Author: damazah@gmail.com

Midway through an event at Reform’s annual conference on Friday there was question for the audience: who was worried about a Channel 4 News exposé of potential wrongdoing by party officials over donations? Almost no hands went up. The faithful might be sanguine. But make no mistake, Nigel Farage faces yet another problem.Careful plans have been again upset. After months of answering – or primarily dodging – questions about his own finances, Farage had planned to use Reform UK’s biggest conference yet to make a blitz of policy announcements.These are still happening, not least among them the revelation that a…

From the garden of their Georgian townhouse in Bath in the late 18th century, a brother and sister made a series of extraordinary astronomical discoveries.A new art show in the house where the siblings – William and Caroline Herschel – worked and lived highlights their pioneering spirit and their domestic arrangements.Detail of painting of William Herschel.The Irish artist Grace Weir, who created the exhibition in what is now the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, said she was deeply interested in the science that went on at the house, including the discovery of the planet Uranus, and fascinated that it took place…

Nigeria’s D’Tigress on Friday suffered an 81-99 defeat to South Korea at the FIBA Women’s World Cup despite a spirited fightback led by Amy Okonkwo. The game was closely contested in the opening quarter, with South Korea taking a 26-22 lead into the second period. Grace Efosa converted both free throws to reduce Nigeria’s deficit to six points before Pallas Kunaiyi brought the margin down to four points. South Korea stretched its advantage to as many as nine points in the second quarter, but Nigeria fought back strongly to go into the break trailing by just three points. South Korea…

Production has officially begun in Prague on the new Netflix TV series adapted from the Dan Brown novel The Secret of Secrets, featuring Morgan Spector as Robert Langdon. In addition to Spector, the series regular cast includes Rebecca Hall as Katherine Solomon, Cherry Jones as Heide Nagel, Corey Stoll as Everett Finch, Rob Delaney as Jonas Faukman, and Abbey Lee as Sasha Vesna. A first-look image was released and can be found above. Earlier this morning, we announced the casting of Mamadou Athie, who recurs as Michael Harris, and Ben Levi Ross as Alex Conan, also in a recurring role. They will be joined by Anamaria Marinca (Housekeeping…

It is a hangover from our school days that September can feel like a time for getting back to the grind. As in January, there is a sense that we should return as better workers, partners, friends and parents. This sense is even stronger now a culture of optimisation – has taken over – evidenced by the fad for adding “maxx” to everything. Yet that can lead to disappointment and burnout, which Mental Health UK reports up to 91% of adults were at risk from over a recent 12-month period.One antidote to this drive is to embrace a slower way…

The police in the county of Cheshire in northwestern Britain are investigating the theft of two trailers of Guinness beer from an industrial park.Two trucks entered the depot on Monday and hauled away trailers containing 800 barrels of the creamy dark stout, the authorities said.“It is famously said that ‘Guinness is good for you,’ but that is only the case when it has been bought and paid for,” Detective Sgt. Gary McClatchey of the Cheshire Constabulary said in a statement on Thursday.The police will settle for “nothing less than the full recovery of all the items stolen,” he added.Diageo, the…

US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia and Ukraine this weekend, reports say, as efforts to end the war appear to be gathering pace.The envoys will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday in Moscow, and then will hold talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday in Kyiv, Axios said, citing US officials.Witkoff and Kushner have led US President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a peace deal, but a gulf remains between the two warring sides. Earlier on Friday, Zelensky said a Russian drone hit the office of Ukraine’s security chief Oleksandr Poklad in Kyiv. Poklad appears…

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 03: Adria Arjona is seen in Midtown on September 03, 2026 in New York CityGC ImagesWhat feels like the worst-kept secret in the industry is the theory that actress Adria Arjona, girlfriend of DCU Lobo Jason Momoa and longtime friend of DCU head James Gunn, has been cast as Wonder Woman in Gunn’s new superhero universe. Now, Arjona has been on a promotional run for her new movie, Onslaught, out this weekend, which is only fueling speculation.Arjona is all over social media with images and video discussing her extremely intensive workouts during and now…

The clock is almost out. You have less than 24 hours left to apply to host a Side Event during TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Applications close tonight at midnight PT. Connect with the entire Silicon Valley scene through October 10–16 by hosting your own Side Event. Bring your community, start an impactful conversation that’ll push the needle, and create an unforgettable experience. Apply now to host a Side Event → Cocktail Parties.Image Credits:Slava Blazer Photography Put the tech spotlight on your brand Disrupt brings thousands of founders, investors, partners, and tech leaders to San Francisco. Side Events give you another way to…

How many sarcastic air quotes is too many for quoting Nigel Farage’s suggestion that Reform have been ““““““““hoaxed”””””””” by some undercover investigators into appearing to seek to get round electoral law to bag a £500k donation from a foreigner, as well as commissioning off-the-books polling and failing to identify it to newspapers? I don’t feel eight was too many. I could run to nine. Amazing, really, that it’s been as long as a few weeks since Farage had a crash-out and forced a byelection. All any of us wants is for Nigel to once again resign after a staged shitfit…