Sri Lanka gives government workers an extra day off a week

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Sri Lanka gives government workers an extra day off a week

In response to fears of a food shortage, Sri Lanka is offering government workers an extra day off per week to encourage them to grow food.

Around one million people work in the public sector in the country.

It comes at a time when the island nation, which has a population of roughly 22 million people, is experiencing its greatest economic crisis in more than 70 years.

Due to a severe currency shortage, Sri Lanka is unable to pay for crucial imports such as food, fuel, and medicine.

The government approved a plan for public sector workers to be granted Friday off for the next three months late Monday.

The decision was made in part to assist workers who are having trouble going to work owing to gasoline shortages, as well as to encourage them to cultivate fruit and vegetables to support themselves and their families.

“As a solution to the food shortage that is expected to occur in the future, it appears appropriate to grant government officials leave for one working day of the week and provide them with the necessary facilities to engage in agricultural activities in their backyards or elsewhere,” the government said in a statement on its online news portal.

Mr Wickremesinghe warned earlier this month that the country would need at least $5 billion (£4.15 billion) this year to pay for necessary imports.

An IMF group is slated to arrive in Colombo next Monday to discuss an economic bailout package with the government.

The depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee, rising global commodity prices, and the lifting of a ban on chemical fertilisers all contributed to annual food price increases of more than 57% in April.

The country’s Agriculture Minister, Mahinda Amaraweera, called for farmers to cultivate more rice at the end of last month, stating, “It is apparent the food situation is getting worse.”

“We ask all farmers to plant paddy [rice] in their fields in the next five to 10 days,” he continued.

To assist in shore up its finances, the government hiked taxes at the same time.

Glastonbury: Sir Lenny Henry discusses festival diversity

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Glastonbury: Sir Lenny Henry discusses festival diversity

The apparent paucity of black individuals in the audience at Glastonbury Festival has been described as “curious” by Sir Lenny Henry.

The 63-year-old actor and comedian have expressed surprise at the lack of diversity at other UK events.

Stormzy’s appearance in 2019 was “a little bit late,” according to Emily Eavis, the event’s co-organiser.

The grime artist and rapper delivered a headline show, becoming the festival’s first black solo British headliner.

Ms Eavis explained: “He was representing the black community in a predominantly white festival, which is a significant occasion for us, but it may be a little late.”

Sir Lenny was talking about diversity and areas where individuals of different races don’t interact when he said: “It’s interesting to watch Glastonbury and notice that there are no black people in the audience.”

“The lack of black and brown faces at festivals constantly astounds me.” Wow, that’s still very much a dominating cultural thing, I believe.”

A representative from the Glastonbury Festival has been contacted for comment.

After being postponed due to the pandemic, the festival is finally celebrating its 50th anniversary at Worthy Farm in Somerset.

The headliners have been confirmed as Sir Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, and rapper Kendrick Lamar.

Sir Lenny, who is starring in a two-part documentary about Caribbean culture in the United Kingdom, also spoke about Mr Myrie’s recent appointment as the first black host of the long-running BBC quiz game Mastermind.

He stated,” It’s fantastic to see David Olusoga on TV discussing black British history dating back to Hadrian’s Wall.

“Somewhere along the line, the gatekeepers have shifted,” because we can now have you on Mastermind. But how long did it take you to do that?

“We will continue to demand more representation because we are deserving of it.” We are both British citizens and colonial subjects.

We’ve lived in this nation, we’ve grown up in this country, we’ve contributed, and many of us believe we’re not getting enough in return.

“That is also the subject of this film.” It’s about the sense of ‘hey, come on, I fit in.’ So, what’s next? Now that I’ve integrated, what happens next”.

House of Commons to be ‘menopause friendly’, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle vows

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House of Commons to be ‘menopause friendly’, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle vows

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has signed a pledge to make the House of Commons “menopause friendly” for workers.

Employers who sign the pledge agree to support employees going through menopause by offering fans or flexible work schedules, for example.

Sir Lindsay claimed that women ran his office and that he did not want to see them go due to menopause.

More than 600 organisations, including the civil service, Tesco, and John Lewis, have joined the Menopause Workplace Pledge, which was developed by the Wellbeing of Women charity.

