INFORMING BRITAIN PRESS PREVIEW (FRIDAY'S PAPERS): FRIDAY 16 JANUARY 2026 | TOMORROW'S PAPERS TODAY AT INFORMING BRITAIN

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Welcome to your official rundown of headlines on a selection of Newspapers' Front Pages for Friday 16 January 2026.
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Browse through #IBPapers on ​𝕏, and #IBPapers on BlueSky, to keep up with the latest from Informing Britain Papers on Social Media.
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This is a selection of newspaper publications from United Kingdom, and around the world.

All papers are from within United Kingdom, unless otherwise stated.
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If the leading story is available, links will be provided.
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​This page will be updated as the headlines come in.

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The Independent: "JENRICK DEFECTS AS GLOATING FARAGE TAUNTS BADENOCH"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Millie Cooke / David Maddox / Kate Devlin

Robert Jenrick joined Reform UK, just hours after being sacked from The Conservative Party's Front Bench by Kemi Badenoch when his plans to defect were uncovered.

FULL REPORT: INDEPENDENT.CO.UK/news/uk/politics/robert-jenrick-joins-reform-tories-farage-latest-news-b2901355.html

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The Redditch & Alcester Standard: "EXTRAORDINARY SCENES DURING HEATED DEBATE"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Ashleigh Osborne

Redditch Borough Council are to ask Ministry Of Housing, Communities and Local Government to postpone the Local Election which is schedules for May 2026.
At an extraordinary meeting councillors met at Oakenshaw Community Centre to discuss the proposal.

FULL REPORT: RedditchStandard.co.uk/news/full-report-redditch-borough-council-vote-in-favour-of-postponing-may-election

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Daily Mirror: "FARAGE'S PARTY OF TORY FAILURES"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: David Burke

Two-faced Conservative Party flop Robert Jenrick became the lastest defector to join Nigel Farage and Reform UK after being booted out of his own party.

FULL REPORT: MIRROR.CO.UK/news/politics/breaking-robert-jenrick-defects-reform-36558720

Daily Mirror (Sport Page/Back Page): "I WANT MATES IN THE STATES"
LEAD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: John Cross

Thomas Tuchel has warned players must have the right "social skills" to make his World Cup for England.

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Glasgow Times: "'IT'S A STEALTH TAX ON LOCALS'"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Nicole Mitchell

A community council from Dennistoun in Glasgow says they "cannot support" proposed traffic regulation orders (TROs) in their current form, saying they appear to be a "stealth tax" on local residents.

FULL REPORT: GlasgowTimes.co.uk/news/scottish-news/25762584.group-calls-parking-proposals-stealth-tax-dennistoun-residents

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Daily Mail: "STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER AND END THE LABOUR NIGHTMARE"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Jason Groves / Martin Beckford

Robert Jenrick threw a hand grenade into the politics of the British Right as he defected to Reform UK after being outed as a Conservative Party turncoat.

FULL REPORT: DailyMail.co.uk/news/article-15468547

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​Evesham Observer: "LOTTERY WIN WILL HELP GIVE THE PAST A FUTURE"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Lise Evans

Evesham's Almonry Museum's restoration project has received a welcome funding boost thanks to £393,219 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The development grant will enable two years of planning for the interpretation of its collections alongside the completion of urgent building repairs.

FULL REPORT: EveshamObserver.co.uk/news/celebrations-as-evesham-museum-secures-nearly-400k-in-lottery-grant

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Morning Star: "LEFT TO DIE: CORRIDORS CRISIS IN NHS"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Ceren Sagir

Patients are dying in corridors and going undiscovered for hours, a damning new report by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) reveals.
Nurses have shared harrowing accounts of a "broken system" of corridor care that "tortures" patients, with people left in chairs for days and one patient choking to death, unnoticed.

FULL REPORT: MorningStarOnline.co.uk/article/patients-dying-hospital-corridors-are-going-undiscovered-hours-rcn-report-reveals

Morning Star (Sport Page/Back Page): "WALES GEAR UP FOR TOUR DE FRANCE DEBUT IN 2027"
LEAD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: David Nicholson 

In July 2027, Wales will host the Tour De France for the first time ever.
Event organisers have confirmed the outline route and key details of what will be The World's most prestigious Cycling Race to be staged on Welsh roads.

FULL REPORT: MorningStarOnline.co.uk/article/wales-set-tour-de-france-spectacular-2027

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Stratford Observer: "ZAHAWI'S REFORM MOVE SLAMMED BY OPPONENTS"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Philippa Mingins

Former Stratford MP Nadhim Zahawi has defected to Reform UK from The Conservative Party where he previously served as Chancellor Of The Exchequer.
Nadhim Zahawi says Britain is "drinking at the last chance saloon" and "really does need Nigel Farage as Prime Minister".

