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UK’s Recycling is Still a Cause for Concern

Common Sense Contributors
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By Dolline Mukui.

On average, British households throw out 22 million tons of non recyclable and recyclable waste each year and this waste is then transported to different locations around the world.

However, what we aren’t all aware of is that British waste that is sent overseas for recycling could end up in a landfill site instead of being properly disposed of with due care. This is due to inadequate checks on the UK’s part, according to the government’s spending watchdog. So whilst we’re working on ‘going green’ over here, we have still managed to contribute negatively to the world’s poor overall health.

Despite it’s history of wealth and power on a global perspective, Britain simply does not have the infrastructure to recycle its own plastic waste which is why it is sent abroad.

Under this government scheme, businesses can meet their recycling obligations by paying for ‘recovery evidence notes’ from reprocessing plants or exporters.

Last year, waste that was sent abroad to countries such as China, Turkey, Malaysia and Poland only accounted for half of the packaging reported as recycled.

The National Audit Office (NAO) warned that packaging material might add to pollution because the Environment Agency does not have enough control to prevent abuse of the system. NAO’s report found that businesses paid £73 million towards the cost of recycling their packaging in 2017, while local authorities spent £700 million.

Michael Gove’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was criticised for not doing enough to assess the effectiveness of the system and managing the associated risks with the rise of exports of waste.

The government’s spending watchdog said “the system appears to have evolved into a comfortable way for Government to meet targets without facing up to the underlying recycling issues”

“The Government has no evidence that the system has encouraged companies to minimise packaging or make it easy to recycle.”

Last year, Greenpeace released a report and according to that data, British companies alone have shipped more that 2.7 million tons of plastic waste to China and Hong Kong since 2012.

The head of the NAO, Sir Amyas Morse said “If the UK wants to play its part in fully tackling the impacts of waste and pollution, a tighter grip on packaging recycling is needed.” He also added “the government should have a much better understanding of the difference this system makes and a better handle on the risks associated with so much packaging waste being recycled overseas.”

A Defra spokesman said “Since the current packaging producer responsibility regime was introduced, recycling rates have increased significantly. However, there is much more to do, we don’t recycle enough waste, and we export too much of it.”

 

What are your thoughts on how to tackle waste and recycling? Is it a long time coming before the UK sees any real improvements?

 

Dolline is a traveller, journalist and blogger who has palate to try new things. She is a very spontaneous person; you might find her skydiving over the Kenyan coast or kayaking on Lake Como in Italy. She can be an over thinker who considers every outcome to the last detail, but on her off days, she welcomes the surprises of things unplanned. Dolline is a very simple person who is always in search of fun company, downtime in a good book and enjoys living in the moment. Dolline also writes for her small personal blog called ‘Swatches of Beauty’ and contributes to a radio show called a ‘A Chat with Elle Celeste’.

Twitter: @ceraz_x

Cold Hearted Raptors – Kawhi Leonard to Toronto

Jireh Antwi
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Cold Hearted Raptors – Kawhi Leonard to Toronto

The city that’s been put on the map by its native member Aubrey Drake Graham has just received a new superstar on its infamous basketball team. This acquisition came at a great cost with bridges and friendships being burnt, proving that players should not remain loyal to a franchise as the same courtesy is frequently not provided. DeMar DeRozan, an 4x all-star, the Toronto Raptors franchise player and the fans favourite was traded on Wednesday to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard and Gerald Green whilst the Spurs also got Jakob Poeltl and a 2019 First Round pick in the trade. When rumours surfaced of Kawhi wanting out of the San Antonio franchise, it was reported that LA his hometown was his destination, whether that was for the Los Angeles Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers was to be determined.

Reports stated the Spurs were looking to trade him to Toronto due to not wanting to make a Western Conference team better, if you were the average follower of the NBA there was only 2 players that Toronto could trade for Kawhi that were close in playing ability. DeRozan being one and Kyle Lowry being the other, but the dynamic duo has played so long together, becoming the best of friends, budding a bromance and achieving a First Seed Eastern Conference spot in the last NBA Season. Although they were swept in the second round by LeBron James’ Cavaliers with the firing off the Coach of the Year Dwane Casey it was still assumed that the Raptors were going to keep their back-court members together and have another shot at reaching the NBA finals. The Toronto Raptors had other plans in play and took the opportunity to get arguably the second or third best player in the game.

DeMar Derozan and Kawhi Leonard both reported to be unhappy about their trades (Source: Business Insider)

Kawhi Leonard is a better player than DeRozan or Lowry, he is an immovable wall in defence and an unstoppable force in offence, most importantly he has proven himself during the play-off season, averaging more points every year than his regular season averages. Whether this was the San Antonio effect we will have to wait and see. Nonetheless having already won an NBA championship and a Finals MVP for the Raptors this is a winning situation in theory, whether it will work in practicality is a different story.

A few NBA analysts and reporters have stated that Kawhi Leonard has no intention or desire to play for the Raptors and is willing to sit out the whole season if he has to. This is similar to what he did in San Antonio due to his quadriceps injury rarely playing any games last NBA season. Although Raptors owners have said they see no inclination from Kawhi that he will not play due to having talks with him. Their aim is to convince him to stay long term so they can build around him.

Kawhi Leonard and his time with the San Antonio Spurs is over (Source: RaptorsHQ)

With Kawhi and Green being traded this now means that the 2014 winning championship starting 5 for the Spurs no longer exist. In a franchise like the Spurs where players stay for the long haul due to the culture and it being like a family this doesn’t spell good things. Now with DeMar most likely being the franchise player things will have to change in San Antonio, DeMar will vastly benefit from the system of play there concerning his assists due to only averaging 5 assists last season but his 3-point percentage and defensive duties will have to be elevated from his own individual hard work. He will also have to face the tougher Western Conference which now has even more All-Star calibre players than before. Kawhi on the other hand can’t assert himself as the best player in the Eastern Conference if he regains his form and possibly win the MVP award next season if he plays all year long.

One thing is for sure what the Toronto Raptors did was a smart move for the team but as a fan and a fellow NBA player it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. DeMar will most definitely go down as an all-time great Raptor, where Toronto fans decide to place him in their estimations is all down to them and his leaving legacy.

‘Snowflakes’ are as rife on the Right as the Left

Alex Davenport
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‘Snowflakes’ are as rife on the Right as the Left

We’re all familiar with the term ‘snowflake’ – along with ‘gammon’, ‘deplorable’ and ‘Remoaner’ it is one of the most-used political insults of our time. Beloved by many of those on the Right, we have become used to hearing it sneered by Piers Morgan and bellowed by Alex Jones alike, at liberal-minded people who it is claimed are suppressing points of view with which they disagree. The idea is that these liberals, usually young and university-educated, are emotionally as delicate as their icy namesakes, being unable to hear any opinion they do not agree with before becoming upset and trying and censor the offending opinions rather than hear any more of them.

