The president, its long been clear, regards himself as supremely intelligent. He said as much in a tweetstorm following the publication of an incendiary book by author Michael Wolff, Fire and Fury, which contained revelations that cast the presidents mental stability into question.

On other occasions, Trump has insisted that when making important policy decisions, he consults  wait for it  himself.

Apparently, according to new reporting from The Washington Post, Trump wasnt bluffing when he insisted that he has a massively egotistical self-perception.

According to the publication, Trump has opted out of actually reading the document prepared for the commander-in-chief on a daily basis that summarizes major points of U.S. intelligence on the goings-on of the world. Instead, according to the publication, he prefers to stick to getting just an oral briefing, something that concerned interests warn could leave him in the dark about important issues.

Its not as though hes seemed to be very competent about issues of foreign policy since taking office. Although there are new sanctions in force against the North Koreans, he was unable to keep the country from getting to the point of claiming to have nuclear capabilities.

In addition to this, hes been very public in his dismissal of the legitimacy of the nations intelligence agencies. In the context of the intelligence communitys continued insistence that Russia really did meddle in our most recent presidential election, Trump dismissed the most recent set of intelligence leaders as political hacks, and hes extended his criticism to more recent leaders in the intelligence community as well.

Trump has even personally criticized the volume of information hes expected to take in.

Appearing on Fox in late 2016, the then-president-elect commented:

Even still, at least one member of the Trump administration rushed to defend the commander-in-chief.

Current Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats commented that any notion that President Trump is not fully engaged in the [written daily intelligence briefing materials] or does not read the briefing materials is pure fiction and is clearly not based on firsthand knowledge of the process.

Making his defense of the president suspicious, Coats went on to resort to Trump-ian rhetoric, commenting that  President Trump engages for significantly longer periods than I understand many previous presidents have done during briefings.

In the alleged absence of the president taking the time to read the daily briefing materials, copies are reportedly provided to officials including national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Trump declining to fulfill the responsibilities actually associated with his position as president is continuing to prove a detriment to the U.S., with security threats that hes currently not addressing including the already mentioned crisis over North Korea and the issue over Russian meddling in our elections.

JUST IN Trump Now Refusing To Read Daily Briefings In Latest Show Of Mental Decline


It's all getting musical this week as Stormzy leads London into November.

That's just as well because the urge to stay in bed gets ever stronger the colder it gets.

If you need a little more motivation, we've got some inspiration for you right here. Don't let the

Not content with being an award-winning recording artist, Stormzy has collaborated with Penguin Random House to set up a new publishing platform for young writers. At this event, hell be chatting to hip hop artist and activist Akala about the power of books. A panel with Malorie Blackman, Jude Yawson and Chelsea Kwakye will explore the role literature plays in our lives.

Time to pick your your tree  its November so thats basically Christmas. Making it official, Oxford Streets lights will be turned on. Its more than watching someone flick a switch: theres music from Kara Marni, Ray BLK and Novelist as well as shopping and dining offers along the street. Read our guide to London's Christmas lights here.

Looking for a way into the music industry? Head over to Tobacco Dock where BBC Introducing Live is kicking off. You can learn from the experts  Annie Mac, Lauren Laverne and Huw Stephens  as well as listening to performances by Ben Howard, Marika Hackman and Malt Maltese.

Back for its eighth edition, Film Africa festival touches down across London venues from Rich Mix in Shoreditch to BFI Southbank. This week you can see the UK premiere of Eddy Munyanezas Uncertain Future and a series of shorts about contemporary Nigeria in Naija New Wave.

Artist Scottee gets his kit off in this rebellious dance show about flab and wobbles. He is joined by four others and together they wonder why fat men are never sexy but always funny, and always the before shot but never the after shot.

Augmented reality meets dance in this movement installation at Sadlers Wells. Dance company AE invite you to get involved, explore and interact with the work, where your own actions determine your experience.

Theatre Royal Stratford East launches a new night to celebrate the East Ends queer scene. Drag kings Chiyo and Benjamin Butch, queen Dolly Trolley, dancer Rubyyy Jones and Girls Aloud drag tribute group Gals Aloud are on the line up hosted by Rhyss Pieces.

Asia Week takes designers, architects, artists and culture lovers on a journey spanning the breadth and influence of Asian creativity, from woodblock printing to lithographs and paintings to ceramics that merge modernity and tradition.

David Threlfall and Rufus Hound come together for the RSCs farcical production at the Garrick Theatre. Losing his grip on reality, self-styled knight Don Quixote (Threlfall) goes off on an utterly ludicrous adventure with his sidekick Sancho Panza (Hound) through medieval Spain.

Buy tickets for Don Quixote with GO London

The storming launch of Emma Rices new theatre company is coming to a close this week. Wise Children  the name of both the Old Vics play and Rices company  is an adaption of Angela Carters novel about show business, family and Shakespeare. Its a joyful celebration of life on the stage, and not to be missed before it closes.

Things to do in London next week


Half a century ago, being a Cook County worker meant fabricating documents to get the job, being forced to buy political fund-raising tickets to keep it and relying on political connections to get promoted.

That left employees defeated and disillusioned, said Mary Robinson, the compliance administrator for the county.

It took nearly fifty years of federal oversight to rid the county of its rampant patronage problem.

And Cook Countys employment practices are now free from that federal supervision.

Magistrate Judge Sidney I. Schenkier removed the county from the constraints of the Shakman decree Wednesday, finding the county to be in substantial compliance with the fair hiring and employment practices that were established in a 2006 supplemental relief order that laid out a plan to address the countys employment practices.

I am proud of the work weve done over the last eight years to bring this suit to conclusion and, as Mike Shakman said, this is a good day for Cook County government and a good day for the people of Cook County, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said, calling the decision a substantial milestone.

There were no objections and no one spoke in opposition to the decision, which will effect about 10,500 employees offices Preckwinkle oversees, including the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, the Office of the Independent Inspector General and the Public Defender.

Preckwinkle announced in August that she wanted out of the constraints the lawsuit set. Since 2006, the Shakman suit has cost county taxpayers around $8 million. Around $3 million of that went to claims from employees who said patronage played a role in them advancing in their careers.

Laura Lechowicz Felicione, legal counsel to Preckwinkle, said that the other costs have been operational and helped the county usher in improvements to curb patronage. The county now has an online application system and technological improvements resulted in a verified employment process.

The suit was initially filed in 1969  with a consent decree following in 1972  but it wasnt until the 2006 order that employment reforms started in earnest at the county.

Michael Shakman, who filed the landmark lawsuit that culminated in the federal consent decree that bears his name, said the county being found in compliance is a historic moment and a happy day.

[The government officials, courts and special monitors] reformed Cook County government in an important way thats going to make a real difference to the people who work for county government, who are getting a fair employment system, a fair chance at advancement, Shakman said. Its great for the public because patronage has been eliminated from county government and that means that people who are paying the taxes will get a fair days work for a fair days pay.

In ruling that the county was in compliance with the decree, Schenkier commended Preckwinkle, Inspector General Pat Blanchard, Public Defender Amy Campanelli and Jay Shannon, CEO of the health and hospitals system for their work in bringing the county into compliance with the clout-busting plan.

Going forward, Blanchards office will be in charge of investigating patronage complaints.

This is a big day, Schenkier said. A day where we see we dont have to be trapped by the past, trapped by the history of things. We can move forward, but it takes dedication.

No longer trapped by the past county freed from political hiring oversight


Pregnant Meghan Markle sought medical advice about the risk of contracting the Zika virus in Fiji and Tonga ahead of her and Prince Harrys Australian tour, a royal spokesman has confirmed.

The 37-year-old royal is expecting her first child with Harry next spring.

The couple touched down in Sydney today, kicking off their first international tour as a couple.

It is recommended that pregnant women do not travel to areas affected by the Zika epidemic unless vital. Travellers are also warned to sleep under mosquito nets to avoid being infected.

There have been reports in Tonga and Fiji of the Zika virus, which can cause abnormalities to babies in the womb.

However, a royal source said: The Duke and Duchess will have taken advice at the highest level before deciding that they were happy to go ahead and plan the trip.

Zika is an infection spread mainly by mosquitos and is usually very mild for most people  but can be serious for pregnant women. It can cause babies to be worn with microcephaly, a condition that results in a baby having an abnormally small head.

After taking precautionary measures, there will be no change to the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs planned schedule, comprising of a 16-day trip coinciding with the fourth Invictus Games.

Kensington Palace announced the couples happy news in a statement on Monday morning.

It read: "Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019.

"Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public."

Prime Minister Theresa May was among the first to offer her congratulations, saying: My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the happy news they are expecting a baby in the spring. Wishing them all the best.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, posted on Twitter: Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their happy news! Prayers for them in the months ahead.

The baby will not be a prince or a princess unless the Queen overrules a royal protocol dating back to 1917 that limits titles within the royal family.

The announcement sparked speculation over names with traditional royal choices among the favourites, including Victoria and Albert, Diana and Philip were suggested by experts.

Grant Harrold, a former butler to Prince Harry, today told the Standard that he believes Harry may choose to name the child after his late mother if it is born a girl.

He said: As far as royal names go  for a boy we may have a Charles or Philip, or for a girl Diana to honour the baby's grandmother, or perhaps Elizabeth."

Then again, they may decide to go with a name that has close connections for the Duchess.

Royal baby Meghan and Harry sought medical advice over Zika virus ahead of Australia tour


The video is very disturbing  These people are ignorant and unhinged and want to lead this country.

The violence of these Democrats is just insane.

