Sunak urged to block Johnson from handing honours to ‘carousel of cronies’
Shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said the Prime Minister had “caved in” to appease warring factions within the Conservative Party by reportedly accepting his predecessor’s recommendations. Mr Kinnock said that some of the appointments appear “very, very dubious indeed” and accused Mr Sunak of being “too weak” to block them. Stephen Kinnock criticised Rishi Sunak (PA)He told Sky News: “More evidence of just how weak Rishi Sunak is. The pair were expected to stand down to take peerages, which would have left Mr Sunak facing two early electoral battles in their seats. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper accused Mr Sunak of rewarding “failure” by allegedly giving the list the green light.
Source:The Times
June 09, 2023 08:45 UTC
Skipper Davis sees green shoots of recovery in Cookham Dean's loss to Henley
It proved a comfortable chase in the end, with Henley making it in the 43rd over for the loss of four wickets. “We've been making improvements week on week, which is always promising, but it’s felt like we’ve had a tough start to the season,” said Davis. We are bringing through Cookham juniors, players who have been with the club their whole life. Team morale is still there, and everyone is supporting each other despite having zero wins from our first four matches. “Falkland is a nice place to go and bat so let’s hope we make the most of that.”
Source:Express
June 09, 2023 07:03 UTC
A Guide to the Suddenly Crowded Republican Primary
So what’s the right framework, Shane, for thinking about and classifying in our heads those five Republican candidates for president? archived recording (mike pence) The land of opportunity, beacon of democracy, the shining city on a hill —shane goldmacherI would say Vice President Mike Pence is the next candidate. archived recording (mike pence) I had the great honor to serve in Congress, as governor, and as your vice president. archived recording (mike pence) We can turn this country around, but different times call for different leadership. But the alliance between evangelical voters and Donald Trump was always an uneasy one, just because of who Donald Trump is, because of the record around his own moral character.
Source:The Times
June 09, 2023 05:07 UTC
Jack Whitehall says his ‘nepo-dad’ has yet to offer him parenting advice
Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father sees the duo travel around the world together. (left to right) Michael Whitehall, Jack Whitehall and Hilary Whitehall (Jonathan Brady/PA)Speaking to The Times, Whitehall said: “It’s so annoying. He’s cut me loose.”“He’s off doing his podcast and appearing on shows with my mum, and they’re talking about going on tour themselves. Insane.”A “nepo baby” has become a popular phrase to describe the children of celebrities who have succeeded in similar industries to their parents. It comes after Whitehall announced on social media that he and girlfriend Roxy Horner are expecting their first child together.
Source:The Times
June 09, 2023 04:05 UTC
The lie of a cleaner oilsands
In May 2022 a tailings pond at Imperial’s Kearl Lake facility in northern Alberta started leaking toxic waste into groundwater and outside its lease boundaries. But no one reported the leak to water users living downstream of the massive oilsands project for nine months. Key quote:“All trust with the Alberta government has been broken and has been broken for a long time. Big picture:While the Canadian government claims progress toward a better-regulated, less-polluting industry, previous promises by the Alberta government and industry to control growing mining waste have been broken. Industry ignored 2009 rules to reduce the volume of tailing waste and regulators ultimately abandoned the rules, Nikiforuk reports.
Source:The Guardian
June 09, 2023 01:54 UTC
Labour pledges to revamp Ofsted grading system
Bridget Phillipson said the party would end the system of “one or two-word” school ratings such as “outstanding” and “inadequate”, instead grading schools in a wider range of areas. The comments came after headteacher Ruth Perry, of Caversham Primary School in Reading, Berkshire, took her own life in January when an Ofsted report downgraded her school from the highest rating to the lowest. There has been heavy criticism of the schools watchdog and its system from education unions and Ms Perry’s family following her death. “That is why Labour will change Ofsted for the better. The commission made 12 key recommendations for education, one of which called for a reformed Ofsted and new “school report card” with a wider range of metrics.
Source:The Times
June 09, 2023 01:04 UTC
Press: AI reporting looks for agency in the wrong places
You’ll never guess, but “it was an older import, Christianity, that unleashed the most devastating cataclysm of 19th-century China. Christianity . THE science fiction writer Ted Chiang was interviewed in the Financial Times and brought a melancholy humanism to the discussion. The terrifying thing about AI is that it just makes easier the normal human vice of bullshitting, or worse. They draw, it would appear, on the Bhagavadgita, but they show a remarkable, perhaps supernatural, knowledge of contemporary Indian politics.
Source:The Times
June 08, 2023 23:31 UTC
Memorial service marks 22 years since fatal stabbing rampage at Ikeda school
Students place flowers on an altar at Ikeda Elementary School in the Osaka Prefecture city of Ikeda on Thursday, to remember the eight children killed in a knife attack on June 8, 2001. A memorial service was held Thursday to mark the 22nd anniversary of a stabbing rampage at an elementary school in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, that left eight children dead. Relatives, teachers and students attended the ceremony at Ikeda Elementary School to remember the tragedy and pledge to keep the school safe. At his trial, he said that he committed the crime because he wanted to be executed. The rampage led many schools in Japan to step up security such as locking gates and installing surveillance cameras.
