Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator has revealed plans to purchase 739 MW of energy storage capacity from seven new battery storage projects and to expand two existing gas-fired power plants as it seeks to address an expected shortfall in energy capacity due to the retirement of a nuclear fleet. Most of the storage will be purchased from two proposed battery facilities in Hagersville and Napanee, Ontario, so the new projects increase the province's energy storage capacity by more than four times.
Global public finances are being hit by an ageing population with ratings agencies warning that higher pension and health care costs are rising along with recent interest rate hikes. Moody’s, S&P and Fitch have all warned that ongoing issues with demographics are already impacting government credit ratings with little hope for change unless there are sweeping reforms. These downgrades could lead to a vicious circle of increased fiscal burdens and a rise in borrowing costs.
A bill to abolish no-fault evictions has been introduced to the UK Parliament by Housing Secretary Michael Gove. The government also announced the establishment of a new ombudsman to help resolve disputes, a “property portal” to aid landlords in understanding their obligations, and a legal right for renters to keep pets, which landlords must consider and cannot refuse arbitrarily. While campaigners welcomed the move, some union members fear that rent hikes could be used to circumvent the new rules.
Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron's “Green Deal” and several other energy efficiency programmes have been discontinued over the past decade due to governmental and programmatic issues. However, the recent energy crisis has spurred a new surge of corporate enthusiasm for measures to insulate Britain. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to spend £6bn a year to upgrade 19 million homes if he gains power, and the government plans to cut energy use in buildings and industry by 15% by 2030. Scientists and activists are calling for government officials to "build trust with the industry," avoid complicated processes and inconvenient installations, and further incentivise homeowners to take up energy-saving opportunities.
Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley volunteered to take a pay cut in order to allow the club more flexibility in signing new players. Bradley took a cut from $1.5m last season to $614,826 this year, allowing the club to sign goalkeeper Sean Johnson, and defenders Matt Hedges, Sigurd Rosted, and Raoul Petretta. Toronto's Italian star Lorenzo Insigne who led the MLS last season with a salary of $14m only pocketed $7.5m this year due to no immediate reason. The MLSPA salary data is as of April.
Japan's J.League is gaining a bigger fanbase in Thailand with interest among Thai viewers reaching 61% last year, triple the level seen in 2013, according to a survey by the league. The J.League has reportedly pushed deeper into the Thai market, while a grassroots surge has also helped the league gain in popularity. A poll conducted by a US firm showed interest in the league more than doubling over the past few years to 49%. Although behind England’s Premier League and Spain's La Liga, which garnered 84% and 62% of Thai interest respectively, analysts noted these were still positive numbers. Thai fans of the J.League are expected to account for a growing audience over the next few years, helped by the recent success of Thai player Chanathip Songkrasin at the Japanese club Consadole Sapporo and official J.League merchandise and events in Bangkok.
Jordan Spieth, who withdrew from last week's AT&T Byron Nelson due to wrist pain and an injury that required rest and limited movement, underwent a full-range session on Tuesday, easing concerns that it would force the American to miss the US PGA Championship and delay his quest to achieve the career grand slam for at least another year. He was seen practicing comfortably despite his arm being heavily taped. If he does tee off for the championship, this will be Spieth’s seventh attempt at a grand slam win.
Zak Crawley, an England Test cricketer, says he does not care what the critics say about him. Crawley does not use social media, which sets him apart from many of his teammates, and insists that a lot of online criticism directed at him is “unwarranted.” Crawley’s defensive technique was scrutinised before the season started, but he responded by insisting it did not need work. This season he has made 350 runs, including 170 against Essex, and is averaging 38.88. ECB managing director of cricket Rob Key has called Crawley’s match-winning abilities key to his selection.
Harry Kane's legacy at Tottenham is too strong to risk tarnishing with a move to Manchester United, according to former Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov. Kane is entering the final year of his Tottenham contract this summer, and has been linked with a big-money move to United. However, Berbatov said that Kane's "legacy now is so great that he cannot force himself to tarnish it". While Berbatov said Kane's personal aim would be to win silverware, he added that Spurs' consistency had not yet produced a trophy-winning season, despite the club's "great facility to train" and "great players".
JJ Watt is determined to win over sceptics of Americans buying English football clubs, following his purchase of Burnley alongside his footballer wife Kealia Watt last month. American businessman Todd Boehly and his consortium took over Chelsea last May, while Michael B. Jordan purchased a stake in Bournemouth in December 2022. Watt is conscious of upholding Burnley’s traditions and history, saying that “it’s just a matter of doing right by the supporters and doing what you can to help shepherd it into the next chapter in a better place than you found it."
The debate about whether to pick a specialist wicketkeeper or a wicketkeeper-batsman in England's Test side has been ongoing for generations. In Test cricket's early years, keeping wicket was the preserve of specialists. Jack Blackham, Australia's keeper in the inaugural Test match in 1877, advised would-be keepers to “Give it up and take on bowling” because of the mental and physical arduousness required to keep wicket. Picking keepers for their batting was seen as a risk that could jeopardize their primary skill, and sides were advised to pick the best wicketkeeper and then worry about where they batted. This led to George Duckworth being preferred in all five Ashes Tests in 1928/29, with Les Ames only making his debut in the following year. Ames became a reliable keeper and made England a more balanced side, while also opening up new possibilities in front of the stumps. By the time Ames retired, however, he had scored 8 of the 11 centuries by Test keepers.
