All posts tagged: ban

Andy Burnham breaks silence on potential barbecue ban following COBR | Politics | News

Andy Burnham breaks silence on potential barbecue ban following COBR | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

Most major UK supermarkets have suspended sales of disposable barbecues in recent weeks in line with voluntary guidance from the NFCC. Mr Burnham urged all shops to stop selling them and indicated that an outright ban could be considered in future summers. He said: “The big risk in terms of risk to the wider regions across the country is the risk of wildfires. What we are seeing is multiple serious incidents across the country. “Fire services, by and large, are supporting each other through mutual aid to deal with those incidents but we are keeping a very close watching brief on them. “There is advice to the public here not to use disposable barbecues. We have today confirmed through the National Fire Chiefs Council that the framework restricting the retail sale of those disposable barbecues is being extended. “Now I would ask all retailers big and small to adhere to that framework. “Longer term we will look at whether a temporary ban in the summer months is justified.” The Prime Minister said there had been …

UK heatwave live: Burnham considers ban on disposable barbecues to prevent wildfires | Extreme heat

UK heatwave live: Burnham considers ban on disposable barbecues to prevent wildfires | Extreme heat

Published by Jenni Sidey

Burnham says he is considering ban on disposable BBQs Andrew Sparrow Disposable barbecues could be banned to help prevent fires, the prime minister has said. Speaking to reporters on a visit to Stevenage, Andy Burnham said a ban was something the government was “certainly going to consider”. Prime minister Andy Burnham during his visit to the Oval Community Centre in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Photograph: James Manning/PA As reported earlier, the prime minister will chair an emergency Cobra meeting in response to the extreme heat. Burnham said: double quotation markThere is obviously a significant problem of wildfires in the south. The New Forest fire is a great concern; we have seen them in northern areas, as well as Suffolk recently. This is a message for the public as well because the wildfires I mentioned, many of them have been created by disposable barbecues. I do believe we need to get the message out loud and clear. People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time. I don’t know yet what the remedy is, …

Andy Burnham breaks silence on disposable BBQ ban | UK | News

Andy Burnham breaks silence on disposable BBQ ban | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

He added: “This is a message for the public as well, because the wildfires I mentioned, many of them have been created by disposable barbecues.” Mr Burnham continued: “I do believe we need to get the message out loud and clear. People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time. “I don’t know yet what the remedy is, but I do want to leave the meeting today with a loud and clear message that we do want people to take the greatest possible care when they are out in the countryside, both in terms of cigarettes, but also those temporary barbecues that we know are causing risk of fires.” Parts of the UK could be set to bake in 38C temperatures later this week as a firefighters’ union chief warned the country faces a “national emergency” over wildfires. Some areas face a fifth heatwave of the summer, as the Met Office revealed the UK is on course for its hottest summer on record. Rare amber “extreme heat” warnings have been issued …

New nail gel ban starting Saturday after UK rule change decision | UK | News

New nail gel ban starting Saturday after UK rule change decision | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Friday will be the final day for manufacturers and importers (stock image) (Image: Getty) Great Britain is preparing to prohibit the use of trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO) in cosmetic products — including nail gels. From Saturday, 15 August 2026, manufacturers and importers will be forbidden from introducing any new cosmetic products containing the ingredient to the market in England, Scotland and Wales, following a regulatory change. Despite the forthcoming restriction, the ban does not mean gel manicures are being outlawed; it simply means the use of the ingredient in any new cosmetic products is prohibited from Saturday. TPO acts as a photoinitiator, a crucial component that swiftly cures gel polish under UV or LED lamps. The ban specifically targets the raw ingredient rather than the treatment itself. Customers can continue to enjoy gel nail services, and salons are not currently facing emergency recalls of their existing product ranges. The prohibition stems from a new safety classification. Animal studies linked high-dose ingestion to reproductive toxicity and potential fertility complications. While the risk to consumers remains low, …

The plants to save and sacrifice during a hosepipe ban – everything you need to know

The plants to save and sacrifice during a hosepipe ban – everything you need to know

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more With hosepipe bans in force across several English regions and more restrictions likely to follow, gardeners face some tough choices. When every drop counts, which plants deserve your precious water from the water butt, and which should you leave to fend for themselves? As someone who has researched how British gardeners need to adapt to respond to our changing climate, I can tell you that not all garden plants are created equal when it comes to water needs. Some plants will bounce back from a summer scorching, while others may never recover. Top plants to prioritise for watering Hydrangeas adopt a conservative strategy when it comes to drought (Alamy/PA) 1. New woody plants Any woody plant installed in the last 12-18 months should be …

Tories Accused Of Copying Reform Over 'Divisive' Plan To Ban Foreigners From Social Housing

Tories Accused Of Copying Reform Over 'Divisive' Plan To Ban Foreigners From Social Housing

