Author: UK News

Labour minister Tulip Siddiq caught up in Bangladesh corruption probe A Labour minister has been embroiled in a Bangladeshi corruption probe after the country’s government accused her of helping her aunt embezzle billions of pounds. City minister Tulip Siddiq, has been accused of helping Sheikh Hasina, the recently ousted prime minister of Bangladesh, to siphon off £5.2bn intended to be used building eight large-scale projects including a nuclear power plant. The Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate has not commented on the allegations, but Labour figures have described them as “spurious”, while Syed Faruk, the UK general-secretary of Ms Hasina’s…

Waspi women latest: Starmer faces growing Labour rebellion after ‘breaking promise’ on pensions Keir Starmer faces a growing Labour rebellion after being accused of breaking a promise in a decision not to compensate Waspi women. Up to 50 Labour MPs would vote against the government’s decision to rule out spending £10bn compensating the women if a vote is held, The Independent understands. Waspi refers to a woman born between 1950 and 1960 who was disadvantaged by the 1995 Pensions Act, which increased their pensionable age from 60 to 65. The group – Women Against State Pension Inequality – was set…

Water bills set for steep price hike after Ofwat review – how much will yours rise by? Increases by water company: Anglian Water: 2024/25 £491; 2029/30 £631; up £140 (+29%)Dwr Cymru: 2024/25 £455; 2029/30 £645; up £190 (+42%)Hafren Dyfrdwy: 2024/25 £392; 2029/30 £557; up £165 (+42%)Northumbrian Water: 2024/25 £422; 2029/30 £510; up £88 (+21%)Severn Trent Water: 2024/25 £398; 2029/30 £583; up £185 (+47%)Southern Water: 2024/25 £420; 2029/30 £642; up £222 (+53%)South West Water: 2024/25 £497; 2029/30 £610; up £113 (+23%)Thames Water: 2024/25 £436; 2029/30 £588; up £152 (+35%)United Utilities: 2024/25 £442; 2029/30 £585; up £143 (+32%)Wessex Water: 2024/25 £508; 2029/30…

What Christmas will look like for Prince Andrew and Fergie as they are sidelined from royal festivities When King Charles leads the Royal family on their traditional Christmas Day walk to St Mary Magdalene church, one notable absence will draw attention: his embattled younger brother, the Duke of York. It was revealed earlier this week that Prince Andrew had struck up a close friendship with an alleged Chinese spy, who has been banned from the UK. It is the latest in a string of controversies faced by Andrew in recent years, the most notable being his resignation which came after…

The prime minister is being urged to tighten the rules around donations to political parties as the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, attempts to interfere in British politics by making a $100 million donation to Reform UK.

Further reports suggest the Conservative Party are attempting to woo Elon Musk away from Reform and to the Tories by highlighting their ‘anti-woke’ credentials.

Musk has been vocal about foreign interference in American politics but seems to have no issue with interfering in other countries’ politics.

There is anger across the political spectrum this morning as the government has announced it won’t be compensating the Waspi women. Whilst it’s accepted that it would hit the taxpayer if the government did decide to compensate the women, it been widely highlighted that when in opposition Labour made it clear it would be prepared to write a cheque if they came to power.

There’s further coverage of Prince Andrew’s latest scandal as he’s been told to stay away from royal events this Christmas. It comes as another Chinese spy allegation emerges.

Early cloud clearing the southeast through the morning leaving sunny spells for many parts. Frequent wintry showers continuing in the north and west with some strong gusts around the coasts. Feeling cold in the brisk northwesterly wind. Tonight: Showers and winds easing during the evening with clear spells developing. Cloud and wind increasing in the northwest with rain later. Short lived frost forming under the clear skies.

