All posts tagged: failing

Russell Brand sued for £220,000 by publishers after failing to write two books

Russell Brand sued for £220,000 by publishers after failing to write two books

Published by skeptic

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Russell Brand is being sued for £220,000 by publishing house Pan Macmillan after reportedly failing to write and deliver two non-fiction books. The actor and comedian, 49, is the author of a number of bestsellers dating back to his 2007 memoir My Booky Wook, which was published by Hodder & Stoughton. His two most recent works were both published by Pan Macmillan: 2017’s Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions and 2019’s Mentors: How to Help and be Helped. The Times reports that, according to court documents, in January 2021 Brand’s company Pablo Diablo’s Legitimate Business Firm Ltd signed a deal with Pan Macmillan with a £575,000 advance for two further “original literary works of non-fiction”. The first book was due by May 2021 and the second before the end of that year, but neither had been delivered by September 2023 when the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation …

‘Fix poverty, fix health’: A day in the life of a ‘failing’ NHS | North of England

‘Fix poverty, fix health’: A day in the life of a ‘failing’ NHS | North of England

Published by Sam

A GP surgery in one of the most deprived areas in the north-east of England is struggling to provide care for its patients as the health system crumbles around them. In the depths of the winter flu season, the Guardian video producers Maeve Shearlaw and Adam Sich went to Bridges medical practice to shadow the lead GP, Paul Evans, as he worked all hours keep his surgery afloat. Juggling technical challenges, long waiting lists and the profound impact austerity has had on the health of the population, Evans says: ‘We are seeing the system fail’  Source link

Failing schools improved after conversion

Failing schools improved after conversion

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Academy leaders fear potentially transformative academisation will be kiboshed by parents and unions emboldened by government proposals to make academisation “discretionary”. A Schools Week investigation found at least 16 petitions on the Change.org website – some with thousands of signatures – protesting against the academisation of failing schools. But all 12 that went on to become academies were improved by the trust that took them over. Ten were rated ‘good’ at their next inspection, and one ‘outstanding’. Currently, local authority-maintained schools are automatically issued with academy orders after ‘inadequate’ judgments. Under the schools bill, this duty would be made ‘discretionary’. ‘There’s a risk we’ll go back to the days when people went to court’ Rob Tarn, the chief executive of the Northern Education Trust, said: “If there’s no longer a known, blanket reality – then parents, other stakeholders and campaigners will want to know why [academy] decisions are taken in some circumstances and not others. Rob Tarn “There is a risk that, where it’s been determined a school needs …

Global treaty is failing to curb ultra-potent HFC-23 greenhouse gas emissions

Global treaty is failing to curb ultra-potent HFC-23 greenhouse gas emissions

Published by skeptic

Air-conditioning units, which often use HFC gases, on a building in Shenyang, China Visual China Group via Getty Images Emissions of a powerful greenhouse gas released as a byproduct in the manufacture of refrigerants are much higher than reported by governments, suggesting a global agreement to stamp out such emissions is failing. Under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, signed in 2016, more than 160 countries said they would do their best to eradicate emissions of HFC-23, a gas with 14,700 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide. Data provided by governments suggest emissions have fallen by more… Source link

The Self-Driving Computer in Brand New Teslas Is Failing

The Self-Driving Computer in Brand New Teslas Is Failing

Published by José

This is extremely embarassing. New and Unimproved It seems that Tesla’s self-driving efforts have hit another snag, because the computers built into its cars that run its semi-autonomous driving software are failing, Electrek reports, adding to the Elon Musk-owned automaker’s track record of dodgy quality control. The issue has been apparent for several weeks but has not received significant attention until now. According to complaints that Electrek says it’s received from owners, it’s brand new Teslas that are experiencing the hardware failures within just several hundred — and sometimes just several dozen — miles of driving. When the computers malfunction, it disables not only the Autopilot and Full Self-Driving modes, but more commonly used features like the vehicle’s extensive suite of cameras, its GPS, navigation features, and active safety features, the site found. Quiet Coverup Per Electrek’s investigation, the issue is related to the newest version of Tesla’s onboard self-driving chips, dubbed HW4, which are reportedly “short-circuiting.” An Electrek source speculated that the computer’s built-in battery may be responsible for the apparent electrical error, and according …