A little uninspired though the snowflake metaphor is, it arguably serves to put forward a somewhat valid point. On the whole, societies do not appear to benefit from banning commonly-held opinions, particularly those which do not overtly encourage violent or hateful acts. In most cases, if such controversial viewpoints are so wrong, it should not be difficult to tackle them head on and expose their flaws in plain sight. The freedoms of speech and expression which ‘snowflakes’ are apparently impeding help us to develop the critical faculties required to understand the views and beliefs of others, and better define and defend our own. This is true as much on a university campus or a social media platform as it is in society as a whole.

The problem with the outrage directed at liberal ‘snowflakes’ and their attacks on free speech is that some on the Right seem to have a fairly shifty idea of what free speech actually means. When it is their own beliefs and ideals being brought into question, freedom of expression curiously melts into the background.

Take, for example, the recent debate in the USA over whether NFL players should face sanctions for kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial inequality. A true free speech advocate would argue that whether they believe players are right or wrong to make such a gesture is irrelevant, but that those players should be within their rights to make a stand – a peaceful one at that – against aspects of their country with which they take issue. Yet none other than President Donald Trump waded into the debate by suggesting season-long bans for protesting players. The message such a statement sends is that free speech is fine as long as it does not clash with an unquestioning obedience of the nation and everything it stands for – hardly the kind of American freedom the world is used to hearing about.

The same kind of right-wing ‘snowflakery’ is evident in the UK too. Trump’s recent visit to the UK was met with a number of high-profile protests, which included the flying of a large balloon depicting the president as a baby. In response, TV presenter Piers Morgan, who is regularly outspoken about liberal ‘snowflakes’ and their intolerance of other opinions, appeared to suggest in an interview with London mayor Sadiq Khan that the balloon should be banned on the basis that it would be bad for diplomacy. Such view was repeated by others sympathetic to the president, including Nigel Farage.

Whether or not the balloon was the best way of protesting Trump (or indeed whether protests were merited at all), the simple fact the balloon may be viewed negatively by others would be no reason to ban it, and infringe on its creator’s freedom of expression in the process. To make such an argument is no less contradictory to the idea of free speech than ‘no-platforming’ a speaker at a university campus for having controversial views.

Looking at these examples, among many others, it appears as though right-wingers’ nationalism is not necessarily more favourable to the idea of free speech than liberals’ identity politics. Its proponents are just as likely to defend free speech only until it comes into conflict with their own beliefs, at which point the outrage and offence begins. By all means, concepts of free speech and expression can be appealed to in any context, from a sports field to an online debate, provided they are applied consistently. Yet it is often difficult to take those of any political persuasion seriously when they try to evoke rights such as these to let their allies speak, but forget about them as soon as their opponents begin to open their mouths.

M-PESA: The Kenya Phenomenon That Kept The Brick Phone Alive

Alfie Habershon
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M-PESA: The Kenya Phenomenon That Kept The Brick Phone Alive

Brand domination that stretches down street corners is not an unfamiliar concept in the West. Subway, for example, holds 27,000 stores in America, ten thousand more than any other store. In Kenya however, roads are consistently embroidered with a different green logo. Whether it be the bustling streets of Nairobi, the beaches of Mombasa, or the quiet rural roads of Siaya county, a small box shaped M-PESA kiosk will always be within eyesight.

What is M-PESA?

M-PESA, launched by Safaricom in 2007, is arguably the most advanced mobile money transfer system in the world. Pesa is Swahili for money, and today over a quarter of Kenya’s 175-billion-dollar economy runs through M-PESA transactions. It is universally popular, 96% of households outside Nairobi hold at least one M-PESA account. As a result, Africa’s first mobile money platform has now been adopted by Tanzania, India, South Africa, Afghanistan and even Romania and Albania.

How does it work?

M-PESA’s key to source of success as banking service does not come from its complex array of features but ability to give ease of access and inclusivity to banking. MPESA offers a bank account that is connected to your sim card, and therefore governed from your phone. Using pin secured SMS text messages, it allows you to pay in shops, send money instantly to other users, withdraw from your account, bank money, and even take out loans. So, no internet, no credit card, nor laptop or even smartphone required. Any phone will do.

M-PESA is a branchless; customers manage their account through a network of 80,000 physical ‘agents’, who hunch beneath small green kiosks dotted along the road. These agents act as banking clerks with a unique personal code scrawled above their kiosk, using which customers can send as little as 10 shillings and withdraw as little as 50 shillings from their account. These agents are essentially super users of the platform. They do not hold funds belonging to M-PESA, but are investors in their own mobile money to exchange for cash of customers. All agents are directly recruited by Safaricom and given specific training, then visited on site approximately once every two weeks.

Enabling the rural

MPESA holds great advantages to those in rural areas who may be without reliable internet connection or access to a nearby bank. When it was first launched the average distance to the nearest bank was 9.2 kilometres. Eight years later in 2015 the average distance to the nearest M-PESA agent was a mere 1.4km. Although it is the transfer function which is the most useful. Those in isolated areas can now send and receive money from others far away.

This means avoiding the risks and significant costs of transporting physical cash. This is especially important for developing countries such as Kenya which have high dependency ratios. This means the few who earn money have to support many others – the children, elderly, and the unemployed. Therefore, there is a frequent need to circulate money between family members.

Before M-PESA it was common practise for Kenyan’s to linger around bus stations, searching for someone who is travelling to their village and is also trustable enough to deliver money to their families.

Others have argued M-PESA therefore raises dependency, as it has become easier to rely on instant money transfers from family members rather than seeking employment alternatives when it was less reliable.
However, this effect is mostly outweighed by new employment and business opportunities brought by the ease of transactions. Rural Kenyan’s can nowduct trade with those outside their community using M-PESA, creating more risk diverse business networks.

This means mobile money are more equipped to protect themselves against bad economic shocks that may be specific to their community. For example, droughts, fires, livestock diseases and floods. In these events users can conduct business with other areas where demand remains stable.

 

Women and M-PESA

Despite gender inequalities rising over the last five years in Kenya, it seems mobile money has done a certain amount to counteract this affect.

A recent study of the long run effects of mobile money in Kenya found that M-PESA’s transaction function had induced an estimated 185,000 women to switch from subsistence farming to business or sales as their primary occupation.

