Bondi victims remembered as Sydney rings in new year with spectacular fireworks display

Australia has welcomed in 2026 with a spectacular fireworks display over Sydney Opera House, as well as a minute’s silence to remember the victims of the Bondi Beach attack.

The 40,000 fireworks stretched more than four miles across buildings and barges along the harbour.

An hour before midnight, the victims of the country’s deadliest terrorist attack – during which 15 were killed and 40 injured – were commemorated with a moment of reflection while images of a menorah were projected onto Sydney Harbour Bridge. The crowd were invited to show their solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community by shining their phone torches across the harbour.

New South Wales premier Chris Minns urged Sydney residents not to stay away through fear, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds at New Year’s Eve festivities as a victory.

“We can’t be in a situation where this horrible, criminal, terrorist event changes the way we live in our beautiful city,” Mr Minns told reporters on Wednesday.

“We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime and say that we’re not going to be cowered by this kind of terrorism,” he added.

New Zealand

Two hours earlier, more than 3,000 fireworks were launched over the top of New Zealand’s tallest building – the Sky Tower – as Auckland became the first major city to welcome in the new year.

New Zealand’s capital celebrated midnight 18 hours before New York. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the 240m (787ft) Sky Tower.

The island of Kiritimati was the first place in the world to celebrate 2026. Part of the Pacific Ocean nation, Kiribati, located south of Hawaii and northeast of Australia. It is made up of several atolls – ring-shaped coral reefs – and spans almost 2,500 miles from east to west. Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979 and has a population of about 116,000.

Japan and South Korea

Japan and South Korea have celebrated the New Year around 3pm GMT with a traditional bell-ringing ceremony. Tens of thousands gathered at Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul for the countdown.

At midnight, a bronze bell is struck 33 times, a tradition rooted in Buddhist cosmology, symbolizing the 33 heavens. The sounds are believed to dispel misfortune and bring in peace and prosperity for the coming year. Lanterns are lit to celebrate the occasion.

They were joined by Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan shortly after.

However, Hong Kong did not mark the occasion with a fireworks display after a devastating fire killed 161 people in an apartment complex in November – the deadliest blaze the city had seen in decades.

The city is usually home to the world’s largest and most extravagant demonstrations with light shows, fireworks, music and performances.

Instead, the government organised a light show and pared-back musical performances for members of the public.

People have gathered in the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, also known as Juyong Pass, in Beijing, China to ring in the New Year, which marks the Year of the Horse.

Chinese president Xi Jinping, in a New Year’s Eve address broadcast by state media, hailed his country’s technological progress in areas such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors while renewing threats against Taiwan, which it claims as part of its sovereign territory.

“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship,” he said. “The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable.” China this week launched large-scale military drills around the island.

Europe

Europe will join the celebrations later with Germany, France and Italy bringing in the new year at around 11pm GMT, before the UK, Portugal, Mali and Ghana.

Residents of Berlin are already enjoying snowfall, taking selfies and making snowmen in front of the German capital’s cathedral and the iconic Brandenburg Gate. The famous Berlin TV Tower is nearly invisible thanks to the falling flakes and fog.

The biggest firework display in London this year, as in previous years, will be the mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks – an event watched by more than 10 million people in the UK.

Tickets to view the display up close are highly coveted and typically sell out long before New Year’s Eve. Areas around the display, including Embankment and parts of Lambeth, begin closing to the public as early as 2pm as preparations get underway.

New York will join in the celebrations at 5am GMT on New Year’s Day, with performances by Diana Ross and Ciara, while Los Angeles will celebrate at 8am GMT.

Britain set to be blanketed with snow and ice over new year

Britons are set to begin the new year with snow showers as the Met Office issues new weather warnings.

Up to 5cm of snow is expected to cover parts of the country from midnight on 1 January as a cold snap brings frosty temperatures for many. Icy conditions are also set to cause disruption as people travel across the country following new year celebrations.

