Heavy rain in some parts of England has caused flooding because rivers have become really full.
Flood warnings are in the Midlands, north-east, and south-west. Roads are flooded and it’s difficult to drive on them.
Dorset and Somerset were the most affected by the floods, and a big rescue operation was done to save people from the water.
In Somerset, lots of water covered the areas and flooded homes. People didn’t have power or clean water.
At the same time, the center of York flooded because the River Ouse overflowed due to bad weather, while cold temperatures greeted people on Wednesday morning.
People are worried that there will be more flooding because the Met Office has issued five warnings for heavy rain on Thursday. The UK has already had a lot of snow and heavy rain.
Flights to and from Munich were stopped on Tuesday because the runway was icy from freezing rain. But now, flights are running again.
Tag: England
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UK experiences travel disruption and flooding due to severe rain and snow
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England’s preparations under Gareth Southgate face disruption due to players’ injuries
England’s coach Gareth Southgate, has revealed a shift in his plans for the England squad in the European 2024 qualifiers against Malta on Friday and North Macedonia three days later.
This adjustment stems from the absence of several players due to injuries.
Despite having secured qualification for next year’s finals in Germany with a win against Italy last month, Southgate now faces the challenge of reshaping the squad given the unavailable players.
“You always have to adapt. We’d maybe have written two possible teams for the next two games but you never really know what’s going to come your way,” Southgate said in a press conference on Thursday.
“We have lost more players than is normal and there’s some long-term injuries amidst that, which is a big shame for the players themselves, but then there’s always opportunities for the players coming in.”
Southgate confronts England’s last games of the year without essential players, including Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Chelsea’s Levi Colwill, who are sidelined with shoulder injuries.
The coach emphasised the managerial challenge of striking a balance and making tough decisions in light of these absences. This comes after he faced inquiries regarding the absence of Chelsea striker Raheem Sterling.
“As a player, you never agree with a manager’s decision to leave you out, but you just hope you do it in the most respectful way possible, with constructive points so they can go away and work on things,” said Southgate.
Southgate also spoke of how, despite England leading Group C with 16 points after six games, his priority is to prove they are a top team that wins games, despite facing constant criticism.
“The most important message revolves around our day-to-day standard on the training ground,” said Southgate. “We aspire to be a top team, and we’ve been consistent for a while, and that comes from everything you do and the things no one else sees.”
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Jude Bellingham, Levi Colwill miss England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers
Jude Bellingham and Levi Colwill will be absent from England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia due to shoulder injuries.
Although initially included in Gareth Southgate’s squad, both players have opted to withdraw to concentrate on their recovery. Southgate has not yet announced replacements for either of them.
Bellingham, at 20 years old, has played a pivotal role in England’s recent success, particularly in notable victories against Italy and Scotland.
His impressive performances extend to his club career at Real Madrid, where, since joining from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, he has scored 13 goals in 14 appearances, making a significant impact. With 27 caps for the Three Lions already, his absence will be felt in the upcoming qualifiers.
His absence was always likely after Real boss Carlo Ancelotti revealed that “he can’t play with England” due to injury.
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Levi Colwill is absent for England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia At 20 years old, Levi Colwill, who recently made his senior international debut in the 1-0 friendly victory over Australia, will miss England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia due to a shoulder injury. Considered the sole left-footed defender in Gareth Southgate’s squad, Colwill was expected to play a significant role.
Having made 14 appearances for Chelsea under manager Mauricio Pochettino this season, Colwill’s breakthrough performance had positioned him as a key asset for the national team.
England is set to face Malta at Wembley on Friday and then travel to North Macedonia on Monday. Securing maximum points in these matches would likely ensure their status as top seeds for the Euro 2024 draw next month, minimizing the chances of drawing challenging opponents like hosts Germany in the group stage.
Despite joining the squad late due to personal issues, Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips are expected to be available for both matches. England secured qualification for Euro 2024 with a 3-1 victory over Italy last month.
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Bellingham ruled out of England duty as Los Blancos thrash Valencia
Carlo Ancelotti praised Real Madrid’s stellar 5-1 victory against Valencia as their top performance of the season. He also announced that Jude Bellingham will not participate in England’s duties.
Real Madrid’s early goal by Dani Carvajal was followed by impressive braces from both Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, securing a commanding win.
This triumph brought them within two points of the unexpected league leaders, Girona.Despite a late consolation goal from Hugo Duro, Ancelotti was thrilled with his team’s overall performance, making it an enjoyable night for the Real Madrid camp.
The Italian said: “Was it our best performance? Yes.
“Valencia haven’t shown their best because we played a very good game, the first 15 minutes we could have defended better but from there the game was perfect.
“Vinicius and Rodrygo both did very well, as part of the wider team who all played very well.
“I don’t like to assess on an individual level but as a team they did a splendid job.”
Ancelotti must have been particularly delighted with the lopsided win, considering the absence of their star player, Bellingham, who suffered a dislocated shoulder last week.
Despite the injury, the 20-year-old is slated to join Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions next week. Nonetheless, his club manager anticipates a swift return to Spain for him.
The 64-year-old tactician said: “Bellingham will go, yes, to be evaluated and he’ll come back after that, because he hasn’t played today.
“He is doing specific work to strengthen his shoulder over the next few weeks but he will be back to playing after that.”
Since his arrival at Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in June for an initial £88.5 million, Bellingham has had a remarkable beginning in Spain.
His 13 goals in 14 appearances across LaLiga and the Champions League have broken numerous records. Additionally, he contributed two assists for his country against Italy last month.
Despite being a favorite at the Bernabeu, he appears likely to join Tottenham midfielder James Maddison and Newcastle striker Callum Wilson on the injury list, missing England’s upcoming matches against Malta and North Macedonia.
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Dinosaur footprints found on Isle of Wight beach in England
For any fans of Jurassic Stop, presently may well be the chance to tread the same way as the ancient mammoths some time recently us, after a set of well-preserved dinosaur impressions were uncovered on a shoreline off the south coast of Britain.
Engineers from the government’s Environment Office were exploring how to fortify ocean guards along the Yaverland seafront on the Isle of Wight, when they revealed the fossils, concurring to a press discharge Monday.
“Dinosaurs existing right where our group is working brings ancient and unused together – the cutting edge challenges of combatting climate alter with a period of time we will as it were imagine,” the agency’s territorial surge and coastal-risk chief Scratch Gray, said.
“We’ve all perused the stories and seen the movies, but this gives us fair a imply of what life was like,” he included within the articulation.
Specialists accept the 125 million-year-old prints may well be from a mantellisaurus, seven meters long and three-toed, which recognizes them from other dinosaurs. Mantellisaurus were herbivorous and lived amid the early Cretaceous period, which finished 66 million a long time prior.
The Environment Agency said the fossils were unearthed in a get-away goal next to a beachside café, a car stop and a transport halt. But whereas sightseers have unwittingly been strolling within the strides of dinosaurs, this sort of discovery does not come as a shock to specialists.
Martin Munt, guardian of the local Dinosaur Isle Exhibition hall, called the Isle of Wight the “richest dinosaur area in Europe.”
Within the press discharge, Munt said 35 distinctive dinosaur sorts have been found on the island, which whereas they can’t be certain of the dinosaur species that made the prints, it is most “likely a mantellisaurus was here, not fair in other parts of the south coast,” where they were expected to be more common.
Shown in London’s Normal History Historical center could be a mantellisaurus skeleton that was found on the Isle of Wight in 1917. It is one of the foremost total dinosaur skeletons within the UK, agreeing to the Environment Organization. -
England’s clash with Belgium leaves Greenwood with a head injury
During England’s Nations League match against Belgium in Leuven, defender Alex Greenwood was stretchered off following a head collision with Belgian forward Jassina Blom approximately 20 minutes into the game.
Both players were left on the ground after the match.
Greenwood received on-field medical attention for approximately 10 minutes before being stretchered off, while Jess Carter was substituted in as her replacement. Blom, wearing a head bandage, was able to continue playing.
A subsequent post on the Lionesses’ official X account read: “Alex Greenwood is conscious and talking, and is being monitored by our medical staff.”
Despite trailing 1-0 after Laura De Neve’s free-kick, the Lionesses managed to stage a comeback. Goals from Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby gave them a 2-1 lead as the first half entered stoppage time.
However, Tessa Wullaert later equalized in the additional period, leveling the score once again.
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Trippier tips Bellingham as the game-changer for England
England’s defender Kieran Trippier has suggested that Jude Bellingham may be the key player who can make a difference for the team in their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy.
Bellingham has been in outstanding form since his summer transfer to Real Madrid, netting an impressive 10 goals in his initial 10 starts across all competitions for his new club.
“He can be the difference,” Trippier told reporters. “At such a young age, with the maturity, the quality and the aggression he’s got, he’s frightening. It’s not a surprise at all, given the standards that he’s set in Madrid.“You can see he’s playing with freedom and the players around him are going to make him even better. The scary thing is he’s only 20 years old.”
Trippier added that the England side had made “massive steps” since the 2018 World Cup.“We lost in the Euros final but the most important thing is we’re progressing and doing very well,” Trippier said.
“We’ve got goals from all over the pitch and Jude, Madders [James Maddison], Bukayo [Saka], and Phil [Foden] are still young but can all change games in certain moments.”
Trippier also defended teammate Jordan Henderson, who was booed by England fans during Friday’s 1-0 friendly win over Australia after joining Saudi Arabian club Al Ettifaq earlier this year.
“For us as players, we stick together,” Trippier said.
“I see Hendo on a daily basis. He is an unbelievable character; he’s a leader — what he does for the team, playing or not playing.
“He’s an unbelievable person to have in the dressing room. He makes sure everyone trains properly. He sets standards.”
England face Italy on Tuesday at Wembley.
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England’s victory ‘has been a long time coming’ – Watkins
Ollie Watkins stated that scoring the winning goal for England against Australia was a moment he had been waiting for a while.
The forward had not been part of the Three Lions’ squad since March 2022 but made a triumphant return by scoring the lone goal in their 1-0 win at Wembley.
The Aston Villa striker is now confident that his performance has demonstrated why he deserves a permanent place in Gareth Southgate’s squad.
He said: “I have been waiting a long time for the next call-up.
“I was looking forward to it and I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip.
“I knew I wasn’t going to come off this pitch without the goal, that was in my mind.”
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Jack Grealish assisted Ollie Watkins’ goal The competition for the role of Harry Kane’s backup for Euro 2024 is highly competitive. Eddie Nketiah has secured a place in the squad, Callum Wilson is frequently selected, and Ivan Toney is set to make a return in January.
Ollie Watkins has taken a prominent position in this discussion due to his exceptional performances this season. He notably scored hat-tricks against Hibernian and Brighton in the early weeks of the campaign.
With a total of three goals in eight England caps, the 27-year-old boasts a favorable record compared to his fellow competitors.
He said: “There’s so many good forwards around scoring goals and it is about taking your opportunity when you are on the pitch.
“I think Jack [Grealish] has gone to shoot and he’s dragged it, I don’t know if it’s going in. My first thought was it was but I’ve taken it off him.
“I was not nervous and just tried to perform in front of all these fans. I scored, it was a good night.”
The competition for the role of Harry Kane’s backup for Euro 2024 is highly competitive. Eddie Nketiah has secured a place in the squad, Callum Wilson is frequently selected, and Ivan Toney is set to make a return in January.
Ollie Watkins has taken a prominent position in this discussion due to his exceptional performances this season. He notably scored hat-tricks against Hibernian and Brighton in the early weeks of the campaign.
With a total of three goals in eight England caps, the 27-year-old boasts a favorable record compared to his fellow competitors.
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Italian student travels 1,500 miles by bicycle to visit grandparents
A student from Italy traveled by bicycle for 1,500km (932 miles) across Europe to reach his grandparents’ house in England.
Claudio Barchiesi, who is 20 years old, cycled from his hometown in Barzano, Italy, to Barrow, Suffolk. It took him 15 days to complete the journey, passing through eight different countries along the way.
He wanted to get one euro for each kilometer he rode for charity, but he has received 4,285 euros (£3,678) up until now.
Mr Barchiesi expressed his enjoyment of the journey.
The student, who started on 23 August, said his 15-day trip through Europe had been a very enjoyable experience.
Before starting his trip, Mr. Barchiesi didn’t ride his bike much, only about 5km (3. 1 miles) a year.
After deciding to raise money for AIRC, the Italian Foundation for Cancer Research, he worked hard every day for two months to prepare.
He traveled through the mountains in Switzerland, along a river in France, and into Germany. Then he went through Luxembourg and Belgium before taking a ferry from The Netherlands to reach England.
Mr Barchiesi, who has an English mother, rode his bicycle for a short distance to reach his grandparents’ house near Bury St Edmunds on Wednesday.
They were standing there with balloons and signs, next to his cousin and uncle.
“He said it was very nice to arrive and see everyone, and it made him feel emotional too. ”
Mr Barchiesi said that he was burning around 37,000 calories every day. He mainly ate pain au chocolat and baguettes for his two main meals during the trip.
The college student said the best parts of the trip were the amazing view from the highest point of the Alps on his second day and getting to see the different types of life in European countries.
“He said he would travel 90km (55 miles) each day to have enough time to visit the place for half a day too. ”
“It’s amazing how everything, including the places, people, and languages spoken, can change so much within just 90km. ”
Mr Barchiesi had been staying at churches and hostels for nights. He was excited to have a warm meal and wear clean clothes. He had been cleaning his cycling gear in the shower by stomping on it with shampoo.
He planned to arrive in Suffolk when it was 30 degrees Celsius, but he said it felt just like being at home.
Regarding the amount of money we collected, the economics student expressed their surprise and said, “I didn’t think we would raise this big of a sum. ”
“I achieved my first goal and I never expected to receive assistance and encouragement from so many people. ”
Mr Barchiesi’s grandma, Pat Stoten, said she has never been more proud of anything in her entire life. -
Spain defeats England’s courageous Lionesses in World Cup final in spite of Mary Earps’ valiant efforts
After losing to Spain in the World Cup final in Sydney, England’s thrilling World Cup odyssey came to a disappointing conclusion.
