Author: UK News

Alleged Chinese spy who befriended Prince Andrew is ‘tip of iceberg’, Tory MP says An alleged Chinese spy who forged a close relationship with Prince Andrew is just “the tip of the iceberg” of Beijing’s attempts to infiltrate the UK, a leading China-sceptic MP has said. Iain Duncan Smith, a former Conservative leader, who is seeking an urgent Commons question on Monday to quiz ministers about the issue, said Keir Starmer’s efforts to create better links with Beijing had involved the UK “showing a massive amount of weakness to China”. If Smith’s question is granted by the speaker, Lindsay Hoyle,…

Tories only spent a quarter of money allocated to levelling up Exclusive: FoI requests reveal £2.5bn was spent out of £10.6bn fund for three main local regeneration schemesThe Conservatives spent only a quarter of the money they allocated to levelling up, according to freedom of information requests that underline how Michael Gove’s flagship regional spending scheme failed to live up to expectations.The previous government allocated £10.6bn to the three main schemes under the levelling up programme, which provided funding for regeneration projects as diverse as leisure centres and local transport networks. Continue reading… Tories only spent a quarter of money…

MPs are amongst those calling for the alleged Chinese spy – with close links to Prince Andrew – to be publicly named for security reasons. MPs are threatening to name the man as allegations raise “calls for caution.” Shadow home secretary Chris Philp and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage are amongst those calling for the alleged spy to be named.

It’s plunged the royals – and Andrew – into deeper crisis and amid another year of royal scandal, the firm is hoping Andrew steps out of the public eye this Christmas.

District councils could be abolished and more elected mayors introduced across England under new plans for a major redesign of local government. Ministers are set to publish a paper on Monday outlining plans for mergers in areas where there are currently two tiers of local authority – smaller district and larger county councils – in a bid to streamline services.

The government has approved the sale of the Royal Mail’s parent company to a Czech billionaire. The £3.6bn takeover by Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group has been given the go-ahead after agreeing “legally binding” undertakings.

Good News from the UK: World-first urine test ‘detects lung cancer’ Scientists have created a first-of-its-kind urine test which they say catches lung cancer early, potentially improving outcomes for the millions of people who will go on to develop the disease. Created by the University of Cambridge, England, the test identifies ‘zombie’ cell proteins in urine. These proteins can be markers of tissue changes that occur long before lung cancer becomes visible through scans or physical symptoms. Researchers developed an injectable sensor that interacts with the ‘zombie’ cell proteins and releases an easily detectable compound into urine, signalling their presence.…

Rain, some heavy will affect the north and west of Scotland, although Shetland should see bright spells and showers. Elsewhere, mostly dry with skies brightening to give some sunny spells. Mild for most, though brisk winds, especially in the north.Tonight: Rain will continue to affect northern and western Scotland, and perhaps Northern Ireland for a time. Mostly dry elsewhere with clear spells, though becoming largely cloudy. Mild and breezy.

Summary of Western Mail Newspaper Western Mail front page this morning – summarised Boss of debt-riddled firm stops paying top employee then sacks him by WhatsApp: A company that claimed to be pioneering new, affordable small aircraft stopped paying a top employee’s wages and then sacked him in a WhatsApp message without any notice. We can reveal that Aerodyne Aerospace has been ordered by a judge to pay its former chief operating officer more than £22,000 — the latest in a series of rulings against the owner’s companies. Today’s rugby news as Taulupe Faletau has everyone saying same thing and…

Summary of The National Newspaper The National front page this morning – summarisedLabour MP’s tweet sparks internal spat with Edinburgh councillor: A LABOUR councillor and Labour MP have got into a public spat over the future leadership of Edinburgh City Council. Labour’s minority administration in the capital is on the ropes after council leader Cammy Day was suspended from the party following accusations of him sending sexual messages to Ukrainian refugees.Sturgeon knows ‘nothing more’ about police investigation 18 months after arrest: Nicola Sturgeon said she knows “nothing more” about the police investigation into SNP finances than she did when arrested…