For example, in the Lake Victoria region, the economy relies heavily on fishing. Men produce an income from fishing in the lake, but it is then the women’s role to sell it at local markets. Fish yields a higher price the further away from the lake it is sold. So women have the option to send their fish to customers throughout Kenya, but will having to take the lengthy journey themselves to conduct the transaction.

In the past this transport operation would be too costly and not feasible for a women to leave her family overnight to take fish to other regions. But now, where it may have taken a women two weeks to sell two bags of fish in Nairobi, she spends one morning buying and sending the fish on a bus. M-PESA allows women in the lake region to sell their fish at a higher price for a lower cost.


M-PESA also gives women the ability to save in a safer way. In Kenya, women have less access to the formal banking sector than do men. In many cases this is because women do not earn enough money to reach the minimum amount required to set up an account. For example, the Post Bank minimum balance required is Kshs 1200; for Equity Bank it is Kshs 150; for KWFT it is Kshs 500; and for Co-operative Bank it is Kshs 100. However, MPESA only requires that a customer have Ksh 1, equivalent to less than 1 pence, to keep their account open.

Before mobile money women were often forced to store personal amounts of cash in their homes, which was often taken by their husbands to buy alcohol or other personal items. Many women state that access to an M-PESA account has made it much less likely their savings are spent, than when they were kept at home.

Even under the circumstance a women’s M-PESA account is frequently accessed by their husband, there is still an option to create savings which are locked for agreed amount of time and not assessable under any circumstances.

This is called the M-Shwari function, which acts as an extension of your M-PESA account on your phone. Not having access to savings for an extended period can minimise the potential for financial disputes in the household over whether to withdraw it, which are a common cause of domestic violence in Kenyan households.

Surveyed women in the Lake Victoria region also professed this savings function has been crucial in enabling them to pay their children’s school fees. Especially as schools have increased the number of days children attend school, thus increasing the price of tuition.

 

Is M-PESA secure?

M-PESA is surprisingly secure. It is difficult to commit account fraud, as users must present their ID when withdrawing, as well as have their sim card and know their own M-PESA pin.

Having said this, an account connected to your mobile phone can present a risk that it becomes lost or stolen, which discourages account holders to save large amounts on their account. This is reflected by a study which found M-PESA is not commonly used as a saving mechanism because it is too risky, and holds a low storage of value.

In other respects, M-PESA accounts are safer than most others in the world. All funds are held by a Trust which Safaricom cannot access. This is because it is a requirement of the Kenyan central bank that the funds must always remain the property of M-PESA users, meaning account holders would not lose any money in the event Safaricom goes bankrupt.

M-PESA transactions are also regularly examined for evidence of money laundering in reports that are required by the Kenyan central bank. Although this aspect of M-PESA remains contentious. The US stat
e department accused M-PESA of being vulnerable to use by money launderers in multiple reports, as “criminals could potentially use illicit funds to purchase mobile credits at amounts below reporting thresholds.” Although these reports have not been substantiated with major evidence, and appear to take a jealous tone above all else.

The charming cartoon icon of M-PESA resembles an ironic simplicity that development experts have sometime failed to see. it makes a big difference for people to have greater control and safety over their immediate income. Rather than brandishing loans, investment, and interest as quick fixes for the worse off.

England Beat India To Clinch The Series, Destined For Cricketing Glory?

Common Sense Contributors
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England Beat India To Clinch The Series, Destined For Cricketing Glory?

England prance home to victory after convincingly trashing the unbeaten Indian side led by captain Virat Kohli. This makes it, yes you guessed it, his first ever bilateral series loss as Captain. It had to happen but this series puts a number of questions in the side that hope to be answered before the World Cup. The confidence of this English side could not be higher. Beating India at home ahead of the world cup on home soil is the best possible assurance they could’ve asked for.

India started off the 3rd and final ODI in the bilateral series, the series clincher by losing opener Rohit Sharma cheaply and looking really vulnerable to the duo of Willey and the superb Mark Wood . Shikhar Dhawan and captain Kohli at his favorite 3 position stitched together a 70 run partnership before Dhawan fell to a direct hit run-out from star Ben Stokes. A fine display of stroke play, patience and the rotation of strike and attempting to play the right deliveries saw India’s total rise to a respectable 125 for the loss of two wickets at the 24th over. Disaster struck as Karthik was dismissed by Adil Rashid to an inside edge off the bat. Captain and highest scorer Kohli departed after scoring 71 runs and Suresh Raina soon followed-all at the hands of Rashid’s spin. That spell saw India reeling at 158 by the 31st, with half the side back in the pavillion. Hard hitters Dhoni and Pandya kept dealing in singles or dots, barely managing to keep Moeen Ali and Rashid wizardry at bay. Dhoni sent a couple to the fence but was undone by Willey. Cameos from Pandya, Thakur and Kumar took India to a decent 256 at the end of the first innings.

“We were never up to the mark as far as runs were concerned. We had 25-30 runs too little. England were clinical in all departments and thoroughly deserved to win. We need to be at our best against a team like England. The pitch was slow throughout the day which was surprising, not damp, just slow. Against the new ball it was two-paced but slow with the spinners. Haven’t seen pitches like that here before. The bowlers did well, especially their spinners who didn’t get greedy and contained the runs before getting wickets eventually.” was Kohli’s assessment.

The English side started off strong with Bairstow taking the opening Indian Bowlers to the cleaners and Vince keeping steady company at the other side of the wicket. The agressive onslaught was halted as England lost Bairstow (the classic soft dismissal) and James Vince shortly after. Joe Root and Skipper Morgan arrived and were in fine touch from the get go. Shardul Thakur was brutally hammered and when the spinners Chahal and Yadav were brought in, they could not do much. Kohli persisted with them as Root and Morgan raced to their 100 run partnership by the 29th over and they stood at 180 for the loss of two wickets only at the 30 over mark. Chasing the target was a mere formality as they were in cruise control mode. There were no surprises as England led by Joe root-chased the target down by the 44th over with root bringing up his century in style-A boundary of Pandya to bring up his century and win England the match, and clinch player of the series.

Image result for 3rd odi india vs england

Some would say Vivian Richards esque, but Joe Root and the strong English side have their strong batting going for them. The Bowlers have to pull their weight on home soil, but Leeds was an example of Bowling done right. Skipper Eoin Morgan said,

“Outstanding performance. The tone was set by the bowlers. Wood and Willey were on the money, had their lines and lengths down. The ball swung a little for 4-5 overs. We took our opportunities well whenever we got the chance. We know the conditions here well, and we are happy we took advantage of that. I didn’t think it would be a belter, probably a 300-320 ground, but our spinners today were brilliant.” He added that, “The chase was started by the two openers, and then Joe and I carried on. It’s the guys on my right, my team, that make my decision look good. You’re only as good as your team. Our guys were brilliant. In Trent Bridge we were off, and India punished us, and since then we have done well, and grown as much as we could. It’s satisfying that we learnt over the series, made plans, and executed what we said we’d do. So that builds confidence in the team. We need to be at our best before the World Cup, and remove any glitches from our game.”

