by Chris Osuh Community affairs correspondent on (#6SNF7)
Enjoying a romantic relationship without cohabiting, or living apart, together', found to be a popular arrangementIt's known as living apart, together. Being in a serious relationship while remaining at separate addresses has long been a lifestyle more associated with people starting out in life.But those aged 60 and above who date like people in their 20s enjoy better mental wellbeing, the largest study of its kind has found. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman, North of England correspondent on (#6SNFA)
Ali Clark, who runs Chadkirk dog sanctuary, looks after dogs with behavioural problems that cannot be rehomedThe owner of a sanctuary for traumatised dogs has said up to 17 animals will have to be put to sleep unless she can find a new home for them within three weeks.Chadkirk dog sanctuary in Stockport was served with an eviction notice by the landlord, which means that the premises will need to be vacated by the end of the year. Continue reading...
Winnipeg effort involves carting waste that may contain remains of First Nations women murdered by Jeremy Skibicki to a purpose-built facility and combing through it by handThe unprecedented search of a landfill in Canada for the remains of two murdered Indigenous women entered a critical yet difficult" stage as teams braced for the possibility of finally recovering the victims of a convicted serial killer.On Monday morning, trucks began carrying excavated material from a Winnipeg landfill, said the Manitoba premier, Wab Kinew, as he outlined the immense scope of a search aiming to bring some closure to grieving families. Continue reading...
Tbilisi experiences fifth day of demonstrations amid anger over ruling party's decision to shelve EU accession talksGeorgian police have fired teargas to try to disperse thousands of pro-EU demonstrators rallying in the centre of Tbilisi amid a deepening political crisis in the Black Sea nation.The country's prime minister hours earlier had vowed no negotiations" with the opposition, enraged by the ruling Georgian Dream party's decision to shelve EU accession talks after it claimed victory in an election they decried as fraudulent. Continue reading...
Tommy Banks urges those who stole van packed with 2,500 pies to do the right thing' so food can go to people in needA Michelin-starred chef has appealed to thieves who stole his van which had 2,500 pies inside to do the right thing" and give them to people in need.Tommy Banks, who owns two restaurants and a pub in North Yorkshire, announced on Instagram that his van carrying 25,000 worth of stock had been taken. The refrigerated vehicle was due to make a delivery to the chef's pop-up pie stall at York Christmas Market, but staff found it had disappeared from Barker business park in Melmerby, near Ripon, on Monday morning. Continue reading...
At lord mayor's banquet in London, British PM says national interest demands that we work with both'Keir Starmer has utterly rejected" the idea that the UK must choose between the United States and Europe when Donald Trump comes to power, arguing that it is in the national interest to work with both.The prime minister said the UK would never turn away" from its relationship with the US, despite the difficulties the new administration could pose, as it had been the cornerstone" of security and prosperity for over a century. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6SN6C)
Pair chatted on Telegram about plot to target Christo Grozev, known for his investigations into Russian espionageAn agent for Russia and a Bulgarian based in Britain discussed setting up a honeytrap" for an investigative journalist, the Old Bailey has heard.Jan Marsalek, the agent, chatted on Telegram with Orlin Roussev in September 2021 about a plot to target the award-winning journalist Christo Grozev, known for his investigations into Russian espionage, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#6SN3Z)
Decision brings Commons speaker's role into disrepute, says Will ProchaskaAnti-gambling campaigners have called on the Commons speaker to apologise after Sir Lindsay Hoyle opened Betfred's multimillion-pound new HQ with a dedicated plaque.The Betfred HQ in Warrington was opened by Hoyle at the end of last month, 20 miles outside his Chorley constituency. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6SN40)
Proposal comes after billionaire Elon Musk reportedly said he would donate 79m to Nigel Farage's Reform UK partyCaps on political donations are being considered by ministers as part of sweeping reforms to the UK electoral system.Labour is examining proposals to limit how much individuals and companies can donate to political parties as part of an effort to tighten the rules around money in UK politics. Continue reading...
by Shaun Walker in Kyiv and Kate Connolly in Berlin on (#6SMR0)
Scholz said Germany was strongest supporter of Ukraine in Europe' and promised speedy arms deliveriesOlaf Scholz has met the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an unannounced visit to Kyiv that was his first since the early months of full-scale war as he sought to reassure Ukraine of German support.The German chancellor announced a military aid package worth 650m (540m) during the trip amid doubts over his Ukraine policy at home and uncertainty over the upcoming presidency of Donald Trump and what it may mean for the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6SN3J)
Charity on verge of insolvency amid collapse in funding from NHS, school and local authority contractsBritain's biggest relationship counselling charity is on the verge of insolvency after failing to overcome financial difficulties caused by a collapse in funding from NHS, school and local authority contracts.Relate has been put into administration, with staff told that it has four to six weeks to find a buyer or merger partner if it is to stay afloat. The 26 local branches of the charity, which are each independent, are not affected. Continue reading...
