News- UK

Trump faces pressure to reset campaign after Tulsa rally caps gloomy week President heads to Arizona for border-wall event in what amounts to a relaunch of a relaunchDonald Trump flies to Arizona on Tuesday under pressure to change course in his re-election bid after a dismal week culminated in the debacle of thousands of empty seats at a campaign rally.The US president was reportedly angry on Saturday when his first rally in three months, a defiant gamble amid the coronavirus pandemic intended as a daunting show of force, backfired with poor attendance in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a Republican heartland. Continue reading... Go to Source

‘I’m suffocating’: French delivery driver’s last words echo George Floyd case Four police officers questioned for involuntary homicide over death of Cédric ChouviatA French delivery driver who died after being arrested in Paris pleaded “I’m suffocating” several times as police held him to the ground.Footage has emerged of 42-year-old Cédric Chouviat saying he could not breathe seven times in 22 seconds as officers pinned him to the ground. Continue reading... Go to Source

‘Black and Asian people not seen as readers’: Bernardine Evaristo condemns books industry In foreword to report into diversity in publishing, Booker prize-winning author rails against ‘ridiculous’ beliefsBernardine Evaristo, the first black woman to win the Booker prize, has hit out at “ridiculous” and “misguided” beliefs in the publishing industry, where “black and Asian people are not considered to be a substantial readership, or to even be readers”.Evaristo, writing the foreword for the UK’s first academic study into diversity in trade fiction and publishing, released on Tuesday, said the report showed that the UK books industry “hasn’t changed fast enough to become more inclusive”. A key finding of the study was...

Museums, galleries and cinemas to reopen in England from 4 July Boris Johnson to announce further easing of coronavirus lockdown measures on TuesdayCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMuseums, galleries and cinemas will be allowed to reopen from 4 July, alongside pubs, restaurants and hairdressers, Boris Johnson will announce on Tuesday in a decisive but potentially risky easing of lockdown measures in England.Two days later, millions of people with underlying health issues will be permitted to leave their homes and mix with others for the first time in three months, it was announced on Monday. Continue reading... Go to Source

No 10 accused of 'colonial mindset' over Commonwealth appointment Exclusive: dozens of countries fear Boris Johnson is hindering reappointment of secretary generalDozens of Commonwealth countries are understood to have raised concerns over Boris Johnson using his role as chair of the organisation to hinder the reappointment of its secretary general, Patricia Scotland.One high commissioner said Downing Street’s behaviour was “redolent of a colonial mindset”, while the president of one Pacific island nation, Kiribati, has written to all heads of Commonwealth to say he was perplexed and disturbed at the way his objections to Lady Scotland’s treatment have been ignored. Continue reading... Go to Source

Reading attack victims praised as the 'loveliest people' Family members, friends and town’s LGBT community mourn men killed in town parkThe victims killed in Saturday’s suspected terrorist attack were three friends who regularly socialised together and were described as “the kindest, most genuine, and most loveliest people in our community”.David Wails, a scientist, Joe Ritchie-Bennett, who moved from the US 15 years ago, and history teacher James Furlong were all members of the LGBT community. Ritchie-Bennett had suffered a tragedy of his own in 2014 when his 32-year-old husband, Ian, died from cancer. Continue reading... Go to Source

'Godzilla dust cloud' from Sahara blankets Caribbean on its way to US Air quality sinks to hazardous levels as biggest cloud seen in a generation swamps region after transatlantic journeyA vast cloud of Sahara dust is blanketing the Caribbean as it heads to the US with a size and concentration that experts say hasn’t been seen in half a century.Air quality across most of the region reached record “hazardous” levels and experts who nicknamed the event the “Godzilla dust cloud” warned people to stay indoors and use air filters if they had them. Continue reading... Go to Source

Burnley's Ben Mee ashamed of 'White Lives Matter’ banner flown over Etihad Message towed behind plane at start of Manchester City matchBurnley promise life bans for those behind offensive stunt Burnley’s captain, Ben Mee, said he felt ashamed and embarrassed of supporters who organised a banner displaying the words “White Lives Matter Burnley” to be flown over the Etihad Stadium on Monday. Burnley have vowed to issue lifetime bans to those responsible for the offensive stunt.The plane flew over Manchester City’s stadium shortly after the players, coaching staff and match officials had taken the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Burnley swiftly issued a statement that apologised “unreservedly to the Premier League, to Manchester City and to...

