French wine shortage: Farmers suffer worst frost damage since 1990 and smallest harvest for 40 years

French winemakers have suffered the worst frost damage to their crops since the 1990s as fears grow that grape vines could yield the smallest harvest for 40 years.  The damage done by several nights’ of frost this week threatens to destroy grape harvests in some of the country’s best-known and prestigious wine-producing regions. Farmers across the country lit … Read more

Will you suffer a ‘horrible shock’ at retirement? How to build a decent pension

Many workers are heading for disappointment when they retire on far less comfortable pensions than those enjoyed by today’s older generation, a finance expert warns. Employers dumping generous, guaranteed final salary pensions and government hikes to the state pension age are among eight hurdles that will make people saving now poorer in retirement than they … Read more

Frost-bitten Britain: Polar winds see UK suffer third sub-zero morning in row

Frost-bitten Britain: Polar winds see UK suffer third sub-zero morning in row with -6C lows and snow risk (and you’ll STILL need to wrap up warm for return of al fresco dining on April 12) Yellow snow warning is in place across northern Scotland until 10am, with warnings of transport disruption It came after temperatures … Read more

Britain WON’T suffer devastating third wave of Covid gripping Europe, public health expert says 

Professor Linda Bauld, public health researcher at the University of Edinburgh Britain probably won’t suffer a third wave of Covid like the one tearing through Europe right now, a top public health expert said today. Edinburgh University’s Professor Linda Bauld expects the UK’s advanced vaccine programme and the incoming spring to help control the virus. … Read more

Four of five ‘long Covid’ patients still suffer debilitating symptoms five months later

Seven in 10 patients hospitalised by coronavirus still suffer debilitating ‘long Covid’ symptoms five months after being discharged, scientists say. Research laying bare the toll of the condition revealed survivors were plagued with problems including breathlessness, fatigue and muscle pain.  University of Leicester experts, who quizzed 1,077 long-haulers, found two in five had reduced their workload … Read more

Almost a fifth of new mothers suffer from OCD, study finds

Almost a fifth of new mothers suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), triggered by a fear of their baby being harmed, a new study reveals.  From a sample of hundreds of mothers, researchers found OCD was prevalent in 17 per cent of mothers in the 38 weeks after they gave birth. OCD symptoms for new mums … Read more

Savers suffer worst year on record as rates plunge to 0.01% during Covid pandemic

Savers suffer worst year on record as rates plunge to 0.01% during Covid pandemic Money Mail analysis reveals that savers have forfeited an estimated £3.55billion in interest as a result of rates plummeting during the coronavirus pandemic  Rates have tumbled from an average of 0.5 per cent to just 0.1 per cent rate By Fiona … Read more

Lonely Planet travel guides accused of ‘downplaying’ the harassment women travellers suffer from men

Lonely Planet travel guides often ‘downplay’ the harassment that women travellers suffer from men, a new research paper argues. A paper by Middlesex University states: ‘Lonely Planet often downplays harassment and the idea that it is not worth getting angry about presents itself again and again in the entries.’ Researchers studied the free online version … Read more

Hospitals and schools could suffer major disruption as £10billion of contracts expire 

Chaos fears over PFI end: Hospitals and schools could suffer major disruption as £10billion of contracts expire Schools and hospitals could see disruption as number of PFI schemes finish  Taxpayers could be landed with huge bill when 200 PFI contracts expire MPs warned millions could be wasted on expensive consultants to sort out deals The … Read more

Hospitals and schools could suffer major disruption as £10billion of contracts expire 

Chaos fears over PFI end: Hospitals and schools could suffer major disruption as £10billion of contracts expire Schools and hospitals could see disruption as number of PFI schemes finish  Taxpayers could be landed with huge bill when 200 PFI contracts expire MPs warned millions could be wasted on expensive consultants to sort out deals The … Read more