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Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Donald Trump's former advisor issues brutal verdict on Vladimir Putin phone call
Fiona Hill, who was one of Trump's advisers, has been a vocal critic of the US President and is not impressed by his phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin Donald Trump's former advisor has delivered a scathing critique of the US President's recent phone exchange with Vladimir Putin. Fiona Hill worked with Trump during his first term as US President from April 2017 to July 2019. She backed him particularly during a moment in 2018 when Putin showcased a hypersonic missile simulation where he targeted an area that looked like Florida. But she has since turned into one of his most formidable detractors. Hill contends that Trump is stuck in a "1980s mindset" on foreign affairs and even provided damning evidence at his 2019 impeachment trial about White House susceptibility to Russian meddling. Her take on Trump's latest calls with Putin is unsparing. Following the series of conversations, Trump praised them, saying: "The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent." While Trump also engaged with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where he enthused over prospects of "largescale trade" with the US and decried the Ukraine conflict as a "catastrophic bloodbath", Hill was unimpressed by his dialogue with Putin. Asked by The Sunday Telegraph about Trump's performance, she minced no words. She said: "Terrible. Let's give him a pass for effort." She went further to criticise the US President, mocking Trump's approach, reports the Irish Star. She added: "What Trump is doing is answering the wrong exam question. "He thinks it's just about real estate, about trade and who gets what, be it minerals, land or rare earths." Hill has accused Putin of not wanting a ceasefire but rather endeavouring to "neuter" Ukraine, noting: "Everybody sees this, apart from Trump." Trump addressed the media suggesting egos are at play in the Ukraine peace negotiations, saying: "I'll tell you big egos involved, but I think something's going to happen. And if it doesn't, I just back away, and they're going to have to keep going again." This week, Russia and Ukraine swapped 390 prisoners in what is the biggest exchange of captives since the conflict broke out in 2022. It followed a round of direct talks in Istanbul. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to social platforms to declare: "We are bringing our people home," assuring that: "We are verifying every surname, every detail about each person." Hill, who penned the memoir 'There is Nothing Here for You' discussing her ascent in US geopolitics, attributes her blunt manner as key to gaining Trump's confidence. Yet, she candidly discusses the sexism within Trump's administration, recounting an incident where she was mistaken for a secretary, and stressing women had to avoid appearing 'dowdy'. Hill finds the fixation on women's appearances in politics disturbing, a sentiment she carried with her after departing the White House to resume her academic career. She was recently named the chancellor of Durham University in 2023. Besides leading academia, Hill engages with the UK Government as one of the trio spearheading the Strategic Defence Review.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Barry Fantoni, artist, jazzman and supplier of Private Eye gags and cartoons for half a century
Barry Fantoni, who has died aged 85, was a prominent member of the pop art movement in the early 1960s and played a significant role in the early success of the magazine Private Eye. In 1966 he became a national figure as the lead presenter on BBC television's A Whole Scene Going, a programme about pop music and fashion. The Sunday Telegraph critic Philip Purser regarded the existence of the programme as 'an abject admission of failure by the BBC', but Melody Maker voted Fantoni television personality of the year, above Mick Jagger and Tom Jones. In 1967 the Daily Mirror declared: 'He does not so much know what is in, he decides it.' A newspaper profile of the time referred to his 'peculiar face, which suggested… an honest, humbling, shaggy, bearlike simplicity'. Its dominant feature was the majestic nose: '[it] projects, it greets people; if noses could smile, his would.' Fantoni was multi-talented, presenting himself at various times as an artist, comedian, actor, novelist, playwright and poet, as well as a part-time jazz musician. But he was also possessed of multiple identities that appeared at times to be at war with each other, a conflict that prevented him from concentrating his talent effectively. From 1963 he contributed spiky pocket cartoons to early issues of Private Eye, and in 1965 his caricature portrait of Terry-Thomas, in which the popular actor was shown standing by a stage door 'looking dissipated, drunken and dissolute', led to libel damages for 'a grossly impudent and unwarranted attack'. Undeterred, Fantoni next painted a portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh in his underpants that caused a stir when it was exhibited in a West End gallery. Richard Ingrams, editor of Private Eye, described Fantoni as a brilliant self-publicist who had just walked into the office off the street from a very different background to the world of the privately educated Oxbridge graduates who had founded the magazine. Fantoni became the paper's expert on pop music, television and football, taking editorial interests beyond Haydn, Shakespeare and cricket. Ingrams was also tolerant of Fantoni's unorthodox office manners. The editor once entered the room to find his cartoonist rolling around on the floor with one of the secretaries. Ingrams made no comment; he just stepped over them, sat down at his desk and rang down to reception to request a cup of coffee. At Private Eye Fantoni also wrote the obituary verse column of 'EJ Thribb' and co-wrote, with Ingrams, the mock romantic serials of 'Sylvie Krin'. Once, while watching Match of the Day, he heard the celebrated television commentator David Coleman say: 'For those of you watching in black and white, Chelsea are in the blue strip.' This led to the 'Colemanballs' column, which listed inane or ridiculous comments made by sports commentators. Fantoni was a shrewd businessman (he made £90,000 out of the 'Colemanballs' book, probably the only Private Eye contributor ever to profit from republished magazine material) and he was never one to undersell his talents. In an interview in 1968 