Natalie McNally, 32, died at her home in Lurgan after being stabbed on Sunday nightPolice have launched a murder investigation after a pregnant woman was stabbed to death at her home in County Armagh. Natalie McNally died on Sunday in Lurgan in what police have described as a “double tragedy”.DCI John Caldwell confirmed on Wednesday that McNally was 15 weeks pregnant. He said the 32-year-old had died after being stabbed a number of times and sustaining defensive injuries. Continue reading...
Justine Greening argues against move to restrict number of international students at British universitiesJustine Greening, the former Conservative education secretary, has attacked Rishi Sunak’s proposals to limit the number of international students at British universities, arguing that the move could have a “severe negative impact” on the country.In a letter co-signed by 12 university vice-chancellors, Greening urges the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, to make the case against new restrictions on students said to be supported by Sunak in the wake of record levels of inward migration. Continue reading...
Intellectual Property Office says people using services such as Netflix without paying could face prosecutionMillions of UK viewers are breaking the law by sharing their passwords for services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, according to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).The IPO, which has published the new guidance in conjunction with the Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, said password sharing breaks copyright laws. Continue reading...
Home secretary also rejects claims there is public support for allowing asylum seekers to work while their claims are consideredDawn Primarolo, a Labour peer, goes next. She asks how the Home Office will streamline claims as it processes the backlog of asylum claims.Braverman says some people have been waiting more than a year. The Home Office wants to speed up processing. Continue reading...
Support comes on top of £1.1bn paid to handle collapsed energy firm’s administration costsThe UK government has committed to provide up to £4.5bn to fund the takeover of collapsed energy company Bulb by its rival Octopus.Bulb spent more than a year in a state-handled administration and its 1.5 million customers transferred to Octopus on Tuesday night. Continue reading...
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia correspondent on (#672RX)
Nepalese supreme court orders release on account of old age of man jailed for murders of two touristsThe Nepalese supreme court has ordered the release of the French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, known as “the Serpent”, who preyed on western tourists travelling on the hippie trail in south Asia in the 1970s and was jailed for life for the murder of an American woman.Sobhraj, who has French citizenship and is of Indian and Vietnamese descent, has been linked to the killings of 20 foreign tourists across Thailand, Nepal and India. He is said to have lured them in before drugging, robbing and murdering them. Continue reading...
Imber, on Salisbury Plain, was cleared for D-day preparations and is still under MoD controlA “ghost village” evacuated almost 80 years ago is to host what might be its final funeral for a man who lived there when he was a boy.The settlement of Imber on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire was cleared during the second world war so that the area could be used to prepare troops before the D-day landings. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Volker Türk critical of scheme he considers ethically problematic and believes government must look again at how to deal with people-smuggling gangs and the treatment of refugeesThe new UN human rights chief has urged the British government to reconsider its plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, warning that in the past similar “offshoring” schemes had led to “deeply inhuman” treatment of refugees.In his first public comments on the controversy since taking office two months ago, Volker Türk rejected prime minister Rishi Sunak’s description of the £140m deal as “common sense”, saying that as well as being legally and ethically problematic it was also “very costly” and unlikely to work. Continue reading...
by Rajeev Syal Home affairs correspondent on (#672MV)
Home secretary attacks rate of decision-making and does not rule out using cruise ships to house refugeesSuella Braverman has questioned the productivity of civil servants who process asylum claims and declined to rule out using cruise ships to house people seeking refuge in the UK, after admitting that the cost of providing accommodation for claimants will rise to £3.5bn this year.The home secretary told peers on Wednesday that the productivity of her department’s staff had been “too low”, resulting in caseworkers processing one case a week on average. Continue reading...
SNCF apologises to up to 200,000 passengers likely to be affected by wildcat strikes by conductorsUp to 200,000 passengers whose trains have been cancelled because of wildcat strike action by conductors over the Christmas weekend will be reimbursed double the price they paid for their tickets, the French national railway company SNCF has said.“Not being able to travel during a period like Christmas is frankly unacceptable,” Christophe Fanichet, boss of the company’s passenger transportation division, said on Wednesday. “I would like to offer the company’s apologies.” Continue reading...
