News- UK

EU accused of seeking to cut funds for poor in post-Brexit cost savings Plan to drop dedicated fund while defence spending rises dismissed as false economyThe European commission has been accused of seeking to cut EU funding for the continent’s poorest people by 50% to secure post-Brexit cost savings and extra funds for defence projects.Jacques Vandenschrik, the president of the European Food Banks Federation, said the EU executive’s proposed spending plans for the next seven years posed a risk not only to the most vulnerable but to the stability of wider society. Continue reading... Go to Source

Call for inquiry into government leak of honours list addresses Publication of recipients’ details described as ‘most serious’ data laws breachPoliticians have called for an inquiry into how more than 1,000 prominent figures who are to receive honours had their home and work addresses posted on a government website.Personal details of those on the new year honours list – including more than a dozen MoD employees and senior counter-terrorism officers – were published in a downloadable list at 10.30pm on Friday. The Cabinet Office said the document was visible on its website for around an hour, though it was circulated on social media after that. Continue reading... Go to Source

Alasdair Gray, influential Scottish writer and artist, dies aged 85 The writer, artist and passionate Scottish nationalist was hailed as a ‘necessary genius’ for novels including Lanark and Poor ThingsThe writer and artist Alasdair Gray, who blazed a trail for contemporary Scottish fiction with his experimental novels, has died aged 85.Gray’s publisher Canongate announced the news on Sunday, saying he died early in the morning after being hospitalised for a short illness in his home city of Glasgow. In a statement, Gray’s family thanked his friends and hospital staff, calling him “an extraordinary person; very talented and, even more importantly, very humane”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Zaghari-Ratcliffe to go on hunger strike for fellow detainee in Iran British-Australian Kylie Moore-Gilbert wants to be removed from solitary confinementNazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is to go on hunger strike in solidarity with another dual national being held in Iran.Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a British-Australian academic, started an open-ended hunger strike six days ago in protest at being sentenced to 10 years on espionage charges. She wants at minimum to be moved from solitary confinement to a general ward. Continue reading... Go to Source

BBC put presenter on a plane to interview Greta Thunberg Sarah Sands, editor of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, admits it ‘felt awkward’Putting a presenter on a flight to Sweden to meet climate activist Greta Thunberg “felt awkward”, the editor of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme has admitted.The 16-year-old campaigner, who was a guest editor on a special edition of the show, avoids air travel because of its environmental impact. Continue reading... Go to Source

Worker could make history in a crucial case for ethical vegans Sacked employee Jordi Casamitjana, who shuns buses and figs, hopes tribunal will be a landmarkWhether “ethical veganism” should be recognised as a protected philosophical belief will be determined at an employment tribunal which starts on Thursday.At a time when hundreds of thousands of people are attempting to observe “veganuary” – going without animal products for the whole of January – the hearing will add to the growing interest in veganism. Continue reading... Go to Source

Prisons chaos fuels massive legal costs as violence surges Shock figures reveal £30m-a-year claims as experts blame cuts and overcrowdingBoris Johnson is under renewed pressure to deal with the prisons crisis after it emerged that the chaotic conditions are behind a £30m-a-year bill for legal claims.Figures obtained by the Observer reveal that the prison and probation service in England and Wales has paid out more than £85m over three years for issues such as attacks on staff and prisoners, lost and damaged property, accidental personal injury and delays to inmates being released. Continue reading... Go to Source

Defeated Labour MPs call for ‘unflinching’ party election review In a letter to the Observer, election candidates pledge to give a frank assessment of what went wrongAccusations of cronyism at the top of the Labour party and a “repeated unwillingness to stand up to the stain of antisemitism” must be confronted if it is to learn from its “catastrophic” election loss, a group of defeated MPs and candidates have warned.The group says that Labour needs to go “way beyond a simple review” of its election performance if it is to understand why it fell to such a heavy defeat, which left it with its lowest number of seats since 1935. In a letter to the Observer, they say the issue of antisemitism was “constantly relayed back to us on the doorstep&rdquo...

Government exposes addresses of new year honours recipients Cabinet Office apologises after details of more than 1,000 people posted online in errorElton John wins highest accolade in new year honours listMore than 1,000 celebrities, government employees and politicians who received honours in the new year list have had their home and work addresses posted on a government website, the Guardian can reveal.The accidental disclosure of the tranche of personal details is likely to be considered a significant security breach, particularly as senior police and Ministry of Defence staff were among those whose addresses were made public. Continue reading... Go to Source

Britain First says 5,000 of its members have joined Tories Far-right defectors ‘support Boris Johnson’s stance on radical Islam’More than 5,000 supporters of a far-right extremist group have joined the Conservative party in recent weeks, attracted by what they describe as Boris Johnson’s negative attitude towards Islam.About two-thirds of the 7,500 signed-up members of the openly anti-Islam Britain First have joined the Tories since the general election, the group says. Continue reading... Go to Source

