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No fall pandemic measures plannedHealth Minister Thanos Plevris expressed optimism on Wednesday that there will be no need to impose measures for the coronavirus pandemic in the fall, saying that if they are needed they will be mild.The minister also appealed to people to get vaccinated, as he stressed that existing vaccines still protect against severe illness.
Millions of BT, Virgin and Sky customers can get broadband discount next weekNext week, a simple and easy system will be put in place meaning UK internet consumers can access cheaper broadband. Currently, Britain's biggest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) provide discounts for families claiming benefits, but many people aren't aware of this.Data shows that just 1.2% of people eligible have applied for ISPs deals. Part of this is due to entitlement confusion as well as the hassle of proving that benefits are being claimed.The Express reports that from August 22, the only thing a UK broadband consumer must do is tell their ISP that they wish to be considered for a reduced-price plan, with the provider then verifying whether or not the customer is in receipt of a suitable benefit. The new system will also allow the process to become simplified, by removing the need to customers to provide proof of entitlement as regularly as every month. The DWP’s new system will be able to verify entitlement for Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and Income-related Employment Support Allowance. If you claim or are in receipt or any of these, then you should be able to slash your broadband bills from next week onward.
Ofgem director resigns over energy price cap hikeChristine Farnish ‘could not support’ decision to add hundreds of pounds to billsMs Farnish, who served on the Ofgem board for several years, told The Times: “I resigned from the Ofgem board because I could not support a key decision to recover additional supplier costs from consumer bills this winter.”
Human remains found in suitcases were two young children, New Zealand police sayPolice believe the remains had been concealed at a storage facility for years before the suitcases were purchased by an Auckland family at an auction
Man arrested over mobility scooter killing
Cyclist dragged from bike and stabbed during attack in Horley
Drama off Xi beach earlier today when a small rental boat sank in a sea swell caused by windy conditions. One of two passengers rescued quickly, a search launched for second occupant who was found safe sometime later and taken to hospital for check up.
Three bears found shot dead in Florina regionThree bears have been found shot and killed near Sklithro, a village southwest of Greece’s northern town of Florina, in the past month.The death of the bears, a protected species, has been confirmed by Arcturos, a nonprofit group which works for the conservation of the brown bear and its habitat.All three crimes were committed inside a Natura 2000 protected area, the group said, urging the authorities to investigate the crimes.“The ongoing impunity will regrettably lead to more killings of protected species,” Arcturos said.
Eurostat: Inflation in Greece at 11.3% in JulyInflation in Greece was 11.3% in July, according to Eurostat data, registering a marginal decrease from 11.6% in June.
UK has more than 1,000 livestock mega-farms, investigation revealsThere are more than 1,000 US-style mega-farms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including some holding as many as a million animals, according to a new investigation.In the US, mega-farms are defined as those that hold more than 125,000 birds reared for meat, or 82,000 egg-laying hens, 2,500 pigs, 700 dairy cows or 1,000 beef cattle. These are labelled by US officials as a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO).By 2021, the number of farms in the UK that met the US definition of a CAFO, or mega-farm, was 1,099, according to research. There are also at least 19 dairies that meet the criteria of a “mega-dairy”. Cows held in intensive dairies are “zero-grazed”, which means they are not allowed out into fields and are permanently housed inside sheds. The largest one in the UK appears to hold 2,000 animals.Industrial farming maximises production while keeping costs to a minimum to produce cheap meat and dairy – the UK slaughters 1 billion chickens, 10 million pigs and 2.6 million cattle a year – and the majority of UK farmed animals are kept in intensive units.
Rare giant squid with ‘largest eye of any animal’ washes up on South African beach
LibreOffice 7.4 released with MS Office compatibility improvementsHome users can go straight to LibreOffice’s download portal and grab the latest version for their OS.
Drink more alcohol, Japan urges its young people Japan has launched a drive to get young people to drink more alcohol.The move comes after many stopped drinking during the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to less revenue for the National Tax Agency.Now, the agency has invited anyone aged 20 to 39 to submit ideas for strategies to increase alcohol consumption, including promoting drinking at home.
Half a million to be denied record state pension boost Half a million British pensioners living abroad will be denied a record boost in the state pension next year, due to “grossly unfair” rules that freeze payments for those retiring to Commonwealth countries. Expats will permanently miss out on a £972 increase next April, amounting to a loss of £19,440 over the course of the average retirement. Pensioners in Britain and certain countries, including EU nations, receive annual increases under the “triple lock”. However, more than 492,000 UK retirees around the world are denied their state pension in full, with the payouts they receive frozen from the time they retired or emigrated.