Keir Starmer says the prime minister has no option but to call a general election
Rishi Sunak was dealt a series of shattering blows last night as Labour won a knife-edge battle to seize the West Midlands mayoralty from the Conservatives and Sadiq Khan trounced his Tory rival in London to secure a third term.
The results, along with decisive victories for Labouras Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester, Steve Rotheram in Liverpool and Tracy Brabin in West Yorkshire, left Labour in charge of most of Englandas mayoralties.
Continue reading...Britain has turned out in force to vote for change. Whenever the Tories go to the country, we will be ready to provide it
Rishi Sunak might have been too scared to put his name on the ballot this week, but voters sent him a clear message in the local elections anyway. Across the country, people turned out to vote for change a from the manufacturing heartlands of Derby to industrial Redditch and Thurrock in Essex. In Aldershot, home of the British army, Labour won Rushmoor borough council, ending 24 years of Tory rule. Ten more police and crime commissioners a which, as a former chief prosecutor, makes me incredibly proud. And in York and North Yorkshire, the first Labour mayor, in the prime ministeras back garden.
Victories in traditional Tory territory across the country are important to me. Itas not just about the numbers, though of course they matter: itas the choice of the electorate to turn their back on 14 years of decline and division, and embrace national renewal with Labour.
Continue reading...Running as a apseudo-independenta in a region in which Labour faced its own hurdles was not enough to keep Tory mayor in office
After a nail-biting finale, Andy Street has become the most high-profile victim of tanking Tory support in Mayas elections.
With the Conservatives shedding seats across the country on Friday, all eyes were on the West Midlands on Saturday to see if he could cling on by sheer will of personality a or aBrand Andya as he calls it.
Continue reading...Rob Ford was part of the BBC team analysing the local election results as they poured in over the past 48 hours. Here he tells how a dramatic set of results for the government unfolded
The nervous wait for the first result was longer than usual, as counting centres wrestled with multiple ballots for councils, mayors and police and crime commissioners. It was well past midnight on Friday morning when the first ward flashed up, coming as always from Sunderland, which prides itself on its rapid vote counting. A big Tory to Labour swing in Sunderlandas Copt Hill.
As we moved into the small hours of the morning, the flow of data rose from a trickle to a torrent, and an overall picture began to form. Voters clearly wanted the Conservatives out. Who they wanted instead was less clear.
Continue reading...Devastating defeats give Tory MPs more reasons to fear what will befall them when the country delivers its verdict
The mayoral elections demonstrated that there is a way to win for a Conservative. This is to make out that you have nothing to do with the Tories.
Of the metro mayorships that were up for grabs, just one has been bagged for the Conservatives. The re-election of Ben Houchen in Tees Valley is being used as a human shield by Rishi Sunak to fend off any attempt to depose him from Downing Street. Heas relying on this sole glimmer of cheer for his party to convince it that a disastrous general election defeat is not inevitable and to blunt the daggers of those in his own party who want him gone.
Continue reading...Union to campaign against single-phrase Ofsted judgments, threatening possible strike action
Headteachers in England are to launch a campaign for the abolition of ainhumane and unreliablea single-phrase school inspection judgments, threatening legal challenges and possible strike action if the government refuses reforms.
Delegates to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) annual conference committed the union ato explore all campaign, legal and industrial routes to secure necessary changes to inspection to safeguard leadersa lives,a after the suicide last year of the headteacher Ruth Perry.
Continue reading...Egyptian and US mediators report signs of compromise, but many analysts remain pessimistic
Hopes of a ceasefire in Gaza rose on Saturday as a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo to continue indirect talks, with what is believed to be a response to a new proposal, reportedly agreed by Israel, to halt fighting for an initial 40 days and exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
Egyptian and US mediators have reported signs of compromise in recent days and Egyptian state news channel Al-Qahera said on Saturday that a consensus had been reached in the indirect talks over many of the disputed points but gave no further details.
Continue reading...Firms said food and plant checks and Latin names causing costly delays with lorries waiting hours in first week of post-EU regime
Of all the effects of Brexit, probably the least anticipated was that flower exporters and customs officials would have to learn Latin.
But that is one of the problems that confronted British businesses in the first week after the government introduced physical checks on some food and plants from the EU.
Continue reading...Daniel Rooney stood in at 30-minutesa notice on Friday night when Mursa flight from London was cancelled
A Scottish singer has said he is astill on a higha after being plucked from obscurity to replace Olly Murs as the opening act for Take That at the last minute.
Murs was due to open for Take That at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on Friday but had to pull out after getting stuck in London when his flight was cancelled.
Continue reading...Kyiv says Moscow forces have gained afootholda in area north of Donetsk city after pounding depleted defenders
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by the Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Russian troops have been advancing in the area, pounding Kyivas depleted, ammunition-deprived forces with artillery, drones and bombs. Ukraineas military has acknowledged that Russia has gained a afootholda in Ocheretyne, which had a population of about 3,000 before the war, but says the fighting there is continuing.
Continue reading...Family say they are adevastateda by fatal stabbing of 14-year-old, as his favourite football team, Arsenal, remember him at Emirates Stadium
The family of Daniel Anjorin have issued a statement paying tribute to their son, who was fatally stabbed as he walked to school, as Arsenal football club led tributes to the teenager.
