Parents should limit screen time for children under five to no more than one hour a day, according to new government advice.

Bedtime and mealtimes should also be free from screens, families will be advised, while they should be avoided entirely for under-twos, other than for shared activities encouraging interaction.

The new guidance comes as ministers consider Australia-style measures to limit or ban social media for under-16s, amid growing concerns about the impact technology has on the wellbeing and development of children.

Sir Keir Starmer promised the new guidance would help families keep children safe and build healthy habits.

“Parenting in a digital world can feel relentless,” he said. “Screens are everywhere, and the advice is often conflicting. My government will not leave parents to face this battle alone.”

He also suggested that ministers were prepared to put up a fight on the issue in the months ahead. “There will be some who will oppose us doing this. But whether it’s navigating technology, tackling the cost of living or balancing the demands of family life, I will always stand on the side of parents doing their best for their children,” he said.

Between the ages of two and five, families will be urged to try music, games, stories and colouring at bedtimes and mealtimes.

The guidance also advises watching screens with children and discussing the content with them.

Parents will also be warned away from fast-paced social media-style videos, as well as toys or tools that use AI.

When it comes to under-twos, screens should be avoided other than for shared activities encouraging interaction, which could include video-calling friends and family or looking through photos together.

Ministers have previously said that around 98 per cent of children watch screens daily by the age of two.

The guidance was developed by a panel led by children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and children’s health expert Professor Russell Viner.

The panel found long periods of time on screens can impact activities which are important for good development such as sleep, physical activity, creative play and interaction with parents.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “I know how hard it is to navigate parenting in a world full of screens.

“They’re unavoidable, but it often feels impossible to tell whether you’re getting the balance right.

“That’s why we’re giving parents the clear, trusted support they’ve asked for – so families can make informed choices, and children can have the childhood they deserve.”

Infants with the most screen time are significantly less likely to regularly be read to or go on trips outside, the Education Policy Institute has found.

The panel also recommended in its report that parents should think about their own screen use in the presence of their children, and consider screen-free periods of the day for the whole family.

James Bowen, assistant general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said it welcomed the guidance.

“Navigating an increasingly digital world where screens are everywhere can be a real challenge for parents, and school leaders are increasingly concerned about the impact of excessive screen use by young children,” he said, warning it can cause “real issues”.

“Whether you want to save your legs or just enjoy the ride, the Zoo Express is the perfect way to get around.”

Belfast Zoo has shared a first look at its brand-new accessible train, ready to make visits even easier and more enjoyable.

Launching this Friday, March 27, the hop-on, hop-off Zoo Express train is set to be available for all and follows a £75,000 investment.

Announcing the news, a Belfast Zoo spokesperson said: “Hop on at the once you leave the Visitor Centre and travel in comfort to the Penguin Habitat or Treetop Tea Room and back again! You can hop on and off throughout your visit, so exploring the Zoo just got a whole lot easier.

READ MORE: Belfast Zoo to get new hop-on, hop-off accessible trainREAD MORE: Sad day for Belfast Zoo as two of world’s rarest Barbary Lions pass away

“Whether you want to save your legs or just enjoy the ride, the Zoo Express is the perfect way to get around.”

Welcoming the move earlier this week, SDLP North Belfast Councillor Carl Whyte described the investment as “an important step in making the attraction more inclusive for visitors”.

Cllr Whyte said: “For years, people have quite rightly pointed out that the steep nature of Belfast Zoo can make it difficult to fully enjoy.

“This investment is a really important step forward. It means that in future, everyone, including families with young children and prams, people with disabilities, and older visitors will be able to experience everything the zoo has to offer through a fully accessible hop-on, hop-off service.

“With the worst of the winter weather behind us, now is a brilliant time to visit Belfast Zoo. It’s home to a wide range of endangered species, all cared for by highly trained animal experts who are doing vital conservation work every day.

“This new addition will help ensure that even more people can enjoy and support that work.”

Tickets for train will be priced at £3.50 per adult | £2 per child. Available to book at admissions on arrival (first-come, first-served).

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The Dutchman, who on Thursday ejected a journalist from his news conference because he was unhappy about a question that was asked at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was behind Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, Williams’ Alex Albon and the Haas of Oliver Bearman.

Earlier in the day, Russell led Antonelli by 0.026secs in the first hour’s session.

