Goodbye, Today, and thanks for the memories

(Photo: BBC)

– One of the BBC’s flagship current affairs programmes has been lost to the radical left, to the detriment of democracy and debate –

If I hadn’t been raised listening to Radio 4, it’s doubtful I would have been as interested in current affairs as I have been all my life, or have gone to university to study sociology and politics, and later philosophy. None of that might have happened at all. My childhood was not filled with music, as it is for many, though this is not something I regret. Up to the age of ten,

Syria: the strangest war

– Western military support for jihadist fighters in Syria could result in hundreds of thousands more deaths –

The Syrian government and its forces, led by Bashar al-Assad, has been winning the war that has raged in the country since 2011. Helped greatly in recent years by Russia, and by others, including the Iranian IRGC,

Serena Williams: doctors to blame for black women’s deaths

Serena Williams (photo: Kulitat)

— Tennis star’s reckless accusation of lethal lack of care goes unchallenged in the media —

Serena Williams is the greatest ever tennis player. Roger Federer comes close, but he’s not quite the best. I’ve admired Williams for a long time. Her tennis is exceptional, her career astonishing. But her achievements and fame place her in a powerful position.

BBC videos: sentimentalising the news

— BBC News videos are often no more than sentimental manipulation of its audience —

In idle moments I sometimes make the mistake of watching short videos on the BBC News website. You know the sort. They’re usually only a minute or so long, but can occasionally be up to ten.

Manufacturing offence

— The Dove advert controversy: how to ignore reality and fake racism for your own benefit —

This week one of the world’s largest corporations, whose existence depends on pleasing millions of customers, brazenly released an advertisement showing it believes black people are inferior to white people.