A 14-year-old girl has been stabbed and seriously injured at a school in Manchester.
Police said she was attacked just after 13:00 GMT on Tuesday at Parrs Wood High School in the East Didsbury area.
She was taken to hospital for treatment for injuries described as "serious though not life threatening".
A 14-year-old boy was arrested at the Wilmslow Road school and is being questioned, Greater Manchester Police said.
The girl's injuries were believed to have been caused by a "sharp object" after the attack during her dinner break, the force said.
Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward and said they were working with the local authority and the school to support children affected by the incident.
A serving Metropolitan Police officer has pleaded guilty to child sexual offences.
PC Hussain Chehab, 22, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 - as well as three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and one of engaging in sexual communication with a child.
He appeared at Wood Green Crown Court in north London yesterday and was released on bail for sentencing on 17 March.
Chehab's offending came to light in July 2021 when the family of a 16-year-old girl raised concerns with police that she had recently been in a relationship with the officer, which they believed began when she was 15.
He was arrested the following month and placed on restricted duties, which involved no contact with schools or children.
A number of digital devices were seized and examined, during which a number of indecent images were found and he was further arrested in October 2021 and suspended from duty.
Analysis of further devices revealed messages between Chehab and a 14-year-old girl engaging in sexual communication. She later provided evidence to police that they had entered into a sexual relationship in 2019 when she was 14 years old.
Detective Chief Superintendent Caroline Haines said: "Our thoughts foremost today are with the young girls who Chehab exploited and took advantage of for his own sexual gratification.
"These offences are made all the more sickening by the fact that some of the image offences were committed while PC Chehab was in a role as a Safer Schools officer attached to a secondary school in Enfield between May 2021 and his arrest in August 2021."
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She added: "This news will of course cause considerable damage and concern, not only to the local community, but Londoners as a whole, who place their trust in police officers to go into our schools alongside their children every day and keep them safe.
"While no evidence has been found linking any of Chehab's offending to his role, we are engaging with our local schools, community forums and independent advisory groups to reassure them following the damage his actions will have caused.
"The Met continues to ruthlessly target those who corrupt our identity. We have made it clear there is no place for the likes of PC Chehab in the Met and will take quick and immediate action to arrest and prosecute anyone who commits such abhorrent criminal acts, and will work to quickly remove them from the organisation."
"It's a political tragedy." One long standing Conservative figure is reflecting on the political pickle Nadhim Zahawi finds himself in.
"He set up an incredibly successful polling company. He knows just how opinion polls work and what you can read into them. He's a great organiser. It makes him an ideal party chairman," they add.
But there's a "but" coming.
"But this is really difficult. How can he function as party chairman with all this going on? Talk to rich donors who are scrupulous about their taxes? Talk to the grassroots?"
Mr Zahawi insists: "I'm confident I acted properly throughout."
The former Tory minister Caroline Nokes has told the BBC her party chairman should "stand aside" while an inquiry by the prime minister's ethics adviser takes place.
But others say this is impractical: Were he to do so, there would have to be a temporary replacement, who may find themselves replaced were Mr Zahawi to be exonerated.
"Once you get off the roundabout it is hard to get back onto it," it was put to me.
"I love him, but patience really is running thin" a minister says.
There's a sense he has mucked up and defending him is difficult.
And part of that is the degree to which MPs say privately the whole thing looks so otherworldly: for millions of people who pay tax as they earn, the idea of accountants and complex arrangements seems hard to relate to.
And for many businesses with experience of filing tax returns, the sums involved here, settling a bill and penalty of around £5m, seem off the scale compared with their own lives.
Another minister goes as far as to say they feel it "doesn't pass the smell test;" that there were no excuses for ending up having to pay a penalty to the tax authority and not getting things right in the first place.
And enter next Lord Evans of Weardale, the Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
'Too nice'
He's told BBC Radio 4 that reports Mr Zahawi threatened some journalists with being sued if they reported on his tax affairs don't match with the behaviour "the government has committed itself to".
"The sort of attempts, apparent legal attempts to suppress this story... I don't think that does live up to the sort of standards that the public would rightly expect."
So how soon might all this be sorted out, one way or another?
It is the job of the recently appointed Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests, Sir Laurie Magnus, to determine if Nadhim Zahawi broke the rule book of being in government, the ministerial code.
