BBC director general Mark Thompson says John Sullivan’s sitcoms ‘will live on for years to come’ Scriptwriter John Sullivan has died at the age of 64, the BBC announced today. Most famous for creating the sitcoms Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith and Roger Roger, the writer died after a short illness. Mark Thompson, the BBC director general, said: “John created some of the UK’s most-loved comedies, from Only Fools and Horses to his most recent work, Rock & Chips. He had a unique gift for turning everyday life and characters we all know into unforgettable comedy. “His work will live on for years to come. We will miss him and we send our condolences to his family.” More details soon… Comedy BBC guardian.co.uk
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BBC director general Mark Thompson says John Sullivan’s sitcoms ‘will live on for years to come’ Scriptwriter John Sullivan has died at the age of 64, the BBC announced today. Most famous for creating the sitcoms Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith and Roger Roger, the writer died after a short illness. Mark Thompson, the BBC director general, said: “John created some of the UK’s most-loved comedies, from Only Fools and Horses to his most recent work, Rock & Chips. He had a unique gift for turning everyday life and characters we all know into unforgettable comedy. “His work will live on for years to come. We will miss him and we send our condolences to his family.” More details soon… Comedy BBC guardian.co.uk
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Julia Sweeney considered herself an enlightened, sex-is-no-big-deal kind of parent. But that was before an innocent question about tadpoles prompted The Conversation One evening, on a school night, when my daughter Mulan was nine, we were eating dinner together at our favourite Thai restaurant. It was autumn, over two years ago, and writing about it now I see that Mulan and I interacted much like two roommates. We ate out a lot. We had a handful of favourite places. When you’re a single mother who primarily takes her daughter to dinner at restaurants (my meagre defence: I was spending four days a week driving her to gymnastics after school – 45 minutes each way – so, who had time to cook?), it’s easy to think of yourselves as a couple. You eat, you talk, and sometimes you just stare at each other in a stupor of familiarity. At the restaurant, we know the owner and chef, who this night recommended the frogs’ legs in hot peppers. We politely declined. Mulan told me
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• Hit F5 or refresh for the latest (sorry, auto-refresh down) • Email scott.murray@guardian.co.uk with your thoughts • Follow Cardiff v QPR in the Championship here • Keep up with all today’s goals on our live scoreboard The weather: It’s sunny in Manchester. You’ve got to say it while you can. Getting pelters in the papers tomorrow and Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and next Saturday: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire) The most in-form team in the league must do without Tim Cahill, who only makes the bench, and Mikel Arteta, who’s not involved at all: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Neville, Rodwell, Bilyaletdinov, Osman, Beckford. Subs: Mucha, Cahill, Gueye, Vellios, Anichebe, Mustafi, Duffy. Fabio, Darron Gibson and Jonny Evans are all called up for Manchester United as Fergie keeps one eye on Tuesday’s match with Schalke: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Fabio Da Silva, Valencia, Gibson, Anderson, Nani, Rooney, Hernandez. Subs: Kuszczak, Evra, Brown, Owen, Giggs, Carrick, Rafael Da Silva. We’ll start finding out how things pan out at: 12.45pm. How much of this is relevant, though? None of it, that’s what, I’m just filling space. Possibly more to the point is this: United have won their last 12 home league games in a row, they didn’t create much at Newcastle in midweek, and Everton haven’t lost in the league since mid February. Actually, that doesn’t get us very far either. Like all good Godfearin’ folk, United have mixed feelings about Easter, unsure whether to celebrate or mourn. In 1992, they drew at Luton Town and lost at home to Nottingham Forest, handing the league to Leeds United. But twelve months later, Steve Bruce scored his 197th minute winner against Sheffield Wednesday on the same day their closest challengers Aston Villa drew at home to Coventry City, and never looked back. Manchester United like playing Everton at Old Trafford. Of the last 17 fixtures against the Toffees down Sir Matt Busby Way, they’ve won 14 and lost a big Anderson-shaped zero. Even the season before that run began brought good cheer. United lost 3-0 at the start of the 1992/93 campaign, their fans beginning to seriously wonder whether they’d ever win the league after the previous season’s late capitulation. And look what happened since. Premier League Manchester United Everton Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
