Sales at food halls rise 8.9% over Christmas, with 23 December its biggest-ever day of food tradingMarks & Spencer has hailed a good Christmas" with strong sales of food but warned it would have to find new ways of to cut costs in the face of the government's tax increases.The UK retailer said sales at established food halls rose 8.9%, making its the top-performing high street grocer over Christmas, according to the analysts Kantar. Equivalent clothing, home and beauty product sales grew by 1.9% in the 13 weeks to 28 December, even as the clothing market fell 2% before Christmas. Continue reading...
New Year's Day attacks by US service members highlight threat, says Bishop Garrison who led DoD investigationThe decorated combat veteran who led the Biden administration's efforts to counter extremist activity in the US military has warned there could be further domestic attacks by individuals with current or past military ties if the Pentagon fails to take the threat seriously.Both of the deadly incidents on New Year's Day were carried out by discharged or serving members of the armed forces. The driver of a pickup truck who killed 14 revellers in New Orleans was a veteran with 13 years service in the US army, while the man who blew up a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Las Vegas Trump hotel, killing himself, was an active-duty Green Beret. Continue reading...
As the incoming president pledges a crackdown, activist groups anticipating migrant raids are preparing to resistAlmost immediately after Donald Trump took office in 2017, he directed his administration to begin rounding up and deporting immigrants living in the country without authorization. He implemented a travel ban that caused chaos at airports, leaving families, students and scholars stranded. He also attempted to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program, which shields hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country as children from deportation and imposed a zero-tolerance" at the US-Mexico border that led to the separation of thousands of families.Many immigration advocates fear that the next four years could be even worse. Continue reading...
Bakery chain says fewer shoppers on high streets over Christmas also to blame in more challenging market'Greggs, the UK's biggest bakery chain, has reported slowing sales growth over the festive period, blaming weakening consumer confidence and fewer shoppers on high streets.The company said its total sales rose by 11.3% to just over 2bn last year. Company-managed shops posted a 5.5% increase in sales at established outlets over the year. However, growth more than halved to 2.5% in the fourth quarter - the 13 weeks to 28 December - reflecting more subdued" high street footfall. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey and Rowena Mason in London and Redwan on (#6TEHJ)
City minister under pressure to explain why she benefited from property paid for by the regime of her aunt Sheikh HasinaTulip Siddiq reacted with anger when she was confronted in 2017 by reporters from Channel 4 asking her to intervene in the case of Ahmad bin Quasem, a British-educated lawyer who had allegedly been abducted in Bangladesh by the regime of Siddiq's aunt, Sheikh Hasina.Are you aware that I am a British MP and that I'm born in London?" she asked Alex Thomson, the channel's chief correspondent. Are you implying that I'm a Bangladeshi? Because I don't think that's the right thing to imply." Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6TEFW)
At least 12 councils may request postponement of May elections amid government devolution plansHalf of the county councils due to have elections in England this spring could ask to have them postponed.Local elections are due to take place in 21 county council areas in England in May, but at least 12 of them are poised to ask ministers for a delay, the BBC and the Times reported. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6TEFY)
People told to attend A&E alone as acute trust cancels operations, declaring critical incident' amid rise in flu casesAn NHS trust is preparing to cancel operations, urgently discharge 140 patients and restrict admissions to help it cope with extreme winter pressures".The Gloucestershire acute trust declared a critical incident" on Wednesday as hospitals in England asked patients seeking medical help to come alone to reduce overcrowding in A&E. Continue reading...
Supermarket now controls 28.5% of grocery market, with sales at UK stores up 4% in six weeks to 4 JanuaryTesco has recorded its biggest ever Christmas", with the UK's largest supermarket chain landing its biggest share of the festive shopping trolley since 2016.Sales at established UK stores rose 4% in the six weeks to 4 January, with fresh food performing particularly strongly and clothing and homeware sales also up. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#6TEDN)
The diagnosis rate for black men was found to be 1.5 times higher and they were also 14% less likely to receive life-saving treatmentsBlack men in England are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer than their white counterparts, while being less likely to receive life-saving treatment, analysis by the National Prostate Cancer Audit has found.The analysis found that black men were diagnosed with stage three or four prostate cancer at a rate of 440 per 100,000 black men in England, which is 1.5 times higher compared with their white counterparts, who had a diagnosis rate of 295 per 100,000. Continue reading...
