Those words, spoken decades after the Cuban Missile Crisis, are chilling not because they recount a distant danger, but because they remind us how thin the margin for survival once was. For those of us old enough to have lived through 1962, the fear was immediate, tangible, and inescapable. Radios stayed on in the home. Harold Macmillan the Prime Minister, looked very grave - and very old - on the television. There was only one topic of conversation.

Several indicators becoming less downbeat. House prices appear to have stabilised at a national level, although regional disparities are widening. Sentiment regarding the twelve-month sales outlook points towards a recovery

Governments are constantly tempted to push flexible working because it allows them to support a popular social change without having to pay for it themselves. The new, stronger “right to request” flexible working in the Employment Rights Act will be much harder for managers to resist, and even dealing with such requests will impose costs on companies. While private businesses may be able to control some of these costs, the widespread strengthening of flexible working rights is likely to damage productivity, slow growth, and undermine wages and employment. This will be all the more true if unions or workplace rules stop wages adjusting, for example to reflect whether particular jobs can in practice be done remotely. This is likely to be a particular problem in the public sector, reinforcing its existing poor productivity record.

The hunt is on for inspirational children and young people in Cumbria – as well as those dedicated to caring for them – as nominations open for the 2026 WellChild Awards, which seek to recognise those with complex care needs alongside the people who support them.

AVA: The Vending & Automated Retail Association has welcomed the government’s announcement of the UK deposit return scheme, officially named 'Exchange for Change'. The AVA has played a significant role in the scheme’s creation, ensuring the full representation of the needs of vending and automated retail operators.

When news broke recently of two Chinese spies who were caught but then allowed to walk away on legal grounds, followed by MI5’s warning that a proposed super-embassy could conceal a nest of intelligence operatives, it felt like an echo from another age. Espionage had slipped back into public view.

Missing People today announces the launch of SafeCall, a new free and confidential support service designed to keep children and young people safe before harm escalates. SafeCall is available to children and young people up to the age of 25 who are at risk of going missing, being exploited, or who feel unsafe and unsure where to turn.

A major archaeological excavation at Harden Quarry, nestled in the Cheviot Hills within Northumberland National Park, has revealed an extraordinary 360-degree view of Bronze Age life, offering the clearest insight yet into early settlement and farming in upland Northumberland. Archaeologists uncovered a fascinating Bronze Age settlement on a hilltop.

British Wool has officially unveiled its 2025 Sheep of the Year, following an enthusiastic public vote celebrating the very best of Britain’s woolly wonders. Each week, British Wool shares its ‘Sheep of the Week’ to Instagram, showcasing photos sent in by farmers from across the UK.

In response to Age UK’s new analysis of trolley waits in Emergency Departments in England, Dr Ian Higginson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “These figures, and the heart-wrenching stories from patients, shared by Age UK today are a damning indictment of the state of EDs and reflect the reality that my colleagues and I see each and every day at work.

Dear Editor, Many people want to give back to their communities, but sometimes finding the time to volunteer can be a real challenge. It’s not always easy to commit to a traditional volunteering shift, at a specific time or on a regular basis. Balancing giving back with work, family, and other responsibilities can be difficult.

One in five (21%) – or 11.6 million adults – admit they have no financial aspirations for the year ahead - signalling a widening ambition gap in the UK, according to new research from St. James’s Place (SJP).