Newspin: Balancing the News (UK)

News for May 19, 2023

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One million cancel broadband as living costs rise -- BBC News (UK)

Ofcom has warned 4.3 million eligible people are missing the deals; Citizens Advice said those struggling could have benefited from cheaper deals

Outline: (what is this?) broadband bills

Tone: (what is this?) + positive

Discussion: (what is this?) ++ BBC, ++ Corbyn, + UK

Asda consults on cutting pay for 7,000 workers -- BBC News (UK)

Staff at 39 stores outside the M25 have been paid more for decades to offset a higher cost of living closer to London; GMB union said Asda was set to fire workers who refused to agree to the new conditions

Outline:  workers supermarket chain asda

Tone:  - negative

Discussion:  -- Asda, ? UK, ? covid

Train strikes: New RMT walkout means three strikes in four days -- BBC News (UK)

RMT railway workers from 14 train companies to go on strike on 2 June in long-running dispute over pay and conditions

Outline:  days rmt railway workers

Tone:  + positive

Discussion:  ? Covid, ? Britain, ? UK

Man abducted and sexually assaulted schoolgirl while dressed as woman -- BBC News (UK)

Man dressed as a woman who abducted and sexually assaulted primary school girl in Scottish Borders pleads guilty

Outline:  miller identifies

Tone:  - negative

Discussion:  -- BBC, ? Amy George, ? Andrew Miller

School bus gets stuck under low bridge again -- BBC News (UK)

Bus was taking pupils to Ashby School in Leicestershire when it hit the railway bridge; One parent said her son was "launched forward and hit his collar bone" Others said it had been stressful for pupils due to take their GCSEs

Outline:  school bus

Tone:  + positive

Discussion:  ? UK, ? Monty Python

Prince Harry and Meghans driver made car chase tense, claim paparazzi -- The Times

Witnesses have cast doubt on the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs account of their pursuit by photographers through the streets of New York, with one paparazzi driver claiming that it was the couples team who made it a catastrophic experience

Outline:  paparazzi witnesses

Tone:  - negative

Discussion:  -- Harry, ± NY, -- Diana

BBC talks to taxi driver who drove Harry and Meghan -- BBC News (UK)

Outline:  taxi driver

Tone:  ± mixed

Discussion:  - NYC, + BBC, - Harry

Harry and Meghan's 'catastrophe': A gap between fantasy and reality that you could drive a car through -- The Telegraph

'The no-nonsense NYPD response to the Sussexes 'challenging' journey takes the drama out of their tale' | Writes

Outline:  nypd ’s response

Tone:  ± mixed

Discussion:  - Harry, ++ NYC, - M

IT worker sues her boss believing 'xx' in email were kisses -- BBC News (UK)

Karina Gasparova sued her boss for sexual harassment, discrimination and unfair dismissal; Claimed Alexander Goulandris used "xx", "yy", and

Outline:  ms gasparova

Tone:  + positive

Discussion:  ? Karina, ? A Jumbo Genital, ? DEI

Heidi Crowter to take Down's syndrome case to European Court of Human Rights -- BBC News (UK)

Woman with Down's syndrome fighting against abortion laws says she is taking case to European Court of Human Rights

Outline:  heidi crowter

Tone:  + positive

Discussion:  ? DS, ? Brexit, ? Biden

BBC News Home -- BBC News (UK)

Friday's Mail: Is this the start of the great A.I. jobs bloodbath?

Outline:  ramsay hunt syndrome

Tone:  - negative

Discussion:  ? Romania, ? AI, ? Tories

Sewage spills: Water bills set to rise to pay for 10bn upgrade -- BBC News (UK)

Water companies say sorry over spilling raw sewage

Outline:  water bills

Tone:  - negative

Discussion:  - England, - Tory, ± Tories

Why is raw sewage pumped into rivers and the sea? -- BBC News (UK)

Most of the UK has combined sewerage system, meaning both rainwater and wastewater are carried in the same pipes; Usually, all the waste is carried to a sewage treatment works

Outline:  excess wastewater

Tone:  + positive

Discussion:  + Tories, ++ Tory, ± Brexit

Swimming in sewage used to be acceptable, says senior Tory MP -- The Independent

MP Damian Green tells Peston: 'I remember as a child in south Wales swimming in sewage' Water companies say they will invest an additional £10bn in upgrades to cut sewage spills; But they warn the public will have to pay more on their bills if they do so

Outline:  sewage spills

Tone:  ++ v. positive

Discussion:  ? Westminster, ? Tory party

S Club 7 star Paul Cattermole died of natural causes, coroner rules -- BBC News (UK)

Paul Cattermole was found dead in his home in Dorset on 6 April; The 46-year-old was due to embark on a UK tour with the band later this year

Outline:  s club party

Tone:  - negative

Discussion:  -- cancer, ± covid, ? Twitter

Missed bin collections blamed on car owners working from home -- BBC News (UK)

Rugby Borough Council said it had seen rising numbers of bins missed; It said people who travelled to work and left cars at home were also to blame

Outline:  missed bin collections

Tone:  - negative

Discussion:  -- BBC, ? UK, -- WFH

KS2 Sats reading paper revealed after row over difficulty -- BBC News (UK)

Children had one hour to answer 38 questions about three set texts; One question asked 10 and 11-year-olds to find a similar word to "eat" in a passage that contained both "consume" and "feeding" Even staff "had to really think" about the answers, the National Association of Head Teachers said

Outline:  ks2 sats

Tone:  - negative

Discussion:  - US, -- bbc, ± Texas

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