Mapped: Where will it snow in the UK this weekend?

Wintry showers are expected to fall across parts of the UK this weekend as the Met Office issued multiple yellow weather warnings for snow and ice over the weekend.

An Arctic maritime air mass has plunged temperatures as the UKHSA issued a cold weather health alert, lasting until Monday.

The Met Office said a band of rain and sleet will clear southwards across England and Wales during Friday evening and overnight, with snow expected in higher areas. As skies clear, temperatures will fall below freezing leading to a risk of ice forming on untreated surfaces.

Past Friday, the weekend’s weather stays on track with bitingly cold temperatures on Saturday morning, with more snow expected across wide swathes of the UK, particularly on higher ground, until Sunday morning. Across the Scottish hills, up to 15cm of snow could fall overnight on Saturday.

The Met Office said: “Outbreaks of rain spreading eastwards on Saturday night will fall as snow initially, even to low levels for a time, before becoming confined to higher ground as milder air arrives from the west.

“Temporary snow accumulations of 1-3 cm will be possible at low levels, with 3-7 cm possible above about 150 m elevation, and perhaps 10-15 cm above 400 m.

“Areas sheltered to the north of high ground may see very little snow. Ice will be an additional hazard, particularly across northeast England and parts of Scotland where precipitation has the potential to fall on frozen ground leading to very slippery conditions.”

Tonight:

Patchy rain and snow clearing from southern England overnight. Elsewhere mostly clear, with a few wintry showers in the north and east. A widespread frost, with icy patches. Winds easing.

Saturday:

After a frosty, locally icy start, Saturday will be largely dry with plenty of sunshine, and light winds. However, cloud and rain arriving in the west later, with winds freshening.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

Wind and rain, with some snow, clearing to brighter skies and showers on Sunday. Turning milder. Sunshine, showers and brisk winds on Monday. Rain arriving in the south on Tuesday.

Men who plotted ‘mass murder’ of Jewish community in terror attack jailed for life

Two men who plotted a mass shooting that could have become “one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish communities” in the UK have been given life sentences.

Walid Saadaoui, 38, hatched a plan to smuggle four high-powered military-grade AK-47 rifles, two pistols and 900 rounds of ammunition into the UK and unleash what police chiefs said could have been Britain’s deadliest terrorist incident.

Alongside Amar Hussein, 52, he had intended to cause “untold harm” by opening fire on a march against antisemitism in Manchester city centre before moving to attack an area of the city occupied predominantly by the Jewish community.

The plot was foiled after Saadaoui, of Abram in Wigan, shared his deadly preparations online with a man he believed shared his ideology. Unbeknown to him, Saadaoui was actually in contact with an undercover operative – later identified in court proceedings as “Farouk” to protect his identity.

Saadaoui and Hussein, both of no fixed address, were jailed for life on Friday at Preston Crown Court, with minimum terms of 37 years and 26 years respectively.

Mr Justice Wall told the defendants that if their plot had succeeded, it would “likely have been one of the deadliest terror attacks ever carried out on British soil”.

He said: “I am sure this would have led to the deaths of many people and serious injuries to many, many more.

“Your plan envisaged you and two others discharging AK-47s into a large crowd of marchers, who were unarmed and defenceless; 120 bullets could have been discharged before any reloads were required. You planned to have spare magazines available.

“Your attack would have led to the deaths of people of all ages, including children.”

Prosecutors said Saadaoui had moved to the North West in 2022 and made several unsuccessful attempts to purchase guns online before he met Farouk. He was also found to have posted Isis propaganda on numerous Facebook accounts and encouraged others to take up weapons “in the name of the Islamic State”.

In his communications with the undercover officer, Saadaoui shared his admiration for Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the leader in the 2015 Paris attacks. He also told Farouk of his desire to attack Jewish people, and covertly joined a Jewish Facebook page to follow events.

He also recruited Hussein, a fellow Isis sympathiser, to conduct reconnaissance and monitor the arrival of the weapons.

The two would-be terrorists believed that Farouk could import automatic firearms from abroad, and welcomed him into their deadly fold. He infiltrated the group, learning that the pair embraced the ideology of Isis and intended to carry out attacks in response to alleged atrocities conducted by Israeli troops since October 2023.

Saadaoui told Farouk he could independently obtain a firearm via Sweden, and indicated that he was looking to bring guns from Eastern Europe. Separately he had bought an air weapon and had visited a shooting range.

