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ABS data highlights shoppers' attraction to promotions, as supermarkets giants discount unhealthy food twice as often as healthier items

Regulator's review will look at evidence and options on how universal postal service might need to evolve'Royal Mail could be allowed to end Saturday postal deliveries as part of Ofcom's review into how the service may need to be reformed.Next week, Ofcom will publish a document outlining potential options for the future of the universal postal service". Continue reading...

Protests break out in two eastern cities as incumbent takes oath of office at stadium in KinshasaFelix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been sworn in for a second five-year term after a landslide victory his opponents have refused to recognise owing to widespread irregularities in the December general election.Authorities have acknowledged there were problems but dismissed allegations the vote was stolen. The fractious standoff echoes previous electoral disputes that fuelled unrest in Africa's second-largest country, with protests breaking out on Saturday in two eastern cities. Continue reading...

Powers bestowed by the Criminal Finances Act 2017 are not being used effectively, say criticsHMRC has not charged a single company under landmark legislation passed six years ago to crack down on corporate tax evasion.Critics say the data, released under freedom of information laws to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and TaxWatch, suggests that HMRC is undermining its own deterrents against corporate tax evasion by failing to use its criminal enforcement powers. Continue reading...

Strike on Friday targeted a Rosneft oil storage facility about 50km from the Ukrainian border, in Russian town of Klintsy, officials said

Shadow foreign secretary tries to continue as demonstrators shout and criticise Labour's stance on Israel-Gaza war

Observer investigation reveals children as young as two are being barred from joining their mothers in BritainThe Home Office is systematically barring young children from joining their mothers in Britain despite extensive proof the women are their primary caregivers, an Observer investigation has revealed.Under an opaque policy condemned as distressing" and inhumane", the government has refused dozens of visas for children of migrant single mothers, many of whom came to work in the NHS or social care, saying there are no compelling reasons" to grant them. Continue reading...

Footage appears to show MHS Chiddingfold reversing into HMS BangorA collision between two Royal Navy warships in a Middle East harbour is under investigation.Footage posted on social media appeared to show HMS Chiddingfold reversing into HMS Bangor off the coast of Bahrain. Continue reading...

Mills was referee from 1983 to 2005, earning nickname Rain Man over whether to suspend play during inclement weatherThe long-time Wimbledon tournament referee Alan Mills has died aged 88, the ATP Tour has announced.Mills served as the All England Club's referee from 1983 to 2005, earning the nickname Rain Man as it was his call whether or not to suspend play during inclement weather. Continue reading...

Company updates system after customer decided to find out' what bot could do after failing to find parcelThe delivery firm DPD has disabled part of its artificial intelligence (AI) powered online chatbot after a disgruntled customer was able to make it swear and criticise the company.Musician Ashley Beauchamp, 30, was trying to track down a missing parcel but was having no joy in getting useful information from the chatbot. Fed up, he decided to have some fun instead and began to experiment to find out what the chatbot could do. Beauchamp said this was when the chaos started". Continue reading...

Spaniel puppy who was abandoned in car park doing well' after operation funded by charity appealA six-legged dog who was found abandoned in a car park has undergone surgery to remove her extra limbs.Ariel, a spaniel puppy, was found in Pembroke, Wales, in September last year and after a fundraising appeal was able to have surgery. Continue reading...

The Claudine Gay and Harvard University case was just a glimpse into the plan to advance rightwing agendasWhen Claudine Gay resigned as Harvard University president in early January, pundits credited her departure to a successful removal campaign led by conservative activists.The strategy behind Gay's ousting wasn't new, and has been used to advance conservative agendas, influence school curriculum and demonize Black people throughout history. What was different this time was the quick efficacy of the takedown, which, according to some political scientists, historians and lawyers, emboldened conservative activists and could have dangerous implications for the future of education. Continue reading...

