Kate ‘lights up Christmas’ and MI5 focuses on ‘hostile states’
The Daily Mirror’s front page read: “Royal Festive Return”, with the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children George, Charlotte and Louis “harmoniously” at a carol service at Westminster Abbey Singing. “Love is a bright light, even in our darkest times,” Catherine told the congregation, the newspaper reported.
“Kate lights up Christmas,” The Sun said, adding a photo of the Princess of Wales and her youngest child, Prince Louis, at the carol service, each holding a lit candle. The newspaper said the princess “smiled proudly” as she hosted the event.
The Times led the report, led by reports from the head of MI5, that it was shifting its focus from counterterrorism to “hostile countries” including Russia, China and Iran. Ken McCullum, director of the British intelligence service, said the UK was facing “increasing aggression” from some countries, so they had to make “disturbing choices”, such as cutting counter-terrorism spending. Many newspapers on Saturday carried pictures of the Princess of Wales with her children, who led a Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on Friday.
i The weekend headlines were “Labour abandons NHS promise to cut A&E waiting times to four hours”. The statement said that because No. 10 Downing Street could no longer guarantee that this target would be achieved by 2029, the government was “abandoning” this commitment.
The Daily Mail first conducted an exclusive interview with the Chancellor, who warned that the UK would need to cut its defense budget to pay for increases. The Post said Rachel Reeves will launch “the largest audit of government spending” in nearly 20 years to “reduce waste and improve efficiency.”
Rape trials in England and Wales are collapsing due to “record court delays”, with a backlog leading to “doubling the number of victims in cases”, The Guardian reported in a report. An analysis by the newspaper found that more than 280 rape cases failed last year after the victim withdrew. The paper added that a study of Crown Court cases also found that women who gave pre-recorded evidence during rape trials (rather than giving evidence in person) were 41 per cent less likely to be convicted.
The Daily Telegraph says “households could face higher energy bills” as private companies building the nuclear reactors the government says are part of its “net zero plan” have called for help with construction costs key. Earlier this week, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said nuclear power was “vital” to Labour’s plans. The Telegraph also reports that the Prince of Wales will attend the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday alongside US President-elect Donald Trump.
The Financial Times focused on reports that Romania’s Supreme Court canceled Sunday’s presidential election runoff following allegations that Russia used TikTok to promote “pro-Putin” leading candidate Calin Georgescu. Romanian authorities published papers this week implicating Moscow. The second liberal candidate, Elena Raskoni, called the court’s ruling “illegal and immoral” and said it “shatters the very essence of democracy,” the newspaper added.
The Daily Star says sucking up to the boss – your boss – is the key to success at work. “Forget about working hard,” the newspaper wrote, adding that you might be more likely to get a raise or promotion this way.
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this Households could face higher energy costs to pay for nuclear reactors, says Daily Telegraph It is at the heart of the government’s net zero plan. The newspaper said it was understood industry bosses were urging Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to include the cost of building small reactors in consumers’ bills. It added that the move was likely to be controversial amid growing concerns about the cost to households of Miliband’s plans to overhaul the electricity system. Labor says the switch to green energy will reduce spending in the long term.
weekend edition i Paper says Labor abandoned pledge to treat 95% of A&E patients within four hours. The pledge was apparently made by Wes Streeting in June before he became health secretary, but did not appear in the manifesto. The newspaper said No 10 could no longer guarantee it would achieve the target during this parliamentary term. A Downing Street spokesman said the manifesto committed to returning to meeting NHS targets but gave no timetable.
Many front pages featured pictures of the smiling Princess of Wales returning to public life as she hosted Friday night’s Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey. “Kate Lights Up Christmas” is solar title, while daily mirror “Christmas at Kate Abbey” quipped.
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