Campaign groups call on regulator to abolish January bill increase, saying households are facing an assault from all sides'Midwinter energy price increases should be abolished to protect households from unaffordable bills at the worst possible time", according to a coalition of leading charities.Charities and campaign groups have called on Ofgem, the energy regulator, to scrap future January bill increases as it prepares to raise the cap on energy prices by 5% from Monday. Continue reading...
Many Ukrainians have been welcomed in the UK, in some cases becoming part of the extended families of their hostsNot all blended families get through the festive period in perfect harmony. But a number of extended units whose members did not even know each other two years ago say they are looking forward to bringing in the new year together.These blended families are composed of Ukrainians who escaped the war in their home country and Britons who have given them shelter in their homes. While not all the relationships between Ukrainian refugees and their British host families have endured, the scheme has had many successful pairings where those from both countries say they have forged friendships for life and where two families have become one. Continue reading...
Russia's invasion prompted the LGBTQ+ community to urgently discuss their lack of legal rightsA Ukrainian couple campaigning for marital equality has called on the Kyiv government to act on a draft civil union law that would give same-sex partnerships legal status.I don't understand why, if there are people that are ready to sacrifice their lives for the country, for the state, the state cannot ensure their families are protected and their families have support," said Stanislava Petlytsia, a 27-year-old LGBTQI+ activist in Kharkiv. Continue reading...
Junior doctors call on government to make credible offer as Wednesday's six-day walkout threatens to stretch service to limitsOne of Rishi Sunak's key targets for the NHS - to eliminate waits of longer than 65 weeks for operations and other procedures by March - is likely to be missed because of strike action, health bosses warned this weekend.The health service faces the longest national strike in its history when junior doctors walk out for six days from 7am on Wednesday. One NHS trust leader said he expected about a third of operations to be cancelled at his trust. Continue reading...
Russia launches overnight air assault targeting Kyiv, Ukraine says; Moscow reports 21 dead after Ukrainian strike on BelgorodRussia launched a bombardment on Ukrainian regions in the hours leading into New Year's Eve, targeting Kyiv and inflicting damage on residential areas of the city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said. Ukraine's air defence systems in the region surrounding Kyiv were engaged in repelling Russia's drone attack, the military administration of the region said on Telegram.The Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said the drone attack came in several waves, hitting residential buildings in the city centre and starting fires. All relevant emergency services are already on the site. Information about potential casualties is being clarified."Ukraine carried out a series of strikes on the Russian border city of Belgorod, the day after an 18-hour aerial barrage across Ukraine killed at least 41 civilians. Russian officials said the shelling in the centre of Belgorod on Saturday killed 21 people, including three children, and injured 110 more. Ukrainian media - citing law enforcement agencies - said the attacks only hit military targets and were retaliation for Friday's mass bombardment of Ukrainian cities.The Belgorod attack came a day after Ukraine said a barrage of Russian missile strikes on several cities killed at least 40 people, wounding dozens more.Russia experienced a sharp rise in the number of killed and wounded troops in 2023, due to degradation" of military quality, according to the UK's Ministry of Defence.In its daily intelligence briefing, the MoD said the average daily number of Russian casualties (killed and wounded) had risen by almost 300 a day compared with 2022. The increase in daily averages, as reported by the Ukrainian authorities, almost certainly reflects the degradation of Russia's forces and its transition to a lower quality, high quantity mass army since the partial mobilisation' of reservists in September 2022."Moscow would not give an explanation for a missile in Polish airspace unless provided with hard evidence" it was Russian, said Andrei Ordash, Russia's charge d'affaires in Poland, after being summoned to the Polish foreign ministry. Poland's armed forces said an unknown airborne object, which they identified as a Russian missile, entered Polish airspace from the direction of Ukraine for less than three minutes. Until hard evidence is provided, we will not give any explanations, because these accusations are unfounded," Ordash said. Continue reading...
Inquiry into the Stardust inferno in north Dublin, that killed 48 and injured 214, recognises the suffering and grief of those left behindDeirdre Dames was 18 and on the dancefloor of the Stardust nightclub in the early hours of Valentine's Day in 1981 when the music stopped and the DJ announced there was a fire and people should head for the exits.Then there was a bang and the lights went out," Dames recalled. I was trying to make my way to my friends but everyone was pushing and shouting. I got on my hands and knees and crawled to the toilet." Continue reading...
