I updated this list of the most common (first) names of councillors in the UK. Fair to say the list remains fairly homogenous in terms of sex, race and (likely) age...

The oldest newspaper in the world - the Wiener Zeitung - has been printed for the last time. This is the final front page

Only one modern top-six Test batsman to have played 30+ matches for England has a lower average than Zak Crawley. That's Mark Ramprakash. He was another player who got more chances than perhaps their record deserved, because they "looked the part". #ENGvsAUS #Ashes2023

The % of people reporting "good" or "very good" health continues to trend downward long after the last big wave of Covid deaths. (Data from the ONS's latest Public Opinions and Social Trends survey, out today.) ons.gov.uk/releases/publi…

This is an incredibly powerful example of telling a story in 90 seconds. x.com/ukhomeoffice/s…

The whole of Pride Park, including away fans and both sets of players, applauding on 31 mins in support of Josh Vickers, following the tragic passing of his wife Laura from cancer. Truly touching and symbolic of football’s power in bringing people together. #dcfc 🖤🤍

🚨 DATA JOURNALISM JOB ALERT🚨 We're hiring a Senior Data Journalist at The Times & The Sunday Times This time we're open to a range of skills and experience, from scoop-getters to developers. Here's a short thread of the kind of projects you might work on 🧵 #ddj #dataviz

Saw this tonight. Fantastic production that shows how children's theatre can be so much more than audience service. Gruff Rhys an inspired choice for the score. Perfect tonal fit. Aviva Studios is superb. Very proud to live in such a dynamic city. factoryinternational.org/whats-on/lost-…

Here is the fundraiser I have set up for the late, great ⚫Neil Kulkarni who left us far too soon, leaving behind family including two daughters. Please give, share if you can. x gofund.me/f0d23137

Just heard my former ⁦JOMEC @ Cardiff Uni⁩ colleague David English has died. I worked with him from 2006 to his retirement, a man who could wield a red pen and a joke with aplomb. He had a major influence on those who studied with him. He will be missed. theguardian.com/media-network/…

I learned so much from Robert Ridley, one-time editor of the Manchester Metro News, which I joined in 1995 and went on to edit. manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-m…

The very first time I met John Prescott, as an earnest young political reporter, he put he in a jokey headlock and told me I was 'obsessed with trams'. His own obsessions included devolution and regional growth and he was massively ahead of the curve on both.

Happy new year! And what a year it's going to be. 2025 marks 100 years since Stoke-on-Trent became a city. We've got a host of events planned to celebrate our incredible history, culture and people. New details at orlo.uk/FUpYw every week - so keep checking in.

As an honorary Stokie, I loved writing this feature about Stoke-on-Trent for the Guardian, highlighting some of the places that make the city so special. And I can’t wait to see how the city celebrates its centenary year. theguardian.com/travel/2025/ja…

Our Future 100 plan aims to: ✅ Grow our local economy to over £9 billion a year ✅ Increase full-time wages to at least £700 a week ✅ Create 5,000 new jobs for local people ✅ Keep more money in Stoke, supporting local businesses Read more at: orlo.uk/xsoJD

Our Future 100 plan aims to: ✅ Build at least 5,000 new homes for local people ✅ Transform 150 hectares of unused land into new opportunities ✅ Restore at least five historic buildings to allow them to be removed from the at-risk list Read more: orlo.uk/yilGb

👩‍🏫 We’re committed to giving everyone a fair chance to succeed. Our Future 100 plan aims to: ✅ Help more children succeed by closing the education gap ✅ Support adults to gain higher qualifications, opening up better job opportunities Read more: orlo.uk/FUiEe

Our Future 100 plan aims to: ✅ Lift more children out of poverty so each child has a fair start in life ✅ Help people live longer, healthier lives by adding 2 years to healthy life expectancy ✅ Encourage people to be more active Read more: orlo.uk/7s5nP