The Actual News

Key Facts

• The Reform party won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election and the Greater Lincolnshire Mayoral position.
• The party did not win the contests in Doncaster, North Tyneside, and the West of England, narrowly losing to Labour.
• The elections experienced early results indicating significant gains for the Reform party.
• So far, the Reform party has received 39% of the total vote, placing it ahead of its competitors.
• This is the first time an anti-European Union party has won a by-election afresh.
• The Reform party's gain largely came at the expense of the Conservatives.
• The Conservatives experienced a significant drop in votes, with an average vote decrease of 25 points since May 2021.
• Support for the Labour party has also declined significantly since the general election, despite a few mayoral successes.
• Neither the Liberal Democrats nor the Greens had a significant change in their support levels despite high hopes. Both experienced a support level similar to that of four years ago.

Key Facts

• The final day of the English Championship football season is approaching.
• Twelve teams, including Coventry and Hull City, still have much at stake.
• Outcomes yet to be decided include the title, two play-off places and potentially one relegation spot.
• Plymouth Argyle, currently 23rd, needs to win convincing and hope other teams lose for a chance to avoid relegation.
• Hull City, in 22nd, could guarantee their safety by winning their game against Portsmouth.
• Luton Town, presently 21st, will stay up if they win their match or if Hull City loses.
• Stoke City, Derby County, and Preston North End may also face relegation depending on different game outcomes.
• Team performance and opponent outcomes determine relegation or staying in the Championship.
• Cardiff City is already confirmed as relegated.

Key Facts

• Ronnie O'Sullivan, a notable snooker player, is taking part in the ongoing snooker World Championship in Sheffield.
• O'Sullivan broke his usual cue, designed by John Parris, after losing a Champions League match earlier this year.
• John Parris has been crafting top snooker cues for more than 40 years.
• O'Sullivan described his replacement cue as "awful", stating that it's negatively impacting his performance.
• The cue-making process by John Parris takes nearly a year and costs up to £3,000.
• There is an eight-year waiting list for some people wanting to buy a cue from John Parris.
• Parris is now crafting a new cue for O'Sullivan, with the process expected to take nine months.
• The type of wood used in these snooker cues are high-quality ash and maple, carefully selected by Parris from timber yards across the country.

Key Facts

• Dame Andrea Jenkyns started her political career in 2009, winning a seat on Lincolnshire County Council.
• Andrea's job as a music tutor for a council-run service made her ineligible as a candidate, causing her to step down from her council seat.
• After leaving a job at Greggs bakery, she eventually graduated from the University of Lincoln aged 40 with a diploma in economics from the Open University.
• Her father's death in 2011 led her to decide to run for parliament.
• As a member of parliament, Andrea was one of the strong supporters of Brexit.
• She called for Prime Minister Theresa May to resign over her handling of Brexit.
• Boris Johnson, then Prime Minister, appointed Andrea as an assistant government whip in 2021, a junior education minister a year later.
• Andrea has been elected mayor of Greater Lincolnshire for the Reform UK party, a year after she was voted out of the parliament. She manages a £24m yearly budget and is responsible for skills, transportation, and economic development in the region.

Key Facts

• Justin Kluivert is a Dutch footballer who is currently playing in England for Bournemouth.
• Kluivert has played in six different countries: the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and England.
• Kluivert has scored a goal in the top-flight of each country he's played in, a record he thinks is unique.
• Bournemouth is currently in 10th place, one point behind the 8th place, with four games remaining.
• Kluivert joined Bournemouth from Roma in June 2023, for a fee of £9.6 million.
• He has contributed 19 goals and seven assists in his 62 appearances for Bournemouth.
• He has made history by scoring three penalties in one match for Bournemouth, the first time this has happened in the Premier League.
• Kluivert has expressed his desire to play and compete in the European competitions with Bournemouth next season.

Key Facts

• Liverpool soccer fans' celebrations during the match against Tottenham Hotspur reportedly caused tremors.
• The game took place at Anfield stadium on 27 April.
• The largest tremor registered had a peak magnitude of 1.74 on the Richter scale, which was triggered by a goal in the 24th minute of the game.
• These findings were made by earth scientists from the University of Liverpool, using detecting equipment that's normally used for earthquakes.
• A goal in the second half of the match caused the second-largest tremor, which measured 1.60 on the Richter scale.
• Though these tremors were small and couldn't be felt in the stands, scientist Dr. Farnaz Kamranzad said they were strong enough to leave a mark at Anfield.
• Scientists involved in the study hope this discovery will pique interest in new, potential applications in seismology.
• The tremors were a result of the 60,415-strong crowd reacting to the game, particularly in response to the goals.