Classic moments' from BBC comedy series to feature on range of first- and second-class stampsThe Royal Mail is issuing 12 special stamps to celebrate the 1990s BBC comedy series The Vicar of Dibley.Eight stamps depict memorable scenes from the sitcom, including a guest appearance by former ballerina Dame Darcey Bussell, while four stamps show a Dibley parish council meeting. Continue reading...
Cross-party Senedd report finds Wales is third from bottom in spending on culture and sports, with Iceland biggest spenderIt is known as the land of song and as one of the world's most passionate sporting nations.But a report has concluded that despite its proud heritage, Wales is languishing behind almost all other European countries in terms of spending on recreational, sporting and cultural services. Continue reading...
Whitehall Monitor report also said churn increased as three new departments created under Rishi SunakMorale and churn in the UK civil service worsened despite average pay almost bouncing back to real-terms levels last seen in 2010, an annual survey has found.The Whitehall Monitor report, by the Institute for Government (IfG) thinktank, found that average civil service pay rose for the 2023-24 financial year, with the government settling disputes that had led to industrial action. Continue reading...
Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) says the animals were at large within its grounds after a suspected illegal release'Two lynx are on the loose in the Scottish Highlands in what is suspected to be an illegal release".On Wednesday evening, the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) announced that the animals were at large within its grounds. Continue reading...
US authorities charged Takeshi Ebisawa with conspiring to traffic nuclear materials from Myanmar for expected use by Iran in nuclear weaponsA member of the Japanese criminal underworld has pleaded guilty to handling nuclear material sourced from Myanmar and seeking to sell it to fund an illicit arms deal, US authorities have said.Yakuza leader Takeshi Ebisawa and a co-defendant had previously been charged in April 2022 with drug trafficking and firearms offences, and both were remanded. Continue reading...
New leader Alcide Ponga says people want a signal of hope' after turmoil in the French Pacific territoryWeeks after its first ever pro-independence government collapsed, New Caledonia has named a French loyalist as its new president as the territory seeks to rebuild from deadly riots and destruction that battered the economy.Alcide Ponga, from the Le Rassemblement party, was elected president by the newly installed executive in Congress on Wednesday. Ponga's party is affiliated with French right-wing party LR, Les Republicains. The loyalists are in favour of keeping New Caledonia within France. Continue reading...
Foreign secretary says keeping the British people safe means standing up to RussiaThe post-cold war era is well and truly over" and keeping the British people safe means standing up to Russia, the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, has warned.Writing in the Guardian before a meeting likely to be focused on Ukraine between the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Downing Street, Lammy insists keeping the British people safe means standing up to the Kremlin. Working with our friends and allies to deter Putin's mafia state." Continue reading...
Police say 18-year-old detained over death of Michelle Sadio outside church in BrentAn 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was killed in a drive-by shooting outside a north-west London church.Shots were fired in Gifford Road, Brent, at about 9.15pm on 14 December, killing 44-year-old Michelle Sadio, who was standing among mourners outside the church after a wake, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...
Organization said paper's refusal outrageous attempt to sidestep the truth', choosing silence over accountability'The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker organization that advocates for peace, said on Monday the group cancelled a planned advertisement in the New York Times in response to the paper refusing to allow it to refer to Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide.The refusal of The New York Times to run paid digital ads that call for an end to Israel's genocide in Gaza is an outrageous attempt to sidestep the truth," said Joyce Ajlouny, general secretary for the AFSC, in a press release. Palestinians and allies have been silenced and marginalized in the media for decades as these institutions choose silence over accountability. It is only by challenging this reality that we can hope to forge a path toward a more just and equitable world." Continue reading...
