Lois

“The press, honestly, is out of control… I see stories of chaos – chaos – and yet it is the exact opposite… It’s all fake news, It’s all fake news… Russia is fake news… I do get good ratings… that’s how I won, I won with news conferences and probably speeches, I certainly didn’t win […]

The entirety of the Trump administration has resigned, leaving Donald Trump as the first ever President to have to run America absolutely on his own. Trump has said “It’s fine, I’m doing fine. I am absolutely in the best position possible to do this… the news will say I can’t, but I built a business […]

A photograph taken by the Turkish photographer Burhan Özbilici of the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey last December has been named the World Press Photo of The Year. The photo shows both the assassin and the ambassador, Andrei Karlov, who is lying shot on the floor. It is by all means an incredibly […]

Dear Mr President, I fear, Mr Trump, we have gotten off on the wrong foot. I know I’ve said some terrible things about you in the past, but I would like to take this opportunity to offer my apologies. I was blinded by fake news, and my weak and ignorant female brain was unable to […]

This year, as is the case every year, there shall be a 14th of February. There is absolutely nothing anyone can do about this, and similarly there is almost nothing anyone can do about the fact this also happens to be Valentine’s day. Frankly, I abhor Valentine’s day, and shan’t make any bones about it. […]

Hacksaw Ridge is Mel Gibson’s (Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ) re-telling of the true story of how one man, Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), saved the lives of 75 men without firing a single shot. Doss was a conscientious objector who served for the American Army during the Second World War. Garfield’s performance as […]

John Bercow, Speaker at the House of Commons, has stated Donald Trump should not be afforded the “earned honour,” of speaking at the Westminster Hall because of the commons’ opposition to “sexism and racism.” He has said he is one of three people who would have to approve an invitation to Trump to speak in […]

The Godfather is widely heralded as one of the greatest films ever made. It was for a time the highest grossing film ever made; it won an Oscar for best picture; it’s been called one of the most influential films in American cinematic history and perhaps the most influential ‘gangster’ film ever. Generally, everyone loves […]

M. Night Shyamalan is a director whose reputation often precedes him. Films like The Village and The Sixth Sense have made him renowned for a tendency towards ‘sudden twists’. This has not always acted entirely in his favour, and his style has occasionally lead critics to discredit him as gimmicky or the most supposedly unexpected […]

American filmmaker Michael Moore is infamous among the American business and Wall Street elite as a result of his frank and critical documentaries. These have looked into issues across the spectrum – from 9/11 and the Bush administration (Fahrenheit 9/11, which notably was awarded the Palme d’Or and is the highest grossing documentary of all […]

The long awaited Trainspotting 2 finally hit the big screens last Friday. Fans have waited nearly 20 years to see the sequel, a deliberate move from Danny Boyle to see the characters ageing naturally, which seems to have paid off, and the youth of the first film is far out on the horizon. Despite this, […]

Jeremy Corbyn has stated he will impose a three-line whip on labour MPs to vote in favour of triggering Article 50 next week, and several frontbenchers including Tulip Siddiq (shadow minister for early years) are expected to carry out a rebellion. Siddiq stated that in any Article 50 bill she would vote with her strongly remain-leaning […]

Scientists have created the first ‘chimera’ (named after the cross-species beast of Greek mythology), a pig-human hybrid which has been hailed as a significant first step towards the growth of human organs like hearts or livers from scratch. The success marks the first time two large distantly-related species have been used to create an embryo. […]

Ewan McGregor has snubbed a prime time slot with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain following controversial comments from Morgan regarding the Women’s Marches that took place over the weekend. He attacked what he saw as “the more repellent side of feminism: the vile, crude, man-hating, violent, nasty side,” saying “if you let the nasty […]

Cathy Heller, 63, claimed publicly last year that Trump held her firmly and kissed her when she met him briefly at a dinner she was attending with her family 20 years ago. She is one of many women who have made similar public allegations, and who has seen the man she claims assaulted her become […]

The Play That Goes Wrong is an Olivier Award-winning comedy which recently began its 2017 tour of the UK. It’s been widely critically acclaimed and received hugely positive appraisals since it began its time in the West End in 2015. It’s a very physical play, and very silly, but the one or two very clever […]

