News- UK

BLM dance routine on Britain's Got Talent triggers 15,500 complaints Performance by Diversity was inspired by the killing of George Floyd in the USThe number of complaints about an episode of Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) in which Diversity performed a routine inspired by Black Lives Matter has risen to 15,500, Ofcom has said.The dance group, who won the talent show in 2009, took to the stage with a politically charged performance during the ITV show’s semi-finals this month. Continue reading... Go to Source

'I have never seen anything like this': Oregon towns emptied and confusion spreads amid fires In Molalla and other western towns, fear, uncertainty and disinformation gripped residents as hundreds of thousands in the state evacuateUS wildfires in the west – follow live updatesHundreds of thousands of people in Oregon were ordered to leave their homes on Thursday as wildfires encroached on their properties. The evacuations clogged highways, emptied entire towns and sparked confusion in a state that has not grappled with wildfires of this size before.Large-scale evacuations in the state began within the metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon’s largest city. Clackamas county, home to some 420,000 people in the metro’s south, was already under varying levels of fire alert when officials on T...

Boris Johnson faces Tory rebellions on Brexit and Covid rules Conservatives including former leaders criticise plan to override withdrawal dealToday’s politics news - live updatesBoris Johnson is facing separate Conservative rebellions on Brexit and Covid-19 rules, as Tory MPs mobilise to undermine the controversial legislation that overrides the EU withdrawal agreement.The tabling of an amendment by a former minister, Bob Neill, to the internal market bill in an effort to create a parliamentary veto on overriding the UK-EU divorce deal sets up a showdown next week on the bill’s second reading in the House of Commons. Continue reading... Go to Source

'It's unbearable': Lesbos refugees sleep on streets after devastating fire Residents of Moria camp struggle to salvage what they can as protesters try to block efforts to rebuildPlumes of smoke rise above the ashes and twisted metal. In many parts this is all that remains of Europe’s largest refugee camp.Just a few days ago, the Moria camp in Lesbos was home to thousands of children and their families. Now all that is left are the smoldering ruins and jagged outlines of scorched tents. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Welsh first minister warns of 'gathering storm' as case rate hits 20 per 100,000 Mark Drakeford says ‘serious risk’ virus spreads more widely again; contact tracing app to launch in England and Wales; Merseyside added to watchlistNHS Covid app to launch in England and Wales this monthBoris Johnson facing rebellions on Covid rules and BrexitCovid lockdown rules more divisive than Brexit, survey finds‘Rule of six’: what are the new rules in England, Scotland and Wales?Global coronavirus updates – live 12.53pm BST I am writing about people who have become new parents during the pandemic. Please do get in touch to contribute. Calling all new mums and dads. How have mum's found childbirth/ parents' found raising a baby during the pandemic? Has it affected your mental hea...

Oregon fires force 500,000 to evacuate as blazes across American west kill 15 Unprecedented fire conditions burn more than 900,000 acresFirefighting resources are stretched thin in three statesMore than 500,000 people in Oregon have been forced to evacuate as unprecedented wildfires rage across the state, amounting to more than 10% of the population, authorities said Thursday.Wildfires searing through the American west have killed at least 15 people, leveled entire neighborhoods and forced stretched firefighting crews to make tough decisions about where to deploy. Continue reading... Go to Source

Rio Tinto CEO and senior executives resign from company after Juukan Gorge debacle In a statement to Australian Stock Exchange the company confirms move that follows the blowing up of 46,000-year-old caves in Western AustraliaThe Rio Tinto chief executive, Jean-Sébastien Jacques, and two other senior executives are leaving the global miner after its board bowed to intense investor pressure for strong action over its decision to blow up 46,000-year-old rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.Rio Tinto said Jacques was leaving “by mutual agreement” with the board. Continue reading... Go to Source

