The News Canon - Edition 3

THE NEWS CANON

Read on to find out:

What do some of our teachers think of the new John Lewis advert? (p.9)

Why Lord Tewkesbury may not have a job anymore if Keir Starmer wins the next general election (p.5)

Is murder always wrong? (p 8)

A celebrity has shaved his head fans are not 3000% in love with it (p.6)

Why did Waitrose have to change their Christmas advert? (p.10)

Christmas countdown: 27 days ©©©

Will Scotland finally be gaining the independence Nicola Sturgeon wants? Go to page 7 to find out! Continue reading to learn more about

NoLove for OneLove from FIFA

By Antara

“One love. One heart. One destiny,” sang Bob Marley but it doesn’t seem like Qatar’s joining in with this.

This year’s World Cup has been interesting (and not because of Bellingham or Neymar), due to FIFA’s decision to have the tournament hosted in Qatar: a Gulf State with skyscrapers, dunes, and an abysmal human rights record, sparking heated debate.

Many have critiqued FIFA for allowing Qatar to benefit from being selected to host. Their expected profits are $3.1 billion, despite their many human rights infringements. Many accuse them of using football to better their reputation.

Thousands of workers globally travelled to Qatar to help with the tournament many feared for their safety. The Guardian reported that “6,500 workers have died in Qatar since it won its bid to host the World Cup”. Not only this, but they are notorious for their treatment of women. Qatari women must get permission from their male guardians to marry and study abroad, amongst other things. People are angry that a country abusing workers’ and women’s rights has the honour of hosting such a prestigious sporting event.

What has been most difficult for people to digest is that in Qatar, being a part of the LGBTQIA+ society is a crime: all same sex relationships can result in seven year imprisonments, and in some areas death.

Before the 2020 Euros, the Netherlands launched a campaign called “OneLove” which aimed to promote diversity and condemn discrimination, particularly against the

LGBTQIA+ community. It was announced in September that the captains of 10 European Nations, England, Wales, and the Netherlands included, would wear the OneLove armbands at international games. The governing bodies of the World Cup had written to FIFA in September informing them of the decision to wear the armbands, however received no response.

FIFA has clearly stated that they will impose sporting sanctions on those who deliberately go against these guidelines by wearing the armband e.g given a yellow card (being ‘booked’) or forced to leave the field. These countries don’t want to put their players in this position, so they haven’t worn the armbands.

Harry Kane expressed his discontent at this: “We’re disappointed. We wanted to wear it, that decision was taken out of my hands.” He argued it was important the team focus on the game and victory. Jack Grealish said the decision was “a bit stupid”. However, the French captain, Hugo Lloris said that out of respect for Qatar’s values, he would not wear the armband.

FIFA’s President Gianni Infantino however accused the West of “hypocrisy” and urged people to enjoy the football game. In a passionate monologue at a news conference in Doha, he defended Qatar and the tournament.

This issue has still very much conflicted football fans this year. Many have actually chosen to boycott the tournament, but others argue football shouldn’t be confused with politics. But for now, it looks like spectators this year will have to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show (and Neymar & Bellingham).

Ukraine’s Blackouts

By Ellie

Warning - this article may contain distressing information for some readers.

On the 23rd November, a series of Russian missile strikes cut electricity supplies causing blackouts across Ukraine, in places such as Lviv, Odessa and Kyiv (the Ukrainian capital city). Moldova has also been affected more than half of neighbouring Moldova’s electricity has been knocked out, although it is being restored quickly to reduce any further damage.

Four nuclear power stations have been completely shut off from Ukraine’s nationwide network the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia has been cut off from external power supplies and are having to run solely on safety functions, such as diesel generators for cooling. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that a nuclear accident might happen if fighting around the plant starts to grow. Both sides are accusing each other of shelling the site.

The head of the National Police, Ihor Klymenko, stated that the Russian missile strikes that day have killed at least 6 people and wounded 36 nationwide, with an earlier strike in southern Zaporizhzhia killing a new born baby.

