News- UK

Keir Starmer: only a federal UK 'can repair shattered trust in politics' Labour leadership frontrunner calls for new powers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland after BrexitKeir Starmer, the Labour leadership frontrunner, has called for a fully federal UK, devolving power to the nations and regions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland after Brexit.The shadow Brexit secretary said only a new federal structure for the UK could “repair the shattered trust in politics”, amid growing clamour in Scotland for another independence referendum. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: 100,000 may already be infected, experts warn UK government urged to reassure public that NHS is ready for cases within daysAbout 100,000 people could be infected with the new coronavirus around the world, experts have warned, as the UK government faced calls to reassure people that the NHS is ready to deal with any British cases within days.Prof Neil Ferguson, a public health expert at Imperial College, said his “best guess” was that there were 100,000 affected by the virus even though there are only 2,000 confirmed cases so far, mostly in the city of Wuhan in China where the virus first appeared. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK's smart motorways to be reviewed after huge rise in near-misses BBC Panorama study shows increase on M25 from 72 to 1,485 in five years since conversionBritain’s network of smart motorways – where drivers can use the hard shoulder – is being urgently reviewed by the government after it was discovered that it resulted in 20 times more near-misses on the M25 London ring road alone. The death toll on stretches of smart or managed motorways has reached 38 in the last five years, including many in accidents that motoring organisations believe were avoidable after breakdowns. Continue reading... Go to Source

Fast-track 'global talent visa' to be launched days after Brexit Boris Johnson’s scheme to attract scientists dismissed by Lib Dems as ‘gimmick’The government has announced it will launch a “global talent visa” on 20 February to encourage scientists, researchers and mathematicians to come to the UK, with no limit on how many people can be accepted.In addition, Boris Johnson said he was making available a £300m package for research into advanced mathematics. It will double funding for new PhDs and boost the number of maths fellowships and research projects. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus's ability to spread getting stronger, China suggests Officials announce new measures to contain disease, including wildlife trade ban and bus suspensionsCoronavirus latest news – liveRestrictions to halt the outbreak of the new coronavirus in China will be intensified, the country’s health commission minister has said, warning that the virus’s ability to spread appeared to be getting stronger.“The transmissibility shows signs of increasing and the ‘walking source of infection’ [where patients have few signs of disease] has made it difficult to control and prevent the disease,” said Ma Xiaowei. Continue reading... Go to Source

Corbyn allies ‘line up top jobs before new Labour leader is elected’ Party HQ, under its general secretary, Jenny Formby, has rejected criticism for advertising senior posts in emails to staffAllies of Jeremy Corbyn have been accused of trying to cement their power at the top of the party after they announced plans to appoint new staff to senior posts before the next leader is elected.The party sent an email to staff last week advertising posts of head of press and broadcasting, head of policy development, and deputy regional director in London. The applications have to be made by early February. Continue reading... Go to Source

Farewell Europe: the long road to Brexit The Observer’s political editor has reported on Britain’s place in the EU for more than 30 years. Here he charts the key moments in a stormy relationship and the missed chances to save it from destructionLast week, with the end of the UK’s 47-year membership of the club of European nations just days away, I looked back at some newspaper cuttings from my time as a Brussels correspondent. A picture of worried-looking farmers eyeing up their cattle at a market in Banbury stared out alongside banner headlines. “British beef banned in Europe. Cattle prices fall. School meals hit. EU ‘rules’ broken.” Among the many crises in British relations with the EU down the years – from Margaret Thatcher’s b...

Coronavirus outbreak: death toll rises to 56 as US plans to evacuate citizens – updates Authorities in China say infections have risen to more than 1,600 while the US and Australia are pulling people out of stricken city of Wuhan. Follow all the latest developments here Scientists race to discover how Wuhan victims were infected 5.14am GMTWe have a interesting insight into how the outbreak first affected people in Wuhan as a local woman tells us how she contracted the virus after eating near the now infamous market in the city. Related: Coronavirus: from one food market to global panic 5.03am GMTThis liveblog is now moving from Australia (where it’s Australia Day, somewhat controversially) to India, where it’s Republic Day.My colleague in New Delhi, Hannah Ellis-Petersen...

