Exclusive: Rhianon Bragg, of north Wales, says forewarned is forearmed' as Gareth Wyn Jones is due to be freedA woman who was stalked and held hostage at gunpoint by her ex-partner has warned other women to beware of him as he is about to be released from prison.Rhianon Bragg, who has become a campaigner on domestic violence and gun crime, expressed sadness that she felt she had yet not done enough to protect women from offenders like her, former partner, Gareth Wyn Jones, who was sentenced in 2020. Continue reading...

Labour criticises government dithering', after Vishay deal last autumn to buy chip maker Newport Wafer Fab stalls, putting jobs at riskLabour has criticised dither and delay" from the government over a decision on a proposed takeover of the UK's largest semiconductor facility by a US company, warning that it could lead to further job cuts at the Welsh factory.The fate of Newport Wafer Fab in south Wales has been unclear for nearly two years since the UK government first indicated it had concerns over a 2021 takeover by the Chinese-owned Nexperia firm. The national security concerns related to the ownership of semiconductor technology by a company with links to China. Continue reading...

There have been 220 attacks on Russian military enlistment offices since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022

Claims that overseas students are admitted with lower entry requirements than domestic students deniedUniversities have rejected claims that British students are being squeezed out" by international applicants, including allegations that overseas students are admitted with lower entry requirements than those required for domestic students.University leaders said the claims were mendacious" because the reporting by the Sunday Times ignored figures showing rising numbers of UK students enrolled at Russell Group universities, and unfairly compared entry requirements on non-degree courses with those of mainstream undergraduate courses. Continue reading...

In 2011, no one believed councils would be left to swallow the rising cost of social care unaided. But after funding cuts of 40%, their plight looks increasingly bleak

Exclusive: Labour under no illusions' about mess party stands to inherit, as council leaders warn more will go bust next year

Nearly 90% of Australia better off under new plan, with taxpayers in remote and regional communities to gain the most, ANU analysis shows

Three-month scheme to try to tempt back passengers since Covid lockdowns will begin in MarchTransport for London will trial lower, off-peak fares on Fridays on the tube and rail services in the capital to try to tempt back passengers who have stayed at home since the pandemic lockdowns.Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said the trial would begin in March and last for three months. Continue reading...

Two ministry of defence officials among those arrested over contract for mortar shells that never arrived

All presidential candidates champion independence and country's new role in Nato as relations with Moscow deteriorate

Study finds that lockdowns and cuts to local services are partly to blameProgress on tackling youth violence in Scotland is slowing as young people struggle to access safe spaces", according to a new report.The study, by researchers at the Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and the Open University, examined the past, present and future of violence reduction in Scotland and found that while incidences of serious violence had dramatically decreased over the last two decades, the reduction has slowed in recent years following Covid-19 lockdowns and cuts to local services. Continue reading...

Move by several countries comes after allegations that UNRWA staff took part in attacks on Israel last year

Motoring association criticises data quality and say Australia has no credible plan' to reduce incidents as nation records 677 deaths since July 2023

More than 23,000 residents without electricity days after category-three storm lashed coast on Thursday

South Korean military says it is analysing the launch along with US intelligence authoritiesNorth Korea has fired multiple cruise missiles off an eastern military port, South Korea's joint chiefs of staff have said.The missiles were launched about 8am (2300 GMT Saturday) and were being analysed by South Korean and US intelligence authorities, South Korea said, without specifying how many missiles were fired. Continue reading...

The two names also held the top spots together in 2021, highlighting the ongoing popularity of both names with Queensland parents

Man declared dead at the scene in Mount Louisa on Sunday, with ethical standards command to investigate the death

The prime minister says he is very confident' Labor's new tax plan will pass parliament

The blog is now closed, but please see more coverage of the situation in the Middle East here:

With the area routinely 10C hotter than the city's east, the demand for swimming facilities is red hot

Exclusive: daughters of 79-year-old allegedly assaulted in virtual ward' care system say their complaints were dismissed by staff

Four-storey building showing signs of collapse' with smoke plumes visible across cityA major incident was declared on Saturday after a large fire broke out in a building in Liverpool city centre.The fire service said neighbouring properties had been evacuated as the building was in danger of collapsing. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereA Russian team shot and killed a brother and sister from the Khotin community of the Sumy oblast this morning, the regional military administration said.The brother and sister were living in the village of Andriivka, which is located in the 5-km border zone. Continue reading...

Arthur Shelby actor found with crack cocaine, amphetamines and prescription drugs on Boxing DayThe Peaky Blinders actor Paul Anderson has been fined for possession of drugs, including crack cocaine, after being found with that and other substances on Boxing Day.Anderson, who plays Arthur Shelby in the programme - the hell-raising brother who resorts to drug use - was reportedly said by his lawyer to sometimes slip into character to please fans who recognise him. Continue reading...