Daniel, a 14-year-old football fan, was attacked with a sword in Hainault, east London, and suffered fatal wounds to his neck and chest.
Continue reading...Banned dogs found on allotment where officers described conditions as aappallinga
More than 20 dogs have been seized after police raided a suspected illegal XL bully breeding farm in Sheffield.
Twenty-two animals were seized from an allotment on Thursday, including mothers and puppies, which were being kept in what officers described as aappalling conditionsa.
Continue reading...Interior minister Nancy Faeser promises atough actiona to protect democracy as political assaults rise
The German interior minister Nancy Faeser has vowed to fight a surge in violence against politicians after a German member of the European parliament had to be taken to hospital following an attack while he was campaigning for re-election.
Matthias Ecke, 41, a member of Faeseras Social Democrats (SPD), was hit and kicked by a group of four people while putting up posters in Dresden, capital of the eastern state of Saxony, police said. An SPD source said his injuries would require an operation.
Continue reading...UK medicines regulator says information on boxes of montelukast will alert users to risk of mood and behaviour changes
More than 500 adverse neuropsychiatric reactions have been reported in children under the age of nine involving an asthma drug which is to get new warnings over its risks.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced last week that more prominent warnings would be added to the information provided on boxes of the asthma drug montelukast, sold under the brand name Singulair.
Continue reading...Government investigation into wartime atrocities on Channel Island will ask why Nazi perpetrators never stood trial in Britain
The government inquiry into Nazi wartime atrocities on the Channel Island of Alderney has been extended to investigate why none of the Nazi perpetrators responsible for the crimes was put on trial in Britain, the Observer can reveal.
Originally set up to review the number of victims in camps on the island, the inquiry will release a report later this month revealing the full scale of the aunspeakable and unimaginable brutality and sadisma that occurred on British soil.
Continue reading...His constantly evolving works have been hailed as landmarks of the minimalist and post-painterly abstraction art movements
Frank Stella, a painter, sculptor and printmaker whose constantly evolving works are hailed as landmarks of the minimalist and post-painterly abstraction art movements, died on Saturday at his home in Manhattan. He was 87.
Gallery owner Jeffrey Deitch, who spoke with Stellaas family, confirmed his death to the Associated Press. Stellaas wife, Harriet McGurk, told the New York Times that he died of lymphoma.
Continue reading...The Home Office last week launched a nationwide operation to round up asylum seekers, leaving many fearful and confused
At 2.37pm on Thursday news that a man had adisappeareda rippled through Londonas raid-resistance WhatsApp groups. The asylum seeker had walked into the Home Office immigration reporting centre in Hounslow, west London, for a routine appointment, as many people seeking refuge in Britain are required to do. His brother waited outside.
But the man did not come out. Ten minutes passed, then 20, then an hour, then three. The brother waiting outside went in, and came out with bad news: his sibling had been detained and told he faced being deported to Rwanda.
Continue reading...Russian forces are advancing in the countryas eastern regions, but the recent arrival of US arms could help turn the tide
It was a perfect May evening. Daria Karpinska and her friends sat in the corner of a five-a-side pitch and played cards. Nearby was their school. Swifts had returned to their village of Hrodivka and screeched in a sunny blue sky.
Suddenly, a loud whoosh-whoosh noise interrupted the teenagersa game of afoola: the sound of a Grad missile. Seconds later came the boom of artillery. aItas louder today than yesterday,a said 14-year-old Karpinska matter-of-factly.
Continue reading...More than 1,400 people have been arrested as police dismantle campus encampments a but are the tactics used too brutal?
More than 1,400 people have been arrested across the US during a week of intense police crackdowns on a sprawling campus movement of pro-Palestine student demonstrations.
As Joe Biden defended studentsa free speech rights but warned them that adissent must never lead to disordera, colleges across the country brought law enforcement to campus to arrest dozens or even hundreds of protesters and clear away their encampments.
Continue reading...From the Turkish Riviera to the Ale de RA(c), we select quiet and unspoilt places to stay for sun, sand, snorkelling a or just snoozing
Thereas something quite particular about small but perfectly formed Assos a butterscotch and rose-pink houses line a horseshoe bay, with Venetian ruins scattered between the narrow alleys. There are two small beaches, but the real joy is to rent a motor boat and discover the small bays and coves that fringe this part of the Cephalonian coast. Walkers can follow the path out on to the headland to the ruins of Assosas 16th-century castle; thereas not a huge amount to see, but the views make the walk worth it. Roi Suites is a bougainvillaea-clad cluster of well-equipped studio flats in a waterfront neoclassical building, with gorgeous sea views from the pool terrace.
Doubles from APS117 (minimum seven nights), roisuites.com
The troubled child actor turned chatshow host faces flak for her toe-curling interview with Kamala Harris. But oversharing is all part of her shtick
An office-style desk was once the key prop on a television chatshow a a standard piece of kit beloved of Johnny Carson and David Letterman, not to mention Britainas Jonathan Ross. Then the comfy sofa took over and guests began to scooch along, making room for each other. Now, though, under the auspices of Drew Barrymore, host of a daytime show on CBS, itas the lowly rug that is taking centre stage.
