Author: News Desk

Summary of the Independent Newspaper The Independent front page this morning – summarised  Latest News updated every hour

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Summary of The Guardian Newspaper The Guardian page this morning – summarised  Latest News updated every hour

Dominique Pelicot, the ex-husband of French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of drugging and raping her, as well as inviting dozens of other men to abuse her over a period of nearly a decade. The 72-year-old was found guilty of all charges by a judge in Avignon, southern France, and became emotional in court as the sentence was read.

On December 20, 1812, the Brothers Grimm’s Fairy Tales were published. The collection contains very famous stories, vaguely more gruesome than the Disney versions. For example, at the end Cinderella has her stepsisters’ eyes gouged out. Not that they didn’t deserve it, but maybe it’s a little too horror for today’s kids… The most famous Christmas story in the history of cinema, however, was released in American theaters on December 20, 1946. Overseas It’s a Wonderful Life is one of the most beloved films ever, the classic of holiday classics. We can also consider it a little Italian, because the…

Starbucks baristas in the US, represented by Workers United, are set to begin a five-day strike starting Friday, demanding better pay, improved working conditions, and more staff at their stores. The strike, which will start in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, is expected to spread to hundreds of locations across the country by Christmas Eve unless an agreement is reached.

US Diplomats Visit Syria to Meet New Authorities in Damascus US diplomats have arrived in Damascus, Syria, to meet with representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group now in control of the region. Despite HTS being labelled as a terrorist organization by the US, this meeting marks a significant shift in US diplomacy toward Syria. This visit comes after similar delegations from the United Nations, the UK, France, and Germany have visited Syria in recent days. It’s also the first time in over a decade that US diplomats have made an official appearance in Damascus. The visit signals major…

Met Office issues wind warnings of up to 85mph across parts of UK as Christmas holidays begin The UK is set to see rain and disruptive winds of up to 85mph this weekend as the Met Office issues weather warnings for Christmas holiday drivers. Yellow wind warnings have been released for the weekend, with one covering Scotland, much of Northern Ireland, north Wales and north-west England between 7am and midnight on Saturday. Another warning is in place between midnight and 9pm on Sunday, covering Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and all of western England. Met Office issues wind warnings of up…

Political heavyweight Lord Peter Mandelson to be named next ambassador to US. The Labour grandee is expected to be the next UK ambassador to the US. Lord Mandelson, who served in the cabinets of Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, is poised to be the UK’s next top diplomat in Washington, in a political appointment as President-elect Donald Trump returns to office. The tenure of Dame Karen Pierce, the current office holder, is expected to come to an end in early 2025 and Lord Mandelson had been widely tipped as the person next in line for the job. A source said that…

The first US diplomats to visit Syria since President Bashar Assad’s ousting earlier this month are in Damascus to hold talks with the country’s new leaders and seek information on the whereabouts of missing American journalist Austin Tice. Assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs Barbara Leaf, former special envoy for Syria Daniel Rubinstein and the Biden administration’s chief envoy for hostage negotiations, Roger Carstens, made the trip for talks with Syria’s interim leaders, the State Department said on Friday. The team is the first group of American diplomats to formally visit Syria in more than a decade since…