And Mercedes’ apparent superiority was underlined on the race-simulation runs late in the second session, with Antonelli leading the way from Russell and no one else within within 0.5secs on average.

Both Ferrari drivers seemed to be struggling for grip. Leclerc suffered some wobbles through the Esses and ran off track at Spoon Curve later on, while Hamilton complained he was “slow because I’ve got no confidence in the car”.

Norris’ early problem was a hydraulics failure, which McLaren fixed after half an hour.

He was far from the only driver to have problems. Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad took no part because of a gearbox problem that required a new part, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto spent nearly three-quarters of the session in the garage with an unspecified technical problem.

And Cadillac’s Sergio Perez also missed about half the session while the team repaired floor damage caused by a collision with Albon in the first session.

Fernando Alonso had his first taste of Suzuka this year in the second session, after American reserve driver Jak Crawford drove in the first.

The veteran Spaniard, who arrived late in Japan following the birth of his first child, was 19th fastest, two places and 0.355secs ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll.

Honda F1 boss Koji Watanabe said both performance and reliability should be improved for the company’s home race this weekend.

Watanabe said: “We are focused on how we can improve the situation of vibration, mainly damage to battery area, but also this time for Suzuka we have improved energy management situation for more driving performance.”

Customers will be able to buy Mulino’s “staple” biscotti

An Italian baking duo known for their pop-up restaurant will be opening their first physical bakery soon. Mulino Cambridge Kitchen, run by Sasha Gatti and Chiara Bertoletti, has been providing authentic Italian baked goods for businesses across Cambridgeshire since 2023.

Sasha and Chiara had been working at different bakeries and restaurants before deciding to open their business. Mulino Cambridge Kitchen started at local farmers markets where the pair would sell fresh pasta and produce before it branched out into catering and a pop-up restaurant at Barbarella in Cambridge.

Mr Gatti said: “Recently, we had a very good opportunity come through to move and scale up our production in a bigger site closer to Cambridge and we decided to go with it. Now we will have a bigger place and we have some space for our own shop.”

Mr Gatti said being able to open their own shop feels “amazing” and the pair have been “fantasising” about it for a long time. The shop will start off slowly by being open only one day as week, with Mr Gatti wanting to expand the business if there is demand for it.

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The bakery will feature a range of “staple” products with both sweet and savoury options as well other essential products and cosmetics, subject to planning permission. Customers will be able to buy biscotti, sweet rolls, cookies, cakes, and pizza bread, which will all be homemade.

When asked what products are his favourite, Mr Gatti had a few choices. He said: “My personal favourite product is bread. I love bread but I would recommend the biscotti because I like having them with wine. Some of our biscotti are very good with white or red wine. They’re a bit sweet and the bitterness of the wine complements the sweetness of the biscotti.”

The pair have already received lots of support about the opening of the bakery. Mr Gatti said: “We experienced a very positive response from our public and friends as well. Everyone was very supportive even though the pop-up is ending and we can no longer do that anymore. They were a little bit sad because, at the end of a project, it’s always a little bit sad. But everyone was very supportive and very happy about the new project.”

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Mulino Cambridge Kitchen’s bakery will be open on Saturdays from 9.30am to 2.30pm from mid-April. The bakery can be found at the Running Horse in Burrough Green.

Ewan McKenna, 19, has unveiled soaring first hit ‘Like Us’ and, like his own story, there’s a little bit of magic to it.

An Airdrie teenager who got his big musical break supporting fellow home town singer Nathan Evans at The Hydro has released his debut single.

Ewan McKenna, 19, has unveiled soaring first hit Like Us and, like his own story, there’s a little bit of magic to it.

Bored at home in Airdrie during lockdown, Ewan picked up the guitar his uncle lent him and “mucked about on it ‘til it started sounding alright”.

His family’s considerable vinyl collection gave him plenty of inspiration and, if he got stuck, he’d find performances on YouTube and work out what they were doing by “copying their fingers”.

At 15, Ewan joined a band as lead guitarist and, when the singer left, he stepped up, saying. “I’d never really sung before, but nobody else wanted to do it, so I gave it a bash.

“The more I did it, the more confident I got.”

A stint at music college was “too much like being at school,” so, needing to earn some money, Ewan went around the local pubs seeing if they would give him a gig.

READ MORE: NHS Lanarkshire supporting campaign to highlight positive impact of 20-year Scots public smoking ban

He added: “If they had a gap when the usual singer was off, they’d give me a try and usually I’d end up getting a regular slot.”

