Back to the News

When I was in Canada (I know - I'm beginning to sound like Commander Campbell on the Brains Trust: 'When I was in Patagonia...'), I was in the happy position of being more or less cut off from the world news. The Canadian papers I glanced at were full, as they always seem to be, of the latest cases of corruption and scandal in high places (plus news of the separatists' well deserved trouncing in the Quebec elections), and odd snippets of news still reached me, including the death of Mickey Rooney, whose 90-year showbiz career was tragically cut short last week. But otherwise I was pleasantly isolated from the crazy world of news.
 Now, of course, I am back in it - and what's, er, new? Terrorists everywhere apparently - Ukrainians tackling Russian 'terrorists', Russians tackling Ukrainian 'terrorists', and a top anti-terrorist honcho called in to investigate the alleged Islamisation of schools in Birmingham - an appointment that has caused a great hoo-ha since, as we all know, there is no connection at all between Islamist extremism and terrorism (why, the very thought...). The Cyril Smith child (or rather boy) abuse scandal - which I remember reading all about decades ago in Private Eye - is now all over the media. A London barber  has received a visit from North Korean officials demanding that he take down a picture of their dear leader Kim Jong-Un captioned 'Bad Hair Day?' And a UN 'special rapporteur', one Rashida Manjoo, has declared the UK the most sexist country in the world. So how did you enjoy your stay in Saudi Arabia, Ms Manjoo? Crazy world indeed...