8 h. ago Government urged to make singing as important as reading and maths in schools

A new report has called for the Government to put creativity and the expressive arts ‘at the heart’ of the primary school curriculum

Politics

10 h. ago ‘Spring sings with birdlife and wildflowers’: readers’ favourite UK trips of the season

From best in bloom on the Lizard Peninsula to perky puffins in the Hebrides, our tipsters revel in the return of springLate spring is the best time to see the cliffs in colour as the bluebells, thrift and gorse battle it out for best in bloom on the Lizard in Cornwall. Walking the couple of easy miles along the coast between Kynance and Lizard Point will offer you a variety of exceptional, eye-catching and, in some cases, rare plants including Erica vagans, a variety of heath only found on the Lizard peninsula. Wildlife thrives here and in late spring your walk is likely to feature the soundtrack of Cornish choughs overhead. You may even see an adder or catch a glimpse of seals “bottling” (bobbing) in the Atlantic, enjoying the Cornish spring sunshine. Layla Astley Continue reading...

Politics

15 h. ago Brits could face draft as military chiefs urge government to bring back conscription

As the UK's military faces falling numbers and expert warn the country is defenceless against a Russian attack, some have called for conscription to be brought back

Events

27 h. ago Car industry urges UK government to create new EV incentives

Automotive body says current policy is leading to job losses and has become a ‘driver of de-industrialisation’Fresh incentives to boost a flatlining electric car market are urgently needed, according to the UK automotive industry, whose leaders called on the government to act fast and “revisit the mandate” for zero emission vehicles (ZEV).The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said its research showed growth in consumer demand for EVs was lower than expected, with only one in eight new buyers planning to switch in the next three years, putting jobs at risk. Continue reading...

Politics

49 h. ago MP demands government release secret Nuked Blood documents uncovered by the Mirror

The government has been urged to publish 370 documents about blood testing of troops during nuclear weapons trials, after the Mirror uncovered evidence Parliament was misled

Politics

51 h. ago BMA urges Government to expand specialty training posts for NHS medics

The British Medical Association claims 4.7 applications were made for every post last year, up from a ratio of 1.9 in 2019.

Politics

53 h. ago Over 1,200 dead as ‘mass killing’ of Alawites continues despite Syrian leader’s call for peace

Sharaa's government urged to investigate targeted killings of hundreds of civilians in Alawite villages

Events

63 h. ago Tories warn Labour is scrapping immigration laws which would allow ministers to throw out any future asylum claim by gun

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp urged Sir Keir Starmer's Government to use measures passed by the Tories when they were in power.

Events

65 h. ago No nationwide smartphone ban in Welsh schools, report recommends

The Welsh Government is being urged to produce clear guidance and a robust framework to allow teachers to set their own rules.

Politics

2 d. ago MP urges takeaway firms to give rider data to Government amid ‘rampant’ abuse

Nick Timothy accused food delivery companies of a ‘dereliction of duty’, when they let self-employed riders use ‘substitute’ couriers.

Politics

3 d. ago Scots MP calls for legal crackdown on 'pimping websites' which profit from prostitution

Tracy Gilbert urged her own party's government to "make profiting from the prostitution of another person a criminal offence."

Politics

3 d. ago ‘If you don’t get early years right, children are unlikely to catch up’: why South Africa is trying to reboot its school system

With 80% of 10-year-olds unable to read for meaning, the government is prioritising literacy and numeracy among pre-school pupils as it tackles its education problemsWhen she noticed children hanging around with nothing to do after school in the sprawling Johannesburg township of Soweto in 2016, Faith Nedoboni decided to start an after-school programme. But as she helped them with their homework, she realised many, some as old as 13, were struggling to read and write.Nedoboni, a 57-year-old single mother of three adult children, had never been a teacher. But she was an entrepreneur, first taking over her father’s restaurant and grocery store business after his death and then also selling secondhand clothes. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Pimping websites dubbed the ‘Etsy of exploitation’, as MPs urge Government ban

Conservative MP Rebecca Paul called on the Government to ban advertising of prostitution online.

Politics

4 d. ago Voices: There’s nothing ‘ridiculous’ about your Englishness, Rishi

As a bad-faith debate about the former prime minister’s heritage shows little sign of abating, Serena Barker-Singh says it’s proof that the country is not ready for a grown-up discussion about national identity

Politics

4 d. ago Drug shortages put patients at risk with chemists unable to dispense prescriptions daily, health leaders warn

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said the Government must urgently grant much greater flexibility for pharmacists (pictured, file photos) to substitute medication when it is safe to do so.

Events

4 d. ago Government urged to bring forward AI regulations which put ‘humans at heart’

Conservative peer Lord Holmes of Richmond has tabled the Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill in the House of Lords in a bid to instigate change.

Politics

6 d. ago Post Office scandal victim, 76, offered payout days after his death as his bereaved wife calls offer 'a slap in the face'

The widow of Terry Walters, who was falsely accused over thousands of pounds in supposed losses from his Hockley branch in 2007, urged the Government to speed up the compensation scheme.

Events

6 d. ago Headteacher 'attacked deputy with spanner in front of students in love triangle row'

Dr John Felton, who was appointed head at the 900-pupil school in 2023 after being head of mathematics there for 17 years, has indicated he'll admit to attacking his deputy in front of horrified students

Society

8 d. ago NHS dentistry facing ‘existential crisis’ with more practices going private amid tax hike

The warning comes as the Liberal Democrats urge the government to exempt the health and social care sector from the April hike to National Insurance contributions, which will cost the sector £3 billion in the next financial year

Economics

9 d. ago Defence spending 'must revive UK manufacturing': Government is urged to buy British in military push

Labour has been urged to use an increase in defence spending to boost UK industry - as governments across Europe face up to the need to rearm.

Economics