Get a wind-up radio and stock up on batteries – these are the BBC’s plans to keep broadcasts on air in the event of a national emergency.
The strategy emerged as a security expert warned there was an “urgent need” to upgrade the UK’s resilience in the event of an attack knocking out critical infrastructure.
Analogue FM radio, which could be phased out under a Government consultation, will be the BBC’s communication medium of last resort if Britain suffers a major power outage due to a cyber attack, the corporation’s deputy director-general said.
How much parents could save from new school uniform rules
A new law coming into force in September means parents in England will save money by having to buy fewer branded items of school uniform.
What does the new law mean?
From September, uniforms will be limited to three items with a school logo, like a blazer, jumper or sportswear – plus a tie for secondary schools.
The government says the changes will save some families “up to £50 per child”.
How will the law be enforced?
Who is affected?
Around 23 per cent of secondary schools will have to change their uniform lists by September.
How will it be enforced?
The education secretary has legal powers to direct schools to comply.
The rest of the UK
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not have a cap on uniform items, but are encoureged to keep uniforms costs minimal.
How England could eliminate hepatitis C
England is “on the cusp” of becoming one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, health officials have said.
What have the health officials said?
Global health leaders have set out plans to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.
NHS England said the nation is one of a handful of countries globally to have already exceeded the World Health Organisation benchmark of treating 80 per cent of all known cases.
It said that deaths from the virus have reduced by 36 per cent in the last 10 years.
What is hepatitis?
- Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood infected with the virus.
- Many people have no symptoms but if it is not treated it can cause serious, and potentially life-threatening, liver damage.
- A treatment course of antiviral drugs for eight to 12 weeks cures more than 95 per cent of cases.
- NHS England said that since 2015, more than 100,000 people have been diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C.
The expert view
With C curable in more than nine out of 10 cases, we are committed to finding and treating everyone who needs support and would urge those at greater risk to come forward by ordering a free and confidential home-testing kit online.
Professor Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director
Why August is the worst month for drink driving
August is the worst month of the year for drink-drive crashes as summer events create “more opportunities” to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, according to new research.
What does the research show?
RAC analysis found an average of 721 people were injured or killed in drink-drive crashes in August between 2014 and 2024.
Before July, there was an average 704 casualties over the 11-year period.
December, which is often associated with drink driving, had an average of 663 casualties.
The expert view
Drink- is often seen more of a Christmas issue, but our shows collisions involving drivers who have consumed illegal levels of alcohol are actually far more common during the summer.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams
Williams added that warmer weather, longer evenings and “festivals and barbecues” create “opportunities and temptation” for people to drink and then get behind the wheel.
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Burnham to scrap Blair-era rule in ‘crackdown’ on new betting and vape shops
Andy Burnham has pledged to give councils more powers to block new bookmakers and vape shops in a bid to save Britain’s “hollowed-out high streets”.
The PM intends to scrap the “aim to permit” rule, which limits the ability of local authorities to prevent betting shops and 24-hour slot machine venues opening in their area.
Shake-up expected start of next year
- Planning permission will also be required for outlets selling e-cigarettes as part of efforts to give communities a greater say under the proposals.
- The formal definition of a vape shop will be tightened to stop businesses side-stepping the new rules by claiming to be a “convenience store or a retailer”.
- Adult gaming centres offering up to 24 hours of access will also require planning permission under the shake-up.
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What are closure orders?
Under proposals first announced by Sir Keir Starmer’s government, police will also be able to shut down “dodgy” barbers, vape shops and nail salons for up to a year.
The maximum length of so-called “closure orders” will be extended from six months to 12, to give officers more time to investigate premises linked to organised crime.
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Crackdown on ‘garish’ signs
- Officials said the Government would also set clearer expectations for the design of shop fronts, to pre-empt complaints about “garish neon signs”.
- It will publish “practical guidance” for councils on how to make town centres more attractive, they said.
The “aim to permit” policy was introduced when Sir Tony Blair’s Labour government, in which Burnham was a minister, liberalised gambling laws in 2005.
How to check if you’re missing out on £150 off your energy bill
One phone call could save you £150 on your energy bill. Here is everything you need to know about how to claim.
Everything you need to know
Suppliers use customers’ records as of Sunday 23 August to check who is eligible for the Warm Home Discount.
The government scheme knocks £150 off bills if you are on means-tested benefits such as universal credit.
By calling your energy supplier to check if your name is on the bill, you could be in line to receive the discount.
