Author: UK News

Prince Andrew friend loses appeal on UK ban over national security A Chinese businessman described as a “close confidant” of the Duke of York has lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds. The man, known only as H6, brought a case to the special immigration appeals commission (SIAC) after the then-home secretary, Suella Braverman, said he should be excluded from the UK in March 2023. Judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships…

A close friend of Prince Andrew has lost his appeal against a decision banning him from the UK on national security grounds. An MI5 investigation alleged the man – known as H6 – was spying for China.

The UK economy shrank for the second month in a row in October as concerns about the Budget continued to weigh on confidence.

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have discovered their 2026 World Cup qualifying opponents following Friday’s draw in Zurich. England will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron has named centrist leader François Bayrou as France’s next prime minister, in a bid to end months of political turmoil.

Another chilly and rather grey day across much of the UK. Outbreaks of light rain and drizzle possible, with a band of more persistent rain arriving across northwest Scotland later. Hill fog will lead to murky conditions in places. Tonight: Staying cloudy across much of England and Wales, with further rain and drizzle in places. Rain moving south across Scotland and Northern Ireland followed by scattered blustery showers.

Summary of Western Mail Newspaper Western Mail front page this morning – summarised’Our democratic rights as parliamentarians in Wales can’t be considered to be inferior when compared to legislators in other devolved legislatures’Plaid Cymru called for Wales to be given parity with Scotland on devolved powers. Rhun ap Iorwerth warned Wales remains the “poor relation” among devolved nations in policy areas ranging from rail, justice and tax to welfare benefits and the Crown Estate.He said: “Our democratic rights as parliamentarians in Wales can’t be considered to be inferior when compared to legislators in other devolved legislatures. But that is the…

Summary of The National Newspaper The National front page this morning – summarisedThe National says Starmer under fire as cap set to rise again despite pledge people would pay less. LABOUR have been accused of “betraying” voters as it was revealed energy bills are predicted to rise again from next April.Households could be in for yet another rise in costs as market “turbulence” and price cap reforms feed through to bills.The latest forecast from Cornwall Insight suggests the energy price cap could rise to £1762 per year for a typical dual fuel consumer – a 1% increase from the cap of…

Friday’s front pages lead with various domestic and international stories. There is ongoing coverage of the latest across the Middle East as G7 nations prepare to hold a virtual meeting on Friday to discuss the fast-moving developments. For Syrians, many have taken to the streets in celebration, marking the end of the Assad regime. 

Amid ongoing war in the Middle East and Europe, as well as the return of Donald Trump to world politics, several front pages lead with stories regarding NATO. European members of the alliance are holding talks about increasing the spending target to 3% of GDP. There is also a warning from the new head of NATO, Mark Rutte, that European members need to spend more on defence. 

A little closer to home, Prince Andrew has found himself on the front pages again, this time regarding a close confidant to the Duke who has reportedly been banished from Britain over claims he is a Chinese spy.

Summary of The Irish News Newspaper The Irish News front page this morning – summarisedThe front page of The Irish News reports an investigation is underway over footage showing a cop kicking a restrained teenager in the head. An investigation is underway over footage which appears to show a police officer kicking a Co Tyrone teenager about the head while he lies restrained on the ground. The short clip shows a uniformed PSNI officer kick Shea Somerville in the head during an arrest operation in Cookstown in the early hours of Sunday.DUP minister Paul Givan has “serious questions to answer over…

Summary of the Independent Newspaper The Independent front page this morning – summarisedThe front page of The Independent this morning speaks to the man who sparked the Syrian revolution. Angry with life under Bashar al-Assad, 16-year-old Muawiyah Syasneh and his friends spray-painted four words onto a wall in their school playground.Four words of defiance that saw the teenagers jailed and tortured for weeks, triggering Syria’s first protests in early 2011.Four words that ignited a revolution that spiralled into one of the bloodiest civil wars of modern times. Latest News updated every hour

