Author: UK News

Storm Eowyn tracker live: Rare ‘stay at home’ weather warning issued as dangerous 100mph winds pose threat to life Schools have been closed and people warned not to travel on Friday, as 100mph winds are set to pose a danger to life in parts of the UK. Rare red weather warnings will become active in Northern Ireland from 7am on Friday as Storm Eowyn is likely to damage buildings, uproot trees and cause power cuts, the Met Office said. The warning will spread to Scotland at 10am, while amber and yellow warnings are in place across the rest of the UK on…

Some 55 per cent of respondents said they would support cutting or abolishing inheritance tax Majority of Brits support cutting or abolishing inheritance tax, new poll shows, as farming backlash grows The British public are in favour of cutting or abolishing inheritance tax, a new poll has shown, as backlash over the government’s tax raid on family farms continues to grow. Campaigners have said the survey should be a “reality check” for the government amid growing frustration over the decision to extend inheritance tax to agricultural properties. The latest polling, conduced by Public First for the Taxpayers’ Alliance – a…

Housing affordability remains ‘stretched’ across the UK Where are the most and least affordable areas to buy a house? House prices are continuing to grow and mortgage activity has been “surprisingly resilient” despite ongoing affordability challenges, according to a report from Britain’s biggest building society. Nationwide also found that people working as cleaners, couriers, labourers and in customer service or caring professions could potentially see more than half their take-home pay swallowed up by their mortgage, based on a typical first-time buyer property. UK housing affordability had seen a modest improvement over the past year, due to earnings growth marginally…

Booming use of temporary accommodation to house homeless families has led to ‘crisis situation’ for England’s councils Councils ‘haemorrhaging funds’ as costs of housing homeless surge Record levels of homelessness are placing unsustainable pressure on councils’ crumbling finances, an influential committee of MPs has warned as the annual cost of emergency accommodation rose by almost a third. The booming use of temporary accommodation for homeless families by local authorities has led to a “crisis situation” that must be urgently dealt with across government, a report from the Public Accounts Committee has found. Some 123,000 households in England are being housed…

These are London deals you won’t want to miss  Looking for 10 things to do in London? Luckily, there’s lots to do in this city for cheap! At least… There is now. Metro has teamed up with Time Out to bring you the best deals across the capital. Every Friday, 10 new deals will drop, available in the Metro newspaper, on Metro.co.uk, and on our socials. You’ll also find them in our weekly London newsletter, The Slice, in your inbox every Wednesday. This week, we’ve got everything you need to unwind and enjoy the best of London. Treat yourself to up to £41 off…

All Northern Irish schools to close on Friday Storm Eowyn live: Tornado threat as Met Office issues red weather warnings for 100mph winds A tornado warning has been issued ahead of the arrival of Storm Eowyn set to batter UK’s coasts with 100mph winds this weekend. The Met Office issued a rare red warning across Northern Ireland and Scotland which will see winds rapidly during the Friday morning rush hour with peak gusts of 80-90 mph fairly widely and perhaps up to 100 mph along some exposed coasts. The forecaster said: “This brings the risk of significant disruption to transport and power supplies,…

Exclusive: Foreign secretary has been criticised by one of his own MPs as the controversial deal looks to be on the brink of collapse Labour MP accuses David Lammy of misleading parliament over Chagos deal David Lammy has been accused of misleading the House of Commons over the crumbling Chagos deal by a member of his own party. The government’s agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands – including the joint UK-US airbase on Diego Garcia – to Mauritius has been plagued by issues since it was announced in October, with concerns Donald Trump could veto the deal and the…

Cold weather payment: Over 1m households set for £25 – postcode checker and eligibility Am I eligible for a cold weather payment? Pension CreditIncome SupportIncome-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)Universal CreditSupport for Mortgage Interest When will I get the payment? Full list of postcodes eligible for cold weather payment Cold weather payment: Over 1m households set for £25 – postcode checker and eligibility https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cold-weather-payment-dwp-postcode-checker-2025-b2684919.html

