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Legalise Loos initiative intended to halt slump in number of conveniences in town centres, parks and other locationsIt will involve spending more than a penny, but it's a call that is likely to be viewed sympathetically by anyone who has ever been caught short while out and about.A campaign has been launched to make the provision of public toilets a legal requirement for central government and local authorities after a slump in the number of loos in town centres, parks and other locations. Continue reading...

Labour's boasts about tough immigration stance prompt disquiet in party as it attempts to counter Reform threatThe Home Office is launching a fresh wave of immigration raids for illegal working and boasting of record numbers of deportations as Labour attempts to counter the growing political threat from Reform UK.Ahead of the second reading of the new border security bill today, officials announced that both illegal working visits and arrests since Labour came to power had soared by about 38% compared with the previous 12 months. Continue reading...

Singer was due to perform Sunday night but authorities worried large blockage could cause sewage to back up in venue toilets

Misconduct hearing found Tyler Coppin had breached standards of professional behaviour over offenceAn Essex police officer has been sacked after admitting tragedy chanting" at Liverpool fans during a Premier League match last year.Essex police instigated misconduct proceedings against Sgt Tyler Coppin after he pleaded guilty to the public order offence during the Liverpool game against Chelsea at Anfield last October. Continue reading...

Forces withdraw from area that bisects the northern and southern halves of the Gaza Strip to the buffer zone, as part of ceasefire agreement with Hamas

Synod was asked to bring in alternatives for Eucharist, but says believers can still take part without consuming bothIt's the ancient ritual that unites millions of Christians in faith - but the Church of England is facing accusations that holy communion excludes non-drinkers or worshippers with dietary intolerances.C of E guidance determines the type of bread and wine that can be consecrated as part of the Eucharist ritual, which symbolises Jesus Christ's sacrifice, death and resurrection and commemorates the Last Supper. Continue reading...

Three men taken to hospital, two with serious injuries, after incident in Stoneybatter neighbourhoodA man has been arrested after three people were injured in a suspected knife attack that has left a Dublin neighbourhood in a state of shock".Irish police said they were responding to a serious incident after about 3pm on Sunday. Continue reading...

Review into accountability soon to report as police seek greater protection from prosecution over use of forcePolice want changes to the law giving them a licence to kill", leading rights groups have warned as the government prepares to give officers new protections from prosecution.A government-ordered review into police accountability is expected to report within weeks. It followed fears of a walkout by angry armed officers in London after a police marksman, Martyn Blake, was tried for murder over the shooting of Chris Kaba. Blake was acquitted in October by a jury in three hours. Continue reading...

Israel says it will not agree to full withdrawal until Hamas's military and political capabilities have been eliminated

Industry insiders say it will be tricky' to find suitable candidate who would agree to location and civil service payBritain's state-owned energy company faces a challenging" task to find a chief executive for its Aberdeen HQ when it begins recruiting this month, senior industry sources have said.Great British Energy is poised to begin the hunt, but sources claim there are still no obvious frontrunners for the top job almost six months after the 8.3bn publicly owned clean energy company was formed. Continue reading...

Voters who have become victims of crime wave linked to cocaine trade will determine outcome of presidential electionEcuadorians are voting in a presidential election that has shaped up to be a repeat of the 2023 race, when they chose a young, conservative millionaire over the former leftist president's protege.Luisa Gonzalez and the incumbent, Daniel Noboa, are the clear frontrunners in the pool of 16 candidates. All have promised to reduce the widespread crime that pushed the country into an unnerving new normal four years ago. Continue reading...

An investigation found the pair had no case to answer and that the trust had breached its own disciplinary policyTwo NHS professionals were investigated and barred from their workplace for expressing interest in organising a peaceful protest in support of Palestine during their lunch break.The therapist and nurse were accused of posing a threat to the personal safety" of the staff at Kensington and Chelsea child and adolescent mental health service, and of bringing the trust into disrepute" for considering the demonstration. Continue reading...

Singer says he cried happy, childlike tears' after placing winning bid on late comedian's glasses and pipe at auctionRobbie Williams has said he bought Eric Morecambe's glasses for 20,000 at auction as the comedian was an uncle of sorts" whose spirit has been salve for my soul".The singer said he cried happy, childlike tears" after winning the bidding war last month with a final offer far exceeding the 2,000 to 4,000 estimate. Continue reading...

