Author: David Pike

Summary of the Metro Newspaper Metro front page this morning – summarisedTeen driver who killed friends after inhaling laughing gas at the wheel jailed: A teenage driver who was filmed inhaling laughing gas moments before crashing into a tree, killing three teenage passengers, has been jailed. Thomas Johnson, 19, was speeding along the A415 in Oxfordshire at 100mph when he crashed, killing his friends David Hancock, 18, Ethan Goddard, 18, and Elliot Pulllen, 17, in…

Summary of The Guardian Newspaper The Guardian page this morning – summarisedStarmer urged to change donation rules amid talk of Musk bankrolling Reform: Keir Starmer must strengthen the rules around political donations to protect the electoral system from foreign interference, the Electoral Commission has said, amid rising concerns about Elon Musk’s plans to donate millions of pounds to Reform UK.More than 140 Kenya Facebook moderators diagnosed with severe PTSD:More than 140 Facebook content moderators have…

Loan sharks linked to dissident republicans are forcing some victims to store weapons, it has been claimed.It has also been claimed that on one occasion a victim had to hand over a car when they were unable to re-pay money.Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said he has been approached by a significant number of people who have been faced with “intimidation, theft and threats” because they were unable to pay back money borrowed with excessive interest…

Thousands of students missed out on at least a month of school last year, prompting concerns amongst inspectors about poor attendance rates post-covid.More than a quarter of all primary school students, and more than a fifth of all post-primary students, missed out on 20 or more school days during the 2022/23 school year. The problem is particularly marked in disadvantaged areas.Of “particular concern” is that 43% of primary school students, and 30% of post-primary school…

Can a steel town survive if its furnaces are turned off? – podcast Port Talbot in Wales is defined by its huge steelworks. But in January Tata Steel announced it was ending primary steelmaking there. George McDonagh charts a year that could change the town for everIn January, Tata Steel announced it was ending primary steelmaking in Port Talbot. The town is known for two huge blast furnaces and its massive steelworks that has provided…

Support for Verona Murphy is a significant step towards government deal The support of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for Ms Murphy’s candidacy is seen as a significant step towards a deal being reached to form a government.Following the first sitting of the 34th Dáil, it was adjourned for the Christmas break, which was initially set to end on January 15. This has been pushed back to January 22, indicating that the government leaders are…

Toadstool with teeth and ghostly palm among plant and fungus finds of 2024 Scientists race to discover new species before destruction of natural world drives them to extinctionFrom a toadstool with teeth to a vine smelling of marzipan and a flower that has cheated its way out of having to photosynthesise, a weird and wonderful host of new plant and fungus species have been discovered in 2024.Other plants given scientific names for the first time…

Haulier says North Wales road closure costing them £1,500 a day The A487 has been closed between Corris Uchaf and Minffordd since December 11 A haulier says a North Wales road closure is costing it £1,500 a day. The A487 has been closed between Corris Uchaf and Minffordd since December 11 due to “unstable ground”. The closure means a 25-mile diversion for what was a six-mile journey, causing significant disruption for local people, businesses, and…

Sir Keir Starmer will face an end-of-term grilling from senior MPs on Thursday after an opening few months in office which have seen Labour’s poll ratings plummet. The Prime Minister will take questions from the Liaison Committee for the first time since being elected in July. The panel is made up of the chairs of Commons select committees, and Sir Keir will face questions across a range of Government departments. Among the members of the…

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Rudy Giuliani to appear in court in early January to face claims that he should be held in contempt for failing to turn over assets including a New York apartment lease and a signed Joe DiMaggio shirt to two Georgia election poll workers who won a libel case against him. Judge Lewis J Liman in Manhattan signed the order calling for the former New York City mayor and onetime…

A nurse in south London has been suspended after she forced her colleagues to look at pictures from her ‘sexy’ photoshoot. Timea Buzas was working at St Nicholas Vaccination Centre in Sutton in December 2021 when she showed her colleagues the images. They were approached by Buzas in the staff area while they were with another colleague and asked if they wanted to see the photos. Although both responded ‘no thanks’, Buzas showed them three…

British YouTuber and rapper Yung Filly has admitted to reckless driving in Australia while on bail for sexual assault charges. The internet personality, real name Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, had his case listed before Perth Magistrates Court in Western Australia on Thursday. Court documents revealed Barrientos pleaded guilty to the driving charge on December 5. The social media star was clocked driving at more than 96mph on the Roe Highway near the Perth suburb of…

Taoiseach Simon Harris is in Brussels with EU counterparts and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks on how best to secure Ukraine’s future on the battlefield and strengthen its position ahead of potential peace talks with Russia. “Bringing an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine is a fundamental issue for Europe and requires coordinated and effective work of European countries,” Mr Zelenskyy said ahead of his arrival. It is the last time EU leaders are…

