Revelations. Resignations. From BBC bias to Cabinet scandals, read the stories that get the world talking – from the journalists that break them. | | Sir Keir Starmer and John Healey, the Defence Secretary, on the flight deck of HMS Prince of Wales earlier this year | | Tom Cotterill Defence Editor | It’s a chilling thought: Britain’s military would struggle to fend off an invasion.
Despite Labour’s repeated warnings about the nation facing a “new era of threat”, the defence committee has warned that the UK “lacks a plan” to protect itself.
In a sobering 73-page report, cross-party politicians spell out the gargantuan task faced by the Armed Forces.
They say that budgetary woes and a shrinking military mean the UK is slipping behind on its defence commitments to Nato.
The problems facing the Armed Forces have been brought into focus by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is approaching its fourth year.
MPs and defence experts say more needs to be done to inform the public about the threats Britain faces, which are inching closer.
Buried in the report is a quote from Prof Peter Roberts, a leading military expert and fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, whose stark view on the state of affairs cannot be ignored.
Saying that the Government has to come clean with the public about the nation’s seemingly inadequate integrated air and missile defences, he adds: “There has been no political will to make the difficult decisions, or to be honest with the public and say ‘we’re not going to stop missiles coming and hitting you. A set of you are going to die, hospitals are going to go under and you will be without food, water, sewers and electricity’.”
What a bleak bleak beginning to your Wednesday…
Read the full story here ➤ | | Philip Johnston Almost all of the Government’s woes are linked to record population growth, but the problem has been building for years Continue reading ➤ Annabel Denham Labour’s problem is bigger than Keir Starmer Continue reading ➤ Celia Walden Scotland’s sex-selective abortion plan is a dystopian nightmare Continue reading ➤ | Enjoy our best experience. Join us today and you’ll also unlock our award-winning app. | | Source: Institute for Fiscal Studies | | The cost of Britain’s sickness and disability benefits is on course to rise to £100bn a year by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, the Government is running out of ideas on how to reform welfare. As Szu Ping Chan, our Economics Editor, writes, it means the middle classes are increasingly locked out of a system they bankroll. Continue reading ➤ | |  | | For a decade, former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies has been campaigning against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sport. Her stance has cost her work and attracted vicious abuse from activists. The 63-year-old tells Oliver Brown, our Chief Sports Writer, how she is now launching a campaign to target grassroots sports that still allow biological men to compete in women’s events. She also discusses her defeat to a drugs cheat, and how her mother Sheila’s suffering – as a result of the infected blood scandal – has left her with a resolve never to accept injustice. Continue reading ➤ | | | | | Robbie Collin’s zero-star in question is Christmas Karma starring Eva Longoria, Billy Porter and Boy George | | You may be forgiven for thinking that sticking the knife in (as we do below in our review of Wicked: For Good) is the best part of a film critic’s job. But recently, Robbie Collin, our Chief Film Critic, saw a film so bad that he was forced to give it his first zero-star review – and it gave him no pleasure.
Continue reading ➤
Wicked: For Good
★☆☆☆☆
Even the staunchest defenders of Wicked, the stage musical, would have to concede that it peaks just before the interval, says Collin. So Universal’s decision to split their screen adaptation in two always meant that even in a best-case scenario, part two was going to be stingy and thin. And this second instalment, back in the franchise’s strikingly unpersuasive version of Oz, is bloated and boring.
Ariana Grande has a range of four octaves and around 1.6 emotions and, as such, she is a painfully wooden Glinda. Cynthia Erivo is a little better – you certainly buy her inner torment – but the pair’s strained friendship rings false, and what should be piercing, impassioned moments are by turns frivolous and sappy.
Read the full review here ➤ | | | | | “PEF”, meaning “the phone eats first”, is a common refrain in restaurants. Phones are brandished while food gets cold and are distracting to other diners, infuriating for chefs and (in many people’s eyes) anti-social to the extreme, ruining the eating out experience. We speak to the restaurateurs who are fighting back. Continue reading ➤ | | | Lucy Cohen comes from a family of actors, and had assumed that she would follow in their footsteps. But she ditched her plans to study drama at university after a teacher advised her to consider an apprenticeship instead. Today, she employs 70 people and credits her business success with her decision not to pursue a degree. If the Government has its way, more people will follow her example. Continue reading ➤ | | | It is the birthplace of the global conglomerate Walmart, but there’s far more to unassuming Bentonville than that. This unsung city, in the north-western tip of Arkansas, is home to lush Ozark trails, innovative food, modern art and “the world’s first bikeable building” – and it’s ideal for an offbeat US break. Continue reading ➤ | | | Training your dog to be well-behaved can be easier said than done, especially if they are past the puppy stage. Here, Emily Cronin takes advice from the experts on how to transform Taylor, her cheeky one-year-old labradoodle, into the perfect pet. Continue reading ➤ Below are two more helpful articles for you this morning: - Half of all people who survive a heart attack face hidden trauma – but simple, proven steps can slash the risk of another. Here are six ways to reduce your risk
- And if you’re tired of turkey and want to try something else this Christmas, here are the best alternatives (and how to serve them).
|  | Annie Bennett Destination Expert | For many, Spain still conjures up images of predictable package holidays on the Costas. These have their place, of course – but there are also many parts of the country, particularly across the northern coast and inland, where delightful surprises lurk.
As Telegraph Travel’s Spain expert, I know the country inside out, and have highlighted 10 of the most underrated regions, along with some spectacular places to stay.
They include Navarra, home to the Bardenas Reales Nature Reserve. It is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Spain, dotted with unique clay and sandstone pinnacles, making it a popular filming location when an otherworldly backdrop is required.
Extremadura, to the west of Madrid and popular for weekend jaunts, is also on my list. Think hikes through cherry orchards and chestnut forests, followed by a bracing dip in one of the nearby wild swimming spots.
Head to one of these in the coming weeks or months and you’ll find a different side of Spain, free from crowds and cliches.
Continue reading ➤ | |
The BBC’s Christmas adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s book The Scarecrows’ Wedding has been rewritten to remove a scene in which a scarecrow named Reginald Rake does what?
| Counting sheep Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
What do you do when you can’t get to sleep? It can feel like a betrayal. You had dinner at a sensible time. You resisted the urge to scroll on your phone. You dimmed the lights, downed a mug of faintly gimmicky “calming” tea, settled your head on the well-fluffed pillow – and this is how your body repays you!
I’ve struggled with this problem at various points, but can recommend having a toddler – otherwise known as “being exhausted during every waking moment”. Never in my life have I found it so easy to nod off. I’ve been failing to get beyond the first two minutes of the same podcast at bedtime for a month (sorry, The Rest is History: Peter the Great. I’m sure it’s not you.) Staying asleep, though? That’s a different matter.
For some slightly more practical options, you could do worse than check out (before your screen curfew, mind) The Telegraph’s guide, featuring suggestions from experts. And readers have been offering tips of their own.
Peter Mounsey writes: “I just recite lists in my head alphabetically – could be football clubs, rock bands, movies. I try to do three for every letter of the alphabet and never get to the end before going to sleep. It just takes my mind off whatever has been worrying me.”
John LN adds: “I listen to documentaries about space. The YouTube channel SEA is particularly helpful. If something work-related is on my mind, I'll make a note on my phone. It helps to put the thought aside.”
Another reader advises: “Pick a location about a mile from where you live. Mentally walk back home, imagining every step of the way, and the streets and buildings you would pass. It doesn’t have to be a perfect, photographic visualisation, but you need to maintain a reasonable picture from memory. If you lose concentration and think of something else, which is likely, go back to the starting point and begin the journey home again. Repeat as necessary until you fall asleep, which, to go by my experience, should be quite quickly. I’ve never reached home.” What’s your trick? Let me know here, and the best responses will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up to here.
I will also be responding to your comments on the Letters to the Editor page at 2pm. Join me here. | | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
The solution to yesterday’s clue was WORLDWIDE. Come back tomorrow for the answer to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. | |
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