Prison education is vital – but it is neglected and failing

Prison education is vital – but it is neglected and failing

Published by skeptic

The quality of education in young offender institutions (YOIs) in England has seriously declined, according to a recent report from Ofsted and the prisons inspectorate. The report into these institutions, whose offenders are aged 15 to 18, referred to “steadily declining educational opportunities”. Among the failings listed were a lack of time allocated to education, lack of proper staff training, staff shortages and poor behaviour of learners. It claimed that the curriculum is narrow, fragmented, and poorly resourced due to lack of investment in technology. Prison leaders do not accurately pinpoint what students need to learn, while learners with special educational needs and disabilities do not always get the support that they need. According to data from 2022, only 8.6% of young people who received custodial sentences passed five GCSEs, compared to 58.3% of those without convictions. Indeed, there are similar issues across the prison system. The quality of education in too many prisons is not good enough. Research suggests prisoners are often disengaged in classes and education lacks challenge and purpose. This is especially …

You Will Never in 1,000 Years Guess Who Just Joined the Board of the Failing Creator of Stable Diffusion

You Will Never in 1,000 Years Guess Who Just Joined the Board of the Failing Creator of Stable Diffusion

Published by José

The guy behind Skynet getting into AI — what could possibly go wrong? AI’ll Be Back Canadian filmmaker James Cameron, the man behind the iconic film “The Terminator” — in which a rogue AI destroys most of humankind — is jumping on the AI bandwagon. The guy behind Skynet getting into AI — what could possibly go wrong? Generative AI company Stability AI, the firm behind the popular image generator Stable Diffusion, announced today that Cameron will be joining its board of directors. “I’ve spent my career seeking out emerging technologies that push the very boundaries of what’s possible, all in the service of telling incredible stories,” Cameron said in a statement. “I was at the forefront of CGI over three decades ago, and I’ve stayed on the cutting edge since. Now, the intersection of generative AI and CGI image creation is the next wave.” It’s a notable addition, not just because of Cameron’s sheer amount of influence in Hollywood. The use of generative AI in the entertainment industry has proven highly controversial, with actors fighting for …

‘The big problem is water’: UK ebike owners plagued by failing motors | Cycling

‘The big problem is water’: UK ebike owners plagued by failing motors | Cycling

Published by skeptic

Is it the UK’s seemingly incessant rain? A poor design? Or maybe the way they are being ridden or cleaned? Why are so many owners of electric bicycles complaining that their motors need to be replaced so often? Some mountain bike owners with fourth-generation Bosch electric motors describe how they had four or five – yes five – replacement motors fitted during the two-year warranty period. Owners of other brands say theirs have only lasted 800 to 1,000 miles. The problem appears to mainly affect those riding mountain bikes in all weathers, particularly in Wales and the UK’s other wettest areas, because they are not sealed properly against water ingress. This week, one of the UK’s leading independent ebike motor specialists, the eBike Motor Centre based in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, told Guardian Money it was being sent about 250 motors a month – of all types – from owners desperate to find a cost-effective fix to problems including failed bearings, failed torque sensors and water damage to circuit boards. With manufacturers asking for up to £700 …

Safety valve council slammed over ‘failing’ SEND services

Safety valve council slammed over ‘failing’ SEND services

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles One of the first councils to sign up to a controversial government bailout programme over its high needs deficits has been slammed by inspectors over its “failing” SEND services. Bury was one of the original five councils that agreed a “safety valve” deal in 2020-21. Cash-strapped councils get millions of pounds from the Department for Education to pay off deficits, but only if they make changes to their SEND systems.  The council got a £20 million bailout.  But in a report published this week, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission found “widespread and/or systemic failings” at the council and health services – giving it the lowest rating for a SEND inspection. Safety valve scheme ‘not improving services’ Inspectors, who visited in February, warned the experiences of many children with SEND have “been poor for too long” and have faced “limited positive change over time”. Experts have said the findings again highlight the safety valve scheme is failing. “Safety valve agreements are a mechanism for deficit recovery and it is …