Author: UK News

At a rain-soaked train station in Dublin, with just hours left in the general election campaign, a first-time candidate is lamenting how little time they have left. The three weeks, they say, have been gruelling, but they know now what they didn’t know 21 days ago, such as the paradox of elections, and the experience is won through trial and error, and all you can hope for as the polls open is that you’ve left it all on the field. In Dublin Central, Wicklow, and Cork South Central this morning, the three leaders of the medium-sized parties of Irish politics…

A series of human errors caused a New Zealand navy ship to plough into a reef off the coast of Samoa, where it caught fire and sank, according to the preliminary findings of a military Court of Inquiry into the disaster released on Friday. The ship’s crew did not realise autopilot was engaged, believed something else had gone wrong with the ship, and did not check the HMNZS Manawanui was under manual control as it maintained course towards land, a summary of the inquiry’s first report published on Friday said. The full report has not been made public. All…

A series of human errors caused a New Zealand navy ship to plough into a reef off the coast of Samoa, where it caught fire and sank, according to the preliminary findings of a military Court of Inquiry into the disaster released on Friday.The ship’s crew did not realise autopilot was engaged, believed something else had gone wrong with the ship, and did not check the HMNZS Manawanui was under manual control as it maintained course towards land, a summary of the inquiry’s first report published on Friday said. The full report has not been made public.All 75 people on…

Creatures can converse and share their stories by voice or text through visitors’ mobile phones at Museum of Zoology. If the pickled bodies, partial skeletons and stuffed carcasses that fill museums seem a little, well, quiet, fear not. It is the latest coup for artificial intelligence, dead animals are to receive a new lease of life to share their stories ( I know what you’re thinking, how can it ever be verified) – and even their experiences of the afterlife. Perhaps it will serve more as a novelty project for the owners. Dead animals can talk after death in Cambridge…

Ex-soldier Daniel Khalife guilty of spying for Iran after admitting prison escape Former soldier Daniel Khalife has been found guilty of spying for Iran, but cleared of carrying out a bomb hoax. The 23-year-old, who previously admitted to escaping from prison, was accused of collecting secret information and passing it to agents of the Middle Eastern country while serving in the Royal Corps of Signals. Prosecutors told the ex-soldier’s trial he played “a cynical game”, claiming he wanted a career as a double agent to help the British Intelligence Services, when in fact he gathered “a very large body of…

Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 at Anfield last night in the latest Champions League match – and it was a thriller! McCallister opened the scoring before Mbappe missed a penalty for Madrid, then Mo Salah missed a penalty – and then finally Gakpo found the back of the net to give the Reds a 2-0 win.

Police are continuing investigations into the late Harrods owner Mohammed al-Fayed who has been accused by at least 100 women of sexual assault and rape. If the allegations prove true his crimes could be on the scale of Jimmy Saville. There are also reports that associates of Al Fayed are “being probed on claims they enabled his sex abuse.”

Many of the news sites – in print and online – continue to offer their reaction to the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as civilians start to return home. Many are expressing hopes that a similar ceasefire could be seen in Gaza.

The upcoming Friday vote on assisted dying in the UK is another trending topic as MPs express their stance on the matter. It’s expected to be a tight call.

Frost and fog slowly clearing from most areas to leave a dry day with some bright and sunny conditions, though chilly where the fog persists. Becoming cloudier and windy in the west with some patchy rain developing. Tonight: Clear spells in the east with more frost and fog expected. Cloudier and windy with coastal gales in the far west and northwest accompanied with some patchy rain and drizzle.

What’s on the front page of The National? The front page of The Irish News this morning – 28/11/2024 – reports Chinese gangsters controlled drugs farm in Northern Ireland.  A large-scale cannabis farm, linked to Chinese criminal gangs, has been discovered in Northern Ireland. The farm, valued at approximately £2.5 million, was located in an isolated rural area. Police believe the operation was part of a significant organised crime network. A Belfast man, Daniel Patrick Quinn, who died under tragic circumstances, received a community-led funeral after efforts to locate his family were unsuccessful. Tributes were paid by local organisations, highlighting…