FOX News reported:

An intern for Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum has been arrested and charged with battery for throwing chocolate milk on College Republicans tabling on campus before she kicked Gillums opponent Republican Ron DeSantis sign out of the ground.

The far-left student activist who had the profanity-laced meltdown, Shelby Shoup, is listed as an intern for the Andrew Gillum for Florida Governor Campaign on LinkedIn and a member of FSU Students for Justice in Palestine. Gillums campaign did not return a Fox News request for comment.

A portion of the profane exchange with the College Republicans on campus was caught on camera.

Shoup threw her drink on SFU College Republicans Vice-Membership Chair, Daisy Judge, and when another student passing by tried to de-escalate the situation, she threw the remainder of her drink on him, according to a statement released by the College Republicans at FSU.

You are supporting Nazis, Shoup said in the video posted online. Do you understand that?

Jobs Not Mobs Gillum Staffer and Commie Arrested on Battery Charges For Hurling Drink on College Re


Donald Trump must have thought he got a great burn in on Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) when he referred to him as little Adam Schitt on Twitter, or else hes just too dumb to notice his misspellings. Schiff, however, was ready with a response.

It isnt as if Americans can be shocked anymore by Trumps petty Twitter attacks. After all, hes referred to a woman with whom he had an extramarital affair horseface, President Obama as a sad and sick guy and told everyone to check out a sex tape that featured a Miss America winner who criticized him when there was no such tape.

The president of the United States referring to a member of Congress using this grade school bully level of pettiness, however, was not only disgusting but surprising.

On Saturday, it seemed Trump was trying to soften his tone, praising Nancy Pelosi and offering to help her get votes, singing the praises of Floridas gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Gillum, after calling him corrupt and a thief, and even Stacey Abrams, whom he had tried to convince his Twitter followers was trying to steal the race.

Its bad enough that Trump lies repeatedly to the country, his attacks are embarrassing. Its impossible to imagine the calm, cool, and collected No Drama Obama ever doing such a childish thing, or the absolute frenzy Fox News would have exploded into if he had.

Twitter was there to back up Schiff and remind Trump that hes the least-liked president in history. See some of their comments below:

Adam Schiff Instantly Responds To Trumps Tweet Attack Donald Is Floored


Facebook allows you to select a certain number of pages to see first in your News Feed. We hope that youll include The Revolution, Dc Gazette , The Marine Patriot Blog , The Trump News Gazette , and Unofficial: President Trump page.

Our journalists work to provide thoughtful investigative reporting, news, analysis and commentary about your local communities, people, sports and institutions. We want to make sure you continue to find that content on Facebook and heres how can make sure that happens:

How to Get Around FBs Opressive Algorithms


A former Fine Gael TD has had an assault conviction against him upheld, following a two-day appeal at a special sitting of Monaghan Circuit Court.

Judge Petria McDonnell ruled against an appeal by Sean Conlan, Main Street, Ballybay, Co Monaghan, after hearing conflicting accounts in relation to an incident at his family pub in the town on the night of August 23rd, 2015.

The former Cavan Monaghan TD was found guilty at Monaghan District Court in February 2017 of assaulting Enda Duffy of Annahia, Ballybay.

He was fined 750 by Judge Conal Gibbons,who said a custodial or suspended sentence was not merited as the incident was at the lower end of the scale.

A charge of producing an article with intent to cause harm during the course of a dispute was taken into account by the court. This was in relation to a broken pint glass that Conlan was alleged by a number of witnesses to have used in causing cuts to MrDuffy arm.

In her ruling, Judge McDonnell indicated that she was affirming the District Court ruling in all its aspects, and thereby leaving the 750 fine in place for the assault and taking the production of an article count into consideration.

Conlan resigned from Fine Gael while still a TD, but lost his Cavan-Monaghan seat while standing as an Independent candidate in the 2016 general election.

Former Fine Gael TD loses appeal against assault conviction


(Natural News) You probably know by now that carotenoids are good for your eyes. But have you heard about them boosting your cognition and your hearing as well? Experts are suggesting that carotenoids like lutein are able to sharpen a persons brain and hearing through the same processes that lets them enhance ones eyesight, an article on Nutra Ingredients USA stated.

The intriguing proposal first came up at the recent Nutrition 2018 conference. During a carotenoid-centric symposium, University of Georgia (UGA) professor Dr. Billy Hammond made his case for luteins beneficial effect on the hearing of humans.

Many studies have shown that carotenoids interact with the human eyes. In contrast, the body of scientific literature that covers their connection with the human ears is much more sparse.

Hammond is very familiar with luteins effects on the brain. He is the author of a 2014 study that showed the optical density of macular pigments are linked to general cognition in people who suffer from mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

The macula are circular areas in the center of the retina of human eyes. They are responsible for visual acuity. They also contain plenty of pigments like lutein and zeaxanthin, which can be analyzed to measure the amounts of each carotenoid in the body.

Published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, the 2014 study reported that low levels of these two carotenoids are linked to lower cognition in participants with MCI. Meanwhile, macular pigment optical density only affected visual-spational and constructional abilities in healthier adults. (Related: Lycopene is found in a variety of fruits, offering an array of antioxidant carotenoid benefits.)

100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.

Hammond also published another study about lutein and zeaxanthin in the 2017 issue of the journal Nutritional Neuroscience. His more recent paper investigated the possible connections between the two carotenoids and the human auditory system.

This work began by noting that lutein is throughout the central nervous system, Hammond explained in an interview. Early work looked at how much of it was in the retina, but then it was found throughout the brain, and also specifically in the auditory cortex.

The auditory cortex is the part of the brain that processes sounds and other auditory information. It can distinguish between signals and noise in order to interpret each individual sound. Some theories link this part of the brain to some forms of higher thinking, such as translating other languages.

This and other parts of the brain appear to be improved by dietary carotenoids. Improvements to visual acuity and brain power are apparently mediated by the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin in the macula and other important parts of the retina and brain.

Hammond theorized that the carotenoids raise the efficiency of neurons in the brain, making them significant factors in brain power. Lending support to his theory was the discovery that both lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the auditory cortex.

The findings of the 2017 study showed that the levels of lutein and zeaxanthin pigments are connected to the proper and optimal function of the auditory system.

Carotenoid specialist Dr. Elizabeth Johnson of Tufts University was at the symposium when Hammond made his presentation. She was excited about the unexplored region of new research on carotenoids that the UGA study uncovered.

Johnson said that she and her fellow researchers first studied carotenoids for their beneficial effects on visual acuity. Never did she think that her research would lead her to human cognition and now the auditory system as well.

If you want to know more about how carotenoids and other nutrients can improve your senses, visit Nutrients.com today.

Carotenoids are also good for your hearing Study


Newly released text messages between FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page reveal President Obama wanted updates on the bureaus Hillary Clinton email investigation.

Newly revealed text messages between FBI paramours Peter Strzok and Lisa Page include an exchange about preparing talking points for then-FBI Director James Comey to give to President Obama, who wanted to know everything were doing. The message, from Page to Strzok, was among thousands of texts between the lovers reviewed by Fox News. The pair both worked at one point for Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Page wrote to Strzok on Sept. 2, 2016 about prepping Comey because potus wants to know everything were doing. Senate investigators told Fox News this text raises questions about Obamas personal involvement in the Clinton email investigation.

The text messages also reveal the FBI agents likely used untraceable phones to communicate about Hillary Clinton.

We text on that phone when we talk about Hillary so it cant be traced, Strzok texted to Page.

Fox News contributor Sara A. Carter previously reported text messages exchanged between Strzok and Page revealed discussions about purchasing Apple iPhones to bypass government collection, systems. During one of their exchanges, Strzok told Page, If I want to copy/take classified, Im sure as hell not going to do it on this phone.

Newly Released FBI Text Suggests Strzok-Page Used Untraceable Phones When Talking About Hillary


(Natural News) A study published in the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines revealed that taking neem oil may help mitigate the risk of suffering from sleeping sickness. A team of researchers at the Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, conducted a series of in vitro and in vivo assays to determine the beneficial effects of neem oil on sleeping sickness models.

Data from the in vitro trial revealed that neem stem bark extracts showed utmost efficacy in mitigating three strains of the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma. During the in vivo trials, the researchers examined 35 mice models that were randomly divided into seven groups. Three of the groups received varying amounts of neem oil extracts, while two others received either suramin or melarsoprol. One group served as the control population, the researchers stated.

The results revealed that the treatment groups exhibited a delay in the commencement of parasite appearance. More specifically, animal models that received up to 400 milligrams of neem extract per kilogram of weight were able to maintain significantly low levels of parasitemia throughout the trial.

No animal mortality was observed during the 14 days of experimentation. There were no visible signs of acute toxicity among the animals treated with the extract at the doses used in the study, the researchers reported.

The current study established that the methanol extract of A. indica stem bark possess both in vitro and in vivo antitrypanosomal activity against T. brucei rhodesiense. Isolation and characterization of constituents of the extract, which is currently on-going research, could yield a potential antitrypanosomal lead compound, the researchers concluded.

100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.

Health experts at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine confirmed that there are no currently available medications that may help keep the condition at bay. Likewise, an article published on the World Health Organizations (WHO) media center revealed that some of the most commonly-used drugs to manage sleeping sickness often spur adverse effects. Among these drugs include:

Health experts explained that sleeping sickness is a disease transmitted by the parasitic tsetse fly. The disease was found to be mostly prominent in tropical African countries including Angola, Central African Republic and Chad. Scientists added that the disease is also widespread in Congo, Malawi and Tanzania as well as Sudan, Uganda and Zambia. (Related: Kazakhstan town plagued by mysterious illness that causes residents to fall unconscious for days.)

