Northern Ireland: Donaldson says no agreement on Windsor Framework
Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has declared that negotiations aimed at restoring the Stormont government have concluded, offering a financial package exceeding £3.3 billion for the Executive's return. However, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson asserts that no final agreement on the post-Brexit Windsor Framework has been reached. He urged immediate resolution of public sector pay disputes by the UK government, independent of Stormont's restoration. Alliance leader Naomi Long, who believes the financial package is substantial yet insufficient, has urged the DUP to return to government. Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald expressed disappointment over the potential delays, while UUP leader Doug Beattie acknowledged the end of talks but noted ongoing discussions about the 'good financial package.' He stressed the need for public sector pay resolutions before Christmas. The legislation for moving forward is reportedly ready.
Police to run face recognition searches on 50m driving licence holders
The UK government is introducing a law allowing police to run facial recognition searches on a database of fifty million driving licence holders. This change, part of a new criminal justice bill, will enable the police to match images from sources like CCTV and social media with driving licence records. Privacy campaigners warn that this effectively places all UK drivers in a 'permanent police lineup' without clear limits or independent oversight. There are concerns about the lack of public debate and consultation on this significant expansion of police powers. The technology's potential for false identifications, particularly among black and Asian faces, adds to the controversy. The change also raises questions about the legitimacy and proportionality of such widespread surveillance. The Home Office maintains that Clause 21 in the bill merely clarifies police use of DVLA records but does not grant automatic access for facial recognition. However, the move comes as part of broader efforts to integrate various databases into a single system for easier image-matching.
Iceland: volcano finally erupts
On 18 December a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland finally erupted, spewing glowing orange jets of lava surrounded by billowing clouds of red smoke. The population of Grindavík, a small fishing town nearby, had been evacuated in November after a series of small earthquakes. The government said the eruption did not present a threat to life; there were no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland, as this type of eruption does not usually produce much ash. Icelandic police have warned tourists to ‘think four times’ before attempting to get close to the eruption, after they had to rescue an exhausted hiker by helicopter. Iceland’s president, Guðni Jóhannesson, said: ‘Our priorities remain to protect lives and infrastructure. We wait to see what the forces of nature have in store. We are prepared and remain vigilant.’ The meteorological office said on 20 December that the power, seismicity and deformation of the eruption had decreased.
Ukraine stops drone attack, considers more troops
On 20 December, a major drone attack by Russia was stopped by Ukraine, whose air force claimed to have shot down 34 out of 35 of the Iranian devices. The drones were sent over in several waves over a seven-hour period. The attack comes amid claims by Ukraine that Russian troops are suffering from an outbreak of so-called ‘mouse fever’. The disease causes people to bleed from their eyes, vomit several times a day, and experience extreme temperatures and headaches. Volodymyr Zelensky was boosted by news that Germany will provide 88.5 million euros to help strengthen his country’s energy infrastructure in the face of Russian attacks. He has been asked by the military for an extra 500,000 troops to join the million or so already in uniform. Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to increase the number of Russian troops by 170,000, to a total of 1.32 million. See