MP tells parliament he believes justice has not been done after hearing experts' concerns over former nurse's murder convictionsFundamental flaws in the criminal trial system led to the former nurse Lucy Letby being convicted of murder in a clear miscarriage of justice", David Davis has said in parliament.In a parliamentary debate, the former cabinet minister detailed the mounting concerns of leading experts about the convictions and said there should quickly be a retrial. He said he believed Letby would be cleared in it. Continue reading...
Policy change by Blaenau Gwent council means teachers will no longer change nappies or pull-ups unless there is a medically recognised need'Parents in Blaenau Gwent, Wales, have been told they have to come to school to change nappies if their children are not toilet trained.The local authority told parents that it was their responsibility to ensure children knew how to use a toilet before sending them to school. Continue reading...
Fourteen-year-old died after he was stabbed on 472 bus to Abbey Wood in south-east of capital on Tuesday afternoonA 14-year-old boy who was stabbed to death on a London bus has been named by his mother as Kelyan Bokassa.Kelyan was travelling on a 472 bus to Abbey Wood when he was attacked at about 2.30pm on Tuesday as the bus was on Woolwich Church Road. Paramedics treated him at the scene but he died shortly after they arrived. Continue reading...
Marion Marechal, Jean-Marie's grand-daughter, has positioned herself further to the right of her aunt Marine Le Pen, who has attempted to de-demonise' the National RallyThe death of Jean-Marie Le Pen looked likely to reignite rivalries in his family over who is the rightful heir to the far-right political dynasty, as the French government condemned as simply shameful" crowds of people who took to the streets to celebrate the politician's demise.Marine Le Pen, daughter of the National Rally co-founder and leader of the far-right party she has rebranded as the anti-immigration National Rally, on Wednesday paid tribute to her father, who died the previous day at the age of 96. Continue reading...
Geir Pedersen tells security council the HTS administration has great opportunities but also risks making misstepsA credible process leading to a new transitional government involving all strands of Syrian society is the best way for the country's caretaker administration to secure a smooth lifting of sanctions, the UN special envoy Geir Pedersen has told the UN security council.Giving his assessment of how the government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was meeting its commitment to inclusiveness, Pedersen said it had tremendous opportunities but also risked making missteps. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Role as permanent undersecretary comes amid return of Donald Trump and wars in Ukraine and Middle EastThe former Brexit negotiator Oliver Robbins has been appointed as the UK Foreign Office's most senior civil servant, taking over from Sir Philip Barton.Robbins, who was on the shortlist last year to take over as cabinet secretary but failed to get the civil service's top job, was believed to be David Lammy's favoured candidate for the role of permanent undersecretary in the Foreign Office (FCDO). Continue reading...
A new amber warning for snow has also been issued for the south-west of England, joining those for northern Scotland and Northern IrelandA new amber warning for snow has been issued in the south-west of England as temperatures are expected to plummet as low as -20C in parts of the UK in the coming nights.Yellow warnings for snow are in place across northern Scotland, Northern Ireland and the south coast of England for Wednesday and Thursday, with an additional warning across the west and north of Wales on Thursday that also encompasses Merseyside and Chester. Continue reading...
by Patrick Wintour, Kim Willsher, Miranda Bryant and on (#6TDJR)
Olaf Scholz says borders are inviolable after president-elect talks of using US military or tariffs to take control of islandGermany and France have warned Donald Trump against any attempt to move borders by force" after the incoming US president said he was prepared to use economic tariffs or military might to seize control of Danish-administered Greenland.In a hastily called televised statement, Germany's chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said Trump's remarks had triggered incomprehension" among European leaders. The principle of the inviolability of borders applies to every country - regardless of whether it is east of us or to the west - and every state must respect that, regardless of whether it is a small country or a very powerful state." Continue reading...
