Abbey carols | Princess of Wales hosts Christmas family service
Prince George and Princess Charlotte sang in full voice at their mother the Princess of Wales’s Christmas carol service, during which the late Queen’s memory was honoured.
The future king and his younger sister held candles as they joined the congregation for the festive evening at Westminster Abbey earlier this month.
George and Charlotte were among more than 1,800 people at the televised service, which aired on ITV1 on Christmas Eve and was narrated by Catherine Zeta-Jones.
A spokeswoman for the couple said while they “absolutely deserved the publication’s regrets” the fact the paper hadn’t attempted to contact them “showed their intent”.
They added that a “true apology” would consist of a “shift” in the paper’s “ethical standards”.
Palace office | King Charles has ‘evicted’ Duke of York
The King has “evicted” the Duke of York from Buckingham Palace in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, according to reports.
The Duke had maintained his private office at the palace, despite being stripped of his role as a working member of the family.
Key role | Rishi Sunak hires Spectator journalist as political secretary
Rishi Sunak has hired James Forsyth, an old school friend for whom he was reportedly best man at his wedding, to be his new political secretary.
Mr Forsyth, who is The Spectator’s political editor and also a columnist for The Times newspaper, will advise Mr Sunak and act as a link between the Prime Minister, the No10 policy unit and Tory MPs.
Shopping list | NHS spends £65m a year prescribing everyday items
The NHS is spending £65 million per year prescribing over-the-counter products like shampoos, paracetamol and toothpaste, an investigation has revealed.
The amount spent on prescriptions for everyday household goods has risen by nearly 50 per cent since before the pandemic, despite a pledge from health chiefs to crack down on wasteful prescribing.
Around the word: Top Stories
‘Absolute evil’ | Missile attack on Kherson Christmas shoppers
Russia bombed a busy marketplace in the recently-recaptured city of Kherson on Christmas Eve “for the sake of intimidation and pleasure”, Ukraine’s president said.
At least eight people were killed and 58 wounded, officials said, when shells hit the city centre on Saturday morning leaving bloodied corpses scattered on the ground and shops burning.
Killer storm | At least 19 deaths as US millions face life threat
Stranded Native American tribes were forced to burn clothes to keep warm as a once-in-a-generation storm crippled much of the US and left at least 19 people dead.
Tribal leaders in South Dakota’s Pine Ridge reservation appealed for urgent help after being buried under drifts of snow as tall as some houses.
…
Around 1.5 million people were without power and millions more were under weather warnings.
Bandmates’ tribute | Faithless singer Maxi Jazz dies aged 65
Maxi Jazz, the lead singer of the British dance music group Faithless, has died aged 65.
The musician, whose real name was Maxwell Fraser, was a core member of the group alongside Rollo and Sister Bliss. They released a number of hit tracks together including Insomnia and We Come 1.
Morale booster | Bear rescued by Ukrainian troops lifts spirits
Soldiers are being sent updates about Bakhmut, who was locked in a cage but is now settling into a new life at a forest sanctuary
A bear rescued by Ukrainian soldiers will finally be able to enjoy a silent night this Christmas after enduring relentless Russian shelling in the besieged front-line city of Bakhmut.
Charlotte Lytton | Proof that politics has lost the plot
Move over Mondeo Man, the party wants to win the votes of another kind of chap
…
Middle-Aged Mortgage Man. The term apparently describes the kind of chap the Labour Party is hoping to scoop up ahead of the next election: a 50-year-old swing voter with no university degree, a private sector job, and a mortgage. “What they need to do this time is find a median voter,” explained Rob Ford, a politics professor at Manchester University. “That is Middle-Aged Mortgage Man.”
Daniel Hannan | Controlling migration demands tough choices
If you attended a church service over Christmas, the chances are you’ll have heard some reference to asylum-seekers. Sermons about refugees are as much a part of our seasonal traditions as the solo at the start of “Once in Royal David’s City”. This year, the High Court having just ruled that we may deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda, the sermons will more or less have written themselves.
Ben Marlow | Christmas strikes expose the myth of union ‘solidarity’
Short-sighted trade unions are sabotaging the workers they claim to represent
Telegraph View | The bright side this Christmas is that of humanity
In the battle between light and dark, warmth and cold, life and death, the bright side is that of humanity: the common cause of all mankind
For most Britons, Christmas dinner is by far the most important, labour-intensive, tradition-steeped, all-singing all-dancing meal we will have all year. Traditionally, this means a turkey roast and all the trimmings. But what about other countries? We have captured the popular Christmas fodder of 19 other countries around the world.
A typical Christmas meal from Finland includes a variety of items not often found in the UK
Looking back at 2022: War breaks out
Russia launched its illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February – bringing war back to the continent of Europe. The knock-on effects of Vladimir Putin’s violence have been felt all over the world and not just in terms of geopolitical relationships. Russia and Ukraine are major producers of wheat; 26 countries rely on them for more than half of their annual imports. The war has also resulted in shortages and price rises. To understand more about how the invasion has altered the geopolitical realities of Europe, take a look at this fascinating piece from Tim Marshall on how the invasion has redrawn the Iron Curtain.
Here is a selection of articles we think you’ll be interested in today.
The Miller and Carter steakhouse housed in a converted paddle steamer began sinking at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex on Friday, with the company announcing it would be closed until “further notice”.
A leading Scottish LGBT youth charity has referred itself to police over historic allegations of links to child grooming and sexual exploitation.
LGBT Youth Scotland, which last year received almost £400,000 in taxpayers’ cash from the SNP Government and more than £250,000 from councils, said it had called in Police Scotland over “new allegations” and pledged to fully support a probe.
A joint effort of several authors who do find that nobody can keep standing at the side and that “Everyone" must care about what is going on in today’s world.
We are a bunch of people who do not mind that somebody has a totally different idea but is willing to share the ideas with others and to be Active and willing to let others understand how "today’s decisions will influence the future”. Therefore we would love to see many others to "Act today".
View more posts
Some View on the World 