News- UK

Investigation launched after black barrister mistaken for defendant three times in a day England and Wales courts head apologises after Alexandra Wilson describes having to ‘constantly justify existence’The head of the courts service in England and Wales has apologised to a black barrister after she was stopped and mistaken for a defendant three times in one day at court.Kevin Sadler, the acting chief executive of HM Courts and Tribunals Service has condemned the “totally unacceptable behaviour” and promised to investigate the complaint made by Alexandra Wilson, who specialises in criminal and family cases. Continue reading... Go to Source

Breonna Taylor: family attorney says wanton endangerment charge 'doesn't make sense' – live updates Benjamin Crump says family ‘outraged, insulted and, mostly, offended’Anger after grand jury refuses to charge officers involved in killingTwo Louisville officers shot in protests over Breonna Taylor decisionBlack Lives Matter demos held in many citiesAuthorities in several cities deploy tear gas against crowdsSign up for our First Thing newsletter 12.48pm BST Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin have a state of the polls piece in the New York Times this morning. Their analysis shows:Donald Trump is on the defensive in three red states he carried in 2016, narrowly trailing Joe Biden in Iowa and battling to stay ahead of him in Georgia and Texas.Trump’s vulnerability even in conservative-lea...

10,000 more deaths than usual occurred in UK homes since June Excess deaths in private homes prompts fears people are avoiding hospitals due to CovidSome 10,000 more deaths than usual have occurred in peoples’ private homes since mid June, long after the peak in Covid deaths, prompting fears that people may still be avoiding health services and delaying sending their loved ones to care homes.It brings to more than 30,000 the total number of excess deaths happening in people’s homes across the UK since the start of the pandemic. Continue reading... Go to Source

Thursday briefing: 10,000 excess deaths at home since June People choosing not to visit hospitals during Covid … US protests after Breonna Taylor officers not charged ... and BLM’s co-founder on why critics get it wrongGood morning and welcome to this Thursday briefing with me, Alison Rourke. Continue reading... Go to Source

As protests erupt across US after the decision in Breonna Taylor’s killing, two officers are shot Thousands turned out for largely peaceful protests in more than a dozen cities after news of the grand jury’s decision in LouisvilleTwo police officers were shot in Lousiville amid protests over the announcement that three officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor would not be charged for her death.Both sustained non-life-threatening injuries, said Robert Schroeder, the chief of the Louisville Metro police department, at a briefing on Wednesday evening. One of the officers was undergoing surgery, while a second is “alert and stable”, and a suspect was in custody, he said. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sunak axes budget in scramble for urgent measures to save jobs Chancellor to revamp support for jobs and economy owing to tightening of restrictionsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRishi Sunak has scrapped his plan for an autumn budget and will announce fresh measures to halt job losses and business failures on Thursday amid government fears that a second wave of Covid-19 threatens Britain with a double-dip recession.The chancellor has decided that the long-term decisions that would have featured in the annual set-piece event must be shelved in order for the Treasury to be able to focus on avoiding a short-term economic crisis. Continue reading... Go to Source

Fear of contacting GPs during Covid outbreak 'fuelling missed diagnoses' Study of GP records in Salford shows diagnoses up to 50% lower than expected in springCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageConcerns around contacting GPs during the coronavirus outbreak could be fuelling a rise in missed or delayed diagnoses, researchers have said.A growing body of research has suggested that patients have avoided seeking medical attention because of the pandemic. Figures have revealed a large increase in the numbers of people dying at home, while visits to A&E have been markedly reduced. Continue reading... Go to Source

Public not to blame for second wave of Covid-19, says Keir Starmer Labour leader points to government mismanagement of virus in televised address Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe public are not to blame for a resurgence of coronavirus and have been let down by the government, Keir Starmer has said in a televised address following the prime minister’s broadcast on Tuesday night.The Labour leader’s remarks pointing the finger at government incompetence come in stark contrast to Boris Johnson’s address, where he appeared to suggest that “freedom-loving” Britons would be to blame if more draconian restrictions were applied. Continue reading... Go to Source

