Author: David Pike

Scotland schools strike: Thousands of pupils at home as strikes begin A three-day strike by school support staff has begun in Scotland, meaning hundreds of schools will be closed as the strikes will affect 24 of the country’s 32 councils. Thousands of students have been told to stay at home as members of the union UNISON walk out in their row over pay. Last-minute talks, and a renewed offer, failed to halt industrial action from…

Chris Kaba: MoD offers military support after armed Met officers turn in weapons The MoD is offering up soldiers to support armed cops in London following dozens of Met Officers handing over their weapons and standing down from firearms duties.  More than 100 Met cops have turned in permits allowing them to carry weapons, according to a source. There are more than 2,500 armed cops in the Met. Police said the action was being taken…

Lib Dems drop pledge to raise income tax by 1p The Liberal Democrats have dropped plans to put a penny on income tax to invest in the NHS and social care.  Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey told the BBC that people didn’t need more tax rises amid a cost of living crisis. The party has called for a 1p rise in income tax since 1992 – then to fund education promises. They hope it…

Electric car rules could cost carmakers billions New post-Brexit trade rules might cost European electric car makers – around £3.75 billion over the next three years, says The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) which represents the car industry. These rules say that most parts of electric cars made in the EU should come from nearby. But companies on both sides of the Channel feel they’re not ready for this change. This could also mean making…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Paper Talk: Army on standby as Met cops hand in guns in protest Many of Monday’s newspapers report on the news that the Army is on standby after a number of armed Met police officers turned in their weapons in response to a fellow Met cop being charged with the murder of Chris Kaba. Other papers continue their coverage of the government’s reported plans to scrap a leg of…

Met Office issues yellow weather warning as winds could reach 80mph The Metro says A yellow weather warning for strong winds has been issued across large parts of the UK for later this week. The Met Office is expecting wind gusts of 50-60mph inland and 65-80mph in coastal areas. The alert, in place from 10am on Wednesday to 7am on Thursday, is because of ‘a deep area of low pressure expected to approach southwest Ireland’.…

Rishi set to axe HS2 link after ‘out of control’ cost increases by nearly £8,000,000,000 The Metro says Rishi Sunak appears poised to axe the northern arm of the HS2 rail line from Birmingham to Manchester, due to spiralling costs. The Sunday Telegraph reported the potential cost of the high-speed rail scheme – which Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said is ‘out of control’ – had increased by £8 billion. The Observer suggested the decision to…

Murder investigation launched after woman found with ‘multiple injuries’ The Metro says a murder investigation has been launched after a woman in her 50s was found with ‘multiple injuries’. Police were called to Redcar Road in Blackpool shortly before 11pm on Thursday to a report of an unexpected death. The victim has been identified as Alison Dodds. Patrols have now been stepped up in the area and police are treating her death as suspicious. FOLLOW…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Sunday Papers: Tories look to axe HS2 Northern link – the full perspective Many of the Sunday papers report on the uncertainty surrounding the Birmingham to Manchester stretch of the HS2 rail line. Tories axe HS2 The Sunday Telegraph headlines “Axe looms” and reports a Whitehall source as saying an increase in costs has put the scheme on course to wipe out the budget for other transport projects. The…

Labour pledges more watchdog power after Truss mini-budget Labour is making election promises ahead of the next UK general election which could be as soon as May next year. The Labour Party says it’ll hand more powers to Britain’s economic watchdog if it wins the next general election. It comes after the former PM Liz Truss delivered a mini-budget without OBR analysis, which led to market chaos and a fall in the value of the…

Tax cuts ‘virtually impossible’ at present, says Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt has said it will be “virtually impossible” to deliver tax cuts until the UK economy improves. A less gloomy economic outlook and the high cost of living had led to calls for measures to reduce taxes in the Autumn Statement in November. Speaking on LBC, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the country’s high levels of debt left him with some “very difficult decisions.” The UK’s…

Girl receives UK’s first rejection-free kidney from mum An eight-year-old girl has become the first UK child to receive a special type of kidney transplant – one that doesn’t require taking long-term drugs to stop the rejection of the organ. Great Ormond Street Hospital doctors say the breakthrough was made possible by reprogramming her immune system before giving her the new kidney. To do that they used bone marrow stem cells from the donor -…

What is Rumble, the video-sharing platform ‘immune to cancel culture’? The Guardian says Rumble, the video-sharing platform where Russell Brand has 1.4 million followers, may not be a household name but it has grown in popularity – especially among those from the right and “alt-right” – as a place said to be “immune to cancel culture”. Now Brand has had his YouTube channel demonetised after sexual assault allegations, which he denies, the comedian is expected…