Chris Marriott was hit by a car after he went to the aid of a woman lying unconscious in the streetA 23-year-old man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with the murder of a Good Samaritan" who died after being hit by a car while trying to help a stranger.Chris Marriott, 46, died on Wednesday after he went to the aid of a woman he saw unconscious in the street during a disturbance in the Burngreave area of Sheffield. Continue reading...
Singers, artists and co-founder of women's fiction prize among members of arts world to be recognisedThe co-founder of the Glastonbury festival, a bestselling novelist and an organ-playing TikTok sensation are among the recipients of New Year honours from the world of arts and culture.Michael Eavis, 88, who first hosted the Pilton Pop, Blues & Folk festival at Worthy Farm in 1970, was recognised for services to music and charity. Continue reading...
Author Jilly Cooper and actor Emilia Clarke also honouredThe singer Shirley Bassey, the England goalkeeper Mary Earps, the Glastonbury festival founder Michael Eavis and the Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke are among the famous names recognised in the new year honours list, while the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, leads those rewarded for their work on the coronation of King Charles III.Bassey, known for recording the Bond songs Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever, is one of the all-time bestselling artists. She becomes a Companion of Honour, one of the top honours, for her services to music. She said: My heart is full of emotion and I am truly humbled." Continue reading...
Next government will inherit most challenging situation in public services since second world war, IPPR saysPublic services will not recover until the 2030s even under a Labour government, and it will take a decade to clear the backlog in the NHS and the courts, a report says.The study from the Institute for Public Policy Research, a progressive thinktank, outlines the challenges an incoming Labour government would face, with voters impatient for change within a first term. Continue reading...
Scott Thomas Daddy, 28, Leslie Forbes, 70, and Kenneth Patrick Hibbins, 59, were in vehicle that was submerged in River EskThree men who died when their 4x4 vehicle was swept away at a river crossing in Yorkshire have been named by police.Scott Thomas Daddy, 28, from Hull, Leslie Forbes, 70, from the East Yorkshire area, and Kenneth Patrick Hibbins, 59, known as Patrick, from York, were found dead inside the vehicle after it became submerged in the River Esk near Glaisdale shortly before midday on Thursday. Continue reading...
Two were part of group skiing off-piste with instructor when avalanche occurredA British woman and her son are reported to have died in the French Alps after an avalanche in the Mont Blanc mountain range.The two were part of a group reportedly skiing far outside the designated slopes with an instructor when the avalanche, measuring 400 metres wide, occurred at an altitude of 2,300 metres near the ski resort of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in the Haute-Savoie on Wednesday. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan Jerusalem correspondent on (#6HFEB)
UN says about 100,000 people have arrived in Rafah after intense attacks on Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis Israel-Gaza war - live updatesA delegation of high-level Hamas leaders is visiting Egypt for talks aimed at bringing the devastating war in Gaza to an end, even as the Israeli military pushes deeper into the centre and south of the strip, displacing tens of thousands of people.The UN's humanitarian office said on Friday that over the past few days an estimated 100,000 people had arrived in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost town on the border with Egypt, after an intense new ground and aerial offensive around the central town of Deir al-Balah and airstrikes on the southern town of Khan Younis. Continue reading...
by Anna Bawden Social affairs correspondent on (#6HF8N)
Average of 3,631 patients in hospital with Covid during Christmas week, data shows, a rise of 57% in a monthA surge in the number of flu and Covid admissions to hospitals in England is adding to a storm of pressure" facing the health service, NHS leaders have said.Figures released on Friday showed that in Christmas week, there were on average 3,631 patients with Covid in hospital, up 57% from the same week in November. Continue reading...
Environmental, economic and taste reasons cited as why makers may not take size opportunityEnglish wine producers look set to pass up the chance to sell wine by the pint, despite a triumphant announcement from the government that it had given them the Brexit freedom" to do so.In an announcement earlier this week, the Department for Business and Trade said British wine lovers would soon be able to purchase pint-sized bottles of still and sparkling wine, as a new 568ml size is introduced to Britain's supermarket shelves, pubs, clubs and restaurants". Continue reading...
