Mubeen Blogs

For the chancellor to yield to his rightwing obsessives would be bad economics and bad politics Few things in British politics are more glumly predictable, whatever the economic and political circumstances, than Conservative MPs and their rightwing media echo chamber demanding budget tax cuts. Reducing the tax burden for the less well-off undoubtedly has a place in an even-handed approach to Britain’s economic challenges. The tax system also needs reform. But renewed backbench calls for cuts in personal taxes in advance of Jeremy Hunt’s pre-election budget reveal a party that has learned nothing. It is only 18 months since Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng brought the UK economy to its knees by pursuing exactly this approach. Sterling crashed to its lowest level against the dollar in half a century after they declared their tax-cutting budget was just the start . Borrowing costs spiralled. The package also inflicted what may prove to be irreparable damage on the Tory party’s electoral

A person of such profound commitment and depth of feeling could be much more useful to the world alive than dead The horror of it is beyond my capacity to describe. On Sunday afternoon, a US air force airman named Aaron Bushnell doused himself in gasoline outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC and lit himself on fire. His phone was propped on the ground nearby, livestreaming to Twitch. “I will no longer be complicit in genocide,” Bushnell said. “I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest. But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.” Then he set fire to his body and screamed, “Free Palestine.” Bushnell died at a nearby hospital some nine hours later. He was 25. Bushnell’s political self-killing has opened a rupture in American political discourse, dividing even those with a commitment to the Palestinian cause and a fervent opposition to

In compelling documentary As We Speak, a controversial legal practice that uses rap lyrics to secure convictions is explored In September 2001, McKinley Phipps Jr, also known as the rapper Mac, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for manslaughter. It had been a year and a half since gunfire erupted outside a club where he was slated to perform in Slidell, Louisiana, resulting in the death of 19-year-old Barron Victor Jr. Phipps, then 22, maintained his innocence , and the case against him was weak – there was no gun linking him to the crime, several witnesses recanted their testimony and another person confessed to pulling the trigger. And yet, prosecutors had their trump card: Mac, a former New Orleans rap prodigy who began releasing music at the age of 13, had rapped about murder. “Murder, murder, kill, kill”, Phipps recites in As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial, a new documentary on the criminalization of rap lyrics. Prosecutors spliced that line with one from a different song – “Pul

Even Rish! has tied himself in knots trying to work out what Anderson should apologise for. Because Lee’s not racist or Islamophobic, is he? How do you solve a problem like Lee? If you’re Rishi Sunak, then the answer is with the greatest reluctance. And extremely carefully. Lee Anderson is a man to be treated with kid gloves. To be loved back into a state of grace. It would be a push to call Lee a national treasure. But he is certainly the closest the Conservative party has to a local hero. An MP far more popular among fellow Tories than Rishi or any of his cabinet colleagues. Viewers tune into his GB News programme to be drip-fed divine truths. For the unsayable to be made flesh. Lee is their beating heart. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/PnM3NGx

Misbah Sadique and her friend Kulsum were hit by a car they say was accelerating at them but police did not regard incident as a potential hate crime despite rising Islamophobia The driver was said to have slowed down to let Misbah Sadique, 37, and her friend Kulsum, cross the road. They were close to home in Waltham Forest and felt safe in a part of east London that they knew well. But, as they stepped out, the car in front of them suddenly, inexplicably, accelerated, one of the women later alleged. It is said that Kulsum was thrown to the ground by the force of the impact and that Misbah was dragged under the vehicle. She claims she was lucky to escape with breaks to her right ankle and foot, ribs and right arm, on top of extensive bruising and abrasions. Three weeks later, she remains in hospital, traumatised and facing a long road to recovery. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/YIgN8Lk

Langley will make attempt in National League Cup final Manager says her side are ‘empowering women in Saudi Arabia’ Becky Langley is suddenly well placed to beat Eddie Howe in the race to claim Newcastle United’s first trophy since their Saudi Arabian-led takeover. Howe’s men are desperate to end a club silverware drought stretching back to 1969 when the Fairs Cup was lifted but Langley’s fully professional women’s team may yet lead the way after reaching next month’s National League Cup final. After beating Portsmouth 2-1 in front of an exuberant 22,307-strong crowd at St James’s Park courtesy of the excellent Georgia Gibson’s 90th-minute winner, Newcastle will now meet semi-professional, Essex-based, Hashtag United at Luton’s Kenilworth Road. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Eh6xX7D

