News

Astronomy boffins have come up with a new modern day series of star constellations - which include famous names like Usain Bolt, Tim Peake and Sir David Attenborough. University of Birmingham scientists created the star-studded designs in a bid to get younger people more interested in the cosmos. In one of the constellations, Harry Potter’s glasses light up the night sky as a tribute to the famous author JK Rowling. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt can also be seen pulling his...

A Tory aide raped a woman in his MP boss's office after a night of drinking in a parliamentary bar, a court heard. Samuel Armstrong, 24, the chief of staff to South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay, is accused of carrying out the attack on October 14 last year. The distressed woman was then found wandering the corridors of Westminster before being found by cleaners, it was alleged. He is on trial at Southwark Crown Court charged with two charges of...

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has bowed to public pressure over animal sentience, saying he will "make Brexit work for animals". In a speech today he said he will enhance animal welfare standards, increasing the maximum prison sentence for 'animal cruelty' from six months to five years in England and Wales. He said: "Animals are sentient beings who feel pain and suffering, so we are writing that principle into law and ensuring that we protect their welfare. "We are a nation of...

After the chair of one of the country’s top NHS trusts resigned in protest against government NHS cuts making his and other hospital's job impossible, the shadow health secretary made an emergency statement to the House of Commons today. "Lord Kerslake said our NHS faces the tightest spending figures in recent times,” said Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth. “Doesn’t that mean like at Kings -  continued hospital deficits, growing waiting lists, greater rationing of care, the dropping of the 18 week target,...

German pilots are set to stage the first major strike in the low-cost carrier's history. Union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) made the call following similar threats from unions in Italy and Portugal who urged their members to walk out over pay and working conditions. The airline’s Dublin based pilots also threaten to take industrial action. The move comes after disruption in the summer caused by a shortage of pilots, many of whom had moved to rival firms. Europe’s largest short-haul airline now faces...

When Virgin Care did not win the healthcare contracts they wanted they sued the cash-strapped NHS for £328,000. And yet despite that, they have been awarded another NHS contract. For £104 million. Currently over 68,000 people have signed a petition to demand Richard Branson’s Virgin Care hands back over £328,000 after taking legal action against six Surrey clinical commissioning groups, Surrey County Council and NHS England. At the same time Lancashire County Council award £104m NHS contract to Virgin Care,...

The Northern Powerhouse seems to have failed to close the gap between the wealth of the north and the south. George Osborne’s vision of revitalising the great northern cities appears to have been hot air. EY have indicated that the gap between the two areas will continue to grow until 2020 as the economy fails to rebalance. London and the south-east will bring in 2.2 per cent and 2 per cent growth respectively, while the rest of the UK will...

The rate of inflation rose to 3.1 per cent in November as the squeeze on households continues. With average weekly wages growing at just 2.2 per cent Brits are starting to feel the pinch in the run up to Christmas. Inflation rose at the highest rate in nearly six years last month, according to ONS figures, with airfares and computer games contributing to the increase. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, will now have to write a letter...

After a weekend of highly publicised squabbles among the soft and hard Brexit supporting elements of the Tory party, Theresa May reported to parliament on the first stage of Brexit negotiations, which she insisted was "good news" for both people who want to remain in the EU and those who voted to leave. Jeremy Corbyn, referring to the Tory splits and Brexit Secretary's conflicting statements on dire issues such as the future of Northern Ireland, the Brexit bill and revealing...