Summary of The Irish News Newspaper The Irish News front page this morning – summarisedTwo men arrested on suspicion of ‘brutal and senseless’ murder of ‘devoted’ Co Down mother-of-two: Two men were being questioned by police today on suspicion of murder following the “brutal and senseless” death of a woman in Co Down. Karen Cummings, a 40-year-old deputy sister at Daisy Hill hospital in Newry, died at house in the Laurel Heights area of Banbridge on Saturday evening. The mother-of-two is understood to be the seventh woman killed in Northern Ireland this year.Coroner to be asked to hold ‘Lost Boys’…

Monday’s front pages feature a variety of domestic and international stories. Several papers report on Prince Andrew and the alleged Chinese spy who befriended him. The papers report that MPs – and the public – want the alleged spy to be named. 

The papers further call on the Duke to stay away from royal events this Christmas and to keep out of the public’s sight, as anger mounts over the latest scandal involving the royal. 

Domestic politics also makes up the news stories. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch continues her criticism of Labour’s farming tax plans, health secretary Wes Streeting backs a campaign calling for a ban on ‘cowboy surgeries’ and the Tories fear elderly people will be ‘left in the cold’ this winter. 

In sports news, space is left on the front pages to report on the new Match of the Day hosts. The back pages lead with Manchester United’s 2-1 win over City in yesterday’s Premier League match.

Summary of the Metro Newspaper Metro front page this morning – summarisedDoctors fear for patients’ lives after hospitals accept corridor care: Emergency doctors have criticised NHS guidance on how patients should be treated in hospital corridors. They fear that new guidance normalises a dangerous situation and that caring for patients in corridors should be a last resort. Latest News updated every hour

Summary of the Independent Newspaper The Independent front page this morning – summarisedPressure grows on government as MPs demand answers on Prince Andrew ‘Chinese spy’: Ministers are under increasing pressure to act after an alleged Chinese spy became a close confidant of the Duke of York and reportedly met two former prime ministers, as MPs threatened to name him if the courts do not.Syrian defector who smuggled torture images out of country warns of hundreds of thousands of deaths: The Syrian military defector codenamed Caesar, who smuggled out more than 53,000 haunting images showing tortured, emaciated corpses of Syrian detainees…

Summary of The Guardian Newspaper The Guardian page this morning – summarisedMPs consider naming Chinese ‘spy’ linked to Prince Andrew: MPs fear the government is moving too fast to re-establish UK-China relations as some consider naming the alleged spy who used his relationship with Prince Andrew to get access to the heart of the British establishmentIsrael to close Dublin embassy after Ireland supports ICJ genocide petition: Israel has announced it will close its embassy in Ireland, citing Dublin’s decision last week to support a petition at the International Court of justice accusing Israel of genocide.Economists and policy experts warn Reeves…

Royal Mail takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky ‘approved’ The takeover by Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group from current owner International Distribution Services will be announced on Monday, the BBC reported The sale of Royal Mail’s parent company to a Czech billionaire has been approved by the Government, according to a BBC report. The takeover by Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group from current owner International Distribution Services will be announced on Monday, the BBC reported. Mr Kretinsky is believed to have made several concessions to gain approval, including allowing workers to get a 10% share of any dividends paid out to him.…

Full transparency must always surround public appointments as there are legitimate questions about the circumstances in which the DUP politician Mervyn Storey was named last week as the new chair of the Education Authority (EA) board. MPs are able to circumvent the democrat process to appoint almost anyone to senior positions of influence. Mps often do this to have a trusted source in the civil service but also to reward loyalty. Mr Storey is a senior DUP figure who lost his seat Mervyn Storey was named last week as the new chair of the Education Authority (EA) board in Northern…

‘Irish Examiner’ narrows gender pay gap The gender pay gap at the Irish Examiner and The Echo newspapers have dropped to under its target of 5% during 2024, a report from the company shows.This is the first year of reporting on the gender pay gap in the Irish Examiner and The Echo. It shows that between 2023 and 2024, there has been a closure of the mean and median gender pay gap within the company.On average, women were paid 4.69% an hour less than men within the company — which is within the target of 5% and less than the…

