Open door programme

The Queen’s role has been rewritten by Buckingham Palace, as it removes duties she “must fulfil” as monarch and entrusts more to the Prince of Wales. The Queen’s “official duties” have been edited in the palace’s annual report for the first time in at least a decade, to take out specific events such as the State Opening of Parliament that were previously considered necessary by “constitutional convention”. The new version, published following the Platinum Jubilee, places greater emphasis on the support of the wider Royal family. According to the Sovereign Grant report, signed off by Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse, the Queen’s role still comprises two key elements: Head of State and Head of Nation. As Head of State, the “formal constitutional concept”, the Queen “must fulfil” specific duties. These were previously laid out as a 13-point list, including the State Opening of Parliament, the appointment of the Prime Minister, and paying and receiving state … [Read more...] about Queen’s job description is rewritten to reduce ‘must-do’ duties

It beggars belief, when you think about it, that the Queen is fulfilling the same role at the age of 96 that she first stepped into 70 years ago. Parachuted into the job earlier than anyone hoped, having lost her beloved father at 25, she has grown from young wife and mother to grandmother and now great-grandmother with the world at her feet in admiration. Through 14 prime ministers and 13 US presidents, the growth of the Commonwealth and loss of realms, she has ploughed on steadily with the same calendar of events and constitutional duties without let-up. Now, there has been a subtle, quiet tweak to those duties from Buckingham Palace itself. Out go the specific promises to always be at the State Opening of Parliament and to travel overseas, and in comes more support from her family. It was already happening in practice, of course. But for an institution that changes at a deliberately glacial pace in most things, the decision to write it down is striking. It … [Read more...] about The Queen’s revised responsibility is just reward for her magnificent reign

Where do they think it’s going to end, all this? What do they, by which I mean all of the other members of the government, think is going to be the outcome for them? Johnson is finished, they must know that. And yet, on they all go, day after day, week after week, publicly humiliating themselves in defence of a man who they must surely know would never, ever do the same for them, and from whom no good, now, is ever going to come? Dominic Raab does not come across as a man who, in his private moments, has an especially deep reservoir of Zen-like calm to call upon. What is he saying to himself, to his friends? What are the voices in his head shouting at him when he gets to the end of yet another agonising humiliation on the TV channels and radio stations, doing his level best to style out the absurd lies of a man who, he must surely know by now, is not telling him the truth? Even by Raab’s incomparably low standards, Tuesday morning’s efforts were off-the-scale … [Read more...] about Clearly, we’ve expected too much of Boris Johnson on the Chris Pincher scandal

[This story originally aired on February 20.] In July 2020, Daniel Anderl, the son of federal Judge Esther Salas and attorney Mark Anderl, was shot dead by a gunman at the front door of the family's New Jersey home. Daniel Anderl, 20, took a bullet to his chest trying to protect his parents. By the time Judge Salas came to the door, the killer was gone. Her husband, Mark, was wounded. "I have direct evidence that he died heroically, that he had a holy death," says David Oakley, Daniel Anderl's godfather and a family friend. The stranger who came to Judge Salas' door had been holding a package, posing as a deliveryman.  Just eight days earlier, a chillingly similar incident took place in California. When attorney Marc Angelucci came to his door to sign for a package, he was also shot dead. "He was just a down-to-earth, at the center of his soul a good-hearted person," Marc's friend,  Cassie Jaye, tells CBS News correspondent Tracy Smith. "[Sighs] I was trying to make … [Read more...] about Federal judge whose son was killed in ambush: “My son’s death cannot be in vain”

WHEN it comes to deep cleaning the house, many of us don’t know where to begin. There are so many areas that we don’t even think to address because they aren’t so obvious. Organization expert and cleaning aficionado Jessica Haizman, who has over one million followers on TikTok , has her own blog where she shares home hacks and parenting tips. She spoke with The Sun to reveal eight places that you’re forgetting to clean, which actually get really dirty. SMALL APPLIANCES The first thing that Jessica said many people miss is their small appliances: toaster ovens, coffee machines, instant pots, tea kettles, etc. These appliances can be expensive, so you want them to last as long as possible. READ MORE ON CLEANING THAT'S ENOUGH I'm a laundry expert - the exact amount of detergent you need revealed To do so, they need regular cleanings. “For the toaster, you need to dump out the crumb trays and wipe them down. If you’re using the … [Read more...] about I’m a cleaning pro – 8 places no one cleans often enough that you need to be cleaning every month

