62 h. ago Ordinary people outside hotels raging at ordinary people inside them: that’s the tragedy of this refugee controversy | Rowan Williams

Anyone who has met refugees sees the ordinariness of their hopes and dreams. If we reject their humanity, how can we be proud of ourselves?No one in their right mind thinks accommodating asylum seekers in hotels is a good idea. No one in their right mind thinks we should just live with undocumented, life-threatening migration routes into the UK. And no one in their right mind thinks the experiences endured by most migrants could be a rational choice for anyone. Forget for a moment the ludicrous, inflammatory posturing of many who should know better; we ought to be able to begin from these shared acknowledgments.Using hotels for housing vulnerable migrants is the equivalent of what prison reform campaigners have long called warehousing – make sure a problematic group is simply corralled somewhere more or less secure, and hope their issues will somehow sort themselves out. The chaos and under-resourcing of the legal processes involved and the shocking levels of delay mean that the con...

Politics

4 d. ago British tourist is shot in road rage attack after 'nearly crashing into a drug dealer' outside Thai hotel

Aiden Jay McDonald, 25, from Dundee, was allegedly gunned down by a cannabis seller outside a hotel in Mae Hong Son on Tuesday evening.

Events

6 d. ago ‘Dangerous’ suspect who allegedly killed two officers escaped into bush alone and is believed to be ‘heavily armed’ – as it happened

This blog has now closedPorepunkah shooting: two Victoria police officers dead, one injured in attack at rural propertyWhat we know so far about the shooting in rural AustraliaWangaratta police have confirmed there is still an “active incident” ongoing and are continuing to urge people to avoid the area.In a statement published to its social media page a moment ago, the local police service said Victoria police “continues to respond to an incident at a property in Porepunkah”.This is still an active incident and we will provide more information when it’s operationally safe to do so.We ask people avoid the area.Tonight’s Ordinary Council Meeting has also been postponed, and will be rescheduled for two weeks’ time. Further details will be provided at a later date.We thank you for your patience and understanding. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Victoria police shooting live updates: suspect who allegedly killed two officers in ‘horrific’ attack at large and believed to be armed

Follow live updatesPorepunkah shooting: two Victoria police officers dead, one injured in attack at rural propertyWhat we know so far about the shooting in rural AustraliaWangaratta police have confirmed there is still an “active incident” ongoing and are continuing to urge people to avoid the area.In a statement published to its social media page a moment ago, the local police service said Victoria police “continues to respond to an incident at a property in Porepunkah”.This is still an active incident and we will provide more information when it’s operationally safe to do so.We ask people avoid the area.Tonight’s Ordinary Council Meeting has also been postponed, and will be rescheduled for two weeks’ time. Further details will be provided at a later date.We thank you for your patience and understanding. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Victoria police shooting live updates: ‘Significant search’ underway for alleged offender after two officers dead, one injured while executing search warrant at rural property

Follow live updatesPorepunkah shooting: two Victoria police officers dead, one injured in attack at rural propertyWhat we know so far about the shooting in rural AustraliaWangaratta police have confirmed there is still an “active incident” ongoing and are continuing to urge people to avoid the area.In a statement published to its social media page a moment ago, the local police service said Victoria police “continues to respond to an incident at a property in Porepunkah”.This is still an active incident and we will provide more information when it’s operationally safe to do so.We ask people avoid the area.Tonight’s Ordinary Council Meeting has also been postponed, and will be rescheduled for two weeks’ time. Further details will be provided at a later date.We thank you for your patience and understanding. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Victoria police shooting live updates: Alpine Shire mayor describes ‘deep sorrow and shock’ after two officers dead, one injured at rural property

Follow live updatesPorepunkah shooting: two Victoria police officers dead, one injured in attack at rural propertyWhat we know so far about the shooting in rural AustraliaWangaratta police have confirmed there is still an “active incident” ongoing and are continuing to urge people to avoid the area.In a statement published to its social media page a moment ago, the local police service said Victoria police “continues to respond to an incident at a property in Porepunkah”.This is still an active incident and we will provide more information when it’s operationally safe to do so.We ask people avoid the area.Tonight’s Ordinary Council Meeting has also been postponed, and will be rescheduled for two weeks’ time. Further details will be provided at a later date.We thank you for your patience and understanding. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Victoria police shooting live updates: two officers dead, one injured after incident at rural Porepunkah property

