News- UK

Beyoncé urges voters to 'dismantle a racist and unequal system' in the US The singer made a call to action as she was given a humanitarian BET award by Michelle Obama, who said ‘her activism demands justice for black lives’Beyoncé has been given the humanitarian award at the BET awards, using her speech to encourage viewers to vote “like our life depends on it” in the upcoming US election, and calling on them to “dismantle a racist and unequal system” in the country.Michelle Obama highlighted Beyoncé’s commitment to the black community before presenting her with the award, saying: “You can see it in everything she does, from her music that gives voice to black joy and black pain, to her activism that demands justice for black...

Pakistan stock exchange attacked by armed men Two security guards and police officer killed in Karachi attack, and four attackers killedGunmen have attacked the Pakistan stock exchange in Karachi, killing two security guards and a police officer. Police said the four assailants were also killed.The attackers arrived in a car at the stock exchange gates at around 10am on Monday armed with rifles, explosives and hand grenades, and began firing shots and hurling explosives at the security guards at the entrance. Continue reading... Go to Source

Mark Sedwill to stand down as UK's top civil servant Cabinet secretary had been at odds with Dominic Cummings and a target of negative briefingsSir Mark Sedwill has announced he will stand down from his role as cabinet secretary, national security adviser and head of the civil service in September.The move will be seen as a victory for Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s most senior aide, who has had a tense relationship with Sedwill. Sources said Cummings believed Sedwill was a barrier to Whitehall reform and has been backed by Johnson and Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister. Continue reading... Go to Source

Covid-19: risk of death in UK care homes 13 times higher than in Germany Exclusive: figures show Britain second only to Spain among major European countriesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCare home residents were more likely to die of Covid-19 in the UK than in any of the major European countries apart from Spain, analysis of global data has revealed.The proportion of residents dying in UK homes was a third higher than in Ireland and Italy, about double that in France and Sweden and 13 times higher than Germany. The analysis of official statistics was carried out by academics at the London School of Economics as part of the International Long Term Care Policy Network. Continue reading... Go to Source

Revealed: Developers PM backed when London mayor give almost £1m to Tories Exclusive: Public records show cash injections in past year from tycoons linked to projectsProperty developers connected to major construction projects approved by Boris Johnson when he was mayor of London have donated almost £1m to the Conservative party over the past year, the Guardian can reveal.Analysis of public records shows a significant cash injection from property tycoons linked to developments, including blocks of luxury flats with no affordable housing, which were signed off by Johnson and his deputy, Sir Edward Lister, who oversaw planning. Continue reading... Go to Source

British state 'covered up plot to assassinate King Edward VIII' Historian says papers challenge official version that George McMahon was a fantasist It has all the hallmarks of a 21st-century political thriller, including a plot to assassinate a controversial monarch, an MI5 double agent, and claims of a high-level cover-up.In 1936, an MI5 informant called George McMahon tried to assassinate King Edward VIII as he rode his horse near Buckingham Palace. Just as he was taking aim with a revolver, a woman in the crowd grabbed his arm and a policeman punched him, causing the weapon to fly into the road and strike the monarch’s mount. Continue reading... Go to Source

Top Brazil newspaper in pro-democracy drive as unease grows about Bolsonaro Folha de São Paulo urges people who support campaign to protect country’s political future to wear yellowOne of Brazil’s leading newspapers has launched a major pro-democracy campaign as unease grows about the threat many fear Jair Bolsonaro and his most militant supporters pose to the country’s political future.Unveiling the initiative on Sunday, the Folha de São Paulo said systematic attacks from pro-Bolsonaro extremists were putting Brazilian democracy through its greatest “stress test” since the return of civilian rule in 1985. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: confirmed Covid-19 cases exceed 10m globally Infections pass milestone; new Covid-19 clusters across world spark fear of second wave; Iran makes masks compulsory Australia considers new lockdown in MelbourneVictoria nurse tests positive as state reports jump of 41 casesUS cases pass 2.5mUS one-day case high as states delay reopeningSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.36pm BSTThis is Aaron Walawalkar in London here, bringing you the latest global developments in the coronavirus pandemic. As always, please drop me a line with any updates via DM on Twitter @AaronWala. Here are the major developments as of lunchtime today: 12.23pm BSTSri Lanka’s nationwide lockdown was lifted on Sunday after a selective curfew a month ago was reimposed during a surge in coronav...

