Written by Max Bluer Since at least 2011 it has been clear that the break-up of the modern state of Iraq into its constituent ethnic territories is a distinct possibility, one only strengthened by IS and their dramatic gains across the region. Although many in the Western world have been fretting about the break down of the artificially imposed borders of the contemporary Middle East, the historical reality is that Iraq has always been a fractious and divided country. Its...

Ryan Reynolds gets more than a few cuddles from his fury friends in this bizarre but brilliant looking dark comedy. This affable factory worker has a secret world where he hangs out and chats to his pets, namely his cat Mr Whiskers and his pet pooch Bosco leading him seemingly down a path of no return. The Voices: Starring Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton and Jacki Weaver Directed by Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKp-lDM5fus

By Sam Inglis @24FPSUK  @24fps.co.uk  Lourdes, Jessica Hausner's third film, was my film of the year in 2010. Austere and thought provoking, it can be read in many different ways, and continues to fascinate and challenge with every viewing. This, quite apart from everything else about it, is why Amour Fou is such a massive disappointment. Set in 1811, Amour Fou takes place in what appears to be an upper middle class home. where Henriette (Birte Schnoeink) and her husband...

London Mayor Boris Johnson has removed fencing on Parliamentary Square that had been erected to block Occupy Democracy's access after a successful appeal by Liberty and Occupy Democracy. The Mayor has backed down after a judicial review was launched against Johnson and the Greater London Authority arguing the fence is an illegal interference with their right to protest based on the 2012 UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly which states that 'the exercise of fundamental...

Written by Sharmin Cheema On the 28th of December 2014, air traffic control lost contact with AirAsia Flight QZ8501 an hour after the plane departed Indonesia for Singapore, after the plane “climbed at abnormal speed” in bad weather before stalling and crashing into the Karimata Strait, off the west coast of Borneo. All of a sudden AirAsia’s CEO, Tony Fernandes, found himself in a limelight so glaring post-MH370 and MH17 with a couple of nationals in the UK including The Guardian, the BBC, the Independent, and the Telegraph quick...

By Steve Taggart Two in five NHS audiology departments (41%) are being forced to cut core services due to shrinking budgets or increased demand, affecting hundreds of thousands of people across the UK, according to a new report by charity Action on Hearing Loss launched today (26 January). Over half of over 60 year olds (55%) are already affected by some form of hearing loss and, with an ageing population, the number of people who will need help with their...

We all know that the One Direction fan base can be an intense lot, but who knew they could be so generous? On the eve of the British Asian Trust’s Annual Dinner, taking place on February 3rd at the  Banqueting  House, Whitehall, London, One Direction fans have raised over $10,000 for the British Asian Trust in honour of its ambassador Zayn Malik's 22nd birthday. Hitan Mehta, Executive Director of the British Asian Trust, said: "We thank One Direction fans for their generous contributions. We are honoured...

 By Emma Silverthorn @HouseOf_Gazelle Jules Avery’s Son of a Gun is heavy on plot twists and pseudo-intellectual chess theory but disappointingly short on character development and depth. The film has an interesting enough heist-plot but only really gives us the characters barebones meaning that we care little about their various entangled fates. Ewan McGregor does what he can with the skimpy dialogue he’s allotted but considering he’s supposed to be playing some sort of ballsy, criminal mastermind, at one point...

Sport News 24/7 By Sean Simara  @Sean_FootyMad  @TLE_Sport Well what a sensational NFL Championship weekend; so many talking points and unforgettable moments.  We now know as the dust settles on Sunday’s action that it will be the defending champions Seattle Seahawks v the New England Patriots in Arizona for Super Bowl XLIX. Firstly, the NFC championship game which had one of the craziest finishes in NFL history.  I picked a Green Bay win and for three quarters of the match...