Mubeen Blogs

Despite initial excitement after becoming the first Black leader of any British political party, a cooling to Badenoch’s ascent is on the horizon • Don’t get The Long Wave delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. I am writing to you fully refreshed following a whole two hours’ sleep after watching the US election. This week, as one Black woman’s electoral fortunes collapse in the United States, a Black woman in the UK, Kemi Badenoch, has made a breakthrough. I spoke to Eromo Egbejule, our west Africa correspondent, about how her election was received in Nigeria, and how Black representation in politics is often a more complicated story than it looks. But first, here’s the weekly roundup. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/xJ34XA9

How else to explain Honest Bob Jenrick winding up as shadow justice secretary? Spare a thought for the losers. Not those like James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat, Steve Barclay. Or Jeremy Hunt and Oliver Dowden, who politely declined all offers to serve in the shadow cabinet. They had their self-worth to consider. Hard to believe, but true nonetheless. Instead, consider those who desired high office – if that isn’t an oxymoron for the shadow cabinet. Take Suella Braverman and Esther McVey. Gutted to have been overlooked. Their credentials impeccable. Both with an unblemished track record of insanity and incompetence. How much more useless did they have to be for Kemi Badenoch to give them the nod? Imagine the insult. Thought to be less hopeless than Priti Patel or Chris Philp. You’re never going to recover from that. Just left to wander the backbenches. Taking the Lead by John Crace is published by Little, Brown (£18.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbo

RFK Jr, an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist, says Trump promised him control over public health policy if he wins US elections 2024 – live updates Donald Trump has suggested vaccines could be banned if he becomes president, in the clearest sign yet of a radical shake-up in public health policy should he put his ally Robert F Kennedy Jr in charge of it. Trump on Sunday told NBC that Kennedy, the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and former independent candidate who dropped out and endorsed Trump, would have a “big role in the administration” if wins Tuesday’s presidential election. Trump said he would talk to Kennedy about vaccinations. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/TkEVAjK

Jostling for position before eventual debt-for-equity swap gives opportunity to fight for £3bn lifeline with least worst terms Roll up, roll up, who wants to lend £3bn to Thames Water, a company already drowning in debt? It turns out a lot of people do. Two rival groups of existing creditors – one representing the A class of bondholders, the other the junior Bs – have tabled proposals to provide the company with a “liquidity runway”, meaning emergency cash to get it through the next year or so. At some point in that period, it is hoped, Thames would set about the more fundamental task of imposing losses on those same debtholders to clear the decks for new shareholders to inject capital. None of this is straightforward and some of today’s bondholders will probably also be tomorrow’s shareholders, assuming a debt-for-equity swap is possible. And “runway” is probably the wrong metaphor. We’re really talking about a sticking plaster before the main surgery on the balance sheet can begin.

The national treasure is back with a witty, warm televisual wonder, this time exploring the most populous and stunningly biodiverse continent. But where is the urgency about the climate crisis? The clocks change, the nights draw in, and along comes David Attenborough to ease those autumnal blues. Right on cue, he is here, narrating another magnificent series about weird and wonderful nature that allows him to say delicious, fantastical phrases such as “a special set of grasping belly fins”. The continent of Asia covers almost a third of the planet’s land area, and encompasses desert, forest, mountains and frozen wilderness. It is also the most populous continent, forcing humans and animals to coexist “in the most remarkable ways”. In short, it’s a place full of the kind of stories on which nature documentaries thrive, covering all sorts of terrain and ecosystems, and this first episode is an excuse to explore a massive swathe of water, with its 21 oceans and seas. As ever, this is a

They came more in expectation than hope: a modern-day record 3,110 of them crammed into the Sussex Transport Community Stadium like the mackerels that adorn Worthing’s badge. Some mooted Cup upsets are born of the heart, fuelled by an alluring backstory that taps into society’s natural inclination to cheer for underdogs that have overcome adversity to challenge those more distinguished. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/plFbdGP

Israeli student filed lawsuit after suspension for spraying pro-Palestimian protesters with foul-smelling substance Columbia University has reached a $395,000 settlement with a student who was suspended in January after spraying student protesters with a foul-smelling substance at one of several campus demonstrations in support of Palestine. The Israeli student who received the payout had been suspended until May. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/bsdou2g

Russell Bruce Moncrief, 75, faces counts of human trafficking and racketeering over ‘sickening scheme’ A bail bondsman is facing criminal charges in Florida for allegedly approaching incarcerated women and offering to bond them out if they give him sex in return. Russell Bruce Moncrief faces counts of human trafficking and racketeering – along with accusations that he used his authority within the criminal justice system to prey on particularly vulnerable women, said a recent news release from the office of the state’s attorney general, Ashley Moody. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/T9ZLyVH

Daniel Khalife, 23, says he absconded because he was ‘terrified’ of being locked up with dangerous offenders A former British soldier has told a jury he did not hand himself in after he escaped from prison because he was “finally demonstrating what a foolish idea it was” to imprison someone with his “skill set”. Daniel Khalife, 23, told the court he absconded from Wandsworth prison while on remand because he was “terrified” of being locked up with “serious sex offenders” and “terrorists” who wanted to kill him, and that he did not think his imprisonment would be in the public interest. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Fo97KzS