- This week... The caliphate is over but the carnage continues. After losing its last strongholds in Syria and Iraq, will Islamic State go global? And last time President Trump visited London, he criticised the Prime Minister, he kept the Queen waiting and he was stalked by protestors and a giant inflatable. This time it's a state visit. Will the pomp and ceremony keep things on track or will the UK's drawn-out political crisis leave even more things to go wrong? Also I only promised you one Brexit-free programme, and that was last week, so be warned.
- Last week we marked Easter by discussing the impact of religion on our world, including how faith can be manipulated for a message of hate. And then we got a demonstration. One synchronised moment of horror in Sri Lanka which left hundreds of lives destroyed, thousands shattered, a Muslim community in fear of backlash and a tourism-dependent economy reeling.
- Right now we have to talk about President Trump's visit to the UK. It's now official. He's coming in early June. Cue protocol rows, a carriage ride with the Queen and a 20 foot inflatable with tangerine-coloured skin, a shock of gold hair, and a nappy. Protestors say the Trump baby blimp will fly again along with other "creative interventions".
Very BBC!
I don't think Adel Darwish enjoyed it very much:
Time to tune away from the BBC News Channel. Useless, Americanised waste of time show Dateline London. The entire panel are lefties, europhile, anti-Trump... in short reflects BBC groupthink. Instead of depriving elderly people from free BBC Licence it is time to abolish it altogether.
Thomas Keilinger of Die Welt doesn't really count as a lefty, but otherwise that sums up the 'range' of opinions on offer today.
That said, how could anyone not really enjoy it when it had everyone's favourite Dateline regular on? My heart leaped and I emitted a joyous 'Yabba dabba doo!' as Yasmin Alibhai Brown's ever-cheerful face and wildly gesticulating hands returned to brighten up our screens. Seriously, who doesn't enjoy listening to her unpleasant and unreasonable rants? (Now, where are my happy pills again?)
YAB - Ah, the unstoppable electronic whine, the sense of entitlement, the galloping, Brexit-triggered neurosis...
ReplyDeleteglad I didn't see her! The last time I did she was more than usually insufferable: wearing an ear-to-ear, cat-that's-got-the-cream smirk. Why? Brexit had just had another major setback: taking 'no deal' off the table I think. I do hope the Brexit Party wipes the floor with the established parties, for many reasons, but in part, I must confess, to remove her smug smirk!
The only way to deal with YAB is Brendan O'Neill's studied refusal to make any eye contact with her, just as you would do if the nutter on the bus was trying to get your attention. Reminds me, bet Jasper Carrott, whose real name (as the BBC likes to say) is Robert Norman Davis (good decision there Bob!) would never be allowed to do that routine on the BBC these days.
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