Holding off giving children a smartphone is better for their wellbeing, first-of-its-kind research finds. 

In the absence of a nationwide smartphone ban in UK schools, many parents have taken matters into their own hands, collectively agreeing to put off giving their children a device. The idea was pioneered by the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign, founded by former Positive News editor Daisy Greenwell.  

Now, a study involving 12,000 English primary schools finds that where at least one fifth of families formed such a pact, school-recorded support needs fell by 8.2%, while child psychiatric disability claims fell by 6%. 

The study has yet to be peer reviewed, but author Gregory Veramendi, an economist at the University of London, said it was the “first causal evidence that coordinated delay of smartphones improves children’s mental health”.  

“For parents who chose to delay smartphones for their children, often when it felt like everyone else was doing the opposite, this is an extraordinary moment,” said Greenwell. 

“Delaying a smartphone isn’t about what you’re taking away from your child – it’s about everything you’re giving back. More time, better sleep, real-world friendships, space to play and the ability to focus. In a world of constant connectivity, those things are fast becoming superpowers.” 

Image: iStock

Commenting after the excerpts were published on Wednesday, a palace spokesman said: “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”

The board’s latest recommendation will mean the basic Assembly Member salary increases from £67,200 to £69,216

The second Stormont MLA pay increase announcement in a year has been described by First Minister Michelle O’Neill as “grotesque”.

Ms O’Neill emphasised that MLAs had had “no hand, act or part” in the decision taken by the independent body which sets the pay, adding it is going out to consultation, and Sinn Féin “will make their views very firmly heard”.

MLAs will receive a £2,000 pay increase from the start of the next mandate in 2027. It comes after a decision by the Independent Renumeration Board, which is responsible for setting MLA salaries and pensions.

The board’s latest recommendation will mean the basic Assembly Member salary increases from £67,200 to £69,216 from the first day of the new Assembly mandate next year. Earlier this year, the board awarded a £14,000 pay increase to MLAs.

Ms O’Neill responded saying: “It is not something we pushed for, it’s not something we’ve asked for and actually I think it looks quite grotesque in the climate that we’re in. We do not think this should be paid.”

Sinn Féin president Mary-Lou McDonald also criticised the pay increase announcement as “unbelievable”, coming at the same time as the Stormont Executive pressing the UK Treasury for further funding for public sector pay.

“Nobody in Sinn Féin sought this, and it’s wrong, and I believe very very firmly that everything that can be done to put a stop to this needs to happen,” she added.

“It is utter utterly inappropriate and it shouldn’t go ahead.”

Earlier, Alliance deputy leader Eóin Tennyson said the move was “embarrassing”.

Board chairman Alan Lowry described the earlier increase as a corrective after the former arrangements for reviewing and setting MLA pay had not operated effectively for almost a decade.

“At that time we said that we would expect any future adjustments to reflect inflationary and other pay trends of the day,” he said.

“MLAs carry out a wide range of important duties, from representing constituents and scrutinising legislation to holding ministers and departments to account.

“It is right that their remuneration recognises the complexity and importance of those responsibilities, while ensuring that financial considerations do not discourage people from seeking elected office.

“As we look ahead to the Assembly election next year and the start of a new mandate, it is important that we put in place a structured and transparent mechanism that links MLA pay to changes in earnings in Northern Ireland.

“This approach ensures that pay remains aligned with wider developments in society, while providing certainty and maintaining public confidence in the process.”

Mr Tennyson said MLAs were “more than adequately paid”.

“I see no coherent cogent rational argument for MLAs to be afforded yet another pay rise, there is just no justification for it,” he said.

“We have consistently said that MLA pay should be linked to public sector pay, and we have nurses, teachers, doctors and civil servants out there who haven’t even got their pay rise for this year that they are entitled to, so I would send a very direct message to the pay review body, please just stop, because this does nothing to engender confidence in politics.”

Trade unions outside NIO offices at Erskine House in Belfast supporting Sodexo workers who are currently engaged in industrial action against compulsory redundancies and cuts to working hours, also condemned the pay increase.