Summary of Western Mail Newspaper Western Mail front page this morning – summarisedNational Theatre Wales has officially ceased to exist: The National Theatre Wales (NTW) has now formally ceased to exist several months after its £1.6m a year Welsh Government funding was pulled in its entirety. Speaking to BBC News Wales, Naomi Chiffi, who is the head of collaboration at the company, described the loss as “devastating”.Cardiff University is set to open a campus in Kazakhstan: Cardiff University plans to open its “first overseas branch” in Kazakhstan next year amid falling numbers of higher paying international students coming here. The…

Summary of The National Newspaper The National front page this morning – summarisedSNP MP tears Keir Starmer to shreds for Waspi betrayal: KEIR Starmer mocked the SNP as he was branded a “one trick phoney” after “betraying” Waspi women. Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told the Commons on Tuesday that the Labour Government will not pay Waspi women compensation arguing that the proposed payment scheme was not “fair or value for taxpayers’ money”. Jeremy Corbyn: Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar have betrayed Waspi women: JEREMY Corbyn has said that Keir Starmer and senior Labour figures – including Anas Sarwar – have “betrayed”…

Summary of The Irish News Newspaper The Irish News front page this morning – summarisedCivil servants net £18K freebies during impasse: RUGBY and GAA matches, hotel stays, canapé receptions and theatre shows are among the thousands of pounds worth of gifts and hospitality received by senior Stormont civil servants since the executive’s collapse.New republican organisation Éire Nua launched: A newly launched anti-agreement republican organisation has said it stands for “peace and justice” and unionists have nothing to fear from it. The Éire Nua group is understood to include former members of Republican Sinn Féin and Sinn Féin and describes itself…

Thursday’s front pages are made up of a variety of domestic and international news, with several political stories finding themselves taking prime positions on the front pages.

Away from politics, a handful of tabloids continue to cover Prince Andrew being frozen out of the royal family and restaurant critic Grace Dent replacing Gregg Wallace on the hit show Celebrity MasterChef.

The back pages cover Ruben Amorim’s response to the recent Marcus Rashford interview in which he suggested he was ready for a new challenge, indicating his desire to leave Manchester United.

France’s highest court, the Cour de Cassation, has upheld a corruption conviction against former President Nicolas Sarkozy, rejecting his appeal. The ruling means that Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, must now wear an electronic monitoring bracelet for a year.

Summary of The Guardian Newspaper The Guardian page this morning – summarisedStarmer urged to change donation rules amid talk of Musk bankrolling Reform: Keir Starmer must strengthen the rules around political donations to protect the electoral system from foreign interference, the Electoral Commission has said, amid rising concerns about Elon Musk’s plans to donate millions of pounds to Reform UK.More than 140 Kenya Facebook moderators diagnosed with severe PTSD:More than 140 Facebook content moderators have been diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder caused by exposure to graphic social media content including murders, suicides, child sexual abuse and terrorism.Thames Water to…

Summary of the Independent Newspaper The Independent front page this morning – summarisedWaspi women’s fury as Starmer says they knew about pension change: Sir Keir Starmer has provoked outrage among the Waspi women after he appeared to point the finger of blame at them over Labour’s decision not to pay them compensation over changes to their pensions.Gregg Wallace’s MasterChef replacement confirmed in BBC announcement: Food critic and I’m a Celebrity star Grace Dent will be replacing Wallace, it has been confirmed. She regularly appears as a critic on MasterChef and is known for her straight-shooting comments.Andrew pulls out of royal…

Summary of the Metro Newspaper Metro front page this morning – summarisedTeen driver who killed friends after inhaling laughing gas at the wheel jailed: A teenage driver who was filmed inhaling laughing gas moments before crashing into a tree, killing three teenage passengers, has been jailed. Thomas Johnson, 19, was speeding along the A415 in Oxfordshire at 100mph when he crashed, killing his friends David Hancock, 18, Ethan Goddard, 18, and Elliot Pulllen, 17, in June 2023.Everything you need to know before watching the Gavin and Stacey finale: There’s only one place to be on Christmas day at 9pm –…

Loan sharks linked to dissident republicans are forcing some victims to store weapons, it has been claimed.It has also been claimed that on one occasion a victim had to hand over a car when they were unable to re-pay money.Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said he has been approached by a significant number of people who have been faced with “intimidation, theft and threats” because they were unable to pay back money borrowed with excessive interest rates.Police confirmed that two arrests have been made and four “proactive searches” carried out in connection with illegal money lending in the north west in…

Thousands of students missed out on at least a month of school last year, prompting concerns amongst inspectors about poor attendance rates post-covid.More than a quarter of all primary school students, and more than a fifth of all post-primary students, missed out on 20 or more school days during the 2022/23 school year. The problem is particularly marked in disadvantaged areas.Of “particular concern” is that 43% of primary school students, and 30% of post-primary school students in schools with the highest levels of disadvantage missed 20 school days or more. Partial attendance at school can be a precursor towards more…