People infected with the sleeping sickness may exhibit certain symptoms including:

Death usually occurs within several weeks to months if the disease was left untreated. People who experience symptoms of sleeping sickness were advised to consult a health care provider for proper diagnosis.

Visit Outbreak.news and be on the lookout for the latest in infectious diseases and epidemics.

Neem oil found to be effective at fighting sleeping sickness


Welcome to Small-Cap Spotlight where the Evening Standard business team will bring investors rolling coverage and analysis on all the major small cap news this morning.

Top story sees Rockrose shares climb after the oil firm posted first-half, pre-tax profits of 3.8 million, compared to a deficit of 1.8 million last year.

There are plenty of other updates out there for discussion.

Small-cap spotlight Rockrose Energy and Eve Sleep shares on the up


Celebrity Hunted is back for another year to send four pairs of famous faces on the run for two weeks.

The eight celebrities are used to a life in the spotlight but hope to fly under the radar for 14 days as they hope to avoid being captured by a special team hunting them down  all in the name of charity.

Last years The Wanteds Jay McGuiness and Siva Kaneswaran managed to evade the elite hunters for the fortnight, bagging 100,000 for Channel 4s Stand Up to Cancer.

Ahead of the first of two episodes, here are the celebrities taking part in Celebrity Hunted...

Love Islands greatest bromance to date, Hughes and Cetinay, signed up for the ultimate test of their friendship in the televised game of cat-and-mouse.

They admitted that they signed up because they love doing stuff together, as well as a desire to help an amazing cause but after Cetinay admitted that the pair could be a shambles, it might be the last time we see them cosying up.

Sky News stalwart Burley is one of the most recognisable faces on television but teamed up with Mercer to go incognito.

Mercer, a Conservative MP who served in the British Army before heading into politics, and Burley were united in wanting to do something different to raise money for charity, with Burley citing a strong connection to several cancer charities  raising both funds and the profile of the organisation.

Bonded by Strictly Come Dancing, professional dancer Pritchard and former champion Smith swapped their dancing shoes for running trainers as they headed off on the run.

The stars, who both hail themselves competitive, came up with their gameplan early on as they vowed to get out of Londons CCTV range as quickly as possible  potentially bribing strangers with dance training for their silence or a place to sleep.

An unlikely pairing, Joly called out for the former Geordie Shore star when he was approached to go on the run having seen her survive in the Im A Celebrity jungle, emerging victorious.

Despite being avid watchers of the show and how it works, the pair decided not to come up with a plan to help them settle into being short-term fugitives, preferring to be a fly by the seat of our pants team and torment the hunters.

Celebrity Hunted 2018 cast Start date plus full list of the famous faces on the new series


The most haunting image in Mothers Day (BBC2) was of the mortally wounded Tim Parry swaddled head-to-toe in bandages and suspended above a hospital bed, as if levitating. The camera didnt linger but simply let the horror speak for itself. Nor was there any dwelling on the observation that his room smelt of burning, a result of the 1993 IRA Warrington bombings that would shortly afterwards claim the life of the 12-year-old, along with that of three year-old Jonathan Ball, killed instantly in the attack. Ball had been in town with his babysitter shopping for a Mothers Day card.

The challenge writer Nick Leather (Broken) faced in this 90-minute drama was communicating the abhorrence of the bombings without sensationalising a real tragedy or exploiting the suffering of Parry, Ball and their families. He was assisted by powerfully nuanced performances by Anna Maxwell Martin and Daniel Mays as Tim Parrys parents, and by a steely turn from Vicky McClure as Dublin mother Susan McHugh, whose campaign of protest against the IRA's savagery helped move the Northern Ireland conflict towards the Good Friday Agreement.

Left unsaid but very much implied was that this peace  always fragile  is now threatened by Brexit and the spectre of police and customs barriers running through what, just 25 years ago, was a war zone.

The form a reinstated border might take was hinted at as McHugh travelled north, through a heavily armed checkpoint, to bring her message of peace to Belfast. She was met with disbelief at what the conflict-hardened survivors of the Troubles regarded as her naivety in speaking out against Warrington. In one of the many scenes that spoke to the tremendous subtlety Leather brought to a complicated subject, a mother who had lost a child to the security forces in the North wondered why McHugh was helping create a hierarchy of victims, whereby a victim of the IRA in England was worth more than one killed by an RUC plastic bullet in Belfast.

Northern Ireland is a knot that refuses to be untangled. Mothers Day did an effective job laying out the complexities of the Troubles, applying shades of grey to what is often portrayed as a black and white situation. This it achieved while also weaving a powerful human interest story as McHugh and the Parrys found a common cause in trying to ensure there would never be another Warrington (there of course would be  the Omagh bombing, carried out by IRA dissidents, was still five years away).

The only glaring flaw was McClures Irish accent, which had nothing in common with the real McHughs Dublin background and instead seemed to have parachuted in from a Hollywood movie about leprechauns and merry peasants in thatched cottages (it got better as she went on but initially she sounded like Mummy Zebra from Peppa Pig).

The soap opera elements, however, felt earned and respectful towards the real suffering of the families. As Tim lay dying, Colin Parrys way of coping was to step before the cameras and urge peace. But Wendy, whose bottomless grief, Martin conveyed with understatement, just wanted to mourn her son.

Thus she initially regarded the appearance on her doorstep of the campaigning McHugh as a visitation from an amiable but slightly dodgy saleswoman. A cheaper drama would have framed the story around the relationship between these two mothers, one grieving, the other outraged at what the IRA had done ostensibly in the name of Irish freedom. And it might have insisted that a storybook ending had taken place when Wendy Parry travelled to Dublin, with her husband, and found a common cause with Susan.

Instead Leather let the facts speak for themselves, understanding this story of courage, selflessness and empathy was powerful enough on its own. The crescendo came as the Parrys appeared on television in Dublin, breaking the hearts of a nation as they explained that they did not blame Ireland for what had happened.

The most devastating was saved for last with a cut to footage of the real Susan McHugh, at a peace rally in Dublin, and of Wendy and Colin Parry going onto Gay Byrnes Late Late Show. And then to a final shot of Tim Parry, smiling from a faded photograph, and the quiet yet insistent implication that, 25 years after his death, it is unthinkable anyone should wilfully reignite a conflict never really extinguished, merely reduced to a simmer. It also demonstrated that drama can tackle complex and difficult subjects without making the viewer feel as if has sat through a lecture.

Mothers Day BBC2 review Powerful IRA drama avoids lecturing viewers


An Australian teenager with a love of Apple decided to hack his favourite company and is now facing criminal charges.

According to Australian newspaper The Age, the 16-year-old accessed Apples backend network multiple times over last year and managed to download 90GB of secure files and customer accounts.

The files were stored in a folder on his laptop labelled hacky hack hack.

Apple has come out and said that no user data was compromised in the attacks.

We ... want to assure our customers that at no point during this incident was their personal data compromised, a spokeperson told Reuters.

The tech giant called in the FBI after noticing the attacks were happening.

The FBI then passed on the allegations to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The AFP carried out a search on the teens home last year and seized two Apple laptops, a mobile phone and a hard drive, which all matched the serial numbers and IP addresses that had intruded into the organisation.

When the AFP searched the teenagers devices, the agency found the laptop's boosted hacking software. This software was used to access authorised keys, which grant log-in access to the Apple mainframe.

The AFP reported that the teen used WhatsApp to boast about his misadventures to others.

According to The Age, the teenagers lawyer said he hacked Apple because he was such a fan of the company.

Following his hacks, he has become so well known in the international hacking community that even mentioning the case in detail could expose him to risk.

The teen pleaded guilty to the charges, however, he will not be sentenced until next month due to complexities surrounding the case.

Teenager hackers is a sub-category all on its own. Last year, Adam Mudd was jailed for two years after creating a computer hacking business when he was 16. After selling this software to cyber criminals, around 1.7 million attacks were carried out on websites such as Minecraft, Xbox Live and Microsoft.

You cant fault them for their skills and talent, but you can for the way they use them. Thats why the UKs National Crime Agency now has a rehab course for teen hackers which discusses what is illegal online and encourages the teens to use their skills in the security industry.

Apple hack teenage fan hacks his favourite company but doesnapost compromise customer data


These arent people, these are animals. And were taking them out of the country at a rate thats never happened before. This quote was President Trumps response to a question on MS-13 transnational gang members from a California sheriff who disagrees with her states recent so-called sanctuary protections for dangerous illegal immigrants.

Protect Hispanics by Attacking MS-13


Prosecutions have reached an all-time low despite crime soaring to a new record high, official Government figures reveal.

The number of people dealt with by the criminal justice system in England and Wales fell by 7 percent in the latest year while recorded crime shot up by 11 percent to 5.5 million.

The Victims Commissioner warned that unless the trend is reversed people will simply give up reporting crimes, creating a real disconnect between the public and law enforcers.

UK Criminal Prosecutions at Record Low Despite Crime Near All-Time High


(Natural News) Its no secret that Obamas CIA director, John Brennan, is no fan of POTUS Donald Trump, as he has made clear on Twitter and on cable news programs regularly.

Its also no secret to people who have taken the time to research Brennan that in the 1970s, as the Cold War with Russia was in full swing, Brennan actually voted for an American Communist Party candidate for president something that should have negated his ever becoming a staffer back in 1980, much less head of the countrys most powerful spy agency.

