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Major union as well as federal worker advocacy group condemn moves to fire probationary employees as thousands told to leaveThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will lose about 10% of its employees after the Trump administration ordered the firing of all hires still in their probationary period, the Associated Press reports.That amounts to about 1,300 employees, according to the AP, which reports the order was communicated verbally to staff by the health and human services department, which oversees the agency tasked with fighting diseases such as Covid-19. Here’s more:The Atlanta-based agency’s leadership was notified of the decision Friday morning.

Awkward WhatsApp revelations, binned bitcoin, musical heart, Godfather nostalgia and the happy over-50sCareer-death via “offensive WhatsApp group” is a modern iteration of a long-standing tradition of public figures being felled by loose talk. Where once it was Jane Austen being busted – albeit posthumously – for making bitchy remarks in a letter about her neighbour’s miscarriage, now we enjoy the spectacle of two Labour MPs and 11 Labour councillors being suspended for comments made in the WhatsApp group, Trigger Me Timbers. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/14/digested-week-labour-politicians-loose-talk-part-of-long-standing-tradition Author : Emma Brockes Publish date : 2025-02-14 12:49:00 Copyright for syndicated content

The science secretary said the government would assess ‘any changes and challenges’ to the global economy caused by the US administrationFriday is the day that political parties tend to get excited about local byelection results, or neglect to mention the election happened at all if it didn’t go their way.Across the evening and into today the Britain Elects social media account has recorded a hold for the Liberal Democrats in Manor (Stevenage), a hold for Labour in Burnt Oak (Barnet), a gain for Reform UK from Labour in Trevethin and Penygarn (Torfaen) and a gain for the Green Party of

Israel warned Thursday that Hamas must release three living hostages this weekend or face a resumption of the war in GazaThe Israeli government has signalled it intends to stick to the hostage release schedule agreed in the ceasefire deal with Hamas, but warned that if the anticipated three surviving hostages were not released on Saturday, it would go back to war in Gaza.The statement from the prime minister’s office ends nearly three days of confusion after Donald Trump’s declaration that Israel should demand Hamas release all the remaining hostages, more than 70 people, by Saturday or failing that, end the

French president warns west not to ‘capitulate’ to Russia after Trump suggests Putin might not make concessionsDefence and security editorEuropean leaders are reeling from several abrupt US moves since Wednesday in relation to the Ukraine war and the continent’s security, which has been underpinned by the US since Nato was formed at the end of the second world war. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/feb/14/russia-ukraine-war-peace-vladimir-putin-volodymyr-zelenskyy-donald-trump-munich-security-conference-europe-news Author : Jakub Krupa Publish date : 2025-02-14 08:49:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey accuses union of ‘gaslighting’ the city on a day when 576 train drivers and guards failed to show up to workFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydney commuters have been told to avoid rail travel and instead book taxis or rideshares, as the state government warned a “sneak strike” that led to a quarter of all morning trains being cancelled would result in worse evening disruptions.Pay negotiations between the New South Wales government and rail unions broke down again on Thursday night before the treasurer,

Exclusive: former Police drummer and the naturalist Martyn Stewart collaborate on album inspired by migration of Arctic ternChirping Arctic terns and howling wolves are among the birds and animals that will be heard in a pioneering composition that fuses sounds from nature with the playing of traditional instruments.Birdsong and animal calls will interact with orchestral music on an album by Stewart Copeland, the former Police drummer and a seven-time Grammy-winning composer, who has drawn on field recordings made by the British naturalist Martyn Stewart. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/feb/14/the-synergy-is-amazing-stewart-copeland-album-fuses-nature-and-music Author : Dalya Alberge Publish date : 2025-02-14 06:00:00 Copyright

Journalist told court the News Corp-owned newspaper had the story live on its site before she had even made it home. Plus: anti-renewables billboard bust-upFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesWant to get this in your inbox every Friday? Sign up for the Weekly Beast media newsletter hereA mystery at the heart of this week’s biggest media story is who leaked the story about Antoinette Lattouf’s sacking from the ABC to The Australian?The Oz had the story live on its site before Lattouf made it home on the day she was let go, she told the court, and

