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
Kofi Annan, Nobel prize-winning head of the UN for two terms, has died. The descendant of generations of Ghanaian tribal chiefs, he rose up through the ranks at the UN to become one of its most powerful leaders, pushing through reforms, although running into controversies as well, especially over Iraq and Abu Ghraib. … Read more
Mark Chapman, John Lennon’s killer, is up again for parole next week, as he has been every two years for the past decade after he had served 20 years of his sentence. He’s been turned down every time. Born 15 May 1955 7.30pm Fort Worth, Texas to a military and, he claims, abusive … Read more
The Paul Manafort trial on charges of filing false tax returns, four counts of failing to disclose his offshore bank accounts, and nine counts of bank fraud is now into its second day of jury deliberations. The jury has requested more advice on what amounts to reasonable doubt suggesting they are divided about … Read more
The slagging match between Trump and Omarosa Manigault has reached a new low with him referring to her as a ‘dog’ and a ‘crazed low life’ on a tweet. She claims there is a tape of him using the N-word; and her book Trump Unhinged has evoked a robust defence from the White … Read more
Jeremy Corbyn has been on the receiving end of a string of media attacks for anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, his support over the years for terrorist leaders, and outraged headlines over his supposed commemoration of a Palestinian Black September leader (hotly denied). Whatever the absolute truth or otherwise of the accusations, he’s … Read more