Extra pic of James Arnott; Punch and Judy pupetteer for @IndyOnSunday http://t.co/v635TudS Continue reading →
Part of Rupert Myers' tongue-in-cheek visual guide to writing a Thought for the Day. Photograph: Rupert Myers The Today programme's Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4 is not necessarily the corporation's most interactive of offerings. Nor is it uncontroversial. But why not liven up tomorrow's broadcast by playing along at home with this "tongue in cheek visual guide" to the slot by Rupert Myers on Twitter. Follow the yes/no answers to their conclusion for help writing your own TFTD. It can be tough if there's been no recent catastrophe/rift in society/rift in the faith/good news story ... or even a "news story that's big, but has almost nothing to do with organised religion". In this case, Myers is a bit stumped: "SORRY ... Continue reading →
Workers at the company's factory in Sri Lanka allegedly receive poverty wages and are forced to work excessive overtime and to meet unrealistic, ever-increasing targets. Next denies the claims – which undermine pledges that the 2012 Games will be the most ethical yet – but has launched an investigation into conditions at the factory.The claims emerged in a wider investigation into Olympic brands that found "widespread abuse of the human rights of workers" in eight factories around the world. Research by the Playfair 2012 campaign also cited allegations of mistreatment of staff working for the sportswear manufacturer Adidas in the Philippines and China.Next's Sri Lanka factory employs 2,500 people making, among other items, London 2012-branded jackets, blazers, shorts and T-shirts. Employees claim they are routinely ... Continue reading →
A man beats his wife over the head with a big stick while a crowd of children look on, laughing. "You can't do that!" she screeches, flopping forwards. "Why?" he retorts, hitting her again. "Well," she pauses, "It's not politically correct." Political correctness never was Mr Punch's forte. Nevertheless, the wife-beating, animal-goading, child-abusing sausage fanatic has remained popular for three and a half centuries – and now puppeteers are seeing a resurgence in the old seaside favourite.On Wednesday it will be 350 years since the first record of the puppet performing in public, in Covent Garden, central London, in an entry in Samuel Pepys's diary. Then Punch's wife was called Joan, but now she is better known as Judy.Punch and Judy puppeteers from around the ... Continue reading →
At a central London sports centre, six hairy legs emerge from a swimming pool in time to a beat before coquettishly disappearing again. This is Britain's only men's synchronised swimming team – the Out to Swim Angels – and they want to know why men are barred from the sport at the Olympics. The group of men in sequinned trunks has set out to disprove claims that this year's Olympic Games has broken down the last bastion of sporting sexism. London 2012 organisers claimed this would be the first Games which made all sports available to men and women, but the Angels disagree. Men are still barred from competing in synchronised swimming, despite the fact that members of the team have won international events at ... Continue reading →
Latest score: Chelsea 1 Liverpool 0The action at Wembley is underway. Follow the latest news below...* Ramires scores for Chelsea after 12 mins. 40 min: Wonderful control from Mata allows Chelsea to break. Drogba goes at goal and shoots from range but it's just wide to the left of Reina's goal. 38 min: Obi Mikel puts a strong challenge in on Gerrard. He's booked by Phil Dowd. 37 min: Johnson wins a free kick for Liverpool on the right hand side. Gerrard delivers deep to Skrtel but the Danish international is offside. 35 min: Henderson blocks a shot from Cole before Downing makes a hash of clearing it. Liverpool eventually do. Some poor individual touches from the reds. 34 min: Ramires wins a free kick ... Continue reading →
