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Everton stadium lit up in rainbow colours to honour baby with rare condition
Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium was illuminated in rainbow colours before the Manchester United match to honour eight-month-old Rupert and to highlight Rupert's Rainbow, a fundraiser raising awareness of his rare condition, alternating hemiplegia of childhood.
High-speed train between Newcastle and Sydney to cost $31 for one-hour trip from 2039
A government business case says a high-speed train between Newcastle and central Sydney would cut the journey to about one hour and charge a $31 fare from 2039, with an initial construction cost estimated at A$61.2bn.
Hilsea Lido set to reopen on May 2 after major renovation
Hilsea Lido in Portsmouth will reopen on May 2, 2026 after a £7.75m regeneration funded by the Levelling Up Fund; work restored the pool and added new facilities with operators planning a sauna and community events.
Bondi attack: royal commission will not hear full details
The royal commission into antisemitism will not examine key parts of the December Bondi attack to avoid prejudicing an ongoing criminal trial, the commissioner said. The inquiry will focus on antisemitism and social cohesion and aims to deliver its final report by 14 December 2026.
Milan church concert highlights inclusion ahead of Winter Paralympics
A choir of about 70 singers performed at Milan's Sant'Antonio church on Feb. 18, calling for harmony and inclusion of people with disabilities as the Winter Paralympics approach; the event is presented as part of the Archdiocese of Milan's outreach around the Games.
Councillor supports launch of Dancing with Dementia classes in Highwoods
A monthly, free Dancing with Dementia programme will begin in Highwoods this month, funded by councillor Alison Jay's locality budget and delivered by the Dance Network Association.
RNLI announces coastal swim series starting in Falmouth this spring
The RNLI will run six open-water coastal swims across the South West from May to September 2026, beginning with the Castle to Castle Swim in Falmouth on May 23. Money raised will go to lifeguard services and volunteer lifeboat crews.
City centre kung fu and tai chi event celebrates Chinese New Year
The Thames Valley Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Kung Fu community held a taster day at East Oxford Community Centre on February 21 to mark the Year of the Fire Horse, offering Yin (soft) and Yang (intense) sessions open to adults aged 16 and over.
Tributes to 'proud grandfather' and other Coventry death notices
Local funeral notices in Coventry list recent deaths and upcoming services, including a man described as a 'proud grandfather' who died on 10 February 2026; notices also remain online via the newspaper and funeral-notices.co.uk as lasting tributes.
Children in care denied school places, Lincolnshire home warns
A BBC investigation found some children in care have been out of mainstream school for months or years while homes struggle to secure places; the Children's Homes Association reports many providers face difficulty finding placements and the Department for Education says a new law will extend councils' powers to include academies.
GPs get £3,000 bonus to maximise weight loss drug prescriptions
NHS England will pay a one-off £3,000 incentive under the GP contract to practices that prescribe the maximum number of eligible patients the weight‑loss drug Mounjaro; current access is limited to people with a BMI over 40 plus certain health conditions and will be widened to BMI over 35 next year.
Prue Leith says testosterone gel has helped her sex life
Prue Leith told Saga Magazine she has added testosterone gel to oestrogen patches and progesterone pills and said it has improved her libido; she also said she intends to continue hormone replacement therapy and has stepped back from judging The Great British Bake Off.
Cancer survivors may be less likely to develop dementia, research shows
Researchers report that a protein called cystatin C, released by cancer cells and described in a study published in Cell, reduced amyloid plaques and improved memory in mice; the findings come from animal experiments and human relevance is not yet established.
Fiji's rising HIV cases are affecting babies and children.
Officials and UN agencies report a rapid rise in HIV in Fiji, with more than 1,200 diagnoses in the first half of 2025 and about one baby diagnosed each week through mother-to-child transmission.
Womb transplant: 'Miracle' baby born after UK's first deceased-donor procedure
A baby named Hugo was born after the UK's first womb transplant using a deceased donor, and the operation took place as part of a clinical trial led by transplant surgeons to evaluate the procedure.
Hugo is the first UK baby born after a womb transplant from a deceased donor.
Hugo Powell is the first child in the UK born to a mother who received a womb from a deceased donor; he was delivered in December at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital and his mother, Grace Bell, was born with MRKH.
Baby first in UK to be born to a mother with a womb from a deceased donor
A baby boy, Hugo Powell, is the first child in the UK born to a mother who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor; he was delivered by C-section in December at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital.
UK steps up support for Ukraine four years after Russia's full-scale invasion
The UK announced additional military and humanitarian support for Ukraine, including a 70-person multinational headquarters backed by £200 million and a separate £30 million fund for societal resilience and justice efforts.
Maxi Shield, beloved Australian drag queen, dies aged 51
Maxi Shield, a well-known Sydney drag performer and season one contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, has died at 51 after a throat cancer diagnosis.
Lily Collins to play Audrey Hepburn in film about Breakfast at Tiffany's
Lily Collins has been cast to play Audrey Hepburn in a new film about the making of Breakfast at Tiffany's, adapted from Sam Wasson's book with a screenplay by Alena Smith; no director or further casting has been announced.
Bondi Beach attack: royal commission into antisemitism begins public hearings
Australia's royal commission into antisemitism has opened public hearings after the Bondi Beach attack, which was reported to have killed 15 people and injured 40; an interim report is expected by the end of April and a full report by the first anniversary of the attack.
Boong wins Bafta for film from Manipur
Lakshmipriya Devi’s Manipuri-language debut Boong won the Bafta for Best Children’s & Family Film, the first Indian film to win that category, and Devi used her acceptance speech to call for peace for Manipur.
RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under star Maxi Shield has died
Maxi Shield (real name Kristopher Elliot), who appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, died on Saturday, February 21 after a period of chemotherapy; a close friend confirmed the death in a Facebook statement.
Australia begins inquiry into antisemitism after Bondi attack
A government-backed Royal Commission opens to examine antisemitism after a December Bondi Beach attack that killed 15, and will be led by retired judge Virginia Bell with a report expected by December.
Man charged with murder of 13-week-old baby in Ramsgate
Tyla Wharmby, 24, has been charged with murder and causing grievous bodily harm over the death of a 13-week-old baby in Ramsgate and was remanded to appear at Medway Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Queen tells Gisele Pelicot her memoir left her speechless
Queen Camilla told French survivor Gisele Pelicot she was left speechless by Pelicot's new memoir, which the Queen said she read in two days; the meeting took place at Clarence House during Pelicot's UK book visit.
Gisèle Pelicot on chemical submission and her ex-husband
Gisèle Pelicot has published a memoir and publicly waived her anonymity after a 2024 trial that convicted her former husband and dozens of men in drug-assisted sexual assaults; the case has prompted wider debate in France about consent and 'chemical submission'.
Banned Ukrainian skeleton racer vows to return with 'helmet of memory'
Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Milano Cortina Olympics for wearing a helmet bearing the faces of 24 Ukrainians killed in the war; he is back in Kyiv, says he will appeal to a court outside IOC control and aims to compete again in 2030.
Make a Difference Awards 2026 opens nominations for local heroes
The BBC has launched the 2026 Make a Difference Awards and opened nominations, with entries closing at 17:00 GMT on 31 March and winners to be announced at events in September.
Gisele Pelicot says her partner asked a painful question during the trial
Gisele Pelicot describes in a new memoir how her partner, Jean‑Loup, supported her while she read documents from the mass trial she waived anonymity to face; authorities have said police found thousands of images and videos after her ex‑husband's 2020 arrest.
