Last Week in Pictures: March 5 – 11, 2018

With so much going on in the world so quickly these days it can be easy to miss the important news stories that break around the world so just in case here’s a quick review of some of the biggest stories that hit the headlines last week.

In the United States Stephanie Gregory Clifford, the former adult film star who performed under the name Stormy Daniels, announced she had filed a law suit against both President Donald Trump and his lawyer Michael Cohen last week. Arguing the White House resident had not signed the agreement that paid her $130,000 to keep quiet about their affair the former porn star also accused Mr Cohen of intimidation and that the Trump Campaign had coordinated the payment made, which would be illegal.

In the UK former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal was poisoned with a nerve agent along with his daughter in an attack similar to that on Alexander Litvinenko last week with suspicion that responsibility for the attempted murder could be laid at Moscow’s door. The government of Vladimir Putin has strenuously denied involvement but with a British policeman, Mark Rowley, also seriously ill in hospital after exposure to the substance used, politicians and the press both called for a full inquiry.

In the United States President Donald Trump doubled down on his threat of tariffs on steel and aluminium last week claiming that trade wars were “easy to win”, a sentiment that caused his chief economic adviser, and former Number 2 man at Goldman Sachs, Gary Cohn to resign and become just the latest in a record setting number of key staff who have left or been sacked from the White House in Trumps first year in office. His replacement was not named in the announcement of his departure.

In sports the world of cycling was rocked by another drug scandal last week after a select committee of British MPs accused Team Sky of taking medical substances for performance enhancing reasons during the Tour de France which Bradley Wiggins won, even alleging he was injected during the event. Team Sky and Mr Wiggins strongly deny the claims, but does anyone believe them? You’ll have to read our daily news pages to find out, and in the meantime here’s some of the bigger stories of last week.

Bookies Defend High Stakes FOBT In UK By Taking Hostages

Is Arsene Wenger’s Fate a Valid Reason to Bet on Arsenal to Win Europa League?

Your Last Chance to Bet on Crufts 2018 Best in Show!

Meanwhile in the UK both the leader and deputy leader of the far right group “Britain First” were jailed last week for starting a political campaign that demonized Muslims with slurs of rape and paedophilia. Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen were both found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment. Mr Golding was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison with Mz Fransen sentenced to 36 weeks, a time I’m sure both will find hugely interesting given the very diverse mix of people to be found in HM prisons.