The word “jingle” doesn’t usually strike fury in the hearts of many until around September, when the first Christmas tunes are prematurely blasted from supermarket speakers. And yet, “jingle and mingle” has suddenly become the most rage-inducing phrase in the UK. We have the Conservative Party to thank for this and, more specifically, a festive gathering back in 2020. While the rest of us gorged on chocolate fingers and binge-watched Bridgerton alone rather than take the train to be with our loved ones over Christmas, Tory activists were pulling crackers and dancing to the Pogues. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Some 30 people over at Conservative HQ were invited to the 14 December event, despite London being under Tier-2 Covid restrictions at the time – meaning no indoor socialising. The BBC has even got hold of an invitation to the “jingle and mingle” party, which states that recipients should “save the date” for the “Shaun Bailey for London Holiday Party”. Lest we forget, Bailey’s mayoral campaign ended in failure - and it's taken some two-and-a-half years for the extent of the shindig to come to light. Over the weekend, the Mirror published a video taken at the soirée in which a pair of colleagues can be seen joyfully dancing to ‘Fairytale of New York’ while another person can be heard saying it is OK to film "as long as we don't stream that we're, like, bending the rules." “Bending the rules” is a pretty generous way of putting it, as hoards of angry Twitter users have pointed out. Here’s a look at some of the reaction to the latest twist in the partygate scandal: For anyone wanting a reminder of Boris Johnson’s prime ministerial Christmas message that year, here’s what he said... “At the end of this extraordinary year, I want to say something about the meaning of Christmas because I've never known a Christmas like it, not in my lifetime, and I bet not in yours either. “And in most years, it's a moment for togetherness and celebration in which the generations are jumbled together in the same household for days on end, putting crackers, snogging under the missile toe, you name it. And yet this year, that is the one type of Christmas we simply cannot afford to have.” Cough, cough. Prime Minister's 2020 Christmas message www.youtube.com He went on: “It grieved me because I think everyone hoped and prayed, I certainly did, that things could be, if not normal, then as normal as possible for as many families as possible. And yet we have had to confront the reality of the new strain of Covid, the speed with which it spreads. And I bet you agree that we had no choice but to take action. “And therefore to all those who may be feeling momentarily, cast down or a bit exhausted or frankly in need of any kind of cheering up, I want to talk about what for me is the deeper meaning of Christmas, this amazing festival at the turn of the year. Because it's not about presents or turkey or brandy butter – much though I like all of that kind of stuff – it's about hope, it's about a basic idea of rebirth and renewal. “And though we may not be able to celebrate as normal this year, I still think that feeling of hope is all around us this Christmas because there really is a star in the sky and it is glowing, brighter and brighter. And you know what it is? It's thanks to the efforts of wise men and wise women in the East and elsewhere, we have a vaccine and we know that we're going to succeed in beating coronavirus, annd that these privations that we're going through are temporary, and we know that next year really will be better. “And we know that there will be people alive next Christmas, people we love alive next Christmas precisely because we made the sacrifice and didn't celebrate as normal this Christmas and see them in the way that we would've done.” Looking at that “jingle and mingle” footage again, we find ourselves sickened and speechless. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Home Depot is continuing to see its sales decline amid inflation concerns, and the home improvement retailer narrowed its fiscal 2023 outlook

The aunt of a French teenager shot dead by police last week has urged the “violence to stop” and her nephew’s death to trigger “real change” peacefully, in a heartfelt interview with The Independent. Hatifa, who turned 47 on Saturday the day of her nephew’s funeral, described Nahel Merzouk, 17, as a “loving… teddy bear” who had big ambitions, liked to write rap lyrics and was “dedicated” to his mother. She said the family – who are of Algerian and Moroccan origin – had been overwhelmed by the national and global response to his killing last week by a police officer during a traffic stop in a west Parisian suburb. