📰 |NEWS DUMP: Your Roundup Of Important Happenings This Week
Happy New Year! We hope you all have an amazing 2024. Scroll down for the important news round up for this week. Don't forget to share your thoughts!
Brexit dragging down London economy, say capital's mayor // The London mayor says Brexit is "dragging down" the capital's economy. Sadiq Khan is calling for a "new settlement" with the EU, which comes as new research suggests Brexit has cost London's economy £30bn so far. The study by Cambridge Econometrics predicts by 2035 the value of goods and services produced in the capital will be 7% less than without Brexit. The government says the UK economy has grown faster since Brexit than that of Germany, France, and many EU countries.
I'm up for fight over nanny state accusations, says Keir Starmer // Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "up for that fight" over accusations Labour is embracing the "nanny state" as he announced proposals for supervised toothbrushing in schools. The Labour leader said tooth decay was the top reason children between six and 10 go to hospital and that the government had to act. Labour would run the scheme in breakfast clubs in all primary schools.
Barry: Teachers strike over being abused in class by pupils // Teachers are striking at a high school where a union says there have been more than 50 serious incidents of verbal and physical abuse since September. A maths teacher at Pencoedtre High School in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, said a decline in pupil behaviour left staff with "no choice". NASUWT said six schools in Wales are now in disputes over classroom safety.
More people from NI coming forward on Post Office scandal // More people affected by the Post Office scandal have come forward since the ITV drama aired, a solicitor has said. Michael Madden, who represents 20 sub-postmasters in Northern Ireland, said he had been approached by at least six more this week alone. More than 900 people were prosecuted after faulty software wrongly made it look like money was missing. Some people went to prison for false accounting and theft, while others were financially ruined by the scandal.
FKA twigs calls Calvin Klein ad ban 'double standards' // FKA twigs has responded after a Calvin Klein advert was banned for presenting her as a "stereotypical sexual object". A UK regulator found the poster - featuring the singer just wearing a denim shirt - was likely to cause serious offence by objectifying women. Writing on Instagram, she suggested the ban - which came after a campaign starring actor Jeremy Allen White went viral - showed "double standards".
Eurovision: Finnish artists want Israel barred from contest over Gaza war // More than 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals have signed a petition urging a ban on Israel from Eurovision over alleged "war crimes" in Gaza. If Israel is not excluded from the competition, they want public broadcaster Yle to withdraw Finland's entry from the competition. Yle says it is monitoring the position of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organiser of the contest. Last month, Icelandic musicians made similar demands to broadcaster Rúv.
Yorkshire: Azeem Rafiq says Colin Graves' expected return has led to racist abuse // Colin Graves' expected return as Yorkshire chairman "empowers" racists, says former player Azeem Rafiq. Yorkshire's board has approved a takeover deal from a consortium led by Graves, 75, that members will likely vote in favour of on 2 February. Graves' previous spell was part of the period for which the club was fined for failing to address the systemic use of discriminatory or racist language.
Sandeep Lamichhane: Nepal spinner handed eight-year jail sentence after being found guilty of rape // Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has been sentenced to eight years in prison for raping an 18-year-old woman. Lamichhane, who is not in custody, was not present when the sentence was handed down at a court in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on Wednesday. The 23-year-old - Nepal's most high-profile cricketer - was found guilty of the offence last month. Lamichhane's lawyer Saroj Ghimire told Reuters he intends to appeal against the verdict in a "higher court".
Tim Goss: Leading engineer becomes third senior figure to quit FIA // Leading engineer Tim Goss has left his role as the single-seater technical director of motorsport's governing body the FIA, BBC Sport can reveal. Goss, who is expected to join a Formula 1 team, is the third senior figure to quit the FIA in the last month. His resignation follows that of sporting director Steve Nielsen and the departure of the head of the FIA's commission for women, Deborah Mayer. Nielsen will be replaced by Tim Malyon, the FIA's safety director since 2021.
Resigning ex-minister Chris Skidmore wrong on climate, says Jeremy Hunt // Jeremy Hunt has said he "profoundly" disagrees with former Conservative minister Chris Skidmore who quit as an MP over the government's energy plans. Mr Skidmore announced on Friday he was standing down ahead of a vote on a bill on Monday to guarantee annual oil and gas licensing rounds.
Oil prices rise after Iran seizes oil tanker // The oil tanker was heading for Turkey on Thursday when armed men ordered it to sail to an Iranian port. The price of Brent crude oil jumped by more than 2%, to $78.40 a barrel following the incident. Iranian state media is reporting the seizure is a retaliation for the hijacking last year of the same vessel by the US. The act raises prospects of growing conflict in the Middle East, which could have a knock-on effect on UK fuel prices.
Shoppers and retailers set for 'challenging' 2024, says BRC // Shoppers and retailers are set for a "challenging" year ahead, according to a leading trade body. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that higher living costs will continue to squeeze household budgets. Its boss pointed out that firms will also face higher business rates as well as potential disruption to shipments via the Red Sea. Despite a flat Christmas, other figures suggest that people are still willing to spend more on holidays in 2024.