Being in the midst of GCSE mocks and preparing to do the same thing times ten in a few months has set my mind to thinking about the best way to deal with exam stress and juggle everything else that needs doing. So to really get into the spirit I’ve compiled a list of my […]

The days before Donald Trump’s inauguration are trickling away from us with frightening pace. Obama has said his farewell speech and Trump gave his first press conference as president elect. (If you could call it a press conference, it sounded more like an aggressive string of vowels and consonants from a barely sentient life form.) […]

The chain of ‘up-market’ cafes which specialise in handmade cakes is widely popular and is often littered with small groups of friends and families who are there to take afternoon tea. Their menu boasts a selection of savoury meals and cakes, as well as hot drinks and ‘special occasion’ orders which have to be made […]

Crashing is the Channel Four sitcom written by and staring Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), which follows six twenty-somethings and their life as ‘property guardians’ in a disused hospital. It is hard-hitting and hilarious (much like Fleabag), with Waller-Bridge showing yet again an amazing display of wit and the ability to write superbly funny characters who are […]

Porno is the sequel to Irvine Welsh’s gritty masterpiece Trainspotting, and (like its predecessor) switches between the first person narratives of its major characters, Mark “Rents” Renton, Simon David “Sick Boy” Williamson, Francis “Franco” Begbie, Danny “Spud” Murphy and Nikki Fuller-Smith. (The small number of narrators in Porno is dwarfed by the much larger and more varied […]

Naked Attraction first aired last year on Channel 4. The programme consists of one fully clothed male or female gradually whittling down six naked people down to two, as more and more of them is exposed. Once they have two potential dates left, they themselves have to strip off before choosing the person they would […]

The Philosopher’s Pupil, by author and philosopher Iris Murdoch, was first published in 1983. It follows the affairs and arguments within the English spa town of Ennistone (‘N’s town’ – so named by the anonymous narrator, ‘N’), particularly those of the McCaffrey family. At the centre of this family is George: reviled and revered in […]

As it draws to a close, there has been a lot of talk about what a horrendous year 2016 has been. Indeed, it has seemed particularly awful: a continuous bombardment of worst case scenarios, and it’s shown no hope of letting up going into 2017. I doubt that I need to go into any ‘highlights’ […]

Fighting in Aleppo continues as the ceasefire intended to allow civilians to escape the besieged city breaks down, and thousands remain trapped in the city. The ceasefire had been planned in order to allow evacuations to Idlib province on Wednesday morning, however Turkish and rebel officials have said that Iranian-backed militias were not allowing civilians […]

2016 has been a year of ups and (mostly) downs, and TV was generally at a much higher standard than real life. Netflix dominated the playing field, turning out hit after hit, with an array of award-winning dramas and documentaries. In reality TV, Tiffany thought David Gest was dead, Biggins was biphobic, and Honey G was […]

Philip Davies, the Tory MP who claimed that “feminist zealots really do want women to have their cake and eat it” while speaking at a Justice for Men and Boys (J4MB) conference back in August, has been elected onto a parliamentary committee which scrutinises issues linked to women’s rights and equality. The MP for Shipley has […]

When I was Five I killed Myself (published 1981) was the first novel of Howard Buten, an American living in France who is, as well as a novelist, a clown and a psychologist. The book, whilst not being very well known in his home country, is overwhelmingly popular in France, having sold over a million […]

‘In this biting romantic comedy, Rob Gordon is the owner of a semi-failing record store in Chicago, where he sells music the old-fashioned way – on vinyl. However, when his long-time girlfriend, Laura, walks out on him, he examines his failed attempts at romance and happiness, and the process finds him being dragged, kicking and […]

The End Of The Affair by Graham Greene was initially published in 1951, and has since been adapted into two feature films of the same name. The novel examines Maurice Bendrix’s obsession with his former lover Sarah Miles and her husband Henry Miles. The story is suspected to have some base in Greene’s affair with […]

Mother of Briton Michael Sandford, 20, has written to President Obama, “urging him to act in any way he can while he is still in power,” in the hope that her son will be able to serve his prison sentence, for attempting to kill Donald Trump while he was campaigning for president, in the UK. […]