Can a steel town survive if its furnaces are turned off? – podcast Port Talbot in Wales is defined by its huge steelworks. But in January Tata Steel announced it was ending primary steelmaking there. George McDonagh charts a year that could change the town for everIn January, Tata Steel announced it was ending primary steelmaking in Port Talbot. The town is known for two huge blast furnaces and its massive steelworks that has provided employment for decades. George McDonagh travelled there to see how people were reacting. He met Gareth Edwards, who had spent 30 years working there and…

Support for Verona Murphy is a significant step towards government deal The support of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for Ms Murphy’s candidacy is seen as a significant step towards a deal being reached to form a government.Following the first sitting of the 34th Dáil, it was adjourned for the Christmas break, which was initially set to end on January 15. This has been pushed back to January 22, indicating that the government leaders are confident a deal will be in place at that stage.One senior Fine Gael source expressed doubt over this timeline, saying it would be “optimistic” to…

Toadstool with teeth and ghostly palm among plant and fungus finds of 2024 Scientists race to discover new species before destruction of natural world drives them to extinctionFrom a toadstool with teeth to a vine smelling of marzipan and a flower that has cheated its way out of having to photosynthesise, a weird and wonderful host of new plant and fungus species have been discovered in 2024.Other plants given scientific names for the first time include beautiful new orchids, a ghostly palm and a hairy plant that appears to have stolen a gene from an unrelated family. The species are…

Haulier says North Wales road closure costing them £1,500 a day The A487 has been closed between Corris Uchaf and Minffordd since December 11 A haulier says a North Wales road closure is costing it £1,500 a day. The A487 has been closed between Corris Uchaf and Minffordd since December 11 due to “unstable ground”. The closure means a 25-mile diversion for what was a six-mile journey, causing significant disruption for local people, businesses, and north-south transport links. Today Traffic Wales confirmed the road would remain closed until next year – with no official date for when it will reopen.…

Sir Keir Starmer will face an end-of-term grilling from senior MPs on Thursday after an opening few months in office which have seen Labour’s poll ratings plummet. The Prime Minister will take questions from the Liaison Committee for the first time since being elected in July. The panel is made up of the chairs of Commons select committees, and Sir Keir will face questions across a range of Government departments. Among the members of the committee are former Conservative cabinet minister Steve Barclay, and chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Tories Bob Blackman. Among the Labour seats are former…

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Rudy Giuliani to appear in court in early January to face claims that he should be held in contempt for failing to turn over assets including a New York apartment lease and a signed Joe DiMaggio shirt to two Georgia election poll workers who won a libel case against him. Judge Lewis J Liman in Manhattan signed the order calling for the former New York City mayor and onetime personal lawyer to President-elect Donald Trump to appear before him on January 3. Lawyers for the election workers who won a 148 million dollar (£117…

A nurse in south London has been suspended after she forced her colleagues to look at pictures from her ‘sexy’ photoshoot. Timea Buzas was working at St Nicholas Vaccination Centre in Sutton in December 2021 when she showed her colleagues the images. They were approached by Buzas in the staff area while they were with another colleague and asked if they wanted to see the photos. Although both responded ‘no thanks’, Buzas showed them three photos on her phone, a report detailing the case read. The report added: ‘The panel considered that [Buzas] showed Colleague B and Colleague C the…

British YouTuber and rapper Yung Filly has admitted to reckless driving in Australia while on bail for sexual assault charges. The internet personality, real name Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, had his case listed before Perth Magistrates Court in Western Australia on Thursday. Court documents revealed Barrientos pleaded guilty to the driving charge on December 5. The social media star was clocked driving at more than 96mph on the Roe Highway near the Perth suburb of High Wycombe on November 17. Yung Filly and Chunkz after winning Best Media Personality at the Mobo Awards (Jacob King/PA) At the time, the online…

Taoiseach Simon Harris is in Brussels with EU counterparts and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks on how best to secure Ukraine’s future on the battlefield and strengthen its position ahead of potential peace talks with Russia. “Bringing an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine is a fundamental issue for Europe and requires coordinated and effective work of European countries,” Mr Zelenskyy said ahead of his arrival. It is the last time EU leaders are meeting before Donald Trump takes over as US president. Mr Trump has made it clear he expects Europe to do “much more heavy lifting” regarding…