Saadaoui and Hussein travelled to Dover, Kent, in March 2024 to conduct hostile reconnaissance on how a weapon could be smuggled through the port without detection. A safe house was also secured in Bolton for storage of the weapons, while both men returned to Dover two months later, where they believed they were watching the firearms coming into the country.

Farouk also learnt that Saadaoui had discussed his plans with his younger brother, 36-year-old Bilel Saadaoui.

Walid Saadaoui was arrested by counterterrorism police in May 2024 after attempting to take possession of two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol, and almost 200 rounds of ammunition.

Following a trial at Preston Crown Court, he and Hussein were convicted of making preparations to commit a large-scale terrorist attack, while Bilel Saadaoui, of Hindley in Wigan, was found guilty of failing to disclose information about the terror plan. He was sentenced to six years in jail with an extended licence period of 12 months.

Mr Justice Wall commended the bravery of undercover operator Farouk. He told the court: “His is a dangerous and difficult job. He undertook it with great skill and patience. He has potentially saved many lives by putting his own life on the line. I am not allowed to know his true identity, but I hope the remarks I make are passed on to him.”

Frank Ferguson, head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism division at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a deeply disturbing plot inspired by extremist ideology. Had these terrorists succeeded, it would have led to mass murder and been one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish communities in this country.

“The investigation and prosecution deployed a highly trained witness who made sure their plot did not succeed and secured valuable evidence directly from the mouths of the terrorists. This laid bare their intention to destroy lives, their long-held attitudes and beliefs as well as their Isis credentials. We worked closely with counterterrorism officers to ensure the strongest possible case was built from the outset and presented in court to the jury, resulting in these convictions.

“Terrorism is an attack on the very fabric of our society. We will always use the law to protect communities from harm and relentlessly hold offenders to account, making sure they face the toughest legal consequences for their actions.”

Boss of P&O Ferries owner DP World ousted after Epstein messages revealed

DP World, the global logistics and transport giant that owns P&O Ferries, has removed its chair following the publication of messages exchanged between him and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Dubai-based firm, which also operates major container ports in London and Southampton, confirmed the departure of Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. While the company did not directly name him in its announcement, it stated that Essa Kazim would now assume the role of DP World’s chair.

Additionally, Yuvraj Narayan has been appointed as the group chief executive officer, tasked with leading the company’s future direction.

It came after DP World faced intense pressure over the future of Bin Sulayem’s position after the publication of fresh files related to Jeffrey Epstein by the US justice department.

Mr Epstein died in jail in 2019 after he was charged with sex trafficking.

In an April 2009 email to Sulayem, Epstein wrote: “Where are you? are you ok, I loved the torture video.”

The recipient replied: “I am in china I will be in the US 2nd week of may.”

In texts from 2007, Sulayem emailed Epstein about his attempts to meet a supermodel.

According to a separate cache of emails obtained by Bloomberg, he wrote: “After several attemps [sic] for several months we managed to meet in NY. there is a missunderstanding [sic] she she wanted some BUSINESS! while i only wanted some P****NESS!”

In 2015, Sulayem had suggested visiting the financier with his family and sent him links to fetish porn websites, according to the files.

Other emails included messages from Bin Sulayem describing women, one of which included details about their age, weight, height and bra size.

Some of the company’s largest international partners, such as the British International Investment development finance operation, reportedly threatened to halt future partnerships with DP as a result.

On Friday, the company added: “DP World affirmed that the new appointments support its strategy for sustainable growth and reinforce its role in strengthening global supply chains and supporting Dubai’s position as a leading hub for trade and logistics.”

DP World faced criticism from British MPs and unions in 2022 after its P&O Ferries business sacked 800 staff and replaced them with cheaper agency workers.

Two Brits among three killed in avalanche at French Alps ski resort

Two British men are among three people who were killed in an avalanche in the French Alps Friday.

The avalanche struck at around 11:30am (10.30am GMT) in the Val d’Isère ski resort in southeastern France.

A spokesperson from the slope management department at the resort confirmed that the third victim is a French national who was skiing alone.

The Brits were reportedly part of a group of five people accompanied by an instructor who were off-piste skiing, according to the BBC.

The cause of the avalanche wasn’t immediately known.

A red avalanche warning was issued Thursday across the Savoie region by Meteo-France, which is the national weather service.

The Val d’Isère ski resort’s website said off-piste skiing is “strongly discouraged” due to a “very high avalanche risk”.

An FCDO Spokesperson said: “We are aware of an accident in which two British men have died in France.

