Amid covid 19 crisis how are you protecting your family financially

The euro is slumping towards parity against the dollar for the first time in 20 years amid growing fears of Russia cutting gas flows to the continent. Just over a year ago, a euro bought $1.22, but it hit a low of $1.04 on Friday. Analysts expect it could be worth no more than a dollar by the end of next month given the high dependence of Germany on Russian energy. There are fears Vladimir Putin may use the planned maintenance shutdown of the vital NordStream 1 pipeline in mid-July to turn off supplies to Germany altogether. ‘If Russia cuts off gas supplies to Germany it could be the biggest economic hit in modern history outside of Covid-19 and the global financial crisis,’ said Nomura strategist Jordan Rochester. The Bundesbank reckons this would wipe up to 5%, or £175billion, off the German economy, Europe’s largest. The European Central Bank has kept interest rates below zero, making euros less attractive. Meanwhile, central banks in the UK and US hiked … [Read more...] about Euro crashes amid fears Putin could batter economy by cutting gas flow

Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to hold regular press conferences on efforts to counter the rising cost of living. Regular ministerial press conferences were a feature of the pandemic and the decision to restart them is a sign that No 10 is concerned about the public mood in the face of the squeeze on living standards. Downing Street said the decision to hold televised briefings in the same way as during the Covid-19 crisis showed rising prices were being “treated with the same level of seriousness in terms of trying to address the problem”. Mr Johnson used Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting to tell ministers “tackling inflation and addressing cost-of-living pressures will remain the top priority, which is why we will be holding regular Government press conferences over the next six months to explain the details of different elements of the Government’s plan for the economy”, Downing Street said. Asked whether it was a sign that the crisis was as serious as the … [Read more...] about Cost-of-living crisis being treated as seriously as pandemic, No 10 says

Dr Amir discusses best face masks Sign up for FREE health tips to live a long and happy life SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info BA.4 and BA.5 are the strains associated with the Omicron variant that appeared last winter. These two new subvariants are thought to be more transmissible as well as able to evade the immune protection from vaccines and previous infections. This has prompted some hospitals to bring back face masks. Related articles Cancer: The popular drink that can cause 'several types' of cancer Covid: Seven reasons people could have avoided infection Whether you ditched your mask or kept it shut in a drawer, face coverings made an exit at the beginning of this year. While some … [Read more...] about Covid news: Major Covid rule to be reintroduced in the UK as cases approach highest levels

Rishi Sunak’s economic policies slammed by Redwood Get pensions news and advice plus latest money alerts for FREE now SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Brexiteer Sir John Redwood urged the Government to scrap a “rip off” tax in order to help Britons deal with rising costs. He insisted that it was time to “ease the squeeze”. Related articles Brexit Britain NEARLY freed of EU's clutches! MPs vote for Truss plan Brexit vote IN FULL - how your MP voted on the NI Protocol Data firm Experian Catalist earlier this month published data that revealed the average cost of filling a typical family car with petrol had exceeded £100 for the first time. Simon Williams of the RAC described this as “a truly dark … [Read more...] about Tory MP hands Rishi Sunak solution to fix petrol price crisis ‘Time to ease the squeeze!’

A lot of people are reflexively sceptical when meditation is brought up. “I was one of those people,” admits Russell Glass, the American chief executive of Headspace Health on a trip to London. “I’d heard the term mindfulness before and - do you have the term ‘woo woo’ over here? - It all felt kind of woo woo to me.” Today, Glass, a serial entrepreneur from New Jersey, meditates daily and has been the boss of one of the world’s biggest mental health apps since October 2021. Headspace, which has offices in California and London, experienced an influx of users during the pandemic as rates of depression and loneliness soared. Glass’s Damascene conversion was years earlier. In 2014, he had just sold his marketing start-up Bizo to LinkedIn for $175m (£144m), becoming one of the social networking giant’s top executives and netting a fortune. He should have been on top of the world, but says he found it difficult to feel at home. “I was really struggling when I joined LinkedIn from … [Read more...] about ‘Working from home is contributing to Britain’s mental health crisis’

