Tens of thousands of prisoners in England and Wales at risk of cell fires

The government has reneged on a pledge to make all prison cells fire-safe or take them out of use by the end of next year, meaning tens of thousands of prisoners in England and Wales will remain at risk.The Ministry of Justice has admitted it has known for almost two decades that about a quarter of prison places are unsafe, putting the people housed in affected cells at risk.Successive governments had pledged to remedy the situation by the end of 2027, but that commitment has now been dropped and the government has not set a new date.Earlier this week, the Guardian reported on the inquest of Clare Dupree, a woman with severe mental illness who died in a fire in her cell at HMP Eastwood.The inquest jury found there had been “missed opportunities” to prevent Dupree’s death, and that a “lack of automatic in-cell fire detection caused a delay in detecting the fire”

Meningitis vaccine eligibility expanded after Kent outbreak rises to 27

The government has announced a major expansion in vaccination against meningitis in Kent after seven new cases of the disease were confirmed in the county, taking the total number of cases to 27.On a visit to the University of Kent, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, said anyone who attended the Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury from 5 March until 15 March should come forward for antibiotics and vaccination.“We’re expanding vaccination to anyone who’s previously been offered the prophylactic antibiotic,” he added. “These are proportionate steps to help us contain spread and we’re keeping that situation under review.”That will include students at the University of Kent and some at Canterbury Christ Church University, as well as sixth formers at the four schools and colleges with confirmed or suspected cases of meningitis

Lollipop people: share your experiences of the job

Lollipop people in Suffolk have become the latest neon-clad, road patrollers to don body cams amid a rise in abuse. We are looking to speak to lollipop people about their experiences on the job.The council has launched a six-week awareness campaign called “Lollipops Aren’t Just For Children” to remind drivers to slow down, be patient, and show respect at patrol points. The cameras have been used by school crossing patrols in Greater Manchester, Clacton and Basildon for similar reasons.Are you a lollipop person? Have things changed in recent years? What was the job like when you first took it on? Are there any particular incidents that stick out?You can share your experiences using this form

People aged under 25: are you still looking for a job after a year of unemployment?

Are you under 25 and still looking for a job after a year of unemployment? If so, we would like to speak to you.The latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics showed unemployment increased to 5.2% in the final quarter of 2025, the highest rate since the start of 2021. Young people have been bearing the brunt of this rise, with 16% of those aged 16-24 unemployed, nearly an 11-year-high.We are looking to speak to a range of young people including university graduates, school leavers who didn’t go on to higher education, those who took up apprenticeships and anyone else in between who has been out of a job, despite looking for work, for 12 months or more

NHS was ‘on brink of collapse’ during pandemic, Covid inquiry finds

The NHS “teetered on the brink of collapse” during the Covid pandemic and only managed to survive thanks to the “superhuman” efforts of healthcare workers, an official inquiry has concluded.In a damning assessment of how the UK’s healthcare systems dealt with the unprecedented pressure of the pandemic, the Covid-19 inquiry chair, Heather Hallett, said the impact of the virus was “devastating” due to the NHS being in a “parlous state” before the outbreak.She said Covid patients did not always receive the care they needed, with some diagnoses and treatments coming too late to save lives.“Healthcare systems coped with the pandemic, but only just,” said Lady Hallett, a former court of appeal judge. “On a number of occasions, they teetered on the brink of collapse and only coped thanks to the almost superhuman efforts of healthcare workers and all the staff who support them

‘She didn’t want that pain’: Paola Marra’s brother despairs of Lords block on assisted dying bill

Two years after Paola Marra, on the eve of her death, appealed to politicians to change the law on assisted dying, the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill is stuck in the House of Lords. For her brother, the second anniversary of her death will be spent protesting outside parliament.Marra died aged 53 on 20 March 2024. She documented her solo journey from north London to Dignitas in Switzerland in photographs and a short film by the photographer Rankin, released posthumously, as well as in a powerful interview with the Guardian.The Canadian-born former music industry and charity worker ended her life after suffering with terminal breast and bowel cancer