Confusion grows over Edinburgh’s Hogmanay ‘social curfew’ Police say they cannot enforce event organiser’s plans to limit accessSecurity arrangements for the UK’s biggest new year street party are in disarray after police revealed they are not legally enforceable.The organiser of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, which is expected to attract 70,000 visitors over four days, is at the centre of a row with disgruntled city residents over what they perceive to be unreasonable restrictions. Continue reading... Go to Source

Michael Howard claims judges 'distorted' law in prorogation ruling Former Tory leader calls for legal reform because judges ‘reach results they want’The former Tory leader Michael Howard has criticised the supreme court for ruling that Boris Johnson’s prorogation of parliament was “unlawful” and called for a reform of the judiciary.Judges in England and Wales have long been permitted to interpret law on a case-by-case basis, although they are bound by precedent, but Howard claimed that they sometimes “distort” law to “reach they result they want to achieve”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Truck bomb kills scores in Mogadishu More than 70 dead and dozens injured after morning rush-hour blast in Somali capitalA truck bomb has exploded in central Mogadishu, killing at least 76 people including many university students, and injuring dozens more in the deadliest attack on the Somali capital for more than two years.The bomber struck during the Saturday morning rush hour, the start of Somalia’s working week. The mayor, Omar Mohamud Mohamed, told reporters at the blast site, that most of those killed were civilians, including two Turkish citizens. Continue reading... Go to Source

Rail franchises should be scrapped to end ‘nightmare journeys’ Report argues for overhaul of rail system and devolution of commuter services to citiesRail franchises such as Northern and South Western should be scrapped and cities given control of commuter services, transport campaigners have urged, to bring an end to years of “nightmare rail journeys”.The call comes as the fate of Northern Rail hangs in the balance, after continued disruption led to northern mayors demanding that Arriva, which has operated the network since 2016, be stripped of its contract. Continue reading... Go to Source

Weinstein accusers' lawyers could get 10 times more than clients, sources say Lead attorney for women could receive 25% of payout in settlement which would end most civil lawsuitsLawyers representing alleged victims of Harvey Weinstein could get as much as 10 times more than some of the accusers themselves if a controversial settlement deal goes ahead, legal sources have told the Guardian.Last week it was reported that more than 30 women accusing the disgraced Hollywood mogul of sexual misconduct had reached a tentative settlement deal. If approved in court, the settlement will bring to an end most of the civil lawsuits pending against him. Continue reading... Go to Source

Tom Watson: I quit because of Labour brutality Former deputy leader admits voting for Owen Smith against Corbyn in Guardian interviewLabour’s former deputy leader Tom Watson has said he left parliament because of the “brutality and hostility” he experienced within Labour and blamed poor organisation and messaging for the party’s disastrous general election result.Watson, who stood down as an MP and deputy leader last month, condemned Jeremy Corbyn’s advisers and told the Guardian that Labour’s next generation of leaders must address whether they “actually want power” as they begin to rebuild the party. In an admission that will draw criticism from Corbyn’s supporters, he also said he had voted for the leadership challenger Owen Smi...

George Michael’s sister found dead on Christmas Day Death of Melanie Panayiotou not being treated as suspicious, say policeGeorge Michael’s sister Melanie Panayiotou was found dead at her home on Christmas Day, police have said, three years to the day since the singer’s death. The 55-year-old hairdresser was found by her older sister, Yioda, on the evening of 25 December.The Metropolitan police said they were called by the London ambulance service shortly after 7.30pm on Wednesday to reports of the sudden death of a woman. Her death is not being treated as suspicious. Continue reading... Go to Source

Elton John wins highest accolade in new year honours list Musician recognised alongside stars of sport, politicians and hundreds of ordinary peopleSir Elton John has received the highest acknowledgement in a new year honours list in which hundreds of ordinary people were recognised alongside household names from sport, the arts, entertainment and politics.The singer and songwriter was awarded the Companion of Honour for a remarkable career spanning more than five decades, in which he has sold more than 300m records worldwide, and used his fame to promote the work of 23 charities, including his own Aids foundation. He becomes one of only 64 people apart from the monarch who can hold the honour at any one time. Continue reading... Go to Source

Mother of British children who drowned in Spain blames pool Olubunmi Diya insists the two children and her husband, who died with them, could swimThe mother of two British children who drowned alongside their father while holidaying in Spain has dismissed claims they could not swim and suggested there may have been a problem with the swimming pool in which they died.Gabriel Diya, a 52-year-old Christian pastor, his nine-year-old daughter, Comfort and his 16-year-old son, Praise-Emmanuel, died on Christmas Eve at the Club La Costa World holiday resort in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol. Continue reading... Go to Source

