Overhead view of a student studying FT21P1 Overhead view of a student studying Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo Learndirect, the UK’s largest adult training provider, has blamed the government’s austerity programme for its failure to meet the education regulator’s minimum quality standards. The company, which was privatised by David Cameron’s coalition government in 2011, on Thursday complained that being forced to “manage Read More

Targets are to be set to reduce calories in pizzas, burgers and ready meals as part of the government’s drive to tackle child obesity in England. Health officials believe the move is needed as people are consuming 200 to 300 calories too many each day. It could see the size of products reduced or ingredients changed in food and drinks Read More

Shatadal housing society in Andheri has been successfully composting for three years 50 housing societies were distributed compost tumblers to encourage recycling of waste. As the country celebrated its 71st Independence Day on Tuesday, 50 societies in Mumbai’s western suburbs pledged to join the fight against city’s mounting waste predicament and vowed to recycle and reduce their waste. Thousands of Read More

A review of screening mammography placed overdiagnosis of breast cancer at about 30%. Photograph: Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters Australia’s peak independent cancer authority, the Cancer Council, has endorsed a statement calling for a plan to stop patients being harmed by the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of diseases. The statement developed by doctors and researchers was published on Thursday morning and described growing evidence and concern Read More

Editor’s note: This is the second of a four-part deep dive into the murky world of land legislation in Tamil Nadu, unauthorised constructions and how corruption is rampant in the sector with no government wanting to curb it. Will the courts at least do the needful? When 51-year-old Nirmala bought a piece of five-acre land in 1997 in Manapakkam, she Read More

Do you substitute refined sugar with artificial sweeteners? It may be time to stop. Scientists say diet foods and artificial sweeteners may trigger weight gain and increase the risk of diabetes, as their sweet taste fools the body’s metabolism into believing that we are consuming more calories. In nature, sweetness signals the presence of energy and its intensity reflects the amount Read More

It is hard distinguishing between fads and products that have real benefits. So, if you are confused about superfoods, you are not alone. It is hard to distinguish between superfoods that offer real health benefits and others whose benefits have been invented for marketing purposes. Nutri-therapy specialist Olivia Charlet, who is also a marathon runner and naturopath, separates fact from fiction: Sprouts Read More

  In a move to make Karnataka hunger- free, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the opening of Indira Canteens across Bangalore on Tuesday. “I am happy to announce that we are opening Indira canteens across Bengaluru this Wednesday, to feed people from the labour class and poor migrants of the city,” he said in his Independence Day speech. Congress National Vice Read More

Recently I applied for and obtained a home business license. Didn’t know you needed a license to run a business out of your home?  Neither did I, until recently. My journey of discovery started when I relocated my small business from Ohio to Florida. I decided to seek certification from the state of Florida as a woman-owned business. While completing Read More

The central university is planned as an autonomous body with an aim to facilitate and promote aviation studies, teaching, training and research. Photo: Bloomberg New Delhi: The inauguration of India’s first aviation university in Uttar Pradesh, which was scheduled for 18 August, has been postponed. The Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU) at Fursatganj in Rae Bareli district was supposed to Read More