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‘It all became very sly. Everyone was lying and covering each other’s backs,’ royal commission hears

Incoming WHO chief scientist says if morale, staffing and training not addressed, workers ‘won’t be there when you need them’Healthcare workers are “absolutely shattered” and unless something is done to address the crisis in morale, staffing and training then “they won’t be there when you need them”, one of the world’s leading scientists has warned.Speaking to the Guardian, Prof Jeremy Farrar, the director of Wellcome and soon to be chief scientist of the World Health Organization, warned that healthcare workers would not be ready should another crisis hit. Continue reading...

Moderate and conservative factions refuse to back transport minister for upper house seat left vacant by Peter Poulos’s sacking

‘We were fighting it and it did a U-turn and slammed into the engine,’ said the skipper of the damaged vessel after being towed to safety

Kim Yo-jong blames escalation on US forces in the region, as head of South Korea’s ruling party calls for Seoul to have its own nuclear deterrentNorth Korea fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast Monday, South Korea’s military said, as the powerful sister of the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, warned the nuclear-armed state could turn the Pacific into a “firing range”.The tests prompted the head of the ruling party in South Korea to warn that continued provocations by Pyongyang would only strengthen calls for the South to develop its own nuclear deterrent – a move that would dramatically raise tensions on the peninsula. Continue reading...

Mortgage adviser, 45, went missing while walking her pet after dropping off daughters at schoolA body has been found in the search for the missing woman Nicola Bulley after a tipoff by members of the public, police have said.Bulley, 45, a mortgage adviser from Inskip, Lancashire, vanished while walking her dog after dropping off her daughters, six and nine, at school more than three weeks ago, on 27 January. Continue reading...

Majority of job losses are at large retailers such as Tesco and Asda, according to Centre for Retail ResearchNearly 15,000 British retail jobs have already been cut since January in a “brutal start to the year” for the high street.A total of 14,874 retail job losses have been announced by companies so far, according to analysis from the Centre for Retail Research (CRR). Continue reading...

Tony McAvoy says Craven ‘way outside his remit’ and ‘incorrect’ to describe some views in the group as ‘misplaced intransigence’ and ‘egotism’

Met police say investigation under way after fatal accident in Greenwich on Sunday eveningA man has died after being hit by a motorcycle in south-east London, the Metropolitan police said.An investigation is under way after a fatal collision in Plumstead Road, Greenwich on Sunday evening. Continue reading...

Standup comedian played police role in Homicide: Life on the Streets, Law & Order: SVU and other seriesRichard Belzer, a stand-up comedian who became one of TV’s most indelible detectives as John Munch in Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: SVU, has died. He was 78.Belzer died on Sunday at his home in Bozouls in southern France, his longtime friend Bill Scheft told the Hollywood Reporter. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sadiq Khan’s plan, spurred by ministers’ ‘failure to act’, will save families about £440 for every childFree school meals will be offered to all primary school pupils across London for a year under plans by Sadiq Khan to tackle what he said was a failure by ministers to step up support during the cost of living crisis.The move will come into force from September, saving families about £440 for every child and benefiting 270,000 children, City Hall estimates. Continue reading...

Man arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving after incident near Plymstock Albion Oaks Rugby ClubA seven-year-old boy has died after being hit by a car in Plymouth.A man, 55, was arrested after the incident near Plymstock Albion Oaks Rugby Club on Sunday. Continue reading...

UN ambassador says US must ensure Ukrainians ‘have the training necessary … to use weapons systems we provide’The US ambassador to the United Nations indicated on Sunday that the White House could reverse its refusal to supply F-16 jets to Ukraine.“We’re still having discussions on the ground with the Ukrainians,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CNN’s State of the Union, adding that Washington was working “very closely and directly” with Kyiv to identify “what their needs are and when they need them”. Continue reading...

