News- UK

Covid ICU cases in northern England could pass April peak in 22 days, MPs told Leaked slides suggest hospitality accounted for 41% of linked Covid cases among under-30sCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe number of coronavirus patients in intensive care in the north of England will surpass the April peak if infections continue rising at the current rate, MPs have been warned in a briefing chaired by Chris Whitty and a minister.MPs were also shown early research by Public Health England suggesting that bars, pubs and restaurants accounted for 41% of cases in which two or more under-30s had visited the same venue in the week before testing positive. This fell to a quarter of infections across all age groups, the MPs were told. Continue reading... Go to Source...

Watchdog investigates Met officers over Bianca Williams' treatment Athlete and partner were stopped and handcuffed while their baby son was in the carFive police officers are under disciplinary investigation after they stopped and handcuffed the British athlete Bianca Williams and her partner, the police watchdog has announced.The investigation covers claims that officers breached police standards of professional behaviour relating to use of force, duties and responsibilities, authority, respect and courtesy. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump campaign pushes debate delay as Pelosi teases discussion on his fitness for office – live House speaker says debate on 25th amendment will occur FridayTrump claims he isn’t contagious and is well enough to attend ralliesHarris and Mike Pence clash over coronavirus responseFive key takeaways from the vice-presidential debateSign up for Fight to Vote – our weekly US election newsletter 6.49pm BST Joe Biden today tested negative for Covid-19, according to the campaign. Biden campaign: “Vice President Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected.”h/t @melmason 6.29pm BST Donald Trump has posted a new video from the White House, which begins with him addressing seniors and explaining that he is a senior. “I know you don’t know that, nobody knows that,” T...

Allegra Stratton to be Boris Johnson's TV spokeswoman Former Guardian political correspondent appointed to be PM’s representativeFormer ITV journalist Allegra Stratton is expected to be announced as the face of Downing Street’s new daily televised press briefings.Stratton, who is currently an adviser to the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, will host daily briefings for political journalists. The role will make her a high-profile spokeswoman for Boris Johnson. Continue reading... Go to Source

Holocaust survivor's daughter sues historian over claim of lesbian liaison with Nazi guard Warwick University academic ‘broke German court ruling that protected dead woman’s reputation’The daughter of a Holocaust survivor has begun a legal battle to protect her deceased mother’s reputation from allegations that she had a lesbian relationship with an SS guard.Earlier this year, a German court ruled that Dr Anna Hájková, associate professor of modern continental European history at Warwick University, had violated the woman’s postmortem personality rights by publicly claiming that she had a sexual relationship with the Nazi guard while imprisoned in concentration camps. Continue reading... Go to Source

North of England leaders vow to oppose lockdown without financial support Politicians say businesses and residents will need economic lifeline if further restrictions are imposedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMinisters are facing open revolt from leaders in northern England over fresh coronavirus restrictions due to be announced within days, as mayors, MPs and council leaders vowed they would fiercely oppose any new measures without substantial financial support.Pubs, bars and restaurants across Merseyside, Greater Manchester and parts of the north-east of England could be forced to close next week in an effort to slow the soaring infection rate. Continue reading... Go to Source

Italian PM urges UK to do right thing on Brexit deal Giuseppe Conte under pressure from Italian exporters to ensure favourable outcome on withdrawal agreementItaly’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, has urged the British government to come good on a Brexit deal but admitted it was currently “difficult to feel optimistic” amid legal wrangling over the withdrawal agreement.“Obviously the legislative move in the UK creates tension,” said Conte, referring to Boris Johnson’s tabling of a bill that violates key elements of the agreement reached with Brussels last year. Continue reading... Go to Source

Kamala Harris and Mike Pence clash over coronavirus response in vice-presidential debate Pence defended the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic while Harris called it ‘the greatest failure of any presidential administration’Kamala Harris accused the Trump-Pence White House of presiding over the “greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country” in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic during the first and only vice-presidential debate of the 2020 election.Vice-president Mike Pence forcefully defended Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis that has killed more than 210,000 Americans, as Wednesday night’s debate in Salt Lake City unfolded in the shadow of the president’s hospitalization for Covid-19, which has thrown the government into uphea...

