Author: UK News

Junior doctors on £14-an-hour as poor pay revealed and Tories refuse to start talks The Daily Mirror says Junior doctors are being paid as little as £14 an hour to carry out vital operations, a campaign reveals. As medics today begin a four-day strike, The British Medical Association exposes the shocking truth about wages. It said: “Is this a fair price to provide patients with high-quality healthcare?” In a poll, most back the strikes. But the Tories still refuse to hold pay talks. The government has been accused of providing high quality health care on the cheap by doctors whose…

Tory ‘neglect’ blamed for 3.6m abandoned calls to NHS 111 in England The Guardian says Patients contacting NHS 111 in England are having to wait so long for medical help that they are abandoning millions of calls, with 3.6m ditched in the past 12 months, official figures reveal. The national helpline service is supposed to make it quicker and easier for patients to get the right advice or treatment they need, either for their physical or mental health. It is billed as being open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, analysis by the House of Commons Library,…

Nurses reject 5% pay deal and vote for all-out strike – with no exemptions for emergency care The Independent says Nurses have rejected the government’s pay offer and announced an all-out strike with all services affected for the first time in NHS history. A majority of Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members rejected the 5 per cent pay deal, by 54 per cent of the vote to 46 per cent, despite a recommendation from union leaders to accept it. In a bid to force the government’s hand, the union announced a round-the-clock walkout for 48 hours starting at 8pm on…

‘Don’t get ill!’: Public told to avoid ‘risky behaviour’ during junior doctors’ strike Daily Express says Patients will suffer as junior doctors strike for four days this week, NHS leaders warned. The public was told to avoid “risky behaviour” as levels of care available would be greatly reduced. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, agreed the action posed risks to patient safety and called on the public to avoid “risky behaviour”. He warned: “These strikes are going to have a catastrophic impact on the capacity of the NHS to recover services [post-Covid]. “The health service has to meet…

Why does the British media keep undermining the NHS? Rewind a few years back and NHS and its workers were considered the heroes of the country. The then prime minister Boris Johnson even had us stood outside clapping the efforts of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, who were working tirelessly through a grim and gruelling global health crisis. But with the pandemic in the dust, a distant memory in the rearview mirror, the media – who had lauded the NHS workers as our guardian angels through the darkest of times, is throwing those same people under the bus. The…

‘I’m baffled that these things aren’t being taken more seriously by the powers that be.’

I was asked on my own wedding day when I was having babies.

‘That’s the rumour on the streets…’

The most (and least) expensive travel destinations for 2023, revealed The Metro says Who doesn’t love a holiday? Whether it’s laying on a beach and soaking up the sun or exploring new cultures and world heritage sites, a trip abroad is good for the soul. But these days most of us don’t have a lot of extra cash lying around to fund an extravagant break away. So where should you go for a cheap trip and which destinations are going to cost you an arm and a leg? Traveller’s Elixir researched 60 locations around the globe and determined the most…

Awkward.

No wonder it’s such a difficult decade.

Justin Bieber had nothing but good things to say about Frank Ocean’s Coachella set in the California desert on Sunday (Picture: Getty)

Frank Ocean’s set at Coachella on Sunday might have been thrown into chaos, but Justin Bieber clearly had the time of his life.

Not only was the 35-year-old’s much-anticipated performance pulled from YouTube’s streaming schedule last minute, but Frank’s set also had to be reworked at the eleventh hour due to an injury.

Plenty of disgruntled Frank fans have since taken to social media to express their dismay, but Justin, 29, threw his weight behind the Pyramids singer on Tuesday and called his artistry ‘unmatched’.

Sharing a photo of Frank – real name Christopher Francis Ocean – onstage over the weekend, Justin wrote: ‘I was blown away by Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance. His artistry is simply unmatched, his style, his taste, his voice, his attention to detail.’

The Baby crooner added: ‘I was deeply moved. It made me want to keep going and get better as an artist. He continues to set the bar high and gave me a night I will never forget! Thanks Frank.’

Frank suffered a ‘serious ankle injury’ just days before taking to the stage, resulting in last-minute changes to his set.

Justin was in attendance at Frank’s Coachella gig on Sunday (Picture: Getty)

The Baby crooner shared a photo of Frank onstage on social media (Picture: Instagram/justinbieber)

Justin wrote: ‘I was blown away by Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance’ (Picture: Instagram/justinbieber)

The Grammy winner was involved in a bike accident, with sources telling Metro.co.uk that the incident occurred while he was at the festival rehearsing.

A close insider added that, while Frank wasn’t on stage when he was hurt, the mishap involved bikes used to roam around the Empire Polo Club grounds.

The injury was severe enough for doctors to advise the musician to change his production.

Sources told Metro.co.uk that Frank hurt his ankle in the run-up to his set (Picture: Getty)

One of these changes involved the use of an ice rink, which was supposedly built for Frank’s set, TMZ claimed in further reports.

It’s also believed a casting director reached out to a bunch of Los Angeles-based hockey teams in March for an unspecified paid performance.

Once the skaters got to the audition, they claim they saw Frank in person.

Have you ever been to Coachella? Comment Now

An insider added that 100 players were cast and they rehearsed on an elevated ice rink at Paramount Studios before heading to the desert for a dress rehearsal the week before Coachella kicked off.

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Alas, the ice rink couldn’t be used, with the cast informed on Sunday that the routine had been axed.