Saving Private Ryan actor, 61, in ‘wait-and-see situation’, says managerTom Sizemore is in critical condition after suffering a brain aneurysm, a representative for the actor said on Sunday.Sizemore suffered the aneurysm at about 2am local time on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. He was being treated in intensive care, his manager, Charles Lago, said. Lago described Sizemore’s condition “a wait-and-see situation”. Continue reading...

Racial disparity compared with white people unearthed by Inquest is bigger than previously made publicBlack people are seven times more likely to die than white people following restraint by police, new analysis of official data reveals.The racial disproportionality is higher than previously made public and was unearthed by Inquest, a charity that helps bereaved families after contact with the police or state. Continue reading...

FoI request reveals data for six-month period in 2022, with some children held unlawfully for over 24 hoursLone children as young as 14 have been detained at the Manston asylum seeker processing centre in Kent, a freedom of information request has revealed.According to the immigration rules, children should not be detained in short-term holding facilities such as Manston, apart from in exceptional circumstances, and holding them for more than 24 hours is unlawful. Continue reading...

Exclusive: NHS England director calls on managers to do everything possible to maintain elective care for patientsAn NHS England director has urged regional leaders to do their best not to cancel hospital appointments and operations when NHS workers go on strike next month, in the hope of reducing the risk to patients’ safety.For the first time, tens of thousands of nurses in cancer wards, A&E departments and intensive care units in England will stop work for 48 hours from 1 March – marking a significant escalation in the dispute over pay and working conditions. Continue reading...

Treasurer proposes to enshrine in law a new definition of super to guide future policy decisions

Exclusive: Government was warned that publicising issues could harm regional relationships or be exploited by criminals or bad actors

Outlines for the upcoming hearings on the Coalition’s flawed debt recovery scheme show where the investigation may be headed next

The yes side is being driven by three collectives with a shared history, while the no campaign has been more reluctant to share its plans

Foreign ministry confirms that body of former Newcastle player to arrive in Accra on Sunday nightThe remains of the former Ghanaian international footballer Christian Atsu, who died in the devastating earthquake in Turkey, were being flown home on Sunday, the country’s foreign ministry said.Atsu, 31, was caught up in a 7.8-magnitude quake that rocked Turkey and Syria on 6 February, killing more than 44,000 people in both countries. Continue reading...

Leader of Commons says ‘serious questions’ must be asked over police decision to issue private information about missing womanThe leader of the Commons has criticised Lancashire police for disclosing private information about the missing woman Nicola Bulley.Penny Mordaunt said it was “shocking” that the force had made public Bulley’s struggles with alcohol and peri-menopause symptoms. “Serious questions” needed to be asked about why they chose to do so, she added. Continue reading...

Penny Mordaunt says ex-PM’s comments served as reminder to Brussels of UK threat to override Northern Ireland protocolAn intervention by Boris Johnson in the row over solving the post-Brexit deadlock in Northern Ireland is “not entirely unhelpful”, a cabinet minister has said, as work to clinch a deal with the EU goes down to the wire.Penny Mordaunt, the Commons leader, suggested concerns reportedly raised by the former prime minister were a welcome reminder to Brussels of the threat that Britain could try to unilaterally override the Northern Ireland protocol. Continue reading...

Shiny blue sculpture shattered into thousands of pieces, with some collectors believing it was a stuntA collector visiting a contemporary art fair accidentally knocked over a small glass sculpture by the renowned artist Jeff Koons, shattering it to pieces.The shiny blue sculpture, one of Koons’ famous “balloon dog” series, was valued at $42,000 (£35,000). Continue reading...

Survey also finds 32% of parents with children under four are having to cut down on essentials such as groceries as costs riseMost parents with young children would delay having another due to nursery costs that are already forcing some to cut down on essentials, according to new research released amid growing calls for sweeping reforms to childcare.With the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, looking at measures that could reduce childcare costs, which are some of the most expensive in the world, prominent providers are to hand a joint letter to Downing Street demanding action on increasing state help, improving care standards and creating a simpler system of assistance for new parents. Continue reading...

