Women’s prisons report finds 97 deaths in decade as self-harm hits record high

Over the past decade 97 women have died in prisons in England and Wales and incidents of self-harm among female prisoners have reached the highest level on record, a report has found.Inquest, the charity that produced the report, collated Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures since 2015 to arrive at a total number of deaths. It said the numbers were evidence for its case that all women’s prisons should be closed.The deaths analysed by the report include those of Saria Hart, 26, who passed officers two suicide notes before taking her own life; Louisa Boultbee, 49, who had epilepsy and was found unresponsive in her cell after an apparent seizure, with two mandatory checks having been missed; and Aisha Cleary, a newborn baby whose 18-year-old mother gave birth alone in her cell despite pressing her cell bell twice.Inquest’s director, Deborah Coles, said: “The only certainty is that more deaths will follow unless the government radically changes direction

Leaked report reveals culture of bullying and harassment at scandal-hit NHS hospital

A culture of systemic bullying and harassment has been allowed to flourish among staff at one England’s most scandal-hit hospitals, a damning leaked report reveals.The safety of patients at Blackpool Victoria hospital was affected as a result of the failings, the report by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) found.The report was provided to leaders at the Blackpool teaching hospitals NHS trust in January but its findings were not shared widely with staff until 10 months later, prompting concerns that employees’ ability to take urgent action on its 19 recommendations was compromised.Staff who spoke to the RCP inquiry team said that excessive workloads were handed to inexperienced doctors, leaving them fatigued and stressed while treating patients. They described a “keeping your head down culture” where their concerns were inadequately addressed

Having a dog can boost teenagers’ mental health, say scientists

Having a dog in the home could help boost teenagers’ mental health, research suggests, with scientists adding this could in part be down to the sharing of microbes.Prof Takefumi Kikusui, of Azabu University in Japan, who led the work, said being with dogs could reduce owners’ stress and stimulate the release of the bonding hormone oxytocin.But the research suggests there could be other reasons pooches may have a positive influence.“Several studies have reported the mental health benefits of dog ownership, and we have demonstrated that the microbiome may be one mechanism involved,” Kikusui said.Writing in the journal iScience, Kikusui and colleagues report how they analysed survey results from 343 mentally and physically healthy adolescents who participated in the Tokyo Teenager Cohort Study, of whom 96 were dog owners

Labour proposed in opposition how to introduce assisted dying via private member’s bill

Labour proposed while in opposition how to introduce assisted dying via a private member’s bill, suggesting that would still allow “heavy influence” for the government in the process, a leaked document has revealed.The document, seen by the Guardian, proposed a change strikingly similar to the private member’s bill put forward eventually by the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater – to limit the change in the law to those who are “mentally competent, terminally ill and have a prognosis of less than six months left to live”.The leak will raise fresh questions over how much government control there has been behind Leadbeater’s bill and comes ahead of a major battle in the House of Lords continuing this Friday, where many opposing peers have tabled hundreds of amendments for debate, which has been seen by some as an effort to filibuster the bill.Because of the number of amendments, ten more sitting days have been assigned to debate but those on the pro-side still fear it will run out of time in the parliamentary session and have been holding private talks in an effort to persuade peers not to tie up the bill using parliamentary tactics.A Labour source opposed to the bill said the leak exposed “a shadow policymaking process, outside of the Labour manifesto, and with no consultation with MPs, unions or members, that sought to evade scrutiny on an issue of huge importance”

What to know when the ban on most US hemp products goes into effect

Ban set to be enforced in November 2026 will change pricing, availability and composition of productsCongress voted to ban most hemp-derived products last month in a last-minute addition to the spending bill that ended the government shutdown. The ban, set to be enforced in November 2026, will change the pricing, availability and composition of some of the most popular hemp-derived products on the market, like CBD tinctures and balms and THC drinks.Here’s what you need to know.It depends on what state you live in. Jonathan Miller, general counsel for US Hemp Roundtable, says that states that have passed laws to allow regulated, legal hemp, the market will probably continue to operate similarly to state-level recreational and medical cannabis markets

Scott Galloway on the masculinity crisis: ‘I worry we are evolving a new breed of asexual, asocial males’

When his book Notes on Being a Man was released last month, it raced to the top of the bestseller lists. The US author, tech entrepreneur and podcaster explains his theories on dating, crying – and the rise of Donald TrumpIt takes balls to title your book Notes on Being a Man. And, superficially, Scott Galloway could easily be lumped in with a dozen other manosphere-friendly alpha-bros promising to teach young men how to find their inner wolf. He is, after all, a wealthy, healthy, white, heterosexual, shaven-headed, 61-year-old Californian who made his name and fortune as a successful investor and podcaster.But in reality, he is almost the opposite: liberal, left-leaning and surprisingly sensitive