The president finally did justice and the American people a favor when he recently revoked Brennans security clearance. But according to a bombshell report, thats just the tip of the iceberg.

As noted by Teaparty.org, some believe that Brennan has been actively plotting against the United States for years, even allegedly playing a pivotal role in allowing the 9/11 hijackers inside the country:

Obama, Clinton, Kerry, Jarrett...far too many people in the previous administration had highly troubling ties to the terrorist state of Iran and in Obamas case, there is quite a bit of evidence pointing to the fact that he was a Muslim, a fact which remained in question throughout the entirety of his presidency and he did little to dispel by always referring to the Koran as The Holy Koran and the Bible simply as the Bible.

Obama points to his decades-long association with a Christian church in Chicago, where he lived and served as a state, then U.S., senator before becoming president. But the pastor of that church was Jeremiah Wright, whose fiery sermons can best be summed up as anti-white and anti-Republican, to say the least, and who was regularly critical of America in general.

There is even some speculation that Brennan may have converted to Islam at some point.

But theres more. According to Freedom Outpost, Brennan was the CIA station chief in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, when the 9/11 hijackers were given visas to travel to the United States. There are even reports he gave the final approval for those visas.

In September 2014, a whistleblower named Greg Ford, a former military intelligence officer, told Ground Zero Radios Clyde Lewis that Brennan actually overrode CIA objections to the approval of those visas.

Ford said on the show: All 19 high jackers? Where did they get their visas stamped before they came to this country to launch 9/11? They got their visas stamped in the CIA station in Jeddah. And the second in command said, No way, absolutely we are not going to stamp those visas. And the fellow who was in charge, his name was John Brennan. He was the person who overrode those concerns and cautions and ordered those visas stamped in Jeddah.

Freedom Outpost noted further that Michael Springman was, at the time, head of the American visa bureau in Saudi Arabia, a post he held during the Reagan and Bush administrations, from September 1987 through March 1989. He said during his time there he was ordered by higher State Department officials to hand out visas to applicants who were not qualified. He said the applications were for recruits of Osama bin Laden, who was fighting against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, and who was sending recruits to the U.S. for training by the CIA.

Springman made his incredible claims during an appearance at the National Press Club on June 10, 2002.

The National Review subsequently reported that none of the 9/11 hijacker visas were completed in the proper manner, turning the U.S. government into a travel agency for terrorists.

The magazine, citing an August 2004 report[.pdf] from the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, said the visa applications for the 19 hijackers were replete with data fields left blank and questions that were not fully answered, and yet U.S. officials approved 22 of 23 visa applications for the hijackers.

Of the 15 Saudi terrorists, four of them received visas through the Visa Express Program in June 2001.

If it werent for John Brennan, 9/11 may never have happened, Freedom Outpost concluded.

Read more about Islamic terrorism against the U.S. at Terrorism.news.

Was John Brennan a traitor who allowed 911 terrorists to enter the United States and murder thousan


In October, Instagram added a polling feature to its ephemeral stories. Today, the company is introducing a new twist on polling with the questions sticker, which lets your friends submit questions for you to answer in a subsequent story post. Instagram says its a way to start conversations during moments when you dont necessarily have a photo or video to share. In other words, its a way to ensure that people continue posting even if they have totally run out of content ideas.

The new feature can be found in the sticker drawer. Tap it, type out a prompt, and place it on your post. When friends see it, they can tap the sticker to send replies. Somewhat confusingly, replies will appear in the list of people who have viewed your story, which appears in the bottom-left corner of the post. (Wasnt Instagram Direct built for this exact sort of thing?)

From there, you can tap the question to create a new story post. The question will be inserted into the story, and you can answer however you like. Youll know who asked the question, but their username or photo wont appear in the post.

The questions sticker is rolling out today on Android and iOS.

Instagram adds the questions sticker a new way to poll your friends


Residents of the sleepy, rural town of Brownwood, Texas (population 19,000) awoke Sunday to find four monuments at a local veterans memorial knocked over and shattered on the ground. The memorials were en-scripted with the names of local area veterans who have served.

The damage was discovered by President of the Memorial Harold Steiber on Sunday morning. I found it at 8 a.m. Sunday morning when I came to work on the (recently acquired Vietnam UH-1 Medi-vac) helicopter, and my power tools wouldnt work. The breaker is just behind one of the (monuments) and after I flipped it, I looked up and saw what had happened.

The downed granite memorial monuments paid tribute to the men from Brown County who fought in World War 1, World War 2, Korea and Vietnam, as well as the Infantry Division that called Camp Bowie home during WWII.

The estimated damage done to the memorial is close to $40,000. Assistant Brownwood Police Chief James Fuller, who was in training today with Chief Nichols, said this weekends weather could be the cause for the toppled monuments. We had straight line winds on Sunday. Damage around town included power outages and several large downed trees.

Col Tom Gray, who also volunteers at the memorial, says it was not an accident. The engineers say no way it was wind, not with the amount of tonnage we are dealing with here. Gray continued It mustve been some big old boys, more than one for sure to knock those down.

The Memorial Day service scheduled for the Central Texas Veterans Memorial will still be held next Monday despite the damage, according to Memorial Secretary and Treasurer Joyce Leidig. We start at 11:00, right here said Leidig. The public is also invited to attend.

Vandals Destroy Veterans Memorial In Texas


Nobody does reinvention like Madonna.

Since she first broke out in 1982 with the hit Everybody, the beauty chameleon has experimented with just about every look under the sun.

From '80s club kid, to punk through various highly-sexed sirens, to geishas and megawatt Hollywood glamour, Madge has managed to effortlessly channel her rebellious rock star status into many a magical makeup moment.

As the founder of her own cosmetics line, MDNA Skin, the beauty chameleon always has a flawless alabaster complexion as the starting point for her look. Her signature style is to then offset this with a punchy red lip, a slick of liquid eyeliner and high-impact falsies, but over the years shes also rocked glowing skin and lip glossed glamour, shimmering pink eye shadows and, of course, that signature beauty spot.

When it comes to her locks, the OG queen of pop has pulled off platinum blonde, brunette, jet-black, redhead, curly, straight and cropped with equal amounts of panache.

Known for her insistence on growing older on her own terms, the mother-of-sixs best beauty moment has got to be the gold and diamond-encrusted grillz, which she rocked back in 2013.

As she celebrates her 60th birthday today, we salute the the superstars ever adventurous, high-octane approach to beauty.

Scroll through the gallery above for Madonnas most notable hair and beauty moments.

24 times Madonna switched up her beauty lookand we loved it


Robinson will be appearing via Skype, telling Gateway Pundit that he has accepted an invitation to go to Australia for ten days and does not want to be away from his family for too long. He has received many invitations to come and speak in the US and is planning a proper tour for a future date.

I want to bring my warning to America, not just to Congress  but all corners of America, Robinson told the Gateway Pundit. I think its better to plan a proper tour. My message is too important to cram into four days.

Wednesdays event is being hosted by the Middle East Forum and is titled, Silenced! Censoring Public Discussion of Islam. Others on the panel include MEF President Daniel Pipes and Rebel Media founder Ezra Levant.

The pattern is clear: Question Sharia Law  and find yourself banned from Facebook and Twitter. Criticize a radical Imam, get fined. Call for limits on immigration, get fired. Plan a talk on female genital mutilation, get deplatformed, the MEF invitation reads.

The MEF is an activist-think tank that identifies and promotes American interests as they relate to the Middle East and Islam.

The event will be taking place from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Rayburn House Office Building. The MEF asks that people register to attend and arrive early with a photo ID to get through security. They will be providing lunch and ask that guests wear business attire.

Robinson had also been invited by seven members of Congress to come and speak before the Conservative Opportunity Society, a caucus of conservative members of the US House of Representatives at 8 a.m. on Wednesday  but that will likely happen at a later date. Signatories on the invitation included Rep. Paul Gosar, Rep. Steve King, Rep. Ralph Norman, Rep Brian Babin, Rep. Scott Perry, Rep. Andy Harris and Rep Louie Gohmert.

Robinson told Gateway Pundit that he has an open invitation to come speak before Congress any time that he wants  so there is no need to rush his visit.

I have so many people I would like to thank in the United States that I want to plan it properly. I want to thank everyone who helped to free me in person, Robinson said.

In May, Robinson was arrested for contempt of court while filming outside a Pakistani grooming gang trial in Leeds, as the case was under a reporting ban. His arrest and immediate imprisonment leads to protests all over the world  from London to Washington, DC.

In August, the charge was struck down by Lord Chief Justice Burnett and two other judges  but he may now be subjected to a retrial.

Robinson appeared before a judge at the Old Bailey last month. He had brought his prison bag and was prepared in case he was sent back to jail  but instead the judge referred the case to the Attorney General. Thousands of his supporters gathered outside and celebrated when the outcome was announced.

Though it was what Robinson and his lawyers were hoping for, it means the case continues to drag on and he remains stuck in limbo, uncertain if he will have to return to prison. He expects to be cleared soon, which will also open him up for easier travel.

Robinson was recently banned from PayPal, who said that they do not allow PayPal services to be used to promote hate, violence, or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory. They have additionally frozen the money that he had in his account for 180 days.

They just dont like my opinion and want to silence me, Robinson told the Press Association. The government and establishment can see I have public support, they can see I have the ability to fight back.

Additionally, 55 anti-free speech British MPs wrote a letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging him not to let Robinson into the country to speak. It does not appear that Pompeo has responded to them.

