News- UK

Tory-linked PR firm granted £3m Covid-19 contract without tender Topham Guerin behind idea to rename CCHQ Twitter account during 2019 election campaignThe political communications company behind the Conservative party’s controversial 2019 digital campaign strategy received a £3m government contract to work on Covid-19 messaging without a competitive tender and is negotiating with the Cabinet Office for more work, the Guardian and openDemocracy can reveal.Topham Guerin, founded in 2016 by two young New Zealanders, Sean Topham and Ben Guerin, specialises in producing images and videos for social media and has worked for a number of rightwing political parties. Continue reading... Go to Source

Outcry in Sweden after 12-year-old-girl killed by stray bullet Increase in police and tougher punishments promised after child dies following apparent gangland shooting near StockholmSwedish officials have promised more police and tougher punishments amid public outrage after a 12-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet in an apparent gangland shooting at a petrol station car park south of Stockholm.“I am aware no words are enough for those who have lost a child in this awful way, but I still want to we share your grief in these difficult times,” the home affairs minister, Mikael Damberg, told the national news agency TT. Continue reading... Go to Source

Chief whip defends lack of action against Tory MP accused of rape Mark Spencer resists calls to remove whip from ex-minister as police investigate allegation The chief whip, Mark Spencer, has defended his decision not to take action against an MP who has been arrested on suspicion of rape, after the alleged victim revealed she had complained about abusive behaviour four months earlier.Pressure is growing on the Conservatives to withdraw the whip from the former minister – suspending him from the parliamentary party – while the police investigation is ongoing, but Spencer indicated he would not do so. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: 90-minute tests to speed up Covid-19 and flu diagnosis, government claims Tests to be introduced across NHS hospitals and care homes though some experts question decisionCoronavirus 90-minute tests to be providedGlobal coronavirus live: latest updates 12.18pm BST The government has announced a new deal to boost the UK’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities amid the Covid-19 pandemic.Under the 18-month agreement, the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Wockhardt will carry out the crucial “fill and finish” stage of the manufacturing process, which involves dispensing the manufactured vaccine substance into vials ready for it to be distributed.Ensuring the UK has the capability to research, develop and manufacture a safe and effective vacci...

John Hume, former SDLP leader and Nobel peace prize winner, dies at 83 Hume won global acclaim for his efforts towards achieving Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland‘Hero and peacemaker’: John Hume rememberedJohn Hume, the former SDLP leader, Nobel peace prize winner and leading player in the Northern Ireland peace process, has died aged 83.His death marks the passing of one of the most important Irish political leaders of the 20th century whose ideas of compromise, opposition to violence and cross-community outreach underpinned the principles of the 1998 Good Friday agreement. Continue reading... Go to Source

WhatsApp spyware attack: senior clergymen in Togo among activists targeted Bishop from Togo among 1,400 individuals alerted by WhatsApp to malware attackA prominent Catholic bishop and a priest in Togo have been told they were targeted by spyware made by the private surveillance firm NSO Group, in the first known case of its kind involving members of the clergy.A joint investigation by the Guardian and the French newspaper Le Monde can reveal that Bishop Benoît Alowonou and five other critics of Togo’s repressive government were alerted by WhatsApp last year that their mobile phones had been targeted with the spying technology. Continue reading... Go to Source

Tory minister refuses to confirm whether chief whip knew of rape claims against MP Former aide claims she told Mark Spencer extent of allegations months before MP was arrestedA minister has refused to confirm whether the government’s chief whip was told about claims against a Conservative MP by his alleged victim four months before he was arrested on suspicion of rape.It is understood that the woman in her 20s, a former parliamentary staffer, spoke to the chief whip, Mark Spencer, in April. Last week, the woman told the Times that Spencer had taken no action. Continue reading... Go to Source

