Friday, January 17
Mostly cloudy across Scotland and Northern Ireland, with patchy rain, though mainly focused over the hills in the west. Mild and breezy here. Largely dry but often cloudy across England and Wales but feeling chilly. Tonight: Further rain and brisk winds across northern Scotland, though clearing during the early hours. Cloudy for many, with clear spells in the north and west. A patchy frost in places.
Hassan Sentamu, the 18-year-old who repeatedly stabbed schoolgirl Elianne Andam in a row over a teddy bear has been found guilty of her murder. Sentamu, now 18, admitted manslaughter, claiming he was not in control of his actions because of his autism but the jury, after deliberating for nearly 12 hours, did not accept this defence of diminished responsibility.
The murderer of schoolboy Jimmy Mizen has been recalled to prison after “shamelessly boasting” about his crime, the Probation Service said. Jake Fahri, then 19, was convicted of murder after he threw a large glass dish that shattered, severing an artery in the 16-year-old’s neck, at a bakery in Lee, south-east London, in 2009.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans for a nationwide review of grooming gang evidence and five government-backed local inquiries. She stopped short of launching a statutory national inquiry, as called for by the Conservatives and some Labour MPs, but this marks a clear shift in the government’s position.
Manchester United beat Southampton late on in last night’s Premier League match thanks to a really late hat-trick from Amad Diallo. Erling Haaland has signed a nine-and-a-half-year deal with Manchester City and Utd reject Napoli move for Garnacho.
Sterling suffered again on Monday, falling to a 14-month low against the dollar amid a global sell-off prompted by concerns that the US Federal Reserve will only cut interest rates once this year.
The pound was trading as much as 0.7 per cent lower against the dollar this morning, dropping to $1.211. It was the worst performing currency against the dollar in the G-10.
“Sterling continues to trade on a soft footing and its losses could extend this week,” Chris Turner, an FX analyst at ING said, suggesting the pound could fall to as low as $1.20.
The sell-off comes after a bruising week for UK assets last week, with sterling falling over three per cent and gilt yields picking up to the highest levels in decades.
https://www.cityam.com/pound-sterling-continues-to-suffer-as-traders-pare-bets-on-fed-rate-cuts/
The naming of the alleged Chinese spy makes the front pages – as does his friend Prince Andrew, who’s continuing to feel the heat over his connections to the businessman that MI5 believe is a security threat to Britain.
There is coverage of several ongoing domestic stories including calls from Lucy Letby’s lawyers for a review of her murder conviction after a key witness ‘changed his mind.’ There’s also a light splattering of Brexit and budget stories on the front pages.
The latest Premier League gossip leads the back pages, with scandal at the heart of Man Utd following a line-up leak and assessments of the dire situation Manchester City have found themselves in this season so far.
Metro leads with the heartbreak expressed by the family of 15-year-old Elianne Andam after her killer, Hassan Sentamu, 18, was convicted of her murder. The paper describes Sentamu’s visible distress during the verdict, noting he clutched a stress ball, wiped away tears, and refused to sit down in the dock.
According to the Daily Mirror, Elianne’s parents said they are “crippled with pain” but vowed to honour her memory by campaigning against knife crime and ensuring her legacy lives on.
The Daily Mail reports on growing anger over Labour’s decision to initiate small-scale investigations into grooming gangs rather than a full national inquiry, with critics labelling the move “toothless.” The paper notes the government’s change of stance, having previously ruled out new investigations.
The Guardian highlights the intense political pressure that prompted the shift. The paper writes “officials say review is not national inquiry ministers have been pressed for after series of X posts by Elon Musk.”
Victims like Fiona Goddard told the Daily Express that local reviews are “just not good enough.” She emphasised that past inquiries had barely “touched the surface” of the issue.
The Independent dedicates its entire front page to assessing the cost of the war – both looking at death tolls as well as the humanitarian crisis.
The Guardian warns that Israel will not vote on a ceasefire deal with Hamas until all terms are agreed upon. This delay, the paper says, has raised fears that disputes or hardliners could scuttle the agreement before it takes effect on Sunday.
Football dominates social media this morning after Manchester United’s lat win over Southmapton. Erling Haaland has signed a 10-year contract with Manchester City
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that a ceasefire agreement with Hamas has been reached after resolving last-minute disputes. The deal is expected to be reviewed by Israel’s security
Senior United Nations officials met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv to discuss a $3.32 billion humanitarian support package aimed at aiding millions affected by the ongoing war with
An 18-year-old student carried out a knife attack at a school in eastern Slovakia, killing two women aged 18 and 51 and injuring another young woman.
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney has officially announced his candidacy for leader of Canada’s governing Liberal Party.
After nine gruelling days of battling two massive wildfires in Los Angeles, firefighters finally caught a break on Thursday as fierce winds weakened, providing much-needed relief.
Apple has halted its AI-powered news alerts feature following widespread criticism and complaints about repeated inaccuracies in summarizing news headlines.
British retail sales unexpectedly drop in December
Arsenal are now rivalling Barcelona as the richest women’s football team in world football, according to new analysis by Deloitte.
Bank holidays 2025: Number 10 has announced the additional day off has been canned
It had been rumoured that an additional bank holiday would make its way onto the calendar for 2025 to earmark the end of WWII, but Number 10 has announced that the extra day off won’t be going ahead.
UK hospitality bodies have slammed the government’s decision to can the extra bank holiday. Restaurant and bar groups say that bank holidays provide an extra financial boost to the hospitality sector.
Their messages echo calls made in 2022 to make the additional bank holiday for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee a permanent new addition to the calendar (pleas that were ultimately not met).
https://www.cityam.com/extra-bank-holiday-2025-hospitality-industry-slams-number-10-decision/
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