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Pay issues and low morale contribute to almost 12% of Whitehall staff changing department or leaving in year to March, report saysChurn in the UK's civil service is at its highest level since 2010 aside from its post-pandemic peak, with almost 12% of Whitehall staff changing department or leaving the government workforce in the year to the end of March, according to an analysis.The Institute for Government's annual Whitehall monitor found there had been a drop since 2022 when, after the worst of the Covid crisis, 13.6% of civil servants left their jobs - but it remained higher than at any point since the Conservatives took power 14 years ago. Continue reading...

Announcement comes less than a week after Denmark's longest serving monarch abdicated the throneHaving abdicated the Danish throne after 52 years on exactly the same date she became queen - and announced her surprise decision live on TV with just two weeks' notice - there's little doubt Margrethe II has a sense of drama.After signing the abdication declaration last weekend, she left the room with tears in her eyes and the words: God bless the king." Continue reading...

Gold-mounted dentures worn during We shall fight on the beaches' speech helped fix childhood lispA set of false teeth worn by Winston Churchill during his We shall fight on the beaches" speech are to be sold at auction next month.The gold-mounted dentures are expected to fetch between 5,000 and 8,000 when they go under the hammer in Cheltenham on 6 February. Continue reading...

Melanie Battersby, 37, welcomes rapid review' into death of toddler alongside father in SkegnessThe sister of Bronson Battersby, the two-year-old boy found dead alongside his father in Lincolnshire, has said police and social services did what they could" and she does not blame them.Speaking as Lincolnshire county council carried out a rapid review" into the death of the toddler, Melanie Battersby said she welcomed the local authority inquiry. Continue reading...

Kharkiv, only 25 miles from Russia, has been under constant attack since the start of the war in Ukraine. Now fragments of rockets from North Korea are being found among the debris

Parents advised to check vaccination status of children, with full uptake of MMR jab down to average of 85%Further outbreaks of measles could spread across Britain, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned, after declaring a national incident amid a surge in cases and low vaccine uptake.Recent figures from the agency revealed a sharp rise in the number of measles cases, with uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at its lowest level in more than a decade and well under" the recommended coverage, the UKHSA chief executive, Dame Jenny Harries, has said. Continue reading...

Lawsuit alleges that office of Jefferson parish district attorney is violating state public records laws by setting such a high priceA Louisiana state prosecutor who declined to file a murder charge in connection with a man's drugging and robbery death in 2017 has demanded more than $18,000 for the victim's grieving father to obtain public records related to the case.Robert G Arthur III - whose son, Shawn Arthur, died as a result of federal sex trafficking and theft crimes, according to a judge - responded to the demand by filing a lawsuit Wednesday which alleges that the office of Jefferson parish district attorney Paul Connick is violating state public records laws by setting such a high price. Continue reading...

At least 27 die in weather-related circumstances in Pacific north-west as freezing temperatures, sleet and snow hit several statesMore than 70 million people across the US were put under winter weather alerts this past week, from Oregon to Maine. Temperatures fell to -45C in some areas, and the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a wind chill warning across parts of Texas through last weekend, with warnings of hypothermia and frostbite from wind chills of -32C.Additionally, nearly 10in (25cm) of snow fell across parts of Iowa, and other states across the midwest received six to 10in of snow last weekend. Continue reading...

The former minister aims to apply order in France where her former staffer, whom she is suing for defamation, now lives

Staff say situation at Nasser hospital catastrophic' as Israeli airstrikes hit metres awayIsraeli forces have advanced further into southern Gaza, with airstrikes and close-combat fighting nearing areas crowded with more than a million people who have sought refuge from fighting and destruction across the rest of the territory.The prospect of major operations taking place in terrain with such a dense and vulnerable population is deeply concerning", say aid officials, who fear Gaza's largest remaining hospital may have to be closed or evacuated. Continue reading...

Temperatures to turn milder from Saturday, with wet and windy conditions expected through the weekendSnow and ice will be replaced by wind and rain as milder air returns to the UK.Yellow alerts for snow and ice remain in effect across Scotland on Friday, with the Met Office warning wintry showers could bring disruption to transport and travel. Continue reading...

December figures show biggest monthly fall since shops were forced to close during pandemic in 2021

Changes to imprisonment for public protection scheme in England and Wales do not tackle the cases of nearly 1,250 prisoners'A UN torture expert has said changes to the imprisonment for public protection (IPP) scheme in England and Wales do not go far enough and repeated her call for prisoners jailed under the indefinite sentencing regime to be granted release dates.The changes, announced by the government in November, will mean that IPP prisoners, who can be recalled at any time when released on licence, can apply to the Parole Board to have their sentence terminated three years after leaving jail, rather than the current 10 years. Continue reading...

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Mayor pledges 123m to keep prices down as opponents accuse him of trying to buy re-election votesLondoners will not pay anything more for single tube and bus fares until at least March 2025 after the mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced a fare freeze.Transport costs will however continue to rise for people making multiple journeys, as travelcards and daily and weekly fare caps for contactless pay-as-you-go journeys will rise in line with national fares, which are due to go up by 4.9% in the spring. Continue reading...

