Author: News Desk

Majority of parents not deterred by fines for term-time family holidays – survey The majority of parents say fines for unauthorised absences would not deter them from taking their children out of school for a holiday, a survey has found. Half of parents are opposed to the policy in England where fines are considered if a child misses five days of school without permission, according to a poll by Parentkind charity. The survey, of nearly 5,500 parents from across the UK, found that nearly three in five (57%) parents have or would consider their child missing school for a day…

Food guru Tim Spector and health experts call on NHS to make vegan food the norm in hospitals Food guru Tim Spector has joined healthcare chiefs and at least 1,000 health experts in calling on the NHS to make vegan food standard in UK hospitals. In an open letter to every NHS trust and healthcare leader in the UK, they ask healthcare organisations to implement “plant-based by default” menus. It follows a trial in New York in 2022, which they say led to a 36 per cent drop in food carbon emissions, cost savings and a more than 90 per…

Assisted dying ‘dangerous’ says Archbishop of Canterbury as bill to be introduced today – UK politics live The new bill to allow assisted dying will be introduced to the Commons today amid claims by the Archbishop of Canterbury that the concept is “dangerous”. Meanwhile, Downing Street has rejected suggestions that Sir Keir Starmer received free Taylor Swift tickets as a “thank you” after she was given taxpayer-funded police security while performing in London. No 10 would not say whether the prime minister was confident that perceptions of a conflict of interest had been avoided but insisted “operational decisions” were “ultimately”…

Deaths of people sleeping rough up 42% as nearly 1,500 homeless people died last year Deaths of rough sleepers in the UK have increased by 42 per cent in a year in an alarming indicator of the surging homelessness crisis. New research from The Museum for Homelessness found that 1,474 people died while homeless in 2023, up 12 per cent on the year before. Deaths of rough sleepers also rose from 109 to 155 in a year. The investigation found that people experiencing homelessness are at least three times more likely to be murdered. The Museum of Homelessness has been…

Assisted dying: What is the current law and will it change? The assisted dying debate will return to Parliament this week as a new bill is formally introduced in the House of Commons. Campaigners who are terminally ill or have watched loved ones die in pain have called the existing legislation “unbelievably cruel” and pointed out that animals suffering severely can be legally euthanised. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater will formally introduce a private member’s bill (PMB) on assisted dying on October 16. A debate on the bill next month will mark the first time the controversial issue has been voted…

Average rent across the UK reaches record high Rent prices outside London have hit a new record high. Prices outside the capital have now reached £1,344 on average per month, having increased by 5.2% annually, according to a property website. The average rent advertised for London properties also reached a new record of £2,694 per month, which was 2.5% higher than a year earlier, Rightmove said. The figures cover the third quarter of 2024 across Britain. Rightmove said the average number of inquiries per rental property is now 15, down from 23 last year, but nearly double the eight recorded…

Lucy Letby initially failed her student nurse placement after lack of empathy, inquiry finds Lucy Letby initially failed her final year placement as a student nurse after her perceived lack of empathy with patients and families, a public inquiry has revealed. Letby’s assessor, Nicola Lightfoot, deputy ward manager at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s children’s unit, told the inquiry it was apparent to her that Letby, who was later convicted of multiple infant murders, did not have the “overall characteristics” to become a successful registered nurse. She testified at the Thirlwall Inquiry that Letby lacked the essential qualities of a…

Covid vaccine: How to book a jab and who is eligible? The number of people going to hospital with Covid across Britain has risen at an “alarming” rate after a new variant of the virus emerged, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned. UKHSA figures showed the admission rate for patients testing positive for Covid XEC stood at 4.5 per 100,000 people in the week to October 6 – up from 3.7 a week earlier. The North East has seen the highest hospital admission rates at 8.12 per 100,000, and for those aged 85 and older, the rate is 52.48 per 100,000, according to the UKHSA. Since…

Inflation falls below 2% target for first time in three years UK inflation has decreased to below the 2 per cent target for the first time in over three years. The consumer price index (CPI) has dropped to 1.7 per cent, down from 2.2. per cent in August, according to the Office for National Statistics. The figure has beaten expert predictions, which largely estimated a more modest drop to 1.9 per cent. It’s expected the drop will empower policymakers at the Bank of England to slightly cut interest rates in November to 4.75 per cent. The Bank’s governor Andrew Bailey…

Thomas Tuchel reaches agreement to become next England manager | Football Thomas Tuchel has reached an agreement to become England’s new manager, according to reports. The Football Association has held advanced talks with the 51-year-old to permanently succeed Gareth Southgate, who left the role after England’s Euro 2024 campaign in the summer. And according to The Times, Tuchel has now agreed a deal with the FA with an unveiling expected this week. Tuchel had also held talks with Manchester United in the summer to potentially replace Erik ten Hag before the Premier League side opted to keep the Dutchman in…