Who now remembers the ‘Thucydides Trap’? For a time in the early part of this century it seemed to crop up trendily whenever Chinese expansionism was discussed. I saw the phrase frequently in the editorials of serious newspapers and political magazines, tossed in casually as some sort of clever historical metaphor - rather than the serious warning about the future it should have been.

Oral health is often overlooked, but it is crucial to overall well-being. The mouth is a gateway to the body, and issues that begin there can affect nutrition, speech, confidence, and even contribute to systemic health conditions. In the past, dentistry has been a “fix the problem” service, with little time and little value placed on education and prevention.

The average age of a first-time buyer in England has risen from 29 to 34 since the mid-1990s, according to new analysis tracking three decades of housing data. The Skipton Group Home Affordability Index, developed in partnership with Oxford Economics, highlights a significant shift in the demographic profile of new homeowners.

Fibrus has reached a significant milestone, investing £1 million in community groups and charities across its network, including Cumbria. Of that total, over £470,000 has been directed to good causes in Cumbria, supporting grassroots sports clubs, local community organisations and environmental initiatives.

To mark the 10th anniversary of a movement that transformed tragedy into action and brought people together across the country, The Jo Cox Foundation has today launched the tenth Great Get Together that will take place from 19–21 June 2026. Ten years ago, the murder of Jo Cox MP shocked and devastated the nation.

Donald Trump recently dismissed Sir Keir Starmer with a barbed remark: the British prime minister, he said, was “no Churchill”. It was a typically Trumpian flourish, provocative, theatrical, designed for social media headlines. Yet by his standards it was almost restrained. He might easily have added, more devastatingly, what Starmer actually is rather than what he is not.

New TUC analysis reveals millions of women will start to benefit from new workers’ rights measures from next month. Women will disproportionately benefit from removal of statutory sick pay earnings threshold in April and from rights to guaranteed hours next year. Just over half of workers on zero-hours contracts are women.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned that removing the UK’s tariff exemption for low-value imports could risk pushing up prices, harming small businesses and reducing trade intensity. The government is considering the move after the US removed its ‘de minimis’ exemption. The EU has also said it will do the same and introduce new handling charges for cheaper packages as well.

Pub bells across the UK will ring out early this evening at 6pm – and each night over the next six days – as part of a new campaign by Greene King and Macmillan Cancer Support to raise awareness of the one in six men in the UK who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

People’s perceptions of their job security in the past month reached the lowest level since August last year, according to the latest data from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). The measure currently sits in negative territory at 92.6, down 1.1 since January.

Men from Kirkby Steven and the surrounding area are being offered the opportunity to get tested ahead of National Prostate Cancer Screening Day at Upper Eden Rugby Union Football Club. Online booking is now open for the event on Wednesday 18 March 2026, which runs from 6pm-9pm and is open to all local men aged 45-69.

Paragon Vets in Carlisle is encouraging pet owners to pay closer attention to their pets’ dental health after a survey revealed mixed habits and confidence levels around oral care.

If Sigmund Freud was the man who tried to convince the world that everything comes down to sex Alfred Adler was the one who politely cleared his throat and said, “I’m not so sure about that.” I was always suspicious of Freud’s preoccupation with exploring dreams, encouraging his ‘patients’ to relate theirs, and finding them a source of deep meaning.

Most people in Cumbria check online reviews before making key purchases, according to new research commissioned by full fibre provider Fibrus Broadband. While traditional word of mouth remains the most trusted source of recommendation, the study highlights how digital platforms are now firmly embedded in everyday decision-making.

Yorkshire leaders, businesses, farmers, food producers, and many more are working with citizens from across the UK to shape a new government Food Strategy. York & North Yorkshire was the second of the What Works Here Inquiries and involved representatives from across the region's food system coordinated by Deliciously Yorkshire. The Inquiries are being led by the Citizen Advisory Council (CAC), a group of citizens from across the UK, who are working with government to understand the way food works in York & North Yorkshire, the challenges for many families in affording healthy, local produce and how national government could help.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested on the morning of his 66th birthday earlier this week. The Met Police had been investigating claims that his royal protection officers had been ‘turning a blind eye’ during visits to Epstein’s Island. What a way to celebrate another trip around the sun!

Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) has submitted a robust response to the government’s consultation on how best to manage the future of the UK’s gas sector. The consultation looks at how to best ensure the UK’s energy security and the gas it needs for decades to come as supply and demand across the energy mix evolves, within a period of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

Lettings experts from Linley & Simpson, Yorkshire, give advice for landlords and renters when it comes to the right to request pets Today, 20th February 2026, marks National Love Your Pet Day – a dedicated day to show some extra love and shower our furry friends with treats.

Savers in the North of England are being urged to shop around for tax-free returns as new analysis reveals a widening gap between the market’s best and worst-performing Cash ISAs. Data from Investec Save shows that while the top 10 one-year fixed-rate ISAs average 4.11%, the lowest-paying accounts on the market offer just 3.15%.

You’ve barely packed away the last of the fairy lights and wrestled with the glut of bloated January bills, and just as you come up for air, half term. Really, so soon?! BACP counsellor Margaret Ward-Martin, founder of The Grace Project, looks at how to make the most of the half-term ‘break’ for both parents and children.

Those words, spoken decades after the Cuban Missile Crisis, are chilling not because they recount a distant danger, but because they remind us how thin the margin for survival once was. For those of us old enough to have lived through 1962, the fear was immediate, tangible, and inescapable. Radios stayed on in the home. Harold Macmillan the Prime Minister, looked very grave - and very old - on the television. There was only one topic of conversation.