James Bond is not a nice man. He slaps women and cheats on them, and he relishes his licence to kill (mainly) men.
Roger Moore was the complete opposite. He was a nice guy and a proud family man.
Yet for many Roger Moore was their Bond. The best Bond. Perhaps that's because he played the part in more films than any other actor, bedded more girls and killed more people - although strangely he knocked back fewer Martinis, even though they were shaken not stirred.
In the finals for best Bond, there are only three candidates: Moore, Sean Connery the first film Bond, and Daniel Craig, the current Bond - assuming that he accepts the $150m on offer to tempt him to reprise his role in the next movie.
My own Bond viewing began with Connery in Thunderball, when he still had some of the lightness of touch which Moore was to make his trademark.
In Connery's hands Bond gradually darkened becoming brooding and angry - elements of the character which Daniel Craig has very much picked up on.
Along with David Niven in the spoof version of Casino Royale, Roger Moore was the silliest Bond. His stance was ironic, tipping a wink or a raised eyebrow to his audience in acknowledgement that the stories were basically incredible fantasies. Moore's Bond never bothered to get angry with his bosses, he just condescended to recognise their existence in between clinches with a bikini'd lovely.
Moore's Bond fitted the escapist mood of Britain in the Seventies - the heyday of glam rock and Monty Python. Not to mention The Persuaders, the TV show in which Moore managed to out cool Tony Curtis, in spite of playing an aristocratic Brit with a penchant for cravats and safari jackets.
Like hundreds of other journalists I came across Roger Moore several times in his post-Bond role of UN ambassador.
And like almost all of them I found him charming and self-deprecating: his keen sense of humour flickering in the eyes of his handsome face.
Shortly after one interview I saw him again when going out to dinner in The Ivy. I was surprised he even remembered me but he caught my eye across the tables, smiled and raised his hand in salute.
"You know James Bond?" my host, an extremely successful businessman, said in wonder, followed by the dreaded words: "Can you introduce us?"
Needless to say Roger Moore was the embodiment of good manners. He even seemed delighted to being asked questions he must have answered tens of thousands of times.
Unlike his rivals, Roger Moore was a James Bond with manners. What a Bond and what a man!
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner discussed 'secret line to Russia'
Russia's ambassador to the US told his bosses that he and Jared Kushner talked about setting up a secret channel for communication between Donald Trump's transition team and Moscow, according to a report.
Mr Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and close adviser, proposed using Russia's diplomatic facilities for talks, apparently because they could have bypassed diplomats and intelligence agencies, according to a report in the Washington Post.
The report, citing anonymous US officials briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications, said ambassador Sergei Kislyak had been "taken aback" by the suggestion.
In March, the White House confirmed that Mr Kushner, who is married to Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, had met Mr Kislyak at Trump Tower three months earlier. He had been accompanied by now-sacked national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The new details raise questions over whether Mr Kushner's contact with Mr Kislyak was more extensive than the White House has admitted.
Image:Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and their family travel on Air Force One
The White House has acknowledged the December meeting and that the two were at a Trump speech in Washington in April 2016 but they have not acknowledged any further contact.
Also, Reuters has reported that Mr Kushner had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Mr Kislyak during and after the 2016 campaign.
Their report quotes unidentified current and former US officials, who said two of these contacts were phone calls.
Mr Kushner's lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, said he had "no recollection" of the calls with Mr Kislyak as reported by Reuters.
She said that Mr Kushner had "thousands of calls" during the presidential campaign for his father-in-law, adding: "We have asked (Reuters) for the dates of such alleged calls so we may look into it and respond, but we have not received such information."
Earlier this year, Mr Kushner became a focus of the FBI investigation into possible collusion between the campaign and the Kremlin, according to two of the Reuters sources.
The possible collusion and the nature of the contact between the two administrations are being examined by several investigators and congressional committees.
Image:Jared Kushner meets military personnel at a US base in Iraq
Sky News US Correspondent Amanda Walker said Mr Kushner's name being linked to the investigation "certainly does not play well".
"It's been very pointedly remarked upon that he's not a target of the investigation, so not the sole focus, but certainly somebody who might be able to help with what will be a very in-depth and lengthy investigation into these possible ties, possible collusion between Trump's team and Russia.
"What they'll be focusing on most strongly is Jared Kushner's meeting back in December with the Russian ambassador.
"The White House has said it's completely normal and inconsequential - and it is fairly normal for an adviser to a then candidate... to have those kinds of meetings with diplomats.
"What's not normal is what the consensus of the intelligence agencies was: that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election."
Image:Mr Kushner with wife Ivanka, who is the President's daughter
The FBI and White House did not comment, while the Russian embassy said it was policy not to comment on individual diplomatic contacts.
