Technology opinion

It can be so hard to know if exercise is actually working – are you really getting fitter, or huffing and puffing for no particular reason (and certainly not for fun, wow)? Well, the proliferation of smart watches have given us new ways to measure the effects of our exercising with unprecedented precision. You’ll soon know what’s working for you, and what’s not. Given the amount of time it’s possible to spend worrying about fitness, that surely makes them worth the money. Here the best picks on the market. Polar Unite Whether you’re taking the stairs, doing the chores or dancing, the Polar Unite will give you personalised daily workout guidance to inspire you and weekly training stats to track your progress. It also boasts a 24/7 heart rate tracker and sleep assistance and updates you on how your energy sources were used during the day to help you understand your body better. Buy it for £129.50 from Polar. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch4 Samsung’s Galaxy Watch4 not … [Read more...] about These are the five watches to help you get fit, smarter

The General Election on Thursday was the most extraordinary in British history since modern elections began in 1918. We’ve had some exciting votes, from the closer than expected result of 2010 to the transformational victories of Clement Attlee, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair in 1945, 1979 and 1997. But I’ve known nothing like 2017 in the dozen elections I have lived through since February 1974 for sheer unpredictability, drama and emotion . Ted Heath’s February 1974 general election, extraordinary in itself, provides the best mirror through which to view the utterly historic events of the last 36 hours. In both February 1974 and this time, Conservative Prime Ministers who were ill at ease with themselves and not natural communicators called a general election that they need not have triggered only to see it backfire disastrously against them and their party, leaving the country in a desperately vulnerable position at a time of great national need. Probe a little deeper, … [Read more...] about This has been the most extraordinary General Election since 1918

Max Verstappen commits future to Red Bull signing £200m deal 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 Christian Horner has spoken out after Red Bull poached Lewis Hamilton ’s former engineer Phil Prew from Mercedes . The Austrian team have been in imperious form on the track this season and are leading the Constructors’ Championship by 97 points, with Max Verstappen also at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings. Related articles Lewis Hamilton given deadline to discover if F1 wish has been granted What Toto Wolff has said on Daniel Ricciardo joining Mercedes Red Bull have been uncompromising in their recruitment drive recently as they look to become the powerhouse in F1 for years to … [Read more...] about Christian Horner speaks out as Red Bull poach Lewis Hamilton’s former Mercedes engineer

Teenagers should study core subjects including maths and English beyond GCSE as part of a new “British Baccalaureate”, Rishi Sunak has said. Setting out his education policies,  the Conservative leadership contender criticised the current A-level curriculum as overly narrow, saying it fails  to prepare young people for future ­economic opportunities. The former chancellor pointed to other countries in Europe and Asia where students have to study maths until the age of 18. Mr Sunak also vowed to create a ‘Russell Group’ of technical colleges to provide young people with a prestigious alternative to university if he becomes Prime Minister. Setting out his education policies, the Conservative leadership contender also said he would increase the use of AI in schools and continue a crackdown on poor value universities courses. The Russell Group was established in 1994 and now covers 24 universities - including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London - with a reputation … [Read more...] about Teenagers should study maths and English beyond GCSE, says Rishi Sunak

When the petition came my way, a week ago, it had 100,000 signatures; today, it has more than 234,000. Its demand is simple: shut the shops on Boxing Day. “We managed 30 and 40 years ago when shops were sometimes shut for a whole week,” it said. “Let’s get back to the way it was.” Those last words sounded like a riff on the theme of 2016 – nostalgia for a better time fuelled  rebellions in the UK, America, and Italy. But the men at the till, the saleswomen and the shelf stackers who had organised the petition were not rebels. They were not strikers like the disgruntled Southern rail workers or Post Office staff . They were ordinary people whose plea could have come from any one of us. They were asking for the two ingredients we all yearn for: time and silence. These are the two elements necessary for happiness: time in which to recover from the past, silence in which to take stock for the future. Sir Anthony Seldon, pioneer in the pedagogy of wellbeing, wrote in his book, … [Read more...] about On Boxing Day we need to hear the ring of church bells, not cash tills

