Stephen Cottrell to deliver Christmas sermon in place of Justin Welby, who will step down as de facto head of church

The archbishop of York is expected to highlight the need for actions more than words in a Christmas sermon, as the Church of England faces criticism over failures in its handling of recent abuse scandals.

Stephen Cottrell, who will become temporary leader of the Church in England in early January in place of the outgoing archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is expected to say the church must “kneel in penitence and adoration” this Christmas and “be changed”.

The passenger plane was en route from Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya but was reportedly rerouted due to fog

A passenger plane has crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday and initial reports suggested there were survivors, the country’s emergencies ministry said.

The ministry said emergency services were trying to put out a fire at the crash site.

Twenty local authorities in England signed up eligible pupils without waiting for parents to do so

A new scheme enabling families to sign up to free school meals has enabled 20,000 more children to be fed.

As well as preventing those children from going hungry, the “auto-enrolment” pilot project is saving households hundreds of pounds a year.

Labour party divided on whether incoming US ambassador should lean on Reform leader’s ties with Donald Trump

Nigel Farage has said he would be willing to help Peter Mandelson negotiate with the Trump administration, after the Labour grandee was confirmed as Westminster’s new ambassador to the US.

Lord Mandelson has indicated he believes the Reform UK leader, a friend of Donald Trump, could serve as a link between the UK and the Republican president-elect.

DJ whose anything-goes spirit had a huge influence on British club culture had suffered a stroke in 2021

DJ Alfredo, who had a significant influence on Ibiza becoming a global centre for dance music culture, has died aged 71.

Amnesia, the club where he held a residency during the 1980s, announced the news, writing on Instagram: “Thank you for the nights and beats we shared together. Your music and vision shaped the sound of Balearic Beat and the soul of Amnesia. So many memories were made through your energy, your legacy will live on our dancefloor forever. You will never be forgotten.”

UK government accused of ‘nitpicking about compensation’ after being told to pay more to retain military base

Mauritius is holding out over a deal to gain control of the Chagos Islands from the UK, leaving ministers less than a month to rescue the agreement.

The government in Mauritius, which took office last month, has made clear it is dissatisfied with the terms negotiated by the previous administration. Over the weekend the deputy prime minister accused the British government of “nitpicking about the compensation”.

Brian Spencer, 40, was seen taunting police before incident that online commenters labelled ‘instant karma’

A total of 500 people will be spending Christmas in prison for their part in the summer riots, after a rioter who went viral in an “instant karma” video when he was hit in the groin with a brick became the latest to be sentenced.

Brian Spencer was seen on the clip taunting police and gyrating his hips, while he was at the centre of the riot in Southport on 30 July, which was triggered by the deaths of three girls in the seaside town.

Campaigners say consumption such as travel, gifts and food are destroying planet and the meaning of Christmas

Whether out of poverty or virtue, many of us spend much of the year reining in our appetites to save our pennies and our health. But at Christmas many of us put our worries aside and go wild in an orgy of lavish gifting, extensive travel and a gluttonous feeding frenzy.

This carnival of consumption has a cost: not just to our wallets and our waistlines, but also to the climate.

John Bolton delivers scathing critique of Trump’s lack of knowledge or coherent strategy: ‘I’m very worried’

A major international crisis is “much more likely” in Donald Trump’s second term given the president-elect’s “inability to focus” on foreign policy, a former US ambassador to the United Nations (UN) has warned.

John Bolton, who at 17 months was Trump’s longest serving national security adviser, delivered a scathing critique of his lack of knowledge, interest in facts or coherent strategy. He described Trump’s decision-making as driven by personal relationships and “neuron flashes” rather than a deep understanding of national interests.

Victims of Medellín cartel demand justice as some express dismay former mob boss faces no charges in Colombia

The return of former drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia following his deportation from the United States has reopened old wounds among victims of the Medellín cartel, with some expressing dismay at the Colombian authorities’ decision to let Ochoa walk free.

Some of the cartel victims said they are hoping the former drug lord will at least cooperate with ongoing efforts by human rights groups to investigate one of the most violent periods of Colombia’s history and demanded that Colombian prosecutors also take Ochoa in for questioning.