It requires employers to recognise that women going through menopause may want assistance and to discuss the topic honestly and respectfully.

Hot flushes, sleeplessness, mood swings, and osteoporosis are all symptoms of menopause.

Sir Lindsay has stated that he believes that simple changes could make life easier for people who work in Parliament. Menopause awareness activities might be held, and employees could request breathable clothes.

The Speaker, speaking at a parliamentary function, said that when Carolyn Harris urged him to sign the pledge, he “had no option,” portraying the Labour MP as “a force to be reckoned with.” Ms.

Harris, a long-time campaigner on the issue, expressed her delight at seeing the pledge signed, saying she was “choked and honoured.”

She stated that menopausal women working in Parliament now had “a structure in place to look after them, which is great.”

The promise being signed in Parliament, according to broadcaster Mariella Frostrup, will send out a message that menopause is “no longer a toxic, terrible secret.”

The signing came at the end of a day of lobbying in Parliament, where activists such as Ms Frostrup and TV presenter Penny Lancaster urged the government to take HRT for menopausal treatment free in England, as it is in Scotland and Wales. Ms.

Frostrup spoke in favour of eliminating the fees, saying that “no woman should be priced out of her sanity.”

Maria Caulfield, the Minister for Health, has stated that she has a “laser focus” on improving the experience of women going through menopause and that measures to make HRT more affordable will be implemented next year.

England v New Zealand: ‘Right call’ to bowl first, says Jon Lewis

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England v New Zealand: ‘Right call’ to bowl first, says Jon Lewis

According to England’s fast bowling coach, Jon Lewis, bowling first in the second Test against New Zealand was the “correct call.”

With the Trent, Bridge surface looking green and some cloud overhead, Ben Stokes introduced the Kiwis; opposing captain Tom Latham would have done the same.

New Zealand, on the other hand, scored 318-4 on what turned out to be a dry surface.

“We chose the more forceful approach. We aimed to knock New Zealand out of the tournament. “It was the correct decision,” Lewis said.

After winning the first Test by five wickets at Lord’s, England is eager to wrap up the series.

“The most crucial aspect of the toss was the aggressive play following last week,” Lewis, who played one Test for England in 2006, added.

On the other hand, former captain Michael Vaughan thought England’s decision showed a lack of confidence, given that the victory at Lord’s was only they’re second in 18 matches.

Four failed catches did not improve England’s position at the end of the opening day.

Daryl Mitchell, who is now 81 not out, avoided a simple chance to first slip Joe Root when he only had three runs.

Root also squandered a more difficult chance against Tom Blundell, who later edged between second slip Zak Crawley and third slip Jonny Bairstow.

In a 149-run fifth-wicket stand with Mitchell, Blundell is undefeated on 67.

England’s dismal performance stands in stark contrast to their flawless fielding at Lord’s.

With a second new ball that is only seven overs old, England must now look to make inroads into New Zealand’s lower order on Saturday morning.

An erratic England batting line-up faces the threat of having to play Stokes’ side back into the match if they can wrap up the Black Caps’ first innings.

“Despite the triumph at Lord’s, England is still a side with flaws,” Vaughan, who played 82 Tests for England, remarked.

“England’s fielding today isn’t anything new. We had hoped to see something new at Lord’s, but it’s the same old stuff we’ve seen for the past few years. I’d be surprised if New Zealand fielded in that manner.

JJ Abrams: Filming for new project in Belfast scrapped

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JJ Abrams: Filming for new project in Belfast scrapped

JJ Abrams, the filmmaker of Star Wars, has cancelled a big television series that was set to film in Belfast.

Demimonde, a science fiction drama, was intended to air on HBO in the United States.

Crews who had begun work on the project in Belfast have been placed on leave.

Northern Ireland Screen expressed its “great disappointment” that the television series would not be filmed.

JJ Abrams is well known for his work on the Star Wars and Mission: Impossible franchises.

According to a report, crew members who were working on the project in pre-production were sent home, while negotiations between JJ Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, and HBO took place.

The show was cancelled owing to “financial concerns,” according to the film industry journal The Hollywood Reporter.

The TV show was in pre-production at Belfast’s Titanic Studios, which also housed Game of Thrones and the impending blockbuster film Dungeons & Dragons.