“We are in contact with the local authorities and stand ready to offer consular assistance”.

The trend that explains why Tottenham have turned to Tudor to save them

If many a football club is accused of living in the past, Tottenham may have taken that a stage further by going for the distant past. Not content with being named after Harry Hotspur, the 15th-century warlord, they will be ruled by a Tudor. Admittedly, the choice of Igor Tudor as interim manager probably stems less from any suggestion he is related to Henry or Elizabeth and more from the possibility he can occupy the throne until the king over the water, Mauricio Pochettino, returns in the summer.

But the choice of Tudor also reflects a 21st-century trend. Tottenham managers tend to be the opposite of their predecessor. And if Thomas Frank reeked too much of Brentford by the end, a coach who had come from perhaps the smallest club in the Premier League, who many felt struggled to talk like a Tottenham manager, enter a man whose last job was at Italy’s national obsession, Juventus, who experienced the pressure of the biggest crowds in France, at Marseille, and who, two years ago, was parachuted into Lazio, scarcely a low-pressure environment.

Tottenham can take encouragement from his track record of making a difference immediately. They have 12 league games remaining. Two years ago, Lazio appointed Tudor when they had nine remaining. He won five of them – six of 11 in all competitions – and took them from ninth to seventh.

Last year, Juventus sacked Thiago Motta, also in March, also with nine games to go. Tudor again won five, taking them from fifth to fourth and into the Champions League. The unfortunate sequel, which bodes less well for events on the Seven Sisters Road and may make Frank’s football sound exciting in comparison, is that when Tudor was sacked in October, Juventus had not scored in four games or won in eight. He averaged 0.67 points per game in this season’s Champions League, Frank 2.13.

Juventus may feel their mistake was to give Tudor a new contract last summer. If he also begins with a short-term task at Tottenham, there is no current option to extend his deal beyond June. And while the Croatian took Lazio and Juventus up the table, the priority for Spurs is simply not to drop down it: below the dotted line, out of the top flight for the first time since promotion in 1978. Their current status in 16th is ignominious but perhaps better than the alternative. After no wins in eight league games, just two in 17, the objective is to halt the slide.

Which, actually, should be quite feasible, despite the crippling injury crisis. Tudor’s first game is a north London derby; more than two decades ago, Martin Jol’s first in the Premier League was, too, and while it was lost, a 4-5 scoreline led to an upturn soon after. But while only Wolves have a worse home record than Spurs, the five remaining top-flight matches at their deluxe stadium this season are against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Leeds and Everton, respectively 13th, 17th, 14th, 15th and 8th at the moment. There is the chance of salvation on their own soil.

The difficulty in replicating his immediate impact in Italy may be his lack of familiarity. By the time Tudor took charge of Lazio, he had been a player in Serie A for nine years, had three stints as a manager and one as assistant; at Juventus, which probably helped him when he was hired in Turin.

He is a newcomer to Tottenham and the Premier League. There may be a comparison with a fellow Croatian with a grounding in Serie A. Ivan Juric probably underestimated the difficulty of managing Southampton, won a solitary league game, got relegated and, it is safe to say, will never manage in England again.

Juric represents the worst-case scenario. Tottenham’s experience of interims is not entirely positive. Cristian Stellini lasted four games, going 5-0 down in 21 minutes to Newcastle in the last. Ryan Mason had two spells, winning six of his 13 matches across them.

But with better players, and more players. Tudor may start his tenure without a dozen. Nor will he benefit from the feelgood factor that shrouded Michael Carrick from the start; that Frank’s penultimate game was against Carrick’s Manchester United and that the former Spurs midfielder would otherwise have been a credible choice to take over at another of his old clubs felt inescapable.

There may have been no obvious answer to Carrick, no one from the Tottenham family ready and able to take charge, once the nostalgia-infused offers from Tim Sherwood and Harry Redknapp were ignored. And so Tottenham turned to an outsider. This particular Tudor is unlikely to found a dynasty. Spurs must hope that, unlike previous Tudor reigns, it will not be bloody.

Seven ways Amazon Business can make your budgets work harder in 2026

Late January marks the moment when the business year truly begins, making it the ideal time for companies of all sizes to maximise their early-year spending through smarter, business-focused purchasing with Amazon Business. Not surprisingly Amazon Business offers exceptional deals and special prices on everything your business needs during the Business Saving Event – until February 4. This is your last chance to save big on thousands of products, from office essentials to equipment upgrades, helping business leaders start the year organised, well-stocked, and ahead of the curve while freeing up valuable time to focus on serving their customers, but only until February 4.

