Outbreaks of rain soon spreading into Northern Ireland and Scotland, then spreading erratically eastwards into Wales and western England during the afternoon. Largely dry but often cloudy elsewhere. Feeling mild, but winds strengthening throughout the day, especially in the west. Tonight: A windy night, with outbreaks of rain spreading across all parts. Heaviest and most persistent rain across western hills, with some clearer albeit showery conditions arriving into the northwest later.
Summary of Western Mail Newspaper Western Mail front page this morning – summarisedLawyers for Lucy Letby have stated that fresh evidence has emerged that “significantly undermines” her convictions. The 34-year-old killer nurse was handed 15 whole-life orders after being convicted for the murder of seven babies and for attempting to take the lives of seven more when she worked as a neo-natal nurse at Countess of Chester Hospital.Letby has consistently maintained her innocence. In a press conference on Monday morning, barrister Mark McDonald said Letby’s defence team now intends to seek the Court of Appeal’s permission to reopen her appeal…
Summary of The National Newspaper The National front page this morning – summarisedSCOTTISH actor Martin Compston has said he believes the Scottish independence movement is in need of a “refresh” – and he’s optimistic youngsters will help pave the way forward. Compston, known for his turns in hit shows like Line of Duty, spoke with The National ahead of the release of the second season of Amazon Prime’s The Rig. “I still believe in it (independence), I’ve made a conscious decision, I think especially online and stuff now people are just so f****** angry and shouting at each other and…
Prince Andrew’s ties to an alleged Chinese spy named yesterday as Yang Tengbo – also known as Chris Yang – trends across the UK media today.
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.
Summary of The Irish News Newspaper The Irish News front page this morning – summarisedTHE Taoiseach has said Ireland will not silenced about its views on Israel’s war on Gaza after Israel said it would close its Dublin embassy.A coroner found an unidentified British Army soldier was responsible “more likely than not” for the fatal shooting of 15-year-old schoolboy Patrick Crawford in the grounds of the Royal Victoria Hospital on 10 August 1975.Attacking ace Conor O’Neill paid back the Ballinderry management and squad for their support by kicking three points in Saturday’s AIB Ulster IFC final win over Arva. Latest…
Summary of the Metro Newspaper Metro front page this morning – summarisedAndrew has faced scrutiny over his alleged links to Yang Tengbo (left) (Picture: Getty/China Daily)Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson won’t be joining the rest of the Royal Family for Christmas dinner, it is understood.The Duke of York has faced further scrutiny after his links to an alleged Chinese spy were published for the first time.The alleged spy, Yang Tengbo, was banned from the UK by MI5 last week due to the potential security threat. He had been under an anonymity order known only as ‘H6’ until he revealed his…
Summary of the Independent Newspaper The Independent front page this morning – summarisedAn alleged Chinese spy banned from the UK and linked to the Duke of York can now be named as Yang Tengbo, a High Court judge has ruled.The 50-year-old director of a Chinese investment consultancy firm was barred from the UK in 2023 after it was deemed he would likely threaten national security.Lucy Letby’s lawyers are seeking to launch a fresh appeal over her convictions after claiming the prosecution’s lead witness was “not reliable”.The serial killer nurse’s barrister, Mark McDonald, said he would immediately seek permission from the…
Summary of The Guardian Newspaper The Guardian page this morning – summarisedAn alleged spy who befriended Prince Andrew has been named as the businessman Yang Tengbo, amid a row at the heart of government over how to deal with influential Chinese nationals.The allegations surrounding Yang have cast a spotlight on the government’s plans for a foreign interests register and whether to designate China as an enhanced risk in the middle of Labour’s new charm offensive towards Beijing.Standing at the gates of the Khmeimim airbase, a fighter from the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) eyed a pink vape being…
Who is Yang Tengbo? Everything we know about H6 alleged Chinese spy who was close confidant of Prince Andrew The 50-year-old businessman was barred from the UK because he was likely to pose a threat to national security (@hamptonholding) Who is alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo? Mr Yang founded a Chinese investment consultancy business which would go on to establish various high-profile China-related events (China.com) What are the allegations against him? The Home Office alleged correspondence was unearthed showing he worked for the United Front Work Department (UFWD) – a shadowy arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) (Sky News) The…
Syrian HTS leader says rebel factions that overthrew Assad will be ‘disbanded’ HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa says fighters will all be ‘subject to the law’ as he sought to emphasise need for unity in post-war Syria Syria’s rebel factions will be “disbanded”, the head of the group that led the ousting of Bashar al-Assad has pledged, as he seeks to reassure minorities at home and abroad that the country’s interim leaders will protect all Syrians, as well as state institutions. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, said all rebel…
Ireland is not anti-Israel, it just supports international law, human rights and peace.
