Some of the UK's snack foods carry VAT, a tax which is applied depending on ingredients. For example, biscuits without chocolate are VAT-free, but if a biscuit is covered in or partially covered in chocolate, the price will increase by 20%. Vegetable crisps carry 20% VAT, but corn chips are exempt. The UK Treasury offers VAT relief on food, public transport and property rentals.
A shortage of antibiotics available for children in Wales caused a mother to crush up the tablets for her 10-month-old daughter. After a huge rise in demand during the step A surge before Christmas, none of the antibiotics commonly prescribed to children were available. Public Health Wales has said that usage has since returned to more expected levels. This comes after last winter, which saw a sharp increase in respiratory infections in both Wales and the UK, notably step A. The increase in infections is thought to be linked to people being in closer contact during the pandemic. Group A strep bacteria can cause a range of illnesses, including scarlet fever and strep throat. PHW has stated that antibiotic use is now back to more normal levels in Wales, and overall usage has fallen significantly over the past decade.
The unannounced and unauthorized paparazzi presence was risk to the personal safety of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and caused multiple hazards to other drivers and pedestrians, according to their spokesperson. A spokesperson for the couple said it was like something out of a movie, with constant speeding, running of red lights, tailgating, and their vehicle being boxed in and dangerously pursued to the entrance of their destination. The spokesperson said it was astounding that some media outlets could have behaved so recklessly, given the previous coverage of the recent tragic death of Harry’s mother. The couple highlighted the dangers of such actions, which in the past have caused serious injury and even death. It appears that the royal family has not contacted the couple directly since this event, and the incident has not stopped the couple from continuing their schedule of public appearances.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not heard from the Royal Family after accusing paparazzi of involvement in a "near-catastrophic" car chase, despite their concerns over safety. The couple were in New York after attending an awards ceremony with the Duchess's mother and received what their spokesperson called "relentless pursuit". A taxi driver who claimed he drove them part of the way said he was pursued in his vehicle by two suspected paparazzi cars but the allegations have since been downplayed.
Water UK, the trade body for utilities companies, has offered an apology for the dumping of large quantities of sewage in English and Welsh waterways and coastal waters, and confirmed a pledge to commit £10bn to cut sewage outflows. This amount will need to be approved by regulator Ofwat. Customers will pay through an increased charge on their bills. Singer Feargal Sharkey, who is leading a campaign against sewage pollution, condemned the plans. Around 20% of treated water is lost to leakages and just 16% of treated waters meet the minimum good ecological status standards. Yorkshire Water, South West Water and Thames Water chiefs declined bonus pay following recent public protests at cuts over sewage pollution.
While menswear brands have set the standard for high-quality shirts, the women's fashion industry has been slower to adopt accessible shirt lines. The lack of accessible options for women’s shirts prompted the launch of WNU (With Nothing Underneath) founded by Pip Durell in 2017. The brand, which began with a "borrowed-from-the-boyfriend-style", now offers six cuts in a broad range of fabrics and colours. Other fashion brands, including Cassini, Boden, and Cefinn by Samatha Cameron, have begun to follow suit with their own durable and versatile shirt lines for women. The shirt is a staple clothing item that can be worn casually or in professional settings and is considered by many fashion experts to be one of the most important wardrobe staple items.
Japanese businesses are to invest nearly £18bn ($24bn) in the UK, chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced ahead of meetings with company bosses in Tokyo, including representatives from Nissan, Toshiba and Mitsubishi Estate as well as UK firms Octopus Energy and Mott MacDonald. The investments include a £10bn plan from Marubeni trading house to boost offshore wind and green energy in Wales and Scotland, and a £4bn offshore wind project expansion off Suffolk and Norfolk by Sumitomo Corporation.
English schoolchildren have overtaken Finland in international literacy rankings, according to a report by The Times. Students aged nine and 10 surpassed Finland's reading scores, while the performance of children in most other European countries and the US plummeted as a result of coronavirus-related educational interruptions. The government's use of "synthetic phonics" teaching - breaking words down into smaller soundable units - is credited with contributing to the success. The method was introduced during the Coalition government in the 2010s, to the dismay of some educationalists, who viewed it as unimaginative.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being chased by the paparazzi in New York, with their safety put at risk. The couple have been easy targets for the media for years, having run away from the fame they once courted. The continued hate does not serve any further purpose. Harry has used the British courts to expose the media, but not all his claims are accurate. It is time for the demonisation of Harry and Meghan to end, before it goes too far.