Key Facts

• The UK had its warmest start to May on record.
• The UK's highest ever May 1 temperature was recorded at Kew Gardens, London (29.3°C), and in Wales at Cardiff (27.4°C).
• A shift in wind direction is causing the weather to change, making it chillier.
• The coming days will see a mixture of conditions, with risk of showers in far north and far south, but also dry periods with sunny spells.
• Sunday and Monday will be colder than regular for this time of year, with below-average temperatures.
• There is possibility of frost on Sunday night into Monday morning, especially affecting gardeners and growers.
• The bank holiday on Monday will be mostly dry and slightly milder, and there might be some sunny spells.

Key Facts

• A trial is set to start, allowing chemists to give out weight loss injections.
• These injections may cost £9.90, which is the same price as an NHS prescription.
• Current eligibility for these weight loss treatments on the NHS is one in 10 overweight people.
• McDonald's has seen a decrease in sales as more Americans are cooking at home.
• The temperature in the UK increased during May, reaching 28 degrees in some parts.
• The Financial Times reported that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was removed from his position.
• According to The Times, interest rates are expected to fall, which could relieve mortgage holders.
• Several UK retailers, including Harrods, Marks & Spencer, and the Co-op Group, have recently experienced cyberattacks.

Key Facts

• This exhibition uses digital versions of portraits from the National Portrait Gallery's collection.
• The featured portraits include figures like Winston Churchill, Amy Winehouse, and Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa.
• The exhibition adds to each portrait with animated graphics and voiceovers to tell the subjects' stories.
• The art show starts in Salford before going on tour around the UK.
• To enter the exhibition, you need to pay up to £35, even though viewing the original portraits at the National Portrait Gallery in London is free.
• All the national galleries in the UK charge for entrance to special exhibitions.
• The National Portrait Gallery expects to be operating at a loss for the latest financial year due to the costs of this exhibition.
• Some of the people featured, like Malala Yousafzai and Winston Churchill, share their stories in their own voices; actors tell the stories of others.
• The entire show lasts about 45 minutes with each portrait’s story taking two to three minutes.
• Ticket prices for adults range between £22 and £30, plus an extra £5 for a flexible ticket, with some £10 tickets available on Mondays.

Key Facts

• Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, has reduced the yearly dedicated funding for maternity care from £100m to £2m.
• The reduced funding has sparked criticisms from individuals and campaign groups concerned with maternity safety.
• The Department of Health plans to give the rest of the money to local health leaders, letting them decide how to spend it.
• A 2022 review of the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS trust indicated at least 201 babies and 9 mothers could have survived with better maternity care.
• Previously, increased spending on maternity care (totaling £95m a year) was planned to recruit around 1000 midwives and 80 obstetricians.
• Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), local organizations deciding how health service funds are allocated in England, will receive the rest of the funds previously dedicated to maternity care.
• Some maternity staff believe the change could lead to maternity budget cuts and negatively impact maternity safety.
• The Royal College of Midwives has been very critical of the funding decision, expressing shock and disappointment.

Key Facts

• The lynx was born in a zoo in Cornwall and could be the first UK zoo-born cat freed into the wild.
• Normally, animals raised in zoos are not considered for release due to lack of survival skills or familiarity with humans.
• The decision to request this lynx was sparked by a shortage of female lynxes in the European breeding program.
• The lynx now resides in Germany’s Black Forest, where it is monitored in an enclosure.
• Lynx, although not considered a "big cat," can weigh up to 30 kilos and usually hunt deer.
• Lynxes were native to the UK but went extinct there hundreds of years ago.
• Dina Gebhardt from Bern Animal Park coordinates the breeding of lynxes, matching males and females from across Europe.
• The goal is to introduce more lynxes into the wild to increase their numbers and improve their genetic diversity.

Key Facts

• Nat Sciver-Brunt was appointed the new captain of England’s women's cricket team.
• She will return to training next week after completing her maternity leave.
• Previously, she served as vice-captain to Heather Knight.
• Sciver-Brunt and Edwards' first task is a series against West Indies, which kicks off on 21 May 2022, followed by a series against India.
• Sciver-Brunt has led England in 11 T20s and one one-day international match, netting a total of nine wins.
• Coach Edwards plans to form a leadership group to ease any workload pressures off Sciver-Brunt and ensure effective future planning.
• Heather Knight, the former skipper, will not be a part of the new leadership group.
• In response to recent criticisms, the team will be altering their approach to social media and focusing more on professional behaviors.

