Maternity rights

Is the end of homeschooling in sight? As schools prepare to reopen their doors, we think we heard a collective sigh of relief coming from parents and guardians all over the country! And it's good news for the children too who are no doubt excited to get back in the classroom, back with their friends and back in the playground. It's time to get them kitted out for life back in the classroom But if you feel like you've been caught on the back foot and aren't quite as ready in terms of all those school essentials as you would normally be, then never fear. There's still time to get the last minute uniform you need from Marks & Spencer AND it will be delivered safely, straight to your door. And while they might not look forward to swapping out tracksuits for smart trousers, the M&S range is designed with style in mind! So whether you need to kit them out head-to-toe or just need a few pieces to top up their options, M&S has got you covered with … [Read more...] about Kids going back to school? Don’t worry it’s not too late to kit them out for the classroom (and it won’t break the bank!)

The NHS is facing a legal challenge over its data deal with controversial Silicon Valley firm Palantir, Sky News can reveal. Palantir, which has become notorious for its close ties to security services and immigration agencies in the United States, secured its first ever deal to handle NHS data in March last year for the nominal sum of £1. Legal group Foxglove announced today that it was bringing a court case against the health service to force it to reconsider the contract, which was extended in December 2020 and is now worth £23.5m. Government's failure to publish COVID contracts details was unlawful, High Court rules The lawsuit is the latest challenge over procurement during the pandemic, which has become a highly contentious topic in recent months, with critics accusing the government of favouring its own contacts. It comes as a batch of internal government emails uncovered by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and seen by Sky News reveal that … [Read more...] about NHS facing legal challenge over data deal with controversial Silicon Valley firm Palantir

A former member of Syrian president Bashar al Assad's secret police has been sentenced by a German court to four and a half years in jail for facilitating the torture of prisoners. Human rights activists hope the landmark ruling will set a precedent for other cases connected to the 10-year-old Syrian civil war. Eyad al Gharib was convicted of accessory to crimes against humanity and sentenced by the Koblenz state court. It was the first time a court outside Syria had ruled in a case alleging Syrian government officials committed crimes against humanity. The court heard Gharib had arrested at least 30 anti-government protesters at the start of the conflict in 2011 and sent them to an intelligence facility where he knew detainees were tortured. Advertisement The verdict gives hope to the 800,000 Syrians in Germany who say they were tortured in government facilities after attempts to establish an international tribunal for Syria failed. … [Read more...] about Ex-Syrian agent convicted by German court in landmark torture trial

An Olympic gold medallist has created specialist glasses that give cyclists eyes at the back of their heads. Callum Skinner, 28, who won gold and silver at the 2016 Olympics, developed the technology with physicist Alex Macdonald after raising more than £100,000 through a Kickstarter campaign. The sunglasses allow cyclists to see forwards and backwards by shifting focus rather than having to turn their heads. They use two-part angled lenses with semi-transparent mirrors and will cost £199.99. The Edinburgh-based inventors hope their glasses will make amateur cycling safer and give other athletes including runners and rowers an advantage. Advertisement "As a passionate cyclist, I'm acutely aware of the importance of road safety," said Skinner. "I'm also struck by the potential of HindSight glasses to help professional cyclists reach their peak performance. More from UK COVID-19: Daily drop-off in vaccinations is down to 'supply … [Read more...] about Olympic star Callum Skinner creates cycling glasses that allow riders to see behind them

England's deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has appeared on Sky News to answer some questions from the public on the coronavirus crisis. He shared his perspective on the public's queries and concerns on topics including the vaccine rollout, vaccine hesitancy and lifting the lockdown. Below are some of the key things from the Q&A, followed by a short analysis from science correspondent Thomas Moore , who offers his insight on each answer. 1. Since we hit the first 15 million jabs target there has been a drop-off in the daily vaccination numbers. Why? "That's really very simple to explain. There are always going to be supply fluctuations. These are new vaccines and by and large the manufacturers have never made them or anything like them before," Professor Van-Tam said. Advertisement Using one of his now-famous analogies Prof Van-Tam compared the manufacture of vaccines to beer-making. He said you set the equipment up and let … [Read more...] about Vaccine side-effects, fertility and jab shortages – Van-Tam answers your questions