Author: News Desk

Tory Mayor invites Trump to official UK visit  Mayor Ben Houchen has sent an open letter to incoming US president Donald Trump, congratulating him on his election victory and inviting him to visit North East England.  The Tees Valley mayor’s invitation comes as the prime minister faces backlash for failing to formally invite the president-elect to visit the UK.  Those around Trump aren’t fans of Britain, but the soon-to-be president is – much more than his predecessor Joe Biden anyway. He also tells Elon Musk Tees Valley is open for business – in a bit of a beggy and desperate…

Russia’s record bombing of Ukraine leads much of the bloc’s major news sites this morning as Ukraine’s air force says it has shot down 76 Russian drones in 17 regions, whilst another 95 were lost from their radars or downed by electronic jamming defensive systems in overnights attacks.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel also dominates much of the European news. A formidable feature of European politics, Merkel served Germany for 16 years. Today, her memoir Freedom is released. The highly anticipated memoir confronts criticisms of her policies on Russia and migration, which some say left Germany overly dependent on Russian gas and has fueled the rise of the far right in the Deutschland.

The conclusion of the mass rape trial in France finds plenty of space as prosecutors demand the maximum sentence for Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband and women around the world protesting for an end to violence against women. Much of the European media – including the UK – are running various campaigns and stories around violence towards women, sexual assault and calls for governments to do better.

Don’t expect Budget rethink, Rachel Reeves implies Rachel Reeves has implied she won’t rethink her Budget measures in the wake of backlash from business, saying: “We’ve made our decisions.” The Chancellor appeared at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)’s annual conference on Monday in a fireside chat with Keith Anderson, the chief executive of Scottish Power. She was asked by ITV about the “unintended consequences” of her fiscal event, and whether she would “rethink any of the measures that you’ve announced?” Reeves said: “It’s really important that the sums add up, and I’m determined to be the Chancellor that puts…

Unemployment hotspots to get more NHS funding under new back to work plan Places with the highest levels of joblessness will get extra NHS support as the government bids to “get Britain working again”. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall will announce the plans today as part of wide-ranging reforms designed to tackle economic inactivity and deliver the government’s promise to bring more than two million people back into work. She said: “To get Britain growing, we need to get Britain working again. “Our reforms will break down barriers to opportunity, help people to get into work and on at…

Rachel Reeves accused of making Britain uninvestable as she insists there is no alternative to tax hikes Rachel Reeves has been accused by business chiefs of making it hard to invest in Britain, prompting her to insist there was no alternative. Directly facing her critics at the CBI conference after weeks of negativity about her autumn Budget, a defensive chancellor pledged that businesses in the UK will not have to suffer another one like it before the next election. Squaring up to her detractors, she told them: “I have heard a lot of feedback about my Budget but not any alternative suggestions.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rachel-reeves-business-taxes-cbi-b2653379.html

Prosecutors on Monday sought the maximum 20-year prison sentence for Dominique Pelicot, accused of drugging and raping his then-wife, Gisele Pelicot, and arranging for others to assault her. 20 year sentence for ex husband in Pelicot mass rape case In court at Avignon, the prosecutor described the sentence as “both too much and too little given the severity of the crimes. Jump to section:

More flooding is likely this week after Storm Bert brought torrential rain over the weekend, the environment secretary has said.

London maintains tech capital crown but New York threatens London has kept its title as the tech capital of the world in a closely-watched league table, while New York edged closer to reclaiming the crown. The Z/Yen Smart Centres Index – which ranks 77 global commercial hubs on their ability to create, develop and deploy tech – showed London remained in first place, a title it has held in the biannual ranking since overtaking New York last May. In the latest edition, New York took back second place after coming in third behind Zurich six months ago. The gap between London and New York…

More than 140 flood warnings remain in place across England, Wales and Scotland as the after-effects of Storm Bert are felt. More rain is expected to fall today.

Politics leads the way in the media today – in print and online – as the prime minister makes pledges to get more people back into work with reforms to overhaul job centres and more mental health funding. Some of Britain’s biggest cultural and sporting institutions such as the Premier League and the Royal Shakespeare Company will hire teenagers to teach them skills in a drive to get young people into work or education.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended her budget yesterday as businesses continued to complain. The chancellor dismissed business warnings that tax rises in the budget will make it harder to hire more people. Reeves has promised that there will be no more rises during this government’s term.