Barrymore, who is still best known internationally for her childhood role as the little girl in ET, likes to interact with her guests on a fluffy rug in the middle of her set in New Yorkas Broadcast Center. She has prostrated herself upon it more than once in front of her studio audience and prefers it to the showas pink satin armchairs.
Continue reading...As China launches its Changae-6 mission to the far side of the moon, US officials have expressed alarm at the pace of its advancements
The worsening rivalry between the worldas two most powerful countries that has in recent years spread across the world, has now extended beyond the terrestrial, into the realms of the celestial.
As China has become deeply enmeshed in strategic competition with the US a while edging towards outright hostilities with other regional neighbours a Washingtonas alarm at the pace of its advancement in space is growing ever-louder.
Continue reading...Asked 10 random questions, the philosopher and author shares the strangest thing heas done for love, his famous hair and his fears for the future of the moon
Your latest book is called Who Owns the Moon. Who owns the moon?
Well, nobody does and thatas part of the problem. Billions are being invested in exploiting the moon, because there are some very valuable resources there that are in short supply back on this planet. There will be great technological spin offs when thereas settlement on the moon. But I wrote the book because I feel that the regulatory framework that exists for activity out in space is very, very weak.
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Continue reading...Girona briefly promised the unlikeliest of triumphs but the sheer variety in Ancelottias side made them a cut above the rest
Over two hours had passed since the final whistle went on Real Madridas 3-0 victory over Cadiz and some of their players were still inside inside the Santiago BernabA(c)u watching on TV when they officially found out they were champions, but they had known for a long time. The title, eventually delivered by Gironaas 4-2 victory over Barcelona 681 kilometres to the north-east and confirmed at 8.30pm on the 34th Saturday of the season, did not see them board an open-top bus down the Castellana to Cibeles, although fans did gather by the goddess of fertility. There was more to do a Bayern Munich come on Wednesday night a and, besides, this was already done.
It had been for some time. Two weeks earlier, Jude Bellingham had scored a 94th-minute goal to win the clA!sico, their last remaining contenders eliminated, if you could truly call Barcelona that. Two months earlier they had put four past the nearest thing they had to genuine challengers, effectively eliminating Girona too: they were the most exciting, the most surprising team but they would not be champions. As for AtlA(c)tico Madrid, the only team to defeat Real all season, they had eliminated themselves even sooner, gone by Christmas. This hadnat been a race; ultimately, it had been a parade.
Continue reading...So a Michelin-starred chef said he loathed our one truly globally renowned dish. I beg to differ
Across Britain today, hundreds of thousands of us will tuck into one of the worldas most perfect dishes. Crispy batter encasing flaky fish; a steaming pile of chips, some soft, some crunchy, some large, some merely a scrap; acidic condiments and sides to balance the salt and fat.
Yet the Michelin-starred chef Dominic Chapman, of eponymous restaurant in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, caused a stir last week by claiming in an interview with Restaurant magazine that fish and chips a specifically afrom a fish and chip shopa a was his most overrated food. Chapman didnat provide a reason, but the dish is by no means ubiquitously loved. Writing in the Guardian a few years back, the journalist Alexi Duggins called it aa dreadful, dreadfula meal and a aconceptual disastera. To many itas a grease-on-grease, mush-on-mush assault on our digestion.
Continue reading...(Warner)
Talk of a new musical direction proves unfounded as the Grammy-winning singeras third album shares more retro-inspired dance pop and lessons from her love life
Dua Lipaas last album, 2020as Future Nostalgia, moved the cultural dial. Released into the pandemic, it was ubiquitous, neon-hued and life-affirming, winning two Brits and her third Grammy overall, confirming Lipa as an international superstar. It also kicked off a disco revival boom echoed through numerous other artists, not least dance-pop veteran Kylie Minogue, RA3isAn Murphy and Jessie Ware. Even BeyoncA(c) went disco for her Renaissance (2022), saluting Black queer culture.
But in the video for Lipaas Barbie soundtrack hit of 2023, Dance the Night, a mirror ball shatters. And the messaging around Lipaas third album, Radical Optimism, has been keen to fast-forward her into a new era, establish the requisite fresh narrative and, perhaps, move the dial again.
Continue reading...A rocky patch in Ava and Loganas marriage forced them to talk openly about their desires a and now theyare having their best sex ever
How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously
We watch porn frequently, which is a positive thing we do together. Iave learned new things about my own body
Continue reading...Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland is aback to businessa after the strikeras four-goal haul in Manchester Cityas 5-1 defeat of Wolves, with the manager urging the champions to win their final three Premier League games to ensure a record fourth consecutive title.
Haaland scored a first-half hat-trick, including two penalties, and added his fourth following the break to take his Premier League tally to 25 at the Etihad Stadium. Victory kept City a single point behind Arsenal a but Guardiolaas side have a game in hand. If they beat Fulham next Saturday and Mikel Artetaas side lose at Manchester United the following day, City can retain the championship by beating Tottenham on Tuesday week.
