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Labour election inquiry must listen to lost voters, says Nandy Khan defends Miliband involvement after Wigan MP warns against talking ‘amongst ourselves’ in WestminsterAn inquiry being co-led by Ed Miliband of Labour’s election campaign is in danger of drawing the wrong conclusions by failing to listen to the people who refused to vote for the party, the potential leadership candidate Lisa Nandy has said.Nandy said the review set up by a group called Labour Together was adopting a misguided approach by being based too much in Westminster. Continue reading... Go to Source

Christmas travel chaos as Northern railways cancels trains High levels of sickness blamed for disruption affecting Lancashire, Liverpool and ManchesterRail passengers have faced chaos on Christmas Eve due to the Northern’s cancellations and delays, which the franchise blamed on “unprecedented” sickness levels and drivers on leave.The affected services include Lancashire, Liverpool and Manchester, with passengers advised to check online before travelling. Continue reading... Go to Source

Meghan and Harry send Christmas greetings by email Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s e-card to friends and colleagues stars baby ArchieThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex have opted to break with tradition and chosen a more eco-friendly way of sending festive wishes, releasing an e-card with their son Archie at centre stage.The card reads: “Merry Christmas and a happy new year”, and at the bottom ends: “From our family to yours”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Hong Kong police fire teargas to disperse Christmas Eve protests Hundreds of officers guard main roads as thousands of shoppers and tourists look onHong Kong riot police fired rounds of teargas at thousands of anti-government protesters, many wearing masks and reindeer horns, after scuffles in shopping centres and a tourist district on Christmas Eve.Demonstrators inside the malls threw umbrellas and other objects at police who responded by beating some with batons; one pointed his gun at the crowd, but did not fire. Continue reading... Go to Source

London expected to co-host next stage of post-Brexit negotiations Location for talks to be split with Brussels in symbolic shift marking UK’s non-EU statusLondon is expected to co-host the next stage of post-Brexit negotiations with Brussels in a symbolic shift marking the UK’s position outside the EU after 31 January.The most likely location for the talks involving teams led by Michel Barnier for the EU and a yet-to-be-identified minister for the British government is the Cabinet Office in Whitehall. Continue reading... Go to Source

Thousands of children in care over 100 miles away from family Report finds 13% increase in number of placements in England out of local areaThousands of children in care are living more than 100 miles from their family and friends in places they have never heard of and would not be able to find on a map, according to a report by the Children’s Commissioner for England.More than 30,000 children who are looked after by their local authority are placed away from home and “out of area”, a 13% increase over five years. More than 11,000 of those live more than 20 miles from their home area and 2,000 are placed more than 100 miles away. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson's jaunty Christmas message contrasts with rueful Corbyn Contrast in tone as jaunty PM and rueful Labour leader pay tribute to NHS and other staff Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn have paid tribute to NHS staff and other public servants working through the holidays in their annual Christmas messages.While the two leaders both praised the efforts of those putting their celebrations on hold to look after others, the tone of their messages could hardly have been more different. Continue reading... Go to Source

Outcry as residents want to turn London youth club into coffee shop Bollo Brook youth centre credited with saving children from knife crime is at centre of gentrification rowA London youth club credited with saving children from rising knife violence is facing calls for its closure from new residents who think it would be better used as a coffee shop.The Bollo Brook youth centre in South Acton, which serves some of the poorest and most vulnerable children in London, is embroiled in a gentrification row with residents demanding the council close it down and remove it from the area, claiming it has been “dumped” on them causing “nothing but problems”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Prince Philip leaves hospital in London Duke of Edinburgh expected to join Queen in Sandringham for ChristmasThe Duke of Edinburgh has left hospital, where he was receiving treatment for a pre-existing condition. Related: Queen's Christmas message: '2019 has been quite bumpy' Continue reading... Go to Source

'Mockery of justice’ after Saudis convict eight over Khashoggi killing Court exonerates crown prince’s inner circle of involvement in murder of dissident journalistSaudi Arabia has been accused of engaging in a mockery of justice by shielding the alleged masterminds of the killing of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after a court effectively exonerated Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s inner circle of involvement in the murder.The gruesome killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 stunned Saudi Arabia’s western allies, plunging the kingdom into its worst diplomatic crisis since the 9/11 attacks. Continue reading... Go to Source

Labour election inquiry will not recommend leadership candidate Inquiry will look at reasons for party’s poor showing rather than suggesting replacement for Jeremy CorbynA review into why Labour lost the general election will not seek to recommend a particular candidate to replace Jeremy Corbyn, the group spearheaded by Ed Miliband said on Monday.Labour Together, which is running what it calls a cross-factional commission into the party’s worst election showing since 1935, will assess what went wrong in the December poll. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson under fire for not planning to visit flood-hit areas Lib Dem MP for Bath hits out at PM after rivers burst their banks across southern EnglandBoris Johnson has been criticised for not visiting flood-stricken communities at Christmas after it emerged he had no immediate plans to travel to areas hit by heavy rain.Families may be forced to spend the festive period away from their homes after rivers burst their banks in Kent, Cornwall, Sussex and Norfolk. The Met Office has 54 flood warnings and 141 flood alerts in place across the UK, including in the north of England and the Midlands, with some likely to remain active until Christmas Eve as more rain is forecast. Continue reading... Go to Source

Chelsea supporter arrested for racially abusing Tottenham’s Son Heung-min • Incident was reported to police by fellow Chelsea fan• Spurs investigating abuse of Antonio RüdigerEnglish football’s racism crisis took a new twist after it emerged that a Chelsea supporter was arrested for racially abusing Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min on Sunday afternoon – during the Premier League match that had to be paused because a monkey chant was aimed at Chelsea’s Antonio Rüdiger by a section of the crowd.Anthony Taylor, the referee, stopped play after Rüdiger claimed he had heard racist taunts during the second half of Chelsea’s victory over their London rivals. An announcement on the public address system informed the crowd at the Tottenham...

Saudi Arabia sentences five to death for murder of Jamal Khashoggi Former royal adviser Saud al-Qahtani was investigated but released without being chargedFive men have been sentenced to death and another three face 24 years in prison for their roles in the gruesome murder of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last year, the Saudi public prosecutor’s office has said.All 11 people on trial were found guilty of the killing, which triggered the kingdom’s biggest diplomatic crisis since the 9/11 attacks as world leaders and business executives sought to distance themselves from Riyadh. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sixty-nine-vehicle pile-up in Virginia injures more than 50 Police say fog and icy road conditions contributed to crash on Interstate 64Dozens of people have been injured in a pile-up involving more than 60 cars on a major interstate in Virginia.Photos from the scene showed a tangled mass of metal, with car hoods crumpled, windows smashed and a red truck on top of another vehicle. Continue reading... Go to Source

PFA calls for UK government inquiry into racism in football Professional Footballers’ Association urges governing bodies to unite to end abuseThe Professional Footballers’ Association has called for a government inquiry into racism in football as campaigners demand more comprehensive sanctions following an alleged racist incident that occurred during Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.The association said: “Once again, a Premier League fixture has been tainted by abuse from the stands towards players.” Continue reading... Go to Source

TV presenter Caroline Flack pleads not guilty to assaulting boyfriend Love Island host appears at magistrates court charged with assault on Lewis Burton The TV presenter Caroline Flack has pleaded not guilty to assaulting her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.The host of Love Island walked past the packed public gallery accompanied by a police officer and a member of her legal team before her appearance in front of district judge Julia Newton at Highbury Corner magistrates court in north London. Continue reading... Go to Source