Published by Sam Flores

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. The Tories have been accused of trying to copy Reform UK after announcing they would ban foreigners from living in social housing. A leading charity warned that the policy would “ruin people’s lives, drive up homelessness and put extreme pressure on councils”. Labour also dismissed the proposal, which the Conservatives said would save taxpayers millions of pounds, as “unserious and unworkable”. The Tories said around 230,000 homes would become available to British families instead of foreigners as a result of their plan. Tenants who do not qualify under the proposed policy would be expected to move out of their homes within six months. Foreign nationals with EU settled status, refugee status, or specific humanitarian protections can currently qualify for social housing. Asylum seekers are not eligible, unless in exceptional circumstances such as domestic abuse cases. Under the Tories’ plan, any single person currently living in social housing who is not a UK, Irish or EU citizen would lose their home.  For future tenancies, UK nationals and those with EU settled status would be …

NSS: end ban on Catholic and Jewish PMs advising on clergy

NSS: end ban on Catholic and Jewish PMs advising on clergy

Published by Sam Flores

The National Secular Society has called for an end to the ban on Catholic and Jewish prime ministers advising on Church of England appointments. Due to the Church of England’s established status, prime ministers play a formal constitutional role advising the Crown on senior appointments within the Church. But under the law, a prime minister or lord chancellor who is Catholic or Jewish is prohibited from doing so. No other religious groups are subject to such an explicit statutory restriction. The law also prohibits Catholics from succeeding to the Crown or acting as regent. In a letter to Cabinet Office minister Louise Haigh, the NSS said addressing these “discriminatory provisions” would be a “modest but important constitutional reform”. The NSS also called on the Government to “review the constitutional relationship between Church and state”. Removing bans which “explicitly discriminate” against Jews ‘would help show commitment to tackling antisemitism’ The appointment of Britain’s first Roman Catholic prime minister, Andy Burnham, has brought these “anomalies into sharper focus”, the NSS said. Last month, in answer to a …

Bestselling author Lynda La Plante says six-month driving ban could end her career

Bestselling author Lynda La Plante says six-month driving ban could end her career

Published by Daniella Wilson

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Bestselling author Lynda La Plante has been banned from driving for six months, despite her tearful plea to a London court that the disqualification would end her writing career. The 83-year-old screenwriter and novelist told Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court her car was essential for meeting criminals and sources, vital for research into her next works of fiction. Ms La Plante also argued a ban would prevent her from driving her beloved guard dog, Theo, to Roehampton playing fields for walks, a situation she claimed would force her to stop writing altogether. She stated that if she were unable to transport Theo, she would have to rehome him, adding: “I think the emotional turmoil of that would truly damn my career as a writer.” “It’s very, very solitary, and I work exceptionally hard, and I would just stop.” La Plante pleaded …

UK High Court Moves To Ban Display Of English And British Flags

UK High Court Moves To Ban Display Of English And British Flags

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News, A Liberal Democrat council has secured a High Court injunction that effectively bans the unauthorised display of the St George’s Cross and Union Flag on lampposts and public highways across an entire English county. What began as a grassroots campaign to raise the colours of the nation has been declared a threat to community safety, with the full force of the courts now deployed against it. Oxfordshire County Council, run by the Liberal Democrats, won its landmark case after months of legal action against the Raise the Colours campaign. High Court approves injunction to BAN Britons hanging Union and St George’s flags on lampposts. https://t.co/jWvRfTdcjK — GB News (@GBNEWS) August 1, 2026 Justice Dexter Dias granted the order prohibiting unidentified persons from attaching England or Union flags to highway infrastructure or painting flag imagery on roads. Breach carries the risk of imprisonment, unlimited fines, or asset seizure. Council leader Tim Bearder celebrated the outcome, stating “This is a welcome judgement. We’re very pleased with the result,” adding “This …

Judge denies xAI’s request to block Minnesota ban on ‘nudify’ apps

Judge denies xAI’s request to block Minnesota ban on ‘nudify’ apps

Published by skeptic

Despite a lawsuit from xAI, a Minnesota ban on apps that allow users to “nudify” images can move forward, according to NBC News. U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank’s ruling focused as much on the timing of xAI’s lawsuit as on the substance of the law itself. Frank wrote that xAI filed its request for a temporary restraining order “on July 29, 2026, nearly three months after the law was signed, and only three days before the law is set to take effect” on August 1. “Such a delay in bringing the action and the motion suggests that harm is not immediate,” Frank said. This isn’t the end of xAI’s lawsuit against the ban; it only means that the law can take effect while the lawsuit proceeds. In the suit, xAI argued that the ban — the first of its kind in the United States — is “overinclusive” and that “there are far less restrictive alternatives that function to achieve the same ends.” Earlier this year, users of Elon Musk’s social media platform X (both X …