LONDON: Stripped of his cycling medals over a doping scandal, disgraced US icon Lance Armstrong will suffer a fresh humiliation this weekend at the hands of an English town which will burn him in effigy.
The 30-foot (nine-meter) steel-framed figure, dressed in a Tour de France leader’s yellow jersey, will be torched on Saturday during the annual Guy Fawkes or Bonfire Night celebrations in Edenbridge in Kent, southeast England.
The effigy has been stuffed with oil-soaked newspapers and fireworks and holds a sign reading: “For Sale — Racing Bike. No longer required.”
Armstrong was stripped of his record seven Tour de France wins after a damning US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) report concluded that he was at the heart of the most sophisticated doping program in the history of sport.
The Armstrong effigy also sports a badge around its neck saying “Jim Fixed It For Me,” a reference to the late British television presenter Jimmy Savile, who has been accused of widespread child sex abuse.
Edenbridge Bonfire Society said Savile had been another potential candidate to be burned in effigy this year, along with British finance minister George Osborne.
“We had a shortlist which included Jimmy Savile but it was decided it would not be nice to use him, as a lot of children attend the bonfire and they might start asking their parents questions,” said society co-ordinator Charles Laver.
Osborne was viewed as “a bit boring,” so Armstrong won out, Laver said, adding: “He’s better because he’s brighter. We’re very pleased with it.” Revellers across Britain celebrate with bonfires and fireworks on or around Nov. 5 to mark a failed 1605 plot to blow up Parliament and kill king James I.
Traditionally they burn an effigy, which for centuries represented Catholic rebel Guy Fawkes, the leader of the so-called Gunpowder Plot.
Other celebrities who have previously made it onto Edenbridge’s bonfire are footballers Mario Balotelli and Wayne Rooney, former French President Jacques Chirac and ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair plus Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Armstrong effigy to go up in flames on English bonfire
Armstrong effigy to go up in flames on English bonfire
5 artists named on 2026 Ithra Art Prize shortlist
DUBAI: Five artists from across the Arab world were announced this week as winners of the seventh edition of the Ithra Art Prize, marking a shift in the format for the one of the region’s most established contemporary art awards.
For the first time, the shortlisted artists — Aseel Al-Yaqoub from Kuwait, Bady Dalloul from Syria, Heba Y. Amin from Egypt, Ala Younis from Jordan and Jawad Al-Malhi from Palestine — will all receive production grants. Their new works will be unveiled in a dedicated exhibition at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran in spring.
The change reflects a growing emphasis on supporting artistic production rather than selecting a single winner.
Farah Abushullaih, head of Ithra’s museum, said: “This year’s shortlist reflects the incredible diversity, creativity and critical thought shaping contemporary art in the Arab world. Expanding the shortlist to include five finalists aims to strengthen dialogue across cultures and generations, while reaffirming Ithra’s support for artists and their distinct artistic perspectives.”
This year also sees the prize exhibition returning to Dhahran, after previous editions toured cities including Dubai, AlUla and Riyadh.
Ithra said more than 500 submissions were received through an open call, with works undergoing a multi-stage review process before the final five were selected.
The shortlisted projects span a wide range of mediums and research-driven practices, engaging with contemporary political, social and historical questions across the Arab world.