Business-only rates and rapid delivery

Amazon Business is the online retailer’s platform for companies, retooling its familiar and intuitive shopping interface to create a business-focused experience. It helps teams stock up on core business essentials at the best possible price. Users benefit from business-only pricing available exclusively to registered Amazon Business customers, while Amazon’s rapid delivery times make it easy to plug last-minute gaps in supply.

Buying in bulk

Another way to stay fully stocked is to buy in bulk — and Amazon Business makes this flexible. You can purchase single items or pallet-sized orders of everything from stationery to cleaning supplies. Bulk buying improves budget efficiency, saves time, and comes with transparent guardrails for employees, as well as reorder lists for frequently purchased items.

Empowering teams

The beauty of Amazon’s business-specific platform is its familiar Amazon interface, making it easy for employees new to the procurement process to order essential supplies without involving business leaders. This not only saves time but empowers teams to work smarter and more efficiently.

Cost-aware purchasing and oversight

Consolidating your team into a single multi-user account gives you close oversight of spending and ensures budgets are allocated effectively. You can limit purchasing to approved items and guide team members toward approved suppliers, helping you stay on top of compliance goals.

Accessible spending data

Amazon Business accounts come with Amazon Business Analytics built in, providing instant visibility into your organisation’s purchase history. You can track spending, analyse trends, and create customised reports with intuitive visualisations, making it easier to identify savings opportunities and make data-driven buying decisions.

Simplified workflows

Amazon’s logistical expertise enables management of complex multi-address delivery preferences from a single centralised account. Delivery settings can be updated for multiple locations simultaneously, rather than individually. Combined with the platform’s unrivalled product range, this allows you to consolidate purchases across multiple suppliers into a single, streamlined procurement process, cutting down on administrative work.

Seamless integration

For companies using e-procurement and expense management systems such as Coupa, Concur Expense, or SAP Ariba, Amazon Business integrates seamlessly with over 300 platforms. VAT invoices are downloadable, and VAT-exclusive pricing is available, making it easier to incorporate spending data into decision-making processes.

Sign up for a free Amazon Business account to streamline your purchasing and take advantage of quantity discounts.

The government is now almost powerless against Palestine Action

Whatever might be said about the merits of the government’s attempt to outlaw Palestine Action, it has proved to be a humiliating failure in every respect.

The High Court ruling that the proscription of the group as a “terrorist” organisation is “disproportionate” and in contravention of human rights legislation has left ministers in the worst of all worlds. The government is accused of tyranny, but in fact is also now prospectively unable to control an organisation that has resorted to violent acts, at least against property, and which Jewish communities have found deeply threatening.

Given that two juries have refused to convict Palestine Action activists in high-profile cases where the evidence of wrongdoing has been overwhelming and unchallenged, the situation is clearly a mess.

The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, says she is “disappointed” by the judges’ decision, but she should not be surprised. She will appeal against the decision, so the ban on Palestine Action remains in place for the time being – but it feels like a dead letter.

Indeed, the Metropolitan Police refused to take the latest bait offered outside the High Court by protesters with placards saying they support Palestine Action. Officers declined to arrest them for the benefit of the television cameras. The police pointed to the “unusual” situation created by the High Court ruling; they are correct that it is unusual, but this is not a convincing reason for failing to uphold the law.

When Ms Mahmood’s predecessor, Yvette Cooper, stood up in the Commons last June to make the case for proscription, she had some reasonable arguments. She was right to say that Jewish communities found some Palestine Action activities “intimidatory and unacceptable”. The Board of Deputies of British Jews has issued a warning that “Palestine Action has repeatedly targeted buildings hosting Jewish communal institutions, Jewish-owned businesses, or sites associated with Israel, in ways that cause fear and disruption far beyond the immediate protest sites”.

We live in a time when legitimate concerns about the behaviour of the Israeli armed forces in Gaza have too easily slid into blaming British Jews for such actions – a classic antisemitic trope, whether conscious or otherwise.

After the Manchester synagogue attack, the Bondi Beach shootings, and other murderous assaults on Jews who have nothing to do with the Netanyahu government, all those who protest the suffering of the Palestinian people have to be especially clear about the peaceful nature and intent of their cause. Those who are pro-Palestine, however that is defined, must never allow their movement to be overtaken or hijacked by anti-Jewish hate.

Sadly, despite Ms Cooper’s honourable intentions, the decision to proscribe Palestinian Action has done nothing to ameliorate this danger.