Now 88 and disabled by a stroke, the star leads a reclusive life and his children are in a bitter legal battle over his treatmentAlain Delon was among the greatest celebrities of the golden era of French cinema, with his brooding good looks, ice-blue eyes and seductive on- and off-screen presence making him the pin-up of postwar France.In a career spanning more than half a century, Delon made 90 films, many of them critically acclaimed, including Plein Soleil (Purple Noon) in which he played antihero Tom Ripley, Le Samourai and the historical epic The Leopard, that drew an estimated 134 million cinema-goers, making him a star at the box office. Continue reading...

West Yorkshire police appeal for information over fatal incident as man, 25, is bailed pending further inquiriesA woman who died after falling from a moving van in Wakefield has been named by police as Leah Senior.Senior, 27, from Huddersfield, was seen falling from a white Transit van on Denby Dale Road on Wednesday evening. Continue reading...

Around 900 of the estimated 11,100 job losses in the workforce last year were in the UK's 5bn a year industryMass redundancies in the video game industry, with thousands of developers losing their jobs, have led to a record surge in workers joining unions, organisers have told the Observer.The fledgling Game Workers branch of the IWGB union saw its membership jump by almost half between December 2022 and December 2023 as job cuts worsened in the sector, including at the studios behind bestselling games such as Fifa, Skyrim and The Witcher. Continue reading...

Nobody seems to know mystery organisation that funded YouGov survey but its agenda is clearAt the centre of this week's mega-poll that projected an election wipeout for the Conservatives there lurked both a mystery and a statement of the obvious. Who was behind it? No one seemed to know. But what do they want? Seemingly, a change from Rishi Sunak.It is a sign of Sunak's plight that the poll - fronted by a Tory peer and explicitly framed as showing the prime minister's policies are leading the party into doom - was not even the greatest act of disloyalty in a week when 60 backbenchers voted to amend his flagship migration policy. Continue reading...

Shadow foreign secretary says Israeli president must explain how post-conflict Gaza will operate

Safeguarding staff say they can't get referrals for serious cases and don't have the expertise to give pupils the help they needIncreasing numbers of children suffering from domestic abuse, serious neglect and homelessness are being refused help from over-stretched social services, schools across England have told the Observer.Child protection cases that would automatically have prompted intervention from social workers a few years ago are now routinely being passed back to schools to deal with themselves. The inability to obtain help for children whom schools think are in urgent need is taking such an emotional toll on education staff, who say they have neither the expertise nor the resources to cope, that some schools are bringing in counsellors to prevent their safeguarding teams becoming traumatised. Continue reading...

Fire broke out in dormitories of primary school in central Henan provinceThirteen pupils have died after a fire broke out in dormitories at a primary school in central Henan province, Chinese state media have reported.All of the dead were third-grade students, a teacher at Yingcai school told Zonglan news, a state-backed media outlet from Hebei province. One person rescued from the scene was being treated in hospital, China's state broadcaster, CCTV, said. Continue reading...

Weiss led US girl band with run of hit songs about teenage love and tragedy, including Leader of the PackMary Weiss, the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, has died at the age of 75, her record label said.The US girl band rose to stardom with a run of hit songs about teenage love and tragedy, including Remember (Walking in the Sand) and Leader of the Pack, and was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Continue reading...

Online publication Polyester will train writer in honour of its managing editor who died last yearA new fellowship to train an aspiring working-class journalist is aiming to help diversify the media landscape while honouring the memory and spirit of Eden Young, who died in an accident last year.The Eden Young Fellowship for Aspiring Working Class Journalists aims to provide a year-long training and mentorship scheme at the independent online publication Polyester, where Young was a key figure. Continue reading...

Payments halted four times and left Eileen McGrath without income over ChristmasA retired teacher has had her pension payments stopped four times because her pension provider repeatedly refuses to accept that she is not dead.Eileen McGrath, 85, was left without income over Christmas when Teachers' Pensions, which administers payments on behalf of the UK government, wrongly matched her with a deceased stranger. Continue reading...

Dental union says region will be disproportionately' affected by EU amalgam phase-out as health service is weakest in UKConcerns have been raised about the future availability of silver dental fillings in Northern Ireland due to an imminent phasing out of the amalgam across the EU.The plan to phase out amalgam by 1 January next year will apply in Northern Ireland due to the Brexit trading arrangements and it will also affect dental care in other parts of the UK, dentist representatives say. Continue reading...

