News

By Robert Sun It’s not often that an inner-city American school rises to the top of national rankings in academics, and yet Baldi Middle School in Philadelphia has beaten the odds— not just once, but multiple times. Its track record reveals some important insights for anyone concerned with improving the learning experience for children. In a nationwide online maths competition involving 6,000 schools in 45 states, Baldi ended the latest school year ranked #1, as students solved almost 20 million...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor I remember being at school and being caught throwing some chalk at a fellow pupil (that shows my age and level of rebelliousness). I denied it even though I had done it and everyone knew I’d done it. The more they asked the more I refused to take the blame and the worse it got. Well that is what happened to Ed today. It isn’t the initial problem, it’s the lying that makes it worse....

By Charlotte Hope, Lifestyle Editor @TLE_Lifestyle Benedict Cumberbatch shows off his posh credentials  Whilst discussing the lack of opportunities for non-white actors in Hollywood, recently, Benedict Cumberbatch referred to black actors as ‘coloured’. It couldn’t have come at a more inopportune moment, given the context of the discussion, but it happened. Obviously he apologised post haste and rightly referred to himself as an ‘idiot’and that he ‘hopes this incident will highlight the need for correct usage of terminology that is...

By Elsa Buchanan, International Politics Correspondent  A Tories U-turn vote on fast-track fracking is being dubbed a ‘huge victory’, but campaigners say now is not the time to celebrate. The government made a major U-turn on plans to fast-track UK fracking after accepting Labour proposals to tighten environmental regulations on Monday (26 January). Campaigners welcomed the changes, describing the vote as “mark a huge loss for the fracking industry”. “This is a win for the people-powered anti-fracking campaign,” said Martin...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor I’m quite paranoid and believe the whole world is a conspiracy (against who, I’m not certain), but I am sure there was a very elaborate planned “joke,” during today’s PMQs. The sting began with Robert Jenrick, Con, who said of Miliband’s economic policy, “to be blunt” “James Blunt!” his partner in crime sitting beside him, chipped in, “he would send the UK back to bedlam,” he finished. Then Robert Redford (played by the PM) stepped...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor I was brought up in Newcastle upon Tyne and watching pub fights escalate was a common occurrence. Surprisingly the two leaders reminded me of one of these skirmishes, albeit it in an Oxbridge, educated duel way, rather than a bottling on Shields Road, Byker. After watching a number of these confrontations, the violence tends to only escalate once the door staff have broken it up, then both parties can really throw insults at each other,...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Moments before PMQs began the news reported that twelve journalists and policemen had been shot, due to their controversial cartoon satire. The PM condemned the attack, as did Ed. Prior to the terrorist atrocity the only story leading the news was the NHS crisis and Ed would not let the Cameron bury bad news today. Almost every Labour (and Lib) question focused on the problems in our health service. In the early exchanges there was...

By Michael Boxwell Eco-friendly cars have long been a good investment for Londoners. Driving an electric vehicle means you are exempt from both congestion charges and VED (road tax) both pet hates of the average motorist. There are an abundance of charging points around the City and local government offer a grant that will give you up to 75 per cent off the cost of installing a domestic charge point. With no fuel charges and the majority of car journeys...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Tonight (10th December) sees the latest film from the Africa Investigates series, a groundbreaking show that exposes corruption and abuse across Africa. On a continent where investigative reporters face intimidation and beatings and where death threats are an occupational hazard, African journalists go undercover to find the wrongdoers and put them under the spotlight. In this episode reporter Emmanuel Mutaizibwa and director Karim Shah have uncovered corruption in Uganda. It broadcasts on Al Jazeera English, tonight at...