Mubeen Blogs

Northampton flanker and ‘public enemy No 1’ will be used as an impact player in the Nations Championship opener Last-ditch attempts are being made to try to boost the attendance at Ellis Park this weekend, with sharply discounted tickets now on sale for South Africa’s meeting with England. They may succeed in putting a few more bums on seats, but not half as many as would have been the case had Steve Borthwick named Henry Pollock, the eye-catching Northampton flanker, in his starting XV for the opening round of the Nations Championship. There are certainly plenty locally who cannot wait to see Pollock’s first collision with the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Jasper Wiese or Pieter-Steph du Toit, with those eagerly licking their lips including several hard-nosed former Springboks and a random passerby at England’s team hotel this week. “We had one person come up to him in the hotel and say the South Africans are coming for you,” reported Pollock’s teammate George Furbank. “It was actually a gu...

National Weather Service warns heat index could reach 115F as heat grips midwest, Ohio valley and east coast Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A “prolonged, dangerous heatwave” was sweeping across parts of the central and eastern United States on Thursday, with forecasters warning that extreme record-breaking temperatures are expected to continue into the holiday weekend for millions of Americans. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned on Thursday that temperatures between 95F (35C) and 105F (40.5C), combined with high humidity, will push heat index values across parts of the region to between 100F and 115F. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/dlAFRy6

Exclusive: Findings cast doubt on Starmer claims that reallocation of funds to MoD will boost British jobs Keir Starmer’s decision to cut billions of pounds of infrastructure spending to pay for more defence equipment will end up costing the UK 10,000 jobs, according to an analysis of the government’s own figures. The prime minister announced this week he was putting an extra £15bn into defence investment to revamp the country’s armed forces and boost British manufacturing. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Fl9vrnf

With the much-anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI only available as download, Sony is following suite Sony said on Wednesday that it would stop releasing new video games for the PlayStation console on disc in January 2028 following a shift in consumer preferences. “Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only,” the company said on its official PlayStation blog. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/18eDFOY

England midfielder’s experience with Arsenal last season taught him the need to be patient against teams unwilling to attack Declan Rice is reflecting on the pivotal moment of his season so far, the one when plenty of people thought it was about to go wrong for him and Arsenal. It was a narrow and painful defeat for them at Manchester City in mid‑April, which meant the clubs were stride for stride with each other at the top of the Premier League. The momentum was with City. Were Arsenal about to blow it? The TV cameras picked out Rice on the Etihad Stadium pitch and, as he shook his head, he was easy to lipread. “It’s not done,” the England midfielder said. It was not. Arsenal won all of their remaining league games, finding a way through unbearable levels of tension. City did not and Arsenal were champions for the first time since 2004. “It could have gone either way,” Rice says with a smile. “That would have lived with me for ever.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://...

Report says once-in-a-generation changes needed to tackle why such children are lowest-performing large demographic High-performing primary and secondary schools in England should be encouraged to admit more disadvantaged pupils from white working-class backgrounds to help reverse a continuing crisis in underachievement, an independent inquiry has said. The independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes concluded the current education system was “not set up to serve white working-class children and families”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/HcakvFD

Polka theatre, London Marietta Kirkbride’s enchanting take on the Arthur myth brings silliness and songs when young Grace travels back in time with Merlin the wizard Here is a sparkling new take on the King Arthur legend for the ages – and all ages – from Bucket Club theatre company. Our tale begins with young Grace waiting in A&E, Lego stuck up her nose and her brother hurt following a squabble. When Merlin appears in hospital, weaving a tale of mysterious adventure, Grace is pulled into an epic quest packed with enchanted forests and sparkling underwater realms. In the closing scenes, when Arthur finally pulls that famous sword from the stone, loud gasps ripple through an enchanted young audience. Magic. Writer Marietta Kirkbride’s contemporary take has lots of smart jokes for the parents to enjoy and a helping of Gawain the Green Knight thrown in for good measure. There are witty nods to today’s political climate, with a sixth-century England languishing without a king and stru...