Premier League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off Live scoreboard | Share your thoughts with Scott on email Newcastle’s starting XI seems to have gone down well with their fans, if our sample size of one MBM reader is anything to go by. “That seems a really sensible line-up for Newcastle,” begins John Davis. “It’s quite a convenient bout of illness - Dubravka is a great shot stopper but won’t leave his line. He’s trying to replace someone in Nick Pope who loves sweeping and you can see the pressure he’s under recently - he’s started to come out when he has no chance of making it, or hesitating, and it’s unsettling the defence. Karius did pretty well in his only game in the Carabao Cup final under lots of pressure, and I still reckon he was concussed when he made the errors in the Champions League final. Isak in for Barnes is great - Barnes is just back from a long injury and Isak is different class, and the pace of Tino against Saka gets Dan Burn out of the firing line after some

Alabama’s supreme court ruling that frozen embryos are ‘children’ is a chilling example of the Republican party’s extremism In a case centering on wrongful-death claims for frozen embryos that were accidentally destroyed at a fertility clinic, the Alabama supreme court ruled last Friday that frozen embryos are “children” under state law. As a result, several Alabama in-vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics are ceasing services , afraid to store or destroy any embryos. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/0iIbxOK

Campaigners say Ibrahima Bah should be treated as a victim of trafficking after he was forced to pilot a boat. Instead he faces at least six years in prison Ibrahima Bah will spend at least the next six years and three months in custody for manslaughter, after smuggling dozens of people into the UK on a small boat across the Channel during which at least four people died. In the words of the migration minister Michael Tomlinson, it was “right that he has been brought to justice” because Bah “put dozens of lives in extreme danger by taking charge of a perilous and illegal small boat crossing”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/SfFXW54

The CEO described Rolls as ‘a burning platform’ when he arrived in 2023, but its trajectory was already upwards It wasn’t an imagined nightmare: Rolls-Royce really was flat on its back in 2020 during the early stage of the Covid pandemic. Cash was flowing out of the engine-maker at an annual rate of £4bn as the commercial airline industry, like the rest of us, went into lockdown. Management was modelling a “severe but plausible downside scenario” in which things could get even worse. The finance director skipped off to Ocado, which, at the time, had a stock market value three times that of Rolls. An emergency rights issue to raise £2bn at the miserable price of 32p a share was eventually launched that autumn, with the government playing a supporting role as guarantor of £3bn of the company’s debt. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/be3uS7c

If the government had cared as much about Horizon victims as the business secretary claims, she would not be in a row about delayed compensation There are few undisputed facts in the row between Kemi Badenoch, the business and trade secretary, and Henry Staunton, former chairman of the Post Office, over delayed compensation for post office operators. The central allegation is that the government wanted payment deferred so the cost would not have to be met this side of a general election. In rejecting that assertion, Ms Badenoch impugned Mr Staunton’s motives and character. She told parliament on Monday that the charges were “baseless” and vengeful. The business secretary explained that her accuser was embittered after being sacked last month, adding also that he had been under investigation for bullying. Mr Staunton says he was unaware of any such investigation. He has countered with a memo, dating back to January 2023, summarising a conversation with a senior civil servant, in whi

With the US election looming, comedians are grappling with how much to reference Joe Biden’s age without wider pushback It’s admittedly hard to say when the 2024 presidential campaign began – the Republican party’s fealty to Donald Trump has been so steadfast, and the nomination of the Democratic incumbent so inevitable, that a rematch of the 2020 election has already played out, on a simmer, for years. Late-night television, the shrinking arena for self-soothing liberal political comedy, has braced for it with its usual preoccupation on all things Trump; the former president still consumes the bulk of most monologues, even during Joe Biden’s term. Biden as the competent foil to Trump’s raving, idiotic, increasingly ominous threat to democracy has, for over half a decade, been the form’s logic de rigueur. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/D2snv4E

US presidents once spoke softly and carried a big stick. By contrast, in Gaza Joe Biden speaks loudly and carries a little stick As western leaders wake up to the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign. More than two-thirds of the dead in the coastal enclave are thought to be women and children. Thousands more are believed to be buried under the rubble. The reputation of the west as a champion of universal values and upholding a rules-based order is unlikely to recover anytime soon from the bloody events in Gaza. International politics is not a morality play. Probably several Arab countries were not averse to the idea that Israel could deliver a coup de grâce to Hamas. But the state of the fighting in Gaza suggested that this was a remote possibility. In January, it was estimated that Israel has killed or captured only around one-third of Hamas’s fighting force. To finish the job would only be achievable at an indefen

