Boris Johnson's taxpayer-funded legal bill rises to £245,000 // taxpayers are being billed up to £245,000 to cover the cost of Boris Johnson's Partygate inquiry lawyers. The former PM is being investigated by MPs over whether he misled them over lockdown parties in Downing Street. He is facing growing calls to cover the legal costs himself, as the bill for his defence team increased this week for a second time.
GETTY IMAGES | Boris Johnson has denied he knowingly or deliberately misled Parliament over Partygate Free school meals: Rising food prices 'harming Wales plan' // School caterers say the increasing cost of food means they are struggling to deliver the Welsh government's plan for universal free school meals. School food expert Prof Kevin Morgan said it needs to look at increasing the price per meal given to local councils
Brexit: Rishi Sunak broke his word over EU laws, says Jacob Rees-Mogg // Former Conservative minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has accused Rishi Sunak of breaking his word after the government ditched plans to allow thousands of EU-era laws to expire by the end of 2023. Defending the move, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch told MPs the government was still "ending EU supremacy" but just "changing how we are doing it".
GB News broke rules over Covid jab claims – Ofcom // A GB News programme which broadcast claims that the Covid-19 vaccination programme amounted to "mass murder" has been found to have broken Ofcom rules. The claims were made in an interview with Naomi Wolf on a show hosted by Mark Steyn last October. Ofcom received 422 complaints about the comments and has now asked GB News to attend a meeting on the matter.
Brixton Academy: Fans asked to help save venue after concert crush deaths // Music fans are being asked to "step up" to save the O2 Academy Brixton from permanent closure. Lambeth Council is considering revoking the south London venue's licence after a fatal crush at a gig on 15 December. Two people died after the crowd surge at the concert by singer Asake and the Academy has been closed ever since.
Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Michael Longley: Literature should not be changed to remove 'complexities' // The poet Michael Longley has said that the "complexities and difficulties of literature" must not be simplified to fit changing outlooks. He was speaking after an event in his honour at Armagh's Robinson Library marking his Feltrinelli International Prize for Poetry last year.
Charles Leclerc says Ferrari 'struggling like crazy' with car // Charles Leclerc says Ferrari are "struggling like crazy" with a car they do not understand this year. Leclerc finished seventh in Sunday's Miami Grand Prix, while team-mate Carlos Sainz dropped from third on the grid to finish fifth.
Andy Murray beats Tommy Paul in Aix-en-Provence final for first title since 2019 // Andy Murray won his first title in nearly four years by beating Tommy Paul in the final of the ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence. Briton Murray, 35, came back from a set down against American top seed Paul to win 2-6 6-1 6-2. It is the three-time Grand Slam champion's first title since winning in Antwerp in 2019, and his first on clay since 2016 in Rome.
Laureus Sport Awards: Lionel Messi & Argentina World Cup team win Laureus awards // Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina scored a double by being named Sportsman and Team of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards. Messi captained Argentina scored seven times and won the Golden Ball as his country won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in December. He is the first athlete to win the team and individual awards in the same year.
Lionel Messi was awarded Sportsman of the Year at the Laureus Awards in Paris (Laureus) 
Stormont Budget: Housing and benefits department faces huge cuts // The department in charge of housing and benefits is facing an almost 16% cut in day-to-day spending following the Stormont budget. The Department for Communities (DfC) was given £111m, or 15.5%, less in day-to-day spending than what it asked for. Reducing social home targets and significant cuts to employment support are among plans for reducing overspend.
Elon Musk says he has appointed new Twitter boss // Elon Musk says that he has found a new chief executive to lead Twitter. He announced the news on the social media platform, which he bought last year for $44bn (£35.2bn). Mr Musk did not name the site's new boss but said "she" would start in six weeks, at which point he would become executive chairman and chief technology officer. He has been under pressure to name someone else to lead the company and focus on his other businesses.
GETTY IMAGES | Multi-billionaire Elon Musk Be careful with 100% mortgages, homebuyers told // Buyers and banks need to be "very careful" with 100% mortgages that have no deposit requirement, the Bank of England has warned. Andrew Bailey, its governor, said "quite a few problems" could arise from such deals which some see as riskier. This week Skipton Building Society became the latest lender to offer a deposit-free mortgage aimed at first-time buyers currently renting. Mr Bailey's warning came after the Bank raised interest rates again.
