Greatest leaders in world history

When she was growing up, film-maker Gurinder Chadha was captivated by a photograph which took pride of place on the mantelpiece in her family’s front room in Southall, west London. For years she assumed the dashing man in a jewel-bedecked turban must be a relative; only later did she understand his true significance. “He was Maharaja Sir Duleep Singh, the last king of the Sikhs,” she says. “He ruled Punjab, my ancestral home – vast, powerful territories stretching from Afghanistan to China.” That is, until Duleep Singh was deposed by the British Raj, exiled to Britain as a teenager and forced to give the Koh-i-Noor diamond, the most dazzling of his dynasty’s treasures , to Queen Victoria. For Chadha’s family, that photograph was symbolic not just of past glories from the land of their forefathers, but of the deeply complex shared history between two nations – Britain and India - that had brought them as immigrants to this country. “As soon as you mention the word ‘Empire’, people … [Read more...] about Gurinder Chadha: ‘People get defensive about the British Empire but it’s our shared history’

Mike Tyson is the youngest world heavyweight champion in boxing history, having claimed his first title at the tender age of 20 years, four months and 22 days old. It came all the way back in November 1986 against Trevor Berbick, who was sent stumbling across the ring after just two rounds with ‘Iron’ Mike in November 1986. Nobody has ever managed to break his astonishing record, with Briain’s Herbie Hide coming closest as a 22-year-old in 1994. And ahead of the 33rd anniversary of Tyson’s first world-title triumph, Starsport have ranked the five best knockouts of his heavyweight career. 5. Francois Botha (16 January 1999) After back-to-back defeats at the hands of Evander Holyfield, and a suspension for biting the American’s ear in his second disqualification loss, Tyson returned 19 months later against Botha and looked rusty early on. Yet his lethargic start meant little in the end, as he whipped in a devastating right hand that sent the South African crashing to the … [Read more...] about Mike Tyson’s five best KO’s ranked as anniversary nears of first world title win

The record $4.65 billion sale of the Denver Broncos to Walmart heir Rob Walton and his daughter and son-in-law was unanimously approved Tuesday by NFL owners, the expected final step in the transfer from the family of the late Pat Bowlen. The vote was taken at a league meeting at a hotel in Minnesota, where Walton, his daughter, Carrie Walton Penner, and her husband, Greg Penner, were introduced to the media by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. With an estimated worth of $60 billion, Walton — the eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton — becomes the wealthiest owner in the league. Walton's group paid the highest price in history for a sports franchise anywhere in the world. His three limited partners are Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, Starbucks board chair Mellody Hobson and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. All three investors are Black, satisfying an NFL goal to bring more racial diversity into ownership groups, front offices and coaching staffs. The … [Read more...] about NFL approves sale of Denver Broncos to Walmart heir for world record $4.65 billion

Charlize Theron has starred in major films including Mad Max: Fury Road, Fast & Furious 8, Prometheus and Atomic Blonde. Over the years, she has been romantically linked to several major names and co-stars. She is now celebrating her 47th birthday, but looking for love doesn’t seem to be on the South African actress’s agenda. In an interview with Howard Stern, she said: "I don't know if I'll ever be able to live with somebody again. To be totally frank, they might have to buy the house next to me." Later, during a conversation with Drew Barrymore in 2020, Charlize said: "I'm in a place in my life where you gotta come with a lot of game because I just won't accept anything less." Despite being single now, here are some of the stars she has dated in the past. Who has Charlize Theron dated? Craig Bierko In 1995, Charlize dated Craig Bierko for two years until 1997. This was right at the beginning of Charlize’s career when she made an appearance in Children Of The … [Read more...] about Charlize Theron’s relationship history and children as star turns 47

Tributes from around the have been paid to Kofi Annan, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Secretary-General of the United Nations, who died aged 80 on Saturday after a short illness. His home country, Ghana, declared a week of national mourning. He served two terms as UN chief between 1996 and 2006. Ravina Shamdasani, the spokeswoman for the UN Office of High Commission for Human Rights, said Annan was a life-long believer in the organisation: "I think we will remember Kofi Annan most for his dedication to peace and human rights, to his unfailing belief that diplomacy, dialogue, and just that the United Nations works, that we can avoid conflicts, that we can resolve conflicts and that we should never give up. We need to keep pushing. We need to keep advocating for human rights even in the face of seemingly impossible obstacles." Admirers who took to Twitter to pay their respects: Kofi Annan was the first black African to lead the … [Read more...] about World pays tribute to former UN chief Kofi Annan who has died at the age of 80