The chancellor is to amend some of the changes to tax rules for non-domiciled individuals announced in October’s Budget Reeves to water down tax raid on non-doms after exodus of millionaires Rachel Reeves is watering down her tax raid on non-doms after it contributed to an exodus of millionaires from the UK. The chancellor is to amend some of the changes to tax rules for non-domiciled individuals announced in October’s Budget. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ms Reeves said the government will table an amendment to the finance bill to address some of the…

Prince Harry has settled his case with the owner of the Sun newspaper – News Group Newspapers (NGM). Harry reportedly received a £10+ million payout as well as an apology. The Murdoch-owned tabloid admitted it engaged in illegal practices to source stories about him.

The Southport killer is set to be sentenced today after pleading guilty to three counts of murder and terrorism charges – including making ricin. The 18-year-old is expected to receive a life sentence. An inquiry into the case began after it was revealed authorities already knew about Axel Rudakubana and he had been referred (but denied) to the government’s Prevent scheme – aimed at stopping people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

Leo Ross, 12, was stabbed to death on his way home from school in Birmingham yesterday. The country reacts to the news – amid fears of a growing knife crime crisis. A 14-year-old boy has been arrested.

Storm Éowyn is heading towards the UK with rare weather warnings being issued for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland on Friday.

Prince Harry has settled his case with the owners of The Sun newspaper News Group Newspapers (NGM) for engaging in illegal practices to source stories about him between 1996 and 2011. The Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid rarely issues apologies, but along with a reported £10 million payout, the prince got exactly that. 

Frost and fog clearing, then a bright start for many. A band of wet and windy weather sweeping eastwards across most areas, followed by brighter skies with some blustery showers in the west but the late afternoon and evening.Tonight: Rain moves off to the east, leaving a mostly dry and clear evening across much of the UK. Storm Éowyn moves into the west by the early hours.

Harry wins historic £10m+ apology deal from Murdoch’s Sun The Independent says “Harry wins historic £10m+ apology deal from Murdoch’s Sun”. A Royal Navy ship spotted a Russian spy ship in UK waters as minister tells Putin: “We can see you.” Donald Trump has demanded an apology from a ‘nasty’ Bishop who urged him to have mercy on minorities and migrants.

We can sea you, Vlad The Metro headlines it as “We can sea you, Vlad!”. Defence Secretary John Healey said the vessel was deployed to map the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure. Healey’s message to Vladimir Putin: “We see you, we know what you’re doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country,” the paper added.

Prince claims historic win over Sun owner after settling intrusion case The Guardian calls the result a “monumental victory” with a “historic admission” noting the Sun newspaper admitted to engaging in “illegal practices” to source stories about him. They offered him a “full and unequivocal apology” after “incidents of unlawful activity” were carried out by private investigators working for the paper. A 12-year-old boy is pictured on the front page after he was stabbed to death on his way home from school.

ISIS death cult back on streets of Syria The Daily Express has obtained photographs taken in Syria in recent weeks which show one of the distinctive black and white emblems used by the jihadis being brazenly displayed by armed groups. The photos seen have all been taken in northern Syria during and since the fall of President Assad, who was ousted on December 8.

Boy,12, murdered on way home from school The Daily Mirror says Leo is “the latest tragic victim of the knife crime epidemic plaguing Britain”. The paper says tributes have been paid calling him a “gentle and kind” boy. A 14-year-old boy has been arrested over the stabbing. Holly Willougby makes the front page as does a new Tine Turner song.

Leo,12, stabbed to death on way home from school The Sun’s front page leads with the stabbing death of Leo Ross in Birmingham. The paper claims the UK is battling a “horrifying wave of knife crime.” Manchester City’s 4-2 loss to PSG – despite leading 2-0 – makes the front page as they continue to cling on in the Champions League.

Thursday’s headlines make for interesting reading. Only four national newspapers lead with the publisher of The Sun, News Group Newspapers (NGM), apology and payout to Prince Harry. It’s little surprise The Sun newspaper itself doesn’t acknowledge the news until page six.