Summary of The Guardian Newspaper The Guardian page this morning – summarisedThe front page of The Guardian this morning leads with a report that some jury trials may be axed under new plans to ease the court backlog. The front page features an image of a funeral for a victim of the Assad regime. Jury trials could be abandoned for some criminal cases in England and Wales under a radical overhaul proposed by ministers as the crown courts backlog hit a record high.A review, to be led by the former high court judge Sir Brian Leveson, will consider creating “intermediate courts”…

Summary of the Metro Newspaper Metro front page this morning – summarised The Metro’s front page leads on a truly bizarre story as the prime minister and leader of the opposition appear to get into a spat regarding sandwiches. The paper’s headline notes as the pair continue their ridiculous jibes, the country’s problems are mounting up. Ed Miliband has hit back at Kemi Badenoch for her anti-sandwich stance, ten years after he was notoriously photographed struggling to eat one. In a recent interview, the leader of the opposition hit out at the idea of sandwiches, saying she doesn’t consider them…

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Publisher: Bethesda. Format: Xbox/PC)IN A perfect marriage of movie and venue, last week the Ulster Museum held a screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Yet, while 1981’s archaeological actioner is something of a relic itself, today’s adventure flicks can only dream of its craft and creativity, with a lead character in Indiana Jones who’s so iconic he finishes second only to Atticus Finch in the American Film Institute’s list of movie heroes.Infinitely quotable, Raiders’ nostalgic blend of heroism, chases and cliffhangers was followed up with the macabre Temple of Doom (“Kali Ma!”) and,…

Hundreds of protesters led by university students held a noisy rally on Thursday outside Serbia’s state television headquarters, despite the country’s president pledging to fulfil all their demands. Blowing whistles, booing and jeering, the protesters said they were angry that state RTS television is carrying President Aleksandar Vucic’s accusations that the students were paid from the West and elsewhere to hold protests to overthrow his government. Why are they protesting in Belgrade? The demonstration is part of wider protests which erupted after the fall of a concrete canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad last month, killing 15 people.…

Human rights attorney quits court over failure to prosecute Venezuela A prominent human rights attorney has parted ways with the International Criminal Court to protest what he sees as an unjustified failure of its chief prosecutor to indict members of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government.Chilean-born Claudio Grossman, a past president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, has left due to the failure to bring prosecutions for crimes against humanity, The Associated Press has learned.He was appointed special adviser to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in November 2021 on the deteriorating human rights situation in Venezuela.In a harshly worded email last…

Guardian and Observer charity appeal raises more than £250,000 Readers reach donation milestone before Saturday telethon, securing money to help families in Gaza and Ukraine• Donate to our charity appeal hereMore than £250,000 for charities supporting families hit by war and violence in Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere has been raised by Guardian and Observer readers less than a week after the appeal launched.The milestone was achieved before the annual fundraising telethon on Saturday 14 December. Journalists who will be on hand to take donations over the phone include Polly Toynbee, John Crace, Marina Hyde and Zoe Williams. Continue reading… Guardian…

An investigation will take place after reports a member of Buckingham Palace staff was arrested after a Christmas party, according to a Palace spokesperson. The spokesperson said “appropriate action” would be taken after the Palace was made aware of the incident. The Sun reported a female member of staff was arrested at a bar in Victoria on Tuesday. A Palace spokesperson told the BBC: “We are aware of an incident outside the workplace involving a number of Household staff who had previously attended an early evening reception at the Palace. “While this was an informal social gathering, not an official…

Homes plan at ex-private school site in Bangor given green light The ‘impressive’ Grade II listed building will now house nine residential units https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/homes-plan-ex-private-school-30572458

The national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II could cost £46,000,000, according to a provisional budget released before a design is chosen. From today, artists, architects and engineers will compete to have their design selected for a monument commemorating the country’s longest reigning monarch. It will stand in the heart of London, in the area of St James’s Park’s Blue Bridge, with views of the Queen’s former residence, Buckingham Palace, as well as Horse Guard Parade, Big Ben and the London Eye. The late Queen’s former private secretary Lord Janvrin, chairman of the committee, said: ‘The memorial must be – simply…