Dozens of people released from immigration detention due to federal court ruling now told they will be re-detained

A week after the storm struck the North Island, police say two more bodies were found in hard-hit Hawke’s Bay areaThe death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand climbed to 11 as many people not yet contacted a week later.The cyclone hit the North Island’s uppermost region on 12 February and tracked down the east coast, inflicting widespread devastation. The prime minister, Chris Hipkins, has called Gabrielle New Zealand’s biggest natural disaster this century. Continue reading...

Blinken warns China against aiding Russia in Ukraine as western leaders cautiously welcome Chinese peace plan at Munich security conference

The west has made it hard for Russia’s millionaires to retain assets – but not impossible. Now the EU wants to try harderIt has been a long year since Liz Truss launched a rolling programme of sanctions on Russia’s oligarchs. Speaking three days after the invasion of Ukraine, the foreign secretary, as she was then, signalled an end to the UK government’s no-questions-asked approach.“We are targeting oligarchs’ private jets, we’ll be targeting their properties, we’ll be targeting other possessions that they have,” she told Sky TV. “There will be nowhere to hide.” Continue reading...

Almost 90% of food banks see increased demand, as organisers fear having to cut support or turn people awayMore people are depending on food banks than ever before in Britain, new figures show, as “ever-increasing” numbers of households – including pensioners, NHS staff and teachers – seek help amid the cost of living crisis.New research by the Independent Food Aid Network (Ifan), shared with the Observer, found that almost 90% of food banks surveyed reported increased demand in December 2022 and January 2023 compared with a year earlier. Half of the 85 organisations running 154 food banks that responded said if demand rose further they would either have to cut support or turn people away. Continue reading...

Care4Calais says it offers refugees aid and dignity and does not want them to cross Channel by dangerous meansA volunteer organisation has dismissed a claim by the new Conservative deputy chair that Calais refugee charities are “just as bad as people-smugglers”.Lee Anderson, who was given the role by Rishi Sunak during the prime minister’s recent reshuffle, accused refugee organisations based in northern France of “fuelling” people’s desire to cross the English Channel in small boats. Continue reading...

The Scottish health secretary and former Scottish minister enter race to replace Nicola SturgeonHumza Yousaf and Ash Regan have become the first candidates to officially announce plans to stand for SNP leader, while Keir Starmer is expected to urge Scottish voters on Sunday to “take another look at Labour”.Yousaf, the Scottish health secretary, and former minister Regan announced their plans to stand in Scotland’s Sunday Mail. Continue reading...

Armed police detain man in Exeter city centre hours after fatal attack in Ludwell Valley ParkA man has been arrested after a woman in her 70s was fatally attacked in a park in Exeter.After a police appeal, a man in his 30s from the Exmouth area was detained by armed officers outside the Yorkshire Building Society on Exeter’s High Street just after 9.30pm on Saturday. Continue reading...

Minute’s applause held at St James’ Park, where Ghanaian footballer spent five yearsTributes have been paid to the Ghanaian and former Premier League footballer Christian Atsu, who was found dead under the earthquake rubble of his home in Turkey.There was a minute’s applause for Atsu on Saturday at St James’ Park before Newcastle United’s game against Liverpool, which his wife and children attended. Atsu spent five years at Newcastle from 2016 to 2021. Continue reading...

Gus Kuster is effectively stateless after failed bid to deport him despite being recognised as an Indigenous Australian

In a speech to Munich security conference, UK prime minister says west must not ‘falter in its resolve’. This blog is now closed

Met Office says storm, which left more than 60,000 homes without power at one point, has moved on to ScandinaviaAbout 1,300 homes that lost power during Storm Otto had still not been reconnected to the grid as of Saturday afternoon, according to energy firms.The Met Office said the storm had “well and truly cleared” but more than 1,000 homes in Aberdeenshire remain without power. Continue reading...