After a lengthy, multiple-agency investigation, officers unearthed guns and ammunition at a Mornington Peninsula property

Exclusive: London mayoral elections in May will be toughest fight yet', Khan will tell Fabian's Society conferenceSadiq Khan will urge voters not to let the Tories do to London what they've done to our country", as he hits out at the hollow, desperate and divisive narrative" put forward by the party.Launching the Fabian's Society conference on Saturday with a keynote speech, the London mayor will attack the Conservatives for exploiting people's fears, but never addressing them", in an attempt to lead the electorate to think you're struggling because of someone else". Continue reading...

BBC host talks about cutting screen time and how some of the press are obsessed with trying to do me', in Guardian interview

Increase in syphilis also recorded in most council areas as sexual health services face greater demand, says LGA reportAlmost every council area in England and Wales has seen a rise in gonorrhoea diagnoses, figures show, as sexual health services face unprecedented increases in demand".With gonorrhoea, the rate of diagnosis has increased in 97% of council areas since 2017, while 71% have seen increases in cases of syphilis over the same period, according to figures based on analysis of data from the office for health disparities by the Local Government Association (LGA). Continue reading...

As pockets of war multiply across region so does the risk that conflict becomes more contagious and intractableOn Thursday morning the Iranian news website Entekhab ran, without irony, the headline: Taliban call on Pakistan and Iran to show restraint and urge both sides to settle differences through diplomatic means".If proof were needed that a new, more dangerous world order may be upon us, the Taliban cast in the role of advocates for restraint seems conclusive. Continue reading...

President accused of allowing country to become a target because of complicity in bloodshed of Gaza'The Cyprus government is facing growing criticism over British military bases on the island being used by UK and US forces to stage airstrikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.President Nicos Christodoulides has been accused by activists of turning a blind eye to the risks the EU's most easterly state might confront if the strategic facilities on the island continue to be deployed in military operations. Continue reading...

MEPs react to tragic' findings revealing UK falling behind EU in key environmental policies since Brexit

Kim Kwang-ho accused of negligence in failing to take necessary measures' to prevent 2022 disaster in capital's Itaewon nightlife districtSeoul's chief of police has been charged with professional negligence over the deadly Halloween crush in 2022 that killed nearly 160 people, prosecutors in the South Korean capital have said.Kim Kwang-ho, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), was charged with professional negligence resulting in injury or death, Seoul's western district prosecutors' office said in a statement released on Friday. Continue reading...

Bom says it's still too early to say' how strong a potential cyclone may be and when it could reach land

According to a police spokesperson the same man was involved in both the attacks in Redfern

This blog is now closed. See all our coverage of the Middle East crisis hereThere can be no security and stability in the region" without a Palestinian state, said the spokesperson for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, reports Associated Press.The remarks come in response to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection on Thursday of calls by the US to take steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state after the war. Continue reading...

Protesters denounce lack of jail time for officers who left Theodore Luhaka incontinent after beatingThree police officers have been given suspended jail sentences for assaulting a young footballer during an arrest in 2017 in a case that has thrown the spotlight on police violence and racism in France.The decision not to send the officers to prison sparked angry protests in Paris on Friday. Continue reading...

Ex-PM backs disgraced former US president ahead of election, saying he won't ditch the Ukrainians'Boris Johnson has backed Donald Trump ahead of November's US presidential election, saying his return to the White House could be just what the world needs".In his weekly Daily Mail column, the former prime minister argued that if Trump backs Ukraine in its war against Russia, his renewed leadership can be a big win for the world". Continue reading...

Treasury committee writes to 21 bodies including Bank of England and HMRC to demand details of post-2019 dealsFujitsu's receipt of lucrative government contracts despite its role in the Post Office Horizon scandal has come under greater scrutiny after the Treasury committee wrote to organisations including the Bank of England and HM Revenue and Customs to demand details of their contracts with the tech company.The influential group of MPs told 21 public bodies, including the Treasury itself, to provide information on work given to the Japanese-owned company since 2019, when the high court ruled there had been dozens of bugs and errors in its Horizon IT system. Continue reading...