Maria Morgan, Nipsa deputy general secretary, said they were surprised to hear of a second pay increase for MLAs.

“I think it’ll go down very badly with our members, I think it’ll go down very badly with the public given significant cuts in the health service, in education, and civil service members still waiting for pay (increase) from April 1, and right across the public sectors members are waiting for pay (increase),” she said.

“What we really need to call on the MLAs to do is to earn their money and get round and call collectively for a needs-based budget so that Northern Ireland has appropriate and properly funded public services to able to service the people of Northern Ireland who are crying out on health waiting lists and in terms of special needs education.”

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Imagine it’s the dead of night. Your phone pings with a text – it’s a government emergency alert: “Leave your home immediately! Only take with you enough supplies for the next three days.” What would you want in your go-bag?

Our new survey of UK adults (results not yet published) has found a surprising number of people prioritised sentimental belongings such as a childhood teddy bear.

In the face of climate change and growing geopolitical instability, governments have started to advise citizens to prepare now for disaster. In 2024, the UK government launched its Prepare initiative. This was followed by preparEU, a flagship EU project which argued: “Today’s threats are fast, complex and interconnected; our response must be more proactive.”

These initiatives typically recommend that people should have enough food, water and medicine to last 72 hours. In addition, they need ready access to documents, cash, batteries or power banks and a wind-up radio, plus a working knowledge of emergency support in their local area.

But when that message pings in the night, will you already be packed, with documents, food and medicine in a go-bag? Or will you be scrambling to find things, hoping you have enough essentials to keep you going?

In April 2026, as part of the After the End project – a Wellcome Trust-funded research project exploring how people experience and recover from crises – we surveyed 1,000 UK adults to understand how prepared they were for a sudden crisis or disaster.

We found that most people have less than half of what is recommended by the UK government and the US Federal Emergency Management Agency. Only four out of 1,000 people reported being fully prepared.

Our findings echo the 2025 UK Public Survey of Risk Perception, Resilience and Preparedness, which found that of 10,536 adults, only 13% felt largely or totally prepared.

Withstanding the emotional toll of crisis

However, the focus on practical items and supplies may not capture what people need to withstand the emotional toll of crisis and disaster.

When asked what other items they would take with them during a crisis, many participants felt that personal items would be critical to their post-disaster wellbeing. They expressed a strong desire to keep sentimental items such as jewellery, family photographs and objects from their childhood close to them during crisis.

As one participant wrote: “My childhood teddy bear. He is going to the grave with me. Apart from that, nothing matters much.”

Pets also featured heavily in people’s responses. Animals such as cats and dogs were often described as members of the family. Some participants even found comfort in the idea of taking the ashes of deceased pets with them if they needed to flee in an emergency.

A concept in psychology called extended self theory explains why these types of items hold such importance during everyday life – and also during crisis. It suggests that our sense of self is fragile, and continually built and maintained through our connections with the world around us.

In this way, the things we surround ourselves with do more than serve practical functions. They help us construct, stabilise and make sense of our identity. Consciously or subconsciously, our possessions become part of who we are.

A childhood teddy bear, therefore, becomes a possession imbued with memories and emotions which tell a tale of who we are, where we have come from, and who we care about. Objects can reinforce continuity of identity over time and space.

A strong sense of self

Having a strong sense of self can be beneficial during times of crisis. If we enter such a period with a sense of identity that is stable and coherent, it can act as a psychological anchor. A strong identity helps us cope in a challenging situation, and reduces the likelihood of ruminating about negative experiences.

Research also suggests that our ability to connect with items from pre-disaster periods influences our ability to cope and recover psychologically following an emergency. So, salvaging photographs and other items of sentimental value during disaster could help to preserve and rebuild our memory and identity.

If everything around us falls apart, a treasured item can help us maintain some sense of normality. This is perhaps why survivors of the 2011 Japan tsunami frequently described the loss of family photos as one of their greatest emotional losses.

