Brazil’s National Museum fire earlier this month was like “a lobotomy of the Brazilian memory” said a curator, as much of its archive of 20 million items of historical and scientific importance is believed to have been destroyed. Often when there is a disaster of this magnitude it precedes, with eerie syncronicity, a … Read more
Royal biographies are notoriously sanitised. The Quest for Queen Mary is a new book compiled from the unexpurgated interview notes from an earlier biography of the Queen’s grandmother. Max Hastings describes it as ‘arguably the most riotously funny volume published this year.’ ‘The book conveys, in a fashion that no republican could improve … Read more
Another pop idol gone from a suspected drug overdose – Mac Miller, hugely successful but with a confessed drug and depression problem, which split his two year relationship with Ariane Grande recently. Born 19 January 1992 in Pittsburgh (no birth time), he had a late Capricorn Sun with Neptune, Uranus Mercury conjunct and … Read more
Cartoon: Andy Davey: @Cartoon4sale Labour MP Chuka Umunna has accused leader Jeremy Corbyn of driving centre-left MPs like himself out of the party and he urged him to “call off the dogs” – hardline factions who are intent on changing selection procedures to run out moderate MPs. He said instead the party should be fighting … Read more
Two TV soap stars on Celebrity Big Brother have, for reasons beyond my ken, ended up as a headline story even in the sensible media. Roxanne Pallett, ex-Emmerdale, alleged Ryan Thomas of Coronation Street punched her deliberately. He ended up chastised by the powers that be and in tears while she left the … Read more
The USA took a step back in time at John McCain’s funeral to reiterate the cherished American values of honour, courage and decency with barely disguised digs at lowered standards under Trump. The USA First President chart, 30 April 1789 12.45pm New York, which mercifully has a start time, did look conflicted over … Read more
Saad Lamjarred, a Moroccan singer with millions of fans, a favourite of Morocco’s king, Mohammed VI, was arrested in St Tropez accused of rape two days ago. This is his fourth rape charge. He was already wearing an electronic bracelet on his ankle, placed there following his release from custody on an earlier … Read more
Accusations of genocide, war crimes and crime against humanity have been levelled by the UN at Myanmar’s military for its treatment of the Rohingya people. Their report also criticised Aung San Suu Kyi’s passive role over the past year. “[She] has not used her de facto position as head of government, nor her … Read more
An Australian political coup that backfired has seen a new prime minister take over, the sixth in 11 years. Malcolm Turnbull was forced out and his closest ally Scott Morrison, an evangelical Christian, more socially conservative, an enforcer on immigration and less popular than Turnbull, has been put in his place. Not quite … Read more
Danny Boyle, director of Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire and the 2012 London Olympic spectacle, has pulled out of the next James Bond movie after ‘creative differences.’ Initially it was said over script differences but it appears casting disagreements may also have been a problem between himself and the producers, Barbra Broccoli, Daniel Craig and … Read more