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Anna Turley says people will start to see and feel' change in public services and cost of living from next yearTory deputy chair Matt Vickers was asked by Sky News' Trevor Phillips about the councils that have said they will request a delay to elections next year (see post at 09.59 for more details).He said:Most Conservative councils have said no ... In fact, we voted against the legislation that was being brought forward to move these things.Some of these people are going to see a delay of two years in their elections, like the five-year term, a seven-year term, even for a councillor. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Scale of government's anti-fraud fiasco is four times higher than previously admittedMore than 60% of parents who had their child benefit stopped by HMRC using incorrect Home Office travel data were not fraudulently claiming the support from abroad, it has emerged.The scale of the government's anti-fraud fiasco is four times higher than previously admitted, with 15,000 of the 23,500 parents targeted by HMRC now identified as legitimate beneficiaries living in the UK. Continue reading...

A protest barring MPs from pubs is exposing deeper tensions between politicians and the communities they representLabour MPs heading back to their constituencies this weekend will do so with a sense of relief that another turbulent term in British politics is over. But those hoping to pitch up at their local pub for a restorative pint with colleagues and constituents may find festive cheer is in short supply. In fact, some may not be allowed through the door.For the past few weeks, pubs across the country have been putting up signs declaring No Labour MPs" in protest at changes to business rates announced by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, in her latest budget. Continue reading...

Fear that confrontation is on the cards as policing of ships becomes more aggressive and Russia challenges EuropeThe shadow fleet" used by Russia, Iran and Venezuela to avoid western sanctions and ship cargo to customers including China and India is exploding" in its scale and scope, and there are concerns that efforts to counter it are drawing closer to dangerous military confrontations.Complicating the issue is that Russia has begun putting its own flag on some former shadow fleet tankers, in an open challenge to Europe. Continue reading...

People, including druids and pagans, come from across world to watch sunrise on shortest day of the yearThousands of revellers gathered at Stonehenge in the early hours of Sunday morning to celebrate the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.Crowds amassed in the dark around the historical site in Wiltshire to watch the sunrise, with some dressed in traditional pagan clothing, just as they did to mark the sun rising on the summer solstice six months ago. Continue reading...

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Brussels confirms Christmas carve-out from green levies will not happen, leading to Brexit-style requirementsUK manufacturers are to be hit with mountains of Brexit-style paperwork in January on 7bn worth of exports to the EU after the government failed to secure an expected exemption from new green taxes.The UK had hoped to secure a carve-out by Christmas on the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), but EU commissioners have confirmed this is not going to happen. Continue reading...

Jewish leaders call for federal royal commission into Bondi beach attack that killed 15 people as huge crowd marks one week anniversaryJewish leaders have called for a federal royal commission into the Bondi terror attack, as some members of the crowd booed Anthony Albanese on arrival at the commemoration marking one week since 15 people were killed on the first day of Hanukah.The president of the NSW Board of Jewish Deputies, David Ossip, said it cannot be disputed" that a federal royal commission was needed, to loud cheers and applause from the crowd of up to 15,000 people gathered at Bondi, where a minute's silence was held at 6.47pm, the time the attack began. Continue reading...

PostNord's decision to end service on 30 December comes after fear over increasing digitalisation' of Danish societyThe Danish postal service will deliver its last letter on 30 December, ending a more than 400-year-old tradition.Announcing the decision earlier this year to stop delivering letters, PostNord, formed in 2009 in a merger of the Swedish and Danish postal services, said it would cut 1,500 jobs in Denmark and remove 1,500 red postboxes amid the increasing digitalisation" of Danish society. Continue reading...

Former Asio chief Dennis Richardson to lead review into AFP and Asio processes amid growing calls for a royal commission

Results of Sunday's snap election in Extremadura are seen as key test of Pedro Sanchez and his PSOE partySpain's beleaguered prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, faces a key test on Sunday when voters in the south-western region of Extremadura cast their ballots in the first major election to be held since a series of corruption and sexual harassment allegations enveloped his inner circle, his party and his administration.Extremadura, once a stronghold of Sanchez's Spanish Socialist Workers' party (PSOE), has been in the hands of the conservative People's party (PP) since 2023, when the latter managed to form a short-lived coalition government with the far-right Vox party, despite finishing just behind the socialists. Continue reading...