Faced with a noticeable drop in immunisation rates, Māori and Pasifika health providers are rallying once again. In recent weeks, some people have even withdrawn from visitng their GPs or pharmacies, Waikato health authorities say. So health providers are relying on methods that were key during the pandemic, such as targeted engagement strategies within communities, providing incentives and partnering with government authorities. Te Kōhao Health managing director Lady Tureiti Moxon said it was concerning to see flu immunisation rates dropping and people couldn't become complacent. READ MORE: 'New era' for health as Health New Zealand formally launches Q&A: Māori Health Authority chief talks inequity, partnership and why the proof is in the pudding Covid-19: New cases soar by more than 3000 in a single day, reaching 9629 But the pandemic had taught providers how to think creatively and collaborate more closely to protect the health outcomes of those most in … [Read more...] about Bid to boost flu vaccinations sees health providers ‘shake things up’ using Covid lessons

COVID rules have returned as the virus makes a comeback. The Omicron sub variants are fuelling a summer wave that experts say is “really worrying”. Newer Covid variants Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, which are more transmissible, are able to evade the immune protection built up by vaccines or previous infections. While face coverings have become a personal choice across much of the UK, some hospitals are making them mandatory once more - although it is not enforceable by law. It comes in response to admissions creeping up to levels not seen since the spring Omicron wave. Hospitals in Hampshire, Wales, Cambridge and Cornwall have introduced mandatory masks for patients, staff and visitors, The Times reported. Read more on coronavirus SUMMER CHAOS Summer holiday warning as Covid cases soar in European hotspots WHAT A S-PAIN Spain holiday warning - Covid rules may be brought BACK ahead of summer hols Dr Lara … [Read more...] about Major change to Covid rules as new Omicron sub variants fuel summer wave

Families on low incomes are enduring a “year of financial fear” and making grim choices such as falling behind on bills, going without essentials or taking on expensive debt, a report has found. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said the cost-of-living crisis and a decade of social security cuts and underfunding are taking a heavy toll. It used a survey of about 4,000 people on low household incomes in May and June (the bottom 40%, which equates to an income of under £25,000 for a couple with no children), for the report. Rather than making the trade-off between heating or eating, one in five (21%) low income households were unable to do either – going without enough food as well as being unable to keep their homes warm, researchers found. Six in 10 (60%) had gone without essentials since the start of 2022, or, had cut down on or skipped meals, or gone hungry in the previous 30 days. Recommended Over £130m handed to housing providers named and … [Read more...] about Families on low incomes suffering ‘year of financial fear’ – charity

The scale of the flooding crisis unfolding around Sydney is on another level. Not only is the city being hit with almost non-stop rain, some suburbs have had multiple floods this year already. It's taking a toll on the community. Barbara Mascoll has lived in the town of Windsor in Sydney for 35 years. Speaking to us on her front lawn, she said it's hard to reach the shops because she needs a boat to get out. "I was up all night, I haven't had any sleep yet so I'm still in my dressing gown," she told us. Advertisement We saw a local charity delivering food to Ms Mascoll and her neighbours. Every day they're handing out hundreds of bags of supplies to flood-stricken families. More on Australia Tennis star Nick Kyrgios charged with assault of former girlfriend, report says Dozens rescued from Sydney floods overnight as 50,000 people face evacuation amid extreme weather Sydney floods: Tens of thousands told to evacuate … [Read more...] about Sydney floods: Families need boats to leave home as deluge of floods hits city suburbs

The heartbroken dad of murdered Logan Mwangi wants to change the law so that estranged parents are told if social services become involved with their biological children. Benjamin Mwangi did not know his five-year-old boy had been placed on the child protection register in the months before he was killed by his mum, stepdad and stepbrother. Mr Mwangi says Logan’s mum Angharad Williamson had stopped him from having contact with his child when she started dating new partner John Cole. He had not seen Logan for around three years when he was found dead in the River Ogmore in Pandy Park, Bridgend, on the morning of July 31 2021. Logan was dumped ‘like fly-tip rubbish’ by John Cole, 40 and his ‘pure evil’ teenage stepson Craig Mulligan. A harrowing trial revealed the little boy suffered more than 50 external cuts and bruises and ‘catastrophic’ internal injuries, which were likened to high-speed road accidents. A child practice review – an investigation into the … [Read more...] about Dad of murdered five-year-old fighting for ‘Logan’s Law’ to protect children