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Anglicare says there are 15 applicants per position but many often stand little chance of success due to lack of experience, age and other barriers

Pub and restaurant group Mitchells & Butlers lauds sales rise but warns of risks aheadThe All Bar One owner, Mitchells & Butlers, has lauded recent encouraging sales at the pub and restaurant group but warned that risks from rising food and energy costs lie ahead.The hospitality chain, which also owns Toby Carvery and Harvester, told shareholders on Wednesday that like-for-like sales have increased by 6.5% since the end of its latest financial year in late September. Continue reading...

Vitali Klitschko says capital taking no chances, working day and night readying for critical strike on power supplies

Albanian ambassador to UK calls for end to ‘campaign of discrimination’ amid debate over small boat arrivalsAlbanian children are being subjected to racist bullying in UK schools because of the debate surrounding arrivals by small boats, the country’s ambassador in London has said.Qirjako Qirko spoke out after Albanians were singled out by ministers and sections of the media during the recent rise in the number of his country’s citizens travelling across the Channel to claim asylum in the UK. Continue reading...

Unanimous judgment in UK’s highest court means Stormont assembly can proceed with abortion services bill

‘It was quite amusing, until it actually happened,’ says customer, after being left £75,000 overdrawnA family of four were told they owed nearly £1m to EDF for a year’s electricity and had £80,000 taken by direct debit, despite telling the company it was clearly incorrect.The payment, which put Richard Baron and his family more than £75,000 over their overdraft limit, was refunded by their bank’s fraud team before any serious damage was done. However, after cancelling their direct debit, they were put on a higher tariff with the energy provider. Continue reading...

The star formerly known as Cheryl Tweedy will play Jenny, who believes her new home is haunted, in the hit play by Danny RobinsThe former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl is to follow in the footsteps of pop star Lily Allen and make her West End acting debut in the thriller 2:22 – A Ghost Story.The star, formerly known as Cheryl Tweedy, will play Jenny, who believes her new home is haunted, in the hit play by Danny Robins. “I am really excited to be taking part in what is such a new challenge,” said Cheryl who described herself as “a big fan of theatre”. The star said that Robins’ style of writing “has an odd sense of familiarity to me, being a fellow Geordie” and Robins added: “We grew up very close to each other in Newcastle so I can’t wait to hear Jenny with a Geordie accent.” Continue reading...

Health secretary says it is not yet certain if staff in England and Wales will respond to calls from people who have had heart attacks

Number of species on red list in the country doubled in last 20 yearsThe number of bird species seriously threatened in Wales has doubled in the last 20 years, with the rook, swift and greenfinch added to the red list.A report from a coalition of conservation groups places 60 species on the red list, accounting for a quarter of the species in Wales – more than ever before. Continue reading...

Minister defends step in ‘civilisational battle’ but says it would not amount to ‘cancelling Tchaikovsky’

Mandy Walker became the first female to win best cinematographer for Elvis, which beat out the Drover’s Wife and the Stranger in most film categories

Former Gympie resident Christian Kath, his wife Misty and their 12-year-old daughter Lily died when plane crashed in Gulf of MexicoThe Australian government is providing consular assistance to the family of three Australians killed in a single-engine plane crash in the US.Dfat officials have been dispatched to Florida following the crash in the Gulf of Mexico which killed three members of the same family. Continue reading...

Bureaucrats from March 2015 insisted in documents that robodebt policies would ‘not change’ how welfare overpayments were calculated, inquiry hears

Cold weather expected to remain through the weekend but south may get some respite from next TuesdayWinter is arriving across the UK as temperatures are expected to plummet to -10C at night in parts of the country and sleet, frost and snow are forecast for some areas.The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for parts of Wales, Northern Ireland, England’s east coast, northern Scotland and the western isles. Continue reading...

In a lengthy Instagram post, Warner claimed the review panel wanted to ‘conduct a public trial of me and what occurred during the third Test’

Duke and Duchess of Sussex honoured for their activism days ahead of revelatory Netflix showA US human rights charity has awarded Harry and Meghan its Ripple of Hope award for their activism on racial justice and mental health.In a statement celebrating their award, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said “a ripple of hope can turn into a wave of change”. The couple received the award on Tuesday night in New York, two days before the release of a tell-all Netflix show expected to include damning revelations about the royal family. Continue reading...

Average price of property in November was £285,579, down 2.3% from £292,406 in OctoberHouse prices in the UK fell by 2.3% in November, according to Halifax, the largest monthly drop on its index since the beginning of the financial crash in 2008.The fall is the third in a row, and means the average house price last month was £285,579, down from £292,406 in October. Continue reading...

