Author: UK News

News analysis: Of the many watch parties going on in Washington DC, the packed one at the Heritage Foundation, which led the compilation of Project 2025 policy tome shaping Trump’s agenda, had special significance. Political editor David Maddox reports from Washington, D.C. Trump once distanced himself from Project 2025. But now MAGA’s hardliners are ready for the revolution During the bitter presidential election campaign, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and her supporters regularly quoted from the Project 2025 tome produced by more than 100 right-wing thinktanks and led by the massive Heritage Foundation. At one point, such was the intensity of attacks around it, Donald Trump publicly…

Changes to the work capability assessment are at the heart of Labour plans ‘Urgent’ disability benefit reform backed by Lords after Starmer warns of ‘ruthless’ cuts An inquiry by House of Lords members has recommended “urgent” reforms be made to the UK’s disability benefits system, pressing the government to push ahead with planned changes. Writing to DWP secretary Liz Kendall, the House’s Economic Affairs Committee advises that welfare spending must be reduced or else it will “remain a challenge” for the government. The inquiry report points out that £65 billion a year is now spent on health-related benefits in the…

IT and construction dominate Ireland’s top-paying jobs IT jobs in Ireland maintain their position as the highest paid roles in Ireland, according to analysis by jobs recruitment website IrishJobs.Workers in the sector had the highest average mean salary at €69,050. This was followed by construction workers on €63,502, finance employees on €63,165 and engineering at €59,808. According to the research, full-time employees in Ireland earned a mean gross salary of €46,791 last year. Ireland compares positively to other European economies, with a median salary in the UK of £35,648 (€42,377) and €45,800 in Germany. The research is based on an analysis of…

Beckham told the World Economic Forum girls were held back by violence, poverty and discrimination David Beckham urges Davos leaders to fight for girls’ rights David Beckham has made an impassioned speech urging global leaders to fight for women’s rights during an address at Davos. The ex-England footballer was honoured with a Crystal Award at the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Switzerland on Monday, for his “extraordinary leadership and humanitarianism” in protecting “the rights of the most vulnerable children”. On route to collecting the award, Unicef goodwill ambassador Beckham hugged Melanie Brown, the former Spice Girls bandmate of his…

After taking the oath of office, America’s 47th president tells crowds in freezing cold Washington DC he was ‘saved by god to make America great again’ Donald Trump returns with boast of golden age for America built on oil and tariffs Donald Trump boasted his second term in office marks the beginning of “a golden age” for the United States and declared that God had saved him from an assassin’s bullet “to make America great again”. In a characteristically bombastic speech from the Capitol in Washington DC, the 47th president of the United States laid out a radical right-wing domestic…

Axel Rudakubana, then 17, unleashed an attack on 30 July during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class – in the chaotic hours following the incident, misinformation began spreading online How misinformation about the Southport murders sparked violent race riots across the country  The summer race riots that engulfed the nation in waves of violence had a grim and harrowing spark – a mass stabbing at a dance class in the seaside town of Southport, carried out by a teenager. Axel Rudakubana, then 17, unleashed an attack on 30 July during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, murdering three children and injuring eight…

Exclusive: Incoming president still minded to reject Lord Mandelson’s credentials as the UK’s ambassador to the US, with reports of splits in Downing Street over the appointment Trump poised to reject Mandelson as ambassador to US unless serious restrictions placed on his activities Donald Trump is still threatening to reject Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US unless the British government accept serious restrictions on his activities. Sir Keir Starmer is being placed under increasing pressure by the incoming Trump administration to bow to the undiplomatic demands or face a humiliating and unprecedented veto on his pick…

A schoolboy who was fatally stabbed up to 27 times on a bus was set upon ‘almost instantaneously’ by his killers, a court has heard. Kelyan Bokassa, 14, was attacked as he rode a bus towards his home in Woolwich, south-east London, on the afternoon of January 7. Two boys, aged 15 and 16, allegedly tracked him down and used ‘lengthy machetes’ to ‘stab or attempt to stab’ him 27 times. An artery in Kelyan’s thigh was severed during the attack, and he bled to death shortly after paramedics arrived. One of the machetes was thrown into the River Thames…

Southport Stabbing: Everything we know about attack as Axel Rudakubana pleads guilty  Axel Rudakubana has admitted to killing three girls at a dance class in Southport on the first day of his trial. The 18-year-old was to stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday charged with 16 offences, including three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. Dramatically changing his plea at the last moment, the teenager admitted to all the charges. He pleaded guilty to the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine. He also admitted to possessing…

Number of under-45s renting surges by fastest rate in a decade as mortgage costs price out younger buyers, Hamptons research finds Rents for young people rise by £3.5bn to record high as landlords pass on mortgage costs, analysis finds  Younger tenants in Britain have seen their rents rise by a collective £3.5bn to hit a record high in the past year as landlords pass on their mortgage costs, new analysis suggests. Under-45s are now paying 66 per cent of all rent in Britain, amounting to a record £56.2bn in 2024, according to Hamptons estate agents. Mortgage costs soared as the…

Energy bills rose again in January, as the new polling prompted fresh calls for a social tariff to help consumers. Energy bills to soar again – why 90% of households are bracing for the worst The vast majority of people are just as worried about paying their energy bills as they were last winter, despite a fall in prices. New polling found 88% of people are as concerned or even more so than last year, amid mounting calls for a social tariff for consumers. The average energy bill for households across England, Scotland and Wales increased by 1.2% in January…