Reports of at least a dozen cases of femicide since start of year prompt protests across the countryProtests against femicide have taken place across Kenya after a rise in killings this month.Reports of at least a dozen cases of femicide since the start of the year have prompted public outrage, debate and demonstrations across the country, including in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. Continue reading...

Wrestling mogul is accused of physical and emotional abuse and sexual assault and trafficking by former employeeWorld Wrestling Entertainment founder Vince McMahon resigned from his post with the organization and its parent company on Friday amid sexual misconduct allegations against him by a former employee. He has denied the allegations.WWE's president, Nick Khan, wrote in an email to employees announcing the 78-year-old's departure, noting he'd be resigning from his roles as TKO executive chairman and on the TKO board of directors and that he'd no longer have a role with WWE, per NBC News. (Last year, TKO Group Holdings was put together when WWE merged with Endeavor's Ultimate Fighting Championship.) Continue reading...

US military confirms Houthi attack on Marlin Luanda in Gulf of Aden

Four-year-old dog named Efruz loves the sea', according to his owner, and often perches on a surfboard to ride wavesClad in a yellow vest, little Efruz balances himself on the front of the surfboard as waves foam around him and his companion as they skim over the Pacific waters off Peru.Efruz is a four-year-old Jack Russell terrier and he is a common sight these hot days of the southern hemisphere summer. Continue reading...

Ministers consider measures to lessen appeal as data suggests one in five children have tried vapingVapes could be limited to just four flavours as ministers consider ways to stop children becoming addicted to nicotine.The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has repeatedly voiced concerns about the marketing and design of e-cigarettes, with colourful packaging and sweeteners that can appeal to young people. Continue reading...

Emma Webber describes fury' at sentence received by Valdo Calocane for deadly rampage last JuneThe mother of one of the students stabbed to death in Nottingham has called for an inquiry into any failings that led to the knife attacks.Emma Webber told the Times that her family fully support" calls for a public inquiry, which also has the backing of the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, into the killings of her son Barnaby Webber, fellow University of Nottingham student Grace O'Malley-Kumar and the 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates. Continue reading...

War has led to a crisis in relations in Lod - the town that both Arab and Jewish residents call homeFrom a distance the market looks like a scene of communal harmony. Jewish and Arab Israelis inspect the piles of pomegranates, oranges, pears and carrots. Israeli flags flap in the winter breeze from the balconies of shabby apartment blocks. A hundred metres away, a synagogue, mosque and Greek Orthodox church share acar park.The reality is very different. The tension in Lod, a town of 80,000 in the centre of Israel, is palpable. Other than at prayer time, the mosque bolts its metal gates shut. So too do the synagogue and the church. Everybody in the town, which is home to both Jewish and Arab Israelis, is very aware of what might happen if the growing anger, fear and grief among both communities prompted by events of the last four months get out of hand. Continue reading...

Increasing preference said to be driven by desire to be healthier and is fuelling trend for 100ml taster bottlesAs the adage goes: good things come in small packages. According to alcohol industry experts British consumers are increasingly choosing to enjoy their beverages in smaller portions, but of higher quality - fuelling a trend for 100ml taster bottles.The shift comes from a desire to be healthier, experts say, with drinking among UK teenagers and young people falling. In June 2023, Tesco sold 25% more low- and non-alcoholic beer than in dry January. Continue reading...

Penny Wong says allegations are deeply concerning as UNRWA investigates several employees accused of taking part in Hamas attacksAustralia will temporarily pause its funding of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) while an investigation is under way into several employees accused of taking part in Hamas's 7 October attacks in Israel, the foreign minister has announced.Penny Wong on Saturday said Australia will join its likeminded partners in the US and Canada in pausing the funding. She said Australia was deeply concerned about the allegations. Continue reading...

A DNA test has helped Shalom Koray find relatives in the US after escaping the Holocaust in a rucksack at the age of twoIn 1943, a two-year-old boy found wandering the streets of the Warsaw ghetto at the height of the Jewish uprising was smuggled out in a rucksack, probably by a police officer.The identity of the child could not be known. There was no one to attest even to a first name. His early life would be spent hidden away in orphanages, still not safe from antisemitic persecution, and without any real understanding of what it was to have a parent. Continue reading...

Six members of the neo-Nazi group were arrested after dozens of men wearing black hoods and brandishing Australian flags were stopped at North Sydney station

This blog is now closed.

Charles Michel's decision comes ahead of EU meeting where Hungary's PM is expected to block Ukraine support packageThe president of the European parliament, Charles Michel, has abandoned plans to quit the position early amid fears it could have led to Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, getting the role.His decision comes six days before a crunch meeting of EU leaders at which Orban is expected to once again block a 50bn support package for Ukraine. Continue reading...

