Latest news with #JamesSmith
The Citizen
19 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Fancy a game of darts?
Plenty of bet types on offer for World Matchplay. Luke Littler is the favourite for the World Darts Matchplay title. Picture: James Smith/Calls for darts to be included in the Olympic Games are getting louder. The game hasn't been seriously considered by Olympic chiefs – yet – because it's long been considered a 'pub game', associated with booze and misspent youth. But darts is officially a sport in many countries and seems to require similar abilities to archery and firearms shooting which have been in the Olympics forever. Sir Clive Woodward, famed rugby coach, is an important ally: 'Darts? Definitely an Olympic sport – look at the fans, TV coverage, audience and real skill under pressure.' Some estimate darts is the third most popular televised sport in England. This weekend that country's seaside city Blackpool hosts the start of the World Darts Matchplay, which ends next Sunday. The tournament is a major attraction for online bettors around the world, with a variety of bet types on offer. For the uninitiated, the basic rules of darts: Players both start with a score of 501 and try to whittle that down by subtracting scores they get with rounds of three darts. The first to reach 0 wins a leg. To reach 0 you must finish on a double – e.g. with 40 left, you need double 20. The simplest bets are Match Winner and Correct Scores. The Most 180s market is predicting which player will hit the most 180s in the match. A 180 is the highest score possible with three darts. The Total 180s is the number achieved in a match – e.g. over 10.5 or under 10.5. Some bookies offer handicaps for supposedly weaker players. Nine darts are the fewest amount of darts to win a leg win – a 'yes' or 'no' bet option, as is the highest three-dart finish of 170. Betway's hot favourite for the World Darts Matchplay is youthful sensation Luke Littler on 3.40, with Luke Humphries next on 5.45.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Parliament, politics and government
Parliament Parliament, but in this parliament (before a general election); parliamentary (the parliamentary Labour Party); House of Lords, the House of Commons, the Lords, the Commons, the Chamber. The Speaker, James Smith. Acts are always capitalised, bills are not unless we are spelling out the name of the bill in full. Private Member's Bill. Front bench (group of leaders), front-bench (adj), frontbencher, back benches, back-bench (adj), backbenchers. He took his seat on the front bench. Party names for debates and lists: Conservative (C), Labour (Lab), Liberal Democrat (Lib Dem), Reform UK (R), Scottish National Party (SNP), Plaid Cymru (PC or Welsh Nationalist), Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Ulster Unionist (UU), Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), United Ulster Unionist (UUU), National Front (NF), Communist Party (Comm), Socialist Workers' Party (SWP). Tory is acceptable as a synonym for Conservative; Socialist is no longer acceptable as a synonym for Labour. Sects within parties are capped; the Tory Reform Group, the Militant Tendency, One Nation Tories, Momentum. Ministers: Cabinet (upper case) positions are capped up (the Defence Secretary, the Education Secretary), while more junior briefs are not (the homelessness minister, the minister for water and flooding). A list of current Cabinet ministers can be found here. The Government, but government spokesmen: the Opposition but opposition policies. Parliamentary committees and sub-committees take lower case. The public accounts committee, the environmental audit committee, the Commons liaison committee etc, a select committee. When writing about departments of state verify the correct title. There can be difficulties with prepositions, and titles often change at reshuffles. Note, for example, that it is the Department of Health, but the Department for Transport. A full list of government departments can be found here. The old rule about capping general election only when we meant the current one, and lower-casing the words when we meant the last, the next, or any previous one, was confusing. Use lower case. Once a general election is called, MPs cease to be MPs - but ministers remain ministers. People standing for Parliament are candidates. The Scottish Government, also referred to as the devolved administration. Members of the Scottish Government should be referred to as ministers rather than secretaries. From devolution in 1999 to 2007 it was known as the executive. The Scottish Parliament is at Holyrood and can be referred to as Holyrood. The First Minister is capped. The Welsh Government, also referred to as the devolved administration. Members should be referred to as ministers, not secretaries. From devolution in 1999 until 2007 it was known as the Welsh Assembly Government. The Senedd (Welsh Parliament) is in Cardiff Bay and may be referred to as the Senedd in English. The term Welsh Assembly is now obsolete and should not be used. The First Minister is capped. The Northern Ireland Executive, also referred to as the devolved administration. Members are ministers, not secretaries. The Northern Ireland Assembly sits at Stormont, which may be used as a shorthand term. The Executive and Assembly were established under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Power-sharing arrangements mean offices such as First Minister and Deputy First Minister (both capped) are held jointly. Avoid outdated terms such as 'Stormont government' or 'Ulster Assembly'. 