The IAAF has accused London Marathon organisers of being “completely irresponsible” after the global governing body was criticised for failing to take effective action in the battle against doping.
First David Cameron called them a “swarm” heading for Britain. Now Philip Hammond has dubbed the thousands of desperate people gathered in Calais a “marauding” threat to Europe.
What was the meaning of Reginald Perrin? That was the question that often occurred to David Nobbs’ abiding comic creation himself – Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, senior sales executive at Sunshine Desserts, driven mad by the boredom of life in suburbia, by analysing figures for sales of crumbles, hallucinating at the mention of his mother-in-law and dumping a tanker-load of loganberry essence into a river to terrorise his boss (to whom he had finally promised “blood will flow”).
It seems extraordinary, just after a general election that produced only a narrow majority for the Conservatives, to countenance a one-party state, but that is what we are now facing. The warning signs are flashing, clearly and urgently.
A positive slant – and I’m really trying here – on Donald Trump’s latest menstrual gaffe is that here is a man presenting himself for power bearing his abundant flaws without shame. There are no anodyne political soundbites, no watery words crafted for maximum reach and minimum offence and no rebrand on the globally famous shtick: it’s big hair, big gob and big ambition.
Economists and scientists are frequently at odds over the impact of a growing population. Growth is generally seen as good for an economy, but scientists view growth as potentially dangerous because it can lead to demand outstripping supply and the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.
Leadership campaigns are the moment in politics where individuals appear to matter most. In the case of Labour’s latest election one individual, Jeremy Corbyn, is having a more dramatic impact than any candidate in any contest since 1945. But the power of the individual is an illusion. Political contests are all about the context in which they take place, the precise timing, and the state of the party that is electing a new leader. These explain the rise of Corbyn. Jeremy Corbyn does not explain the rise of Corbyn. Читать дальше...
Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz – controversial 17th Mexican nun and esteemed poet and dramatist – may seem an unlikely protagonist to pull in the crowds at the Globe. But Helen Edmundson’s wonderfully engrossing work emphatically colonises the space, in John Dove’s excellent production, with its Renaissance amplitude and aplomb, encompassing fierce intellectual debate, Machiavellian intrigue, and a streak of irreverent comedy.
The prospect of an all-British Prom makes the heart sink but this one was full of surprises, once we’d got past the brassy banality of Walton’s Spitfire Prelude and Fugue. Chloe Hanslip was the soloist in Vaughan Williams’s Violin Concerto in D minor, Concerto Academico, which, although a minor work, was wonderfully lit up by her artistry.
I’ve made up my mind. I’ll soon be packing my bags and leaving Birmingham to pledge allegiance to the Caliphate. Thousands more, mostly from Europe, will be doing the same.
Ah, burlesque. Perusing the shows at Edinburgh Fringe over the last few days, I've been struck by its abundance and popularity. It seems that burlesque grows in popularity year on year; sometimes it's as though the whole city is waving its nipple tassels at you. And burlesque as a concept, along with its promises of female-run spaces where sexuality and eroticism are celebrated, must surely be a positive thing. It requires skill, timing and imagination, after all. It’s a place where, importantly... Читать дальше...
One of the UK’s poshest festivals brought naked sports days, wild swimming, a Champagne tent and an entire spa and wellness sanctuary to Cornbury Park, a country estate set in 400 acres of private parkland for its fifth year.
On a bare white stage, shaped to taper off into the distance, three women emerge, shafts of light around them angled so that it portions them off into their own cell-like spaces.
A man, his wife and his mistress meet up in an abandoned hotel to plan a suicide. It's a two-star joint with one room and one floor. And a caretaker who is trying to clean up the place for a sale and a big dance night out.
Eight out of ten adults have admitted to sending or receiving sexually explicit texts in the past year, according to a recent survey.
This weekend, frustration surrounding the new arrival of migrants from Calais came to a head at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre. Over 500 people descended upon the area, outnumbering the 400 female asylum seekers within, and the anger was palpable. As they filed against the 8 metre high fence surrounding the compound, banging and kicking against the steel, their noise created a deafening roar audible to the refugees. These refugees then appeared at the windows, waving toilet paper and cardboard, upon which they had scrawled the message... Читать дальше...
A lot has happened since I went away two weeks ago. The main thing in British politics being that the Labour Party has in effect ceased to exist.
The Missing Hancocks
The Assembly Rooms
Review by Veronica Lee
Throughout history nations have fought to protect what they regard as their rightful intellectual property.
It wasn’t long ago that, with a straight face, comedians discussed whether women were funny, because there were so few female stand-ups.
The Kids Company debacle is a fine example of David Cameron’s Big Society in action. Its collapse is an indictment of the policy of cutting funds to local councils and “hoping” that charities will be able to take up the slack.