Members of Congress express disagreement after Netanyahu says he opposes creation of Palestinian state after Gaza warLeading progressive and Jewish members of Congress have criticized the US's unconditional support" for Israel after Benjamin Netanyahu declared bluntly that he was opposed to a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza and directly rejected American policy.The Israeli prime minister declared on Thursday that Israel would forever maintain control over all land west of the River Jordan, making an independent Palestinian state there impossible. This is a necessary condition, and it conflicts with the idea of [Palestinian] sovereignty," Netanyahu said. What to do? I tell this truth to our American friends, and I also stopped the attempt to impose a reality on us that would harm Israel's security." Continue reading...

Julian Hill labels Israeli prime minister's position appalling' as he calls for financial consequences for Israeli settlers

Sarah Grochala's Intelligence follows Lovelace's attempts to be taken seriously as a scientist in 1840s LondonA play about the reincarnation of the Victorian computing pioneer Ada Lovelace has won this year's Women's prize for playwriting.Intelligence, by Sarah Grochala, follows Lovelace's attempts to forge a career for herself as a serious scientist in 1840s London and being continually obstructed by men. Continue reading...

Britain faces dangerous climate' as online propaganda and referrals to Prevent surge, says policing leaderThe conflict in the Middle East has led to a surge in Islamist activity, with online terrorist propaganda rocketing and new individuals feared to have been radicalised, the head of counter-terrorism policing has said.Metropolitan police assistant commissioner Matt Jukes, who is head of the UK Counter Terrorism Policing network, said the events had led to a dangerous climate" with indications of a rising threat, after Hamas's atrocity against Israel on 7 October last year led to a sustained Israeli assault on Gaza with heavy civilian casualties still continuing. Continue reading...

Labour leader says Israeli PM's comments are unacceptable and Palestinian statehood not in his gift

Officers find 45-year-old man, 36-year-old woman and two girls at home in Costessey near NorwichFour members of the same family have been found dead at a home in a Norfolk town, police have said.Officers forced their way into the home in Costessey near Norwich on Friday morning after a call from a member of the public, and found a 45-year-old man, a 36-year-old woman and two young girls whose ages officers have not released. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Britain is falling behind the bloc on almost every area of green regulation, analysis reveals

Campaigners say keeping higher EU standards post-Brexit will have little impact as existing rules are already being flouted

Duke of Sussex was suing Associated Newspapers over article published after decision to change his security arrangementsThe Duke of Sussex has withdrawn his high court libel claim against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, saying his focus is on the safety of his family" and his legal action against the Home Office.Prince Harry, 39, sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over a February 2022 article about his legal challenge against the Home Office after a decision to change his publicly funded security arrangements when visiting the UK.

Barclay primary in Leyton may switch to online learning after facing protests over ban on political symbolsAn east London school has warned parents it may switch to online learning for its pupils because of threats to the school and abuse of staff that have flared since its decision to ban political symbols including the Palestinian flag.Barclay primary school in Leyton, Waltham Forest, said it had sought help from the Metropolitan police to investigate harassment of staff, and also hired private security, installed CCTV cameras and restricted public access to the school. Continue reading...

Paul Patterson, CEO of Fujitsu Europe, also says editing of witness statements used to prosecute post office operators was shameful'Rishi Sunak has spoken to broadcasters while on a visit to Hampshire, and said he is determined" to get the Rwanda bill through parliament as quickly as possible".He told the media: I think it's really important that we stop the boats, it's one of the priorities I set out to the country last year. Continue reading...

Some music industry insiders think it's time artists were more respectful of fans' time and moneyShe once sang time goes by so slowly", so there's no excuse for Madonna's tardiness. So claim two of the queen of pop's fans, who are suing the singer for taking to the stage two hours late, saying 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 New York's Barclays Center as part of Madonna's Celebration tour. The lawsuit says the show was advertised to start at 8.30pm, but the 65-year-old musician didn't appear until after 10.30pm. Continue reading...

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...