The Scotsman says MSPs are due to give cross-party support for a ceasefire in the Middle East. It is expected Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will back the SNP’s motion. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has already announced he doesn’t support a ceasefire, only a “humanitarian pause”.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar should “stand firm and back an immediate ceasefire”. It is due to be discussed in Holyrood on Tuesday, reports the National.
Pressure grows on Health Secretary Michael Matheson to quit after he racked up an £11,000 data roaming bill on his iPad whilst on holiday, reports the Scottish Daily Mail. Mr Matheson admitted the bill was caused by his children watching football and using the iPad as a hot spot, but the first minister Humza Yousaf said he “should have handled the situation better”.
The Russell Brand development provides the lead story for Metro, which points out that it comes two months after the “bombshell TV investigation” Russell Brand: In Plain Sight. But the paper says it is unclear whether detectives were speaking to him about claims in the documentary or about others that have been reported since then. Brand has previously denied the claims.
Qatar, which is hosting the negotiations between Israel and Hamas, is making equally positive comments, according to the Times. It quotes the country’s PM, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as saying that there are “just practical and logistical” challenges left to overcome. The paper also pictures comedian and presenter Russell Brand as it reports he has been questioned by the Metropolitan Police over allegations of historical sex offences.
“Israel on the brink of hostage agreement” is the lead headline for the Daily Telegraph as it details the latest developments in negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli leadership. The paper quotes “optimistic” US officials who are brokering the talks and says they believe that “only minor details” remain before it is announced that dozens of women and children will be released in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting.
Just two days away from his Autumn Statement , Chancellor Jeremy Hunt appears to be clearly happy to stoke the newspapers’ talk of exactly which tax cuts he will be announcing on Wednesday. Quoting his latest announcement that “everything is on the table”, the i newspaper points out that tax cuts for businesses remain more likely than those for general taxpayers.
The Herald reports the boss of Ferguson Marine is due to receive controversial bonuses this year, despite the first minister’s concerns. Last year, David Tydeman received almost £40,000 in bonuses. The Ferguson Marine shipyard is the only remaining shipyard on the lower Clyde and has faced criticism over the delay in completing two ferries, Glenn Sannox and Glen Rosa.
“Nuke sub mins from disaster” is the dramatic headline on the front page of the Sun. The paper does explain that this is not the current prognosis as it tells the story of a “decades-old” Royal Navy nuclear sub, complete with Trident 2 doomsday missiles, which started sinking towards its crush depth where the submarine implodes from water pressure. – but was saved just in time.
An event to raise money for supporters of killer Luke Mitchell has been banned, after venue bosses were told it was a birthday party. Mr Mitchell murdered his girlfriend, Jodi Jones, in Midlothian in 2003. The Daily Record reports campaigners demanding the release of Mr Mitchell planned to hold a £10 ticket fundraiser.
The family of a teenager who was sexually abused by an army veteran have told the Courier his 30-month jail term is not enough for his “despicable crimes”.
Police are investigating the murder of a mum-of-two from Moray and have issued an appeal to the public for information, reports the Press and Journal. Kiesha Donaghy, 32, was found dead in her home on Thursday.
The family of Bennylyn Burke have told a new TV documentary her killer, Andrew Innes, should be given death penalty. They said he was “truly evil” after he murdered Ms Burke and her young daughter and then buried their bodies under his kitchen floor, reports the Evening Telegraph.
The Evening Express leads with a story of a man who has been ordered to pay a woman £1,000 in compensation, after he sexually assaulted her in a bar in Aberdeen. The attack was captured in a photograph the woman took while it happened.
The Glasgow Times reports thousands attended George Square’s Christmas light turn. The paper also says a man armed with a meat cleaver and knife tried to attack an asbestos worker.
And in what seems to be a bit of a November tradition, the Daily Star goes very early in declaring it will be a white Christmas this year as it says forecasters have predicted snow in the run-up to the big day. The paper reports that the first flurries of the white stuff will hit the nation this week but doesn’t commit to saying whether its predicted “polar plunge” will last all of the next five weeks.
BBC