Documents believed to have been written by author withdrawn from auction after expert doubts veracityTwo letters described as written by Charles Dickens in the 1850s have been withdrawn from a forthcoming auction after a leading academic dismissed them as forgeries.Dr Leon Litvack, an expert analyst of Dickens’ letters and manuscripts, told the Guardian: “The handwriting is wrong. It’s the signature that is always the giveaway. I have letters from the same period that will confirm that these are forgeries.” Continue reading...

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Welsh ministers under pressure as census shows decline since 2011, largely driven by fall among children and young peopleCampaigners, teachers and politicians have expressed concern that the percentage of residents in Wales able to speak Welsh has dropped to the lowest proportion ever recorded in a census.On census day, 21 March 2021, an estimated 538,300 Welsh citizens aged three and over were reported as being able to speak Welsh – about 17.8% of the population. Continue reading...

Craig Nolan incident comes after disability royal commission hears airlines are ‘dehumanising’ passengers with disabilities

New Zealand high court case has become a focus of protests from anti-vaxxersA New Zealand high court judge has ruled in favour of health authorities who sought guardianship of a baby boy after his parents refused to consent to a transfusion of “vaccinated blood” in a life-saving operation.The landmark decision, delivered on Thursday, is expected to have wide-ranging ramifications and has become a focus of protests for anti-vaxxers who held demonstrations outside the courtroom. Continue reading...

The judge could not say who caused the death but said Smith failed the baby ‘in the most grievous way’, knowing he was injured but failing to get help

Almost 70 people of the 230 who attended a Terrigal conference have been struck down and 27 have confirmed salmonella infections

Advertising Standards Authority acknowledges humorous intent, but says consumers could be misled

Analysis: the moralistic aspects of the new criminal code risk obscuring wider concerns about a stifling of protest and criticism of the state

Contest between Brad Battin and John Pesutto described by several MPs as a ‘fight for the soul of the party’

Shane Rattenbury says he still has confidence in director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold after criticism

Victim’s great-aunt tells court Hillsong founder spoke to lawyer about father’s crime but it was not reported to police

Chinese president’s three-day trip to Riyadh will lead to a ‘strategic agreement’ between the authoritarian powersXi Jinping will arrive in Riyadh on Wednesday on a long awaited visit to a regional ally that has readied full state pageantry and a round of agreements likely to cement ties between China and Saudi Arabia – and deepen alarm in Washington.China’s president will meet more than 30 heads of state and business leaders during his three-day visit to the Saudi capital, which is set to lead to a “strategic agreement” between the authoritarian powers. The trip is the culmination of decades of cooperation once based on oil sales, which has grown into bilateral trade of close to $90bn a year. Continue reading...

Chelsea Banning tweeted about being ‘upset’ when only two friends showed up to her signing. Then some of the world’s biggest authors – and Flavor Flav – stepped inWhen debut author Chelsea Banning vented on Twitter about no one showing up at her book signing, she didn’t expect that some of the world’s most famous authors, including Stephen King, Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman, would respond with tales of their own nightmare public appearances.“At my first Salem’s Lot signing, I had one customer. A fat kid who said, ‘Hey bud, do you know where there’s some Nazi books?’” King wrote to her. Continue reading...

Japanese official says corruption claims could damage Sapporo’s chances of hosting 2030 eventMore than a year after the Tokyo Olympics were held in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, their legacy has been overshadowed by a bribery scandal that threatens to derail a bid by another Japanese city to host the Winter Games.This summer, as officials in Sapporo, on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido, promoted their bid for the 2030 Games, police arrested Haruyuki Takahashi, a former Tokyo Olympics executive, on suspicion of taking bribes in return for helping companies become official sponsors for last year’s event. Continue reading...

Joseph Wu backs Chinese protesters but says Beijing ‘might try to create external crisis to divert domestic attention’Taiwan’s foreign minister has backed China’s anti-Covid protesters but also expressed concerns that Beijing could seek to scapegoat Taiwan if demonstrations restarted.Joseph Wu said Taiwan stood alongside other democracies in calling for China to “respect basic human rights” regarding the extraordinary protests that spread across China last week and the swift police response to close in on those involved. Continue reading...

GDP figures show rapid economic growth across the year as Covid lockdowns were lifted, but quarterly increase came in slightly below expectations

MPs highlight big shortfalls in rural areas and warn that programme risks falling even further behindA £21bn government programme to build more affordable housing in England is missing its target by 32,000 homes with big shortfalls in rural areas, MPs have said.The affordable homes programme also risks falling further behind because Michael Gove’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities “does not seem to have a grasp” of risks ahead including soaring construction inflation, according to the public accounts committee. A new below-inflation cap on social rent increases could also limit new building, it says. Continue reading...

Suit, filed under New York’s new one-year window for adults to file abuse claims, says NBCUniversal was complicitFive women who have long accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them early in their careers have filed the latest lawsuit against the 85-year-old comedian and this one calls NBCUniversal, a studio, and a production company complicit in the abuse.The lawsuit comes more than a year after Cosby left prison after his 2018 sexual assault conviction in Pennsylvania was overturned. This year, a Los Angeles jury awarded $500,000 to a woman who said Cosby had sexually abused her at the Playboy Mansion when she was a teenager, in 1975. Continue reading...

