‘Geordie optimism is this rigorous spirit of hard graft’: Newcastle jazz band Knats break out of the north-south divide

“It’s kind of a silly story,” says King David-Ike Elechi, grinning as he explains the origins of his jazz band Knats. At school, in year seven, he became friends with classmate Stan Woodward after a silent game of passing a giant pink novelty rubber back and forth to one another. Elechi suggested that Woodward should…

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‘Clear divide’ in military readiness for countries on NATO’s eastern flank: Report

MILAN — NATO’s eastern flank readiness remains uneven despite major financial commitments, as persistent mobility and decision-making vulnerabilities threaten rapid troop movements during wartime, a new report found. The findings were highlighted in the 2026 Annual Battle Readiness on the Eastern Flank, published last week by the Bratislava-based think tank Globsec. The report used what…

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