Continue reading...Iga Swiatek may still be in the early years of her career, still in the process of learning her craft, gaining new tools while yet to reach her peak, but at the same time she continues to make her mark in tennisas history books at a startling pace.
At 22, Swiatek has now won every single significant clay court event on the WTA tour, an achievement she earned on Saturday evening by outlasting Aryna Sabalenka in an incredible battle of the highest quality between the two best players in the world. After three hours and 11 minutes in Madrid, Swiatek saved three match points and emerged victorious in a match that will go down in history for its greatness, defeating Sabalenka 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7).
Continue reading...The Scotland back couldnat be happier after switch to French club who face Harlequins in a Champions Cup semi-final
Itas been five months since Blair Kinghorn decided to move from Edinburgh to Toulouse mid-season. Heas played 10 games and won every one of them. Toulouse are second in the Top 14, two points off Stade FranASSais, and have a home semi-final against Harlequins in the Champions Cup on Sunday.
Kinghorn has scored six tries and eanred himself a spot in a freewheeling backline that includes Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, and Thomas Ramos. Heas been playing in front of a 20,000 home crowd every other week. And he and his fiancee are settled into their new house, next door to his friend and teammate Jack Willis.
Continue reading...Have you ever had the experience of getting tantalisingly close to a big opportunity in your creative career a but not quite making it? Maybe it was a pitch, or a competition, a publishing opportunity, a senior role, or a funding application. Maybe you got really positive feedback. They said you were great, your work […]
The post Are You in the Ballpark? (finally, The 21st Century Creative on YouTube) appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
When the Covid 19 pandemic struck in 2020, human life on earth was massively disrupted. Not only the human tragedy of millions of lives lost, but also the social and economic damage caused by the virus and our attempts to control it. As a writer and a coach for creatives, I have been particularly concerned […]
The post Creative Disruption: How 12 Creatives on 5 Continents Rose to the Challenge of the Pandemic appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Welcome to Episode 10 of the Creative Disruption season of The 21st Century Creative, where we are hearing stories of creatives around the world who came up with a creative response to the challenges of the pandemic. Itas been my most ambitious season yet, with creatives from 5 continents and probably the closest Iall ever […]
The post How I Created, Funded and Launched My New Podcast (while the World Was in Meltdown) appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Welcome to Episode 9 of the Creative Disruption season of The 21st Century Creative, where we are hearing stories of creatives around the world who came up with a creative response to the challenges of the pandemic. This week we are off to Tokyo, to meet Ichi Hatano, a wonderful artist whose work has deep […]
The post From Tattoos to NFTs with Ichi Hatano appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Welcome to Episode 8 of the Creative Disruption season of The 21st Century Creative, where we are hearing stories of creatives around the world who came up with a creative response to the challenges of the pandemic. Have you ever had the idea for a creative project that youave never quite got round to starting? […]
The post Using Lockdown to Launch a Dream Project with Nicky Mondellini appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
If you work on your own a in your office or studio, or your bedroom or at your kitchen table a it can feel like no one is watching. So it doesnat matter whether you show up. If you skipped a day on your novel, who would know? If you didnat go to the studio […]
The post All Arts Are Performing Arts appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Welcome to Episode 7 of the Creative Disruption season of The 21st Century Creative, where we are hearing stories of creatives around the world who came up with a creative response to the challenges of the pandemic. Today weare focusing on a creative sector that is close to my heart, which was massively disrupted but […]
The post Taking Deep Work Online with Laura Davis appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
A few months ago I was listening to the DavidBowie: AlbumtoAlbum podcast, a terrific show about Bowie hosted by Arsalan Mohammed. In Season 3 episode 11 Arsalan spoke to Donny McCaslin, the leader of the jazz band that Bowie discovered in a New York club, and asked to work with him on what turned out […]
The post Sometimes You Have to Grind the Work Out appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Welcome to Episode 6 of the Creative Disruption season of The 21st Century Creative, where we are hearing stories of creatives around the world who came up with a creative response to the challenges of the pandemic. Today we are off to Australia in the company of Charlotte Abroms, a music manager based in Melbourne […]
The post Helping Musicians Through Lockdown with Charlotte Abroms appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Last week I suggested that if youare serious about achieving your creative ambitions, you need to think in terms of projects, not tasks. Because if you get up every morning and ask yourself aWhat should I work on today?a you risk making decisions based on what feels urgent right now, rather than what will make […]
The post Work on Multifaceted Projects appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Welcome to Episode 5 of the CREATIVE DISRUPTION season of The 21st Century Creative, where we are hearing stories of creatives around the world who came up with a creative response to the challenges of the pandemic. Today we are going to look at one of the biggest challenge for many people during lockdown, whether […]
The post Staying Creative as a Parent (Even in a Pandemic) with Kay Lock Kolp appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
When we think of productivity we typically think about tasks and to-do lists, working habits and routines. We focus on how to make the most of our time on a daily or at most a weekly basis. All of which is great, but if this is all we focus on, thereas a danger of getting […]
The post Focus on Projects, Not Tasks appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Welcome to Episode 4 of the CREATIVE DISRUPTION season of The 21st Century Creative, where we are hearing stories of creatives around the world who came up with a creative response to the challenges of the pandemic. Today we meet Amrita Kumar, the co-founder and CEO of Candid Marketing, an innovative marketing agency in India. […]