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Suspect detained as Police Service of Northern Ireland warns public to be vigilant over Easter weekend Police in Northern Ireland have arrested a man in connection with loyalist terrorist activity. The arrest came after police warned the public to be vigilant over the Easter weekend because of the “severe threat posed by terrorists”. Security checkpoints and patrols are being stepped up as a result. The 40-year-old man was detained in the Donegall Road area of Belfast at about 9.30am on Saturday during a planned police operation. He was taken to the serious crime suite in Antrim for questioning. On Friday, officers investigating dissident republican activities recovered a substantial haul of guns and ammunition from a vehicle in Keady, County Armagh near the Irish border. Three men arrested at the scene remain in police custody. Just three weeks after the murder of Constable Ronan Kerr in Omagh , the Police Service of Northern Ireland warned that terrorist groups could be intent on trying to murder more officers in the coming days and weeks. A police spokesman said: “Dissident terrorist groups are continuing to identify officers and target them with the single objective of killing them. In so doing, their reckless actions will also put the lives of our wider communities at risk.” The warning came as thousands of mainstream republicans supporting Sinn Féin and the peace process prepared to hold dozens of commemoration parades throughout Ireland to mark the 1916 Rising. Northern Ireland UK security and terrorism David Batty guardian.co.uk
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Rebels fight back in besieged city as Nato targets Muammar Gaddafi’s Tripoli compound Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi claim to have come under fierce attack as they tried to retreat from the rebel-held city of Misrata. The Libyan government earlier said Nato air strikes may force it to withdraw from the port city, 120 miles east of Tripoli, and let tribes loyal to Gaddafi deal with rebels. Early this morning, Nato bombs hit what appeared to be a bunker in Gaddafi’s Tripoli compound. Government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said three people were killed by the “very powerful explosion” in a car park. Reuters reporters said they saw two large holes in the ground where the bombs had penetrated what appeared to be an underground bunker. The strike came after the most senior American military officer admitted the conflict was heading towards a “stalemate” despite more than a month of allied strikes against Gaddafi’s forces. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US military’s joint chiefs of staff, said Gaddafi’s ground forces had been degraded by 30% to 40%. But he warned that Nato forces faced a protracted military engagement in the civil war-torn country. “It’s certainly moving towards a stalemate,” Mullen told American troops during a visit to Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, on Friday. “At the same time, we’ve attrited somewhere between 30% and 40% of his main ground forces, his ground force capabilities. Those will continue to go away over time.” He said the allies would “put the squeeze” on the Libyan dictator “until he’s gone”. “Gaddafi’s gotta go,” he said. A group of wounded Libyan soldiers captured by rebels in Misrata, the last large city held by rebels in the west of the country, said they had come under fierce attack from anti-Gaddafi forces as the army tried to retreat. “We have been told to withdraw. We were told to withdraw yesterday,” one soldier, Khaled Dorman, told Reuters. Ayad Muhammad, another soldier, said: “The rebels attacked us while we were withdrawing from Misrata near a bridge this morning,” Another serviceman told the news agency the Libyan government had lost control over Misrata, the country’s third largest city. Reuters reported that it was unclear how far out of Misrata the army had managed to withdraw. Earlier, the Libyan deputy foreign minister, Khaled Kaim, said the army had been given an “ultimatum” to stop the rebellion in Misrata, which has been under siege for nearly two months. Hundreds of people have died in shelling and fighting, petrol is scarce and thousands of migrant workers are trapped there. Libya Middle East Arab and Middle East unrest Nato Muammar Gaddafi David Batty guardian.co.uk
