Starmer hits out at ‘completely unacceptable’ leaks against ministers

Sir Keir Starmer has blasted leaks and briefing against Cabinet ministers as “completely unacceptable” as he shut down reports he may face a leadership challenge.

Addressing the Liaison Committee on Monday afternoon, the prime minister said he has “made it clear” to his staff that such behaviour would not be tolerated.

It comes after a number of reports that top Labour figures, including health secretary Wes Streeting, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, and mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, could be plotting a leadership challenge.

But Sir Keir said he had a “level of assurance” such briefings against him had not happened.

Earlier on Monday, resident doctors in England announced they will go on strike later this week after members voted to reject the government’s latest offer.

It comes as flu rates soar, with health chiefs warning the NHS is facing a “worst case scenario” December.

Speaking on Monday following the announcement of the ballot result, Mr Streeting labelled the strike “unconscionable” and slammed the action as “self -indulgent, irresponsible, and dangerous”.

Huge delays hit Manchester airport after runway shut

Dozens of arrivals and departures at Manchester airport have been heavily delayed because of the closure of one of the two runways. Thousands of passengers flying to and from the UK’s third-busiest airports are affected.

A dozen easyJet flights to and from the northwest hub, affecting an estimated 2,000 passengers, have been cancelled as a result.

A spokesperson for easyJet said: “Although it’s now open, due to the earlier temporary closure of one of the runways at Manchester airport this morning, some flights were unable to operate.

“We did all we could to support our customers whose flights have been impacted by the closure, including options to rebook or a refund for those whose flights have been cancelled.

“We advise customers flying to and from Manchester today to check the status of their flight on our Flight Tracker for the most up to date information.”

The cause of the closure was a surface failure on one of the taxiways. In order to fix it, engineers needed to close one of the runways.

Poor visibility due to rain added to the problem. The number of inbound flights was capped by air traffic controllers.

Although there were no limits on departures, and some flights departed on time, aircraft arriving late caused delays that are extending into the afternoon and evening.

Arrivals over an hour late included.

All the corresponding return flights to those key hubs were significantly delayed, some by over two hours, jeopardising connections.

Manchester airport is urging passengers to come to the airport as usual but to watch for updates from their airline.

Read more: The rail, road, flight and ferry travel chaos to expect this Christmas

Brown University victims were aspiring neurosurgeon and a family’s ‘bright light’

The loved ones of the two students killed in the shooting at Brown University on Saturday have spoken out, as the investigation into the attack in Rhode Island continues.

Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, who was killed on Saturday, was an aspiring neurosurgeon and was described by his family as “the most kind-hearted person.”

Ella Cook, a student from Alabama, also died from her injuries and was described as her family’s “bright light.”

The shooting unfolded at 4 p.m. local time at the Barus and Holley engineering building, where students’ final exams were taking place.

Rachel Friedberg, a professor at the university, told the BBC that the shooter burst into the room and “yelled something” before opening fire.

Eight other students were injured in the assault, with a Wisconsin man being detained in connection with the crime shortly after.

He was later released for having “no basis” for suspicion, according to a statement from Brown.

Umurzokov was studying at Brown University to become a neurosurgeon before the shooting, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched by his family.

He was described as being “incredibly kind, funny and smart” and that he was the family’s “biggest role model.”

“He always lent a helping hand to anyone in need without hesitation, and was the most kind-hearted person our family knew,” Samira Umurzokova wrote. “Our family is incredibly devastated by this loss.”

So far, the GoFundMe campaign has already raised nearly $190,000 of its $200,000 goal (as of December 15, 2025).

Money raised by the fund will be used to support his family with expenses, with the rest being donated to charity.

Khimari Manns, Umurzokov’s roommate and a member of the school’s wrestling team, told CBS News that he sheltered in a restroom when he heard about the shooting.

While waiting for a sign that it was safe to leave, he tried to contact Umurzokov and began to grow concerned when he did not hear back during the lockdown.

“Something didn’t feel right. I texted him, and then he didn’t text back,” he said.

Manns repeatedly called the police to get an update on the situation and only learned that his roommate had died on Sunday, saying that it did not feel like “reality” when he heard the news.

“Just a ball of joy, ball of energy,” Manns said, describing his late roommate. “He raises everybody else to a certain level.

“He made sure I had my stuff done. He made sure he had his stuff done. He was just always there,” he continued. “He’d come in there and cheer me up.”

Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the news of Umurzokov’s death on Telegram, where a spokesperson described his killing as a “heavy loss for us all.”