The post Launching a New Business in the Pandemic with Amrita Kumar appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Marketing is a word that strikes fear into the heart of a lot of creatives. Itas an area where a lot of us feel we donat have a natural talent a weare far more comfortable making work than telling the world about it, let alone trying to get people to buy it. One reason for […]
The post Make Your Marketing Personal with a Media Dashboard appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Welcome to Episode 3 of the CREATIVE DISRUPTION season of The 21st Century Creative, where we are hearing stories of creatives around the world who came up with a creative response to the challenges of the pandemic. Today we are looking at the world of film and TV production, which was massively disrupted by the […]
The post Rebooting Global Filming with Hometeam appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
A lot of creative professions involve submitting work to gatekeepers of various kinds: agents, editors, publishers, gallerists, funders, producers, studios and competition judges and so on. Yes, the 21st century gives us plenty of options for creating things without gatekeepers a you can sell direct, build your own platform, launch your own event, self-publish or […]
The post Why Rejection Doesnat (Necessarily) Mean Your Work Isnat Good Enough appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Welcome to Episode 2 of the CREATIVE DISRUPTION season of The 21st Century Creative, where we are hearing stories of creatives around the world who came up with a creative response to the challenges of the pandemic. This week we are off to South Africa, to hear from Earl Abrahams, an artist and filmmaker who […]
The post Lockdown Series: Windows on a Changed World with Earl Abrahams appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
aEat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day.a This quote is often attributed to Mark Twain. Apparently thereas no hard evidence linking it to him, but that hasnat stopped it from concentrating the minds of many people when they ask themselves […]
The post Eat that Frog (But Eat the Cake as Well) appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Today we kick off Season 6 of The 21st Century Creative, the podcast that helps you thrive as a creative professional amid the demands, distractions and opportunities of the 21st Century. The theme for this season is CREATIVE DISRUPTION. Every episode will feature an interview with a creator whose work was disrupted by the Covid-19 […]
The post The Rocky Road for Theatre through the Pandemic with Steven Kunis appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
I hope this finds you as well as can be. Here in the UK weare bracing for what we are assured will be a large wave of Omicron. I know things may be very different for you, depending on where you are in the world. But whatever the circumstances, I hope you are finding your […]
The post Video: Forget the Career Ladder a Start Creating Assets appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Today is the launch of my new podcast, and itas something Iave been planning and dreaming of sharing with you for years. Itas called A Mouthful of Air. And in several ways, itas the opposite of my 21st Century Creative podcast. I designed the two shows to work together from the start, although it’s taken […]
The post My new podcast (and why itas the opposite of The 21st Century Creative) appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Last night I was about to go to bed when I suddenly remembered an idea Iad had for an article a few months ago. Though I say so myself, it was a great idea, and I was keen to revisit it, so I opened up the Scrivener project where I had written it downa| and […]
The post Ideas Are Leprechauns appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Todayas guest on The 21st Century Creative is Michael Bungay Stanier, a returning guest whose interview way back in Season 1 proved very popular. And his book The Coaching Habit turned out to be even more popular, as it went on to sell three quarters of a million copies. Michael is back with some excellent […]
The post Avoiding the Advice Trap with Michael Bungay Stanier appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
A lot of productivity advice tells us that we need to stop procrastinating, beat Resistance, and get things done. The Americans like to talk about ashippinga, meaning finished and sent out for delivery. This emphasis on getting things done and out to market is part of their extraordinary entrepreneurial culture. Famously, Guy Kawasaki even said […]
The post Every Creative Project Is a Revolving Door appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Todayas guest on The 21st Century Creative is Krystal Lauk, an illustrator who took an unconventional path by creating illustrations for tech companies, and founded a studio that counts Google, Uber, Facebook and The New York Times among its clients. Itas a fascinating story of discovery and enterprise at what Krystal calls athe intersection of […]
The post The 21st Century Illustrator with Krystal Lauk appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Iave recently started taking one-to-one Japanese conversation lessons. It hasnat been easy. In fact, itas been a bit of a humbling experience. Between work and family responsibilities, I only have 30 minutes a day to study Japanese, and Iave spent this time every day for the past two years memorising kanji characters, vocabulary and grammar […]
The post You Have to be Bad to Get Good appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Todayas guest on The 21st Century Creative is Cynthia Morris, a coach for creatives who shares insights on the book-writing process, based on her latest book The Busy Womanas Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book. So if you are contemplating writing a book – whether itas your first one or your twenty-first – there is […]
The post Writing a World-Changing Book with Cynthia Morris appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
If you think about overhearing something, you probably think of listening to someone elseas conversation, whether deliberately or accidentally, and picking up a titbit of information that you would never otherwise have been privy to. It might be funny, or shocking or useful, or – as in the case of so many loud phone calls […]
The post The Art of Overhearing Yourself appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Todayas guest on The 21st Century Creative is Emily Kimelman, a thriller author who has travelled the world in a boat and criss-crossed the USA in an Airstream trailer while writing and publishing her books, and selling hundreds of thousands of copies in the process. Emilyas adventurous spirit shines through in her writing as well […]
The post The Adventure of Writing with Emily Kimelman appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness | Since 1996.
