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Boy sleeps on UK hospital floor due to lack of beds
A four-year-old boy with suspected pneumonia was forced to sleep on a hospital treatment room floor because of a lack of beds in the United Kingdom.
Jack was photographed lying on a pile of coats and with an oxygen mask at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) on December 3, which has since gone viral. His mother, Sarah, told The Daily Mirror seeing the NHS crisis for herself meant she would vote Labour.
The hospital apologised and said it had had its busiest week since 2016. Dr Yvette Oade, chief medical officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Our hospitals are extremely busy at the moment and we are very sorry that Jack’s family had a long wait in our Emergency Department.”
She added: “We are extremely sorry that there were only chairs available in the treatment room, and no bed. This falls below our usual high standards, and for this, we would like to sincerely apologise to Jack and his family.”
Jack was taken to his GP last Tuesday, with vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing and a fever. He had been ill for six days with what the GP had thought was a virus, but as he had not improved he was taken by ambulance to the accident and emergency unit of LGI.
His mum told The Mirror: “He kept asking to lay down. He was without a bed for four-and-a-half hours.
“He needed to go to sleep and he needed to lay down. He started falling asleep and he ended up going to sleep on a pile of coats.
“There was no bed for him in A&E and there was no bed for him on the ward, so he just had to sleep on the floor.”
After his wait in the treatment room, Jack was eventually moved to a ward where he waited for five hours on a trolley before a bed was found.
He was later diagnosed with flu and tonsillitis, and discharged home the next day.
His mum praised medical staff but said: “I am frustrated about the system and the lack of beds, which I am presuming is due to a lack of funding to the NHS to deliver the services that are required.”
The prime minister had faced calls to apologise to the family from shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth.
He said: “Boris Johnson should personally apologise to Jack and his family. A decade of Tory cuts has brought us to this crisis in our NHS.
“If the Tories win on Thursday, patients including children will suffer five more years of this. We need a Labour government to save our NHS.”
Asked about the incident during an interview on LBC, Mr Johnson said: “Of course I sympathise very much and I apologise to everybody who has a bad experience.
“By and large I think the NHS does an amazing job and I think that they deserve all praise for the service they provide – but they do need investment and that’s why we’re doing it now.”
Liberal Democrat Luciana Berger said: “This young boy’s experience is absolutely shameful and deeply upsetting. It is simply unacceptable that hospitals are under so much pressure that they don’t have enough beds – especially for small children.”
Mr Johnson was later asked about the photograph in an interview with ITV News but refused to look at it.
Instead, he took the phone from Mr Pike and put it in his pocket.
In a clip of the interview posted on Twitter, Mr Pike said to Mr Johnson: “You refuse to look at the photo. You’ve taken my phone and put it in your pocket Prime Minister.”
Mr Johnson then took the phone out of his pocket, looked at the photo on the screen, and said: “It’s a terrible, terrible photo. And I apologise obviously to the families and all those who have terrible experiences in the NHS.”
Guardian

News
2027: Kwankwaso’s Exit Marks End Of NNPP – Kwankwasiyya Movement
The Kwankwasiyya Movement has declared that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) is effectively dead following the resignation of its national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on March 29, 2026.
Spokesman for the Movement, Habibu Mohammed, made this statement on Tuesday during an interview on Arise Television.
Mohammad, stated that the NNPP was synonymous with Kwankwaso, and his departure leaves the party without a platform in Kano and across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He was reacting to the recent defection of Kwankwaso from the NNPP into the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
“Everybody knows that the NNPP is synonymous with Kwankwaso and him leaving the NNPP automatically means that the NNPP is actually dead in Kano, and maybe beyond Kano, which might be seen to be dead across the nation.
“Just like what Kwankwaso meant for the NNPP in Kano, he will now be seen to be the ADC in Kano State, and it will be an interesting scenario.
“So many people believe in Kwankwaso and his principles. There will be a lot of influx into the ADC.
“And I believe from the recent happening, it is going to be a very interesting scenario in Kano, because there are several others that are actually going to come along, and this is the result of the fact that so many people believe that Kwankwaso is a man with principle, and he’s the man that doesn’t actually meander. He goes straight to the point.
“He’s somebody who is ready to actually say it as it is, and for both parties to understand.
“So there are so many politicians that knew very well that they can align with him, even if they have different opinions, but the fact that he can lead, he can provide direction, he can protect his own and he will be able to actually turn things around, so many other people are coming,” Mohammed said.
News
Plateau Crisis: Tinubu Summons Gov Mutfwang, Orders Security Crackdown
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday met with top security and intelligence chiefs to review the recent wave of violence in Plateau State and has summoned Governor Caleb Mutfwang to Abuja for urgent consultations.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday in Angwan Rukuba community, Jos North Local Government Area, left at least 28 people dead and many others injured.