He was expected to stay in the studios for more than a year, providing well-paid work for local film crews.

Northern Ireland Screen scored a major coup when Demimonde agreed to film in Belfast.

The screening agency stated that it would do everything possible to find a new production to fill the studio space.

A spokeswoman said, “This project has been prepping on the ground in Belfast for many months and was set to film its pilot soon.”

“Northern Ireland Screen is aware that in the screen sector, late and tough decisions do occur, particularly with the most expensive productions that have the highest stakes.”

“The cancellation of Demimonde has left a void in Northern Ireland’s production calendar, which Northern Ireland Screen will do all in its power to fill as soon as possible, knowing that much freelance crew and supply chain companies were counting on Demimonde for work in the months ahead.”

Major productions such as The Northman, The School for Good and Evil, Lift, and Dungeons and Dragons have recently improved Northern Ireland’s film and television sector.

In Syria, a Kansas lady admits to training an all-female IS brigade.

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In Syria, a Kansas lady admits to training an all-female IS brigade.

A US woman has admitted to directing an all-female squadron in Syria for the so-called Islamic State and preparing assaults on American soil.

Allison Fluke-Ekren admitted to preparing over 100 women and girls for violence and pleaded guilty to one count of providing support to the gang.

After leaving the United States in 2011, the mother and teacher-turned-IS leader worked with a terror cell in Libya before heading to Syria.

When she is sentenced in October, she might face a maximum of 20 years in prison.

After living in Egypt and Turkey, Fluke-Ekren, 42, a former biology student and school teacher, travelled to Syria to join the group.

She was the commander of Khatiba Nusaybah, an all-female battalion located in Raqqa, Syria, before she joined IS.

According to police, her primary task was to educate women and children on how to use weaponry ranging from AK-47 rifles and grenades to suicide vests.

She acknowledged training the all-female gang in a Virginia court on Tuesday but maintained she never attempted to recruit children.

Fluke-Ekren also lived in Mosul, Iraq, after it was captured by IS fighters under the alias Umm Mohammed al-Amriki.

One witness testified that her level of radicalization was “off the charts,” an “11 or 12” on a scale of one to ten, according to prosecutors.

She allegedly acknowledged talking about terrorist attacks in the United States, including at a university and a shopping mall.

Her second husband, according to the documents, was a member of Ansar Al-Sharia, the militant group that stormed a US compound in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012.

After analysing US documents recovered from the Benghazi attack, she and her husband, who was ultimately murdered in an airstrike, produced a report for the group’s leadership.

She sobbed in court when the judge asked if she was accepting the plea deal because of her huge family.

Her relatives had already petitioned the court to prevent her from contacting them.

The family claim she left a “trail of betrayal,” according to one US prosecutor, and they may testify against her during her sentence on October 25.

AstraZeneca boss: I don’t think I would do anything differently

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AstraZeneca boss: I don’t think I would do anything differently

Despite “setbacks,” the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine succeeded in saving a million lives, according to the CEO of the pharmaceutical firm.

Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, also addressed studies that linked the vaccination to uncommon but serious blood clots.

The vaccine has been age-restricted in many European and Asian countries, and the United States has yet to authorise it.

Mr Soriot was knighted last week as part of the Queen’s Jubilee birthday honours for his services to science.

During a recent visit to Singapore, Mr Soriot, the British-Swedish firm’s chief executive, stated that the vaccine’s rapid development and distribution prevented a million people from dying from COVID-19.

Despite “setbacks,” he added, including concerns about rare but severe blood clots that surfaced last year.

The vaccine was developed in partnership with the University of Oxford by AstraZeneca. As governments raced to prevent the growing incidence of coronavirus infections, the UK was the first to approve it in December 2020.

In the United Kingdom, about half of the adult population has gotten two doses of the vaccine, which is thought to have saved more lives than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines combined.

After the AstraZeneca jab was related to exceedingly rare blood clots, UK regulators recommended it for over-40s last year.

Many other European countries, on the other hand, have stopped using the vaccination. When European Union (EU) regulators concluded that the benefits outweighed the risks, they relaxed their prohibitions and placed age restrictions on the jab.

