
2024: 80
Source: Department for Education
The data shows a sharp rise in deaths among care leavers – young adults who have aged out of the care system and are expected to live independently, often with little or no support.
The Department for Education only began collecting data for care leavers aged 22 to 25 in 2023, meaning the true scale of deaths over the past decade is likely to be far higher.
Morton says councils should be held more accountable for the deaths of children in their care, especially if local authority failings contributed to deaths.
Image: Pic: Invision/AP
‘State manslaughter’
“A failure to care has massive consequences,” she told Sky News. “And the consequences are that people like Nonita die. I believe that that is a kind of state manslaughter.
“And individuals who fail to do their job properly should be in a dock.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has told Sky News that deaths of care-experienced young people should “shame us all”.
All deaths of children in the care of the state must be reported to the government via the Child Safeguarding Incident Notification Scheme.
But there are doubts as to whether all deaths are being reported.
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Phillipson: ‘Nonita was failed on so many levels’
‘Shames us as a country’
Ms Phillipson told Sky News she has asked officials to urgently review the process to check for underreporting.
“I’m concerned about serious incident notifications – about making sure we’re receiving all notifications of such incidents taking place,” she said.
“Because it’s only if we know what’s happening, if we fully understand what’s going on in the lives of children, that we as a government, as a country, can provide the support they need.”
Ms Phillipson added: “It shames us all as a country that we so badly fail many of the most vulnerable children who’ve experienced such appalling trauma and abuse in their early lives.
“I read every single notification personally – and it always stays with you. Every case is a child or young person who deserved better.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, help, and support is available. You can call Samaritans free on 116 123 anytime day or night. You can also email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find support online.
Sally Kirkland, a former model and Oscar nominated actress known for her roles in films such as Anna, The Sting and JFK has died aged 84.
Her representative, Michael Greene, said Kirkland died on Tuesday morning at a Palm Springs hospice.
Kirkland had been unwell and struggling to cover medical bills after she fractured six bones last year and developed two life-threatening infections. She had also been diagnosed with dementia.
A GoFundMePage that was set up by her friends to help pay for her ongoing treatment had raised over £45,000 ($60,000).
Image: Michael Douglas, left, and Sally Kirkland appear with their best actor Golden Globes for Wall Street and Anna. Pic: AP
Her biggest role was in the 1987 film Anna, as a fading Czech movie star remaking her life in the United States and mentoring a younger actor.
Kirkland won a Golden Globe and earned an Oscar nomination alongside Cher in Moonstruck, Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, Holly Hunter in Broadcast News and Meryl Streep in Ironweed.
Born in New York City, Kirkland was encouraged to start modelling at age five by her mother, who was a fashion editor at Vogue and Life magazines. Kirkland went on to graduate from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1961.
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An early breakout for the star was appearing in Andy Warhol’s 13 Most Beautiful Women in 1964.
Image: Sally Kirkland in 2015. Pic: Reuters
Some of her earliest roles were playing Shakespeare parts, including Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Miranda in an off-Broadway production of The Tempest.
She once told the Los Angeles Times: “I don’t think any actor can really call him or herself an actor unless he or she puts in time with Shakespeare.”
Kirkland was also infamous for her nude scenes, often disrobing in films and for social causes. In particular, Kirkland volunteered and advocated for people with AIDS, the homeless and prisoners.