Government defends decision that opposition politicians say could put vulnerable people at risk A scheme allowing Ukrainians to join family members taking sanctuary in the UK has been unexpectedly closed, in what opposition politicians described as a cruel and “below the radar” move days before the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full invasion. The Ukraine family scheme is being shut but government officials said a separate Homes for Ukraine scheme would continue to fulfil people’s needs as a way of “simplifying” the process. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2mU9LgN

Authors hope data encourages women who may not get enough exercise that even relatively small amounts can be beneficial Women experience greater benefits than men from the same amount of regular exercise, research suggests when it comes to avoiding an early grave. According to the NHS , men and women aged 19 to 64 should clock up at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, or 75 of vigorous exercise a week, with muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/gfxTbU0

Former referee Nigel Owens fears that TMOs offer a ‘licence to get things wrong’ but new technology could change that It was like waiting for the result of a referendum: were Scotland the real deal, one of the big dogs of world rugby, a team that could deliver while carrying the weight of expectation? Or were they pretenders, a flashy but flawed side that didn’t have the sand to sit at the sport’s top table? The decision would fall to the television match official Brian MacNeice after the referee Nic Berry deemed Sam Skinner’s pick-and-go was held up over the line. With France leading 20‑16 at Murrayfield after the 80th minute, this would be the last act of the match. Multiple replays. Frames crawling across the screen. The ball probably touched the turf after sliding off a French foot. But probably wasn’t enough to overturn the decision. Protocol must be followed and Berry’s original call carried more weight than the evidence of our eyes. No try . Continue reading... from The Gua

Erik ten Hag’s potent forward trident all have room to improve and are offering the club hope of a brighter future These are strange times at Old Trafford. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25% investment in Manchester United has been ratified by the Premier League. They have won their last four games in all competitions and haven’t lost this year. They have a forward line that is young and dynamic and that, while you wouldn’t yet trust it not to spin out of control, nuts and bolts dropping off until it finally collapses into a heap of shattered potential, is beginning to look as though it could be extremely effective. Are things finally beginning to look up for United? Everything, of course, is relative. It feels every detail comes with a caveat; everything remains subject to multiple interpretations. With the top five likely (but not guaranteed) to qualify for next season’s Champions League, United are still sixth in the Premier League but at least have a four-point cushion over Newcastle in s

Airstrikes continue on Gaza as diplomats at Munich Security Conference voice concerns over planned IDF operation Israeli forces have arrested 100 people at Gaza’s largest functioning hospital amid mounting fears for patients and staff trapped inside, as airstrikes across the Palestinian territory killed dozens more people. At least 120 patients and five medical teams were trapped without water, food and electricity in the Nasser hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis , according to the health ministry in Gaza. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/IfK5XUc

Retreat from Avdiivka deals military blow and hands initiative to Putin as war’s second anniversary looms Volodymyr Zelenskiy issued a desperate plea for fresh arms on Saturday as his army commanders announced that Ukrainian troops were pulling out of the key eastern city of Avdiivka, handing Moscow its first major military victory since last May, just days before the second anniversary of the Russian invasion. Ukraine’s leader told the Munich Security Conference that the slowing of weapons supplies was having a direct impact on the frontline and was forcing Ukraine to cede territory. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/y2J6IST

Deba Hakmat is impressively subtle as a British-Iranian teen whose celebrations come unstuck Sasha Nathwani is a UK-based director of award-winning short films, of Iranian and Indian heritage, stepping up here to his feature debut. It opens the Generation strandin Berlin and is a sweet-natured, heartfelt and earnestly acted film; a little precious maybe, but saved from emo-sentimentalism by irreverent humour and a wittily self-aware final image of his leading actor’s face. Last Swim is the story of Ziba, played by Deba Hakmat, an Iranian-British teen who has just stormed her A-levels and landed a place at University College London to read astrophysics; this is despite a certain attitude on the part of her interviewer who shows, if not microaggression, then microcondescension, pointedly asking if any other members of Ziba’s family ever studied this subject. Ziba has got intricately detailed plans for her and her 6th form mates to celebrate on results day; these are Tara (Lydia Fleming