Soon afterwards, he was playing seven gigs a week, three or four hours a night, and posting covers to a growing following on TikTok.

When Ewan heard about a search for a new artist to support Airdrie musician Nathan Evans at Glasgow’s 14,000 capacity Hydro Arena, he was reluctant to enter because “people like me don’t win these things, do they?”

But, of course, he did win and said: “If nobody had filmed it, I don’t think I would believe I was there.”

He’d put the hours in, though, so the crowd got a great show, like he was meant to be on the big stage.

In fact, it helped put Ewan on the shortlist for ‘Newcomer of the Year’ at this year’s Scottish Live Music Awards.

READ MORE: Airdrie to host GeekFest 2026 in aid of Diamonds in the Community charity

Ewan’s first release Like Us shows why there’s such a buzz around his voice and song writing but new fans shouldn’t expect him to over-share about its meaning.

Ewan said: “I try to make my songs as real as possible but what they’re actually about doesn’t really matter.

“Hopefully people can get their own meaning out of them.

“I just want to be able to do this as a job.

“Everyone comes out of school and wants to get a trade or whatever. I’ve found mine and I’ve put a lot into it.

“I don’t want to stop now.”

READ MORE: Duo team up to transform their lives side-by-side and scoop Slimming World award

Ewan is also set to once again support Nathan Evans, and Wishaw’s Saint PHNX Band on their European tour, with dates in Paris and Amsterdam this weekend, April 28 and 29, and three gigs in Germany in August.

You can follow Ewan on TikTok and Instagram, while his single Like Us is available to download or own now.

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Emergency services were called to Forton Services on the M6 in Lancashire after the body of Lancaster University student Michele Chung was sadly found – with an inquest now underway

A university student was tragically found dead at a service station on a busy motorway, a court heard.

Emergency services were called to Forton Services on the M6 in Lancashire on February 19 after the body of Lancaster University student Michele Chung was found. The 21-year-old, who was born in Wales, was a second year earth and environmental science student at the time of her death.

An inquest into Michele’s death was opened and adjourned at Preston Coroners’ Court on Thursday March 26. Area Coroner Emma Mather confirmed that Michele’s body had been identified by Detective Inspector Mark Green using her ID card.

A final inquest is due to be held at Preston Coroners’ Court on June 25 before Area Coroner Kate Bisset, reports Lancashire Live.

In a tribute posted online after Michele’s death, Lancaster University said: “The University deeply regrets to report the death of Earth and Environmental Science student Michele Chung. The University was notified of Michele’s death on Thursday 19 February, and has since sought to reach out to those closest to her to offer direct support.

“Michele was a Lonsdale College member who was in the second year of her degree, having joined Lancaster in 2024, and was also a member of the Pokémon and Doctor Who societies. The cause of Michele’s death has not yet been confirmed. This will be a very difficult time for all who knew her, and the thoughts of the University community are with all her friends and family.”

On Michele’s LinkedIn profile she described herself as “creative and curious”. She wrote: “Throughout my life, I have been interested in the combination of both science and the arts. There is an art in anything and everything we do. I want to help make our planet better for its species, wildlife and people whether that is in air, land or sea or even space.

“This is our planet – Earth we live on and it’s our duty of care to protect where we live. My experiences have taught me the impacts different people have on different environments and vice versa and raising awareness about these impacts and actions we can take are fundamental.

“Our Earth keeps changing for better or for worse. We need to know how our planet will change in the future as well as learning from our past, knowledge which could resolve the biggest environmental issues. There is magic in the environment and the connections between everyone and everything are so full of life which I want to help protect.

“I am currently searching for work experience in the Earth and Environmental Science field. Within this broad sector, I am interested in research in aquatic, marine and glacial life and environments and hydrology. I’m a creative, curious and determined individual who can adapt in new environments and would like to develop my skill set within the Earth and Environmental Science sector.”

Philip Parrish, aged 39, pilfered the items from addresses in the Bromley Cross area on February 6.

Parrish, who is of Pole Street, Tonge Moor, broke into the garage of one property before pinching the bottle of milk from outside another while making off from the scene.

Gaby McGrath, prosecuting, told Bolton Crown Court on March 24 that he entered the garage of the first property at around 4am on the day in question.

She said: “The occupiers of the address were at home at the time of the burglary.