Keir Starmer says the prime minister has no option but to call a general election
Rishi Sunak was dealt a series of shattering blows last night as Labour won a knife-edge battle to seize the West Midlands mayoralty from the Conservatives and Sadiq Khan trounced his Tory rival in London to secure a third term.
The results, along with decisive victories for Labouras Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester, Steve Rotheram in Liverpool and Tracy Brabin in West Yorkshire, left Labour in charge of most of Englandas mayoralties.
Continue reading...Britain has turned out in force to vote for change. Whenever the Tories go to the country, we will be ready to provide it
Rishi Sunak might have been too scared to put his name on the ballot this week, but voters sent him a clear message in the local elections anyway. Across the country, people turned out to vote for change a from the manufacturing heartlands of Derby to industrial Redditch and Thurrock in Essex. In Aldershot, home of the British army, Labour won Rushmoor borough council, ending 24 years of Tory rule. Ten more police and crime commissioners a which, as a former chief prosecutor, makes me incredibly proud. And in York and North Yorkshire, the first Labour mayor, in the prime ministeras back garden.
Victories in traditional Tory territory across the country are important to me. Itas not just about the numbers, though of course they matter: itas the choice of the electorate to turn their back on 14 years of decline and division, and embrace national renewal with Labour.
Continue reading...Running as a apseudo-independenta in a region in which Labour faced its own hurdles was not enough to keep Tory mayor in office
After a nail-biting finale, Andy Street has become the most high-profile victim of tanking Tory support in Mayas elections.
With the Conservatives shedding seats across the country on Friday, all eyes were on the West Midlands on Saturday to see if he could cling on by sheer will of personality a or aBrand Andya as he calls it.
Continue reading...Rob Ford was part of the BBC team analysing the local election results as they poured in over the past 48 hours. Here he tells how a dramatic set of results for the government unfolded
The nervous wait for the first result was longer than usual, as counting centres wrestled with multiple ballots for councils, mayors and police and crime commissioners. It was well past midnight on Friday morning when the first ward flashed up, coming as always from Sunderland, which prides itself on its rapid vote counting. A big Tory to Labour swing in Sunderlandas Copt Hill.
As we moved into the small hours of the morning, the flow of data rose from a trickle to a torrent, and an overall picture began to form. Voters clearly wanted the Conservatives out. Who they wanted instead was less clear.
Continue reading...Devastating defeats give Tory MPs more reasons to fear what will befall them when the country delivers its verdict
The mayoral elections demonstrated that there is a way to win for a Conservative. This is to make out that you have nothing to do with the Tories.
Of the metro mayorships that were up for grabs, just one has been bagged for the Conservatives. The re-election of Ben Houchen in Tees Valley is being used as a human shield by Rishi Sunak to fend off any attempt to depose him from Downing Street. Heas relying on this sole glimmer of cheer for his party to convince it that a disastrous general election defeat is not inevitable and to blunt the daggers of those in his own party who want him gone.
Continue reading...Union to campaign against single-phrase Ofsted judgments, threatening possible strike action
Headteachers in England are to launch a campaign for the abolition of ainhumane and unreliablea single-phrase school inspection judgments, threatening legal challenges and possible strike action if the government refuses reforms.
Delegates to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) annual conference committed the union ato explore all campaign, legal and industrial routes to secure necessary changes to inspection to safeguard leadersa lives,a after the suicide last year of the headteacher Ruth Perry.
Continue reading...Egyptian and US mediators report signs of compromise, but many analysts remain pessimistic
Hopes of a ceasefire in Gaza rose on Saturday as a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo to continue indirect talks, with what is believed to be a response to a new proposal, reportedly agreed by Israel, to halt fighting for an initial 40 days and exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
Egyptian and US mediators have reported signs of compromise in recent days and Egyptian state news channel Al-Qahera said on Saturday that a consensus had been reached in the indirect talks over many of the disputed points but gave no further details.
Continue reading...Firms said food and plant checks and Latin names causing costly delays with lorries waiting hours in first week of post-EU regime
Of all the effects of Brexit, probably the least anticipated was that flower exporters and customs officials would have to learn Latin.
But that is one of the problems that confronted British businesses in the first week after the government introduced physical checks on some food and plants from the EU.
Continue reading...Daniel Rooney stood in at 30-minutesa notice on Friday night when Mursa flight from London was cancelled
A Scottish singer has said he is astill on a higha after being plucked from obscurity to replace Olly Murs as the opening act for Take That at the last minute.
Murs was due to open for Take That at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on Friday but had to pull out after getting stuck in London when his flight was cancelled.
Continue reading...Kyiv says Moscow forces have gained afootholda in area north of Donetsk city after pounding depleted defenders
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by the Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Russian troops have been advancing in the area, pounding Kyivas depleted, ammunition-deprived forces with artillery, drones and bombs. Ukraineas military has acknowledged that Russia has gained a afootholda in Ocheretyne, which had a population of about 3,000 before the war, but says the fighting there is continuing.
