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Community representatives say a good sendoff' is a religious necessity, but others say it introduces a competitive elementThe latest addition to Ballyhaunis cemetery in Ireland's County Mayo towers over neighbouring headstones in a blaze of white marble and ornamentation. Rose-wreathed pillars frame a tableau of statues showing Jesus, angels, cherubim and biblical scenes, including an engraving of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.Marble tablets express bereavement in gold letters, a photo of the deceased gazes from a carved stone bench and lanterns with diamond-shaped bulbs and electric sensors flank the central slab. Continue reading...

Campaigners against labour exploitation urge government to conduct more stringent checks before awarding powersHundreds of newly established care providers have been granted licences by the Home Office to sponsor workers from abroad, despite being newly established and having no track record of providing services in Britain, the Observer can reveal.Suspected bogus companies with copy-and-paste websites, fake-looking reviews and PO boxes as addresses are among those granted licences allowing them to sponsor workers to come to the UK. Continue reading...

Drivers in capital cities faced increases of 12.4% in 2023 while the average driver in regional areas was hit with a 13.7% riseAustralian households are under increasing budget pressure when it comes to car travel as transport costs balloon to three times the inflation rate.The typical household's transport costs rose by about 13% in 2023, outpacing the inflation rate of 4.1%. Continue reading...

Fundamental review' prompted by killer Wayne Couzens's record of sexual crimes as a police officerLabour has pledged to overhaul the woefully inadequate" way indecent exposure is treated in the criminal justice system after an inquiry concluded that victims were being failed.The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the party would oversee a fundamental review" of the handling of the crime, which would aim to tackle its image as a low-level offence, improve police processes and bring more perpetrators to justice. Continue reading...

Teenager Harry Miller took his own life two years after being prescribed montelukast. His family say they were not made aware of the reported psychiatric side-effects of the drugHarry Miller was a popular teenager, appreciated for his sharp humour, ability to get on with anyone and eagerness for the next adventure".In the autumn of 2017, he was struggling with difficult thoughts and feelings of anger. Harry, who was 14 and lived in south-west London, confided his inner turmoil to friends and family. Continue reading...

Campaigners call for more warnings on montelukast, after reports of night terrors, depression and other mental health eventsChildren as young as three have suffered traumatic side effects from a blockbuster asthma drug now under review by the UK drugs regulator.Families say asthma patients, including many children, are not properly warned of the risks from the commonly prescribed drug montelukast. Continue reading...

Financial experts give their advice on the best course of action for the chancellor to take on WednesdaySenior research economist,

A survey in the chancellor's new Godalming and Ash constituency has prioritised health over Treasury cuts in Wednesday's budgetFor the past few weeks, chancellor Jeremy Hunt has had a clear mission.Under pressure from Rishi Sunak, he and his Treasury officials have been poring over their options for pre-election tax cuts that the prime minister is convinced are needed to give the Tories a fighting chance at the forthcoming election. Continue reading...

Albanese also flagged concerns over nature of behaviour' in comments in lead-up to Saturday's Dunkley byelection. This blog is now closed

Prime minister says voters rejected opposition's negativity' as Labor's Jodie Belyea wins Victorian seat

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Sydney to demand a ceasefire while a separate pro-Israel rally against antisemitism took place in AdelaidePro-Palestinian protesters have taken to the streets after more than 100 Gazans were killed while trying to secure food as Australia flags more humanitarian aid.About 120 Palestinians were killed as they tried to access humanitarian resources from an aid convoy, the local Hamas health authority said, attributing the deaths to Israeli gunfire. Continue reading...

Mike Burgess says actions of person who sold out their country, party and former colleagues' were legal because they predated 2018 espionage laws

Shadow immigration minister wants better Australia' but refuses to say what level of migration Coalition would pursue in government

Chancellor Olaf Scholz describes as very serious' the circulation of a recording purportedly showing German officials discussing delivery of long-range missiles to Kyiv

Jo Hamilton presented a music award alongside Monica Dolan, who portrayed her in Mr Bates vs The Post OfficeA former sub-post office operator has used an appearance at the Brit Awards to urge the speeding-up of compensation for those unfairly prosecuted as part of the Post Office IT scandal.Jo Hamilton made her appeal alongside the actor Monica Dolan, who portrayed her in ITV's hit dramatisation of the episode, Mr Bates vs The Post Office. The pair were presenting the first category of the evening at the O2 Arena in London. Continue reading...

