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UK budget brawl—‘benefits bonanza’ vs education shortfall; U.S. hardliners push deportations and death row after D.C. shooting; Pope’s Ankara peace plea; Madrid’s smart stadium
Minister warns education budget increase falls well short of £326m windfall
Minister warns education budget increase falls well short of £326m windfall: Wales’ education secretary Lynne Neagle told the Senedd that her department’s £44.9m uplift—£37.4m for revenue and £7.5m for capital—barely scratches the surface compared with the £326m in UK consequentials Wales received, implying roughly £280m was steered elsewhere. Calling it a “roll-over” budget that looks suspiciously like playing dead, she said the 2% rise amounts to a real-terms cut, with nearly 24% of the increase swallowed by public-sector pay and the rest focused on ALN, school budgets and post‑16 education. Vaughan Gething agreed the 2.3% uplift doesn’t match 3.5% inflation. Neagle is angling for a slice of the £380m negotiation pot as councils warn of £137m in school pressures and even list ALN as a risk. Ambitions like extending free school meals to secondary pupils are on ice—because when the “uplift” can’t cover hunger, it’s more spin than substance. The final budget is due January 20.
Bondi: Prosecutors to seek death penalty for D.C. shooting suspect
Bondi: Prosecutors to seek death penalty for D.C. shooting suspect — Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday she will pursue the death penalty against the man accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., a day earlier, urging prayers for the wounded soldiers during a Fox News appearance.
Martin Daubney and Labour MP in heated exchange over Budget
Martin Daubney and Labour MP in heated exchange over Budget as the GB News host clashed with David Pinto-Duschinsky over Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s fiscal plan. The MP insisted it would “benefit nine in 10 households,” while Daubney dismissed it as a “benefits bonanza giveaway” masquerading as help for workers—one side waving a statistic, the other a red flag.
Martin Daubney calls Budget a “benefits bonanza,” disputing Labour MP’s claim it will help households
Martin Daubney calls Budget a “benefits bonanza,” disputing a Labour MP’s claim it will help households, and the GB News host promptly turned the studio into fiscal Thunderdome. He accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of staging a welfare giveaway—£15 billion more on benefits, “£66 billion in tax raids” across two Budgets—and dragging millions into higher tax bands, citing OBR forecasts of a rising welfare bill. Labour’s David Pinto-Duschinsky countered that nine in ten households will benefit through £150 off energy bills, freezes on rail, bus and prescription costs, scrapping a “luxury car” perk, restoring face-to-face benefits interviews, an £820 million youth jobs guarantee, 250 local hubs for 5.2 million extra NHS appointments, and plans to cut borrowing and debt. Reeves says the Budget targets the cost of living, NHS waiting lists, and debt reduction. So either Britain just got a broad-shouldered bargain for nine out of ten, or a benefits buffet funded by bracket creep—pick your preferred spreadsheet.
Pope Leo XIV calls for peace in Ankara during first trip abroad
Pope Leo XIV calls for peace in Ankara during his first trip abroad, using the visit to urge dialogue over conflict as wars rage in the Middle East and Ukraine. From Turkey’s capital, he appealed to leaders to swap artillery for actual conversations—a radical notion, apparently—staking his debut on the world stage on talking before more lives are lost.
Republicans Urge Mass Deportations After D.C. Shooting
Republicans Urge Mass Deportations After D.C. Shooting: After two National Guard members were shot in Washington, allegedly by an Afghan national, GOP figures cranked the anti-immigration dial to 11—some calling to end Muslim immigration entirely and to “deport every single Islamist.” It’s the classic playbook: one suspect, millions of people put on notice. Great for campaign ads, less great for the Constitution—or basic logic.
Smart football stadiums: Madrid’s Metropolitano adopts cutting-edge technology
Smart football stadiums: Madrid’s Metropolitano adopts cutting-edge technology as the Riyadh Air Metropolitano rolls out Sky Ribbon and Telefónica’s integrated solutions, cementing its smart-stadium credentials ahead of major events in 2027 and 2030—finally, a venue where the Wi‑Fi might keep up with the drama on the pitch.
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