I was talking to a friend about my post on Donald Trump, and his attack on European civilisation, made earlier today. There is no evidence that men have any unique ability to govern, or that they are better at it than women. The third message is clear: there is a moral bankruptcy common to the lot of them which is truly frightening. We really are living in dangerous times. We are living with a politics of cowardice.
The Met Office said flooding and travel disruption are expected on Saturday, December 13, with parts of western Scotland and north-west England due to experience “heavy and persistent rain”. Amber warning of rain affecting North West England https://t.co/oij3folCdZ pic.twitter.com/aAlDN4nIiP — Met Office - NW England (@metofficeNWEng) December 12, 2025Met Office warns of 'threats to life' amid heavy rainCumbria is expected to be the worst-affected area, where the Met Office said more than 200mm of rain “could accumulate in places during this 48-hour period”. The Met Office said cloudless skies, patches of frost, mist and fog are expected in the south of England on Saturday morning. Met Office chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: “The north west of the UK is set for a very wet weekend. “We have issued numerous severe weather warnings for rain, and it is possible that these could be upgraded so I’d advise people to keep an eye on the forecast and for Met Office weather warnings.”
DEALING with crowds of other shoppers can be a nightmare when you’re doing your Christmas shop – but there’s a way to beat the queues. Simply adjusting when you time your festive shopping can help you have a much less stressful experience. Other busy days for shopping are today (December 13) and December 23, according to separate data from Sensormatic Solutions. In terms of what days to go, it says Sunday, December 21 and Christmas Eve (Wednesday, December 24) will be the quietest overall. If you’re heading to buy gifts, Castlepoint Shopping Park in Bournemouth has revealed the quietest times to shop – and it’s likely to be similar for other shopping centres across the country.
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It said: “The Waymo Driver has landed in London! It says this means cars can see overlapping fields of view in all directions up to 500 metres away. When in full service, the vehicles have no human safety driver at all. Currently, human ‘safety drivers’ are behind the wheel as the cars are tested in the British capital. The self-driving cars have steering wheels on the left-hand side, as they were originally built for the company’s US operations, where traffic drives on the right.
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Flying Scotsman to Newcastle times confirmed as famous train comes to town on Christmas tripThe Flying Scotsman will come to Newcastle on Sunday, December 14 having picked up passengers further down the countryView Image The Flying Scotsman will spend three hours in Newcastle Central Station this December (Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)As well as it being Derby Day on Sunday, another occasion is set to bring the crowds out to Newcastle, when famous locomotive The Flying Scotsman comes to town on a special festive trip. And we now have an idea of just when it will be arriving and leaving, as the times for every departure point along the way have now been confirmed. The service will stop at York at lunchtime and it's then that steam locomotive 60103 Flying Scotsman will take over for the onward journey to Newcastle. That means the train should arrive in Newcastle around 3pm, with passengers getting off to enjoy a few hours at Newcastle Christmas Market. The service is due back in York at 7.34pm, meaning it should leave Newcastle around 6.30pm.
The UK is facing an "unprecedented wave of super flu", a health chief has warned, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer Friday denounced "reckless" plans by doctors to launch a five-day strike next week. "The 'super flu' epidemic sweeping the country means this is the NHS's most precarious moment since the pandemic," Starmer wrote in The Guardian daily referring to the National Health Service. The resident doctors strikes just before Christmas "should not happen. Attempts to reduce patient waiting lists have been affected in part by the repeated industrial action by both resident doctors and consultants. - 'Good deal' -The resident doctors -- those below consultant level -- are in dispute with the government over pay and a shortage of training opportunities.
The doctors’ union claimed the Health Secretary had acted in a “cruel and calculated” way and described a Government offer intended to avert walkouts in the coming days as “poor”. The Government has insisted a further pay increase is off the negotiating table after resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, received pay rises totalling nearly 30% in the past three years. Mr Streeting earlier said the health service is facing “probably the worst pressure” since Covid and urged resident doctors to accept the deal. “He listened to resident doctors’ concerns and worked constructively to put forward an improved offer on the table that would create 4,000 more jobs, prioritise UK graduates this year, and put money back in resident doctors’ pockets. “We very much hope resident doctors will vote for it and end the Christmas strikes.”
ONE of Microsoft’s best-rated apps is shutting down in a matter of days affecting millions of users worldwide. The app has been downloaded more than 50million times on Android alone – and it’s highly rated on iPhone too. But over the summer Microsoft surprised users with news that the app is being axed in phases at end of the year. For example, you can save scans directly to OneNote, Word, or PowerPoint. The ability to scan business cards to save to OneNote, the read out loud tool and immersive reader integration is also missing.
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The iSH DECOM CONNECT event, hosted by Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH), took place at Energus in Workington and attracted 250 delegates and 50 exhibitors. Designed to showcase the latest in nuclear decommissioning tech, the event brought together industry leaders, supply chain companies, and organisations focused on addressing nuclear challenges and supporting the broader sector. An iSH DECOM CONNECT exhibitor (Image: Industrial Solutions Hub)Gary McKeating, managing director of iSH, said: "We created this event to spotlight Cumbria’s world-leading technical expertise across our manufacturing, robotics, and digital sectors. Supported by the Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC) Nuclear Sector Group, the event offered opportunities related to major programmes including Sellafield’s Infrastructure Delivery Partnership (IDP), Sellafield Manufactured Products Organisation (MPO), and the Decommissioning Nuclear Waste Partnership (DNWP). Exhibitors and speakers represented a broad cross-section of the nuclear supply chain, with several companies also working internationally in the US, Japan, and Europe.
Charles said: “Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives. “I know I speak for the entire country when I say how glad I am that his cancer treatment will be reduced in the new year,” the Prime Minister added. “Early cancer screening saves lives.”Charles also praised “remarkable advances” in cancer care that made his positive health update possible but it is not known what form his treatment takes. Charles visited the Cancer Research Centre at Ulster University (Anthony Harvey/PA)The King’s cancer diagnosis was announced on February 6 last year and he postponed all public-facing engagements for almost three months. He went on to highlight Cancer Research UK’s Screening Checker which helps adults check eligibility for national breast, bowel or cervical cancer screening programmes and “demystifies the process, answers your questions, and guides you towards taking that crucial step”.