Covid lockdown rules more divisive than Brexit, survey finds UK study claims solidarity in early weeks of coronavirus pandemic has given way to distrustCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMask-wearing and lockdown rules are now causing deeper social fractures than Brexit, according to a UK-wide study which suggests that the solidarityof the early weeks of the pandemic has given way to distrust.Polling of 10,000 people found that half of mask-wearers in Britain (58%) have severely negative attitudes towards those who do not wear a mask, and the majority (68%) of people who did not break lockdown rules have strong negative views about lockdown rule-breakers. Continue reading... Go to Source

Friday briefing: Rio Tinto CEO quits after cave furore Anglo-Australian miner blew up ancient Aboriginal site … Sacoolas lawyers say she drove on wrong side … Covid rule-followers ‘hate’ rule-breakersHello, Warren Murray with news picked for you by these very hands (sanitised of course). Continue reading... Go to Source

Harry Dunn death: Sacoolas drove on 'wrong side of road for 20 seconds' Lawyers for wife of US diplomat say the are ‘willing to discuss resolution’ with UK authorities Lawyers acting on behalf of Harry Dunn’s alleged killer Anne Sacoolas have said she drove on the “wrong side of the road for 20 seconds” before the fatal crash.Legal representatives for the 43-year-old issued a public statement on Thursday detailing her side of the story, in which they claim she was “otherwise driving cautiously and below the speed limit”. Continue reading... Go to Source

'A wonderful atmosphere': Churchill secretary recalls life at Chartwell Nonie Chapman reminisces in newly restored secretaries’ room at Kent country houseNonie Chapman has fond memories of Winston Churchill shuffling to the front row of his personal cinema, wearing his monogrammed slippers and a vibrant green one-piece velvet siren suit, and of course smoking a cigar.She was a 21-year-old secretary. He was in the final years of his life. He cut a memorable figure but what she most vividly recalls are his hands. “When his cigar went out a male nurse used to go round and relight it for him and I’ll never forget his amazingly long, artistic fingers … they really struck me.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Government's top legal advisers divided over move to override Brexit deal Exclusive: Scottish advocate general warned of breach of ministerial code but two other advisers disagreed, letter showsAre MPs obliged to comply with international law?A behind–the–scenes rift has emerged between the government’s top legal advisers over the legality of the decision to bring legislation that overrides the EU withdrawal agreement.Legal advice contained in a three–page letter marked “official – sensitive”, seen by the Guardian, summarises the legal opinions of the government’s three law officers, whose role includes ensuring ministers act in accordance with the law. Continue reading... Go to Source

Diana Rigg, Avengers and Game of Thrones star, dies aged 82 Actor who played Emma Peel in hit spy series and James Bond’s only wife was diagnosed with cancer in MarchThe actor Diana Rigg, known for her roles on stage and in film and television – including The Avengers and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – has died at the age of 82.Rigg, who rose to prominence in the 1960s through her starring role as Emma Peel in The Avengers alongside Patrick Macnee, enjoyed a long and varied career, playing Lady Olenna Tyrell in HBO’s smash hit Game of Thrones, a show she admitted in 2019 that she had never watched. She also played Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, or Tracy Bond, James Bond’s first and only wife to date, in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Continue reading... Go to Source...

Coronavirus live news: Portugal back on England's quarantine list as UK records 2919 new cases Portugal, Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion on England’s quarantine list; fifth day in a row UK records over 2,000 infections; France reports 8,500 new casesCentral Europe faces worse second wave after avoiding worst of firstUK looks to Belgium for Covid inspiration despite infections riseTrump admits playing down virus as total deaths exceed 900,000AstraZeneca chief claims vaccine still possible this year 6.42pm BST Six months on since declaring a pandemic, the World Health Organisation’s director general has said what worries him most is the lack of solidarity and leadership among world powers. Though the UN health agency declared a public health emergency of international concern - its ...