Kato Harris was a teacher with a flourishing career apparently ahead of him in a school in Ascot, Berkshire. Then, in December 2014, a pupil he had never taught nor could recall ever talking to accused him of rape. He suffered a 17-month ordeal, when he endured public shame, went through the courts, and saw his career unravel. He was cleared by the jury after just 15 minutes. Mr Harris is now unemployed, living in a bedsit and is unsurprisingly bitter about the whole experience and lack of support he believes he received. Tragically, he now says: “If I knew then what I know now, I would never have become a teacher. I would never work with children again.” Teaching, he warns other men, is too great a reputational risk. As a head teacher for 20 years, I spent my time encouraging people to teach in schools, believing it to be the finest profession one can possibly pursue. So Mr Harris’s remarks are incredibly distressing. But are we in danger here of losing perspective? There … [Read more...] about Death of morality and trust in schools puts male teachers at risk

A deal with the Democratic Unionist Party will mean Theresa May has a stay of execution at Number 10.  Can we expect her to perform any better than she has done in her first 11 months, which is already being compared to Anthony Eden’s disastrous leadership from 1955-1957 which crashed in flames after his mishandling of the Suez crisis? Prime Ministers usually come to power ill-prepared for what lies ahead and without the willingness to learn. Theresa May was no exception. She appointed two tenacious Chiefs of Staff, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill , who had worked alongside her with ferocious loyalty at the Home Office. She thought that she could employ the same style in the vastly different world of Number 10. But the job of Prime Minister is one of persuasion, not command and control. Timothy and Hill crafted a meritocratic agenda for her which had much sense: but it never gained traction across Whitehall. Both individuals have become scapegoats for the election defeat and … [Read more...] about Theresa May Mark II could well be the most successful period of her premiership

Last week, Theresa May gave a speech on her vision for using the education system to create a “truly meritocratic Britain” . She left us in no doubt what it was about, using the terms “merit” or “meritocratic” 20 times. Here’s the money quote: “I want Britain to be a place where advantage is based on merit not privilege; where it's your talent and hard work that matter, not where you were born, who your parents are or what your accent sounds like.” Let me cut to the chase: I think meritocracy, of the form Theresa May sets out in that quote, is one of the worst, most wicked and deplorable political ideas ever produced. Indeed, it is such a bad idea that no-one actually believes in it, even though almost everyone says they do. Let’s see why. In a meritocracy, those that rule should be the most talented and hard-working, and which jobs people get should reflect their talent and hard work, yes? So, the engineers paid the most or with the most interesting jobs should be the … [Read more...] about Theresa May’s ‘meritocracy’ is a recipe for Darwinian dystopia

Klopp impressed by Nunez's rapid progress at Liverpool 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 Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been called out by ex- Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara for his refusal to start Darwin Nunez against Fulham on Saturday as the Reds stuttered to a 2-2 draw in their Premier League opener. And O’Hara also believes Klopp made a mistake in allowing Sadio Mane to leave this summer and expecting Luis Diaz to replicate his goal threat. Related articles Transfer news LIVE: Sesko to 'accept' offer and De Jong meeting Jurgen Klopp calls out Liverpool stars after disappointing Fulham draw “It was a poor result for Liverpool, you do not draw against Fulham in the first game of the … [Read more...] about Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp called out for errors in Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz comments

The following is the full transcript of an interview with Taiwanese Rep. to the U.S. Bi-khim Hsiao that aired Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, on "Face the Nation." MARGARET BRENNAN: Representative Hsiao, thank you so much for coming here today to talk to us. It's an intense week. Speaker Pelosi is the highest ranking US official to visit Taiwan in about 25 years. Why is Beijing so furious? BI-KHIM HSIAO: Well, there's no reason for them to be so furious. We have had decades of welcoming congressional delegations to Taiwan. And this has been a norm in our culture. The Taiwanese people are warm and hospitable. We're visiting friends is part of our tradition. And actually one of the most quoted Confucian Analects in Taiwan is "isn't it a pleasure to welcome friends from afar" and so having this as part of the norm of our engagement with the United States, codified in a strong foundation of the Taiwan Relations Act, there's really no reason for them to be so upset. BRENNAN: Well, the US was … [Read more...] about Full transcript: Taiwanese Rep. to the U.S. Bi-khim Hsiao on “Face the Nation,” Aug. 7, 2022