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Hamas released 12 hostages and Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday, the fifth day of a fragile ceasefire that has enabled humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza and that mediators hope to extend even as Israel pledges to resume the war. Israel said 10 of its citizens and two Thai nationals freed by Hamas returned to Israel. Soon after, Israel released the Palestinian prisoners. The truce is due to

The majority of English adults back Government plans to phase out smoking, a new poll suggests. Proposed legislation for England will make it an offence for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, to be sold tobacco products. Two thirds (67%) of adults in England back the plans, according to a poll of 3,500 English adults. Some 14% said that they oppose the measure, according to the survey, conducted

Michael Gove has apologised to victims and bereaved families for Government “errors” during the pandemic as he listed what he believed were the failings, including locking down too late. But the senior Tory, who was Cabinet Office minister and chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the pandemic began in 2020, also defended Boris Johnson’s “gladiatorial” decision-making and his No 10 against claims of dysfunctionality. Giving evidence to the UK

Kylian Mbappe snatched a famous Champions League victory from Newcastle’s grasp with a controversial penalty in the eighth minute of stoppage-time to earn Paris St Germain a 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes. Defender Tino Livramento was harshly adjudged to have handled Ousmane Dembele’s cross to allow the France superstar to finally beat goalkeeper Nick Pope from the spot on a night when Eddie Howe’s men came within seconds

Public transport commuting levels in Britain’s large cities outside London lag well behind European counterparts, new research shows. A report by think tank Centre for Cities said the number of people travelling to work on buses, trains or trams in Britain’s major urban areas would need to double to catch up with those on the continent. The analysis found that the proportion of residents of Manchester and Birmingham who commute

Social media platforms suffer from significant, fundamental system failings in handling self-harm and suicide content, according to a new report. Suicide prevention charity the Molly Rose Foundation said it had found harmful content at scale and prevalent on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest. It said on TikTok, some of the most viewed posts that reference suicide, self-harm and highly depressive content have been viewed and liked over one million times. The

GP appointments over the phone or online can miss serious illnesses and put patients at risk, according to a new study. Researchers said mistakes via remote consultation are rare, but there is a risk of patients being under-diagnosed, GPs being swayed by what has been said previously, and less qualified staff not acting on signs of illness. The study, published in BMJ Quality and Safety, looked at data from 95

The Government’s mixed messages on climate action risks stalling the financial sector’s net zero progress, MPs warned. In a 70-page report released on Wednesday, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) outlined findings and recommendations after holding an inquiry into the UK’s net zero transition and financial sector. The committee warned that progress made at Cop26 in Glasgow in 2021, including commitments to prioritise investment in low carbon industries and into protecting

Labour will set out measures aimed at protecting small businesses from late payments and anti-social behaviour on the high street as it continues to pitch itself as the party of law and order. Legislation aiming to ensure invoices are paid on time would be introduced if the party wins the next general election, Jonathan Reynolds has said. The shadow business secretary will also renew a pledge to roll out new