Mr Trump has suggested he is being unfairly treated in the Russia investigation, claiming that he was the victim of the "greatest witch hunt" in US political history.
Mr Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and close adviser, proposed using Russia's diplomatic facilities for talks, apparently because they could have bypassed diplomats and intelligence agencies, according to a report in the Washington Post.
The report, citing anonymous US officials briefed on intelligence reports on intercepted Russian communications, said ambassador Sergei Kislyak had been "taken aback" by the suggestion.
In March, the White House confirmed that Mr Kushner, who is married to Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, had met Mr Kislyak at Trump Tower three months earlier. He had been accompanied by now-sacked national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The new details raise questions over whether Mr Kushner's contact with Mr Kislyak was more extensive than the White House has admitted.
Image:Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and their family travel on Air Force OneThe White House has acknowledged the December meeting and that the two were at a Trump speech in Washington in April 2016 but they have not acknowledged any further contact.
Also, Reuters has reported that Mr Kushner had at least three previously undisclosed contacts with Mr Kislyak during and after the 2016 campaign.
Their report quotes unidentified current and former US officials, who said two of these contacts were phone calls.
Mr Kushner's lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, said he had "no recollection" of the calls with Mr Kislyak as reported by Reuters.
She said that Mr Kushner had "thousands of calls" during the presidential campaign for his father-in-law, adding: "We have asked (Reuters) for the dates of such alleged calls so we may look into it and respond, but we have not received such information."
Earlier this year, Mr Kushner became a focus of the FBI investigation into possible collusion between the campaign and the Kremlin, according to two of the Reuters sources.
The possible collusion and the nature of the contact between the two administrations are being examined by several investigators and congressional committees.
Image:Jared Kushner meets military personnel at a US base in IraqSky News US Correspondent Amanda Walker said Mr Kushner's name being linked to the investigation "certainly does not play well".
"It's been very pointedly remarked upon that he's not a target of the investigation, so not the sole focus, but certainly somebody who might be able to help with what will be a very in-depth and lengthy investigation into these possible ties, possible collusion between Trump's team and Russia.
"What they'll be focusing on most strongly is Jared Kushner's meeting back in December with the Russian ambassador.
"The White House has said it's completely normal and inconsequential - and it is fairly normal for an adviser to a then candidate... to have those kinds of meetings with diplomats.
"What's not normal is what the consensus of the intelligence agencies was: that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election."
Image:Mr Kushner with wife Ivanka, who is the President's daughterThe FBI and White House did not comment, while the Russian embassy said it was policy not to comment on individual diplomatic contacts.
Mr Trump has suggested he is being unfairly treated in the Russia investigation, claiming that he was the victim of the "greatest witch hunt" in US political history.
Armed police to guard bank holiday events after Manchester bombing
More than 1,000 armed police will be out in force this bank holiday weekend to patrol hundreds of events across the country.
Specialist police teams have reviewed security for more than 1,300 events over the three-day weekend.
Events including the FA Cup final at Wembley and the Aviva Premiership Rugby final at Twickenham on Saturday are expected to draw thousands of people each.
Sunday's Great Manchester Run will also go ahead, with a high number of runners and spectators expected in a show of force and defiance as the city recovers from the terror attack.
Image:Armed police on patrol at Scarborough beach
Operation Temperer, which has seen hundreds of armed soldiers support police on the streets, will be gradually wound down from midnight on Monday after the UK's threat level was reduced from 'critical' to 'severe'.
The Prime Minister has urged people to "remain vigilant".
Police are continuing to question 11 suspects over the Manchester bombing which killed 22 people.
The attack came minutes after the end of a concert by pop star Ariana Grande, and seven children were among those who lost their lives.
Specialist police teams have reviewed security for more than 1,300 events over the three-day weekend.
Events including the FA Cup final at Wembley and the Aviva Premiership Rugby final at Twickenham on Saturday are expected to draw thousands of people each.
Sunday's Great Manchester Run will also go ahead, with a high number of runners and spectators expected in a show of force and defiance as the city recovers from the terror attack.
Image:Armed police on patrol at Scarborough beachOperation Temperer, which has seen hundreds of armed soldiers support police on the streets, will be gradually wound down from midnight on Monday after the UK's threat level was reduced from 'critical' to 'severe'.
The Prime Minister has urged people to "remain vigilant".
Police are continuing to question 11 suspects over the Manchester bombing which killed 22 people.
The attack came minutes after the end of a concert by pop star Ariana Grande, and seven children were among those who lost their lives.
Egypt launches strikes on Libya 'terror camps' after bus attack
Egypt has launched airstrikes on "terror camps" in Libya in response to the slaughter of Coptic Christians earlier on Friday.
The country's air force launched six strikes over its western border on Friday evening, with state media reporting jihadist training camps in the Libyan port city of Derna were targeted.