There is a great deal of debate over the best bit of Christmas, and it’s a very personal thing. For some it’s the weather: the crisp wind, frosty mornings, the odd sprinkling of snow. For others it’s the food: coming in to warm soup, the fact every hot meal tastes better in the cold and […]

A petition is to be presented to the Bank of England which has been signed by over 10,000 people, protesting the use of tallow in the production of the new plastic £5 notes. Tallow is a substance made from animal fat which is also used in products like soap and candles. There has been outrage […]

A clause is being added to the digital economy bill (designed to prevent under-18s from accessing pornographic material) which will ban UK internet users from accessing websites portraying ‘non-conventional’ sex acts. The measures will be regulated by the BBFC, who currently classify films for cinema and DVD release, and they are expected look for material […]

Winter is a time for staying indoors and watching some good telly, and of course we all know documentaries are up there with the best of them. So I have handpicked a few of my favourites that are great for nights in and those who enjoy some drama, which you absolutely must watch and are […]

Women are as diverse and individual as books themselves, and this has been reflected (sometimes) very well by literature – in fact arguably more so than in any other medium. Anyone can write books; the same cannot be said for TV and film. Yes, there is a lot of popular fiction that isn’t as representative […]

The second season of the series, set in Europe, which follows the stories of missing children is at this point well underway. The first season was excellent, and the second is superb. It has somehow maintained its high quality, with the plotline of this latest season being arguably even more intriguing. The series jumps between past and […]

Donald Trump has given his first interview as president-elect, appearing on the CBS programme 60 minutes. Trump spoke on several of his key campaign points and his recent meeting with President Obama, informing interviewer Lesley Stahl that he still intends to build a wall along the Mexican border, although he is now happy for some […]

This year has consisted of reams and reams of bad news. Behind every door, around every corner, there has been some kind of disaster. This week in particular has been incredibly stressful and upsetting for many, and so I think it is perhaps time for a little good news. Good news often slips under the […]

Over the years, ‘teen fiction’ has been changing significantly, as has the rest of teen culture. It’s a fairly new genre by book standards, and one which continues to grow at an alarming rate, which consists of (according to Goodreads) a broad selection ranging from the beautiful (The Book Thief, Markus Zusak) to the, well, […]

It’s Such a Beautiful Day is a feature length animation by Don Hertzfeldt which follows Bill, a terminally ill stick figure. It is a touching and delicate story, beautifully and simply narrated by Hertzfeldt. There is a careful and powerful message buried beneath the simple exterior, and Bill’s soft and relatable nature (an impressive feat […]

The shock is wearing off and the reality setting in – Donald Trump has been elected president of the United States. There has been a lot going on over the past few months, so much that Trump’s election seemed impossible, especially after more and more accounts of his vile behaviour came forth, and his lack […]

The latest album by Lady Gaga, Joanne, is named after the singer’s father’s late sister, Joanne Germanotta, and has running themes of family life and “all of life’s emotions”. Gaga has said, “It’s a wonderful, soul-searching experience. And it’s very unlike [Artpop] in that way.” The album does indeed overall feel extremely different from Lady […]

In the past couple of months at school, I have noticed an extreme increase in the amount of homework I’ve been getting, as well as being expected to have already begun revising for mocks over the next couple of months. This isn’t exclusive to me or my school however, and I feel many young people […]

The latest in my series of underrated female artists is Natasha Bedingfield, and admittedly some of my choices may feel a little less like the ‘little known’ ones I have chosen for the previous artists, but trust me, I know what I’m doing; these words are my own. So, straight in… 1. I’m a bomb […]

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said there will be no inquiry into the violent clash between striking minors and the South Yorkshire police in 1984. The decision has followed years of campaigning from former miners and the group Orgreave Justice, who have all expressed shock at the decision as they had been told to expect […]

Alas, The Great British Bake Off final is here. Weeks of sponges, biscuits, not turned on ovens and failing to set jellies have all led us to this one single crescendo. Indeed, years of cakes, biscuits, breads and pastries have brought us here; to what is the last ever episode of Bake Off as we […]

Last night Justin Bieber dropped his mic and stormed off the stage at his performance in Manchester stadium due to ‘screaming fans’. The singer complained that it was ‘unnecessary’ when he was trying to talk and was met by boos as he asked them to stop shouting. The star’s career began at a young age […]