Continue reading...Family say they are adevastateda by fatal stabbing of 14-year-old, as his favourite football team, Arsenal, remember him at Emirates Stadium
The family of Daniel Anjorin have issued a statement paying tribute to their son, who was fatally stabbed as he walked to school, as Arsenal football club led tributes to the teenager.
Daniel, a 14-year-old football fan, was attacked with a sword in Hainault, east London, and suffered fatal wounds to his neck and chest.
Continue reading...Banned dogs found on allotment where officers described conditions as aappallinga
More than 20 dogs have been seized after police raided a suspected illegal XL bully breeding farm in Sheffield.
Twenty-two animals were seized from an allotment on Thursday, including mothers and puppies, which were being kept in what officers described as aappalling conditionsa.
Continue reading...Interior minister Nancy Faeser promises atough actiona to protect democracy as political assaults rise
The German interior minister Nancy Faeser has vowed to fight a surge in violence against politicians after a German member of the European parliament had to be taken to hospital following an attack while he was campaigning for re-election.
Matthias Ecke, 41, a member of Faeseras Social Democrats (SPD), was hit and kicked by a group of four people while putting up posters in Dresden, capital of the eastern state of Saxony, police said. An SPD source said his injuries would require an operation.
Continue reading...UK medicines regulator says information on boxes of montelukast will alert users to risk of mood and behaviour changes
More than 500 adverse neuropsychiatric reactions have been reported in children under the age of nine involving an asthma drug which is to get new warnings over its risks.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced last week that more prominent warnings would be added to the information provided on boxes of the asthma drug montelukast, sold under the brand name Singulair.
Continue reading...Government investigation into wartime atrocities on Channel Island will ask why Nazi perpetrators never stood trial in Britain
The government inquiry into Nazi wartime atrocities on the Channel Island of Alderney has been extended to investigate why none of the Nazi perpetrators responsible for the crimes was put on trial in Britain, the Observer can reveal.
Originally set up to review the number of victims in camps on the island, the inquiry will release a report later this month revealing the full scale of the aunspeakable and unimaginable brutality and sadisma that occurred on British soil.
Continue reading...His constantly evolving works have been hailed as landmarks of the minimalist and post-painterly abstraction art movements
Frank Stella, a painter, sculptor and printmaker whose constantly evolving works are hailed as landmarks of the minimalist and post-painterly abstraction art movements, died on Saturday at his home in Manhattan. He was 87.
Gallery owner Jeffrey Deitch, who spoke with Stellaas family, confirmed his death to the Associated Press. Stellaas wife, Harriet McGurk, told the New York Times that he died of lymphoma.
Continue reading...The Home Office last week launched a nationwide operation to round up asylum seekers, leaving many fearful and confused
At 2.37pm on Thursday news that a man had adisappeareda rippled through Londonas raid-resistance WhatsApp groups. The asylum seeker had walked into the Home Office immigration reporting centre in Hounslow, west London, for a routine appointment, as many people seeking refuge in Britain are required to do. His brother waited outside.
But the man did not come out. Ten minutes passed, then 20, then an hour, then three. The brother waiting outside went in, and came out with bad news: his sibling had been detained and told he faced being deported to Rwanda.
Continue reading...Russian forces are advancing in the countryas eastern regions, but the recent arrival of US arms could help turn the tide
It was a perfect May evening. Daria Karpinska and her friends sat in the corner of a five-a-side pitch and played cards. Nearby was their school. Swifts had returned to their village of Hrodivka and screeched in a sunny blue sky.
Suddenly, a loud whoosh-whoosh noise interrupted the teenagersa game of afoola: the sound of a Grad missile. Seconds later came the boom of artillery. aItas louder today than yesterday,a said 14-year-old Karpinska matter-of-factly.
Continue reading...More than 1,400 people have been arrested as police dismantle campus encampments a but are the tactics used too brutal?
More than 1,400 people have been arrested across the US during a week of intense police crackdowns on a sprawling campus movement of pro-Palestine student demonstrations.
As Joe Biden defended studentsa free speech rights but warned them that adissent must never lead to disordera, colleges across the country brought law enforcement to campus to arrest dozens or even hundreds of protesters and clear away their encampments.
Continue reading...From the Turkish Riviera to the Ale de RA(c), we select quiet and unspoilt places to stay for sun, sand, snorkelling a or just snoozing
Thereas something quite particular about small but perfectly formed Assos a butterscotch and rose-pink houses line a horseshoe bay, with Venetian ruins scattered between the narrow alleys. There are two small beaches, but the real joy is to rent a motor boat and discover the small bays and coves that fringe this part of the Cephalonian coast. Walkers can follow the path out on to the headland to the ruins of Assosas 16th-century castle; thereas not a huge amount to see, but the views make the walk worth it. Roi Suites is a bougainvillaea-clad cluster of well-equipped studio flats in a waterfront neoclassical building, with gorgeous sea views from the pool terrace.
Doubles from APS117 (minimum seven nights), roisuites.com
The troubled child actor turned chatshow host faces flak for her toe-curling interview with Kamala Harris. But oversharing is all part of her shtick
An office-style desk was once the key prop on a television chatshow a a standard piece of kit beloved of Johnny Carson and David Letterman, not to mention Britainas Jonathan Ross. Then the comfy sofa took over and guests began to scooch along, making room for each other. Now, though, under the auspices of Drew Barrymore, host of a daytime show on CBS, itas the lowly rug that is taking centre stage.
