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The Turkish lira extended losses against hard currencies as traders said state banks had withdrawn support ahead of

The Swedish fund that got caught up in the US banking crisis this spring reported a first-half loss

Fewer than a quarter of local authorities in England have enough holiday childcare provision for parents working full-time and costs have risen across Great Britain since last year, new research has found. Six weeks of summer childcare for each school-age child could cost almost £1,000, according to the Coram Family and Childcare charity’s annual survey. It said families in Great Britain face costs of £943 per child for this holiday period, which is £538 more than they would pay for after-school childcare in six weeks of term time. The research, based on surveys from local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales between April and June, found that the cost of holiday childcare has risen 3% since 2022. A place at a holiday club now costs an average of £157 per week – 2.3 times higher than the cost of an after-school club during term time, the charity said. Wales has the highest weekly price at £168, followed by Scotland at £157 and England at £156. While costs have risen, availability has decreased, according to the charity, with just 24% of local authorities in England saying they have enough holiday childcare for parents working full-time, down 2% on last year. Provision for eight to 11 year-olds has dropped by 7% on last year, with 23% of local authorities saying they have enough for this age group. The high of cost of holiday childcare is going to put a further strain on families’ already stretched budgets Megan Jarvie, Coram Availability of holiday childcare for disabled children in England has also continued to fall, Coram said, with just 5% of local authorities reporting they have enough to meet local demand, down from 7% in 2022. In Scotland, there has also been a drop in the proportion of local authorities reporting sufficient childcare – down 15% for 12 to 14 year olds, down 14% for children living in rural areas, down 12% for parents working full time and down 11% for eight to 11 year olds. No local authorities in Scotland reported having enough holiday childcare in all areas for disabled children, working parents, parents working atypical hours or children in rural areas. While Wales also has low levels of sufficient childcare for disabled children (5%) and 12 to 14 year olds (5%), the proportion of local authorities reporting sufficient childcare in all areas across all categories of holiday childcare, except parents working atypical hours and children in rural areas, has risen. Local authorities in Wales report the highest level of sufficiency of holiday childcare in all areas for parents working full time (18%), followed by four to seven year-olds and eight to 11 year-olds at 14%. Costs and availability of holiday childcare varies depending on where families live, the charity said, stating that parents in inner London pay up to 25% more than those in the East of England – £177 per week compared to £142. In the East Midlands, some holiday childcare places cost 104% more than the national average, while others are 58% less, Coram said. The charity is calling on the Government to extend childcare funding announced in the Spring Statement to include support during school holidays. Megan Jarvie, from Coram, said: “The high of cost of holiday childcare is going to put a further strain on families’ already stretched budgets. Even if families are able to afford these costs, many will struggle to find a place as we have found shortages right across the country. “Starting school doesn’t mean that childcare needs end. Instead, many find that it becomes more challenging to find options that are right for their family, particularly during the long school holidays. “New Government funding to help improve childcare options during term time is welcome – but families need childcare right through the year.” Coram is also calling on those in charge in England, Scotland and Wales to increase support for family information services to provide good quality holiday childcare information and ensure access to local provision that meets families’ needs, expand provision of school holiday activity and food programmes, and improve the accessibility of holiday childcare for children with special educational needs and disability (Send). Rapid price increases in essentials like food, housing and energy bills have left a growing number of the families we work with stretched and barely keeping their finances afloat Jamie Masraff, OnSide chief executive The Local Government Association (LGA) said “concerted investment and recruitment of quality staff” is needed to ensure correct provision for disabled children, and said it was “disappointing” that the Government had not extended childcare support to include summer holidays. Councillor Louise Gittins, chair of the LGA’s children and young people board, said: “While councils recognise the importance of ensuring there is sufficient provision available for children with Send, it can be difficult to ensure the right provision is available, particularly given the challenging situation that many providers face at the moment.” A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, backed by £200 million per year to 2025, provides healthy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families over the holidays. “We are also investing £30 million to test new and innovative approaches to short respite breaks for families of children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities.” Youth organisation OnSide called for the HAF scheme to be expanded to working parents, saying it is “increasingly hearing from working families who don’t qualify but are struggling to afford holiday clubs”. Its chief executive, Jamie Masraff, said: “Rapid price increases in essentials like food, housing and energy bills have left a growing number of the families we work with stretched and barely keeping their finances afloat. For too many, there’s simply nothing left to pay for vital summer childcare.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How to create a kitchen herb garden What is trail running and should we all be doing it? These are the women making waves in the cycling world

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley will merge some operations at their Japan-based joint ventures, in

VanMoof BV, a Dutch electric-bicycle company that saw a surge in demand during Covid lockdowns, has been declared

India plans to further relax its approach to data storage, processing and transfer beyond its borders, a boon

The extreme heat blanketing the Mediterranean is set to peak in parts of Italy on Tuesday, triggering fresh

The busiest UK port said it’s ramped up processing capacity to help ferry more people to the continent,

Kate and Rio Ferdinand have welcomed their second child, a baby girl. The couple celebrated their daughter’s arrival on social media, writing on Instagram: “Shae Ferdinand. 10.7.23 Our strong little girl,” with a white heart emoji. They also shared a photo of the baby’s hands, with the hands of Shae’s siblings resting on top. The former England football player, 44 and The Only Way is Essex star, 32, have been married since 2019. They already share a two-year-old named Cree, born December 2020, and Kate is stepmother to three children from Rio’s last marriage. Rio is father to Lorenz, 16, Tate, 14, and Tia, 11, through his marriage to his late wife Rebecca Ellison, who died in 2015 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Announcing Kate’s pregnancy back in January, the pair shared a video on Instagram, in which Kate unbuttons her coat to reveal her baby bump underneath her dress. ​​A smiling Kate cradles her hand over her belly, with Minnie Riperton’s “Lovin’ You” playing in the background of the clip. “We’ve been praying for you,” she captioned the post. Friends of the couple have been sharing their best wishes for the new arrival to the family and complimented the choice of Shae’s name. The Only Way Is Essex star Fearne McCcan, who recently welcomed a newborn daughter named Finty, wrote: “Congratulations, I love her name.” Another TOWIE star Billie Shepherd wrote: “Congratulations to you all.” The official Manchester United Instagram account wrote “Congratulations” and posted a red heart emoji. The couple previously lost a baby last year. In July 2022, Kate revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage, after finding out the baby “had no heartbeat” at her 12-week scan. “So much to say, but somehow I can’t find the words. Absolutely devastated & heartbroken,” Kate said at the time. “But couldn’t be more grateful for the hugs I got from my big(er) babies coming through the door when we arrived home.” Kate has been vocal about being a mother to stepchildren, and her journey in parenting in a “fully blended family”. In January, Kate launched her modern parenting handbook How To Build A Family. On Instagram, the author wrote that she wished she had been given a handbook when she became a stepmother. Read More American travellers spark backlash after claiming that Europeans ‘don’t believe in water’ while on trip abroad Cruise line apologises after passengers witness dozens of pilot whales being slaughtered Sofia Vergara and husband Joe Manganiello reportedly divorcing after seven years of marriage Lindsay Lohan gives birth to her first child What is trail running and should we all be doing it? Today show star Jill Martin diagnosed with breast cancer

'The Dark Knight' director Christopher Nolan has ruled out ever making another superhero movie, and insists he won't make a TV show.

'Meg 2: The Trench' filmmaker Ben Wheatley wants to turn the Jason Statham-led series into a full blown franchise.

Grocery price inflation has dropped at its sharpest rate since peaking earlier this year, in a sign that