Revelation comes after inquest into 19-year-old's death shown texts between journalist from newspaper and Zachary Rolfe

Police confirmed one man and seven women were charged after entering the parade route near Taylor Square on Saturday night

Officials say a British-registered cargo ship hit in a missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea. This blog is now closed.The US will start airdrops of food and emergency supplies into Gaza in the next few days, Joe Biden has announced, amid UN warnings of famine and after Israeli troops opened fire on Gazans seeking food aid.The use of airdrops is a spectacular but inefficient way of delivering aid, and Friday's announcement suggests that Biden had given up on being able to persuade Israel in the near future to coordinate a large-scale ground-based relief effort under the threat of mass starvation across Gaza. Continue reading...

Israel more or less' accepts deal on hostage release and Gaza aid, but Hamas stuck on category of vulnerable hostages'Israel is reported to be close to accepting a six-week ceasefire proposal for Gaza, a senior Biden administration official told several US news outlets on Saturday, two days after more than 100 Palestinians died while attempting to access aid trucks in the territory.The official said that there is a framework deal" and Israel has more or less accepted" a ceasefire to allow for the release of Hamas-held hostages in Gaza and to allow aid into the territory that has been devastated by four months of bombardment, killing more than 30,000 people. Continue reading...

Bagpuss, the Clangers and Paddington are among the icons of childhood that fans are determined to saveAre you sitting comfortably? Bagpuss is, but Mother Clanger is not. Dougal may be - nobody is quite sure. And the Wombles - well, they haven't been seen for years.Not all of these icons of childhood have been given the care they deserve and now some of the leading lights of children's TV and animation have called for them to be given their own home. Continue reading...

The winners of every category at the 2024 Brits, updated as the ceremony progressesBlur - The Ballad of Darren

Exclusive: Duggan's legal team continues to fight US request for extradition on charges of arms trafficking and money laundering

Three C-130 aircraft dropped a total of 66 bundles of aid to the Palestinian territory besieged by IsraelThe US air force began airdrops of aid over Gaza on Saturday afternoon, in a joint operation with Jordanian planes in a last-resort attempt to get food into the besieged coastal strip as mass starvation looms.US officials said that US and Jordanian C-130 planes taking off from Jordan dropped 66 pallets of food, containing a total of 38,000 meals at mid-afternoon local time, in the first of a series of airdrops that Joe Biden announced on Friday. Continue reading...

A local authority leader claims private equity groups are exploiting vulnerable youngsters in care homes in the pursuit of profitCare companies are insisting on unnecessary and expensive support packages for vulnerable children to boost their profits, a council leader has claimed.Barry Lewis, the Tory leader of Derbyshire county council, said that former family-run businesses acquired by private equity groups were trying to get as much cash as possible" out of local authorities. Continue reading...

Day of action takes place at almost 50 Barclays branches across England and Wales including one in central LondonProtesters have gathered in London and at almost 50 other locations across England and Wales over Israel's war in Gaza, a day after Rishi Sunak said democracy was being targeted by extremists.The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) singled out Barclays for its day of action, with hundreds of people taking part in a demonstration outside the bank's Tottenham Court Road branch in the centre of the capital. Continue reading...

Soap has given opportunities to actors, writers and production staff, says Philip Ralph on last day of filmingA screenwriter who described the decision to axe the daytime drama Doctors as disastrous" on social media has been inundated with support from the public and TV industry.Philip Ralph said soaps were collapsing as he marked the last day of filming the show, a programme he has worked on for nearly 20 years. Continue reading...

Conservatives expected to remain firmly in charge as parts of media claim election boycott campaign' has failedThe turnout in Iran's parliamentary elections appears to have dropped to 41%, a record low, but according to the official figures not quite to the levels of untenable mass abstention that some previous surveys had predicted.Polls closed at midnight on Friday, six hours later than planned due to what officials claimed was a second surge in polls in the evening, but in the capital Tehran's middle class stayed away, with fewer than 24% of the 8 million eligible to vote bothering to do so. Continue reading...

Delivering by parachute is risky and inefficient - and other options could open up if the west were to expend more diplomatic capitalHalf an hour before Rishi Sunak launched his assault on British extremism, the foreign secretary, David Cameron issued his own strong statement.Cameron said the killings of more than 100 Palestinians in Gaza as crowds gathered around aid trucks on Thursday were horrific and required an investigation and accountability. He said the halving of the number of aid trucks entering Gaza in the past month was completely unacceptable" and that Israel had an obligation" to ensure significantly more humanitarian aid reached the territory. Continue reading...

