Lettings experts from Linley & Simpson, Yorkshire, give advice for landlords and renters when it comes to the right to request pets Today, 20th February 2026, marks National Love Your Pet Day – a dedicated day to show some extra love and shower our furry friends with treats.

The Bishop of Burnley, Rt Revd Dr Joe Kennedy, has reflected on the vital role of hospital chaplaincy teams, while also sharing how his own recent experience as a patient deepened his appreciation for those who offer spiritual care on the wards.

The Epstein files were recently released to the public, and revealed that those closely connected to the convicted child sex offender were disturbingly close positions of power. In the immediate fallout Peter Mandelson has been forced to resign.

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.

Campaigners are demanding a vote in Parliament on compensating WASPI women, after ministers dodged calls to deliver payouts to 1950s-born women for the second time. The new letter campaign, led by WASPI, calls on the Government to enable all MPs to have their say on delivering financial redress to women affected by the DWP’s failure to communicate increases to their state pension age.

Dear Editor, As we mark Tinnitus Week (2 – 8 February), we know that for many people with tinnitus, it’s not just a hum in the background, but something that can make everyday life a challenge. Despite tinnitus being more common than most people realise with one in seven adults experiencing it, too many are still left confused, worried or unsure of where to turn for help.

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) has repeated calls for government grants to improve security in smaller stores, following the announcement of investment in facial recognition technology for police forces.

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.

The start of 2026 marks almost a decade and a half of a resident-led change programme across England.

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.

New analysis by Prostate Cancer UK shows that prostate cancer has become the most common cancer in the UK for the first time, with diagnosis rates at record highs. Largest public funder of prostate cancer research, Prostate Cancer UK warns that responsibility to discuss testing still rests with men, and urges Government to take action to address stark regional inequalities in diagnosis.