British Isles
Back-to-school costs
26 Aug 2022
Parents are facing buying expensive school uniforms in time for the new academicl year. In 2020 the average cost of a uniform was £337 for secondary schools, £315 for primary schools. This year a quarter of…
Monkeypox and brain stimulation research
26 Aug 2022
An Oxford University team who found effective drugs to treat Covid are trialling an antiviral called Tecovirimat to aid monkeypox recovery. Over 3,000 British people have caught monkeypox in recent months, with more cases anticipated. The…
Levels of death still as in pandemic
26 Aug 2022
During lockdown newspapers reported thousands dying weekly. But last week 1,082 more people died than would be expected. These ‘excess deaths’ have averaged 1,000 for 15 weeks this year: they are not Covid deaths, so not…
Leaders’ talks on cost-of-living crisis
19 Aug 2022
Nicola Sturgeon sent a letter to Boris Johnson saying he should have urgent talks with the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland due to the fast-deteriorating cost of living situation. The PM agreed, but he…
Scotland: patients locked in secure hospitals
19 Aug 2022
The BBC have discovered that Scots with learning disabilities and autism have been locked in secure hospitals and psychiatric wards for decades, unable to get out despite ministers saying 22 years ago they should be living…
Firefighting challenges
19 Aug 2022
Large-scale wildfires are occurring more frequently across the UK. The challenges are enormous: in the middle of nowhere, two-metre-high flames moving faster than anyone can run. It can take days to bring a fire under control,…