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Judge rejects attempt to stop Home Office deportation fight Lawyers had argued that Priti Patel had acted unlawfully and breached human rights legislationA high court judge has refused an emergency application to halt a charter flight scheduled to leave the UK on Tuesday with about 50 Jamaican-born people onboard.Mr Justice Mostyn refused an application from Duncan Lewis solicitors on behalf of 13 Jamaican-born men due to be put on the flight leaving the UK at 6.30am. Continue reading... Go to Source

Girls beginning puberty almost a year earlier than in 1970s Onset of glandular breast tissue development has shifted by three months per decadeGirls are beginning puberty almost a year earlier than women 40 years ago, according to research.Scientists have found the onset of development of glandular breast tissue has crept forwards by about three months per decade since the late 1970s. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: number of confirmed UK cases rises from four to eight News comes after UK declared outbreak was ‘serious threat’ to healthCoronavirus - latest updatesThe number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK has doubled from four to eight after four more people in Brighton were diagnosed with the infection over the weekend.The four – three men and one woman – were transferred from Brighton to London over the weekend in order to receive specialist care. Continue reading... Go to Source

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to quit as CDU leader amid far-right 'firewall' row Successor to Angela Merkel also says she won’t run for chancellorship of GermanyAngela Merkel’s designated successor has announced she is not planning to run for the German chancellorship at the next federal election and plans to step down as leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), German media reported on Monday morning.The surprise announcement comes in the middle of a major row over the centre-right party’s “firewall” against the far-right, after CDU delegates in eastern Germany defied the party headquarter’s ban on cooperating with the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Continue reading... Go to Source

Parasite makes Oscars history as first foreign language winner of best picture Bong Joon-ho’s South Korean satire wins the top prize after sweeping up best director, international film and original screenplayNine things we learned at the OscarsPeter Bradshaw: Parasite’s brilliant win is a portent of changePhil Hoad: 2020 Oscars could kickstart era of internationalismAfter an awards season marked by its predictability, the Oscars delivered a spectacular final-reel twist on Sunday evening, naming capitalist satire Parasite best picture.Bong Joon-ho’s comedy-drama about an impoverished family who infiltrate the household of a wealthier one is the first film not in the English language to take the top prize. It also took best director, best original screenplay and best int...

Government officials working on plans for bridge linking Scotland to Ireland, No 10 confirms – live news Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen 11.30am GMTAsked about the Daily Mail story about a rift between Dominic Cummings and Carrie Symonds (see 10.43am), the spokesman says he does not recognise the thrust of what the story is saying.And that’s it. The briefing is over. 11.28am GMTQ: Is levelling up about spreading opportunity, or making the country more equal?The spokesman says the PM’s agenda is about both opportunity and outcome. Continue reading... Go to Source

Storm Ciara: man dies after tree falls on to car Man pronounced dead at scene near Hampshire as 97mph gusts, snow and ice lash BritainA man has been killed after a tree fell on to his car during Storm Ciara. The 58-year-old was travelling on the A33 between Winchester in Hampshire and Micheldever village seven miles north of the city when the tree struck his Mercedes on Sunday afternoon.Police closed the road for several hours while emergency services attended. The man, who has not been named, was pronounced dead at the scene. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sinn Féin to try to form ruling coalition after Irish election success Party disrupts Ireland’s centrist tradition by taking almost a quarter of votesSinn Féin will try to form a government in Ireland after apparently winning more votes than any other party in Saturday’s general election – a historic result that upended the political system.The party leader, Mary Lou McDonald, told cheering supporters on Sunday that a “revolution” had occurred and she would try to form a ruling coalition with other parties. “This is no longer a two-party system,” she said. Continue reading... Go to Source

Storm Ciara hammers UK with hurricane-force winds and floods Northern English towns inundated again as transport systems struggle to cope, but snow expected on Monday as temperatures dropHurricane-force winds and flooding have caused severe disruption across much of Britain, including damage to hundreds of properties and the cancellation of trains, flights and ferries.Storm Ciara brought heavy rain and winds of more than 90mph, knocking out power to homes in some areas. The upheaval is likely to last into the start of the working week and there is more bad weather to come. Continue reading... Go to Source

Parasite makes Oscars history as first foreign language film to win best picture South Korean satire directed by Bong Joon-ho sweeps top prize after also winning best director, international film and original screenplay Oscars 2020– live!Oscar winners 2020: full listAfter an awards season marked by its predictability, the Oscars delivered a spectacular final-reel twist on Sunday evening, naming capitalist satire Parasite best picture.Bong Joon-ho’s comedy-drama about an impoverished family who infiltrate the household of a wealthier one is the first film not in the English language to take the top prize. It also took best director, best original screenplay and best international film. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live updates: 60 more cruise liner passengers diagnosed with virus – latest news Cases on Diamond Princess docked in Japan rise to 130 as death toll inside China jumps to 908 with more then 40,000 infections. Follow updates 5.34am GMTSixty more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed on the Diamond princess cruise ship, domestic broadcaster TBS TV said via Twitter. NHK Japan is also saying around 60 new cases have been identified, quoting the health ministry.That brings total cases on the ship docked in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, to 130, according to TBS. 5.15am GMTThe Mobile World Congress – the largest exhibition for the mobile phone industry – being held in Barcelona this month, has announced travellers from Hubei province will not be admitted. In addition, or...

