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National News

Home owning still cheaper than renting overall but difference reduced study

The cost of a mortgage on a first home is typically around £42 per month cheaper than renting, but the difference has reduced and in some parts of the UK renting may be the less expensive option, analysis suggests. First-time buyers could typically pay around £971 per month for a three-bedroom home, while renters would potentially be forking out around £1,013, according to calculations by Halifax. The difference of around £500 per year between buying and renting is down fromRead More

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National News

Chancellor set to deliver back to work Budget amid push for growth

It is one of a number of announcements to be made in the Commons on Wednesday Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will pledge to tackle labour shortages and get people back to work when he delivers his Budget on Wednesday. Announcements on energy bill support, benefits reform and pensions allowances are all expected to form part of the Budget package when Mr Hunt addresses MPs on Wednesday afternoon, even if he is expected to resist calls from Conservative backbenchers to go furtherRead More

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National News

Filming of The Crown under way in St Andrews where William met Kate

The new series of the show will feature William’s time at the Scottish university The sixth series of Netflix show The Crown has started filming in St Andrews, where the Prince of Wales met his now wife. The new series of the show will feature William’s time at the University of St Andrews, where in 2001 he met and later fell in love with Kate Middleton, now the Princess of Wales. Actor Ed McVey, 21, who will play the PrinceRead More

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National News

Putting vapes in plain packaging reduces their appeal to children

The findings come in a new study by experts from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London and Action on Smoking and Health Putting vapes in plain packaging reduces their appeal to children and could even stop them taking up vaping in the first place, a major new study has found. Researchers discovered that removing bright colours, pictures and fancy lettering from packaging made youngsters less likely to be attracted to vaping, but did not deterRead More

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National News

Facebook owner Meta to axe another 10000 jobs

It comes just four months after it axed 11,000 workers Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has revealed it plans to cut around 10,000 jobs globally, just four months after it axed 11,000 workers. The group’s founder and boss, Mark Zuckerberg, told staff in a company blog that Meta is also looking to ditch about 5,000 open job vacancies as part of his Year Of Efficiency push to slash costs and restructure the firm. Meta will firstRead More

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National News

250 million sewage penalties too high says Environment Agency chairman

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said penalties of £10-20 million would be more appropriate   The Environment Agency (EA) should not be issuing penalties of £250 million to water companies who dump sewage, its chairman has said. Speaking to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Alan Lovell said penalties of £10-20 million would be more appropriate, and stressed there was a difference between an EA penalty and a court fine. Last month, Environment Secretary Therese Coffey was criticisedRead More

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National News

GP who ran clinic for trans patients awaits ruling after challenging suspension

Helen Webberley who founded GenderGP, was found to have committed serious misconduct by a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel in June 2022   A GP who ran an online clinic for transgender patients is waiting for a High Court judge’s ruling after challenging a tribunal decision to impose a two-month suspension. Helen Webberley, founder of a website called GenderGP, was found to have committed serious misconduct by a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel in June 2022. On Tuesday, Dr Webberley,Read More

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National News

NatWest limits cryptocurrency payments amid scam concerns

The bank says the cost-of-living crisis is also having an impact, with promises of high returns used by criminals to entice investors NatWest is imposing cryptocurrency payment limits amid concerns over rising numbers of scams. The cost-of-living crisis is also having an impact, with promises of high returns used by criminals to entice investors, the bank said. A daily limit of £1,000 and a limit of £5,000 over a 30-day period are being implemented to help protect customers from losingRead More

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National News

Minister withdraws claim Chinese company attempted to hack NHS database in 2014

Science minister George Freeman had claimed that NHS datastore Genomics England was suffering attacks in 2014   A minister has withdrawn claims that a Chinese company made multiple attempts to hack into the NHS’s genetic database in 2014, with critics describing the official correction as “alarming”. Science minister George Freeman had claimed that NHS datastore Genomics England was “suffering several hack attacks from BGI each week” during 2014 in a Westminster Hall debate on March 8. But Mr Freeman hasRead More

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