October 2007

'Paparazzi killed Diana, now they're killing me'

Music superstar Paul McCartney's estranged wife Heather Mills has compared her 'hounding by the press' to the same treatment some people claim drove Princess Diana to her death a decade ago.Mills, who is involved in a messy and head-line grabbi ...

Brown Britain, Black Britain

As autumn segues into winter, Prime Minister Gordon Brown bristles with intent, but can he deliver a Covenant with Black Britain, asks Thom Blair. It's sophisticated and trendy in politics and the media to claim we live in  "a new country in ...

Terrorist attack that never was

Panic spread through the streets of central London after a Thai chef caused a terror alert when his homemade chilli sauce was mistaken for a chemical attack on the public.Police were called and roads were closed when locals reported an over-powering smell ...

Tale of a British loser and US winner

James Randall Motor-racing ace Lewis Hamilton has been compared to golfing giant Tiger Woods. But the Brit does not deserve the comparison made by over-enthusiastic UK journalists. When American Tiger Woods entered his first major championship, the US Mas ...

'Impoverished' Africa offers cultural gifts to the world

Thom Blair, Online ColumnistIt evokes images of poverty, ignorance and disaster. Globalisation and technology wreak heartbreak and broken economies. Yet Africa's living cultures are notable for their contributions to social knowledge say a new wave of ...