Key Facts

• Luke Littler is only 18 years old.
• He secured his place in the season-ending play-offs happening on 29th May at the O2 Arena.
• No one else has won more than four nights in a Premier League season since the 16-week league phase was introduced in 2022.
• Luke Littler expressed interest in reaching the top of the league to secure the first semi-final at the play-offs.
• He won close matches against Stephen Bunting and Nathan Aspinall to reach the final.
• Luke Littler broke even with Michael van Gerwen in the final match's sixth leg and broke ahead in the tenth leg to secure his win.
• He averaged 102.5 to van Gerwen's 94.31 and was six from 13 on the "checkouts," a term for successfully hitting the last dart to end and win the game.
• Currently, he is nine points clear and aims to maintain his number one position.

Key Facts

• Karen Carter, a British-South African woman, was found dead in the village of Trémolat, France.
• She was discovered near her car with stab wounds.
• Karen Carter's husband, Alan Carter, is currently in South Africa.
• A 69-year-old local woman has been arrested as part of an investigation into Karen's death.
• Karen Carter had been living in Trémolat for more than ten years, where she ran two holiday rental homes successfully.
• The person who found Karen Carter's body was questioned but released without charges.
• Alan Carter learned about his wife's death through a relative who saw a post on a community Facebook page.
• According to Alan, the village residents are shocked over Karen's death.

Key Facts

• Ruben Amorim is the current manager of the Manchester United football team.
• He joined the team after previously leading Sporting.
• Since his appointment, Manchester United has won 6 out of 23 Premier League games.
• Despite this, Manchester United performed well in the Europa League, coming close to the final.
• In the recent semi-final match, Manchester United had a 3-0 win against Athletic Bilbao.
• Bilbao had only 10 players for most of the game, but this victory was still a significant achievement as Bilbao has a strong defensive record.
• Senior players, including Casemiro, Harry Maguire, and Bruno Fernandes, were highlighted for their performances during this match.
• The final of the Europa League will take place at San Mames Stadium on May 21.

Key Facts

• Manchester United and Tottenham both achieved victories in the first leg of their Europa League semi-finals.
• Manchester United won 3-0 against Athletic Bilbao and Tottenham defeated Bodo/Glimt with 3-1.
• If both teams reach the final, it would be the sixth all-English final in a major European competition.
• Winning the Europa League allows the winner to participate in the following year's Champions League, regardless of their domestic league position.
• Currently, Manchester United is 14th and Tottenham is 16th in their domestic league, both far from the top 5.
• No country has ever won the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League in the same season.
• The first all-English UEFA Cup was in 1971-72, where Tottenham and Wolves played in the final.

Key Facts

• Two Palestinian girls, Ghena, 5, and Rama, 12, have arrived in the UK from Gaza to receive medical treatment.
• This is the first time Gazan children have been granted temporary UK visas for medical treatment since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel in October 2023.
• The girls suffer from pre-existing conditions requiring specialist care, which is currently unavailable in Gaza due to the ongoing war.
• Ghena's condition involves fluid pressing against her optic nerve, potentially leading to loss of sight in her left eye without surgery.
• Rama suffers from a serious, lifelong bowel condition that needs specialist treatment.
• The girls' stay and medical treatment in the UK are facilitated by non-governmental organizations (explained as non-profit groups), Project Pure Hope (PPH), and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO).
• According to PCRF, around 200 children have been relocated for medical treatment through this initiative to several countries, including the US, Jordan, Qatar, and other European countries.
• The war in Gaza began with an Israeli military campaign launched during October 2023 and has since resulted in heavy casualties.

Key Facts

• Leicester and Southampton, the two bottom teams of the Premier League, play each other on Saturday.
• This game will take place at King Power Stadium.
• Leicester has failed to score on their home turf since 8th December of the previous year.
• BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton predicts the outcomes of the Premier League games.
• For the 35th week of games, Sutton squared up against Sasha Keable, a British-Colombian singer-songwriter and Arsenal supporter.
• Sasha Keable's new single, "Act Right," has gained over 1.4 million views on TikTok.
• Sasha Keable was identified as an inspirational artist by Beyoncé earlier this year.
• Keable's stepfather, Nick Broad, was a prominent figure in football world, working as head of sports science at Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea; he sadly passed away in a car accident in 2013.

Key Facts

Key Facts

• There was a major power cut in Spain and Portugal this week.
• Donald Trump completed his first 100 days in power.
• Liverpool FC won the Premier League.
• The week also had other significant events worldwide.
• There was a quiz related to these events compiled by Ben Fell.