News- UK

Rightwing vigilantes on armed patrol after fake rumours of antifa threat Groups of men patrolling streets in parts of western USNo evidence of antifa involvement in violence linked to protestsFalse social media rumors about so-called antifa activists traveling en masse into rural areas of America have led rightwing vigilantes to carry out armed patrols of small cities and towns in the western United States and beyond.  Related: Joe Biden says '10-15%' of Americans 'are just not very good people' Continue reading... Go to Source

Teargassed, beaten up, arrested: what freedom of the press looks like in the US right now As protests spread across the US, journalists are being attacked by police forces and even sustaining serious injuriesGeorge Floyd killing – latest US updatesSee all our George Floyd coverageCaught in the middle of a scrum covering protests in Minneapolis on Saturday, photojournalist Ed Ou could feel his hands and face were wet. For a long time, he didn’t know if it was teargas, pepper spray, or blood – in the end, it turned out to be a combination of all three. Related: 'I’m getting shot': attacks on journalists surge in US protests Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: anti-racism protesters urged to be 'very careful' to prevent spread of infection - latest updates News updates on Covid-19 in the UK as NHS bosses complain they were left ‘completely in the dark’ over the updated rulesCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.48pm BSTMore schools have shelved plans to reopen on Monday, after new data suggested coronavirus could still be spreading in the north west of England.Health officials at Blackburn and Darwen council, which runs 85 schools in Lancashire, reportedly emailed local schools on Friday evening advising them not to reopen to more pupils on Monday morning. Related: Calls for local lockdowns as study finds R value above 1 in north-west England 12.27pm BSTA street market ...

George Floyd killing: 10th night of protests as dire unemployment news expected – live President and attorney general sued over assault on peaceful protestersBuffalo police officers suspended for pushing 75-year-old to groundTwitter disables Trump campaign tribute due to copyright complaintHopeful that Minneapolis policing will change? Meet the union chiefSign up to our First Thing newsletter 12.41pm BSTTom Perkins has been out for us in St Clair Shores, Michigan. It’s a largely white middle-class suburb about 17 miles north-east of downtown Detroit. And while the centre of Detroit has erupted in emotional protests and thousands of protesters have marched nightly through the city’s streets demanding justice, the view in St Clair Shores is very different. Many in St Clair Sho...

Hopeful that Minneapolis policing will change? Meet the police union's chief ... Bob Kroll, who described George Floyd as a ‘violent criminal’, has a history of resisting any reform of a department with a history of racial abuseAmid the worst civil unrest in the US in half a century, there have been notably few Americans willing to speak up on behalf of the man who lit the fuse: Derek Chauvin, the now former police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.The video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes seems too clear cut and painful to try to make excuses. Continue reading... Go to Source

Covid-19 infections fell sharply in England in late May, ONS finds Latest data puts daily infection rate at 5,600, with 70% of those infected reporting no symptomsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCovid-19 cases have fallen significantly in recent weeks, according to data from the Office for National Statistics that suggests the number of people infected in England roughly halved in the second half of May.The snapshot infection survey, covering the last two weeks in May, found that during that period an estimated 53,000 people were infected at any time. This puts the daily infection rate at 5,600 compared with almost 8,000 in last week’s figures. Continue reading... Go to Source

Neighbourliness to the fore: 'It's been the highlight of our lockdown' New friendships have been forged and communities stitched together as a result of the pandemicCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn the 10 years that he has lived in his house in Wavertree in Liverpool, Greg Schofield is not sure he had ever gone into the alleyway behind his rear garden, an unlovely strip of weed-strewn cobbles where some neighbours kept their bins. Though he and his wife are close to their immediate neighbours on one side, there were only two other families in the street to whom they would say hello.Come lockdown, however, something changed. Someone set up a WhatsApp group and a couple of neighbours asked if anyone was up for tidying the alley. After most of the 14 hou...