One senior MP told me the prime minister had been "too nice" in asking Sir Laurie to look into things, and could have just sacked Mr Zahawi.
Another countered that the government had been criticised for not having an ethics adviser until his appointment last month, so you might as well use him when an incident like this flares up.
Downing Street have said the inquiry was requested because of "potential breaches of the ministerial code" based on what the prime minister's official spokesman called "ministerial declarations".
In other words, what Mr Zahawi did and didn't say about his tax affairs.
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At Prime Minister's Questions last week, Rishi Sunak told the Commons his party chairman had addressed the issue of his tax "in full". But it turns out he hadn't.
Downing Street didn't learn until the weekend that he had in fact paid a penalty to HM Revenue and Customs as well as an outstanding tax bill. And then it asked Sir Laurie to look into it all.
So what is in the rules that could prove tricky for Mr Zahawi?
It's for the adviser to advise and then the prime minister to decide what to do. But let's take a look.
"Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing," are two sentences that jump out.
"Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their public duties and their private interests" is another.
'Swiftly'
Nadhim Zahawi says he looks forward "to answering any and all specific questions in a formal setting to Sir Laurie" but isn't being drawn into saying anything else publicly while the inquiry is carried out "in order to ensure the independence of this process".
So when will Sir Laurie be finished?
Downing Street wants it done "swiftly."
One senior figure well-placed to know the hoped-for timetable told me it could be done within a week.
Let's see. These things have a tendency to trundle on.
There is no doubting the appetite among Conservative MPs to get this sorted one way or the other and quickly, so the focus can turn to something, anything, else.
British nationals Chris Parry and Andrew Bagshaw, who were reported missing in eastern Ukraine, have been killed, their families have said.
Mr Bagshaw, 47, and Mr Parry, 28, were last seen heading to the city of Soledar on 6 January.
Mr Bagshaw's family said the pair were attempting to rescue an elderly woman when their cars were hit by a shell.
The family of Mr Parry said the men had died while "attempting a humanitarian evacuation".
Earlier this month, the Russian mercenary group Wagner claimed the body of one of the men had been found.
Soledar had been the focus of intense fighting and earlier this month Russia's military claimed to have captured the Ukrainian salt-mine time town after a long battle.
In a statement issued by the UK Foreign Office, Rob, Christine and Katy Parry wrote: "It is with great sadness we have to announce that our beloved Chrissy has been killed along with his colleague Andrew Bagshaw whilst attempting a humanitarian evacuation from Soledar, eastern Ukraine."
Speaking of Mr Parry, originally from Truro in Cornwall, they said: "His selfless determination in helping the old, young and disadvantaged there has made us and his larger family extremely proud. We never imagined we would be saying goodbye to Chris when he had such a full life ahead of him. He was a caring son, fantastic brother, a best friend to so many and a loving partner to Olga.
"Chris was a confident, outward looking and adventurous young man who was loyal to everyone he knew. He lived and worked away as a software engineer but Cornwall was always his home. He loved rock climbing, cycling, running and skydiving and wanted to travel the world.
"He found himself drawn to Ukraine in March in its darkest hour at the start of the Russian invasion and helped those most in need, saving over 400 lives plus many abandoned animals.
"It is impossible to put into words how much he will be missed but he will forever be in our hearts.
"We feel so privileged that he chose our family to be part of."
Mr Parry and Mr Bagshaw had been in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine doing voluntary work.
Scientific researcher Mr Bagshaw was a British national but lived in New Zealand. He had been a volunteer in Ukraine since April.
His parents, Dame Sue and Prof Phil Bagshaw, said the men had been delivering food and medicines and helping the elderly.
In a statement released via news outlets they said Mr Parry and Mr Bagshaw "were attempting to rescue an elderly woman from Soledar, in an area of intense military action, when their car was hit by an artillery shell.
"Andrew selflessly took many personal risks and saved many lives; we love him and are very proud indeed of what he did."
They added: "The world needs to be strong and stand with Ukraine, giving them the military support they need now, and help to rebuild their shattered country after the war."
Cherilyn Mackrory, the Conservative MP for Truro and Falmouth, tweeted: "My deepest condolences to the family of my constituent Christopher Parry, whose death in Ukraine has been confirmed by the Foreign Office.