The spokesperson also confirmed that the Republic of Uzbekistan has contacted the family of the victim and is working closely with U.S. law enforcement.

Alabamian student Ella Cook was also killed in the gunman’s attack on Saturday at Brown University in Rhode.

The College Republicans of America shared a message dedicated to Cook, who was the vice president of the group’s chapter at Brown.

“We are devastated to learn of the loss of our Brown College Republicans Vice President, Ella Cook,” Martin Bertao, president of the College Republicans of America wrote. “Ella was known for her bold, brave and kind heart as she served her chapter and her fellow classmates.

“Our prayers are with her family, our Brown CR’s and the entirety of the campus as they heal from this tragedy.”

Meanwhile, Reverend Craig Smalley, from the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, urged parishioners to pray for the late student during a Sunday service.

“Tragically, one of our parishioners, Ella Cook, was one of those who was killed yesterday,” he said, according to AL.com. “And those of you who knew her, those of you who know her, she was an incredible, grounded, faithful bright light.. not only here growing up here at the Advent in the myriad ways in which she served faithfully and the ways in which she encouraged and lift up those around her, but at Brown University she was an incredible light in that particular place as well.”

Christina H Paxson released a statement in the wake of the shooting, describing the event as a “deeply tragic day for Brown, our families and our local community.”

“There are truly no words that can express the deep sorrow we are feeling for the victims of the shooting that took place today at the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building,” she continued.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary echoed Paxson’s message on X.

“There are no words,” Leavitt wrote. “Thinking of her family and friends, especially her parents. God please bless them.”

A vigil was held for both Cook and Umurzokov on Sunday night, with attendees holding candles and flowers in a show of support for the victims’ families, according to a report from NBC Boston.

The event had been originally scheduled as a Christmas tree and menorah lighting in Lippitt Memorial Park.

Police have not confirmed a possible motive for Saturday’s attack, and no charges have been filed yet.

“No investigation is perfect and you’re going to go through ups and downs,” CNN Law Enforcement Analyst Steve Moore said.

He described the arrest of the now-released suspect as “obviously an error” and said that investigators have restarted their search at square one.

During a Christmas reception at the White House, Donald Trump offered his condolences in an unscripted, 40-minute speech.

“I just want to pay my respects, unfortunately,” the president said. “Two who are no longer with us. Brown University, nine injured. Two are looking down on us from heaven.”

He also offered his condolences to those killed in a terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Australia, adding, “I just want to pay my respects to everybody.”

Sir Cliff Richard reveals he has undergone treatment for prostate cancer

Veteran singer Sir Cliff Richard has revealed he was treated for prostate cancer over the past year, with the 85-year-old announcing the disease is currently “gone”.

The music icon used his experience to advocate for a national screening programme for men, urging early detection.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Sir Cliff said his diagnosis came during an insurance health check before a tour of Australia and New Zealand.

He expressed relief that the cancer was caught early, stating: “The good fortune was that it was not very old, and the other thing is that it has not metastasised. Nothing had moved into bones or anything like that.”

The star, known for hits like “The Young Ones” and “Summer Holiday”, stressed the importance of regular checks, saying: “I don’t know whether it’s going to come back. We can’t tell those sort of things but we need to, absolutely, I’m convinced, get there, get tested, get checked.”

He labelled the absence of a national screening programme as “absolutely ridiculous”.

He continued, highlighting governmental responsibility: “We have governments to look after our country and those who live in that country, so I can’t see how you can say, ‘Oh we can do this, we can do that, but we don’t do this for these people’.”

“We all deserve to have the same ability to have a test and then start treatments really early. It seems to me – I’ve only been for one year now in touch with cancer, but every time I’ve talked with anybody this has come up and so I think our government must listen to us.”

After the King’s recent cancer treatment announcement, Sir Cliff expressed a desire to collaborate on awareness. “I’ve been involved with many charities over the years and if the King is happy to front it for us, I’m sure loads of people, I certainly would join him… If the King is listening, I think most of us would say ‘yeah – we’re available’.”

His calls for broader screening come as the UK National Screening Committee announced a draft recommendation in November for a targeted prostate cancer screening programme.

If implemented, it would invite men aged 45-61 with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation for biennial screening.

The era of the £5 coffee is here – and it’s not going away any time soon

There is an unspoken hierarchy to what Britain will tolerate becoming more expensive. They can raise our taxes – we’ll grumble, but we’ll pay. They can make train tickets absurd – we’ll complain, then book anyway. They can squeeze us out of the housing market – we’ll sofa surf and move on.