Rail unions could strike over Shapps's face covering volunteers RMT condemns government moves to put unpaid workers in ‘safety critical role’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRail unions have threatened to strike over government plans for an “army” of volunteers at transport hubs to remind travellers to wear a face covering.The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, announced the policy of using volunteers without consultation according to the RMT union, which condemned moves to put unpaid workers in “safety critical roles”. Continue reading... Go to Source

George Floyd killing: reports of over 10,000 arrested as protests enter 10th day – live Unofficial figure suggests more than 10,000 people arrested in protests against racism and police brutality; ex-defense secretary James Mattis accuses Trump of dividing US ‘Your lives matter’: Obama offers words of hopeMeghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks out over George Floyd killingAre you taking part in US protests?Sign up to our First Thing newsletter 12.54pm BSTI’m signing off now from London, and handing over to my colleagues in the US. Thank you for reading the live blog - you can find all of our George Floyd coverage here - and I hope you have a safe day. 12.38pm BSTWriter and Yale PhD candidate Philip V McHarris has written a blistering opinion piece for us today about the situ...

St Petersburg death tally casts doubt on Russian coronavirus figures City issues 1,552 more death certificates in May than last year, but Covid-19 toll was 171Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNew mortality data from Russia’s second-largest city has reignited questions about whether the country’s official tally has discounted thousands of deaths tied to the coronavirus outbreak.St Petersburg issued 1,552 more death certificates this May than in the previous year, a nearly 32% rise indicating that hundreds of deaths tied to the pandemic are not reflected in the city’s official coronavirus death toll for the month of 171. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: attorney general says it's 'absurd' to claim her pro-Cummings tweet undermined legal process News updates: Suella Braverman defends tweet in wake of Dominic Cummings’ lockdown breach; Prince Charles says he hopes Covid-19 crisis will jolt world into seeing need for green recoveryThousands of primary schools in England snub call to restart classesFollow our latest global coronavirus blogCoronavirus latest: at a glanceCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.45pm BSTBeginning her daily briefing, the Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announces that there have been nine deaths from coronavirus registered in Scotland over the past 24 hours – the first time since 27 March that the number of daily deaths has been in s...

'Your lives matter': Obama offers words of hope in contrast to Trump's division Former president’s optimistic remarks come as Trump threatens to crack down on George Floyd protestsGeorge Floyd killing – latest US updatesSee all our George Floyd coverageBarack Obama has told young people of colour “your lives matter” in public remarks that supporters welcomed as an antidote to Donald Trump’s racially-charged and divisive threats to crack down on civil dissent.America’s first black president on Tuesday expressed faith in young people in the US and said he remains “optimistic” about the future despite the police killing of George Floyd and mounting crises that Trump’s critics say leave the country crying out for leadership. Continue rea...

Thousands gather in London for George Floyd protest Star Wars actor John Boyega among those taking part in Hyde Park Black Lives Matter protestThousands of mostly young protesters have marched through central London in an overwhelmingly peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration that culminated in passionate crowds gathering at the heart of Westminster.They persuaded two police officers to “take the knee” outside the gates of Downing Street in a mark of respect to American George Floyd and other black victims of police violence, prompting cheers from the crowd present in the late afternoon. Continue reading... Go to Source

Thousands of primary schools in England snub call to restart classes Exclusive: Wales announces late June opening as union poll finds two in five English schools yet to reopen to more pupilsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government’s desperate push to reopen primary schools in England to kickstart the economy has fallen flat, with up to 90% in some areas remaining closed to more pupils amid rising fears about the spread of coronavirus.Figures obtained by the Guardian showed that in large parts of the north-east not a single primary school opened to more pupils on Monday, the government’s target date for reopening after the 10-week lockdown. Continue reading... Go to Source

Business secretary tested for Covid-19 after feeling ill during Commons speech Alok Sharma self-isolating after feeling unwell while delivering statement on WednesdayCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAlok Sharma, the business secretary, has been tested for coronavirus after feeling unwell while delivering a statement in the House of Commons.The cabinet minister has gone home to self-isolate following his appearance at the dispatch box earlier on Wednesday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: New Zealand passes 13 days without case as Germany reveals major stimulus plan €130bn German package cuts VAT, offers cash grants; Mumbai introduces new restrictions after hurricane; Italy opens borders; Follow the latest updatesNew Zealand marks 13 days without new Covid-19 caseGlobal report: Mexico and Brazil hit highest daily deathsExclusive: governments and WHO changed Covid policy bases on suspect data from tiny US companyWHO reports 100,000 new cases a day for five straight daysCoronavirus latest: at a glance 6.48am BSTAssociated Press is exploring questions relating to the coronavirus pandemic, including: “Can I get Covid-19 through my eyes or ears?”.Here is the verdict:It’s possible through the eyes, but not likely through the ears....