Ukraine’s Deputy Health Minister, Oleksiy Yaremenko has said that the ‘[Ukraine] is under attack’ after the launching of the Russian missiles across the country. He warns ‘the attacks are not over’ and states that emergency teams have been sent to ‘ensure that all patients will be transferred to another hospital in Zaporizhzhia’. Over 1000 medical facilities have been damaged, as well as 143 fully destroyed, and claims that alternative bio

The Weekly Riddle: (answer on page 7)

You measure my life in hours, and I serve you by expiring. I’m quick when I’m thin and slow when I’m fat. The wind is my enemy.

What am I?

generators are being placed in hospitals to provide medical support.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the Russian strikes that have led to blackouts with an emergency debate. He has currently said that Ukraine ‘will not be scared by cowardly inhumane terrorist attacks’ from Russia and thanked Joe Biden for the gifted military aid package of £300 million.

Ukraine have also revealed Russia’s tactic of using drones to target the medical facilities. The engine of an unmanned aerial vehicle was found in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region last month, after one of Russia’s strikes. Most drones had been shot down, however the drone campaign was likely designed to ‘make up for its shortage of cruise missiles’. It is most likely that Russia has used up most of its stock of drones, with a strike not being reported since 17th November, but this does not mean the end of these strikes as Russia is able to gain drones from overseas if needed.

COP27 – climate summit or fossil fuel trade show?

By Imani

Last week, on 20th November, COP27 came to an end. World leaders gathered together in order to find a way to stop the climate crisis, and the press, activists, and charities joined them.

On the last day of the conference, COP27 reached a breakthrough agreement. It stated that rich countries will now pay for the damages, both physical and economic, from climate disasters in poorer countries. Pakistan’s climate minister, Sherry Rehman, said “I am confident we have turned a corner in how we work together to achieve climate goals,”, speaking for all developing countries and China. Pakistan has been very heavily affected by climate change, with the floods earlier this year killing about 1700 and costing $40 billion.

This is a great deal, and one that’s been a long time coming, but developed countries such as the UK and EU left the conference disappointed about the lack of reducing fossil fuel use. The final deal didn’t do anything to combat or reduce use of fossil fuels. Only 100 corporations are responsible for 71% of global fossil fuel emissions which is not a lot of companies in the grand scheme of things. Developed countries are keen to cut fossil fuels, or even get rid of them completely.

However, developing, and emerging countries like India and China whose economy is heavily based on manufacturing want to continue to use fossil fuels because they are so reliant on them already. They have backed up their arguments by saying that Western developed countries used fossil fuels a century ago to industrialise and got us to the situation we’re in today with their fossil fuel emissions, so it isn’t fair to ask developing countries to not use any unrenewable energy.

By Tara AH

There were some positives one of the solid successes from the conference was a deal promising to pay Indonesia $20 billion to transition away from coal. Indonesia is the world’s largest coal exporter, and 84% of its emissions come from fossil fuels, so this is a major step towards lowering emissions.

COP27 was undoubtedly a historic conference: the breakthrough deal is said the be the most important agreement since the 2015 Paris Agreement, however the conference once again failed to address the issue of fossil fuels enough.

Deliberate Fire Kills Family of Three

Following an apartment fire in Clifton, Nottingham, Naeemah Drammeh (aged one), Fatimah Drammeh (aged three) and their 28 year old mother, Fatoumatta Hydara, were taken to hospital by emergency services.

The Police and Fire Service joined forces to investigate the fire concluding that it was in fact a homicide. Leader of the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski said, “We are dealing with one of the most

horrendous crimes the death of two children and their mother.” The children’s father was abroad at the time of the fire and both he and other members of the family are being supported by specialized officers to help them deal with this difficult loss.

A 31 year old man has been arrested and taken into custody for suspicion of murder. Milford Academy’s headteacher gave a statement empathising with the family of the

children and paid tribute to student Fatimah, describing her as ‘joyful and determined member’ of the nursery with a ‘sunny personality.’

