News- UK

Jeremy Corbyn reveals dossier 'proving NHS up for sale' Labour leader says documents leave Boris Johnson’s denials on post-Brexit US trade deal ‘in tatters’General election latest - live newsLabour has obtained official documents showing the US is demanding that the NHS will be “on the table” in talks on a post-Brexit trade deal, Jeremy Corbyn has said.The Labour leader said the uncensored papers gave the lie to Boris Johnson’s claims that the NHS would not be part of any trade talks. Continue reading... Go to Source

Home Office unlawfully imprisoned asylum seekers, supreme court rules Thousands of people, including survivors of torture and trafficking, likely to be entitled to compensationThe Home Office “falsely imprisoned” many asylum seekers who are now entitled to damages for their loss of liberty at the hands of the government, five supreme court judges have ruled.Thousands of asylum seekers are likely to be affected, many survivors of torture, trafficking and other forms of persecution. Their compensation could run into millions of pounds. Continue reading... Go to Source

Revealed: how UK technology fuelled Turkey's rise to global drone power UK-based manufacturer supplied crucial missile component to Turkish drone-maker during development stageTurkey was able to circumvent a US export ban on killer drones with the help of a missile component first developed in the UK, allowing Ankara to become an emerging power in the lethal technology, which experts warn is dangerously proliferating.The vital assistance from a factory in Brighton has helped Turkey on its way to become the second biggest user of armed drones in the world – one of a number of countries emulating methods first used by the US in its “war on terror”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Gary Rhodes, TV chef and presenter, dies aged 59 Tributes paid to ‘culinary legend’ famous for shows such as MasterChef and Hell’s KitchenGary Rhodes – a life in picturesThe TV chef Gary Rhodes, famous for shows MasterChef and Hell’s Kitchen, has died at the age of 59.Rhodes was in Dubai with his wife, Jennie, who was at his bedside when he died. Continue reading... Go to Source

Parts of England 'have higher mortality rates than Turkey' Thinktank finds regional divides in UK are among worst in developed countriesRegional divides in the UK are among the worst in the developed world, according to a report, which found that parts of England have higher mortality rates than places in Turkey, Romania and Poland.Research by the thinktank IPPR North found that the UK is more unequal than comparable countries on measures such as health, jobs, disposable income and productivity. Continue reading... Go to Source

Corbyn resists calls to apologise to British Jews after rabbi's claims Labour leader denies antisemitism in the party has increased under his leadershipJeremy Corbyn has insisted antisemitism in Labour has not risen under his leadership and resisted calls to apologise to Britain’s Jews, after the country’s chief rabbi claimed he had let poison take root in the party.In an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Neil, the Labour leader declined four opportunities to apologise for the party’s approach to dealing with antisemitism, which has led a string of Labour MPs to resign and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to launch an investigation. Continue reading... Go to Source

Third Maltese minister quits amid fallout from journalist's murder PM Joseph Muscat under pressure after arrests in relation to Daphne Caruana Galizia’s killingThe future of Malta’s prime minister, Joseph Muscat, hangs in the balance after his chief of staff and two ministers stepped down in rapid succession amid controversy over the murder of the anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.The ministerial departures on Tuesday followed a series of arrests in the hunt for those behind the assassination of Caruana Galizia, a renowned investigative reporter who was killed by a car bomb near her home in October 2017. Continue reading... Go to Source

Two White House budget officials resigned over Ukraine aid freeze, witness says – live Office took steps to withhold funds from Ukraine on same day as Trump’s call with president, according to testimonyIn this defining moment for America, support the Guardian’s independent journalism. Make a contribution 11.45pm GMTIt’s been a rough news day for Pete Buttigieg. First, he came under fire for saying in 2011 that people of color undervalued education. Now, a HuffPost piece has revealed that the political action committee he launched in 2017 to boost other Democrats mostly boosted his own presidential bid. The PAC had done relatively little to help Democrats during the 2018 midterm elections, when the party waged its hard-fought battle to win control of the U.S. House. But it had paid sig...

