'Swine flu skivers cost firms more than virus, say employers'

Thousands of healthy workers are thought to have taken advantage of official guidelines on the pandemic to extend their summer holidays. By simply phoning the NHS swine flu hot line or visiting its website, unscrupulous workers can get themselves a course of antiviral medicine and do not need a sick note from their GP for the first seven days' absence - Daily Telegraph ​

Soldiers attending the funeral of a Rifleman killed in Afghanistan were turned away from a bar because they were wearing military uniform. The Royal British Legion yesterday branded the pub's callous door code "unacceptable" after the four were singled out and banned from joining fellow mourners. Manager at Phatz, Grant Page, said he turned the men away because he had been told there were 100 soldiers who had been drinking all day and would be heading for his club - Mirror ​

High heels should be banned at work because they are dangerous, claim killjoy unions. TUC bosses want laws to force girls to wear "flatties" to prevent foot and back problems, saying they are "inappropriate for day-to-day working" - The Sun ​

Latvian capital Riga has become their destination of choice for British stag parties and the locals are far from impressed. Rigans are particularly upset about Britons urinating on the city's Freedom Monument, which honours soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence early last century. The city's mayor says the Britons' antics put off more civilised visitors. Nils Usakovs has begun a crackdown and suggests having a tourist police force to tackle the worst offenders - Daily Mail ​

Good news for holidaymakers, farmers and barbecue enthusiasts: after last month's deluge the weather is on the turn, especially in the southern half of Britain - The Times ​

Hundreds of hours of CCTV footage from city-centre pubs and clubs is being scanned in an effort to solve the riddle over the death of a man whose body was found in a basement garden in Edinburgh's New Town. Police say the death of 27-year-old Mark Hunter, from Musselburgh, is "unexplained", despite extensive inquiries in the area since he was found by a passer-by on Tuesday morning - Scotsman​