Exclusive: FoI request reveals Home Office paid 133,000 to charity for support for frontline staff amid surge in agency's absences

It was unfortunate this discovery was over a holiday period,' Howard Collins says while warning of further traffic delays at Rozelle interchangeThe head of Transport for New South Wales has admitted it wasn't good enough that it took a week for the department to respond to reports of potential asbestos in mulch at the Rozelle parklands.The TfNSW coordinator general, Howard Collins, said the department was so grateful" to the member of the public who alerted the agency to the asbestos contamination on 2 January.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Several people lucky to escape North Bondi blaze that has prompted a warning about lithium-ion batteries

Storm brewing in the Coral Sea could develop into a cyclone and hit the coast mid-next week, BoM weather update says

South Korea says backgrounds of recent defectors including some elite class' indicate growing discontent with regime of Kim Jong-unThe number of North Koreans who defected to South Korea tripled last year, as the easing of border closures imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic encouraged students, women and diplomats to make the perilous journey.At 196, the number was still well below the pre-pandemic average, but South Korean authorities said the backgrounds of many recent defectors pointed to growing discontent with the regime of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un. Continue reading...

Businesses close, and water supply, internet and fuel affected as outback town swelters in temperatures forecast to hit 40C

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, is seeking class action status for attenders of all other Celebration tour shows in the US that started lateTwo Madonna fans in New York City are suing the pop star for starting her concert late, claiming that they had to get up early to go to work" the next morning.In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court, Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden say they bought tickets to a 13 December show at Barclays Center as part of Madonna's Celebration tour. Continue reading...

Executives of Woolworths, Coles and Aldi have agreed to appear at hearings, Steven Miles said, amid concerns from farmers and consumers

Houthis launch new attack on the Chem Ranger ship in the Gulf of Aden; US officials say the missiles hit the water causing no damageWhile Iran has taken low-level action against Balochistan in the past, Tuesday's strikes were unusually heavy-handed and Thursday's retaliatory bombings were the first time that Pakistan has responded with comprehensive military action against its neighbour.Sources in Islamabad said the decision was taken after heavy political and military pressure on the top army leadership to show strength against Tehran. Continue reading...

Company sought arrest warrant for Keith Keef' Leech after he allegedly posted links to confidential documents on social media in defiance of court order

Victoria police confiscate more than 70 boxes of Lego as 45-year-old man arrested following searches across Melbourne

Anthony Albanese tells national broadcaster country singer sort of lives in' 14.5-metre bus during segment commemorating her 78th birthday

Sister of headteacher who killed herself welcomes new direction but says single-word judgments impede real reformOfsted is to urge schools to pause" inspections that appear to be damaging the mental health of their staff, as part of its formal response to the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.The schools inspectorate for England is also pledging to hold a public consultation with families and teachers where nothing is off the table", and will consider overhauling how it inspects and grades safeguarding. Continue reading...

Defiant Houthi leader mocks US president and calls for boycott of Israeli goods as Biden tells reporters attacks are going to continue'

Thick smoke rises above strategic neighbourhood of Solino as frantic residents call into radio stations for help

Mongkol Thirakot receives record sentence under kingdom's strict lese-majesty laws for posts on personal Facebook accountA Thai man has been given a 50-year prison sentence for criticising the monarchy - the longest jail term handed down under the kingdom's strict lese-majesty laws - a legal rights group said.The record-breaking sentence comes after several years in which Thailand has ramped up use of the legislation against pro-democracy protesters in what critics say is a tactic to silence dissent. Continue reading...

Co-defendant Michael Roman requests DA be stood down over claims of improper romantic relationship with special prosecutorThe Georgia judge overseeing the racketeering case charging Donald Trump and allies with attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in the state has scheduled a hearing for February to weigh whether the Fulton county district attorney should be disqualified from prosecuting the charges.In a one-page order, the Fulton county superior judge Scott McAfee set an evidentiary hearing for 15 February to address allegations raised by Trump's co-defendant Michael Roman that the district attorney Fani Willis had an improper romantic relationship with one of her prosecutors. Continue reading...

PM rebuts White House by saying all territory west of Jordan River would be under Israeli security control

Removing biggest serving would not affect total profits, research suggests, but customers might complainIt may cause sour grapes among those halfway through dry January, salivating over the thought of that sauvignon blanc in a fortnight's time.But experts at Cambridge University have found that taking the biggest serving of wine off bar menus could benefit the nation's health without hurting pubs' profits. Continue reading...

UK's biggest Rolex and Omega seller becomes latest luxury retailer to be hit by switch in spending by aspirational shoppersThe share price of Watches of Switzerland has dived by more than a third in one day - wiping 516m off its value - as the UK's biggest seller of Rolex and Omega timepieces became the latest luxury retailer to experience a reining in of spending by aspirational shoppers.The plunge on Thursday came after the company said full-year revenues would be 100m below expectations because well-heeled customers were switching their purchasing power to other categories such as fashion, beauty, hospitality and travel. Continue reading...