Greater Manchester declares major incident after rise in Covid-19 cases Leader of Manchester council says measure is ‘standard practice’ to ensure coordinated responseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA major incident has been declared in Greater Manchester in response to increases in coronavirus infection rates across “multiple localities”.The decision to up the readiness of emergency and public services to react to the escalating Covid-19 transmission rate in the region comes after the government announced new lockdown restrictions for parts of north-west England on Thursday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Secrecy has harmed UK government's response to Covid-19 crisis, says top scientist Exclusive: Sir Paul Nurse says lack of openness fuelled poor decisions and put public trust at riskCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOne of the country’s most senior scientists has criticised government for the “shroud of secrecy” drawn over major decisions in the coronavirus crisis and urged ministers to be more open about the reasons behind their policies.Sir Paul Nurse, the nobel laureate and director of the Francis Crick Institute in London, said important decisions throughout the pandemic had been made in what appeared to be a “black box” of scientists, civil servants and politicians, and called for more transparency and scrutiny. Continue...

Len McCluskey praised by Labour MPs for ordering Unite funding review Exclusive: Unite leader disagreed with Labour paying damages to antisemitism whistleblowersThe leader of Unite, Len McCluskey, has been praised by left-leaning Labour MPs for ordering a review of the union’s political donations after Keir Starmer’s decision to pay damages to former staff turned antisemitism whistleblowers.Ian Lavery, the party chair under Jeremy Corbyn, is one of three former shadow ministers who have told the Guardian they support the union’s general secretary for re-examining whether to donate to Labour in the wake of the six-figure settlements. Continue reading... Go to Source

Tory MP arrested on rape charges 'should have whip withdrawn' Labour calls for former minister accused of violent sexual assault to be removed from partyA former Conservative minister arrested on suspicion of rape should have the party whip removed immediately, the shadow domestic violence minister, Jess Phillips, has said.The MP for Birmingham Yardley called for action on Sunday after a woman in her twenties accused the Tory MP of violent sexual assault and coercive control. Continue reading... Go to Source

Nasa astronauts aboard SpaceX capsule make first splashdown in 45 years Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley land off Florida after two-month voyage that was Nasa’s first crewed mission from home in nine yearsUS astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, who flew to the International Space Station in SpaceX’s new Crew Dragon, splashed down in the capsule in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday after a two-month voyage that was Nasa’s first crewed mission from home soil in nine years.Behnken and Hurley left the station on Saturday and returned home to land in the waves off Florida’s Pensacola coast on schedule at 2.48pm ET following a 21-hour overnight journey aboard Crew Dragon “Endeavor.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Former police chief convicted over child abuse video granted court of appeal hearing Robyn Williams was sacked in March despite never having viewed unsolicited videoA decorated former police chief has won two key battles in her fight to overturn her conviction for possessing a child abuse video and get her job back, the Guardian has learned.Former superintendent Robyn Williams was convicted under paedophilia laws in November 2019 after being sent an unsolicited video via WhatsApp of a child being abused, despite never viewing the images. The prosecution accepted she had no sexual interest in children. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus England: Boris Johnson looking at second-wave lockdown scenarios Potential options include a wider shielding programme and restricted travel for LondonCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson is considering new lockdown measures in England should there be a second wave of coronavirus infections.Plans are being assessed after a rise in Covid-19 cases forced the prime minister to slow the lockdown easing on Friday, with proposed relaxations for the leisure and beauty sectors delayed. Continue reading... Go to Source

Unite sounds warning over Labour antisemitism payouts Len McCluskey, the union’s leader, says the damages paid to whistleblowers are an abuse of the money it donates to the partyLabour’s biggest union backer will review its political donations in light of Keir Starmer’s decision to pay damages to ex-staffers who claimed the party had not dealt with antisemitism, its general secretary has warned.In an interview with the Observer, Unite leader Len McCluskey said there was “no doubt” the union’s ruling executive would be demanding a review of the millions it donates to the Labour party in the wake of the six-figure settlements. Continue reading... Go to Source