Revealed: the £12bn bill for scrapping high-speed rail link As Boris Johnson assesses project, Tory mayor for West Midlands warns of political cost of scrapping itScrapping the HS2 rail project will cost at least £12 billion in write-offs and compensation and plunge major construction companies into financial peril, ministers are being warned.Sources close to the beleaguered scheme told the Observer that extra costs of £3bn-£4bn would be incurred even if it were scrapped immediately. £9bn has been spent already. With the issue causing tension inside the Conservative party, Whitehall insiders said that Boris Johnson could decide on the fate of the project as soon as this week as concerns grow that costs are spiralling out of control. Billions have already been s...

Grenfell inquiry panellist steps down over cladding company links Benita Mehra had been the target of fury from survivors and bereaved of 2017 tragedyA key member of the Grenfell Tower public inquiry has resigned after fury among survivors and the bereaved at her links to the company that made the combustible cladding.Less than 48 hours before the inquiry is due to start hearing evidence about “decisions which led to the installation of a highly combustible cladding system”, Boris Johnson announced Benita Mehra was standing down from a panel advising the chairman of the inquiry, Sir Martin Moore-Bick. It followed 10 days of rising pressure on the prime minister from the community devastated by the fire on 14 June 2017 – which claimed 72 lives – to reverse her a...

Scientists race to find out how Wuhan victims became ill If this outbreak is still caused mainly by animals, it can be controlled. But all-out human transmission could spell disasterScientists are urgently seeking data to resolve one critically important aspect of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 41 people and infected almost 1,400 since emerging in Wuhan, China.Researchers say they desperately need to find out whether most cases have been caused by repeated spillover of the virus from animals into humans, or whether most cases are now being triggered by secondary human-to-human transmission. Continue reading... Go to Source

Brexit celebrations ‘rub our noses in it’, says Heseltine Commemorative coin, countdown and Downing Street light display to mark departure on FridayThe Tory peer and former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine has accused Boris Johnson of trying to “rub the noses of Remainers in their defeat”, after the prime minister announced events to commemorate the UK’s departure from the EU this coming Friday at 11pm.Downing Street said that 3m special 50p coins bearing the words “Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations” will enter shops, banks and restaurants from Friday with a further 7m coming into circulation by the end of the year. Union Jack flags will also line Parliament Square and the Mall on Friday and the public will see government buildings in ...

Trump team begins argument president broke no laws at impeachment trial Donald Trump’s lawyers began making their case Saturday, with a longer, more meaningful session expected for MondayDonald Trump’s legal team on Saturday argued that Donald Trump broke no laws and Democrats’ move to impeach him was simply an attempt to delegitimize Trump’s presidency. Related: The key takeaways from day three of the impeachment trial Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus outbreak: Wuhan hospital doctor dies from virus as toll hits 41 – updates More than 1,200 infected and 13 cities in lockdown as authorities scramble to stem the spread infection, which has now reached Europe, the US and Australia. Follow the latest liveAnalysis: Spread of virus shakes people’s belief in governmentFull report: doctor dies after treating infected patients 5.47am GMTSouth Korea’s Yonhap news reports that North Korea has stepped up its efforts to prevent the virus entering the country. A flight from Beijing to Pyongyang has been cancelled, travel to China has been restricted and the North’s cabinet Minju Choson called on people to take extra care of personal hygiene, it said. 5.38am GMTThe alarming spread of coronavirus is on the front pages...

Coronavirus: China extends lockdown as first cases reported in Europe Public transport suspended in at least 13 cities in China as death toll rises and France identifies Europe’s first casesWhat we know so farLessons from Sars outbreak help in race for vaccineChina has expanded an unprecedented lockdown during the country’s most important holiday to 13 cities and at least 36 million people, as efforts to contain the deadly new coronavirus were stepped up around the world and the first cases were reported in Europe.Restrictions on movement were widened on Friday in China in an effort to stop the spread of the disease, which has now killed 26 people, affected almost 900, and been reported across South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the United States, Thai...