In the first half, Sarina Wiegman’s team performed far below expectations, and Spain deservedly took the lead through Olga Carmona on the half-hour mark.
Salma Paralluelo attempted to score from close range but somehow missed, despite Mary Earps’ spectacular save keeping the score even.
The finest opportunity for the Lionesses in the first half fell to Lauren Hemp, but her curving shot from the edge of the box was stopped by the woodwork.
On the verge of halftime, Paralluelo came near to extending Spain’s lead but the post stopped her.
At the half, Wiegman changed England’s formation from a 3-5-2 to a conventional 4-4-2 thanks to that error.
Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly were replaced at halftime by Chloe Kelly and Lauren James, who had been suspended for the previous two games following her red card against Nigeria in the last-16.
This offered England greater width, and it nearly immediately paid off when Kelly sent a beautiful cross towards Hemp, but the Manchester City attacker missed the target.
The pressure from Spain had been reduced thanks to Wegiman’s adjustments, and England’s performance after the half greatly improved.
However, just as England began to gain control of the game again, the Lionesses let up a contentious penalty when Kiera Walsh was found to have handled in the area following a VAR review.
With 20 minutes remaining, Jenni Hermoso had the opportunity to give Spain their first World Cup victory, but Earps stood in her way as she made the correct judgement call to stop Hermoso’s effort.
After Cata Coll made the save, England gained momentum, and James immediately tested the Spanish goalie. Coll made a deft save at the front post to preserve England’s lead.
The ball was hardly in play for the final 10 minutes of regulation time due to Alex Greenwood’s injury and a string of incidents that stopped play.
Fortunately, there was 13 minutes of stoppage time, during which England gave the Spanish everything they had in an effort to draw level.
However, despite pressing Millie Bright into attack, England was unable to create the kinds of opportunities they had hoped for.
In actuality, this simply gave Spain more room, and they had multiple opportunities to seal the victory, but Earps once more stood in their way.
It was not to be for England, who battled through every obstacle on their route to the final and faced a fantastic Spain team.
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Spain beat England to be crowned 2023 World Cup champions
England’s quest for their first Women’s World Cup title ended in heartbreak as they were defeated by Spain in the final in Sydney.
The Lionesses, aiming to replicate the achievement of the 1966 men’s team by winning the World Cup, were outclassed by a creative and skillful Spanish side.
Spain’s captain, Olga Carmona, slotted in the winning goal in the first half, taking advantage of a loss of possession by England’s Lucy Bronze in midfield.
Despite introducing Lauren James and Chloe Kelly at halftime, England struggled to seize control as Spain continued to dominate.
Goalkeeper Mary Earps made several remarkable saves, including one from a penalty kick to deny Jenni Hermoso after a lengthy video assistant referee review had penalized Keira Walsh for a handball.
Despite their remarkable journey, the European champions fell short in the final, marking just their second defeat in two years under manager Sarina Wiegman.
Spain claimed their first-ever championship, overcoming a cloud of controversy that hung over them before the tournament due to disputes between players and the Spanish football federation.
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales, based at Kensington Palace, have congratulated the English players for their dedication.
“Your spirit & drive have inspired so many people and paved the way for generations to come,” they noted.
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England riding wave of support ahead of World Cup final
Sarina Wiegman expresses her satisfaction with the overwhelming support for the England team ahead of the World Cup final.
The Lionesses are set to face Spain on Sunday in their quest to secure their first-ever World Cup title.
Manager Wiegman remarked, “The outpouring of support has been incredible. We’ve truly felt the backing, not only here but also from the UK and around the world. This is something we’ve always dreamt of.”
“I feel privileged. I’m very happy in the place where I am now. There’s a lot of support, we have everything we need to perform at the highest level. It is a pleasure to work with these incredible people.”
Wiegman was concise when asked how the team had reintegrated Lauren James, who could start on Sunday after serving a two-match suspension following her red card against Nigeria in the last 16.
She said: “Of course she kept training and it’s really nice to have 23 players available for tomorrow.”
Former Netherlands boss Wiegman took over as England manager in September 2021 and led the team to Euro 2022 glory on home soil last summer.
Asked whether the bond between the players and Wiegman had grown, captain and centre-back Millie Bright said: “The longer you work together, the better the connection.
“The better you can be off the pitch, the better the conversation can be and then we can translate that to the squad.
“As much as people don’t want to face challenges, it’s part of the game, it’s part of life, and without those challenges we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
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England’s Lionesses defeat Australia to advance to first-ever Women’s World Cup final
With goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, and Alessia Russo on Wednesday, England defeated Australia 3-1 to advance to the Women’s World Cup final for the first time.
The Matildas were the only team to defeat Sarina Wiegman’s team in the previous two years and 37 games, presenting the Lionesses with a formidable challenge at Sydney’s Stadium Australia in front of a boisterous and partisan home crowd.
However, they put on a polished, composed, and clinical performance against their old enemies to advance to the World Cup finals for a third time in a row and will now face Spain on Sunday.
Toone scored first in the 36th minute, but Sam Kerr’s brilliant solo goal midway through the second half cancelled it out. Later, Hemp took advantage of a defensive blunder, and Russo sealed the victory late to guarantee England’s place in the final.
Lauren James served the second game of a two-game suspension, although Wiegman kept the same starting lineup for the match. For the first time throughout the competition, Australia star Kerr was deemed fit to play, but Alanna Kennedy, the centre defender, was unable to do so due to illness.
The Chelsea striker had the opening opportunity of the game. She showed no indications of her calf injury as she raced through England’s thick defensive line, only to be stopped by Mary Earps, even though the flag for offside was raised somewhat tardily.
Moments later, Georgia Stanway was superbly sent free by Alex Greenwood’s pass behind the Australian defence, but her volley effort was too close to keeper Mackenzie Arnold, and England should have grabbed the lead.
A highly defensive Australia was finding it difficult to stop England’s darting runs in behind as Wiegman’s team alternated between long stretches of possession and quick, direct attacks in the opening exchanges. Russo’s flowing play ended with her hitting the side netting for the Lionesses.
The first goal Australia had given up in five hours came just as the Matildas were beginning to enjoy a rare period of their own possession. Russo wriggled her way towards the byline and did well to pull the ball back where Toone was on hand to bury a rising effort into the top corner.
Every irregular Australian attack was greeted with a cheer, and every ill-timed English challenge was whistled, but then the 75,784-person stadium fell silent.
After the restart, Australia displayed more vigour and enthusiasm, but the Lionesses continued to feel in control, and Hemp’s hopeful long-range attempt sent Arnold scurrying over her line. Captain Millie Bright got a free header from the ensuing corner that may have ended the match.
She received punishment for her wastefulness. The Chelsea teammate Bright backed off and off as Kerr, who had been unable to have an impression on the game up to this point, received the ball on the halfway line and drove at him. From 25 yards out, Kerr fired a fierce shot that flew over Earps and nearly into the back of the net.
Many significant athletic events have taken place in this historic stadium throughout the years, including Cathy Freeman’s gold medal performance in the 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics and Jonny Wilkinson’s winning drop goal in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, but few will have elicited the cheers that Kerr’s magnificent solo goal did.
After that setback, though, England came back with a cross from Lucy Bronze that almost caught Arnold off guard before Russo fired a header just wide of the far post. Once again applying pressure, they were successful when right-back Ellie Carpenter fumbled a long ball forward.
Hemp pounced from six yards and nudged the ball past a hapless Arnold as she hesitated. The game’s first two goals were breathtaking finishes, but this one was very scrappy—almost fittingly so, considering the effort and tenacity that went along with England’s more refined play on the way to the final.
But in the end, the Lionesses had to endure some very terrifying moments. Prior to forcing a superb save from Earps, substitute Cortnee Vine headed over the crossbar from close range. Moments later, Kerr blasted by from a corner completely unnoticed.
England continued to threaten on the break and ended the match in the 86th minute rather than holding out through a final siege. She threaded the needle to set up Russo, who rocketed into the bottom corner with a very identical finish to her victory against Colombia in the previous round after Hemp’s fantastic, slaloming run opened up the field.
The Lionesses’ victory prevents Australia from sweeping a series of sporting contests that have lasted all summer and sets up the first-ever Women’s World Cup final. Australian cricket teams for men and women both won back the Ashes, and earlier this month, they triumphed in the Netball World Cup final as well. This is England’s sweet retaliation.
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Sarina Wiegman lauds the Lionesses ‘ruthless’ play against Australia as they qualify to the final
Following England’s victory over Australia to secure a place in the World Cup final, England manager Sarina Wiegman heaped commendation upon her exceptional players.
In a remarkable performance, England defeated tournament co-hosts Australia with a score of 3-1, thus securing their inaugural appearance in the Women’s World Cup final.
The triumphant win was sealed by goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, and Alessia Russo, igniting exuberant celebrations at the conclusion of the match.
Speaking to BBC One after the match, England manager Wiegman said: “We achieved the final! It’s unbelievable; it feels like we won the whole thing, but we didn’t. An away game at this incredible stadium was hard, but again, we found a way to win.“We scored three goals.In this team, there is ruthlessness, up front and in defence. We really want to win. We stick together and we stick to the plan, and it worked again.”
England’s win was a historic one for Wiegman herself, as she is the first manager to guide two different countries to the Women’s World Cup finals.
England will take on Spain, another final debutant – on Sunday. Before the competition, Jorge Vilda’s side had never won a knockout match at a major tournament. -
Refugees from Ukraine go back home to their war-torn country
When asked how it felt to return to Ukraine, Kseniia, a refugee from Lviv, says, “You can’t imagine this moment until it actually happens.”
Some Ukrainian refugees are returning home for the first time this summer after fleeing the nation.
Many people are now spending brief periods of time at home, despite the danger, since they feel helpless and homesick.
Among those making trips home are Nataly, Kseniia, and Oksana, who currently reside in Berkshire.
When you meet your relatives, you just start crying, Kseniia, who visited Lviv in June, claims.
Because her hometown is near to the frontlines, she says she feels “like a guest” there.
Restaurants and stores are open, and many are going on vacation, but Kseniia warns that a red warning might come at any time and start shelling.
“I compare it to an abusive relationship….you leave it behind […], you remain stronger, but at the same time, you could happily live without this experience.”
She expresses the hope that in the future, people will travel to her nation not because of the conflict but rather because it is “really beautiful” and “has a lot to offer.”
For the first time since fleeing to England, Nataly, who resides in Newbury, Berkshire, is currently in Lviv.
Despite the fact that returning was “a difficult decision” for safety reasons, she is “just happy to be home” with her baby and brother.
We are always keeping up with the news, she explains.
“Once you consider what’s happening and how many people have died, you don’t feel balanced; you either feel really happy or quite sad.”
Despite the pleasant weather back in Ukraine, Nataly claims that morale is poor.
Even though there are many people around, she continues, “when you look into people’s eyes, you can see sadness and anxiety.”
Oksana returned to Ukraine in July after spending the previous month in Sandhurst, Berkshire.
They travelled far by train across Poland and across the border, but they were happy and pleased to see their father and husband again.
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Meet Nathaniel Alexander inventor of folding chairs
Nathaniel Alexander’s innovative genius revolutionized the idea of seating with his legendary invention, the folding chair. This piece explores his life journey and the significant influence of his portable seating solution on contemporary comfort and functionality.
Early Life
A family steeped in craftsmanship raised Nathaniel Alexander, who was born in a small New England town in 1843, and helped develop his natural aptitude for creative problem-solving.Genesis of the Folding Chair
Alexander set out on a mission to develop a revolutionary solution that would redefine the very definition of convenience, driven by the growing demand for portable seats that wouldn’t compromise restricted space.Innovation and Development
After years of testing, Alexander finally produced a chair that skillfully merged functionality and beauty. His collapsible chair provided a seamless transition between utility and compactness, becoming the solution to the space-saving conundrum.Patent and Impact
The folding chair invented by Alexander was given official recognition with a patent in 1876. Its simple conversion from a useful seat to a compact form captured the public’s attention and completely altered how people thought about seating arrangements.Enduring Legacy
The folding chair’s adaptability has solidified its presence across a spectrum of settings, from bustling events to domestic and professional spaces. Nathaniel Alexander’s invention remains a cornerstone of efficient and space-conscious seating solutions.The trajectory of Nathaniel Alexander’s life is evidence of the transforming potential of creative thinking. His creation, the folding chair, serves as an enduring example of how creative solutions may improve everyday comfort and push the limits of convenience.
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Lauren ‘just lost her emotions because of her inexperience on this stage’ – England coach on player’s attitude
England coach, Sarina Wiegman, revealed that Lauren James apologised after her red card incident against Nigeria, where she “lost her emotions,” causing her to receive a straight red card.
During the match, James made a reckless challenge on Michelle Alozie, stamping on her back as they both tried to get up from a tussle.
The incident initially resulted in a yellow card, but it was later upgraded to a red after a VAR review.
As a result, James will miss the quarterfinal against Colombia or Jamaica, and depending on England’s progress, her ban may extend further if FIFA decides to increase the punishment.
The red card incident evoked memories of David Beckham’s and Wayne Rooney’s red cards in the 1998 and 2006 World Cups, respectively.
Despite being England’s standout young star and player of the tournament so far, James was halted by a moment of madness.
Wiegman emphasised that although emotions got the better of the 21-year-old, James never intended for such an incident to occur.
“It was a moment of a split second, and it was later in the game, so players also get a little tired. She is an inexperienced player on this stage and has done really well,” she said.
“And I think, in a split-second, she just lost her emotions. And, of course, she does not want to hurt anyone. She is the sweetest person I know.“Yet then things happen like that, and you cannot change it any more. So it is a huge lesson for her to learn, but it is not something that she really did on purpose.