But at least Justin had a ball.

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Northern Ireland Police officer faces prosecution over death scenes images Two individuals, a police officer and a former officer, are to be prosecuted for alleged misconduct in public office, including sharing imagery taken at the scenes of sudden deaths. The decision was made by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) after receiving evidence submitted in an investigation file by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland as part of Operation Warwick. One individual is facing prosecution for improper use of a public electronic communications network related to the alleged sharing of imagery captured at the scenes of sudden deaths. The case is…

The cost of living crisis is only getting worse, but support is coming.

PM Rishi Sunak investigated over declaration of interest Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is being investigated by Parliament’s standards watchdog over a possible failure to declare an interest. Mr Sunak is being investigated over whether a declaration of interest was “open and frank”, under rules set out by the commissioner for standards. The BBC says they believe the probe relates to a childcare firm his wife has shares in. The commissioner decides whether an MP has broken rules after an inquiry. This breaking news story

Nicola Sturgeon avoids Holyrood amid speculation about her quitting The Herald says NICOLA Sturgeon will not return to Holyrood this week amid growing speculation that she will quit as an MSP before the next Scottish election. The former First Minister, who would attract huge media attention given recent developments in the SNP, will participate remotely instead. Her spokesperson claimed it had “always” been her plan to stay away in order to leave the limelight to her successor Humza Yousaf. However no date has been given for her return other than “the near future”. The new First Minister will set out…

Pressure on ex-SNP leader to quit as she plays down finance fears in video leak The Independent says Nicola Sturgeon is facing fresh calls to quit from the Scottish National Party (SNP) after a leaked video shows the ex-first minister dismissing financial concerns. The leaked footage from an SNP NEC meeting in March 2021 showed Ms Sturgeon giving her top officials a stern warning to be “very careful” about suggesting there was “any problems” with party accounts. Ms Sturgeon also reportedly blocked plans to hire a fundraising manager for the party when she was leader and first minister despite concerns…

Watch: Sturgeon denies SNP financial woes in leaked footage The Spectator says Three cheers for the Sunday Mail, which has today got its hands on footage of Nicola Sturgeon which is, er, sub-optimal, to say the least. The newspaper has been sent a video of the then First Minister furiously insisting that the SNP’s finances had ‘never been stronger’ in a meeting of the party’s ruling body in March 2021. Sturgeon is shown warning SNP apparatchiks on the National Executive Committee (NEC) to be ‘very careful’ about suggesting there was ‘any problems’ with the accounts’ in an angry statement that…

NHS bosses spend £1,000,000 a week on private ambulances Private ambulance companies are earning millions of pounds during the largest healthcare service strike in history, according to research by trade union Unison. The union has found that over £1m is being spent every week on private ambulance firms to cover emergency calls, with bosses booking private emergency vehicles and crews up to a year in advance to be available to respond to emergencies such as road traffic accidents and strokes. Unison claims that this commercial approach is a short-term sticking plaster that highlights a lack of long-term planning and government…

Opposition urges Tories to cut ties with rightwing group over ‘culture war’ comments Opposition parties are urging the Conservatives to cut ties with a rightwing student group, Turning Point UK (TPUK), that has been described as a far-right group promoting divisive and dangerous rhetoric.  Although the group has no formal links with the Conservative Party, Conservative MP Marco Longhi is TPUK’s honorary president, and former ministers Priti Patel and Jacob Rees-Mogg have praised the group in the past, along with deputy party chair Lee Anderson.  TPUK, which advocates free markets and small government, has increasingly focused on “culture war” issues,…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk The NHS features on many of Monday’s front pages in a variety of stories. There are a variety of images on the front pages, some reflecting the latest from the Premier League, celebrity news and an Orthodox Easter Sunday service in Kyiv. NHS dominates The Daily Express warns that potential walkouts by nurses in England until Christmas could strike fear in those dependent on the health service. However, the “I” newspaper reports that divisions among unions over the government’s pay offer could potentially bring an end to the industrial action. A Times opinion poll…

Royal Mail and CWU reaches pay deal  Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have agreed on an “in principle” deal over pay and employment terms, potentially ending a year-long pay dispute. The deal is set to be considered by the union’s executive before being voted on by members, with details expected to be released next week. The union had been at loggerheads with Royal Mail over pay, jobs and conditions. Last year, there were several walkouts, including during the Christmas period. The deal was reached after talks earlier this month collapsed, and the CWU pulled back from announcing…

Failed PM Liz Truss builds her Cold Warrior rebrand with China speech CANARY says Failed prime minister Liz Truss has used her first major speech since leaving office to attack China. She also took a swipe at France’s president Emmanuel Macron for visiting the Asian economic powerhouse. Truss was already hawkish, but that commitment seems to have become central to her politics since her short time as PM. She made a similar intervention in February 2023. Speaking at a conference in Tokyo, Truss tried to encourage Rishi Sunak, who succeeded her as PM after her abysmal tenure, that he should…

Environment Agency workers strike over pay Thousands of Environment Agency workers in England are set to stage a three-day strike from Friday over their claims of “endemic low pay”. The action from the Unison trade union will involve staff working on flood defences, river pollution and fires. Emergency response teams argue that they are too thinly stretched to be able to protect communities and maintain environmental safety. The strike follows months of industrial action by Environment Agency workers who have protested against a 2% pay increase offered by the government, claiming that it does not cover inflation and represents a…