The children were pronounced dead shortly after their arrival at the hospital, while their mother passed away two days later.

Authorities have been gathering evidence at the scene of the crime to help aid their suspicions to solve this awful homicide. One of the family’s neighbours, Adam Lamb placed flowers and

teddies outside their house in tribute and spoke for the whole neighbourhood when commenting on their collective shock. He said he will do everything he can to support his ‘constituents and the local community in the days and weeks ahead.’

People have been leaving floral tributes also, at the scene since the fire was put out at around 04:00 GMT on Sunday, and 40 year old husband and father to the victims, Aboubacarr Drammeh says he will ‘deeply miss’ his family.

Starmer Promises to Abolish the Lords

By Dara

Just last week, Labour leader Keir Starmer announced that his party would abolish the House of Lords and replace it with a democratically elected chamber if Labour won the next election.

If you’re not sure, the House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. It consists of hereditary peers (i.e. members), who possess inherited titles such as Duke, Earl, Viscount, and life peers, who are chosen by the Prime Minister. The Lords holds considerable influence over our political system, with the power to delay bills, scrutinise the government and investigate public policy. Thus, it makes sense that the public have a say in deciding who sits in the House.

In a speech to Labour peers on Wednesday, Starmer stated that reforming the Lords plays a crucial role in “restoring trust in politics” (The Guardian). This follows a series of scandals

surrounding former Tory PMs and their use of the Lords to reward their as Starmer puts it “lackeys and donors”. Boris Johnson, for example, recently came under fire for his controversial appointment of Evgeny Lebedev to the Lords. Johnson’s friendship with Lebedev dates back to his days as Mayor of London when the support of the Lebedev owned Evening Standard was a key asset in his re election campaign. This is just one instance of the long tradition of corruption and political patronage within Parliament, which the Labour leader has used to evidence his argument that the Lords is in desperate need of reform.

Unlike the current state of the chamber, Starmer wants the new House of Lords to be “truly representative” of the UK’s nations and free from the influence of politicians, who have their own agenda in mind. However, the details of the reforms are lazy and Starmer’s proposals

focus on changing the form of the Lords rather than its actual function, perhaps suggesting that Labour has failed to consider the long term impact of this major constitutional change.

The House of Lords ¯

Indonesia: Earthquakes Strike Again

By Leila Warning: May contain distressing content for some readers

On Monday the 21st November an earthquake of 5.2 magnitude struck the West Java Province of Indonesia at 13.21 (local time.) The epicentre of the earthquake was on land, with a shallow depth of only 10km. Dozens of aftershocks followed the earthquake, adding to the damage.

Indonesia is one of the world’s most earthquake prone nations due to it sitting on the “ring of fire” (an area of high tectonic activity in the Pacific Ocean). This has meant Indonesia has a history of high magnitude earthquakes and consequently tsunamis occurring regularly. In particular, in September 2018 a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, killing more than 2000 people. In addition, due to the frequency of earthquakes in Indonesia there is often not enough time nor money for homes to be rebuilt as earthquake proof. There is also housing poverty in Indonesia, meaning most homes are poorly built and nearly 70% of low income housing is built by the families themselves (source Habitat for Humanity Indonesia).

The earthquake on 21st November killed at least 271 people while 40 people are still missing and more than 2000 have been injured. A representative of the National Search and Rescue agency confirmed that many of these deaths were children, as the earthquake hit around 1pm local time, when children were still in school. Save the Children has confirmed that at least 80 schools were damaged. This high number of casualties is due to the poor infrastructure which led to many buildings falling and people being trapped under layers of

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concrete and rubble. Additionally, there has been difficulty in locating victims due to damaged roads and the sheer size of the affected area. The regional governor of the West Java province, Ridwan Kamil, has said more people remain “trapped in isolated places” and therefore officials are “under the assumption that the number of injured and deaths will rise with time”. This earthquake was also particularly deadly due to it striking a densely populated area with the epicentre at a shallow depth of just 10 km. Additionally, 22,241 homes have been seriously damaged, 11,641 moderately damaged and 22,090 being slightly damaged.

