Bodhana Sivanandan is youngest ever female international masterThe 11-year-old English chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has recorded her greatest achievement yet. She has become the youngest girl ever to qualify for the international master (IM) title, which is one rung below grandmaster. In doing so she has eclipsed the record of Judit Polgár, generally regarded as the strongest woman player of all time, who was was 12 years and 2 months old when she earned her IM title. Bodhana is 11 years and seven months old. Chessbase quotes Bodhana's fellow IM, the English Chess Federation's director of international chess, Malcolm Pein: "I can only describe Bodhana as a ... (more) |
Lime Garden: Moving TargetLike most of the contemporary singles I like, this is more about melody than rhythm and a bit retro. But then I long ago passed the age when you were meant to stop liking what was in the charts - when there was a meaningful singles chart, that is. Lime Garden are an all-female indie band from Brighton. To add to the retro feel, this single does not come from their recent second album Maybe Not Tonight. DIY Mag says of it: Produced by Charlie Andrew, the track explores the pull of falling for someone you know isn't right for ... (more) |
Yes, I'm still in favour of making the House of Lords democraticThe latest edition of my email newsletter about work in Parliament, A Lord's Eye View, is out and you can also read it in full below. But if you'd like to get future editions emailed direct to you as soon as they are published, sign up now: Welcome to my latest update on work in the House of Lords which this time looks at reforming the place. My experience since joining the Lords last year has refined, expanded and improved my views on how the second chamber of our Parliament should be reformed – but it hasn't changed my commitment ... (more) |
British music only!John Harris' column in the Guardian contains some surprising news. He tells us that GB News, that bracingly rightwing TV channel whose regular faces include Nigel Farage, the Reform MP Lee Anderson and the party's failed byelection candidate Matt Goodwin, is about to launch a music radio station: According to its promotional blurb, it will be "dedicated exclusively to artists from Great Britain and Northern Ireland", with tagline "all British, all day". By way of further explanation, one of its presenters, the black GB News host Nana Akua, says that "It's easy to forget how this country has shaped the ... (more) |
Whickham North Focus deliveryAnother Saturday and another Focus delivery for Lib Dems in Gateshead. I was given a patch to deliver which I know well. It is now a part of Whickham North and Swalwell ward but until May this year it had been part of my ward. Lunch back at the home of Councillors Peter and Susan Craig.Timing of this action day was spot on. It was dry this morning although it start to drizzle at midday. Had (more) |
There's no good news on the restoration of Ludlow's town wallsThere's no sign of restoration beginning on the stretch of Ludlow's remaining medieval town walls that collapsed more than 13 years ago. The latest new comes from the Ludlow & Tenbury Wells Advertiser: Seven firms have declined to help the town council replace scaffolding at a partially collapsed section of Ludlow's historic town wall. ... Last December, Longmynd Consultants produced a report examining whether the scaffolding provided structural support. The firm concluded it "did not appear to offer any buttressing or structural support" and said it could potentially be removed if loose stonework was taken down or an alternative method ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1596Chris Grey detects "an upsurge of discussion about whether and how the UK could join (or 'rejoin') the EU, whether that would be welcomed by the EU, and, if so, on what terms and in what timescale." "In place of declared 'diplomats' well known to local counterintelligence officers, operations have been outsourced to disposable proxies recruited for a pittance. These people are often unaware of who their handlers are or their mission's real goals." Russian sabotage efforts now draw upon the gig economy, explains Elena Grossfeld. "At GCSE level, when science is compulsory for all students, Franklin is the only ... (more) |
Southwell Minster faces building repair bill of £20mSouthwell Minster is in financial crisis, with more than £20m of building repairs needed and concern over its long-term future, reports West Bridgford Wire: The Reverend Canon Dr Stephen Evans, who became Dean in April, revealed the scale of the difficulties following a six-week review of the Minster's accounts. An emergency meeting was held and a report submitted to the Charity Commission. In a letter to the congregation, the Dean said the repair deficit for the Minster's buildings exceeded £20 million. Water reportedly poured through the cathedral roof during the Southwell Music Festival, while lighting on the north side of ... (more) |
Latest voting intention and leadership ratings opinion pollsWelcome to my summary of the latest national voting intention polls for the next general election, along with the latest MRP projections and party leadership ratings. If you'd like to find out more about how polls work, how reliable they are and how to make sense of them, check out my book, Polling UnPacked: the History, Uses and Abuses of Political Opinion Polls, or sign up for my weekly email, The Week in Polls: General election voting intention polls PollsterConLabLDGrnRefLab leadFieldwork Opinium 20% (nc) 30% (+1) 9% (nc) 10% (+1) 22% (-1) 8% (vs Ref) 21-23/10 GB Find Out Now ... (more) |
London's football pitch crisis is freezing out disabled children. We must stop treating inclusion as a charity luxuryThere is a cruel irony at play on London's public sports pitches. While national governing bodies proudly launch multi-million-pound strategies to make football "the people's game," the cold reality of urban economics is quietly locking the most vulnerable children out of the sport entirely. For young Londoners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), the barrier to entry is no longer just a lack of willing coaches; it is a hyper-financialised property market that has turned the simple act of kicking a football into a luxury. On paper, the vision is exactly what the sport has desperately needed. The FA's ... (more) |