A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place from midnight until noon on Friday and covers a large swathe of England and Wales, including Chester and Greater Manchester down to London and Kent.

Separate yellow warnings are also in place for Northern Ireland between midnight and 10am on Friday, and in northern Scotland between 6am on new year’s day and the end of Friday.

Forecasters are warning parts of Scotland could see up to 10cm of accumulated snow by Friday as showers turn to snow north of Glasgow. The freezing conditions are then expected to move southeastwards across parts of England and Wales on Thursday, with blizzards predicted to last between two and three hours.

Around 1cm to 2cm of snow is expected to accumulate where it falls, with 5cm possible across the higher ground of North Wales and North West England.

The Met Office is advising people to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than usual in order to reduce the risk of slips and falls while rushing. It also urged people to check roads and public transport before travelling and leaving extra time for journeys.

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Mark Sidaway said: “It certainly looks like we are in for a taste of ‘winter’ as we welcome in the new year, initially in the north, but more widely across the UK for the first week of 2026.

“Arctic air and strong northerly winds will bring cold or very cold conditions to all parts of the UK, and it will feel especially cold in the strong winds. Widespread and locally severe frosts are expected, along with the first snow of the winter for many.

“A yellow warning for snow and ice has been issued for northern Scotland on new year’s day and beyond, where frequent and heavy snow showers may lead to some travel disruption.

“These colder conditions and wintry hazards – snow, ice and strong winds – will develop more widely as we enter the new year, with more warnings for snow and ice likely. It looks like this cold spell will last through at least the first week of January, so it’s important people keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings.”

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also issued an amber cold health alert for the health sector covering the North East and North West of England until 5 January. All other regions in England are under a yellow alert for this period.

This means cold temperatures are likely to impact on the health and wellbeing of the population. Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, urged people to check in on neighbours, family, and friends as temperatures plummet.

“As the colder weather sets in it is vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable,” he said.

“The forecasted temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.”

A dry New Year’s Eve for much of England and Wales with sunny spells. Cloudier elsewhere with some scattered showers. A cold day, with winds increasing later in the north. Showers turning wintry over higher ground of Scotland later.

Windy with rain followed by wintry showers across Scotland. Drier elsewhere with clear spells, especially in the south. Frost and patchy mist or fog under clearer skies. Feeling cold.

New years day will be chilly and windy, especially in the north and east. Wintry showers across northern Scotland and extending down western coasts. Dry elsewhere with sunny spells.

Remaining cold with overnight frosts. Mainly dry with some sunny spells, but wintry showers likely too, especially in the north and at times extending down western and eastern coasts.

Top European court demands answers over stripping of Shamima Begum’s UK citizenship

A top European court has demanded answers over the UK’s decision to strip Shamima Begum of her citizenship after she travelled to join the so-called Islamic State at the age of 15.

The European Court of Human Rights has asked questions over whether Britain upheld its responsibilities towards victims of trafficking before the home secretary revoked her citizenship in 2019.

Ms Begum travelled from Bethnal Green, east London, to territory held by IS a decade ago.

Ten days after arriving in Syria, she was “married off” to IS fighter Yago Riedijk, a Dutch-born convert to Islam and a convicted terrorist.

She was stripped of her British citizenship in February 2019 on the grounds she posed a threat to national security.

In 2020, the Court of Appeal ruled she should be allowed to return to the UK in order to fairly contest that decision. But a year later the Supreme Court ruled unanimously against bringing Ms Begum back. She remains in a Syrian camp.

A document published by the European court earlier this month shows Ms Begum is challenging the decision under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights – prohibition of slavery and forced labour.

One question among four posed by judges in Strasbourg to the Home Office asks: “Did the Secretary of State have a positive obligation, by virtue of Article 4 of the Convention, to consider whether the applicant had been a victim of trafficking, and whether any duties or obligations to her flowed from that fact, before deciding to deprive her of her citizenship?”

Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, which is representing Ms Begum, said the court’s communication “presents an unprecedented opportunity” for the UK and Ms Begum to “grapple with the significant considerations raised in her case and ignored, sidestepped or violated up to now by previous UK administrations”.

Lawyer Gareth Peirce said: “It is impossible to dispute that a 15-year-old British child was in 2014/15 lured, encouraged and deceived for the purposes of sexual exploitation to leave home and travel to Isil-controlled territory for the known purpose of being given, as a child, to an Isil fighter to propagate children for the Islamic State.

“It is equally impossible not to acknowledge the catalogue of failures to protect a child known for weeks beforehand to be at high risk when a close friend had disappeared to Syria in an identical way and via an identical route.

“It has already been long conceded that the then home secretary, Sajid Javid, who took the precipitous decision in 2019 very publicly to deprive Ms Begum of citizenship, had failed entirely to consider the issues of grooming and trafficking of a school child in London and of the state’s consequent duties.”

She also pointed to the Labour government’s decision to make protections for victims of grooming and trafficking a national priority.

But a Home Office spokesman said any decision made to protect national security would be robustly defended.

“The government will always protect the UK and its citizens,” the spokesman said. “That is why Shamima Begum – who posed a national security threat – had her British citizenship revoked and is unable to return to the UK. We will robustly defend any decision made to protect our national security.”

The Conservatives said Ms Begum should not be allowed back into the UK “under any circumstances”.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “Begum chose to go and support the violent Islamist extremists of Daesh, who murdered opponents, raped thousands of women and girls and threw people off buildings for being gay.

“She has no place in the UK and our own Supreme Court found that depriving her of citizenship was lawful. It is deeply concerning the European Court of Human Rights is now looking at using the ECHR to make the UK take her back.”

China cracks down on free speech: ‘Even moderate voices are being silenced’

It was 2022 when Dong Yuyu was having lunch with a Japanese diplomat at a hotel in Beijing, a relatively ordinary meeting for a 63-year-old journalist whose responsibilities included foreign affairs.

Yet that was also the day that changed his life, as police officers suddenly swarmed the restaurant and took him in for questioning. He was arrested and charged with spying offences, before eventually being sentenced to seven years in prison.

Dong’s case has been met with international concern, and is being seen as an example of China stepping up its control of an already compliant media landscape.

Dong’s family still retained hope in the system that their father had dutifully worked within for his entire career – until last month, when the Beijing High Court dismissed an appeal to overturn his prison sentence. His family say the case is a clear “act of persecution”.

The journalist’s son, Dong Yifu, tells The Independent that his father’s conviction sets a dangerous precedent as Chinese citizens could now come under scrutiny for simply maintaining international ties. Both Dong and Dong Yifu say that the journalist’s meetings with Japanese diplomats had nothing to do with espionage.

Dong Yifu is calling on the US, the UK and European governments to step up their engagement with Beijing, calling for sustained diplomatic pressure at the highest levels to secure his father’s release.

“Anybody just with the most basic senses would know that this whole thing is totally ridiculous,” Dong Yifu says. “The government here really owes everybody, including the Chinese people, an explanation,” he says.

There is a lot that Dong has missed during his period of incarceration, including the news of his own father’s death and the escalation of diplomatic tensions between neighbours Japan and China.

Dong Yifu says the family decided to keep the news of Dong’s father’s death a secret from the journalist to prevent him from losing morale. “In his communications with the lawyers, he said he’s hoping that his parents will stay strong and that he will be able to see them again.”

“There are many other families who are torn apart by this type of persecution,” he adds.

Dong’s bail rejection comes at a time when ties between neighbours China and Japan have plummeted to their lowest in decades over the Japanese prime minister’s remarks on Taiwan. Sanae Takaichi warned last month that Tokyo could respond to any Chinese military action against Taiwan that also threatened Japan’s security. China’s reaction to the comments has been swift and immediate, with both sides escalating tensions across diplomatic channels.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan and has ramped up military and political pressure against the island, whose government rejects Beijing’s territorial claims.

