Author: UK News

King Charles enjoys performance from Elton John at reception for UK’s international investment summit The King joined some of the world’s top chief executives and industry leaders at a reception that capped off the government’s first major summit to woo investors, and enjoyed a performance from Sir Elton John. Some 300 guests attended the exclusive reception at St Paul’s Cathedral on Monday where Charles spoke to a wide group of notable figureheads. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web, astronaut Tim Peake, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and Michelin-starred chef Clare Smyth, also spent time with Charles. Sir Elton…

Charities urge Government to target smaller websites under Online Safety Act A group of charities and online safety campaigners have written to the Prime Minister, urging him to ignore advice from Ofcom around which websites to categorise as the most dangerous under the Online Safety Act. The group of campaigners said the regulator’s advice that smaller websites should not be designated Category 1 – the rating which gives Ofcom the greatest scope of powers for oversight and regulation of that platform – left a number of “the most dangerous online forums” not fully in scope of the regulation. In guidance…

UK ‘dangerously underprepared’ for future energy crisis and price spikes, experts warn The UK is “dangerously underprepared” and vulnerable to another energy crisis that would see price rises, a group of experts have warned. The Energy Crisis Commission, which includes representatives from Energy UK, Citizens Advice and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said weaknesses in Britain’s energy system have been laid bare – supply, demand and targeted support for the poorest households. The commission was launched earlier this year to review the impacts of the recent energy crisis on UK households and businesses after Russia’s war in Ukraine caused prices to…

A pensioner is set to miss out on winter fuel help this year because she is just £3.32 above the weekly threshold for support. Lynne Perry, 69, who lives in Cornwall, says she gets just enough income from her state pension to push her above the £218.15 limit for pension credit, the government’s payment to older people who need extra help with their living costs. Those on pension credit qualify for the annual winter fuel payment, which is means-tested this year. The pensioner denied winter fuel payment because she’s just £3 over threshold Chancellor Rachel Reeves decided to cut the…

UK ‘risks repeat of surging energy bills’ amid continued reliance on gas Energy crisis panel warns country is ‘dangerously unprepared’ and must shift away from gas quickly. Britain is at risk of experiencing a repeat of the sharp increase in energy costs which has fuelled the continuing cost of living crisis because it relies too heavily on gas, according to an expert panel of industry leaders. The Energy Crisis Commission has warned that the UK is still “dangerously underprepared” for another crisis because it continues to rely on gas for its power plants and home heating. Continue reading… https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/15/uk-risks-repeat-of-surging-energy-bills-amid-continued-reliance-on-gas

The London Tube line ‘haunted by the Girl on the Train’ ghost | UK News We don’t want to put you off taking the Tube, but according to legend London’s historic network and its stations are home to a whole variety of ghosts. Among them is the mysterious ‘Girl on the Train’, as she’s now known. Several people, both underground employees and passengers, have reported seeing her on Bakerloo Line trains at Elephant and Castle. The young woman boards the train, walks through the carriages, then disappears without a trace, they say. Unexplained foot steps, possibly running, plus rapping noises…

PM pledges to scrap red tape to boost UK investment In a bid to stimulate investment, the prime minister will announce plans to scrap regulations that “unnecessarily hinder” investment in the UK at a high-profile summit in London.  Sir Keir Starmer will address business leaders with a pledge to “tear down” bureaucratic barriers and streamline processes. He’ll also call on the UK’s competition regulator to make boosting economic growth a top priority. As anticipation builds ahead of the international investment summit, several global corporations have written to The Times, noting that greater economic stability has improved the UK’s appeal to…

Labour accused of ‘absurd’ plan to break manifesto pledge over national insurance hike Labour has been accused of plans to break a manifesto commitment after repeatedly refusing to rule out an increase to employers’ national insurance contributions. The party has come under pressure to clarify whether it sees the employer side of the tax as distinct from employee contributions, after promising during the election campaign “we will not increase National Insurance”. A former Tory minister has said it would be “absurd” to claim that raising the levy on employers but not employees is not a breach of the explicit manifesto…

Nigel Farage’s Reform party offers £300 tours of parliament in apparent Commons rules breach Reform UK supporters have been offered paid tours of parliament in an apparent breach of House of Commons rules, it has emerged. Nigel Farage’s party has emailed some activists offering tours with an MP for up to £300 as part of a fundraising drive. Rules for MPs explicitly forbid the offering of access in exchange for payment. In 2020, Green Party former MP Caroline Lucas was found to have breached parliamentary rules by giving a tour of the Commons in exchange for a £150 contribution to…