Prime minister told Commons any new inquiry into child abuse would delay progress however spokesperson says he has not ruled one outReform UK has also tabled a reasoned amendment to the children's wellbeing and schools bill motion tonight. It says:That this house declines to give a second reading to the children's wellbeing and schools bill because the secretary of state for the Home Department has not launched a UK-wide public inquiry into grooming gangs and has not committed to updating Members of this House every quarter on the progress of the inquiry.The Conservatives are using the victims of this scandal as a political football.The Conservatives alongside Reform, goaded along by Elon Musk will be voting for a motion which will not secure a national inquiry for victims of child sexual abuse, but instead it would kill these crucial child protection measures completely. Continue reading...
President is considering whether to grant pre-emptive presidential pardons to Liz Cheney and Anthony FauciJoe Biden said he told Donald Trump not to follow through on his campaign vows to pursue retribution against his political adversaries once he returns to the White House.Talking to USA Today, Biden said he proffered the advice when he hosted Trump at the White House in November after his election victory over Kamala Harris. The president-elect did not respond directly but did not reject the suggestion, Biden said. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordics correspondent on (#6TDY9)
US president elect has refused to rule out military force to take control of Greenland, but why is it so important? And what do Greenlanders think about it?Hours after his son Donald Trump Jr touched down in the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, on Tuesday in a Trump-branded plane, the US president-elect, Donald Trump, held a press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Florida where he refused to rule out using military force to make Greenland part of the United States, and threatened to impose very high" tariffs on Denmark, of which Greenland is an autonomous territory, if it gets in his way. Continue reading...
by Caroline Davies (now) and Amy Sedghi (earlier) on (#6TDMN)
Met Office warns of travel disruption as sub-zero temperatures expected nationwide, with lows of -16CMore than 60 schools in northern Scotland are closed as snow and ice warnings remain in force across much of the country.According to the PA news agency, forecasters also predict that further rain, sleet and snow showers could lead to some disruption to travel on Wednesday, with longer journey times possible.Sleet and snow showers will continue for the rest of Wednesday and Thursday, before dying out by the end of Thursday evening.North-west Scotland and the Northern and Western Isles will see the most frequent showers on Wednesday, before extending to the north-east on Thursday. Continue reading...
Results could limit governor's conservative agenda and give Democrats a boost before Trump takes office againDemocrats in Virginia preserved their majority in the state legislature late on Tuesday in the first statewide elections since Donald Trump's presidential victory in November.In special elections for open seats, Kannan Srinivasan, a Democratic state representative, defeated Republican Tumay Harding in a race for an open state senate seat in Loudon county, Virginia, just outside of Washington DC. Continue reading...
Met says incident stood down' after shoppers in Regent Street area evacuated because of suspicious vehicleA series of controlled explosions have been carried out in central London after Britain's busiest shopping area was evacuated.Bomb disposal teams carried out the detonations after a cordon was put up around the scene in the Regent Street area of central London. Continue reading...
Stays from July next year will be subject to 5% visitor levy in first mandatory city-wide scheme in UKHotels, short-term lets and campsites in Edinburgh will start charging a visitor levy on all overnight stays in May, in a phased introduction to the scheme.The levy, the first mandatory city-wide scheme in the UK, will be payable on all stays from July next year that are booked from 1 May onwards. Continue reading...
Airline seeking 15,000 in damages over inexcusable' behaviour it says forced plane to divert to PortugalRyanair is suing a passenger it claims disrupted a flight between Dublin and Lanzarote, seeking 15,000 (12,500) in damages to cover expenses incurred when the plane was diverted to Portugal.The airline said on Wednesday it had filed proceedings in Dublin's circuit court against the passenger, whose behaviour on the flight last April it described as inexcusable" and completely unacceptable." Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6TDSC)
Marcus Meade, 39, was shot in his home after five-hour standoff with officers while in possession of knifeThe family of a man killed by police on Christmas Eve are seeking answers about his death, saying he was unjustifiably taken away from all of us".Marcus Meade, 39, was shot by police in his Redditch home after a five-hour standoff with officers while in possession of a knife. Continue reading...
