📰 |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!
Racist abuse will not stop me standing in Bedford - Tory candidate // A Tory parliamentary candidate said she would not be put off standing despite being sent racist abuse including images of a severed pig's head. Pinder Chauhan says she had experienced racist abuse since first being elected as a councillor in Northampton in 2017. She has been selected to stand in Bedford at the next general election. She said "very graphic" drawings had been sent to her home and on WhatsApp, and she had experienced verbal abuse in the street.
Ruling due in Scottish gender reform legal battle // A judge is expected to rule on Friday whether the UK government's veto of on Scotland's gender self-identification bill will be allowed to stand. Legislation making it easier for people to change their legally-recognised sex was passed by MSPs last year. But the UK government blocked it from becoming law, claiming it could cut across UK-wide equalities rules. The Scottish government launched a legal challenge, and a judgement from Lady Haldane is expected on Friday.
PM will fail on Rwanda Bill - Suella Braverman // Rishi Sunak's flagship Rwanda Bill "will fail" in its current form, Suella Braverman has said. The PM finds himself in what could be the gravest crisis of his leadership so far, sparked by the resignation of immigration minister Robert Jenrick. The former home secretary said Mr Sunak's pledge to "stop the boats" was key to winning the next election. But the Rwanda Bill, which was published on Wednesday, "won't work" Mrs Braverman said.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs accused of sexual assault by fourth woman // A fourth woman has accused Sean "Diddy" Combs of sexual assault, alleging he and two others gang raped her when she was 17. Jane Doe, as she is referred to in the legal action, claims the rapper flew her to his New York studio in 2003. She alleges she was given "copious amounts of drugs and alcohol" before Diddy and two other men took turns raping her. Mr Combs, 54, said he "did not do any of the awful things being alleged".
Benjamin Zephaniah: Writer, poet and Peaky Blinders actor dies aged 65 // Writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah has been remembered as a "titan of British literature" after his death aged 65. He died early on Thursday with his wife by his side after being diagnosed with a brain tumour eight weeks ago, a statement on his Instagram said.
BBC funding: TV licence fee to rise by £10.50, government says // The current TV licence fee of £159 will increase by £10.50 - a rise of 6.6% - the government has announced. The figure has been determined using September's rate of inflation, rather than an average across the last year. Due to the recent fall in inflation, that means the £169.50 figure is less than the BBC and Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had anticipated. The decision to raise it by a smaller percentage will leave an expected funding gap of around £90m.
Everton beat Newcastle to climb out of drop zone // Everton scored three times in the final 11 minutes of a hectic encounter to beat Newcastle and move out of the Premier League's relegation zone. The Toffees were sent tumbling into the bottom three by their 10-point deduction for breaking the top flight's financial rules, but moved back into safety thanks to late goals from Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure and summer signing Beto.
FIA ends controversial conflict of interest inquiry into Toto and Susie Wolff // Formula 1's governing body has ended its compliance inquiry into Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and his wife, the F1 Academy director Susie Wolff. The FIA had launched an inquiry into a magazine's claims that rivals believed the couple's relationship presented a conflict of interest in the sport. But on Thursday the FIA said it was "satisfied" F1 had measures in place to protect against such issues. The statement added that there was "no ongoing investigation" into the matter.
Australian Open: Joaquin Niemann beats Rikuya Hoshino in play-off // Chilean Joaquin Niemann beat Japan's Rikuya Hoshino in a play-off to win the Australian Open for the first time. The pair finished level on 14 under par after 72 holes and both birdied the 18th to send the sudden-death play-off to a second hole. Niemann, 25, then bettered Hoshino's birdie with an eagle to claim victory at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney. The champion admitted his "putting hasn't been the best" recently and that he had been "working hard on it".
Claims traders profited from attack inaccurate, says Israel // There is no evidence some investors profited from knowledge of Hamas's attack on Israel before it took place on 7 October, the Israel Securities Authority (ISA) has said. One academic study had suggested investors betting against the Israeli economy made large sums. It said it found significant short-selling in the run-up to the attacks. But the report has since been called "inaccurate" and "irresponsible" by the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE). The ISA said it was dropping its investigation into the matter.
Tougher visa rules unveiled in plan to cut migration // The UK government has introduced measures it promised would deliver the biggest ever cut in net migration after levels soared to a record high. Home Secretary James Cleverly announced a five-point plan to curb immigration, which he said was "far too high". The changes included hiking the minimum salary needed for skilled overseas workers from £26,200 to £38,700. Mr Cleverly claimed 300,000 people who were eligible to come to the UK last year would not be able to in future. The minimum income for family visas has also risen to £38,700.
Labour won't turn on spending taps, says Starmer // Sir Keir Starmer has warned the UK will face "huge constraints" on public spending if his party wins the next general election. He said anyone expecting a Labour government "to quickly turn on the spending taps" would be disappointed. It comes as a think tank claimed the average household income in the UK is £8,000 less than in countries such as France and Germany. Growing the economy will be an election battleground for both major parties.