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If a super-luxe liner isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other fish in the sea – try pink dolphin-spotting on the Amazon or a trip round Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay in a wooden junk The small ship Among tour operator Noble Caledonian’s fleet of vessels is the Island Sky , a small, elegant ship that was refurbished last year. Noble Caledonian says: “We promise there will be no organised entertainment, fancy dress, deck games or any of the usual big ship experiences.” We like the look of the Island Retreats trip , a low-key journey from Portsmouth to the Scilly Isles, Channel Islands, Brittany and Normandy. • From £1,895pp for six nights’ full-board, including most shore excursions (020-7752 0000, noble-caledonia.co.uk ) The yoga cruise Star Clippers is offering two one-week yoga cruises in Greece and Turkey this summer on one of its tall sailing ships. The Southern Cyclades trip from 6 August and the Northern Cyclades trip from 13 August will both feature twice-daily yoga sessions on deck with a qualified teacher, plus meditation and lectures on the philosophy and practice of yoga. There will be a focus on vegetarian food. • From £1,295pp for seven nights, including flights from London and full board. Departures on 6 and 13 August (0845 200 6145, starclippers.co.uk ) The anti-cruise Hurtigruten’s fleet of ships has been carrying freight, fish and Norwegian families up and down the coast for more than 100 years, and tourists can tag along too. These days the ships have a few creature comforts, but are still a down-to-earth alternative to super-luxe cruise liners. • From £651pp for a full-board six-day cruise south from Kirkenes to Bergen, calling at 34 ports (0844 448 7654, hurtigruten.co.uk ) The river ride Aqua Expeditions was the first company to offer luxury cruises on the Amazon river in Peru, and it is launching a second vessel on 29 April. Passengers can fish for piranha, and take excursions into the remote Pacaya Samiria reserve, to view pink river dolphins, red howler monkeys and three-toed sloths. • From around £1,460pp (flights extra) for a three-night full-board Amazon Discovery Cruise (+51 1 368 3868, aquaexpeditions.com) The geology journey Aurora Expeditions is celebrating 15 years of exploring the European Arctic with a two-week voyage focused on geology from 2 September. A palaeontologist/geologist will be joining the Jewels of the Arctic trip, which visits Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland, to share his knowledge of volcanoes, fjords and rocks. • From around £4,980pp (flights extra)for 14 days, with meals and trips (+61 2 9252 1033, auroraexpeditions.co.uk ) The tropical tour The Tui Tai is a three-masted schooner that sails around remote islands in northern Fiji. The cruise is geared towards adventurous outdoorsy types who want to kayak to remote beaches and giant waterfalls, but appreciate a massage when they get back. • From £4,295pp for seven nights including flights from London, all meals and activities including scuba diving and spa treatments (01494 678400, turquoiseholidays.co.uk ) The gourmet cruise New wine and gastronomy cruises will be plying the Upper Rhine Valley between May and October this year. The four-day, three-night trips on recently built river cruisers are run by CroisiEurope and include a five-course dinner prepared by the ship’s chef, and a wine tasting with master sommelier Serge Dubs. • Around £375pp, starting in Strasbourg, including full board (+33 3 8876 4066, croisieurope.com ) The independent cruise Captain your own river cruiser on the river Sarthe in France, which has 82km of navigable waterways from Sablé-sur-Sarthe to Le Mans. Or try river cruise camping, where you sail by day in a small Skellig vessel and pitch your tent each night at campsites bordering the river. • From £660 for up to four for a week’s hire of a live-aboard cruiser, or £310 for three days on the smaller boat (+33 2 4395 1442, uk.anjou-navigation.com ) The bygone boat Almost 100 years ago, Emperor Khai Dinh sailed around Ha Long Bay in Vietnam in a wooden junk. Now you can too, with a number of operators offering one- or two-night cruises on authentic replica boats. • From around £88pp for a two-day/one night trip, including full board and excursions (+84 933 44 6542, bhayacruises.com ) The Cuban cruise Voyages Jules Verne has a new trip for 2011: a cruise right around Cuba, starting and finishing in Havana. You’ll stop off at four Cuban destinations – Isla de la Juventud, Trinidad, Santiago de Cuba and Cayo Saetie – and one on Jamaica, Ochos Rios. This is the first time that the Cuban authorities have granted permission for this particular itinerary, as cruises have previously only visited Havana and Santiago de Cuba, so it’s a unique holiday. • From £1,295pp for 14 days, including flights, seven nights’ full-board on the ship and six in a five-star Havana hotel (0845 166 7003, vjv.com ) Cruises Wildlife holidays Boating holidays Sailing holidays Cuba Vietnam Fiji Amazon Rachel Dixon guardian.co.uk
