Extreme weather left drivers stranded and more roads impassable overnight - with another day of sub-zero temperatures, icy blasts and "blizzard-like" conditions to come.

Plans to plant 50 million trees in England to create a "Northern Forest" between Liverpool and Hull have been backed with £5.7 million from the British Government.

Heavy snow, rain, thunderstorms and wind have caused disruption across much of Britain as a band of "severe" weather rolled across the UK.

The head of the Irish wing of Swedish furniture giant, Ikea, remained silent on its plans for a second store in Cork, but said that the firm has a “very strong growth agenda in Ireland”. It is enjoying a 10% rise in annual sales.

Lovers of Swedish furniture behemoth IKEA across the country no longer have to plan a trip to Ballymun in Dublin in advance -- they can now shop from the comfort of their own home.

London house prices have recorded a year-on-year fall for the first time in eight years, according to an index.

Thunderstorms are continuing to affect parts of Britain, with lightning and heavy downpours expected to hit both the morning and evening rush hours.

Nestlé plans to cut almost 300 jobs in Britain as it simplifies its operations and moves production of Blue Riband biscuits to Poland, becoming the latest food and drink maker to reduce its UK operations as the country prepares to leave the EU.

Wish you were ringing in the new year abroad? Ciara McDonnell has all the options for next year — direct from Cork.

Irish people living in Britain tend to view the country as a mature democracy; yesterday they woke up wondering if that maturity had become senility.

The Bank of England plans to launch a financial technology accelerator programme to tap the expertise of start-ups as a flurry of innovations reshape finance.

On returning from a recent trip to Ikea I had to ditch the habit of a lifetime, I gave in and read the instructions.

A special edition of The Stinging Fly journal may look back to 1916, but it really reflects the rude health of modern Irish literature, writes Marjorie Brennan

A British former soldier who tried to smuggle a four-year-old Afghan girl into Britain at her father’s request has been cleared of all charges related to aiding illegal immigration.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

British prime minister David Cameron has promised to send more troops to “do whatever is needed” to help people in large swathes of northern England stricken by floods.

Police involved in a major operation to tackle an ongoing feud in England which saw two teenagers’ skulls being stolen from a grave have found two sub-machine guns and ammunition.

Could Ardal O’Hanlon’s new comedy on Sky really exorcise the ghosts of Father Ted? He’s not bothered either way, writes Keeley Bolger

A 15-year-old boy, thought to be the youngest Briton to be convicted of a terrorism offence, was given a life sentence for inciting an attack on a First World War commemorative event in Australia from his bedroom in northern England.

A soldier sets his eyes on the Scottish throne.

Here are the programmes worth watching tonight.

More than two dozen new areas in northern England and the Midlands could face fracking after new licences were awarded for oil and gas exploration.

Gone

ENGLAND: One in five UK adults wish they could spend Valentine’s Day with their dream gadget instead of their loved one, according to research by the Gadget Show Live.

Snow swept into northern parts of the UK yesterday and was expected to spread south last night, bringing health concerns and fears of travel disruption.

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sting’s Broadway musical is to close.

A terrified llama on the loose in a town just outside Manchester managed to evade capture for six hours before being safely guided back home.

Britain’s Stephen Dillane and the Netherlands’ Bianca Krijgsman received the top acting prizes at the 42nd International Emmy Awards.

Three men, believed to be British, are being questioned by Irish drugs squad officers today after a yacht was intercepted with a suspected cargo of cocaine believed to be worth around €80m.

Members of Britain’s Pakistani community reacted with outrage yesterday amid reports that officials failed to act on sex abuse cases because of concerns about racism in the northern England town of Rotherham.

As Marquee acts go, Elbow aren’t in the same vein as entertainment icons Dolly, Tom or even our own Imelda.

Peerless punk poet John Cooper Clarke will be in Dublin and Cork over the next week. The first time he gigged in Ireland was back in "1979ish" at the Project Arts Centre. He was then at the height of his fame.

A busy dual carriageway in northern England had to be closed by police as they searched for the severed penis of man who was found severely injured.

This is the Way

The UK's Environment Agency is facing a furious backlash as communities in the south west already hit by flooding were warned that more could be on the way.

Storms, high tides and gale-force winds have left a trail of devastation around the UK, with warnings that conditions are set to worsen over the weekend.

Heavy rain and gales of more than 100mph returned to Britain overnight - just days after the last storm caused Christmas misery for tens of thousands of people.

Football, Europe’s largest indoor shopping centre, roof walks and sandy beaches — Newcastle has it all.

Ender’s Game (12A)