Women in England struggling to access contraception as result of underfunding Report calls for access to progestogen-only contraceptive pills over counterAccess to progestogen-only contraceptive pills should be available over the counter, experts have said, as a report finds many women in England are struggling to access contraception as a result of underfunding and cuts to services.An inquiry by the all-party parliamentary group on sexual and reproductive health (APPG SRH) heard that difficulties accessing contraception was leaving women at risk of unplanned pregnancies, a situation made worse by the Covid-19 outbreak. The inquiry said such problems also affected trans men and non-binary individuals. Continue reading... Go to Source

Belarus opposition figure says authorities threatened to kill her Maria Kolesnikova says she was told she would be leaving country ‘alive or in bits’Maria Kolesnikova, the Belarusian opposition politician who ripped up her passport to avoid forcible deportation earlier this week, said on Thursday that security officers put a bag over her head and threatened to kill her in response.Kolesnikova, a trained flautist and music teacher who has emerged as one of the most prominent figureheads of protests against authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, said she was told by security officers that she would be removed from Belarus “alive or in bits” after she thwarted their plan to dump her in Ukraine by tearing up her passport at the border. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK has already breached withdrawal agreement, EU lawyers say Leaked legal opinion says bloc already has grounds to take ‘legal remedies’ that could lead to financial and trade sanctionsBritain has already breached the withdrawal agreement by tabling the internal market bill, prompting Brussels to plan legal action that could lead to financial and trade sanctions, according to a leaked EU legal opinion.The European commission believes Boris Johnson’s government breached the terms of the treaty just by taking the first steps to pass a new law that would negate key parts of the agreement signed last year. Continue reading... Go to Source

London bus attack couple join campaign to make misogyny a hate crime Increase in violence against women during lockdown makes new law imperative, says MP Stella CreasyA couple who were victims of a violent, homophobic attack on a London bus are calling for misogyny to become a hate crime, as a report reveals that women are three times more likely to experience sexual violence and threats than men.Melania Geymonat and her partner Chris, who were unwillingly propelled into the spotlight last year when they were beaten up by a gang of young men after refusing to kiss, have joined forces with a former police chief, MPs, religious leaders and the charity Citizens UK to put pressure on the government to introduce the new law. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Hancock considering 'eligibility' restriction to limit who can have a test News updates: health secretary speaks in Commons; experts sceptical PM’s £100bn plan to do up to 10m tests a day can be deliveredUK expert says rush back to the office should be pausedJohnson pinning hopes on £100bn ‘moonshot’ to avoid second lockdownWhat is No 10’s ‘moonshot’ plan and is it feasible?AstraZeneca chief claims vaccine still possible this yearGlobal coronavirus updates - live 12.49pm BST Sir Desmond Swayne, a Conservative, asks Hancock if he is starting to consider that the possibility that government policies are having an impact “worse than the disease itself”. Hancock says he disagrees. 12.47pm BST These are from my colleague Peter Walker, who points out that Matt Hancock ha...

Winchester school bus crash leaves children seriously injured Double-decker hit railway bridge, causing ‘significant damage’, police sayThree children have been taken to hospital with serious injuries while 13 others suffered minor injuries after the school bus they were travelling in crashed into a railway bridge.The collision caused “significant damage” to the top of the double-decker bus in the crash in Wellhouse Lane, Winchester, Hampshire, at 8.10am on Thursday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Julian Assange hearing paused for lawyer to get Covid test Judge grants adjournment until Monday in extradition hearing against WikiLeaks co-founderCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageJulian Assange’s extradition case has been paused until Monday so that a member of one of the legal teams can be tested for Covid-19 after potential exposure.The judge Vanessa Baraitser granted an adjournment at the request of lawyers for the WikiLeaks co-founder and the US government. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson pinning hopes on £100bn 'moonshot' to avoid second lockdown PM believes huge rapid testing programme is ‘only hope’ before a vaccine, leaked document saysWhat is No 10’s ‘moonshot’ Covid testing plan and is it feasible?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson believes a mass testing programme is “our only hope for avoiding a second national lockdown before a vaccine”, according to leaked official documents setting out plans for “Operation Moonshot”.The prime minister is said to be pinning his hopes on a project that would deliver up to 10m tests a day – even though the current testing regime is struggling to deliver a fraction of that number and is beset by problems. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: ‘rule of six’ to apply in England from Monday Boris Johnson restricts gatherings in attempt to prevent second national lockdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTough new rules that restrict gatherings to just six people could be in place until the spring to stop a winter surge of the virus, the government’s chief medical officer has warned.Prof Chris Whitty said the period “between now and spring is going to be difficult” and said the public should expect the new measures to be in place for a number of months. Continue reading... Go to Source