While England scalp their latest victim in their incredible run, top heavy India faces glaring holes at the number four spot and reliability lower down before Pandya shows. An option could be to move Pandya up the order, but that’s a temporary fix as that would mean either Rahul or Rahane would be dropped to a position that they cant play.

Legendary opener Sourav Ganguly said that Karthik’s position was better down the order: “Dhoni, Raina, Karthik — very good at 5, 6, 7. India need to find a number 4. I think two of your best batsmen are not being looked after properly. I’m not saying it’s deliberate. Maybe it’s a mistake, maybe when you look at things from the other side you look at it differently. But it’s my opinion, from this side of the ground, (either) of those two (KL Rahul or Ajinkya Rahane) have to play at 4 because it’s too much pressure for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.”

It is still an experimenting phase, India need to discover a formula that is right for them and quick. As for the bowling, it was appalling. The quality of the English side shredded the Indian unit. To be fair, their best limited overs bowlers Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah were out injured.
It may be “coming home” after all, but not the sport one might be thinking about if this fine run keeps up going into the World Cup next summer. Beating a strong side sends some good signals as we await the progress.

 

by Rutvik Bhaskar Perepa
Rutvik Bhaskar Perepa is a student at The University of Manchester working towards a MEng in Mechanical Engineering hoping to be on a placement after Year 3. He has had the privilege to travel around his home country, India and discover the rich heritage and diversity. His personal interests include Food and travel, history, Sport among many others. Often found in discourse on various issues ranging Engineering to Religious Practices, he never shy’s away from being expressive. He believes in being open minded, empathetic and analytical is the key to problems posed on a daily basis.

Our Brexistential Crisis

Muhammad Oleolo
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Our Brexistential Crisis

As the magic of the World Cup wears off, we’ve got to come to terms with the fact that the UK is slowly imploding politically. It’s increasingly looking like the Brexit that we will get, is nothing like the Brexit any of us wanted.

sad cristiano ronaldo GIF

In my opinion, in the event of a hard Brexit, the only choice must be a second referendum. If we put aside the conspiracy theories and the racialised and xenophobic subtext of the Leave Campaign and assume that the critical reason for our departure from the EU was regaining our sovereignty, the options left on the table seem set to underwhelm like you wouldn’t believe.

 

A Hard Brexit 

The referendum gave us the options to ‘leave the EU’ or ‘remain in the EU’. The problem is, after voting ‘leave’ we’ve realised that there’s more than one way that we could end up leaving. The most disastrous way to exit Europe, in my opinion, is via a term you’ve probably heard already – a hard Brexit. On the ‘leaving spectrum’,  this is the far right position in which formal ties with the EU are cut and subsequent legal relationships (especially those that concern movement of people between the EU and UK, the primacy of EU law over UK law and access to the EU’s single market) will have to be renegotiated under our own terms.

Source: Europorter Politics

For Leavers, this is good; as the ‘hard’ in ‘hard Brexit’ would mean hard borders, hard immigration requirements and a return to the hard rule of Parliamentary Sovereignty.

No one really wants a hard Brexit. This is my opinion. While the above seems fine, especially if you value the independent statehood of the United Kingdom, the independent statehood of the United Kingdom will be under direct threat if we leave the European Union in this fashion. Why? Here are a few reasons:

 

We’d be really lacking in friends…

Without any formal access to the European Union, the UK’s standing internationally will be diminished, especially since we have an informal role as “America’s man on the inside of the EU“. A big part of Britain’s economic and political appeal was its clout in Brussels which is set to end the moment that we exit the EU institutions next year.

Sad Spongebob Gif GIF by SpongeBob SquarePants

 

It Threatens the UK’s Very Existence 

A Hard Brexit throws into question the constitutional relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; the former in the UK, the latter in the EU. Least of all, it could render the Good Friday Agreement inoperable and could reignite the bloody conflict between the nations. Northern Ireland voted by a 10% margin to remain in the EU and may choose cessation to the Republic over the potential conflict sparked by leaving with the rest of the EU.

british family GIF

In a similar way, Scotland which voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU could launch its own Second referendum and this time the Scottish Independence campaign has a much clearer example of the tyranny of Westminster to bolster their claims that Scotland should withdraw from the UK.
At least Wales will probably still be with us!

A Poorer Britain 

Britain will be poorer in the short term, probably in the long term too. The Office for Budget Responsibility calculated that financial obligations owed towards the EU will continue until 2064, with an estimated £37 Billion owed to them. This is because under the UN Treaty of Vienna, a party leaving a treaty still pays existing obligations under that treaty.

We could always just leave the UN as well though, I guess.

broke no money GIF

 

The only people who could possibly be OK with the threat of these possibilities are nihilists who are willing to hold on to their ideological position over the good of the country. Our government has refused the idea of a second referendum but may have to consider it because the will of the people seems to be the only thing preventing the Brexit hardliners in the Tory party from sinking the entire nation.

Is a second referendum the way to go now?

NBA Off Season Trades – Dramas and Stories

Jireh Antwi
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NBA Off Season Trades – Dramas and Stories

The NBA offseason is always full of drama and storylines, its considered by some the best part of the NBA with speculations and rumours always floating around, who’s going where? What agents are scheming under the radar? Who’s putting in the work to improve their game and take it to the next level? What theatrics and cryptic messages are players putting on their social media to garner attention? The 2018-2019 off season has already started with a bang with some very big moves.

Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers have acquired the talent of the best player in the game 3x NBA champion, 4x season MVP LeBron James for a 4-year $154 million deal. In his recent loss to the Warriors in the NBA final it was all but inevitable for him to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, moving to a historic team and also playing in the Western conference for the first in his career. It is reported that the move was mainly based on himself and family reasons, Los Angeles is a place full of opportunities and dreams. With the additions of Lance Stephenson, a player who some would consider a clown and definitely a nuisance on LeBron James’ back throughout his career but when James says he wants you in his team its hard not to say no. 2x Champion centre of the Golden state warriors and A Shaqtin a fool MVP JaVale McGee, 1x NBA champion and veteran point guard Rajon Rondo are also added to the squad. No word of Kawhi Leonard joining as off yet. With the young pieces in play, the team looks exciting but whether they can hold on to these young players is another story if they want to get another superstar player. However, with these additions their number 1 player of last season Julius Randle had to be moved to the New Orleans Pelicans on a 2, year $18 million contract, which in itself is surprising as to how the Lakers couldn’t pay $9 million a year to a player with amazing upside and constant improvement every single season.

