Global Wildlife Populations Fall by 58% in 40 Years
Global wildlife populations have fallen by 58 per cent over the past 40 years, according to a report by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and WWF. The worrying research has concluded that if the trends continues the decline could reach two-thirds among vertebrates by 2020, with animals living in lakes, rivers and wetlands suffering the biggest losses. It found that for freshwater species alone, the decline stands at 81 per cent since 1970. Human activity is chiefly to blame, causing habitat...
Wealthy Aristocrat Lambasts NHS Over £40 Charge Months After Doctors Saved Her Husband’s Life
A wealthy aristocrat lambasted the NHS over a £40 charge for a medical reference for a gun license months after doctors saved her husbands life. Multi-millionaire Lady Sara Bathurst, the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, called the NHS a "disgrace" for making the charge, posting a photo of a letter received from her GP and accusing them of "blackmail". But the privately-educated farmer's wife has since deleted the tweets, blaming her reaction on being "overtired" because her husband is currently in an NHS hospital. Labour...
Sheffield FC Applies for UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Status
The world's oldest football club has applied for UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status for its original ground as it celebrates its 159th birthday. Sheffield FC was founded on 24 October 1857 and is applying for its initial ground, the Olive Grove, to be recognised and added to the iconic list. Club chairman Richard Tims said the move is a celebration not just of the club but of world football as a whole. He said: "This move for world cultural recognition...
Beer of the Week – Brooklyn Brewery’s American Ale
Brewed: Brooklyn, New York Strength: 4.5% ABV Brooklyn Brewery are one of the very few craft beer giants that deliver consistency when brewing is concerned. Their flagship lager is, somehow, nothing like the over-sweetened, over-carbonated lagers that we’re used to in the UK and is all the better for it. Their American brown ale is classic, yet well executed; a slightly spiced autumnal seasonal featuring pumpkin is an ideal companion for the cooler months; and the East India Pale Ale is...
PMQs 26TH October – “If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through”
I didn’t write my PMQs last week as I was in New York (show off) and simply had better things to do than listen to Theresa May say “Brexit means Brexit.” In fact there are few things worse, attaching a car battery to my own testicles….maybe. Also just to ensure we never enjoy a PMQs again a York University study has reported that Theresa May scores incredibly highly in dodging questions, oh joy. However, personally for the first time I...
Anti-Selfie Exhibition to bring Portraiture into the 21st Century
An anti-selfie exhibition is set to run in London next week with the aim of bringing portraiture into the 21st century. The pop-up show highlights the emptiness of our social media personas through revealing portraits which show their subjects’ flaws – and what it is to be human. Dellasposa, a new London-based gallery, will host Face | Time which looks to bring to light the relevance of portraiture today through contemporary paintings which offer sincere portrayals of people – unlike our manufactured identities...
The Anomaly that is Dog Walker’s Calves
I’ve got a friend who, despite being one of the most lethargic people I know, has got calves the size of tree trunks. To the innocent bystander he’s a physical anomaly. This is a man who has spent the best part of his life on a diet of cheese toasties and Walkers crisps, who would struggle to ride a bike without stabilisers and thinks squats are what you do when you can’t get to the toilet, and yet he can...
Incredible Pictures Released of the Busiest Airports in the World
Incredible pictures of planes taking off and landing at the busiest airports in the World have been released following the announcement that Heathrow is to get a third runway. Photographer Mike Kelley has been working on the aptly-named Airportraits project for two years, taking pictures of planes taking off from runways and compiling them into impressive combined shots. Each picture shows dozens of planes either taking off or flying overhead all in one image, showcasing how busy the skies are. The...
Stokes – the new Flintoff?
Sport News 24/7 By Richard de Winter @rgdewinter @TLE_Sport In sport, there seems to be an obsession with finding the equivalent of a recently-retired, or in some cases, slightly older player. In Argentina, for example, every vaguely promising playmaker will inevitably be named ‘The New Maradona’ – there is even a Wikipedia article on the phenomenon, detailing such promising talents as Ariel Ortega, Javier Saviola and…er…Franco di Santo. Staggeringly fast and ludicrously strong New Zealand wingers (is there any other...