Thursday briefing: A civil debate – now on with the show Kamala Harris attacks Mike Pence over handling of coronavirus … Trump says his infection ‘blessing from God’ … how black power came to LondonGood morning, Warren Murray getting you off the starting blocks. Continue reading... Go to Source

Brexit strategy risks UK 'dictatorship', says ex-president of supreme court Lord Neuberger condemns internal market bill for exempting some of its powers from legal challenge The government’s Brexit strategy is in danger of driving the UK down a “very slippery slope” towards “dictatorship” or “tyranny”, according to a former president of the supreme court.Addressing an online meeting of lawyers, Lord Neuberger on Wednesday evening condemned the internal market bill, which enables the government to breach international law and exempts some of its powers from legal challenge. Continue reading... Go to Source

Australian pro surfer Matt Wilkinson's narrow escape from shark caught on camera Drone footage captures great white stalking Matt Wilkinson off Ballina in northern NSW Drone footage has captured professional surfer Matt Wilkinson’s narrow escape from a great white shark measuring about 2.5 metres off the coast of Ballina in northern New South Wales.The world championship tour surfer was paddling on his board near Sharpes Beach on Wednesday when a shark swam quickly up behind him. Continue reading... Go to Source

Climate denial ads on Facebook seen by millions, report finds The ads included calling climate change a hoax and were paid for by conservative US groupsAdverts on Facebook denying the reality of the climate crisis or the need for action were viewed by at least 8 million people in the US in the first half of 2020, a thinktank has found.The 51 climate disinformation ads identified included ones stating that climate change is a hoax and that fossil fuels are not an existential threat. The ads were paid for by conservative groups whose sources of funding are opaque, according to a report by InfluenceMap. Continue reading... Go to Source

Covid: pubs in north of England face new restrictions within days Alarming rise in cases puts pressure on ministers to act as Nicola Sturgeon imposes Scotland crackdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePubs and restaurants in swathes of the north of England could face restrictions within days in a scramble to stem an alarming rise in coronavirus cases, after Nicola Sturgeon announced a nationwide crackdown on indoor drinking in Scotland.UK ministers will meet again on Thursday to try to come to a resolution, along with local leaders, on what harsher measures should be imposed, following what Sturgeon described as “short, sharp action” for Scotland. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump calls Covid diagnosis 'blessing from God' amid false treatment claims President returns to Oval Office despite concerns he should be self-isolating as virus spreads in White HouseDonald Trump has called his Covid-19 infection “a blessing from God” as he returned to the Oval Office on Wednesday despite concerns that he should be self-isolating, as the virus continued to spread among senior White House figures.In a video message posted to Twitter, Trump said that Regeneron, an experimental drug cocktail, was key to recovering from his infection. He said it was his suggestion to be treated with the drug, which has rarely been used outside clinical trials. Continue reading... Go to Source

Poorest areas of England four times as likely to face lockdown as richest Analysis of official figures shows most deprived areas are bearing brunt of second wave of CovidCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageEngland’s poorest communities are nearly four times as likely to face lockdown restrictions as the wealthiest areas, a Guardian analysis has found, as local leaders warned of a “winter of dangerous discontent” in the north of England without urgent financial support.A study of official figures shows a wide disparity in the resurgence of coronavirus across the country, with the most deprived areas bearing the brunt of the second wave. Continue reading... Go to Source

Met police pay compensation to man fathered by undercover officer Force pays confidential sum to man who discovered at the age of 26 that his father, Bob Lambert, was a police officer rather than a leftwing activistScotland Yard has apologised and paid substantial compensation to a man who was fathered by an undercover police officer who formed a long-term relationship with his mother in the 1980s in order to spy on political campaigners.The Metropolitan police has been compelled to pay the confidential sum after the man said in a lawsuit that he suffered psychiatric damage after discovering, at the age of 26, that his father was not the committed leftwing protester he had been led to believe. Continue reading... Go to Source