The Beijing high court’s decision has drawn sharp criticism from rights and press freedom groups, who say it erodes what little remains of free expression in a country that has already jailed dozens of journalists under President Xi Jinping.

“Speaking with diplomats is routine work for journalists, not espionage,” says Beh Lih Yi, an Asia-Pacific director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). “China must release Dong immediately, or it is sending a message to the world that its stated goal of open engagement is empty talk.”

Amnesty International, in its October report, found Chinese courts have been systematically weaponising vague national security and public order laws to silence human rights defenders.

Dong was the deputy head of the commentary department at the Guangming Daily, a newspaper once considered more liberal than other Communist Party outlets. Dong joined the paper in 1987, and over the past 35 years, he routinely published articles arguing for constitutional democracy, political reform and official accountability. Such views were once discussed openly in party outlets but are now out of favour – yet his family say he was no dissident or revolutionary. He also co-edited a book promoting the rule of law in China.

Despite China being the world’s biggest jailer of journalists, with at least 120 in prison, Dong’s arrest sent shockwaves across the country, as Beijing seldom targets employees of state-run media.

Dong Yifu says the space for independent expression, even within the one-party system, has steadily eroded over the past decade under Xi. “These are all very mild, very moderate calls for reform. Now even those mild and moderate voices are being silenced,” he says, referring to his father.

Xi has been accused by human rights activists of increasing the crackdown on dissent over the past 13 years.

Dong’s family has raised its concern over the journalist’s health in Beijing’s state security detention centre, where he was kept for more than three years, before being moved to Beijing’s No. 2 prison – a correctional facility that holds several international inmates.

“The facility where he spent the past three years has very little sunlight, very little natural light. So it’s taken a toll on his health. And the food, as we know, it’s not great, so nutrition is a big concern for us. And also he’s very old for a detainee,” his son says.

Dong Yifu says he has been unable to speak to his father since the day of the arrest, with the family now relying solely on monthly updates passed on through their lawyers.

Following his arrest in February 2022, Dong was held for half a year in a secret location before being formally charged with espionage. As in all cases China deems related to national security, Dong’s trial was held behind closed doors in July 2023 and journalists were barred by police from entering the court on the day of his sentencing. An American diplomat attempting to observe the proceedings was also denied entry.

“He was only two months away from his retirement at the time of his arrest,” the journalist’s son says.

Dong Yifu, a lawyer in the US, says he spoke to his parents on a video call just a day before he was informed that his father had been arrested. “Five security agents barged into our apartment and searched the whole house,” he says, adding that the ordeal has left his mother shaken.

Dong Yifu says the court rejected Dong’s appeal despite presenting ample evidence to prove his innocence. “We were able to get a letter from the current [Japanese] ambassador to China saying that their diplomats named in the judgment are not spies, and we were able to submit that as a piece of new evidence to the court. But the court rejected that, which is very concerning.”

Dong’s family said according to the court, the Japanese diplomats Dong met with, including then ambassador Hideo Tarumi and current consul general in Shanghai Masaru Okada, were named as agents of an “espionage organisation”. Yet at no point did the Chinese government act against or expel the Japanese diplomats it determined to be spies, Dong Yifu says.

The family argues that prosecutors failed to establish a motive or present any evidence that Dong received financial rewards for the alleged espionage. State security officials argued that his overseas academic fellowships, including a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard and several short-term programmes in Japan, constituted “benefits”.

“Such reasoning is beyond ridiculous and extremely threatening,” the family said in a statement. “Now, all Chinese scholars and intellectuals, hundreds of thousands over the past years, who have been on exchanges to foreign universities can have their experience abroad used as evidence for espionage in a Chinese court.”

Ann Marie Lipinski, curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, called Dong “a talented reporter and author whose work has long been respected by colleagues”. “We stand with many in hoping for his release and return to his family,” she said at the time of his sentencing.