Emily Damari among first three hostages freed by Hamas as ceasefire deal takes effect, with 90 Palestinian held in Israeli jails also freed ‘I’ve returned to my beloved life,’ freed British-Israeli hostage says after release from Gaza  British-Israeli national Emily Damari – among the first three hostages freed from Gaza by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel – says she has “returned to my beloved life” in the moving first comments she has made since her release. Ms Damari, 28, was freed from 15 months in captivity on Sunday as the truce deal came into effect, with…

The digital licences would be available via government app Digital driving licences you can access on your phone set to be rolled out this year Ministers are set to unveil plans for digital driving licences next week, according to reports. The licences will be available through a new government app, potentially by the end of this year, according to The Times. Officials have emphasised that a digital licence would not be mandatory. The digital wallet that will contain the licence would be accessed through a government app which will have security measures similar to banking apps, according to reports. Digital…

What to do if you have information on missing Aberdeen sisters Missing Aberdeen sisters latest: Police reveal eerie final text sent to landlady at same time as last sighting A major police update has revealed a final eerie text was sent from the phone of one of the missing Aberdeen sisters at the same time as the last sighting of the pair. The pair’s landlady received the message from Henrietta Huszti’s phone, which indicated they would not be returning to their flat, at 2:12am on 7 January from the area of Victoria Bridge. The phone was then disconnected from the…

The release of three Israeli hostages in Gaza dominates the UK news today. Israeli-British citizen Emily Damari was among those released. She lost two fingers during her 15-month ordeal. The ceasefire will also see much-needed humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip as well as the return of 90 Palestinian prisoners (mostly women and teenage boys).

The weekend’s Premier League action leads the social media trending stories for the UK as Manchester United and Spurs lose again and discussions of what keeps going wrong has begun amongst pundits and fans.

Emily Damari is among the three hostages released – in a prisoner swap as part of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire.

British hostage freed as Gaza ceasefire starts The Independent reports that British hostage Emily Damari is one of three hostages in Gaza to be released – 15 months after being kidnapped. The front page shows footage of the tree reuniting with family. The UK economy – and the paper’s assessment of the chancellor feature at the top of the paper.

Hostages out as truce holds The Guardian reports Emily – the last remaining British hostage in Gaza  – has arrived in Israel to be reunited with her family after 471 days in captivity. The paper also reports that hundreds of aid trucks queued to enter Gaza, bringing supplies to its 2.3 million residents as the ceasefire took effect. Simultaneously, Red Cross officials worked at Israel’s Ofer prison to oversee the release of Palestinian prisoners. Donald Trump is to be sworn in as president on the same spot as the Capitol riots, the paper says.

As the fighting stops after 15 months … Home at last The Metro leads with the headline “Home at last,” recounting the “chaotic scenes” surrounding the trio’s release. The paper says Emily “was shot in the hand, injured by shrapnel in her leg, and saw her dog Choocha killed before she was blindfolded and bundled into a car that took her to Gaza.”

British hostage Emily Damari among three released in Gaza ceasefire: Home after 471 days in hell The Daily Express reports after 15 months of unimaginable torment, Emily Damari’s return home is a beacon of hope amid a sea of despair in the Middle East. Her mother’s tears of joy tell a story of love and resilience. The ceasefire is now in its second day – Palestinian prisoners are being swapped for Israeli hostages.

Gaza hostage release: Out of the darkness .. back in mum’s arms The Daily Mirror leads on the release of the hostages as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire begins. The paper focuses on Israeli British hostage Emily’s reunion with her mother Mandy, quoting Mrs Damari’s call to action: “Every hostage must be released.”

After 471 days of Gaza hell … Home at last The Sun front page reports on British hostage Emily Damari who was amongst the first to be freed in the first stage of the agreed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The front page also reports on the weekend’s Premier League action – as both Man United and Spurs lose again.

Monday’s front pages lead on the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel – as a prisoner-hostage swap deal takes place. Amongst the hostages released include a British-Israeli citizen who leads most of the paper’s images this morning.

Beyond the Middle East truce, the papers leave space to report on President-elect Donald Trump – who takes the oath of office today, Monday 20 January 2025. Several stories regarding the US president make the front pages, including reports about the prime minister racing to secure a deal with the new president.

Last night’s Premier League matches dominate the UK back pages – with Manchester United’s 3-2 loss to Brighton leading several after Man Utd boss Amorim labelled his squad the worst side in Manchester United’s 147-year history. Spurs also suffered a loss to Everton, putting pressure on boss Ange Postecoglou.

A band of rain across western Scotland will clear into northern England and northwest Wales throughout today. Rather cloudy to the south of this, although perhaps a few breaks developing. To the north a mix of bright spells and showers. Tonight: The band of patchy rain will stall across the central swathe of the UK overnight. Otherwise a mix of cloud and clear spells, with some fog patches developing.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused the Labour prime minister of ‘getting off to the worst possible start’ with the incoming Trump administration Keir Starmer embroiled in row over Sadiq Khan’s ‘fascism’ jibe at Donald Trump on eve of inauguration  Sir Keir Starmer is embroiled in another row over Donald Trump after the Labour mayor of London warned of a “resurgent fascism” on the eve of his inauguration. Allies of the prime minister slapped down Sir Sadiq Khan, distancing the government from his comments, while the Tories condemned them as “unacceptable”. The latest spat comes at a difficult time for…