On the eve of last months hearing, Robinson sat down with the Gateway Pundit to discuss his case  as well as his hopes and fears.

You can watch the video here:

Tommy Robinson to Discuss Censorship of Those Who Speak About Islam at Capitol Hill Event on Wednesd


The Trump administrations massive cuts to social services have left lots of people in need, and that has created fresh work for tech nonprofits that are hoping to address it.

The nonprofit sector is doing a lot of the work the government should be doing, said Tiffani Ashley Bell, founder of the Human Utility, which provides debt forgiveness for people with overdue water bills. And there is a lot of that in the nonprofit sector. Bell founded the organization working to restore water service to people who are unable to pay their bills. The organization, which was founded in 2014, began its work in Detroit and has since expanded to Baltimore.

People in Detroit were having to live without running water because they couldnt afford the bill, and, at that time, it was probably 30,000 households in Detroit that had that going on, Bell said. And a lot of it was they literally couldnt afford the bill. Weve spoken to people where they didnt have any furniture in their house.

Thats one reason why Bell says the tech industry should pay more attention to peoples basic needs. She suggests more tech workers devote the time they save from using services like Instacart or Amazon Prime to volunteering for a cause they believe in. You dont have to dedicate a whole eight-hour day to volunteer or anything like that, she said. Two hours would help somebody.

More than 14 million people in the United States have trouble paying utility bills, Bell said. To date, the Human Utility has helped more than 1,000 families pay their bills. It developed its own platform for crowdsourcing donations and built a separate platform for managing the cases of its clients. Bell credits a strong focus on a handful of key metrics, learned at the prominent Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator, for its growth to date.

Bell lays out her thoughts on how Silicon Valley should change its priorities on this episode of Converge, an interview game show where techs biggest personalities tell us about their wildest dreams. Its a show thats easy to win, but not impossible to lose  because, in the final round, I finally get a chance to play and score a few points of my own.

You can read a partial, lightly edited transcript with Bell below, and youll find the full episode of Converge above. You can listen to it here or anywhere else you find podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Google Play Music, Spotify, our RSS feed, and wherever fine podcasts are sold.

Casey Newton: It sounds like youd like us to reckon more with nonprofits in our lives.

Tiffani Ashley Bell: Totally. I just think about how the nonprofit sector is doing a lot of the work the government should be doing. Like the work I do with water or the crisis now with kids at the border. Thats something that the government actually shouldnt be doing, but we get into that realm of picking up the slack for the government. And there is a lot of that in the nonprofit sector.

And I think, especially here in San Francisco, if youre getting your groceries at the grocery store yourself, you have a lot of free time. So you could probably volunteer. Go to your closest nonprofit and volunteer your development talent or something like that because they would love to have something like that. Thats one easy way for a lot of people here to get involved.

I like that, and I also like the challenge of when you look at the services that you as a person in the tech industry used to save time. Then ask yourself, what are you doing with that time? And then ask yourself, if any of that time being spent helping anybody else?

Seems like kind of a good two-part exercise that people who listen to this show could go through.

Totally, and its not even that hard. You dont have to dedicate a whole eight-hour day to volunteering or anything like that. Two hours would help somebody.

Why tech nonprofits are increasingly stepping in for the government


The events took place in Santa Coloma de Gramenet in Catalonia two days ago. The young lady was traveling on the Metro with her boyfriend when the Moroccan manada (or wild herd, as the Spanish call sexually violent groups of men) started molesting her.

The youths followed the couple out of the train compartment and inserted themselves inside an elevator in the train station with them and proceeded to knife the young man as he defended his girlfriend, and violently sexually attack the young lady.

The group was arrested by the local police of Santa Coloma de Gramenet this past Sunday, November 11th, in the house they were squatting in.

Spain 14 Moroccans Sexually Abuse Girl Stab Her Boyfriend


Brighton travel to Anfield this evening looking to build on their incredible win over Manchester United with an even tougher test at Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp's men have enjoyed a perfect start to their campaign, dispatching West Ham for four before travelling to Selhurst Park to win 2-0 in the first Monday Night Football of the season.

Brighton meanwhile had a poor opening weekend; beaten by Watford at Vicarage Road where they rarely looked likely to sting the Hornets at any point.

The Seagulls season was then kick-started on Sunday afternoon when Chris Hughton's side heaped pressure on United manager Jose Mourinho with a 3-2 win.

Liverpool vs Brighton will kick off at 5:30pm on Saturday 25th August

The match will be televised live on BT Sport 1, with coverage starting from 5pm. BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match online via the video player and the BT Sport app.

For Liverpool ticket information, click here to access the clubs official website.

For Brighton ticket information, click here to access the clubs official website.

Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet

This will be the 28th meeting between the two sides in competitive action, with the home side winning the majority of the games (15), and just four wins for the visitors.

With Joel Matip returning to the Liverpool match day squad for their victory at Crystal Palace, it seems the defender could return at centre-half as they look to continue their perfect start to the season.

Lewis Dunk limped off the Amex Stadium pitch early on in the game against United after a heavy challenge from Romelu Lukaku. The defender is a big doubt for the trip to Anfield, but with the performance that Dunk's replacement - new signing Leon Balogun - provided, Brighton fans shouldn't be too worried.

Liverpool vs Brighton Premier League 2018-19 prediction tickets betting tips and odds how to wat


With the governors signature, Illinois is now one of more than a dozen states with red flag laws in place, including at least eight that have passed legislation as a response to the February shooting in Parkland, Florida.

A judge must hold a hearing within a week of the filing to review evidence and determine whether to issue an order. If the restraining order is granted, the person must remain away from guns for up to six months. Their firearm license will be suspended, and theyre otherwise barred from buying guns. If the individual is believed to be in possession of firearms, the judge would then direct law enforcement to seize those weapons for the duration of the order. Any person who knowingly provides false information in requesting a firearms restraining order would face felony perjury charges.

The bills sponsor, state Rep. Kathleen Willis (D), has proposed similar legislation in previous sessions, only to have it fail amid accusations that it would lead to Second Amendment violations. Willis said it wasnt until this year, following recent mass shootings that she saw widespread bipartisan support for the bill. These incidents included attacks in Las Vegas, Parkland, Florida, and Nashville, Tennessee, where a man shot up a Waffle House with guns hed purchased in Illinois.

It took some tragedies to finally open up peoples eyes to realize that when red flags are there, families see them first, Willis said. People close to the shooters often see those red flags and are powerless to do anything.

With the addition of Illinois, 13 states now have some sort of red flag law on the books. Eight states have enacted new measures since the February massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in which 17 people were killed. Floridas law went into effect in March, and Vermont, Maryland, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware and Massachusetts later followed suit.

Supporters of red flag laws have held up the Parkland shooting as an example of the sort of incident these statutes might be able to prevent. The suspected gunman in that case, a 19-year-old former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, had attracted the attention of local police on numerous occasions before his attack. Officers, however, never pursued criminal charges that mightve otherwise opened the door for his guns to be seized.

With firearm restraining orders at their disposal, police can remove guns from dangerous individuals before harm is done, said Robin Lloyd, director of government affairs at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) founded the national nonprofit after she was shot at a constituent event in 2011.

The new Illinois law also allows for the filing of emergency restraining orders against individuals who pose an immediate and present danger of causing harm to themselves or others. In these cases, court hearings will be held on the same day the petition is filed, or the next day court is in session. These proceedings can be done ex parte, meaning the individual isnt notified. If the order is granted, the persons firearms can be removed immediately, at which time they can petition for a followup hearing within two weeks.

Although much of the conversation around red flag laws has revolved around their ability to get guns away from those at risk of harming others, advocates have also pointed to their effectiveness in preventing suicides, which account for 60 percent of all firearms deaths in the country and around one-third of all fatal shootings in Illinois, according to federal statistics.

The National Rifle Association had initially come out as neutral on HB 2354,  only to change its stance, choosing to oppose it, just minutes into the debate over the legislation, Willis said. More generally, the organization has been inconsistent in its support for red flag laws. The NRA did not respond to a HuffPost request for comment.

Were not talking about things that may or may not have happened in a casual setting, were talking about evidence that has to go before a court, Lloyd said. Its balancing somebodys right to due process with the fact that there are dangerous people who have risen to the court system level and have had contact with law enforcement.

With New Illinois Gun Law Red Flag States Have More Than Doubled Since Parkland


Theresa May once wanted to abolish the same 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs that could now seal her fate as Prime Minister, because she saw it as archaic according to a former adviser.

May was not yet a minister when she decided that the backbench-only group did not reflect the modern Tory Party, says the source. The 1922 Committee, chaired by Sir Graham Brady, is the body that triggers votes of no confidence in Conservative leaders. If Brady receives enough letters of no confidence in the leader, the threshold for which is 15 per cent of the parliamentary party  currently 48 letters  he must call a vote of no confidence. Last night Jacob Rees-Mogg said that he was closer than ever before to sending in his letter.

As her ministers resign, the proximate threat to Mays leadership is one that, if she had got her way, would not now exist.

The 22, as its known, is a focal point for discontent among Tories with their leader. Open only to backbenchers, it is an alternative powerbase within the party that explicitly excludes the Government.

The committee holds its meetings in the fusty, oak-panelled committee room 14 in Parliament where MPs subject leaders to bear-pit style politics, either loudly banging desks or remaining in stony silence.

May is not the only leader who has wanted to reform the Committee. David Cameron in 2010 said he wanted to change the rules of the 22 to encompass the whole parliamentary party and include ministers as well as backbenchers. To show contrast, he held meetings that included the Chief Whip in the modern surroundings of Portcullis House.

