News

Ministers have been warned that local journalism will struggle to survive without new support and fresh thinking from the Government. The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee found that, while some small publishers have adapted to the challenges of declining advertising revenue and the shift to a largely online readership over the last two decades, the position of many papers remains precarious. Local newspapers have been among those hit […]

The North of England receives one of the lowest levels of investment among advanced economies, a think tank has said. If the region were a country, Greece would be the only OECD nation to see less public and private investment, according to the IPPR North’s State of the North report. The researchers found that the UK as a whole ranks 35 among the 38 OECD countries in terms of receiving […]

Four advertisements for electric mini-heaters have been banned for misleadingly suggesting they could provide cheaper heating than gas and save householders money. The ads, for the InstaHeat, Keilini, Heater Pro and Heater Pro X, all suggested they were a cheaper alternative to gas central heating and could rapidly warm a room. The advert for the Keilini heater said: “It’s not surprising this winter energy bills for an average household could […]

Novak Djokovic has hit back at critics accusing him of “faking” his hamstring injury by saying it adds to his motivation to win the Australian Open title. The condition of the Serbian’s left leg has been a major talking point at Melbourne Park after he arrived at the tournament nursing the injury and then took medical timeouts in his second and third-round matches. But he still won both and then […]

Emily Atack has said it is “important” to make catcalling a “public health issue” as she fronts a new BBC Two documentary about her experiences of sexual harassment. The Inbetweeners star said verbal street harassment – with culprits shouting often sexual comments in public – can be “very damaging” to people’s lives. In Emily Atack: Asking For It?, she explores how “something so grotesque, aggressive, malicious and violent” as sexual […]

Scams where victims are asked to pay fees upfront for goods or services such as loans that never materialise have surged, figures from Lloyds Bank indicate. People with a poor credit history may be particularly likely to be targeted as households feel the squeeze from cost-of-living pressures. The number of “advance fee” frauds reported to Lloyds Banking Group by customers jumped by 82% across 2022, compared with 2021. The average […]

The Welsh Rugby Union is facing allegations of sexism and discrimination which have left MP and former Wales international Tonia Antoniazzi expressing “great concerns” over the women’s game in the country. A number of ex-WRU employees have taken part in an investigation by BBC Wales, to be screened on Monday night, making accusations about their time at the governing body. Charlotte Wathan, general manager of women’s rugby until her resignation […]

Commonly-prescribed antidepressants can make patients become less sensitive to rewards – affecting a key behavioural learning process that can lead to emotional dullness, according to scientists. Researchers have found that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, can affect reinforcement learning, which allows people to learn from their actions and their environment. These drugs work by targeting the body’s “feel-good” chemical known as serotonin, which carries messages between nerve cells in […]

The UK is lagging behind international rivals on green growth, the chief of the Confederation of British Industry will warn, as he urges the Government to take “big decisions” to boost the economy. Tony Danker will call on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt not to “shy away from the hard decisions that can reverse the UK’s trajectory” of falling investment in his spring budget. In a speech at University College London on […]