Details about leader’s finances for 2022-23 come after Rishi Sunak revealed he paid more than £508,000 of tax on £2.2m plus Keir Starmer paid £99,431 in UK tax on earnings of £404,030 last year, according to a summary released by the Labour party. The Labour leader’s tax summary for 2022-23 was published a week after Rishi Sunak’s, which revealed the prime minister paid more than £508,208 in UK tax last year on earnings of just over £2.2m. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5grdG6P

Ex-president’s lawyers, rather than the man himself, brought theatrics, as trial date set in Stormy Daniels hush-money case Donald Trump had a fatigued look about him on Thursday morning as he entered the Manhattan courtroom where – in less than two months – he will be the first former US president to face a criminal trial. The six-week trial will not be about Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, nor his hoarding of classified documents – accusations for which he has been indicted elsewhere. Rather, Trump’s fast-approaching trial is for an alleged hush-money scheme involving the adult film star Stormy Daniels and the Playboy model Karen McDougal. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pqKZBTN

Star’s self-funded big swing is a mix of over-produced music videos and self-help advice but showcases her undeniable screen magnetism It might not have scored her the Oscar nomination she deserved ( and hungered for ) but Jennifer Lopez’s canny, all-guns-blazing performance in Hustlers was still a validating win for an actor, and a fanbase, who sorely needed one. Lopez had been the best thing in a cascade of increasingly middling movies, her career defined by the inability to take a risk, to be unlikeable or messy or inelegant, and so the star’s rougher, more interesting edges had been sanded down to nothing. Her latest project is, in a way, all risk, something that’s become front and centre of her recent press tour, when Lopez revealed that her $20m big bet – a hokey, hard-to-define cinematic accompaniment to her new album – is self-funded. While it might not feel like money well spent from afar (this is surely not a film intended for a wide audience), it’s less about what we get

Barbican, London From a black jacket that looks like a bat hanging in a cave to a garment stained with the blood of an assassinated Panamanian, this celebration of textile art is ravishing and riveting A needle piercing an eye, the image sewn with human hair. Another needle through a nipple and a third sewing up the lips to silence them. Detached from the body, human hair can be waste – there’s something abject and awful about hair clogging a sink – and it can be a sentimental keepsake kept in a locket. It can become a thread. You can draw with it or sew with it. In this work, Hong Kong artist Angela Su does both. You need to get up close and you want to step away. She’s giving us something of herself that is filled with pain. Solange Pessoa ’s dropsical, ballooning sacs of earth sag and bulge like bags of guts in a hammock. Magdalena Abakanowicz ’s sisal body is suspended from above, as heavy and dark and as cloaked and mysterious as a bat hanging in a cave. A little sewn-up pink w

Ambreen Fatima Sheikh in vegetative state after husband and in-laws waited days to call ambulance after she fell unconscious A man and his parents have been jailed after his wife was forced to take anti-diabetes medication and doused in a corrosive substance, leaving her in a persistent vegetative state from which she will never recover. Ambreen Fatima Sheikh, described as “intelligent, bright, ambitious and happy-go-lucky”, was 30 when she was given the anti-diabetes drug glimepiride after being brought to the UK from Pakistan after an arranged marriage. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lfqX4MI

Investment adviser raises ‘accountability’ concerns regarding reward 37 times higher than average employee’s Virgin Money bosses could be at risk of an embarrassing investor backlash, after an influential adviser hit out at a £2.6m package for its chief executive, David Duffy, saying it was “not appropriate” compared with the bank’s average employee. Pensions and Investment Research Consultants (Pirc), which advises shareholders including UK local authority pension funds, also raised concerns over what it said was “a lack of board-level accountability for sustainability issues” at Britain’s sixth largest lender. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/smEGrYW

Heavily influenced by the US, Wright perfected a show featuring records split by interviews and comedy Steve Wright, BBC Radio presenter, dies aged 69 Steve Wright was often described, including in many of today’s announcements of his death aged 69, as a DJ. That, though, was barely the third of it. Influenced heavily by the US, where he frequently travelled and had family connections through marriage, Wright set out to become a “talk radio” presenter in the American tradition. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/FSupiDk