he said that 'Ralph Steadman, Gerald Scarfe and Alan Aldridge are the only other three illustrators in this country worth talking about.' Later that year Nude Reclining, a group portrait of a judge, a cardinal and a general reading a pornographic magazine, by an unknown artist called Stuart Harris, was exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition; it was in fact the work of Fantoni and Willie Rushton and was subsequently sold at Christie's for 80 guineas. Shortly afterwards Fantoni designed the set for a production of Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound, featuring two crashed cars, a concrete mixer and a selection of bath tubs and beer barrels. Barry Fantoni was born in east London on February 28 1940. His father was Peter Fantoni, a watercolour painter of Italian descent who had designed De Havilland aircraft parts during the Second World War; his mother, Sarah, was Jewish. Barry was educated at Archbishop Temple School for Boys, a notable Church of England grammar school in Lambeth, and aged 14 went to Camberwell School of Art, from which he was expelled four years later for 'unruly behaviour'. It later emerged that his expulsion had followed an exhibition of his portraits of members of the faculty, 'naked à la Toulouse-Lautrec', but with additional erections. He went to work for Barrie's of Brixton, a menswear shop, then took a job as a part-time instructor at Slade School of Fine Art. This unhappy period ended when he walked into the Private Eye office in 1963 and launched his career as a popular celebrity. His first task at the magazine was to repaint the managing director's door. In 1969 Fantoni's career as enfant terrible of the metropolitan pop scene came to an abrupt halt when, under the influence of Christopher Booker – himself under the influence of Malcolm Muggeridge – he experienced a sudden conversion to Christianity and announced that he had started to pray for members of the Royal Family. Fantoni said that he had been 'in the hands of the Devil' when he had previously attacked them. In 1972 he married a former convent girl, Tessa Reidy, who was the editorial secretary at Private Eye, and for six years he edited the parish magazine of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Inspired by the work of Stanley Spencer, he painted a giant canvas depicting 'Jesus passing through Brixton Market' and in December 1970 his 7ft portrait of Beethoven was exhibited in the Festival Hall. By 1982, when The Private Eye Story, an authorised history of the magazine, was published, Fantoni's religious period was over and he objected to the book on the ground that it portrayed him as 'a Jewish sex maniac and halfwit'. From 1983 to 1991 he was Diary cartoonist of The Times. 'I was told that doing a daily cartoon would kill me,' he later said, 'and it very nearly did. It is hard work being funny.' He relaxed at weekends with a jazz band in which he played the saxophone and the clarinet, two of the 13 instruments he claimed to have mastered. In 1991 he collaborated with John Wells, his Private Eye colleague, on Lionel: the Musical, a celebration of the life of the cockney Jewish composer Lionel Bart. Fantoni later commented that every word spoken on stage had been written by him, since John Wells knew nothing at all about either cockneys or Jews. The cast had a difficult first night when the performance was interrupted by the real Lionel Bart, who leapt on to the stage shouting violent objections, and the show closed after eight performances. Following the death of his father in 1986, Fantoni forged a new identity as a born-again Italian and spent some time teaching at an Italian art school, a period which led to his styling himself as 'Professor Barry Fantoni'. His first play, Modigliani, My Love, a meditation on the suicide of the artist's model Jeanne Hébuterne, opened in Paris for a brief run in 1999. In 2010 Fantoni announced his retirement from Private Eye after nearly 50 years as a contributor and, having separated from his wife, moved with his new partner to 'a town house' in Calais. This was in fact a converted repair garage just outside the town centre, where he concentrated on writing detective stories and on the study of Chinese horoscopes, a subject on which he became a leading expert. Fantoni did not speak French and, as a vegetarian, was distressed by the local cuisine, most of which he regarded as 'rubbish'. But he made friends with a nearby café owner who provided him with fried egg and chips on demand. When the town began to fill with migrants seeking ways of breaking through UK border controls, Fantoni's initial dismay was replaced by optimism. He had thought of leaving France, but 'with all the millions of English-speaking UK therapists, priests, film-makers, door-to-door salesmen, shop fitters, librarians and prostitutes coming to aid the migrants, we might decide to stay,' he said. In the event he moved to Turin in 2016, taking a small apartment overlooking the River Po and readopting his Italian identity. He spent his final years developing the character of Harry Lipkin, 'the world's oldest private detective', an 87-year-old retired cop who lived in Warmheart, Florida, and resembled a Jewish Philip Marlowe. (''You can't threaten an 87-year-old man with death,' I growled through my dentures.') In the person of Lipkin, a Jewish-American private eye imagined on the banks of the Po and originally inspired by a resident of the Nightingale Jewish Care Home in Clapham, south London, where his mother had spent the last years of her life, Fantoni finally reconciled the numerous strands of his personality. In 2019 Barry Fantoni published a memoir, A Whole Scene Going On. He is survived by his partner Katie. Barry Fantoni, born February 28 1940, died May 20 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Princess Eugenie Discusses Scoliosis Surgery, Says She Had to Overcome "Shame" About Her Scars