Dong regularly had in-person exchanges with diplomats from various embassies and journalists. He was a visiting scholar and visiting professor at Japan’s Keio and Hokkaido universities.

Beijing has in recent years stepped up its crackdown on Japanese nationals accused of espionage. This year, it handed down a sentence to a Japanese citizen detained in Shanghai in December 2021, and another employee of the pharmaceutical giant Astellas Pharma.

China’s anti-espionage agency said last month it had uncovered multiple infiltration and spying cases linked to Japanese intelligence in recent years, vowing to intensify counter-intelligence efforts. The state security department warned it “firmly opposes any despicable acts by foreign forces seeking to undermine regional peace and stability”.

A total of 17 Japanese people have been detained since 2014, when China introduced a new counter-espionage law, according to the Japanese media.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in November: “China’s judicial organs handle cases in strict accordance with the law, and those who break the law and commit crimes will be prosecuted according to law.”

The Independent has written to both the Chinese government and the Japanese foreign ministry for comment.

The United States has described Dong’s sentencing as “unjust”, and called publicly for his immediate, unconditional release. The family hope this also translates to meaningful actions behind the scenes.

“I think the State Department is aware of the case, and our family hopes that they will mention the case,” Dong Yifu says.

The CPJ last month honoured Dong with the annual International Press Freedom Award. “In the past decades, I used my pen to commentate on social issues in China. Now my imprisonment itself is a kind of commentary on the reality facing press freedom and the freedom of speech in China today,” Dong said in a statement issued through his lawyer.

“This award is a great encouragement for me, a much-needed boost for my courage and strength in this difficult situation.”

Worst investment levels in the G7 ‘should ring alarm bells in No 10’

Figures showing Britain has the worst investment levels in the G7 should “ring alarm bells” in No 10, critics have said.

The UK was at the bottom of the table behind the US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, with public and private investment just 18.6 per cent of GDP in the three months to September, latest figures show.

Business groups warned the situation was also likely to get worse later after April, when a series of changes announced in Rachel Reeves’ Budget, including changes to business rates and a rise in the living wage, come into effect.

In response, one Labour MP accused the chancellor of driving down business investment with “broken commitments”.

Across the G7, Japan had the highest investment levels at 27 per cent, Italy and Canada were on 23 per cent, France 22 per cent, the US 21 per cent and Germany 20 per cent, according to the Office for National Statistics, which cited figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

As the Labour government scrambles to secure growth in the economy it has promised billions of pounds worth of government investment over the next four years on projects ranging from transport to housebuilding.

But the data suggests a hoped-for major boost in private investment has failed to follow these announcements.

According to economists at PwC, public investment will rise by £13 billion in 2026–27, the biggest two-year increase since the financial crisis in 2008. However, private investment “will stagnate due to weaker business sentiment and lower profit growth”, according to Barret Kupelian, PwC’s chief economist.

Labour MP Graham Stringer put pressure on the chancellor over the figures, telling the Times: “No economy can succeed when hobbled by the highest energy costs to industry and commerce in the developed world.

“Until the chancellor deals with energy, everything else is second order, but the uncertainty she has created around family businesses and broken commitments on tax has made businesses reluctant to invest.”

Sir Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, said “being bottom of the G7 for investment should ring alarm bells in Downing Street”.

Shadow Treasury minister James Wild said in a post on X that ordinary would “suffer” as a result of a PM “with no plan and no backbone”.

Reform’s Richard Tice said wealth creators were being driven away, as he pointed to citing the pharmaceutical giant Merck scrapping plans for a £1 billion research centre in the UK.

Meanwhile, Craig Beaumont, executive director of the Federation of Small Businesses, said that business sentiment was now “closer to dismay than confidence”.

“Pressure is building up against investment and growth in 2026. April will see huge cost hikes put on small businesses across the board: energy standing charges will rise, employment costs will rise, business rates bills will rise,” he said.