Campaigners demand government issue formal apology to women forced to give up their babies in 1950s-70sTime is running out for the UK government to issue a formal apology to women who were forced to give up their babies for adoption in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, campaigners have warned.Most of the estimated 185,000 women involved in forced adoptions are now in their 70s and 80s, and some have died without an apology on behalf of the state being issued. Continue reading...

Two-thirds of retirees in private rentals live in poverty, Grattan report finds, with more than half reporting net worth of less than $25,000

Local authorities urged to intervene earlier and charity preparing to launch dedicated support groupI don't remember ever having had a home-cooked meal," says Richard, crunching over the food wrappers and crushed cardboard boxes that cover his mother's kitchen floor.He glances at the broken cooker, cracked microwave and windows blocked by piles of unwashed mugs, some inexplicably tightly wrapped in cellophane. There are no clear surfaces. Blackened, disintegrating cabinets sag under yet more wreckage. Not an inch of floor can be seen. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Poll reveals 72% of UK voters favour ban on zero-hours contracts, including majority of Tory and Reform supportersLabour should fight Conservative and Reform criticism of a major expansion in workers' rights because it has an indisputable mandate" from the public, trade unions and MPs have said, after the biggest poll conducted on the issue showed huge support.A mega-poll of 21,000 people, including deep dives into Reform constituencies, showed the ban on zero-hours contracts and other protections for workers were backed by the vast majority of voters for Nigel Farage's party. Continue reading...

Best European film at Goya awards goes to musical at centre of storm over past social media posts written by its starThe multi-Oscar-nominated narco-musical Emilia Perez, whose success has been overshadowed by the emergence of a series of racist and Islamophobic social media posts written by its star, Karla Sofia Gascon, won best European film at Spain's prestigious Goya awards on Saturday night.Gascon, the first out transgender woman to be nominated for a best actress Oscar, stayed away from the ceremony after posts came to light in which she called George Floyd a drug addict swindler", denigrated China, and said Islam was becoming a hotbed of infection for humanity". Continue reading...

Minister says Labour is looking into whole incident' as Andrew Gwynne sacked over allegedly offensive messagesLabour has launched an urgent investigation into a WhatsApp group in which the Labour MP Andrew Gwynne posted completely unacceptable" messages, a minister has said.Gwynne, 50, was sacked as a health minister after reports he shared racist remarks about Diane Abbott and sexist comments about Angela Rayner, and joked about an elderly woman dying before the next election. Continue reading...

Corruption in Mexico is a problem, experts say, but any claim the two are linked shows a lack of comprehensionMexico breathed a sigh of relief this week when Donald Trump delayed his threatened tariffs by a month, apparently swerving away from an economic crisis at the last moment.But one aspect of the spat still rankles: the Trump administration's vague but shocking accusation of an intolerable alliance" between Mexico's government and organised crime. Continue reading...

Weakened state of three freed Israelis shocks country, while several released Palestinians also need hospitalisationHamas freed three hostages from Gaza and Israel released 183 prisoners and detainees on Saturday, the fifth exchange under a fragile, three-week-old ceasefire deal.The gaunt appearance of the three Israeli men shocked the country, sparking anger and dismay that could increase pressure on the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to extend the agreement to a second stage, bringing home the remaining Israeli captives. Continue reading...

The Trump ally's health plans have delighted his supporters - but others are horrified by the potential for harmAmericans suspicious of modern medicine and the status quo are watching Robert F Kennedy Jr's nomination to secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with a mixture of glee, astonishment and skepticism.Last week, Kennedy used his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee to demonstrate how fully his wellness agenda, Make America Healthy Again, and Trumpism had fused - often to the delight of supporters. Continue reading...

As Trump aims to dismantle large swaths of US government, growing outcry from Democrats appears to be having an effectWhen organizers announced a Nobody Elected Elon" protest at the treasury department's headquarters in Washington - in response to the revelation that Elon Musk's department of government efficiency" (Doge) had accessed sensitive taxpayer data - not a single Democratic lawmaker had agreed to attend.But as public outrage mounted over Donald Trump's brazen assault on the federal government, the speaking list grew. In the end, more than two dozen Democratic members of Congress including Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, spoke at the event, which drew hundreds of protesters outside on a frigid Tuesday last week. In speech after speech, they pledged to do everything in their power to block Trump from carrying out his right-wing agenda. Continue reading...

