The highly transmissible disease was found in north-east states in recent weeks and is likely to spread to the midwest and west coastThough measles had been eradicated in the US in 2000, the disease is expected to continue a nationwide spread primarily because of vaccine skepticism, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said.Measles, one of the most transmissible diseases, has been found in recent weeks in some north-eastern US states, according to the CDC. Continue reading...
Redundancies will come mainly from workers who install equipment in homesSky is to cut about 1,000 jobs as customers move away from traditional satellite pay-TV to streaming-based services, in the latest round of redundancies to hit the UK media industry.The company, which employs about 26,000 staff in the UK, is seeking to reduce its workforce by about 4% this year. Continue reading...
Party prepares to claim Northern Ireland first minister post for first time with power sharing set to resumeSinn Fein has said a united Ireland is within touching distance" as the party prepares to claim the post of Northern Ireland first minister for the first time.Mary Lou McDonald said on Tuesday the expected restoration of power sharing in the wake of a deal between the Democratic Unionist party and the UK government came amid a historical turning of the wheel" that would unite the island. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story herePeople with close connections" to the UK and their local area are to be favoured for social housing in England under a new government consultation, PA Media reports. PA says:Applicants will be required to demonstrate a connection to the UK for at least 10 years and their local area for at least two years in an overhaul" of the system.Those with unspent criminal convictions or certain civil sanctions for antisocial behaviour could be banned from social housing for up to five years.Social housing is designed to support those in the greatest need. Government data shows that 90% of new social housing lettings go to UK nationals, with long waiting lists in all areas. Imposing extended qualification periods before people can even get on the housing register is likely to force more people into homelessness. If the government's main concern is to increase the availability of social lettings, it could achieve this far more effectively by building more social housing. Continue reading...
Judge refuses application after considering case documents relating to the murders of seven babiesThe child serial killer Lucy Letby has had an initial attempt to challenge her convictions refused by the court of appeal.The nurse lodged an application for permission to appeal against all of her convictions in September. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6J87J)
West Yorkshire police say mother of baby, thought to have been stillborn, has been identifiedThe mother of a newborn girl found dead in a pub toilet has been identified and is receiving care and support, police have said.The baby girl, believed by authorities to have been stillborn in a toilet cubicle, was found on Sunday afternoon at the Three Horse Shoes pub in Oulton, Leeds. Continue reading...
Michael Allen, 32, died while trying to act as peacemaker' when fight broke out outside Bodmin nightclubA man fatally stabbed a peacemaker" who was trying to break up fighting and injured five other people when he went on a knife rampage outside a Cornish nightclub, a jury has been told.Jake Hill, 24, had hidden a hunting knife with a serrated edge in a hedge before he went into the club and used it when disorder broke out as the nightspot shut, the court was told. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#6J84J)
Barriers to emergency contraception should be removed, says Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive HealthcareWomen should be given full control of their contraceptive needs by being allowed to buy the morning-after pill in supermarkets and petrol stations in the UK, a coalition of healthcare bodies has said.The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) said it was high time the barriers to emergency contraception were removed by reclassifying the morning-after pill under the general sales list, meaning it could be bought in shops. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6J86Q)
Attorney general orders review into decision by prosectors to accept manslaughter pleas after criticism from victims' familiesProsecutors are to be investigated for their handling of the Valdo Calocane case, including their decision to accept his manslaughter pleas, the attorney general has announced.Victoria Prentis said the review would look at the Crown Prosecution Service's decision to accept Calocane's guilty pleas to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility, and whether the CPS met its duties to consult the families before accepting the pleas. Continue reading...
Seven fire engines attend extremely challenging' blaze on MondayTwo women have died and a baby was treated to hospital following a fire in a flat in Aberdeen.Emergency services were called to the scene on Back Hilton Road, at about 6pm on Monday. Continue reading...
Artworks and Beatles ephemera including an incomplete novel about Lennon among work by visual artist and bass player who died aged 21The archive of Stuart Sutcliffe, the original bassist with the Beatles, is up for sale, featuring more than 400 paintings and drawings - plus astonishing Beatles ephemera including an unfinished novel about John Lennon.Sutcliffe was a galvanising force in the Beatles, who met John Lennon when the pair were art students in Liverpool - after joining Paul McCartney and George Harrison in skiffle group the Quarrymen, it was Sutcliffe and Lennon who spliced a reference to Beat poets with a nod to Buddy Holly's band the Crickets, thus creating the Beatles' band name.This comprehensive archive comprises over 400 poetic artworks, several amid prior exhibits in prestigious galleries and museums. Complimenting the art includes 200 documents: letters, poems, essays, and an incomplete novel about John Lennon. It weaves a captivating visual narrative, featuring 37 original photographs chronicling the band's formative days in England and Germany. Within these treasures lie poignant letters exchanged between Sutcliffe, Lennon, and their inner circle, unveiling the depth of their relationships and the fervent creativity igniting their iconic artistic journey. Continue reading...