Staff member at Cairo Takeaway in Newtown alleged she felt intimidated by a customer who entered restaurant with Daily Telegraph crew waiting outsideFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice were called to a popular Middle Eastern restaurant in Sydney’s inner west earlier this week after a confrontation involving the venue’s staff, a team from News Corp Australia and a man wearing a Star of David cap.NSW police said they opened an investigation after a staff member at Cairo Takeaway in Newtown alleged she had felt intimidated by a

Surge in tropical bacterial infection since beginning of wet season possibly linked to recent heavy rainfall, Cairns doctor saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo people have died in far north Queensland after contracting melioidosis, a tropical bacterial infection, prompting a warning from health authorities about a “very big” spike in cases possibly linked to recent heavy rainfall.Melioidosis is endemic in parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory, where it is often contracted from contaminated soil. It can also be spread via water or the air.Sign up for

Office of personnel management orders agencies to dismiss workers who had not yet gained civil service protectionThe Trump administration on Thursday intensified its sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, the country’s largest employer, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection – potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.In addition, workers at some agencies were warned that large workplace cuts would be coming. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/13/trump-probationary-government-workers-layoffs Author : Associated Press Publish date : 2025-02-14 00:41:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked

Mayor says plan to reestablish Ice office under discussion despite New York law prohibiting such a moveIn a sign of increasing cooperation with Donald Trump’s anti-immigration plans, the Republican administration’s hardline so-called “border czar”, Tom Homan, met with New York’s Democratic mayor Eric Adams on Thursday as the White House pushes for more detaining and deporting of immigrants, especially those accused of crimes.The two resumed discussions on a controversial topic they had talked about in a previous meeting in December – re-establishing an office for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (Ice) at the city’s notorious Rikers Island jail.

Claudia Sheinbaum gives riposte to Trump’s accusation of ‘intolerable alliance’ between Mexican government and gangsMexico’s president has accused the US of harboring drug cartels and American citizens of working with organized crime groups in Mexico, in a riposte to Donald Trump’s allegation of an “intolerable alliance” between traffickers and her government.“There is also organized crime in the United States and there are American people who come to Mexico with these illegal activities,” Claudia Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference on Thursday. “Otherwise who would distribute fentanyl in the cities of the United States?” Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/13/claudia-sheinbaum-us-drug-cartel

Rail union announces protected industrial action. Follow the latest news headlines liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDutton calls for more details on interaction between Australia and China in South China SeaThe opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has also weighed in on that interaction between Australian and Chinese aircraft in the South China Sea on Tuesday.And then Richard Marles did a press conference to provide details. So we haven’t had a briefing on it as yet, but on what the deputy prime minister says it is deeply concerning because it puts that safety at risk, the safety

President says US will impose ‘reciprocal’ duties but no new specific tariffs were announcedDonald Trump threatened to ramp up his economic assault on some of America’s biggest trading partners on Thursday , vowing to impose new tariffs on countries that target products made in the US within weeks.The US will impose “reciprocal” duties, the president announced on Thursday. “We want a level playing field,” Trump declared. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/13/trump-tariffs Author : Callum Jones in New York Publish date : 2025-02-13 19:14:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Foreign secretary says ‘we will discuss issues where the UK and China do not always see eye to eye’ as he meets Wang Yi, Beijing’s foreign affairs ministerKeir Starmer has been forced to cut short a visit to a housing development after a protest by farmers, PA Media reports. PA says:A group of tractor-driving protesters staged a noisy demonstration as Keir Starmer visited a housing development in Buckinghamshire.The vehicles could be heard sounding musical horns while the prime minister spoke to workers at the site. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/feb/13/new-towns-england-keir-starmer-angela-rayner-labour-donald-trump-ukraine-vladimir-putin-uk-politics-live-news Author : Andrew Sparrow Publish date : 2025-02-13 17:46:00