Irish novelist Edna O'Brien wins lifetime achievement award Country Girls author receives £40,000 David Cohen prize seen as Nobel precursorEdna O’Brien has been awarded a £40,000 lifetime achievement prize regarded as a precursor to the Nobel, for having “moved mountains both politically and lyrically through her writing” in a career spanning almost 60 years.The Irish author was presented with the £40,000 David Cohen prize at a ceremony in London on Tuesday night. Continue reading... Go to Source

Men given suspended sentences for 'releasing fox into path of hunt' Members of Kimblewick Hunt in Oxfordshire guilty of causing animal unnecessary sufferingTwo men convicted of animal cruelty offences after being filmed dragging a fox out of a tunnel and releasing it “into the path of a hunt” have been given suspended sentences.Mark Vincent, 53, president of the Kimblewick Hunt, and Ian Parkinson, 65, had denied the charges, despite being caught on camera. In the video, the pair had appeared to use a rod to force a fox out from a hunting set – believed to have been built to attract the animals – before reaching in and pulling one out by its tail. Continue reading... Go to Source

Antisemitism is vile, says Corbyn after rabbi's criticism Labour leader says there is no place for antisemitism in party and it will not be toleratedLatest election news – live updatesJeremy Corbyn has reiterated his belief that there is no place in Labour for antisemitism and vowed it would not be tolerated following claims from the chief rabbi that he has allowed the party to become poisoned with antisemitism.Ephraim Mirvis on Tuesday accused the Labour leader of allowing a “poison sanctioned from the top” to take root in Labour, saying Jews were justifiably anxious about the prospect of the party forming the next government. Continue reading... Go to Source

Maltese PM's aide and minister quit amid turmoil over journalist's murder Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi resign, as police continue inquiry into 2017 death of Daphne Caruana GaliziaThe Maltese prime minister’s chief of staff and the country’s tourism minister have resigned in an escalation of the political turmoil surrounding the investigation into the murder of the prominent anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017.“Yesterday evening, my chief of staff informed me that from today he would be relinquishing his post,” the prime minister, Joseph Muscat, said at a brief press conference on the steps of his office on Tuesday morning. Continue reading... Go to Source

European parliament split on declaring climate emergency Draft resolution will be voted on this week before crucial UN climate summitThe European parliament is split over whether to declare a global climate emergency before next week’s crucial UN summit.If passed, the climate emergency resolution – to be voted on on Thursday – would throw down the gauntlet to incoming European Union leaders. The European commission’s president-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, is expected to take office on 1 December, having promised “a European green deal” in her first 100 days. Continue reading... Go to Source

Dresden museum heist: police release dramatic CCTV footage of suspect Footage shows man using axe to smash display case in Green Vault of Royal PalacePolice in Germany have released dramatic CCTV footage of one of two suspects in the Dresden jewellery heist using an axe to smash a display case in the state museum’s Green Vault.Two robbers snatched priceless 18th-century jewellery in an astonishing smash-and-grab raid from the Grünes Gewölbe’s jewel room at the Royal Palace in the east German city on Monday morning. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK organised crime gangs profit most in Europe from darknet drugs sales – report EU drugs agency estimates UK dark web vendors sold illegal drugs worth more than £24mOrganised crime groups based in the UK generate more money from selling illegal drugs on the dark web than in any other country in Europe, according to the EU’s drugs agency.Darknet vendors in the UK were estimated to have sold drugs worth more than £24m with a total weight of 2,825kg in 2017-18. Continue reading... Go to Source

Justin Welby backs chief rabbi after Labour antisemitism remarks Archbishop says Ephraim Mirvis’s comments highlight fear felt by many British JewsLatest election news – live updatesThe archbishop of Canterbury has in effect backed the chief rabbi’s comments on the Labour leadership’s record on antisemitism with a tweet highlighting the “deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews”.Justin Welby does not explicitly refer to the Labour party, but his intervention a few hours after the chief rabbi’s excoriating public criticism of Jeremy Corbyn is significant. Continue reading... Go to Source