Coronavirus shielding scheme to be eased in England from 6 July Government support for most vulnerable will continue until end of July, says Matt HancockCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePeople with underlying health issues who are most at risk from Covid-19 will no longer have to shut themselves away in their home and can shop and mix with other people from 6 July in England, the health secretary has said.Support for people who are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, have a damaged immune system or have had an organ transplant will continue to the end of July, said Matt Hancock. Continue reading... Go to Source

Johnson and May ignored claims Russia had 'likely hold' over Trump, ex-spy alleges Exclusive: Christopher Steele claims May government turned blind eye to Trump allegationsBoris Johnson and Theresa May ignored claims the Kremlin had a “likely hold” over Donald Trump and may have covertly funded Brexit, the former spy Christopher Steele alleges in secret evidence given to MPs who drew up the Russia report.In testimony to MPs, the MI6 veteran accused the government led by May and in which Johnson was foreign secretary for two years of turning a blind eye to allegations about Trump because they were afraid of offending the US president. Continue reading... Go to Source

Scientist David Wails named as third victim of Reading attack Senior scientist at Johnson Matthey died in incident at Forbury Gardens on SaturdayA senior scientist at a global chemicals company has been identified as the third man to be killed in the Reading terrorist attack.David Wails, senior principal scientist at Johnson Matthey, a British FTSE 100 listed company, died in the attack in Forbury Gardens on Saturday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Scrap Stonehenge road tunnel plans say archaeologists after neolithic discovery Exclusive: Discovery of prehistoric structure is another reason to give up ‘disastrous, white elephant’ schemeLeading archaeologists say a £1.6bn scheme to build a road tunnel through the historic Stonehenge landscape should be scrapped altogether after the sensational nearby discovery of the largest prehistoric structure ever found in Britain.Mike Parker Pearson, professor of British later prehistory at University College London, said: “This is just another reason to give up this disastrous, white elephant of a scheme.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Reading terror attack: US-born man named as one of victims Joe Ritchie-Bennett worked for pharmaceutical firm after moving to UK 15 years agoA US-born man was one of the victims of the terror attack in Reading, where he worked for a pharmaceutical company, it has been reported.Joe Ritchie-Bennett, 39, grew up in Philadelphia but moved to England about 15 years ago, his father told American media. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Minister says big rise in Germany's R rate 'concerning' as PM plans further lockdown easing Boris Johnson discusses reopening of hospitality industry and reduction in social distancing Why doctors say UK is better prepared for a second wave of coronavirusGlobal coronavirus updates – live 12.45pm BSTNo new coronavirus deaths have been registered in Scotland in the last 24 hours, first minister Nicola Sturgeon said. A total of 2,472 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, no change on Sunday’s figure. The death total previously remained unchanged on 21 June, 15 June, 8 June and 7 June. Sturgeon said 18,170 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 14 from 18,156 the day before. There are 867 people in hospi...

