5:55 am, January 8, 2023
‘Bold and radical’ action needed to ease NHS crisis
Rishi Sunak has urged health leaders at an emergency meeting to take ‘bold and radical’ action to alleviate the winter crisis in the NHS.
The Prime Minister told them during Downing Street talks yesterday that a ‘business-as-usual mindset won’t fix the challenges we face’. Critics said the discussions were a ‘talking shop’ that will fail to ease the pressure.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay pledged to take further steps to ‘improve the flow through our hospitals’ on Monday, with around 13,000 NHS beds blocked. Reports suggest an emergency winter pressure package will include a hospital discharge fund for thousands of NHS patients to be moved to care home beds.
Nursing strikes will be largest in world
The two days of nursing strikes will be the largest of their kind in the world if Rishi Sunak does not negotiate on pay, a union leader has warned.
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen has told the Prime Minister he could get the action in England called off if he takes up her offer to meet halfway.
She is due to meet Health Secretary Steve Barclay for talks about future pay next week, but without a breakthrough on the existing deal the strikes on January 18 and 19 will go ahead.
Harry accused of making Invictus Games a terrorist target
The Duke of Sussex has been accused of making the Invictus Games a target for extremists by revealing he killed 25 people in Afghanistan.
Admiral Lord West, former head of the Royal Navy, called Harry ‘very stupid’ for giving details of his Taliban kills.
An interview with Harry will be aired on ITV tonight at 9pm in which he is said to reveal being unable to show any emotion when meeting mourners following the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.
Zelensky welcomes US armoured vehicles for Ukraine
Ukraine’s president has praised the US for including tank-busting armoured vehicles in its latest multibillion-dollar package of military aid, saying they are ‘exactly what is needed’.
The White House on Friday announced £3.1bn in weapons and other aid for Ukraine and its neighbours on Nato’s eastern flank, which came as Moscow said its troops were observing a short ceasefire for Orthodox Christmas, celebrated yesterday.
Ukrainian officials denounced the unilateral 36-hour truce as a ploy and said it appeared to have been ignored. Russia’s Defence Ministry insisted that its forces along the 680-mile front line were observing the ceasefire but returned fire when attacked.
Warship rescues crew of sinking tug in the Caribbean
The crew of a Royal Navy warship have rescued five people (main picture) after their ocean-going tug sank in choppy seas in the Caribbean.
HMS Medway – the Royal Navy’s permanent vessel in the region – saved the crew members who had taken refuge on a barge their tug was towing when it began to flood.
The warship responded to the tug’s SOS message on Friday. Medway launched its RIB which battled 30 knot winds and 5ft waves to rescue the crew.
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Labour hoping to tempt retirees back to workforce with right to work from home
Labour is hoping to tempt early retirees back to the workforce with the right to work from home.
The shadow work and pensions secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, has outlined plans to entice over-50s to take up employment again.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Ashworth said Labour will tempt them back with more flexible working arrangements, including the right to work from home, the right to work fewer hours and the right to work at times that vary from week to week.
Iran executes two more men
Iranian officials have executed two men convicted of allegedly killing a paramilitary volunteer during a demonstration.
The two men were put to death in the latest executions aimed at halting the nationwide protests challenging the country’s theocracy.
Iran’s judiciary identified those executed as Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini. This means four men are now known to have been executed since the demonstrations began in September over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.
Weather outlook
Today will be windy with showers for western Scotland and Northern Ireland. A band of heavy showers will push eastwards across England and Wales. The showers could be thundery in spots, said the BBC.
Tonight will continue breezy, with showers, possibly sharp in western areas. Eastern areas will become drier with clear spells, however, a few showers are still possible in spots.
Tomorrow, the north and west will be cloudy with blustery showers, and some wintriness is possible over northern hills. The south and east will stay largely dry with some sunshine.
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