Perth and Brisbane to swelter through hottest conditions of Australia's capital cities on Thursday

Clubs including Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City hope to entice fans of top teams looking for festive football fixThe presents are open, the turkey's devoured and the family bickering has momentarily paused. For hundreds of thousands of football fans that can mean only one thing: it's time for the match.But not this Boxing Day. With just one Premier League game being played instead of the usual festive footballing feast, fans are looking elsewhere for blessed respite, with teams lower down the football pyramid hoping to entice those who are desperate to get out of the house. Continue reading...

Prince William and his son prepare a Christmas lunch during visit to the Passage Charity in LondonPrince George joined his father, the Prince of Wales, on a visit to a homelessness project to help with Christmas lunch preparations in London.

Thomas Skinner, who was first to be voted off current series of Strictly Come Dancing, says he got more votes than shownThomas Skinner has alleged he received a message suggesting the BBC had rigged the vote that saw him eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing.

Escaped animal was seen chasing a woman around Upper Seagry and trying to munch on a festive wreathAn escaped goat which went on a rampage in a Wiltshire village was safely lassoed by police carrying riot shields.

National register would have allowed police to better assess risk posed by alleged Bondi shooters before attack, expert says

Senior officials face criticism after review found systemic failings plunged hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers into debtSenior officials who oversaw a flawed benefits system that plunged hundreds of thousands of carers into debt are under mounting pressure over their misleading" response to the scandal.Prof Liz Sayce, the chair of a scathing review into the government's treatment of unpaid carers, last week called for an overhaul of management and culture at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Continue reading...

Attack brings total number of Palestinians killed by Israel to 401 since October ceasefire took effectThe Israeli military killed six Palestinians, including a baby, who were in a school that sheltered displaced people in Gaza City on Friday, hospital officials have said. The attack brings the number of Palestinians killed by Israel to 401 since the October ceasefire took effect.Israeli troops fired over the ceasefire line which they have withdrawn to, killing the Palestinians and wounding a number more, the Palestinian civil defence said in a statement. It added that it was only able to recover the bodies after coordinating with the UN, to ensure they did not also come under Israeli fire. Continue reading...

Lawyers argue cumulative disruption' regulations were quashed in May and should therefore not be usedThe Metropolitan police have been using powers they no longer have to crack down on pro-Palestine protests, according to legal experts.Based on evidence obtained by the Guardian and Liberty Investigates, legal experts said officers had imposed restrictions on at least two protests based on their cumulative disruption" since their power to do so was quashed by the court of appeal in May. Continue reading...

Port says it is working to resolve issues but urges passengers not to arrive more than two hours before departureThe Christmas travel plans of tens of thousands of ferry passengers at the Port of Dover have been delayed by IT problems with French border control.Millions of motorists hit the roads this weekend in the Christmas getaway, with travel experts warning people to plan ahead to avoid Grinch-worthy" delays. Continue reading...

Gone are shots of puddings and sweets as advertisers try to market other foods to stay within rules coming into force on 5 JanuaryThe festive season is traditionally a time of national culinary overindulgence but eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that this year's crop of big-budget Christmas TV ads have been decidedly lean and sugar-free.From Tesco and Waitrose to Marks & Spencer and Asda, the UK's biggest exponents of extravagant festive food marketing have put their Christmas ads on a diet to comply with new regulations banning junk food products from appearing in TV ads before 9pm. Continue reading...

The Strangers, a horror tale written during the playwright's college days, appeared in the Strand magazine this weekAs one of the 20th century's most successful playwrights, Tennessee Williams penned popular works at the very pinnacle of US theater, including A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.Years before his almost unparalleled Broadway triumphs, however, the aspiring writer then known simply as Tom wrote a series of short radio plays as he struggled to find a breakthrough. One is The Strangers, a supernatural tale offering glimpses into the accomplished wordsmith that Williams would become, and published for the first time this week in the literary magazine Strand. Continue reading...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reclines across five people in one photo watched by Ghislaine Maxwell at Sandringham

Attacks come after two US soldiers and interpreter killed as Trump says US inflicting very serious retaliation'The US military launched airstrikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday in retaliation for an attack on US personnel, two US officials have said.The attacks came after Donald Trump vowed to hit back after an attack last weekend in Syria by a suspected Islamic State member. Continue reading...