“To keep more businesses viable and unlock confidence, investment and growth, the government must have an answer to these at the spring forecast.”

In response, the government said: “Unlike previous governments, we are investing in our economic future, with over £120 billion more in capital investment compared with previous plans and the highest level of public investment for 40 years.

“We have also changed the fiscal rules so we can prioritise investment alongside the private sector. As a result, the national wealth fund has invested almost £4 billion, leveraging more than £5 billion in private investment and creating nearly 12,000 new jobs, helping to raise living standards in every part of the country.”

Five perfect family getaways in Catalonia’s green heart

Looking for a family holiday that combines adventure, nature, and a touch of culture? Catalonia’s green heart is bursting with possibilities, from mountain valleys where flaming torches light up midsummer skies to tranquil wetlands teeming with wildlife. Whether your crew prefers gentle hikes, ancient ruins or ski slopes and riverside trails, this corner of northern Spain offers unforgettable experiences for every age and season. Here are five destinations that prove The Pyrenees of Catalonia might just be Europe’s ultimate family playground.

Located also in Catalan Pyrenees west, near the border with France, Catalonia’s wonderful all-rounder really does have something for the whole family. In terms of culture, it’s a place rich with traditions and history. Kids of all ages will be entranced by the annual summer solstice Fallas festivals, which involve young men carrying flaming torches from high in the mountains down to their villages where they light bonfires and take part in traditional dances late into the night. Even the most heritage-resistant will surely be converted by Vall de Boí’s unmatched collection of astonishingly preserved Romanesque churches, with their evocative towers, atmospheric interiors, and beautiful settings. The area is blessed with trails that will suit the youngest of hikers, like the routes at Salencar de Barruera where you walk along the river following a paved path from a playground to the Salencar wetlands.

Located just west of Andorra near the border with France, the Valls d’Àneu was the first inland part of Catalonia to receive the DTF family tourism certification, and it’s easy to see why. All valleys and peaks, glacial lakes and seemingly endless meadows, it feels like an unspoilt Eden that’s waiting to be explored all year round. In winter, the Espot ski station is a family favourite, with its dedicated beginners area with magic carpets and a drag lift, and its large number of green and blue slopes. Throughout the rest of the year, families flock to one of the region’s great areas of natural splendour: Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, which features more than 200 lakes with breathtaking alpine backdrops, many of them easily accessible on flat family walkways.

A few miles inland from Cadaqués in the Mediterranean, the gorgeous seaside town famous for its postcard-perfect whitewashed architecture, lies one of Catalonia’s big draws for nature-loving families: the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park. A 47km² wetland wonderland, its varied eco-systems are home to an astonishing range of birds and animals from bitterns and marsh harriers to otters and polecats. Parents to budding history buffs are also well-served in the area, which is home to both the Citadel of Roses – a fascinating journey through time that includes Hellenistic ruins, Visigoth-era buildings and Romanesque monasteries – and the archaeological site of Empúries with its reconstructed forum. It also benefits from being one of Catalonia’s culinary hotspots with its highly regarded seafood and excellent wines for deserving mums and dads.

Situated in the west of the Catalan Pyrenees, Pirineus, Noguera Palleresa is a stunning high peak destination that offers a vast range of family-friendly activities. In the snowy season, head to the celebrated Port Ainé ski resort, which has something to suit children of all ages from sledding play areas to treetop adventure parks. In summer, beat a path to the Alt Pirineu Natural Park which has abundant paths ideal for reluctant hikers, many of them with great views of the Pica d’Estats, which at 3143m is the highest mountain in Catalonia. Lovers of adventure sports should head to Sort on the Noguera Pallaresa river, which is the region’s top spot for whitewater rafting with gentle open kayaking for littler kids and thrilling canyoning for teenagers.

