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Burnham seeks to mend Labour’s fractured relationship with farmers
The Labour government’s tax changes, particularly inheritance tax, sparked major farmer protests in 2024, including tractor demonstrations at Westminster. Relations between the government and farming community became severely strained, with farmers warning the tax would force farm closures. Andy Burnham is now attempting to repair this relationship through direct engagement with farmer activists, signalling the…
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Control Resonant leads this week’s indie games and events roundup
This week’s indie gaming roundup highlights new releases, upcoming showcases and major events across the scene. It covers Remedy’s Control Resonant, the satirical roguelite Stick It to the Stickman, several regional Steam festivals and opportunities for developers to submit games to Day of the Devs. Control Resonant stars Dylan Faden instead of Jesse, shifts to…
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Hundreds of wildflowers to be planted at meadow
Friends of the Lake District is launching a conservation project to plant 1,500 native wildflowers at an upland hay meadow near Little Asby in Cumbria. The initiative aims to restore grassland habitats and reintroduce plant species that have been lost through certain farming practices, which is essential for supporting local insect and bird populations. Plant…
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UN rights office expands database of firms linked to settlements
The UN human rights office has added 61 companies to its database of businesses allegedly linked to Israeli settlements and violations of Palestinian rights in the occupied West Bank. The update brings the total to 214 firms and is intended to pressure companies to assess and end potential involvement, although the UN has no power…
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Rare bittern dies after unusual tour of Sheffield
A juvenile bittern, one of Britain’s rarest and most elusive birds, has died following an extraordinary and unprecedented appearance across Sheffield. The bird was initially spotted in the garden of Karine Nohr in Nether Edge before being seen at multiple urban locations including the River Sheaf and a cemetery in Sharrow. After being taken to…
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Tories invite Phillipson to Piddington in violence against women ‘weaponisation’ row
The Conservatives invited Women and Equalities Secretary Bridget Phillipson to visit Piddington, Oxfordshire, after she accused the Conservatives and Reform UK of politicising violence against women and girls (VAWG), particularly in debates about immigration. Phillipson rejected the invitation, arguing that it focused too narrowly on immigration rather than addressing violence against women across all communities.…
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Put down those textbooks and turn off the screens. Here is a great way for kids to learn
The article argues that children can learn more deeply through engaging books than through standard textbooks or screen-based lessons. Drawing on 19th-century educator Charlotte Mason, it presents “living books” as a way to nurture curiosity, imagination and a lasting love of learning. Mason favoured works written by individual authors with strong narratives and literary quality,…
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Oxford shares Bodleian texts with OpenAI for model training
Oxford University has permitted OpenAI to use digitised texts from its prestigious Bodleian library to train the AI models behind ChatGPT, as technology companies increasingly seek fresh data from academic institutions. Whilst the partnership announced in March 2025 was framed around making historical texts more widely available to students and researchers, internal university documents reveal…
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Work intensifying on UK laws to stamp out concert ticket touts, say sources
The UK government has intensified work on laws to ban for-profit ticket resales, despite the proposal being absent from this year’s King’s Speech. Artists and music industry figures are urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to fulfil Labour’s pledge, arguing that touts exploit fans and harm live music, particularly at smaller venues. Research covering 300 events…
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‘It’s just getting worse’: anger in Maine over Trump’s trade war with close neighbor Canada
Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada are worsening economic pressures in Maine, damaging industries such as logging and fishing in a state with longstanding commercial and family ties to its northern neighbour. The resulting anger could affect next year’s Senate race, where Democrat Troy Jackson is challenging Republican Susan Collins in a closely fought contest. Molly…