Brand accused - Why did the allegations take so long to surface?
The Guardian Weekly|September 29, 2023
It came as little surprise that the darker corners of the internet were ablaze with conspiracy theories last week, after Russell Brand used his YouTube channel to call the allegations of sexual assault and rape against him a "coordinated attack" and a "serious and concerted agenda" to control his voice.
Alexandra Topping
Brand accused - Why did the allegations take so long to surface?

But questions were raised about the timing. Toby Young, associate editor at the Spectator, asked if there was a "more innocent" reason why the Times, the Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches had "waited this long to produce their findings".

Others wondered why it had taken so long for the story to be published. The reason, according to multiple experts, is simple: publishing stories like this is difficult, and fraught with risk.

"People often think that we have a law that protects free speech here. We don't. We have a law that protects reputation," said Caroline Kean, a partner at Wiggin who represented the journalist Catherine Belton when she was sued by several Russian billionaires.

Denne historien er fra September 29, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.

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Denne historien er fra September 29, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.

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FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE GUARDIAN WEEKLYSe alt
If kids get protected from online harm, how about the rest of us?
The Guardian Weekly

If kids get protected from online harm, how about the rest of us?

The Australian government has proposed a ban on social media for all citizens under 16.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
'It's not drought - it's looting'
The Guardian Weekly

'It's not drought - it's looting'

Spain is increasingly either parched or flooded - and one group is profiting from these extremes: the thirsty multinational companies forcing angry citizens to pay for water in bottles.

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10+ mins  |
November 29, 2024
Life in the grey Zone
The Guardian Weekly

Life in the grey Zone

Neonatal care has advanced so far that babies born as early as 21 weeks have survived. But is this type of care always the right thing to do?

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10+ mins  |
November 29, 2024
Out of tune? Band Aid under fire for Africa tropes as it turns 40
The Guardian Weekly

Out of tune? Band Aid under fire for Africa tropes as it turns 40

Forty years ago this month, a group of pop stars gathered at a west London studio to record a single that would raise millions, inspire further starry projects, and ultimately change charity fundraising in the UK.

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3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Deaths shine spotlight on risks of drinking on party trail
The Guardian Weekly

Deaths shine spotlight on risks of drinking on party trail

Vang Vieng is an unlikely party hub. Surrounded by striking limestone mountains and caves in central Laos, it morphed from a small farming town to a hedonistic tourist destination in the early 2000s.

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3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Different strokes My strange and emotional week with an AI pet
The Guardian Weekly

Different strokes My strange and emotional week with an AI pet

Moflin can develop a personality and build a rapport with its owner - and doesn't need food or exercise. But is it comforting or alienating?

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5 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Strike zone Waking up to the rising threat of lightning
The Guardian Weekly

Strike zone Waking up to the rising threat of lightning

When the Barbados National Archives, home to one of the world's most significant collections of documents from the transatlantic slave trade, reported in June that it had been struck by lightning, it received sympathy and offers of support locally and internationally.

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3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Cheap pints and sticky carpets: the old-school pub is back
The Guardian Weekly

Cheap pints and sticky carpets: the old-school pub is back

In the Palm Tree pub, east London, barman Alf is taking only cash at the rattling 1960s till.

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3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Brain gain Can a radical tax scheme convince the country's brightest to stay?
The Guardian Weekly

Brain gain Can a radical tax scheme convince the country's brightest to stay?

In the autumn of 2018, I moved to Lisbon for a month-long course at the Universidade .de Lisboa.

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2 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Fear and sympathy in small town divided over asylum camp
The Guardian Weekly

Fear and sympathy in small town divided over asylum camp

A year after anti-immigration riots, a site for asylum seekers faces hostility while some locals try to help new arrivals

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3 mins  |
November 29, 2024