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across the country, calling for an end to police impunity and discrimination after a video of the incident was shared online. But it has also ignited violence with multiple cities ablaze as looters ransacked dozens of shops and torched thousands of vehicles, according to the interior ministry. Sunday morning a group of rioters ram-raided the home of a Paris suburb mayor, set the car alight and launched fireworks at his wife and young children. “I ask that the violence stop. I don’t want people to get hurt. The family is very much against the violence,” Hatifa, a mother-of-four herself, told The Independent. “We knew Nahel’s killing would have some impact but not this much. I think there are mass protests because so many mothers, like my sister, have had enough of being scared all the time.” She said the family were “very grateful” for the global support, which had helped as they dealt with “deep grief”. “But I hope that Nahel’s death is going to trigger some kind of change that means this never happens again,” she added. “At the end of the day, a grown-up shot a baby.” Nahel was fired at by a police officer during a traffic stop in the west Parisian suburb. The perpetrator of the shooting justified his action by the teenager’s refusal to comply and the police said he was “known” to them. But the incident was caught on mobile phone footage and showed Nahel driving away from the officers before one fired at him. His family believe he was likely terrified, and so panicked and drove off. France’s human rights ombudsman has opened an inquiry into the killing and the officer involved has been charged with homicide. Outraged at the murder, and the apparent efforts by the police to paint Nahel as a troubled teenager wanted by the law, has seen thousands take to the streets across the country. But that has spiralled into violence in many areas. Emmanuel Macron, facing the most severe challenge yet to his presidency, deployed 45,000 officers, including elite anti-terrorism units in a bid to end the unrest. Police unions, meanwhile, have declared they are “at war” with “savage hordes of vermin.” More than 3000 people have now been arrested across the country, curfews imposed and public transport curtailed as open street battles raged between protesters and police, and looting became rampant. Hatifa said the anger in the disenfranchised banlieues - or city suburbs - had been simmering for a while because of the endemic problem of discrimination in the police force. The youth, including Nahel, are regularly stopped by police, an action which scares them and heightens tensions, she added.“I don’t have all the answers to fix this. Racism and discrimination within the police a to stop. I know policemen are reaching their wits’ end and are taking their frustration out on young people. “But it has to stop, young people don’t like police, the police should be defending us not killing us,” she added. Haifa’s words echo those of Nahel’s grandmother who also called for calm in an interview with French TV channel BFMTV on Sunday. “Don’t break windows, don’t smash up schools, don’t smash up buses. Stop it, they’re mums on buses, they’re mums walking outside”, the grandmother begged. “Nahel is dead. My daughter had just one child, she’s lost, it’s over, my daughter has no life left. And they made me lose my daughter and my grandson.” Hatifa said the whole family was concerned about the mental health of Nahel’s mother, Mounia, who has been thrust into the international limelight. “My sister is focused entirely on the loss of her son, her only son. I am scared that she might make a mistake in her loneliness and solitude, when this quietens down,” she added. The officer who fired at Nahel has been taken into pre-trial custody, which French criminal law professors told The Independent was unprecedented. But many, including the family, fear that he may still be released. Nahel is the 16th driver to be shot at a traffic stop since the start of 2022, experts have told The Independent. The difference this time is that it was caught on camera. Hatifa said they were concerned by the impunity in the police force and hoped the officer, who has been detained on charges of homicide convinced and jailed. “It would be a disaster if after all that has happened, nothing changes and for this person to walk free. Young people in my neighbourhood go to prison for much less” she said with a shake in her voice. “We didn’t ask for a policeman to wake up one morning and put a bullet through my nephew’s heart. “I can’t breathe at night - I have never felt such pain. Nahel never hurt anyone.” Read More Paris protesters ram burning car into mayor’s home and leave family injured in ‘assassination attempt’ Paris shooting: Where are the riots in France and why are they happening? Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips but to avoid cities at night AP News Digest 2 p.m. Paris rioters ram burning car into mayor’s family home Where are the French riots and why are they happening?

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