Follow live updatesPorepunkah shooting: two Victoria police officers dead, one injured in attack at rural propertyWangaratta police have confirmed there is still an “active incident” ongoing and are continuing to urge people to avoid the area.In a statement published to its social media page a moment ago, the local police service said Victoria police “continues to respond to an incident at a property in Porepunkah”.This is still an active incident and we will provide more information when it’s operationally safe to do so.We ask people avoid the area.Tonight’s Ordinary Council Meeting has also been postponed, and will be rescheduled for two weeks’ time. Further details will be provided at a later date.We thank you for your patience and understanding. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago Thought our royals had it bad? Spare a thought for the King of Norway, whose grandson is facing vile sex claims that threaten to bring down their entire monarchy

To the world at large, King Harald of Norway is the perfect 21st century monarch. A figure of quiet dignity and modesty, loved by his people as an ordinary family man whose lifelong pastime is sailing.

Politics

7 d. ago RICHARD KAY and RONAN O'REILLY: Thought our royals had it bad? Spare a thought for the King of Norway, whose grandson is facing vile sex claims that threaten to bring down their entire monarchy

To the world at large, King Harald of Norway is the perfect 21st century monarch. A figure of quiet dignity and modesty, loved by his people as an ordinary family man whose lifelong pastime is sailing.

Politics

9 d. ago The ordinary village 45 minutes from Manchester people are flying from around the world to visit

The village has five Michelin stars between three restaurants located within half a mile of each other

Politics

1 week ago DANIEL HANNAN: This injustice against ordinary people should worry us all. If zealots get their way, we cease to be a free society...

Lucy Connolly was a political prisoner. There is no other way to describe the viciousness with which she was charged, prosecuted, sentenced and even reportedly dealt with in prison.

Politics

1 week ago Far from being 'racist', our love of flags is a longing for an identity that's becoming dangerously eroded: PETER HITCHENS

Why do we care so much about flags? Why do ordinary, common-sense people put them up, and why do politically correct councils tear them down?

Events

2 w. ago Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser review – how did television ever sink so low?

Cruelty. Contestants who have abuse screamed in their face. Cash prizes. This documentary about a horrific 00s weight-loss reality TV series in the US makes for deeply troubling watchingThe mid-2000s were a peculiar time in television. After the dubious 90s innovations of Jerry Springer in the US were followed by the UK launch of Big Brother, it was clear that using the travails of so-called ordinary people as fuel for small-screen entertainment was an idea with legs. There was a mini goldrush of sorts as programme makers realised that conflict, extremity and dysfunction would always sell – and that any human-interest subject could be shoehorned into some version of reality TV.In Britain, ITV’s The Jeremy Kyle Show began casting its malign spell in 2005. In the US, something similarly queasy (and enduring) had arrived a year earlier in the shape of NBC’s weight loss bootcamp-meets-bearpit, The Biggest Loser, which took contestants living with obesity then belittled them with humilia...

Culture

2 w. ago Dear Britain, it’s now clear: 20mph zones save lives and don’t slow traffic. Implement them | Sadiq Khan

There is too much bluff and bluster on this subject. Ordinary people just want safe streets for themselves and those they love, and we can achieve thatEvery 17 minutes. That’s how often someone is killed or seriously injured in a collision on the UK’s roads. Each and every one of these accidents brings an unbearable loss: for family and friends left mourning the loved ones who have been cruelly stolen from them, and survivors whose injuries can change their lives for ever. When we talk about how we make our roads safer, it’s easy to get distracted by bluff and bluster. But, every time we do, we lose sight of the most important fact: traffic accidents took over 1,600 lives last year, and we have the power to reduce and prevent them.Take speed limits. Rigorous new research published by Transport for London shows the number of people killed or seriously injured on London borough roads reduced by 34% following the implementation of 20mph speed limits, with the number of children killed ...

Politics

3 w. ago Prime Video announces thrilling James Bond series with Succession star

The Prime Video series 007: Road To A Million is back for a second season and it will see eight pairs of ordinary people sent on a global adventure

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Commodifying themselves’: the ordinary people posting Instagram sponcon to profit off friends

Users can make thousands a year by sharing links to their favorite items online – and they only need about 1,000 followers to qualifyShelbi Howell, a 32-year-old stay-at-home mom, lives in a small town outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. She is not, in any traditional sense, an influencer. Like millions of other women around the world, she posts her daily outfits to TikTok, where she has a frankly paltry 1,624 followers, and Instagram, where she has 1,251. Yet despite being in every sense an ordinary woman on the internet, Howell estimates that she has made more than $500 just from posting to social media.She does this by posting a video of her outfit or her makeup and reminding viewers – many of whom are people she knows personally – that they can buy the same item via a link in her bio. Continue reading...

Politics