As well as this, due to the large number of injuries from the earthquake, hospitals are very crowded with many people being treated outside. Herman Suherman, the head of administration in Cianjur Town (a district in the West Java province) said most injuries were bone fractures sustained from people being trapped by debris in buildings. Many injured people also had to be treated outside in the hospital car park after the hospital lost power for several hours after the earthquake. A 48 year old resident has described how she survived the earthquake after being crushed beneath a child and how “two of my kids survived, I dug them up… Two others I brought here [the hospital], and one is still missing.” Her relative Hesti also said that “many bodies are lying in the hospital grounds, it’s very crowded.”

All figures are sourced from BBC and ReliefWeb

Robert Downy Junior has shaved his head in preparation for an upcoming role in the new TV series ‘The Sympathizers’ fans have said he looks unrecognisable as RDJ has always been known for his curly black hair

The new Netflix series Wednesday was released last Wednesday (23rd November). So far, the comedy horror has received a 4.7 star rating, with glowing reviews. There are overall 8 episodes, each approximately 45 minutes long. Jenny Ortega, who plays Wednesday, not only learnt to play cello and learnt to fence, but also rarely blinked.

Scottish Independence – What’s done cannot be undone… or can it?

By Mahi

This week has been a historic week for Scotland and their fight to gain independence.

The UK has several devolved assemblies which means that Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales all have ‘local governments’. These assemblies have been granted power to make independent decisions that the main UK government doesn’t tend to interfere with unless it is unconstitutional (against the law).

The First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon wants to hold a referendum on the 19th October 2023 in order to grant Scotland its independence. However, the Supreme Court the highest Court in the UK, has ruled that without the UK government’s consent the referendum cannot take place. Considering that the UK Government doesn’t want Scotland to gain independence, it’s not likely that they’ll consent.

The Court stated that the laws surrounding devolution (the separation of powers), which were written in 1999, meant that Scotland did not have the power to make decisions surrounding the union between Scotland and

Kim Jong-un reveals daughter

By Ai Yi

The North Korean dictator Kim Jong un has revealed the existence of his only confirmed daughter. Kim Ju Ae was first rumoured to exist (imagine not knowing if someone exists!) when the former American basketball player Dennis Rodman visited the family in 2013. Her exact age is unknown, although people are guessing between 10 13 years. The father and daughter duo have been pictured holding hands while Kim’s wife watched.

Kim Jong un is notorious for having a secretive lifestyle, and so the revelation of his daughter has surprised the world! Meanwhile, North Korea has successfully launched the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, and the revelation of his daughter has cemented the family dynasty.

England. Basically, it is not possible for Scotland to legally have a referendum on Scottish independence as it breaks parliament’s sovereignty the ability of a government to be the highest power.

Sturgeon was of course disappointed with the result of the ruling stating it was a “hard pill for any supporter and independence” to swallow. She plans to continue campaigning for Scottish independence, using the next general election as what is known as a ‘de facto referendum’ (an attempt to show most people support the Scottish independence). The precise details of this have not been revealed but in the new year a special conference will be held.

Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, has also welcomed the ruling, calling it “clear and definitive”. During his Prime Minister Questions (which is a time in parliament other MPs can question the PM), he said that now is the “time for politicians to work together”. Downing Street sources has revealed Mr Sunak wishes to avoid a referendum while he is prime minister.

This is especially important to Kim, who is 38 and has battled poor health. This powerful display keeps North Korea seem influential and dominant. However, as one rumour dies another is born and speculation as to whether she is his heir and future ruler has been circulating. Either way, Kim Jong un has put on an effective demonstration of North Korea’s future, in both military terms and his legacy.

Manager kills six people at a Walmart in Virginia

By Aryn

Warning - this article may contain distressing information for some readers.

Andre Bing, who had been a Walmart employee in Chesapeake, Virginia since 2010, opened fire in a staff room last Tuesday night. Bing then turned the gun on himself and took his own life. This attack caused the death of six people and injured six others. Of the six injured, two are said to be in a critical condition. There is no clear motive for the shooting.

