Banksy's Rats Mess Up Bathroom in Lockdown

Banksy's Rats Mess Up Bathroom in Lockdown
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Banksy's Rats Mess Up Bathroom in Lockdown

Banksy's Rats Mess Up Bathroom in Lockdown

Banksy, the British graffiti artist whose identity has never been publicly revealed, used his Instagram account to share pictures featuring a new mural he painted during self-isolation.
According to BBC, the mural shows rats wreaking havoc on what is assumed to be his bathroom's walls, and messing around the sink and the toilet.

Nine rats appear in the new pictures stepping on a tube of toothpaste and knocking the bathroom mirror to one side. A mischievous rodent was seen skipping on a roll of toilet paper which has rolled down and across the floor, while another is swinging from the light cord. And one rat was caught stealing a lipstick that belongs to his wife.

Banksy's last public artwork appeared on Valentine's Day in his home city of Bristol and showed a girl firing red flowers from a catapult.

Known for using graffiti to reflect the reality of society from a unique perspective, the British artist managed to change the common view about this art, which many societies describe as vandalism that distorts public places. He used his talent to communicate targeted social and humanitarian messages that turned graffiti into one of the most prominent forms of modern art.

In December, Banksy highlighted the matter of homeless people with a mural depicting two reindeer dragging a homeless sleeping on a park bench in Birmingham, central England.



French Bikers Race to Buy Harleys before Possible Tariffs

 The logo of American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is seen at an Harley-Davidson dealership in Paris, France, April 8, 2025. (Reuters)
The logo of American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is seen at an Harley-Davidson dealership in Paris, France, April 8, 2025. (Reuters)
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French Bikers Race to Buy Harleys before Possible Tariffs

 The logo of American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is seen at an Harley-Davidson dealership in Paris, France, April 8, 2025. (Reuters)
The logo of American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is seen at an Harley-Davidson dealership in Paris, France, April 8, 2025. (Reuters)

Sales are brisk at the Villiers-Sur-Marne Harley-Davidson dealership outside Paris, where French bikers reckon they had better hurry if they want the American motorcycle of their dreams before trade war puts them out of reach.

"It's now or never," said 55-year-old carpenter Stephane Roger as he inspected the gleaming machines. He had been thinking about buying a Harley anyway, he said. But when he heard the news of US President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, he figured he had better hurry.

Motorcycles were on a list of American goods due to be hit by EU tariffs announced this week in response to Trump. After Trump rowed back on some of his tariffs, the EU suspended its levies but said they could still kick in if negotiations fail.

"Yeah, I think it's time to buy a Harley," said Theo Mottet, a 30-year-old French soldier. If tariffs put the price up, it will no longer be possible for regular people to own one, he said. "It's going to be an elitist pleasure."

Jean-Luc Peschel, a 65-year-old retired musician in a leather blazer and a red necktie, said Harleys conjured up images of Americana that had been swirling around in his head since childhood.

"I'm an old man," he said. "Harley-Davidson rocked my childhood. American films make you dream, and so I think there are people who need to dream today."