A third of train services are cancelled on key northern routes, with the rail operator blaming IT issuesOne of the UK’s worst-performing railway operators issued a “do not travel” alert on Wednesday, blaming an internal computer failure which resulted in a third of all of its trains being cancelled yet again.Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, urged the government to “step in – now” after TransPennine Express (TPE) urged against all travel on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Many objected to I’m a Celebrity appearance but regulator found neither reality TV show breached broadcasting codeLove Island and Matt Hancock provided the most complained about commercial television moments of the year, as Britons once again attempted to get the media regulator to intervene in reality programmes.Ofcom, which oversees the regulation of British broadcasting, said it received the most complaints about alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour by some contestants in the Love Island villa. This was closely followed by the former health secretary’s appearance on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here – although in that case the complaints were split between people who did not think he should have been on the show and those who felt he was being treated unfairly by other contestants.Love Island, ITV2, 17 July – complaints related to alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour by some contestants in the villa.I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!, ITV, 6-27 November – viewers objected to the inclusion of Matt Hancock in the series.Friday Night Live, Channel 4, 21 October – complaints related to a performance by trans performer Jordan Gray.Love Island, ITV2, 19 July – complaints related to alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour by some contestants in the villa.Good Morning Britain, ITV, 15 February – complaints related to comments made by Richard Madeley about death threats made to Keir Starmer.Jeremy Vine, Channel 5, 24 January – viewers complained about a health consultant’s inaccurate statement about numbers of unvaccinated people in hospital with Covid-19.Love Island, ITV2, 18 July – complaints related to alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour by some contestants in the villa.I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!, ITV, 13 November – viewers objected to bullying behaviour against Matt Hancock.Fifa World Cup final 2022: Argentina v France, ITV, 18 December – complaints related to comments by Gary Neville about striking British workers.Sky News, 10 September – a Justice for Chris Kaba walk was reported as people on their way to pay tribute to the late Queen. Continue reading...
Martin McDonagh’s film receives nine nominations, one ahead of widely acclaimed father-daughter drama AftersunMartin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin consolidated its place as frontrunner in the year-end awards race after the London Critics’ Circle announced the nominations for its film awards. The Banshees of Inisherin leads the field with nine, just ahead of indie debut Aftersun which picked up eight.The Banshees of Inisherin, which reunites McDonagh with his In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson and is McDonagh’s first film since 2017’s Oscar-winning crime drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, is nominated for film of the year and British/Irish film of the year; Farrell and Gleeson are nominated for actor and supporting actor of the year respectively, with co-stars Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon also nominated for supporting actor and actress. Farrell is also up for British/Irish actor of the year, while McDonagh is nominated for director and screenwriter of the year. Continue reading...
Supermarket chain ‘stabbed us in the back’ after delisting products, says Proctor & AssociatesLidl is being sued for £2.6m by a fruit and vegetable supplier that claims it was wrongly cut out of deals by the discount chain in a series of moves it alleges “destroyed our business”.Proctor & Associates, which once supplied Lidl with up to 57 different kinds of fruit and vegetable, has filed a claim at the high court in which it says it had to stop trading after the German-owned discounter delisted a number of its products, including asparagus, squash, chillies, apples, plums and broccoli, without notice and poached Proctor’s suppliers. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#672D8)
Damien Bendall pleads guilty to murder of Terri Harris, her children, John and Lacey, and Lacey’s friend Connie GentDamien Bendall has pleaded guilty to the murder of a woman and three children in a series of “brutal, vicious and cruel attacks” in Killamarsh last year, which included the rape of one of the children.At Derby crown court on Wednesday, Bendall, 32, admitted murdering his pregnant partner Terri Harris, 35, and her two children from a previous relationship, John Paul Bennett, 13, and Lacey Bennett, 11, as well as Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11. He also admitted raping Lacey. Continue reading...
As an Arctic blast crosses the country, states scramble to shelter new surge of migrantsRecently arrived migrants in the US are expected to be hit hard by below-freezing temperatures forecast for much of the country, especially those making dangerous crossings or who lack reliable shelter.Almost 33 million people are under winter storm watches as an Arctic blast and major storm system hit several parts of the country, Axios reports. An estimated 27 million Americans are also under wind-chill alerts. Continue reading...
British nationals and EU spouses say they were told by Home Office that children born abroad are not eligible for British citizenshipChildren born outside the UK to a British parent in a same-sex relationship are being left stateless by the Home Office, the Guardian has learned.British nationals and their EU spouses say they have been told by the department that children born abroad to a British parent who was also born outside the UK are not eligible for British citizenship. If the UK is unwilling to issue documentation, this has the added effect of leaving some children stateless in cases of EU countries that don’t recognise two mothers. Continue reading...