Black teenager on London charity cycle ride injured during ‘aggressive’ arrest Calls for investigation after 13-year-old and his father are wrongly detained by officers investigating stabbingHuugo Boateng was taking part in a charity bike ride with his father along the River Lea in north London when he says he was grabbed from his bike by a plainclothes police officer, threatened with a stun gun and fell face first into thorny bushes.The 13-year-old told the Observer: “I’d turned around to see if my dad had caught up behind me, and suddenly this man came out of nowhere. He was crazy angry and shouting. I got scared because I thought he might be mugging me or trying to give me corona so I ran, but there was nowhere to go but in the bushes.” Continue reading... Go to ...

Boris Johnson vows to spend big to 'build UK back to health' PM promises new schools, hospitals and infrastructure, amid unemployment warningsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has promised to spend billions of pounds to rescue the economy as he warned the country faces the looming “thunderclap of economic consequences” of Covid-19.The prime minister tweeted: “We want to build our way back to health. Continue reading... Go to Source

Far-right thugs exploit Black Lives Matter movement, warns UK anti-extremism chief Home Office commissioner Sara Khan reveals surge in online hate material since death of George FloydThe Black Lives Matter movement has been aggressively exploited by the UK’s far right, which has recruited and radicalised people on the back of its success, the government’s chief adviser on extremism has warned.Sara Khan, Britain’s first counter-extremism commissioner, said far-right activists had used the death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter (BLM) to propagate white supremacist narratives online. Continue reading... Go to Source

Government and watchdog ‘are totally failing problem gamblers’ MPs say regulator is toothless and torpid and needs to focus on prevention of harm not treatmentThe government and the gambling watchdog have an “unacceptably weak understanding” about the harmful effects of gambling and how to tackle them, a parliamentary committee has warned.A report from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee offers a critique of the failures by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Gambling Commission to help an estimated 395,000 problem gamblers in the UK and a further 1.8 million people who are considered at risk. The Gambling Commission, a non-departmental public body, took £19m in licence fees from gambling operators last year, less than 0.2% of the &p...

Jobless total to hit 1980s levels without fresh state support, says Labour Party urges action to rescue economy as Boris Johnson pledges to ‘build, build, build’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageUnemployment in Britain could soar to levels not seen since the 1980s unless ministers boost support for businesses struggling because of the lockdown, Labour warns today as the main parties join battle over how to rescue the economy from the wreckage of the Covid-19 crisis. Related: We are in desperate need of a recovery plan. But the Treasury has gone missing Continue reading... Go to Source

Glasgow hotel staff 'were told of concerns about attack suspect's mental health' Man believed to be Sudanese asylum seeker threatened violence day before stabbing six people, Guardian learnsStaff at a Glasgow hotel where six people were stabbed were told of concerns about the suspect’s mental health the night before the incident, the Guardian has learned.The victims, including a police officer and two teenagers, were seriously injured in the attack at the Park Inn on Friday. The alleged perpetrator, believed to have been a Sudanese asylum seeker, was shot dead by police. Continue reading... Go to Source

Keir Starmer names Kate Green as shadow education secretary MP for Stretford and Urmston replaces Rebecca Long-BaileyThe Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has appointed Kate Green as his new shadow education secretary.The Stretford and Urmston MP replaces Rebecca Long-Bailey, who was sacked from the opposition frontbench this week. Continue reading... Go to Source

