Author: News Desk

Stretch of River Aller being partly filled in to allow water to spill out and ‘decide where it wants to go’ For centuries the River Aller has been carefully controlled by the landowners and farmers of Exmoor, largely confined to a narrow channel and at one point squeezed under a medieval packhorse bridge. Now in a pioneering project, said to be a first for the UK and inspired by schemes in the wilds of Oregon in north-west US, a stretch of the river is being liberated, the channel partly filled in, allowing the water to spill out and find its…

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Exclusive: Eight firms that received pandemic contracts to be urged to withdraw due to ‘clear conflicts of interest’ Families bereaved by Covid will write to eight PR companies that received hefty government contracts during the pandemic asking them to withdraw from a tender process to manage part of the inquiry. The tender process is to run the Listening Project, announced earlier this year as a formal part of the Covid-19 inquiry, which is to be awarded to one of 12 firms on a pre-approved government list. Many of those firms also undertook work for the government during the pandemic, the…

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There is ‘no justification for lifting the cap’ on bonuses, said general secretary Frances O’Grady Bankers’ bonuses have doubled since the 2008 financial crash, according to research by the TUC, which accuses the government of enriching City financiers while “holding down” the pay of key workers. The unions’ umbrella body said bonuses in finance and the insurance sector have reached a record £20,000 a year on average – which it says is almost one-and-a-half times the average pay collected by teaching assistants. Continue reading… ​There is ‘no justification for lifting the cap’ on bonuses, said general secretary Frances O’GradyBankers’ bonuses…

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Samaritans among those calling for people of ‘all ages’ to be safeguarded from suicide and self-harm material The government must ensure the online safety bill protects adults from dangerous suicide and self-harm content, a group of charities including Samaritans has said, as ministers prepare to alter the legislation’s approach to legal but harmful content. The bill is set to resume its progress through parliament but the culture secretary has signalled that a key area, which contains provisions related to suicide and self-harm content, will be altered. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email…

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