6:35 am, May 13, 2024
Birth trauma inquiry calling for maternity commissioner
A parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma is calling for a national plan to improve maternity care.
The all-party inquiry, led by Conservative MP Theo Clarke and Labour MP Rosie Duffield, is due to publish its findings today.
According to The Times, the report found ‘poor care is all frequently tolerated as normal, and women are treated as an inconvenience’.
Universal credit claimants working fewer than 18 hours must look for more work
Universal credit claimants working fewer than 18 hours a week will have to look for more work as of today.
As part of the government’s sweeping changes to the welfare system, ministers are raising the administrative earnings threshold from the equivalent of 15 hours to 18 hours at national living wage for an individual claimant.
That means those working less than half of a full-time week will have to meet their work coach more often to boost their earnings, according to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Link between productivity and wage growth temporarily severed, says think-tank
The link between productivity and wage growth has been temporarily severed because of falling pension costs and import prices, according to a report.
The Resolution Foundation said the development has allowed real wages to rise without putting further pressure on inflation.
But the think-tank said the ‘unproductive wage growth’ won’t last. The UK has seen a pay recovery, in which real average weekly regular earnings have grown by 2.1% in the year to February, said the report.
Afternoon and midweek are common times to be scammed, survey finds
People are most likely to be scammed in the afternoon, a survey indicates.
A survey of more than 3,000 people across the UK who have fallen victim to fraud in the past two years found 43% were scammed in the afternoon – making this the most likely time of day when people said they fell victim to fraud.
Midweek is also often a popular time for scammers to be successful, with Wednesday and Thursday being the most likely days when people said they were scammed.
Charity hopes report will show who decided haemophiliacs were ‘expendable’
The final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry will hopefully reveal who thought that the haemophilia community was ‘expendable’ when they were given a contaminated blood product, a charity has said.
A ‘horrifying’ number of people with haemophilia suffered harm as a result of the infected blood scandal that spanned the 1970s and 1980s, the Haemophilia Society said.
About 4,900 people with haemophilia were infected, almost all with hepatitis, but 2,500 of these were co-infected with both hepatitis and HIV. The inquiry’s final report will be published on May 20.
Universities warn of fall in number of international student applications
Universities have reported a fall in the number of applications from international students, as they urged the government against any further changes to its migration policy.
The warning comes ahead of a report expected this week on the graduate visa route amid concern from the university sector that the government may introduce further restrictions on overseas students.
Of 75 universities responding to a survey, 88% reported a decrease in postgraduate applications from international students for the September 2024 intake versus a year ago – with an aggregated decrease of 27%.
Demolition of collapsed Baltimore bridge delayed
The controlled demolition of the largest remaining steel span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after it was hit by a container ship has been postponed because of weather conditions.
Crews have been preparing for weeks to use explosives to break down the span, which is an estimated 500ft long and weighs up to 600 tons.
It landed on the Dali’s bow after the ship lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns on March 26. Six members of a roadworks crew plunged to their deaths in the collapse.
Unjammable quantum technology takes flight to boost UK’s resilience
The UK has successfully completed commercial flight trials of an advanced quantum-based navigation system that can’t be jammed or spoofed.
It is hoped the commercial world-first in new quantum-based positioning, navigation and timing systems could help flights from being hit by GPS jamming, which is a rare occurrence, while also providing accurate and resilient navigation that complements current satellite systems.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said that quantum technology firm Infleqtion had been working with aerospace companies BAE Systems and Qinetiq on the project.
Weekend headlines on Car Dealer you might have missed
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- Is the new electric Mini Cooper smarter than ever? We get behind the wheel to find out
Weather outlook
Today will see a band of cloud and heavy rain sweep through from the south-west, according to BBC Weather. However, central and eastern parts of Scotland and England will be mostly dry with sunny spells, although it’ll turn breezy.
Tuesday will stay unsettled with outbreaks of rain moving across the north and east while the south-west will see variable cloud and scattered showers. The far north-east will remain mostly dry, though.