Mayors to get powers to stop planning delays in England, Angela Rayner to say Pledge set out in white paper to be unveiled this week is part of a ‘devolution by default’ approach by Whitehall Mayors will be given sweeping powers to unblock planning delays for major building projects in England, Angela Rayner has announced, as she promised a “devolution by default” approach to handing down authority from Whitehall. The pledge set out in the white paper to be unveiled this week will give regions more planning powers over housing numbers and will identify key developments and infrastructure needed to…

Dog dies and two taken to hospital after gas explosion on boat The fire service has released an update on a blaze at Chirk Marina, that destroyed a pleasure boat and badly damaged another https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/dog-dies-two-taken-hospital-30593243

British teen sentenced after sex in Dubai could see jail time increased to 20 years A British teenager held in a Dubai prison after having sex with a 17-year-old girl could face 20 years behind bars. Marcus Fakana, from Tottenham, London, was jailed in the United Arab Emirates during a family holiday. The 18-year-old was detained and given a one-year sentence after the secret romance with the young woman, now aged 18, he met during a family vacation, according to Detained in Dubai. Now a lawyer has warned that Marcus’s sentence could be extended up to 20 years as he…

Ulster captain Iain Henderson knows what it takes to get to the pinnacle of rugby. A celebrated Ireland international and British and Irish Lion, Henderson has been performing at the top level for over a decade now and is better placed than anyone to help mould a new generation of Ulster players. But that’s a process that doesn’t happen overnight. The last two weeks have been very painful for Ulster but there are signs of improvement as Saturday’s first half suggests. But despite feeling frustrated after Saturday’s loss, Henderson was delighted to see a big improvement from last week’s loss…

People leaving direct provision are facing straight into homelessness due to an “ad hoc system” that is heaping “maximum stress” on services, local authorities and the international protection applicants themselves.Mike Allen, director of advocacy at Focus Ireland, said the system appears designed to ensure that the failure of Ireland’s housing system and its asylum system falls “most heavily” on those who have come to Ireland for protection and have had that claim upheld.“[This is] one of the major challenges facing the incoming Government, and one that went entirely unmentioned in the election period, with no party bringing forward ideas for…

A top English academy trust faces safeguarding review over abuse of pupils after an Observer investigation into London school has sparked an inquiry into allegations that teachers harmed mental wellbeing of children at Mossbourne Victoria Park academy in Hackney. This reports suggest academies believe they are immune to normal education standards, especially, because they are ‘out of reach’ from local authorities. Academies are not funded by local authorities and many councils privately voice frustration about their lack of powers to step in when they have concerns. Top English academy trust faces safeguarding review Since the first Observer story three weeks ago about the…

Deportations reach five-year high despite concerns of rights groups Campaigners fear lives could be put at risk as government sets record number of deportationsThe government has announced that it has deported almost 13,500 people since coming to power, something ministers say proves their tough approach towards migrants but which human rights campaigners have warned could put lives at risk.The government says it is on track to deliver the highest number of returns for five years and includes the four biggest return flights ever. Continue reading… Deportations reach five-year high despite concerns of rights groups https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/15/deportations-reach-five-year-high-despite-concerns-of-rights-groups

Train disruption on Sunday with reduced timetable in action According to a post on their official website and social media, the significant disruption is expected due to “crew availability”. As a result, the train operators are working on a reduced timetable, which will affect the following routes: london Paddington to South Wales London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads London Paddington to Devon and Cornwall Local services to Exeter and Bristol are also expected to be impacted Fewer trains will be running, and those that do are expected to be very busy. Some additional delays and cancellations may occur. A spokesperson…

Nearly 13,500 migrants have been removed from Britain since the election, the Government has said, as the Home Secretary promised a “step change” in tackling illegal working.

Martin Lewis' MSE reveals top 2 cashback bank accounts – including one that pays up to £30 a month The top cashback bank accounts currently available in the UK have been revealed by Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/martin-lewis-mse-reveals-top-30588264