This live blog is closedNigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, has said that he does not believe a story saying Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire Trump ally and owner of X, might give his party $100m.The suggestion was contained in a story published by the Sunday Times yesterday. It did not feature an on-the-record source for the claim, but it said leading businessmen and Conservative Party officials believe there is a credible prospect that Musk is preparing to give $100 million (78 million) to Farage as a f*** you Starmer payment" with a view to transforming British politics".I suspect this is not true. Legally, companies operating in the UK can give money to UK political parties, but I think we're a very long way away from that.Look, if it did happen, well, that'd be great, but I think it's one of those really very good gossipy Sunday newspaper things. Let's see. But I rather doubt it.The craziest thing about this story is that it is all perfectly legal.Musk is a South African-born billionaire who lives in the US. Our election laws are explicitly supposed to prevent foreign donations like this - but anyone, from anywhere, can get around the rules if they donate through a UK registered company. (A wheeze Robert Jenrick knows well.)New targets on living standards will be unveiled by Keir Starmer on ThursdayIs being seen as a sidelining of his big economic pledge - getting the highest growth in the G7The problem with the highest sustained growth in G7' target is Starmer of course doesn't control the economies of US, Aus, Canada, Germany, France, JapanUS growing way faster now: 2.8% estimate for 2024 vs 1.1% for UKFor the new living standards target real household disposable income and GDP per capita have been considered.The new promise will likely have the benefit of not being a pledge to beat other countries.Note the nuance. The G7 target remains. It will likely be mentioned in the Plan For Change' document unveiled on Thurs and Starmer's speechBut a new major economic pledge will now be unveiled which in the coming years is likely to be talked about much more than the G7 ambition Continue reading...
Exclusive: Unlock Democracy proposes series of measures and warns of over-reliance on conventions and norms'The next UK general election could be a disaster of Trumpian proportions" if the Labour government does not adopt measures to boost public trust in the political system, former ministers and campaigners have warned.A cap on political donations and wider powers for the House of Lords Appointments Commission to block unsuitable peer nominations are among 54 proposals laid out in a paper from the campaign group Unlock Democracy.Cabinet ministers must be confirmed by MPs' select committees and parliament should ratify new prime ministers before the new government can bring forward a king's speech.Close loopholes that allow unincorporated associations to conceal the source of their political donations or overseas residents to donate to political partiesA 200 per-item limit on freebies for MPs or ministers and a cap on earnings from second jobs at half an MP's salary.Amend the MPs' code of conduct and the Recall of MPs Act 2015 so they can be punished for failing to fulfil their responsibilities. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6SN10)
Changes include allowing students to complete placements remotely and do simulated activities' in the classroomThe government has announced a shake-up of T-levels, its gold standard" vocational qualifications in England, which have been dogged by disappointing uptake and high dropout rates.The reforms, to be introduced in January, will bring in significant changes to the industry placement element of the two-year qualification, which offers practical, hands-on work experience but has proved difficult to deliver. Continue reading...
Court said five women were victims of systematic kidnapping' by state over forced removal from mothers as small childrenThe Belgian state has been found guilty of crimes against humanity for the forced removal of five mixed-race children from their mothers in colonial Congo.In a long-awaited ruling issued on Monday, Belgium's court of appeal said that five women, born in the Belgian Congo and now in their 70s, had been victims of systematic kidnapping" by the state when they were removed from their mothers as small children and sent to Catholic institutions because of their mixed-race origins. Continue reading...