RSPCA investigates after lawyer Jolyon Maugham kills fox Animal welfare workers express sadness at Maugham’s killing of fox at London homeRSPCA investigators have taken photographs in the garden of the lawyer Jolyon Maugham QC as part of an animal cruelty investigation after he clubbed a fox to death with a baseball bat while wearing a kimono, the Guardian understands.The investigators visited Maugham’s London home on Thursday night as the debate continued over the remain supporter’s justification for his actions, which he revealed in a Boxing Day tweet that received 10,500 replies and widespread media coverage. Continue reading... Go to Source

Revealed: microplastic pollution is raining down on city dwellers Exclusive: London has highest level yet recorded but health impacts of breathing particles are unknownMicroplastic pollution is raining down on city dwellers, with research revealing that London has the highest levels yet recorded.The health impacts of breathing or consuming the tiny plastic particles are unknown, and experts say urgent research is needed to assess the risks. Continue reading... Go to Source

Brexit talks: EU chief questions feasibility of Johnson's time limit Ursula von der Leyen airs concerns about PM’s refusal to extend negotiations past 2020Boris Johnson should reconsider his refusal to extend the 11-month timeframe available for agreeing a deal on the future relationship with the EU after Brexit, Ursula von der Leyen has suggested.The European commission president said she had “serious concern” over the limited time available for the negotiations and emphasised the need to keep all options open. Continue reading... Go to Source

Kazakhstan crash: 12 killed as Bek Air flight crashes near Almaty airport Sixty-six injured on plane carrying 100 as emergency services look for survivorsA plane carrying almost 100 people has crashed near Almaty airport in Kazakhstan, killing at least 12.Almaty airport said on Friday morning that survivors and emergency workers were on the scene in Almerek village, just beyond the end of the runway. Footage from the site, which was cordoned off, appeared to show the Fokker 100 plane had hit a building. Continue reading... Go to Source

'Wanton' cycling and swearing among acts banned by councils Increase in fines under public spaces protection orders raises concerns over civil libertiesTree planting, putting golf balls, impromptu raves and “furious” cycling are among a growing list of activities banned by councils using fines to control behaviour and top up stretched finances, a Guardian survey has revealed.One of the most prolific enforcers of public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) is Peterborough city council, which raised £270,000 in the year to August issuing 1,000 fines for unauthorised cycling – which is prohibited in the city centre if done in a “wanton or furious manner” – and more than 2,000 fines for littering, freedom of information responses show. Continue readin...

Suicides linked to acne drug Roaccutane as regulator reopens inquiry Expert working group to re-examine safety of drug used by about 30,000 people a yearTen suicides this year have been linked to a powerful acne drug as the medicines regulator reopens an inquiry into it after being contacted by patients.Twelve deaths were recorded in 2019, 10 by suicide, by people who had been prescribed Roaccutane, according to data from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Continue reading... Go to Source

UK police out-of-court settlements total £30m in four years Figure is ‘tip of iceberg’ in terms of people on receiving end of unlawful police behaviourDozens of police forces have made out-of-court settlements totalling more than £30m in the past four years, according to recent figures, which were described as “the tip of the iceberg” in terms of people on the receiving end of unlawful police behaviour.Payments range from small sums for loss of property, or the £100 paid by Sussex police for “embarrassment and humiliation”, through to hundreds of thousands of pounds paid for wrongful arrest, records revealed under the Freedom of Information Act show. Continue reading... Go to Source

Revealed: councils paid inadequate care homes £2.3m to house children Twenty-three councils placed 58 children in homes owned by failing providersCouncils are placing children in care homes that inspectors say do not provide a good standard of care at a cost of millions of pounds, an investigation has found. Related: 'They got angry at me': woman tells of abuse in children's home Continue reading... Go to Source

Hogmanay fury as Edinburgh residents told to apply for access to own homes Local people must ask Underbelly if they want more than six passes to their housesEdinburgh residents have vented their anger at having to apply to a private company for access to their own homes during this year’s Hogmanay celebrations amid growing concern that the council’s hunger to attract tourism is reducing the Scottish capital to a “theme park”.People living in some parts of the city centre will also face potential restrictions on the number of guests they can invite if they wish to have parties of their own on New Year’s Eve, when the entertainment giant Underbelly will be running an event expected to attract more than 70,000 people. Continue reading... Go to Source

Rough sleeper gives birth to twins outside wealthiest Cambridge college Woman delivered premature babies in front of Trinity College on MondayA homeless woman gave birth to premature twins while sleeping rough outside Cambridge University’s wealthiest college.The woman, believed to be about 30, gave birth outside Trinity College. She was helped by members of the public, who called an ambulance, according to reports. Continue reading... Go to Source

Prominent lawyer Jolyon Maugham clubs fox to death while wearing kimono RSPCA looking into QC’s tweets about hitting trapped animal with baseball batThe prominent remain-supporting lawyer Jolyon Maugham QC has announced on Twitter that he clubbed a fox to death on Boxing Day morning, while wearing his wife’s satin kimono and nursing a hangover.“Already this morning I have killed a fox with a baseball bat,” the barrister tweeted just after 8am. “How’s your Boxing Day going?” Continue reading... Go to Source