Disney's remake of The Little Mermaid is facing negative comments after reports that the film throws shade at the expense of Catherine, Princess of Wales. The new live-action version has been set up for criticism and backlash since first being announced in 2016, with debates arising over the choice for the role of Ariel to be played by Halle Bailey. Early reviews of the film suggest that while Bailey is a revelation, the remake is a wishy-washy disappointment overall. The movie releases on May 26.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle could have been at risk during a two-hour paparazzi pursuit through New York City on 21 September, according to Ken Wharfe, former protection officer for the late Princess Diana. Wharfe said that the couple's security detail should have more effectively stage-managed the incident. A paparazzo driver similarly claimed the couple's driver was at fault, making the experience potentially catastrophic. Celebrity news agency Backgrid USA is investigating allegations that the couple's security was threatened. Meanwhile, city authorities have said there were "no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests."
London's economy is faring better than other regions in the UK, growing by 0.9% between Q2 and Q3 2020, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. This compares with a contraction of 0.1% nationally for the period. Wales and Scotland saw falls in output of 2% and 0.3% respectively, while growth was flat in Northern Ireland and England. “Growth in the capital has been masking a disappointing performance across much of the rest of the UK," said Susannah Streeter of Hargreaves Lansdown.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were pursued by half a dozen blacked-out vehicles containing paparazzi after attending an awards ceremony in New York City. The royal couple were in a vehicle with Ms Markle's mother when the pursuit occurred. Authorities have stated that the vehicles involved were operated in a "reckless and irresponsible" fashion.
UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced £18bn ($25bn) of business investment in the UK by two Japanese companies, Mitsubishi Estate and Mitsui Fudosan, committing £3.5bn to affordable housing, office space and life-sciences laboratory developments in London, Sumitomo Corporation investing £4bn in offshore wind projects on the Norfolk and Suffolk coastline, and Marubeni committing around £10bn to offshore wind and green hydrogen projects in Wales and Scotland. Sunak called it a "massive vote of confidence in the UK's dynamic economy".
Natalie Campbell, 40, a former aide to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has declared her running for the London mayoral race. She wants to be London mayor running the capital like a CEO, focusing on enabling people to "thrive" rather than just "live and get by", with an aim to utilise London’s existing housing stock, building more homes both to buy and rent. She also plans to cancel the controversial Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) expansion and is in favour of a four-day working week.
20-year-old Charlie Savage, the son of former Welsh international and Premier League midfielder Robbie Savage, aims to establish himself as his own player and work his way into first-team contention at Manchester United. He made his senior debut off the bench in the Champions League against Young Boys earlier this season and spent last season on loan at League One side Forest Green Rovers. Savage is now targeting more first-team opportunities and hopes to represent Wales in the near future, but says he is keeping an open mind about his future and is happy to take things as they come.
New figures reveal that the funeral and lying-in-state of the late Queen Elizabeth II cost UK taxpayers an estimated £161.7m. More than 250,000 people passed through Westminster Hall to pay their respects before the Queen’s coffin was buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel in Windsor. The Home Office spent £73.7m and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport £57m. The Scottish Government spent £18.8m while the Northern Ireland Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Welsh Government, the Department for Transport, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office each spent up to £3m.
The Duchess of Cambridge has praised the Anna Freud Centre’s new toolkit to support children affected by anxiety. The “let’s talk about anxiety” package is designed to provide young people with the skills and confidence to care for their mental health. The Centre, of which the duchess is patron, worked with children to develop the toolkit, which includes new animation, cards providing practical advice and a teacher’s guide. The package was launched on Thursday, partially coinciding with the UK’s Mental Health Awareness Week. The Duchess also heard from charity professionals and mental health experts.
Only 87 zero-emission buses are in use outside London in England, according to figures released by Transport Secretary Mark Harper. In February 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to support the purchase of at least 4,000 new zero-emission buses across the UK. However, Harper’s letter to the Transport Select Committee showed just 87 of the vehicles are in use beyond the capital. Harper also revealed a further 1,845 zero-emission buses have been ordered or funded. Industry body the Confederation of Passenger Transport called on the government to explain “how it will ensure its commitment is delivered.”
New figures from the Office for National Statistics have suggested that the Conservative levelling up agenda has failed after data revealed that almost the whole of Britain outside of London suffered a downturn following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The findings showed that economic output in six out of nine English regions fell in the three months to September last year, with Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales also all suffering a contraction or stagnation.
