Britain's charity hero, Capt Sir Tom Moore, 100, has become one of the country's oldest podcasters with the launch on Monday of a series to tackle isolation among older people, a corporate sponsor said.
The podcast, called The Originals, is part of a campaign by charity Age UK, and confectionery company Cadbury, which aims to inspire people to have a meaningful conversation with an older person, a Cadbury statement said, noting that social isolation, especially among the elderly, has worsened during the Covid-19 crisis.
"I hope The Originals podcast will help encourage everyone to start a proper conversation with an older person," Moore said, in a statement. "We have hundreds of amazing tales just waiting to be told."
It is the latest venture for the Second World War veteran who was knighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II for raising £39 million ($50.5m) for the health service by walking laps of his garden during the UK's lockdown earlier this year.
He also broke two Guinness World Records, scored a No 1 single, wrote a book and signed a deal to film a biopic of his life.
The people Moore has interviewed for his podcast include Winston Garvey, 83, a bodybuilder who still lifts weights three times a week, and Rose Knox-Peebles, 79, a writer and art collector who reveals a kiss with Elvis Presley.
Age UK said 25,000 older people typically go for a week without speaking to anyone, while more than six million older people say only a few minutes of conversation makes a difference to them.
"It's so hard for many older people to stay connected at the moment, especially if they live alone, and we're delighted to be working with Cadbury and Captain Tom on this campaign to raise awareness of this heart-breaking issue," the charity said.
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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What the law says
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“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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