MPs ask if Elon Musk ‘personally intervened’ on Russell Brand’s status on X The Independent says Social media site X has been asked by a senior MP if owner Elon Musk, who changed its name from Twitter, “has personally intervened in any decisions on Russell Brand’s status on the platform”. Following rape and sexual assault allegations being made against Brand, online content platforms that host his content including YouTube and podcasting company Acast said that…

Government borrowing rose to £11.6bn in August Newly released official figures show government borrowing was higher than economists had expected in August, having risen to £11.6bn last month, according to the ONS. Borrowing – the difference between spending and tax income – was £3.5bn more than a year earlier and the fourth-highest August borrowing since monthly records began in 1993. Public borrowing had been predicted to stand at £11.1bn last month. However, it still comes…

Rishi Sunak says we’ll hit net zero despite his massive U-turn Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has insisted the UK will still hit net zero by 2050, despite yesterday announcing a major u-turn on the government’s green policies. “I believe in net zero and I want to deliver it,” he tells BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. On Wednesday Sunak announced the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales is being pushed back from 2030 to…

Daniel Khalife denies Wandsworth prison escape Daniel Khalife, the former British Army soldier who escaped prison and led police on a 75-hour UK-wide manhunt, has pleaded not guilty to escaping from Wandsworth prison on 6 September. Khalife, 21, appeared in court by video link from HMP Belmarsh wearing a bright blue and yellow sweatshirt. He had reportedly escaped the prison via the kitchen having strapped himself under a truck leaving the prison grounds.  You may…

UK interest rate decision set to be close call after inflation fall Investors remain divided over whether interest rates will be raised again on Thursday after a shock slowdown in price rises. A 15th rise in a row to 5.5% from 5.25% was widely predicted, but now only half of investors are predicting a rise. Expectations changed after inflation was revealed to have fallen unexpectedly to 6.7% in the year to August. The Bank of…

Fall in students accepted into university in UK UK university acceptances for 18-year-olds have fallen for the first time in five years. Uni applications also fell after demand rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, and about 85% of applicants were accepted in both years. Fewer applicants got into their first choice of university this year but more qualified for their second choice or got accepted through clearing. This year saw top A-level results drop again, as…

Chris Kaba: Met Police officer to be charged with murder BBC News says A police officer is to be charged with the murder of Chris Kaba, who was shot dead in south London last year. Mr Kaba was shot during a police operation in Streatham Hill on 5 September 2022. The Met Police officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday where he will be charged. The…

Police officer who shot dead Chris Kaba charged with murder Sky News says The Metropolitan Police officer who shot dead Chris Kaba will face a murder charge, the Crown Prosecution Service has said. Mr Kaba, 24, died the day after he was hit by a single gunshot from a police firearms officer in Streatham Hill on 5 September last year. The car he was driving was followed through south London by an unmarked police car…

Chris Kaba: Police officer ‘who shot unarmed Black man dead’ charged with murder The Independent says A police officer accused of shooting an unarmed Black man dead has been charged with murder, the Crown Prosecution Service said. Chris Kaba, 24, who had been due to become a father, was killed on 5 September 2022 in Streatham Hill, south London. He died when he was shot through the windscreen of the Audi he was driving in.…

Police officer who shot dead unarmed rapper Chris Kaba charged with murder The Telegraph says The police officer who shot dead unarmed rapper Chris Kaba in south London last year has been charged with murder, the Crown Prosecution Service said. The officer, who has only been identified as NX121 was charged following a review of evidence provided by the Independent Office for Police Conduct which carried out an investigation. Mr Kaba, a 24-year-old expectant father,…

Flood warnings as rain leaves hundreds without power More than 500 properties have been hit by power cuts as a band of heavy rain is causing flood warnings. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning due to heavy rain until 18:00 BST on Wednesday and also covers the north-west England. The forecaster said up to 2-4 inches of rainfall is likely, with as much as 6-8 inches in some locations. The National Grid…

England’s junior doctors join consultants in joint NHS strikes England’s junior doctors are joining consultants for their first joint strikes in the history of the NHS. Consultants began striking on Tuesday and junior doctors followed on Wednesday morning. The British Medical Association strike by consultants will last two days whilst the junior doctor’s strike is planned for three. There will be emergency care throughout but NHS bosses said patients were still in danger. Doctors and…