Barrymore, who is still best known internationally for her childhood role as the little girl in ET, likes to interact with her guests on a fluffy rug in the middle of her set in New Yorkas Broadcast Center. She has prostrated herself upon it more than once in front of her studio audience and prefers it to the showas pink satin armchairs.
Continue reading...As China launches its Changae-6 mission to the far side of the moon, US officials have expressed alarm at the pace of its advancements
The worsening rivalry between the worldas two most powerful countries that has in recent years spread across the world, has now extended beyond the terrestrial, into the realms of the celestial.
As China has become deeply enmeshed in strategic competition with the US a while edging towards outright hostilities with other regional neighbours a Washingtonas alarm at the pace of its advancement in space is growing ever-louder.
Continue reading...Asked 10 random questions, the philosopher and author shares the strangest thing heas done for love, his famous hair and his fears for the future of the moon
Your latest book is called Who Owns the Moon. Who owns the moon?
Well, nobody does and thatas part of the problem. Billions are being invested in exploiting the moon, because there are some very valuable resources there that are in short supply back on this planet. There will be great technological spin offs when thereas settlement on the moon. But I wrote the book because I feel that the regulatory framework that exists for activity out in space is very, very weak.
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Continue reading...Girona briefly promised the unlikeliest of triumphs but the sheer variety in Ancelottias side made them a cut above the rest
Over two hours had passed since the final whistle went on Real Madridas 3-0 victory over Cadiz and some of their players were still inside inside the Santiago BernabA(c)u watching on TV when they officially found out they were champions, but they had known for a long time. The title, eventually delivered by Gironaas 4-2 victory over Barcelona 681 kilometres to the north-east and confirmed at 8.30pm on the 34th Saturday of the season, did not see them board an open-top bus down the Castellana to Cibeles, although fans did gather by the goddess of fertility. There was more to do a Bayern Munich come on Wednesday night a and, besides, this was already done.
It had been for some time. Two weeks earlier, Jude Bellingham had scored a 94th-minute goal to win the clA!sico, their last remaining contenders eliminated, if you could truly call Barcelona that. Two months earlier they had put four past the nearest thing they had to genuine challengers, effectively eliminating Girona too: they were the most exciting, the most surprising team but they would not be champions. As for AtlA(c)tico Madrid, the only team to defeat Real all season, they had eliminated themselves even sooner, gone by Christmas. This hadnat been a race; ultimately, it had been a parade.
Continue reading...So a Michelin-starred chef said he loathed our one truly globally renowned dish. I beg to differ
Across Britain today, hundreds of thousands of us will tuck into one of the worldas most perfect dishes. Crispy batter encasing flaky fish; a steaming pile of chips, some soft, some crunchy, some large, some merely a scrap; acidic condiments and sides to balance the salt and fat.
Yet the Michelin-starred chef Dominic Chapman, of eponymous restaurant in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, caused a stir last week by claiming in an interview with Restaurant magazine that fish and chips a specifically afrom a fish and chip shopa a was his most overrated food. Chapman didnat provide a reason, but the dish is by no means ubiquitously loved. Writing in the Guardian a few years back, the journalist Alexi Duggins called it aa dreadful, dreadfula meal and a aconceptual disastera. To many itas a grease-on-grease, mush-on-mush assault on our digestion.
Continue reading...(Warner)
Talk of a new musical direction proves unfounded as the Grammy-winning singeras third album shares more retro-inspired dance pop and lessons from her love life
Dua Lipaas last album, 2020as Future Nostalgia, moved the cultural dial. Released into the pandemic, it was ubiquitous, neon-hued and life-affirming, winning two Brits and her third Grammy overall, confirming Lipa as an international superstar. It also kicked off a disco revival boom echoed through numerous other artists, not least dance-pop veteran Kylie Minogue, RA3isAn Murphy and Jessie Ware. Even BeyoncA(c) went disco for her Renaissance (2022), saluting Black queer culture.
But in the video for Lipaas Barbie soundtrack hit of 2023, Dance the Night, a mirror ball shatters. And the messaging around Lipaas third album, Radical Optimism, has been keen to fast-forward her into a new era, establish the requisite fresh narrative and, perhaps, move the dial again.
Continue reading...A rocky patch in Ava and Loganas marriage forced them to talk openly about their desires a and now theyare having their best sex ever
How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously
We watch porn frequently, which is a positive thing we do together. Iave learned new things about my own body
Continue reading...Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland is aback to businessa after the strikeras four-goal haul in Manchester Cityas 5-1 defeat of Wolves, with the manager urging the champions to win their final three Premier League games to ensure a record fourth consecutive title.
Haaland scored a first-half hat-trick, including two penalties, and added his fourth following the break to take his Premier League tally to 25 at the Etihad Stadium. Victory kept City a single point behind Arsenal a but Guardiolaas side have a game in hand. If they beat Fulham next Saturday and Mikel Artetaas side lose at Manchester United the following day, City can retain the championship by beating Tottenham on Tuesday week.
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