Sir Keir Starmer may think his electoral coalition is large enough to take a hit over his Gaza policy. But his colleagues do not “Rather than confront the paramount need to deal with the profoundly serious issue of antisemitism in the [Labour] party, both factions treated it as a factional weapon.” So wrote Martin Forde KC in his landmark 2022 report into allegations of bullying, racism and sexism made during the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. Nothing seems to have changed, according to the barrister. He thought Labour had acted in a “ shambolic ” manner in first backing and then dropping its Rochdale byelection candidate over his objectionable views. Labour had not acted on his report’s recommendation that disciplinary matters be handled in a “neutral and objective way”. Sir Keir Starmer’s party had initially taken no action against its Blairite Muslim candidate Azhar Ali, who had espoused an antisemitic conspiracy theory during a meeting of the Lancashire Labour party. This despite

Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/kgTXWdh

On evenings like these Erik ten Hag must feel he has the golden touch. It was not without a, by-now-customary, spot of bother but Manchester United racked up a fourth straight victory for the first time this season, the substitute Scott McTominay’s powerful late header helping them cut the gap to the top four to six points. Rasmus Højlund opened the scoring, displaying his predatory instincts to register his sixth goal in his past seven appearances, but Douglas Luiz cancelled out that strike midway through the second half, at which point Aston Villa undoubtedly had United on the ropes. It was not quite the late, late show United required at Wolves 10 days ago, McTominay scoring with 86 minutes on the clock, but it no doubt tasted just as sweet for Ten Hag. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/KErY2Oq

“People always go on about space but people forget you can get lost in space.” Bruno Guimarães, however, does not subscribe to Alan Partridge’s mantra, making the most of the acres afforded to him by Nottingham Forest as he scored twice to help Newcastle secure a fourth straight away victory in all competitions. The Brazilian knew exactly where he was when he ghosted at the back post for the opener and completed the scoring in a hectic game when he was gifted the ball in a chasm between Forest’s defence and midfield just outside the area, allowing him time to pick his spot, as the hosts succumbed to their sixth home defeat in seven games to leave them two points above the relegation zone, amid the uncertainty brought by the Premier League charge, that could result in a deduction. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zlPHkwc

Collapse in system of currents that helps regulate global climate would be at such speed that adaptation would be impossible The circulation of the Atlantic Ocean is heading towards a tipping point that is “bad news for the climate system and humanity”, a study has found. The scientists behind the research said they were shocked at the forecast speed of collapse once the point is reached, although they said it was not yet possible to predict how soon that would happen. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/f3RzHSA

Even the psychologist who eventually helped with the diagnosis couldn’t believe I made it to age 36 without anyone figuring it out On our first anniversary, after a few too many old-fashioneds, I asked my husband if he regretted marrying me. “I wouldn’t exactly call it regret,” he said. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZsRbW8r

One expert predicts an extra million babies to be born in China in 2024, the Year of the Dragon, with all the pressure and expectation that come with it Last week in Taiwan, a well-known obstetrician-gynaecologist posted a public service announcement on Facebook, urged aspiring parents not to waste any time. Dr Chih Chun Chen , a director of the Eugene Postpartum Nursing Care Center, told young couples to put 8 May in their calendar if they wanted to give birth to a dragon baby. “Sowing should be completed by May 15 of this year at the latest,” Chen said. “You have to work hard during the New Year!” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/k0iNcpY

Both conservative and liberal justices aggressively questioned argument that Colorado was right in barring Trump The US supreme court heard oral arguments on whether former president Donald Trump should be removed from the ballot on Thursday – and most justices sounded deeply skeptical of the effort. All six of the court’s conservative justices aggressively questioned the arguments that the state of Colorado had been right in determining that Trump should be barred from appearing as a candidate under section three of the US constitution’s 14th amendment. Two of the three liberal justices asked pointed questions as well, an indication that there may be broad consensus to strike down the ruling. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/UzME06B

Conservatives fretting about “the nanny state” have failed to see people’s desperate need for compassionate government The capacity to form an orderly queue is sometimes held up as an admirable quality of the British character, perhaps from historical association with rationing and stoical patience in wartime. But the queue is also an emblem of failure. A famous political advert that helped propel Margaret Thatcher to power in 1979 depicted a line of people waiting to be seen by an unemployment office under the slogan “Labour isn’t working”. Now it is Conservative government that plainly isn’t working, and the queue is for public services. Many people were appalled, but perhaps not surprised, by scenes of queues that lasted three days this week as would-be patients tried to register at a new NHS dental surgery in Bristol. On Wednesday, Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, announced an emergency funding package, offering dentists £50 for every new NHS patient taken on. The Britis