Siyabonga Twala, who has a British son, was barred from returning to UK a year ago and remains in limbo in AnkaraA man who remains stuck in Turkey a year after he was barred from returning to the UK with his British son has applied for a judicial review of the Home Office's handling of his case.Siyabonga Twala has been in limbo in Ankara ever since he was blocked from boarding a flight back to Manchester last December. His son, Mason, nine, and his parents and siblings had to return home without him. Continue reading...
by Kevin Rawlinson and Caroline Davies on (#6HF2W)
Reclusive billionaire twins notorious for use of tax havens met then prime minister Tony Blair in 1999The reclusive super-rich twins Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, who became notorious for their use of tax havens to manage their vast business empire, lobbied the Labour government to abolish inheritance tax altogether, Cabinet Office papers reveal.Sir David and Sir Frederick, then owners of the Telegraph and Spectator titles, as well as the latter's son Aidan Barclay, were present at a 1999 meeting with Tony Blair, then serving his first term as prime minister, the files show. Continue reading...
Any gains for lower half will be lost when income tax bills rise in April, says Resolution FoundationThe bottom half of earners will lose any gains from next week's lowering of national insurance payments when their income tax bills go up in April, a leading thinktank has warned.The Resolution Foundation said the combined effect of a cut in national insurance contributions (Nics) from 6 January and a freeze on income tax thresholds - pulling more people into paying higher rates as their wages rise - would only favour the top half of earners with incomes of 26,000 or more. Continue reading...
Conflict has changed Ukrainian poetry and boosted interest at home and abroad, but several poets have died or disappearedA year ago, the poet Borys Humenyuk sent a final message. For 24 hours, he and two fellow Ukrainian soldiers had been under relentless Russian fire. Shells rained down on their trench outside the eastern city of Bakhmut. We're running out of ammo. Down to the last bullet," Humenyuk said over a crackling radio. Those were his last words.Humenyuk had volunteered to relieve a group of exhausted service personnel at zero", the hottest part of the frontline. Now, he explained, he was wounded in the shoulder and unable to drag his injured comrade to safety. We are stuck," he reported. By the time an evacuation team reached the trench in the village of Klishchiivka, Humenyuk had disappeared. Continue reading...
Record high youth unemployment and struggling property sector are among increasingly sensitive topicsChina is cracking down on negative commentary about the financial market and other sectors as the authorities seek to boost public confidence despite challenging economic headwinds.This month the Weibo account Weibo Finance, which has more than 1.5 million followers, issued an instruction against posting any comments that bad-mouth the economy". The post appears to have since been deleted. Bloomberg reported that several other finance influencers had been told by Weibo to avoid crossing red lines" and to post less about the economy. Weibo did not reply to a request for comment. Continue reading...
Smith's Snackfood Company says it is installing extra fans in Adelaide factory where some workers reported symptoms including eye and skin irritationSmith's is installing extra fans in an Adelaide factory after workers claimed they were having difficulty breathing and experiencing skin irritation from dealing with the seasoning used to make flamin' hot" Doritos.SafeWork SA is looking into the claims after the United Workers Union alleged employees at the Smith's Snackfood Company factory raised significant safety concerns about the improper handling of strongly irritating substances". Continue reading...
Witnesses say people climbed on to vehicle to gather petrol after tanker overturned on roadsideMore than 40 people have been killed and dozens badly burned when a petrol tanker exploded in central Liberia, the country's chief medical officer has said.Witnesses said people clambered on to the lorry to try collect petrol leaking from its tank after it crashed and tipped into a ditch along a road in Totota, about 130 kilometres (80 miles) from the capital Monrovia on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Unidentified man in life-threatening condition after enduring temperatures of around -50C on Air Algerie flight from OranA man has been discovered hidden in the landing gear compartment of a commercial aircraft that flew into Paris from Algeria with severe hypothermia but alive, French authorities have said.The man, believed to be in his 20s, was found during technical checks after the Air Algerie flight from Oran, Algeria, landed at Paris's Orly airport in mid-morning, prosecutors told AFP. Continue reading...