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Princess Eugenie has been open about her scoliosis diagnosis, for which she underwent an 8-hour surgery, followed by 10 days in hospital when she was just 12 years old. Princess Beatrice's sister has since developed more confidence regarding her diagnosis, choosing to wear a wedding gown highlighting her surgical scars in October 2018. In a new interview, Eugenie has been candid about the impact the diagnosis and treatment had on her physical and mental health as a child. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Eugenie discussed the implications of having surgery at 12 years old, after discovering she had a curvature of the spine. "I couldn't get out of bed or do anything for myself," Eugenie told the publication. "I felt very embarrassed about the whole thing. I don't know why or where it came from." Revealing how the diagnosis and subsequent surgery impacted her on an emotional level, Eugenie told the outlet, "I remember being woken up really early before my surgery—I pulled my blanket over my head. I said: 'I don't want to see anyone and I don't want them to see me.'" Crediting her mother, Sarah Ferguson, with helping her to overcome any shame tied to her scars, Eugenie told the outlet, "She'd ask me if she could show it to people, then she'd turn me around and say, 'My daughter is superhuman, you've got to check out her scar.' All of sudden it was a badge of honor— a cool thing I had." Eugenie previously discussed the important role her mom played in quashing any shame she may have felt regarding her surgical scars. "My mum caught my scoliosis early and I was lucky enough to get the help I needed at 12 years old," the royal wrote on Instagram in June 2024. "I thank her so much for that and also thank her for the confidence to be proud of my scar." The princess's post continued, "She removed all the stigma around having scoliosis for me by confidently showing people what I'd been through and it took all the fear and anxiety out of being different at such a young age. I am forever grateful and wish everyone to be proud of their scars."
Powys County Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Universities must be more transparent with public money, skills minister says
Universities have 'lost sight' of their responsibility concerning public money and should be more transparent about how it is spent, a Government minister has said. It comes after revelations that two in five universities and colleges in England expect to run at a deficit this year. Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said universities should focus on 'the core mission of higher education, which is rooted here in Britain, its young people, its economy and its society'. 'We ask students to make a considerable investment in their degrees. Universities have huge revenues and must be more transparent about where this money is going,' she said. 'They ask Government to do more to support them, but seem to have lost sight of their responsibility to protect public money.' Last November, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced undergraduate tuition fees in England, which had been frozen at £9,250 since 2017, would rise to £9,535 from 2025/26 to 'secure the future of higher education'. 'But we have a clear message to university leaders across the country: you also need to do your bit,' Baroness Smith said. 'If we allow you to increase the fees you can charge students, then this – and the salaries you earn – must be backed with a clear commitment to break down barriers to opportunity and support our mission to drive growth.' The deterioration in financial performance for the universities sector is likely to continue without reforms, the Office for Students (OfS) has warned. The higher education regulator said it is making preparations to protect students in case of possible closures of institutions. The watchdog's annual health check said 43% of higher education providers in England face a deficit in 2024/25, compared to 40% of institutions in 2023/24. The OfS analysis said the primary reason for the decline is a fall in international student recruitment and estimated that overseas student numbers could be more than a fifth lower than previous forecasts. In January, Ms Phillipson said universities would have to demonstrate that they could deliver 'best outcomes' for students in the wake of increases in tuition fees. 'We will expect the higher education sector to demonstrate that, in return for the increased investment that we are asking students to make, they deliver the very best outcomes,' she said. Ms Phillipson said she expected universities to play a bigger civic role in their communities and make a 'stronger contribution' to economic growth. University leaders have been warning of significant financial concerns caused by a drop in the number of overseas students, who can be charged higher tuition fees, following restrictions introduced by the former Conservative government, as well as frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students. A number of institutions across the UK have announced redundancies and course closures over the past year as a result of growing financial pressures. Philippa Pickford, director of regulation at the OfS, told the media at a briefing: 'We're not expecting short-term university failures, certainly of a large institution, but it is something that we are preparing for and making sure that we've got processes in place to manage.' She said the OfS is working closely with a small number of institutions where they are 'concerned about their financial viability' to think about what needs to be put in place to protect students if they were to fail. Ms Pickford added: 'There is no doubt that if it was a large institution that fails, our ability to secure good outcomes for students is quite low, and that's why we think it's really important to have some sort of special administration regime in place for higher education. 'I know that's something that we're talking to Government about at the moment.' Some universities are predicting a strengthened financial performance in the longer term, but the OfS has warned that forecasts seem 'too ambitious'. 'We are concerned that this expected recovery is based on overly ambitious figures for recruitment growth over this period: 26% growth in UK student entrants and 19.5% growth in international student entrants,' the report said. Since January 2024, international students in the UK have been banned from bringing dependants with them, apart from some postgraduate research courses or courses with government-funded scholarships. The OfS report said international student entrant numbers are projected to be 21% lower than last year's forecasts. Separate figures, released by the Home Office on Thursday, showed that study visa applications were down 24% in the year to April 2025 compared with the previous 12 months, from 582,500 to 441,700. The fall has been driven by a steep drop in the number of applications that cover dependants (down 83%), with only a small drop in the number of main applicants (down 10%). The Government is due to set out its plan for higher education reform in the summer.