In the 1950s, Godfrey Evans replaced Ames as England’s wicketkeeper. Evans is considered by some to be the finest keeper of all time, but he also wanted to emulate Ames’ batting, although he knew he would not be able to match Ames’ returns. As a result, Evans developed his keeping and stood right up to the stumps to make catches. England once conceded 1,054 runs in the field without Evans allowing a single bye and the bowlers had unlimited confidence in him behind the stumps. The 1950s saw wicketkeepers’ batting averages increase marginally from the previous decade, and some, like Johnny Waite and Imtiaz Ahmed, had averages just over 30 while keeping. When keepers could bat with a panache matching – or even exceeding – Ames, however, they tended not to remain keepers. Ultimately, leading batsmen should not be burdened by the gloves because they need to concentrate on their primary role in the side of as run-makers.
Regulator Ofwat has increased demands for water companies in England and Wales to invest more into sewage infrastructure, following public pressure to reduce pollution levels in rivers, lakes, and seas. Despite paying out £1.4bn in dividends last year, water providers have been slow behind on spending targets with only three-fifths of the £2.2bn allocated to wastewater infrastructure for 2025 having actually been spent. The increased demand comes just as construction, finance, energy and labour costs are rising, which threatens the delivery of desired investment. Last month, Ofwat made the proposal to reapportion £1.6bn of expenditure planned for 2025 to 2030 to the next two financial years. More than £1bn of this is aimed at reducing the number of annual average spills from storm overflows, which was 301,091 recorded in 2022. The UK’s investment in water infrastructure is also reported to be lagging behind Europe.
The Bank of England (BoE) is facing a UK wage price spiral, according Governor Andrew Bailey, in part stemming from “second-round effects” of rapid energy and food price rises. Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce annual conference, Bailey said there could be long-lasting effects on pay growth within wider price-setting activity at companies. The BoE has repeatedly attempted to contain the impact of high food and energy prices on domestic prices and wages, but Bailey conceded the bank had failed in that task. Bailey pledged to raise interest rates as far “as necessary” to restore the BoE 2% inflation target.
The accuracy of bowel cancer screening tests sent to the many people in England aged between 50 and 74 could be increased from 84% to almost 100% through the use of two tests, say researchers at the University of Edinburgh. The tests, known as the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), look for blood hiding in faeces. In the study, 2,260 patients took just one FIT test, while 3,426 took two. The second test reduced the numbers of cancers missed by the first by 50%, and almost 20% of those taking two tests had a change of care plan due to test variations.
Arsenal could pursue a deal for Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo, who has fallen out of favour, according to reports. The north London club's desire for a full-back means they could pay to break Cancelo's contract, which runs until 2027. The Portuguese player could provide Arteta's team with more experience as he has secured two titles with Manchester City, one at Juventus and one at Benfica. Arsenal's current hunt for a full-back comes amid fears Takehiro Tomiyasu could struggle to play before Christmas after undergoing surgery on a knee injury. The club is also hoping to sell Kieran Tierney as well as a number of players, including Granit Xhaka, Rob Holding, Folarin Balogun and Nuno Tavares.
The pound fell against the US dollar amid renewed concern about inflation. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said he expects price pressures to ease by April but warned further policy tightening might be required if inflation persists. Employment data showed that the UK's jobless reached 3.9% with increases in total pay, including bonuses, prompting investors to scale back bets on further interest rate hikes. CitiFX's economic surprise index for the UK, which suggests data is more upbeat than expected, is holding near its highest level in almost two years, supporting the pound in recent weeks amid mixed sentiment from traders.
Football player Ivan Toney, who plays for Brentford and England, has been banned from all football-related activity for eight months and fined £50,000 for 232 breaches of betting rules. He admitted to the breaches that fell under Rule E8 for placing bets between Feb 25 2017 and Jan 23 2021, with 30 initial breaches being withdrawn by the Football Association. The 27-year-old will not be eligible to return to action until Jan 16, 2024, and will not be allowed to train with Brentford until the middle of his ban in September, the FA ruled.
TV presenter Jake Humphrey has discussed the success of his podcast The High Performance Podcast, which he co-hosts with organisational psychologist Professor Damian Hughes. With almost 200 episodes, the podcast, which explores the lives of successful individuals, including Jonny Wilkinson, Stephanie Shirley, Matthew McConaughey and Keir Starmer, has reached the summit of the Apple Chart, gained over 1.6 million downloads per month and spawned a bestselling book and live tour. The podcast focuses on “lived experience” rather than a fixed formula for success and aims to provide insights that the hosts believe can be applicable in daily life. Politicians are increasingly looking towards podcasts to communicate with their core electorate, with big political interviews being regularly conducted on programmes such as Full Disclosure with James O’Brien and The News Agents with Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel. Humphrey revealed that Sir Keir was a guest on the show following an invitation from his team.
Talks over the future of Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea FC's Belgium international striker, will be delayed until after the final of the Champions League this weekend. Lukaku has spent the season on loan at Inter Milan, with the option of a permanent deal in the summer, and Inter face Sevilla FC in the European club competition final on 10 June in Warsaw. New Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino is thought to be keen on Lukaku, though the player has in the past suggested he would prefer to stay in Italy. The Belgian has 11 goals in 33 games for the Serie A side this season, and 20 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions for the London club. However, Lukaku, 22, has struggled with form while in Italy, often finding himself starting on the Inter bench.
Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been suspended from football-related activity for eight months and fined £50,000 after admitting to breaching 232 of the Football Association's betting rules between February 2017 and January 2021. Toney can resume training only with his club for the final four months of his suspension; he is due to return on 17 September, 2023. The 27-year-old has scored 20 goals for Brentford in the Premier League this season.
