Little people big world

Liam Plunkett says England are desperate to get back into the groove against Bangladesh and end the inconsistency that could wreck their World Cup dream. The tournament favourites have enjoyed a couple of days off with their families following Monday's defeat to Pakistan and are now refocusing their minds on facing Bangladesh in Cardiff on Saturday. Even though it’s still early into the tournament, the way England have played so far has not entirely been in keeping with the way they have set the bar over the last four years. There has been precious little of the muscular and powerful style of cricket that they have built their team around since the World Cup humiliation of 2015. “There’s pressure on in the World Cup and people take it differently,” said fast bowler Plunkett. “We want to get back to the cricket we’ve been playing the last four years. Plunkett and England must knuckle down after not playing up to their favourites tag yet ( Image: Getty) “It’s a …

[Read more...] about Cricket World Cup: England to come out fighting after loss, says Liam Plunkett

Some good news finally— finally— appears to be on the horizon for roughly 28 million of the United States’ youngest residents. On the heels of an advisory meeting convened yesterday, the FDA is likely on the cusp of green-lighting a kid-size dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for Americans ages 5 to 11, a move that’s been months in the making . After the agency’s expected emergency authorization, Pfizer’s formulation will need a recommendation from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who’s expected to weigh in next week, after her own advisory committee holds a vote. But the nation is ready: Already, 15 million pediatric doses of Pfizer’s vaccine—which will be administered at a third of the amount doled out to adults —have become available for states to order in advance. Yesterday’s discussions were tense, understandably so. These immunizations will protect both the kids who get them and the people they mingle with, and they represent one of the few big levers the government …

[Read more...] about Five Big Questions About COVID Vaccines for Kids

Readers discuss successful video game franchises that they don’t see the appeal of, from Halo to Pokémon. The subject for this week’s Hot Topic was suggested by reader Focus, who asked what game’s success do you struggle to understand the most and is there anything it could do to change, to get you interested in it? A lot of sacred cows were mentioned, with Call Of Duty, Pokémon, and FIFA being the most common, with each of them being criticised for their too frequent sequels. Growing out of it I don’t like the way Ubisoft pump out pretty much the same Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed games every year; Far Cry has some really cringeworthy dialogue and characters at times also. I sort of fell out with the Grand Theft Auto series after GTA 4. I just thought it became a bit of a one trick pony where the world building was the only selling point. I appreciate the size of the maps, the music, the satire, and those other elements that give the games so much …

[Read more...] about Weekend Hot Topic: Big name games you don’t like

A four-year-old Australian girl was found alive on Tuesday night, 18 days after vanishing from her family's tent in a remote campsite in Western Australia. Officials wept with relief after seeing body camera video of a police officer scooping up the girl, Cleo Smith, and hearing her say: "My name is Cleo." The late-night raid saw a 36-year-old man arrested in the coastal town of Carnarvon, following a tip to police on Tuesday. Police said they are not looking for other suspects and they expect to file charges later in the day. The girl was reunited with her mother Ellie Smith and stepfather Jake Gliddon soon after her rescue. "Our family is whole again," the mother said on social media. Western Australia state Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said Cleo is "as well as you can expect”. “This has been an ordeal. I won't go into any more details, other than to say we're so thankful she's alive." Police last month had offered 1 million AUD (£546,000) for information leading …

[Read more...] about ‘My name is Cleo’: Police weep upon rescuing Australian girl 18 days after her disappearance

Jersey fishing boss opens up on rejected fishing licences Sign up to receive our rundown of the day's top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Debate among readers follows an EU order for the UK and France to resolve their differences over fishing rights by December 10. Talks to resolve tensions between the neighbouring nations are ongoing since the UK officially left the EU at the start of the year. Related articles Brexit LIVE: French fishermen vow to block Channel Tunnel TOMORROW Have your say: Is it time to tell Macron enough is enough A Government spokesperson said: “We have licensed nearly 1,700 EU vessels overall; our approach to licensing has been reasonable and …