But coming for our coffee? For a nation already exhausted by higher rents, pricier food and permanently postponed pleasures, stripping away the morning commute pick-me-up feels like one indignity too far.

Which is why the £5 coffee (the latest “new normal”) feels less like another price rise and more like a line crossed. Not because it’s the most expensive thing we buy – it plainly isn’t – but because coffee has long been one of the last affordable luxuries left standing. The small, daily indulgence that survived everything else.

You might not own a home. You might not be flying anywhere next year. You might be cutting back on meals out, theatre tickets, even the supermarket shop. But you could still buy a coffee. Until now.

Speaking to The Telegraph this weekend, Gerry Ford, founder and managing director of Caffé Nero, said coffee prices were unlikely to fall even if some of the pressures behind them begin to ease.

“You typically don’t have price cuts,” Ford said. What changes, he suggested, is not direction but tempo. Instead of prices rising every six to 12 months, cafes might simply wait longer between increases – a £5 coffee now, perhaps £5.50 in 18 months. “By and large, if costs come down, then [coffee shops] just won’t increase the prices for a longer length of time.”

In fact, coffee prices have already been climbing for years. Arabica beans are now hovering at around $4 (£3) a pound, more than double their price in September 2023. Data from Lumina Intelligence shows the average price of a coffee has risen by around 80p since 2022, to £4.02, while the price of a latte has increased by 21 per cent over the same period.

At Caffé Nero’s most expensive sites (London train stations), the price of a regular cappuccino has risen from £3.70 to £4 in just a year. Prices might be lower outside the capital and away from transport hubs, but the direction of travel is the same.

The era of the £5 coffee, which analysts warn may be the threshold above which people won’t be willing to pay, is almost upon us.

We’re talking about coffee. But in reality, we could be talking about almost anything else in Britain today.

Prices go up. Then they pause. And they rarely come back down. Coffee just happens to be where we feel it most. Usually, this moment is smoothed over with a platitude about “challenging conditions” or “doing our best for customers”. It’s almost refreshing to hear it said plainly instead: this is what it costs now – and it isn’t getting cheaper.

The uncomfortable truth is that coffee isn’t just getting more expensive because cafes feel like charging more. It’s getting more expensive because it’s becoming harder to grow at all.

Arabica coffee – which makes up more than 60 per cent of global production and accounts for most of what we consider “good” coffee – is acutely sensitive to climate change. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, drought and disease are already reshaping where and how it can be grown.

A major study by Dr Roman Grüter, a senior researcher at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, warned that climate change could strip away more than half of the land currently suitable for growing Arabica by mid-century if current trends continue. Arabica thrives in a narrow ecological comfort zone, and that zone is shrinking.

That alone would push up prices, but the point isn’t extinction headlines, dramatic as they may be. It’s instability. Volatility. Risk.

If and when global coffee prices dip, cafes are no longer pricing for a stable future. They’re pricing for uncertainty: the next drought, the next disease outbreak, the next failed harvest. That risk is built into the cost of every single cup.

And as tempting as outrage may be, coffee isn’t the only thing caught in the slipstream. Climate change is already reshaping the price of chocolate, another once-affordable luxury, as cocoa crops suffer repeated shocks in West Africa; wine, as extreme weather squeezes harvests across southern Europe; olive oil, after successive droughts in Spain; and everyday fruit and vegetables, increasingly vulnerable to heat, flooding and disrupted supply chains.

Even milk, once the dependable constant in the supermarket, has been dragged into the turbulence. UK dairy prices surged during the food inflation spike, driven by higher energy costs, animal feed and weather pressures, and while some wholesale prices have eased, retail and food service prices have been slow to follow.

All of this adds up. Ford said that while commodity prices were currently “exorbitant”, the price of a cup of coffee was unlikely to go down as it’s about more than just the cost of beans. “Let’s say commodity prices in coffee go down, but milk prices go up,” he said. “It might just mean that you’re not going to put up prices as rapidly.”

What that really means is that the price of a coffee has never just been about the beans. Order a pistachio-oat-flat-white-with-an-extra-shot and you’re paying for milk, energy, labour, logistics and a supply chain under strain. But even if you drink it black, you’re not in the clear. The beans themselves are exposed to climate shocks, disease and volatility long before they reach your cup.

Layer on top of that the pressures facing UK businesses: higher wages, rising employer National Insurance contributions, business rates that punish high street presence, energy prices that remain volatile and import costs exposed to geopolitics and policy. The result is not a temporary spike, but a recalibration.