Where is David Davis, the former minister who everyone speaks of as the caretaker leader should May be toppled? The Londoner can reveal that Davis flew to Washington on Wednesday morning to talk about trade, and was also expected to give a speech to an American university. Asked if he would be returning early from the States, his adviser told us: No comment.

What was the DUPs Arlene Foster doing deep in conversation with Labours Kate Hoey? And why did they leave the Commons in the same car? Hoey, who decried the minimal interest shown by her colleagues in Northern Ireland, may have been practising what she preaches, but the two are old friends, meeting in their student days. Foster says: When I was nominated by the DUP, [Hoey] asked me if there was anything she could do to help. I suggested she should come to Enniskillen to endorse my candidature.

Grayson Perry is a one-man stand against marketing forces capitalising on the everyday. I stopped sending Christmas cards five to 10 years ago, he told us yesterday at the Baillie Gifford book prize, railing: Stop telling me how to live my life. Theres a national day for everything. Stop telling me how to wipe my f**king arse.

Rachel Weisz, dropping the c-bomb during an interview in the US, made the journo uncomfortable. In England we say it all the time, Weisz explains. If Im with another Brit, well say, So and so is being such a c***, and laugh. Cambridge grad Weisz added: Its an old English word. From Shakespeare. Or maybe Chaucer.

Actor Zoe Kravitz has accused singer Lily Allen of misrepresenting a kiss between them. In Allens recent memoir, My Thoughts Exactly, she recalls an occasion when Zoe and I went out partying and ended up kissing.

Kravitzs memory of the event is markedly different. If by kissing she means, like, attacking, then yes, she kissed me, a visibly uncomfortable Kravitz told a US talk show yesterday. It was portrayed [in the book] like I wanted it.

Host Andy Cohen inquired whether Kravitz had read the book. I dont think anybody read the book, she replied.

Don we now our sparkly apparel: London is glittering as Christmas approaches. Designer Christopher Kane unveiled his bright new Christmas terrace at Scotts in Mayfair last night, celebrating the launch with friends including models Edie Campbell and Lara Stone, who walked in his very first show. I love Christmas: I love the glitz, I love the glamour, he told The Londoner. Mercifully he has not yet started planning his celebrations, although I have friends who have already done everything, which is depressing. Im very last minute.

Among other guests at the restaurant was Amercian singer and hellraiser Courtney Love having a quiet dinner.  Over at The Box in Soho, shimmering burlesque star Dita von Teese was the star guest of Absolut Elyx, and Betty Bachz, Naomi Harries and Jack Guinness sparkled at Londons Bargehouse on the South Bank, for this years Veuve Clicquot Widow Series.

Jo Johnson described Brexit as a parlour game in this weeks Spectator and offered an insight into government machinery when a minister resigns. The Department for Transport driver knocked on our front door for the second time in half an hour and said he was collecting the red box full of ministerial papers hed delivered minutes before, he said. There was also the instantaneous deletion of my policy advisers entire email system from her smartphone while she was in the middle of sending a message.

Some Tory MPs are very angry that Theresa May met Jeremy Corbyn to discuss the deal, when she cancelled morning meetings with Peter Bone and Jacob Rees-Mogg, with half an hours notice.

Greg Hands MP celebrated his 53rd yesterday a little irritated that this 585-page document is dated on my birthday. So he took it to bed, explaining, I pledged to read it before making any comment.

Quote of the day

'We are both, it seems, leaving it late when it comes to career progression'

The Londoner Theresa May aposwanted to abolish the 1922 Committeeapos


Weve all been there: crucible afternoon meeting and your breath is, well, less than fragrant. Keep this winning formula in your drawer: its the coolest looking mouthwash weve seen. Gargle and smile with this peppermint-flavoured, alcohol-free rinse. No burn. 15, at mrporter.com.

Its just a little heavier than the famous Brompton fold-up bike but fellow commuters will like the big, sturdy wheels and seven gears. Perfect for getting into and out of the city. At a great price. Tern Link A7 folding bike, 400, at evanscycles.com.

Did somebody say James Bond? Get your hands on these high-summer shorts from Orlebar Brown. Each pair is printed with stylised visuals from the old and arguably best 007 films. Take your pick from Sean Connery in Thunderball or Roger Moore in Live and Let Die, E-Type Jag and chest hair optional. 245 (orlebarbrown.com)

These are a classic pair of Bass penny loafers cleverly souped up by one of the capitals coolest labels, Universal Works. The formers cobbling nous and the latters modern take on a classic wardrobe have combined in these just-launched summer beauties. Wear yours with smart shorts or rolled-up chinos. From 175 (ghbass-eu.com)

Menaposs style What to buy now


Watching sport is one of the most expensive habits to enjoy, but no group of fans are ripped off quite as much as boxing aficionados. With fights scattered across different television channels and two warring domestic promoters, fans are forced to subscribe to two expensive products merely to keep in the loop.

The monthly cost of Sky Sports and BT Sport represents over a daily wage for a huge number of people, but the quality of shows on those platforms have dipped massively over the past year. There is a myth that these channels are free-to-air, but they are nowhere near, and yet for the big fights to happen, fans are often asked to fork out another 20 to watch it.

This is an unacceptable system which has been ruthlessly exploited in recent years by both Frank Warren and latterly Eddie Hearn, whose quotes about pay-per-view boxing recently verged on absurdity.

Hearn, the same man who promoted Tony Bellew vs Nathan Cleverly and Kell Brook vs Frankie Gavin as pay-per-view main events warned of the dangers of too many pay-per-view events and that other fighters will take risks on pay-per-views that wont work.

The problem for Hearn is that you cant serve up successful nonsense and not expect others to follow suit. Yes, there are far too many pay-per-view events scheduled until the end of the year from Sky, BT and ITV, but the recent phenomenon of fleecing fans on phony hype has been perfected by Hearn, who promotes his latest offering this weekend when Heavyweight supremo Anthony Joshua fights Alexander Povetkin.

Is this a big fight? Yes. Will the event look great on television, with close to 80,000 people sipping beers, wearing blue shirts and sneaking off to the toilets often? Perhaps. But do the public really need to shell out? Well, yes.

Even at the lowest level of boxing, a heavyweight fight remains one of the most intriguing sporting contests. What could be better? You take two big lads with power and questionable stamina and wait for the first oak to fall.

This fight adds a great deal of skill and swagger to those basic principles, but the allure is still the same. Two powerhouses, 12 rounds, and three of the four heavyweight title belts on the line. Whats not to love?

Joshua, who was the main event for his first pay-per-view event for the British title against Dillian Whyte in 2015, has become Eddie Hearns golden child, with a flawless professional record, three championship belts and a mass audience of adoring supporters.

Does he deserve it? On paper, absolutely. After out-scoring Joseph Parker in his last fight to add the WBO heavyweight title to his IBF and WBA belts, Joshua reaffirmed his status as the best heavyweight on the planet, and he will be aiming to exert even more pressure over the field against Povetkin.

For the first time in his career Joshua was taken the distance in a professional fight by Parker and failed to look spectacular, which will give Povetkin some confidence. Povetkin, like Joshua, is a former Olympic gold medalist, and the veteran Russian has lost just once in a 35-fight career against Wladimir Klitschko.

The former WBA champion failed a drug test in 2016 ahead of a potential bout with Deontay Wilder and has been tarred with the reputation of a cheat ever since. Victory over Joshua would give a semblance of redemption towards the end of a lengthy career which has seen significant natural talent regress as the ageing process constricts.

Povetkin was last seen in action against Britains David Price on the Joshua/Parker undercard, and though he stopped the Liverpudlian in the fifth round, he was given an almighty scare by the hard-hitting giant earlier in the bout. Price has always had power but has fought timidly in recent bouts, which made his huge shot all the more impressive.

The Russian escaped with a stoppage win, but its clear his best days are behind him. At nearly 40, its unlikely hell have the stamina to out-score Joshua, who looked durable and fresh against Parker.

Instead, Povetkin will be looking to enjoy similar success that his old rival Klitschko showed against Joshua  soak up the early pressure, time the punches and then hit hard and often. Does the Russian have the power? At one point he did, but the explosive surprise of his heavy shots have dimmed.

Joshua has spoken of nerves and rebuilding heading into this fight, and despite slower sales than usual for this Wembley bout, he is by far the biggest ticket seller in British boxing history. Hes tall, handsome and boasts a Herculean figure, but beyond the six-pack lies a complex character full of contradictions.

Is he the successful every man with celebrity mates and an easygoing face on chat shows, or is he, as some believe, a media creation who hides his genuine self through meaningless mantras and eyebrow raising social media activity? One thing is for sure, his personality inside the ring is far different to his public behaviour outside it. Once the bell rings, Joshua is a stalking machine, who is not shy at using the dark side of boxing to his advantage.

The WBA and IBF heavyweight champion is full of aggression and has been known to hit his opponents just after the bell or after they have been knocked down. Theyre moves which are unseen by many eyes but happen with just enough frequency to be noted. The aggression is teamed with serenity, which makes him a highly dangerous foe at any stage in the fight. When Wladimir Klitschko knocked him down hard during their 2017 bout, Joshua, though ragged, showed huge amounts of calm to weather the storm, and take the overall victory.

Thats what he does, despite all the pressure and expectation. He just wins, over and over, then takes the microphone and talks in platitudes. That just wont do this weekend though, not with the looming sight of Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury both jostling for attention.