The area, in the east of Libya, is controlled by jihadists close to Al-Qaeda.
The action followed the killing of at least 28 people when masked gunmen attacked a bus of Coptic Christians travelling south of Egyptian capital Cairo.
A large number of the victims were reported to be children, including a two-year-old girl.
Announcing the strikes, Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi insisted he would "not hesitate in striking terror camps anywhere", whether inside his country or outside.
In a message to US president Donald Trump, the Egyptian leader added: "You have said that your priority is to confront terrorism, and I trust you are capable of doing that."
Mr Trump had earlier joined world leaders in denouncing the latest killing of Coptic Christians in Egypt.
In a statement, the US president said: "The bloodletting of Christians must end, and all who aid their killers must be punished."
"Terrorists are engaged in a war against civilisation, and it is up to all who value life to confront and defeat this evil."
Pope Francis, who made a historic visit to Egypt last month, branded the attack a "senseless act of hatred".
Image:The action followed the killing of at least 28 in a bus attack by masked gunmen
Al-Sisi declared a state of emergency in Egypt following the bombing of two Coptic churches by Islamic State in April.
Libya's militant strongholds have come under further scrutiny since Monday's terror attack in Manchester, which left 22 dead.
Suicide bomber Salman Abedi, the British-born son of Libyan parents, is believed to have recently visited the north African country before carrying out the attack on a pop concert.
Speaking at a G7 summit in Sicily on Friday, Theresa May said Abedi's links with Libya will "undoubtedly shine a spotlight on this largely ungoverned space on the edge of Europe".
The Prime Minister said: "We must redouble our support for a UN-led effort that brings all parties to the negotiating table and reduces the threat of terror from that region."
The country's air force launched six strikes over its western border on Friday evening, with state media reporting jihadist training camps in the Libyan port city of Derna were targeted.
The area, in the east of Libya, is controlled by jihadists close to Al-Qaeda.
The action followed the killing of at least 28 people when masked gunmen attacked a bus of Coptic Christians travelling south of Egyptian capital Cairo.
A large number of the victims were reported to be children, including a two-year-old girl.
Announcing the strikes, Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi insisted he would "not hesitate in striking terror camps anywhere", whether inside his country or outside.
In a message to US president Donald Trump, the Egyptian leader added: "You have said that your priority is to confront terrorism, and I trust you are capable of doing that."
Mr Trump had earlier joined world leaders in denouncing the latest killing of Coptic Christians in Egypt.
In a statement, the US president said: "The bloodletting of Christians must end, and all who aid their killers must be punished."
"Terrorists are engaged in a war against civilisation, and it is up to all who value life to confront and defeat this evil."
Pope Francis, who made a historic visit to Egypt last month, branded the attack a "senseless act of hatred".
Image:The action followed the killing of at least 28 in a bus attack by masked gunmenAl-Sisi declared a state of emergency in Egypt following the bombing of two Coptic churches by Islamic State in April.
Libya's militant strongholds have come under further scrutiny since Monday's terror attack in Manchester, which left 22 dead.
Suicide bomber Salman Abedi, the British-born son of Libyan parents, is believed to have recently visited the north African country before carrying out the attack on a pop concert.
Speaking at a G7 summit in Sicily on Friday, Theresa May said Abedi's links with Libya will "undoubtedly shine a spotlight on this largely ungoverned space on the edge of Europe".
The Prime Minister said: "We must redouble our support for a UN-led effort that brings all parties to the negotiating table and reduces the threat of terror from that region."
G7 leaders back Theresa May's call for a crackdown on extremist content online
Theresa May secured support from fellow G7 leaders on tackle extremists online and stop foreign fighters returning to the UK and Europe, as the Prime Minister put counter-terrorism centre stage of the annual summit of leading industrial states.
Mrs May warned the threat from Islamic state was moving "from the battlefield to the internet" as she led sessions on counter-terrorism in Taormina in Italy.
In the wake of the Manchester bombing the PM and her counterparts agreed a series of measures to step up the fight against terror and backed her call for more pressure to be put on internet companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter to target extremist content.
Image:The PM and her counterparts agreed a series of measures to tackle terrorism
But she was forced to defend her record on tackling violent extremism in the face of police cuts and the failure to stop jihadi fighters returning to Britain.
Mrs May described the G7 joint statement as "a significant step forward", and said she wanted to see terrorist material taken down "more urgently and more rapidly than it is at the moment".
She added: "It is also the case that I think it's important that companies recognise their social responsibility and do report matters that they become aware of to the authorities.
"We need to work together to fight against the evil of terrorism. And nobody can be in any doubt, after what we saw in Manchester, of just how evil those terrorists are."
:: Anger as Corbyn links foreign policy to terror
However, she denied cutting police numbers by 20,000 had made it necessary to put troops on to the streets in the wake of the atrocity.