As a result of the restrictions, AstraZeneca’s vaccine is now approved for a narrower population than numerous other COVID vaccinations.

The vaccine’s use as a “third dose booster” for adults was just recently approved by EU regulators.

Despite the fact that the vaccine may be properly stored for up to six months in the refrigerator, numerous African countries have destroyed or returned their inventories, claiming they could not use the vaccine before it expired.

Because the disease was growing endemic, AstraZeneca announced in November that it would stop delivering its Covid vaccination to countries on a not-for-profit basis. Poorer countries will continue to receive the vaccine on a non-profit basis.

Digital fingerprints of a million child abuse images made

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Digital fingerprints of a million child abuse images made

According to the Internet Watch Foundation, digital fingerprints of a million images of child sexual assault have been created.

The fingerprints, known as hashes, will assist companies and police in identifying copies of the photographs, according to the UK organisation responsible for finding and removing such material online.

It is intended that this will prevent the photographs from being reused.

The photos are from the Child Abuse Image Database, which is maintained by the government.

The database contains some of the most heinous online materials, referred to as category A and B stuff.

The hashes are an algorithm-generated identifying code that acts as a fingerprint for each image or video.

Many computer companies compare hashes of photographs to lists of hashes provided by organisations like the IWF to search for child abuse content on their systems.

However, the system is not without flaws. Changes to images can alter the hash value, allowing an image to elude detection. However, the IWF claims that the technology it employs allows an image to be resized, cropped, or have its colours changed without changing the hash value.

Lists of hashes cannot be used to identify encrypted images.

A human assessor will determine which category unlawful material fits into before making hashes, according to UK law.

The charity also creates metadata that reveals the specific nature of the abuse being perpetrated on the child, with the goal of speeding up enforcement action.

The IWF’s chief executive, Susie Hargreaves, said in a statement that the nature of the material required analysts to work four-hour shifts with regular breaks and have access to the best counselling and support.

According to the organisation, it has assisted in the removal of an unprecedented amount of material.

It claims that in 2021, it took action to remove 252,000 web pages that it determined contained photographs or videos of minors who had been sexually abused – a record number.

Emmerdale’s Andy Devine died after accidental fall, coroner concludes

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Emmerdale’s Andy Devine died after accidental fall, coroner concludes

After a fall, actor Andy Devine died of “hospital-acquired pneumonia,” according to a coroner’s report.

The 79-year-old actor, who starred in Emmerdale for ten years as Shadrach Dingle, died in January at Southport Hospital.

Sefton Senior Coroner Julie Goulding said the soap star had fallen and lain on the floor for approximately an hour because he was “unable to get up until his caretakers arrived.” He continued to decline, she claimed, “culminating in his death.”

In 2000, Devine made his Emmerdale debut as Shadrach Dingle, Chas’ father and Faith’s husband.

His character was killed off as part of an alcohol misuse storyline 10 years later, and he made a dramatic farewell to the ITV show.

Emmerdale was not his first soap, since he had previously been in Queer As Folk, Where The Heart Is, Cracker, and Prime Suspect, where he portrayed a photographer.

In the 1970s, he played a Draconian Guard in the Doctor Who series.

The actor, whose real first name was Peter, appeared to have “lost his equilibrium, culminating in a tumble,” according to Ms Goulding.

She stated, “Peter had a considerable number of major underlying clinical co-morbidities, and his health deteriorated despite all the required care and therapy, ending in his death.”

She concluded that his death was caused by “hospital-acquired pneumonia” and that it was an “accident.”

On Twitter, Liam O’Brien, who played Ethan Blake on Emmerdale for three years, said he was “heartbroken” to hear of the demise of an old friend.

“It’s much more tragic because he died in January and [I] had no idea,” he said.

Fellow Coronation Street and Hollyoaks actor Daniel Jillings tweeted that Devine was his “first theatre instructor and a brilliant one,” adding that he had been a “character both on and off-screen.”

30 Chinese aeroplanes have been dispatched to Taiwan’s air defence zone.

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30 Chinese aeroplanes have been dispatched to Taiwan’s air defence zone.

Taiwan alleges that fighter jets were ordered into its air defence zone to warn off 30 Chinese warplanes.