Officers were chasing two people riding a moped in Clapham when firearm dischargedTwo women were injured by shotgun pellets after a suspect dropped a firearm during a police pursuit in Clapham, the Metropolitan police have said.Officers were chasing two people riding a moped which failed to stop in Clapham, south London, at 4.55pm on Friday. The moped collided with a 27-year-old pedestrian and police said the vehicle crashed a short while later". Continue reading...

Devastating focus on separatism means public services have been run down, minister tells Tory activists in AberdeenMichael Gove has accused the Scottish National party government of running down Scotland because of its devastating" obsession with independence, as he tried to rally Conservative activists in Aberdeen.Gove, an Aberdonian who is now the most prominent Scot in the UK government, said Scotland's institutions had been neglected by the SNP because it had focused so heavily on the constitution at the expense of public services. Continue reading...

Her clothes weren't so much outfits as living tableaux. She left the house each day dressed as a picture of joyWhere to begin. The lessons in how to dress, or the lessons in how to live? Iris Apfel's 102 years were a masterclass in both.Really, of course, there's no debate. We start with the clothes, because the clothes are entirely unignorable. Not so much outfits, as living tableaux. A coat of gold-tipped duck feathers topped with a lei of turquoise pebbles at the neck. Embroidered Indian silk tunics with fringed suede trousers. Fuchsia satin boots and a banana-yellow tulle cape. Bangles stacked to the elbow, a slash of lipstick bright as apricot jam, those delicate, bird-like knuckles dusted with a clatter of sweetie-toned cocktail rings. Continue reading...

Federal prosecutors charged Robert Rundo in 2018 for rioting, a judge threw out the case last week - and another reinstated itThe violent neo-Nazi Robert Rundo thought he'd won freedom last week after a US district court judge in California threw out a federal indictment against the white-nationalist militant, arguing prosecutors selectively went after him and did not put far-leftist protesters through the same treatment.Fewer than 12 hours later, Rundo found himself in jail again on the order of appellate judges from the ninth circuit. Continue reading...

Archaeologists fear more than 2,000 carved figures in Vingen could be destroyed when digging beginsOne of the largest and most significant sites of rock art in northern Europe is under catastrophic" threat.The Vingen carvings, in Vestland county, Norway, are spectacular, and include images of human skeletons and abstract and geometric designs. Even the hammer stones, the tools used by the ancient artists to create their compositions, have survived. Continue reading...

Governments said to be dragging their feet' in handing over evidence relating to death of Dag HammarskjoldThe US and UK have been accused by university researchers of obstructing a United Nations inquiry into the 1961 plane crash that killed the UN secretary general Dag Hammarskjold.A conference in London heard an update from the UN assistant secretary general for legal affairs, Stephen Mathias, on progress in the inquiry, which is seeking archive documentation from member states. Continue reading...

Navalny's mother visits dissident's grave day after thousands attended funeral in Moscow; three killed and eight injured after Russian drone attack on apartment block in southern port city, authorities sayThe German defence ministry is checking whether a confidential videoconference on the Ukraine war had been wiretapped after a recording was posted on Russian social media, in a potentially huge embarrassment for Berlin.The head of Russia's state-backed RT channel, Margarita Simonyan, on Friday posted a 38-minute audio recording of what she claimed were German army officers discussing striking Crimea. Continue reading...

A lecturer doing his PhD on a British Council scholarship in York is frightened for his wife and two small children who are under Israeli bombardmentWhen Bassem Abudagga heard in 2022 that he had won a British Council scholarship to do his PhD in Britain, he was elated. I was so proud," he recalls. It is what every academic in Palestine hopes for: to gain a qualification from the UK.It felt like a turning point for my career, my future, my family. It would shift my prospects to a completely different place." Continue reading...

Legal adviser to pro-Palestinian protesters was taken to hospital by passersby after the incident on Westminster Bridge in LondonA 71-year-old legal observer has accused a group of police officers of deliberately knocking her over and leaving her bloodied and unconscious on the ground during a Gaza ceasefire protest in London.Lesley Wertheimer - who was wearing a hi-vis bib with legal observer" printed on the back - crashed face down into the road when a phalanx of about 30 police officers ran towards Westminster Bridge during the first pro-Palestine demonstration of 2024. Continue reading...