Harry’s lawsuit against NGN is a huge victory with the Murdoch-owned tabloid admitting it engaged in illegal practices to source stories about him.

Of the four newspapers that lead with the story, The Guardian, The i and The Independent note the historical nature of the win, which saw NGN do something they rarely do – apologise. The Daily Telegraph unsurprisingly has a different take. The paper calls it a ‘climb down’ from Harry and lightly suggests he was seeking a bigger payout than what his brother received, questioning why he had all of a sudden struck a deal rather than complete his quest of holding the tabloids to account.

Away from Harry, there is a mixture of mostly domestic news including reports the Royal Navy spotted a Russian “spy ship” in UK waters, various reports of illegal immigrants, ISIS and “fears” over UK security. Several papers also report on the UK economy.

A 12-year-old boy is pictured on many front pages after he was stabbed to death on his way home from school. A 14-year-old boy has been arrested.

The back pages lead with last night’s Champions League matches – and how the English clubs fared. Man City threw away a 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 to PSG. Arsenal won their match, all but securing a place in the knockouts.

Oxfam report says wealth extracted from India between 1765 and 1900 would be a sum large enough to ‘carpet the surface area of London in £50 notes almost four times over’ Britain should give India back its artefacts in lieu of £52trn in colonialism reparations, says historian  A historian has suggested Britain return looted artefacts to its former colonies instead of vast sums in reparations, after an Oxfam report suggested India was owed over £52 trillion. The report suggested that Western nations commit to providing former colonies with at least £4 trillion annually in reparations and “climate debt” – a…

Addressing the House of Commons, defence secretary said the spy ship is currently in the North Sea having passed through British waters Royal Navy tracks Russian spy ship in English Channel as John Healey warns Putin: ‘We see you’ A Russian spy ship is being tracked by the Royal Navy after sailing through the English Channel, John Healey revealed on Wednesday, issuing a stark warning to Vladimir Putin that the government is watching Russian activity in UK waters. “We see you”, the defence secretary warned, promising robust action to protect Britain. The ship, Yantar, is currently in the North Sea…

What is Prevent? Anti-terror unit which failed to stop Southport murders under increased scrutiny Southport Stabbing trial latest: Axel Rudakubana to be sentenced for murders of three girls at Taylor Swift dance class Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is set to be sentenced on Thursday morning for murdering three young girls in a frenzied knife attack last year. Rudakubana, 18, stabbed and killed the girls, aged between six and nine, with a 20cm-long kitchen knife as he ambushed a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside. Wearing a surgical face mask while armed with the blade, the then 17-year-old travelled five…

MyWaitrose members can claim a free hot drink from January 27 Waitrose to bring back free perk that had shoppers queuing around the corner  Waitrose has heard the calls from their loyal customers and is set to bring back free hot drinks for shoppers – even if they do not buy anything in store. The upmarket supermarket has told members of its loyalty scheme that from 27 January, they can get one complimentary drink per day if they use a reusable cup. The perk – which entitles customers to a free americano, cappuccino, latte, or tea – was first introduced…

Greggs have recalled one of their most popular items from supermarket chain Iceland Greggs issues recall of supermarket steak bakes due to possible health risk Greggs have recalled one of its most popular items from shelves after a packaging error. The popular high street bakery chain has warned that some of its packs of steak bakes contain sausage, bean and cheese melts, which were incorrectly labelled as Steak Bakes. This means that some sulphites are not declared on the label. The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) said: “the product is a possible health risk for anyone with a sensitivity to…

The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning from midnight on Friday across most of the UK, including the south-west of England, the Midlands, northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland Storm Eowyn map: Where and when snow and 90mph winds will hit UK after Met Office weather warnings issued Storm Eowyn is set to bring strong winds across the entire country, potentially putting lives at risk, the Met Office has warned. Gusts of more than 90mph could cause power cuts, travel disruption and damage to buildings as Storm Eowyn threatens the UK. There could also be a danger to…