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| | Sunak's pledge for all under-18s to study maths | |  | | | | | | | | | Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be setting out his priorities for the year - and education has emerged as a key point. He is looking at making maths compulsory until the age of 18 in England to "reimagine our approach to numeracy". Later today, in his first speech of the year, Mr Sunak is expected to reveal that he wants all under-18s to study the subject in some form because "our children's jobs will require more analytical skills than ever before". But there is a shortage of maths teachers, no new qualifications are planned and Labour wants to know how this idea would be funded as colleges and sixth forms weren't given a financial boost in the Autumn Statement. The government says it's considering expanding existing qualifications - here's the full story.
This pledge - reflecting a vision set out in 2011 by the then Education Secretary Michael Gove which you can read more on here - comes as the government faces increased pressure over the growing NHS crisis, the rising cost of living and continuing industrial action. Mr Sunak has reportedly vowed to take personal charge of dealing with the NHS. He is expected to revisit comments about giving people "peace of mind". But so far, nothing more has emerged about his position on the current wave of trade union disputes. That includes a further strike by rail staff today, which our employment correspondent Zoe Conway tells you more about here.
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| | GPs under pressure as NHS challenges mount | | | | | | | | | Pressures facing the NHS have been well documented, with reports of ambulances queuing at A&E departments, patients facing long waits to be seen and record backlogs. Health leaders have issued warnings as have medics, and the government is working to free up hospital beds to tackle mounting concerns about delays. But this isn't the only part of the NHS facing challenges. GPs are feeling it too. They say they are dealing with massive pressures as winter illnesses, an ageing and sicker population, and packed hospitals mean they need to provide more emergency care for their patients. We've visited a surgery in Doncaster to find out what a typical day is like, especially as intense levels of demand are expected following the festive break. At seven o'clock in the morning staff already know it's going to be a busy one. | | | | | |
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| | Avengers star shares snow injury update | | | | | | | | | US actor Jeremy Renner was left in intensive care after being run over by his snow plough, which is three times as heavy as a car. The accident sparked widespread concern for the Avengers star who was airlifted to hospital from outside his home in Nevada on Sunday. The 51-year-old is still being treated but he has given an update via Instagram, thanking fans for their support. Renner posted a selfie but he's "too messed up now to type", he said. Read more here. | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | Fred Gibson, aka house musician Fred Again, is one of the best-connected people in the music industry. Mentored by Brian Eno as a teenager, he made his name as a writer-producer on hits like George Ezra's Shotgun, Ed Sheeran's Bad Habits, Stormzy's Own It and Charli XCX's After The Afterparty. In 2020, the Brits named him producer of the year.
At 26, he was the youngest-ever person to receive the award. Around the same time, he struck out as a solo artist, releasing a trilogy of albums that blended house beats with everyday sounds and conversations he collected on his phone. While most dance music is framed as escapism, his songs are intimate and heartfelt. | | | | | | | | | | | | Mark Savage | | Music correspondent | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | Rishi Sunak's pledge to make maths compulsory for under-18s is one of the key stories leading this morning's papers. The prime minister plans to "reimagine" the education system, the Times reports, making maths the heart of his vision for Britain, the Daily Telegraph writes. The aim is to boost skills, says the Daily Express, which focuses on train strikes, reporting a deal could be "in touching distance". The NHS also remains in the spotlight with the Daily Mirror criticising the Conservative government, while the Guardian covers reaction to comments made by Mr Sunak. Meanwhile, the UK's hunt for any new Covid variants and a warning against the return of face masks are some of the other stories making the headlines. Read the newspaper review in full here. | | | | | |
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| | | | | Makiivka Russia blames missile attack on troops' phone use | | | | | | | US House of Representatives in chaos after no speaker elected | | | | | | | Jamaica British man shot dead in villa, police say | | | | | | | Work How the typical working week has changed | | | | | | |
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| | If you watch one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you listen to one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you read one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | Need something different? | | | | | | | | | When 32-year-old Luke Louden was injured in a crash, he knew he was paralysed and thought he would never walk again. Two years later, with the help of some innovative robotic therapy he's now dreaming that one day he'll be able to walk his daughters down the aisle. Here's his story and how technology could change his life.
Next, to a dream one couple have of taking their area of east London off grid. Aware their plan is ambitious, Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell decided to start with their street. And to get the ball rolling they slept on their roof to raise much-needed funds for solar panels. Take a look at what just over £113,000 will achieve.
And finally, from one couple to another. Meet the nun and the monk who fell in love and married after a brief touch of a sleeve in a convent. Here's the story, if you missed it. | | | | | |
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| | On this day | | | | | | | 1958 Sir Edmund Hillary arrives at the South Pole - the first explorer to do so since Captain Robert F Scott's expedition in 1912. | | | | | | | | |
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