There’s a reason it’s coffee that has become the lightning rod for Britain’s price anxiety, not council tax bands or national insurance thresholds. Coffee is immediate. You buy it in public. You buy it often. And you buy it at exactly the moment you’re least inclined to do mental arithmetic – on the way to work, half-awake, already running late.

Which is why its price carries such emotional weight.

Coffee has long belonged to a small but powerful category of goods: the last affordable luxuries. The things that made life feel a bit less relentlessly transactional. Chocolate. A croissant. A glass of wine that didn’t require an internal debate.

We’ve watched most of those quietly slip away. Chocolate has become smaller and more expensive. Wine has edged into “treat” territory. Butter, olive oil, cheese, once background groceries, now come with a flicker of guilt at the checkout.

So when a flat white creeps towards £5, the jolt in your chest isn’t about the caffeine. It’s about what happens when even the smallest indulgences start asking for justification.

The funny thing is that none of this seems to be slowing us down. Sales at Caffé Nero are rising, not falling. Ford says there’s still “massive opportunity” in the UK, with dozens more stores planned and little sign of demand slowing. Which tells its own story. We wince at the price and then we order anyway.

Perhaps that’s the real reason the era of the £5 coffee matters so much: not because we can’t afford it, but because we still want to believe some pleasures are worth paying for.

Pit-Smoked and Bourbon-Soaked: how to eat in Kentucky like a pro

What’s a drop of Bourbon or a foot tapping beat without the perfect dish to accompany them? There’s more to the Bluegrass State than whiskey and music alone. Though those things are important. Vital actually.

In Kentucky, the good times come served with a side of soul-enriching food, from fine dining, to time-honed traditions passed down through generations. A combination of Southern know-how, bountiful farmland and top-notch ingredients, plus modern culinary talent combine to make Kentucky a truly world-class culinary destination.

So get your fingers sticky with the sweet tang of BBQ, find the ultimate comfort food at a ma and pop shop on the roadside, or pull up a chair beneath a crisp linen tablecloth. It’s all here. Let us guide you to the top spots.

Louisville

Home of the world-famous Kentucky Derby, and with deep roots in the world of whiskey making, Louisville is a place where tradition is respected. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t reinterpreted, reinvented, and well, shaken up.

Kentucky’s largest metropolis, which straddles the slow running waters of the Ohio River, was built on whiskey. But as the new food hub of the South, it’s writing a new, distinctly delicious chapter.

‘New Southern Cuisine’, that’s the term coined for this new spirit of reverent playfulness where chefs across the city are putting new unique twists on traditional Southern fare from Hot Browns to Benedictine.

At 610 Magnolia, in the heart of Old Louisville, for chef and owner Edward Lee that means seasonal, multi-course menus that combine surprising global flavours into locally-inspired, often Bourbon laced dishes. Think seared scallops with kimchi or a sweet pea risotto with rock shrimp and magnolia.

Jack Fry’s is an institution. Behind its shutter board and mullioned window exterior, live jazz accompanies Southern flavours prepared with classic French techniques since 1933. Where once bootlegging occurred in a backroom, today spicy fried oysters, Bourbon braised short ribs, and peach cheesecakes laden the tables.

Don’t Miss:

Walk the distilleries and tasting rooms of Whiskey Row. This is mandatory. The imposing cast iron and red brick facades of Main Street once fronted the offices and warehouses for the burgeoning Bourbon barons. Today, they’re a playground for whiskey enthusiasts with exclusive bottlings, tastings and more to explore.

Follow Whiskey Row – and the Urban Bourbon Trail – across multiple blocks, and you’ll find NuLu (New Louisville). The East Market District of downtown draws an artsy crowd hang out to its neighbourhood murals, street art, galleries, and innovative eateries from Biscuit Belly to Royal Hot Chicken.

Lexington and the Bluegrass region

Combine fine dining with authentic Bluegrass charm in Lexington and beyond, where a visit to the world famous Keeneland Rack Track isn’t all about the horses. Yes, Lexington is a race horse capital, but sometimes the food is the main event.

Arrive purposefully hungry, and get amongst the smell of turf, saddle leather and smoked meats as jockeys, trainers and spectators alike head to the Track Kitchen. A morning staple and one of the city’s best-kept secrets, its home-style food feels like a hug. But careful, pace yourself.

