内容摘要：David from London was devastated to find out that he and his wife were not eligible for the free hours. His wife is retraining to be an occupational therapist so they aren't classed as a "working family". And London and the East of England have the highest childcare costs in England.

David from London was devastated to find out that he and his wife were not eligible for the free hours. His wife is retraining to be an occupational therapist so they aren't classed as a "working family". And London and the East of England have the highest childcare costs in England.

"All my dreams were shattered," she says, her voice fragile and filled with emotion.Amina, now 15, has always wanted to become a doctor. As a little girl, she suffered from a heart defect and underwent surgery. The surgeon who saved her life was a woman – an image that stayed with her and inspired her to take her studies seriously.

But in 2021, when the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan, Amina's dream was abruptly put on hold."When my dad told me the schools were closed, I was really sad. It was a very bad feeling," she says quietly. "I wanted to get an education so that I could become a doctor."The restrictions on education for teenage girls, imposed by the Taliban, has affected more than one million girls, according to Unicef, the UN's children's agency.

Now, madrassas – religious centres focused on Islamic teachings – have become the only way for many women and teenage girls to access education. However, those whose families can afford private tuition may still have access to subjects including maths, science and languages.While the madrassas are seen by some as a way to offer young women access to some of the education they would have had in mainstream schools, others say they are no substitute and there are concerns of brainwashing.

I meet Amina in the dimly-lit basement of Al-Hadith madrassa in Kabul, a newly established private religious educational centre for around 280 female students of various ages.

The basement is cold, with cardboard walls and a sharp chill in the air. After chatting for about 10 minutes, our toes are already going numb."It is unjust, inaccurate and entirely misleading and further strike action would be inexcusable.

“We want to reassure the public that we are doing everything we can to resolve issues, to get back to providing a vital service for our residents, and we look to GMB and the workforce to do the same."A memorial for people who have lost their lives since World War Two has been unveiled after a huge community effort.

, near Bristol, was made of donated materials with the help of local bricklayers to honour military personnel who lost their lives in the last 80 years.A group of veterans raised funds for the memorial because they felt the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire was too far away.