Actor Rosie Perez testifies friend told her she was raped by Harvey Weinstein Actor recalls conversation with Annabella Sciorra in 1993 or 94Sciorra called as witness to mogul’s alleged pattern of behaviorUS actor Rosie Perez testified in New York on the third day of the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein on Friday, describing phone calls she had with Annabella Sciorra where she learned Sciorra was allegedly raped.Perez said she called Sciorra on a chilly night in 1993. Perez was in a good mood, saying, “Girl, what’s up? Wanna hang out?” hoping Sciorra was interested in going out that night. Continue reading... Go to Source

Whistleblower tipped off second family over West Suffolk hospital death Pressure builds on hospital as it emerges staff member alerted patient’s relatives to suspected mistakesAn under-fire hospital came under fresh pressure on Friday after it emerged that a second family received a whistleblower tipoff about serious failings in the care of a patient who died, the Guardian can reveal.West Suffolk hospital (WSH), used by Matt Hancock’s constituents, is already facing criticism over its unprecedented demand for doctors to provide fingerprint samples in an attempt to track down an anonymous letter writer who alerted widower Jon Warby to surgical mistakes made before his wife died in August 2018. Continue reading... Go to Source

Outrage at whites-only image as Uganda climate activist cropped from photo Associated Press says Vanessa Nakate was excised ‘purely on composition grounds’ after her video complaint went viralUgandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate has called out racism in media after she was cropped out of a photo featuring prominent climate activists including Greta Thunberg, Loukina Tille, Luisa Neubauer and Isabelle Axelsson.Nakate made the comment in a video which has since gone viral, adding that she now understood “the definition of the word racism” for the first time in her life. Continue reading... Go to Source

Multiple fatalities after earthquake hits eastern Turkey Officials confirm 18 people killed as rescue teams works to free trapped survivorsAn earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 has killed at least 18 people in eastern Turkey.More than 500 have been left injured and several are trapped in the wreckage of toppled buildings. Rescue teams from neighbouring provinces were dispatched to the affected areas, working in the dark with floodlights, and defence minister Hulusi Akar said troops were on standby to help. Continue reading... Go to Source

Scandal-hit hospital recalls patients over concerns about second doctor Spire Parkway in West Midlands recalls 217 patients of senior surgeon Habib RahmanA private hospital at the centre of a breast surgery scandal in which a surgeon was jailed for 20 years has recalled hundreds of patients following concerns about the practices of another senior doctor.Spire Parkway hospital in the West Midlands has recalled 217 patients who received care from Habib Rahman, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, following an investigation by the Royal College of Surgeons. Continue reading... Go to Source

'Take her out': tape appears to catch Trump demanding removal of Ukraine ambassador – live On recording Trump calls for ousting of Marie YovanovitchImpeachment managers will finish presenting opening arguments todayNext Trump’s lawyers will be given up to 24 hours to begin their defenseHelp us cover the critical issues of 2020. Consider making a contribution 5.53pm GMTTrump just finished speaking at the March for Life on the National Mall, becoming the first sitting president to address the annual anti-abortion event.“It is my profound honor to be the first president in history to attend the March for Life,” Trump told the crowd. “Today, millions of extraordinary women across America are using the power of their votes to fight for the first right in the Declara...

