6:51 am, February 23, 2023
Sir Keir Starmer to launch Labour’s five national ‘missions’
Sir Keir Starmer is to launch a series of five national ‘missions’ setting out his objectives for a Labour government if they gain power at the next general election.
In a keynote speech in Manchester, the Labour leader will say the country needs a ‘serious plan’ if it is finally to fix some of the deep-seated problems it is facing.
He is expected to contrast his programme – with measures ranging from tackling the crisis in the NHS to the stalled economy – with the ‘sticking plaster politics’ of Rishi Sunak’s five priorities set out in his new year address. At the same, Sir Keir will stress that he is ready to draw on investment and expertise from both the public and private sectors to ‘get the job done’.
Senior police officer was ‘shot in front of young people’ by masked gunmen
A senior police officer was shot by masked men in front of young people he had been coaching at a sports centre in Co Tyrone.
The man, who is senior ranking, was shot a number of times at the facility in Omagh around 8pm on Wednesday. He was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry where Northern Ireland’s chief constable Simon Byrne said he was in a critical but stable condition.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have launched an attempted murder investigation.
Thousands of asylum cases to be fast-tracked in bid to cut soaring backlog
Thousands of asylum seekers will be sent Home Office questionnaires which could be used to decide their claims in a bid to cut the soaring backlog of cases.
It is understood about 12,000 people from Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Libya and Yemen, who have applied for asylum in the UK and are waiting for a decision, are understood to be eligible under the policy being launched on Thursday.
The Home Office announced the plans, which aim to speed up processing applications for people from nations that typically have a high grant rate in the UK of more than 95 per cent, as figures due to be published are expected to show there are more than 150,000 outstanding asylum cases.
Tesco follows Aldi, Asda and Morrisons with customer limits on fresh produce
Tesco has followed Aldi, Asda and Morrisons in introducing customer limits on certain fresh produce as shortages leave supermarket shelves bare.
The UK’s biggest supermarket has introduced a temporary buying limit of three items per customer on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers as a precautionary measure.
The supermarket said it was working hard with its suppliers to ensure a good supply of vegetables for customers in light of temporary supply challenges on some lines due to adverse weather conditions abroad.
Fresh strike by NHS workers across England next month
Ambulance and other health staff including nurses and blood collection workers are to stage a fresh strike in an escalation of industrial action in the long-running dispute over pay.
Unison announced that its members will walk out across England on March 8, accusing the government of failing to hold ‘proper talks’ with health unions to try to resolve the row.
The announcement came as health secretary Steve Barclay prepared to meet the Royal College of Nursing following a surprise joint statement yesterday announcing fresh talks. The RCN has called off a planned 48-hour strike next week, but other health unions accused the government of ‘divide and rule’ tactics by only agreeing to talk with the college.
Wednesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Used car dealer Cazoo’s decision to axe car subscriptions featured on BBC Radio 4
- Dick Lovett accused of ignoring Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard who wanted to buy two Ferraris
- Brindley Group to spend £2m on turning Kia showroom into eco-conscious site
- Stellantis posts record results for 2022 as net profit rises by more than a quarter to nearly £15bn
- Bentley calls time on famous W12 engine as electric future beckons
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 designer SangYup Lee wins prestigious World Car Person of the Year award
- World News: Showroom inferno; Used car dealer’s body found; Ferrari takes a plunge; ‘Bargain’ Porsche Panamera
Schools unprepared for impact of ChatGPT on learning, teachers say
More than half of computing teachers think schools are unprepared for the impact that generative AI chatbot ChatGPT could have on learning, research has found.
However, computing teachers want support to harness its potential rather than banning it, according to the industry body for IT.
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, said a survey of its Computing at School network of teachers found that 62 per cent said AI-powered chatbots such as ChatGPT would make it harder to mark the work of students fairly.
Smart motorway safety system fails after ‘unplanned outage’
A smart motorway safety system failed across much of England on Wednesday, National Highways has admitted.
The Dynac system – which includes signs, signals and stopped vehicle detection technology – stopped working at around 8.30am on Wednesday. The fault occurred across the whole of England’s smart motorway network except in the East and South East. It was not resolved until approximately 10.30am.
AA president Edmund King claimed drivers in vehicles that had broken down in live lanes were “sitting ducks” during that period.
Weather outlook
Most of the country will see clearing cloud and rain leaving plenty of sunshine behind, reports BBC Weather. The north-west, however, will turn cloud and windy with showers.
The north will cling onto to the cloud and rain tonight. The south, meanwhile, will start dry but patchy rain will push in later.
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