Regulators investigate elite London law firm Mishcon de Reya Solicitors Regulation Authority has spent at least two years scrutinising firmOne of the UK’s most prestigious law firms is being investigated by regulators who have spent at least two years examining it, sending investigators into its central London offices.The Guardian has established that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is conducting a complex investigation into Mishcon de Reya, involving forensic and anti-money laundering investigators. Continue reading... Go to Source

Brexit bill criticised as 'eye-watering' breach of international law Downing Street defends bill after outcry from Brussels, legal experts and some Tory MPsJohnson has undermined trust, says EUThe government has unveiled plans to give ministers sweeping powers to “disapply” part of the Brexit deal that Boris Johnson signed in January, in a move that has shocked Brussels and threatens to provoke a rebellion by Tory MPs.Cabinet ministers have admitted the bill breaks international law. But Johnson’s spokesman defended the change on Wednesday, saying it was necessary clarification of an agreement that had been rushed through in January. Continue reading... Go to Source

Huge cavities threaten glacier larger than Great Britain Water seeping into fissures in Thwaites glacier in Antarctica, accelerating rise of sea levelsBritish scientists have mapped cavities half the size of the Grand Canyon that are allowing warm ocean water to erode the vast Thwaites glacier in the Antarctic, accelerating the rise of sea levels across the world.Like decay in a tooth, the channels of warm water are melting the ice from below, threatening the stability of a glacier that is larger than Great Britain. Continue reading... Go to Source

Danish killer confesses to murder of Kim Wall for first time Peter Madsen, handed life sentence in 2018 for murder of Swedish journalist, makes confession in TV documentaryThe Danish inventor Peter Madsen, who was handed a life prison sentence in 2018 for the killing of the Swedish journalist Kim Wall, has confessed to the crime for the first time, in a television documentary.The 49-year-old, found guilty of premeditated murder, aggravated sexual assault and desecrating a corpse, had insisted during the trial that Wall’s death, on Madsen’s homemade submarine in August 2o17, was an accident. Continue reading... Go to Source

Pause in Oxford coronavirus vaccine trial not necessarily a setback, says Hancock UK health secretary says it is not first time vaccine trial has been delayed Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMatt Hancock has said a pause to the Oxford coronavirus vaccine trial after a volunteer suffered an adverse reaction is not necessarily a setback.The UK health secretary said he was not overly concerned about the decision by the pharmaceuticals firm AstraZeneca to halt vaccine trials, adding that it had already overcome a similar delay. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Starmer accuses Johnson of incompetence over shortage of testing Labour leader says PM is undermining trust in test and trace system; Nicola Sturgeon says cases in Scotland tripled in three weeksGatherings of more than six people banned in EnglandWhat are you allowed to do in England from MondayOxford vaccine trial on hold after participant has adverse reactionOxford vaccine trial pause - should we be worried?Global coronavirus updates - live 12.51pm BST The rate of new Covid-19 infections has tripled over the last three weeks, to an average of 155 new cases a day, Nicola Sturgeon has said, with the number of positive tests doubling from 1% to 2%.The first minister said during her regular briefing that three weeks ago the seven-day rolling average for Scotland was 5...

UK plans to change Brexit rules threaten US trade deal, top Democrats say Altering terms of withdrawal agreement on Northern Ireland could damage relations under Biden presidencySenior Democrats have warned that any attempt by the UK government to backtrack on the Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland would jeopardize a future US-UK free trade deal and could hobble bilateral relations across the board if Joe Biden wins the presidency.Biden, an Irish American, is a staunch defender of the Good Friday Agreement, of which the US is the guarantor, and which requires an open border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Continue reading... Go to Source