Open panic has yet to set in but MPs voice growing fears over leader's approach and threat from Reform UKOn Monday, it will be 100 days since Kemi Badenoch became the leader of a demoralised rump of 121 Conservative MPs. So, at this traditional moment for gauging initial success, how well is she doing? It depends, perhaps inevitably, on how you measure it.What you have to remember is that for the first 18 or so months after you lose an election, especially as badly as we did, no one cares what you do," one Tory MP said. From that point of view, Kemi's caution in not rushing into policies makes sense. No one is listening yet. She has time." Continue reading...

Deputy PM acknowledged there wasn't a consensus' over future of tower block after her decision to dismantle itAngela Rayner has defended her handling of a meeting with bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell disaster after some said they felt ignored by her decision to tear down the tower.The deputy prime minister did not feel she had been aggressive" during the meeting on the future of the site, she said, despite criticism from some of those present. If anyone felt that way, then I would be sincerely upset about that," she added. Continue reading...

One federal Labor MP said his party's brand has taken a dive' in Victoria - but others at the state level believe time is on their side

Despite government pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers, headteachers are under renewed pressure to avoid going into deficitSchools across England say they are being forced to make teachers and teaching assistants redundant to avoid going into deficit, in a serious blow to the new government's plans to improve education.Labour swept into government in July with a central promise to tackle the crisis in schools by recruiting 6,500 teachers. But unions have told the Observer that schools have already started making teachers redundant to balance their books, arguing that after more than a decade of funding cuts under the Tories there remain no less painful efficiencies to be made. Continue reading...

Leading climate group warns of damage to green agenda if giant project goes aheadKeir Starmer will do huge damage to the global fight against climate change if he gives in to political pressure and allows the development of a giant new oilfield in the North Sea, according to an analysis by the country's leading environmental institute.Chaired by Nicholas Stern, the Grantham Institute on Climate Change will fire a warning shot to ministers not to give the green light to the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, after suggestions that the Treasury is now in favour of allowing drilling to maximise economic growth. Continue reading...

Defiant Gazans reject Trump's resettlement plan after enduring 15 months of conflictSaaed Salem's eyes filled with tears as he surveyed the remains of his north Gaza neighbourhood on a freezing February morning. He was resting in a chair that had somehow survived the war, surrounded by grandchildren and rubble, his hope for the future and the ruins of his past.His family had lost one home in 1948, when they fled Hirbiya village, now the site of Zikim kibbutz inside Israel, to escape shelling and reports of atrocities by Israeli forces. Continue reading...

The star of TV drama The Split joins Sandi Toksvig, Richard Madeley and more in Radio 4 sitcom based on the fictional tropical isleAs the latest Desert Island Discs castaway this Sunday morning the actor Stephen Mangan is happy to confess that his first big theatrical role was as Beauty in an infant production of Beauty and the Beast. The star of the popular television drama The Split also freely admits that he saw his childhood stint as a church altar boy chiefly as a chance to enjoy the limelight.But the really surprising discovery for listeners is that if Mangan had not now been marooned as a guest on the long-running BBC programme by presenter Lauren Laverne, he could never have made his next show. Continue reading...

Rising demand and ballooning council deficits have left a threadbare service - and children and parents in crisisSuccessful complaints about councils' special educational needs and disability (Send) services in England have quadrupled in four years, in the latest evidence of the crisis facing the system.The local government and social care ombudsman (LGO), which handles complaints about English councils, upheld 1,043 cases regarding Send provision in 2024 - nearly 40% more than in 2023, and four times more than the 258 upheld in 2021. Continue reading...

The group of five workers were greeted at Bangkok airport by overjoyed family members and officials after being held for over a year in Gaza

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Greens concede loss to Liberals in Prahran and ALP on a knife-edge in Werribee

One woman killed and another taken to hospital with injuries to hands and face, paramedics say

Birth control devices and HRT therapies to be listed on PBS alongside Medicare and bulk-billing changes, with Coalition immediately backing policy

Project aims to enable faster information exchange among involved parties to modernise cumbersome' processThe government is planning to digitalise data shared during property sales to tackle delays in transactions and speed up the homebuying process.Labour has announced a 12-week project to decide on the design and implementation of agreed rules on data" so that it can easily be shared between conveyancers, lenders and other parties involved in a transaction. Continue reading...

Those affected were accused of being bots and asked to fill out a form for the tour's promoters to reviewOasis fans have said their dreams have been crushed" after Ticketmaster cancelled their tickets to the band's reunion tour, accusing them of being bots.Several people have received an email from the company that said bots were identified making their purchase for Oasis Live '25 tickets, and urged them to fill out a form to rectify the issue. Continue reading...