She told a press conference at the summit: "The plan to ensure that there was military support available to the police is a well-prepared plan, it's one that was developed a while ago.
'It was done so that at a time when we got to 'critical' in our threat level - which of course is determined independently by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre - extra support could be made available. And that is exactly what has happened."
Mrs May was also asked by Sky News if she had "dropped the ball" as home secretary, given figures that showed 400 foreign fighters had returned to the UK since 2014.
The PM said: "It is the case that we believe a number of foreign fighters who went to Syria have returned to the UK.
"We actually took some extra powers in legislation when I was home secretary to manage the return of individuals, and those are looked at on a case-by-case basis.
"Over the last six to seven years, I excluded more hate preachers from the United Kingdom than any home secretary has ever done before. We did not hesitate to act in protecting our national security."
Mrs May warned the threat from Islamic state was moving "from the battlefield to the internet" as she led sessions on counter-terrorism in Taormina in Italy.
In the wake of the Manchester bombing the PM and her counterparts agreed a series of measures to step up the fight against terror and backed her call for more pressure to be put on internet companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter to target extremist content.
Image:The PM and her counterparts agreed a series of measures to tackle terrorismBut she was forced to defend her record on tackling violent extremism in the face of police cuts and the failure to stop jihadi fighters returning to Britain.
Mrs May described the G7 joint statement as "a significant step forward", and said she wanted to see terrorist material taken down "more urgently and more rapidly than it is at the moment".
She added: "It is also the case that I think it's important that companies recognise their social responsibility and do report matters that they become aware of to the authorities.
"We need to work together to fight against the evil of terrorism. And nobody can be in any doubt, after what we saw in Manchester, of just how evil those terrorists are."
:: Anger as Corbyn links foreign policy to terror
However, she denied cutting police numbers by 20,000 had made it necessary to put troops on to the streets in the wake of the atrocity.
She told a press conference at the summit: "The plan to ensure that there was military support available to the police is a well-prepared plan, it's one that was developed a while ago.
'It was done so that at a time when we got to 'critical' in our threat level - which of course is determined independently by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre - extra support could be made available. And that is exactly what has happened."
Mrs May was also asked by Sky News if she had "dropped the ball" as home secretary, given figures that showed 400 foreign fighters had returned to the UK since 2014.
The PM said: "It is the case that we believe a number of foreign fighters who went to Syria have returned to the UK.
"We actually took some extra powers in legislation when I was home secretary to manage the return of individuals, and those are looked at on a case-by-case basis.
"Over the last six to seven years, I excluded more hate preachers from the United Kingdom than any home secretary has ever done before. We did not hesitate to act in protecting our national security."
Terror threat level reduced to 'severe' after Manchester arrests
The UK's terror threat level has been reduced from "critical" to "severe", the Prime Minister has confirmed.
At an emergency COBRA meeting, the independent Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre advised that the UK should return to the second-highest level, which indicates an attack is highly likely rather than imminent.
Operation Temperer, which has seen armed soldiers support police on the streets, will be gradually stood down after the bank holiday weekend.
The terror threat level had been upgraded to "critical" following the Manchester bombing, which killed 22 people on Monday night.
Theresa May said the decision followed a "significant amount of police activity over the last 24 hours". A total of 11 people suspected of having links to the terror attack are now in police custody.
However, the Prime Minister stressed that the "country should remain vigilant" during the hundreds of events taking place over the coming days - including the FA Cup final at Wembley, and the Premiership Rugby final at Twickenham.
:: Armed police to guard bank holiday events
Image:A bomb disposal van was sent to an operation in Moss Side on Saturday morningThe announcement came as an evacuation took place in Moss Side as part of a search linked to the Manchester terror attack.
Greater Manchester Police described the evacuation in the inner-city area as a "precautionary measure to ensure everyone's safety".
Boscombe Street was cleared by counter-terror officers on Saturday morning, and a bomb disposal van was sent to the scene.
Police lifted the cordon shortly before 12.30pm, and residents were allowed back into the area.
Mark Rowley, the head of national counter-terrorism policing, has said 17 searches have either concluded or are continuing - with most of them in the North West.
Speaking outside Scotland Yard, he stressed there was still much more to do, and warned more searches and more arrests were likely to take place in the coming days.
Overnight, officers performed a controlled explosion at a property in Cheetham Hill. Two men, aged 20 and 22, were arrested.
A bus was also stormed to detain a 44-year-old man in Rusholme.
:: Ariana Grande set for Manchester return
Friday, May 26, 2017
Briefsfromshittu: Pentagon announces senior Islamic State deaths
Briefsfromshittu: Pentagon announces senior Islamic State deaths: Three of the Islamic State's senior military leaders have been killed in the past two months, according to the Pentagon. Coalition attac...
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