Drivers in Brisbane bear brunt of record petrol prices this year - only now are we starting to see some relief'Australian motorists are copping the cost of volatile world oil prices but relief could be in sight.Drivers in Brisbane bore the brunt of record petrol prices this year, making the Queensland city the nation's most expensive capital to put fuel in the tank. Regular unleaded cost on average 193.4 cents a litre, an NRMA analysis of 2023 petrol prices across the country revealed. Continue reading...
Wellwishers are asked to plant flowers in Birmingham-born poet's name or donate to Vegan Society or InquestBenjamin Zephaniah was laid to rest at a private funeral on Thursday.The Birmingham-born British poet and campaigner died on 7 December aged 65 and had been diagnosed with a brain tumour shortly before his death. Continue reading...
Lawyers say enough evidence has emerged for police to consider prosecuting former Post Office executivesA public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal at the Post Office has produced enough evidence for police to investigate senior staff, according to lawyers for postmasters who were wrongly convicted of crimes including theft and fraud.Hundreds of people who owned and operated post offices were wrongfully investigated, prosecuted and convicted between 1999 and 2015 because of bugs in a computer system called Horizon. Continue reading...
Police arrest man on suspicion of breaching the peace after footage appeared to show landmark in flamesA man has been arrested after early reports of Blackpool Tower being on fire transpired to be video footage of orange netting blowing in the wind.The Welcome to Blackpool tourist information service had earlier written that the fire brigade with climbing gear are on their way up now". Continue reading...
At least 16 states will fund largely unregulated facilities that try to convince people to continue their pregnanciesIn the months since the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade, at least 16 states have agreed to funnel more than $250m in taxpayer dollars towards anti-abortion facilities and programs that try to convince people to continue their pregnancies.Much of that money is set to go to anti-abortion counseling centers, or crisis pregnancy centers, according to data provided by the Guttmacher Institute and Equity Forward, organizations that support abortion rights. It has been paid out throughout 2023 and will stretch into 2025. Continue reading...
Farmers in Texcaltitlan in central Mexico, tired of being extorted, chased down gang members and killed 10 earlier this monthA drug cartel in central Mexico has kidnapped 14 local residents, including four children, in apparent retaliation for an uprising by angry farmers earlier this month that killed 10 cartel gunmen, officials said.Farmers in the village of Texcaltitlan and a neighboring hamlet had apparently grown tired of cartel extortions. Armed only with sickles and hunting rifles, they chased down suspected gang members amid bursts of automatic gunfire on 8 December, hacking, shooting and burning them. Four villagers also died in the clash. Continue reading...
Departures are part of purge of figures linked to military, thought to be related to a procurement investigationThree senior aerospace and defence business leaders have been removed from a top political advisory body to the Chinese Communist party (CCP), in the latest purge of figures linked to China's military.State media reported that the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) had revoked the seats of Liu Shiqian, the chair of the weapons manufacturer China North Industries Group; Wu Yansheng, the chair of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation; and Wang Changqing, a deputy manager of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (Casic). Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6HEPC)
Study finds rhotic speech that survives in pocket of east Lancashire around Blackburn becoming less commonOne of the most distinctive accents in the north of England could be about to disappear, a study has found.The strong R sound found in some Lancashire accents is slowly being replaced with a weaker version more common in the rest of the country, the research by Lancaster University has found. Continue reading...
by Pjotr Sauer and Artem Mazhulin in Kyiv on (#6HE41)
Package including anti-aircraft missiles is likely to be last supplied without congressional approvalThe US announced a $250m (196m) Ukraine military aid package on Wednesday, the last remaining tranche of weapons available for Ukraine under existing authorisation.The package, provided through the presidential drawdown authority, will be pulled from Pentagon stockpiles, with Congress now needing to decide whether to keep supporting Kyiv's battle against Russian invasion. Continue reading...
Citizens Advice figures show an unparalleled number of people unable to pay their bills in 2023Record numbers of people sought help in accessing homeless services, food banks and energy bill support this year, finding it ever harder to find solutions", Citizens Advice said, amid the cost of living crisis.Figures from the UK's largest independent advice provider show that an unparalleled number of people were unable to top up their prepayment meters or meet their energy bills. Its clients' average council tax debts and energy bill arrears were also at record highs. Continue reading...