Police are on the hunt for Alexander Carr after a woman in her 40s was found dead on SaturdayPolice are searching for a 32-year-old man after a woman in her 40s was found dead in Sunderland.Northumbria police are appealing to the public for information in relation to the death on Brady Street, which is being treated as suspicious. Continue reading...

Crowds mass joyfully in centre of capital after 3-0 victory on penalties against Spain puts team in quarter-finalsElated Morocco fans celebrated on the streets of London on Tuesday night following their team’s triumph over Spain in the last 16 of the World Cup.Footage showed crowds of people around Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and Edgware Road chanting, dancing and waving Moroccan flags after the result. Continue reading...

Lehrmann may sue national broadcaster for defamation after it aired statement made after first trial was abandoned in full

Vice-president and former president also given lifelong ban on holding public office after being found guiltyArgentina’s vice-president and former president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, has been sentenced to six years in prison and given a lifelong ban on holding public office after being found guilty in a $1bn fraud case related to public works.Fernández de Kirchner – who was president of Argentina for two terms between 2007 and 2015 – was found guilty of fraud on Tuesday, though she is unlikely to serve any prison time soon as she has immunity due to her government roles and is expected to launch a lengthy appeals process that could take years. Continue reading...

Judge says Mohammed bin Salman entitled to sovereign immunity despite ‘credible allegations’ of involvement in journalist’s murderA US judge has dismissed a case against Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman for orchestrating the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying the crown prince was entitled to sovereign immunity despite “credible allegations” that he was involved in the murder.Judge John Bates, a US district court judge with a long history of presiding over cases involving national security, acknowledged “uneasiness” in making the decision, but said that his hands were in effect tied by the Biden administration’s recent recommendation that Prince Mohammed be given immunity. Continue reading...

Labour force move to release material about awarding of contract to PPE Medpro through humble address in Commons

Three-year investigation for King Willem-Alexander will span period from late 16th century until presentKing Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has commissioned independent research into the role of the royal family in the country’s colonial past, the Dutch government’s information service (RVD) has announced.Three Dutch historians and a human rights expert will carry out the investigation, which is set to take three years and will span the period from the late 16th century until the “post-colonial” present, the RVD said, without elaborating on the details. Continue reading...

Police tactics again in spotlight after shooting of Romany boy on eve of annual march for Alexis GrigoropoulosThousands of people have joined protests in Athens, Thessaloniki and other Greek cities to commemorate the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violence erupted over a similar incident in the north of the country.Police estimated more than 11,000 protesters had joined protests on Tuesday amid fears of renewed clashes as a Romany boy, shot in the head by an officer, fought for his life. Continue reading...

Decline of 17% at public hospitals compared with previous year attributed to restrictions during Delta and Omicron waves

Comedian who has co-hosted Channel 4 show for three series to focus on other projects including Fantasy Football LeagueMatt Lucas has announced he is stepping down from his presenting role on The Great British Bake Off.The 48-year-old comedian, who has hosted the popular Channel 4 show alongside Noel Fielding for three series, explained he was leaving as he could no longer commit to the programme’s schedule alongside his other projects, including his new hosting role on the revived comedy show Fantasy Football League. Continue reading...

Stephen Flynn, 34, who won seat in 2019, expected to seek more independence from party’s Edinburgh leadershipAn Aberdeenshire MP little known outside Scotland’s political bubble has been elected the Scottish National party’s new leader at Westminster, as the party tries to keep its independence dreams alive after a fresh vote was blocked by the supreme court.Stephen Flynn, 34, a former city councillor who only won his seat in 2019, will face Rishi Sunak at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday after beating Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss, a surprise late entry into the race, to lead the UK parliament’s third biggest bloc. Continue reading...

Accusations that the trailer uses misleading editing are the latest salvo in a bitter war between the royal couple and most UK print mediaWith just days to go until the Duke and Duchess of Sussex release their Netflix series, newspapers are turning a documentary about how the media treated the couple into a story about how the couple are treating the media.Monday’s release of a second trailer promoting the show has already led to suggestions of misleading editing, with several photos and clips taken out of context in the promotional video for the six-part show entitled Harry and Meghan. Continue reading...

Mikhailo Podolyak says pressure on Tehran from overseas and distraction of civil unrest mean helping Moscow is not a priority

Man arrested on suspicion of murdering rapper Takayo Nembhard after handing himself in to policeA teenager has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a rapper was stabbed to death at Notting Hill carnival in August.Takayo Nembhard, 21, also known by his rap name TKorStretch, died after being stabbed in Ladbroke Grove, west London, on 29 August. Continue reading...