Top World News

Feb 26, 2026 - World

From racism to staff shortages, the interim report found a host of deep-rooted issues affecting women and babiesNHS maternity units often cover up harmful errors in childbirth, report findsCruel comments, racism and cover-ups: key findings from England’s maternity care reportOn Thursday, a damning interim report published after a national investigation into England’s maternity services found deep-rooted issues affecting women and their babies, including insensitivity from maternity staff, racism and discrimination, and chronic staff shortages. Below is an exploration of what led to the report and what happens next. Continue reading...

Feb 26, 2026 - World

Independent commissioner’s report finds websites can act as ‘accelerators’ of exploitation for sex workers using themThe anti-slavery watchdog has called for a complete overhaul of websites advertising sexual services after an investigation revealed they can act as “accelerators” of exploitation for sex workers using them.While working online can provide enhanced protections for some, a new report from the independent anti-slavery commissioner, Eleanor Lyons, investigated the experiences of women who said they were exploited on the adult services sites, which typically allow users to browse through images and videos of women selling sex in their local area. Continue reading...

Feb 26, 2026 - World

Damning inquiry into services in England reveals falsification of medical records after ‘negligent’ careWhat is the national maternity and neonatal investigation and why was it launched?Cruel comments, racism and cover-ups: key findings from England’s maternity care reportHospitals that cause harm and injury to women and babies during childbirth often resort to a “cover-up” of their mistakes, falsify medical records and deny bereaved parents answers, a damning report has found.“Negligent” care has devastating emotional and psychological consequences for families, disputes between maternity staff have a “disastrous” impact on mothers, and ethnic minority and poorer women have worse outcomes because of racism and discrimination, Lady Amos said.Banning families from being involved in investigations into the mistakes they encountered.Conducting inquiries into errors which families think are poor quality and do not properly reflect what occurred.Driving distressed families to instigate legal action as a way of getting at the truth after they were “denied openness and honesty in the aftermath of harm and bereavement”.Failing to treat families who have lost a baby with compassion. Continue reading...

Feb 25, 2026 - World

Group says case far from over after being found liable for defamation and other claims brought by energy firmA North Dakota judge has said he will order Greenpeace to pay damages expected to total $345m in connection with protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline from nearly a decade ago, a figure the environmental group contends it cannot pay.In court papers filed Tuesday, Judge James Gion said he would sign an order requiring several Greenpeace entities to pay the judgment to pipeline company Energy Transfer. He set that amount at $345m last year in a decision that reduced a jury’s damages by about half, but his latest filing did not specify a final amount. Continue reading...

Feb 25, 2026 - World

Tehran insists deal is possible if Trump abides by preconditions agreed with Witkoff and KushnerIran enters critical talks on its nuclear programme with the US on Thursday, insisting a deal is in reach as long as Washington sticks by its willingness to concede Iran’s symbolic right to enrich uranium, allow Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and not to impose controls on Iran’s ballistic missile programme.The three preconditions for success are seen as critical by Iranian diplomats, but it remains unclear whether Trump accepts these parameters. Continue reading...