NEWS IN BRIEF - Culture: "Die Zeit" deletes Maxim Biller's column +++ Anna Wintour resigns as editor-in-chief of "Vogue"

rb . Anyone who came across the column by German-Jewish author Maxim Biller on the online platform of the German weekly newspaper "Die Zeit" on Thursday evening could only read the title: "Middle East Debate: Israel's Disease." Below it was written in italics: "The article published here contained several formulations that do not meet the standards of Die Zeit." Therefore, it was subsequently deleted. "Our extensive editorial quality assurance unfortunately failed."

The column was about the way Germans treat Israel. According to Biller, this attitude is pathological. The vehemence with which many Germans condemn Israel no longer has anything to do "with a civilized political debate," he writes. "It's more like an exorcism performed on one's own body, without a priest or a manual, and the only question is, who or what is the devil here: the guilty conscience of the perpetrator's grandson? Or the eternal grandfather and willing Wehrmacht sergeant who is forever embedded in such people?" The author goes one step further. He writes of publisher Jakob Augstein that he is angry because "the ideal Jew no longer exists, who politely stands in front of the gas chamber prepared for him. Or allows himself to be turned into atomic dust by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard."

In particular, Biller's description of Israel's hunger blockade of Gaza as "inhumane" but also "strategically correct" caused outrage on social media. The reactions were so numerous and so fierce that the newspaper "Die Zeit" took the article down. "Depublishing," in technical jargon, is what's called.

Maxim Biller has been a columnist for the "Die Zeit" newspaper since 2007. It has long been known that he occasionally tends toward polemics in his writing and also likes to play on the man. This makes the statement about the "extensive editorial quality assurance" that failed to work all the more surprising. A spokeswoman for the "Die Zeit" newspaper told the "Jüdische Allgemeine" that this was "a serious glitch in our editorial process, which we deeply regret." The fact that so many readers felt offended by the all-encompassing attack also shows that Biller's writing may have been exaggerated and at times borderline, but the diagnosis he made is probably not entirely wrong.

lbs . Anna Wintour is stepping down from the helm of the American edition of "Vogue" after nearly four decades. The 75-year-old has shaped the fashion magazine as editor-in-chief since 1988 and is considered one of the most influential figures in the fashion industry.

She's not saying goodbye completely: Wintour will remain global editorial director of Vogue and retain her leadership role at Condé Nast. She will continue to oversee numerous titles such as Vanity Fair, GQ, and AD—with the exception of The New Yorker.

With her distinctive appearance, her flair for trends, and a strong sense of power, she shaped Vogue into a style-defining institution. Her retirement is being heralded as the end of an era.

(dpa) Star director Denis Villeneuve ("Sicario," "Blade Runner 2049") will direct the next "James Bond" film. Amazon MGM Studios announced this on Wednesday evening (June 26) (local time). The 57-year-old Canadian is currently one of the most sought-after Hollywood directors. He has been nominated for multiple Oscars and is also responsible for the remake of the "Dune" epic, two of which have already been released and a third is in the works.

"Some of my earliest memories of going to the cinema are connected to 007," media outlets quoted Villeneuve as saying. "I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan. He's holy ground for me."

The last Bond film, which concluded the series with Daniel Craig (57) in the lead role, was released in 2021. Who will next take on the role of the secret agent is not known.

Most recently, Briton Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("28 Years Later") fueled speculation about a role as the new Bond. In London, Taylor-Johnson was asked by a "Deadline" reporter what his next project would be. His response: "I'm not allowed to talk about that."

(dpa) Joana Mallwitz, conductor of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, has been honored as Conductor of the Year at the Opus Klassik awards. She is quoted as saying she is very pleased with the award. Mezzo-soprano Emily D'Angelo and tenor Benjamin Bernheim are honored as Singer of the Year.

The Society for the Promotion of Classical Music awards the unfunded prize in 30 categories. The prestigious music prize will be presented at a concert and gala in Berlin in October.

The award winners reflect the current diversity of the classical music scene, according to the society. Among those honored are pianist and classical music influencer Louis Philippson, violinist Antje Weithaas, trumpeter Lucienne Renaudin Vary, soprano Golda Schultz, and Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino.

ela . American singer and actor Bobby Sherman has died at the age of 81. His wife, Brigitte Poublon, announced this on social media. Back in March, she had already revealed that Sherman was suffering from terminal cancer. "Even in his final days, he remained strong for me—courageous, gentle, and full of light," she wrote in an emotional statement. Series like "Here Come the Brides" and hits like "Little Woman" made Sherman a star and teen idol in the late 1960s.