Like it or not, for the first time in years, the heavyweight division is buzzing without Joshuas involvement in a fight. Though hes still the main man, the critics are itching for weakness, while even his most ardent fans are beginning to beg him to shut up his giant rivals.

Beating Povetkin is a great achievement, but what would be even grander is what happens after. This is the moment Anthony Joshua needs to rip the microphone and remind everyone that hes the best in the world, that he is not defined by his promoter, by money or fame, but by being the greatest.

Follow the Independent Sport on Instagram here, for all of the best images, videos and stories from around the sporting world.

Anthony Joshua vs Alexander Povetkin Joshua not his promoter Eddie Hearn must remind everyone why


Update (11:15 am ET): Police have the shooter in handcuffs and are in the process of clearing the synagogue. According to scanner reports, at least 11 people have been tagged dead on arrival.

Heres the scene from a few blocks away:

Update (11:11 am ET): The suspect has reportedly surrendered according to police scanner reports. According to police scanner reports, he was armed with a Glock pistol and an AR-15.

At least four people have died and a cop has been shot in the wrist. The suspect is crawling out of the building and communicating with the SWAT team.

According to police, the suspects name is Robert Bower. He is 46 years old. He reportedly shouted all Jews must die at police after being subdued. The suspect was officially in cuffs as of 11:13 am ET.

More bodies are reportedly being brought out. Police have also found a military style package on the first floor.

With the country still on edge from the flurry of more than a dozen attempted mail bombings of prominent Democratic political figures this past week, as many as eight people have been killed after a gunman opened fire during Shabbat services at a synagogue in Pittsburghs Squirrel Hill neighborhood. The shooter, who is armed with an AK-47, has taken members of the congregation hostage, according to Pittsburghs CBS affiliate station.

Officers were forced to hide behind their cars after arriving at Tree of Life Congregation, which is located on the corner of Wilkens and Shady Avenues, as the gunman opened fire on them. At least 4 have been confirmed dead, and scanner reports suggest the total could already be seven or eight. According to one report, the gunman is holed up on the third floor of the synagogue and is engaged in a gun battle with members of the SWAT team.

As one YouTuber who put the scanner feed online noted, were listening to a terrorist attack in real time.

Here are some excerpts from the scanner courtesy of RT:

Details of dramatic police standoff with the shooter are emerging via police radio broadcast on the Broadcastify website. An officer at the scene has told his colleagues over the police radio that there are four down in the atrium. Another one said Ive got one alive.

We need armor, one police officer is heard saying, while another one requested to open up the back for rescue.

Saturday is Shabbat in the Jewish faith, and the shooting reportedly took place during a crowded prayer service. According to one local reporter, Tree of Life has one of the largest congregations in the city.

According to the Daily Mirror, the area around the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue and the area surrounding it have been sealed off.

One purported witness said she saw 15+ police cars speeding toward the synagogue.

Locals have been asked to avoid the area. Nearby Carnegie Mellon University is reportedly on lockdown.

Watch these videos below showing Infowars predict escalating violence ahead of midterms:

Democrats Call For Civil War If Republicans Are Elected In Midterms

Obama Activates His Domestic Army To Carry Out Violent Attacks Ahead Of Election

The Democrats Have Created, Formed, And Mobilized An Angry Mob

Democrats Attempt To Blame Their Violence On Republicans

Breaking At Least 11 Dead Several Others Shot At Pittsburgh Synagogue


During the recent heat wave I realised just how assimilated to Ireland I have become. No, it wasnt because I complained that the temperature was too high just three days in. It was because I kept making cups of tea, hot cups of tea. Somehow in 17 years a beverage I just about tolerated in cold weather became suitable refreshment for any weather.

This got me thinking about the technology that I use to make my tea. I imagine that almost every household in Ireland owns an electric kettle. They are, to my continued surprise, not very popular in the United States. One of the earliest uses of electricity to power a small household appliance, the kettle hasnt changed very much in over 50 years.

An electric kettle changes electrical energy into heat (just another form of energy), the heat then boils the water. Heat is generated by passing an electrical current through a material that provides resistance. The bottom of the kettle is generally where heat is created, replacing the fire over which it might have been boiled. The use of electricity to produce clean heat in the home expanded in the 1880s with a particular focus on cooking technologies such as electric stoves. However, it was not until the 20th century that the availability of household wiring and the lower price of electricity made home electrical appliances more attractive. Small appliances were connected at a lamp socket, in place of the lamps that represented the first use of electricity in homes.

Early electric kettles look exactly like standard kettles except with a flex attached. They were not as efficient as current kettles, taking perhaps 20 minutes to boil. One model, the Prometheus kettle from the turn of the century, can still be found as an antique. In 1929, the ESB advertised a copper electric automatic safety kettle that looked much like the Prometheus of 30 years before. They enticed customers with the promise that the kettle will not get black and was absolutely clean because electricity heats without flame.

The automatic safety element the ESB advertised was one of the first modifications of the design. Prior to its introduction, it was possible to boil the kettle dry causing the kettle to fail and risking an electrical fire. Yet the safety device created its own problems. A person whose kettle had stopped working was tempted to investigate the cause of the failure themselves. Death by electrocution often followed. A series of articles in the British Medical Journal as late as the 1960s suggested that women over 60 were particularly vulnerable to electrocution due to the use of scissors in the investigation of the connectors of electric irons and kettles. One doctor even described the electric kettle with its safety device as a booby trap for old ladies.

Unbeknown to the old ladies and indeed their old doctors, a modified safety switch was already available. The new switch, one that we tea drinkers are familiar with from its happy click, was operated by steam and turned off the kettle once it had boiled. The kettle did not boil dry nor did it short circuit and those thirsty for tea were not tempted to poke at wiring with the nearest available pointed object. By the 1960s the electric tea kettle was a standard, and safe, home appliance.

If you are intrigued by the history of household technologies then I recommend a visit to Johnstown Castle in Co Wexford. The gardens are beautiful for a walk and you can even feed the peacocks. But if you fancy a break from the heat, or youre lucky enough to get a rainy day, the museum is well worth a visit.

Billed as an agricultural museum, this is in many ways really a museum of the history of technology. There is plenty of technology relating to farming from early tractors to milking machines to pesticide spreaders. On the very top floor, almost at the end of the exhibition is an exploration of household technologies. You can compare model kitchens pre and post electrification and read about a variety of different home electrical devices and their introduction. And then you can go downstairs to refresh yourself with a cup of tea and an excellent scone.

The history of the kettle


Between 20,000 and 30,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Iraq and Syria despite the jihadist groups defeat and a halt in the flow of foreigners joining its ranks, according to a UN report released Monday.

The report by UN sanctions monitors estimates that between 3,000 and 4,000 IS jihadists were based in Libya while some of the key operatives in the extremist group were being relocated to Afghanistan.

Member-states told the monitors that the total IS membership in Iraq and Syria was between 20,000 and 30,000 individuals, roughly equally distributed between the two countries.

Tens of Thousands of ISIS Fighters Remain in Iraq Syria UN


President Donald Trumps son, Eric, is accused of making anti-Semitic comments in reference to Bob Woodwards new book about his fathers White House.

The presidents son appeared on Fox & Friends Wednesday morning and denounced Woodwards book, Fear: Trump in the White House, as fiction.

It all started when co-host Steve Doocy noted that the book and last weeks anonymous New York Times op-ed criticizing the president as amoral and vapid have stirred fresh chaos in the White House.

Eric Trump pushed back, saying the media only wants to make his dad look bad.

Dont you think people look through the fact, you can write some sensational, nonsense book, CNN will definitely have you on there because they love to trash the president, Trump said.

Then, in what some people interpret as a dog whistle to white nationalists, Trump added:

Itll mean you sell three extra books, you make three extra shekels, at the behest of the American people, at the behest of our country, thats doing a phenomenal job by every quantifiable metric. Is that really where we are?

The shekel is the currency used in both ancient and modern-day Israel. Keegan Hankes, senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Centers Intelligence Project, which tracks hate groups, noted that the term also can be used as a slur.

Shekels is a derogatory term used by white supremacists that ties into the myth that Jewish people only care about money, Hankes told HuffPost. The term is tied to the anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that Jews control the financial system, he said, and is used constantly by the extreme right and particularly neo-Nazis.

Trumps use of the word on Fox News certainly seems like a dog whistle, Hankes added.

ERIC TRUMP attacks Democrats: "Anti-law enforcement, high taxes, and elimination of plastic straws is not a message that will win in November."

ERIC TRUMP then dismisses WOODWARD book as "sensational nonsense" he wrote "to make 3 extra shekels." pic.twitter.com/GuTXMpPLHG  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 12, 2018

Outrageous. If you want to see how the neo-Nazis use the term "shekels" take a quick glance at The Daily Stormer. Eric Trumps three extra shekels attack on Bob Woodward is not some accident any more than Hillary Clinton's image over a Star of David. https://t.co/DyJTcqyX4H  (((JonathanWeisman))) (@jonathanweisman) September 12, 2018

I can't think of any reason--other than the odious one--why Eric Trump would use "shekels" instead of "dollars," "bucks," "clams," "greenbacks," or "smackers." https://t.co/5iKsniwPrY  David Corn (@DavidCornDC) September 12, 2018

Um, wow. The only people who refer to being paid off as wanting "extra shekels" are Israelis speaking Hebrew and anti-Semites speaking English outside Israel. Eric Trump doesn't speak Hebrew, so you know exactly who he has been reading online. https://t.co/evuub9L1xV  (((Yair Rosenberg))) (@Yair_Rosenberg) September 12, 2018

Eric Trump Accused Of Anti-Semitism For Bob Woodward Shekels Criticism


Esther McVey has slammed "crumbling" Cabinet ministers in a furious Twitter tirade after she quit as Work and Pensions Secretary over Theresa May's Brexit deal.