A levy would help the city to cope with its 4 million annual visitors, politicians and event organisers sayEdinburgh's council leader has called for a new visitor levy to be introduced urgently to help the city fund its festivals, including this weekend's loss-making Hogmanay street parties.Cammy Day, leader of Edinburgh's Labour administration, said the proposed visitor levy could help the city raise about 25m in extra funding for services and to subsidise tourism infrastructure. Continue reading...
Man who had history of psychiatric illness said voices told him to cause harm', prosecutor in Meux saysA 33-year-old French man has admitted killing his wife and their four children, saying he heard voices telling him to cause harm", the public prosecutor said on Thursday.French police on Tuesday arrested a man with a history of psychiatric illness on suspicion of murdering his Haitian-born wife and their children, aged nine months, and four, seven and 10 years old. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6HEHQ)
With another two-point slip from current polling, about 40% of Tory MPs would come from populist rightA catastrophic election defeat could lead to the parliamentary Conservative party tilting towards the populist right, Guardian analysis has indicated.A projection of the seats the Conservatives would retain if there was a further two percentage point swing to Labour before election day, using data from Electoral Calculus, shows that about 40% of the remaining MPs would come from this wing of the party. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6HEHR)
Asad Farooq, 25, claims club rejected his job application in favour of someone less experiencedA British Asian man is suing Liverpool Football Club, claiming it racially discriminated against him by rejecting his application for a job in favour of someone less experienced.Asad Farooq, 25, has a degree in stadium and event management, and has worked for Tottenham Hotspur and at the Qatar World Cup, but was not invited for an interview when he applied to Liverpool in November last year for a job in administration. Continue reading...
Emily Thornberry says country is desperate, and Labour is ready, for general electionLabour is talking up the prospect of a May 2024 general election, with the shadow cabinet minister Emily Thornberry saying it was the worst kept secret in Westminster" that a contest would be called then.Thornberry told Sky News on Thursday that the government's decision to announce a budget in early March - the earliest date in 13 years apart from during the pandemic - seems to confirm" that May is the most likely date. Continue reading...
From removing a House speaker and expelling an indicted member, it was not a great year for America's representativesBefore House Republicans left for their holiday recess this month, they addressed one last matter of business. They did not take up an aid package for Ukraine or pass an appropriations bill to fully fund the government through the fiscal year.The House chose instead to vote along party lines to formally authorize an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, even though Republicans have failed to uncover any proof that the president financially benefited from his family's business dealings. Continue reading...
Then PM thought move would be excellent' but Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam was scepticalNewly released state papers show that the former prime minister Tony Blair backed proposals for Wimbledon FC to move to Belfast but his Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam was more sceptical.Previously confidential state papers include a note from 1997 described as following up earlier informal discussions about the possibility of an English Premier League football club relocating to Belfast". Continue reading...
Former US president denies director's claims that he insisted on appearing in 1992 film in exchange for filming in his hotelDonald Trump has denied claims made by the director Chris Columbus that he bullied his way into" appearing in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.The former US president said on his social media platform Truth Social, that the film's production team were begging me to make a cameo appearance". Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6HEEE)
Party has asked former Ofsted head Sir David Bell to find new ways to increase levels of childcareLabour is considering creating thousands of nursery places inside existing primary schools in England and has tasked the former Ofsted head Sir David Bell with finding new ways to increase levels of childcare.In the latest evolution of Labour's policy in an area that still has a widespread shortage of spaces, plus a lack of affordability and staffing, Bell will advise on potential ways to tackle this, with detailed policies set out nearer the election. Continue reading...
Search crew finds body of man near Rosebud beach on the Mornington Peninsula after two-hour searchA kayaker has died in waters off Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.Emergency services were called to Rosebud beach about 3.30pm on Thursday. There were reports a man on an inflatable kayak had got into trouble and gone into the water up to 800 metres off shore. Continue reading...
Patterson allegedly served death cap mushrooms to visitors at the residence, three of whom later diedTwo people are under arrest following an alleged burglary at the home of accused triple murderer Erin Patterson in Victoria's east.
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