Trackside concession stalls, only open during the races, beckon with their many culinary delights. From Keeneland’s signature Bourbon Bread Pudding to Kentucky Beer Cheese and the refreshing Keeneland Breeze cocktail, the food and drink here are as much a part of the experience as the races themselves. Classic Southern comfort meets local flair.

Don’t Miss:

Head out to the countryside, where the morning mist sits low on the pastures of Thoroughbred farms. Culinary star, Chef Ouita Michel may have just pioneered farm-to-table dining over the past 15-plus years. With all that high-quality produce in abundance surrounding Lexington, it just made sense to make the most of it.

Visit all eight of Ouita’s famous restaurants – or just a few – on a culinary tour. Honeywood at Fritz Farm is all about the locally-grown specialities, from sweet potato beignets to duck-fat basted New York strip. Meanwhile, Smithtown Seafood is a quintessential taste of the south with wild-caught fried catfish, fresh-shucked oysters and blackened catfish.

Owensboro

Breathe in the sweet smell of smoke and molasses. When you catch the scent of a true pit master at work, you follow it.

In Owensboro, Kentucky’s undisputed BBQ capital, a passion for flavour and a dedication to time-honed techniques, means you’re in for a treat.

In this city located on the south side of a deep bend in the Ohio River, BBQ is more than just a dish, it’s a tradition. With a history dating back to the 1830s, the area has developed its own unique style of pit BBQ, where vinegar-based sauces are mopped over the meat during a lengthy smoking process. Think tangy, tender, and melt-in-the-mouth.

Sure you’ll find chicken, beef, et al. But with sheep historically more plentiful, the main event here is mutton. Burgoo who? Look out for local dish Burgoo, a stew similar to Irish or Mulligan stew, most often served with a generous wedge of cornbread. Well, this is Kentucky.

Don’t get us wrong. BBQ is a year-round way of life with secrets passed down generations. Head to the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn, where smoked meat has been slung since the 1950s. Or Old Hickory BBQ, where the grills have been firing since 1918.

But once a year Owensboro becomes the global BBQ capital. At the International Bar-B-Q Festival, BBQ and Barrels, held every second weekend in May, 80,000 assemble for two days of BBQ heaven, while teams fiercely compete over secret recipes and sizzling coals.

Don’t Miss:

What goes better with a smoked slice, than the twang of strings? Owensboro is the Bluegrass world capital too. Stop by the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum – the only international museum dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history and culture of this soulful, uniquely American genre.

Spotify down: Website and app not working in major outage

Spotify has stopped working in what appears to be a major outage.

Users reported seeing error messages and other problems when trying to listen to music.

The issues appear to be widespread and were reported right across the world, according to tracking website Down Detector. The problems began before 3pm UK time, or 10am on the east coast of the US.

The issues come after a run of major outages in recent weeks, including problems at Cloudflare that took down Spotify among other major apps including ChatGPT.

This time around, the issues appeared to be localised at Spotify, with other major platforms seemingly still online.

“We’re aware of some issues right now and are checking them out!” the company said on its devoted status account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Reform UK to axe 68,000 civil service jobs if they win next election

Reform UK has announced plans to cut 68,500 civil service jobs should the party win the next general election.

The proposal, led by East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger, who is overseeing the party’s preparations for government, aims to reduce the salary bill by 17 per cent and save taxpayers £5.2bn each year.

Speaking in Westminster, Mr Kruger detailed the financial impact: “That’s £4bn in averted salary costs, which will be realised within two years, and £1bn in averted pension contributions that will be realised in the years ahead.”

The party’s initial reform phase also includes investing an additional £400m, totalling £500m, into a bonus pot.

This fund is intended to reward “high-performing” civil servants, moving away from what the party views as “over-generous” pension contributions.

Mr Kruger insisted these plans would improve central government operations, describing them as “radical” and “thorough”.

He said: “Someone once said that a hard rain is going to fall on Whitehall, and I do see the need for serious weather, but after the rain, after the storm, there will be sunshine – it’s going to be a better place to work.”

Asked how he expected to attract talent to the civil service by reducing pension contributions that form a key draw for many to apply, he said: “We value people who have a long career in the civil service. Obviously, their pension should reflect their service.

“Nevertheless, we don’t want an organisation in which the main reason to work there is that you can look forward to a good pension once you retire.

“We want people to work for the public interest, and we want the type of people who will be incentivised by the opportunity of performance-related pay, rather than a distant and over-generous pension.”

He said he expected the cost of civil service redundancies to pay for itself within two years under Reform UK plans, based on it costing around £60,000 to let someone go.