Breonna Taylor: crowds march after grand jury refuses to charge officers in killing Brett Hankison indicted on charges of wanton endangermentNo officers directly charged in Taylor’s deathAnger erupted on Wednesday when a grand jury brought no charges against Louisville police for the killing of Breonna Taylor during a drug raid gone wrong.Prosecutors in Kentucky said the officers who fired their weapons at Taylor were justified in using force to protect themselves. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK set to introduce bill allowing MI5 agents to break the law Government says bill is not a ‘licence to kill’ but critics call for limits on agents’ activitiesA bill allowing confidential informants working for MI5 and the police to break the law will be introduced on Thursday amid a row about whether committing crimes such as murder and torture should be explicitly banned.The government says that the covert human intelligence sources bill does not amount to a “licence to kill” because it will be compliant with the European convention on human rights, which safeguards the right to life and prohibits torture. Continue reading... Go to Source

England's new Covid rules 'too little, too late' for the second time Scientists say measures won’t stop spread and increase chance of crackdown laterCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageScientific advisers to the government have warned that pub curfews and other new measures in England will fail to stop the exponential spread of Covid-19, as sources confirmed that ministers have departed from their “follow the science” mantra.A member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), who did not wish to be named, told the Guardian that “the scientific advice is that stronger restrictions should apply overall”, but said a “delicate balance” had to be struck between tighter measures and achieving good compliance. Continue reading... Go to Source...

Sunak scraps budget to focus on getting UK through Covid winter crisis Chancellor to revamp support for jobs and economy owing to tightening of restrictionsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRishi Sunak has scrapped this autumn’s budget before the announcement of a revamped support package to protect jobs and the economy through a looming winter Covid-19 crisis.Faced with the new threat to the economy caused by the tightening up of coronavirus restrictions this week, the chancellor believes the priority is to see the UK through the coming months rather than make long-term tax and spend decisions. Continue reading... Go to Source

Lorry drivers will face de-facto Brexit border in Kent, Gove confirms International hauliers will need ‘Kent access permit’ to get into county from 1 JanuaryA de-facto Brexit border is to be introduced for lorry drivers entering Kent to travel on to the EU, Michael Gove has confirmed.The minister for the Cabinet Office and chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster told the Commons that lorry drivers would need a “Kent access permit” to get into the county from 1 January with “police and ANPR cameras [automatic number plate recognition]” enforcing the system. Continue reading... Go to Source

Breonna Taylor killing: Kentucky grand jury indicts one officer on criminal charges Brett Hankison indicted on charges of wanton endangermentTaylor shot dead in March by police serving ‘no-knock warrant’Criminal charges were handed down in the police shooting death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville earlier this year, it was announced in Kentucky on Wednesday afternoon.Crowds in Louisville, where Taylor was shot at home in March, reacted angrily to the announcement by a judge that a grand jury had decided to indict one of the police officers involved, Brett Hankinson, on three charges of wanton endangerment. Continue reading... Go to Source

Melting Antarctic ice will raise sea level by 2.5 metres – even if Paris climate goals are met, study finds Research says melting will continue even if temperature rises are limited to 2CMelting of the Antarctic ice sheet will cause sea level rises of about two and a half metres around the world, even if the goals of the Paris agreement are met, research has shown.The melting is likely to take place over a long period, beyond the end of this century, but is almost certain to be irreversible, because of the way in which the ice cap is likely to melt, the new model reveals. Continue reading... Go to Source

