English schoolchildren have overtaken Finland in international literacy rankings, according to a report by The Times. Students aged nine and 10 surpassed Finland's reading scores, while the performance of children in most other European countries and the US plummeted as a result of coronavirus-related educational interruptions. The government's use of "synthetic phonics" teaching - breaking words down into smaller soundable units - is credited with contributing to the success. The method was introduced during the Coalition government in the 2010s, to the dismay of some educationalists, who viewed it as unimaginative.
English cricketer Ollie Robinson dismissed Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne with the first ball of the Sussex versus Glamorgan match. As he made his way onto the crease, Labuschagne left a ball alone before pushing the second into the offside and hitting for a single that retained his strike. Robinson aimed for the middle order batsman’s front pad, and the ball was subsequently given as out, with Labuschagne leaving the field having gestured that it might have been high. For Smith, currently fielding at second slip, the dismissal may have been bittersweet with the Ashes incoming, but it’s another marker of Robinson’s increasing pedigree. Following a sterling opening to the summer with a 14-wicket match hail at Worcester last month, England will look to see him perform across all five Tests this summer as he has begun very much in form, marking himself as England’s attack-leader. His fitness appears much improved, and the Australian side will be keenly attentive to his consistent threat as the Tests get underway.
Norfolk, just off the east coast of England, holds approximately 150 to 200 lost villages, having been abandoned usually due to gruelling, fruitless conditions as a result of clay soil, heavy rainfall or cold winters, with several also drowned by the North Sea. While most are nothing more than memories with no remains, a few, including the village of Godwick which was abandoned in the 15th century, still have ancient foundations visible. It is believed there are more deserted medieval villages in Norfolk than in any other English county, reflecting the population denseness in the region during the Middle Ages. Godwick’s current owner James Garner, whose grandfather bought the estate in 1959, has maintained the conditions in such a way that the foundations of the tofts - which are now grazed over by sheep - are still visible.
London's economy is faring better than other regions in the UK, growing by 0.9% between Q2 and Q3 2020, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. This compares with a contraction of 0.1% nationally for the period. Wales and Scotland saw falls in output of 2% and 0.3% respectively, while growth was flat in Northern Ireland and England. “Growth in the capital has been masking a disappointing performance across much of the rest of the UK," said Susannah Streeter of Hargreaves Lansdown.
Beth Mead, the Arsenal and England striker says there needs to be more breaks built into the calendar for women's football. He points to the demands being placed on the world's best players by a crowded schedule. This summer's World Cup is the third major international tournament in as many years, following the Olympics in 2021 and the European Championship in 2022, while the club calendar is packed with European, league and cup competitions. Studies have shown that women can be two to six times more likely to suffer an ACL rupture, but there are no conclusive answers as to why. There are theories, the anatomical differences between the sexes, the impact of the menstrual cycle, social factors, but Mead's own experiences this season have highlighted that there is no singular reason. Wienroither has moved in with Mead and Miedema as she starts the recovery process, and Arsenal's injured contingent have pulled together, creating their own support network. “I’ve been in touch with Leah and Lau has been living with us as she is all alone in a foreign country and we are probably the best people to look after her,” says Mead.
Birmingham Bears batsman Sam Hain revealed he is concentrating solely on enjoying his cricket rather than aiming for an England place. Hain, who claims the best List A batting average in England, missed out on Test selection for games against New Zealand and India this summer, but isn't dwelling on his omission. He told the PA news agency: “Of course I’d love to play for England but it’s not my sole focus. My sole focus is to enjoy my cricket and win games for Warwickshire."
European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has stated that it could reduce the number of Premiership sides involved in the Champions Cup tournament, as it seeks to keep it as the “pinnacle competition”. EPCR chair Dominic McKay has contacted the Premiership Rugby with a view to discussing numbers of teams and the format of the competition before a detailed review ahead of the 2024-2025 campaign. While eight Premiership clubs have qualified for the 2023-2024 Champions Cup, it is not guaranteed that they will be permitted the same number of clubs in future.
The UK Bank of England may reject digital financial services firm Revolut's application for a banking licence, indicating concerns over its balance sheet. The Prudential Regulation Authority had planned to issue a warning notice to Revolut earlier this year over failed accounts, however the notice has been postponed. The bank said it is asking Revolut to present accounts with an unqualified audit opinion and to simplify its share structure before receiving a licence. Customers' money, which is already protected via safeguarding rules, is not expected to be affected.
Stellantis, formerly PSA, has warned that if the UK and EU do not adjust the so-called rules of origin requirements for the automotive industry, they may be forced to close their factory at Ellesmere Port in north-west England. These tariffs are set to rise to 10% for exports next year. This story shows that Brexit is becoming a ‘live’ issue again, especially as Sir Keir wants to arrest the slow death of the car industry, but doesn’t want to join a customs union with the EU? It raises broader questions about how ambitious the UK should be in the five-year review of the TCA in 2025, and with EU relations more generally. The Windsor framework deal has unblocked relations with Brussels but the Windsor framework still needs to be delivered in practice.
Former Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane has warned that the UK risks recession if the central bank continues to push ahead with interest rate hikes. Urging the bank to pause its current run of increases in borrowing costs, Haldane added that more interest rate hikes would pose significant risk to the economy. He also criticised both Labour and Conservative parties for a lack of ambition, saying the UK could borrow and spend more given a benign economic environment.
Global warming is driving the spread of fungi and making them more dangerous to humans, according to senior US health officials. The officials warned that fungal pathogens, such as Candida auris, which has a death rate of between 30% and 72%, are becoming more adapted to human and mammalian body temperatures with climate change. Fungi exploit weakened immune systems, cause outbreaks in hospitals around the world and can exist on surfaces such as bedding. Experts on a Demy-Colton-organised panel said that not enough is being done to develop new tools or new antimicrobials to treat fungal infections.
Manchester City’s new director of football for the club’s women’s team, Nils Nielsen, believes he can help the team become the best in the country. Aged 51 and hailing from Greenland – where traditional pursuits included hunting seals and polar bears – Nielsen has a strong reputation within women’s football, having coached Denmark and Switzerland’s women’s teams, as well as China’s under-20s. His predecessor, Gavin Makel, has left the club after four years to join the Football Association as head of women’s national football development.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics have suggested that the Conservative levelling up agenda has failed after data revealed that almost the whole of Britain outside of London suffered a downturn following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The findings showed that economic output in six out of nine English regions fell in the three months to September last year, with Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales also all suffering a contraction or stagnation.
Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne has warned England that Steve Smith, who dominated the 2019 Ashes with 774 runs in 7 innings, could be even better this year. Ahead of facing up against Smith for Glamorgan in the County Championship, Labuschagne talked up his teammate's ability to adapt his batting style to different conditions, praising Smith's aptitude for recognising situations in a game and finding the best solution. Labuschagne highlighted technical changes Smith has made to his game in the past year, including being a lot more side-on and not using a big trigger movement as examples, and noted that his ability to bat in multiple ways would make it difficult for England to predict how to tackle him during the Ashes series. Jofra Archer's absence due to injury was also noted as a blow for England, with Labuschagne praising the player's skill, ability to swing and seam the ball.
Steve Smith scored 68 not out in his third and final appearance for Sussex, helping them to reach 221 for four with a 98-run advantage on day one of a LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two match against Glamorgan. Ollie Robinson took four for 29, including dismissing Ashes rival Marnus Labuschagne for one, as Glamorgan were skittled for 129. Elsewhere, Stuart Broad took three for 53 to help dismiss Essex for 298 against Nottinghamshire in Division One, while Leicestershire hold a 156-run lead over Worcestershire after Worcester were dismissed for just 83 in Division Two.
Twelve companies, among them Neptune Energy and Spirit Energy, owned by Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, have been awarded licences to store carbon dioxide in depleted oil and gas fields off the British coast. The government awarded the 20 licences after receiving applications from 19 companies, reflecting a growing commercial interest in the sector along with a five-fold increase from 2016 to 2021 in the cost to UK polluters of emitting carbon dioxide. The government wants about 9% of existing annual emissions, approximately 30 million tonnes, to be stored by 2030.
Former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino is set to return to coaching, as coach of the World XI team at this year's Soccer Aid fundraiser at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium on 12 June. Since leaving PSG last year, the Argentine has been widely linked with the vacant manager's position at Chelsea. "It is a real pleasure to be part of a match that represents a big cultural moment in this country’s annual calendar," Pochettino said of his appointment at Soccer Aid.
Former Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed as the manager of the World XI soccer team, which will play England at Soccer Aid for Unicef on 12 June. The match will mark the Argentine's first as a coach since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in July 2020, and Pochettino is expected to be named as the next manager of Chelsea soon. In the Soccer Aid match at Old Trafford, Pochettino will lead a team that includes former Argentinian teammates Hernan Crespo and Gabriel Batistuta as well as Usain Bolt, who has been named its captain.
Consumer confidence in the UK has reached its highest level in 15 months, according to a survey by market research firm GfK. The company's confidence index, which rose from -30 in April to -27 in May, reached its highest level since February 2022 and has increased for four consecutive months. Inflation remained at double digits, however, despite the upbeat outlook and the cost of food and drink soared to levels not seen since 1977. The Bank of England has responded to persistent inflation rises by lifting borrowing costs at 12 consecutive meetings since late 2021, resulting in the Bank Rate now standing at 4.5%.
Leaders of sports organizations in Boston, including New England Patriots owner Jonathan Kraft, joined Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey to unveil Boston Soccer 2026's branding initiatives for the state's participation in the 2026 World Cup. The competition, which will stage matches across the US, Canada and Mexico, is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the Boston area as well as draw 400,000 visitors to its 16 matches. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, owned by Kraft Sports Group, is among the venues slated to host games.
