9 h. ago Lionel Richie reveals nickname for Michael Jackson due to poor hygiene

Richie writes in his debut memoir, ‘Truly,’ about his friendship with the ‘eccentric’ King of Pop

Politics

11 h. ago ‘Politics is nasty. And it’s getting worse’: Lionel Richie on his worries for America, his friend Michael Jackson – and why he still believes in the power of love

He’s known for his ballads and winning smile – but the singer has also had a ringside seat to history, from the civil rights battles in his native Alabama to the rise and fall of pop’s biggest superstarLionel Richie walks into the hotel meeting room at 6.20pm and stretches his arms out wide. “Good morning, everybody,” he says in a southern drawl as smooth as whipped cream. He’s not joking. Richie, 76, is touring here in Budapest, and he’s on rock’n’roll (well, legendary soul balladeer) time. The singer-songwriter, who has sold more than 100m records over his six decades in the business, has just got up. “That bed was saying to me, ‘Stay here, Lionel, you’re looking goooood.’”He introduces me to his girlfriend, Lisa Parigi, a Swiss entrepreneur. Parigi is in her mid-30s, gorgeous, friendly, and young enough to be his daughter – or granddaughter at a push. To be fair, though, Richie looks fabulous. As a young man, he was all chin and tache. Now he’s just regular handsom...

Politics

47 h. ago Lionel Richie says Michael Jackson was nicknamed ‘Smelly’ due to poor hygiene

Richie writes in his debut memoir, ‘Truly,’ about his friendship with the ‘eccentric’ King of Pop

Politics

6 d. ago ‘I don’t like Kendrick Lamar going after my close friend Drake’: Hugo Chegwin’s honest playlist

The music producer and People Just Do Nothing actor’s first rap idols were PJ and Duncan – but which song gets him secretly dancing in front of the mirror?The first song I fell in love with The first song that gave me that “eyes closed” feeling was Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson. I think my mum or dad had given me Bad as a present. I remember listening to it on those mad, really wiry headphones, and thinking it was quite dangerous in a good way.The first single I bought Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble by PJ and Duncan from Our Price in Chiswick. Ant and Dec feels quite entry-level rap. Something about it was just calling me. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Zelensky threatens to unleash 'blackout' attacks on Russia if Putin repeats tactic

Vladimir Putin is believed to have ordered attacks again on Ukrainian power supplies this winter and Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia can expect retaliation

Events

7 d. ago Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy declares he would 'go to the bookies and put money on' Labour being in power for a record number of years this century

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy is prepared to put his money where his mouth is as he believes Labour will be in power this century for a record number of years.

Politics

9 d. ago Michael Jackson accusers seek massive $400M payout over alleged sexual abuse

Michael Jackson's accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, are seeking a $400 million payout, over accusations that he sexually assaulted them as children.

Economics

9 d. ago Michael Jackson abuse accusers demanding $400 million, new court documents reveal

Wade Robson and James Safechuck have accused Jackson of sexually abusing them when they were children

Events

1 week ago Priscilla Presley says she was ‘appalled’ by daughter’s Michael Jackson marriage

‘When they got divorced, I could practically hear Elvis sigh with relief,’ Presley said

Politics

1 week ago Priscilla Presley shares details of Lisa Marie's sex life with 'manipulative' Michael Jackson

Priscilla Presley has shared details of her daughter Lisa Marie Presley's short-lived marriage to Michael Jackson as she admitted having her fears over if the union was genuine

Politics

1 week ago Priscilla Presley dishes on daughter Lisa Marie's sex life with 'manipulative' Michael Jackson

She recalled how she once asked her daughter about rumors surrounding her romance with the pop singer nearly 30 years ago prior to their eventual split.

Politics

2 w. ago I have now been a journalist for 40 years. The forces ranged against my profession have never been so powerful | George Monbiot

Once, I believed that humanity’s problem was an information deficit. Now, I know you can’t speak truth to power if power controls your wordsThe BBC I joined on my first day of professional journalism – 40 years ago this week – is unrecognisable today. While, for most of its history, the corporation had largely defended the status quo, under the director general at the time, Alasdair Milne, its journalists were sometimes allowed to stick it to power. This, I believe, is what journalism exists to do – and seldom does.As a student, I’d hammered on the doors of the BBC’s Natural History Unit, insisting there was a major gap in its coverage: investigative environmental reporting. If they took me on, I argued, I could help them fill it. The phone rang as I was leaving the house for one of my final exams. It was the head of the unit, saying: “You’re so fucking persistent you’ve got the job.”George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Mark Ronson 'reexamines' teenage friendship with Michael Jackson after abuse claims

Mark Ronson has opened up about his experience as a young teen attending an after-party with Michael Jackson and how allegations against the singer since have made him re-examine the moment

Events

2 w. ago Mark Ronson admits child abuse allegations against Michael Jackson forced him to 're

The music producer, 50, has recalled in his new book attending, at the age of 13, a party at the singer's hotel room.

Events

3 w. ago ‘It’s going to be a life skill’: educators discuss the impact of AI on university education

Artificial intelligence is changing how students learn and the world they’ll graduate into. Experts reveal how applicants can get aheadOpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently told a US podcast that if he was graduating today, “I would feel like the luckiest kid in all of history.”Altman, whose company developed and released ChatGPT in November 2022, believes the transformative power of AI offers unprecedented opportunities for young people. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Justin Bieber: Swag II review – more filler with an occasional pop killer

(Def Jam)Part two of Bieber’s seventh album adds very little: it’s largely bland pop with glimpses of quality thanks to a buzzy supporting cast including Dijon and BakarJustin Bieber’s Swag II adds 23 tracks to his already over-stuffed Swag project, and it’s not just the title that lacks imagination. Like its predecessor, released just two months ago, Swag II unites a buzzy team of producers and writers known for freshening up R’n’B and hands them a precisely curated Pinterest board: Dangerous-era Michael Jackson, D’Angelo’s lush arrangements, Jai Paul’s glitchy, retro-futurist sonics and the sun-bleached textures of current collaborators Mk.gee and Dijon. But with unadventurous songwriting, the result is (another) album that’s all vibe and voguish production, and very little substance.Opener Speed Demon reheats Bieber’s “is it clocking to you” meme for the second time across both albums, albeit with a bright, funky bravado and a memorably bonkers chorus about “checking these chicke...

Events

4 w. ago Michael Jackson's mom Katherine, 95, looks frail on rare outing after granddaughter Paris slammed biopic

The 95-year-old matriarch - whose iconic son Michael died in 2009 at age 50 - was spotted being carted around the city's Thousand Oaks neighborhood by an aide.

Politics

last month Michael Jackson's daughter Paris distances herself from late star's upcoming $155M biopic over 'inaccuracies'

The 27-year-old heiress' cousin Jaafar Jackson stars as the King of Pop in Antoine Fuqua's $155M-budget two-part movie produced by the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate

Politics