"My thoughts are with his family at this time, and I understand they are receiving support from Foreign Office staff."
The Foreign Office has previously warned against all travel to Ukraine, saying there is "a real risk to life".
British nationals still in Ukraine should leave immediately if it is safe to do so, it said.
Mr Parry previously spoke to the BBC Radio Cornwall on 2 January from the Bakhmut area in eastern Ukraine.
Explaining his motivation for being there, he wanted to help children particularly.
"To be able to get them out of these war-torn areas, it makes it definitely more worthwhile than anything else that I can imagine," he said.
On 3 January, three days before the volunteers disappeared, Mr Parry told a freelance journalist he had been volunteering as an evacuation driver.
He said: "I receive requests from family members who ask us to go and collect their relatives...
"A lot of volunteers won't go anymore, but there are people there who want to get out, so I'm willing to go."
A man with a history of violence was able to sexually assault and murder a law graduate after mistakes were made by probation staff, a report has found.
Jordan McSweeney, 29, attacked Zara Aleena in June 2022, nine days after his release on licence from prison.
He had been wrongly assessed as "medium risk" by staff who were under "mounting pressure" at the time, Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell found.
"Immediate steps" to address the issues are being taken, the government said.
Mr Russell also told the BBC it was "impossible to say" if the public was safe due to the "quality" of work being carried out by parts of the probation service.
In December, McSweeney was given a minimum term of 38 years by a judge at the Old Bailey for the "terrifying and ruthless" attack on 35-year-old Ms Aleena.
He had admitted savagely kicking and stamping on the trainee solicitor, who was walking home in Ilford in east London when she was assaulted. McSweeney had 28 previous convictions for 69 separate offences, dating back 17 years, Mr Russell's report said.
The prolific thief, from Dagenham in east London, was described in court as a "damaged person" who had experienced a troubled childhood during which domestic violence was the "norm". He was taken into care and expelled from school; he sold drugs and took part in bare-knuckle fights for money.
McSweeney had served nine prison terms for crimes including burglary, theft and possession of an offensive weapon prior to the attack on Ms Aleena, in the early hours of 26 June. He also had a documented history of violence towards ex-partners.
Met Police
Mr Russell's report described how his case was allocated to a probation officer only nine days before he left prison, meaning there was little time for planning his supervision.
Information about some of McSweeney's violent behaviour, including the details of a restraining order taken out against him in 2021, was not part of his probation assessment, the report found. Where he was going to stay was not known at the point of his release, and he was not monitored with an electronic tag.
'Unmanageable workloads'
McSweeney's licence was soon revoked because of his failure to attend any meetings with probation officers, however it was not decided he should be recalled to prison until 24 June, the report said. He murdered Ms Aleena two days later. One worker faced disciplinary action over the case.
"Once that decision (to recall McSweeney) had been made, there were also delays in signing the necessary paperwork to initiate the recall. Had this been done sooner, opportunities for the police to locate and arrest McSweeney would have been maximised," the report said.
McSweeney had been assessed as medium risk because his offences, his behaviour in prison and his criminal history were "reviewed in isolation", Mr Russell's report found. It said that if the Probation Service had correctly assigned McSweeney as high risk, more urgent action may have been taken after his release.
"The Probation Service failed to do so, and he was free to commit this most heinous crime on an innocent young woman," Mr Russell said.
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Speaking to the BBC, the chief inspector of probation said there was a "chronic" shortage of probation officers across England and particularly in London.
During the last inspection, 50% of posts were found not to have been filled in parts of the capital with a total of 500 vacancies, he explained.
"In this particular case we found a very heavily overloaded senior probation officer supervising a probation officer who had 50% more workload than they should have had," Mr Russell said.
Asked if the public were safe, he said it was "impossible to say... given the quality of work that is sometimes happening in local probation areas".
Mr Russell added that HM Inspectorate of Probation had rated 10 out of 17 probation areas across England and Wales as "inadequate" during the last 18 months, which "simply isn't good enough".
Sherit Nair
The Ministry of Justice said it had recruited 2,500 probation officers in the last two years and intended to recruit another 1,500 by March.
