Revelations. Resignations. From BBC bias to Cabinet scandals, read the stories that get the world talking – from the journalists that break them. |  | David Blair Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator | Ever since Donald Trump regained the White House, Europe has lived with the fear that he might team up with Vladimir Putin to force a Russia-friendly peace settlement on Ukraine. That nightmare is closer to coming true following the emergence of a 28-point peace plan, apparently agreed between Moscow and Washington.
The proposal would compel Volodymyr Zelensky to hand over all of the Donbas region to Russia, including areas that Putin has failed to capture so far. Ukraine would also lose its fortresses in the unoccupied areas of the Donetsk region that protect the rest of the country. Worst of all, Zelensky would have to hand over hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian people who live in these towns and villages to an enemy that murders the men, rapes the women and kidnaps the children.
He would also have to cut Ukraine’s army in half and give up the country’s long-range weapons.
Those terms would give Putin an ideal launch pad for a third invasion of Ukraine to seize the remainder of the country, probably after a short interlude to rebuild his forces.
Late last night, hours after the war plan was leaked, Zelensky was dealt a second blow after it emerged Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, the US’s Ukraine enovoy, is leaving the role. The retired general has been a key advocate for Ukraine inside the Trump administration at a time when the White House’s support for Kyiv has dwindled.
The peace plan might yet be amended or even abandoned. But if Ukraine is forced to reject it, Britain and the rest of Europe will have to decide whether to support that decision, even if it infuriates Mr Trump.
Read David’s analysis in full ➤ |  | Szu Ping Chan Economics Editor | Politicians often deploy smoke and mirrors to bamboozle us. When it comes to money matters, it’s often the job of the OBR to separate fact from fiction.
But the tax and spending watchdog has found itself at the centre of a very political row that the Tories say undermines its independence.
Sir Mel Stride accused the Chancellor of “sullying the Budget process” and “drawing the independent Office for Budget Responsibility into the crossfire” after she shelved proposals that could have seen income tax rise by 2p.
The shadow chancellor has now asked the watchdog to verify claims that Rachel Reeves dropped those plans because the OBR dug her out of a fiscal hole with rosier forecasts.
Sir Mel said this flew in the face of normal Budget protocol and demanded clarity on who was told what, and crucially, when.
The answers may reveal whether the plans were indeed dropped because of more optimistic economic forecasts rather than what the Tories believe was pressure from within after a disastrous week for the Prime Minister.
“The OBR’s forecasts are being used as an excuse for the Chancellor’s failures and her impending tax rises,” Sir Mel told The Telegraph.
Read the full story here ➤
Plus, how the OBR’s dismal record is costing taxpayers ➤ | | Allister Heath The odds of a Right-wing reformist government being elected are only 50-50. And then it needs to defeat the Blob Continue reading ➤ Tim Stanley Starmer, Loose Women and a sexy video message for the missus Continue reading ➤ Tom Sharpe Russia is escalating its ‘grey zone’ attacks against Britain Continue reading ➤ | Never miss a moment. Stay ahead with live news updates in our award-winning app. | | Ben Stokes pictured during an England training session in Perth | | Get ready for sleep-deprived nights as the clock ticks down to the most eagerly awaited Ashes series in years. Our panel of experts are divided on who will claim victory.
Once the action gets under way in Perth, England are ready to unleash a five-man pace attack at the Aussies, who have been tagged “Dad’s Army” for picking a team consisting almost entirely of 30-somethings, which includes two 31-year-old debutants. To get you in the cricketing mood, read our brilliant pieces on the 30 greatest Ashes players and the 30 greatest Ashes moments of all time.