Sentimental items can maintain or even improve our belief that we are capable of achieving our goals. Psychologists refer to this as self-efficacy. And research suggests higher levels of self-efficacy are associated with greater preparedness for, and better coping after, a disaster – particularly in vulnerable groups such as those with disability.

Our analysis found that people who reported greater self-efficacy also said they had more of the items and knowledge recommended by the UK’s Prepare initiative.

Sentimental items can also help to rebuild communities. Heirlooms and meaningful everyday items from before a crisis become points of storytelling afterwards. So, remember to save a little space in your backpack for something that means something to you.

Whether it is a childhood teddy bear, your late mother’s engagement ring or a beer coaster from a first date, these items are more than just “things”. When so much else is uncertain, the small objects that remind us who we are may be among the most valuable items we can take with us.

The popular Christmas film, Love Actually, will be shown at York Barbican on December 12.

The film will be played in high definition on the big screen while the orchestra performs the score in synchrony, creating an immersive cinematic experience.

Love Actually tells a series of interwoven stories of love, friendship, family, and heartbreak set in London during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Its all-star cast includes Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Laura Linney, Keira Knightley, Martine McCutcheon, Rowan Atkinson, and Martin Freeman.

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Since its release more than two decades ago, the film has become a festive favourite, returning to television screens every year and earning its place as one of Britain’s most cherished Christmas films.

The tour, presented by JOY. Concerts, will visit 14 UK concert halls and arenas throughout November and December.

Other venues include Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, London’s Eventim Apollo, Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall, and the Brighton Centre.

The tour will conclude at Portsmouth’s Guild Hall on December 22.

Whether people are discovering the film for the first time or continuing an annual festive tradition, Love Actually Live in Concert offers audiences the chance to experience its romance, humour, and unforgettable soundtrack in a spectacular way.

The performance at York Barbican is scheduled for December 12.

For more information about the tour, visit www.wastedyouth.uk.

Residents of Hillam, around nine miles west of Selby, claim that the site in Betteras Hill Road began appearing late in the afternoon of Friday, September 11 and that “hardcore” has been laid down and “fences positioned”.

North Yorkshire Council said it served a temporary notice on Monday for works on the site to stop.

READ MORE: Warning over controversial Traveller site in North Yorkshire

However, Hillam Parish Council said that that order had been breached in a public statement issued this week.

One concerned local, who did not want to provide their name, said the sudden arrival and scale of the site has caused considerable concern among the community.

Betteras Hill Road is single-track and connects the village to the A162 and is largely populated by fields with around 20 houses on its route, particularly close to the village.

North Yorkshire Council’s head of planning control, Martin Grainger, said: “We are aware that a Traveller site has recently been set up in Hillam without planning permission.

“On Monday we served a temporary stop notice which requires work on the site to cease.

“In addition, we are actively progressing further enforcement options.”

In a statement published on its Facebook page, Hillam Parish Council said North Yorkshire Council had provided this update: “A further site visit was undertaken yesterday afternoon at the land off Betteras Hill Road to assess compliance with the Temporary Stop Notice (TSN).

“During the visit, evidence was gathered which indicates that certain activities have continued on the site in breach of the TSN.

“This evidence will be reviewed in consultation with the Council’s Legal Services team to determine the most appropriate course of action in response to the apparent breaches.

“In addition, a further TSN has been served to ensure that all land affected by the unauthorised change of use and associated development is fully covered by the notice.

“The Planning Enforcement team is continuing to work closely with Legal Services to identify and implement measures to prevent any further unauthorised development from taking place.”

By JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ, US ASSISTANT SHOWBIZ EDITOR

Published: 17:13 BST, 17 September 2026 | Updated: 17:15 BST, 17 September 2026

Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya has been jailed

A pervert who groped two teenagers on a bus was caught after exposing himself on a train. Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, 39, sat next to a 17-year-old on a bus in Tameside on October 20 last year.

CCTV showed him putting his hand on her thigh. The girl, a court heard, believed it was a mistake and moved her leg, but Kurukulasuriya’s hand remained, Manchester Crown Court heard.

