Monday evening UK news briefing: BBC must address 'impartiality' says Nadine Dorries

Evening briefing: Today's essential headlines

Texas synagogue terrorist | The British terrorist shot and killed after a ten-hour siege in a Texas synagogue had been banned from a British court for ranting about the 9/11 attack. Malik Faisal Akram, 44, from Blackburn, told an usher at his local magistrates court that he wished the official had died on one of the planes that flew into the Twin Towers.

• Missing teenager | Search for 18-year-old after leaving nightclub

• Resignation | Kazakh boss who bought Prince Andrew's estate

• 'Very serious' | Original The Voice cancelled after sex scandal

• Anne Frank | The Jewish businessman thought to have betrayed her

• High end buyers | Online car auction site threatens 'dinosaur' rivals

The big story: Dorries warns BBC on 'impartiality'

Is the Government "looking for someone else to blame" for Boris Johnson's "disintegrating leadership" over "partygate"?

That was the charge from Labour as the Culture Secretary confirmed the licence fee will be frozen for the next two years.

Nadine Dorries told MPs the BBC must address "impartiality and groupthink" problems as she set out licence fee plans amid claims the Government is making a series of populist announcements to deflect from the Downing Street parties scandal. Read what Ms Dorries announced about the BBC.

Earlier Sir Keir Starmer refused to apologise over a picture of him having drinks with Labour staff in May 2021, as he insisted: "We did nothing wrong."

Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, was among senior Conservatives who called on Sir Keir to apologise in light of his own criticisms of Mr Johnson amid revelations about Downing Street parties.

Mr Zahawi, whose uncle died of the virus in January 2021, urged Britons not to "condemn" the Prime Minister before the full findings of Sue Gray's report - which could come as early as this week. Read a profile of the civil servant.

With Mr Johnson's premiership still in the balance, experts have said a "less erratic" premiership under Rishi Sunak, would boost business investment and the pound.

Read what economists said while Norman Tebbit recalls how the situation has reminded him of the fall of Margaret Thatcher, warning beware the silent Cabinet minister.

Covid cases almost lower than when Plan B triggered

Had the "partygate" scandal not emerged, no doubt Mr Johnson would have been turning attention to data showing that Covid cases are approaching levels lower than when "Plan B" was triggered, with data increasingly showing that Britain is over the worst.

On Sunday, cases fell to 70,924, the lowest since mid-December.

They have halved in a week and are falling by roughly 10,000 a day.

It has prompted Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross to call on Nicola Sturgeon to scrap most coronavirus restrictions, with the exception of face coverings, as data show that Scotland is "past the peak of omicron".

It comes with an announcement expected as soon as this week that Covid passports and work from home guidance are to be lifted from Jan 26 for England.

Djokovic's French Open in doubt as minister U-turns

Reassuring Covid data will bring little solace to Novak Djokovic, who has arrived home in Serbia after Australia deported the men's tennis world number one for not having a Covid-19 vaccine.

The 34-year-old's prospects of landing a record 21st major men's singles title suffered another blow when the French sports minister announced that vaccine passes would be required for visiting athletes at upcoming events.

If this position remains in force until May's French Open, then Djokovic could miss a second grand slam event because of his refusal to be vaccinated.

Unless, of course, he climbs down from his position and accepts the jab.

It comes as John McEnroe launched into a bizarre rant about the deportation furore surrounding the player today, hailing him for doing "whatever it takes" to win his record title and wrongly suggesting journalists invented the fact he broke coronavirus quarantine rules.

Comment and analysis

• James Lawson | We have won the Covid war, now let's win the peace

• Iain Dale | Carrie Johnson doesn't deserve this criticism

• Julia Pamilih | MI5's intervention on China is watershed moment

• Princess Dina Mired | Moonshot of eliminating cervical cancer is near

• Lucy Burton | Militant HR departments are the new trade unions

Around the world: Body found after tsunami hit Tonga

A body has been found in the search for a British woman swept away when a tsunami hit Tonga, her brother has confirmed. Angela Glover, originally from Brighton, had been caught in the surging tide after an undersea volcano erupted near the country on Saturday. The 50-year-old, who ran an animal rescue shelter in Tonga with her husband, James, was said to have been washed away while trying to rescue her dogs. Her husband survived. As details continue to emerge about the state of the disaster, this slider graphic shows how the eruption affected the uninhabited volcanic island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai.

Monday big-read

Britain's 54 most-desirable villages

Live your best country life with our guide to the smartest rural locations in Britain – and how much it costs to buy there

Read the full story

Sport briefing: Inside story of England's Ashes disaster

England saved their worst for last as they signed off a calamitous Ashes series in Hobart with their most shambolic collapse of a tour littered with contenders. They lost all 10 wickets for just 56 runs, queueing up to throw away their wickets in a blitz of hapless dismissals in the space of 22.4 overs. It was an embarrassment that will take some getting over. Read the inside story of England's Ashes disaster while Michael Vaughan says it is time to blow apart England's cosy, indulgent set-up. Alan Tyers points out that England's Ashes farce caused even David Gower to lose his rag. In football, Jason Burt analyses why the role of Everton manager is becoming the Premier League's impossible job.

Editor's choice

1. Ageless style | The 10 best-dressed British aristocrats over 40

2. Money Makeover | 'I'm a widow, what should I do with my £125,000 inheritance?'

3. Marriage Diaries | My husband has found God in a big way – and lost his sense of fun

Business briefing: Unilever slides as Glaxo rejects bids

Shares in Unilever slumped nearly 8pc after news that GlaxoSmithKline had rebuffed three takeover offers from the FTSE 100 company for its consumer health arm. Unilever defended its approach for the business, which owns brands including Sensodyne toothpaste and Panadol painkillers, saying it would help it to grow further in the US, China, and India, and enter new emerging markets. Meanwhile, Sir Antonio Horta-Osorio has resigned as chairman of Credit Suisse after an internal investigation into breaches of Covid rules. Last month reports emerged that he breached rules in July by flying to London to attend Wimbledon.

Tonight starts now

Idles, review | Fans of contemporary British guitar-based rock music will have noticed the emergence of "recitation rock". It is the jettisoning of singing in favour of a dry recitational style, with the frontperson declaiming spoken-word slogans and phrases over tough backing tracks driven by lean bass and sharp drums, frequently overlayed with fuzzy guitars playing angular riffs. The true kings of this scene are the Bristolian quintet Idles. As the perform the next of four nights in south London, Neil McCormick details why they are on furious form.

Three things for you

• Watch | Keeping Up with the Aristocrats, ITV, 9pm

• Read | A Previous Life, Edmund White's curious novel

• Play | Telegraph Puzzles featuring today's Crossword and Sudoku

And finally... for this evening's downtime

Boost your mood with food | If you woke up this morning on Blue Monday feeling particularly fed up you are not alone. But here is some cheerier news – what you choose to eat this evening can go a long way to making you feel more chipper. Read these three tips.