“It happens sometimes with human beings – that you are in such an intense game, such an emotional game, and, in a split-second, she lost her emotions.
“She apologised, and she felt really, really bad, and she absolutely she does not want to hurt anyone.”While James’ sending off was petulant at best, it would not have been the turning point if England had been knocked out. They toiled through the goalless last-16 fixture in Brisbane, and were lucky to reach a penalty shootout, ultimately won by Chloe Kelly’s deciding kick.
But Wiegman was still pleased with how England reacted after James’ sending off, adding: “I am really proud of the team. We have had many setbacks. I think this was a big one too.
Lauren James’ red card was reminiscent of David Beckham’s sending off against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup
“So, as soon as it looked like Lauren James was sent off, we straight away had to re-organise and do something else on the pitch.“Then the conviction to keep [the score] to 0-0 and to try to get out of their press, that was just incredible. The players got really, really tired, but we really stuck together and showed a lot of resilience.
“When you are so tired and then go into a penalty shootout and do so well, I think that is really incredible how the team did.”
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England kicks Nigeria out of World Cup
On Monday, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup continued its action with the clash between England and Nigeria in the round of 16 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in Australia.
The eventual outcome hinged on a penalty shootout, with England securing victory through four successful penalty kicks compared to Nigeria’s two.
Adding to the already intense spectacle, a significant highlight occurred late in the game.
England’s standout player, Lauren James, was shown a red card for stepping on the back of Nigeria‘s Michelle Alozie.
This expulsion reduced England’s player count to 10 as the match ventured into extra time.
Notable performances from Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, managed to keep the Super Falcons in contention, holding the match to a goalless draw.
However, England managed to clinch the victory in the end.
The Super Falcons unfortunately suffered a 4-2 defeat in the penalty shootout at the Women’s World Cup.
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Women’s World Cup: England tops Group D after showing China the way out
In a masterful display, England secured their spot in the FIFA Women’s World Cup knockout stages, propelled by the exceptional performance of Lauren James, as they triumphed with an impressive 6-1 victory over China.
“We showed our determination and skill, and it feels fantastic to be heading to the knockout stages,” said England coach Sarina Wiegman, expressing her delight at the team’s achievement of becoming the first nation in the tournament’s history to score in 16 consecutive matches.
Facing a resilient China side, who were eager to prove their mettle after a narrow victory over Haiti, England wasted no time in asserting their dominance. Just four minutes into the match, Alessia Russo capitalized on a clever assist from Lauren James to net her first goal of the tournament.
“China may have posed a challenge, but we knew what we had to do, and we did it well,” said James, highlighting the team’s determination to overcome any obstacles.
With just a point needed to secure their qualification to the knockout stages, England continued to control the game as the first half unfolded.
The midfield duo of Katie Zelem and Georgia Stanway shone brightly, orchestrating the play and injecting excitement with their new-look partnership.
A second goal came before the half-hour mark, as Millie Bright and Lauren James combined effectively, setting up Lauren Hemp to confidently finish past Yu Zhu and extend England’s lead.
China coach Shui Qingxia acknowledged England’s dominant display, admitting, “They were a formidable opponent, not an easy piece of cake for us,” as she praised the Lionesses’ performance.
With this spectacular victory, England showcased their prowess on the World Cup stage, and their fans can look forward to more thrilling performances as they progress further in the tournament.
Armed with a two-goal advantage, the Lionesses showed no signs of slowing down before HT, and their positive approach was rewarded when James swept in a brilliant third from the edge of the box, giving England a commanding lead at the interval.That goal looked to have put China on the brink of elimination, but the Steel Roses were handed a lifeline early in the second half when Lucy Bronze was adjudged to have handled in the box, allowing Wang Shuang to step up and convert from the spot.
Determined to reassert their control in the contest, England quickly restored their three-goal cushion as Jess Carer found James at the back post, who guided a sublime first-time volley into the far corner.A statement performance from the European champions continued to deliver right up until the final whistle, with Chloe Kelly and Rachel Daly adding late gloss to the scoreline, as the Lionesses finished top of Group D with three wins from three, setting up a last-16 clash with Nigeria.
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Sarina Wiegman expresses concern about midfielder Keira Walsh
England manager Sarina Wiegman expressed her concern about midfielder Keira Walsh, who sustained an injury during the 1-0 World Cup victory over Denmark in Sydney.
Walsh, a 2023 Champions League winner with Barcelona, had been an essential part of the Lionesses’ successful Euro 2022 campaign, starting every game.
Unfortunately, during the match against Denmark, Walsh suffered a knee injury, and she could be seen telling medical staff about it after sliding to collect the ball late in the first half.
The worrying incident overshadowed the joyous mood following Lauren James’ early goal, which marked her first-ever World Cup goal as a 21-year-old forward for Chelsea.
Wiegman, 53, said: “Of course I’m concerned because she couldn’t walk off the pitch, but we don’t know yet, so we can’t take any assumptions. Let’s just wait until we really have a diagnosis and then we can tell you.
“You saw what we did, [Georgia] Stanway dropped back and Laura [Coombs] came in. Yes, of course we had to find our feet a little bit.
“You saw different stages. We really dominated the first half. Then Keira went out and we had to adapt to the situation.
“In the second half, Denmark also had such a direct style of play. We also showed we can fight. The team showed real resilience. We kept it to 1-0 so it was really good and I’m really proud of the team.”
An update on Walsh is not expected until tomorrow at the earliest.
Keira Walsh came out for the second half on crutches
On James’ match-winning impact against Denmark, Wiegman added: “She has done really well but it is a team effort too and we were very careful with her.
“She is a very young, talented player. And yes, we were happy with the performance and she was ready today, so that was really good.
“Of course the approach of this game, we know that Denmark was dropping a little deeper, that they have a very tight, defensive block and we really thought we needed to play it in the pockets.
“That’s where she came a lot together also with Stanway and [Ella] Toone, and that worked really well. They really struggled with that, and yes, she made indeed a very nice goal.”
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Britain’s first £1m player Trevor Francis, dies aged 69
Former England and Nottingham Forest midfielder, Trevor Francis, has passed away at the age of 69.
He achieved great success during his career, notably winning the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest. Francis breathed his last on Monday in Marbella.
“Trevor Francis has died at the age of 69. He had a heart attack at his apartment in Spain this morning,” his family said in a statement.
“On behalf of the family, this has come as a huge shock to everybody. We are all very upset. He was a legendary footballer but he was also an extremely nice person.”
Francis embarked on his football journey with Birmingham City, but his name etched into history when he made a groundbreaking move to Nottingham Forest in 1979.The transfer fee of over £1 million marked a British record, making him the first player to be transferred for such a colossal sum.
His time at Nottingham Forest proved to be monumental, as he achieved back-to-back European Cups under the guidance of the legendary Brian Clough.
Notably, Francis scored the decisive goal in the final against Malmo in 1979, securing the victory for his team.
Subsequently, in 1981, Francis joined Manchester City before venturing abroad to play for Sampdoria and Atalanta. However, he eventually returned to the United Kingdom to conclude his career with stints at Rangers, QPR, and Sheffield Wednesday.
Throughout his illustrious career, the former midfielder earned 52 caps while representing England. His fellow England teammate, Gary Lineker, paid a heartfelt tribute to Francis on social media.
“Deeply saddened to hear that Trevor Francis has died,” he tweeted. “A wonderful footballer and lovely man. Was a pleasure to work alongside him both on the pitch and on the telly. RIP Trevor.”
Francis moved into management after hanging up his boots, reaching the finals of the FA Cup and League Cup with Sheffield Wednesday and also guiding Birmingham City to a League Cup final during his time in charge.
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England yet to decided “One love” armband for World Cup opener
As the Lionesses prepare for their World Cup opener, the England players are currently deliberating on which of FIFA’s eight approved armbands Captain Millie Bright will wear, as revealed by midfielder Jordan Nobbs.
Earlier, there was controversy surrounding the rainbow ‘OneLove‘ armband, which led to the possibility of sanctions being imposed on countries, including England and Wales, during the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar.
To avoid any potential issues during the upcoming women’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand, FIFA has collaborated with the United Nations to introduce officially sanctioned options.
These armbands can be interchanged or worn throughout the month-long event, ensuring a smooth and inclusive tournament. England’s campaign commences on Saturday with their match against Haiti.
Speaking from the Lionesses team hotel in Brisbane, Nobbs said: “We’ve had some brief conversations, but I think that will be discussed a little bit closer to the game.
“But obviously we know our values and equality etc, so that will be finally finalised soon.”
While FIFA’s ‘Unite’ armbands will highlight a number of social issues, amongst them inclusion, gender equality, indigenous people and peace, there is no specific armband that advocates for the LGBTQ+ community and none contain the rainbow colours commonly associated as the colours of pride.
Despite facing criticism, England boss Sarina Wiegman expressed her belief that her players are content with the resolution.
The squad, led by Wiegman, took to social media on Tuesday to release a joint statement, addressing their position on the ongoing discussions with the Football Association. These discussions cover various matters, including performance bonus payments and commercial structures.
In a message from the team posted by Bright, the Lionesses said they were “disappointed that a resolution has still not been achieved” but would “pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament”.
Asked if the uncertainty ahead of England’s push for a first World Cup has been difficult, Nobbs replied: “I don’t think it’s difficult.
“I think we’ve had a lot of these conversations, probably over the last however many years, just not everything’s always seen by the public.
“I think together as a team we’re pausing the conversations to obviously focus on the World Cup, but we just want to keep growing the women’s game.
“[Compared to previous negotiations] we have a different group of players, the game’s grown so quickly. So I think conversations have been different, but I think it’s just been to try and fight in the right area of where the game is right now.
“So I think together, between the players and the FA, we’re just trying to go on the same path and obviously have questions between each other.
“It’s not just about money, it’s not just about care, or facilities, I think there’s so many areas we’re trying to grow.
“And we’re trying to obviously just do it in the way that the women’s game has grown as well. So I think it’s about us as a team believing in the next generation as well, having the best possible situation to play football.”
Nobbs has faced a career plagued by injuries, which kept her sidelined during several major tournaments. Back in 2015, she managed to play only one match in the World Cup held in Canada before suffering a hamstring problem.
Subsequently, a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) prevented her from participating in the 2019 World Cup in France, and a knee issue kept her out of England’s successful Euro 2022 campaign.
However, her daring decision to switch from Arsenal to Aston Villa during the January Women’s Super League transfer window proved to be fruitful. Her impressive performances caught the attention of Wiegman, leading to her selection for the squad heading to Australia. So far, she remains fit and healthy, ready to make her mark in the tournament.
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‘Unhappy’ England temporarily halts bonus discussions with FA regarding
Ahead of the Women’s World Cup, the England Women’s National Team, known as the Lionesses, have decided to halt discussions regarding bonuses with the Football Association (FA), as stated by their captain Millie Bright (29) on Tuesday.
The team expressed disappointment that the issue remains unresolved.
The dispute between the players and the FA stems from FIFA’s announcement that individual fees for players in the World Cup will be directly paid by the global governing body.
The fees range from $30,000 and can go up to $270,000 for members of the winning team.
The FA’s stance of not offering bonus payments to the England team, in addition to the fees they will receive from FIFA, has become a point of contention leading up to the tournament.
England play their opening World Cup match against Haiti in four days and Bright said they would pause discussions with the FA until after the tournament’s conclusion.
“Last year we presented the FA with concerns relating to our bonus and commercial structures,” she said in a statement on Twitter signed by all the England players. “The hope was that discussions would lead to a solution before the commencement of our World Cup.
“We are disappointed that a resolution has still not been achieved… (and)… with our opening game on the horizon, we Lionesses have decided to pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament.”
The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) said issues surrounding pay were especially apparent in countries where players did not have collective bargaining agreements.
“(The Lionesses) join players from a number of countries at the World Cup who are prepared to make a stand when they don’t think they are being listened to,” PFA chief executive officer Maheta Molango said.
“It’s no coincidence that this is a particular issue for nations where there is no proper Collective Bargaining Agreement in place between players and governing bodies.
“There will always be consequences when players feel they are having to come back issue by issue to push for parity and progress. It doesn’t need to be like this.”
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Meet Max, 25-year-old painter willing to do anything to portray imminent death on canvas
An indirect shell’s thump trembles the ground. It’s close enough to the soldier leaning on the abandoned car to get his attention, but not close enough to prevent Max Denison-Pender from painting him.
The crump of another round reaches their ears, but Max can now distinguish between incoming and outgoing artillery fire after spending two weeks embedded with an assault battalion behind Bakhmut‘s frontlines.
Additionally, the early morning sunshine is simply too magnificent to pass up from the viewpoint of an artist. He smiles and gives Max a hug after presenting his exhausted subject with the finished but still wet portrait before heading off to the front lines in the hopes of making it back in time to see the evening’s sunset.
Max, 25, is a British artist and no stranger to pushing the boundaries of art. Born in Chile and having moved to England at 13, he is an advocate of art in the extreme.
Known for eschewing the comfort of a cosy studio, Max prefers to pack his easel, paints and brushes to head off to far-flung corners of the planet to document life in the raw through the medium of paint.
His previous subjects have included erupting volcanoes in Iceland, illicit miners in the Congo, encounters with indigenous Korubo members in the Amazon Rainforest and studies of rare and dangerous wildlife across the globe.
Max believes adventuring artists have a role to play. ‘It’s never tourism,’ he says, ‘but more of a palpable urge to witness and document the extreme edges of life on Earth.’
But this is arguably his boldest move so far; three weeks painting on the Eastern Ukrainian front, which has experienced some of the fiercest fighting since the ill-conceived invasion of Ukraine by the Kremlin began in February last year.
Mania rests against an abandoned car behind his finished portrait(Picture: Henry Harte) 
Max Denison-Pender – ‘There aren’t many ways to explain to friends and family that you’re leaving for a battlefield to paint humans at war’ (Picture: Henry Harte) ‘Just because something’s dangerous, why should we let it get in the way of creating powerful art?’ Max asks back in his south London studio.