MEPs say enforcement of Digital Services Acts has been too slow', as Musk plans livestream with German far-right politicianThe EU executive has been too slow" in enforcing a major law intended to ensure good behaviour of social media companies, MEPs have said, amid growing concern about the aggressive forays of Elon Musk into European politics.Pressure on the European Commission to act is growing as Musk, the X owner and world's richest man, prepares to host a livestream conversation on the platform on Thursday with the leader of the far-right Alternative for Deutschland, Alice Weidel. Continue reading...
The president-elect's intervention in Mike Johnson's speakership win was a sign of his power over the party - but it was only the first test of manyDonald Trump to the rescue.With Mike Johnson's bid for re-election as speaker of the House of Representatives teetering, the US president-elect interrupted a golf game to talk by phone to two Republican holdouts. In short order the art of the deal prevailed: Johnson won on the first ballot. Continue reading...
Internal inquiry into two complaints will seek to establish if there were any missed opportunities or failures'Two complaints from victims about the Met police's handling of allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed in 2008 will be investigated by the force's directorate of professional standards to establish whether there were any missed opportunities or failures", the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.The investigation would be carried out under the direction of the IOPC, the watchdog said. Continue reading...
Film largely praised by international critics but Mexicans ridiculed idea that it represents their countryA musical about a Mexican cartel boss who fakes their death, transitions and is reborn as a heroine searching for the forcibly disappeared is sweeping international film awards, but prompted amusement and outrage in Mexico.Emilia Perez, directed by Jacques Audiard, has been largely praised by international critics, though some noted it risked trivialising extremely sensitive issues. It scooped the jury prize at Cannes before winning four Golden Globes on Sunday, including those for best musical or comedy and best non-English language film. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The owner of X, who previously said civil war is inevitable' in Britain, has stoked online unrest with incendiary comments about the UKGood morning. What is a news story in the UK? Whatever Elon Musk says it is. That is the conclusion you might draw, anyway, from the influence of the billionaire Trump adviser's posts on X claiming that a quarter-million little girls were - still are - being systematically raped by migrant gangs in Britain", and demanding a new public inquiry into historic child sexual exploitation in Oldham, Rotherham, Rochdale and elsewhere.There is no reliable basis for the quarter-million figure. In any case, Prof Alexis Jay, the chair of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales that looked extensively at grooming gang scandals and published a series of recommendations in 2022, said yesterday that we've had enough of inquiries, consultations and discussions", and urged the government to instead implement more of her proposals. But the political energy is still around the idea of a new inquiry as some sort of panacea, and the Conservatives will try to force a vote on one in parliament today.Social media | Meta will get rid of factcheckers, dramatically reduce the amount of censorship" and recommend more political content on Facebook and Instagram, founder Mark Zuckerberg has said. The suite of changes was met with dismay by critics, who described them as a full bending of the knee to Trump".British army | Afghans who were killed by members of the SAS in Afghanistan were described dismissively as having been flat packed", according to a former member of the elite force's sister unit. The soldier, known only as N1799, was giving evidence to an inquiry into the deaths of 80 civilians in Helmand province.California | A fast-moving wildfire erupted in Los Angeles on Tuesday, quickly consuming nearly 3,000 acres and destroying homes in an affluent community along the Pacific Ocean. Amid a significant windstorm across much of southern California, a second unrelated blaze also forced evacuations in a different part of Los Angeles.France | Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France's far-right National Front party, who sent shock waves through the country when he made it to the second round of the presidential election in 2002, has died at 96.Drugs | Ketamine could be reclassified as a class A drug by the Home Office after illegal use reached record levels last year. Ministers are seeking expert advice" on reclassification - it is currently a class B substance - after an estimated 299,000 people reported use of the drug in 2024. Continue reading...
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