The NHS was crippled by hackers, but who dunit? Was it North Korea? The Americans? The Russians? No one knows for sure, but everyone has been quick to the point the finger. Thank heavens for Marcus Hutchins, a 22 year old surfer from Poole, whose computer wizardry saved the day.
Also online this week, Theresa May did her first live Facebook Q&A. The public responded with a flurry of angry emojis and strangely a flutter of flowers. But was this really the way to engage voters? Or just another political stunt? And did a certain Jeremy from Islington, steal May’s moment?
Moors murderer Ian Brady died on Tuesday, having never revealed the location of Keith Bennett’s remains, but the nation’s fascination with monsters and all things morbid lives on.
Quit the diet and throw out the veg box. It’s tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines and whole grains that are making us fat. Or rather the lectin in plants that’s doing the damage according to a new book by Dr Steven Gundry. Nothing it seems is safe to eat. Pass the lard, I’m going lectin free.
This year’s Bafta speeches made the headlines for more than one reason. The BBC cut off Damilola Taylor’s father’s emotional knife crime plea. Should acceptance speeches be kept light and anecdotal? Or are they a powerful platform for pressing issues? And the legendary Joanna Lumley showed her unique perspective on the industry when accepting an award for long-standing contribution.
Finally a McDonald’s advert left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths, getting scores of complaints that it had exploited child bereavement. Brands may want to strike an cord, but it essential that their efforts to connect are not felt as emotional manipulation.
Less than a week to go and France will decide on its new President. In the blue corner Marie Le Pen and in the purple corner Emmanuel Macron. The pollsters have Macron firmly in the lead. But after a spate of shock election results, the outcome is far from certain. Will it be Madame le Président or Monsieur le Président?
Down under Facebook is in a spot of bother after leaked documents showed it targeted emotionally insecure young people. Allegedly the social media giant has been exploiting the moods of 'vulnerable' teenagers at the benefit of advertisers. It’s not the first time Facebook has been caught meddling with our mood. So should we be surprised by its practice of selling us to advertisers when we are feeling low?
Happy birthday, Princess Charlotte - two years old this week! But what would the fourth in line to the throne look like in high street fashion? Ponder no longer The Sun has the answer after Photoshopping her royal highness into a jazzy River Island number. Really regal, or royally wrong?
From high street to high end, there’s a designer bag that bears a remarkable resemblance to an Ikea bag. It’s big and it’s blue and it costs a whopping £1,600, but can you fit flat pack furniture in it? Swift off the mark, in an inspired piece of ‘moment marketing’, IKEA released a hilarious swipe at the French fashion house’s new ‘it’ bag: a handy guide to identifying “an original IKEA FRAKTA bag.” And if you’d like to get your hands on one it can be yours for the bargain price 40p. Now that’s what I call affordable fashion.
From endlessly repeating sound bites to not having a clue what you are talking about, Prime Minister, Theresa May and Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Diane Abbott, demonstrate what not to do in a media interview. Listeners and viewers who are easily embarrassed should look away.
Get set to pay a high price for your guacamole and surcharge on your smashed avocado on toast. After a serious drought in California and a growers strike in Mexico, avocado prices are rising steeply. Will higher prices put hipsters off their favourite breakfast item?