‘There aren’t many ways to explain to friends and family that you’re leaving for a battlefield to paint humans at war. I only told my dad the day before I left.’
Max holds on to his art supplies as he joins a battalion for a ride on a BMP fighting vehicle (Picture: Henry Harte) Sitting alongside Max is Henry Harte, a photographer, videographer and long-time friend. Together, under their project Art in the Extreme, they visit all corners of the globe, seeking to connect through the combined power of art and film with those living in the most hazardous locations.
With the help of the one-man charity Dorset to Donetsk, they organised a last-minute trip to Ukraine to shed some light on the human experiences often overlooked amidst the chaos of a war now entering its eighteenth month.
‘The more we didn’t know about the trip, the better,’ admits Henry, still surrounded by the SD cards and disposable cameras he brought with him. ‘We thought, “let’s just go”. We hardly planned it. We’d already been to the Amazon, Congo, Rwanda and everywhere in between but this was something completely different.’
Max and Henry would soon find themselves in Bakhmut, stationed at a ‘stabilisation point’ – an area that soldiers call home when not fighting that lies only 2km away from the frontline.
The Russian artillery has a range of 30km. Refueling, reloading, eating and sleeping all happen here. But this is primarily a place where wounded soldiers can be tended to by medics before being sent to the nearest hospital. They are hot targets for Russian drone and missile attacks.
‘The first day was terrifying, to be perfectly honest,’ admits Max. ‘My heart was pounding in my chest. We sat in an SUV, hurtling past all these blown-out buildings as we made our way to our temporary home for the next few weeks.
‘I was thinking, “Oh god, what are we doing?”. When we finally reached the battalion, it was nothing but smiles and hugs from everyone. The welcome was overwhelming. Everyone was just so happy to see us. It was a lot to take in.’
It is only when Max unwraps his brushes and sets up his easel that he feels a greater understanding of those with whom he finds himself living with. Inside the cramped confines of a destroyed tank, Max paints a portrait of Torri, a combat medic. Along with her sister, she left her high-paying city job in the US and returned home to help on the frontline.
At only 22 years old, Torri has already made a name for herself among the battle-hardened ranks of her battalion. ‘Soldiers kept telling us that she’s saved at least 50 people and that not a single person has died whilst under her care,’ Max says.
‘Beyond the uniforms and body armour, I wanted to explore this idea of what it really means to be human in extreme circumstances,’ he continues. ‘But to do this, you have to catch people off guard to experience their genuine side.
‘You need to seize the inspiration the moment it comes to you. You can’t miss it. Okay, so this time, my inspiration takes me to an active warzone, but the more I painted these people, the more I realised that they are just people. They’re someone’s father, mother, sister or brother.’
It soon became a routine for Max to move between groups of soldiers, asking if they would be willing to take some time out to sit and let him paint them; often drawing the attention of curious crowds young and old.
‘Whenever I set up my easel, everyone always seemed keen to understand why someone would travel from the safety of their country to paint them amongst rubble and these half standing buildings scarred with shrapnel. The mood amongst them always lifted.’
But such peace was often short-lived. On one occasion, before he even had the chance to start his portrait of another young soldier, Max was informed that they had lost their hand in battle the following night.
‘There were times when I didn’t have time to process what I was seeing, but I wasn’t there to capture a moment the same way a photographer might,’ Max explains.
‘My paintings are essentially a result of hundreds of moments combined. I sometimes see painting as an even more empathetic form of photojournalism.
‘There’s nothing I aim for. There’s no end goal. You’re like a sponge soaking up what you experience in the moment; The painting only revealing itself at the end.’
Often, the contrast of interactions between soldiers throughout the loud, intense operations of their day and the quiet evenings spent eating and laughing inside the shelter of abandoned houses was almost too much to process.
Henry, who for nearly three weeks had been capturing Max’s journey on video, developed a sense of knowing when to film soldiers in their most intimate states and when best to simply observe.
He recalls Dima, a notoriously proficient drone operator. This same man, proud to showcase his expertise through the screen of a handheld monitor, was also the one to offer him his meal as they rested in the evening.
‘They all kept trying to share their food with us,’ Henry says. ‘I asked one guy why he wasn’t eating. He just rubbed his belly and made a face, pretending to be full. After a while, it hit me. He was probably nervous about what was coming the next day and didn’t feel like eating.’
Max’s Ukrainian war portraits will be shown at The Fine Art Commissions Gallery from the 10th – 21st October, 2023. All funds raised through the exhibition go directly to the volunteer initiative Dorset to Donetsk.
‘When I opened the gallery in 1997, never once did I imagine, over two decades later, we would be hosting an exhibition comprising paintings from a major ongoing conflict in Europe,’ admits Sara Stewart, founder and managing director of the Fine Art Commissions Gallery.
For now, neither the small child staring at the barrel of a destroyed tank in Kyiv city centre nor the soldier who shares the photos he keeps of his family with his crew will understand just how important Max’s portraits of them may be.
But in a war more visually accessible to the world than ever in history, his paintings of the true heartbeat of this battleground will no doubt serve as a reminder of the countless, human moments we never caught.
‘For a short while at least,’ Max reflects, ‘I hoped they felt they hadn’t been forgotten by the rest of the world.’
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Various parts of UK, see weather alerts for ‘unseasonal’ winds
The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings because this weekend’s weather will be disrupted by ‘unseasonal’ strong gusts and heavy rain.
‘Disruption’ is anticipated to occur throughout Friday in South Wales and southwest England due to winds that could reach 50 mph.
The other alert has been issued for the eastern region of England, where Saturday is expected to be a “unseasonably windy day.”
Driving conditions and public transport could be affected.
The Met Office said: ‘Two yellow National Severe Weather Warnings or wind have been issued highlighting the potential for impacts such as travel disruption to South Wales and southwest England on Friday and the south and east of England on Saturday.’
Heavy rain will also sweep northeastwards on Friday morning.
Thunder is also possible, particularly in the west of the UK.
Paul Gunderson, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘Strong winds will develop across the South West early on Friday, pushing further north across parts of Wales through the day.
‘Gusts of 35 to 45mph are likely quite widely for a time, with gusts over 50mph affecting some coasts and hills, mainly across Cornwall and west Wales.’
Temperatures will remain on the cooler side, with highs of 20C on Friday and 21 on Saturday.
Mr Gunderson said: ‘This is an unusual time of year for such strong winds and, with many people on holiday or planning outdoor activities, they are likely to cause some disruption.
‘In addition, heavy rain could lead to standing water and spray on roads and consequently difficult driving conditions. Winds are expected to ease through the evening.’
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Day two of second Ashes Test sees England bounce back to form
England displayed a remarkable turnaround with both bat and ball on the second day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, resurrecting their fortunes.
The opening day of the match, under the leadership of Ben Stokes, was disappointingly lackluster, drawing sharp criticism from former captains Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan, who described their performance as “shambolic” and “utter dross” respectively.
However, England staged an impressive fightback when the game hung in the balance. Their improved seam attack accounted for five wickets, conceding only 77 runs to dismiss Australia for 416.
Although they couldn’t prevent Steve Smith, their perennial nemesis, from notching his 12th Ashes century—placing him second only to the legendary Donald Bradman—they were relieved not to have conceded more after Australia reached 316 for three on the first evening.
His 6th Test fifty! 👏
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 29, 2023
Looking good, Ben 👌@IGcom | @BenDuckett1 pic.twitter.com/a9h1EB1TbVA brilliant unbeaten knock of 62 from Ben Duckett led England’s encouraging response of 145 for one.
Despite concerns about a shoulder injury, Ollie Pope contributed an unbeaten 32 at number three. Duckett formed a crucial partnership of 91 with Zak Crawley (48), which marked England’s best opening stand against Australia since January 2011.
Sir Andrew Strauss, who was present as part of the annual ‘Red for Ruth’ day, managed to raise over £270,000 in the process. This special event added significance to the game.
England began day two with Australia in a strong position at 339 for five. Captain Stokes entrusted the ball to his experienced bowlers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad. The duo had gone wicketless in their 33 overs on the previous day, but they redeemed themselves admirably.
We finish our first innings on 3️⃣2️⃣5️⃣. #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/U7k86MUwpB
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 30, 2023Broad’s first two deliveries of the morning went for boundaries, but he ended the over with a stunning delivery that jagged back into Alex Carey, hitting his front pad and prompting a successful review by England.
Anderson, operating from the Nursery End, drew a thick edge from the new batsman Mitchell Starc, which was safely pouched by Jonny Bairstow in front of first slip.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith calmly watched proceedings from the other end, inching closer to his century. He eventually reached 99 and then elegantly struck a cover drive to the boundary, completing his latest Ashes ton.
Cool as you like from Ollie Robinson 🧊 #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/fEewEhmeuo
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 30, 2023Despite Smith’s exceptional innings, England displayed great determination and efficiency, quickly wrapping up the Australian innings. Josh Tongue, who had previously dismissed Smith for Worcestershire earlier in the season, took a superb catch in the gully as Smith swung hard and lost his balance. Ollie Robinson then accounted for Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood in consecutive overs.
With four overs remaining before lunch, Duckett and Crawley safely negotiated the period. In the afternoon session, Crawley took charge, scoring 48 at a rapid rate. His elegant drives and punishing strokes punished anything over-pitched by the Australian bowlers.
Brooky building 🏗️
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 30, 2023
Keep going, Harry 👊 #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/aK1waNNFAUDuckett continued his cautious approach, demonstrating control in both defense and attack. The pair added 75 runs in just 13 overs before the drinks break. However, Crawley fell victim to Nathan Lyon’s cunning, becoming the fourth English batsman in three innings to be stumped while attempting to take on the spinner.
Pope emerged from the pavilion, allaying concerns about his shoulder injury, and maintained the high tempo set by Duckett and Crawley.
Both batsmen backed their positive instincts, piling on the runs. Hazlewood and Starc proved expensive, conceding more than seven runs per over as the ball raced to the boundary. Duckett stylishly reached his half-century with a powerful shot through mid-wicket off Starc’s bowling.
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NHS releases new “radical” strategy
As part of a number of initiatives to enhance the healthcare system, more than 300,000 nurses and doctors are anticipated to be engaged by the NHS.
To address the acute workforce shortages in the NHS, other solutions include the potential for reducing the amount of time doctors spend in medical school, increasing the number of in-house NHS employees, and increasing the number of apprenticeship positions.
The first-ever long-term workforce plan for the NHS is being lauded as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to place the service’s personnel on a sustainable foundation for the next 15 years.
It comes as officials warned that, without action, there could be 360,000 vacancies in the health service by 2037.
Health leaders, who have previewed the details of the plan but have not yet released the full document, claim the strategy will help meet challenges of a growing and ageing population while addressing recruitment and retention issues currently leading to severe staff shortages.
There are currently 112,000 vacancies across the NHS in England.
Officials say the plans set out, along with new retention measures, could mean the health service has at least an extra 60,000 doctors, 170,000 more nurses and 71,000 more allied health professionals in place by 2036/37.
Alongside the plan, officials have asked the doctors’ regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), and medical schools to consult on the introduction of four-year medical degrees, which are five years at present, and medical internships, allowing students to start work six months earlier.
Officials said the new plans include:
Double medical school training places to 15,000 by 2031, with more places in areas with the greatest shortages of doctors
Increase the number of GP training places by 50% to 6,000 by 2031
Almost double the number of adult nurse training places by 2031
Ramp up apprenticeships so students can “earn while they learn” – it is estimated that one in six (16%) of all training for clinical staff, including doctors, nurses and other health professionals, will be offered through degree apprenticeships by 2028, including 850 doctor apprenticeships
A 40% rise in nurse associate training places over five years
New medical schools in parts of the country where there are the greatest staffing shortages.
The workforce plan aims to drive up the numbers of home-grown NHS staff as the international pool of health workers is increasingly being drawn upon by other countries.
Meanwhile, the NHS is to crack down on spending from expensive agency staff, with health leaders ordered to cut the bill by £10 billion by 2036/37.
Nurses will also be allowed to start work as soon as they graduate in May, instead of in September as they do currently.
Officials said the document will also have a ‘renewed focus on retention’ – with more flexible working options and better career development.
It is hoped these plans, which are yet to be seen in full, along with reforms to pension schemes, could mean that up to 130,000 staff stay working in NHS settings longer.
The new plan – which was commissioned and accepted by ministers – has been backed by a £2.4 billion investment by the Government to fund additional education and training places over five years on top of existing funding commitments.
Health leaders have also agreed the plan needs to be revised every two years to accommodate changing needs across the service.
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: ‘The publication of our first-ever NHS long-term workforce plan now gives us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put staffing on sustainable footing for the years to come.
‘As we look to adapt to new and rising demand for health services globally, this long-term blueprint is the first step in a major and much-needed expansion of our workforce to ensure we have the staff we need to deliver for patients.’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: ‘On the 75th anniversary of our health service, this Government is making the largest single expansion in NHS education and training in its history.
‘This is a plan for investment and a plan for reform.
‘In the coming years we will train twice the number of doctors and an extra 24,000 more nurses a year, helping to cut waiting lists and improve patient care.
‘We will do more to retain our brilliant NHS staff and reform the way the health system works to ensure it is fit for the future.
‘This is something no other government has done and will be one of the most significant commitments I will make as Prime Minister – acting as the cornerstone for our vision for a better, more modern healthcare system and putting the NHS on a sure footing for the long term.’
But Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting claimed the Conservatives were taking ideas from his party.
He said: ‘The Conservatives have finally admitted they have no ideas of their own, so are adopting Labour’s plan to train the doctors and nurses the NHS needs. They should have done this a decade ago – then the NHS would have enough staff today.
‘Instead, the health service is short of 150,000 staff and this announcement will take years to have an impact.’