Themepark to host mural after freezer forming part of work was twice removed from original location in MargateAn artwork by Banksy that has been dismantled numerous times since it appeared in Margate this week will be permanently relocated to the town’s Dreamland theme park.The mural, titled Valentine’s Day Mascara, appears to be on the theme of domestic abuse and fighting violence against women. It depicts a caricature of a 1950s housewife, wearing a blue pinny and yellow washing-up gloves, with a swollen eye and a missing tooth, who is seen pushing her male partner into a chest freezer. Continue reading...

Witnesses tell of lockdown gathering with alcohol, food and loud music at private apartment above 11 Downing StreetThe inquiry into whether Boris Johnson misled MPs over rule-breaking parties in Downing Street is homing in on a gathering in his private flat, the Observer understands.Follow-up exchanges with witnesses working with the inquiry are now taking place as the privileges committee, led by Labour grandee Harriet Harman, works its way through a huge tranche of evidence handed to it by the government at the end of last year. Continue reading...

A cross-party group is urging Suella Braverman to adopt plan that would allow 40,000 people a year to seek asylum in BritainSuella Braverman is being urged to reduce the number of asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats by creating a new “humanitarian visa” that would cap numbers and create a legal avenue for accessing the UK.Rishi Sunak has made tackling Channel crossings one of his five priorities since entering Downing Street, despite concerns among his own ministers that it is not within his power to stop boats attempting the dangerous journey. The government is scrambling to examine a series of controversial measures that could be included in a forthcoming immigration bill, aimed at automatically blocking those who come to the UK on small boats from seeking asylum. Continue reading...

Peter Fahy says reaction ‘overblown’ as Lancashire force being asked to ‘operate with a huge public gallery’A former police chief has said the criticism of police’s search for Nicola Bulley is unfair.MPs have hit out at Lancashire constabulary after it made public the missing mother had been struggling with the menopause and alcohol before her disappearance on 27 January. Continue reading...

Augustus Gloop now ‘enormous’ instead of ‘fat’, Mrs Twit no longer ‘ugly’ and Oompa Loompas are gender neutralRoald Dahl’s children’s books are being rewritten to remove language deemed offensive by the publisher Puffin.Puffin has hired sensitivity readers to rewrite chunks of the author’s text to make sure the books “can continue to be enjoyed by all today”, resulting in extensive changes across Dahl’s work. Continue reading...

Actor and filmmaker speaks out at premiere of his documentary about president Voldoymyr ZelenskiySean Penn said the US has to accept “a level of shame” for not helping Ukraine with weapons supplies quicker at the premiere of his documentary about president Voldoymyr Zelenskiy and the war in Berlin.Speaking after the screening on Friday night, the Hollywood A-lister, said he believed the war in Ukraine was one that the west cannot ultimately afford to see Kyiv lose, an argument that underpins the new film, Superpower. Continue reading...

US vice-president tells security conference that perpetrators will be held to account over Ukraine war

Ding Jiaxi also tells lawyer he is worried about health after being held for more than three yearsThe detained human rights activist Ding Jiaxi has expressed concern for young protesters who have disappeared since participating in the “blank paper” protests against the zero-Covid policy in China last year.At least 16 of them are still in police detention, according to names gathered by activists, while Ding himself has been detained for more than three years. Continue reading...

Brittany Higgins cries foul over diary leak and Linda Reynolds says she was victim of ‘political hit job’. This blog is now closed

Former Liberal staffer’s personal diary pages reported in the Australian, which also published fresh interview with Higgins’s former boss

Hundreds gather to remember killed 16-year-old as appeal raises more than £100,000 for familyA candlelit vigil has been held in the home village of Brianna Ghey close to where the 16-year-old was stabbed to death last weekend, as a fundraising appeal for her family surpassed £100,000.

Former victims’ commissioner Vera Baird says revelations likely to hamper future missing person casesThe release of sensitive details about the missing woman Nicola Bulley was “as sexist as it comes”, the former victims’ commissioner has said, as Lancashire constabulary come under further pressure over their handling of the case.Dame Vera Baird condemned the force’s “dreadful” decision to divulge medical information about Bulley, saying it was “the biggest error that I have seen for quite a long time”. Continue reading...