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Whately criticises advice for graduates to claim benefits after university
Helen Whately, the Conservatives’ shadow work and pensions secretary, said young people’s mental health difficulties should not automatically prevent them from working, and criticised what she described as a growing expectation that school or university leavers would claim benefits. Her remarks came as the party made welfare reform a focus of its conference, arguing that…
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Swinney rejects calls to apologise over pension triple lock claims
First Minister John Swinney has dismissed calls to apologise for claims that Scottish pensioners will lose their pensions following the UK Government’s announcement to remove the pensions triple lock from 2030. Opposition parties have accused him of misleading Holyrood and the public, but Swinney insists he “has nothing to explain”, stating that he is simply…
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British Airways steward wins £29,195 after unfair dismissal ruling
A British Airways cabin steward has won £29,195 after an employment tribunal ruled his dismissal was unfair. Charly Mateo was sacked in July 2024 following allegations that he asked a female colleague about joining the “mile high club”, touched her leg and told her sexual stories; the tribunal found that BA’s investigation was not thorough…
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Oregon fisherman calls for rescue with earbuds while trapped under boulder
Joseph Little, a 28-year-old Oregon fisherman, was trapped under a boulder weighing approximately one tonne whilst fishing at Hammond Marina in Warrenton on 26 September. Unable to reach his phone, he used his Apple Beats Flex wireless earbuds to activate Siri and call for emergency help. The incident highlights how everyday technology can be life-saving…
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Russian jet-powered drones disrupt Ukrainian data centres and telecoms infrastructure
Russian jet-powered drone strikes have intensified attacks on Ukrainian data centres since September 23, disrupting internet and phone services for thousands of people. These attacks are significant because they threaten Ukraine’s digital economy and wartime resistance efforts, targeting the telecommunications infrastructure that supports critical services including banks, payment systems and public administration. Ukrainian air defences…
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Utah father and four of his six children killed in house fire, leaving just his wife and two of their children as survivors
A devastating house fire in Riverdale, Utah killed a father and four of his children in a tragedy that has deeply affected their family and community. Nate Bird, 38, perished along with four of his six children: Addisyn (15), Rayda (11), Easton (9), and five-year-old Francie. Their mother Lindsey, 37, and two eldest sons Jayden…
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Lawyer urges Letitia James to quit Cornell fraternity investigation over Facebook posts
A lawyer for one of seven Cornell fraternity brothers accused of sexual assault is calling on New York Attorney General Letitia James to step down from leading the investigation. The lawyer argues that James compromised her impartiality by posting on Facebook about the case, expressing support for the alleged victim and stating the allegations as…
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Israel prepared to intercept Flydubai jet after alleged hijacking attempt
Israel confirmed it was prepared to shoot down a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv after its Omani co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe in an alleged attempted hijacking. The co-pilot, reportedly named Hamam al-Hammami, was believed to be a radicalised extremist who intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport…
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British RAF officer is killed and his wife injured in parasailing accident during Maltese holiday
Former RAF officer Daryl “Daz” Mayhew, 59, died in a parasailing accident off Saint Julian’s, Malta, while on holiday with his wife Dawn, who was injured. The incident has prompted a criminal investigation led by a Maltese magistrate, and raises questions about the circumstances in which the couple were taken into the sea. The couple,…