CATEGORIES

Syrian family in limbo over Christmas as Home Office suspends asylum claims

A Syrian family say they are \"fearing for their future\" this Christmas after having an imminent decision on their asylum application stopped by the government.

Cabinet Office interviews Siddiq over Bangladesh corruption claim

The Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq has been questioned by the Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics team after Bangladesh's anti-corruption commission accused her and family members of embezzling billions for a nuclear power plant.

Two-tier policing? Majority of banned marches were proposed by far right

The bar is said to be appropriately high, but there have been 24 marches banned by a home secretary in response to police requests in the past 30 years.

Artist who led British abstraction is subject of revelatory show

Britain's pioneering abstract artist whose legacy has mostly been obscured by a mix of sexism and the second world war is to have her first major exhibition in over 40 years.

'Obsessed' The festive ritual of a Christmas parkrun

For some, the idea of a Christmas that contains any more exertion than reaching for the Quality Street is the stuff of nightmares. But for others, the most wonderful time of the year would not be complete without a festive parkrun.

Birmingham LGBTQ+ church members 'cut off' after sexual assault complaints

The Methodist church in Birmingham has been accused of silencing and cutting off members of an LGBTQ+ congregation after they reported a senior member of the group for alleged sexual assault.

Champagne's dirty secret: pickers underpaid, underfed and sleeping on the streets

A Guardian investigation has found that workers in France's champagne industry are being underpaid and forced to sleep on the streets and steal food to stave off hunger.

Advice on bites and burns high on search list last Christmas

Information on alcohol consumption, rabies and bites - animal and human - was among the most sought-after NHS advice on Christmas and Boxing Day last year, data shows.

'The joy went out of my life' Pensioners struggling after winter fuel payment cut

When Colin Anderson moved home to Devon after 30 years in London, he was looking forward to a quiet retirement close to where he had grown up.

Opera review Manic energy and fury at the witch keep the children enrapt

Operas don't get more Christmassy than Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. Not so much in content - crushing poverty, a scary forest, a child-eating witch - as by venerable association since its world premiere on 23 December 1893.

Delia Smith takes year off festive cooking for first time in half a century

Delia Smith, the doyenne of Christmas dinners, is taking a year off from cooking the festive feast for the first time in more than 50 years.

King's message to focus on health workers

The king's Christmas message will focus on the efforts of healthcare workers after a year in which Charles and the Princess of Wales were treated for cancer.

Man jailed over threat to 'blow away' English Defence League

A man who posed with an \"ornamental\" AK-47 rifle and threatened to \"blow away\" the English Defence League during the summer riots has been jailed for more than two years.

Holiday on ice Scientists and fossil hunters in Antarctica hunker down to climate work

Most of us will not get a white Christmas this year, but a group of scientists is guaranteed one while carrying out research on the Antarctic peninsula.

Government urged to take action to end the 'vicious downward spiral' of Send provision

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) have been victims of a \"vicious downward spiral\" of declining support over the past decade, pushing more families into crisis, the former children's commissioner for England has said as she urged the government to take action.

'The worst it's been' Teachers and parents share their experiences of living inside a crisis

\"The Send [special educational needs and disabilities] system is broken; completely and irrevocably,\" said David Wilson, a deputy headteacher at an inner-city Manchester primary school where between six and 10 children with Send are in each classroom.

Kurdish family cannot be reunited in UK, court rules

The court of appeal has ruled that a couple who were separated from their two young children on a migrant dinghy in northern France after the mother fell overboard cannot travel to the UK to be reunited with them.

Water voles bounce back in some areas but dispersal down across Britain

Water voles continue to decline in their distribution across Britain, but there are signs of recovery in some regions, with populations bouncing back in 11 areas, according to a report.

Girls to form part of St Paul's Christmas Day choir for first time in history

Girls will form part of the choir performing at the Christmas Day service at St Paul's Cathedral for the first time in its 900-year history tomorrow.

Car driven into shop in suspected arson attack

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack in Birmingham that led to five people being evacuated in the early hours yesterday after a car was driven into the front of a shop and set on fire.

Keir Starmer PM to take 'a few days' off, says No 10

Keir Starmer and his family are to take a short overseas holiday over the new year, Downing Street has said.

Starmer under pressure as economy stagnates despite vow to revive it

The UK economy flatlined between July and September and is on track to have stagnated over the entire second half of 2024, adding to pressure on Keir Starmer over his promise to reboot growth.

High streets Late surge in Christmas shopping

Shoppers surged on to high streets on Saturday amid signs they are spending more in stores and on the internet than last year in the run-up to Christmas, as retailers hope for a last-minute rush.

Forecasters predict mild Christmas with temperatures of up to 15C

Forecasters are predicting one of the mildest Christmases on record with temperatures potentially peaking at 15C and no chance of snow anywhere in the UK.

Labour is being blamed for drag on growth - but the real picture is more complicated than that

Economic growth revised to zero, stubbornly high inflation, and warnings of job losses on the horizon.

Saudis warned Germany about Christmas market attack suspect 'many times'

Saudi authorities had previously requested the extradition of the main suspect in Friday's Christmas market attack in Germany, a source close to the Riyadh government told Agence France-Presse yesterday, as several agencies admitted they had received warnings about him.

Middle children from large families more likely to be friendly and fair, study claims

The debate has raged for more than a century: does birth order help to shape personality, or are conscientious firstborns and creative youngest children flawed stereotypes based on flimsy evidence?

Kremlin denies Asma al-Assad seeking divorce or London exile

The Kremlin has denied Turkish media reports suggesting Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of the ousted Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, is seeking a divorce and hoping to return to London.

Structural change as beacon of Liverpool radio quits the tower

It is known across Liverpool as the Radio City Tower but that moniker might not be around much longer as the iconic structure hosts its final live broadcast today.

Crocodile who scaled heights of fame in 1986 hit comedy dies

After a 90-year life in which he scaled the dizzying heights of the film industry, Burt, the giant crocodile that featured in the hit Australian comedy Crocodile Dundee, has died.