Tory MP arrested on suspicion of rape of parliamentary staffer Allegation about incidents from July 2019 to January 2020 reportedly relate to ex-ministerA former Conservative minister has been arrested after a woman accused him of rape, sexual assault and coercive control, it was reported last night.The Metropolitan police confirmed they had launched an investigation into four alleged incidents between July 2019 and January 2020 at different locations in London. They said “a man in his 50s” was taken into custody early yesterday and was still in a police station in east London last night. Continue reading... Go to Source

Now teachers sound alarm over plans to reopen schools • Union: Convince us that classes are safe • New warning over spread of the virusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageGovernment plans to reopen all schools in September were called into question by leading scientists and the head of a major teaching union last night amid signs that cases of Covid-19 are increasing again at an alarming rate.Despite imposing new restrictions on people meeting indoors in parts of the north of England on Thursday – and postponing plans to allow bowling alleys, casinos, skating rinks and other venues to reopen a day later – ministers insist that reopening schools fully early next month remains a top priority. Continue reading... Go to Source

‘End the prejudice against Travellers’ – police chief As the three killers of PC Andrew Harper are jailed, senior officer says the community must not be demonisedA senior police officer has condemned deep-seated prejudice for making it acceptable to label the UK Travelling community “inherently criminal”.Speaking after the three killers of PC Andrew Harper were jailed for manslaughter, Janette McCormick, deputy chief constable at the College of Policing, said attention was required to tackle the inequality and job prospects facing Travellers. Continue reading... Go to Source

Pubs in England may have to close to control coronavirus, says Sage adviser Government modelling expert Graham Medley says reopening schools is a priorityCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government may have to consider closing pubs in England to control the transmission of the coronavirus and to enable schools to reopen after the summer holidays, one of the government’s top scientific advisers has said.Prof Graham Medley, who chairs the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) sub-group on pandemic modelling, said that reopening schools was a priority for the wellbeing of children and that some other activities might have to stop to control the infection rate. Continue reading... Go to Source

James Murdoch resigns from board of News Corp Media giant announces decision by Rupert Murdoch’s sonStatement cites ‘disagreements over certain editorial content’James Murdoch has resigned from the board of News Corp, the media company said on Friday, citing “disagreements” over editorial content. Related: The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty review – Succession with phone hacking and foam pies Continue reading... Go to Source

Underage girl forced to have sex with Prince Andrew, US court document claims Jeffrey Epstein victim says orgy on late financier’s island was attempt to blackmail princeThe sex offender Jeffrey Epstein allegedly tried to gather incriminating material against Prince Andrew by forcing an underage girl to have sex with him, according to newly released court documents.The papers released by a court in New York say the alleged encounter took place on the late US financier’s private island in the US Virgin Islands. A document claims Epstein instructed the girl, referred to as Jane Doe #3, to “give the prince whatever he demanded and report back to him on the details of the sexual abuse”. Continue reading... Go to Source

English beaches packed despite Covid-19 social distancing plea Tens of thousands descend on south coast on hottest day of the yearTens of thousands of people descended on beaches on the south coast of England on the hottest day of the year, prompting some local authorities to plead with people to stay away so that social distancing could be maintained.While many parts of the north of England were facing a fresh lockdown, stretches of beaches at Bournemouth, Poole and Brighton were packed. Continue reading... Go to Source

Follow rules to avoid second national lockdown, warns Boris Johnson PM pauses easing of England’s coronavirus lockdown and says government ‘may need to go further’UK coronavirus news – live updates Covid-19 around the world – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson raised the threat of a new national lockdown as he paused new freedoms due this weekend amid fears any further reopening of the economy could trigger a full-blown resurgence of the coronavirus.The surprise move came with a warning from Prof Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, that the country now appears to be “at the outer edge” of how far society can safely reopen in the age of the pandemic Continue reading... Go to Source