George Floyd killing: US rocked by eighth night of protest and grief – live Demonstrators defy curfews as protests rage for eighth dayA restaurant owner, a football star: the people killed as protests spreadExperts fear protests and police risk accelerating Covid-19 spreadAre you taking part in US protests after the death of George Floyd?Sign up to our First Thing newsletter 12.41pm BSTNYPD chief Terence Monahan has been doing the TV round this morning - appearing on TodayHe said an earlier curfew helped take out of neighborhoods “people who didn’t belong there” and that officers had allowed peaceful protests to continue beyond 8pm. He said those who had broken off from the main groups “looking to cause mayhem” had been rapidly dealt with.Watch @savannahgut...

Governments and WHO changed Covid-19 policy based on suspect data from tiny US company Surgisphere, whose employees appear to include a sci-fi writer and adult content model, provided database behind Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine hydroxychloroquine studiesThe World Health Organization and a number of national governments have changed their Covid-19 policies and treatments on the basis of flawed data from a little-known US healthcare analytics company, also calling into question the integrity of key studies published in some of the world’s most prestigious medical journals.A Guardian investigation can reveal the US-based company Surgisphere, whose handful of employees appear to include a science fiction writer and an adult-content model, has provided data for multiple ...

UK coronavirus live: Wales to reopen all schools on 29 June; MPs to get proxy vote if they are shielding Only third of pupils to attend at any one time; Johnson says MPs who cannot attend parliament can vote in different way; Starmer tells Guardian prime minister has made ‘difficult situation 10 times worse’Keir Starmer warns PM: get a grip or risk second wave of coronavirusDecade of progress in tackling pupil disadvantage ‘wiped out’Coronavirus – latest global updatesCoronavirus latest: at a glanceSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.45pm BSTEarlier Boris Johnson implied that MPs who cannot attend the Commons to vote in person will be allowed to vote by proxy. When Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, was asked about this yesterday, he did not rule o...

Coronavirus live news: Sweden virus chief says 'we could have done better'; global deaths pass 380,000 Yemen aid funding falls short by US$1bn; Australia sinks into recession; global cases pass 6.3mExclusive: governments and WHO changed Covid policy bases on suspect data from tiny US companyArchitect of Sweden’s coronavirus strategy admits too many diedAir pollution in China back to pre-Covid levels and Europe may followUK coronavirus updates – liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.48pm BSTIran’s daily number of new coronavirus transmissions continued creeping back towards its previous peak on Wednesday, with 3,134 confirmed cases detected in the past 24 hours, according to the health ministry. The Islamic republic recorded 3,186 transmissions on 30 March, at the heig...

We should have done more, admits architect of Sweden's Covid-19 strategy Anders Tegnell says there was ‘potential for improvement’ in country’s strategy to fight pandemicCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSweden’s chief epidemiologist and the architect of its light-touch approach to the coronavirus has acknowledged that the country has had too many deaths from Covid-19 and should have done more to curb the spread of the virus.Anders Tegnell, who has previously criticised other countries’ strict lockdowns as not sustainable in the long run, told Swedish Radio on Wednesday that there was “quite obviously a potential for improvement in what we have done” in Sweden. Continue reading... Go to Source

George Floyd protests: Biden says Trump 'is part of the problem and accelerates it' – live Biden says ‘I can’t breathe’ is ‘a wake-up call for our nation’Washington archdiocese: ‘Baffling and reprehensible’ to allow Trump visit nowTrump’s threat to deploy military raises spectre of fascismTeargas fired so Trump can pose at churchAre you taking part in US protests after the death of George Floyd?Sign up to our First Thing newsletter 6.36pm BSTJoe Biden is expected to George Floyd’s funeral in Houston, Texas, next week. Attorney Ben Crump, who has been representing the Floyd family, announced the news during a Facebook livestream with Van Jones.“We understand Vice President Biden will be in attendance,” Crump said. 6.22pm B...