Lebron James embraces the Hollywood lifestyle

 

Golden state Warriors

With teams not offering what he’s worth Demarcus Cousins (put in his stats) decided to join the back to back NBA champions on a one year $5.3 mid-level exception contract. It was a shocking move to the rest of the NBA. Due to his Achilles injury, offers weren’t flying left right and centre for him and there was rumours that Anthony Davis wasn’t even interested in keeping him at the New Orleans Pelicans. With the loss of McGee no one could have thought that a Demarcus Cousins addition to the organisation would be possible simply because of the salary cap alone. This now means GSW have a starting 5 of 5 All-Star calibre players, consisting of 2 MVP’s, 3 of the greatest shooters of all time, one former Defensive player of the year and one of the best big man in the game. Stacked can’t even begin to describe this team. The Golden State Warriors front office have done a marvellous job creating and drafting a winning culture and they’re favourites to win a title this year. Cousins has been known to be a disruptive character, however having already played with the current squad’s stars in the Olympics he’ll be sure to be on his best behaviour. Kevin Durant also signed a new 2-year $61.5 million contract with the Warriors taking a pay cut to keep the band all together.

Former New Orleans Pelicans makes shock move to the NBA champions The Golden State Warriors

Oklahoma City Thunders

Paul George decided to stay at the Thunders instead of playing with LeBron in LA. Signing a 4-year $137 million deal. Lots of speculation surrounded George as he left the Indiana Pacers with the hopes of landing in LA, but they weren’t aggressive enough in their pursuit of him and was eventually traded to the Oklahoma City Thunders. It means that Westbrook and George have another shot together after being bounced out of the first round in the playoffs last year to Rookie Donovan Mitchells Utah Jazz. This is definitely a blow to the Lakers as Cousins and George were both on their radar to make the squad championship ready.

It is also rumoured that the Thunders are looking to depart with Carmelo Anthony which will he interesting to see where he goes.

Charlotte Hornets have attained veteran player 4x NBA champion, 1x Finals MVP Tony Parker who left the San Antonio Spurs after a glorious span of 17 seasons there. This might spell the end of an era in San Antonio with all the core original players leaving or retiring. The organisation is currently in turmoil. Kawhi Leonard does not want to play for the team anymore having sat out the remainder of last season due to an injury to his quadriceps, although fans and pundits questioned the seriousness of that injury. Kawhi Leonard was pitted as the next MVP of the league and the second-best player in the game. The Spurs have no intention in trading him to the Lakers though as they wouldn’t want to help out a rival organisation without having come at a cost. Alternatively, if the Lakers wait it out for another year then Kawhi can leave the Spurs as a free agent. Whether the GM Magic Johnson can get Kawhi to sign to the Lakers is another story.

San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard unhappy with his life at the organisation

With the offseason still going there’s sure to be more moves that teams want to make and setups they’re looking for with integration of their rookies from this year drafts and other free agents to ultimately get that prestigious Larry O’Brien trophy.

Elon Musk ‘Pedophile’ Comment and the Murky, Outer Edge of Free Speech

Muhammad Oleolo
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Elon Musk ‘Pedophile’ Comment and the Murky, Outer Edge of Free Speech

Meet Vernon Unsworth, reports say that his knowledge of the cave systems was integral in helping rescue the lost Thai Football Team last week. The British immigrant to Thailand had these words for tech-billionaire Elon Musk who had initially wished to shoot a five-foot submarine down the cave to rescue the boys and their coach:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TmjpIkVDrU

“He can stick his submarine where it hurts…it had no chance of working…he had no conception of what the cave system was like”. These strong words did not go unnoticed by the billionaire whose response shocked the world.

The now-deleted tweets read:

“Never saw this British expat guy who lives in Thailand (sus) at any point when we were in the caves. Only people in sight were the Thai navy/army guys, who were great…” – @elonmusk 15 July 3:56 pm

“You know what, don’t bother showing the video…sorry pedo guy, you reall didy ask for it”.– @elonmusk 15 July 4:11pm

https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/1018598181268017152

Yes, you read that correctly the CEO of a publicly traded company, subtly, and then overtly called a man a pedophile for being a British national living in Thailand. While totally slanderous and probably actionable in a court of law (something that Unsworth is on the record for considering) it highlights a response all too common in our public discourse.

During the Common Sense Tour, we’ve often been asked, as an organization that defends the right to free speech, where we draw the line on objectionable speech. This, to me, is a clear instance of what surfaces on the murky, outer edges of free speech.

Musk threw out this baseless accusation, not in order to enhance the conversation that was taking place or to highlight his side of the story but to injure someone he disagreed with purely just to injure them. This nihilistic abuse of free speech should be completely condemned and I can’t imagine being upset if Unsworth receives a sizeable payout from the billionaire’s outrageous comments.

What do you think? Does free speech also include the right to assassinate someone’s character? Do you think Musk’s words come under character assassination? Join in on the debate on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/TCSNetwork_/status/1019247653941665792?s=19

How to Travel on a Budget

Common Sense Contributors
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By Tanya Mwamuka.

Summer has finally hit and for once the UK seems to be getting that good weather, which is usually unequally distributed in the Mediterranean. If you live by the coast, maybe if you close your eyes you can imagine that you’re somewhere that’s not boring Britain; but let’s be honest though, Skegness isn’t quite Sicily. If you’re a broke student like me or just hate spending ridiculous amounts of money on holiday’s you’ve come to the right place. Here’s a little insight on how to feed your travel addiction, without breaking the bank.

1. HolidayPirates

If the name scares you then so will these incredibly low prices. Once you get passed the dodgy sounding title, you’ll be planning holidays every month because everything is just so cheap.

Don’t you worry this isn’t a scam, I’ve booked a few holidays myself and can reassuringly say I’ve had nothing but good experiences each time. HolidayPirates works by finding the lowest deals on package holidays, flights and hotels. The deals don’t stop there, they run numerous competitions on a weekly basis, as if this couldn’t sound anymore unreal.

So, what’s the catch then, I hear you say? Nothing really … you just must be flexible. Most of these cheap deals run on certain dates, and whilst you may still be able book on your prefered dates-be prepared for the price to shoot up. Playing around with the dates isn’t always bad as most of the time the restrictions aren’t so bad and prices tend to stay relatively the same. My top tip is avoiding the school holidays, and stick to their suggested dates and you’ve got yourself a winner.

