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Construction will begin in the coming weeks at Derrygonnelly Community Centre on a new playpark funded by the Fermanagh and Omagh PEACEPLUS Local Action Plan as part of the Outdoor Recreational Capital Programme.

A stray German Shepherd–Malinois puppy named Chief was taken to a rescue shelter and was assessed by Durham Police’s dog support unit; at 18 weeks he passed initial tests and is now with an experienced handler beginning training.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited Za'atari refugee camp and met Syrian refugees and aid staff in Amman; Meghan wore a casual wide‑leg trouser outfit that appeared creased while taking part in activities.

Scottish ministers have dismissed an appeal and rejected plans for a £40 million Flamingo Land resort on Lomond Banks. The government cited substantial concerns about flood risk and the extent and location of woodland loss and gain.

Thomas Morgan was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 19 years after being found guilty of murdering five-month-old Jensen-Lee Dougal, who suffered a catastrophic brain injury while in his care in March 2024.

Researchers at EPFL measured gases, particles and microbes from pet dogs in a controlled chamber and found large dogs at rest emit similar carbon dioxide and ammonia levels to adults while releasing two to four times more microorganisms during activity.

The government has added £25 million to Health and Growth Accelerator pilots in northern England to help people with health conditions stay in or return to work. The pilots combine NHS care and employment support in areas with high economic inactivity.

The Vatican announced Pope Leo XIV will travel to Monaco, Spain and four African countries (Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea) in the first half of 2026, and will also begin a multi-stop tour of Italy in May.

A man, Thomas Morgan, has been convicted of murdering his girlfriend's five-month-old baby after an incident in March 2024; he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Reports say he must serve a minimum period — reported as 18 years and 136 days, reflecting time on remand — before he can apply for parole.

A UK bin collector on TikTok said labels can usually be left on jars and tins, but containers must be emptied and rinsed; national recycling bodies note local councils may set different rules.

The Treasury and Department for Education are reported to be discussing reversing the freeze on the repayment salary threshold and lowering Plan 2 interest rates after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch backed changes.

Last year, 254,500 babies were born in South Korea, a 6.8% increase and the largest annual rise since 2007, and the total fertility rate rose from 0.75 to 0.80. Demographers link the rebound to the 'echo boom' cohort and to changing childbearing behaviour among women in their 30s.

Dunstable Town Council awarded Imagination Majorettes a £500 Seedcorn Grant to help purchase equipment and uniforms; the local troupe runs Monday sessions at Downside Community Centre and will perform at council-organised markets and events during the year.

The Schools White Paper proposes school-drawn Individual Support Plans and sets EHCP reassessments from September 2029, with EHCPs to be reserved for the most complex needs by 2035; the government has pledged £4bn for SEND over three years.

A by-election in the Manchester constituency covering Gorton and Denton will be held on Thursday; Labour, Reform UK and the Green Party are competing amid reported local disappointment with national politics.

A working paper by King's College London and Stanford finds that when both partners work from home at least once a week lifetime fertility rises by about 0.32 children per woman; the UK's fertility rate was 1.41 children per woman in 2024.

The Care Quality Commission rated Mill Lodge in York and Red Kite View in Leeds as 'good' following inspections in October; inspectors said young people felt safe and staff showed kindness, but flagged shortcomings in medicines management.

Satellite images show emperor penguins gathering into smaller, denser moulting colonies as Antarctic sea ice in the study area fell sharply between 2022 and 2024; researchers warn this increases the risk of large losses if ice breaks up before moulting finishes.

A mouse study published in Science reports a nasal 'universal' vaccine that primed lung immune cells and protected mice against multiple respiratory viruses for up to three months; human safety and effectiveness remain unproven.

A pop-up charity shop selling used and vintage womenswear will open at Intro on Paternoster Row in Carlisle from March 13 to March 15 to raise funds for the campaign to reopen the Victorian and Turkish Baths.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is recruiting around 160 paid face-to-face fundraisers to work around the UK's and Ireland's coasts; fundraisers will share water safety messages and encourage supporters, and the RNLI says roles include training and competitive pay.

Ofgem has cut the energy price cap by £117, lowering the typical annual dual-fuel bill to £1,641 from 1 April; the change reflects a government pledge to reduce average household bills by £150 through shifting some renewable costs onto general taxation.

Hilsea Lido in Portsmouth will reopen on May 2 after a roughly £7.75 million refurbishment; the site has been closed since 2022.

The National Fish & Chip Awards 2026 shortlist of Britain’s top ten takeaway fish and chip shops was announced, with the overall winner to be crowned tonight. Finalists include four shops from Yorkshire and two from Scotland.

Andre Harris, 62, who founded the Power of Drums and has led community drumming for more than a decade, has paused much of his work after a September diagnosis of stage 4 head and neck cancer; his son Tom has organised fundraising, with over £4,000 raised online and a tribute event planned for 14 March.

Martin Lewis said shopping around and moving to cheaper fixed-rate deals can reduce household energy costs, noting Ofgem’s price cap will fall by an average 6.7% from April. He added that many fixed deals are already below the cap and that most fixes will also drop on 1 April.

CAFOD analysis, drawing on research from the University of St Andrews and Save the Children, finds that reducing debt-servicing to about 10% of revenue could create fiscal space large enough to offset many impacts of the UK’s 40% cut to its aid budget and help restore funding for health, education, water and sanitation.

The World Nature Photography Award announced its 2026 winners, with Australian underwater photographer Jono Allen taking the Grand Prize and the Underwater category for an image of a white humpback calf photographed in Tonga. Winners span categories from animal portraits and behaviour to plants, landscapes and urban wildlife.

At the Baftas, a campaigner with Tourette syndrome, John Davidson, produced involuntary vocal tics during the ceremony that included the N-word, and the BBC did not remove the slur from the delayed broadcast despite reports that Warner Bros raised concerns.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met WHO officials and humanitarian leaders in Amman to discuss the health and humanitarian needs of refugees as they start a two-day visit to Jordan.