More than 150 officers and staff found guilty in year to April 2023 - a 70% rise on previous yearMore than 150 police officers and staff in England and Wales were found guilty of crimes last year after a complaint or misconduct investigation - up 70% compared with the year before.Home Office figures show that, in the year to April 2023, 115 officers and 43 staff were found guilty of crimes including sexual offences and violence against the person - up from 68 and 25 the year before. Continue reading...
by Stephen Burgen in Barcelona and Sam Jones in Madri on (#6J80K)
Spanish government also looking into reports their applications to join municipal register in Ripoll held upThe European Commission and the Spanish government are looking into claims that a far-right town council in Catalonia is preventing immigrants from accessing basic public services by making it hard for them to join the municipal register.The register, known as empadronamiento, is open to everyone in Spain, regardless of immigration status, and is the point of access for public healthcare, education and other vital services. Continue reading...
Transparency International index positions nation at 14th, as head of group talks of reducing big money's influence on politics and whistleblower protections
Former Pakistan prime minister and one of his party deputies each sentenced to 10 years in prisonA Pakistani court has sentenced the former prime minister Imran Khan and one of his party deputies to 10 years in prison each after finding them guilty of revealing official secrets.According to Zulfiqar Bukhari, a spokesperson for Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, the court announced the verdict at a prison in the city of Rawalpindi. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: how the DUP finally brought two-year boycott of Stormont assembly to an end Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. It took 726 days, and a fraught five hour meeting that ended at one o'clock this morning - but at last, it looks like power-sharing is back on in Northern Ireland.At a press conference after a meeting at a remote venue in County Down a few hours ago, Democratic Unionist party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said that his party would finally end its boycott of the Stormont assembly. He told journalists: The result was clear, the DUP has been decisive, I have been mandated to move forward." That means that the Northern Ireland executive is likely to return before an 8 February deadline for forming an administration. Barring any drama in the next week, Sinn Fein will hold the symbolic first minister position for the first time - and something like normal business will resume.Middle East | Joe Biden's defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, has vowed the US will take all necessary actions" to defend its troops after Iran-backed militants killed three and wounded dozens more in a drone attack in Jordan. Qatar's prime minister said on Monday he hoped any US retaliation would not undercut progress toward a new Israel-Hamas hostage release deal in weekend talks.Local government | Households across England are facing an inflation-busting 2bn council tax raid this spring despite Rishi Sunak's promise of pre-election giveaways. After an announcement last week of an extra 600m in local government funding in England, council bosses have been told that the government expects the maximum 4.99% increase in council tax - about 100 extra on a typical band D bill. Read an analysis of the state of council budgets.Conservatives | Kemi Badenoch is a member of a Conservative WhatsApp group called Evil Plotters" despite telling party rebels to get behind Rishi Sunak, the Guardian can reveal. The business secretary has criticised party colleagues for stirring" up suggestions that she could replace the prime minister - but is part of a group rallying round her longer-term ambitions.Health | Alzheimer's can be spread from human to human through rare medical accidents, research suggests, although experts stress there is no evidence the disease can be passed between people through everyday activities or routine care.UK news | The actor and rightwing activist Laurence Fox has lost a high court libel battle with two men he baselessly called paedophiles after they said he was a racist. A judge dismissed Fox's own claim that the allegations of racism were defamatory and said that damages would be discussed at a later date. Continue reading...
Militant Palestinian group begins to rebuild system of governance in north after being driven out by Israeli forcesHamas militants have returned to northern Gaza, where they are mobilising against Israeli forces and rebuilding a system of governance, aid officials, Gaza residents, analysts and Israeli officials say.Elsewhere in Gaza, Hamas administrators and police maintain firm control of the south, where much of the population is concentrated, though civil order is breaking down in central regions. Continue reading...
A dozen playwrights and directors meet in Kyiv and find comedy can be an important part of their creative processIn a studio theatre tucked into a courtyard behind Kyiv's main Khreshchatyk Street, six playwrights and six directors were hammering out a fraught question: how to write plays about war, during the war.One unexpected outcome of their workshops was: through jokes. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6J7WB)
Aslef drivers at Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Thameslink and South Western stop workMost commuter trains in south-east England will not run on Tuesday, in the first in a series of rolling 24-hour strikes by drivers that will bring more disruption to Britain's rail network this week.Drivers in the Aslef union are on strike at Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Thameslink and South Western Railway on Tuesday, as part of a long-running dispute over pay. Continue reading...
by Rory Carroll, Ireland correspondent on (#6J7V0)
Sinn Fein will get to nominate its inaugural first minister after Westminster legislates to end checks on goods moving within UK and imposition of EU lawThe Democratic Unionist party has endorsed a deal with the UK government to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland, paving an end to two years of political deadlock.Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the party would revive the mothballed Stormont executive and assembly once the government tabled promised legislation. Continue reading...