ACT chief minister and attorney general have announced inquiry following claims police pressured director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC not to pursue the Lehrmann case
New Zealand PM features in the follow up to Netflix’s Harry and Meghan documentary that was released this monthNew Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern says she learned she would feature in Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new documentary series the day the trailer was released.Ardern featured prominently in the first trailer for 'Live to Lead, a new documentary project, which will feature “leaders committed to making a difference in the world share[ing] their inspiring life stories”. The series is a follow-up to Harry & Meghan, Netflix’s documentary series by and about the pair, released this month. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell, Steven Morris and Dan Sabbagh on (#671SE)
Bodies representing NHS care in England also call for Rishi Sunak intervention but PM refuses to budge on payNHS leaders have urged the public to avoid risky activity on Wednesday for fear they may be left helpless and unable to reach A&E during the ambulance strike.The industrial action by staff across England and Wales comes as the ongoing pay dispute between ministers and NHS workers looks poised to descend into an increasingly bitter and disruptive war of attrition that could go on for months. Continue reading...
British director was known for his often bleak and brutal gangster films, most famously his 1971 film Get Carter starring Michael CaineMike Hodges, the British director known for films including Get Carter, Croupier, The Terminal Man and Flash Gordon, has died at the age of 90.Mike Kaplan, a longtime friend and producer on Hodges’ final feature film I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, confirmed his death to the Guardian. Hodges died at his home in Dorset on Saturday. A cause of death was not given. Continue reading...
The split comes seven months after federal investigators issued a subpoena to the firm for its prescriptions of controlled substancesSuperstar US gymnast Simone Biles and tele-health provider Cerebral have ended an endorsement partnership, the company announced Tuesday, bringing to a close a deal in which the 25-year-old Olympic champion used her own mental health experience to promote the controversial mental health start-up.Biles became Cerebral’s “chief impact officer” three months after her dramatic withdrawal from individual competition at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 saying she was “not in the right head space” to compete. Continue reading...
London council says it is the first in England and Wales to use public space protection order against catcalling and harassmentA fine for sexual harassment has been issued by a London council in the first use in England and Wales of controversial powers designed to clamp down on antisocial behaviour.The £100 fine was issued on Friday evening to a man for sexual harassment in Ilford, east London, by officials from Redbridge council, with the support of the Metropolitan police Continue reading...
David Hunter not able to admit lesser charge of manslaughter over death of his terminally ill wife, JaniceAn elderly Briton accused of murdering his terminally ill wife in Cyprus has been denied the chance to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, almost a year to the day after Janice Hunter died.The state prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou said he could not accept a deal that would have allowed David Hunter, aged 76, to make the guilty plea, which had raised hopes of the retiree being released by Christmas. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#671K2)
Settlement means airline has reached a pay deal with unions across Europe, excluding BelgiumRyanair has reached a deal with its pilots in Ireland that will restore the 20% pay cuts the airline made during the Covid pandemic.The four-year pay deal will also see low single-digit percentage rises for the carrier’s home nation pilots in the next three financial years until March 2027. Continue reading...
As inquest concludes seven years after incident, coroner says pilot should have abandoned a manoeuvre he was undertakingEleven men who died after a Hawker Hunter aircraft crashed on to a motorway during an aerial display at the 2015 Shoreham airshow in West Sussex were unlawfully killed, a coroner has ruled.At the conclusion of an inquest seven years after the incident, in which 13 other people were injured, senior coroner Penelope Schofield said that 11 lives had been “cruelly lost” and that it was clear that the aircraft’s pilot should have abandoned a manoeuvre he was undertaking. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#671GM)
Musician reveals how he likes to relax in rare interviewHow does it feel, Bob Dylan asked in his 1965 single Like a Rolling Stone, to be on your own with no direction home?Now, 57 years later, he has finally the given us the answer – it makes you feel like curling up and binge-watching Coronation Street. Continue reading...
Artefacts looted in 19th century by UK soldiers and sold on, with many more still held by the British MuseumTwenty-one precious artefacts that were looted by British soldiers from the former west African kingdom of Benin 125 years ago have been physically handed over by Germany to Nigeria amid laughter, tears, and some audible frustration with the ongoing silence of the country that first stole them.The objects from the haul of treasures known as the Benin bronzes, including a brass head of an oba (king), a ceremonial ada and a throne depicting a coiled-up python, were taken from the sacked city during a British punitive expedition in 1897 and later sold to German museums in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Cologne. Continue reading...
Specially adapted supercar driven from Padua to Rome to ‘deliver the most beautiful Christmas present – life’Italian police have used a specially adapted Lamborghini supercar to deliver two kidneys to donor patients hundreds of kilometres apart.“Travelling on the motorway to deliver the most beautiful Christmas present – life,” they said in a statement posted on social media, alongside a picture of a medical cool box in a purpose-built compartment at the front of the Huracán. Continue reading...
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