2. Au Pairing

This may be one of the best ways to travel with minimal spending on your part. Au Pairing is basically babysitting in a foreign country, but with free food, free accommodation and you get paid. Yes, the babysitting bit sounds like a drag but there’s ways around it. As you read this I myself am taking part in this in the beautiful city of Madrid. I work from 9-2 (if you can even call it work) my main role is speaking to the children in English. Many Au pair gigs hardly require major babysitting so if you’re not keen on spending 24hrs with a 3 year old, search for a family who require you more as an English teacher than a nanny. I organised my stay through www.aupairworld.com; all I had to do was make a profile, set my prefered location and home duties and watched as the messages of interest flooded in. This is probably my most favourite method of budget travel.  Check out Youtuber Sasha Marie Marshall, who talks about her experience and how she set up her aupair exchange.

3. Skyscanner

When it comes to flights I’m always frequenting on Skyscanner. When looking for the cheapest flights there’s no better place. The website searches hundreds of websites for the cheapest flights for your specified destination. One general rule when looking for cheaper flights though is to stay away from the weekend and popular times such as school holidays.

The question of where to stay often presents as the most expensive part of the holiday. Whilst you can get cheap flights to European destinations for under £60, the hotel in the city centre may be £50 a night (if you’re lucky). This is why I never book with a hotel unless it comes in a package deal.

4. Hostels

Historically, hostels have gotten nothing but a negative reputation. A festering ground for hippie dippy individuals talking about the meaning of life, dirty shared bathrooms, and those odd sounds coming from the bunk bed next to yours. I don’t doubt that all of that is very true for low standard hostels, but the hostels I’ve stayed in have been the polar opposite to this nightmare. More often than not, hostels are as clean as those over priced hotels people insist on splashing their money on.

In Europe they may still be a little on the pricey side – ranging from £20-£30 a night, but on your trip to Asia you’ll be shocked to find them for less than £10 and still at the same standard. Sharing accommodation does have its perks – especially as a solo traveller. Hostels are a very social atmosphere and a great way to meet new people. But, if you really are against sharing then book yourself a private room and get the best of both worlds; privacy and cleanliness but also the social atmosphere of the hostel common room.

5. Couch Surfing

Firstly, you must erase the image of a “wife beater” wearing man lying on his sofa watching Jezza Kyle. Replace it with free accommodation and a local guide and you’re spot on. Couch surfing is when you temporarily stay in other people’s homes, typically for free. This isn’t for everyone for obvious reasons; staying in a random person’s house doesn’t necessarily sound like the safest option, but an option it certainly is. If you’re reluctant then maybe stick with a hostel or have a go when you’re not travelling solo and you have another person to help you fight your potentially murderous host (kidding). Check out www.couchsurfing.com for more information on getting free accommodation or if you fancy hosting instead.

6. Airbnb

My trip to Iceland was made significantly cheaper by avoiding the hotel route. Airbnb has a similar concept to couch surfing (minus the free part). This time you pay to stay in someone’s house, with your mind at ease knowing that the owner of the house isn’t staying with you. They either stay somewhere else during your stay or live in separate quarters of the building you’re  renting at the time. For a solo traveller, a hostel is more often cheaper but if you’re travelling in a group, large savings can be made. If the host allows more people than the bed space allows; for example, you could book an Airbnb that sleeps 4 but have a group of 6, so 3 share a bed rather than 2 with the 4-bed accommodation is likely cheaper than a 6 bed. Yes, this might not be the most comfortable but when you’re working on tight budgets sacrifices must be made. For 6 days in Reykjavik between 6 of us it cost us a reasonable £100 for accommodation (£20 per night).

Finally, for an added bonus on making savings I suggest watching the “budgeteers” a youtube channel dedicated on budget travel – hense the name. They were were probably one of my main inspirations to travel and really show that travel doesn’t cost a fortune.

Happy travels!

 

Tanya is currently studying Biomedical Sciences at the University of Manchester and hopes to pursue a career in science communication, media and African development. She is a lover of fashion, travelling and has a keen interest in racial-social issues. She enjoys learning languages, being fluent in two and is currently adding French to her resume.

Twitter: @thisnewoldthing

Should Books Come with “Trigger Warnings”?

Common Sense Contributors
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By Dolline Mukui.

According to Julian Barnes, The Man Booker Prize winner, books will soon need “trigger warnings” as some students do not like being faced with the ugly truth.

Over the last two years, a growing number of universities have introduced trigger warnings about distressing material to students and offered safe places in which certain behaviours are prohibited.

The suggestion was made after some undergraduates had taken to criticizing Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary on the basis of the protagonist’s behaviour.

Barnes spoke at the celebration of the Booker’s half century at the Royal Festival Hall and said “I sometimes get exercised by our stories being put up for examination on non literary terms and trigger warnings and all that stuff.”

He also used an example of US students who had criticized Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, who had said ‘I didn’t like it because Madame Bovary is a bad mother’. Barnes ultimately did not know how to respond as he said ‘I don’t know where to begin to unpick that’.

However, a play by Shakespeare called Titus Andronicus had been given a trigger warning from Cambridge University English faculty to a lecture discussing the play, as it would include discussions of sexual violence and sexual health. The play also contains depictions of rape, murder and cannibalism.

Titus Andronicus

Barnes said to his audience at the Royal Festival Hall that “as for students asking to hear in advance the bad things that happen in Titus Andronicus, we might as well have a trigger warning on all great works of literature”.

An article written two months ago by Lori Horvitz discussed and gave a new perspective on whether books should come with trigger warnings.

Lori Horvitz who has taught literature, creative writing and gender studies for 18 years has never given or been asked to provide a trigger warning.

Some time last year she revised her curriculum and omitted books of a sexually violent nature except for one book she had assigned but hadn’t finished reading. The book contained a gang rape scene from the perspective of a young child.

A student in an anonymous teacher evaluation, wrote ‘Not providing trigger warnings is not only detrimental to a student’s emotional well being… but it also represents further invalidation/insult of rape survivors.’

As a courtesy, she has begun to provide content warnings on her syllabi, as there is no way to know which issues will be a mental or emotional trigger for students.

She said in her article ‘I understand the need, if possible, to emotionally detach when discussing and reading about difficult topics, but isn’t discomfort the place where real leaning takes place?’

Do you think we need trigger warnings?

 

Dolline is a traveller, journalist and blogger who has palate to try new things. She is a very spontaneous person; you might find her skydiving over the Kenyan coast or kayaking on Lake Como. She can be an over thinker who considers every outcome, but when she isn’t on analytical overdrive, she welcomes the unplanned and unexpected. Dolline is a very simple person who is up for a good laugh or snuggling up with a cozy book and enjoys living in the moment. Dolline also writes for her small personal blog called ‘Swatches of Beauty’ and contributes to a radio show called a ‘A Chat with Elle Celeste’.

