Tory health reforms left UK open to Covid calamity, says top doctor’s report | Coronavirus

Britain was hit far harder by the Covid-19 pandemic than other developed countries because the NHS had been “seriously weakened” by disastrous government policies over the preceding decade, a wide-ranging report will conclude this week. An assessment of the NHS by the world-renowned surgeon Prof Ara Darzi, commissioned in July by the health secretary, Wes … Read more

‘Not safe to run in the dark’: how inadequate lighting in public spaces is creating barriers for women | Urban planning

When Claire Watson moved to Sydney in 2022, the keen runner was excited to try out the famed track around the city’s vast, picturesque Centennial Park. But when the 29-year-old turned up for her first run shortly after 6am before work one morning, she was stunned. “I’d heard so much about Centennial Park, but when … Read more

West Bank residents tell of teargas then shots before US woman’s death | West Bank

US officials have insisted that a ceasefire in Gaza is close even as fighting rages unabated in the blockaded Palestinian territory and violence spirals in the occupied West Bank, where witnesses told the Observer an American-Turkish dual national was killed by Israeli forces on Friday. William Burns, who is also the US’s chief negotiator in … Read more

Winter fuel payments cut ‘one of the worst decisions I have ever seen’ says ex pensions minister | Benefits

The respected former pensions minister Ros Altmann has tabled a “fatal” parliamentary motion to kill off the government’s controversial plan to limit winter fuel payments, describing it as “one of the worst decisions I have ever seen”. The move by Baroness Altmann, a crossbench peer and leading expert on issues affecting elderly people, comes amid … Read more

Parental responsibility faces tough new test

Getty Images Colin Gray faces murder charges after his son allegedly shot four people dead Murder charges brought against the father of a US school shooter have laid down a new marker on the issue of parental responsibility. Colin Gray bought his son Colt an AR-style rifle for Christmas last year, even though the boy … Read more