[Read more...] about EU’s ‘pathetic threats’ shamed as Brexit Britain stands firm in fishing feud with France

Four days after the Ethiopian prime minister said on social media that he would personally direct the country's military at the front, a regional broadcaster has released pictures of Abiy Ahmed walking through the bush in army fatigues and speaking on a military radio. Appearing confident and relaxed, the 45-year-old leader also gave an interview in which he discussed the central government's military campaign against rebel fighters from the region of Tigray. "This hill was occupied by the enemy until yesterday," he said, gesturing over this shoulder. "Now it is under our control, the moral of the army was great we were victorious, we now control Kasagita." The district is located in the region of Afar, which contains key transport routes linking landlocked Ethiopia to the port of Djibouti. Yet, the principal objective for the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) is thought to be the capital, Addis Ababa, with intensive fighting taking place several hundred …

[Read more...] about Tigray conflict: Ethiopia PM pictured in fatigues as he joins army on frontline of battle against rebel fighters

By George Bowden Published 25 October comments Comments Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics COP26 Recycling plastic materials "doesn't work" and "is not the answer" to threats to global oceans and marine wildlife, Boris Johnson has said. Answering children's questions ahead of the COP26 climate change summit, the prime minister said reusing plastics "doesn't begin to address the problem". Instead, he said, "we've all got to cut down our use of plastic". The Recycling Association said the PM had "completely lost the plastic plot". The association's Simon Ellin told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme Mr Johnson's comments were "very disappointing" and seemed to conflict with government policy. But some anti-plastic campaigners praised the prime minister's stance and urged him to follow it up with measures to dramatically …

[Read more...] about Recycling plastics does not work, says Boris Johnson

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” This was the message posted by Caroline Flack on Instagram in December 2019. She died by suicide, one year ago today. The message – and resulting hashtag, #BeKind – was swiftly shared across social media in an outpouring of sympathy for Flack – and as a means of countering the public scrutiny she had received. This “kindness rebellion” was initiated by Lucy Alexander , whose son died by suicide in 2017, and thousands took up her message to push for progress: online trolls were urged to consider the impact of their words, and media outlets were begged to rethink the way they cover – and, sometimes, condemn – celebrities. A petition calling for action over online abuse was signed more than 850,000 times. Many believed that meaningful change was finally coming. So, one year on from Flack’s tragic death, have we become any kinder? It’s been a year to pay particular attention to our virtual behaviours as it is; …

[Read more...] about One year on from Caroline Flack’s death, are we still ‘being kind’?

Madonna makes surprise appearance at MTV's VMAs Sign up for FREE for the latest news from the world of showbiz SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Iconic singer Madonna , 63, took to Instagram to share a number of controversial images with her 16.9 million followers, one of which involved her photographer holding a knife to her throat. The singer also revealed that her staff had worked for free on the project, sparking a number of complaints from upset fans. Related articles ‘Wasn’t meant to be’ Rachel Riley bids emotional farewell to hero Carol Kirkwood faces behind-the-scenes issues before BBC Breakfast In the first picture, Madonna can be seen holding up a copy of V Magazine …

[Read more...] about ‘Switch on your brain!’ Madonna sparks furious backlash over knife-wielding, braided photo

Germany will soon be governed by an alliance that, until now, has never been in power at the federal level. It will be led by the surprise winner of the election, the center-left Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). The country's oldest political party grew out of the 19th century labor movement, and over the course of its long history it has already shown several times that it has the courage to change. The last time was at the start of this millennium, when it joined forces with the Greens to modernize inflexible employment social, and economic policies. This strategy, known as " Agenda 2010 ," was a radical change of course that enabled the sick man of Europe, as Germany was known at the time, to recover — economically, at least. The world's fourth-largest economy got back on its feet and was able to return to playing its important part as the engine of Europe. Watch video 00:57 Scholz hails groundbreaking new coalition Each party made its …

[Read more...] about Opinion: Setting a new course for Germany