The former prime minister is appearing at the UK’s Covid-19 inquiry If you need a reminder of some of the decisions that were taken during lockdown, the Institute for Government has this PDF which shows a timeline from March 2020 to December 2021. This research briefing from the House of Commons library, published in September 2021, is a comprehensive guide to measures taken in parliament to do with the pandemic. The extent to which children and young people were considered as part of any preparedness and planning for a pandemic The extent to which children and young people were considered by the UK government and the devolved administrations in respect of the application of non-pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) and the impact of those decisions The impact of the pandemic on the education of, and the early years provision for, children and young people (including further and/or higher education, apprenticeships) The impact of the pandemic on children and young people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing, development, family lives and on their access to healthcare services The impact of the pandemic on children and young people in relation to access to and engagement with social care services and other agencies with a role in supporting the safety of children The impact of the pandemic on children and young people in contact with the criminal justice system including those in the youth custody estate, youth defendants and offenders and those whose parents or primary carers were in custody during the pandemic The impact of the pandemic on children and young people in contact with the immigration system The impact of the pandemic on children and young people in relation to their access to and use of the internet, social media and online resources The UK Covid-19 inquiry is a big investigation to understand what happened during the pandemic and what we could have done better. We are looking at how the pandemic affected children and young people from different backgrounds from across the UK. This includes children who need extra help at school, in life, or are new to our country. We also want to hear from teachers, parents and carers on what life was for children during the pandemic and what they wish could have been different. Continue reading...

Gaza’s olive groves have been bulldozed by the Israeli military, dried up from lack of water, or remain inaccessible, leaving Palestinian farmers with little to harvest.