Monday’s intrusion was the most serious since January.

It happened just days after US Vice President Joe Biden warned China against invading Taiwan and on the same day that a senior US diplomat visited the island to discuss security with local officials.

China has increased the frequency of its aviation operations in recent months, claiming that they are training drills.

Taiwan has been incensed by such measures, which have heightened regional tensions.

China considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province that it can take by force if necessary.

The plane passed through an area northeast of the Pratas Islands that is part of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone, according to a chart provided by the ministry (ADIZ). The jets did not, however, fly into Taiwanese airspace, which would have been considered an act of aggression.

An ADIZ is a zone outside of a country’s borders and national airspace where foreign aircraft are detected, monitored, and controlled for national security reasons. It is self-declared and, in principle, preserves international airspace.

Taiwan has been reporting Chinese aircraft straying into its ADIZ for more than a year, describing it as “grey zone” warfare aimed at testing and exhausting its military response.

Mr Biden acknowledged the aviation incursions during his trip to Asia last week, which was his first visit to the region as president.

He cautioned China that it was “already flirting with danger right now by flying so close” to Taiwan, and he issued his most severe warning yet, implying that if Beijing seized the island, the US would be likely to respond militarily.

China’s military declared last week that it had just completed a practice over Taiwan as a “serious warning” against “collusion” with the United States.

The incursion took place on Monday when US Senator Tammy Duckworth arrived in Taipei on an unannounced visit to talk with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen about regional security and trade concerns.

Digital ID cards are now accepted in movie theatres.

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Digital ID cards are now accepted in movie theatres.

Being turned away from a 15- or 18-rated movie due to a lack of proper identification may be a thing of the past.

The UK Cinema Association, which includes Cineworld, Odeon, Showcase Cinemas, and Vue, has teamed up with Yoti, a digital ID company.

The free app will be accepted as proof of age, making it a safe and easy way to prove your age.

It is believed that the action will also address abuse directed at cinema employees.

Yoti uses the same technology that is used at airports to scan your passport and take a picture of your face.

To use the Yoti ID, children will need a smartphone to download the free software and enter information from their passport as well as a recent photograph.

The age-verified image on the digital ID card will then be shown for the cinema staff to approve.

According to Phil Clapp, CEO of the UK Cinema Association, “approximately 30% of the 165 million to 170 million admissions per year UK cinemas were witnessing pre-pandemic fall within the 15-24-year-old bracket and over 20% fall within the 9–14-year-old bracket.”

“For many people who want to attend a 15 or even 18-rated film, proving their age without a passport or driver’s licence can be quite difficult, and it’s understandable if they’re turned away from the theatre.”

Yoti’s apps have been downloaded over 11 million times worldwide and are already used by a variety of organisations, including the NHS, Virgin Atlantic, and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

“We’re happy to have many UK Cinema Association members join the 30,000 locations on the UK high street accepting our reusable digital ID apps,” said Robin Tombs, CEO and Co-founder of Yoti.

“Young people expect to be able to accomplish anything with their phones, including proving their age. It’s a win-win situation for both movie theatres and young moviegoers.”

Under new criteria, ministers will not be fired for minor rule violations

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Under new criteria, ministers will not be fired for minor rule violations

Under new government guidelines, ministers who break standards and regulations in a “minor” fashion will not be expected to quit or risk dismissal.

MPs have historically been expected to resign from the government if they violate the Ministerial Code in any way.

However, the PM now has the option of imposing a lighter sentence under a new clause of the code.

Boris Johnson has been accused by Labour of “watering down” standards in public life.

The amendments are the result of a review of the Ministerial Code by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, which issued a report with a set of reform proposals.

The divisive measures come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a parliamentary probe over whether he lied to Parliament about lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street.

Ministers who deliberately deceive Parliament are still expected to quit, according to the code, which states: “It is of vital importance that ministers offer accurate and genuine information to Parliament.”

Based on advice from his standards adviser, Lord Geidt, who examines alleged breaches, the prime minister is responsible for enforcing the code.

Mr Johnson has written a new introduction for the amended code, which focuses on his government’s aims rather than ministerial standards.

The PM has eliminated “any references to integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership in the public good,” according to Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner.