PM Michel Barnier tells MPs they face moment of truth' after left and right lodge motions censuring governmentThe French government appears likely to fall this week after leftwing and far-right parties lodged motions of no confidence in response to the prime minister's decision to push through a belt-tightening budget without a vote.If passed by MPs, the motions, which will be put to a vote in the national assembly on Wednesday, will bring down the government and force Michel Barnier's resignation after only two and a half months. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6SN0E)
Parents asked bosses at Countess of Chester hospital, where she was a neonatal nurse, for urgent meeting'Lucy Letby's parents wrote to hospital bosses expressing their intolerable anguish" after police began investigating their daughter, and asking for an urgent meeting with senior managers, a public inquiry has heard.
Lawyers for relatives of woman who died told inquiry warnings should have issued after attack on Sergei SkripalThere was an abject failure" from the UK government to put in basic security measures to protect the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal - and therefore keep the wider public safe, the family of a woman who died in the Wiltshire novichok poisonings has said.Lawyers for Dawn Sturgess's relatives argued the UK authorities should have anticipated Skripal would have been a target, especially as he appeared to have continued to work with western security agencies after he was pardoned by Russia, but left him a sitting duck". Continue reading...
by Daniel Harris and Brendan Wood for MetDesk on (#6SMR3)
There was significant snowfall in five states downwind of the Great Lakes, including 4ft in western New York stateAs meteorological autumn drew to a close at the end of last week, parts of the north-east of the US saw substantial snowfall thanks to a phenomenon known as lake-effect snow".This occurs when cold air passes over relatively warm lake waters, causing the layer of air near to the surface to absorb heat and moisture. Warmer than the air above it, this layer of air then starts to rise, cooling and condensing into clouds that deposit snow on the windward side of the lakes in extremely localised bands. Continue reading...
Georgian media reports protests in at least eight cities and towns after Saturday's demonstrations leave 44 in hospitalProtesters rallied in Georgia's capital for a fourth consecutive night on Sunday and there were signs that opposition was spreading to the government's decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union.For months, tensions have been rising between the ruling Georgian Dream party and opponents who accuse it of pursuing increasingly authoritarian, anti-western and pro-Russian policies. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: President Bashar al-Assad's forces were driven from Aleppo over the weekend by a rebel offensive, forcing global attention to turn back to the country Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Eight years ago, indiscriminate Russian airstrikes helped Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad's forces drive rebels from Aleppo, the country's second-largest city. Assad's victory in Aleppo, once a symbolic stronghold of the Syrian rebellion, relied on a brutal surrender or starve" strategy that killed thousands of civilians and forced many more to flee. It was seen as a turning point in the country's civil war, which has largely been in a state of stalemate since 2020.But over the weekend, a stunning rebel offensive seized Aleppo again - leaving the Assad regime facing the greatest threat to its control in years. Yesterday, Syrian and Russian airstrikes pummeled opposition controlled areas in response. Whatever happens next, if the frozen conflict in Syria has become a forgotten war" as attention has focused on Gaza and Ukraine, it will now be impossible to ignore.US politics | Joe Biden has issued a full and unconditional" pardon to his son Hunter Biden covering convictions on federal gun and tax charges. Joe Biden, who has repeatedly said that he would not pardon Hunter or commute his sentence, said that his son had been selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted".Assisted dying | A new commission on palliative care has been set up to deliver better care for 100,000 people a year in the final stages of their lives. The commission - instituted after the parliamentary vote last week to legalise assisted dying - has been launched amid warnings of a postcode lottery in standards across the country.BBC | Outrage over Gregg Wallace's alleged conduct has intensified after the MasterChef presenter dismissed his accusers as middle-class women of a certain age". The corporation and other broadcasters are facing growing questions about why Wallace remained on screen despite allegations of inappropriate behaviour dating back to at least 2012.Immigration and asylum | The number of small boat arrivals since Keir Starmer took power has passed 20,000, with the Home Office claiming a record number of calm autumnal days in the Channel was responsible. 6,288 people crossed the Channel over 31 days in October and November, compared with 768 over the same period in 2023.Georgia | Protesters rallied in Georgia's capital for a fourth consecutive night on Sunday amid signs of widening opposition to the government's decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union. The crisis deepened after Thursday's announcement that the government would freeze EU talks for four years. Continue reading...