Vincent Reynouard discovered living double life in Scottish village where he worked as a tutor, reports sayA Holocaust denier who was arrested in a Scottish fishing village will be extradited back to France after spending two years on the run from the authorities.Vincent Reynouard lost his extradition battle after his arrest in November 2022. He had been discovered living a double life in Anstruther, Fife, where he worked as a private tutor, according to reports. Continue reading...

Senior ministers including Yoav Gallant condemn ruling while Palestinians dismayed it did not go further

Nine-year-old had been recorded as safe and well' in months before he was killed, review findsA nine-year-old boy who was tortured to death by his mother and stepfather had been recorded as safe and well" after visits by police and social services in the months before he was killed, a review has found.Family and neighbours of Alfie Steele from Droitwich, Worcestershire, made more than 60 calls about his welfare in the period leading up to his murder in February 2021, including a call saying it sounded as if he was being hit and held under the water". Continue reading...

Toni Schiavone, who refused to pay notice written in English, says car park firm threatened' him with 10,000 legal costs billA Welsh-language campaigner embroiled in a three-year legal battle after refusing to pay a car park fine written in English has claimed the management firm is threatening" him with a 10,000 legal bill.Toni Schiavone was given the 70 penalty notice in a car park managed by One Parking Solution in the seaside town of Llangrannog, west Wales, in September 2020. Continue reading...

Boy sent to mental health facility after Bae Hyun-jin left with cuts to her head from attack in SeoulA 14-year-old boy who attacked a South Korean lawmaker with a rock has been sent to a mental health facility, police have said, as they continued to investigate the incident that left the politician, Bae Hyun-jin, with cuts to her head.The suspect was arrested at the scene of the attack in southern Seoul on Friday and sent to a hospital after he was interviewed in the presence of his parents, said Cheon Young-gil, an official at Seoul's Gangnam district police station. Continue reading...

Police describe two people they want to speak to in connection with newborn girl found in NewhamThe Metropolitan police have urged the public to refrain from making unnecessary and unhelpful" comments about a newborn found alive in a shopping bag last week.The force used its latest appeal for information to say those commenting had no idea what the baby's mother was going through, and gave a description of two people they would like to speak to. Continue reading...

Calls to prepare for war butt up against record on recent conflicts, pay and conditions, and changing youth cultureOn Friday, soldiers from the British army's Royal Anglian regiment were practising their part in a Nato exercise due to take place in Poland in March. It is expected to be the largest in eastern Europe in a decade, with 20,000 troops from the military alliance scheduled to take part in the show of anti-Russia strength.However, a rift between the army and the Conservative government meant Downing Street, unsure what ordinary soldiers might say, had instructed that no participants would be available for interview by journalists hoping to attend. Continue reading...

French government set to respond after being surprised by scale and fury of grassroots demonstrations in agriculture sectorSpeaking after a meeting with the food industry, the French finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, said today that the central issue is the farmers' revenue," Reuters reported.The government would double down" on enforcing a law aimed at guaranteeing fair prices for farmers, he said. Continue reading...

The first woman to lead the Telegraph Media Group has been described as extraordinarily energetic, motivated and driven'

Talks that began in 2022 halted amid unhappiness on both sides about lack of access to agricultural marketsThe UK has halted trade talks with Canada, with discussions breaking down after a disagreement over beef and cheese.The two countries have been negotiating for the past two years in the wake of Britain leaving the European Union, with trade continuing under the same deal brokered when the UK was a member of the bloc. Continue reading...

More than 50,000 fake social media accounts found posting against Berlin's support for UkraineGermany has uncovered a significant pro-Russia disinformation campaign using thousands of fake accounts on X to try and stir anger at Berlin's support for Ukraine, a media report has said.The revelations, first reported in Der Spiegel, come amid growing concern about the impact increasingly sophisticated disinformation campaigns could have on elections. Continue reading...

After Phillip Schofield at ITV and Bernard Looney at BP, tendency to overcompensate' could create other serious problems, say HR expertsWe spend so much time in the workplace, it is hardly surprising that many relationships begin there. But after a string of high-profile office relationship scandals, many companies are trying to make it harder to find love, a relationship, or a fling at work.Research by the TUC, the unions umbrella body, has found that one in five people in the UK are married or in a civil partnership with someone they met at work. Continue reading...

William Finlay sentenced to minimum of 20 years for stabbing retired nurse Alyson Nelson in 2022A man has been jailed for 20 years for murdering his former partner in a vicious, unrelenting" attack at her home in Northern Ireland.William Finlay, 68, was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years at Belfast crown court on Thursday for stabbing Alyson Nelson, 64, a retired nurse, in April 2022 at her house in Whitehead, County Antrim. Continue reading...