The steps that are being taken by the Department for the Economy to design a new renewable electricity support scheme for Northern Ireland have been welcomed by all in the industry. This scheme will encourage investment in renewables and it is hoped that it will be the key driver in achieving the 80% by 2030 renewable electricity consumption target set out in the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. But the electricity licence exemptions regime must also now be updated to reflect the modern technologies used in the electricity industry if we are to ensure that investment in renewables…
Trafficking of children is increasing in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, according to a global report, which also shows at least one person has been trafficked into Ireland for illegal removal of their organs.In the three years between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2023, 140 victims of human trafficking have been detected in Ireland, including at least 10 children. The breakdown reveals there are 77 people brought into Ireland for sexual exploitation and 50 for forced labour.The statistics are contained in the 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, published by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.“Child…
Three-year rescue plan for seal with 'plastic collar' ends in tragedy in Llandudno The seal was found with serious injuries to its neck https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/three-year-rescue-plan-seal-30598461
Margaret Hodge to lead review of regional inequality in the arts Anti-corruption champion to examine Arts Council England projects and lack of facilities in some areas of country Margaret Hodge will oversee a review into regional inequality in the arts after the culture secretary described some areas of Britain as “cultural deserts”. Sky News first reported a week ago that Hodge, who was last week named as the government’s anti-corruption champion, would take control of the review into Arts Council England, which was originally announced by the Conservative government and was to be chaired by Mary Archer but was shelved…
Commuting is a pain, particularly in London – but the main problem with travelling on the Tube is all the people. Don’t blame the buildings. The next time someone shoves past you on the way up the escalator, take your head out of your phone for a few seconds and admire the view, because you might just be in one of the city’s most beautiful spaces. The Tube network is a huge source of frustration on a daily basis, but it is also a marvel of both engineering and architecture. And while not every station is a work of art,…
US authorities say the person they believe carried out a school shooting in the state of Wisconsin was a 15-year-old female pupil.Wisconsin Police confirmed her identity as 15-year-old student Natalie Rupnow, who went by the name Samantha.The latest US school gun attack to rock the US also left a teacher and another teenager dead, as well as the 15-year-old.She was a pupil at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, where the latest gun attack took place. Emergency vehicles parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison (Scott Bauer/AP)Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said that it was a second-grade student…
Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother will be sentenced later for killing the 10-year-old after years of horrific abuse. Last week, Urfan Sharif, 42, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, were found guilty of her murder following a trial at the Old Bailey. Her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, who lived with them, was convicted of causing or allowing her death after a jury deliberated for nine hours and 46 minutes. The three defendants will return to the Old Bailey on Tuesday when Mr Justice Cavanagh’s sentencing is expected to be broadcast from the court. Beinash Batool speaking alongside Sara Sharif’s father, Urfan…
A lawyer defending rapper Jay-Z in his fight against rape allegations has outlined a range of evidence to prove accusations levied against the hitmaker are “provably, demonstrably false”. The woman, identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, told NBC News last week that Jay-Z, also known as Shawn Corey Carter, and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs both sexually assaulted her when she was 13 at an after party for the 2000 MTV Music Awards. She has since acknowledged certain inconsistencies in her claims made against the two men. In a press conference at Jay-Z company Roc Nation’s New York headquarters, lawyer Alex…
Kelly Cates set to join Match of the Day presenting team from next season Sky Sports presenter Kelly Cates is set to join the BBC’s Match of the Day line-up when Gary Lineker leaves. The 49-year-old is set to be part of a three-person presenting team alongside Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan from next season, with former England striker Lineker stepping down. The news was first reported by Mail Sport on Sunday, and the PA news agency understands that although final contracts are not yet signed, Cates is poised to move on. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/gary-lineker-mark-chapman-gabby-logan-sky-sports-england-b2665003.html
Archbishop of York says he acted as soon as legally possible in sexual abuse case The archbishop of York has said he acted as soon as legally possible against a priest repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct and abuse after facing calls to resign over his handling of the case. Stephen Cottrell is due to take over temporary leadership of the church in three weeks when the resignation of the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, over his failures to deal properly with abuse takes effect. In a personal statement on Monday, Cottrell said he had no legal grounds to take action…
Alleged Chinese spy who befriended Prince Andrew is ‘tip of iceberg’, Tory MP says An alleged Chinese spy who forged a close relationship with Prince Andrew is just “the tip of the iceberg” of Beijing’s attempts to infiltrate the UK, a leading China-sceptic MP has said. Iain Duncan Smith, a former Conservative leader, who is seeking an urgent Commons question on Monday to quiz ministers about the issue, said Keir Starmer’s efforts to create better links with Beijing had involved the UK “showing a massive amount of weakness to China”. If Smith’s question is granted by the speaker, Lindsay Hoyle,…
Tories only spent a quarter of money allocated to levelling up Exclusive: FoI requests reveal £2.5bn was spent out of £10.6bn fund for three main local regeneration schemesThe Conservatives spent only a quarter of the money they allocated to levelling up, according to freedom of information requests that underline how Michael Gove’s flagship regional spending scheme failed to live up to expectations.The previous government allocated £10.6bn to the three main schemes under the levelling up programme, which provided funding for regeneration projects as diverse as leisure centres and local transport networks. Continue reading… Tories only spent a quarter of money…
MPs are amongst those calling for the alleged Chinese spy – with close links to Prince Andrew – to be publicly named for security reasons. MPs are threatening to name the man as allegations raise “calls for caution.” Shadow home secretary Chris Philp and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage are amongst those calling for the alleged spy to be named.
It’s plunged the royals – and Andrew – into deeper crisis and amid another year of royal scandal, the firm is hoping Andrew steps out of the public eye this Christmas.
District councils could be abolished and more elected mayors introduced across England under new plans for a major redesign of local government. Ministers are set to publish a paper on Monday outlining plans for mergers in areas where there are currently two tiers of local authority – smaller district and larger county councils – in a bid to streamline services.
The government has approved the sale of the Royal Mail’s parent company to a Czech billionaire. The £3.6bn takeover by Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group has been given the go-ahead after agreeing “legally binding” undertakings.
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