The Vall de Camprodon, located in Girona province just North of the town of Ripoll, is famous for its art nouveau architecture. One of the main draws of the Vall de Camprodon is the Ter and Freser Headwaters Natural Park, with its lush valleys and thrilling backdrop of high peaks. It’s a must-visit for aspiring bird-watchers, who if they’re lucky might see Griffon vultures, golden eagles, and Eurasian eagle-owls. Little kids will love the Camprodon Valley Tourist Train, which takes passengers on a 45 minute tour of Camprodon, allowing them to explore the valley and see incredible views of the Pont Nou without too much walking. And everyone will adore the food, particularly the local specialty biscuits, which they’ve been making since the 19th Century.

Plan your sustainable trip to the Catalan Pyrenees at visitpirineus.com/en

Redacting Andrew files ‘like removing Trump from Epstein documents’

The Cabinet Office’s redaction of files relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been compared to the controversial treatment of the Epstein files.

Andrew Lownie, a biographer of the former prince, said the decision to remove parts of the documents after they were released to journalists was “panicky”.

Mr Lownie, the author of Entitled, said: “It’s a bit like the Trump redactions [in the Epstein files]. They’re slightly panicking and they do things without realising the consequences, trying to leave it or to play it down.

“I think there’s just a huge panic. Anything to do with Andrew is being excised from the record because they’re worried about what it might reveal.”

The Cabinet Office was accused of covering up for the royal family after it emerged that official papers which refer to Andrew have been withheld from the National Archives.

The annual release of government papers under the 20-year rule to the archives in Kew, southwest London, includes a No 10 file from 2004 and 2005 on royal visits.

The version made available to journalists under embargo, so they could prepare stories in advance, included minutes of a meeting where officials discussed the travel plans of royals – including the then Duke of York, when he was a UK trade envoy.

However, the minutes were later redacted from the file before it was released to the public.

The Cabinet Office, which is responsible for transferring the files to the National Archives, blamed an “administrative error”, saying they had never been intended for release.

However, Graham Smith, chief executive of anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, said there was no justification for withholding the documents, especially since Andrew has been stripped of his royal status amid continuing controversy over his links with the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Labour MP Rachael Maskell also urged the government to provide clarity on why the files were not published.

Mr Lownie said all files relating to Andrew’s time as trade envoy up to 2005 should be released and called for parliament to investigate.

He told The Times: “A huge cover-up has gone on [concerning] Andrew’s excessive expenditure, little of it profiting the country, and it continues. I believe there needs to be a full parliamentary investigation into Andrew’s decade as special representative.”

Earlier this month, Andrew, who has always denied any wrongdoing, was formally stripped of his last remaining royal titles following controversy over his links to Epstein.

The redacted files showed discussions by senior palace and Foreign Office officials about Andrew’s travel plans as a UK trade envoy – which earned him the nickname “air miles Andy” – with visits to China, Russia, southeast Asia and Spain.

Officials also raised the issue of whether the Football Association would be prepared to pay for him to attend the Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal as a royal representative.

Alison McClean, a researcher at the University of Bristol, also told the paper that the three exemptions cited by the Cabinet Office, designed to protect documents containing communications with the sovereign, as well as personal data or confidentiality, were “questionable”.

McClean added: “It seems to demonstrate how even the most innocuous material concerning even minor members of the royal family is being routinely withheld. In this case it is especially worrying that information on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities as a UK trade representative are being blocked from release to the National Archives, as this relates to his role as a public servant rather than as a member of the royal family or, indeed, as a private citizen.”

The Cabinet Office said: “All records are managed in line with the requirements of the Public Records Act. Any release is subject to an extensive review process, including engaging expert stakeholders.”

How millions go to A&E with minor issues like a blocked nose

Millions of patients are going to Accident and Emergency departments across England with minor ailments, new figures reveal.

Analysis shows that over five years, A&E medics have treated nearly 1.9 million cases of headache.

Between 2020/21 and 2024/25, almost 1.4 million attendances were for a cough, while 1.2 million sought help for a sore throat.