Agencies including Oxfam and Save the Children note Gaza population already facing famine due to Israeli siege and bombardmentInternational aid agencies have said they are deeply concerned and outraged" at the reckless" decision by major donors to cut funding to a UN Palestinian aid agency after Israel accused some of its workers of taking part in Hamas' 7 October attack.We are shocked by the reckless decision to cut a lifeline for an entire population by some of the very countries that had called for aid in Gaza to be stepped up and for humanitarians to be protected while doing their job," the coalition of 21 agencies, including Oxfam, Save the Children and ActionAid, said in a statement on Monday. Continue reading...
by Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies on (#6J7V3)
North Korea's leader has increased his displays of military aggression but analysts are split on whether it's a sign of electoral interference or a war footingWhen a highly militarised dictatorship fires artillery shells in the direction of its neighbour, which it has just denounced as its greatest enemy", then tests cruise missiles and underwater nuclear attack drones, it is reasonable to believe that armed conflict could follow.But when that country is North Korea, conventional geopolitical punditry is often left wanting. Continue reading...
The singer argued that receiving payments from the trust of his late father, Gregg Allman, put him in danger due to his substance abuseA judge has rejected Cher's request that her adult son be put into an emergency court conservatorship controlling his money.The Oscar- and Grammy-winning singer and actor had argued in a petition that 47-year-old Elijah Blue Allman's large payments from the trust of his late father, rocker Gregg Allman, are putting him in danger because of his struggles with mental health and substance abuse. Continue reading...
by Reged Ahmad (now); Léonie Chao-Fong, Martin Belam on (#6J6YZ)
US secretary of state describes proposal on the table as strong and compelling'; White House calls Israeli ministers' comments reckless and incendiary'
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#6J7Q2)
Tom Parker Bowles among 21 writers providing snapshot of contemporary literature in initiative supported by the queenAll parents are proud of their children's achievements, and the queen is clearly no exception.Tom Parker Bowles is among 21 writers chosen to provide a snapshot of contemporary literature as part of the 100th anniversary of Queen Mary's Dolls' House, in an initiative championed by his mother. Continue reading...
Report on refugees' experiences says some compare NHS dentistry provision negatively with that in their home countryUkrainians who have moved to the UK have highlighted the lack of dentists as among the most astonishing aspects of British life, according to a report on the experiences of people granted humanitarian visas.Access to medical care is free of charge on the NHS for Ukrainians, but researchers at Birmingham University heard notably outspoken accounts about the difficulty of securing dental treatment. Continue reading...
Train services suspended due to safety concerns as people demonstrate against Peru's consolidation of ticket salesProtesters in Peru are blocking access to Machu Picchu, leaving some tourists stranded amid local anger over a new ticketing system halting rail transport to one of South America's most popular heritage sites.Train services to the ancient ruins high up in the Andes have been suspended since Saturday due to safety concerns over demonstrators blocking the railway line. Travel links were still not reopened on Monday, two tour operators told Reuters. Continue reading...
Cecilie Hollberg sparks outrage in remarks about capital city of Tuscan region being crushed by tourism'Mass tourism has turned Florence into a prostitute", one of the city's museum directors has said, sparking outrage from politicians including Italy's culture minister.Once a city becomes a prostitute, it is difficult for it to become a virgin again," Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Galleria dell'Accademia that houses Michelangelo's statue of David, told reporters on the sidelines of an event. Continue reading...
Conservative opposition in the House of Lords could prolong wrangling over bill's implementationRishi Sunak's troubled Rwanda deportation plan has been condemned by Conservative peers, historians and bishops in an indication that the House of Lords could demand changes that might delay its implementation.Ken Clarke, the Conservative former chancellor and former lord chancellor, joined the archbishop of Canterbury and the historian Peter Hennessy on Monday evening in opposing the government's plan to overturn a ruling by the UK's highest court and send asylum seekers to the central African country. Continue reading...
Mother and father of teenager are accused of failing to safeguard weapon and ammunition used in massacreThe parents of a 13-year-old accused of killing 10 people in a school shooting in Serbia last year have gone on trial for allegedly failing to safeguard the weapon and ammunition used in the attack.The massacre last May - and a second mass shooting a day later - rocked the Balkan nation, setting off major anti-government demonstrations that led to the formation of an opposition coalition that stood in recent elections. Continue reading...
Those who tried to visit or write to the journalist, who is serving a 25-year sentence, were unsuccessfulThe prominent Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is serving a 25-year sentence for treason, has disappeared from the Siberian prison where he was behind bars, according to his supporters.Kara-Murza, 42, was being held in a prison in the Omsk region, but a letter sent to him by the activist and journalist Alexander Podrabinek was returned with the notation that the inmate was no longer there, Podrabinek said on Facebook. Continue reading...
Government-backed scheme overseen by Tory mayor cleared of cronyism and corruption, but transparency found wantingTaxpayers are not being guaranteed value for money or transparency at a regeneration project overseen by the Conservative Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen, according to a review that cleared it of cronyism and corruption.An independent review of Teesworks, one of the highest-profile, government-backed regeneration schemes in Britain, found the project was excessively secretive and could not ensure public money was being well spent. Continue reading...
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