'Mayor' is upper case for London and directly elected mayors; but lower case for local mayors The European Union The UK voted to leave the EU on June 23 2016. Brexit officially took place on Jan 31 2020. A transition period then ran until Dec 31 2020, at which point the UK left the single market and customs union. The EU incorporates 27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden The EU does not include the European Court of Human Rights, which is part of a separate body, or the Council of Europe. Its key institutions are: European Commission: The executive body. Do not abbreviate to EC. Proposes legislation, manages the EU budget, enforces EU law. Additionally, it represents the interests of the EU on the global stage. 'Brussels' is an acceptable synonym. It has a president, Ursula von der Leyen. European Parliament: Directly elected by EU citizens, it shares legislative power with the Council and has a say in the EU budget. Rotates between sitting in Strasbourg and in Brussels. An MEP is a Member of the European Parliament. Do not say 'EU Parliament' and lower case p at subsequent mentions (unlike Parliament in Westminster). European Council: Composed of the heads of state or government of the member states, it defines the overall political direction and priorities of the EU. Not to be confused with the Council of Ministers or the Council of Europe. The Council of Ministers represents the governments of the member states and creates EU law through negotiation with the European Parliament. US politics United States: use at first mention. US acceptable thereafter (no full stops). Avoid using America to describe the country. American is the preferred adjective unless there is risk of confusion with other countries in the Americas. President Donald Trump: then Mr Trump. Use 'President Trump' only in quoted material or formal titles (e.g. 'President Trump said…' in a direct quote). Avoid 'the president' with a lower-case p unless context makes clear it refers to the current officeholder. Former presidents: Joe Biden, the former US president, then Mr Biden 'President Biden' only in direct quotes or formal titles. Vice-President JD Vance, then Mr Vance. The administration: lower case unless part of a proper noun (e.g. the Trump administration, the Bush administration). Parties and political identity Republican Party: at first mention. GOP (short for Grand Old Party) acceptable in headlines or in second reference when clear from context. Do not use 'the GOP' as a subject without prior clarification. Democratic Party: never 'Democrat Party'. The adjective is 'Democratic', not 'Democrat'. Democrats, Republicans: both capitalised. Right-wing, left-wing: hyphenated. Avoid in straight reporting – use only in analysis, commentary or when quoting. Moderate, progressive, conservative, liberal: lower case unless in a formal title or quoting a self-description. Institutions and roles Congress, congressional: Capitalise when referring to the US Senate and House of Representatives together. The adjective is lower case, in the same way as we would do here for Parliament, parliamentary. See Names and titles for an explanation of style rules on foreign leaders and politicians. House of Representatives: cap up. Use Representative John Smith at first mention, then Mr Smith. Senate: cap up. Senator Jane Doe, then Ms Doe. Avoid 'congressman' or 'congresswoman' unless quoting or unavoidable for clarity. Prefer 'Representative'. Speaker of the House: title is capitalised; e.g. Speaker Mike Johnson, then Mr Johnson. The Capitol: capitalised when referring to the US Capitol building. Capitol Hill: capitalised; acceptable shorthand for Congress and its inner workings. The White House: capitalised when referring to the executive office or presidential administration. Supreme Court: cap up. Justices are Justice Sonia Sotomayor, then Ms Sotomayor. Chief Justice John Roberts, then Mr Roberts. Avoid 'Judge' for Supreme Court justices. Elections and voting Election Day: c ap up. Midterms: shorthand for midterm elections; no hyphen. Primaries: acceptable in general copy; refer to presidential primaries at first mention if clarity is needed. Super Tuesday: cap up. The day in early March when many states hold primary elections. Caucus, primary: lower case unless part of a named event (e.g. Iowa caucus, New Hampshire primary). Presidential race, presidential election: lower case. Electoral College: cap up. Use 'won the Electoral College' or 'lost the popular vote'. Popular vote: lower case. Swing state, battleground state, red state, blue state: lower case. Avoid in straight news copy unless quoting or widely understood. Prefer 'Republican-leaning' or 'Democratic-leaning' where appropriate. Government structure Federal government: lower case. States' rights: plural possessive, lower case. State governor: e.g. Governor Gavin Newsom, then Mr Newsom. Do not use 'Gov.' except in headlines or when space-constrained (e.g. tables or graphics). Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State: cap up when attached to a name; otherwise lower case (e.g. 'the attorney general of Texas'). Judicial and legal terms US Supreme Court, federal court, district court, appeals court: 'court' lower case unless part of full title. Roe v Wade, Brown v Board of Education: italicise case names. Amendments to the Constitution: e.g. First Amendment, Second Amendment. Gun rights, abortion rights, civil liberties, due process, executive order: all lower case. Impeachment: lower case. Use specific language: 'Donald Trump was impeached twice but acquitted both times.' Indictment, arraignment, plea deal: all lower case unless part of a formal title. Media and political language The Beltway: cap up. Shorthand for the Washington political establishment or mindset. Red state, blue state: shorthand for Republican-leaning or Democratic-leaning states; acceptable in analysis or features. Base, grassroots, establishment, lobbyist, PAC (political action committee), super PAC: acceptable but explain if used in unfamiliar context. Filibuster, gerrymandering, whistleblower, special counsel, classified documents, deep state: acceptable but should be explained or clarified unless context makes clear. Fox News, CNN, MSNBC: cap up. Avoid opinion-based characterisations ('right-wing Fox News', 'liberal MSNBC') unless quoting or in analysis.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sterling strengthens against euro after job market data
LONDON (Reuters) -The pound strengthened against the euro on Thursday, after data showed that a cooling in the British labour market, which had alarmed some policymakers, now appears less acute than the previous report had suggested. The euro was last down 0.22% on the pound at 86.52 pence, as the data reduced pressure on the Bank of England to accelerate the pace of its rate cuts, supporting sterling. The labour market numbers presented a mixed picture. Annual wage growth in the three months to May was 5.0%, its lowest since the second quarter of 2022, but was still slightly higher than the 4.9% median forecast from economists in a Reuters poll. In addition, data from the previous month showing a dramatic 109,000 drop in the number of employees on company payrolls in May was revised to show just a 25,000 decline. "Today's labour market report continues to paint a picture of a loosening jobs market. That said, the labour market picture looks better than it did last month," said Sanjay Raja, Deutsche Bank's chief UK economist, in emailed comments. In combination with Wednesday's hotter than expected British inflation data, the jobs numbers leave the Bank of England in a somewhat tricky situation, balancing sticky inflation, and slowing, if not collapsing employment. However, for this year, "this takes some of the pressure off the Bank of England to cut rates more quickly", said James Smith, developed markets economist, UK, at ING in a note. As well as the euro, the pound was stronger on most other currencies including the yen, and Swiss franc. Versus the dollar, however the pound was down 0.15% at $1.1340, as the U.S. currency strengthened across the board, recovering from its Wednesday selloff. On Wednesday, media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump was likely to soon fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sparked a drop in the dollar. Trump said later that day he was not planning on firing Powell, but kept the door open to the possibility and renewed his criticism of the central bank chief for not lowering interest rates. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Wiltshire data company defends 'very disturbing' expansion plans
A director at a high-security data centre has defended the company's plans for expansion after residents described them as "very disturbing".Rob Silvester, chief revenue officer at Ark Data Centres, spoke about the company's plans to build a data centre on land next to the former MOD year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that residents opposed plans, saying it would disrupt their sleep and cause them mental strain."Nobody likes change, but we are at the forefront of a new age where change is necessary," said Mr Silvester. "What we've tried to do is be as sensitive as we possibly can given that it's an industrial development." The company – where every employee has government security clearance – provides data services to telecoms firms, banks, and video streaming services.A group of residents from the nearby Wadswick Green retirement village have described the plans as "very disturbing" and causing "quite a lot of distress".Mr Silvester said exponential public demand for cloud services and AI had led to the growth of the data centre concern by local residents was the lights coming from the site, with some claiming it is like "looking on an airport terminal".James Smith, who also works at Ark, said: "We mended our lighting strategy at the beginning of this year, so all lights at night time are switched off unless they're needed for emergency or maintenance purposes. There is no light on the site at night."The firm added that advances in cooling fan technology meant there had been no increase in background noise from the site since 2016. The company said it hopes Wiltshire Council will start to deliberate the planning application in August.
