Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding: 350 million viewers.
On April 29th, 2011, Kate Middleton, who was the daughter of wealthy business owners with ties to the crown, became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer wedding: 1 billion viewers.
On July 29, 1981, Lady Di went from nursery teacher’s assistant to the Princess of Wales.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding: 1.9 billion viewers.
On May 19th, 2018, Meghan Markle, who had previously worked as an actress, blogger, charity ambassador, and advocate, (briefly) became HRH the Duchess of Sussex, Countess of Dumbarton and Baroness Kilkeel.
Funeral of Lady Di: 2 billion viewers.
Di’s funeral took place at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 6th, 1997. A hearse transported her coffin to Kensington Palace days before the funeral took place. Although this wasn’t the formal procession, thousands of onlookers lined the streets.
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral: 2.5 billion people.
The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September.
UK viewing peaked at 20.4 million as Charles was crowned (compared to the 29 million who watched the Queen's funeral, & the 32 million who watched Di's funeral - second only to the 32.3 million who watched the 1966 World Cup Final). 🇬🇧
Only ten global events (including Di's & Queen's funeral) have been watched by 2 billion+ viewers.
Ali vs Larry Holmes: 2 billion viewers.
On Oct. 2nd, 1980, Ali took to the ring suffering slurred speech & decreased motor function. After 10 rounds his manager ended the fight.
Michael Jackson Memorial Service: 2 billion viewers.
A public memorial service for Michael Jackson was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, twelve days after his death.
Live 8: 2 billion viewers
Live 8 was a benefit concert to raise money to try & end poverty worldwide. The G8 countries & South Africa performed simultaneous concerts on July 2nd, 2005 - the 20th anniversary of Live Aid (estimated TV audience of 1.9 billion).
9/11 terror attacks: 2 billion viewers.
Media coverage started when American Airlines Flight 11 collided with the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Within one hour and fifteen minutes, three more planes crashed in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
1998 World Cup Final, France vs. Brazil: 2 billion viewers.
France's 3-0 win was their first World Cup title. Zidane was named the man of the match, while Ronaldo was awarded the Golden Ball as FIFA's outstanding player of the tournament.
Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks II: 2 billion viewers.
September 15th, 1978, marked the second time Ali and Spinks met in the ring. Ali was 36, but dominated the fight and defeated Spinks by unanimous decision, avenging his split decision loss to Spinks from seven months prior.
2002 World Cup Final, Brazil vs. Germany: 2 billion viewers
On June 30, 2002, Brazil played Germany in a world cup final for first time. Two second-half goals by the original Ronaldo led to a 2-0 victory.
There was outrage when in 2020, the Tory Govt conceded a new bill to amend the UK's Brexit deal would "break international law" in a "specific & limited way".
But what is international law? What is the ICC?
And what were Margaret Thatcher's views on international law?
First, what is 'international law'?
Broadly (it's complicated!) it refers to the body of legal rules, norms, and standards that apply between sovereign states and other entities that are legally recognized as international actors.
The term was coined by the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832). According to Bentham’s classic definition, international law is a collection of rules governing relations between states. This original definition omits individuals and international organizations.
"Improving the quality of life for people of this country is perhaps the most important duty of Government."
John Prescott has died.
In September 2000, John - then Deputy Prime Minister - gave a speech at the @UKLabour Party Conference, introducing Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela died in December 2013. Writing a tribute in the Daily Mirror, John reflected on his death, writing: “In my office at home I have a picture that is my most treasured possession. It’s of me shaking Nelson Mandela’s hand on stage at the @UKLabour conference in 2000."
At the Rivonia Trial, between 1963 & 1964, Mandela gave a dramatic speech from the dock.
John wrote in 2013 “When I read that, I knew that I wanted to enter politics. He was my inspiration. So when he walked free in 1990, we felt as if one of our own comrades had been freed.”
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Allison Pearson posted then deleted disinformation, falsely accused three people of being "Jew haters", lied about where the photo was taken & what they were doing, then lied about what the Police said to her - and then moaned about being a victim! FFS
The Telegraph's divisive shit-stirrer Pearson falsely claimed she was told by the police who came to her home it was over a “non-crime hate incident”. Her lie was then dutifully amplified by every Reform UK MP & billionaire-owned right-wing "news" media, painting her as a victim.
Essex Police said “At no stage... was she informed that the report being investigated was being treated as a non-crime hate incident. To suggest otherwise is wholly inaccurate and misleading.”
Pearson, Farage, Musk, Young, Habib, & many other shit-stirrers who shamelessly try to normalize hateful, divisive, provocative & inflammatory rhetoric, often refer to George Orwell's 1984, but Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is much closer to the dystopia we inhabit...
Harassment, malicious communications, incitement, & threatening violence are all crimes in the UK, & have been for a long time.
Print & broadcast media, & online social media are simply platforms on which we behave or misbehave: it's not about the medium, it's about the offence.
The UK is signed up to Article 10 of the #ECHR: everyone has the right to free speech, which may only be qualified in limited circumstances, including: national security; public safety; the protection of morals & of the reputation or rights of others.
"Enoch Powell was a hero of the young Nigel, but at this point he could do without any association with the politician who made the notorious Rivers of Blood speech... the accusation of racism follows Farage & his party around like a bad smell." - Allison Pearson
"Farage has tried for years to shrug off the charge that his parties are more than “the BNP in blazers”... although I don’t think Farage is a racist, it’s a problem that racists attach themselves to Reform." - Allison Pearson
“We’re investigating a report which was passed to us by another force. The report relates to a social media post which was subsequently removed. An investigation is now being carried out under section 17 of the Public Order Act.” - Essex police spokesman
Not a lot of people know that Oxbridge alumni Fiona Bruce, presenter of 'Fake or (paid a) Fortune?', and since January 2019, the @BBC's interrupting Chair of #bbcqt, was born in Singapore.
One of her first episodes as Chair was the one that made Laurence Fox a household name.
In my widely read & reported February 2023 Open Letter to the @BBC about @bbcquestiontime, one of my concerns was about Bruce’s chairing of #bbcqt which I said was "at best, unacceptably poor."