UK Archives - Zoom News

Government to Overhaul Parental Leave and Pay in Landmark Review

1Jul

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Politics, UK

Government to Overhaul Parental Leave and Pay in Landmark Review

Ministers have launched a wide-ranging review of the UK’s parental leave and pay system, aiming to simplify existing policies and better reflect the needs of modern families. The review will assess all current entitlements, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave, neonatal care leave, bereavement leave, and unpaid parental leave. At present, mothers can take up to 52 weeks of maternity leave—only the first six weeks are paid at 90% of average earnings, followed by 33 weeks at a statutory rate (£187.18 per week). Fathers are currently entitled to just two weeks’ paternity leave at the same statutory rate. Take-up remains low, with only one in three eligible fathers using it, largely due to financial concerns. The Government is now exploring the introduct...

Russia Expels British Diplomats for Spying

10Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Russia, UK

Russia Expels British Diplomats for Spying

Russia is expelling two British diplomats from the country because they are said to be working as spies. According to Moscow, their work for the embassy was a cover and they provided "false information" when they applied for a visa. The British government has not yet responded to the accusations. According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the British have revoked their accreditation and have two weeks to leave the country. A representative of the British embassy has been summoned to explain. Over the past three years, Russia has regularly expelled Western diplomats from the country and vice versa. Last month, the United Kingdom and Russia sent each other's representatives back to their home countries. The Kremlin also spoke of spying then; London responded to thi...

British Government Launches Call for Design of Elizabeth II Memorial

12Dec

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

British Government Launches Call for Design of Elizabeth II Memorial

Today, the British government called for designers, architects, and artists to design a memorial for the late Queen Elizabeth II. The memorial will be located near Buckingham Palace, the royal palace. The artist selected will have a budget of between 28 and 56 million to create the monument, financed by government money. A commemoration committee set up in 2023 will decide who receives the budget. The former queen (1926-2022) died in September 2022, aged 96, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. “This national memorial will be a lasting tribute to the late Queen’s legacy and provide a space for reflection and celebration,” said Pat McFadden, a senior government official. Once approved by King Charles II...

British Government to Build Four New Prisons to Tackle Cell Shortage

12Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

British Government to Build Four New Prisons to Tackle Cell Shortage

The British government is planning to build four new prisons to help address the shortage of cells in the United Kingdom, the BBC reports. The United Kingdom is struggling with overcrowded prisons. Thousands of prisoners have already been released due to a lack of space. A new ten-year plan calls for the construction of four new prisons over the next seven years, creating 6,400 new places. Existing prisons will be expanded, creating the same number of new places. Also Read: Unlocking the Future of Digital Finance But even that could prove insufficient in the future, the responsible minister Shabana Mahmood told the BBC.

British Watchdog is Investigating the AI Market

4May

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, News, Technology, UK

British Watchdog is Investigating the AI Market

The British competition watchdog CMA has launched a broad investigation into the development of the artificial intelligence (AI) market. The regulator wants to know what impact this fast-growing technology will have on competition in the technology sector and whether more rules are needed to protect consumers. Artificial intelligence develops computer systems that come close to human intelligence. For example, chatbots such as ChatGPT can write texts that appear to have been written by a human. The increasing possibilities offered by AI systems have prompted major technology companies such as Microsoft and Alphabet, the owner of Google, to accelerate investments in the sector. “The potential benefits of this transformative technology must be easily accessible to UK businesses ...

Record Number of UK Businesses Started by Women by 2022

22Feb

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, News, UK

Record Number of UK Businesses Started by Women by 2022

A record number of UK businesses were started by women last year. Research by the Scottish bank and insurance company NatWest Group shows that 151,600 companies were added last year with an all-female board. This is one in five newly established companies in the UK. The number of UK businesses founded by women in a year has more than doubled since 2018. That year, over 56,000 businesses were started by women. By 2021, some 145,000 new businesses in the UK will be founded by women. The largest increase was seen among girls and women aged 16 to 25. NatWest CEO Alison Rose told the Financial Times that female entrepreneurs want to capitalize on the tough economic times and go their own way.

British Government Blocks Scottish Transgender Law, Prime Minister Sturgeon Furious

17Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Scotland, UK

British Government Blocks Scottish Transgender Law, Prime Minister Sturgeon Furious

The British government will block a Scottish law that makes it easier to change sex before the law. She fears it will conflict with a law that applies to the whole United Kingdom. It is the first time the British government has vetoed a Scottish law. In Scotland, the reaction is furious. Last month, the Scottish Parliament passed the Gender Recognition Bill, making it easier for people to change their official gender. The bill received a great majority of 86 to 39 in the Scottish Parliament. Only the Conservatives voted against it. The law removes the need for a medical diagnosis of "gender dysphoria" (put: deep dissatisfaction with your biological sex). The minimum age will also be lowered from 18 to 16 years. According to the Scottish government, the current system is too...

Strike Paralyses British Emergency Services

11Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

Strike Paralyses British Emergency Services

A national strike paralysed emergency services in large parts of Britain on Wednesday. Some 25,000 emergency doctors, paramedics and emergency centre staff have been laid off in England and Wales. GPs and pharmacists will be working on Wednesday. The strikers demand higher wages and better working conditions. In addition, they want a surcharge that compensates for inflation. On an annual basis, it is currently around 10 percent. Earlier, the conservative government of Rishi Sunak offered emergency workers 4.75 percent more wages. However, it refuses to increase that offer because it lacks resources. Health Minister Steve Barclay admitted to the public broadcaster BBC that the underfunded health service NHS is under great pressure. He referred to long waiting times when transf...

British PM Rishi Sunak Wants to Make Maths Compulsory for Students up to the Age of 18

4Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

British PM Rishi Sunak Wants to Make Maths Compulsory for Students up to the Age of 18

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants all pupils in England to receive mathematics up to the age of eighteen. The British broadcaster BBC writes in his first speech of the new year. According to Sunak, "We need to rethink our attitude towards numeracy." "In a world where data is ubiquitous, and statistics are the basis of many jobs, our children's jobs will require more analytical skills than ever before," said the prime minister. "To send our children into the world without these skills is to abandon our children." About half of the pupils between the ages of sixteen and eighteen still take mathematics in one form or another. In the United Kingdom, taking mathematics until the age of eighteen is currently not compulsory. It is unclear how Sunak intends to teach these skills t...

Car Hits Group of People in England: Two Dead, Two Injured

21Nov

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

Car Hits Group of People in England: Two Dead, Two Injured

In the English municipality of Oldbury, near the city of Birmingham, a car drove into a bunch of people on Sunday evening. A nineteen-year-old man and a sixteen-year-old girl were killed, the police announced on Monday. A man and a woman, both aged between 20 and 30, were critically injured. Police have arrested a 54-year-old man. The police are calling on eyewitnesses not to share pictures and videos of the incident on social networking sites. It is requested that these images be made available to the researchers.