Author: UK News

Summary of The Irish News Newspaper The Irish News front page this morning – summarisedCivil servants net £18K freebies during impasse: RUGBY and GAA matches, hotel stays, canapé receptions and theatre shows are among the thousands of pounds worth of gifts and hospitality received by senior Stormont civil servants since the executive’s collapse.New republican organisation Éire Nua launched: A newly launched anti-agreement republican organisation has said it stands for “peace and justice” and unionists have nothing to fear from it. The Éire Nua group is understood to include former members of Republican Sinn Féin and Sinn Féin and describes itself…

Thursday’s front pages are made up of a variety of domestic and international news, with several political stories finding themselves taking prime positions on the front pages.

Away from politics, a handful of tabloids continue to cover Prince Andrew being frozen out of the royal family and restaurant critic Grace Dent replacing Gregg Wallace on the hit show Celebrity MasterChef.

The back pages cover Ruben Amorim’s response to the recent Marcus Rashford interview in which he suggested he was ready for a new challenge, indicating his desire to leave Manchester United.

France’s highest court, the Cour de Cassation, has upheld a corruption conviction against former President Nicolas Sarkozy, rejecting his appeal. The ruling means that Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, must now wear an electronic monitoring bracelet for a year.

Summary of the Independent Newspaper The Independent front page this morning – summarisedWaspi women’s fury as Starmer says they knew about pension change: Sir Keir Starmer has provoked outrage among the Waspi women after he appeared to point the finger of blame at them over Labour’s decision not to pay them compensation over changes to their pensions.Gregg Wallace’s MasterChef replacement confirmed in BBC announcement: Food critic and I’m a Celebrity star Grace Dent will be replacing Wallace, it has been confirmed. She regularly appears as a critic on MasterChef and is known for her straight-shooting comments.Andrew pulls out of royal…

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 been diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder caused by exposure to graphic social media content including murders, suicides, child sexual abuse and terrorism.Thames Water to…

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 June 2023.Everything you need to know before watching the Gavin and Stacey finale: There’s only one place to be on Christmas day at 9pm –…

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 rates.Police confirmed that two arrests have been made and four “proactive searches” carried out in connection with illegal money lending in the north west in…

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 students in schools with the highest levels of disadvantage missed 20 school days or more. Partial attendance at school can be a precursor towards more…

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 employment for decades. George McDonagh travelled there to see how people were reacting. He met Gareth Edwards, who had spent 30 years working there and…

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 confident a deal will be in place at that stage.One senior Fine Gael source expressed doubt over this timeline, saying it would be “optimistic” to…

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 include beautiful new orchids, a ghostly palm and a hairy plant that appears to have stolen a gene from an unrelated family. The species are…

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 north-south transport links. Today Traffic Wales confirmed the road would remain closed until next year – with no official date for when it will reopen.…

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 committee are former Conservative cabinet minister Steve Barclay, and chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Tories Bob Blackman. Among the Labour seats are former…

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 personal lawyer to President-elect Donald Trump to appear before him on January 3. Lawyers for the election workers who won a 148 million dollar (£117…

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 photos on her phone, a report detailing the case read. The report added: ‘The panel considered that [Buzas] showed Colleague B and Colleague C the…

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 High Wycombe on November 17. Yung Filly and Chunkz after winning Best Media Personality at the Mobo Awards (Jacob King/PA) At the time, the online…

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 meeting before Donald Trump takes over as US president. Mr Trump has made it clear he expects Europe to do “much more heavy lifting” regarding…

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 in April 2021 amid a fan backlash — as reported by The Sun. But A22 bosses believe Uefa must endorse its proposal following a December…

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 in October, largely because of household energy bills being pushed up as the price cap rose. Continue reading … UK inflation increases as cigarettes and…

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 secretary Liz Kendall. Ms Reeves, who supported the Waspi campaign in opposition, said she understands why women are “disappointed” but that it would not be…

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, with the chance to thwart some of it missed. Continue reading… Police missed clues about dangers of far right before summer riots in England https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/dec/18/police-missed-clues-dangers-of-far-right-summer-riots-england

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 small area of southern Scotland is in place from 3am to 2pm on Wednesday.Forecasters said gusts of 50-60mph are possible and potentially higher in more…