Briefing journalists in Abuja, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the incident as regrettable but emphasised that it does not indicate a breakdown of security.
He added that security agencies have launched clearance operations to prevent reprisal attacks and reiterated the Federal Government’s deep concern and condolences to the people of Plateau State.
According to the minister, the President’s meeting with security chiefs aims to assess the situation and implement decisive measures toward a lasting solution.
He said, “A few hours ago, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, held a high-level meeting with the nation’s top security and intelligence chiefs to review the situation and take further decisive steps towards arriving at a lasting solution. Following this meeting, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has been invited by President Tinubu to further deliberate and chart a coordinated path towards lasting peace and security.
“The outcome of the meeting between President Tinubu and Governor Mutfwang will be made public in due course. These actions underscore the seriousness with which the Federal Government is treating this matter and its firm commitment to ensuring that all necessary actions are taken promptly and effectively.”
The Minister also stressed, ”While this incident is deeply regrettable, it is important to place it in context. Plateau State has, over time, experienced localised security challenges linked to communal tensions and criminal activities. What occurred does not represent a breakdown of national security, but rather a criminal act within a known conflict-prone area—one that is being actively and decisively addressed by the authorities.
“The federal government has directed all security agencies to ensure that those responsible for this heinous act are identified, apprehended, and brought to justice. “There will be no safe haven for criminal elements anywhere in Nigeria. Ongoing operations are already generating actionable intelligence, and we are confident that those behind this attack will be held accountable.
“Let me reassure all Nigerians that the security situation in Plateau State is under control and is being actively managed. The Federal Government remains fully committed to protecting lives and property across the country, and we will continue to strengthen our intelligence capabilities, operational readiness, and inter-agency coordination to stay ahead of emerging threats.
“We urge all citizens to remain calm, law-abiding, and to cooperate fully with security agencies. It is also important to avoid the spread of unverified information that could heighten tensions or undermine ongoing efforts to restore peace.
“Nigeria’s unity remains strong, and we must not allow criminal elements to divide our communities. The Federal Government will continue to act decisively, in collaboration with the Plateau State Government and all relevant stakeholders, to ensure lasting peace and security.
“Nigeria will not yield to fear. We will protect our people, and we will prevail.”
The Minister also exonerated the security agencies, saying that they took swift action to contain the situation.
He said, “Let me assure Nigerians that security agencies responded immediately to the incident. Troops under Operation Enduring Peace were rapidly mobilised to the scene following distress calls.
“The military and other security agencies cordoned off the affected area, secured key access routes, and launched targeted search-and-clearance operations to track down the perpetrators. “These swift actions ensured that the situation was quickly contained and prevented further escalation.
“This response is part of a broader and sustained Federal Government security architecture in Plateau State and the wider North-Central region. The Nigerian Armed Forces have continued to carry out clearance operations and intelligence-led missions across vulnerable communities following attacks recorded in recent months. Reinforced surveillance and troop deployments have also been implemented in high-risk areas, supported by joint military-police patrols and strengthened rapid response mechanisms. “These coordinated efforts are designed to neutralise threats proactively and maintain stability.”
He also added, “At the national level, the Federal Government remains resolute in its commitment to security, as demonstrated through ongoing targeted military offensives and strategic deployments aimed at dismantling criminal and insurgent networks across the country. These efforts reflect a comprehensive and evolving approach to safeguarding lives and property.
“The Plateau State Government has also taken decisive and complementary measures in coordination with federal authorities. A 48-hour curfew was imposed in Jos North immediately after the incident to stabilise the security environment and support ongoing operations. The state government continues to work closely with security agencies to prevent reprisals, restore calm, and facilitate investigations.”
News
Tinubu’s $6bn External Borrowing Request Gets Senate Nod
The Nigerian Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request for a $6 billion external loan.
The approval was granted approximately three to four hours after the request letters were read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio on the Senate floor.
The red chamber of the National Assembly approved the loans after the presentation and consideration of a report by the Senator Aliyu Wamakko-led Committee on Local and Foreign Debts.
JomogNews had reported earlier that President Tinubu’s latest loan request was contained in two separate letters addressed to the President of the Senate, which were read during plenary on Tuesday.
In the first letter, Tinubu requested the approval to establish a structured total return swap (TRS) external financing programme of up to $5 billion with First Abu Dhabi Bank of the United Arab Emirates.
The President, in the second letter, also asked the Senate to approve a $1 billion UK export finance loan facility arranged by Citibank, London branch.
He said that the loan would be used for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port.
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