White House doctor says Trump has been Covid symptom-free for 24 hours – live Cuomo calls Trump Covid response worst failure since Pearl Harbor Democrats outraged as Trump halts Covid stimulus talksWhite House Covid outbreak overshadows VP debateWhat we know and what we don’t about Trump’s healthUS hits 7.5m coronavirus cases according to Johns Hopkins trackerSign up for Fight to Vote – our weekly US election newsletter 6.56pm BST Peter Alexander of NBC News reports that Attorney General William Barr “continues to test negative for the coronavirus and he’s at the Department of Justice this afternoon and ‘taking precautions’, per a Department of Justice spokesperson – Barr has been tested six times since Friday”.Barr attended the White House Rose Garden introduction of supreme court nomi...

Only 3% sugar cut out from food products in three years, PHE finds Public Health England study likely to accelerate calls for further measures such as sugar taxWhat is England’s sugar target and why has the food industry missed it?The food industry has cut out only 3% of sugar from supermarket, cafe and restaurant products over the last three years, according to a damning report from Public Health England that has triggered calls for taxes or other compulsory measures to be introduced.PHE launched its flagship sugar reduction programme in 2016 with a mission to help reduce childhood obesity levels by introducing a voluntary target for the food industry to remove 20% of sugar by 2020. But the third year of data, gathered before the coronavirus outbreak – suggests the target is unattainab...

I raised concerns about Charlie Elphicke 15 years ago, says ex-colleague Lawyer who worked with Elphicke before he became MP says he was known as ‘office sex-pest’Concerns about the behaviour of the disgraced former Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke were raised with a prestigious UK law firm he worked for before entering politics, according to a lawyer who accuses him of sexual harassment.Elphicke was jailed last month for sexual assault. Fifteen years ago, a former colleague cited Elphicke’s conduct as her reason for leaving Reed Smith LLP. She now wonders if others would not have suffered had his behaviour been “nipped in the bud”. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson faces Keir Starmer at PMQs; Scotland braced for new restrictions Latest updates: PM faces Labour leader in parliament; Prof Stephen Reicher warns UK risks ‘squandering opportunity’ to avoid stringent lockdownNHS coronavirus tests threatened by Roche supply chain glitchLiz Truss: more lockdown measures in England would ‘set us back’Map: where are the UK’s current coronavirus hotspots?Global coronavirus updates – live 12.34pm BST Taiwo Owatemi (Lab) says Coventry is running out of brownfield sites. So where will the new homes it needs be built?Johnson says there is abundant brownfield space all over the country. He says as the planning authority for London, he knows. He says rules are making building difficult. He will turn generation rent into generatio...

Planning changes would drastically cut affordable homes, councils say Building of cheaper housing could be almost halved in some areas of England, analysis suggestsClose to half of affordable homes in some of the most expensive areas of England will not be built if ministers proceed with changes to the planning system, analysis by councils suggests.The government’s proposal to scrap the duty of developers to build affordable housing on sites for up to 40 or 50 homes, would have led to 30,000 of such homes going undelivered over the last five years, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). Continue reading... Go to Source

'Again we are a house divided': Joe Biden calls for unity in Gettysburg speech Democrat issues rebuke of president’s leadership and addresses coronavirus, racial injustice and hyperpartisanshipJoe Biden delivered a forceful appeal for national unity from the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, as the nation lurched from crisis to crisis and the president continued to downplay the severity of the coronavirus after being hospitalized for Covid-19.From the storied civil war battlefield of Gettysburg, a symbol of the divisions that nearly tore the nation in two, Biden cast the election as a “battle for the soul of the nation” and emphasized the stakes this November. Continue reading... Go to Source