Two men arrested after XL Bully killed in ‘deliberate attack’ Two men have been arrested after a dog believed to be an XL Bully was killed in an apparent targeted attack in Berkshire. The men, aged 20 and 22, were arrested after the animal was “deliberately attacked and seriously injured” on 29 September in Slough, Thames Valley Police said. The pair were detained on Friday at a home in the town, where a quantity of cannabis was also found, police added. The 20-year-old was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, possession with intent to…

UK weather: UK set for Autumn heat as temperatures could hit 22C this week Parts of the UK is set to see a late-in-the-year burst of warm weather this week as Britons look forward to some unseasonably high Autumn temperatures. The country is set to become milder but also wetter in the coming days, according to the Met Office. Temperatures might top 20C, with some places set to feel a sudden 10C increase. Forecasts show that this warmth should come around midweek. It follows the spell of wet, cold and blustery weather since the beginning of October. It’s not thought…

Sara Sharif murder trial latest: Father and stepmother to appear at Old Bailey over death of 10-year-old Three members of the same family are due to stand trial over the death of 10-year-old schoolgirl Sara Sharif. Her father Urfan Sharif, 42, her stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 29, are accused of killing her. The child’s body was discovered on 10 August at her home in Surrey. The defendants, formerly of Hammond Road in Woking, have pleaded not guilty to her murder and to causing or allowing the death of a child between 16 December 2022 and…

Royal news – live: King Charles and Queen Camilla ‘snub’ by Australian leaders ahead of tour sparks backlash King Charles and Queen Camilla are facing an embarrassing snub by leading Australian politicians ahead of their tour of the country. As the couple prepare to kick off their nine day visit Down Under on Friday, every single state premier has turned down invitations to attend their royal reception in Canberra on October 21, reports suggest. The King is set to deliver a speech at the event to recognise Australians for their achievements in the arts, culture, sports and health. Victoria’s Premier…

‘Princess of Wales’ bedroom photo shared by Earl Spencer has royal fans asking the same question Earl Charles Spencer has shared a picture of The Princess of Wales Room at Althorp House – prompting speculation about whether or not the bedroom was once used by the late Princess Diana. Named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who later became the Princess of Wales upon her marriage to King Edward VII in 1863, Charles Spencer revealed that the interior of the room has remained largely unchanged since 1911. Althorp House has been in the Spencer family for 19 generations, and Diana herself…

Trending News Inspiration Papers News that Matters Impact on your life Good News Labour accused of ‘absurd’ plan to break manifesto pledge over national insurance hike UK set for Autumn heat as temperatures could hit 22C this week Royal news – live: King Charles and Queen Camilla ‘snub’ by Australian leaders ahead of tour sparks backlash Alex Salmond death – latest: Nicola Sturgeon pays tribute to SNP ‘mentor’ who brought Scotland close to independence Previous Next Previous Next Football Confidential @footballconfid1 Read More Roy Keane is pushing Pep Guardiola for England. Hmmm… 🤔 Saul Staniforth@SaulStaniforth Read More #GMB reporting on…

TODAY: Rain will slowly clear eastwards across southern England and Wales, to allow a few brighter breaks to develop. Some showery rain will also affect the north and west of Scotland. Elsewhere generally dry with some sunshine. Temperatures a little higher. TONIGHT: Mostly dry. Some clear spells, especially in the north where a patchy frost is likely. Areas of low cloud further south and west giving patchy drizzle. Mild under the cloud. Source: Met Office

Monday’s front pages report on a variety of topics with domestic politics and business being a lead story ahead of today’s investment summit in London.
There is some international coverage with reports on the Ukraine war and a third assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump.
Elsewhere, England’s 3-1 win over Finland, King Charles’s upcoming trip to Australia and the latest from Strictly Come Dancing also make the front splashes.

Business secretary slaps down Louise Haigh over P&O Ferries ‘rogue operator’ row The business secretary has slapped down his cabinet colleague Louise Haigh for attacking a major ferry operator on the eve of Sir Keir Starmer’s investment summit. Jonathan Reynolds said the transport secretary was not speaking for the government when she dubbed P&O Ferries a “rogue operator” and called for the firm to be boycotted. It followed a 24-hour scramble in Downing Street after P&O’s owner threatened to pull a £1bn investment in a new Thames freeport – timed to coincide with the crucial summit – in response to…

Keir Starmer on the horror domestic abuse case that inspired his support for Independent’s Brick by Brick campaign The prime minister has recalled the murder of a woman stabbed 71 times by her abusive ex-partner as he gave his personal backing to The Independent’s Brick by Brick campaign to build a refuge for women and children fleeing domestic abuse. In an exclusive interview, Sir Keir Starmer vowed that he and his cabinet would donate to the campaign, which aims to raise £300,000 to build a safe haven for women and their children. He cited the case of Jane Clough, a…