The vaccine skeptic will now lead the US’s vast healthcare system after gaining backing of key Republican senatorsUS politics live – latest updatesRobert F Kennedy Jr will take control of America’s vast healthcare apparatus, as the Senate voted on Thursday to confirm the controversial anti-vaccine campaigner’s nomination as health secretary.The Senate voted 52 to 48, with all Republicans other than Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell backing the former environmental lawyer who abandoned his independent presidential bid last year to endorse Donald Trump. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/13/rfk-health-secretary-confirmed Author : Joseph Gedeon in Washington Publish date : 2025-02-13 16:32:00 Copyright for

If European court of justice agrees, Parallel Society Act could violate EU law, forcing Copenhagen to change itDenmark’s “ghetto law”, which allows the state to demolish apartment blocks in areas where at least half of residents have a “non-western” background, constitutes direct discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin, a senior adviser to the EU’s top court has found.Danish social housing law categorises neighbourhoods on the basis of unemployment, crime, education, income and immigrant population. Those where more than 50% of residents are from a “non-western” backgrounds are labelled a “parallel society”, formerly referred to as a “ghetto”. Continue reading...

Constitutional law expert Helen Irving says such a change appears to be a distraction from serious nature of anti-Israeli comments from NSW nursesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPeter Dutton’s proposal to toughen citizenship-stripping laws in response to comments made by two NSW nurses would probably require a referendum, a constitutional lawyer says.Both major party leaders have been accused of a “bidding war” on who can look tougher on the issue, with Abul Rizvi, a former senior immigration official, urging politicians not to throw more petrol on the fire amid social tensions.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s

Group says it will stick to agreed timeframe to release hostages following threats from Israel it would resume war if they were not freedHamas has confirmed its commitment to continue implementing the Gaza ceasefire deal according to an agreed timeframe, Reuters is reporting in a breaking news line.More details soon … Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/feb/13/gaza-ceasefire-hopes-hostages-hamas-israel-netanyahu-middle-east-crisis-live-news Author : Martin Belam (now) and Amy Sedghi (earlier) Publish date : 2025-02-13 12:43:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Vaccine sceptic likely to face early vote after wavering Republicans said they would support appointmentThe Senate will convene to resume consideration of Robert F Kennedy Jr’s nomination as health secretary on Thursday morning.Writing for CBS News, Kaia Hubbard noted that “Kennedy’s path to confirmation was once considered among the most fragile of president Trump’s nominees,” but the Senate has cleared the final hurdle to a vote on his appointment 53 to 47 along party lsines.Today’s ruling is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants. But it’s not the end of that fight. Importantly, this decision

Jewish creatives and activists also sign New York Times ad after US president’s proposal to ‘take over Gaza’More than 350 rabbis, alongside additional signatories including Jewish creatives and activists, have signed an ad in the New York Times in which they condemn Donald Trump’s proposal for the effective ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza.The ad, which was signed by rabbis including Sharon Brous, Roly Matalon and Alissa Wise, as well as Jewish creatives and activists including Tony Kushner, Ilana Glazer, Naomi Klein and Joaquin Phoenix, says: “Trump has called for the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza. Jewish people say

US defence minister to meet Nato counterparts in Brussels after Trump says he is ready to negotiate a Ukrainian ceasefire with RussiaTrump says he has spoken to Putin and agreed to negotiate Ukraine ceasefireFrench defence minister Sébastien Lecornu strikes a similar tone, cautioning against “peace through weakness,” which he warns could have dramatic consequences, opposite to the aim of bringing peace to Europe.He says that while it’s “historically true” that Nato has been the most important military alliance, the real question is whether it will still be in 10-15 years, given how the world is changing with new threats emerging

ONS data showing British national output rose in final quarter of 2024 confounds forecasts of 0.1% decline• Business live – latest updatesBritain’s economy unexpectedly grew in the final three months of last year, official figures show, easing pressure on the chancellor, Rachel Reeves.Figures from the Office for National Statistics show gross domestic product rose by 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2024, beating the forecasts of City economists and the Bank of England for a decline of 0.1%. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/feb/13/uk-economy-grows-by-01-in-unexpected-boost-for-rachel-reeves Author : Richard Partington Economics correspondent Publish date : 2025-02-13 07:01:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs