A coalition of pro-democracy parties are expected to form a government in Thailand following a coalition led by Pita Limjaroenrat's Move Forward Party victory in Sunday's national election. However, the winning party's candidate is not automatically elected as prime minister, with a vote by the 500-member lower house and the 250 military-appointed representatives of the senate deciding the nation's new leader in July. Move Forward will need 376 votes to win, and Pita has formed an alliance of eight parties, including Pheu Thai, with a combined 313 seats in the lower house, leaving him 63 seats short of a majority.
Radio 4, a flagship radio show broadcasted by the BBC, has reportedly lost over a million of its listeners within the last 12 months, which would signify a drop of over 6%. According to Rajar, a UK radio listening survey, this marks the station's poorest results since 2010, while its flagship programme, the Today Programme, has experienced a steady decline over the last year, with audiences dropping to a 24-year low. Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, has warned the British public broadcaster to give Radio 4’s ageing listeners “the serious programming they want” or risk a ratings decline, stating that the organisation aims too much of its content towards young audiences. Responding to the report, Radio 4’s controller, Mohit Bakaya, has suggested that the broadcaster’s recent expansion into other platforms such as BBC Sounds has impacted listening figures on traditional linear radio.
The UK's Home Office has reportedly projected an influx of over a million foreign workers and students by 2024, according to an official document sent to Downing Street last year. The revelation comes after Home Secretary Suella Braverman warned that an "unchecked drive towards multiculturalism" without successful integration was a "recipe for disaster". Readers criticised the Conservative Party for failing to curb unchecked immigration levels, while the decline in the UK's birth rate also sparked debate over the cost of raising a family and the world's population.
Alcoholic beverages company Diageo has been praised by Questor for increasing sales and operating profit margins despite rising costs due to inflation. The company has been raising prices and investing in cost efficiency measures. Additionally, the firm has made several acquisitions over recent years to facilitate its strategy to focus more on expensive beverages that are presently gaining in popularity among customers. The company also enjoys exposure to emerging economies in Asia. The upcoming retirement of Diageo's CEO, who has held his role for 10 years, is unlikely to have an impact on the firm's share price performance.
Clinical trials in young children have shown that injection-free vaccine patches are as safe and effective as traditional jabs, according to researchers. Micron Biomedical's "microarray patches", which have the backing of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the US Centres for Disease Control, can be easily transported and simply applied with a minimal amount of training. As well as eliminating the need for needles, the patches are easier to store in large quantities and produce fewer waste
syringes and vials. Vaccine patches against Covid-19, seasonal flu, HPV, typhoid and rotavirus are at various stages of development.
Paul Scully, the science, industry and technology minister, and a London mayoral candidate, has become the first minister to support ending the tourist tax, a sales levy of 20% on all non-British visitors. Scully urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to model the benefits of VAT-free shopping, saying the current policy was costing London hundreds of millions of pounds in sales. He also argued that the tax was driving visitors to other European destinations. A new digitised version of VAT-free shopping for tourists was discussed in the mini-budgets of Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng.
Manchester United supporters feel both sympathy and frustration as Phil Jones leaves the club after 12 years due to injury. Jones has struggled with increasingly serious injuries that have limited him to just four Premier League starts over the past four seasons. In an emotional interview just released, Jones says he literally worked tirelessly hard and missed playing football. United, which still stands as one of the most potent symbols of United’s mismanagement in the post-Ferguson era, will now hope for a successful summer with Erik ten Hag to be the one when ruthlessness finally returns at Old Trafford.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has reportedly announced his candidacy for the US presidency and told donors that former President Donald Trump cannot win the 2024 election. Speaking on a call organized by Never Back Down, which is supporting DeSantis, he said only he could win the Republican primary and general election. While praising Trump’s efforts, he pointed out that President Joe Biden had undone many of his achievements over the last four years. Reports suggest DeSantis may formally announce his candidacy next week.
John Edmunds, a former BBC newsreader, has died at 94. Edmunds was also a university academic and an expert on Shakespeare and French classical drama. He became a television newsreader at the BBC in the 1960s, having previously taught French at Battersea Grammar School. Edmunds was also one of the question masters on the BBC’s quiz show Top of the Form in the 1960s. He was head of drama at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth from 1979 and a professor of drama at the University of the Americas and the University of California from 1985. Following his return to the UK, he acted in stage productions and wrote and read poetry.
Tottenham Hotspur is hopeful of finding a head coach quickly after Luis Enrique and Feyenoord's Arne Slot emerged as the frontrunners for the position. Enrique, who is out of work, has been contacted by the club, but Slot is tied to Feyenoord by contract, although he would find the promise of double his annual salary attractive. To hire the Dutchman, Tottenham would need to pay £6m ($7.7m) in compensation to Feyenoord and guarantee him control over the first-team squad. Meanwhile, Spurs' chairman Daniel Levy is also looking for a new sporting director.
Space tourism and satellite ventures from Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson have caused his wealth to drop by over 40% due to substantial losses. After Virgin Orbit went bankrupt at the end of last month, spending over $1bn trying to establish a commercial space launch business, it caused a significant dent in Branson's finances. Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Money and Virgin Active, to name a few, have also suffered losses during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Sunday Times, Branson's wealth has gone from £4.2bn last year to £2.4bn, leaving him 77th on the rich list, compared to 44th previously.
The Covid-19 pandemic caused 336.8 million years of life to be lost globally, according to the World Health Organisation's 2021 World Health Statistics report. Each death caused by the virus led to an average loss of more than 22 years of life, equivalent to over five years of life lost every second. The WHO said the pandemic has set back progress on Sustainable Development Goals set in 2015 that had seen notable improvements in population health until 2020. It warned that noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, obesity and tobacco use now represent nearly three out of every four lives lost annually.
As the stage adaptation of Annie Proulx's story "Brokeback Mountain" hits the West End, Ed Cumming takes a reflective look back on Heath Ledger and the role that made him an unforgettable talent. Prior to Brokeback Mountain, Ledger had struggled to find fulfilling work within the industry and described to Time Magazine in 2005 how he had been "spoon-fed" his career by a studio who believed they could make a product out of him. Despite tough competition for the role from the likes of Matt Damon and Joaquin Phoenix, Ledger convinced the filmmakers his more introverted and less showy nature was what made him the right choice to play Ennis del Mar. Annie Proulx even went so far as to credit Ledger for "erasing her original character" and replacing her own interpretation with something far more visceral and effective. The role took an emotional toll on Ledger and he found himself seeking reassurance from the screenwriter, Diana Ossana, during filming. Ledger died in 2008, leaving behind a career marked by incredible talent and potential.
Mikel Arteta is hoping to lift his Arsenal side after their 3-0 defeat by Brighton and inject some positivity by reminding them of their progress this season, including the potential to win the most matches in a Premier League season. The criticism of the team as "bottlers" makes goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale bristle, describing it as an "easy way out" and pointing to the five titles in the past six years won by Manchester City, who remain on an 11-match winning streak. Fans' taunts provoke Ramsdale and he has learned to "feed off it", but he will expect different treatment next season, when he foresees a "new pressure" stemming from opponents' increased expectations.
The personal fortune of King Charles III is greater than that formerly held by Elizabeth II, according to The Sunday Times Rich List. Charles’ wealth is estimated at £600m ($762m), compared to the late queen’s £370m. The assets include 130,000 acres and 260 farms, as well as the Oval cricket ground in south London, on which the Duchy of Cornwall holds a lease. The king also personally owns Sandringham and Balmoral and has previously overseen a Duchy of Cornwall worth £1.04bn.
Former England footballer and BBC presenter Gary Lineker is being recognised with a "Sport and Human Rights" award in Rome for his advocacy of refugees and migrants. Amnesty International referred to Lineker as a "staunch advocate". In March, Lineker was taken off air by the BBC after he compared the UK government's language on refugees to that of 1930s Germany. The corporation acted after he refused to apologise or promise not to voice his political opinions in future.
The chairman of the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Marcus Bokkerink has dismissed claims that his organisation is blocking acquisitions that could benefit the country. Earlier this month, the CMA drew criticism from Microsoft and Activision over its decision to block a $69bn acquisition of the latter by the former. Bokkerink said it was "surprised" by the reaction to the decision and argued that entrenched market power was bad for businesses that sought to compete and innovate. However, critics have claimed that regulators in the UK have been inhibiting the country's growth in the tech sector.
Everton manager Sean Dyche has said his team's final league games are a priority over potential investment discussions surrounding the club. Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri has been conversing with two US-based investment groups, MSP Sports Capital and 777 Football Group, about infusing cash into the club. MSP Sports Capital is said to be the frontrunner, but 777 has recently firmed up their interest. However, Moshiri has said he is only looking for a minority partner. While investment talks continue, Dyche said his focus lay on the immediate and he would continue to strive to give his team the best chance at winning their final two games.
The UK government will no longer fund the creation of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) as part of its pledge to end the "war on motorists". The Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, made the move last week meaning that councils need to find their own money if they wish to install the zones. The decision has been welcomed by Tory MPs who believe it could reduce the number of LTNs being created. Instead of car-free zones, the government has said it will fund transit projects to encourage more people to walk or cycle to work and school.
France President Emmanuel Macron has been criticised by the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party for risking undermining support of Taiwan, due to his stance on China, describing it as a "dumpster fire". British and American members of the global Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China visited London on Friday to discuss toughening up the West's response to China. Macron said last month that Europe must not get dragged into a confrontation between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan.
