Seven years' jail for dognappers: قيمة Pet thieves face lengthy... Dozens of BBC staff KEEP their jobs after being found guilty... Ministers preparing crackdown on second homes and could give... Alok Sharma is accused of pandering to China as state media...

Heads fear up to a quarter of their staff could be struck down in January and have been told to merge classes where necessary but teaching unions insist a return to online teaching at home will be inevitable for some this term despite Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi insisting face-to-face teaching will be the norm.

Councils across the UK are having to redistribute staff between essential services to keep everything running, and the public sector has been asked to prepare for a worst-case scenario of up to a quarter of staff off work.

Good Morning Britain's Laura Tobin proves TV isn't always... Petra Ecclestone shows off her washboard abs in a bright... EXCLUSIVE 'I'm NOT spoiling anyone's enjoyment': best homework helper Strictly... Smiling Helen Skelton leaves Strictly rehearsals with...

She said: 'It's wonderful that we're talking about this, but I have a small concern. Yes it can be miserable, but I do worry that the whole menopause rhetoric is becoming too negative and I hope we're not scaring the younger women. 

Raw vegan who hasn't used shampoo in SIX YEARS laughs off... Women's groups and mothers blast new hit BBC drama This Is... The student who's allergic to SEX: Woman, 18, reveals how... Mother who admits she 'judges' parents of overweight...

'He was showing me who's boss. It was surreal because there were speakers playing panpipe [music], there was a disco light rotating, and we were both wearing these felt caps that you wear to keep your heads cool.

As his tutoring career developed, he moved from this entry-level work to more high-pressured jobs, working with families from all around the world who wanted to get their children into competitive private schools.

Chelmsford City Council confirmed 23 members of staff were absent and cancelled three days' worth of food waste collections, while North Somerset Council said they had been unable to pick up 1,000 recycling bins on New Year's Eve as crews remain 'stretched due to staff sickness'.

Actress Zhao Wei, who is the face of Fendi in China, was wiped from the internet last month, with films and TV shows she starred in being removed from streaming services, without the government providing any reason.

'As a Chinese in the new era, a Chinese actor, and a Chinese literary and art worker, it is very necessary to understand one's own direction, determine the meaning of one's responsibilities, manage well one's words and deeds, and improve one's personal morality,' she said.

Children all over the country are returning to school today and risk being turned away at the gates if they or their teachers test positive for the virus as commuters returned for the first time since Christmas.

Gloucester meanwhile has been hit with 'terrible problems' as bin collectors work in close-knit teams and quickly pass the virus onto one another, multiplying the number of staff off sick at one time, Liberal Democrat councillor Declan Wilson said.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils across England, said crews have been badly impacted by the spread of the Omicron variant and called for workers be prioritised for Covid tests.

Caroline Derbyshire, head of Saffron Walden County High School in Essex, said: 'Staff shortages will be a factor and there will be schools in particular parts of the country where rates have been extremely high.

Masks have been reintroduced in secondary school classrooms, while all secondaries have been asked to provide on-site testing for students ahead of their return. They can stagger starting days but all pupils should be back by Monday next week.