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Playwright Tom Stoppard goes back to 'day job'

Agence France-PresseMay 11, 2013 20:45

Tom Stoppard is writing a new stage play. At 75, he says it might be his last because he is slower now and his "brain cells are dying in their trillions". Then again, he's not entirely sure, because he dislikes "furtive competitiveness" and as he puts it, "to hell with it, I'm not dead yet!" The prospect of one of Britain's greatest living playwrights drawing a line under his illustrious career will sadden many theatre-goers. Writing original works for the stage is what Stoppard calls his "day job".

Conrad Black defends media strategist Tom Flanagan's child porn comments

The Canadian PressMay 10, 2013 19:15

CALGARY - Former media baron Conrad Black has come out in support of a Calgary media strategist and his comments on child pornography. Last February, Tom Flanagan was highly criticized for suggesting that people who view child pornography shouldn't necessarily be jailed. He made the controversial remark at the University of Lethbridge during a lecture that was posted on YouTube. He was almost immediately dropped as a CBC political panelist and as an adviser to Alberta's Opposition Wildrose party.

Savile police report reveals 'missed opportunities'

Agence France-PresseMay 10, 2013 19:15

A British police report which found no evidence that late BBC star Jimmy Savile was protected from prosecution by officers revealed "yet more potential missed opportunities" to detain him over sex abuse claims while he was alive, a children's charity head said Friday. Television presenter Savile was a household name in Britain but since his death in October 2011 hundreds of allegations of rape and sexual assault have emerged against him, many involving under-age girls.

Ladies swoon as Prince Harry begins US tour

Agence France-PresseMay 10, 2013 12:31

Britain's Prince Harry broke hearts in Washington's corridors of power Thursday, showing more interest in landmines than in the excited fans who greeted him at the start of a week-long US visit. Squeals ricocheted down the halls of the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill as the 28-year-old eligible bachelor inspected a photo exhibit set up by the HALO Trust, a charity favored by his late mother Princess Diana.

Britain should quit European Union: former finance minister

Thomson ReutersMay 8, 2013 17:23

By Peter Griffiths LONDON (Reuters) - Britain should leave the European Union because Prime Minister David Cameron's plan to claw back powers from Brussels is doomed, former finance minister Nigel Lawson said on Monday. Lawson's intervention piles pressure on Cameron just days after his Conservative Party was shaken in local elections by the surging anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP).

Monty Python star Michael Palin to receive top British TV award

Thomson ReutersMay 8, 2013 14:32

LONDON (Reuters) - Film and television star Michael Palin, who made his name as a founder of comedy group Monty Python, is to receive one of the British entertainment industry's highest accolades. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) said on Friday that Palin, who turns 70 this month, would be presented with an Academy Fellowship at the organization's annual TV awards ceremony on May 12. BAFTA Chairman John Willis said the award recognized the contribution Palin had made to the industry over five decades.

Former British finance minister calls for EU exit

Agence France-PresseMay 7, 2013 08:15

Britain would get a big economic boost if it left the European Union, former finance minister Nigel Lawson said on Tuesday, fuelling the debate about a referendum on British membership. Writing in the Times newspaper, Lawson insisted that "the case for exit" was now clear and urged Britain to sever its 40-year association with Brussels. "In my judgement the economic gains would substantially outweigh the costs," wrote Lawson, who is the most senior member of Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative Party to call for Britain to leave the EU.

Former British finance minister calls for EU exit

Agence France-PresseMay 7, 2013 04:30

Britain would enjoy a significant economic boost if it left the European Union, former finance minister Nigel Lawson said in an article Tuesday which will fuel the debate about a referendum on British membership. Writing in the Times, Nigel Lawson insisted that "the case for exit" was now clear and urged Britain to sever its 40-year association with Brussels. "In my judgement the economic gains would substantially outweigh the costs," wrote Lawson, who was Margaret Thatcher's longest serving Chancellor of the Exchequer.

British comedian Tarbuck arrested over child abuse claim

Agence France-PresseMay 6, 2013 22:00

Veteran British comic Jimmy Tarbuck has become the latest celebrity to be arrested in connection with a historical child sex abuse investigation, media reported on Tuesday. North Yorkshire Police confirmed that a 73-year-old man was arrested in Kingston upon Thames on April 26. The Daily Mail on Tuesday identified him as Tarbuck. Police released the former quiz show host on bail after questioning him over claims that a young boy was assaulted in the late 1970s, according to the reports.

British historian sorry over anti-gay remarks in US

Agence France-PresseMay 4, 2013 18:00

British historian Niall Ferguson apologized Saturday for remarks suggesting that economist John Maynard Keynes didn't care about future generations because he was gay and childless. The academic and author, a professor at Harvard University, described as "stupid" the comments at a conference in California last Thursday, made in an "off-the-cuff" answer following a presentation. He said he was asked about Keynes' famous observation that "In the long run we are all dead." A blogger present posted a transcript on the remarks, while other attendees also voiced surprise.