It added that fewer than than 0.5% of the 200,000-plus offenders subject to probation supervision every year were convicted of another serious offence.
The report makes nine recommendations, among them a call for an urgent senior-led review to ensure all staff understand the difference between high and medium-risk offenders.
Policing Minister Chris Philp told the BBC the recommendations had been accepted "in full" by the Probation Service and would all be implemented.
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the "failure" of the Probation Service in this case was "symptomatic of wider issues" and blamed "government policies and cuts".
"This must never be allowed to happen again," he said.
"Women and girls have the right to be safe and to feel safe - whatever the time of day and wherever they are. But for these failings, Zara would still be here and her loved ones would not have to bear the burden of a life without her."
Ian Lawrence, general secretary of the probation and family court union Napo, said he would not blame staff who were "doing their best trying to hold the service together".
"I think the blame for this systemic failure lies firmly at the hands of the secretary of state for justice, and I want that secretary of state to meet with me, and practitioners, so they can get an idea of how hard it is at the front line."
Prisons and Probation Minister Damian Hinds said the government was taking "immediate steps to address the serious issues raised" by the McSweeney and Damien Bendall cases.
Mr Hinds said this involved the instigation of mandatory training to improve risk assessments and the implementation of new processes to guarantee the swift recall of offenders.
Are you enjoying the start of the new lunar calendar year? The Year of the Rabbit is supposed to represent hope, peace and prosperity. And we all need more of these things in 2023. For the time being, however, this week is likely to focus on the more difficult matters of the present, not least China’s ability to vaccinate its citizens during the holiday season.
Industrial disputes will continue to rumble on with ambulance workers in England and Wales due to stage another strike on Monday. In Portugal, cabin crew at national carrier TAP will begin strike action on Wednesday amid a dispute about the airline’s pay offer and working conditions.
In Westminster politics on Tuesday, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy will take up a more positive tone when he sets out his party’s policy priorities. He will probably weigh in on the UK’s relationship with the EU.
By coincidence, Monday is the 10th anniversary of former prime minister David Cameron’s speech on Europe in which he pledged he would renegotiate the UK’s relationship with the EU and offer a referendum on membership. Perhaps Lammy will reference this.
Also in the UK, but not to do with the British government, Nigeria is due to mount a high-stakes legal trial at London’s High Court on Monday. The case involves a long-running attempt to overturn an $11bn arbitration award that left the Nigerian government owing more than a quarter of its foreign reserves to an obscure oil and gas company.
The main election news of the next seven days will be the Czech presidential run-off vote, which concludes on Saturday. Former Nato commander Petr Pavel is the frontrunner. Also, Donald Trump is back. The former US president is expected to make his first public appearance on the 2024 campaign trail on Saturday, when he will name his South Carolina leadership team.
The fourth week of the month should be renamed survey week. Over the next seven days we have the comparison of G7 nations with the purchasing managers’ index updates and the Confederation of British Industry industrial trends survey on Tuesday, followed by Germany’s Ifo Business Climate report on Wednesday, as well as other consumer confidence measures.
On Thursday the US releases its first estimate for gross domestic product movement in the fourth quarter of last year. Spain will follow suit on Friday. Inflation updates are due from the UK, Australia, Spain, Sweden and Singapore on Wednesday. Japan will also report its consumer price index cost of living measure.
In central banker news, European Central Bank board member Fabio Panetta is due to appear at the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European parliament on Monday. Across the Atlantic, the Fed enters its purdah period ahead of the next Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which begins on January 31, and the Bank of Canada’s monetary policy committee is expected to raise its rate a further 25 basis points to 4.50 per cent with the possibility of it signalling a pause in further increases.
Companies
Tech earnings are a key theme this week; investors remain concerned about the prospects for the sector after a series of significant job cut announcements by most of the largest companies. The approach taken by Microsoft, which reports second quarter figures on Tuesday, could be a model for other Big Tech players to follow, according to our West Coast editor Richard Waters. Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella managed to strike a note of cautious optimism while announcing 10,000 lay offs last week to bring down its cost base.
It will be another week for Elon Musk watchers (just like every other week) with Tesla reporting fourth quarter figures on Wednesday. The company has been cutting prices of its electric vehicles to bolster demand in the US and Europe. We’re assuming Musk will be following the FT’s coverage of the latest numbers given claims made by the billionaire’s lawyer last week in court.