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Chelsea rejects Man Utd’s bid worth £50m for Mason Mount
Mason Mount has one year left on his Stamford Bridge contract, and Manchester United has seen its £50 million deal for him rejected by Chelsea.
This is the second time Erik ten Hag’s team has had a bid rejected by Chelsea. Mount is unlikely to agree to new terms.
Manchester United’s second offer for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has been rejected.
The second offer is believed to be worth £50 million, including £5 million in performance-related add-ons and £45 million in guaranteed money.
United clearly want to sign the England international but have a valuation in mind, which they are unlikely to go beyond.
Negotiations are expected to continue for Mount, who has one year left on his Chelsea contract.
Sky Sports News reported earlier this month United had made an opening offer worth £40m for Mount, which Chelsea also immediately knocked back.
Erik ten Hag first bumped into Mount when he was Ajax head coach. On loan at Vitesse Arnhem, the 18-year-old’s free-kick led to his side’s third goal as they beat Ajax 3-2 in March 2018.
Ten Hag, then in charge of just his eighth game at Ajax, reportedly tried to sign Mount for the Dutch club on loan from Chelsea the following season.
Fourteen goals and 10 assists in his first full campaign of senior football, largely from central midfield, had caught Ten Hag’s attention.
The likelihood of Mount staying at Stamford Bridge is remote with the midfielder unwilling to sign a new deal.
Chelsea know this is the time to cash in on a player who has just one year left on his contract.
Ten Hag, it seems, could be about to get his man.
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England’s Southgate lauds ‘exceptional’ Saka’s form in victory against North Macedonia
Following Bukayo Saka’s impressive performance, where he scored his first senior career hat-trick during England’s dominant 7-0 victory over North Macedonia in the Euro 2024 qualifying match, manager Gareth Southgate was questioned about the 21-year-old’s progression towards the pinnacle of soccer’s elite level.
“He’s there,” Southgate replied matter-of-factly.
“When he broke into the team at Arsenal what struck us was that in a team that were having a difficult time he was performing at a really high level,” Southgate said. “Then when the team were playing well he was still a key player and performing at a really high level.
“So, that says a lot about his mentality, his ability to deal with pressure. And that’s the environment that we’re in all the time. He’s exceptional to work with.”
At the end of a long season in which Arsenal finished runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League, Saka could have sat the game out with the injury, Southgate said.
“To see the joy on his face, he’s such a popular member of the team. And so humble, works incredibly hard.”
The 21-year-old Saka was joined up front by captain Harry Kane, who scored record-extending 57th and 58th goals for his country, and Marcus Rashford in a forward line that fans on social media were calling the best England have had in a while.
Is it a strike force Southgate would like to build around?
“I think for different games, different profiles of players are important, and of course, you can never be sure that we’re going to have everybody available,” he said.
“So that’s why nights like tonight, when the team were going well – we said to them at half time, ‘You have to keep enjoying a night like tonight, you have to keep driving and finish it well’, because it’s not often you have the team at that sort of a moment really.”
Despite what Southgate called “an outrageous” scoreline, Kane did not open the floodgates until the 27th minute.
“That wasn’t really how we were expecting the game to be because there’s no evidence that Macedonia would suffer like that,” Southgate said.
“There’s no evidence that the game, in the end, would be as straightforward as it was. Certainly in the opening 20 minutes, it didn’t work that way.
“So it’s a huge credit to our senior players who have set a brilliant tone all week.”
England do not resume qualifying matches until September 9 and Southgate is looking forward to the downtime after a unique season interrupted by the World Cup in Qatar.
“I’ve said all along, everybody has to collaborate on the calendar because there’s no point us just talking to the Premier League and sorting the FA Cup or the League Cup out, it’s broader than that,” he said.
“I don’t like to talk about it at these moments because otherwise there’s every excuse to not perform on a night like tonight.
“The players have shown psychologically we refreshed them, we gave the bulk of them two weeks off. That came with a bit of a risk, but they responded really well. And I think psychologically they’re refreshed coming into these games and viewed it as a sort of mini pre-season before they go and have another couple of weeks break.
“I’d be amazed if we have a World Cup in the middle of a season again.”
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UK to experience flash floods and thunderstorms today
Today, there will likely be floods in several areas of the country as well as thunder, lightning, and heavy rain.
Nearly the entire country of England and Wales is under a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms from the Met Office.
The alert is in effect from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., while another one issued for Northern Ireland is in effect from 9 p.m. to 9 p.m.
In the worst-affected areas, up to 80mm of rain could fall in just three to six hours.
There is also the potential for frequent lightning, strong winds and hail – which could cause flooding, travel issues and power cuts.
Some will have heard thunder last night already, while others can expect the same in a few hours.
Storms are predicted to form just above London before moving towards the Midlands, then east England, east Wales and into the southern areas of northern England.
Meteorologists predict that most of England will experience isolated rainfall at some point today.
The Met Office’s Grahame Madge told the MailOnline yesterday: ‘Some of the storms have the potential to be quite intense, with high rainfall rates.
‘Some locations may well miss them all together but all we can do now is indicate that there is a risk across both countries.’
Forecaster Marco Petagna said yesterday: ‘The average rainfall for the UK in June is 77mm and for England it is just 65mm.
‘But it is possible that 60mm could fall in six hours, which is not far from a month’s worth of rain. And we could even see 30mm in one hour, which is the equivalent to a couple of weeks.’
However, Brits who have been lapping up the long-awaited sunshine over the past few days do not need to panic as temperatures will stay around the mid-20s despite the wet weather.
Heavy rain and thunder will continue into tonight for northern parts of the country but things will start to dry up elsewhere.
Those in the east might want to enjoy today’s break from the heat as they can expect a warm and humid night.
By tomorrow, the rain in the north will have slowed down with any leftover clouds in the south clearing up.
While the week will start sunny and humid, there will still be some rain and possibly even thunder at times.
The rest of week will see ‘a mix of very warm sunshine and scattered showers’ in the northwest and drier, warmer and often humid days in the south east.
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Kyle Walker is on Bayern Munich’s transfer shortlist
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker is being closely monitored by Bayern Munich, as reported by Sky in Germany.
With one year left on his contract at Etihad Stadium, the 33-year-old Walker may be on the brink of departing City this summer, particularly after being left on the bench during their Champions League final triumph over Inter Milan.
Bayern Munich is said to be aware of the circumstances and has internally deliberated the potential signing of Walker, who brings versatility as both a right-back and a centre-back to the table.
So far there has been no contact from Bayern over a transfer for Walker but he is being watched closely and is on the club’s shortlist.
Walker, who joined City from Tottenham in 2017 for £50m, has won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and the Champions League in his six years in Manchester.
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Racism: Man accused of racially abusing former Manchester United and England faces another trial
Jamie Arnold, aged 32, faced accusations of racially abusing Rio Ferdinand during a match between Manchester United and Wolves at Molineux in May 2021.
However, the jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court has been discharged after informing the judge that they were unable to reach a majority verdict.
As a result, the man accused of racially abusing Rio Ferdinand now faces the possibility of a retrial.
The jury has now been discharged and the Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed it will seek a retrial, possibly in November.
Mr Arnold denies causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.
Ferdinand gave evidence at the trial and it is thought likely he will again be called as a witness for the retrial.
Arnold, 32, was accused of racially abusing Ferdinand during Wolves’ game against Manchester United at Molineux in May 2021, at which the former England international was working as a pundit for BT Sport.
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Man Utd’s Rashford hits back at critics over his New York trip with girlfriend
Marcus Rashford has emphasized his dedication to the England national team despite facing criticism for his absence from their recent European qualifiers.
The Manchester United forward, who had an impressive record of scoring 30 goals across all competitions in the 2022-23 season, had to withdraw from international matches against Italy and Ukraine in March due to an injury.
During England’s 2-1 victory over Italy, Rashford made a poorly timed trip to New York with his then-fiancée Lucia Loi, with whom he has reportedly since ended his relationship.
Despite the scrutiny surrounding these events, Rashford remains committed to representing England on the international stage.
This drew criticism from some sections of supporters and the media, but the 25-year-old has come out to reiterate that he is fully committed to Gareth Southgate’s project.
Asked about the effects of such comments, Rashford told reporters on Wednesday: “Honestly it doesn’t [hurt]. I know I am committed 100 per cent so people are going to say what they want to say. I didn’t see it [the criticism] to be honest until I got home.
But I need time to switch off and recover so I took a short trip – four days – and then went back to do rehab and try to get ready as soon as possible.
With these injuries, you can’t predict when they are going to happen. Thankfully I have very few muscle strains but occasionally you do get impact injuries.”
The United man posted a career-best tally at club level last term, racking up a total of41 goal contributions in 56 appearances across all competitions.
But such prominence in Erik ten Hag’s side took its toll, with Rashford suffering repeated muscle injuries towards the back end of the campaign.
Given the World Cup mid-season, the forward totalled a mammoth 61 appearances for club and country.
Reiterating the thoughts of many past and present professionals, Rashford feels this number needs to be curbed.
He added: “It is mad that at club level we are playing against clubs playing one game a week and we are playing three a week from November until we get knocked out of the Europa League.
In the earlier stages of my career I couldn’t make sense of it. I know some managers have spoken out against it.
I don’t think it is correct. I think we need to be given more time to recover from different games and at different times of the season. I don’t think it is down to the players, we shouldn’t have to speak out.”
Rashford has been backed by Southgate to prove his commitment, as he features in the Three Lions squad to take on Malta and North Macedonia in Euro 2024 qualifying on Friday and Monday, respectively.
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Urgent Search for a couple who vanished with their infant child of a year
Following their departure from a children’s hospital, a couple and their infant child of one year have vanished.
The infant, who may have an unidentified medical problem that requires him to be checked by a doctor, is also being sought after by police along with Jurian and Brisilda Baxhia.
Since they were last spotted in Sheffield Children’s Hospital in March of this year, it is thought that they are currently in the northern part of England.
According to Durham Constabulary, if the parents read this appeal, they should take their kids to the nearest hospital so that they can be examined by doctors.
The appeal read: ‘Can you help us find couple Jurian and Brisilda Baxhia, who are believed to be somewhere in the north of England with their one-year-old baby?
‘Police are trying to trace the couple because it is thought the baby could have an undiagnosed medical condition, which requires further examination by doctors.
‘The family were last seen at Sheffield Children’s Hospital in March this year but have connections in County Durham and Northumbria as well across South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
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England remains open to Raheem Sterling – Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate made headlines by giving Eberechi Eze his first England call-up and ending Lewis Dunk’s absence from international duty, but Raheem Sterling was noticeably absent from the squad.
After starting the Euro 2024 qualification with victories over Italy and Ukraine, the focus now shifts to the upcoming matches against Malta and North Macedonia in June, which are expected to be relatively straightforward.
Sterling’s absence stands out the most for these games, as he concludes a challenging first season since his transfer from Manchester City to Chelsea, leaving him feeling frustrated.
Raheem Sterling The 28-year-old has not played for England since the World Cup quarter-final exit to France – when a burglary at home disrupted his preparations – as injury ruled him out of the March camp.
“I spoke with him a week or so ago – a general catch-up,” England boss Southgate said.
“He’s not happy physically with his condition, having been carrying a hamstring problem. He really wasn’t in consideration.
“So, we didn’t get to the point of whether he should be in or out. He doesn’t think he is operating at the level he needs.”
A representative for Sterling called it a “mutual decision” that allows the player to focus on “recuperating his body in preparation for the upcoming season”.
The 28-year-old is determined to play a key role for England next term and Southgate says he can get back into the fold ahead of next year’s finals, as can omitted Tottenham defender Eric Dier.
“As we’ve shown with Tyrone (Mings) coming back (this time) and other players like Trent (Alexander-Arnold) coming back in, the door is always open when players are playing well,” Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Eric and Raheem both have physical issues really at the moment that they’re dealing with, so there’s part of that is behind that decision as well.
“But there’s another year to go before the Euros and it’s possible for everybody to get in that squad.”
Mings, Alexander-Arnold, Callum Wilson and Sam Johnstone returned to the England squad as Southgate has largely stuck with the tried and tested for the Group C games, with Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eze the only uncapped player named in the group.
The 24-year-old finally get his shot with England after an Achilles injury cost him a place in the provisional Euro 2020 squad.
“We have liked him for a long time,” Southgate said.
“He was very unfortunate just before the Euros. We were going to call him into a prep camp to have a look at him and he got a bad injury.
“I remember talking to Roy Hodgson about him then and Roy telling me he’d picked up an injury in training that day.
“I think he has finished the season really strongly, he can play in a couple of positions across that attacking line.
“He’s a goal threat, he’s got nice ability and bursts of speed to go past people and to take people out of the game with dribbling skills.
“We’re looking forward to seeing him a bit closer and everybody I speak to talks brilliantly about him as a person as well.”
Dunk has played for England but the Brighton captain has not been selected since winning his first cap against the United States in November 2018.
“Brighton’s football this year has been exceptional and Lewis Dunk and Levi Cowell have been a big part of that,” Southgate said.
“He’s shown great composure with the ball, he’s asked to defend very often one against one situations and he thoroughly deserves his call.”
The squad also includes Marcus Rashford, who missed March’s fixtures and last featured for England in a qualifier in the run to the last Euros.
“He’s a super player who’s had a really good season, so he’s an important player for us,” Southgate told talkSPORT.
“We’ve not been blessed with having him to be able to put in the team too often but we’re hoping that’s different. And we’re looking forward to seeing him again.”
There is no place for Ben White, who has not featured for England since leaving Qatar after the World Cup group stage due to personal reasons.
“I spoke with Ben before the camp in March,” Southgate added.
“But at the moment, we’ve got (Kieran) Trippier and (Kyle) Walker in that area of the pitch.
“He’s had a very good season, as have the whole Arsenal team, but he’s not ahead of those guys at the moment.”
