A Scots charity legend who scaled mountains and crossed deserts to earn his MBE has blasted Boris Johnson’s plans to knight his dad as a “slap in the face”.
16.02.2023 - 17:43 / dailyrecord.co.uk
A Scots spy in Berlin had an "ongoing relationship" with Russia and was paid for his “treachery”, a senior judge has ruled.
David Smith, 58, gathered secret documents and passed them on to Russian authorities while working as a security guard at the British embassy in Germany. He was caught following an undercover operation in 2021 and has admitted eight charges under the Official Secrets Act.
Ahead of his sentencing at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Wall ruled on the defendant’s motivation. In his ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Wall said Smith was motivated by “his antipathy towards this country” and intended to damage the UK’s interests by his actions.
The judge dismissed the former RAF serviceman’s explanation that he only wanted to “embarrass” his employers because he was angry at his treatment and to highlight poor security. Mr Justice Wall told the court: “I did not find him to be a witness of truth in general terms.”
He said Smith had not addressed some questions when he gave evidence at the Old Bailey and some of his answers were “incredible”.
The judge also dismissed Smith’s case that he only provided information to Russian military attaches twice, saying: “I am sure the relationship was in place for some time in 2020. I am also sure in the period before that, in 2018 to 2019, the defendant was collecting information from the embassy with a view to passing it on at some stage. No other explanation makes sense.”
Smith was snared in an undercover sting in August 2021 involving two fake Russian operatives – a Russian defector, Dmitry, who handed a document to the British embassy, and Russian intelligence officer, Irina, who accosted the defendant about it afterwards. Smith was caught on camera talking to himself about
A Scots charity legend who scaled mountains and crossed deserts to earn his MBE has blasted Boris Johnson’s plans to knight his dad as a “slap in the face”.
The hook of IFC’s “Paint” seems to be “What if Bob Ross was challenged for public broadcasting painting supremacy by a younger and, yes, more inclusive artist?” Think “All About Eve” or “Showgirls,” in this case offering a set-in-their-ways veteran on-television painter and art instructor being usurped by a younger, more exciting upstart. Owen Wilson isn’t literally playing late painter Bob Ross, who died at the age of 52 in 1995. However, at least some of the comedy offered up in the latest trailer for “Paint” is contingent upon audiences being somewhat aware of the beloved, soft-spoken artist.
Chris Rock‘s new stand-up show Selective Outrage recently made history by becoming Netflix‘s first live-streamed event.The performance was broadcast from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 4 (March 5 in the UK), and also featured before and post-shows with guest stars.In his new set, Rock addresses everything from “non racist yoga pants” and spoiling his kids, to the Kardashians and his well-publicised altercation with Will Smith at last year’s Oscars.Having aired live over the weekend, the event is now available to stream on Netflix. However, the before and post-shows are not available on the service.The half-hour pre-show, titled The Show Before The Show, was hosted by Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show, M3GAN) and guests included Arsenio Hall, Leslie Jones and Deon Cole.The post-show, similarly titled The Show After The Show, was hosted by Spade and Dana Carvey, with guests including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, JB Smoove and Arsenio Hall.In Rock’s set, the comedian spoke in detail for the first time about about the incident at last year’s Oscars, in which Will Smith walked onto the stage and slapped him after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.Addressing his run-in with Smith, Rock said: “Everybody knows it happened.
IFC Films has unveiled a new poster for “Paint”, an upcoming comedy starring Owen Wilson as a public television painter strikingly resembling the iconic Bob Ross.
the 2023 Oscars -- it's impossible not to think back on last year's Academy Awards, which honored plenty of impressive achievements in film, but was overshadowed by the now-infamous incident in which Will Smith stormed the stage to hit Chris Rock in the face over a joke Rock made about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.The moment was the most jaw-dropping awards show incident since the Best Picture mixup of 2017, with many in the room wondering if it was a staged bit, before the uncomfortable silence stretched into realization. Later in the show, the awkward tension was compounded by the fact that Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor — for his title role in the Williams' sister biopic, — and took the stage once again, this time with a mix of joy and tearful apology.As Chris Rock prepares for his history-making live Netflix special,, it's expected that he'll address the incident at length for the first time publicly, as part of the standup set. So, if you need a refresher, here's a look at how «The Slap» went down, and everything that's happened since:The Slap Heard Round Hollywood happened at the 94th Academy Awards, which were held on March 27, 2022, at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre and was hosted by the trio of Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes.Rock took the stage midway through the ceremony to present the Oscar for Best Documentary, when he made a joke about Smith's wife.
Will Smith, 54, slapped 94th Academy Awards host Chris Rock, 58, after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair — which Smith took as a jab at his 51-year-old wife’s struggle with alopecia. The tone-deaf comment inspired the actor to hustle up to the Los Angeles Dolby Theatre stage and smack Rock in the face.“It’s still shocking that that happened,” the late-night talk show host told People.
Bill Murray and star Jeannie Berlin set foot on the red carpet of the 2023 SAG Awards holding hands.Murray and Berlin appeared quite close when they arrived together for Sunday's soiree at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The star wore a black tuxedo with a colorful bow tie, while Berlin sported an all-black suit and shades.Berlin, who portrayed Hadassah Fabelman in the Steven Spielberg film, was there for the film's nomination in the Best Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture category.