“I looked up and my manager just opened the door and he just opened fire,” described Walmart employee Briana Tyler.

Last Wednesday, police identified the victims as Lorenzo Gamble, Brian Pendleton, Kellie Pyle, Randall Blevins, and Tyneka Johnson. A 16 year old boy was also killed, but due to his age his name is being withheld by the police.

Glenn Youngkin (Republican Virginia Governor) ordered flags to be flown at half staff over all government buildings in the state in memory of the victims. “Today is a moment

where we need to support these families that are facing the unimaginable,” he said.

President Joe Biden stated that he “signed the most significant gun reform in a generation, but that is not nearly enough. We must take greater action.” He described the attack as “yet another horrific and senseless act of violence”.

Former President Barack Obama tweeted that “We can and must do more to reduce gun violence in America,”, linking a news article about the attack at the Walmart store.

The Walmart shooting in Virginia is the second mass shooting in the state, and the seventh in the US since Friday 18th November, according to the Gun Violence archive.

All quotes are taken from BBC news, excluding Obama’s tweet.

Mother: Ruthless Killer or Child Protector?

By Tara S Warning: May contain distressing information for

some readers

A moral conflict is a situation in which a person has two moral obligations that cannot be met at once. Three brothers, targeted and attacked by a paedophile who altered his identity to cover his 24 child abuse convictions, finally admitted that they are 'glad' he is dead after their mum killed him to keep them safe. As a citizen of the country, one has the responsibility to abide by the law in ways such as not committing a crime such as murder. Yet at the same time, as a mother, she deserves the right to ensure protection for her sons as well as to fight for true justice.

Sarah Sands drank two bottles of wine and left for the home of Michael Pleasted, aged 77, in a nearby set of flats in London and stabbed him eight times in 2014. Her sons who have now all turned 18 and surrendered their right of anonymity to side with their single mother, who after four years is out of prison and now protesting for the increase of harshness on the rules of sex offenders and the rules of allowance to change or disguise their names. Though Pleasted did sexually assault them, leading to his arrest and charging with offences related to her sons, while awaiting trial, a judge gave him bail and allowed him to return to the housing estate. Approximately 1 in 6 (1in6.org) men are sexually assaulted and yet the stigma remains when discussing this topic either due to societal expectations or stereotypes. Yes, of course, murder is murder, but it is hard to imagine how one would feel if the man who traumatised the lives of their children was still roaming free. Currently, she is driving forward the much needed campaign for dealing with paedophilia. By marking offenders’ passports and driving licences for later identification and increasing levels of security in background checks can help start this change.

The Fate of Manchester United

By Kavya

Manchester United is one of the biggest football clubs in the world, with a fanbase of 1.1 billion worldwide. It is also one that has frequently been in the news in the past month. Not only has one of the greatest footballers in the world, Christiano Ronaldo, left the club by ‘mutual agreement’, but it is also the world’s third most expensive football club (valued at $4.6 billion by Forbes) and is now on sale.

Manchester United is currently owned by the Glazer family, based in the United States, who have caused controversy among United fans since their purchase of the club in 2005. Their takeover burdened the club with debt, with their current debt being £514 million. Their decision to sell the club does not come as a surprise, considering that the Fenway Sports Group, who own Liverpool FC, announced that they were to open to investment just two weeks ago.

Even as an avid United fan, I was shocked to discover that the club is thought to sell for over £4 billion. After hearing this, the first thoughts that came to my mind were: who would pay so much money for a football club? And who has enough money to own Manchester United?

Well, the fan favourite for buying United is Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a British billionaire, whose net worth is estimated to be $13.5 billion USD (Forbes). Sir Jim made his fortune from his chemical business, Ineos, and publicly stated his interest in purchasing the club in August.