Other mourners lay flowers as police maintain presence at cemetery where opposition leader was buried

Policy blueprint to be set out for year ahead and big personnel changes may be announcedThousands of delegates are due to arrive in Beijing this weekend for China's most high-profile political gathering, a closely observed series of meetings that will lay out the government's policy blueprint for the year ahead.The event, known as the two sessions", begins on Monday as China's parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC) convenes alongside a separate but parallel meeting of the country's top political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Continue reading...

Alert says there could be tricky driving conditions in a few places' after unexpectedly cold overnight temperaturesAn unexpected cold snap has prompted the Met Office to issue a yellow weather warning after snow fell across parts of the west of England.The warning covered an area from south of Bristol to north of Worcester, and extends to Hereford to the west and Swindon to the east. Continue reading...

Organiser suggests PM consider own MPs' behaviour after speech about rise in extremist disruption'Pro-Palestine protests are to continue across the UK on Saturday after Rishi Sunak's warning that democracy was being targeted by extremists".In an address to the nation on Friday, the prime minister spoke about forces here at home trying to tear us apart", in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks by Hamas against Israel. Continue reading...

Fashion personality who found fame in her 80s went from copywriter at Women's Wear Daily to design authority whose projects included the White House

In London, Tube and bus fares are being frozen and prices reduced during rush hour and on FridaysRail fares in England and Wales will rise by 4.9% on Sunday, adding hundreds of pounds to annual travel costs for many commuters.Campaigners said passengers would be rightly angry" at the latest increase, above the current inflation rate of 4%, despite the government arguing that it had made a significant intervention to keep the fare rise down. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Party's proposals come after Elish Angiolini's report into Wayne Couzens' murder of Sarah EverardA Labour government would order every police officer in England and Wales to undergo compulsory training on combating violence against women and girls, the Guardian has learned.The plans are being drawn up by the party and come in the wake of the shock waves from Elish Angiolini's report on Thursday into the Wayne Couzens scandal after his murder of Sarah Everard while serving in the Metropolitan police. Continue reading...

Calls for independent inquiry as UN team visiting the wounded in Gaza City's al-Shifa hospital report seeing large number of gunshot wounds'Israel is facing growing international pressure for an investigation after more than 100 Palestinians in Gaza were killed when desperate crowds gathered around aid trucks and Israeli troops opened fire on Thursday.Israel said people died in a crush or were run over by aid lorries although it admitted its troops had opened fire on what it called a mob". But the head of a hospital in Gaza said 80% of injured people brought in had gunshot wounds. Continue reading...

Notion of Muslim-controlled areas unsafe for white people has been promoted by rightwingers since the early 2000sThe claim by a former government minister earlier this week that parts of London and Birmingham with large Muslim populations are no-go areas" has highlighted the enduring myth that there are UK neighbourhoods and towns unsafe for white people.Paul Scully, the MP for Sutton and Cheam in Greater London, later retracted his suggestion that Tower Hamlets and Sparkhill were unsafe for non-Muslims to enter, made during a BBC interview about allegations of anti-Muslim sentiments within the Conservative party. But he also defended invoking the Islamophobic trope on the grounds that people told him they perceived there to be a threat. Continue reading...

It was only two weeks ago that the founder of Timor-Leste's own pride march learned he and 10 others were coming to Australia

Decision to airdrop supplies suggests Biden has given up on being able to persuade Israel to coordinate ground-based reliefThe US will start airdrops of food and emergency supplies into Gaza in the next few days, Joe Biden has announced, amid UN warnings of famine and after Israeli troops opened fire on Gazans seeking food aid.The use of airdrops is a spectacular but inefficient way of delivering aid, and Friday's announcement suggests that Biden had given up on being able to persuade Israel in the near future to coordinate a large-scale ground-based relief effort under the threat of mass starvation across Gaza. Continue reading...

Set up to honour the Australian national team cyclist killed by a car, the group was behind the successful A Metre Matters campaign

Extending polling hours fails to boost turnout beyond previous low from 2020 election, strengthening claims people are rejecting the regime by staying at homePolling closed in Iran's parliamentary elections on Friday night, with officials claiming the nationwide turnout was a record low of 40.6%.After 10 hours of voting, turnout had stood at only 27%, and in Tehran it was just 12% after eight hours, before the polls were unexpectedly kept open for an extra two hours. Continue reading...