FULL REPORT: StratfordObserver.co.uk/news/former-stratford-mp-nadhim-zahawi-defects-to-reform-uk-59852

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Metro (South Edition): "'THE SECRET TRAITOR'"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Craig Munro

Kemi Badenoch has booted her former leadership rival Robert Jenrick out of The Conservative Party on a day of drama likened to The Traitors - telling faithful followers she had 'irrefutable evidence' he was plotting against them.

FULL REPORT: METRO.CO.UK/2026/01/15/robert-jenrick-sacked-tory-shadow-cabinet-secret-plot-26306180

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Financial Times: "JENRICK JOINS REFORM AFTER BADENOCH GIVES HIM SACK FOR PLOTTING TO DEFECT"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: David Sheppard / Jim Pickard / Anna Gross / Mari Novik

Robert Jenrick has joined Reform UK after being sacked by Kemi Badenoch as The Conservative Party's Shadow Justice Secretary, the highest-profile defection yet from The Tories to Nigel Farage's populist party.

FULL REPORT: FT.COM/content/991213ae-dab4-44ad-86eb-48045f97de96

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​The Economist: "HORROR IN IRAN"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: The Economist Editorial

Iranian protests against Ali Khamenei's regime met with brutal crackdowns, killing thousands; economic woes and foreign defeats weaken rulers.
President Donald Trump mulls strikes, risking escalation, chaos, or regime fragmentation for potential democracy.

FULL REPORT: ECONOMIST.COM/leaders/2026/01/15/what-the-collapse-of-irans-regime-would-mean

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​The Guardian: "SACKED JENRICK DEFECTS TO REFORM WITH FIERY ATTACK ON 'FAILED' TORIES"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Jessica Elgot / Rowena Mason / Libby Brooks

Robert Jenrick has made a dramatic defection to Nigel Farage's Reform UK, declaring The Conservative Party "rotten" and "failed" after being sacked by Kemi Badenoch for plotting against her.

FULL REPORT: TheGuardian.com/politics/2026/jan/15/robert-jenrick-defects-to-reform-uk-after-conservative-party-suspension

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Kidderminster Standard: "JAIL TERM FOR INFECTING PERSON WITH HIV VIRUS"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Tristan Harris

A Kidderminster man has been jailed to four-and-a-half years for recklessly infecting another person with HIV.
Luke Davis was handed the term at Hereford Justice Centre following a trial in October where he was charged with unlawfully and maliciously inflicting Grievous Bodily Harm.

FULL REPORT: KidderminsterStandard.co.uk/news/kidderminster-man-luke-davis-jailed-for-recklessly-infecting-another-man-with-hiv

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Daily Express: "JENRICK JOINS REFORM WITH BLAST AT 'ROTTEN' TORIES"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Christian Calgie / Jonathan Walker / Katie Harris

Robert Jenrick has joined Reform UK and brands The Conservative Party "rotten" after a defiant Kemi Badenoch sacked him following evidence discovered which claimed he was plotting against her.

FULL REPORT: EXPRESS.CO.UK/news/politics/2158195

Daily Express (Sport Page/Back Page): "TALENT IS NOT ENOUGH"
LEAD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: John Cross

Thomas Tuchel has warned players must have the right "social skills" to make his World Cup for England.

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The Bolton News: "'GET A CHECK-UP... IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE'"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Isobel Forbes

Mark Allen, a Bolton father, has shared his terminal cancer story in the hope of saving lives, after learning the disease he once beat has returned and is now incurable.
Mark Allen who has lived in Bolton for the past nine years, was first diagnosed with stage three Colorectal Cancer in 2023 after experiencing bowel problems that he initially ignored.

FULL REPORT: TheBoltonNews.co.uk/news/25759551.bolton-dad-terminal-cancer-shares-vital-warning

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The I Paper: "DAY OF POISON AND BETRAYAL AS UK'S RIGHT WING FEUD DEEPENS"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Kitty Donaldson

Kemi Badenoch (The Conservative Party Leader) sacks and exiles her rival Robert Jenrick, before he defects to Reform UK as a star signing. 

FULL REPORT: INews.co.uk/news/politics/reform-pm-anonymity-whats-next-robert-jenrick-4172427

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Coventry Observer: "SCHOOLS JOBS CUT PLAN PROMPTS STRIKE ACTION"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Andy Morris

Staff at a Coventry secondary school are going on strike in a dispute over large-scale redundancies.
Over 830 members of the National Education Union (NEU) across the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) – which runs West Coventry Academy – have begun an initial nine days of strike action.