Devon and Cornwall police officer investigated over George Floyd meme Exclusive: officer alleged to have shared offensive image of man who died in US police custodyA UK police officer is under investigation by the police watchdog over the sharing of an offensive meme of George Floyd in a private social media chat group that included other officers.The Guardian has learned that the officer, who is with the Devon and Cornwall force, is alleged to have shared the image on 30 May. Continue reading... Go to Source

Vast neolithic circle of deep shafts found near Stonehenge Exclusive: prehistoric structure spanning 1.2 miles in diameter is masterpiece of engineering, say archaeologistsA circle of deep shafts has been discovered near the world heritage site of Stonehenge, to the astonishment of archaeologists, who have described it as the largest prehistoric structure ever found in Britain.Four thousand five hundred years ago, the Neolithic peoples who constructed Stonehenge, a masterpiece of engineering, also dug a series of shafts aligned to form a circle spanning 1.2 miles (2km) in diameter. The structure appears to have been a boundary guiding people to a sacred area because Durrington Walls, one of Britain’s largest henge monuments, is located precisely at its centre. The site is 1.9 mile...

Man arrested after three pedestrians die in collision in Cumbria Motorist held on suspicion of drink-driving after deaths of people reported to be relatedThree pedestrians have died in a road collision in Cumbria.The incident in Abbey Road, Dalton-in-Furness, at about 2.30pm on Sunday involved one vehicle. Continue reading... Go to Source

Libyan held over Reading attack 'known to security services' Khairi Saadallah, 25, had been investigated last year but no serious risk was identifiedThe Libyan refugee held over the multiple killings in Reading was on the radar of the security services in the middle of last year, sources have told the Guardian.Khairi Saadallah, 25, was under investigation as a person who might travel abroad “for extremist reasons”, but sources indicated that the inquiry was closed relatively quickly without any action taken as no genuine threat or immediate risk was identified. Continue reading... Go to Source

'Passionate' schoolteacher first Reading terror attack victim to be named James Furlong was head of history, government and politics at the Holt school in WokinghamA “passionate”, “gentle” and “caring” secondary school teacher has become the first victim of the terrorist attack in Reading to be named.James Furlong was the head of history, government and politics at the Holt school in Wokingham, near Reading. He was one of three people who lost their lives after the stabbing attack in Forbury Gardens. Continue reading... Go to Source

Exclusive: Labour councils in England hit harder by austerity than Tory areas Analysis by Guardian and Sigoma shows poorer, Labour-held areas lost over a third of spending powerLabour councils have borne the brunt of local government cuts over a decade of austerity, according to an analysis by the Guardian. It highlights for the first time the extent to which poorer, largely Labour-held areas of England had their funding slashed on average by at least a third, while more affluent, largely Conservative areas received greater protection. Continue reading... Go to Source

Everton v Liverpool: Premier League – live! All the latest from the 7pm BST kick-off from Goodison ParkKlopp: ‘I’ve been worried about people dying – not the title’Email your thoughts to rob.smyth@theguardian.com 6.57pm BST“After a couple of days of warm-ups, Real Football is about to start again,” says Matt Dony. “Yes, we’ve enjoyed Foals on the Park Stage, but The Cure are warming up, about to take to the Pyramid Stage. Of course, football doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, but as we are going to finish the season, I’m very, very excited to see Liverpool in action again. The extended break came at a useful time. After the insane first half of the season (which I can still hardly believe!) results had tailed ...

Police investigate double murder after Manchester street gathering Two men died after reports of shooting in Moss Side early on SundayPolice are investigating a double murder that followed a lockdown street gathering of “hundreds of people” in Manchester. A 36-year-old man died after reports of a shooting near Caythorpe Street, Moss Side, at about 12.55am on Sunday. A 21-year-old was also taken to hospital with gunshot wounds but died later on Sunday, Greater Manchester police said. No arrests have been made. Continue reading... Go to Source

Police say Reading stabbings now treated as a terrorist incident - live updates Assistant Met commissioner Neil Basu makes statement after incident in Berkshire town; one man in custody after three people die and three are seriously injuredFull story: Reading stabbings declared terrorist attackWhat we know so far 12.52pm BSTThe attack in Forbury Gardens in Reading on Saturday happened near the Maiwand Lion statue. Here is a map giving more details on where the attack took place: 12.31pm BSTThe Telegraph has reported that the 25-year-old man who is being held by police over the stabbings is Libyan refugee Khairi Saadallah.The newspaper said Saadallah had been detained by police in Forbury Gardens on Saturday evening, and it understood that he had arrived in Britain several years ago as ...

