Protect children, not just animals, from lead exposure | Brief letters

I am glad that the government has moved to protect birds and wildlife from toxic lead exposure by banning lead ammunition (Report, 10 July). It would be great if its next move could be to try to protect the estimated 200,000 children in the UK who have asymptomatic and undiagnosed lead exposure that will cause them lifelong health and cognitive impairments. At present we have a passive surveillance system that misses 99% of cases.Lee CrawfurdSenior research fellow, Center for Global Development When working for the same civil service department as Ian Arnott (Letters, 14 July), my husband was told by a senior manager that if he wanted to “get on” in his career he should “lose the beard”. He didn’t – and he didn’t

Fauja Singh, ‘world’s oldest marathon runner’, dies in road accident aged 114

The runner Fauja Singh, believed to be the oldest person to complete a marathon, has died in a road accident in India aged 114.The athlete, who lived in Ilford in east London, was hit by a car and suffered fatal injuries while trying to cross a road in his birth village of Beas Pind, near Jalandhar in Punjab, on Monday, according to reports in India.His London-based running club and charity, Sikhs in the City, confirmed his death and said its upcoming events in Ilford would be a celebration of his life and achievements.Singh’s coach, Harmander Singh, wrote on Facebook: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our icon of humanity and powerhouse of positivity Fauja Singh has passed away in India. Aged 114 years old

‘They lump us all together’: van-dwellers and homeowners clash over life near Bristol Downs

Lee James is cowering in the rusting Mercedes Sprinter van he calls home. He is worried sick by the growing campaign to evict van-dwellers like him from historic parkland in the wealthy north-west of Bristol.“I’m not in the greatest headspace today … I wouldn’t have anywhere to go [if I was evicted] … this is my home,” he said in the gloomy interior. “I just wish there was more kindness.”Last week, residents from the neighbourhoods surrounding the Bristol Downs, where house prices and average incomes are among the highest in the city, lobbied the Green-led council to remove the 60 to 100 vans and caravans in the park

Reform-run councils once known for green policies expected to scrap climate pledges

Two councils that have been recognised for their work to cut emissions but are now under the control of Reform UK are expected to scrap climate pledges this week.Durham county council’s deputy leader, the former GB News presenter Darren Grimes, has proposed a motion to rescind a 2019 declaration of a climate emergency, in what it is believed would be a UK first.West Northamptonshire council, meanwhile, looks set to become the first Reform-led authority to scrap net zero targets.The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, warned MPs about the climate crisis on Monday, saying he would explicitly call out politicians who rejected net zero policies for betraying future generations in an unprecedented “state of the climate” address to parliament.In what is planned to be an annual event, the energy security and net zero secretary will set out the findings of a new Met Office-led report that says the UK is already facing extreme weather and its effects

Government not learning lessons from deaths of domestic abuse victims, report finds

The voices of women who have died at the hands of a partner or former partner in England and Wales are being ignored and the government is failing to heed warnings from their deaths, a damning report from the domestic abuse commissioner has revealed.An examination of how the government learns lessons from the deaths of domestic abuse victims has found that half of the national recommendations made in domestic homicide reviews (DHRs) are not put into action, with only a quarter fully implemented.The domestic abuse commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, told the Guardian that a study of DHRs – carried out whenever anyone over 16 is murdered in a domestic setting – revealed a “deeply concerning” lack of oversight at the top of government.Between 2019 and 2021 DHRs made 110 national recommendations, the majority of which were for the Home Office. Of these only 25% were fully implemented, while a further 25% were deemed to be happening already, 21% were missing, 20% were partly met and 8% were not met

High-street slot machines reap record takings as councils call for power to curb spread

High-street slot machines are reaping record takings as operators expand apace on Britain’s high streets, reigniting calls for the government to give councils more power to curb their spread.Overall, betting and gaming revenues – excluding the National Lottery – reached £11.5bn in the year to March 2024, a 3.5% annual increase and the highest figure on record, according to statistics from the Gambling Commission that corrected previous figures.Of these, so-called adult gaming centres (AGCs) – high street slot machine arcades grew takings by 11% to £623m thanks to a flurry of new openings by the sector’s major players, Merkur and Admiral