In addition, following a “conversation” with the prime minister, Lord Geidt will now be empowered to begin his inquiries into alleged violations of the code.

However, according to new advice on the function, he must still “contact the prime minister, who will generally give his assent” to a probe.

Lord Geidt previously had to wait until the prime minister asked him to begin an investigation.

After conducting a probe into the prime minister’s flat refurbishing last year, Lord Geidt said he anticipated being given “considerably greater” authority, independence, and influence.

After it was revealed that Conservative peer Lord Brownlow had donated £52,000 to help cover the costs, the peer cleared the prime minister of a conflict of interest.

Patients with monkeypox should avoid contact with pets.

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Patients with monkeypox should avoid contact with pets.

According to new advice from the UK Health Security Agency, monkeypox victims should avoid contact with their pets for 21 days (UKHSA).

So far, 106 people in the United Kingdom have been diagnosed with the virus.

Gerbils, hamsters, and other rodents may be especially vulnerable to the sickness, which might spread across the animal population.

According to the authorities, no instances have been found in pets so far, and the danger remains low.

Pet guinea pigs, rats, mice, and other rodents should be removed from the household of someone sick with monkeypox for 21 days and tested for the disease, according to UKHSA and other health authorities’ recommendations.

According to sales data, there are two million households in the UK owning a pet rodent of some form.

Other pets, such as dogs and cats, should be kept in the house and checked by a veterinarian on a regular basis to “ensure no clinical indications are noticed.”

According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), patients should avoid preparing food or grooming their pets “whenever possible” if this can be done by someone else in the house.

Separate guidance issued this week by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) stated that monkeypox patients’ rodent pets should be “preferably” segregated and tested for the disease before their quarantine period ends.

According to the text, the animals should only be put down as a last resort if isolation is not possible. Larger animals, such as dogs, might be quarantined at home with frequent health checks.

According to scientists, nothing is known about how monkeypox might act on the pet population.

Rodents and a certain kind of squirrel, on the other hand, are more likely than people to catch and spread the disease.

The ECDC says a “spillover” occurrence, in which a human infects a companion animal, might lead to the virus spreading to European wildlife, albeit the danger is “very low.”

Monkeypox could become endemic zoonoses, which occurs when a disease moves between animal species and is permanently present in that new community.

Jose Mourinho: ‘A serial winner who has brought Roma to life’

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Jose Mourinho: ‘A serial winner who has brought Roma to life’

Jose Mourinho has had better achievements in his long managerial career, but the ‘Special One’ was moved to tears after delivering Roma their first major European Cup.

Some have mocked Europe’s third-tier club competition, but for Mourinho, the victory over Feyenoord was just as important as his two Champions League titles with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.

After making it five wins in five European finals, Mourinho became the first manager to win all three major European competitions.

On BT Sport, former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves remarked, “Football is about winning, and Mourinho wins.”

This was Mourinho’s 26th title as a manager, 19 years after guiding Porto to a Uefa Cup victory in 2003.

Last May, he was named Roma manager and given the challenge of rebuilding the team after a poor seventh-place finish in Serie A in 2020–21.

“Mourinho stated that [winning the trophy] was not part of the plan.” It was the beginning of the project, and the plan was to construct this team, “Joe Cole, who played for Chelsea under Mourinho, told BT Sport.

Roma’s journey to the final was not without its setbacks, with the Portuguese facing criticism following a humiliating 6-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt in the group stage in October.

Instilled a feeling of solidarity in Roma, which has contributed to the club’s first trophy in 14 years.

Cole claims that the hard work has only just begun.

This was Mourinho’s first title since Manchester United won the Europa League in 2017.

Chris Smalling was a member of the United team that beat Ajax in Stockholm five years ago, and the 32-year-old defender was named man-of-the-match to help Roma win their first title since 2008.

Tammy Abraham, a teammate and England forward, gatecrashed Smalling’s post-match interview on the pitch with BT Sport.

Abraham has made such an impact since joining Roma for £34 million last August that he ends his first season in Italy with 27 goals, a European trophy, and a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Shell consultant resigns, accusing the company of causing “severe harms.”

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Shell consultant resigns, accusing the company of causing “severe harms.”

