1. STONEHENGE TUNNEL AS ROADS GET £15BN
The government has announced a “roads revolution” for England with £15bn to be spent on improvements including a long-mooted tunnel for the A303 as it passes Stonehenge in Wiltshire. Labour said the coalition was “all talk and no delivery”. The extra funding was initially announced in 2013.
Government reveals details of £15bn 'roads revolution' plans
2. HK: PROTESTERS AND POLICE CLASH AGAIN
Some of the worst unrest yet in the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong has taken place there overnight with police using pepper spray and batons. Forty arrests were made and a number of officers were injured. Last week one of the major protest camps was removed by police and bailiffs.
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Hong Kong: police adopt tough tactics as protests escalate
3. UN: HUGE RISK THAT EBOLA WILL SPREAD
The head of the UN’s mission to fight the Ebola virus in West Africa, Tony Banbury, has warned there is still a “huge” risk it could spread around the world. Today was a self-imposed deadline for the UN to have 70% of sufferers under treatment - but Banbury would not say if the target had been reached.
Ebola: 'huge risk' of virus reaching Europe
4. LONDON: NORTHERN LINE DRIVERS STRIKE
Tube drivers on the London Underground’s Northern line have started a 24-hour strike over the dismissal of a colleague. Management claim the driver failed an alcohol breath test but the RMT say that is “totally untrue”. The strike began at 4.30am this morning and may cause disruption.
Tube commuters face more delays as engineers begin industrial action
5. PAEDOPHILE DOCTOR JAILED FOR 22 YEARS
A paedophile doctor who preyed on young cancer patients has been jailed for 22 years. Myles Bradbury, 41, admitted abusing 18 boys at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. He pleaded guilty to 25 offences committed between 2009 and 2013, including sexual assault, voyeurism and possessing more than 16,000 indecent images.
6. GORDON BROWN TO STAND DOWN AS MP
Gordon Brown, the former Labour prime minister, is to stand down as an MP after 32 years at the next election. Brown has represented the constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath since 1983 but will not contest the seat in 2015. He served as Chancellor for ten years under Tony Blair and took over as PM in 2007. He resigned as Labour leader after losing the 2010 election.
7. LIONEL RICHIE TO PLAY GLASTONBURY 2015
The first artist to be confirmed for next year’s Glastonbury Festival is smooth Motown legend Lionel Richie, who will take the Sunday teatime slot previously occupied by Dolly Parton, Shirley Bassey and others. The festival organisers said Richie had approached them about getting the gig.
8. MOHAMMED IS MOST POPULAR BOYS’ NAME
The most popular name for boys in the UK for 2014 was Mohammed, which rose 27 places in the league table from 2013 after a huge surge in popularity for Arabic names in general. Sophia is the top name for girls this year, while Teddy had climbed the furthest up the league table since last year for boys.
9. ROUBLE FALLS AS OIL PRICES HIT LOW
The Russian rouble slid 6% against the US dollar today as oil prices fell to a five-year low. Opec's recent decision not to cut oil production has seen prices drop below $70 a barrel. Prices are down a third since the summer. The rouble has fallen some 40% this year and other oil-dependent currencies, including Nigeria's naira, have also suffered.
Oil price posts two-year highs - but how long can it last?
10. HOT TICKET: GRIMM TALES STAGED
A new immersive theatre staging of Philip Pullman's Grimm Tales for Young and Old, has opened at the Bargehouse, London. Audiences move between six folk tales, including Hansel and Gretel, set across a four-storey warehouse. "A magic box of glittering surprises," says The Times. Until 15 February.
Grimm Tales for Young and Old - reviews of immersive show