Fury over revamped European Super League as it’s revealed four new divisions would be based on EU flag FOUR divisions for a new 96-club European Super League would be inspired by the EU flag — Star, Gold, Blue and Union. Promoter A22 Sports yesterday unveiled its format for a “Unify League” and said it had written to Fifa and Uefa to ask for official endorsement. The firm’s previous plan for a closed 20-team league folded…

UK inflation increases as cigarettes and petrol drive price rises The rate of price rises in the UK increased to 2.6 per cent in November, as a hike in tobacco duty and petrol costs drove inflation higher. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced the latest monthly Consumer Prices Index (CPI) reading on Wednesday, up from 2.3 per cent in October. The inflation level swung back above the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target…

Waspi women latest: Reeves claims millions knew about pension changes amid backlash over compensation Chancellor Rachel Reeves has defended the decision to refuse compensation for the Waspi women, saying 90 per cent were aware of the impending changes to the state pension age. Calls for women born in the 1950s to receive thousands in compensation – after the state pension age was increased from 60 to 65 – have been rejected by work and pensions…

A murky mild start in the south with strong winds, strongest being across the Pennines and exposed western coasts with rain spreading eastwards later. Turning colder in the north and west with blustery showers turning wintry over high ground. Tonight: Heavy rain spreads across the south through the night. Clears into the North Sea by dawn. Cold in the north under clear skies which can lead to a ground frost.

Summary of The Guardian Newspaper The Guardian page this morning – summarised  Latest News updated every hour

Police missed clues about dangers of far right before summer riots in England Intelligence gaps, especially around social media analysis, led to failures, report findsPolice intelligence missed clues about the dangers posed by the far right before the summer riots across England, a police chief has said.Andy Cooke, the chief inspector of constabulary, also said police were too slow to mobilise after disorder broke out, meaning some violence wasworse than it would otherwise have been,…

Ongoing British scandals dominate Wednesday’s front pages with the Waspi women and the second post office scandal leading the way. The government’s decision not to pay compensation to millions of women born in the 1950s, affected by changes to the state pension, has drawn a strong reaction across the UK newspapers regardless of political leanings. The papers express their anger at what they roundly call a betrayal from the government.

The sentencing of the father and stepmother of Sara Sharif also makes several front pages. The pair were jailed for life for the 10-year-old’s murder.

On the international front, a handful of British newspapers lead with the death of a Russian general accused of using chemical weapons in Ukraine. Lt Gen Igor Krillov and his assistant were killed in an explosion caused by a bomb hidden on a scooter.

Elon Musk is reportedly ready to ‘bankroll’ Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Farage met with Musk in the US and said there were “ongoing negotiations” about Musk making a financial contribution.

Motorists and commuters in parts of the UK are urged to be aware of difficult travel conditions on Wednesday morning with two yellow warnings for wind in force.The Met Office said gusts of up to 65mph could lead to road, rail, air and ferry delays, with those in affected areas advised to anticipate longer journeys and pay extra attention to road conditions.A warning covering large parts of northern England, including Sheffield and Leeds, and a…

Casualty figures from the earthquake which hit Vanuatu are expected with damage expected to hamper aid efforts.At least 14 people died following Tuesday’s magnitude 7.3 earthquake, which caused widespread damage and injured hundreds of people across the South Pacific island nation, officials said on Wednesday, with the figure expected to rise.Speaking from Fiji, the Asia-Pacific head of the International Federation of Red Cross’ Katie Greenwood said it was not clear how many people were still…

Former archbishop of Canterbury resigns as priest over church’s handling of sexual abuse case George Carey quit after a BBC investigation reported that he allowed a priest banned over abuse claims to return to the priesthood A former leader of the Church of England has resigned as a priest following allegations that he failed to properly handle the case of a priest accused of sexual misconduct. George Carey, who was archbishop of Canterbury from 1991…

Prince Andrew’s ‘opaque’ finances provoke calls for register of royal interests Claims of refused FOI requests into Duke of York’s business dealings come as controversy over alleged Chinese spy continues Getting information from government departments about the Duke of York’s past business dealings is like playing “whack-a-mole”, it was claimed, as fallout over the alleged Chinese “spy” controversy continues, with China saying it was an attempt to “smear” it. Calling for a register of royal…

Brits told to avoid European country due to ‘significant risk of arrest’ The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued the warning The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is advising Brits against travelling to Belarus due to the current political unrest and potential risks. The FCDO warns that individuals in Belarus face a significant risk of arrest if they have participated in any activities now deemed illegal by the Belarusian regime. Furthermore, the country…