The justice department is using a variety of tactics to try to obfuscate the US president's connection to the sex offender

Family who said they paid cash were left embarrassed after being accused of not paying 20.01Drivers have accused a leading petrol station security company of issuing false" fuel theft debts, which left one family unable to fill up their car at more than 1,000 filling stations for more than a year.Amjad Khan and his family were barred from multiple petrol stations around Blackburn for 19 months after he was accused of driving out of an Esso petrol station in Manchester without paying for 20.01 of fuel. Continue reading...

Who Is Your Neighbour? lets people talk in constructive, thoughtful ways to offer an antidote to division and despair Donate to the charity appeal hereIt was a filthy day in Rotherham as Storm Bram swept through the town earlier this month. Roads had turned into rivers and sodden St George's flags flapped from lamp-posts at half mast.Inside the community centre, the heating was turned up, the bacon butties were on order and the tea was brewing. It was time for some Difficult Conversations. Some of them, it turned out, about those soggy flags. Continue reading...

Funding to tackle misinformation and cyber-attacks, and boost democracy, cut from 40m to 24mKeir Starmer's raid on overseas aid has led to a 40% cut in funds for countering Russian aggression and misinformation in a region of Europe described by the prime minister as vital to the UK's national security.British funding committed to bolstering the western Balkans, where Russia has been accused of sowing division and creating destabilisation, has been cut from 40m last year to 24m for 2025-26. Continue reading...

Cyclist and road safety groups argue proposed alternative route away from traffic-free Le Pietonnier is unsafeOn an unseasonably mild winter's day, people are gathering at Le Pietonnier, the pedestrian zone in the heart of Brussels. Tourists buy mulled wine and churros at the Christmas market outside the Bourse, the old stock exchange, now repurposed as a beer museum. A few people drink coffee on cafe terraces. Up and down the length of the 650-metre-long space, people come and go, bikes and scooters weaving in and out of the crowds.Next year, this scene will look somewhat different: bikes and scooters will be banned from this 18,000-sq-metre pedestrian zone for most of the day. People on two wheels will be allowed to ride only between 4am and 11am. At all other times, they must dismount and push their vehicle up the street, or face a fine. Continue reading...

Experts forecast spending will be more than 12% up on same period in 2024 after lucklustre figures so farRetailers are hoping for a last-minute dash for the shops this weekend after a lacklustre run-up to Christmas, with UK households forecast to spend 3.4bn, up more than 12% on the same weekend in 2024.Almost 50m shopping trips will be made by last-minute Father Christmases over the weekend, according to research by analysts GlobalData for Vouchercodes.co.uk, the vast majority of which will be to retail destinations including high streets and shopping malls. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ministers also expected to announce trail-hunting ban in sweeping changes to animal welfare lawShooting hares in England will be banned for most of the year as part of sweeping changes to animal welfare law.At the moment, it is legal to shoot the animals during their breeding season, with pregnant hares left to bleed out, and leverets - their young - often orphaned as a result. Continue reading...

Two-trailer carrying 15 tonnes of lithium ion batteries caught alight near Yass on Saturday morning, closing traffic in both directions

Anthony Albanese said he would support whatever action the NSW government takes'

After speculation actor was actually underground MC, pair join on remix to EsDeeKid's 4 RawsIt's been arguably the most popular musical meme of the year: is masked Liverpudlian rapper EsDeeKid actually Hollywood actor Timothee Chalamet in disguise? Now the speculation has been put to bed, with Chalamet jumping on an unexpected remix of EsDeeKid's track 4 Raws.Chalamet posted a clip of a video for the track to his social media, rapping alongside EsDeeKid in a series of scenes, from a cramped kitchen to a housing estate. Continue reading...

