Latest Episode
UK grapples with fifth-day water outage and school closures as Mahmood faces Commons over Israeli-fan ban row; Claudette Colvin dies at 86; record offshore wind wins as pubs warned of 2026 closures; Portrait Gallery flags T.E. Lawrence; Raducanu finally gets a win—plus Monroe–DiMaggio anniversary and Jan 14 birthdays.
Sam Francis reports on South East Water outage as thousands face a fifth day without reliable supply
GB News correspondent Sam Francis said around 25,000 properties across Kent, Sussex and parts of West Sussex are still experiencing dry or intermittent taps on the fifth day of a major South East Water outage. The company blamed Storm Goretti, recent freezing temperatures and a power failure at a pumping station, which it says led to low reservoir levels and burst pipes. South East Water has deployed 26 tankers and distributed about 5,700 bottles, with collection points including East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells and deliveries available for some priority customers. Kent County Council has declared a major incident, MPs have criticised the response, and the chief executive has been called to Parliament as Ofwat investigates the firm’s resilience and customer care.
Shabana Mahmood to address the Commons after calls to dismiss police chief over ban on Israeli fans at Aston Villa match
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will make a statement in the House of Commons later today after receiving the Chief Inspectorate’s findings on West Midlands Police’s decision to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from an Aston Villa Europa League match in Birmingham on 6 November. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have urged that Chief Constable Craig Guildford be dismissed over the ban, which was recommended by the local Safety Advisory Group. West Midlands Police say the decision was based on intelligence warning of potential violence against visiting fans, though the reliability of some information has been disputed.
Civil rights activist Claudette Colvin dies at 86
Claudette Colvin, a civil rights activist arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a White woman in segregated Alabama, has died, her foundation said. She was 86.
UK Secures a Record Number of Offshore Wind Projects
UK secures record supply of offshore wind projects as the government pushes to sharply expand offshore wind capacity to meet its clean power targets.
Labour warned up to 540 pubs could close in 2026 after hospitality tax increases
MPs have been warned that Britain could lose as many as 540 pubs in 2026 after the Commons approved an inflation-linked rise in alcohol duty due to start on 1 February. UKHospitality and tax analysts say closures have continued steadily, with estimates of one pub shutting each day in England and Wales in 2025, as venues face higher wages, employer national insurance, energy bills and business rates. Politicians across parties raised concerns about the long-term viability of pubs, while ministers defended the duty increase and said they are considering further support such as business rates relief.
Schools Close Again as Water Supply Problems Persist
Several schools in Kent and Sussex will close again due to ongoing widespread disruptions to the local water supply.
National Portrait Gallery adds content warning to portraits of T. E. Lawrence in Arab clothing
The National Portrait Gallery in London has added a cautionary note to several online listings of portraits of T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) that depict him wearing traditional Arab dress, saying the images reflect attitudes of their time and may differ from those held today. The notice appears under works including a 1919 sketch and a 1917 photograph, but not under portraits where he is not shown in Arab clothing.
Raducanu wins her first match of the season after a rain delay
Emma Raducanu earned her first victory of the season by defeating Camila Osorio at the Hobart International, with the match on Tuesday interrupted by rain.
On January 14, 1954, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio married
On January 14, 1954, actress Marilyn Monroe married baseball star Joe DiMaggio, but the marriage ended in divorce less than a year later.
Notable birthdays on Jan. 14 include Slick Rick and Adjoa Andoh
Jan. 14 birthdays include musician Slick Rick, who turns 61, and actor Adjoa Andoh, who turns 63.
About
This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
Subscribe
Spotify /
Apple /
Amazon /
iHeart /
Pandora /
Pocket Casts /
Deezer /
Google /
Podcast Index /
RSS