How Game of Thrones became a hit
The fantasy epic slowly became a cultural phenomenon over two decades. Why did it face such a long road to success? Even as far back as 1996, Game of Thrones was fighting its own hype. Yes, George RR Martin’s A Game of Thrones, the book that formed the basis of the blockbuster HBO television series, came out 20...
Japanese missing boy Yamato Tanooka found alive in Hokkaido
A boy missing in remote woods in Japan since Saturday after being left alone by his parents as a punishment has been found alive and well. Seven-year-old Yamato Tanooka was found in military barracks near Shikabe in northern Hokkaido, just a few kilometres from where he was left. His parents initially said he had got lost, but...
Hillary Clinton’s evisceration of Donald Trump
There's a new Hillary Clinton in town. A speech that was billed as a major foreign policy address instead unfolded as a savage, mocking evisceration of Donald Trump Thursday as the former secretary of state adopted an aggressive new campaign persona designed to repel the unpredictable challenge posed by the presumptive...
Sensation: singer Prince ‘died of overdose’
The singer Prince died of an opioid overdose, a US law enforcement official has told the Associated Press. The official, who is close to the investigation, said this was established by tests after the singer's death in April at his Minneapolis home. Detectives have already questioned a doctor who saw 57-year-old Prince...
US election: Understanding media addiction to Donald Trump
Co-dependency is commonly defined as "an emotional and behavioural condition that affects an individual's ability to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship". Another term for it is "relationship addiction". People form and persist with relationships "that are one-sided, emotionally...
France floods: Louvre to close as Seine rises further
The world's most visited museum, the Louvre in Paris, is to close on Friday amid worsening flooding caused by days of torrential rain. The move will allow staff to move works at risk of damage to higher parts of the gallery, a statement said. The Seine, which runs through Paris past the Louvre, has risen five metres above...
Europe floods: 10 dead amid fears of fresh heavy rainfall
More heavy downpours are forecast across a swathe of northern Europe after days of flooding left at least 10 dead and others missing. In the worst incident, the bodies of three women from the same family were found in a flooded basement in southern Germany. Some parts of central France have seen their worst floods in over a...
Angela Merkel says she hopes UK stays in EU
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she hopes the UK will stay in the EU, "for the benefit of all of us". She said it was up to UK voters to decide whether to leave or remain in the EU in the 23 June referendum. But she said EU states got better results in negotiations than those that had to "negotiate from...
Gujarat riots: India court convicts 24 over Gulbarg massacre
A court in India has found 24 people guilty of involvement in one of the most notorious massacres during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat. The special court acquitted 36 others in the so-called Gulbarg Society killings in Ahmedabad city. Activists and riot survivors have expressed "disappointment" and said...
France industrial unrest: Air threat lifts as rail strikes continue
Threats of French air traffic disruption this weekend have been lifted, ministers say, although a rail strike is still halving services. Four of five unions have called off air traffic control action, with Transport Minister Alain Vidalies assuring there would be no disruption. Fears of the strike spreading to the Paris metro...
German MPs recognise Armenian ‘genocide’ amid Turkish fury
The German parliament has approved a resolution declaring that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War One was a "genocide". Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their people died in the atrocities of 1915. Turkey says the toll was much lower and rejects the term "genocide". The timing...
Glastonbury Festival 2016 weather — mud bath off the cards as sunshine fills the forecast
Glastonbury festival kicks off in just over a month. But should those lucky enough to be going to see Adele, Coldplay and Muse playing on the Pyramid Stage be starting to prepare for a heatwave or the dreaded mud bath? Despite rain and wind rounding off a warmer May, hopes have been raised for a heatwave for the Somerset music...