Another opportunity to savour the latest incarnation of one of UK’s shortest-reigning prime ministers Liz Truss is my guilty pleasure. A very expensive one at that. She added thousands to most people’s mortgages in the blink of an eye . But a pleasure nonetheless. Politicians like Liz don’t come round that often. Once in a generation. If that. So we ought to savour her when we can. What Radon Liz – she’s a gas, but she’s inert – lacks in ability she more than compensates for in self-belief. Where she gets this confidence from, no one knows. It’s not even clear if she’s technically alive. Attach an EEG to either side of her head and you will only intermittently pick up a signal. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/xPmlgXL

Just one in 11 men born today can expect to reach retirement age in good health. A system rethink is needed All you need to know about Liz Truss offering lessons on how to be popular is that one of her signature policies is to raise the state pension age to 68 . Such is its vote-winning potential that the plan was ditched by Rishi Sunak’s administration as soon as the electoral consequences became clear. The trouble is not that people are living longer, but that they are living longer with ill health. As it stands, the pension age will rise to 67 in April 2026. At the same time, there has been a sustained rise in people out of work because of sickness. In Greek mythology, Cassandra had the gift of prophecy, but was cursed so no one listened to her. Those making the case that people should have to wait until they are 71 to retire might feel aggrieved that they are being similarly dismissed while speaking the truth. But that fails to understand the hardship, alienation and anguish c

Editorial: The case for investing in under-fives is stronger than ever. Boosting health visitor numbers would make a good start A decade of austerity combined with other factors, including the pandemic, has contributed to a worsening public health picture for the UK. The National Health Service across the four nations is not equipped to cope with current levels of demand, with mental health services under particular strain. The burden of chronic disease keeps increasing. The UK has the third-highest level of obesity in Europe. The outline of this increasingly dire situation is widely accepted. On Monday, Rishi Sunak admitted that his government has not succeeded in cutting waiting lists, as he pledged to. About how to tackle this vast backlog, however, there is less agreement. While health and care services urgently need new funding, there are also calls to address problems caused by poor housing, nutrition and air quality. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5

‘What we showed today was not good enough’ Thiago Silva’s wife writes on X: ‘It’s time to change’ Mauricio Pochettino apologised to the fans, said his team were not good enough and admitted that his job is not safe after Chelsea plunged to an embarrassing 4-2 defeat at home against Wolves. Chelsea dropped to 11th place after their second consecutive defeat and were targeted with furious chants from the home crowd. Raheem Sterling was booed when he was substituted, fans near the dugout aimed their ire at Pochettino and a section of supporters sang for Roman Abramovich, the club’s former owner, and José Mourinho, who is available after being fired by Roma. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/diaUmeA

And they said it was a decent time to face Aston Villa. True, since Sheffield United, of all teams, prevented Villa from reaching the summit of the Premier League late last year, Unai Emery has seen his side stutter slightly. A run of one victory in five league games has, for the first time since the manager’s appointment, posed more questions than it has offered answers. Well, those who doubted Villa’s durability may want to pause for thought. This was a separation in class, an exercise in Villa incision and in shadow chasing for their hapless hosts. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/RyQT86k

Outrage over plans to unwind Māori policies may confront New Zealand’s leaders at Waitangi Day events this week Thousands of Māori gather to tell New Zealand’s government: you cannot marginalise us New Zealand’s new government can expect quite the welcome next week at Waitangi, the tranquil northern bay where the country’s founding document was signed 184 years ago. Outraged by the government’s proposals to drastically unwind policies that support Māori and to review the country’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, Māori have galvanised across tribes and movements in a way not seen in decades. Some of the government’s attempts are already being challenged in the courts, and given the level of opposition from well-funded Māori organisations, the list of challenges will grow. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/iCbsoGe

The staggering death rate already seen does not fully capture the human pain and misery War deaths are not only caused by direct violence, and they don’t stop when the fighting does. Civilians as well as combatants may succumb to earlier injuries, or to hunger and disease in the aftermath of conflict. In the longer run, disruption of food production, damage to infrastructure and suspension of medical services such as routine vaccinations can all result in peacetime deaths which are ultimately attributable to the war. Women and children are disproportionately affected. More than 27,000 people have now been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities. Tens of thousands of people are injured, in many cases with life-changing injuries. What will become of those now known by the chilling abbreviation WCNSF – “Wounded child, no surviving family” ? Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/vtV8D1d