Keir Starmer was wrong to sack Olly Robbins | Brief letters

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Perhaps the most damaging consequence of the Mandelson affair is not the fate of the prime minister (Report, 22 April) but the breakdown in the relationship between the government and the civil service.This relationship is crucial for good government.The removal of a distinguished civil servant for trying to navigate the competing pressures on him when landed with the Mandelson problem sets a dangerous precedent.It was the wrong decision, and should be reversed before lasting damage is done.Tony WrightFormer Labour MP and chair of the public administration committee This is such a Westminster bubble story.

No one cares.People are concerned about prices, the NHS, childcare, student loans, jobs, racism, rightwing hooligans, even the lunatics in the White House and Kremlin.I’m no fan of Keir Starmer, but changing leaders now is an indulgence that this country can ill afford, and I think he is proving to be a serious statesman, which makes a pleasant change.Carolyn WeltonCullercoats, Tyne and Wear Perhaps Keir Starmer could take some solace from remembering that Peter Mandelson was not the worst possible candidate for the role of US ambassador.Nigel Farage was also proposed (by Donald Trump).

I make no comment on what the UK Security Vetting service might have discovered in his case.Graham HeadLondon As it looks likely that Keir Starmer will be replaced, why not ask him to resign as an MP so that Andy Burnham could win the byelection?David ProtheroHarlington, London Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
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Paige Shiver says ex-Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore ‘had complete control over me’

Paige Shiver said former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore “had complete control over me” in an interview set to air Friday on Good Morning America, marking her first public appearance since Moore’s high-profile firing and sentencing, ABC said Thursday.In excerpts released by the network on Thursday, Shiver said Moore controlled “my emotions, my career … and he knew that, and he used it against me”.Shiver, who was Moore’s executive assistant at Michigan, is speaking publicly for the first time since the case that led to Moore’s dismissal in December and his sentencing this month. Moore, then 39, was fired for what the university said was an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member”, then arrested shortly after following an altercation at Shiver’s apartment.Moore was sentenced on 14 April to 18 months’ probation after resolving charges tied to the incident, according to court records

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Patriots back coach Vrabel’s ‘leadership’ as new photos with NFL reporter Russini emerge

The New England Patriots have given their backing to Mike Vrabel as new photos of their head coach and NFL reporter Dianna Russini emerged on Thursday.Russini resigned from her post at the Athletic last week after the New York Post published photos of her and Vrabel embracing and holding hands at an Arizona resort. The pair are married to different people and have said their relationship is platonic. On Wednesday, Vrabel said he will miss day three of the NFL draft on Saturday to undergo counseling in the fallout from the controversy. He made an appearance before Thursday’s draft where he said “my priorities are my family and this football team

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‘It has clearly exceeded expectations’: inside Red Bull’s F1 engine factory

Driven hard, driven fast is very much the norm in Formula One, on and off track, but even by the sport’s own standards the development of Red Bull’s in-house engine project has been exceptional. As is what it has delivered.Walking through the gleaming corridors of the team’s bespoke engine manufacturing department at their Milton Keynes headquarters, it is all but impossible to conceive that only four years ago the area where the buildings stand was just empty space peppered with rubble.The decision to build their own engines rather than continuing to buy customer units from other manufacturers ranks among the boldest steps Red Bull have ever undertaken. It is no little feat even for a team who have long revelled in carving their own path in F1

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Swiatek leads players’ surprise as WTA head Portia Archer quits after two years

A number of top players on the WTA tour have expressed their surprise at the abrupt decision by its chief executive, Portia Archer, to resign from her role this week after two years at the helm.“I heard literally two minutes ago, so I really don’t know why now and everything,” said Iga Swiatek after winning her first-round match 6-1, 6-2 against Daria Snigur at the Madrid Open. “We always had a good relationship. I felt like she listened to what we had to say and was really open-minded.”An experienced sports executive who previously worked in the NBA’s G League, Archer was appointed CEO of the WTA in June 2024

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Warner-Judd reveals mid-race seizure led to depression, deli shifts – and her London Marathon debut

There are sporting comebacks. And then there is Jessica Warner-Judd’s remarkable return from a focal seizure during the 10,000m at the European Championships in 2024.Those of us in Rome that night watched Warner-Judd wander distressingly across the track with 600m to go before collapsing and being carried off and sedated. What we didn’t see was what followed: the trauma therapy, depression and fears she would never run again.But as the 31-year-old prepares to run in the elite field in Sunday’s London Marathon, she wants to lift the lid on what happened to her – and her optimism for what lies ahead

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Sportradar’s share price falls after reports claim it had links to hundreds of illegal gambling sites

The betting and data company Sportradar has relationships with hundreds of illegal gambling operators including several that appear to operate in Iran and Russian-occupied Crimea, a new report alleges.A study compiled by the financial analysts Callisto Research claims to have identified more than 270 unlicensed betting companies offering a variety of services including sports betting, virtual gaming and crypto casinos that purport to be products of Sportradar, whose branding and tools are visible on many of their websites. Callisto Research is an activist research firm that has disclosed short selling Sportradar stock after releasing its report.Sportradar AG is listed on the Nasdaq and its share price dropped as much as 30% following the publication of Callisto’s report on Wednesday, before closing the day 23% down on the start of trading.Sportradar makes its money from distribution deals that enable it to both service and police the gambling industry