MPs questioned freeholder groups in committee hearing over leasehold reform billMPs have laid into freeholders for creating a rentier structure" in England and Wales in recent years, charging exorbitant" ground rents of 8,000 a year in some cases, as a freeholder group pushed back against proposed changes to leasehold laws.The government's long-awaited leasehold reform bill, which would make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to extend their lease and buy the freehold, and will ban leaseholds on newly built houses - but not flats - in England and Wales, is at the committee scrutiny stage. Continue reading...

US rapper scheduled to appear in court on Thursday and is being held in a Santo Domingo jailAuthorities in the Dominican Republic have arrested US rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, who is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday on charges of domestic violence.The rapper, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, is being held at a jail in the capital of Santo Domingo, where he was arrested Wednesday, officials said. Continue reading...

Many schools in Scotland remain shut amid lows of -13.6C with the Met Office indicating the temperature fell to -11C in EnglandHundreds of schools in Scotland have been closed, some for a fourth day, due to heavy snow amid weather warnings across many parts of the UK.Much of Britain endured temperatures below freezing overnight on Wednesday, with preliminary data from the Met Office indicating the mercury fell to -13.6C at Tulloch Bridge in the Highlands, and as low as -11C in England. Continue reading...

Prime minister says he wants first flight to leave as soon as practicably possible' but will not give date. This live blog is closedQ: When you said you would stop the boats, people thought that meant reducing them to negligble numbers. That is not going to happen, is it?Sunak says he is proud of the progress he has made. He always said it would be difficult. Continue reading...

Dalton Clark Stewart, 22, accused of lighting Canada's Barrington Lake fire, which burned for one month in 2023A Nova Scotia man has been charged for allegedly starting the eastern Canadian province's largest-ever wildfire.The charges against Dalton Clark Stewart, 22, come only days after a Quebec man, inspired by conspiracy theories, pleaded guilty to 14 charges of arson after deliberately lighting forest fires. Continue reading...

The freezing temperatures in Iowa - fuelled by global heating - has not dampened Republican enthusiasm for oil and gasIn the wake of an Iowa primary election chilled in a record blast of cold weather - which scientists say may, counterintuitively, have been worsened by global heating - Republican presidential candidates are embracing the fossil fuel industry tighter than ever, with little to say about the growing toll the climate crisis is taking upon Americans.The remaining contenders for the US presidential nomination - frontrunner Donald Trump, along with Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis - all used the Iowa caucus to promise surging levels of oil and gas drilling if elected, along with the wholesale abolition of Joe Biden's climate change policies. Continue reading...

Aslef responds to operator's threat to impose minimum service levels at London-Scotland serviceThe train drivers' union Aslef has called an extra five days of strikes at LNER in response to the threatened imposition of minimum service levels at the state-run London-Scotland service.The controversial legislation, brought in by the government in late 2023, is likely to be trialled for the first time in the latest round of rail strikes. Continue reading...

Polling expert says similarity between two main parties and clear Labour lead also likely to suppress voting numbersThe polling expert Prof John Curtice has warned of low turnout at this year's general election, in part because voters regard Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to be as dull as dishwater".Speaking at an event for the Citizens Advice charity, Curtice cited boring leaders as one of three reasons why the voting numbers would be down. Continue reading...

Firm rejects union plan leaving UK on course to become only major economy unable to make steel from scratchThe owners of Port Talbot steelworks have rejected a trade union plan designed to keep its blast furnaces running, putting nearly 3,000 jobs at risk and leaving the UK on course to become the only major economy unable to make steel from scratch.In what one union said would be a crushing blow" to workers and UK steelmaking, Port Talbot's parent company, the Indian-owned Tata Steel, told workers' representatives that it could no longer afford to continue production at the loss-making plant in south Wales while it completed a four-year transition plan to greener production. Continue reading...

Drone and missile attacks in Sistan and Balochistan province come after Iran struck sites inside Pakistan

Combined action by about 150,000 nurses, teachers, cleaners and other sector workers is biggest in living memoryThousands of public sector workers have staged pickets and marches across Northern Ireland in the biggest strike in living memory.The combined action by nurses, teachers, bus drivers, carers, cleaners, civil servants and other sectors brought parts of the region to a standstill on Thursday and raised the stakes in a political crisis that has paralysed devolved government. Continue reading...

Proposals include the creation of a libraries minister and a high-profile libraries laureate to be the sector's public championAn independent review of libraries in England has found a lack of recognition" across government and a lack of awareness" among the general public of what libraries have to offer.The review proposes the creation of a libraries minister, the establishment of a libraries laureate and a branding campaign to raise awareness of the role of libraries, among other recommendations. Continue reading...

Company says there was briefly' a problem with inappropriate Arabic translations'

Costs listed in new report include optional items such as music instruments and outside tuition and are really inflated', expert says

Exclusive: Legal observer for volunteer group, Action Ready, says police were recording number plates of cars displaying Palestinian flags