Micheál Martin becomes Irish taoiseach in historic coalition Fianna Fáil leader forms government with Fine Gael and Greens vowing end to ‘civil war politics’The Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has been elected as the Republic of Ireland’s taoiseach – prime minister – after the formation of an historic coalition government.The three-way coalition of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green party is the first time the first two parties – former civil war rivals – have been in government together. Continue reading... Go to Source

Milton Glaser: graphic designer who created the look of the Sixties The man who came up with the classic I love NY logo died on Friday at 91, leaving a rich legacyIt’s a privilege and occasional frustration for graphic designers that they furnish the backgrounds of the lives of millions, without those millions always being aware that they have done so. So it was for Milton Glaser, who died on Friday, on his 91st birthday.It is hard to think of any visual artist so pervasive in his influence. If you’re of a certain age, you might have noticed his carnivalesque covers on the Signet Classic paperback series of Shakespeare plays, or have owned the poster he made for Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits, in which bright riotous hair bursts from the singer’s austere silhouette. W...

Reading attack: Khairi Saadallah charged with three counts of murder Saadallah, 25, will appear at Westminster magistrates court on Monday Khairi Saadallah, 25, has been charged with three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder after three men died and several others were injured in a knife attack in Reading on 20 June, Counter Terrorism Policing South East said.Three people died at the scene in Forbury Gardens and a further three people were taken to hospital. They have all since been released. Continue reading... Go to Source

Robert Jenrick admits Israeli billionaire in donor row is family friend Tory minister under pressure over meeting with Idan Ofer while considering rival mine projectLabour has called on the beleaguered housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, to explain a ministerial meeting with a “family friend” who had a financial interest in the future of a rival mining project that Jenrick was overseeing.The Guardian revealed this week that Jenrick met the Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer while the then exchequer secretary to the Treasury was considering a request for financial support from Sirius Minerals for a mining project that would have rivalled Ofer’s own firm Cleveland Potash. Continue reading... Go to Source

Six seriously injured in Glasgow attack and suspect killed by police Two teenagers and a police officer in hospital after man went on attack at hotelLatest developmentsSix people including a police officer and two teenagers were seriously injured, and the alleged perpetrator shot dead by police, after multiple stabbings at a hotel in central Glasgow.Police Scotland said David Whyte, a 42-year-old constable, was in a “critical but stable condition” in hospital with five other men – aged 17, 18, 20, 38 and 53 – seriously injured, after a lone man went on the attack shortly before 1pm at the Park Inn hotel on West George Street. Continue reading... Go to Source

Britons to be allowed to holiday abroad from July via 'air bridges' Ministers also expected to end policy of quarantining arrivals to the UK for 14 daysCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOverseas holidays will be given the green light from early next month, with the government expected to suspend the 14-day quarantine period for a series of countries and also to set up so-called air bridge arrangements for overseas destinations.While the full list of countries involved is still being confirmed, the initial phase of travel opening up is expected to involve European nations including France, Greece, Spain and possibly Portugal, with other potentially more distant locations to follow. Continue reading... Go to Source

Ministers may move university applications to after A-level results Exclusive: DfE believes current predicted grades method disadvantages BAME studentsThe education secretary is planning a radical overhaul of England’s university admissions system, with students applying after A-level results and the start of the academic year possibly being moved to January, the Guardian has learned.Civil servants at the Department for Education (DfE), under Gavin Williamson, have modelled a shift to post-qualification admissions to improve social mobility and help disadvantaged school-leavers. Continue reading... Go to Source

Glasgow attack: 17-year-old among six men injured as police confirm incident not terror-related - live Suspect shot dead by police; 42-year-old police officer among injured in incident in West George Street Glasgow attack: suspect shot dead after stabbingsShare your experiences 6.46pm BSTA Number 10 spokesperson said: “The PM has this afternoon spoken with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon about the incident in Glasgow. “He has also held a meeting with the Home Secretary and senior police officers, in which he was updated. 6.41pm BSTCraig Milroy was working nearby and said that he saw an injured man lying on the steps outside the Park Inn Hotel.He added he saw up to seven people being taken away in ambulances. Continue reading... Go to Source

