Labour leadership: Ed Balls condemns own unpopularity

Ed Balls, the former education secretary, yesterday became the first Labour leadership contender to condemn his own high level of unpopularity. Mr Balls unequivocally described his unpopularity as “wrong”. His comments suggest a determination to distance himself from the Brown-Blair unpopularity which began in 2003.

Ed Balls announces running mate for post election leadership contest

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Gold medals currency devalued

Today the Daily Mail reports that the Olympics have shown the biggest single rise in British gold medals since 1908. However there are claims that this rise is simply proof that gold medals are getting easier and that, when they used to run the 100 metres, the tracks were much longer, possibly nearer 105 metres. A leading sports expert said, "Every four years we see pictures of smiling athletes with their successes and yet it is patently clear that standards are dropping. When I see Usain Bolt and his two world records I feel it pertinent to point out that 19.30 seconds is probably equivalent to 23 seconds when I was at school."

The Government has celebrated the athletes' success by setting floor targets of 20 golds including javelin and hurdles for the games in 2012. Any part of team GB failing to achieve these targets will be turned into an Academy.

Great extinction underway, say scientists

Between a quarter and a third of the world's annoying bastards will be made extinct at the next general election, according to data compiled by the Zoological Society of London. "You'd have to go back to the extinction of the dinosaurs in 1997 to see a decline as rapid as this," says Jonathan Loh, editor of the report.