Vladimir Putin wants children as young as seven to be taught Russian values as part of a wider programme of "patriotic" education. As of September 5, kids will be forced to sit through hours of "conversations about important things", according to Sergei Novikov, who heads up the Kremlin's social projects wing. The curriculum would be focused on societal values in line with Russia's national security strategy, he told the state-run Tass news agency. Some schools will roll out the discussions as early as this month. Novikov, the presidential directorate for social projects, is working to realise the leader's goals to “strengthen the spiritual and moral foundations of Russian society”. This includes improving “young people’s patriotic education”, according to the Kremlin's website. Putin's "patriotic" education is part of a wider Kremlin initiative to "teach" kids its view of the Ukraine conflict ( Image: AFP via Getty Images) Non state-run media outlets in … [Read more...] about Vladimir Putin demands schoolchildren learn ‘patriotic values’ from the age of seven

Russia has warned 'Armageddon' could be on the horizon in a terrifying warning aired on state TV. The ominous message was released after tensions around the Zaporizhzia atomic power plant grew this week. Ukrainian leaders accused Russia of “deliberately shelling” the plant, which is the biggest in Europe. Russia denies the charges and claims it is Ukraine risking nuclear catastrophe by shelling the plant. READ MORE: Putin 'has given order for Russia to deploy nukes in Ukraine' claims Kremlin insider But there are fears Putin’s forces will blame a disaster at the plant on Ukraine and use it as a pretext to deepen the conflict. Now Russian President Vladimir Putin’s largest state-controlled TV channel has given airtime to the leader of pro-Kremlin Ukrainian movement Parus, Yury Kot, who claimed it was Kyiv and the West jeopardising nuclear safety. He urged Putin to be ready to fire nuclear missiles at London and Washington. “We all understand very well that … [Read more...] about Russian TV warns of ‘Armageddon’ at nuclear power plant and threatens to bomb London

One of Taiwan’s top missile experts has been found dead in a hotel room while tensions rise between the island nation and neighbouring China . The sudden death of Ou Yang Li-hsing, the deputy head of the Taiwan defence ministry’s research and development unit, is being probed by police. The official Central News Agency reports that Ou Yang, 57, was found on Saturday morning (August 6) in the southern city of Pingtung and is believed to have been killed by a heart attack. READ MORE: WW3 fears grow as Taiwan 'prepares for war' with China and puts army on 'high alert' He worked for the military-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology and has been visiting the south of the island on business. Investigators have found no sign of a break-in, reportedly leading to limited fears over the possibility of foul play. Mr Ou Yang’s family has told the investigation that not only did Mr Ou Yang have a history of heart problems, but that he also had a … [Read more...] about Mystery as Taiwan missile expert found dead in hotel as Chinese invasion threat looms

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough died August 8, 2022 at age 89 . In this "Sunday Morning" interview, originally broadcast on July 1, 2001, he discusses his biography of an overlooked Founding Father: In the cool grandeur of the National Archives in Washington, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are enshrined, historian David McCullough is anything but cool about how history has treated one of the major forces behind those two documents: John Adams. "There's no statue to him in Washington," McCullough told correspondent Rita Braver. "There's no face on Mount Rushmore. There's no monument. There's no picture of John Adams on our money. There isn't a postage stamp in circulation with John Adams' picture on it. This is a disgrace!" But now McCullough, one of the most influential historians of our time, has become an Adams advocate, using his skills and his celebrity to introduce Americans to this forgotten patriot, with a massive new … [Read more...] about From the archive: David McCullough on the life of patriot John Adams

In some corners of MAGA-land, a new civil war is getting under way. The FBI’s arrival at Mar-a-Lago yesterday evening to collect evidence in a criminal investigation related to former President Donald Trump is the trigger that some of his supporters needed to suggest that violence is imminent . Predictably, the unverified Twitter accounts of armchair revolutionaries circulated claims such as “I already bought my ammo” and dark talk of “kinetic civil war” and “Civil War 2.0.” Not to be outdone, the National Rifle Association posted an image of Justice Clarence Thomas above an indignant quotation from a majority opinion he wrote: “The constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense is not ‘a second class right.’” Verified right-wing influencers got in on the martial rhetoric, too. “Tomorrow is war. Sleep well,” Steven Crowder promised. The bad news is that much of this talk is sincere. It is intended to intimidate the people investigating Trump’s many abuses of … [Read more...] about The Bad and Good News About Trump’s Violent Supporters