-
The US president who launched Ron Howard’s career in 1959: “He didn’t think that was right”
Ron Howard’s Hollywood career, which has spanned decades and produced films such as Apollo 13, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Solo: A Star Wars Story, can be traced back to an unlikely early boost from future US President Ronald Reagan. Howard had been acting since infancy, but at the age of four, while appearing…
-
Spending deal comes with a bonus: Blocking political control of grants
The US House of Representatives passed a stopgap funding measure on Tuesday that keeps the federal government running through early December, and buried within it is a provision blocking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from imposing controversial new rules over research funding. The rules would have handed political appointees sweeping power to dictate…
-
Chinese embassy guards in London alleged to have wielded illegal electroshock batons at protesters
The Metropolitan Police are investigating allegations that security guards at Chinese diplomatic premises in London used illegal electroshock weapons against protesters, prompting calls for the UK government to take a firmer stance. Video footage reportedly shows guards at both the current embassy on Portland Place and the proposed new embassy site at Royal Mint Court…
-
Sheriff suing Maryland says sanctuary laws ignore lessons of 9/11: ‘Stupidity at its best’
A Maryland sheriff leading a lawsuit by 17 of the state’s 24 counties against its sanctuary policies has told Congress that lawmakers are ignoring lessons from the September 11 attacks by restricting cooperation between local and federal law enforcement. Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, whose jurisdiction saw two women murdered by illegal immigrants in 2022…
-
Majority of Britons agree with Burnham that Brexit was ‘wrong turn’ for UK
Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his first address to the House of Commons to argue that Brexit and the deindustrialisation, privatisation and austerity that followed the 1980s left large parts of the UK, outside London and the South East, worse off. New YouGov polling shows most Britons back his view on Brexit, with 55 per…
-
Christian backlash as JD Vance puts a number on his chances of getting into heaven
US Vice President JD Vance has sparked debate among Christians after rating his confidence in reaching heaven as “a 7 or an 8” out of ten, up from “a 5 or 6” a year ago. He made the comments during an interview about his faith with 22-year-old evangelical influencer Bryce Crawford, in which he also…
-
Republicans fail to ease one of Trump’s greatest fears as Supreme Court measure collapses
A Republican-led constitutional amendment to permanently cap the US Supreme Court at nine justices failed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, after most Democrats voted against it. The measure was designed to ease concerns raised repeatedly by President Donald Trump that Democrats might attempt to expand, or “pack”, the court if they regain control…
-
Dollywood Unveils Plans for 2027 in-Park Tributes and Resort Expansion
Dollywood has revealed a series of new tributes and expansions planned in honour of its late founder, Dolly Parton, alongside projects she had already approved before her death. The announcement, made during a Wednesday press conference in Sevierville, Tennessee, signals the theme park’s intent to continue Parton’s vision while formally memorialising her legacy across the…
-
Dollywood to Celebrate Dolly Parton With New Installations & Experiences: ‘We Will Carry Her Dreams Forward’
Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park co-founded by Dolly Parton, has announced a series of permanent installations and experiences to honour the country star following her death on 25 August. Park president Eugene Naughton unveiled the plans at a press conference on 2 September, saying Parton would have wanted the team to keep working and dreaming…
-
Political turmoil, bond rout and gold moves rattle markets amid overseas violence
Burnham clashed with Badenoch at his first PMQs as gilt yields hit 16-year highs, squeezing UK finances; abroad, reports link Russia to Iranian missile tech, Dutch gold headed to London, and an Egypt bus crash killed 21.