United Kingdom

cross-posted from: https://kbin.social/m/news/t/427464

Moscow says it would respond with ‘countermeasures’, after US air force budget item hinted at possible move

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/2358675

Archived version: https://archive.ph/XEFSj
Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20230905152812/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/05/british-challenger-2-tank-destroyed-in-combat-for-first-time-ukraine-footage-shows

No Challenger 2 has been lost in combat since it was first deployed in 1994, although one was destroyed in a friendly fire incident in Iraq in 2003. The record is partly because of the relatively small numbers built and their infrequent deployment.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/1977881

Excerpt:

Banksy isn’t happy with Guess’ latest collaboration.

The legendary anonymous graffiti artist had a directive for his followers on Friday, encouraging them—possibly tongue in cheek, possibly not—to visit the Regent Street Guess store in London and steal the brand’s new collection that features his artwork.

“Attention all shoplifters. Please go to Guess on Regents Street. They’ve helped themselves to my artwork without asking, how can it be wrong for you to do the same to their clothes?”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/2359542

Archived version: https://archive.ph/AonEX
Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20230905144506/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/sep/05/nhs-england-tells-hospitals-to-be-ready-to-evacuate-if-buildings-crumble-concrete-raac

There will be exemptions for legitimate uses of nitrous oxide, for example in medical or catering industries. The gas is commonly used as a painkiller and for producing whipped cream in cooking.

More than half of English schools that are so dilapidated they are at risk of partial closure were refused money under the government’s school rebuilding scheme, Department for Education (DfE) statistics show.

It has also emerged that under the programme, intended to rebuild 500 schools in England over a 10-year period from 2020, just four were completed in 2021.

This is an additional issue on top of the RAAC problem.

cross-posted from: https://radiation.party/post/98607

[ comments | sourced from HackerNews ]

There is very little research into men who have not had children, although that is beginning to change. Research by Dr Robin Hadley has found that 25% of men over 42 do not have children – 5% more than women of the same age group.

Half of the men who are not fathers but wanted to be describe a huge grief and isolation from society. Almost 40% have experienced depression and a quarter feel a deep anger.

The largest local authority in Europe issues a distress notice that means all new spending must cease.

The reshuffle, thought to have been deftly managed by Sue Gray, made a shadow cabinet heavy with stalwarts from the Blair-Brown era

I don't know about other people but I really was hoping for more than a sequel to the Blair years. I mean I get they need experience but the Tories are on the ropes, the Centrists in the party have had 13 years to come up with new ideas...

The figures used to look abysmal. Now they’re only poor

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/2316846

Archived version: https://archive.ph/bPzCQ
Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20230904160703/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/04/foreign-office-apologises-over-handling-of-matthew-hedges-torture-case

"The Conservatives inherited just under £10bn a year in education capital sending in 2010, and have spent £5-6bn a year since then, in real terms. Part of those savings came from scrapping the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) project in 2010, which aimed to rebuild and refurbish every secondary school in England."

Claire Coutinho, appointed minister for energy security and net zero this week, was a senior fellow to the opaquely funded right-wing Policy Exchange, a think tank that helped write the UK’s controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act after explicitly stating the government should pass legislation to target Extinction Rebellion (XR).

Confirmed in a Local Government Association (LGA) briefing, the inquiry will now ask each government department look to identify and rectify the use of

Two escaped dogs savaged a flock of pregnant sheep, killing 22 and injuring another 48, before the out-of-control American XL bulldogs were shot. A farmer turned his gun on the pair of escaped animals that subjected his livestock to a brutal attack on a Welsh farm.

The financial cost of the incident, including the numerous deaths and injuries, amounted to more than £14,000.

The owner of the two dogs – David Hughes, 26, of Pen y Wern, Rhosllanerchrugog – appeared at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court where he admitted being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and being the owner of a dog worrying livestock. Hughes was banned from keeping dogs for five years and ordered to pay £900 in fines.

Amid a mounting political and educational crisis over schools built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) from the 1950s to 1990s, the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, said it was still not known how many might be affected, and how many might need to close, with engineers still to inspect more sites.

Britain’s food bank charities are buying in counselling, GP and mental health support services to help staff and volunteers cope with stress and exhaustion triggered by the explosion in demand for emergency food.

The wellbeing services are a response to a rise in burnout and stress among frontline food bank workers as they deal with expanding workloads and the emotional burden of supporting increasing numbers of destitute and emotionally traumatised clients.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/6538758

Facewatch uses cameras to check faces against a watch list and, despite widespread concern over the technology, it has already been introduced in hundreds of high street shops and supermarkets.

The use of facial recognition has provoked fierce criticism over its impact on privacy and human rights, with the European Union seeking to ban the technology in public spaces through proposed legislation.