Source:The Guardian
June 08, 2023 19:35 UTC
Karolina Muchova stuns Aryna Sabalenka to reach French Open final
Karolina Muchova, the unseeded Czech tennis player, defeated Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling semi-final at the 2021 French Open. However, Muchova fought back from being 5-2 down in the decisive set to upset Sabalenka and book her place in her first-ever major final. Muchova, currently ranked 43rd in the world, is the fourth-lowest ranked player to reach the French Open final. The Czech player displayed superb courtcraft, using angles and changes of direction and frequently coming to the net. The French Open final will now feature an unseeded player for the fifth year in a row.
Source:The Guardian
June 08, 2023 18:10 UTC
Johnson given findings of probe into whether he misled MPs over parties – report
The Privileges Committee has been conducting an inquiry into whether he misled MPs with his assurances over lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street. The Times reported that the panel of MPs has sent Mr Johnson a draft of the report which will determine his political future. Under that procedure, if the Committee decides to criticise Mr Johnson, it will not come to a final conclusion until it has taken into account any further submissions from Mr Johnson. Sanctions could range from a simple apology to ordering that Mr Johnson be suspended from Parliament. Mr Johnson, who believes he is the victim of a stitch-up, endured more than three hours of questioning by the Privileges Committee in March.
Source:The Times
June 08, 2023 17:51 UTC
Minister Halfon speech at the Times Education Summit
An appreciation of skills education, and how it’s perceived by those who haven’t acquired it. We cannot hope to change attitudes about skills education unless it is seen as a route to progression. I want the Lifelong Loan Entitlement to signify an inclusive change in how we view skills education, and the pace at which we acquire education in general. Instead of talking about the Oxbridge of skills education, people should be pointing to colleges like Loughborough, Oldham and universities like Staffordshire. I’ll finish by returning to my favourite Oxford professor, who could write with insight about the misconceptions that surround skills education.
Source:The Times
June 08, 2023 16:43 UTC
Muchova Stuns Sabalenka to Reach First Grand Slam Final
In a thrilling semi-final match at the Australian Open, Czech player Karolina Muchova defeated second-seed Aryna Sabalenka to reach her first Grand Slam final. Muchova won five games in a row to win the match 7-6(5) (5)6-7 6-4, while Sabalenka crumbled under the pressure and made crucial errors. Muchova displayed impressive composure and skill, praising her team and remaining humble in victory. The match was a display of brilliant tennis from both players, with Sabalenka dominating at times but ultimately failing to close out the match. Overall, this was an incredible match that showcased the best of women’s tennis, and Muchova’s stunning victory was well-deserved.
Source:The Guardian
June 08, 2023 16:42 UTC
Footage shows dead fish in Kakhovka reservoir after dam flooding – video
Videos published online showed large numbers of dead fish in the Kakhovka reservoir after the destruction of a dam in southern Ukraine. The dam, which lies along the Dnipro River in Ukraine’s Kherson region – now held by Russia – collapsed on Tuesday, flooding a swathe of the frontline. Videos showed dead fish lining the banks of the reservoir, one of the largest in Europe. Ukraine’s ministry of agrarian policy and food has warned the destruction of the dam could have much bigger global implications next year, due to the impact on some of Ukraine's most fertile regions
Source:The Guardian
June 08, 2023 16:01 UTC
Liverpool buy back their former Melwood training ground for women’s team to use
The men’s first team vacated the site in West Derby in the city in November 2020 for a new build at their existing academy base in Kirkby. As part of the move, the crest of the LFC Women’s team, which has previously trained at Tranmere’s base on the Wirral, will move to the official club crest to closer align the two operations. We are once again the proud owners of the Club’s iconic former training ground, Melwood. The legendary elite facility is set to create a whole new chapter for @LiverpoolFCW’s first team and academy 🙌 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 8, 2023“This is a truly historic moment for Liverpool Football Club and the continued desire of the LFC Women’s board to elevate and develop our women’s first team and category one professional game academy,” said Liverpool’s managing director Andy Hughes. “We also have an opportunity to further develop the use of the site to support the local community by using it as an additional base for LFC Foundation.
Source:Express
June 08, 2023 13:28 UTC
All The Times The Tories Told Us The UK Would Do A Trade Deal With America
All The Times The Tories Told Us The UK Would Do A Trade Deal With AmericaBoris Johnson said the UK wasBoris Johnson said the UK was "first in line" for a trade deal when Donald Trump was in the White House. Rishi Sunak yesterday confirmed what has been obvious for ages - that a free trade deal between the UK and America isn’t happening any time soon. But this is very different from what the PM’s predecessors used to say about the prospects of a US-UK trade deal following the Brexit vote. Trade negotiations between the UK and US were officially launched on Tuesday 5 May 2020.”A free trade deal with the US was one of the main selling points for Brexiteers in the run-up to the 2016 referendum. A week later, a YouGov poll revealed that the number of Brits who regret Brexit has soared.
Source:The Times
June 08, 2023 11:29 UTC