Earache accounted for a further 1 million A&E visits, according to Press Association analysis. Other complaints included almost 69,000 for a blocked nose, 4,200 for hiccups, and 290,000 for constipation.

The 2020/21 year covers the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, when many patients steered clear of hospitals.

The figures show how A&E attendances for some medical emergencies – such as the heart stopping – have stayed relatively consistent during and since the pandemic.

For instance, 10,293 attendances due to cardiac arrest were logged in 2020/21, compared with 10,744 in 2024/25.

The number of cases diagnosed in A&E as a broken hip was 43,646 in 2020/21 and 43,326 in 2024/25.

For other conditions there has been a steady increase in attendances, starting in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic and continuing in the following years.

Some 44,000 cases of “cough” were dealt with in 2020/21 and the number has risen every year to reach 435,728 in 2024/25 – a near tenfold increase.

There were 59,120 A&E attendances where the chief complaint was diarrhoea in 2020/21, rising each year to reach 143,591 by 2024/25.

A&E attendances rose from 40,962 to 70,933 for constipation, 211,266 to 396,724 for backache, 9,795 to 20,516 for nausea, and 587 to 1,093 for hiccups.

See the full list here

PA analysis shows that medics noted that “no abnormality was detected” for 2.2 million A&E attendances in 2024/25, while more than half a million patients walked out before a first diagnosis was made.

Health officials have warned of a “tidal wave” of winter illnesses sweeping the NHS.

The NHS said this month that A&Es were facing a significant number of “unnecessary” admissions as they sought to point people towards appropriate help for certain conditions.

NHS England said a significant number of patients sought help last winter for a variety of illnesses which could have been handled by GPs or pharmacists.

Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said: “The NHS fully supports the government’s ambition to move more care closer to home, and this shift will play a crucial part of helping patients manage their conditions more effectively without needing to go to hospital.”

Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said: “Patients choosing to attend A&E for help with relatively simple conditions like earache lays bare a failure to give people enough access to convenient, responsive services closer to home where they can get the help they need there and then.

“Our new year’s wish would be to see neighbourhood healthcare ‘turbocharged’ to create many more primary care appointments, in communities and GP practices, to boost patients’ satisfaction with the NHS and ease pressure on busy A&Es.”

Dr Ian Higginson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said that while some of the conditions “may seem minor, there will be serious illness in some of the patients described”.

He went on: “However, as this data shows, people are arriving through the doors of our emergency departments (EDs) with issues that we would not traditionally consider as ‘urgent’ and require emergency care.

“This is a symptom of the healthcare system not working as it was designed to.

“Just like our EDs, our colleagues in primary and community services are at capacity when their services are open, but those services often aren’t open when patients need them.

“The system has also become unnecessarily complex and patients can struggle to figure it out.

“If people are unable to access services, or they are unsure of other services available to help them, they will come to ED.”

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: “We need better, clearer systems to help patients navigate the NHS and get to the right place first time, and better resourced general practice so that we can alleviate pressure across the health service.”

National Pharmacy Association chief executive Henry Gregg said: “Millions of hours are spent waiting in A&E for minor issues that can instead be conveniently treated in a community pharmacy.

“Pharmacists are highly trained health care professionals and can now supply prescription medicines on the NHS without the need for a GP appointment, for a range of common illnesses.”

An NHS England spokesperson said: “The last place a patient wants to be when they have a minor illness is a busy A&E – that’s why this winter NHS staff are working hard to expand the number of routes into the health service so patients can get fast and convenient care closer to them.

“We have launched a campaign urging people to use the range of alternatives to A&E to get them the help they need in the most appropriate place – whether the services are online, over the phone or in-person.

“As always, the public should use A&E and 999 for life-threatening conditions and serious injuries – and for non-life-threatening care, call NHS 111 or use 111 online, which can direct you to the most appropriate place – whether that be your local pharmacy, a walk-in centre or clinical self-help advice.”

NHS officials are due to reveal how hospitals are coping with winter pressures as they release the latest winter statistics for the health service in England.