1. Murdoch’s bid for Sky provisionally blocked
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally blocked Rupert Murdoch’s Sky takeover. Murdoch has been seeking control of the 61% of the UK broadcaster he does not already own since December 2016, but the CMA has decided that would give him “too much influence over public opinion and the political agenda”.
2. Scotland Yard accuses courts on knife crime
A senior police officer has said the courts and prisons sometimes fail to give adequate sentencing and enough rehabilitation to those convicted of knife crime. Met Police assistant commissioner Martin Hewitt was speaking in light of a rise in knife crime in London, where there were 80 fatal stabbings last year - the highest annual toll in a decade.
3. Johnson to call for more money for NHS
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will tell the Cabinet today that much more money should be made available for the NHS, and warn that failure to do so will give Jeremy Corbyn a route to power. Sources in Johnson’s camp told press about the planned intervention into domestic territory, saying he wants £100m a week extra for the NHS.
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4. Body found in river as police hunt for missing girl
The body of a young girl has been found in the River Calder in Halifax by police searching for missing schoolgirl Ursula Keogh. The body has not been formally identified but police have notified the 11-year-old’s family and say they do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances. Ursula was last seen on Monday at 3.30pm after school.
5. London gas leak causes hotel evacuation
A nightclub and hotel were evacuated at 2am this morning in London’s West End following a major gas leak, with 1,450 people led to safety. A cordon was placed around the area in which the gas main ruptured, causing travel problems for commuters this morning. No trains were running in or out of Charing Cross or Waterloo East.
6. Singer Neil Diamond retires with Parkinson’s
Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond has cancelled his latest tour and announced he is retiring from live shows after receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The 76-year-old chart-topper was halfway through his 50th anniversary tour. He said he hoped to continued writing and recording. Best known for performing, Diamond also wrote The Monkees’ hit I’m A Believer.
7. Volcanic eruption hits Japanese ski resort
A soldier has died in an avalanche in Japan that appears to have been triggered by a volcanic eruption. The dead man was one of six soldiers skiing at the resort on Mount Kusatsu-Shirane: his comrades were dug out of the avalanche debris. Another 14 people were injured, some critically. The eruption caused rocks to rain down on the area.
8. Video site Netflix toasts subscriber boost
Video site Netflix says it added a record 8.3 million subscribers in the last quarter of 2017 - including 6.36 million outside the US. The boost brings the total number of Netflix subscribers to 117 million. The streaming service says the increase shows its strategy of investing in original content is paying off – though it wrote off $39m (£28m) for unreleased shows starring disgraced actor Kevin Spacey.
9. Manchester United remains world’s richest club
Man United is once again at the top of a league table of the world’s richest football clubs, accountant Deloitte says. It is the second year in a row at the top for the Manchester club – and its tenth overall. Real Madrid was second, and Barcelona third, in the earnings league of 20 clubs, which are worth €7.9bn (£6.9bn) in total.
10. Briefing: what’s on the agenda at Davos
World leaders, finance ministers, chief executives and even a few Hollywood stars are heading to the small Swiss town of Davos this week to discuss the geopolitical changes shaping our lives.
Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be among the rich and powerful 2,500 delegates at the 2018 World Economic Forum (WEF), along with the leaders of Canada and France - but it is US President Donald Trump who is expected to take centre stage.
Davos 2018: what’s on the agenda at the World Economic Forum?