Shortages threaten Johnson's pledge of 500,000 UK Covid tests a day Exclusive: chemicals and machines needed to hit target by end of October are ‘a few weeks behind’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA pledge to hit 500,000 coronavirus tests a day in the UK by the end of next month could be missed as vital chemicals and analysing machines needed to hit the target are “a few weeks” behind schedule, the body representing their manufacturers has said.Boris Johnson has insisted the UK will hit the target by the end of October, up from about 260,000 capacity now, despite a number of problems including people told to travel hundreds of miles and delays in getting results back. Continue reading... Go to Source

EU proposes to ditch refugee quotas for member states Countries would be offered €10,000 an adult to take people in under ‘solidarity à la carte’ planThe European commission is abandoning the idea of mandatory refugee quotas, as it revives an attempt to change Europe’s asylum and migration rules after more than four years of deadlock.The long-awaited migration proposals, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, would allow EU member states to choose whether to accept refugees, or take charge of returning those denied asylum to their home countries. Continue reading... Go to Source

Charity fundraiser Captain Tom Moore signs film deal for biopic The film-makers behind Fisherman’s Friends will dramatise the former British army officer’s ‘unique and inspiring story’ Captain Sir Tom Moore is getting the big-screen treatment. The life story of the centenarian, who raised more than £32m for the NHS by walking laps of his Bedfordshire garden, will be shot next year.The film will be made by Fred Films and Powder Keg Pictures, whose credits include Fisherman’s Friends, about the Cornish fishermen who signed a record deal, and Finding Your Feet, starring Imelda Staunton. Continue reading... Go to Source

Police investigate British woman’s disappearance in France a year ago Karen Milsom one of more than 800 Britons listed as missing abroad by charityFrench police are investigating the disappearance of a 52-year-old British woman who left her home in the western Charente region more than a year ago with just her clothes and a few thousand euros in cash and has not been seen since.Karen Milsom, a Bristol-born care worker described as “caring”, “empathetic” and someone who always kept in touch with her friends, is one of more than 800 Britons listed as missing abroad by the Lucie Blackman Trust, a charity named for a young woman who disappeared in Japan 20 years ago and was later found murdered. Continue reading... Go to Source

Covid ban on care home visitors risks premature deaths, experts warn Charities call for elderly residents’ loved ones to be given limited visiting rights to maintain ‘will to live’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSweeping bans on visiting at thousands of care homes risk residents dying prematurely this winter as they give up hope in the absence of loved ones, experts in elderly care have warned.More than 2,700 care homes in England are either already shut or will be told to do so imminently by local public health officials, according to a Guardian analysis of new government rules announced to protect the most vulnerable from Covid-19. Continue reading... Go to Source

Follow new Covid restrictions or risk a second lockdown, Johnson warns PM says he is prepared for harsher restrictions, if new measures do not cut down virus’ spreadCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has warned the weary British public to summon their resolve for a tough winter ahead, as he refused to rule out a second national lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus.Speaking in a televised address after announcing new rules across England he appeared to suggest “freedom-loving” Britons will be to blame if more draconian restrictions are applied. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson sets out new restrictions to last 'perhaps six months' PM announces 10pm closing for pubs, a ban on indoor team sports and new weddings curbsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK is at a “perilous turning point” and must act, Boris Johnson has told MPs, announcing new restrictions for England including slashing the size of wedding celebrations and bans on indoor team sports, as well as a return to home working.Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Johnson announced a ban on indoor team sports, such as five-a-side football, and said plans for a partial return of sports fans to stadiums from 1 October had been “paused”. Wedding celebrations will be limited to just 15 guests, half of the number previously permitted, though funerals will...

