MORECAMBE BAYMIDWIFESCANDAL

All maternity care in England is to be reviewed immediately, after the avoidable deaths of 11 babies and one mother at Furness General Hospital in Cumbria. An inquiry found that a band of midwives known as “the musketeers” failed to summon doctors when they were needed, in an “over-zealous” pursuit of a natural birth for expectant mothers. The head of the NHS dubbed the findings “shocking”. The nationwide probe will report by the end of this year and will include examining midwife-led centres staffed without doctors. There are more than 100 such centres in Britain.

PENSIONERS’ RIP-OFF FEES

Savers who wish to treat their pension pots like bank accounts from April face charges of up to 2.76 per cent a year, research has found. Next month the over-55s will be allowed to withdraw as much or as little as they like from their pensions. But consumer group Which? warned that the charges for doing so could be almost four times the 0.75 per cent cap on fees levied on workers’ funds as they pay into company pensions. Labour said it would introduce a cap on such charges if it won the next election.

‘LOSTCITY’ FOUNDIN HONDURAS

The ruins of an ancient civilisation have been uncovered in the rainforests of Honduras. Archaeologists mapped out plazas, earthworks and an earthen pyramid at the site, which lies in a crater-shaped valley in the easternmost part of the country. They also found a collection of stone sculptures. The exact location is being kept secret in order to protect it from looters.

KATE MOORE