ShortcutsBarack ObamaNinth cousins Obama and Pitt: that family tree in fullWhen Mr Pitt went to Washington last week the official line was that Brad was there to talk to Obama about the Hollywood star's plan to help rebuild New Orleans. All very worthy. But who were they trying to kid? It was obvious to any rightwing conspiracy theorist that the meeting was all part of a plot to forward the interests of Obama's family.
Peaky Blinders: episode by episodePeaky BlindersThe Blinders was dripping in betrayals this week in a sorrow-filled hour haunted by the ghosts of war
For all its gaudy swagger, Peaky Blinders has always had a melancholy streak, and is arguably at its best when indulging it. Certainly, Blackbird was the strongest episode of this series so far, a sorrow-filled hour haunted by the ghosts of war and what might have been. It was also dripping in betrayals, large and small.
RussiaFemale-led movements are challenging the official narrative that mobilised troops are required for war against Ukraine
Against a backdrop of snow-capped birch trees, a group of women wearing white headscarves blend into the Russian winter landscape. In a country where public dissent is rare, their blunt message to Vladimir Putin stands out: bring our men back from Ukraine.
“We want a total demobilisation. Civilians should not be engaged in the fighting,” says one of the women at the start of the nine-minute address this month.
29 Oct 202323.21 EDTFinal thoughts
Okay, we officially have a series! Assuming one has no rooting interest in either of the remaining teams, there’s no greater start to a World Series than a split in the first two games. A 1-1 split is an ideal situation for the casual fan as it usually portends a longer series. It is, of course, a less than ideal situation for the Rangers. Today, their weaknesses were exposed and they know their two-game home stand could have gone worse: they needed plenty of late-inning drama just to pull off a come-from-behind win in Game 1.
Cult heroesMusicThough she had only one UK hit, Reddy was a huge star in the US and Australia. Her approachable easy listening style concealed the strangeness of her songs
She was, in Alice Cooper’s not unsympathetic words, “the Queen of Housewife Rock” – a term Helen Reddy herself thought apt. In the first half of the 70s, the Australian-American vocalist topped the Billboard easy listening chart eight times and had nine other Top 20 singles, all of them as cushiony and emollient as she herself was unalarming and approachable.
The amazing world of sport US sports Deer charges into cross-country runner during race – video A deer charges into cross-country runner Justin DeLuzio during a race at the NCAA Division III MidEast Regional Championships at DeSales University in Pennsylvania on Saturday. De Luzio, competing for Gwynedd Mercy University, is knocked off clean off his feet by the deer, but was able to resume running and finish.
Hobbies This article is more than 1 year oldI used to think art required natural talent. Then I taught myself to drawThis article is more than 1 year oldJosh NicholasPractice may not make you Picasso (or perfect for that matter), but the process of acquiring a new skill is a reward in itself
After a lifetime of scribbling on scrap paper, a few years ago I finally started taking drawing seriously.
Life and styleObituaryLoulou de la Falaise obituaryFree-spirited accessories designer known for her wild style and her lengthy collaboration with Yves Saint LaurentThe way Loulou de la Falaise told it, she had been baptised by her mother with a dab of the Schiaparelli perfume Shocking in lieu of water; or even bathed in the scent at birth. That might not have been literally true – Loulou was born in severely austere postwar Britain (in Sussex), to which her mother, the bohemian Maxime de la Falaise, had returned briefly from Paris.
FamilyStart the discussions early, examine your own beliefs and take their questions seriously. Experts on the best way to talk to children and teenagers about how they look
‘When can I start wearing makeup?’Seeing your children in makeup can cause mixed emotions: it signals a transitional growing-up period you may not feel ready for. Choosing an appropriate age is up to you, but a 2019 YouGov study suggests that most parents believe that children should be allowed to wear makeup between 14 and 16.