Shell’s safety consultant has resigned after accusing the company’s top management of neglecting to protect the environment.

Caroline Dennett wrote on the professional networking site LinkedIn that the firm is “doing severe harm to our climate, ecology, nature, and people.” It has received more than 10,000 likes and has been shared over 1,200 times.

Shell responded by reiterating its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

Ms Dennett said she emailed Shell executives and 1,400 workers and contractors this week to inform them of her plans to depart the company. She stated, “I can no longer work for a firm that denies all the warnings and overlooks the consequences of climate change and ecological catastrophe.”

“Because contrary to Shell’s public statements about ‘net zero,’ they are preparing to explore and extract far more oil and gas,” she continued.

The shell should “immediately suspend all new extraction operations and transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean renewable energy sources,” according to Ms Dennett.

“Shell, with all of its wealth, technological, and human capabilities, should be leading this transition,” she continued.

Ms Dennett said she had worked for Shell for more than a decade as a safety consultant, and that her position entailed assessing the company’s employees and contractors around the world to reduce accidents and oil spills.

Shell is a “big client” of her separate firm, which specialises in safety assessments.

Shell announced on Wednesday that it was working toward becoming a net-zero firm by 2050.

“We have set targets for the short, medium, and long term, and we intend to achieve them,” a business spokeswoman stated.

Shell’s CEO, Ben van Beurden, stated in November that the company would eventually achieve net-zero emissions.

However, he stated that the company’s green energy goals could only be funded by oil and gas.

‘Democratic’ jackdaws make judgments based on noise.

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‘Democratic’ jackdaws make judgments based on noise.

Scientists have discovered that jackdaws use a “democratic” procedure to decide when to depart their roosts in large groups.

In the winter, thousands of jackdaws can take to the morning skies, producing a whirling black cloud of creatures.

Researchers have discovered that when the birds wish to depart, they shout out.

The birds fly away when the noise reaches a crucial level, signalling that the roost is ready to depart.

The first is noise volume, and the second is a crescendo or the rate at which the noise levels rise.

Once the birds have reached an agreement, the roost of thousands of birds will launch from the tree in around five seconds, creating one of the most renowned winter UK sights.

According to the researchers, when noise levels rise rapidly, the roost leaves earlier.

Thousands of jackdaws have been seen departing trees en masse in Norfolk.

Prof. Thornton argues that jackdaws prefer to leave the trees together because it shields them from predators or allows them to “share information.”

Over two winters, scientists placed audio recorders in trees where jackdaws roost in Cornwall to study the birds’ behaviour.

The researchers, led by Master’s student Alex Dibner, analysed the sounds and matched them to when the birds departed the trees.

The scientists put their theories to the test by playing back the recordings to jackdaw roosts, who responded by leaving six minutes earlier on average.

The birds did not flee when wind noises were played instead, demonstrating that jackdaws responded to calls rather than loud disruption.

Prof. Thornton notes that other birds may behave similarly, although scientists have yet to investigate this further.

According to him, the findings would aid scientists in better understanding the impact of human activities on animal populations.

Light and noise pollution are increasingly causing disturbances to birds, which may be interfering with animals’ capacity to interact with one another.

“Think of a large roost near a city or a busy highway. It might have major ramifications for their population if the birds can’t communicate with one another and agree to migrate together,” Prof. Thornton says.

Cost of living: No option is off the table, says Boris Johnson

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Cost of living: No option is off the table, says Boris Johnson

As pressure mounts to slap a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, Boris Johnson says “no option is off the table” to combat growing living costs.

According to opposition parties’ proposals, a one-time fee on corporate profits would be imposed, with funds going to help hard-hit people facing skyrocketing expenses.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said a windfall tax was “staring the prime minister in the face” as part of the solution to the rising cost of living.

A windfall tax is a one-time tax levied by the government on a company or group of corporations to identify companies that have benefited from something they were not responsible for—in other words, a windfall.

Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Scottish National Party have all called for a tax on oil and gas companies, which have enjoyed record profits since the pandemic ended.

The parties said the funds might be used to help those who are most affected by the rising cost of living, which has seen food, fuel, and energy prices skyrocket, as well as inflation, reach a 40-year high.