Children seeking gender dysphoria treatment are finding care interstate after LNP government's prescriptions pause

Demonstrators at the proposed site included Hongkongers who fear it could be used to illegally detain dissentersLarge crowds gathered outside the proposed site of a new Chinese mega-embassy" in London on Saturday, as politicians and protesters expressed concerns it could be used to control" dissidents.More than 1,000 people congregated outside the Royal Mint Court, the former headquarters of the UK's coin maker, near the Tower of London. The site could soon be turned into a Chinese embassy. Continue reading...

The rise of Nigel Farage's party is a concern for many MPs in seats where Reform came a close second at the general electionReform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is now neck and neck with Labour largely because its stance on immigration is proving attractive to floating voters, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.The rise of the populist rightwing party is causing increasing concern in the Labour high command and among the many Labour MPs who hold seats where Reform came a close second at last summer's general election. Continue reading...

Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced the shocking' images of freed Israeli hostages as Hamas accused Israel of slow killing' imprisoned PalestiniansA small crowd has gathered at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, which will only grow as the release of Ohad Ben Ami, Or Levy and Eli Sharabi draws closer, Israel's Haaretz newspaper is reporting.The people are holding signs with posters of the three hostages, and one is holding a homemade sign reading I'm sorry that it took so long, welcome back". Continue reading...

Parents of Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe also criticise televising of Axel Rudakubana's sentencingThe parents of two of the girls murdered in Southport have spoken of the moment they were told something awful has happened" to their children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.The families of Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe also called for more protection for children from the internet and criticised the decision to televise the sentencing of Axel Rudakubana, who was jailed last month for a minimum term of 52 years. Continue reading...

MP also suspended from Labour party after exposure of messages in which he said he hoped for pensioner's deathA Labour minister has been sacked and suspended from the party after messages were exposed in which he said he hoped a pensioner who did not support him would die before the next set of elections.Andrew Gwynne, who was a health minister, was also accused of writing a series of other messages containing racist and sexist comments. They included apparent antisemitic remarks and demeaning comments about Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister. Continue reading...

Pledge to fix broken welfare system follows new evidence that people are worried about returning to work for fear that benefits will be withdrawnBritain's broken welfare system is fuelling the greatest unemployment challenge of a generation", ministers have concluded as they draw up a root-and-branch overhaul designed to counter the spiralling numbers deemed too unwell to work.Rules that force benefit claimants into an all or nothing" choice between working and being deemed too sick to work are set to be redrawn, the Observer understands. It follows new evidence that thousands of people who want to work are worried about taking steps to return to the workplace out of fear that their benefits will be withdrawn. Continue reading...

When Covid hit, people were anxious and frightened. So Catherine Barrett started a page - the Kindness Pandemic - to let them know they weren't alone

Shareholder lobby group says parents trust G8 Education to look after children but carers are not supported to look after their own'

A bizarre mining business's fake audit reveals the potential for fraudsters at Companies HouseAt first glance, there is nothing remarkable about Gofer Mining plc. It appears to be just another multibillion-pound corporate giant, with London headquarters in Canary Wharf and interests stretching from Tibet to Ukraine.Its lengthy financial accounts are full of prosaic details about mineral weights, rare metal assets and exploration plans. Continue reading...

Reform has surged in the polls, panicking both Labour and the Conservatives. It's a trap, and the risks are highNigel Farage is making trouble again. Reform, his latest political vehicle, has surged in the polls, moving into first place with some pollsters, and ruffling feathers on Labour back benches.While Farage has caused headaches for every prime minister since David Cameron, his recent rise is something new. Reform scored an average of almost 25% in January polls, past the peaks achieved by Ukip or the Brexit party in earlier parliaments. And while past Farage surges were spikes driven by circumstances - European parliament elections, the EU referendum, the collapse of Theresa May's government - the current rise is more sustained. This Farage boom is no bubble. Continue reading...

From the third runway to Rosebank, the party is rethinking policies, amid the threat of Reform and return of TrumpIt only takes a quick look at today's poll by Opinium for the Observer to see why a big tactical rethink (some in the Labour party call it a panic) is under way in Downing Street.In the space of a couple of weeks, the Labour high-command has morphed from being a risk-averse, technocratic operation which said and did very little that was interesting in order to win power - and did little more in the first six months after taking it - into something else entirely. Continue reading...