Twitter: @ceraz_x

May Trudges On, But For How Long?

Alex Davenport
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May Trudges On, But For How Long?

Theresa May’s week could scarcely get much worse. Having taken her Cabinet to a retreat at Chequers to hammer out a policy on Brexit that would be satisfactory for all. Everything appeared to be going passably for once, with the Cabinet apparently falling into line over a ‘soft’ Brexit deal. The pro-Leave faction within the Conservative party appeared somewhat dissatisfied but not expressly so.

That was, at least, until the early hours of Monday morning, when Brexit secretary David Davis sensationally handed in his resignation with a strongly-worded letter to the Prime Minister, asserting that he could not support a policy that would leave the UK in a “potentially inescapable” negotiating position. He was soon followed by foreign secretary Boris Johnson, another Brexiteer who had long been at best an uneasy ally to May, as well as several other prominent Conservatives. If all this were not bad enough, she now has to entertain US president Donald Trump, a controversial figure at the best of times, while protests across the country threaten to flare up.

David Davis and Boris Johnson with May, the leader they deserted (Source: Reuters)

Given the departure of key members of her frontbench, who engaged in a public and stinging criticism of her policy, and a substantial wing of her party essentially in open revolt at such a key time for the country, many leaders would see no choice but to stand down. May appears a figure without authority, even within the Conservative Party, unable to exert control over the infighting over Brexit. And yet, it would be fair to say that May has survived worse.

It must be remembered that May made it through the debacle of last year’s election, where she staked her reputation on gaining a larger majority, only to lose it altogether. She also survived a horrendous party conference where everything that could possibly have gone wrong with her speech did go wrong. Compared to those disasters, losing two figures who have often been thorns in her side, and replacing them with arguably more loyal ones in Dominic Raab as Brexit secretary and Jeremy Hunt as foreign secretary does not see, fatal. With Parliament’s summer recess mere weeks away, any plots to remove her will either have to be rushed through, or risk losing momentum by waiting until MPs reconvene.

A far more serious threat to the prime minister may be posed when the time comes for Parliament to vote on the government’s Brexit deal. A defeat here would surely erode the last of May’s authority, spelling the end for her. If the deal looks anything like the white paper presented by the government outlining its negotiating strategy, May certainly cannot rely on those of her backbenchers supporting a ‘hard’ Brexit. Given her lack of a majority, any kind of rebellion from Conservative MPs would mean she has to rely on Labour votes. This approach, though, would be difficult for many reasons. Firstly, the Labour leadership would be highly unlikely to support May when given the chance to torpedo the government and take a step closer to power themselves. Secondly, Labour’s pro-EU backbenchers are unlikely to be satisfied with a deal which is not soft enough, and still distances the UK from the EU more than they would like. Finally, the thought of her ‘working with the enemy’ would enrage members of her own party even more, and may prove the last straw precipitating either a leadership contest or, even worse for May, the creation of a hard Brexit-inspired breakaway party.

May has clung on to the top job for quite some time now, despite controversy after controversy. But with no obvious way to force through the eventual Brexit vote in Parliament, the government’s Brexit plan, and her leadership with it, may come toppling down.

Is Arsenal Finally Gunning in the Transfer Window?

Common Sense Contributors
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By Daniel Okotako.

When Arsene Wenger announced his resignation as Arsenal manager, there was an undeniable sigh of
relief from the vast majority of the clubs long time supporters following his last ten years of mediocrity.

Nevertheless, some are weary of this change in light of Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure from Manchester united in 2013. The legendary scot, managed Manchester United from 1986 to 2013 which saw him win 38 major honours. Despite this, following Ferguson’s departure Manchester United declined and struggled to mount a title bid the following season with David Moyes. So, should Arsenal be worried with Unai Emery’s appointment? There is an understanding that simply changing managers after a long period of having the same one doesn’t equate to a smooth transition. Different coaching philosophies, tactics and player management, are some of the changes that may take years to implement properly.

Stephan Litchtsteiner, 34, Swiss international. Source: Arsenal.com

However, Mr Emery has started his tenure as Arsenal manager with a bang by signing Swiss right back Stephan Lichtsteiner on a free transfer from Juventus. There were some raised eyebrows due to his age, but the reality is Arsenal need some experience and leaders, considering that has been their Achilles heel for many years. Arsenal also signed Sokratis from Borussia Dortmund, the experienced 29-year- old centre-back from Greece. So, calls for leadership in the spine of the team has been met.

Arsenal have successfully completed the signings of Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi; both
are young midfielders from Sampdoria and Lorient FC respectively. Torreira, 22, impressed at the
World cup for Uruguay and is highly rated considering the bargain price of £26 million in
today’s football transfer market.

22-year-old Midfield maestro from Sampdoria, Lucas Torreira

Arsenal have made great progress in this year’s summer transfer window, despite having to let
go of Jack Wilshere to West Ham on a free transfer because of a lack of playing time in the starting
eleven. It seems like Arsenal were successful in getting all their summer business done before the new premier league season which starts on the 12th of August for Arsenal. In contrast, Arsenal under
Wenger have had quite a laid back approach in the summer windows. So will we see a rejuvenated
Arsenal? Only time will tell.

 

Daniel is currently a student studying mathematics with computer science at the university of Essex and has a strong passion for technology, specifically machine learning. Daniel is also interested in hip hop, Japanese culture and poetry and sports. In his spare time he loves creating websites and making music.

Twitter: @_dantako

At Least 70,000 Take to the Streets to Protest Trump

Mike Omoniyi
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At Least 70,000 Take to the Streets to Protest Trump

Unless you are still down in the dumps about England’s exit from the World Cup and have been avoiding public places (just me?), you may have noticed that a special guest is on our shores. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has arrived for a 4-day working visit to the United Kingdom

 

The Donald Lands

Trump arrived at Stansted Airport, north of London, early Thursday afternoon. He was flown by helicopter to the residence of the US ambassador to the UK in Regent’s Park, central London, where a large steel security fence has been erected.

US President Donald Trump (R) and US First Lady Melania Trump (L) disembark Air Force One at Stansted Airport, north of London on July 12, 2018, as he begins his first visit to the UK as US president. / Getty Images

After spending some hours at Regent’s Park, Trump then attended a black-tie dinner, hosted by Theresa May at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of one of his heroes, Winston Churchill.

