Johns

Jazz saxophonist – who recorded with artists Frank Sinatra, BB King and more – died in Los Angeles, reports sayUS jazz saxophonist Plas Johnson, best known for his solo riff on the timeless classic The Pink Panther Theme, has died at the age of 94, according to reports.The native of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, died on 15 July, according to a report from the Los Angeles jazz radio station KKJZ. Continue reading...

Chair criticises use of ‘VIP lane’ to prioritise PPE contracts for companies with Tory connections in damning reportBoris Johnson’s Conservative government wasted public money on a “vast” scale with flawed buying of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic, an official inquiry has concluded.The Covid-19 inquiry chair, Heather Hallett, also criticised the then government’s controversial “VIP lane”, which gave high priority for PPE contracts to companies with political connections to the Tories. Continue reading...

In triggering an entirely optional byelection, Nigel Farage has given opponents weeks to repeat the claims about his financesTo some, Nigel Farage appears to be in a trap of his own making, fighting for re-election in single combat with a giant bin before potentially having to do it all again against the other political parties. But inside Reform UK, the mood is upbeat. As one insider said of the prospect of a double byelection: “Bring it on.”This is not just braggadocio. Farage is an enthusiastic and highly skilled campaigner, and is clearly relishing the idea of going to his electorate with a “Clacton versus the establishment” message, although doing so twice within weeks might test even his commitment – especially when the Reform UK leader is forced to argue that the establishment is embodied by an anthropomorphised bin. Continue reading...

• The report highlights the top 10 celebrity real estate transactions from June, featuring high-profile figures such as Dakota Johnson, Meg Ryan, and Ryan Seacrest. • A key highlight includes actress Dakota Johnson moving on from her contemporary residence located in West Hollywood. • These luxury property shifts reflect broader trends in the U.S. high-end housing market and the investment patterns of entertainment industry stars.

• Celebrities including Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Laga'aia, Rihanna, and Pedro Pascal have been spotted in various global locations, with Johnson and Laga'aia appearing in Sydney for 'Moana' related activities. • In London on June 22, Emma Watson spoke at The Royal Foundation's United for Wildlife event, while Tom Holland and Zendaya attended the 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' photo call in Berlin on the same day. • These updates provide a snapshot of current high-profile promotional tours and philanthropic engagements across major cities like Los Angeles and Berlin.

Former negotiator believes in an unstable world, it is ‘perfectly possible’ the UK can rejoin the EU with old opt-outsUK could keep special pre-Brexit terms if it rejoined EU, Michel Barnier saysA couple of years ago, Michel Barnier spent a weekend with Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley. It was not some ghoulish Brexit spin-off of The Traitors, but the result of the former EU negotiator’s wife, Isabelle, being a close friend of Johnson’s French cousin, Anne du Boucheron, the owner of Château de la Baronnière, a 19th-century estate in Mauges-sur-Loire, in western France.“We spent a weekend together in a French castle. Very friendly. Long promenades in the forest,” Barnier recalls of Johnson senior, with whom he discussed the former prime minister’s motivation to back Brexit. “It was interesting. Boris was much more European at the beginning. Even if he was critical. I don’t see it as a motivation but it is, perhaps, a method or attitude: to be pragmatic in some way. Cynical. Cynical to get power.” Continue reading...

• Experts are calling for public investment to develop a vaccine for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, noting that previous Zaire ebolavirus vaccines required billions of dollars and decades of research. • The proposed strategy involves initial laboratory testing, small-scale clinical trials to ensure safety and antibody response, and the pre-emptive manufacturing of doses. • This proactive approach is critical because it allows health officials to have vaccines ready for immediate deployment during the next outbreak.

Johnson tells BBC documentary he played tennis in early 2016 with then prime minister to discuss EU referendumUK politics live – latest updatesDavid Cameron offered Boris Johnson a senior Cabinet position in return for campaigning for the UK to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum, it has been revealedIn the event, and with four months to go before the vote, Johnson transformed the terms of the debate by announcing in February 2016 that “after a huge amount of heartache” he was throwing his weight behind the campaign to take Britain out of the EU. Continue reading...