The MP shared a series of posts on Twitter earlier this week, retweeting messages of support from followers and accusing senior members of being feeble in EU negotiations.

She also uploaded a video on her first day as a backbencher, admitting "change is difficult" adding that she now had to find a new office.

Last week, Ms McVey was one of several cabinet members to dramatically resign in protest at the PM's draft Brexit deal.

On Sunday, Ms McVey shared a link to a Mail on Sunday story about her on Twitter, adding: Hilarious; seems a bit of straight talking from me to ask Cabinet members to vote on the most important matter in a lifetime made them crumble!

Makes you wonder if this is how feeble senior members have been in negotiations with the EU over our future.

The article reported Cabinet ministers were so alarmed by Ms McVey's behaviour during last week's Brexit Cabinet meeting that they thought security would have to be called.

It came amid a flurry of retweets by the MP, who shared messages of support from Brits over her decision to quit.

The MP for Tatton then shared a video on Monday talking about her first day as a backbencher in which she said she had to find a new office and start all over again.

She told her followers that she believed her decision was worth it because you have got to believe in something and I believed that the withdrawal agreement wasnt good enough for the people of the UK.

"I am still an MP for Tatton and I will pursue all the matters for our local residents and for the local area and I will also pursue those issues that made me an MP in the first place like social mobility like the blocs of empowerment from education to opportunities to attainment, thats what I am going to do."

Ms McVey added: I believe in the people of the UK and so Im going to fight for what is best for them.

The MP also hit back at a Twitter critic who attacked Universal Credit reforms, suggesting she would not lose money for quitting her Cabinet job - unlike benefit claimants.

She wrote: "Hi Paul In answer to your question. By resigning, my salary has been halved."

Ms McVey was rumoured to be one of the most vocal critics of the deal at a Cabinet meeting the night before her resignation.

She is understood to have asked a show of hands from ministers in support of the document.

She said in her resignation letter that it was very obvious to everyone the deal does not honour the result of the referendum and doesnt meet the tests you set from the outset of Mrs Mays premiership.

Esther McVey slams aposcrumblingapos Cabinet and posts video complaining aposIaposve got to


Stan Lee was in the process of creating one final Marvel superhero before he died, its been revealed.

JC Lee, the daughter of the late comic book legend, vowed to see the male character through to completion. His name? Dirt Man.

Speaking to TMZ Live, she said: We have been working on a character called Dirt Man. [Hes the] last little angel that weve got tucked away.

She revealed the character was created after pleading with her father to shin clatter and steel in favour of getting down and dirty.

Its very interesting and its not over yet, she added. We still have a little trickery.

Lee passed away at the age of 95 in Los Angeles on Monday (12 November). His death sparked an outpouring of tributes from people whose lives have been touched by the characters he created, including Spider-Man, Hulk and the original X-Men.

He co-created Marvel in 1961 with The Fantastic Four, designed to appeal to an older audience at a time when comic books were mostly read by children.

His daughter announced a new foundation shes launching in memory of her father named the Stan Lee Childhood Literacy Foundation.

The importance of the written word is to not be underestimated, she said. One reason why Stan is Stan the Man is he took his craft very seriously and theres a lot to say to pass on to children about reading and writing.

The last tweet posted from Lees Twitter account featured a photo of him taken when he was serving in the US Army, which he entered in 1942. Lee has said that his title during the Second World War was playwright.

Celebrities who led tributes to the comic book icon included Robert Downey Jr, Chris Pratt and Captain America star Chris Evans.

Stan Lee created one final Marvel superhero before his death


Amazon has gradually been improving Alexas calendar features recently. Outlook.com and iCloud support arrived last year, and now Alexa is getting improvements for managing meetings. While youve always been able to add new events and schedule them, Alexa is now supporting one-on-one meetings and the ability to move events around.

You can say Alexa, move my meeting or Alexa, move my meeting at 8AM to tomorrow at 10AM to avoid those early morning meetings where, lets be honest, youd be better off in bed. The one-on-one scheduling also works just as easily, letting you create a calendar event by saying Alexa, schedule a meeting with Tom. Alexa will access your contacts and pick the colleague or friend, and suggest times based on the availability of both the organizer and participant.

Alexas new calendar features are available today in the US, and Gmail, G Suite, Office 365, and Exchange accounts are all supported.

Alexa now lets you avoid meetings by moving them with your voice


Religious to-ing and fro-ing in the music world continues: while a couple of weeks ago Islam gained a follower in Sinead OConnor, it appears to have lost superstar singing Yorkshireman Zayn Malik. In an interview with Vogue the Bradford-born 25-year-old said he no longer identifies with any particular religion.

I dont believe you need to eat a certain meat thats been prayed over a certain way, I dont believe you need to read a prayer in a certain language five times a day. I dont believe any of it. I just believe if youre a good person everything is going to go right for you.

Its par for the course, perhaps, given the way Islamophobia has politicised peoples faith, that this matter has become the stuff of sensation and headlines.

Were he divorcing from a Christian church, well, there would be fewer tweets commending his bravery or, alternatively, ones along the lines of: I WILL NEVER LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC AGAIN BECAUSE YOUVE LET ME DOWN.

Among the many who look to him as a role model, those who are Muslim may understandably feel a loss  you cannot get more mainstream than where he is and he is a thousand miles from the fanatics who tend to be Islams key avatars, at least so far as the press is concerned.

I totally understand that for many young Muslims, seeing a young, good looking, cool and famous Muslim popstar out there made them feel represented in a positive light, far away from the awful headlines and the casual Islamophobia of commentators.

To have him reject the very thing which made them bound to him and look up to him, I understand, might be a blow. They should take heart that he is still a Brit of Asian heritage in a career where he is a trailblazer. And in any case, Mo Farah is not running away from his religion  and boy can he run.

Malik too can count his lucky stars: were he a popstar in Shia-fundamentalist Iran, hed be locked up and very probably executed as an apostate who has succumbed to western arrogance.

The singer told Vogue that while there were mosque visits as a child, his parents always made it clear that as an adult it would be his prerogative to worship, or not, as he pleases.

Nonetheless, he has still been pilloried and insulted online by those who regard the spiritual journey he sees himself on as a betrayal of theirs.

Malik will have known exactly what reaction he would get from these quarters. He could have stayed quiet. But he decided to share.

Lets face it, he hardly cut a devout figure  his tattoos alone are enough to raise eyebrows in the Islamic context.

Malik is known to smoke and drink and party  he and his girlfriend Gigi Hadid keep readers glued to glossies. Even I ogle when Im meant to be working.

It shouldnt be considered brave to leave Islam but for many it really is. During my three-year tenure as president of Humanists UK  I am being succeeded by the wonderful scientist Alice Roberts  I got to learn of the work of a brilliant charity called Faith to Faithless. Founded by former Muslims Imtiaz Shams and Aliyah Saleem the organisation supports those who have left a religion, gives them a platform to speak out against discrimination they might be facing from their community and helps them through the loneliness and fear they might face.

Malik was emphatic about not wanting to represent something he did not believe in. He detailed practices within the faith that he had to admit to himself meant nothing to him and he wanted his fans to know where he stood, knowing that some of them would be upset by this. This honest and steadfast refusal to appease by someone with such a high profile really is a big deal.

If we are to move towards a world where the secular voice is heard and not overridden or cowed by religious ones, Malik should be invited to do a Thought for the Day on Radio 4.

His honesty may have disappointed the very religious, but perhaps he will have given a little hope to others across religions, who feel they are living with a faith they no longer connect with.

 The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.

 Sign our petition here

Bravo Zayn Malik for standing up for what you believe in although I do feel a little sorry for you


ZHUHAI /China/, November 9. /TASS/. Russias rocket engine producer Energomash
and S7 Space will develop a technical design of an engine for a reusable
rocket by the end of the year, Energomash CEO Igor Arbuzov told TASS at the
Airshow China exhibition on Friday.

"We have now set up a joint working group to develop technical specifications
for this engine that will be based on the RD-171MV. We will formulate its
basic technical characteristics by the end of this year," the chief executive
said.

It is presumed that the new engine should feature the option of its restart as
compared to its prototype, Arbuzov said, adding that the number of engines had
not been discussed at the talks with S7 Space.

As S7 Space CEO Sergei Sopov told TASS earlier, RD-171 engines can be used on
the first stage of a reusable rocket, which this private company is developing
on the basis of the conceptual design of the Soyuz-5 carrier (being developed
by Energia Space Rocket Corporation).

The company has dubbed the new rocket "Soyuz-7" and "Soyuz-7SL" (Sea Launch).

In other media

Russian hi-tech firms to develop design of new engine for reusable rocket by yearend


TASS, August 28. The Air Force of the Saudi-led coalition carried out a strike
on the international airport in Yemens capital of Sanaa, Al Arabiya TV
channel reported on Tuesday.

The strikes also targeted a military air base located to the north of the
Yemeni capital, according to the report.

The confrontation between the government forces and the Houthi rebels has been
ongoing in Yemen since August 2014. It entered the most active phase in March
2015, when the Saudi Arabia-led coalition invaded the country.

In other media

Saudi-led coalition conducts air strikes on Yemens airport - TV