Reopened pubs in England may require drinkers to check in Health secretary refuses to rule out diners and drinkers having to register as they enter venueCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCustomers in England may be asked to check in when they arrive at pubs and restaurants as part of the the government’s plan for reopening the hospitality sector, Matt Hancock has said.Appearing on Sophy Ridge on Sunday on SkyNews, the health secretary confirmed the government hoped to reopen pubs and restaurants on 4 July, in line with Boris Johnson’s roadmap, published last month. Continue reading... Go to Source

Donald Trump sows division and promises 'greatness' at Tulsa rally flop US president’s much hyped return turned to humiliation when he failed to fill arena in Republican stronghold of OklahomaDonald Trump declared “the silent majority is stronger than ever before” at his comeback rally on Saturday, but thousands of empty seats appeared to tell a different story.The US president’s much hyped return to the campaign trail turned to humiliation when he failed to fill a 19,000-capacity arena in the Republican stronghold of Oklahoma, raising fresh doubts about his chances of winning re-election. Continue reading... Go to Source

DfID staff 'devastated and demoralised' by Foreign Office merger No 10 accused of exploiting Covid-19 pandemic to rush through Whitehall mergerLatest politics newsDowning Street is facing growing anger from staff at the Department for International Development, some of whom accuse it of exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic by pushing through the merger with the Foreign Office.Plans had long been mooted to combine the two Whitehall departments but insiders were shocked by the timing and manner of the announcement – which came without union consultation, with many staff finding out via an apparent leak to the media. Continue reading... Go to Source

Xi plays tough, but can China afford to make an enemy of India? The brutal ambush in the Himalayas is the latest aggressive move from Beijing by a nation battling crises on several fronts The ambush set up by Chinese soldiers for an Indian patrol was medieval. In the high-altitude Himalayan no man’s land claimed by both countries, their forces have agreed not to carry guns, to diminish the chance of the long-running territorial dispute flaring into open war.So the People’s Liberation Army had dammed up mountain streams, which they unblocked as the Indian troops approached. The rush of water knocked many off their feet, and then the Chinese soldiers swept down, brandishing sticks encrusted with nails, Indian media reported. Continue reading... Go to Source

Reading stabbing: three dead as UK police investigate possible terrorism link Counter-terrorism police assisting investigation and one man has been arrestedCounter-terrorism police have joined the investigation after a stabbing attack in Reading left three people dead and two critically injured.Thames Valley said officers and other emergency services were called to reports of “multiple stabbings” at a park in Forbury Gardens, Reading at 7pm Saturday evening. One man, who is understood to be Libyan, has been arrested. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump lands in Tulsa for first campaign rally since March – live President ignores experts and local concerns to stage eventOklahoma experiences Covid-19 increase as it reopensProtesters topple Confederate statue in Washington DC US attorney refuses to resign despite Barr announcement 12.43am BSTThe Trump campaign blamed “radical protesters” for stopping some of the president’s supporters from attending today’s rally. Our southern bureau chief, Oliver Laughland, is on the ground tonight and saw no evidence of that.I didn’t see a single person being blocked from entering the rally and was outside for about 5 hours. https://t.co/O9Tc5qkMpN 12.38am BSTMike Pence has entered the arena in Tulsa to big cheers from the crowd. He will address the president’s ...

Geoffrey Berman, US attorney behind inquiries into Trump allies, resigns after Barr announces firing Berman had initially refused to resignTrump ‘not involved’ though only he has authority for moveThe US attorney general, William Barr, said on Saturday Donald Trump had fired Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney for the southern district of New York who has overseen investigations and prosecutions of key Trump allies including Rudy Giuliani and Michael Cohen. Related: John Bolton: judge declines to block tell-all Trump book Continue reading... Go to Source