Country music star Morgan Wallen scooped four Billboard Music Awards in a ceremony which aired hours after he pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless endangerment in court. Wallen picked up awards for top male artist, top country artist, and top country male artist as well as top collaboration for the track I Had Some Help which he featured on with US star Post Malone. The awards ceremony, featuring a pre-recorded acceptance speech from Wallen, was broadcast hours after he appeared at a criminal court to plead guilty to throwing a chair from the rooftop of a six-storey bar in…

A former Syrian military official who oversaw a prison where alleged human rights abuses took place has been charged with several counts of torture after being arrested in July for visa fraud charges, authorities said Thursday.Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, who oversaw Syria’s infamous Adra Prison from 2005 to 2008 under recently ousted President Bashar Assad, was charged by a federal grand jury with several counts of torture and conspiracy to commit torture.“It’s a huge step toward justice,” said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the US-based Syrian Emergency Task Force.“Samir Ousman al-Sheikh’s trial will reiterate that the United States will not allow…

Tiny Christmas Tree Planted by Couple in 1979 is Now 52-ft Tall and a 5-Star Tourist Stop–LOOK In the dark of winter, in a place where there are no street lights, a Christmas tree has grown so tall that people can see its sparkling lights from miles around. In fact, the entire town of Inkberrow in Worcestershire, England, gathers on Pepper Street every year for the annual “Switching on” ceremony. Avril and Christopher Rowlands bought the tiny fir tree for £6 in 1978 and after Christmas planted it in their yard to mark their first holiday together in the new…

Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother have been convicted of the 10-year-old’s murder. Police said Urfan Sharif, 43, and Beinash Batool, 30, had subjected Sara to “horrific suffering” before her body was found at the family’s home in Surrey last year.

Keir Starmer has unveiled sweeping changes to the planning system that could see councils forced to consider building on green belt land in England. The prime minister has vowed to override “blockers” standing in the way of building the new homes needed to solve the housing crisis. However some locals in the areas where these houses will need to be built are steadfast in their opposition to more housing.

Manchester City are in danger of Champions League elimination, while Liverpool made it six wins from six and Arsenal and Aston Villa are flying.
Two games remain in the revamped Champions League’s new 36-team league phase. The top eight automatically progress to the last 16 and, crucially, skip the two-legged knockout play-off round.

Remaining cloudy for many with patchy drizzle, and hill fog, especially across central and eastern areas. Brighter skies in the far west and across much of Scotland, where fog could linger all day. Feeling rather cold once again. Tonight: Largely cloudy through overnight, with further spells of light rain and drizzle at times. Murky over the hills. Some clear skies in the north, with a frost possible here.

Summary of The Guardian Newspaper The Guardian page this morning – summarisedThe front page of The Guardian this morning reports that 10,000 civil service jobs are to be axed under a new government efficiency drive. Sources tell the paper that there is an acceptance that the civil service has become too big after expanding to meet the demands of Brexit and the pandemic. Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.Multiple sources said there was an acceptance that the…

Summary of the Metro Newspaper Metro front page this morning – summarisedThe Metro front page this morning reports on the conviction of the father and stepmother who killed 10-year-old Sara Sharif. Sara Sharif’s mum has paid tribute to her ‘beautiful’ daughter after the schoolgirl was murdered by her father and stepmother during a horrific ‘campaign of abuse’.The 10-year-old suffered more than 70 injuries shortly before her broken body was found at home in Woking, Surrey, following a call from her dad Urfan Sharif, 42, in Pakistan saying he had ‘beat her up too much’ for being ‘naughty’.Jurors at the Old Bailey…

Summary of The Irish News Newspaper The Irish News front page this morning – summarisedThe front page of The Irish News reports shocking figures show 50 people died while waiting for an ambulance in 2023/24, up from 16 in 2021/22.THE number of people who have died while waiting for an ambulance in Northern Ireland has trebled in five years.Since 2020/2021 a total of 149 people have died waiting at home for emergency response help.New figures show there were 50 deaths last year – which is a marked increase on the 16 fatalities recorded five years previously.Police in Miami say they…