Zaghari-Ratcliffe files report of Revolutionary Guards harassment British-Iranian woman under house arrest in Tehran sends details to prosecutor’s officeThe British-Iranian dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has claimed she is being harassed at her parents’ home in Tehran by Revolutionary Guards officers as she remains under house arrest awaiting the date of a second trial.In her report of the incident to the Tehran prosecutors’ office, she said Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officers had come to the house on Tuesday morning and falsely accused her of breaking the tag she was fitted with when she was given a temporary release from prison in March on furlough. She was warned she would be taken back to the revolutionary courts. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson says new restrictions 'likely to remain in force for six months' Prime minister announces new rules on face coverings and weddings for England as he also encourages more people to work from homeBoris Johnson sets out new Covid restrictions at ‘perilous turning point’Work from home if you can, says Michael GoveKeir Starmer tells Labour conference: we deserved to lose electionGlobal coronavirus updates – live 1.02pm BST Jeremy Hunt (Con), chair of the health committee, says he supports the measures.He says testing has been transformed. “But we are not there yet.” What can the PM say to a school offered just 10 tests every three weeks if they are worried about asymptomatic cases? 1.00pm BST This is what Johnson said about the new rules.First, we are once ...

Keir Starmer tells Labour conference: we deserved to lose election Starmer uses first party conference speech as leader to set out how Labour has changedKeir Starmer has staked out his intention to make Labour a “competent, credible” opposition, using his first conference speech as leader to promise a new beginning for the party and to say that under Jeremy Corbyn it deserved to lose the 2019 election.Making the speech in a near-empty arts centre in Doncaster as part of Labour’s virtual conference, Starmer condemned Boris Johnson in deeply personal terms, calling the prime minister fundamentally unserious, and “just not up to the job”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Face shields ineffective at trapping aerosols, says Japanese supercomputer Simulation using world’s fastest supercomputer casts doubt on effectiveness in preventing spread of coronavirusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePlastic face shields are almost totally ineffective at trapping respiratory aerosols, according to modelling in Japan, casting doubt on their effectiveness in preventing the spread of coronavirus.A simulation using Fugaku, the world’s fastest supercomputer, found that almost 100% of airborne droplets of less than 5 micrometres in size escaped through plastic visors of the kind often used by people working in service industries. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump races to fill supreme court seat as Republicans fall into line Democrats’ hopes of keeping seat empty fade as two key Republican senators signal support for moving quicklyDonald Trump has raced to cement a conservative majority on the US supreme court before the presidential election on 3 November, and Democrats’ hopes of keeping the seat empty have faded as two Republican senators signalled their support for moving quickly.The president said on Monday he would name his third supreme court nominee on Friday or Saturday, following memorials for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the liberal justice who died aged 87 on Friday. Continue reading... Go to Source

'We should be ashamed': Lord Dubs berates UK ministers over Lesbos refugees Labour peer calls on government to take in children left homeless by fire at camp on Greek islandA Labour peer who masterminded a change in the law that forced the government to give sanctuary to child asylum seekers has branded the UK’s lack of action over a devastating fire at a migrant camp in Greece an “absolute disgrace”.Alf Dubs, a former child refugee, called on the government to follow the lead of other European nations and take in some of the thousands of asylum seekers left without shelter following the blaze on the Greek island of Lesbos. Continue reading... Go to Source

Pubs and restaurants across England to be forced to shut at 10pm Boris Johnson to set out limited nationwide coronavirus restrictions on TuesdayCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePubs, bars and restaurants in England will have to shut by 10pm from Thursday under new nationwide restrictions to halt an “exponential” rise in coronavirus cases.Police have also been handed powers to issue £1,000 fines and make arrests to enforce 2 metre social distancing in pubs and restaurants, the Guardian has learned. Boris Johnson is expected to make an address to the nation on Tuesday setting out the new measures. Continue reading... Go to Source

Keir Starmer to urge 'red wall' voters to take another look at Labour Leader’s online conference speech to strike patriotic tone, saying: ‘We love this country’Keir Starmer is to appeal directly to “red wall” voters who abandoned the party last year to “take another look at Labour”, telling them his party loves Britain and is under new leadership.Speaking from Doncaster, South Yorkshire on Tuesday at the online event replacing Labour’s annual conference, Starmer will stress a change in approach for Labour since he succeeded Jeremy Corbyn. Continue reading... Go to Source