The Herald Scotland
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
UK interest rates in focus after surprise revelation
The latest decline follows a 0.3% month-on-month fall in April. The ONS today revised up its calculation of the month-on-month rise in UK GDP in March from 0.2% to 0.4%. Economists highlighted growing signs of weakness in the labour market. James Smith, developed markets economist at Dutch bank ING, said: 'The UK GDP figures have been incredibly volatile this year, and May's decline looks more like noise than signal. But there are growing concerns about the UK economy, driven by weakness in the jobs market.' He added: 'If next Thursday's payroll figures are bad… it would likely force a rethink on the pace of rate cuts. 'Until now, officials have appeared highly reluctant to move beyond their recent, gradual once-per-quarter cutting pace. In part, that is because the BoE (Bank of England) assesses employment growth to be virtually flat. The latest data suggests that's an increasingly optimistic view of the jobs market. 'For now, our base case is that the Bank cuts in August and November, but the risks are clearly tilted towards more frequent rate cuts before year-end.' Read more The last cut in benchmark UK interest rates was a quarter-point reduction to 4.25% in May. The EY ITEM Club think-tank described the fall in UK GDP in May as a 'clear sign that the strong momentum seen in Q1 is fading'. It added: 'Some of Q2's weakness reflects quirks, with some activity brought forward in Q1 due to US tariffs and tax changes being introduced in April. Looking past one-off factors, the UK growth outlook remains challenging. US trade policy will add to the drag from tightening fiscal policy and the impact of some mortgagors refinancing to higher interest rates.' Matt Swannell, chief economic advisor to the EY ITEM Club, said: 'Monthly GDP fell by 0.1% in May, following April's 0.3% fall, with mixed performance across the sectors. The services sector picked up by 0.1%, with business-to-business services leading the way. Read more "Output in the consumer-facing services sector declined as the effects of April's unseasonably warm weather unwound. The manufacturing sector, which is particularly sensitive to changes in international trade policy, saw output decline again in May.' He added: 'Having recorded a very strong start to the year, May's soft GDP reading makes it all but certain that growth will slow sharply in Q2. Some of the drop-off reflects payback from Q1's unusual spike in aircraft purchases and a large rise in exports to the US, a reflection of some businesses attempting to get ahead of changes in US trade policy. However, the data also continues to show signs of residual seasonality, with stronger momentum seen at the start of each year being followed by an abrupt slowdown in subsequent quarters. 'Beyond the potential anomalies in the recent GDP data, headwinds to growth will likely persist over the remainder of this year and into next. US trade policy is expected to limit access to the UK's most important export market and, closer to home, tighter fiscal policy and the lagged effect of past interest-rate rises will continue to weigh on growth prospects.' Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at stockbroker AJ Bell, said: 'The biggest concern for the Government has to be the impact of increased employment costs on hiring intentions. Updates from recruitment companies like PageGroup shine a light on the weakness in the labour market. 'If businesses aren't growing and are putting investment and expansion plans on hold until they feel more confident, the weakness which seems to have become embedded in the UK economy will continue. There have been signs that confidence is improving slowly but it remains fragile, and the rest of the year looks set to be volatile.'