Angela Merkel: UK must live with consequences of weaker ties to EU German leader signals trade compromise less likely as she hardens tone on no-deal Brexit Do not assume US still aspires to be a world leader, Merkel warnsFull transcript of Angela Merkel interviewThe UK will have to “live with the consequences” of Boris Johnson ditching Theresa May’s plan to maintain close economic ties with the EU after Brexit, Angela Merkel has said, hardening her tone over the prospect of a no-deal scenario at the end of the year.After more than three years in which the German chancellor repeatedly emphasised her openness to a deal that would maintain the UK’s current flows of trade with the bloc, she suggested the door leading to such a compromise had now closed. Continue read...

Hardline policing may provoke civil unrest, government warned Real sense of calamity on the way, says police commissioner, as lockdown eases and tensions risePolitical leaders taking a draconian line on how police should respond to unrest risk fanning the flames of disorder as the coronavirus lockdown lifts, the government was warned on Friday.After days of tension between police officers and the public culminated in 22 officers being injured in a confrontation with residents attending an outdoor party in Brixton on Wednesday, the home secretary met with Met chief Cressida Dick to demand a “full explanation” of the circumstances of the incident. Continue reading... Go to Source

'We've bought the wrong satellites': UK tech gamble baffles experts Bid for 20% of OneWeb to replace Galileo after Brexit ‘looks like nationalism trumping industrial policy’The UK government’s plan to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in a satellite broadband company has been described as “nonsensical” by experts, who say the company doesn’t even make the right type of satellite the country needs after Brexit.The investment in OneWeb, first reported on Thursday night, is intended to mitigate against the UK losing access to the EU’s Galileo satellite navigation system. Continue reading... Go to Source

Investigation into Met officers' alleged photos of murdered sisters will consider racism IOPC will address if racial bias played a part after Cressida Dick apologises for officers’ alleged actionsThe investigation into two Metropolitan police officers over allegations they took photographs at a murder scene will consider if racism led to their actions, the Guardian has learned.The case is being investigated by the police watchdog, which on Monday arrested the two officers over the claims. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: three men stabbed at Bournemouth beach after major incident declared over crowding The men in their 20s were hurt in fight near pier; visitors told to stay away from beaches; police injured breaking up unlicensed music event in LondonMatt Hancock says he could close beaches after major incidentHealth chiefs urge UK public to comply with contact-tracing rulesHancock introduces ‘walk-through’ test centres following fierce criticismPolice warn of Covid-19 risks as Liverpool fans celebrate title win 12.56pm BSTA former mayor has resigned after comparing Black Lives Matter protesters to monkeys jumping on a car.Peter Kraus, 68, resigned as a councillor after putting the images side-by-side on his Facebook page.I’m sad to see another derogatory post, thi...

Tate Modern: teenager jailed for 15 years for attempted murder Jonty Bravery threw six-year-old French boy off viewing platform at London galleryTate Modern attacker Jonty Bravery seemed set on horrific planA teenager who admitted attempting to murder a six-year-old boy by throwing him off the viewing platform at the Tate Modern gallery in London has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.Jonty Bravery, 18 was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Rebecca Long-Bailey sacking reignites Labour turmoil over antisemitism Swift decision by Keir Starmer is praised by Jewish groups but condemned by Labour leftRebecca Long-Bailey sacked from shadow cabinet – updatesKeir Starmer is facing a showdown with the left of Labour after his decisive sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey reignited the party’s internal turmoil over the issue of antisemitism.In a swift move, Long-Bailey was summarily dismissed as shadow education secretary for sending an approving tweet about an interview in which the actor Maxine Peake said the US police tactic of kneeling on someone’s neck was taught by the Israeli secret service. Continue reading... Go to Source