There is no reason, either, for the government – or the British people as a whole – to accept the destruction of vital and valuable defence equipment as an exercise in freedom of expression. The definition of “direct action” does not include committing vandalism in the pursuit of a political cause.

As Ms Cooper pointed out, Palestine Action does not have the right to attack “key national infrastructure and defence firms that provide services and supplies to support Ukraine, Nato, Five Eyes allies and UK defence”. It is not just property that gets hurt. Last year, a Palestine Action activist was allegedly responsible for breaking a police officer’s spine with a sledgehammer during a raid on premises belonging to an Israel-based defence company. (The jury failed to reach a verdict in that case, and a retrial is pending.)

We are still a democracy, with the ancient right to protest protected by common law, by the human rights convention, and by the safeguard against bad law guaranteed by a jury. There are better ways for Palestine Action to win its arguments than by using violence, as was seen in the general election, when many so-called Gaza independents were elected to the House of Commons. If Palestine Action goes beyond peaceful, noisy protest and resorts to intimidation and violence, then its members should be restrained, as with any other group, through proportionate action by the authorities.

The mistake made by Ms Cooper and the government was to choose the wrong measure to keep the peace so far as Palestine Action is concerned. Despite the violence sometimes deployed, it was always absurd to categorise Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organisation, bracketing it with, say, Isis or the Provisional IRA. It resulted in retired people and wheelchair users, who were obviously not terrorists in any accepted sense of the word, being manhandled by the police for holding up a piece of cardboard with words on it. The law was dragged into farce and disrepute when confronted with a T-shirt proclaiming loyalty to “Plasticine Action”.

There are existing laws and powers that can, and are, used in the case of demonstrations and direct action, including incitement to racial or religious hatred, disorder, criminal damage and grievous bodily harm. If Palestine Action is a more sinister organisation than it appears – as ministers have claimed it to be – but is still not clearly a terrorist one, then a new law should be framed accordingly, and be justified to parliament and the people.

At the moment, the government has left itself practically powerless to deal with Palestine Action, while simultaneously infringing on the common right to protest. Even if the ban is upheld on appeal, juries may still choose to ignore it, and other laws for that matter, and free Palestine Action protesters. On behalf of her government, Ms Mahmood will need to think again about what to put in place of this unenforceable ban.

Boots launches first high street service for weight loss jabs

Weight-loss jab users will now be able to pop into Boots for their prescriptions on their lunch break after the high street pharmacy launched an in-store service.

The pilot scheme, which started this week, saw drugs including Wegovy and Mounjaro being prescribed to customers in 17 stores across Britain.

About 1.6million adults in the UK use weight-loss drugs. The medication – which works by mimicking the natural hormone that regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion – can’t be bought over the counter and must be prescribed by a qualified healthcare professional, such as a GP or pharmacist, following a consultation.

Until now, almost all weight-loss prescriptions by Boots were issued after an online consultation, rather than face-to-face. But this new scheme will see patients have a consultation in a private room where their medical history will be taken, and weight and height measured, to determine if they are eligible.

Jamie Kerruish, chief healthcare officer at Boots, believes the scheme will make it more convenient for customers to access weight-loss jabs, because people can “pop into a store on their lunch break or after work,” The Times reported.

The move to in-store consultations follows safety concerns that people are lying about their weight or submitting fake photos to obtain the injections from some online pharmacies.

Weight-loss injections, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are a prescribed drug and to access them on the NHS a patient needs to have a BMI of 40 or more, but private providers offer them to those with a BMI over 30. As a result the demand for weight-loss jabs from private pharmacies has soared.

Boots has been selling Wegovy, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, for three years. It also sells Mounjaro, which is offered on the NHS.

Prices start at £99.97 for the lowest dose of Wegovy and £176.97 for the lowest dose of Mounjaro. The in-store service will offer access to the same treatment as the Boots Online Doctor service, and at the same price.

“We know that people have different preferences for how they access healthcare services – some seeking online support and some wanting in-person conversations with their local practitioner,” Mr Kerruish said.

“The launch of our in-store weight-loss treatment service alongside our digital offer delivered through Boots Online Doctor means we can now deliver convenient care to people both online or in person,” he added.

Mr Kerruish explained the service is for anyone whose lives are affected by obesity and in addition to offering weight-loss jabs, they also provide support to help people make lifestyle and behavioural changes.

Here is a list of Boots stores offering the weight-loss drug service: