Author: UK News

Environment Agency workers strike over pay Thousands of Environment Agency workers in England are set to stage a three-day strike from Friday over their claims of “endemic low pay”. The action from the Unison trade union will involve staff working on flood defences, river pollution and fires. Emergency response teams argue that they are too thinly stretched to be able to protect communities and maintain environmental safety. The strike follows months of industrial action by Environment Agency workers who have protested against a 2% pay increase offered by the government, claiming that it does not cover inflation and represents a…

Fashion designer Dame Mary Quant dies aged 93 Dame Mary Quant, the British fashion designer credited with popularising the miniskirt and helping to define the Swinging ’60s, has passed away peacefully at home in Surrey at the age of 93. Twiggy, who became a style icon during the era, led the tributes to Dame Mary, describing her as “a brilliant female entrepreneur” who revolutionised fashion and had “such an influence on young girls in the late 50s early 60s.” Her far-sighted and creative talents quickly established a unique contribution to fashion, and she was one of the most influential figures…

White House insists Biden is ‘not anti-British’ as he gives Northern Ireland speech The Metro says President Joe Biden is not ‘anti-British’ the White House has said, as he gave a historic speech in Northern Ireland. The 46th President urged the return of power-sharing to Stormont as he spoke in front of a small crowd at Ulster University. In his relatively short 20-minute speech he said Northern Ireland was ‘transformed by peace’ and spoke about the impacts of Brexit, and new economic opportunities. It is the third time the President had met with UK relations in three months, after claims…

Joe Biden is ‘anti-British’ pro-Irish nationalist, says DUP The Independent says DUP politicians have attacked Joe Biden as “anti-British” and pro-Irish Republican as they again resisted pressure to resume powersharing at Stormont. Senior unionist party figures spoke out against the US president as he arrived in Northern Ireland for a brief visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. “Joe Biden hates the UK – I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” former DUP first minister of Northern Ireland Dame Arlene Foster told GB News. DUP MP Sammy Wilson said Mr Biden, a Catholic who had…

Biden dangles $6bn investment if Northern Ireland power sharing agreed The Guardian says Joe Biden has dangled a $6bn (£5bn) carrot in front of Northern Ireland’s leaders with a promise to boost the country’s economy with US investment if power sharing is restored. In a thinly veiled message to the Democratic Unionist party, which has been boycotting the devolved government for more than a year, the US president told an audience in Belfast that American investors were ready to “triple” the $2bn already invested. “The simple truth is that peace and economic opportunity go together,” Biden said. He reminded representatives…

Passengers told to avoid London’s Waterloo Station all day after major signalling problem Rail passengers have been advised to avoid London Waterloo due to major signalling problems, which have resulted in a significantly reduced service and disruption expected throughout the day. South Western Railway has warned customers not to travel to or from the station, which is the busiest in Britain, as 14 out of its 24 platforms are currently closed. Network Rail has confirmed a “major power failure” to equipment and is investigating the fault, which occurred before 04:00. Even if the issue is resolved soon, disruption is likely…

PC Sharon Beshenivsky death: Man extradited and charged with murder of PC shot dead in 2005 Piran Ditta Khan, a 74-year-old man, has been extradited from Pakistan and taken into custody at a West Yorkshire police station. He has been charged with the 2005 murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky, as well as robbery, two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, and two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that the charges were authorised in 2006 and led to the issuance of the extradition warrant. Khan is due to appear at…

Strike action sees UK economy flatline in February The UK economy experienced no growth in February due to strikes by public sector workers, according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Although a rise in construction activity was noted, it was offset by walkouts by teachers and civil servants.  The UK saw a 0.4% jump in economic growth in January. Despite February’s flat performance, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt stated that the UK’s economic outlook was “brighter than expected” with GDP growing by 0.1% in the three months to February, and the UK was “set to avoid recession”.  However,…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Thursday’s front pages are dominated by two stories: Prince Harry confirming his attendance at the Coronation, whilst Meghan stays in the US with their children and Joe Biden’s visit to Ireland. Many of the papers lead with a picture of Prince Harry and Joe Biden. Harry to return for Coronation The Daily Mirror uses the headline “Spare will be there” to summarise the news. The Daily Telegraph reports that Harry has been considering the decision for weeks following the recent family rift. The Sun suggests that the King is happy about his son’s return…

GP surgeries suspend routine appointments to cope with ‘most disruptive strike in NHS history’ The Sun says GP surgeries are suspending routine appointments to cope with this week’s strike by junior doctors, it is reported. More than 47,000 are expected to walk out for 96 hours from April 11 to 15 in a move which will “utterly overwhelm” the NHS, it is feared. While many trusts have insisted the public will receive care as normal, patients in some areas have been warned to expect lengthy delays during the industrial action. Others have been barred from booking appointments altogether, The Telegraph…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk  Many of Tuesday’s front pages report on Tuesday’s four-day doctors’ strike in England that could see thousands of doctors strike and many patients having operations cancelled. Joe Biden is pictured on several of the newspapers this morning as he heads to the island of Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Several of the tabloids lead with reports that the late Queen wanted both Prince William and Prince Harry to go to Afghanistan, but it was later ruled too dangerous for the future king. The Daily Telegraph reports that PM…

Russian jets apparently launched a missile within 15ft of the British spy plane.

The trenches suggest Russian commanders fear they could lose much of southern Ukraine to a major counterattack.

‘If it’s God’s will, everything will turn out fine.’

BBC objects to Twitter’s ‘government funded media label’ The Metro says The BBC has contacted Twitter to object over a label on the platform describing it as ‘government funded media’. The label has only been applied to the corporation’s @BBC account, which is primarily used for promoting TV programmes, radio shows and podcasts. News-focused accounts such as @BBCNews, @BBCBreaking and @BBCWorld have not been labelled. In a statement, the corporation said: ‘The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee.’ The licence fee generated about £3.8billion in 2022, 71% of…

Wizz Air ranked the worst airline for flight delays Wizz Air has been named the worst major airline for flight delays from UK airports for the second year running, according to new figures. Civil Aviation Authority data analysed by PA news agency revealed that the Hungarian carrier’s UK departures were an average of 46 minutes and six seconds behind schedule in 2022. This was over three times longer than the previous year, when it was also ranked last for punctuality.  Wizz Air operates short-haul flights from seven UK airports, including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Gatwick, Luton, Liverpool and Bristol. Cancelled flights…

Rishi Sunak calls for Stormont return for Good Friday Agreement anniversary Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has praised the political leaders who shaped Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement on its 25th anniversary, calling it “born of partnership between the British and Irish governments.”  The 1998 Good Friday Agreement ended Northern Ireland’s decades-long violent conflict known as the Troubles. Sunak called on Stormont politicians to “get on with the business of governance” and commended those who “took difficult decisions, accepted compromise, and showed leadership.” He also welcomed US President Joe Biden to Northern Ireland as part of the milestone date. Sunak said…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Monday’s newspapers feature a variety of headlines, with no one story dominating the papers. But one of the most popular being splashed includes updates on the contentious attack ad campaign launched by the Labour Party against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Many of the front pages report on the royal family attending an Easter service and the King’s upcoming coronation. NHS chaos amid doctors’ Strikes   According to The Daily Telegraph, GP surgeries across England are cancelling routine appointments for up to a week to cope with the NHS junior doctors’ strike. NHS trusts have advised…

  A quarter of century since the signing of a peace deal that largely ended violence in Northern Ireland, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said efforts had to be intensified to restore the power-sharing government central to the accord. Advertising Signed in Belfast on April 10, 1998, the Good Friday agreement is considered one of the most significant peace deals of the late 20th Century, seeking to end three decades of sectarian strife that killed more than 3,600 people. But peace has come under strain following Britain’s exit from the European Union and other political crises have overshadowed this week’s…

The Sunday Papers Sunday Papers – Doctors Strike, Coronation and Olivia’s mum Sunday’s front pages report on a variety of topics including King Charles III’s upcoming coronation suggesting that the event will help the Conservative party by “eclipsing a predicted Tory wipeout in town hall elections”. Millions of people across the country will go to the polls to vote in the council elections on 4 May, with the coronation taking place two days later on 6 May. Other coronation news reports the King is at odds with the Church of England over the event and fears over the safety of…

Sheffield woman hit and killed by car named after boy, 12, charged UPDATE: The 12-year-old boy has now been charged with murder of Marcia Grant, 60 – who died after being hit by a car in Sheffield. A 60-year-old woman, Marcia Grant, has been described as a “warm, loving” figure in her community after being hit by a car and killed in Sheffield. The incident occurred in the Greenhill area of the city on Wednesday evening, and Mrs Grant died at the scene. A 12-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder and possession of a bladed article and…

Millions travelling for Easter weekend break facing massive delays Millions of people are preparing to travel for their Easter holiday weekend, but transport companies warn of possible delays. Around 15 million drivers are expected on the roads on Saturday, and those travelling via Dover have been warned of possible two-hour queues at border control. Extra measures have been implemented at Dover to cope with the increased demand, and port officials have warned of waiting times during the busiest travel hours. Candice Mason, founder of Masons Coaches, hopes to see these measures continue throughout the summer season to prevent long queues. …

Warnings of dissident republican disorder during Easter Police in Northern Ireland have warned of potential public disorder during the Easter period linked to dissident Republicans, who may attempt to draw officers into gun or bomb attacks. The threat level for terrorism in Northern Ireland was raised to severe by MI5 recently, meaning that an attack is highly likely. Events are being held to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended the 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles, costing more than 3,500 lives. The PSNI has made temporary changes to shifts to…

How to save money on pet care as the cost of living rises The rising cost of living crisis in the UK is affecting every aspect of our lives, and many animal lovers across the country are worried about rising bills and looking after our four-legged friends. From pet insurance to food, toys, treats and more – it all adds up and can make pet ownership a major stress in such difficult financial times. Animal charity PDSA has said the average dog over its lifetime costs around £30,800. For cats, the figure is around £18,000 for an average lifespan. Many…

Cost of living crisis UK: Cutting energy and water costs – 5 major changes you can make today As the cost of living crisis continues to grip the UK, many are looking on ways to reduce household bills – the bathroom is an area of the house that can rack up massive energy costs. Water bills have risen from April 1 and the energy rebate scheme finishes at the end of April 2023. The bathroom and the kitchen are two areas where we use a lot of water, and as the country continues to battle rising prices, we look at…