Pete Doherty performed a section of The Pogues‘ ‘Dirty Old Town’ in Ukrainian on The Last Leg last night (February 24) – see a snippet below.The singer was appearing on the show, hosted by Adam Hills, on the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.To close the show, he performed ‘Dirty Old Town’ solo, incorporating the Ukrainian language into its final chorus.He ended the performance by exclaiming “Slava Ukraini!” which translates as “Glory to Ukraine!”Watch the performance below.A really lovely touch by @petedoherty performing Dirty Old Town in Ukranian. Also lovely to see he seems to have fought the demons that have haunted him for past 2 decades.
Today marks one full year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began and fears remain that it could last for another.
Naman Ramachandran Berlin’s just concluded European Film Market (EFM), which had a physical edition this year after two online editions in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic, has reported “record results” according to the organizers. There were 230 stands and 612 companies from 78 countries and more than 11,500 market participants from 132 countries. Some 773 films were shown in 1,533 screenings, including 647 online screenings and 599 market premieres. The total number of buyers also rose to 1,302. 629 film projects were presented on the new Producers & Project Pages. “After the past two irregular years, we’re pleased to return to the physical in full force, and with a vibrant, bustling and strong market. The exhibition areas at Gropius Bau and the Marriott Hotel were sold out, and the exhibitors reported strong sales and good business. The decision to group all the market happenings together with the Berlinale Series Market and the market screenings at Potsdamer Platz, and to provide the industry with an efficient infrastructure, was extremely well-received by our market participants,” said EFM director Dennis Ruh.
Prime Video has secured the return of Dave Bautista (Knock at the Cabin), Chloe Coleman (Avatar: The Way of Water), Kristen Schaal (What We Do in the Shadows), Ken Jeong (The Afterparty) and others for their My Spy sequel, My Spy: The Eternal City. Among the new additions to the ensemble in the second installment are Anna Faris (Mom), Craig Robinson (The Office) and Flula Borg (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin).
“duet” with a TikTok user who prompts others on the app to ask an inanimate object what it thinks of you.“This works because everything has consciousness,” reads the caption of the original video by TikToker Sam Rossi.“You can pick up a pen and ask it how it sees you or what it thinks of you,” she continued, “and you will get an answer in your mind from your intuition. You can ask your car what it thinks of you, you can even ask money what it thinks of you.”In the duet, the 54-year-old actor reaches off camera to pick up an Academy Award for Best Actor, which he won for his role in “King Richard” during that fateful ceremony.He looks as though he’s about to ask his golden statue a question just before he ends the video — which has 112,500 likes and 1.6 million views as of Wednesday morning.Smith slapped 94th Academy Awards host Chris Rock, 58, after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair — which Smith took as a jab at his 51-year-old wife’s struggle with alopecia.
Will Smith is seemingly hinting at his Oscars slap drama with Chris Rock in a new video shared to TikTok. Smith took to the social media platform to do a TikTok duet with @missmoneyworking.In the quick clip, Smith intently listens to the user before jumping in to give his own two cents.«I'm gonna tell you something, f**king crazy,» @missmoneyworking tells the camera.
Donna Summer could hit notes more thrillingly beautiful than any other pop singer of her time, or since. I’m not sure even Whitney Houston, as great as she was, quite reached the glistening heights that culminate “Last Dance” (though she comes very close in “I Will Always Love You”). Mariah Carey (no relation to me) performs impressive vocal acrobatics, yet to my ear she can’t match the bell-like shimmer of Donna in the higher registers. And Donna in the lower registers – well, the voice thrums with visceral resonance.
The documentary Love to Love You, Donna Summer, about one of the world’s greatest pop stars, constitutes a kind of duet – between two filmmakers. The film, making its world premiere in Berlin, comes from directors Roger Ross Williams and Brooklyn Sudano, daughter of the subject of the film, the legendary Donna Summer.
Young Belarusian Aleksei (Franz Rogowski) is impatient for a better life in Europe. Coming from a country under dictatorship and with very strong Russian ties, the political isolation of which has made it suffocating for the younger generations, he is seduced by the idea of a borderless, communal whole where everybody counts for something.
Marta Balaga Director: Vita Maria Drygas Producer: Vita Żelakeviciute Production companies: Drygas Film Production Sales: Dogwoof Documentary is a journey to places devastated by military conflicts, seen through the eyes of thrill-seeking tourists. (Generation 14plus) Director: Asaf Saban
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Paris-based Italian director Giacomo Abbruzzese says making the Berlin Film Festival competition cut with his first feature, “Disco Boy,” which toplines German star Franz Rogowski (“Passages,” ”Undine”), is “certainly a dream come true.” But he also points out that his remarkable debut was a long time coming. A graduate of several film schools, including France’s prestigious Le Fresnoy, Abbruzzese started developing “Disco Boy” in 2013 following an encounter in a French disco with a classical dancer who had been a soldier.
ASDA workers are set to get 10% pay rise after the supermarket announced the increase for its hourly-paid store workers. Rates will rise to £11 an hour from April and £11.11 from July.
A Berlin embassy spy was been jailed for more than 13 years after betraying his country and colleagues by selling secrets to Russia. David Smith, a former security guard at the British Embassy in Germany, was motivated by his support for Russian president Vladimir Putin and hatred of the UK when he began collecting classified documents in 2018.