Rhyl Journal
11-05-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Universities must be more transparent with public money, skills minister says
It comes after revelations that two in five universities and colleges in England expect to run at a deficit this year. Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said universities should focus on 'the core mission of higher education, which is rooted here in Britain, its young people, its economy and its society'. 'We ask students to make a considerable investment in their degrees. Universities have huge revenues and must be more transparent about where this money is going,' she said. 'They ask Government to do more to support them, but seem to have lost sight of their responsibility to protect public money.' Last November, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced undergraduate tuition fees in England, which had been frozen at £9,250 since 2017, would rise to £9,535 from 2025/26 to 'secure the future of higher education'. 'But we have a clear message to university leaders across the country: you also need to do your bit,' Baroness Smith said. 'If we allow you to increase the fees you can charge students, then this – and the salaries you earn – must be backed with a clear commitment to break down barriers to opportunity and support our mission to drive growth.' The deterioration in financial performance for the universities sector is likely to continue without reforms, the Office for Students (OfS) has warned. The higher education regulator said it is making preparations to protect students in case of possible closures of institutions. The watchdog's annual health check said 43% of higher education providers in England face a deficit in 2024/25, compared to 40% of institutions in 2023/24. The OfS analysis said the primary reason for the decline is a fall in international student recruitment and estimated that overseas student numbers could be more than a fifth lower than previous forecasts. In January, Ms Phillipson said universities would have to demonstrate that they could deliver 'best outcomes' for students in the wake of increases in tuition fees. 'We will expect the higher education sector to demonstrate that, in return for the increased investment that we are asking students to make, they deliver the very best outcomes,' she said. Ms Phillipson said she expected universities to play a bigger civic role in their communities and make a 'stronger contribution' to economic growth. University leaders have been warning of significant financial concerns caused by a drop in the number of overseas students, who can be charged higher tuition fees, following restrictions introduced by the former Conservative government, as well as frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students. A number of institutions across the UK have announced redundancies and course closures over the past year as a result of growing financial pressures. Philippa Pickford, director of regulation at the OfS, told the media at a briefing: 'We're not expecting short-term university failures, certainly of a large institution, but it is something that we are preparing for and making sure that we've got processes in place to manage.' She said the OfS is working closely with a small number of institutions where they are 'concerned about their financial viability' to think about what needs to be put in place to protect students if they were to fail. Ms Pickford added: 'There is no doubt that if it was a large institution that fails, our ability to secure good outcomes for students is quite low, and that's why we think it's really important to have some sort of special administration regime in place for higher education. 'I know that's something that we're talking to Government about at the moment.' Some universities are predicting a strengthened financial performance in the longer term, but the OfS has warned that forecasts seem 'too ambitious'. 'We are concerned that this expected recovery is based on overly ambitious figures for recruitment growth over this period: 26% growth in UK student entrants and 19.5% growth in international student entrants,' the report said. Since January 2024, international students in the UK have been banned from bringing dependants with them, apart from some postgraduate research courses or courses with government-funded scholarships. The OfS report said international student entrant numbers are projected to be 21% lower than last year's forecasts. Separate figures, released by the Home Office on Thursday, showed that study visa applications were down 24% in the year to April 2025 compared with the previous 12 months, from 582,500 to 441,700. The fall has been driven by a steep drop in the number of applications that cover dependants (down 83%), with only a small drop in the number of main applicants (down 10%). The Government is due to set out its plan for higher education reform in the summer.
