The victory in Taiwan’s presidential election of Lai Ching-te — a man Beijing has described as a dangerous separatist — is less of a provocation to future conflict than it might have been given that his party’s (DPP) share of the vote fell to 40% in a three way contest. Analysts say that Beijing’s … Read more
A young, savvy social media influencer, Chiara Ferragni, who has built a global brand and a multimillion-dollar business on her image with 30 million Instagram followers, is on the hook for “aggravated fraud.” She gave her name to a Christmas cake that was misleadingly linked to fundraising for a children’s hospital and received £1 … Read more
The scandal that broke British politics. The Horizon/Fujitsu system whose unreliability was flagged up before the £900million deal was struck in 1999 was backed by Peter Mandelson (Lord) and pushed through by Tony Blair (Sir) despite the adverse reports to avoid damaging relations with Japan. Gordon Brown later appointed Lib Dem Ed Davey (Sir) … Read more
Annie Nightingale, the trailblazing and eternally young-at-heart DJ, has died at 83. When she decided to break into the male enclave of the housewife-friendly music jock she was rebuffed. She was told in the 1970s by BBC bosses her voice was too high and wouldn’t carry, that she didn’t have sufficient authority, and that disc … Read more
Joan Baez, singer and heroine of the protest culture and anti-Vietnam movement is 83 years old. While no longer touring, she still resonates with audiences, received a Kennedy Center Honour in 2021 and capped her long career with a documentary last year on Netflix: Joan Baez, I am a Noise. It looks back on her … Read more
The anaretic degree from 29° to 29°59’59’’ was always deemed fated or problematic though it has also been associated with old souls who have reached a peak, with hints of the difficulty about being able to leave the past behind. The effect can be of the ‘dither and dash’ variety – unable to decide and … Read more
A “cruel and incompetent” administration guilty of “institutional obstinacy” is the conclusion about the UK Post Office fiasco which saw hundreds of postmasters mistakenly blamed for losses and bankrupted, sacked or jailed which in reality were due to a faulty Horizon IT system. The judge remarked that the evidence he heard from the Post Office … Read more
Is there a magic lever which allows some individuals to switch from negative to positive and transform the energies of their chart to develop themselves and their life? Conversely why do some refuse to change, running endlessly on the same hamster wheel until eventually they fall off seemingly having learnt nothing at all? … Read more
The Epstein Files have been released and are being absorbed with most media outlets saying there are no new bombshell revelations though the reputational damage for Prince Andrew is stacking up. Bill Clinton also has a starring role and both he and Hillary are moving into a heavy-stress two years ahead whether over this … Read more
A bomb attack in Iran at a ceremony to mark the death of former Revolutionary Guards leader Qassem Soleimani, assassinated by the US in 2020, has left 103 dead and many injured. To date no one has claimed responsibility. It is thought Islamic State (ISIS) are likely to have been behind it. The group claimed … Read more