The Daily Star reported that Apple, the world’s largest tech company, would consider buying United for $5.8 billion. Another major contender is Jim O’Neill, a British economist who previously worked at the investment

Interview with Miss Gibbs:

Z: What are your overall thoughts on the advert?

banking company Goldman Sachs and led a group of investors that attempted to acquire the club in 2010. It is rumoured that he could lead another consortium to raise £4 billion to buy the club. Although no other buyers have shown interest yet, we cannot rule out those in the Middle East, considering that Newcastle United was recently acquired by a consortium dominated by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, and that the Abu Dhabi United Group are in possession of United’s rivals, Manchester City.

The fate of Manchester United is still undecided, with the club remaining in the possession of the Glazers still being a possibility, seeing as the family are discussing various options including “new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company”.

It’s less than a month now till Christmas, and as always John Lewis have released their annual Christmas advert. So, what do some of our teachers think of the advert?

Miss Gibs: I was surprised by it, it came up on my phone and I tapped the link and thought have I got the right thing here, but it was more ‘gritty’ and down to earth, I liked the message though, it was different.

Z: What would you rare it out of 10?

Miss Gibbs: 7/10

Z: Any other thoughts?

Miss Gibbs: I think it might be longer lasting because of the message, some of the more sentimental ones are sweet at the time, but the message not as long lasting.

Interview with Mr Holt:

Z: What are your overall thoughts on the advert?

Mr Holt: Well skateboards are ridiculous, ride a bike, but it’s a nice message and at the end you find out why he decided to take up skateboarding. There are questions over if the girl is a foster child or his child.

Z: What would you rate it out of 10?

Mr Holt: I would give it 8/10 as an overall advert, but 9/10 for a John Lewis advert as it was more meaningful than normal

Z: Any other thoughts?

Mr Holt: It highlights the ethics of the John Lewis brand. Is the company a genuine company overall? But they shut down the John Lewis in Watford and I still haven’t forgiven them for that.

Interview with Ms Timm:

Z: What are your overall thoughts on the advert?

Ms Timm: It is a really nice idea, it highlights an important issue and thing to consider, and it shows the effort parents go through for their children

Z: What would you rate it out of 10?

Ms Timm: 6/10

Z: Any other thoughts

Ms Timm: I think it was a bit superficial, only because they don’t really have time to fully address the topics they bring up

Interview with Mme Aubic

I: What are your overall thoughts on the advert?

Mme Aubic: I like that it is about a foster girl and not just a big, wealthy, happy family that is not the reality for most English households. I like that the girl power through the skateboarding as well!

Waitrose’s Christmas Advert Change

By Samhita

We all love our summer tans, but what about the dangers that come with them? Our parents constantly nag us to put sunscreen on but how much attention do we pay to their words? It looks like Waitrose has proved they are the same as all of us then, with their new Christmas advert.

They have now changed a scene of their Christmas advert due to complaints on social media. The scene, which previously depicted two farmers passing each other in a field showing off their sun tans, now simply shows them walking in the field.

Waitrose has been criticised by skin cancer patients for promoting staying in the sun for a long time, whilst failing to also highlight the dangers. Waitrose apologised last week, and is now using an updated advert, keeping in mind the criticisms.

Waitrose told the BBC, “Our ad celebrates the care and effort that our partners and real farmers who work in all weathers put in to make sure our customers have what they need for Christmas.”

One melanoma patient commented on Facebook that “This is a kick in the teeth for all melanoma patients”. Melanoma is one of the most serious types of skin cancer, and about 16,700 people a year are diagnosed with it. It is caused by abnormal skin cells that grow out of control due to damage to the DNA. Constant, intense exposure to UV rays, from the sun, can trigger these skin cells.

However, Waitrose said it was “sorry for the upset caused”, and since their intentions were pure, you don’t have to stop shopping there just before Christmas!

The Team

Editor & layout editor: Zarah

Deputy editor: Ai Yi

Sub editors: Imani, Mahi, Lina, Sophia

This week’s journalists: Antara, Ayrn, Ai Yi, Imani, Vanya, Leila, Samhita, Tara S, Tara AH, Kavya, Ellie, Dara, Mahi