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PM says it is ‘fine’ to offer his children’s friends work placements David Cameron has undermined one of Nick Clegg’s flagship policies for improving social mobility, saying it is “fine” to offer his children’s friends internships and even admitting that he has given a work placement to a neighbour. The government has put more accessible internships in desirable professions at the centre of a drive to give poorer children better opportunities. Earlier this month Clegg, the deputy prime minister, admitted securing a “definite leg-up internship” through his father’s influence in a Finnish bank. He said it was wrong that his career had been boosted by parental connections. But in an interview in the Telegraph Cameron said he was “very relaxed” about offering work placements to people he knew. “I’ve got my neighbour coming in for an internship,” he said. “In the modern world, of course you’re always going to have internships and interns – people who come and help in your office who come through all sorts of contacts, friendly, political, whatever.” Earlier this month Clegg, the deputy prime minister, told the Commons : “As a teenager, yes, I did receive an internship, as, I suspect, did many people around the chamber. Good for you if you did not. All of us should be honest and acknowledge that the way that internships have been administered in the private sector, the public sector, political parties and – I discovered when we came into government – in Whitehall as well, under 13 years of Labour, left a lot to be desired.” Clegg later claimed professional life should be “about what you know, not who you know”. He said: “The whole system was wrong. I’m not the slightest bit ashamed of saying that we all inhabited a system which was wrong.” The revelation that the deputy prime minister was helped through his father’s connections cast a shadow over the government’s announcement of the drive to end unpaid internships. Cameron said Clegg was “trying to make a fair point”, but happily admitted that as a young man he, like his deputy, was helped out by his family connections. The prime minister, who this week was also caught in a row over whether he will wear a morning suit at next week’s royal wedding, denied he was trying to rewrite his background. “People know who I am,” he said. “I’m not trying to rewrite my background. I went to a fantastic school, I adored my parents.” But he added: “I suppose when I got into politics I was always called the Old Etonian David Cameron. ” In the Telegraph interview Cameron also spoke about a recent visit he made to the grave of his son, Ivan, who died in 2009. He said: “The first person who says to you, ‘Soon you’ll think of the happy memories of him and you won’t be so sad’ … well, you want to deck them. But actually, it is true that, suddenly, some happy memories burst through the cloud.” Cameron also likened welcoming Lady Thatcher to No 10 as an “out of body experience”. David Cameron Conservatives Nick Clegg Liberal-Conservative coalition Social mobility Amy Fallon guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Video: Opening Segment from Hannity’s ‘Behind the Bias: The History of Liberal Media’
April 22, 2011 No Comment
On Friday night, the Fox News Channel debuted a Hannity special, ‘Behind the Bias: The History of Liberal Media.’ The promo declared: “Double standards? Groundless attacks? Blatant bias? Sean calls out the mainstream media! Don’t miss Behind the Bias: The History of Liberal Media.” The Media Research Center made available to Fox News Channel producers video clips from our archive going back more than 20 years and they are scattered throughout the hour – as are soundbites from MRC President Brent Bozell. The hour began with what Sean Hannity described as “how and why this bias began,” illustrated with several classic examples of left-wing journalistic advocacy and/or denigration of conservatives. Watch the segment, about seven minutes in length, after the jump:
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