Year: 2024

The former Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott died on Wednesday at the age of 86. His family confirmed he died listening to jazz music at the care home he’d been living in since being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Prescott served during the Tony Blair government – tributes are pouring in from across the political spectrum.

Yesterday, former One Direction boyband member Liam Payne was laid to rest in a small and private service in Buckinghamshire. His funeral was attended by his former bandmates Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. The 31-year-old died last month in Argentina after falling from his hotel balcony.

The UK’s cold snap continues to bite with schools being closed this Thursday morning and severe travel disruptions affecting the country.

A long-awaited report into the family of Captain Tom Moore has finally been released. The report says the family’s refusal to donate any of the £1.4m received from his book deal damaged public trust in charities. It says the family of Sir Tom made profit off the charity set up in his name.

A frosty and perhaps icy start for most on Thursday with sunshine and wintry showers in areas exposed to the northwesterly wind. Cloudier in the southwest with outbreaks of rain and hill snow moving through. Rather breezy. Wintry and blustery showers continue in the north of the UK, but drier with clear skies further south, and a widespread frost developing away from any coasts.

Violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has surged dramatically, leaving at least 150 dead since November 11 and pushing the country’s death toll for the year past 4,500, according to the United Nations. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk warned of escalating chaos, calling for urgent action to halt the gang violence overwhelming the capital.

Israel launched overnight strikes in three areas north of Gaza which continued until this morning. At least 95 people were killed in less than 24 hours, local media reports. The overnight strikes killed at least 66 people in Beit Lahiya and injured dozens. In Sheikh Radian at least 22 people, including children, were killed in the air strikes and at least 7 people, including one child, were killed in Al-Mawasi.