FULL REPORT: CoventryObserver.co.uk/news/school-staff-strike-under-threat-of-damaging-job-losses

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Scottish Daily Mail: "STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER AND END THE LABOUR NIGHTMARE"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Jason Groves / Martin Beckford

Robert Jenrick threw a hand grenade into the politics of the British Right as he defected to Reform UK after being outed as a Conservative Party turncoat.

FULL REPORT: DailyMail.co.uk/news/article-15468547

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Scottish Daily Mail (Sport Page/Back Page): "TAVERNIER WANTED BY RAFA"
LEAD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: Simon Jones / Calum Crowe 

James Tavernier, the Captain of Rangers Football Club, has emerged as a shock transfer target for Panathinaikos.

FULL REPORT: DailyMail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15467029

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Bromsgrove Standard: "TRIBUTES TO FRED STANLEY CAMPAIGNER FOR THE COMMUNITY"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Tristan Harris

Tributes have been paid to a long-time Bromsgrove community campaigner who has died at the age of 82.
Over the years Fred Stanley campaigned on a number of issues in the town and raised thousands of pounds worth of funding for local charities.

FULL REPORT: BromsgroveStandard.co.uk/news/tributes-paid-to-bromsgrove-community-campaigner-fred-stanley-who-has-died-aged-82

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MThe Times Scotland: "JENRICK DEFECTS TO REFORM AFTER SACKING BY BADENOCH"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Steven Swinford / Oliver Wright / Aubrey Allegretti

Robert Jenrick has become the highest-profile defector to Reform UK after being sacked by Kemi Badenoch.
The Conservative leader pre-emptively dismissed the Shadow Justice Secretary, who had secretly been negotiating with Nigel Farage for four months.

FULL REPORT: TheTimes.com/uk/politics/article/robert-jenrick-reform-sacked-kemi-badenoch-wkr7vs38b

The Times Scotland (Sport Page/Back Page): "RÖHL PREDICTS FINAL-DAY EPIC"
LEAD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: Ronnie Esplin

Danny Röhl believes the Premiership title race could go to a dramatic three team shoot-out on the final day of the season.

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Malvern Observer: "MP UNHAPPY WITH LACK OF ACTION ON SLOW POST"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Ashleigh Osborne

Worcester MP Tom Collins alongside West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has called for urgent action over serious Royal Mail delays in Warndon Villages and Malvern.
Councillor Sarah Murray, Worcester City Councillor wrote to Mr. Collins after being contacted by Warndon Villages residents who say they are often receiving only one postal delivery a week.

FULL REPORT: MalvernObserver.co.uk/news/mps-call-for-urgent-action-over-serious-postal-in-worcester-and-malvern-59880

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The Scotsman: "FARAGE URGES DEFECTORS TO GET IN TOUCH 'WITHIN DAYS'"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Alistair Grant

Nigel Farage told potential Holyrood defectors to get in touch "within the next few days" if they want to jump ship as he announced a former Tory minister will be Reform’s leader in Scotland.

FULL REPORT: SCOTSMAN.COM/news/politics/farage-tells-potential-holyrood-defectors-to-get-in-touch-within-days-5476930

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Droitwich Standard: "BUDGET PLANS TO SCRAP SCHOOL BUS THROWN OUT"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Ryan Smith

Plans to scrap a School Bus service for children on Droitwich's Newland Estate were voted down in dramatic fashion.
At a meeting councillors were asked to debate whether to approve the savings identified in Worcestershire County Council's draft Budget for 2026/27.

FULL REPORT: DroitwichStandard.co.uk/news/budget-plan-to-scrap-droitwich-school-bus-service-is-thrown-out

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Daily Star: "GREEDY NIGE'S VIDEO NASTY"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Kate Nelson

Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage was pranked into paying tribute to dead LostProphets paedophile Ian Watkins on video message site Cameo – being paid around £75 a time.

FULL REPORT: DailyStar.co.uk/news/latest-news/bumbling-nigel-farage-praises-rock-36557600

Daily Star (Sport Page/Back Page): "UNITED GREATS OF AMERICA"
LEAD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: John Cross

Thomas Tuchel has warned players must have the right "social skills" to make his World Cup for England.

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Leamington Observer: "CAN MASTERPLAN FINALLY SOLVE OUR PROBLEM PAVEMENTS?"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Leamington Observer Editorial

The shocking state of the pavements on Leamington Parade could finally be dealt with as part of a Town Centre masterplan.
Leamington Observer has been following this matter with regular reports on the uneven and cracked pavements in the area.

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​The Times: "JENRICK DEFECTS TO REFORM AFTER SACKING BY BADENOCH"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Steven Swinford / Oliver Wright / Aubrey Allegretti

Robert Jenrick has become the highest-profile defector to Reform UK after being sacked by Kemi Badenoch.
The Conservative leader pre-emptively dismissed the Shadow Justice Secretary, who had secretly been negotiating with Nigel Farage for four months.

FULL REPORT: TheTimes.com/uk/politics/article/robert-jenrick-reform-sacked-kemi-badenoch-wkr7vs38b

​The Times (Sport Page/Back Page): "ENGLAND'S PROP INJURY CRISIS"
LEAD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: Will Kelleher

England are facing an injury crisis at tight-head prop after Asher Opoku Fordjour was ruled out of the Six Nations with a shoulder injury.

FULL REPORT: TheTimes.com/sport/rugby-union/six-nations/article/prop-crisis-for-england-as-asher-opoku-fordjour-out-of-six-nations-jlfbk7nrv

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Solihull Observer: "COUNCIL 'THRILLED' AT NEW GOOD RATING FOR SERVICES"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Sarah Mason

Children and young people’s services at Solihull Council has been rated Good for the first time in history.
OfSted published their report following the latest inspection which saw the authority judged as good in all areas apart from the experiences and progress of children in care, which was deemed as requires improvement to be good.

FULL REPORT: SolihullObserver.co.uk/news/solihull-councils-childrens-services-rated-good-first-time-in-history

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Edinburgh Evening News: "BOTANICS COSTS THROUGH ROOF"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Ian Swanson

Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden is looking at having to scale back their once-in-a-generation glasshouse project after costs more than doubled.

FULL REPORT: EdinburghNews.Scotsman.com/news/edinburghs-royal-botanic-garden-looks-at-scaling-back-ambitious-glasshouse-project-as-costs-soar-5475866

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Lancashire Telegraph: "THE TOUR DE LANCS!"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Sarah McGee

The World's best cyclists will head through East Lancashire next Summer when the Tour De France's Grand Depart heads to the UK.
The Grand Tour’s opening stages are held outside of France regularly, and in 2027 will come to the UK for the first time since 2014, when it was held in Yorkshire.

FULL REPORT: LancashireTelegraph.co.uk/news/25768900.tour-de-france-grand-departs-pass-blackburn

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Rugby & Lutterworth Observer: "OPINIONS SPLIT ON MOVE TO POSTPONE ELECTIONS"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Andy Morris

Rugby Borough Council's (RBC) decision to request the postponement of Local Elections in May has been ‘misrepresented for political purposes’ by opponents, the council says.
The Council's Conservative Group has described the Labour administration's decision to ask the government to cancel the elections as 'an attack on local democracy'.

FULL REPORT: RugbyObserver.co.uk/news/council-says-decision-to-seek-election-postponement-misrepresented-for-political-purposes

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The Daily Telegraph: "JENRICK: TORIES BROKE BRITAIN"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Ben Riley Smith / Dominic Penna / Tony Diver / Daniel Martin

Robert Jenrick has declared that The Conservative Party "broke Britain" in a highly personal attack on former colleagues as he defected to Reform UK.

FULL REPORT: TELEGRAPH.CO.UK/news/2026/01/15/badenoch-sacks-jenrick-for-plotting-to-defect

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Worcester Observer: "MP UNHAPPY WITH LACK OF ACTION ON SLOW POST"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Ashleigh Osborne

Worcester MP Tom Collins alongside West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has called for urgent action over serious Royal Mail delays in Warndon Villages and Malvern.
Councillor Sarah Murray, Worcester City Councillor wrote to Mr. Collins after being contacted by Warndon Villages residents who say they are often receiving only one postal delivery a week.

FULL REPORT: WorcesterObserver.co.uk/news/mps-call-for-urgent-action-over-serious-postal-in-worcester-and-malvern-59880

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Financial Times (USA Edition): "DEALMAKING WAVE SPURS GOLDMAN AND MORGAN STANLEY TO BUMPER EARNINGS"
LEAD STORY CORRESPONDENT: Joshua Franklin

Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley reported bumper earnings for the final quarter of 2025, capping Wall Street's best year for investment.
Goldman Sachs equities traders recapture Wall Street crown, Morgan Stanley's client assets top $9 trillion for the first time.

FULL REPORT: FT.COM/content/265dd109-bbc6-4542-9f0a-3b5db7aa1784

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