Finally, Michael Vaughan, who famously led England to an unforgettable Ashes triumph on home soil in 2005, believes the hosts are there for the taking. Let’s hope he is right! | |  | | Dear Annabel & Emilie,
I’m already dreading Christmas. I spend all year dreading Christmas. I have always hated it. It makes me feel lonely and sad and it has been this way for my entire adult life. My family treat it as a joke. They always tell me I’m a Grinch and a Scrooge while basically forcing me to turn up to their houses and buy presents for their children. I am the only one in my family who is still single and childless. I live alone and I don’t see why I shouldn’t just stay on my own sofa with a bottle of wine. I don’t believe in God. Why the stupid expensive fuss every year? – Exasperated
Read Annabel and Emilie’s advice here ➤ | | | | | Three years ago David Carrick, a former armed Metropolitan Police officer, was unmasked as one of Britain’s worst serial sex offenders when he admitted 71 charges, including 48 rapes against 17 victims. Extraordinarily, it has now emerged that his catalogue of appalling behaviour could have been prevented if a confession he wrote 30 years ago had been discovered at the time, Martin Evans, our Crime Editor, reports. Continue reading ➤ | | | When Jane Percy, the Duchess of Northumberland, revealed her £15.45m plans to turn the grounds of Alnwick Castle into the biggest fairytale playground in the world – the most ambitious new garden in Britain since the Second World War – she recalls people judging her mission as “slightly Marie-Antoinette-ish”. Here, Percy opens the gates to show us where poison plants, fairies and hobgoblins all commingle inside the whimsical world she’s created against the odds. Continue reading ➤ | | | | | Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston are all confirmed to return when Line of Duty goes back into production in 2026 | | On Tuesday, the BBC announced a new series of Line of Duty was going into production in 2026. The anti-corruption police drama last aired in 2021, with the finale attracting mixed reviews. So what does the show need to get right upon its comeback? Ed Power investigates, and his recommendations include returning Adrian Dunbar’s Ted Hastings to an unequivocal hero and dropping the long-running “Caddy” storyline. Continue reading ➤ | | | Are you reading this over the breakfast table, a bacon sandwich in one hand and a cold glass of juice in the other? If so, the following news is likely to leave a bad taste in your mouth. The world’s largest review of studies has found that ultra-processed foods are linked to harm in every major organ system of the human body. Here, experts reveal the key foods to avoid and the easy fixes to boost your health. Continue reading ➤ Below are two more helpful articles for you this morning: |  | Mick Brown Features Writer | Whatever cloud has hung over Kevin Spacey for the past seven years, over dinner in a Cyprus hotel this week, regaling me with stories of Hollywood and beyond (he does particularly good impressions of Jack Lemmon and Jimmy Stewart), the actor seemed a man chastened and changed, yet optimistic about his future.
Spacey was in Cyprus to perform a nightclub act – numbers from the Great American Songbook, a soft-shoe shuffle, patter and jokes – in front of an audience who had paid up to €1,200 for the privilege.
It was, in a sense, bizarre to see the winner of two Academy Awards, the star of The Usual Suspects and House of Cards, in a tux and bow tie, crooning The Very Thought of You and Bridge Over Troubled Water. But as he explained to me at rehearsal, he’d always enjoyed singing and this – his first ever full-scale performance – was more the fulfilment of a dream than a change in career. The one question that people who stop him in the street ask, he told me, is when are you getting back to work?
Hollywood may have turned its back on him after a string of accusations of sexual assault (none of which Spacey has been found guilty of), but in the past three years he has made six films with independent directors. For the moment, he’s broke and without his own home, but he’s convinced that things will change. As the high-point of his act puts it, That’s Life…
Read the full interview here ➤ | Fried, scrambled or refrigerated? 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...
In a recent newsletter, I mentioned in passing that I often keep garlic in the fridge. A reader promptly responded, alerting me to the error of my ways. She was right: the moisture can make a Petri dish of your garlic in no time. Acres of alliums – enough to keep a French restaurant stocked for at least several hours – have been lost to my folly. Never again.
By sheer coincidence, Xanthe Clay’s article, on the foods you should never store in the fridge, appeared a few days later. (Garlic isn’t on the list, though onions are a no-no.) Several of the entries have proved controversial. For instance, Xanthe makes the case that eggs can be refrigerated – in certain circumstances. Margaret Thornborrow would brook no compromise: “Eggs should never be kept in the fridge. It shortens their life.”
Another reader took the opposite view: “I would never eat eggs that weren’t refrigerated. Yuck!”
Bread was a further battleground. Nick Badham disagreed with the article’s prescription. “Storing it in the fridge keeps it moist and fresher for much longer. Always done it; always will. The same goes for ketchup and potatoes.”
Michael Ratcliffe had a different approach: “Buy it sliced from the local baker and put it in the freezer. Take out what you need as and when (it can be toasted from frozen).” As for bananas, he added, “buy some green and a few yellow. Keep them in the fridge so they last longer. The skin goes an unappealing brown but the inside is fine. Remove from the fridge at least 12 hours before use”.
Of course, one reason why some food ends up in the fridge is that there isn't anywhere else to put it. Victoria Moule proposed a campaign: “Bring back pantries. Houses are no longer built with them, and people who have them often turn them into something else. I would love one just like the one my Gran had.” Which foods are forbidden in your fridge? Let me know here, and they may get selected to appear in a future edition of From the Editor PM. You can sign up here to read the responses.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. | Plan your day with the telegraph | Set your alarm to catch up with journalists on the Your Say page and listen to their analysis on our latest podcasts.
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In 2009, an 18-karat gold, fully functioning lavatory was sold at Sotheby’s in New York. How much did it go for?
| | 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 BEFALLING. 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. Please let me know what you think of this newsletter. You can email me here. | |
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