July 23, 2024 - 7:20pm

→ Elton John condemns the war on drugs

An up-and-coming writer made his debut in the Telegraph today with an article condemning the war on drugs.

The author was none other than Elton John, and of course, no Elton John think piece would be complete without a shared byline with former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark. Clark — who is now the Chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy — and the “Tiny Dancer” singer argued that harm-reduction measures, rather than criminalisation, would be a more effective means of saving lives and preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS.

He’s not the first entertainer to dabble in the public health field — just look at Nikki Minaj and Neil YoungMore than just a Rocket Man…

→ Jimmy Carter cheapfake fools New York Post 

A fake letter announcing the death of President Jimmy Carter, featuring some ribald commentary on his late wife Rosalynn and other former first ladies, has taken the internet by storm, even managing to fool the New York Post.

The outlet posted an obituary announcing the former president was dead at 99, according to screenshots shared on social media and a now-defunct web link. They weren’t alone — Republican senator Mike Lee also tweeted and deleted his condolences.

“At her passing last November President Carter said, ‘Rosalynn was a baddie. Jill, Melania, even throat goat Nancy Reagan had nothing on Rosalynn. She was the original Brat’”, the letter read, referencing the popular new Charli XCX album. It also celebrated Carter’s “achievements” such as “getting soft on the Soviet Union” and “failing to rescue several hostages from Iran”. It’s amazing to see what effect a convincing letterhead can have…

→ Nigel Farage: this is a Rejoiner parliament

The new MP for Clacton has waited a long time for this moment. Nigel Farage’s maiden speech in the House of Commons today was a distillation of the main talking points from his political career.

Not wanting to leave Brexit in the past, he attacked what he called a “Remainer parliament”, which he then corrected to a “Rejoiner parliament”. No doubt the Reform UK leader is bristling at the thought of Keir Starmer’s “reset” in European relations.

He also had a pop at the European Parliament in Brussels, with which he’s more familiar. Contrasting the Commons with the EU, he proposed that a lot of MPs enjoy the Belgian capital because of the chauffeur-driven Mercedes available to each member and large sums of money that can be spent without retaining receipts.

In a nine-minute speech, the second half was about migration to the UK since 1997, when Tony Blair came to power (and when current Home Secretary Yvette Cooper became an MP). Farage also called for a referendum on the ECHR. Brexit and immigration: start as you mean to go on…