Malta PM's chief of staff quits as Daphne Caruana Galizia inquiry continues Keith Schembri understood to be assisting police in case of journalist killed in 2017The Maltese prime minister’s chief of staff has resigned in an escalation of the political turmoil surrounding the investigation into the murder of the prominent anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017.“Yesterday evening, my chief of staff informed me that from today he would be relinquishing his post,” the prime minister, Joseph Muscat, confirmed at a brief press conference on the steps of his office on Tuesday morning. Continue reading... Go to Source

Albania earthquake: at least nine dead and hundreds injured Magnitude 6.4 quake strikes at shallow depth, bringing down buildings in Tirana and nearbyAt least nine people have died and 600 people have been injured after a powerful earthquake hit Albania in the early hours of Tuesday, causing damage along the country’s Adriatic coastline and in the capital, Tirana. Several buildings collapsed, burying residents in the rubble.The 6.4-magnitude quake struck shortly before 4am local time (0300 GMT), the US Geological Survey said, and was the second powerful tremor to hit the region in two months. It was centred 19 miles west of Tirana, at a shallow depth of 12.4 miles. Scores of aftershocks included three with preliminary magnitudes of between 5.1 and 5.4. Continue reading... Go to Sourc...

Birmingham anti-LGBT school protests: judge makes ban permanent High court rules that exclusion zone around Anderton Park primary will remain in placeA high court judge has permanently banned activists against LGBT equality lessons from demonstrating outside a Birmingham primary school.Protesters went head to head with a local authority during the five-day trial to stop protests outside Anderton Park school. The school, in the Sparkhill area of the city, has become the focus of a long campaign to halt LGBT equality messages being taught in the classroom. Continue reading... Go to Source

Man pleads guilty to New Year's Eve knife attack in Manchester Mahdi Mohamud admits terrorism offence and three counts of attempted murderA man who launched a knife attack on commuters and police at Manchester Victoria railway station on New Year’s Eve has pleaded guilty to attempted murder.Mahdi Mohamud, 26, raised a fillet knife and walked up behind James Knox, shouting Islamist slogans as he stabbed him repeatedly in the back, shoulders and head. He then turned on Knox’s companion, Anna Charlton, and slashed her across the face. The couple, in their 50s, had been heading for a tram platform shortly before 9pm on 31 December. Continue reading... Go to Source

Fears child poverty may rise to record 60-year high under Tories Thinktank Resolution Foundation predicts social crisis will worsen if Boris Johnson wins general electionChild poverty is at risk of rising to a record 60-year high under a Conservative government because its manifesto retains the coalition’s benefit cuts, according to the Resolution Foundation thinktank.An analysis by the organisation predicted a rise in the number of children living in relative poverty under a Boris Johnson-led government to 34.5% in 2023-24 up from 29.6% in 2017-18. Continue reading... Go to Source

Labour has let poison of antisemitism take root, says chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis says Jews have justified anxiety over prospect of Corbyn election winThe chief rabbi has accused Jeremy Corbyn of allowing a “poison sanctioned from the top” to take root in Labour, saying Jews are justifiably anxious about the prospect of the party forming the next government.Ephraim Mirvis, the spiritual leader of the UK’s 62 orthodox synagogues, made a rare intervention in politics to argue that the “soul of the nation is at stake” as the country goes to the polls in just over two weeks’ time. Continue reading... Go to Source

Man arrested in east London over Essex lorry deaths case Thirty-six-year-old arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic peopleA 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people in a lorry trailer found in Grays, Essex.The man, from Purfleet in the same county, was arrested on Monday morning at a property in Dalston, east London, Essex police said. He was also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. He remains in custody for questioning. Continue reading... Go to Source