UK coronavirus tests clear 14 people Chief medical officer says more people being checked for virus which has broken out in ChinaFollow the latest coronavirus newsTests for coronavirus on 14 people in the UK have come back negative but checks are being carried out on other people, the chief medical officer has said.Prof Chris Whitty made the announcement on Friday after the Cobra emergency committee met to discuss the threat to the UK and the government sought to calm concerns over the virus, emphasising that the risk to the public was limited. Continue reading... Go to Source

Ben Stokes launches foul-mouthed tirade at fan after ‘Ed Sheeran’ jibe • England player faces ICC punishment after incident• Sports Personality of Year overheard on TV camerasBen Stokes could be facing a ban from the International Cricket Council after the all-rounder was involved in a foul-mouthed altercation with a fan on the first day of the fourth Test against South Africa in Johannesburg. Related: England falter against South Africa after flying start from Zak Crawley Continue reading... Go to Source

Pentagon says 34 US soldiers suffered traumatic brain injury in Iran strike Trump downplayed injuries: ‘I heard they had headaches’Expert calls president’s comment ‘insulting and disrespectful’Thirty-four US soldiers have been diagnosed with concussion or traumatic brain injury from an 8 January Iranian missile attack on their base in Iraq, the Pentagon has revealed.The Pentagon spokesman, Jonathan Hoffman, said on Friday that eight service members who had been previously transported to Germany had been moved to the United States. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: UK Cobra committee to meet as China death toll rises to 26 – live news UK emergency committee to discuss outbreak as more than 33 million people affected by lockdown measures in ChinaUK universities issue quarantine warning to Chinese students China: hospitals in chaos as lockdown spreads to affect 33m peopleWhat is the Wuhan coronavirus and how worried should we be?What we know so far 11.52am GMTChina will take stricter and more targeted measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, Chinese state television has reported, citing a state council meeting on virus control on Friday.“The spread of the virus has not been cut off...Local authorities should take more responsibility and have a stronger sense of urgency,” according to state media, Reuters reporte...

Essex lorry deaths: man can be extradited to UK, Irish judge rules Eamonn Harrison, from County Down, is wanted in connection with 39 container deathsA man who is wanted in connection with the discovery of 39 bodies in a refrigerated container in Essex can be extradited from Ireland to the UK, a judge in Dublin has ruled.British authorities are seeking Eamonn Harrison, 23, from Mayobridge in Newry, County Down, on charges of human trafficking and immigration offences, as well as 39 offences of manslaughter, in relation to the discovery of the bodies in October last year. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sombre EU leaders sign Brexit withdrawal agreement Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel sign document seven days before exit dayA sombre Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, the leaders of the European commission and council, have formally signed the withdrawal agreement as Brussels prepares for the UK’s exit from the EU in seven days’ time.In photographs issued of the signing ceremony in the EU’s Europa building on Friday morning, the bloc’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, can be seen standing behind the two presidents. Continue reading... Go to Source

Taylor Swift discloses fight with eating disorder in new documentary ‘There’s always some standard of beauty that you’re not meeting,’ she tells Miss Americana director Lana WilsonTaylor Swift has disclosed her experiences with an eating disorder in a new documentary. In Taylor Swift: Miss Americana, which received its premiere at the Sundance film festival last night, Swift says that she would starve herself to the extent that she felt as if she might pass out during live performances.The 30-year-old star said she would make a list of everything she ate, exercised constantly and shrank to a UK size two; she is now a size 10. “I would have defended it to anybody who said ‘I’m concerned about you,’” she tells the film’s direct...

‘Hypocrisy’: 90% of UK-Africa summit’s energy deals were in fossil fuels Exclusive: Almost £2bn went to oil and gas despite a UK pledge to support cleaner energy in African countries More than 90% of the £2bn in energy deals struck at this week’s UK-Africa investment summit were for fossil fuels, despite a government commitment to “support African countries in their transition to cleaner energy”.Prime Minister Boris Johnson opened the summit on Monday, citing the climate emergency: “We all breathe the same air, we live beneath the same sky, and we all suffer when carbon emissions rise and the planet warms.” Continue reading... Go to Source

HS2 late and billions over budget due to Tory failures, report finds Government failed to understand risks of the project, NAO concludes The planned construction of HS2 is billions of pounds over budget and years behind schedule because of the failure across government to understand the risks involved, according to a damning independent report.In the first official indication that spending on the controversial rail project could escalate beyond £100bn, the National Audit Office has raised the possibility of a further increase by admitting that it is “impossible to estimate with certainty” how much it will eventually cost. Continue reading... Go to Source