The President was dressed in smart black tie for the event at Churchill’s birthplace, while his wife Melania donned a glamorous off-the-shoulder lemon dress. / Shaun Rider

A crucial moment for an administration in crisis, May has her hands full. She must steward our ‘special relationship’ under the gaze of European and indeed world leaders, consolidate the possibilities of a post-Brexit UK-US trade agreement, a crucial part of her Brexit plans,  whilst making every attempt to be prepared for Tump’s characteristically erratic outburst and criticisms.

 

The Dinner

Speaking at the dinner, May repeated her desire to conclude a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States.

“As we prepare to leave the European Union, we have an unprecedented opportunity to do more. It’s an opportunity to reach a free trade agreement that creates jobs and growth here in the UK and right across the United States,” she said, in remarks released by Downing Street.

“It’s also an opportunity to tear down the bureaucratic barriers that frustrate business leaders on both sides of the Atlantic.” She mentioned thousands of US companies having offices in the UK.

“And the strength and breadth of Britain’s contribution to the US economy cannot be understated. The UK is the largest investor in the US, providing nearly a fifth of all foreign investment in your country,” she said.

Whilst May’s intention is clear, isolation is something she is all too familiar with. Her stance seems at odds with the general public.

 

Trump Not Welcome?

Whilst Trump is wined and dined in his reception with the Queen this afternoon at Windsor Castle, thousands of protesters are making placards, preparing to take to the street to show their dissent towards May and her governments’ position

Protesters preparing for Ani-Trump protests in the Capita / GettyImages

At least 70,000 people are expected to descend on central London to protest against Donald Trump when arrives in the UK for an official visit.

Demonstrators will make their way through the city on the “Stop Trump” march before a large rally takes place in Trafalgar Square. The organisers have described the protest as part of a “carnival of resistance” taking place across the UK in response to the US president’s visit.

A controversial blimp depicting Donald Trump as an orange, snarling nappy-wearing baby will also be flown today during the protests, outside the British parliament in London.

A six-meter high cartoon baby blimp of U.S. President Donald Trump is flown as a protest against his visit, in Parliament Square in London, England, Friday, July 13, 2018. Trump is making his first trip to Britain as president after a tense summit with NATO leaders in Brussels and on the heels of ruptures in British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government because of the crisis over Britain’s exit from the European Union. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Blimp organiser Leo Murray explained that the giant balloon had been designed to speak to Trump “in a language that he understands, which is personal insults.”

Now, this blimp is not without controversy. It was crowdfunded by over 1900 people and will be flown alongside the protestors, however some have argued that it is in bad taste and paints a nasty picture of Britain.  Here is one debate,

 

Sadiq Khan vs Piers Morgan

“I think they like me.”

When asked by the Guardian’s Ewen MacAskill how he feels about planned protests in London and elsewhere in the UK before his visit, Donald Trump insisted he was popular in Britain, citing his strong line on immigration.

But even Trump who routinely confuses delusions and reality cannot ignore the protests, public dissent and negativity which surrounds his visit here. Even though he will try to avoid hotspots of protest, the feeling in the air is palpable. One thing is clear, the British Public have strong feelings about Trump; ‘Like’ is not what I would call it.

Vettel Makes A Masterful Move To Win Silverstone Thriller

Common Sense Contributors
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Vettel Makes A Masterful Move To Win Silverstone Thriller

Sebastian Vettel beat Lewis Hamilton on home soil to win what can only be called, a race for the ages. It started off with a disaster for pole sitter Hamilton as he was collected by Kimi Raikkonen at the start and was relegated to the 18th position. Force India’s Sergio Perez was another loser at the start, albeit on his own.

“I cannot be totally happy about today’s race. The incident at the start compromised my race: I lost the rear end trying to avoid the incidents ahead, spun and suddenly I was at the back of the field.” Perez said after the race.

Meanwhile at the front Vettel was in the lead followed by Bottas, Verstappen, Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo. Then a gap before Hulkenberg (who finished better than the rest), Leclerc, Ocon, Sainz and Kevin Magnussen completing the top 10. By this point Hamilton was on the charge clearing the Williams. He scythed his way past cars that were not supposed to be fighting him and was on the tail of Ricciardo by lap 10.

The first pit stops were underway by the 18-19 with the runners below 10th place staying out in the hope of gaining track position. Kimi Raikkonen meanwhile, had to pit as he got a 10-second timed penalty. That played well into his hands as Ferrari elected to pit him earlier than the midfield. He was behind Ricciardo by the end of the first round of stops. Verstappen got first priority and made his stop before his teammate. For those of you who don’t know, most teams elect to give the driver who is ahead on track the first choice in stops provided their pace differential is marginal. Hamilton and the runners who didn’t pit, made their stops finally pitted around the 21 mark.

This meant that Sauber’s points run came to a disappointing end. And it brought out the first Safety car. The battle down the field was boiling over with a chain of cars within DRS range of each other. Magnussen headed the train, followed by Alonso, Grosjean. Vandoorne and the two Williams’ were behind this train in a race far away. Then to trigger a usual presence (i.e the Safety car), the increasing entropy of the battle couldn’t be held any longer.

It was a racing incident but on further investigation the fault was with Grosjean who did not give Sainz room and lost control near the apex. Lap 35 onwards made this a classic. Hamilton and Bottas stayed out effectively gaining track position and were running 3rd and 1st.

It was a Mercedes 1 3 and a Ferrari 2 4. All to play for and 9 laps to go. Raikkonen was catching up to Hamilton on the slower tires. Vettel was right behind Bottas for the lead. After a few laps of defending, Vettel made a surprise lunge to take the lead. At the back, Ricciardo and Verstappen were duelling with Max spinning out and retiring due to a fault.

Bottas dropped down to 4th with Kimi muscling his way past. Vettel took the flag for his first win since 2009 and Ferrari’s first since 2011. Kimi completed the podium with Lewis who finished a sensational second and bagged ‘Driver of the day’. The post race debate was marred by comments of potential sabotage, with accusations that Raikkonen was either “daft” or was “deliberate” in taking out Lewis. Obviously those comments were absurd and both Hamilton and Raikkonen apologised to each other.

Hamilton and Vital in Shanghai in 2017

Vettel now seizes the lead yet again and in the process potentially dealing Hamilton a psychological blow. Hamilton isn’t one to back down from the challenge as the carnival heads to the returning German GP.

by Rutvik Bhaskar Perepa
Rutvik Bhaskar Perepa is a student at The University of Manchester working towards a MEng in Mechanical Engineering hoping to be on a placement after Year 3. He has had the privilege to travel around his home country, India and discover the rich heritage and diversity. His personal interests include Food and travel, history, Sport among many others. Often found in discourse on various issues ranging Engineering to Religious Practices, he never shy’s away from being expressive. He believes in being open minded, empathetic and analytical is the key to problems posed on a daily basis.

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