Evgeny Lebedev, Jo Johnson and Ian Botham among 36 peerage nominations Also on list marking a year as PM for Boris Johnson are Ruth Davidson, Ken Clarke and Philip HammondRussian billionaire newspaper proprietor Evgeny Lebedev and the prime minister’s brother, Jo Johnson, are among dozens of new nominations for peerages announced by Downing Street, while Theresa May’s husband is set for a knighthood.Evening Standard and Independent owner Lebedev, who held a party in Italy attended by Boris Johnson when he was foreign secretary, is a surprise name among the 36 life peerage nominations which have led to accusations of “cronyism” against the prime minister, although he is nominated as a crossbencher. Continue reading... Go to Source

Alan Parker, director of Midnight Express and Bugsy Malone, dies aged 76 Director who first made his mark in the 1970s and had later hits including Fame and The Commitments, became the chair of the UK Film Council•Peter Bradshaw on Alan Parker: a maker of glorious films with a gift for connecting with audiencesAlan Parker, the British director behind a string of hits including Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone, and The Commitments, has died aged 76.The news was announced by a representative, who said he had died on Friday “after a lengthy illness”. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: England has 'reached the limit' of reopening from lockdown, says Whitty Face coverings to be made mandatory in more indoor settings in England; government criticised for ‘shockingly short notice’ lockdown ahead of EidBoris Johnson postpones latest round of lockdown easingWhat are the new lockdown rules in northern England?Matt Hancock defends last-minute lockdownPolice cordons at Bournemouth beach amid fears of heatwaveGlobal coronavirus updates – live 12.48pm BST ‘Hands, face, space, get a test, self-isolate if you have symptoms,’ the prime minster said, once more for the seats at the back.And that’s it, the conference is over. 12.47pm BST Q. Do you agree with a Conservative Yorkshire MP who said that local BAME communities aren&...

Ghislaine Maxwell trained underage girls as sex slaves, documents allege Unsealed testimony from 2015 case reveals series of claims about British socialite’s role in Epstein sex-trafficking ringGhislaine Maxwell sexually abused underage girls and joined Jeffrey Epstein in directing Virginia Roberts Giuffre to be sexually abused by others, Giuffre claimed in a cache of documents that has been unsealed in the US.She “trained me as a sex slave”, Giuffre is quoted as saying. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK waste incinerators three times more likely to be in deprived areas Greenpeace data raises concern over air quality and health of vulnerable peopleEdmonton incinerator expansion ‘fundamentally unjust’ say residentsWaste incinerators are three times more likely to be situated in the most deprived and ethnically diverse areas of the UK, it has been revealed, raising fears about the impact on air quality and the health of vulnerable people.Data obtained by Unearthed, the investigative arm of Greenpeace, found that areas in the top 20% for deprivation host nearly one-third of the waste incinerators in the UK. The richest, least ethnically diverse areas are home to less than 10% of incinerators, which are increasingly being used to deal with the UK’s waste. Continue readi...

Police cordons to stop crowds at Bournemouth beach amid fears of heatwave Contingency plans as PM urges people not to lose focus and risk spreading Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePolice are ready to set up roadblocks, create diversions and close off sections of Bournemouth beach to prevent a repeat of last month’s chaotic scenes as a heatwave sweeps parts of the UK.With temperatures forecast to hit 33C in parts of southern England, some officers have been asked to work extended shifts and weekend leave has been cancelled for others as the emergency services and the local council brace themselves for another major influx of visitors. Continue reading... Go to Source

Ex-football coach Barry Bennell pleads guilty to nine sexual offences Former Crewe coach is serving 30-year jail term after being convicted of 50 child sexual offences in 2018The convicted child sex offender and former football coach Barry Bennell has pleaded guilty to nine sexual offences.The 66-year-old former Crewe Alexandra coach, also known as Richard Jones, entered the pleas at Chester crown court on Friday via video link from HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire. Continue reading... Go to Source