The government initially opposed the plan, claiming that it would discourage energy corporations from investing in the UK.

However, as costs climb and another energy price hike looms in the autumn, Downing Street’s rhetoric has softened, with both the prime minister and chancellor leaving the proposal on the table.

Former Treasury minister Jesse Norman told Today that a windfall tax was needed in these “exceptional times.” Several Conservative backbenchers have also come out in favour of a windfall tax, increasing pressure on the government to act.

Bernard Jenkin, a senior Conservative backbencher, went even further, calling for a £13.5 billion package of aid to help people cope with the cost of living crisis, including reviving the £20 per week increase in universal credit that was implemented during the epidemic.

Mr Clarke, a Treasury minister, claimed the government had already taken “decisive action” on universal credit by adjusting the taper rate, which is the amount workers lose as they earn more money.

Twitter intensifies its anti-fake news campaign in Ukraine

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Twitter intensifies its anti-fake news campaign in Ukraine

Twitter has announced that it will place inaccurate messages regarding the Ukraine war from official accounts behind warning notices.

The shift comes after the social media site came under increased scrutiny after the war unleashed a new wave of misinformation, some of which came from official sources.

More than 300 Russian government accounts, including President Putin’s, have already had their content restricted on Twitter.

However, it raises questions about free speech.

Twitter’s new “crisis” procedures prioritise labelling of false messages from accounts with a large following, such as state media or official government accounts, but keep them for “accountability” reasons.

To view the post, users will have to click through the warning notice, and Twitter will limit the ability to like, retweet, or share the information.

To avoid magnifying bogus posts, Twitter announced it would adjust its search and explore tools.

According to Twitter, problematic messages are those containing false or inaccurate charges of war crimes, false information about the international response, and false allegations of the use of force.

The corporation stated that it would use numerous sources to determine whether or not claims are false. According to the guidelines, strong commentary and first-person accounts are among the types of tweets that will not be disputed.

Mr Roth stated that Twitter had begun developing new protocols for crises before the invasion of Ukraine, albeit the war had brought them to light.

The corporation took steps early in the conflict to limit the reach of Russian media accounts. However, it lacked a clear strategy for dealing with disinformation spread by politicians or government accounts.

While some messages were removed by moderators, experts described the absence of strategy in the firm’s moderation procedures as a “major weakness.”

Last month, Twitter announced that it had discovered over 300 Russian government accounts that it would no longer suggest in timelines, notifications, or anywhere else on the platform.

Mr Roth told reporters on a conference call that the business has observed: that “both parties communicate information that may be misleading and/or deceptive.”

Concerns about rising prices cause stock markets to collapse

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Concerns about rising prices cause stock markets to collapse

Fears that rising costs may cause the global economy to stagnate have sent stock markets in Asia and the United States plummeting.

After disappointing earnings announcements from some of the country’s largest retailers, US stocks dropped the most in a single day since 2020.

Target said profits had almost halved year over year due to unexpectedly increased fuel and freight costs.

That followed a similarly gloomy update from Walmart earlier in the day.

In Asian morning trade, Japan’s Nikkei index was down 2.6 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 3.3 percent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.5 percent, and the S&P 500 index, which monitors shares of a wide range of America’s largest corporations, fell more than 4%.

The Nasdaq, dominated by technology, fell 4.7 percent.The losses came on top of weeks of losses in US financial markets.

Target’s stock dropped 25% after the announcement, the greatest drop in more than three decades.

Target and Walmart’s releases were closely monitored for indicators of how consumer spending in the world’s largest economy is holding up as inflation reached 40-year highs.

Although official US government data recently showed a robust 0.9 percent increase in retail sales in April, several analysts have warned that the figures, which are not adjusted for inflation, may understate signs of slowing — particularly for lower-income people.

Amazon announced a surprising decline in online sales in the first three months of this year earlier this year.

In the three months leading up to May, Target stated sales at shops open for at least a year were up more than 3% compared to 2021. However, CEOs claim that when costs rise, buyers are spending more on necessities and less on luxury items like televisions and clothing.

It told investors that fuel and freight costs would be $1 billion higher than expected this year. According to the company, supply chain challenges will not be relieved until at least 2023.

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