“They said that the garage door had been locked that evening when they went to bed. CCTV places the defendant in the area, walking towards the address.

“He was caught on Ring doorbell footage at the offence location. He was seen leaving the garage at 4.10am with a bicycle and a bag in hand.”

The stolen bicycle was worth £1400, with a Dewalt drill worth £140 and a ratchet worth £20 also being stolen.

The court heard that the ratchet was recovered, but that the other items were not.

He was then seen on further doorbell footage at 4.29am, “stealing a bottle of milk” from another address nearby.

Parrish was identified by police from the footage and arrested the following day.

At interview he said that he “did not remember the last week”, following “multiple overdoses” of various drugs.

When shown the footage he said: “If it was me, I am sorry.”

The case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Anthony Moss)

Parrish pleaded guilty to burglary of a dwelling and theft at a previous date.

He had 30 previous convictions for 74 offences, many of which were theft-related.

A victim who was in the house when Parrish burgled it said how he felt “spooked and angry” that someone had entered his property, while the person whose milk was stolen said that, while it was of a small monetary value, that “it is the principle” and that “nobody should be able to get away with any theft”.

Defending, Rachael Woods said that he recognises that these were “serious matters”, but described his offending as “pretty unsophisticated”.

She said: “The defendant had relapsed due to a personal crisis, his cousin, who he regarded as a brother, had passed away 10 days previously.”

Ms Woods said it “hit him very hard” and he began using alcohol, diazepam and other drugs, suffering “three overdoses”, before committing the crimes.

But she said that Parrish has been doing “very well” in prison, being substance-free and having a “trusted position” in the kitchen.

Sentencing, Judge Abigail Hudson reflected on how the burglaries were “extremely distressing” to the victims.

She reflected on his “wealth of previous convictions”, saying that the mandatory minimum sentence was triggered, but acknowledged that he was suffering “significant distress” following his bereavement.

Judge Hudson also recognised his relapse into drugs, but said: “The reality is, that relapse made you a danger to those around you and a risk to the general public.”

She said that only custody was appropriate, giving him 29 months imprisonment.

Donald Trump has said the US military will halt attacking Iran’s energy infrastructure for another ten days.

The US president made his announcement in a post on Truth Social, saying that he will pause the destruction of Iran’s energy plants until next month following a request from Tehran.

Trump wrote: ‘As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time.

‘Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media and others, they are going very well.’

The move comes ahead of the one-month mark since the US and Israel started the war in Iran by launching airstrikes in Tehran on February 28.

Iran has not yet publicly responded to Trump’s latest announcement.

But Tehran has offered a response to the US president’s earlier 15-point peace plan.

Tasnim, a news agency with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that Iran’s conditions include ending ‘aggression and assassination,’ ensuring that the war will not happen again and compensation.

As for the issue of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz causing turmoil to global oil trade, Iran insisted that its sovereignty over the passage is its legal right.

Trump’s latest announcement saw oil prices dip slightly, with Brent crude benchmark reducing by 1.2% to $106.76 per barrel of oil.

Meanwhile, Trump has continued to lash out at US allies despite the tense situation and unhappiness among NATO countries over America’s action in Iran.

The POTUS insulted the UK’s flagship aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, comparing them to ‘toys.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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National Rail said a fault with the signalling system at Darlington has caused the blockage and trains running through the station are affected.

The station serves the East Coast Mainline and regional services which pass through York.

The affected train operators are CrossCountry, York-based LNER, Lumo, York-based Northern and TransPennine Express.

National Rail provides a real-time journey planner for passengers to check before they travel.

The Press will update this breaking story here as we receive more information.

Members of the public are advised of potential disruption in parts of the city

The PSNI has issued a traffic disruption warning for parts of Belfast this weekend due to a number of planned events taking place.

Members of the public are advised of potential traffic disruption in East Belfast and Belfast city centre on Saturday, March 28.

In the city centre, a parade is expected to begin at 12pm, assembling at Writers Square before proceeding along Donegall Street – Royal Avenue – Castle Place – High Street – Victoria Street and Chichester Street, ending at City Hall for a rally.It is expected that the event will have concluded by 2pm.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “There will be a significant police presence in the area to assist with traffic management, however motorists should plan for delays.”

Additionally, a football match is due to take place at the Oval stadium in east Belfast, with kick-off at 3pm.A build-up of traffic is to be expected in the area, both before and after the game.

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