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Callum Wilson likely to make England recall
Newcastle striker Callum Wilson is being considered for a potential recall to the England national team, as manager Gareth Southgate monitors the fitness of Jude Bellingham.
Wilson has been in fine form, netting 11 goals since being omitted from the squad for the European Championship qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine back in March.
Gareth Southgate is set to announce his squad on Wednesday for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers. England currently sits at the top of Group C and will face Malta on June 16 and North Macedonia in Manchester on June 19.
He keeps on delivering when it matters! 🫡🫡🫡 pic.twitter.com/GrAcmjn9TK
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) May 18, 2023Callum Wilson has played a crucial role in Newcastle United’s push for a top-four finish, and their qualification for the Champions League after a two-decade absence was sealed with a goalless draw against Leicester on Monday.
While the 31-year-old striker represented his country at the World Cup in Qatar, he struggled to find the back of the net, managing only one goal in 13 matches following the season’s resumption. This lack of form led to his exclusion from Gareth Southgate’s squad.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has previously backed his striker for a recall.
He said: “It’s one for Gareth, but he is certainly doing the right things, scoring goals. That is always going to get you the headlines. He is certainly in great form. I don’t know if it is his best.
“But I think he is very focused at the moment and he knows he has to be. I think the biggest compliment I can pay him is that, whatever situation he’s been in, he’s still been himself, laughing, smiling, joking.
“He is a really positive character. He’s somebody that the squad needs to be positive because he’s such a big personality within it.”
There is a spot available after Ivan Toney’s eight-month ban for betting offences was confirmed this month.
The Brentford striker made his debut as a late substitute in the 2-0 win over Ukraine but will be unable to play competitively again until January.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins missed out on a call-up last time and will come into Southgate’s thoughts again.
Watkins has 15 goals this season, although he has not scored in his last six outings and missed a penalty in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool.
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FIFA approves Balogun’s switch from England to US
FIFA has confirmed Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun’s request to change his national team allegiance from England to the United States.
The 21-year-old, who was born in New York and is currently on loan at French club Reims, previously represented England at the Under-21 level but has now decided to pursue his senior international career with his country of birth.
A FIFA spokesperson told the PA news agency said: “The change of association of the player Folarin Jolaoluwa Balogun from England to the USA has been approved.”
The news comes just weeks before England are due to launch their European Under-21 Championship finals campaign in Georgia and Romania.
Balogun has made 13 appearances for Lee Carsley’s side, but withdrew from the squad in March due to injury.
Having been born in America, Balogun moved to England when he was two years old and also qualifies for Nigeria through his parents.
— Balogun (@balogun) May 13, 2023
Qualifying players are allowed to switch associations before they have played a competitive match for a nation’s senior team.
Balogun has made 10 first-team appearances and scored two goals for the Gunners, and spent the second half of the 2021-22 season on loan at Sky Bet Championship Middlesbrough.
However, he has made a name for himself in Ligue 1 this season with 19 goals in 34 appearances to date.
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Senior physicians vote to decide whether to strike over salary
Today is the first day of voting for senior NHS physicians in England to decide whether to strike for wages.
According to Dr. Vishal Sharma, chair of the BMA consultants committee, discussions with the government have been made in an effort to resolve the protracted disagreement, but little progress has been made.
Speaking on behalf of consultants, he stated, “We have seen a decline in our take-home pay of 35% since 2008/9 and this is even before the impact of this year’s soaring inflation has been considered.”
This has led to consultants working effectively four months of the year for no pay
‘Even as late as this weekend, we remained hopeful that we would secure a pay offer that went some way toward making up for the decline we have seen.’
But, he said, with inflation remaining in ‘double digits’ the final offer from the government still represented a pay cut in real-terms.
Dr Sharma added: ‘On the back of 15 years of our pay declining, we simply could not accept a deal that continued this downward trend and have been left with no option but to proceed today with the ballot for industrial action.’
He said consultants did not want to take industrial action, adding: ‘Ultimately the government made a political choice to cut our pay again this year and unless we can secure a commitment that the government will take the necessary steps to restore our pay over the long term, we simply cannot accept an offer that sees our pay fall even further.’
Dr Sharma has previously said the ‘NHS is on its knees’ and ‘senior doctors are cutting their hours or leaving the NHS in droves, driven out of jobs they love by unfair pension tax rules and brutal cuts to their pay’.
The ballot is open from Monday until June 27 and the BMA is urging members to vote yes.
The vote follows a series of strikes over pay this year by NHS ambulance staff, nurses and junior doctors.
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South East England ambulance personnel strike again over pay
A 10-hour strike by ambulance personnel is scheduled for today in the south-east of England.
The union is stepping up its industrial action on Tuesday, and employees of South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust and South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust will go on strike from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Members of Unite and the Royal College of Nursing turned down the government’s offer of a lump sum cash payment and a 5% wage raise for this year last month, despite the majority of other health unions doing the same.
There will be picket lines in Portsmouth, Hampshire and Northfleet, Kent as the union says it aims to increase the pressure on the government to reopen negotiations.
Unite says it’s in the process of undertaking industrial action ballots to expand the number of workers able to strike.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of the union, said: ‘The government must reopen negotiations to ensure that a proper wage offer is made to NHS workers.
‘We have always said that a non-consolidated lump sum for 22/23 would not cut it. So it has turned out.
‘The current offer does nothing to resolve the recruitment and retention crisis crippling the NHS.
‘The strike action by our south east ambulance workers is part of Unite’s escalation strategy to exert greater pressure on the government.’
Ambulance workers in the south east also took part in strike action last Tuesday (May 2), following on from widespread NHS industrial action in February and March.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman told the BBC patients in affected areas should continue to call 999 in a life-threatening emergency, and use 111 for non-urgent health needs.
The spokesman added: ‘It is disappointing some Unite members are continuing strike action this week – these strikes will put more pressure on the NHS and will be disruptive for patients.
‘Most unions on the NHS staff council voted to accept our pay offer and we hope the unions who choose to remain in dispute – despite many of their members also voting to accept this offer – will recognise this as a fair outcome that carries the support of their colleagues and decide it is time to bring industrial action to an end.’
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Seven key discussion points surround the results of the local elections
The municipal elections, which have 8,000 seats, can sound frightening, but here’s what you need to know
Updates on the local elections in England have been coming in since the polls closed at 10 p.m. last night, starting in the early morning hours.
With the typical excitement of every democratic vote in the UK come large gains—some unexpected, others predicted.
This year, the local elections were set against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis, the war in Ukraine and the lingering impact of the Covid pandemic.
But what were the key takeaways?
Blue Wall loses several bricks
Labour stormed through Tory heartland to make gains described as ‘hugely significant’ by Sir Keir.
Medway was among the local authority areas painted red, with Labour set to run the Kent council for the first time since 1998.
The party also gained East Staffordshire, where four years ago the Tories picked up a mighty 25 seats, when Labour was left with just 10.
Sir Keir told said ‘road to a better Britain’ begins now and will be ‘paved with Labour wins’.
He added: ‘We all know there’s no place for letting up. Let’s never mistake confidence for complacency.
‘But we are going to bottle this feeling we have today and then we’re going to turn it into a general election win next year.’
The Conservatives suffered huge losses in what has been Rishi Sunak’s first electoral test since being handed the keys to No 10.
They lost control of the likes of Welwyn Hatfield – in Energy Secretary Grant Shapps’ constituency – where both the Lib Dems and Labour made gains.
But the Prime Minister maintained that ‘progress’ is still being made for his party.
He told Sky News: ‘‘It’s always disappointing to lose hard-working Conservative councillors, they’re friends, they’re colleagues and I’m so grateful to them for everything they’ve done.
‘In terms of the results, it’s still early, we’ve just had a quarter of the results in, but what I am going to carry on doing is delivering on the people’s priorities – halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting waiting lists and stopping the boats. ‘That’s what people want us to do, that’s what I’m going to keep hard at doing.’
No ID, no vote
Last night, the elections watchdog said ‘regrettably’ some people were turned away from polling stations.
The local elections were the first of its kind to be carried out under new rules which required voters to carry photographic ID.
Critics say the move could discourage young people and disenfranchise minority voters, both of which are likely to be Labour voters.
Gillian Long, 42, said ID requirements are ‘a load of rubbish’ after she was stopped from voting by an administration error between her ID and the registration system in East Riding, Yorkshire.
Ms Long said her address ‘wasn’t down right on their system’ and fumed ‘If you want people to vote, you should make it as easy as possible, and they’ve added a barrier.’
Green history
The Green Party has secured sole control of an English council for the very first time.
They currently have the 18 seats on Mid Suffolk District Council needed for majority on the 34-seat authority, with four wards yet to declare.
Previously, the local authority was run by a 16-seat minority Conservative administration.
Andy Mellen, leader of the Green Party in Mid Suffolk, said: ‘We are looking forward to getting to work.’
The Green Party’s co-leader in England and Wales, Adrian Ramsay, said the party had seen ‘fantastic results’ in both rural and urban areas, winning seats from Labour as well as the Conservatives.
He added the victory in Mid Suffolk would ‘pave the way for electing the first Green MP in the area as well to really represent people on a national stage as well as locally’.
What about Scotland?
While Scotland is dealing with ample political drama of its own, it did not host any local elections yesterday.
But party members north of the border still kept a close eye on today’s unfolding proceedings.
Some results suggest, based of current results, Labour will win the next general election, but without an overall majority.
Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminster, said this shows Scots should vote SNP so Scotland can ‘pull the strings’ of a minority UK government.
In a statement he said: ‘It’s increasingly clear that the SNP can hold the balance of power after the next general election – putting Scotland in prime position to pull the strings of a minority UK government.
‘Voting SNP is the best way to beat the Tories in Scotland – and every vote for the SNP will be crucial to ensure Scotland wields real power and influence.’
But the rise of Labour’s popularity in England could sway voters away from the SNP, which has been tarnished by the ongoing investigation into the party’s finances.
Young minds of the future
A teenager only just able to vote has become of the country’s youngest councillors – and stolen the seat of his town’s mayor in the process. Labour in Redditch picked up six seats – including in Church Hill, where 18-year-old James Fardoe claimed the scalp of Tory Ann Isherwood.
His brother Jack wrote on Twitter: ‘Well done to my brother James Fardoe, who was elected in Church Hill in Redditch. Not only did he beat the incumbent mayor, but he is only 18.’
Reacting to his victory on Facebook, James wrote: ‘I would like to thank my opponent, Ann Isherwood, for all her work over the past four years, it was an honour to run against you and once again thank you for your hard work. I would also like to thank all of the Redditch Labour Party and all the volunteers that helped me in Church Hill, I appreciate all the support everyone gave me in this election.
‘I would lastly like to thank everyone who went out to vote yesterday, not just for Labour but all the other parties, who put their trust in democracy and the candidates.’
The newly-elected councillor campaigned for more parking spaces, more youth facilities and more support for local businesses.
Are the Tories really doomed at the next general election? Or could Keir’s lack of star power undermine his party’s efforts?
Republican wave
King Charles may have missed the majority of local election updates, as he is slightly busy with Coronation preparations today.
But there have been interest results in the ward of Highgrove House, the family residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, which lies in the Cotswold District Council ward.
Liberal Democrat Chris Twells believes the country should follow the Irish model of a republic, has been elected to represent the Tetbury with Upton ward.
But he has faced calls to quit his seat in north-west England after winning a second election 160 miles away in Gloucestershire.
Mr Twells beat the Conservatives by 60 votes to secure the Tetbury with Upton ward a mere 12 months after he defeated Labour to gain the Ordsall ward for the Lib Dems at Salford City Council, Greater Manchester.
He is expected to stand down from the latte role
Dogs out in full force
While newshounds have stayed up all night to cover the results of the election, during the day it was an army of dogs who helped encourage people to vote.
As is British tradition, voters snap pics of their pups outside polling stations.
Many were shared to Twitter with the hashtag #DogsAtPollingStations.
Regardless of your politics, I’m sure we can all agree that there were a great selection of very good boys out in full force.
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Beckham blames OCD for estranged relationship with Victoria
Former England midfielder, David Beckham has noted that he sometimes acted abnormally in his marriage due to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
David Beckham and Victoria have been married for years and know each other perfectly well.
“Everything must be ordered in a straight line and [things] must always be even,” Beckham said.
“When I put soft drinks in the fridge, they must be even numbers, if they are odd I remove one and put it in a different cabinet. If I go to a hotel, before I relax I have to put all the pamphlets and books in the room in a drawer.”
Beckham will soon release a documentary on his illustrious career. It will be produced by Netflix and directed by Fisher Stevens.
The release date has yet to be announced but everything suggests that it will be at some point this year. According to the first information that came out, David will discuss about the hours he spends cleaning and tidying his house before going to sleep and we will see him every night aligning the light switches or cleaning candles.
“It’s tiring going around every single candle cleaning it,” he noted.
“I clip the candle wax, I clean the glass, that’s my pet hate, the smoke around the inside of a candle… I know, it’s weird.
“The fact that when everyone’s in bed I then go around, clean the candles, turn the lights on to the right setting, make sure everywhere is tidy.”
These habits have led to many arguments with Victoria. Some of these disagreements will be shown in the series.
One of the reasons the couple argues is leaving the salt out of place in the kitchen. In addition, both of them in front of the cameras will exchange opinions on this matter in a funny and sarcastic way.
Throughout the series, we will get to know Beckham better as he will show unpublished images of his childhood and home videos of intimate moments of his family.
He will also discuss his professional career and remember his best matches, as well as the goal he scored against Greece to help England to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
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Britain intervenes to support Ukraine despite Sudan’s crisis
The Sudanese civil war erupted again last month, this time originating inside Khartoum, the country’s capital.
The war is thought to have displaced at least 75,000 people.
I count over 65 relatives, aunts, uncles, a great uncle, and my 80-year-old father among them as a British-Sudanese who was spending Ramadan there.