At least one student says that she survived Tuesday’s mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, by lying on top of a dying classmate. According to a timeline reconstruction published Wednesday by The Washington Post, Miguel Cerrillo’s 11-year-old daughter Miah was in the classroom when the gunman barricaded himself inside. Cerrillo said that he rushed forward after he saw Miah being carried to a hospital-bound bus with several bullet fragments in her side. He told The Washington Post that he had been able to briefly speak with her through the window before the bus pulled away. “‘I panicked,’ Cerrillo told the Washington Post, saying his daughter detailed how she had watched as her teacher, Eva Mireles, was shot by the gunman while attempting to phone the police,” The Houston Chronicle reported . “His daughter Miah told Cerrillo she quickly grabbed the phone and called 911, and then hid from the shooter by lying down on top of one of her classmates, who had been … [Read more...] about Report: Student Survived Massacre By Playing Dead, Lying On Top Of Dying Classmate | The Daily Wire

An AutoZone worker claimed in a viral video that he was locked inside his place of work with a colleague after the lock was "messed up." TikTok user @duff_matteo_alex gained over 300,000 views on his video showing the aftermath of allegedly being locked inside of an AutoZone store in Dallas. AutoZone is the largest retailer of aftermarket automotive parts in America with over 6,000 stores across the United States. "So apparently we're locked inside of the store. I was trying to leave and the door won't open—the lock is messed up," he explained, showing his failed attempt to open the glass doors. After taking a large sigh and spinning around, the AutoZone worker turned to his colleague and joked: "Looks like me and Tyler are spending the night." "Hope you like cuddling," Tyler responded jokingly. In a second video shared to his TikTok account, the AutoZone worker explained their plan of action to freed themselves. "I'm trusting Tyler to climb out of the window and … [Read more...] about AutoZone worker says he was locked inside after hours: “Spending the night”

James Pasley/Stuff Auckland Cavy Care founder Raylene Holder explains why you shouldn't buy guinea pigs this Christmas Auckland's only guinea pig rescue rescue shelter is considering closing its doors due to the financial strain of new arrivals. Auckland Cavy Care, which opened in Mt Roskill in 2012, takes in, treats and desexes homeless guinea pigs before adopting them out. Run by mother and daughter duo Raylene and Hartley Holder, the not-for-profit shelter has taken in 600 homeless guinea pigs and desexed 500 in the five years it's been running. But with constant financial pressure and a never-ending battle educating people about what not to do with pet guinea pigs the shelter was considering closing its doors, she said. READ MORE: Police investigate horrific guinea pig slaughter in west Auckland Guinea pigs as pets are beneficial for children Woman who deserted pet guinea pigs discharged without conviction The SPCA website says guinea pigs are small … [Read more...] about Constant stream of homeless guinea pigs swamps Auckland’s only rescue centre

London shooting: An eyewitness described seeing 'at least nine bullet holes' in a car (Image: RYAN MCGILL ) Sign up for our news briefing, including a daily special Russia-Ukraine edition 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 The Metropolitan Police said they were called at around 1.15am this morning to reports of shots fired in the vicinity of Kingshill Avenue and Yeading Lane, Northolt. Officers and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) rushed to the scene to find a man, believed to be in his 30s, suffering from gunshot injuries. He was rushed to hospital for treatment, although his condition is not life-threatening. Related articles London shooting: Man rushed to hospital after car sprayed with bullets Royal … [Read more...] about London shooting: Man rushed to hospital after car sprayed with ‘at least nine bullets’

Fleur de Lis, the seller of square pizzas and among Baton Rouge's oldest restaurants, announced it was closing over the Fourth of July weekend — and it's not clear when or if it's going to re-open. That news has caused shock and a wave of nostalgia for many loyal customers and fans of their Round the World Pizza (anchovy, Italian sausage, mushroom, pepperoni, salami, onions — no free substitutions). And, for some, it shows how Baton Rouge and its restaurant scene are evolving. Fleur de Lis' website says it "will be closed July 4th - July 12th for vacation" — something it has been known to do in the past. But its Facebook page says "We will be closed until further notice, due to the shortage of staff. Thank you so much to my few loyal staff and all my loyal customers." Fleur de Lis' owners could not be reached for comment. The restaurant's voice mail says: "We’re going to be closed indefinitely at this point due to staffing issues. We are going to really miss all of our … [Read more...] about Is Fleur de Lis closing for good? And what does that say about Baton Rouge’s restaurant scene?