📰 |NEWS DUMP: Your Roundup Of Important Happenings This Week
Good Morning, We are back with another roundup of important news! Let us know what you think in the comments. Don’t forget to like and share!
Eddie Izzard fails bid to become Labour candidate for Brighton Pavilion seat // Eddie Izzard has failed in her bid to become a Labour candidate for a Brighton constituency at the next general election. The comedian and actor had hoped to contest Brighton Pavilion - the seat held by Green MP Caroline Lucas since 2010. She will stand down when the election takes place. Brighton's local Labour Party voted for musician and activist Tom Gray. Izzard, 61, has not publicly commented since the decision was announced.
Penny Mordaunt says Boris Johnson's Covid WhatsApp messages went missing // Government minister Penny Mordaunt is the latest witness in the government's Covid inquiry to have an issue with missing WhatsApp messages. The leader of the House of Commons said that two years of WhatsApp chats with Boris Johnson had disappeared. Mr Johnson previously told the inquiry that he had lost about 5,000 messages.
Sir Keir Starmer supports assisted dying law change // Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has said there are "grounds for changing the law" on assisted dying. Sir Keir said MPs should be given a chance to vote with their conscience on the matter. A bill to legalise assisted dying in the UK was defeated in 2015, but was backed by Sir Keir and several Tory cabinet members. The issue is under discussion after Esther Rantzen announced she had joined the Dignitas assisted dying clinic.
Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount in merger talks // Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Global are in early talks to merge, according to multiple media reports. The deal would see the owner of HBO channels and CNN team up with the studio behind the Mission Impossible films and CBS News. The deal would bring together two of Hollywood's "Big Five" studios, with Warner and Paramount's combined market value standing at $38bn (£30bn). Talks are believed to be at an early stage and a deal may not happen.
Jonathan Majors: Marvel drops actor after domestic assault conviction // Emmy-nominated actor Jonathan Majors has been dropped by Marvel Studios after he was convicted of assaulting his then-girlfriend. On Monday, a jury in New York found that Majors, 34, attacked and harassed British choreographer Grace Jabbari during an argument in March. Following the verdict, a Marvel spokesperson said the studio would no longer work with the actor. Majors could face up to a year in prison when sentenced in February.
Bafta: Actress's discrimination claim struck out at High Court // An actress who said she was subjected to racist comments on a Bafta diversity initiative has had her High Court appeal struck out. India Eva Rae had sued Bafta for £200,000 as part of a harassment and discrimination claim. A judge said he was forced to "strike out" Ms Rae's claim as it had been filed in the wrong court. An independent review conducted in 2021 cleared Bafta of wrongdoing.
Jamie Murray named tournament director of Queen's Club Championships // Jamie Murray has been named tournament director of the Queen's Club Championships. Multi-Grand Slam-winning doubles player Murray, 37, will continue to play in 2024 but not at Queen's itself (17-23 June). Last year, ex-pro Laura Robson became Nottingham Open tournament director. Murray has experience as a tournament director, having organised the Battle of the Brits event between Scotland and England in Aberdeen in late 2023.
Alun Wyn Jones: Wales and Lions legend calls for more screening for players after heart problem // World rugby's record cap-holder Alun Wyn Jones was diagnosed with a heart condition as his career drew to a close. Jones, 38, has called for players to be screened for such issues more often after undergoing tests before finishing at Toulon. The ex-Wales and British and Irish Lions forward's career ended at the French side in November, 2023.
Manchester United: Sir Jim Ratcliffe pushing to sign off deal for minority stake in club before Christmas // Manchester United's drawn-out ownership saga could be resolved before Christmas Day. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is eager to get a deal signed off before 25 December which would see his Ineos Group pay around £1.25bn to buy 25% of the club. it is more than a year since the Glazer family announced they were considering selling the club.
UK signs financial deal with Switzerland // Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has signed a deal which he said will make it easier for UK and Swiss financial firms to deal with each other. Trade in financial services between the UK and Switzerland is worth more £3bn. The new Berne Financial Services Agreement means that Switzerland and the UK will recognise and accept each other's regulations.
Statistics watchdog rebukes Rishi Sunak over claim debt falling // Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's claim that the government has reduced debt has been challenged by the UK's statistics watchdog. The watchdog's chairman said the assertion "may have undermined trust in the government's use of statistics". Debt has been going up since the start of the year as a proportion of the economy.
UK tipped for speedier rate cut after surprise inflation fall // A surprise fall in inflation in November has raised hopes that the Bank of England will begin cutting interest rates sooner than expected. Inflation - the rate prices rise at - fell from 4.6% to 3.9% last month, the lowest for more than two years. The Bank has repeatedly increased rates to try to control inflation, driving up mortgage repayments for millions. But some economists think it may start cutting them in the first half of 2024, much earlier than previously forecast.