What is the Warm Home Discount?
Ofgem price cap
Ofgem is due to announce the quarterly price cap for the three months from October.
Why was it created?
To help those who might struggle to pay in winter, energy companies distribute a discount to 6 million households.
Who qualifies?
Households in receipt of housing benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and universal credit qualify.
How to get the discount
- 1Households who are eligible should get the discount automatically, provided their supplier has over 1,000 customers.
- 2However, that only happens if your name is on the bill and you are receiving one of these benefits.
- 3Those who have recently moved or customers on pre-payment meters who use a key or card to top up will need to ensure that their household’s account is registered in their name.
Why kissing in public helps a happy relationship
Scientists have linked public displays of affection like kissing to greater happiness in relationships.
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What do the scientist say?
Researchers asked 461 people to rate how strongly they engaged in public displays of affection (PDA).
Researchers also asked people to rate the quality of their romantic relationship on a scale from one to five.
People who engaged in more PDA were found to have greater relationship satisfaction.
Why do PDAs improve relationships?
The study, published in the scientific journal , found the link between public displays of affection and relationship satisfaction across people in Poland, Indonesia and Nepal.
These are countries with different attitudes towards the acceptability of public displays of affection, which led the researchers to conclude PDA may be important for people’s relationship happiness across cultures.
The expert view
Public displays of affection are linked to relationship satisfaction because affectionate behaviour is one of the ways people communicate closeness, love and emotional connection.
Dagna Kocur, University of Silesia, Poland
Are you having as much sex as everyone else?
It’s natural for libido to wax and wane due to life events, dating status or hormonal changes.
And it can be hard to say what a “normal” sexual frequency is. But research and case studies give us a rough idea.
The statistics
When it happens
61%
A 2023 survey concluded that almost two thirds (61 per cent) of us wait until night-time to have sex.
Only 14 per cent opt to get busy in the early evening, and 10 per cent in the morning.
Research from 2019 suggests that the average number of times British live-in or married couples have sex per month is three.
Are Gen Z having less sex than older people?
I see my partner on the weekends and have sex with others in the week.
Leanne, a 27-year-old influencer from Bristol has sex three or four times a week, but only sees her long-distance partner on the weekends. They have agreed they can both sleep with other people during the week.
35-year-old Rebecca usually sleeps with her partner once or twice per week due to not having much child-free time.
Clare, 32, says her job is busy and she has to schedule sex with her partner on weekends, or some afternoons twice a month. “Occasionally this slips and I do worry that it makes us not as connected,” she says.
I haven’t had the issue of my sex life drying up with menopause. I’m more aroused now.
I’ve been married for 15 years. I love my husband, but our sex life is non-existent, and has been for about five years.
I’m not really motivated to seek out partners; I vaguely like the idea of it but not enough to take any action.
I’ve been married for 20 years and sex has become something of a rarity. We maybe have sex once a week on a Sunday morning as we’re both relaxed and I can take Viagra late on Saturday night – without it, I can’t perform.
JACK, 63, OFFICE WORKER, KENT
The seven rules that could save your marriage
Keep your sense of self
I did what I thought I was supposed to do and forgot my needs and wants. I think it’s really important that you’re an individual and not just a person who is married.
KATIE STRATFORD*, A 55-YEAR-OLD MUM OF TWO, WHO DIVORCED ATER 19 YEARS
Seven rules to save your marriage
The small things
Small things, like being brought a cup of tea or saying thank you, make a big difference.
Karen Deulofeu, who ended her six-year marriage, believes all couples should seek support, even before they think they need it.
Listen properly by repeating what you have heard and ask if you’ve got that right.
Don’t lose communication
People don’t talk about the deep issues; nobody else is going to do it for you. You don’t want to ask questions because it might rock the boat…you have to keep talking, and talk about what it is that you want within the relationship to keep going forward.
KATIE STRATFORD
Seven rules to save your marriage
Remember that things change
“What you see on social media and what friends say is quite often the nice version. Everything is a phase,” says Deulofeu.
Look at yourself first
“Focus on what’s in your control and what you can do differently, rather than the other person or a situation that you can’t control. Invest in understanding yourself,” she adds.
It comes as fears grow over the threat of Russia’s hybrid war and the impact on Britain, with the National Cyber Security Centre previously warning of the risk of public services being targeted.
The BBC’s plans echo a campaign the Government is preparing to launch later this year, which will call on households to be ready for emergencies including a Russian cyber attack. The public will be advised to stockpile battery-powered or wind-up torches and radios, portable power banks, first-aid kits, bottled water and non-perishable foods.
‘Urgent need to improve UK resilience’
“There is an urgent need to enhance the resilience and redundancy of UK critical networks after successive governments have prioritised efficiency and cost over security,” said Dr Andrew Dwyer, a lecturer in information security at Royal Holloway, University of London.
“This needs to happen across the spectrum of activity whether in our power networks, telecommunications, or in fostering and providing local in-person community services.”
The BBC quietly unveiled to the House of Lords’ National Resilience Committee earlier this summer that it is actively modelling its response to various emergency scenarios.
These include an encrypted ransomware attack, similar to that suffered by the US Sinclair Broadcasting Group in 2021 which disrupted news broadcasts, costing the company tens of millions of dollars. The hacking tool used was linked to a Russian crime ring.
It expects to transmit vital news and information through the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) radio network – but some TV viewers could be left in the dark under moves, supported by the BBC, to switch off Freeview broadcasts received through digital aerials, as soon as 2034.
FM radio reliable in crisis
During the evidence session, Rhodri Talfan Davies, the BBC’s new deputy director-general, said the corporation would revert to low-tech solutions to keep audiences informed, if faced with a worse-case scenario.
“Radio – particularly FM – gives you very significant resilience in moments of crisis, if you have the back-up generators in place,” he said.
“We would put out our services across as many platforms as possible but, clearly, access to a radio, whether a wind-up or a battery-operated one, which has access, ideally, to both FM and DAB frequencies is probably the best option that users would face.”
Hand-cranked or wind-up radio sets, receiving AM and FM broadcasts and including an SOS alarm, USB charger and reading light, are available for around £35.
Rhodri Talfan Davies said: “If there was a national power outage, we have a clear plan that we have developed in co-ordination with the Cabinet Office about how we would prioritise public information messages, particularly using radio transmission, which would probably be the most resilient in a moment like that.
“In a moment of national power outage, our response would be to focus information around two of our major radio frequencies but we also have the option to localise both on FM and DAB across our local radio network.”
He added that the BBC had “a whole variety of tools to respond”, depending “on the nature of the outage”. Factors to consider would be whether it was localised or a national problem.
Dwyer said the BBC was adopting the right approach: “Ensuring that there remains an independent communications channel – like FM radio – is crucial to respond to cyber attacks that could cut out infrastructure in certain areas or more widely.
“If critical nodes are impacted and this prevents or degrades internet-based services, emergency broadcast capability to all should be at the core of the state’s responsibility.
“This means encouraging – and at times supplying – wind-up or battery-powered radios and fostering this as part of an emergency kit and training all households should have.”
Emergency scenario planning
Last month, 120 experts from the Cabinet Office, NHS and Ministry of Defence staged a preparedness exercise which modelled a Russian attack capable of hitting hospitals and shutting down traffic light systems.
Talfan Davies, interim director-general before Matt Brittin took his post, confirmed the BBC is engaged in “regular emergency and scenario planning against a range of risks, whether that is cyber security or power outages”.
On top of “regular internal planning”, he said the BBC collaborates “with government on public messaging priorities and working through how issues will be escalated in moments of crisis”.
The Government’s Green Paper setting out options for digital (or Freeview) switch-off, either in 2034, or a slower managed timetable in 2044, says minsters must ensure that “effective plans are in place to address any adverse impacts on radio and on emergency broadcasting”.
The Green Paper states: “Television and radio both play an important role in providing such access in a range of different emergency scenarios, including scenarios where other communications may be disrupted. The ability to communicate to the public in a national emergency should be retained beyond a move to (internet) IPTV.”
While the Government’s switch-off transition says it will “ensure that plans are in place to remedy any adverse impacts on radio from a switch-off”, radio bosses fear stations may no longer be commercially viable as a result.
Currently, the cost of operating the UK’s digital transmitter mast network is shared between TV and radio broadcasters, with the television industry bearing the largest amount.
A 2034 switch-off could create major cost issues for radio stations leading to reduced services, Radiocentre, the body representing commercial radio companies, warned.
Matt Payton, Radiocentre CEO, said the important role of radio in informing millions of people a week “should not be overlooked as Government weighs up the options for the future of TV broadcasting and the knock-on effect in terms of costs for radio services, which will need to continue using the same broadcast infrastructure to reach audiences”.