Lawyers for victims say they have been repeatedly denied justice' while deputy attorney general says more files will be released

Exclusive: Blair-era minister echoes concerns about young people being priced out of jobs, in intervention likely to dismay Labour MPsThe future of the youth minimum wage will come under review as part of a major inquiry into rising inactivity among Britain's young people by the former health secretary Alan Milburn.The social mobility expert said that unless the government tackled some uncomfortable truths" about the labour market there was a risk of creating a lost generation" of young people. Continue reading...

Anthony Gilheaney, 31, targeted people with his Mercedes, killing Aiden Chapman, 25, and seriously injuring four othersA man who turned his car into a weapon as he launched a series of hate-filled homophobic and racist attacks on Christmas Day last year in central London has been convicted of murder.Anthony Gilheaney, 31, was drunk when he mounted the pavement with his Mercedes and repeatedly targeted people to run over. Continue reading...

Exclusive song for online retailer prevents a hat trick of Christmas No 1s for Wham!, as Kylie becomes first woman to secure UK No 1 singles in four different decadesKylie Minogue has scored her first UK Christmas No 1, and eighth No 1 single overall, with the song Xmas.She beat competition from Wham!'s mega-streaming Last Christmas, which has been Christmas No 1 for the past two years: it was last week's chart-topper but drops to No 2. Also in the race was Lullaby from the charity campaign Together for Palestine, which reached No 5. Continue reading...

Monitor says almost one in eight people face food shortages as flooding and cold exacerbate humanitarian emergencyThe famine in Gaza has ended as a result of increased humanitarian aid deliveries into the territory, the UN said on Friday, though it warned that levels of hunger and the humanitarian situation remained critical.Almost one in eight people in Gaza still faced food shortages, the UN said, adding that persistent hunger had been made worse by winter flooding and the colder weather. Most people in Gaza live in tents or other substandard accommodation as Israel destroyed much of the housing and civilian infrastructure during its two-year war. Continue reading...

Campaigners decry plan to reduce requirement for improved standards from 100% down to 40% of new homesGovernment plans to make huge cuts to targets for accessible new-build homes in England have been labelled a monumental reversal" by campaigners, who say disabled people have been left feeling betrayed and excluded".In its proposals for changes to the country's planning system, the government said a minimum of 40% of new-build homes would be built to improved accessibility standards - M4(2) - which include step-free access and wider doorways and corridors. Continue reading...

Ukrainian leader welcomes move as Donald Tusk says it could be better' after Russian frozen assets left out of deal

Reportedly critical drone strike is first in Mediterranean since full-scale invasion began as maritime conflict grows

Mixed picture for the big day with some capitals tipped for a hot, dry celebration while others will be cool or rainy

Under changes revealed by regulator, banks and card providers encouraged to set their own maximumsThe 100 limit on contactless card payments will be scrapped next year and consumers could get the ability to spend as much as they want without inputting their pin under changes announced by the UK financial regulator.Currently contactless payments by cards are limited, while payments using mobile phones are not, but the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that from 19 March banks and card providers could set their own maximums. Continue reading...

Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, 30, was arrested in 2020 for taking part in nationwide democracy protests, and has been tortured in prisonA boxing champion in prison in Iran is thought to be at imminent risk of execution after his request for a retrial was rejected by the country's supreme court.Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, 30, from Mashhad in north-east Iran was arrested in 2020 for taking part in nationwide democracy protests in 2019 and accused of supporting an opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK). He has spent five years in prison, where he has been tortured and put in solitary confinement. Continue reading...

Home affairs minister would not say whether specific phrases such as globalise the intifada' would be banned under proposed laws

Chris Minns says state can't risk another mass demonstration on that scale in NSW [because] the implications can be seen, in my view, on Sunday'

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Exclusive: Labour says Nigel Farage's party should swiftly condemn Chris Parry after further comments emergeA Reform UK mayoral candidate who said David Lammy should go home to the Caribbean" has suggested that at least eight other politicians from minority ethnic backgrounds do not have a primary loyalty towards the UK.Nigel Farage's party has so far refused to condemn Chris Parry, a retired naval rear admiral who has been picked to contest the now-postponed Hampshire and the Solent mayoral election for the party, over his comment about Lammy, the deputy prime minister. Continue reading...