Author: David Pike

Northern Ireland Police officer faces prosecution over death scenes images Two individuals, a police officer and a former officer, are to be prosecuted for alleged misconduct in public office, including sharing imagery taken at the scenes of sudden deaths. The decision was made by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) after receiving evidence submitted in an investigation file by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland as part of Operation Warwick. One individual is facing prosecution for…

The cost of living crisis is only getting worse, but support is coming.

PM Rishi Sunak investigated over declaration of interest Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is being investigated by Parliament’s standards watchdog over a possible failure to declare an interest. Mr Sunak is being investigated over whether a declaration of interest was “open and frank”, under rules set out by the commissioner for standards. The BBC says they believe the probe relates to a childcare firm his wife has shares in. The commissioner decides whether an MP has…

Nicola Sturgeon avoids Holyrood amid speculation about her quitting The Herald says NICOLA Sturgeon will not return to Holyrood this week amid growing speculation that she will quit as an MSP before the next Scottish election. The former First Minister, who would attract huge media attention given recent developments in the SNP, will participate remotely instead. Her spokesperson claimed it had “always” been her plan to stay away in order to leave the limelight to…

Pressure on ex-SNP leader to quit as she plays down finance fears in video leak The Independent says Nicola Sturgeon is facing fresh calls to quit from the Scottish National Party (SNP) after a leaked video shows the ex-first minister dismissing financial concerns. The leaked footage from an SNP NEC meeting in March 2021 showed Ms Sturgeon giving her top officials a stern warning to be “very careful” about suggesting there was “any problems” with…

Watch: Sturgeon denies SNP financial woes in leaked footage The Spectator says Three cheers for the Sunday Mail, which has today got its hands on footage of Nicola Sturgeon which is, er, sub-optimal, to say the least. The newspaper has been sent a video of the then First Minister furiously insisting that the SNP’s finances had ‘never been stronger’ in a meeting of the party’s ruling body in March 2021. Sturgeon is shown warning SNP…

NHS bosses spend £1,000,000 a week on private ambulances Private ambulance companies are earning millions of pounds during the largest healthcare service strike in history, according to research by trade union Unison. The union has found that over £1m is being spent every week on private ambulance firms to cover emergency calls, with bosses booking private emergency vehicles and crews up to a year in advance to be available to respond to emergencies such as…

Opposition urges Tories to cut ties with rightwing group over ‘culture war’ comments Opposition parties are urging the Conservatives to cut ties with a rightwing student group, Turning Point UK (TPUK), that has been described as a far-right group promoting divisive and dangerous rhetoric.  Although the group has no formal links with the Conservative Party, Conservative MP Marco Longhi is TPUK’s honorary president, and former ministers Priti Patel and Jacob Rees-Mogg have praised the group…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk The NHS features on many of Monday’s front pages in a variety of stories. There are a variety of images on the front pages, some reflecting the latest from the Premier League, celebrity news and an Orthodox Easter Sunday service in Kyiv. NHS dominates The Daily Express warns that potential walkouts by nurses in England until Christmas could strike fear in those dependent on the health service. However, the…

Royal Mail and CWU reaches pay deal  Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have agreed on an “in principle” deal over pay and employment terms, potentially ending a year-long pay dispute. The deal is set to be considered by the union’s executive before being voted on by members, with details expected to be released next week. The union had been at loggerheads with Royal Mail over pay, jobs and conditions. Last year, there…

Failed PM Liz Truss builds her Cold Warrior rebrand with China speech CANARY says Failed prime minister Liz Truss has used her first major speech since leaving office to attack China. She also took a swipe at France’s president Emmanuel Macron for visiting the Asian economic powerhouse. Truss was already hawkish, but that commitment seems to have become central to her politics since her short time as PM. She made a similar intervention in February…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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.’