Wednesday briefing: Covid propels tycoons to further riches ‘Is there a risk they may be singled out by society? Yes’ … Trump’s generals isolate after Covid exposure … and Lord Sugar’s apprentices tell allWelcome to Wednesday morning with me, Warren Murray. Here are the stories that are definitely worth a look. Continue reading... Go to Source

Civil service minister to examine use of consultants Lord Agnew may need to tackle the government’s attitude towards senior civil servants• Brexit drives government consultancy fees to £450m in three yearsThe new analysis of government invoices may well confirm the fears of Lord Agnew, the civil service minister who last week called for senior civil servants to stop “depriving our brightest [public servants] of opportunities to work on some of the most challenging, fulfilling and crunchy issues”.A former businessman and Brexiter who joined the government in February, his eyes will fall on the stark figures showing that departments at the forefront of leaving the EU have become increasingly reliant on sharp-suited City specialists who can command up to £3,500 a day. Continue reading... ...

Dyson technology institute to be given power to award its own degrees Institute founded by Sir James Dyson will be first alternative provider to be granted such powerThe technology institute founded by the inventor Sir James Dyson will soon have the power to award its own degrees – the first of the new wave of alternative providers.The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology, which opened in 2017 on the site of Dyson’s design centre in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, has 150 engineering undergraduates who pay no tuition fees and receive a full-time wage during their four years studying and working alongside Dyson’s staff. Continue reading... Go to Source

Covid: three universities halt face-to-face teaching as UK strategy unravels At least 5,000 confirmed cases reported among students and staff at campuses across countryCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageEfforts to reopen universities in the midst of the pandemic appeared to be unravelling tonight, as three of the country’s largest universities called a halt to face-to-face teaching.More than 80 universities in the UK have reported at least 5,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 among students and staff, including more than 1,000 at the University of Manchester, which announced that it was suspending in-person teaching. Continue reading... Go to Source

Eddie Van Halen dies of cancer aged 65 Son announces death of guitarist and founding member of band named after Van Halen and his brother Eddie Van Halen, the virtuoso guitarist whose innovative and blistering solos helped propel the band named after him into one of rock’s biggest acts in the 1980s, has died of cancer. He was 65.pic.twitter.com/kQqDV7pulR Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump aide Stephen Miller tests positive for Covid-19 - live More than 18 in the president’s orbit have tested positive for the virusPresident tells negotiators to stop talks on Covid relief measures What we know and what we don’t about Trump’s healthContagious Trump removes mask for photos on hospital returnAt least 39,000 new cases and 460 new Covid deaths reported in USSign up for Fight to Vote – our weekly US election newsletter 12.38am BST Mike Pence, who is scheduled to debate Kamala Harris tomorrow, “does not need to quarantine” per White House physician Jesse Schonau. The CDC recommend that people who have been exposed with anyone who has the virus quarantine for at least two weeks regardless of whether they test negative. Contradicting that recommendation, Schonau said in a mem...

New portrait of Queen Victoria's African goddaughter unveiled Painting of Sarah Forbes Bonetta part of English Heritage project to highlight overlooked black figuresHer birth name, historians believe, was Aina but in the high society of 19th-century England she was Sarah Forbes Bonetta, an enslaved little girl from what is now the west African country of Benin who became Queen Victoria’s goddaughter.The remarkable life of Bonetta is being highlighted by curators at English Heritage who, on Wednesday, will unveil a new portrait of her by the artist Hannah Uzor – part of a project to commission and display paintings of black figures whose stories have previously been overlooked. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK says no Covid testing decision for arrivals before November Exclusive: government to announce new travel taskforce instead, in further blow to airline industryCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA decision on plans to introduce Covid-19 testing for international arrivals to cut quarantine times will not come until next month at the earliest, with Downing Street instead setting up a global travel taskforce to look at proposals, the Guardian understands.After months of lobbying by the beleaguered aviation industry, which has been crippled by two-week quarantine restrictions, an announcement on whether tests for arrivals from at-risk countries would be introduced by the UK government was widely anticipated to come this week. Continue reading... Go to Source