UK FACING LEGAL CHALLENGE OVER WEAPONS SALES UK FACING LEGAL CHALLENGE OVER WEAPONS SALES What’s on the front page of The National? The front page of The National this morning – 28/11/2024 – reports the UK is facing legal challenges over weapons sales to Israel.  The UK is facing a legal challenge regarding arms sales to Israel, which could result in an immediate ban on these exports. This comes amid ongoing violence in Gaza, with 11 people killed in recent Israeli airstrikes. The situation also ties into broader geopolitical moves, including Britain’s involvement in training the Lebanese army as a…

What’s on the front page of the Western Mail?  The front page of the Western Mail this morning – 28/11/2024 – reports on pensioners murdered by a freed double killer.  A 57-year-old man, Brian Whitelock, who was previously convicted of double murder and released from prison in 2018, has been found guilty of murdering his neighbor, Wendy Buckney, 71. The incident occurred during a brutal attack in her home, involving a knife, broken table leg, and wooden shelving. The court trial revealed the harrowing details, and Whitelock’s courtroom behavior included outbursts towards the jury. Wendy Buckney was described by loved…

What’s on the front page of The Guardian? The front page of The Guardian this morning – 28/11/2024 – reports that police believe Mohammed Al Fayed may have “raped and abused more than 111 women over nearly four decades and that his youngest victim was just 13 years old.” The paper says the scale of the criminality would make Al Fayed one of Britain’s “most notorious sex offenders, and raises urgent questions about how he got away with his crimes.”The paper features an image of Lebanese people returning south after the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel came into effect on Wednesday.…

What’s on the front page of the Metro?  The front page of the Metro this morning – 28/11/2024 – reports on Tuesday night’s Euromillions jackpot winner.  A lucky UK winner won a massive £177 million – and now the hunt is on to find the winner! The front page notes that the winner is now the third biggest winner in the UK. 

What’s on the front page of The Independent?  The front page of The Independent this morning – 28/11/2024 – reports on the Mohammed Al Fayed allegations saying police now believe his alleged crimes could be on a  ‘Jimmy Saville level’. The paper notes one of the allegations comes from a 13-year-old. The paper says police are investigating five associates of Al Fayed who they believe may have enabled him.  The paper features a large image of people returning home following an agreed ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.  At the top of the paper, there’s a teaser article about William Hague…

A variety of topics feature on the front page. Several front pages cover the new allegations against the late Mohammed Al-Fayed. Police have said 90 women have now come forward with allegations, including an allegation from someone who – at the time – was “just 13.”

Domestic news features on the rest of the papers including the latest from No 10 and the UK-wide hunt for the Euromillions jackpot winner!

Elsewhere, most of the papers reflect on the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah which came into effect in Lebanon in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The back pages are dominated by Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Sipping non-alcoholic drinks between glasses of mulled wine and champagne at the Christmas work party this year could help you feel more perky the morning after.Waitrose & Partners’ Food and Drink Report 2024-25 has named ‘zebra striping’ –  the concept of alternating between alcoholic drinks and a non-alcoholic ones – as one of the big trends of the year.““The way customers consume alcohol has changed,” says the supermarket’s head of beer, wine and spirits, Pierpaolo Petrassi. “At Waitrose, no and low sales are up by nearly a fifth and the range and popularity of reduced alcohol products is increasing all…

The Government is committed to putting in place a “robust regime” to protect elections from “malign or hidden interference” and regulate online political advertising, the Department of Housing has said.But it accepted the legal powers to implement this commitment were not yet in place, including for Friday’s general election.The powers will allow An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Electoral Commission) to order social media platforms to take down misinformation, disinformation or material damaging to elections and also enable it to regulate political advertising online.The provisions have not yet been commenced due to a “number of concerns” raised by the European Commission about Irish…

Production company behind ‘Poor Things’ and ‘Normal People’ sees profits slip After-tax profits at the multi-awarding winning production company behind the screen adaptations of Sally Rooney’s Normal People fell by 49% to €2.32m during 2023. The €2.32m profit for the Dublin-headquartered Element Pictures last year resulted in accumulated profits rising from €7.99m to €10.32m.The company’s cash funds last year increased more than three fold, from €857,129 to €3.3m.Last year, the conveyor belt of quality drama from Element Pictures continued with the release of Poor Things, starring Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo.The film achieved a worldwide box-office of $117.6m, while Emma Stone…