'Make-or-break time' on antisemitism in Labour, says Lisa Nandy Leadership contender sets out her plan to tackle ‘crisis in the soul of our party’Lisa Nandy has launched a detailed plan for how she would tackle antisemitism in Labour if she becomes party leader, saying it is approaching “make-or-break time” for many Jewish members as to whether they remain in the party.The Wigan MP, who has been a consistent critic of how the issue has been dealt with under Jeremy Corbyn, said she hoped to rebuild trust and demonstrate that the party would fundamentally change if she takes over. Continue reading... Go to Source

Storm Ciara: travel chaos and floods amid warning of 'danger to life' – live updates Hurricane-force winds and rain rock transport network and engulf defences to bring fresh misery to flood-hit communities 5.34pm GMTA train has been sent to rescue stranded passengers in south-east England.Southeastern have just tweeted that “the rescue train will be alongside in the next few minutes and passengers will be able to transfer across, and the train will return to Rochester and Faversham.We're sending another train to this one - which will attach to the back and passengers can transfer to it, it will then go back too Rochester and Faversham. ETA for the rescue train is 30 minutes. ^JT https://t.co/9plR8dqHbq 5.32pm GMTShadow environment secretary Luke Pollard has thanked emergency servi...

Keir Starmer campaign denies hacking claim in Labour leadership row Team say inquiry only began after it raised concerns about data use of rival Rebecca Long-BaileyThe Labour leadership contest has erupted into a bitter row after the frontrunner’s campaign team were forced to vehemently deny claims they had hacked into party membership data.Keir Starmer’s team called the allegation, made in official letters from Labour, “utter, utter nonsense”, saying the inquiry only began after they raised concerns about the data use of another candidate, Rebecca Long-Bailey. Continue reading... Go to Source

Chinese in UK report 'shocking' levels of racism after coronavirus outbreak Asian community faces verbal and physical abuse in aftermath of first recorded cases of virus in Britain“We’ll be in trouble if these guys sneeze on us,” Jason Ngan overheard as he and his brother got into a lift in Manchester’s Piccadilly station. Born and bred in Manchester, home to more than 7,000 Chinese people, the legal adviser said the level of anti-Asian racism the coronavirus had unearthed was “shocking”.“People seem to have put a whole race behind it and it’s exposing all these underlying prejudices towards Chinese people, or at least anyone who looks Chinese. It’s shocking in this day and age. It was so blatant,” Ngan said. Continue reading.....

Survivors of Thai mall shooting speak of their ordeal City in state of shock after rogue soldier kills 26 and injures many moreJirattikarn Nobthai was riding his bike to the Terminal 21 shopping mall when the shooting began. He got down and tried to help others, said his mother, Sasithorn Suthisook, and he was hit once in the arm and in his side.“He was conscious even though he was shot. He called and told us ‘I was shot’ and then my husband rushed to the scene to take him to hospital,” she said. “Part of the area was declared off-limits, with traffic closed, but he couldn’t care less. It was a matter of life and death.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson to lower £30,000 wage threshold for immigrants PM and home secretary expected to outline changes to rules at Friday cabinet meetingBoris Johnson and Priti Patel are expected to outline immigration changes at a cabinet meeting on Friday.The prime minister and home secretary’s measures will include a drop in the salary threshold for some migrants, the BBC reported. Continue reading... Go to Source

Storm Ciara's hurricane-force winds batter UK transport Trains, flights and ferries cancelled as rain and 80mph winds cause widespread floodingHurricane-force winds and rain have rocked Britain’s transport network, leading to the cancellation of trains, flights and ferries and prompting warnings of power cuts and a risk to life from falling debris.The weather front known as Storm Ciara brought heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles per hour, causing widespread flooding. Continue reading... Go to Source

Philippines coronavirus patient has recovered, authorities say Woman, 38, who travelled with the only victim to die outside China and Hong Kong, is no longer infectious, says doctorThe first case of novel coronavirus in the Philippines – a Chinese tourist from Wuhan who had been travelling with a man who died of the virus – is no longer showing symptoms and may be discharged soon.The last test on the 38-year-old woman, conducted on 6 February, showed she was negative for the virus, according to the health department. Two consecutive negative tests are required before a patient may be discharged. Continue reading... Go to Source

Ireland general election: Sinn Féin surges to 22% in exit poll Republican party level with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in Saturday evening’s poll Sinn Féin has scored dramatic gains in Ireland’s general election, according to an exit poll on Saturday night, realigning Irish politics and boosting the party’s chance of joining the next government.The republican party won 22.3% of the vote while Leo Varadkar’s ruling Fine Gael party slumped to 22.4%, the poll said, potentially spelling an end to Varadkar’s tenure as taoiseach. Fianna Fáil, the main opposition party, won 22.2%. Continue reading... Go to Source

