An 800-year old coffin on display in a museum was damaged when a child was placed inside it to pose for a photograph. The ancient artefact, which is housed at Prittlewell Priory Museum in Southend, Essex, was accidentally knocked off its stand and broken after the child was lifted over a protective barrier. The family left the busy museum on 4 August without reporting the damage, leaving staff to discover it for themselves. The incident was caught on CCTV. “The care of our collections is of paramount importance to us and this isolated incident has been upsetting for the museums service, whose staff strive to protect Southend’s heritage within our historic sites,” said Claire Reed, the conservator responsible for repairing the sarcophagus.

“My priority is to carefully carry out the treatment needed to restore this significant artefact so it can continue to be part of the fascinating story of Prittlewell Priory.” The coffin was found in the grounds of the priory in 1921 complete with a skeleton that could have been a senior monk. The priory was founded by Cluniac monks in the 13th century and at its peak had as many as 100 monks living there. The sandstone casket that was damaged is the last of its kind. “It’s a very important artefact and historically unique to us as we don’t have much archaeology from the priory,” said Reed. Luckily for all, the council predict the repairs will cost well under £100. The coffin will now be completely enclosed so to prevent future damage while the curatorial team assess how best to carry out the repairs.(theguardian)…[+]

An Islamic practice permitting men to instantly divorce their wives has been declared unconstitutional by India’s supreme court after decades of campaigning by women’s groups and victims.

The “triple talaq” has allowed Muslim men to dissolve marriages by pronouncing the word “divorce” three times. The supreme court in Delhi took up the issue last year in response to a petition from seven victims and women’s groups. A majority of the bench declared on Wednesday that triple talaq was “not integral to religious practice and violates constitutional morality”.

Campaigners hailed the supreme court’s 3-2 decision as a huge victory for India’s 90 million Muslim women. “It’s a very happy day for us. It’s a historic day,” said Zakia Soman, the co-founder of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), an activist group that was party to the legal battle. “We, the Muslim women, are entitled to justice from the courts as well as the legislature.”The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, also welcomed the verdict: A national survey conducted in 2015 by the BMMA found roughly 1 in 11 Muslim women were survivors of triple talaq, the vast majority receiving no alimony or compensation. Clerics had also started recognising instant divorces where the word “talaq” had been texted or emailed.(theguardian)…[+]

Russian investigators have arrested one of the country’s most prominent theatre directors for fraud, in a case that many in the arts world fear is part of a crackdown on dissenting voices.

Kirill Serebrennikov stands accused of embezzling 68m roubles (£900,000) of government funds. He was questioned by investigators on Tuesday and denied the allegations, Russian agencies reported. The director will spend the night in prison and a court will decide on Wednesday whether he should be remanded in custody or put under house arrest. Serebrennikov, known for his work on stage and screen, is the director of Gogol Centre, a progressive, experimental theatre frequented by liberal Muscovites. The theatre is known for contemporary productions that often deal directly with political or sexual themes rarely seen on stage in Moscow.

Serebrennikov was first detained by investigators in May and questioned as a witness in the fraud case. That led to an outpouring of support for him from the Moscow theatre world and protestations that the pressure was political. However, the investigators did not stop there. A number of Serebrennikov’s former colleagues were detained and, according to Russian media outlets, some have given evidence against him.(Telegraaf)…[+]