Written complaints about DWP double, while prisons, the NHS and higher education experience big increaseComplaints about public services have soared by more than a third since 2016 with substantial jumps in relation to benefits, prisons, the NHS and higher education, according to a leading thinktank.Demos, a cross-party organisation, found that between 2015-16 and 2023-24 complaints across key public services increased steadily by evermore than 100,000 from 309,758 to 425,624 - aside from a sharp drop during the pandemic. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6SMMS)
Emma Kamio describes abuse' of act after daughter's alleged involvement in action against Israeli arms companyA Swansea woman has said she was left traumatised after being arrested under the Terrorism Act and held incommunicado for five days because her daughter was allegedly involved in an action against an Israeli arms company.Emma Kamio, 57, who runs her own homeopathy and pilates business, was led away in handcuffs from her home in front of her son and neighbours and had three laptops and mobile phones seized, after a Palestine Action protest at an Elbit Systems UK building near Patchway on the outskirts of Bristol. Continue reading...
Pope will inaugurate the livestream as part of efforts to connect with faithful around the world during holy yearSt Peter's tomb will be livestreamed as the Vatican embraces technology in its quest to connect with Catholics in far-flung places during holy year, an event expected to bring as many as 33 million pilgrims to Rome.Pope Francis will inaugurate the live webcam on Monday, which has been installed at the tomb of the apostle beneath the main altar of St Peter's Basilica. Continue reading...
Screenwriter co-wrote Annie Hall and Manhattan, penned the Jersey Boys musical, and wrote for Johnny Carson's Tonight Show and The Muppet ShowMarshall Brickman, the Oscar-winning screenwriter who wrote some of Woody Allen 's best films, the Broadway musical Jersey Boys and a number of Johnny Carson's most beloved sketches, has died aged 85.Brickman died Friday in Manhattan, his daughter Sophie Brickman told the New York Times. No cause of death was given. Continue reading...
Exit poll suggests leftwing PSD poised to defeat resurgent far-right movement in parliamentary electionRomania's main centre-left party was on track to finish first in parliamentary elections, according to early exit polls, seemingly beating an advancing far right boosted by the shock victory of an ultranationalist in last week's presidential first-round ballot.The ruling Social Democratic party (PSD) was forecast to receive 26% of the vote, ahead of the far-right nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) on 19%, while the National Liberal party (PNL) and centre-right Save Romania Union (USR) were vying for third on 15-16%. Continue reading...
Campaigners say problems with digital transfer could affect hundreds of thousands of people on 10-year route' visasThe Home Office has admitted that many people who have the right to live and work in the UK cannot access their eVisas and provide proof that they are allowed to be in the country.Human rights campaigners have said problems with accessing eVisas could lead to a scandal involving hundreds of thousands of people. Those affected are allowed to be in the UK but cannot show their right to work or rent a home. Continue reading...
Home secretary to highlight data showing record number of calm autumnal days that made Channel crossings likelyThe number of small boat arrivals since Keir Starmer took power has passed 20,000, with the Home Office claiming a record number of calm autumnal days in the Channel was responsible.A 31-day period in October and November had the highest ratio of so-called red days" - when weather conditions make crossings likely or very likely - since records began in 2018, according to a leaked analysis. Continue reading...
Andrew Cunningham, 61, held after death of Margaret Cunningham, who was found at address in Surrey QuaysA 61-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a 57-year-old woman in south-east London.Officers were called to an address in Greenland Quay, Surrey Quays, at about 3pm on Friday after reports that a woman had been stabbed, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...
Ex-spy had information about Putin's embezzlement' of profits from metals production, intelligence official saysVladimir Putin may have ordered the assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal because the former Russian spy harboured secret information about the Russian president's criminal embezzlement" of profits from metals production, the UK government believes.A leading intelligence official on Russia has said he took at face value" Skripal's assertions that secrets he knew about how Putin may have made money led to the nerve agent attack on him in Salisbury. Continue reading...
British Transport Police exposed to a substance believed to be alkaline' at railway stationTwo schoolboys have been charged after a suspected chemical attack at Surbiton railway station that caused two police officers to be taken to hospital.The suspects, aged 14 and 16, were at the station in south-west London at about 4.20pm on Friday when they were spotted by British Transport Police acting suspiciously". Continue reading...
Met police say 34-year-old was arrested in Hertfordshire after reports of rape at London venue in NovemberA man has been arrested on suspicion of rape as part of an investigation into an alleged sexual attack at the Groucho Club in central London.The Metropolitan police said a 34-year-old man was arrested on Saturday evening at an address in Hertfordshire and remained in custody. Continue reading...
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