Back in July, we told you about the UK's progression towards three-person IVF. The procedure in question involves creating a baby using DNA from three people, a man and two women. The buzz surrounding this contentious topic isn't something to be taken lightly, but the technique also isn't a way of paving the road for so-called "designer babies". The procedure would only be available to families with a histo ...

In the far north of Russia lies the Arctic Tundra, a stark and frozen landscape that is difficult to navigate at the best of times. In northwest Siberia is a region called Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Here, the police struggle to maintain law and order across the difficult terrain - especially when criminals escape across the frozen land, with using reindeer-led sleds as their getaway vehicles. But the p ...

For the first time, some questions have been introduced to as a sort of “family test” when coming up with new government laws and policies. The plans were announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in August, and on Friday, ministers published the criteria guidance that should be applied to future policies. Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary for Work and Pensions and in charge of family policy, said that the needs ...

For the first time, the leaders of Greater Manchester in England have agreed to have an elected mayor. The first election is expected to take place in 2017 and the successful candidate’s role will be to preside over regional policies, such as transport and housing. Greater Manchester is made up of Wigan, Trafford, Tameside, Stockport, Salford, Rochdale, Oldham, Bury, Bolton, and, of course, Manchester. Thes ...

For the first time, waiting time targets have been unveiled for people with mental health conditions. These targets are to be introduced from April next year, in a move that has been greatly welcomed by mental health charities. Every year, mental health issues are thought to be accountable for 70 million lost working days, a total estimated cost to the economy of around £100 billion. According to the NHS, a ...

We have all heard of the phrase “no means no” in reference to sexual consent, but what does it really stand for? On a basic level, if someone says “no” or makes it clear that they do not want to participate in a physical encounter, they haven't given their consent. But if the other party decides to carry on anyway, this constitutes sexual assault. However, this also means that if one party accuses another o ...

Finally, some good news for sharks and manta rays! On 14 September, new international laws went into effect to provide extra protection for five species of shark and all species of manta ray. Sharks and manta rays are hunted for a variety of reasons - food, medicine, trophies - and have been brought increasingly closer to the brink of extinction over the years. They are not the types of creatures that can b ...

Are you one of the nine million people in the UK that privately rent your home? If so, you could be getting some extra protection from being evicted after making completely justifiable complaints. Sadly, this occurrence is more common than you might think. Some rogue landlords kick tenants from their property for simply making a complaint about something that affects their health and safety, something the l ...

Apart from the obvious medical worries, one of things that people don’t like about an overnight stay at hospital is the prospect of having to eat hospital food. But as of later this year, not only will hospitals in England be enforced to raise the standards of the food they serve to their patients through legally-binding contracts, they will also be ranked on the meals they prepare. This will mean being mar ...

It is hard enough when someone you love goes missing without having to worry about what is happening to the life you hope they will return to. Sadly, when a person disappears it is too often the case that their bills go left unpaid and their mortgage payments slide. This is because the person who would normally pay them, after all, isn’t around to take care of them and no one else can take them over without ...