The war in Ukraine has boosted the fortunes of the world’s largest defence contractors with governments promising to increase spending on weapons and other military equipment. Investors will be looking for comments from Lockheed Martin (reporting on Tuesday) and Northrop Grumman (out on Thursday) to see if these promises will generate future revenues.
Ambulance staff belonging to three unions - GMB, Unison and Unite - are on strike in a dispute over pay.
Life-threatening 999 calls will be attended to but other emergencies, such as slips on icy pavements, may not be, as freezing temperatures affect parts of the UK.
The UK Health Security Agency has extended the current level 3 cold weather alert until 9am on Wednesday.
The cold carries health risks, particularly for vulnerable patients.
It increases the risks of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, as well as falls and accidents, for example.
During this period, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may need help, experts say.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18°C if you can.
Ambulance strike
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said Monday's industrial action affecting some parts of England and Wales was "hugely disappointing" and despite contingency plans to mitigate risks to patient safety, "there will inevitably be further disruption".
He added: "I have had constructive talks with unions about this coming year's pay process for 2023-24, and am keen to continue talking about what is affordable and fair."
Speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the government was willing to "talk about anything, but they won't talk about pay".
Meanwhile, Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said a "solution" to the strike was "staring the government in the face".
The biggest day of industrial action for the NHS in this ongoing dispute over pay is set to happen on 6 February, when nurses will walk out too.
Governments say the above-inflation pay rises requested are unaffordable.
Pay rises are decided by independent pay review bodies.
NHS staff in England and Wales - including nurses - have already received an average increase of 4.75%. The lowest paid were guaranteed a rise of at least £1,400.
The Welsh government offered a one-off payment as a way to avoid strike action, but that was rejected by unions.
Fourteen health unions, representing more than a million NHS workers in England, have said they will no longer work with the NHS Pay Review Body on discussions about the next (2023-24) pay deal until their current demands are met.
In Northern Ireland, the government has said it will give a 4.5% uplift to pay, backdated to April 2022. That is a below-inflation increase for most workers. Pay disputes continue.
What 999 care will be provided?
The advice remains to call 999 in an emergency.
The most life-threatening situations - such as cardiac arrest - will be responded to by an ambulance.
Conditions which are serious but not immediately life-threatening might not be attended straight away.
Less urgent calls - such as a woman in late-stage labour - will not be prioritised.
Those who have a fall, or suffer other non-life-threatening injuries, are unlikely to receive 999 care. The NHS 111 service is available.
Which parts of the UK are affected?
Some ambulance staff in the GMB union are on strike in the West Midlands.
Meanwhile the action by Unison affects London, Yorkshire and the north-west, north-east and south-west of England.
Members of Unite are walking out in the West Midlands, East Midlands and north-west and north-east of England as well as in Wales.
Future strikes are also planned.
When are the next strikes?
Ambulance trust workers will be striking on:
Tuesday 24 January - GMB (North West) ambulance workers
Thursday 26 January - Unite (in Northern Ireland)
Monday 6 February - Unite (in North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands and Wales), plus GMB ambulance workers and nurses
Thursday 16 February - Unite (in Northern Ireland) plus GMB workers
Friday 17 February - Unite (in West Midlands and Northern Ireland)
Monday 20 February - Unite (in East Midlands, North East and Wales) plus GMB workers
Wednesday 22 February - Unite (in North West)
Thursday 23 February - Unite (in Northern Ireland)
Friday 24 February - Unite (in Northern Ireland)
Monday 6 March - Unite (in North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands and Wales) plus GMB workers
Monday 20 March - Unite (in North West, North East,West Midlands, East Midlands and Wales) plus GMB workers
What patients need to know
People seriously ill or injured, and whose life is at risk, should call 999 as usual, or call 111 for non-urgent care
Other services, such as some cancer treatments or urgent testing, may be partially staffed
More routine care is likely to be badly affected, including planned operations such as knee and hip replacements, community nursing services and health visiting
Anyone with an appointment not already rearranged should attend at their allotted time
GPs, community pharmacies and dentists will be unaffected
Will you take part in the strikes? Or will you be effected by strikes? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
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