On Saturday morning, the front pages are carrying stories about winter viruses and a struggling health system, provisional records from Met Éireann for 2022, and a plan to reform Jobseeker's Allowance delayed.
Ireland is in the grip of an “exceptional year” for winter viruses as fresh data supplied to health chiefs suggests that the peak of the flu season has yet to be reached, The Irish Times reports.
The Irish Examiner leads with provisional figures released on Friday by Met Éireann: Ireland is on course for recording its warmest ever year.
Minister for Finance Michael McGrath told the Irish Indepenedent that keeping the pension age at 66 will be prioritised over reforming the welfare system to link Jobseeker’s Allowance to pay.
The Herald reports that an elite garda unit, which specialises in investigating a broad spectrum of crimes, has identified nine Irish-based children this year who were the victims of sexual abuse and filmed by their attackers.
The Echo reports on overcrowding in hospitals — on Friday, the INMO said the current situation is "intolerable".
In the UK, the last day of 2022 is marked with stories about gongs, heart health and new rules for those coming to the UK from China.
The Daily Mirror and The Sun both focus on Queen’s Brian May and the Lionesses leading their country in a New Year Honours list.
Saturday's front page: Queen's honour #TomorrowsPapersTodayhttps://t.co/PoxB85HQOh pic.twitter.com/GYpPW5dHHw
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) December 30, 2022
Tomorrow's front page: King Charles is to knight Queen guitarist Brian May in his first New Year's Honours, while four Lionesses get gongs https://t.co/XPuU7Cd2ze pic.twitter.com/8BkQVxHaHR
— The Sun (@TheSun) December 30, 2022
The Times says the UK's chief medical officer has warned ministers that thousands of middle-aged people are dying of heart conditions because they did not get required medicines during the pandemic.
TIMES: Pandemic blamed for increase in heart deaths #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/ey3ofvKmg9
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) December 30, 2022
The UK Government will follow other countries by requiring travellers from China to be tested for Covid-19 from early next year, according to The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, i weekend and The Independent.
Guardian front page, Saturday 31 December 2022: Sunak in new U-turn on China Covid tests pic.twitter.com/gI9aIiXsrW
— The Guardian (@guardian) December 30, 2022
The front page of today's Daily Telegraph:
'Travel rules back as China Covid cases rise'
Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6 pic.twitter.com/Vdn9UVSB1O— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) December 31, 2022
iWeekend front page: UK orders all visitors from China to undergo Covid tests #TomorrowsPapersToday
Latest by @janemerrick23: https://t.co/bAHniTHZvO pic.twitter.com/b3hy7DMwvW— i newspaper (@theipaper) December 30, 2022
Tomorrow's @independent front page #tomorrowspaperstoday To subscribe to the Daily Edition https://t.co/koJc3LN1ax pic.twitter.com/ZtAVDdR5uD
— Thair Shaikh (@ThairShaikh) December 30, 2022
The Daily Mail claims the move has been prompted by fears Beijing could be covering up the emergence of new Covid variants.
MAIL: @RishiSunak orders Covid tests on arrivals from China #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/alMhSPZUuJ
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) December 30, 2022
Figures obtained by the Daily Express show more than 700 prisoners have escaped or been “released in error” from jails in the UK the last decade.
Saturday's front page: Criminals free to prowl streets #TomorrowsPapersTodayhttps://t.co/ReFSefqDSr pic.twitter.com/XSmMWCweNN
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) December 30, 2022
Markets have lost more than 30 trillion dollars (£24.8 trillion) in the worst year since the global financial crisis, according to FT Weekend.
Just published: front page of the FTWeekend, UK edition, for Saturday-Sunday 31 December 2022 - 1 January 2023 pic.twitter.com/BaHRPwdzdb
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) December 30, 2022
And the Daily Star instructs its readers to “get those thermals ready” ahead of the arrival of a plume of icy air from the North Pole.
Saturday's front page - polar brrrr #TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/gmIa5WTF0l pic.twitter.com/gcnmrvtfX3
— Daily Star (@dailystar) December 30, 2022