Rogue soldier shot dead after Thai shopping mall massacre Death toll stands at 26 after sergeant major killed commanding officer then attacked Terminal 21 complex in Nkhon Ratchasim cityA soldier who shot dead 26 people as been killed by police following an overnight siege at a Thai shopping mall.Eight people were held hostage by the gunman in the city of Nkhon Ratchasim, according to sources quoted by Reuters. Dozens more were trapped for hours on Saturday night as police attempted to regain control of the seven-floor building. Continue reading... Go to Source

Endangered mountain gorillas 'killed by lightning' in Uganda The four were members of a group known as the Hirwa family that had crossed into Mgahinga national park from RwandaFour endangered mountain gorillas, including three adult females, have been killed by an apparent lightning strike in a Ugandan national park, a conservation group has said.A post-mortem examination has been performed on the four, including a male infant, who died on 3 February in Mgahinga National Park in south-west Uganda. Continue reading... Go to Source

Revealed: how drugs giants can access your health records Experts say information sold on by Department of Health and Social Care can be traced back to individual medical recordsThe Department of Health and Social Care has been selling the medical data of millions of NHS patients to American and other international drugs companies having misled the public into believing the information would be “anonymous”, according to leading experts in the field.Senior NHS figures have told the Observer that patient data compiled from GP surgeries and hospitals – and then sold for huge sums for research – can routinely be linked back to individual patients’ medical records via their GP surgeries. They say there is clear evidence this is already being done by companies an...

Thai police storm mall after soldier kills at least 20 in mass shooting Police believe gunman, named as Jakrapanth Thomma, is still inside shopping centre in Nakhon RatchasimaThai police and soldiers have stormed a shopping mall where a gunman is believed to be hiding after a mass shooting in the north-eastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, which has killed 20 people and left many injured.Police believe the shooter, a soldier who stole guns from a military base on Saturday afternoon before livestreaming a mass shooting, is still inside a large shopping centre in the city. Officers have not confirmed reports that up to 20 people have been taken hostage inside the mall, Terminal 21, but advised anyone trapped to mute their phone and try to hide. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: five new cases in France are British nationals Child among five to have come into contact with Briton who had been in SingaporeTwo Wuhan deaths thought to be first of foreign nationalsFive British nationals including a child have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in France, after staying in the same ski chalet and coming into contact with a Briton who had been in Singapore, the French health minister said.Agnès Buzyn said none of the patients were in a serious condition. Continue reading... Go to Source

Tories express concern over Huawei role in UK 5G network Letter from Iain Duncan Smith and other MPs requests that ‘high-risk’ vendors are ruled outA group of senior Conservatives has written to Tory MPs expressing concern over the government’s decision to allow the China tech giant Huawei to have a role in building the UK’s 5G network.Iain Duncan Smith, who is among the four cabinet ministers who have written the letter, said there was cross-party concern about the issue. Continue reading... Go to Source

Ireland election: polls open with Sinn Féin poised to play key role Republican party is hoping poll surge will translate into a parliamentary breakthrough Voters are going to the polls in Ireland after a tumultuous general election campaign during which Sinn Féin has surged into contention as a potential party of government.The republican party hopes a rise in popularity among young and urban voters will translate into enough parliamentary gains to make it a kingmaker or participant in Ireland’s next coalition government. Continue reading... Go to Source

Democratic candidates zero in on Buttigieg and Sanders at tense debate Competing visions for the party were on display as moderate candidates challenged progressives ahead of New Hampshire primaryDemocratic presidential candidates clashed on Friday night in a tense televised debate that was dominated by attacks against Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, the two candidates who declared victory after the Iowa caucuses.In the week that Donald Trump was acquitted in his impeachment trial and days ahead of the New Hampshire primary, the competing visions for the Democratic party were on show as moderate candidates challenged the progressives, and those with more Washington experience called out the relative political newcomers. Continue reading... Go to Source

Mike Pence hints UK's Huawei decision could jeopardise trade talks Vice-president says US is ‘profoundly disappointed’ with Chinese firm’s 5G involvementUS vice-president Mike Pence appeared to hint on Friday that White House disquiet at the involvement of Huawei in building the UK’s 5G network could jeopardise trade talks between the two countries.Pence told the US broadcaster CNBC: “The United States is very disappointed that the United Kingdom has decided to go forward with Huawei. Continue reading... Go to Source

George Osborne's future at Evening Standard in doubt Exclusive: former chancellor expected to leave role amid shakeup by new chief executive, sources sayGeorge Osborne’s future at the Evening Standard is believed to be in doubt, with sources at the newspaper expecting the former chancellor to leave the publication.Osborne was appointed to edit the daily London newspaper in March 2017 and since then has continued to juggle the job with several other roles, including a £650,000-a-year post advising the investment fund BlackRock, and as chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. Continue reading... Go to Source