Review

Death rate three to four times higher than among general population blamed on isolation of those leaving care‘He was left on his own’: the care-leaver lives lost to a system that abandons them at 18Profound isolation contributed to the deaths of more than 100 care leavers in England in a year, with a dramatic drop-off in support from social services at 18 leading to catastrophic consequences, a review has found.A government-commissioned report into the early deaths of young people who left care described the problem as a national tragedy and said many were left on their own “at the height of vulnerability” before they died. Continue reading...

Two studies will be used to shape government policy amid claims about a former franchisee who took his own life Ministers have commissioned a pair of in-depth reports into how franchising businesses are policed in the UK, as the government considers introducing new laws after high-profile allegations about conduct in the sector.The action follows a Guardian investigation last December, which revealed claims that Adrian Howe, a former Vodafone employee who had agreed to start a franchise in 2018, had taken his own life after pressure from the FTSE 100 telecoms group. Continue reading...

• Experts interviewed by Vedomosti on August 20th report that Europe's economic gap with the United States is widening due to lower labor productivity and structural challenges. • The decline is attributed to a combination of demographic issues, exchange-rate effects, and a heavy dependence on foreign trade. • Key geopolitical and economic shocks, including Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, fuel crises, and conflicts in the Middle East, have severely weakened the EU's growth and resilience.

• Pakistani authorities have petitioned the Supreme Court to review or withdraw a mandate requiring imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to undergo a medical examination at a private hospital. • Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that while the government does not object to Khan receiving medical care, it challenges the specific requirement to use a private facility over prison-regulated treatment. • The government argues that health issues should remain separate from political disputes and maintains that Khan will continue to be treated according to established prison rules.

Dwindling donations and stiff competition from secondhand sellers online prompt review but ‘no plans for closures yet’Oxfam is reviewing the operations of its three warehouses in Batley, Bicester and Milton Keynes and says it “cannot give guarantees” on the future of its high street shops in a “difficult economic climate”.The charity said it had no plans to close warehouses or shops but insiders fear that Batley, which houses Oxfam’s main textile recycling centre, will shut as part of a cost-cutting drive because the West Yorkshire site’s lease is up for renewal. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Greens say department of health’s integrated assessment tool is ‘under-assessing’ far more people who may not know how to contestGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlmost one-fifth of older Australians who contested their Support at Home funding allocation determined by an algorithm had a higher level of support or higher priority allocated once a human reviewed the decision.The department of health and ageing would not provide the most current data on how many people have contested their funding allocation under the integrated assessment tool (IAT), introduced in November, which is used across aged care to determine eligibility and classification for services, including Support at Home. Continue reading...

Many of those affected in England and Wales think offences are not treated with the seriousness they deserve, says commissionerBereaved families or seriously injured victims of road crime feel “forgotten by the system” with offences not treated with the seriousness they deserve, an official review has found.The victims’ commissioner for England and Wales found that many of the thousands afflicted each year by criminal driving felt that “the harm they had suffered mattered less” than that from other serious crimes. Continue reading...

• The Thai government pledged on Wednesday to tighten gun controls and crack down on illegal firearms following two deadly shootings near Bangkok that occurred within a single week. • These incidents have renewed urgent pressure on authorities to curb gun violence in a country that maintains one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia. • The move signals a shift toward stricter enforcement despite Thailand's existing restrictive laws, aiming to reduce the prevalence of unauthorized weapons.