Clearer weather is forecast as Storm Conall moves on to the Netherlands. Transport was disrupted on Wednesday as heavy rainfall battered southern parts of the country. A yellow warning has been issued for fog across parts of western and southern England and along the Welsh border until 11am on Thursday. The weather is now returning to a “typical end of November”, Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said. ⚠️ Yellow weather warning UPDATED 📷 Fog across parts of western and southern England NOW – 1100 Latest info 📷https://t.co/QwDLMfS950 Stay #WeatherAware📷 ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/r3qwZCLqCt — Met Office (@metoffice) November 28, 2024 The coming…

The ghost of Tony Gregory canvasses Dublin’s north-inner city during election time. Among some of the candidates there are fervent expressions of a wish to emulate him. And there is always the question of who is coming in his wake, who is the strong voice to represent one of the most disadvantaged enclaves in the State. Gary Gannon is knocking on doors in Summerhill, across the road from the Primary Care Health Centre. He has been a TD for the Dublin Central constituency since 2020 and is by now one of the leading figures in the Social Democrats stable. The…

Prisoners denied dignity while receiving NHS care, watchdog finds Health Services Safety Investigation Body reveals difficulties inmates have when they leave jail for treatment A female inmate remained handcuffed to a male prison officer while she had a mammogram, in an example of prisoners being denied their dignity while receiving NHS care, a watchdog has revealed. The incident is highlighted in a report by the Health Services Safety Investigation Body (HSSIB) into the difficulties prisoners can face when they leave jail to see a GP or visit a hospital. Continue reading… Prisoners denied dignity while receiving NHS care, watchdog finds…

Ninety further victims have been identified by detectives investigating Mohamed Al Fayed and the sex abuse scandal. The new claims relate to allegations of rape and sexual assault and span nearly 40 years between 1977 and 2014, with the youngest victim-survivor aged just 13 at the time of the alleged attack. A total of 150 complainants came forward following the airing of a BBC documentary, Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods, in September, the Metropolitan Police said. Half a dozen people suspected of ‘facilitating’ The force is also investigating at least half a dozen people suspected of ‘facilitating’ the late billionaire’s…

President-elect Donald Trump said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had “agreed to stop migration through Mexico”. In a post on his Truth Social account on Wednesday evening, Mr Trump said this was “effectively closing our Southern Border.” He called it a “very productive conversation!”. The Mexican president confirmed that she spoke with Trump, calling it an “excellent conversation”. The announcement comes two days after Mr Trump threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on Canada and Mexico as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. “We discussed Mexico’s strategy on migration issues, and I told him the…

The Green Party leader has blamed a lack of action from Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien for a greater reliance on hotels to accommodate asylum seekers. Roderic O’Gorman claimed up to 15 large hotels would not have been required to house those seeking international protection if Mr O’Brien had fulfilled its responsibility. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr O’Gorman said he hopes his party will grow its number of seats and return to Government as no other political group will ensure climate targets are met. But he suggested that the two larger parties may not want to do a deal with…

Singer Paloma Faith said the public’s donations for her charity clothes sale for Gaza and Lebanon “gives me hope that good people do exist”. The Only Love Can Hurt Like This star sold her clothes, bags and accessories, including a Halloween outfit she shared with Alan Carr, a Dolce and Gabbana denim jacket donated by rapper Eve, and silky pyjamas to raise money for Oxfam’s Gaza-Lebanon appeal. Paloma Faith sells her clothes to raise money for Gaza The 43-year-old offered fans the chance to purchase her stage and screen looks at a pop-up shop at The Gipsy Queen in Kentish…

President-elect Donald Trump said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had “agreed to stop migration through Mexico”. In a post on his Truth Social account on Wednesday evening, Mr Trump said this was “effectively closing our Southern Border.” He called it a “very productive conversation!”. Trump says Mexican president has ‘agreed to stop migration’ The Mexican president confirmed that she spoke with Trump, calling it an “excellent conversation”. I told him the caravans are not reaching the northern (US) border, because Mexico is taking care of them. The announcement comes two days after Mr Trump threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on…