She asked him to move it. Kurukulasuryia said ‘okay’ before leaving his seat. Kurukulasuriya sat next to another girl, 16.

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“He put his hand next to her leg, making her feel uncomfortable,” prosecutor Nicola Durham said. “She moved her leg and crossed her legs and faced away from the defendant.

“He then squeezed her bottom and inner thigh. She then saw the defendant running his hand up and down her leg.” The girl elbowed Kurukulasuriya before he said ‘different stop’. She took photo of him as he got off the bus.

Kurukulasuriya was later identified by DNA match following another incident at Manchester Piccadilly on April 20 this year.

The court heard that while on a train from Stoke to Manchester, Kurukulasuriya sat next to a woman and began to ‘caress her thigh’. She was on the phone to her children.

“She thought it was a mistake, and when she moved her leg, the defendant removed his hand and then proceeded to caress her thigh again,” Ms Durham said.

Kurukulasuriya then exposed himself. Ms Durham added: “This caused her to shout and the defendant got up and rushed away.” The woman alterted the train manager and Kurukulasuriya was arrested.

The 17-year-old girl said the incident made her feel ‘uncomfortable’ and more self aware. The 16-year-old said she felt ‘disgusted’ and that it gave her ‘the shivers’.

Lois Connelly, mitigating, said Kurukulasuriya had ‘some insight’ into his behaviour. “He is in agreement that nobody deserves to be sexually assaulted on public transport,” she added.

She said he had moved to the United Kingdom from Sri Lanka in 2022, with his wife and son remaining there. He originally moved here on a work visa, to be a fisherman in Scotland. “He is clearly not doing that,” Ms Connelly said.

The barrister said that he was drinking alcohol at the time and had been staying with a friend in Traffrd. “These are deeply concerning offences,” Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said. “You caused fear and distress to the women on public transport.”

Kurukulasuriya, of no fixed address, was jailed for a year and two months. He was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order with two conditions – he is prohibited from sitting next to females unknown to him on public transport; and cannot have unsupervised contact with a female under 18.

That order will last 10 years. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for a decade.

A billionaire stadium owner caught in controversy for threatening to cancel Ed Sheeran’s concerts unless opening act Macklemore was dropped has claimed the British star asked him to match a $2 million donation to the region.

Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s tour after he delivered a politically motivated speech in support of Palestine during his performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5. 

Responding with an Instagram statement after it was confirmed he was leaving, the rapper claimed Sheeran told him that stadium owner Robert Kraft orchestrated the move, ‘issuing an ultimatum’ that the whole tour would be cancelled if Macklemore was not removed.

Kraft, the chief executive of the Kraft Group, which owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, yesterday issued his own statement on the controversy.

‘I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting,’ the statement posted on Gillette Stadium’s account read.

‘Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis.

‘In addition, I’d like the people who are speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know that for decades, I have supported efforts that create opportunities for Palestinians and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs and forge relationships.’

Kraft, the chief executive of the Kraft Group, which owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts , yesterday issued his own statement on the controversy

Macklemore (R) was dropped from Sheeran’s (L) tour after he delivered a politically motivated speech in support of Palestine

It is currently unknown which specific organisation the donations are meant for.

Sheeran also previously commented on the situation, reminding fans he would never publicly take a political stance.

Writing on Instagram, he said: ‘I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care.

‘There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics – my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum.’

He added that although he respects Macklemore’s ‘strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes’, there are different approaches to advocating for peace.

 It comes as images have resurfaced showing Macklemore wearing an oversized prosthetic nose, a black beard and a shaggy black wig during a 2014 performance in Seattle.

The costume was criticised for resembling an anti-Semitic caricature of a Jewish man. Macklemore apologised at the time, saying he had no malicious intention and was unaware that the costume resembled a Jewish stereotype.

People have accused Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian activism of being part of something more sinister, pointing to his controversial costume and a circulating image that appears to show him making a Nazi salute while dressed in it. 

He has not replied to the claims made about the image, and many online say it was a photo taken mid-dance that has been misconstrued.   

Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg, a staunch pro-Palestine activist who was detained twice after travelling on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, has publicly backed Sheeran’s ‘cancellation’, criticising him in a statement shared online. 

Taking to her Instagram on Tuesday, Thunberg said: ‘We are witnessing one of the biggest artists in the world being cancelled because they tried to “both sides” Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.  

‘This is a clear and undeniable sign that the global consciousness has shifted. The normalisation of an apartheid state, and the attempts to sanitise or justify its actions, will no longer be tolerated. Ed, there is only one victim here: the Palestinian people.’

And on Thursday morning, Irish radio station Classic Hits Radio announced it would be removing Sheeran’s music from its playlist ‘for the foreseeable future’.

Dave Kelly, Group Programme Director at Bay Broadcasting, said the move had been ‘carefully considered’ and was ‘not intended as a personal judgement on Ed Sheeran’.

He said: ‘We acknowledge his own explanation of the circumstances surrounding recent events.

‘As an independent Irish-owned radio station, however, we believe it is important to listen to our audience and to stand alongside Irish artists who have made what is undoubtedly a significant professional decision based on their own convictions.

People have accused Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian activism of being part of something more sinister, pointing to his controversial costume

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Greta Thunberg, a staunch pro-Palestine activist who was detained twice after travelling on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, has publicly backed Sheeran’s ‘cancellation’

After the news of Macklemore’s departure, all of Sheeran’s remaining support acts also stepped away from the tour.

American singer Finneas wrote: ‘Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed. I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.’

Irish performer Aaron Rowe took a strong stance as he wrote: ‘Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life. I could never thank him enough for this. But as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation.’

He continued by saying he ‘cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up’.

Danish band Lukas Graham said: ‘We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies over them.’

Irish band Beoga, who joined Sheeran for eight songs including Galway Girl, also revealed that they are removing themselves from the tour.

They wrote: ‘We have been friends with Ed for over ten years now and will continue to be.

‘Playing to those crowds every night is the stuff of dreams but to play in venues that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us.’

Beoga added that Macklemore had been silenced by ‘Zionist lobbies’ and that the group believed in ‘dialogue as a means of progressing the plight of the Palestinian people’. 

The vans were deployed in Bolton town centre on Wednesday, September 17, as part of Operation Avro, and officers made arrests during the activity.

Police said the facial recognition operation was one of their busiest in a while.

Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley, Bolton district commander, said: “As part of Operation Avro today we have got the live facial recognition banner in the town centre.

Ch Supt Helen Critchley (Image: NQ)

“This is nothing for people to be concerned about; this is just an opportunity for us to identify people who might be wanted, subjects of orders and breaching those orders.”

Two arrests were made at the van, while 19 arrests were reported across the wider operation.

The technology was used to identify people who were wanted, or who were subject to court orders they may have breached.

Images of people who were not wanted or in breach of an order would not be retained, she said.

(Image: NQ)

Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley said: “If you’re not wanted, if you’re not a subject of an order and in breach, you’ve got nothing to worry about, your images won’t be retained.”

The vans left the town centre at about 2.27pm.

Police also reported 13 successful warrants, 12 vehicles seized, and 39 shotgun cartridges and a machete recovered.

Two cannabis farms were confirmed during the operation.

(Image: NQ)

Earlier, officers found cannabis plants during searches of properties in Breightmet and Highfields.

The wider activity also included a traffic operation on Manchester Road.

A total of 124 vehicles were stopped from 8am.

Mike Jennings-Wharton, Chief Inspector for Bolton, said: “Today we’ve had a really successful day right across the borough of Bolton under Operation Avro.

(Image: NQ)

“It’s a really good use of technology, where faces are scanned, and the image is destroyed. But if you are wanted, we will find you.

“We did actually find some wanted people today. Someone wanted on warrant for drug supply. Someone wanted for criminal offences.

“It also allowed us to get our hands into the pockets of people involved in criminality and stopping our sex offenders within the town centre.”

Officers found offences involving mobile phones and seatbelts.

Police said the operation followed concerns raised by local residents and involved several partner agencies.