UK coronavirus death toll passes 50,000, official figures show Grim milestone confirms UK status as one of the world’s worst-hit countries ‘So much living to do’: stories of UK victimsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK reached a grim milestone in its battle with coronavirus on Tuesday, as the death toll passed 50,000 for the first time, according to official figures.The tally comes 10 weeks after the nation went into lockdown and confirms Britain’s status as one of the countries worst hit by a pandemic that has claimed about 375,000 lives globally. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Hancock urged to act over higher Covid-19 death rate for BAME people News updates: 324 new deaths in the UK; death rate in England higher among BAME people; testing data ‘widely criticised and often mistrusted’UK coronavirus death toll passes 50,000, latest official figures showCovid-19 spilling out of care homes and hospitals - FergusonHow will UK’s new 14-day coronavirus quarantine work?‘Flora needs me’: MP caring for wife hits out at Jacob Rees-Mogg’s planMatt Hancock’s press conference - SummaryCoronavirus – latest global updates 6.36pm BST1,749 people have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace since the scheme started, according to Channel 4 News. The programme has seen a leaked copy of the data from Thursday - the...

Covid-19 death rate in England higher among BAME people People of Bangladeshi origin face greatest danger of dying in pandemic, according to PHECoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDeath rates from Covid-19 in England have been higher among people of black and Asian origin than any other ethnic group, a government-ordered inquiry has found.In addition, those people of black backgrounds are the ethnic group most likely to be diagnosed with the disease, which has claimed almost 50,000 lives in the UK since February. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: global cases pass 6.3m; alert issued in Tokyo amid fear of new surge in cases Cases in Africa pass 150,000; Germany eases travel ban; Wuhan doctor who worked with whistleblower diesGermany lifts travel warning for EuropeChina withheld data on coronavirus from WHO, recordings reveal‘We can’t relax’: Europeans face up to life after lockdownUK coronavirus updates – liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 6.37pm BSTReuters has posted this interesting video report on the potential for the spread of coronavirus during the demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd in the US. In particular, one expert warns, the collapse of trust in the authorities is likely to have an impact on contact tracing. After all, when someone from the governme...

Donald Trump threatens to deploy army as teargas fired so he can pose at church Authorities suddenly target demonstrators outside White House, clearing way for a presidential photo opportunityGeorge Floyd killing – latest US updatesSee all our George Floyd coverageDonald Trump has threatened to deploy the US military to quell civil unrest – even as teargas was fired against nearby peaceful protesters to grant him a photo opportunity.In a highly choreographed move, the president gave brief remarks in the White House Rose Garden on Monday while, a short distance away, military police and law enforcement suddenly used teargas, rubber bullets and flash-bangs to chase away demonstrators protesting against the death of George Floyd. Continue reading... Go to Source

Statistics watchdog: ministers still misleading public on coronavirus tests Head of UK Statistics Authority makes second public plea for clarity from government Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe head of the UK Statistics Authority has accused the government of continuing to mislead the public over the numbers of tests carried out for Covid-19.“The aim seems to be to show the largest possible number of tests, even at the expense of understanding,” said Sir David Norgrove in a letter to the health secretary, Matt Hancock. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: main risk of second spike likely in September, Ferguson tells peers News updates: MPs return to Westminster; statistics authority says testing data ‘widely criticised and often mistrusted’UK coronavirus death toll nears 50,000, latest official figures showHow will UK’s new 14-day coronavirus quarantine work?‘Flora needs me’: MP caring for wife hits out at Jacob Rees-Mogg’s planCoronavirus – latest global updates 12.39pm BSTThe latest coronavirus numbers from Scotland as the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, begins her daily press conference.As of 9am this morning: 12.30pm BSTHM Coastguard responded to nearly 450 incidents during its “busiest weekend of 2020”, as thousands of people flocked to beaches and beauty sp...

China withheld data on coronavirus from WHO, recordings reveal Complaints by officials at odds with body’s public praise of Beijing’s response to outbreakCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe World Health Organization struggled to get needed information from China during critical early days of the coronavirus pandemic, according to recordings of internal meetings that contradict the organisation’s public praise of Beijing’s response to the outbreak.The recordings, obtained by the Associated Press (AP), show officials complaining in meetings during the week of 6 January that Beijing was not sharing data needed to evaluate the risk of the virus to the rest of the world. It was not until 20 January that China confirmed coronavirus was...