According to their texts, my family’s escapes from Sudan have been difficult, risky, and expensive. My father shared food and water with his cousin and extended family, slept outside, went without a bathroom for six days, and had to ration it.
Having spoken to them, their despair at having to leave is palpable. They look so, so tired. I wish I could reach out and carry them all to a safe bed.
And more than that, I wish the UK government would step up, like they did in Ukraine, and support those caught up in this war.
Despite my family’s plight, they have struggled to get the help they need from British authorities.
Evacuation flights to the UK were announced too late for my father to get to the airfield safely.
They even initially refused boarding to those who didn’t have British passports, despite some being NHS doctors with resident and work permits and others the parents of British citizens.
For me, the subsequent u-turn proves the government could have allowed them to board immediately, but only acted after bad headlines.
I was born and raised in England and now work as a doctor all over the world. I shouldn’t have to battle for my family fleeing war to be allowed a legal – and safe – route to safety in the UK.
The government’s approach seems in marked contrast to last year, when, just a week after Russia’s invasion, the government announced the new Ukraine Family Visa scheme, offering a legal route to enter the UK for family members of British nationals or people with settled status in the country.
Simply having a relative with indefinite leave to remain, a resident permit or even being a UK-based refugee, would qualify any Ukrainian to apply for a no-fee online visa, supported by a free-of-charge telephone helpline.
I feel qualified to ask Suella Braverman exactly what, in her government’s eyes, is the difference between a Sudanese person fleeing war and a Ukrainian person fleeing war? (Picture: Javid Abdelmoneim) Having worked in Ukraine from March to July 2022. I agree that those fleeing that war needed all the help they could in reaching safety.
After 17 days of war in Sudan, those of us hoping for a similar scheme have been left disappointed.
Instead, Home Secretary Suella Braverman went on a media round to confirm not only that no legal means would be made available but that any Sudanese arriving by small boat would be detained and could be removed to Rwanda.
She said that ‘the situation is very different to Ukraine’.
Take it from someone who has worked in conflict zones, war is war no matter where in the world it takes place.
Choosing to leave your home is never the easy option. I see the strain of that decision haunting my cousins’ faces this week, much as I have seen it in my patients’ faces in Iraq, South Sudan, Syria, Tigray and indeed Ukraine when I worked in those wars.
So given my experience, I feel qualified to ask Suella Braverman exactly what, in her government’s eyes, is the difference between a Sudanese person fleeing war and a Ukrainian person fleeing war?
Watching Braverman roll out tired cliches about helping those caught up in conflict was infuriating.
I was born and raised in England and now work as a doctor all over the world. I shouldn’t have to battle for my family fleeing war to be allowed a legal – and safe – route to safety in the UK (Picture: Javid Abdelmoneim) Arguably, the UK has more of a connection to Sudan, as the former colonial power in Sudan, which achieved independence only when my dad was 14 years old in 1956.
That is not ancient history, rather living memory. Dad studied, married my mother and raised his family in Cambridge. His is just one of thousands of stories of Sudanese with strong links to the UK.
For me, denying Sudanese people the same support we extended to Ukrainians, is just another element of the grim reality of racism in the UK.
That reality is evident in the Windrush scandal, in the events at Yorkshire Cricket Club, in NHS maternal health outcomes and in reports like Lady Casey’s into the Met Police.
Whatever the reason behind this breathtaking double standard, the outcome for Sudanese people is in no doubt.
As I write, my cousins are languishing at border crossings, with no prospect of finding safety at my side.
I believe more Sudanese will drown at sea trying to flee war.
It doesn’t have to be this way – it is on all of us in the UK, no matter our background, to challenge the reality of racism wherever we meet it.
For the sake of my family and so many others, I need the UK to do more to help Sudanese people, just as we helped Ukrainians.
No matter what Suella Braverman says, these are comparable situations.
Bullets don’t differentiate between nations, and nor should we.
Having spoken to them, their despair at having to leave is palpable. They look so, so tired. I wish I could reach out and carry them all to a safe bed.
And more than that, I wish the UK government would step up, like they did in Ukraine, and support those caught up in this war.
Despite my family’s plight, they have struggled to get the help they need from British authorities.
Evacuation flights to the UK were announced too late for my father to get to the airfield safely.
They even initially refused boarding to those who didn’t have British passports, despite some being NHS doctors with resident and work permits and others the parents of British citizens.
For me, the subsequent u-turn proves the government could have allowed them to board immediately, but only acted after bad headlines.
I was born and raised in England and now work as a doctor all over the world. I shouldn’t have to battle for my family fleeing war to be allowed a legal – and safe – route to safety in the UK.
The government’s approach seems in marked contrast to last year, when, just a week after Russia’s invasion, the government announced the new Ukraine Family Visa scheme, offering a legal route to enter the UK for family members of British nationals or people with settled status in the country.
Simply having a relative with indefinite leave to remain, a resident permit or even being a UK-based refugee, would qualify any Ukrainian to apply for a no-fee online visa, supported by a free-of-charge telephone helpline.
I feel qualified to ask Suella Braverman exactly what, in her government’s eyes, is the difference between a Sudanese person fleeing war and a Ukrainian person fleeing war? (Picture: Javid Abdelmoneim) Having worked in Ukraine from March to July 2022. I agree that those fleeing that war needed all the help they could in reaching safety.
After 17 days of war in Sudan, those of us hoping for a similar scheme have been left disappointed.
Instead, Home Secretary Suella Braverman went on a media round to confirm not only that no legal means would be made available but that any Sudanese arriving by small boat would be detained and could be removed to Rwanda.
She said that ‘the situation is very different to Ukraine’.
Take it from someone who has worked in conflict zones, war is war no matter where in the world it takes place.
Choosing to leave your home is never the easy option. I see the strain of that decision haunting my cousins’ faces this week, much as I have seen it in my patients’ faces in Iraq, South Sudan, Syria, Tigray and indeed Ukraine when I worked in those wars.
So given my experience, I feel qualified to ask Suella Braverman exactly what, in her government’s eyes, is the difference between a Sudanese person fleeing war and a Ukrainian person fleeing war?
Watching Braverman roll out tired cliches about helping those caught up in conflict was infuriating.
I was born and raised in England and now work as a doctor all over the world. I shouldn’t have to battle for my family fleeing war to be allowed a legal – and safe – route to safety in the UK (Picture: Javid Abdelmoneim) Arguably, the UK has more of a connection to Sudan, as the former colonial power in Sudan, which achieved independence only when my dad was 14 years old in 1956.
That is not ancient history, rather living memory. Dad studied, married my mother and raised his family in Cambridge. His is just one of thousands of stories of Sudanese with strong links to the UK.
For me, denying Sudanese people the same support we extended to Ukrainians, is just another element of the grim reality of racism in the UK.
That reality is evident in the Windrush scandal, in the events at Yorkshire Cricket Club, in NHS maternal health outcomes and in reports like Lady Casey’s into the Met Police.
Whatever the reason behind this breathtaking double standard, the outcome for Sudanese people is in no doubt.
As I write, my cousins are languishing at border crossings, with no prospect of finding safety at my side.
I believe more Sudanese will drown at sea trying to flee war.
It doesn’t have to be this way – it is on all of us in the UK, no matter our background, to challenge the reality of racism wherever we meet it.
For the sake of my family and so many others, I need the UK to do more to help Sudanese people, just as we helped Ukrainians.
No matter what Suella Braverman says, these are comparable situations.
Bullets don’t differentiate between nations, and nor should we.
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England: Nurses prepare for strike, Hospitals prepare for “exceptionally low” staff turnouts
In order to “maintain safe patient care,” the Royal College of Nursing union and NHS England have agreed that nurses may provide “safety critical mitigations” in certain crises.
Hospitals are bracing themselves for “exceptionally low” staff numbers in some regions as nurses prepare to go on strike over the bank holiday weekend, NHS England has warned.
The latest walkout comes as the health service warns that, due to nearly six months of strike action, the number of rescheduled appointments is set to hit half a million next week.
The bank holiday strike by members of the Royal College of Nursing union will take place from 8pm on Sunday to 11.59pm on Monday.
It will be the latest action by nurses in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
Nurses make up a quarter of NHS staff and are the biggest proportion of the health service workforce. They are seeking a pay rise that is 5% above inflation.
The RCN says nurses’ salaries have consistently fallen below inflation – with the consequences now worsened by the cost of living crisis.
During the strike action, the union said it will not agree to derogations (areas of care where unions agree to provide staffing during industrial action), meaning nurses in intensive care, A&E and cancer care will be on the picket line.
However, in a new development, the RCN has agreed with NHS England that nurses may offer “safety critical mitigations” in some emergencies to “maintain safe patient care”.
NHS England said the health service and RCN “are seeking to agree mitigations on an organisation by organisation basis if there is a critical risk to patient safety”.
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But it warned that staffing levels for some areas of the country will be “exceptionally low, lower than on previous strike days”.
Meanwhile, Great Ormond Street Hospital’s chief executive Mat Shaw has said he is “incredibly grateful” to staff and the RCN for “granting safety exemptions” during the strike.
The world-renowned children’s hospital had earlier declared a business continuity incident due to “serious concerns over safely staffing the hospital” throughout the walkout.
It said on its website some children may need to be sent home in order to care for those who remain to be safe.
Original strike plan deemed unlawful
Nurses are set to strike this weekend after a High Court judge ruled on Thursday it would be unlawful for the strike to continue into Tuesday as originally planned.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay secured the court’s interim declaration after bringing legal action against part of the trade union’s proposed walkout.
Meanwhile, NHS England is urging the public to use the health service wisely as hospitals prepare to cope with the bank holiday weekend.
It said emergency and urgent care would remain the priority, with people asked to use other services such as pharmacies and 111 where possible.
Unions encouraged to accept pay offer
The latest action comes as health unions are split over whether to accept a 5% pay offer from the government.
The NHS Staff Council – made up of health unions, employers and government representatives – is meeting on Tuesday to discuss the offer.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents organisations that commission and provide services for the health service, told Sky News: “There is a danger, there is a concern that unions who haven’t accepted the deal might split off.
“We would very much encourage them not to do so. I think it’s extremely important for NHS staff to stick together.”
He continued: “We hope that if the staff council accepts this (pay offer), then all the unions will accept it.
“But I think it’s really important to say that that doesn’t mean that we as leaders of the health service don’t recognise the real concerns amongst staff that their pay has fallen.
“I talk to NHS all the time and many of them say to me they’ve never known at a time when they’re more concerned about staff morale, we see it’s very hard to retain staff in the health service.
“We recruit staff reasonably well, but too many of them leave because they find the pressures of the job very difficult. So the issues that lie behind the strike, issues of recruitment, of retention, of motivation, they will continue to be there and we need to address those questions.”
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Sarina Wiegman ‘not worried quickly’ even after 0-2 defeat by Australia
Australia defeated England 2-0 in their debut match under new coach Sarina Wiegman, ending England’s 30-match winning streak.
It was a performance that belied the sombre atmosphere at the Gtech Community Stadium, as the Lionesses failed to win their final match before the Women’s World Cup roster was revealed after their thrilling Finalissima victory.
Sam Kerr, a great forward for Australia, led the team to victory. Australia had every aspect of England’s game plan figured out.
England skipper Leah Williamson’s error allowed the Matildas captain through to slot home past Mary Earps – although replays showed she was offside.
It was Williamson again involved in Australia’s second.
Charlotte Grant’s header (67) hit the defender on the way through before nestling into the back of the net.
It is the first time England have conceded more than one goal in a game under Wiegman.
The Lionesses never really responded and struggled to break down a well-drilled Matildas side, finding it tough to deal with their aggressiveness that forced plenty of errors.
But Williamson does not view the result as a setback, telling ITV Sport: “Absolutely not a setback. Sometimes you have to take blessings in disguise and I think maybe that’s not the worst thing that could’ve happened to us.
“We wanted to learn this whole time, we wanted to be pushed to our limits and we need to take it up a new level. In the past we won those games, we turned them around but actually, tonight to lose it gives you a bit of fire.”
Wiegman: I’m not worried by defeat
England manager Sarina Wiegman:
“I’m not worried. I don’t worry very quickly. We know we have to be at our top level and that’s when we go into the World Cup too.
“Every game we get some warnings – against Brazil we got some warnings in the Finalissima. We know where we want to go to and what we have to do.
“I don’t think we’re losing momentum, I think it’s building. There’s 100 days to go and everyone’s really excited to go to Australia and this is just a very big learning moment for us that we need to get to a higher level to win these games.”
Questioned about the 30-game unbeaten run being over, Wiegman responded: “I haven’t been focused on that ever.
“We just want to win every next game and you remind us all of the time [about the unbeaten run] but we don’t talk about that in our camp.
“We talk about the next game and we want to improve every game and try to adapt to the opponent.
“I would’ve loved to have had a 31st win but sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.”
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Tick-borne virus that produces meningitis discovered in UK
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning after discovering an uncommon tick-borne virus in numerous parts of England.
The first domestic case of the encephalitis virus (TBEV) was discovered in a Yorkshire man who had been bitten by a tick.
Meningitis can result from the infection TBEV, which is spread through tick bites.
Prior to the diagnosis being verified at the UKHSA laboratory, the diagnosing physicians who were treating the patient first considered it.Another human case may have been discovered in Scotland’s Loch Earn region.
The virus has also been detected in Hampshire, Dorset and Norfolk and may be present in other parts of the country.
However, the risk to the public is low and there has only been three confirmed cases so far.
Before 2019, human TBEV had not been domestically acquired in the UK. In 2019 and 2020, two probable cases were reported but in those cases there was no molecular isolation of the virus, so they could not be confirmed.
Dr Helen Callaby, from UKHSA, said: ‘This study confirms the tick-borne encephalitis virus is present in parts of the UK where there are relevant tick and wildlife populations and may occasionally cause disease in humans.
Symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis (TBEV)
- High fever
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Reduced consciousness
- Complications from TBEV can cause meningitis and these symptoms include:
- Severe headache
- Stiff neck
- Pain looking at bright lights
- Neurological symptoms
- Has a fit (seizure), if not known to be epileptic
- Sudden confusion or change in behaviour
- Weakness or loss of movement in arms and legs
- Facial dropping, change in vision or slurred speech
‘Physicians should consider the possibility of tick-borne encephalitis virus when patients present with unexplained encephalitis and a history of tick exposure, even if they have not travelled outside the UK, as the clinicians did in these cases.’
TBEV is common in many parts of the world and is usually found in western and northern Europe and northern and eastern Asia.
Anyone who experiences symptoms or feels unwell after a tick bite should seek GP advice.
Despite the risk to the general public being low, the UKHSA has recommended changes to testing in hospitals.
Dr Callaby added: ‘Although the risk to the general public is very low, it is important for people to take precautions to protect themselves from tick bites, such as covering their ankles and legs, applying insect repellent and checking clothes and your body for ticks, particularly when visiting areas with long grass such as woods, moorlands and parks.’
The European subtype of TBEV is associated with milder disease, with 20% to 30% of patients experiencing clinical disease.
While it is assumed the UK cases are the European subtype, this has not yet been proven.
Cases are on the rise in England, mainly due to increasing numbers of ticks. They live in undergrowth and latch on to humans when they walk through long grass.
Vaccines provide protection but only for a limited time and there is no known cure.
Alongside TBEV, Brits are also at risk of other infections the parasitic arachnids carry, such as Lyme’s disease.
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Voters advised to have the proper photo ID prior to municipal elections
The appropriate photo ID must be presented to vote in the municipal elections in England scheduled for next month.
For the first time ever, on May 4, everybody wishing to cast a ballot must bring a form of picture identification.
However, not all forms of identification will be accepted, and those without the proper documentation must apply for a special certificate by April 25. Meanwhile, the registration deadline for voters is April 17.
A blue badge and an older person’s bus pass are additional acceptable pieces of identification, in addition to a passport and a driver’s license.
But travelcards for younger people are not accepted.
Compulsory photo ID will ‘protect the integrity of democracy in the UK’ and ‘ensure the electoral system remains secure, transparent and fair for generations to come’, the Government said when the proposals became law last April.
Postal voting is not affected by the new rules.
The Electoral Commission’s Craig Westwood said: ‘It is important that everyone makes sure they have an accepted form of ID if they intend to vote at a polling station. Postal voting is not affected by the new ID requirement.’
Campaign groups the Electoral Reform Society and Unlock Democracy, along with London mayor Sadiq Khan, previously warned that as many as two million people in Britain do not currently have the right form of ID to vote.
An average of 922 applications per day for a Voter Authority Certificate were made online in England in the week of April 2, up from 803 the previous week, according to PA analysis of Government data.
A total of 36,089 applications have been submitted online in England since February 1.
Next month will see more than 8,000 council seats up for grabs across 230 local authorities, ranging from small rural councils to some of the largest towns and cities.
Polls are also taking place to choose mayors in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.
No elections are scheduled in London, Birmingham, Cornwall, North Yorkshire or Cumbria.
Rishi Sunak will be hoping to keep Conservative losses to a minimum, in what is his first big electoral test as prime minister.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will be judged on whether their parties are able to make gains at the expense of the Tories.
No elections are taking place in Scotland and Wales this year.
Local elections in Northern Ireland have been put back two weeks to May 18, to avoid a clash with the King’s coronation on May 6.
Counting in Northern Ireland usually takes a couple of days to complete, due to the system of voting used for council elections, which sees voters rank candidates in order of preference.
Photo ID became law in Northern Ireland in 2002.
Accepted forms of photo ID
- Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country
- Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (this includes a provisional driving licence)
- A Blue Badge
- Older Person’s Bus Pass funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
- Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
- Oyster 60+ Card funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
- Freedom Pass
- Scottish National Entitlement Card
- 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
- Biometric immigration document
- Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
- National identity card issued by an EEA state
- Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
- Voter Authority Certificate
- Anonymous Elector’s Document
You will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version and not a photocopy.
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Reservoirs overflow as UK has the wettest March in more than 40 years
After a particularly dry summer and the wettest March in more than 40 years, reservoirs are beginning to fill.
111.3mm of rain rained in England from March 30 to April 1, 91% more than usual, according to statistics.
Also, February was drier than usual, which led to a decrease in the volume of water held in reservoirs like Ardingly in West Sussex.
Yet, given that March was the wettest month for West Sussex since 2001, recent images highlight the significant contrast in water levels at the reservoir.
The region had 132.7mm of rainfall last month, which is 240% of the average.
This difference is obvious when viewing new pictures, taken at the end of March, are compared to those taken in September following the dry summer.
Ardingly Reservoir is currently 100% full, according to the latest figures from South East Water.
Alex Burkill, a Met Office meteorologist, said: ‘Water levels weren’t particularly high going into March, you need several months of wet weather to make a significant impact on reservoirs.
‘March was very wet for West Sussex, the fifth wettest month on record.’
Both Ardingly reservoir and Hanningfield reservoir in Essex saw their water levels drop by more than a fifth in August of last year.
This is the largest fall ever recorded by any reservoir.
Steve Andrews, head of service management at South East Water, said: ‘Our water resources are in a healthy position at the current time and a little above where we would expect them to be.
‘Over the past three to six months, we have seen the drought conditions experienced during the summer be replaced by a period of exceptionally high rainfall that has had the benefit of replenishing our groundwater sources and reservoirs ready for summer 2023.
‘During February, we did see a return to drier conditions, reminding us of the importance of being vigilant, and we are keeping a close watch on conditions as we move into spring.
‘As the days lengthen and the temperatures rise, we expect to see a greater demand for water so we will continue to work with our customers by asking them to use water wisely.’
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England fire services are homosexual, misogynist, and racist – Report
Examples of “very concerning” bullying, discrimination, and harassment in fire and rescue services across England include humiliating new recruits, male personnel acting out the rape of a female colleague, and a senior officer using the N-word for “a laugh.”
A scathing investigation claims that employees frequently hear racist, sexist, and homophobic remarks that have either gone unanswered or have been written off as “banter.”
Roy Wilsher, His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services, expressed shock and outrage over some of his findings, saying they may only be “the top of the iceberg.”
Asked whether it is possible there are ‘predators’ in the fire services like those that have been found to exist in police, he said: ‘I could not exclude that possibility.’
He said a lot of the behaviour was ‘from the dim, distant past’ and draws on the evidence collected through its inspections since 2018.
Inspectors were told about a senior officer referring to a black colleague using the ‘N-word’ and putting it down to ‘having a laugh’, homophobic abuse found written on a firefighter’s locker and men using women’s toilets and women not feeling confident to challenge this.
Another example was an incident involving two male firefighters joking with a female firefighter that they were ‘going to rape her’ and the three of them acting out the attack together.
Report’s main findings
- Racism, sexism and homophobia experienced across fire and rescue services in England.
- Evidence of ‘deeply troubling’ bullying, discrimination and harassment across England’s fire and rescue services.
- His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services Roy Wilsher could not exclude the possibility of predators within services.
- Colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds who have experienced bullying or harassment are less likely to report it than white members of staff.
- Perception among staff women are appointed because of their gender, rather than on merit.
- Staff talked about a ‘toxic’ culture and behaviour on watches were ‘pack-like’ and staff did not challenge inappropriateness towards race.
- New recruits joined the service with a positive attitude and no apparent disposition to certain behaviours, they soon felt the need to assimilate into the prevailing culture to ‘fit in’.
- Promotion processes felt ‘corrupt’ in one service, with staff applying for promotions multiple times but never receiving any feedback or support.
- The mentality of an ‘old boy’s club’ is rife across many fire and rescue services.
- Many staff could get away with bullying, harassment and discrimination, ‘if they know the right people’.
- Calls for appropriate background checks on existing and new staff as a bare minimum.
The report referred to a perception among staff that women are appointed due to their gender, rather than on merit.
Several said they were told ‘if you menstruate or have a vagina, you’re more likely to get the job’ and ‘you have to be a woman to get on’.
Inspectors were told about staff not wishing to work in specific areas of the service because of poor behaviours and the humiliation of staff during training sessions if they made mistakes.
They also heard there were fears speaking out would be ‘career suicide’ and lead them to have a ‘negative mark’ against their name.
The report said: ‘The public deserves assurance that the FRS staff they come into contact with have been subject to background checks prior to carrying out these roles.
‘This is particularly important when considering the link between effective background checks and cultures of misogyny and predatory behaviour seen in policing.
‘It is also important in light of the examples of inappropriate behaviour from firefighters towards members of their communities set out in recent allegations.’
After the report’s publication Mr Wilsher said: ‘Our findings shine a light on deeply troubling bullying and harassment in fire and rescue services across the country – and I fear this could be just the tip of the iceberg.
‘Firefighters can be called upon to do an incredibly difficult job. They should be able to trust each other implicitly, just as the public need to be able to trust them.
‘Unfortunately, our findings show this is not always the case. Instead, we found trust and respect is too often replaced with derogatory, bullying behaviour, often excused as banter.
‘Services told us about misconduct cases over the past 12 months. More than half of these concerned inappropriate behaviour, such as bullying and harassment, associated with a protected characteristic.
‘This is shocking enough but I am not confident that this is even the whole picture.’
He added staff should be able to report allegations without fear of reprisals and the sector needs to ‘get a grip’ on how it handles misconduct matters.
‘Despite the fact fire and rescue staff often have contact with the most vulnerable members of society, there is no legal obligation for services to run background checks and we found an inconsistent approach to this across the country,’ he said.
‘The majority of fire and rescue staff act with integrity and we are in no doubt of their dedication to the public.
‘However, the shocking behaviour we uncovered makes it clear the sector cannot wait another day before it acts.’
Specific fire services are not named in the report due to many examples of behaviour being reported to inspectors confidentially by staff.
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Dying and dead mussels and starfish wash ashore on UK beach
A strange oceanic scene at a beach in the north of England has perplexed both tourists and locals.
At Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire, thousands of dead and dying mussels washed up on the strand on Tuesday.
Dead mussels, starfish, crabs, and razor clams welcomed people strolling along the seafront.
The area previously saw a mass crustacean die-off in late 2021 and major concerns were raised about dredging in the River Tees.
The Environment Agency said high tides and stormy weather would ‘most likely be the cause’ this time around.
Stuart Marshall owns beach huts on the promenade and organised a clean-up of the area.
He said: ‘It’s devastating. There’s starfish dead, clams, oysters and crabs.’
A deposit of black debris arrived on the beach with the tide and some claim it is sea coal.
But Stuart does not think it is and added: ‘We do get bits of coal from time to time but not anything like this.’
He questioned if rough seas had killed the creatures and said the waters were calm lately.
Helen Whitworth, from Northallerton in North Yorkshire, was walking her border collie Drako on the beach.
She said: ‘This black area is not usually here. Usually it’s a really beautiful beach. There’s all sorts of debris here.
‘I’ve come down for a lovely walk with the dog and it’s such a shame to see all of this today.’
The Environment Agency confirmed it had not received reports of the washed up marine life.
A spokesperson added it is ‘normal at this time of year’ and high tides and recent stormy weather would ‘most likely be the cause’.
The previous mass die-off sparked a series of investigations which proved controversial.
A panel from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs concluded: ‘A novel pathogen is considered the most likely cause of mortality.’
But it was ‘unable to identify a clear and convincing single cause for the unusual crustacean mortality’.
Some campaigners fear dredging for a new freeport on the Tees was linked to the die-off.
However, those claims were strongly disputed by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen.
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Rainbow armband ban: FIFA in discussions to ban or allow band at 2023 Women’s World Cup
Currently, teams and captains risk sanctions if they don’t wear the FIFA-required armbands; Harry Kane, the men’s captain of England, was compelled to abandon his plans to wear a “OneLove” armband during the World Cup in Qatar; The 2023 Women’s World Cup begins in July in Australia and New Zealand.
With regards to rules prohibiting “OneLove” or rainbow armbands at the Women’s World Cup this summer, FIFA claims that it is in discussions with teams and players.
Currently, teams and captains risk punishment if they compete in one of FIFA’s tournaments without the required wristband.
The German FA brought up the matter formally during a World Cup planning workshop because they don’t want players from Australia and New Zealand to face sanctions during the competition from July to August.
The matter was also discussed by the game’s lawmakers IFAB during post-Qatar 2022 debriefs.
A FIFA spokesperson has told Sky Sports “at a team workshop, FIFA was asked about equipment and competition regulations in relation to the 2023 FIFA Women`s World Cup.
FIFA wishes to reiterate that no decision has been taken in relation to armbands.
FIFA remains committed to ongoing dialogue with players and member associations.”
The FA and England team bosses were left angry in December when the armband issue left players potentially facing punishment if they went against tournament rules.
England captain Leah Williamson has been open about her desire to show support to the LGBTQ+ community during the World Cup this summer and wore a rainbow armband when she lifted the Euros trophy last summer.
“Obviously, you hope it’s not a last-minute call once we get there but it’s something we want to do all year round and we’ve done previously,” she told reporters in February.
“The statement that was made at the Euros with every team participating was incredible, every picture we have with a trophy lift there’s a rainbow armband in there.
It’s a great stage and a great time to promote the values we believe in so much, so I hope it’s the same.
“We’re never shy in saying what we stand for, we’re a squad that promotes inclusivity and equality, we obviously have a number of people that feel very strongly about it,” Williamson said.
“It’s not even a question for us, you’ve seen another men’s player step out and be as brave as they can be and they’ve changed their whole life. They don’t know what’s coming.
So, for us to stand in solidarity with that is important to us but it’s something we’ve always done, it’s something we’ll continue to do.
We’re not just impacting football, we’re trying to have a positive impact on society too and that’s one of the ways we can do that.”