Whistleblowers: funeral firm described customers as ‘gazelles’ to be hunted Exclusive: Prosperous Life staff felt pressure to sign up clients regardless of income, former staff say‘Bring them home to the pack’: call centre’s Wolf of Wall Street cultureStaff at a call centre where customers were described as “gazelles” to be hunted have been subjecting elderly people to dozens of calls a week to sell them expensive funeral packages, whistleblowers have told the Guardian.Former employees at Prosperous Life, which sells more than 1,000 pre-paid funeral plans every month, said they had felt under pressure to push people to sign up for schemes with little regard for their income. They said that high-pressure sales tactics existed alongside a company culture inspired by The Wolf of Wall Str...

Don McGahn: former White House counsel must testify, judge rules – live Federal judge rules McGahn must testify to House judiciary committee, putting pressure on other Trump officials tied to impeachment inquiryIn this defining moment for America, support the Guardian’s independent journalism. Make a contribution 11.51pm GMT“Now that the court has ruled, I expect [McGahn] to follow his legal obligations and promptly appear before the Committee,” House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler said in a statement. “McGahn is a central witness to allegations that President Trump obstructed Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation, and the Administration’s claim that officials can claim ‘absolute immunity’ from Congressional subpoenas has no basis in law, as the court recognized today.”...

Uber loses London licence after TfL finds drivers faked identity Ride-hailing service to continue while it appeals against Transport for London decisionUber has been stripped of its London licence after authorities found that more than 14,000 trips were taken with drivers who had faked their identity on the firm’s app.Transport for London announced the decision not to renew the ride-hailing company’s licence at the end of a two-month probationary extension granted in September. Uber was told then it needed to address issues with checks on drivers, insurance and safety, but has failed to satisfy the capital’s transport authorities. Continue reading... Go to Source

Storms in France, Greece and Italy leave 'biblical destruction' Seven people die as weekend of heavy rain brings landslides, floods and collapsed overpassSeven people have died as violent storms swept through parts of France, Greece and Italy over the weekend, causing flash floods, landslides and the collapse of an overpass.Greek media described the storms as leaving a trail of “biblical destruction” in some areas of the country while the overpass collapse in northern Italy brought back a chilling reminder of Genoa’s Morandi bridge giving way during a thunderstorm in August 2018, killing 43 people. Continue reading... Go to Source

Stormzy backs Labour in election with call to end austerity Top grime MC and other artists write letter encouraging people to register to voteRead the letter in fullAll the day’s election news - liveStormzy has thrown his support behind the Labour party and called on people to register to vote to “end austerity, rebuild our communities and take back the means to change our lives for the better”.In a letter to the Guardian, the multiple award-winning grime MC from London joins a number of music industry artists – including Akala, Professor Green, Kano, Lowkey, Saskilla, Sharkey Major and Charlie Sloth – in saying they will be voting for Labour on 12 December. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump issued direct order to halt disciplining of Navy Seal Edward Gallagher US defence secretary said president gave him instruction for officer accused of war crimes to retain his right to wear Trident pinDonald Trump issued a direct order to halt disciplinary measures against a Navy Seal officer accused of war crimes in Iraq, the US defence secretary has revealed.Mark Esper said the president gave him an instruction on Sunday for Navy Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher to retain his right to wear the Trident pin, the insignia of the elite Navy Seal unit, reversing a demotion by a navy disciplinary board. Continue reading... Go to Source

Lorry driver pleads guilty over role in Essex deaths Maurice Robinson, 25, admits plotting to assist illegal immigrationA lorry driver charged with the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a refrigerated trailer has pleaded guilty to plotting to assist illegal immigration.Maurice Robinson, 25, who is known as Mo, was allegedly part of a global smuggling ring. He was arrested shortly after the bodies of eight females and 31 males were found in a trailer attached to his Scania cab in an industrial park in Grays, Essex, on 23 October. Continue reading... Go to Source