British Isles
Patient dies after first robot-assisted heart surgery
A UK hospital is investigating a patient's death after the UK's first robot-assisted heart valve surgery. The pioneering robot-assisted operation ended in catastrophe, with a cascade of failures causing the death of retired…
Prince Charles won't speak out when he becomes king
In a BBC documentary to mark his 70th birthday, Prince Charles said the idea that as king he would continue making interventions was 'nonsense'. He said he would have to operate ‘within constitutional…
Armistice centenary celebrated
On 11 November 1918, the Armistice was signed, bringing an end to the First World War. Big Ben sounded in Parliament Square to ring in the news as thousands gathered to celebrate, sparking…
UK economic growth will be slowest in Europe
The UK will join Italy next year as the slowest-growing economy in Europe, before holding that title alone in 2020, according to a European Commission forecast. These gloomy predictions are based on a…
Farming and the land
We praise God for a glorious autumn, a welcome respite for farmers from the difficult weather conditions of recent months. As with many of our industries, farmers are frequently frustrated by regulations, many…
Raising voices for the voiceless
This winter cathedrals, churches, schools and community projects around the country are hosting choir concerts and carol services and raising their voices for the voiceless. There will be a huge number of amazing…
Christian ministry to seafarers
The Sailors' Society, an international charity based in Southampton, started a crisis response network (CRN) in South Africa in 2015, providing trauma care and counselling wherever necessary. This network provided support to its…
Minister resigns over delayed crackdown on betting machines
Tracey Crouch, the sports minister, resigned on 1 November as a protest over the delay in cutting the maximum stakes from £100 in fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). The Government had announced this plan…
Education spending
Children from richer families used to benefit much more from public spending on education than those from poorer backgrounds. However, a report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies, based on research in state-funded…
Organised crime
As the security minister, Ben Wallace, launched a new strategy to tackle organised criminal activity that costs the UK economy £37bn a year, the National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed the impact on British…
