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English councils poised to make cuts amid loss of commercial income Exclusive: jobs and services at risk as investments such as airports and property hit by lockdown measuresCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageEnglish local councils are set to shed thousands of jobs and cut services as they count the cost of lost income from multibillion-pound holdings in office blocks, retail parks, airports and cinemas, all badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.The commercial investments, many acquired in a £7.6bn property spending spree in England over the past four years, were part of councils’ effort to find alternative incomes and protect local services that faced cuts or closure during a decade of deep austerity cuts. Continue reading... Go to Source

Priti Patel criticised over comments on Leicester’s sweatshops Home secretary suggested officials ignored problem for fear of seeming racistPriti Patel, the home secretary, has come under fire over claims that “cultural sensitivities” prevented a robust response to alleged worker exploitation in Leicester, with critics arguing cuts to regulators, the decision to limit inspections and an absence of unions were the biggest causes.Ten days after the Guardian reported on fears that conditions in sweatshops were a factor in Leicester’s surge in coronavirus cases and resulting lockdown, reports emerged on Sunday that Patel was considering new laws to curb modern slavery. Continue reading... Go to Source

Polish election goes to wire as exit poll gives Andrzej Duda tiny lead Final result of very close-run vote not expected till Monday afternoon or even TuesdayPoland election: latest updatesPoland’s tightly fought and intensely polarising presidential election has gone down to the wire, as a late poll on Sunday night showed the incumbent, Andrzej Duda, leading his liberal challenger, Rafał Trzaskowski, by less than two percentage points on 50.8% to 49.2%.The figures, released around midnight in Warsaw, were based on a wide-ranging exit poll adjusted to take into account the first few available results. They were within the poll’s margin of error of 2%, meaning the outcome was still up in the air in the early hours of Monday. However, Duda had improved slightly on the resu...

Priti Patel to unveil details of post-Brexit immigration plans Home secretary will announce the biggest overhaul of the UK system in decadesThe home secretary is to unveil further detail on the future of immigration in the UK on Monday in an attempt to prepare businesses and organisations for the biggest overhaul of the system in decades.The Home Office has previously revealed the core principles behind the forthcoming points-based system, which is meant to be introduced when the transition period from leaving the European Union ends on 1 January. Under the system, UK borders will be closed to so-called non-skilled workers and applicants will be have to show a greater understanding of English. Continue reading... Go to Source

Christchurch mosque attacker to represent himself at sentencing Australian man who pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder will be sentenced in AugustThe Australian man who pleaded guilty to killing 51 Muslims in a terrorist attack in Christchurch in March 2019 has chosen to represent himself at his sentencing next month.Brenton Tarrant pleaded guilty in March to 51 counts of murder, 40 of attempted murder and a terrorism charge after dozens of worshipers were gunned down at two mosques in New Zealand last year. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: 200 farm workers quarantined in Herefordshire outbreak At least 73 employees at AS Green & Co near Malvern have tested positive for Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAbout 200 workers at a vegetable farm and packing business supplying Sainsbury’s, Asda, M&S and Aldi have been ordered to isolate on the property after an outbreak of coronavirus.At least 73 of the workers at AS Green & Co, based in Herefordshire, have tested positive for Covid-19, and more are awaiting results. Continue reading... Go to Source

Immunity to Covid-19 could be lost in months, UK study suggests Exclusive: King’s College London team found steep drops in patients’ antibody levels three months after infectionCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePeople who have recovered from Covid-19 may lose their immunity to the disease within months, according to research suggesting the virus could reinfect people year after year, like common colds.In the first longitudinal study of its kind, scientists analysed the immune response of more than 90 patients and healthcare workers at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust and found levels of antibodies that can destroy the virus peaked about three weeks after the onset of symptoms then swiftly declined. Continue reading... G...

Fifth of vulnerable people considered self-harm in UK lockdown Exclusive: UCL findings shared with the Guardian underline mental health toll of pandemic ‘He was a big softie’: pub landlord remembered by family and friends Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA fifth of vulnerable people in Britain thought about self-harming or killing themselves during lockdown, according to research shared with the Guardian, as a series of inquests underline the mental health toll of the Covid-19 pandemic.Findings from University College London reveal that 8,000 out of 44,000 people surveyed (18%) reported thoughts of self-harm or suicide, and 42% had accessed support services. A further 5% said they had harmed themselves at least once since the start of the UK...

Boris Johnson accused of plan to 'emasculate' UK devolution Senior figures in Scotland and Wales warn Brexit is bringing a ‘statutory fist crashing down’Boris Johnson has been accused of planning an “emasculation” of the devolution settlement, with senior officials and politicians warning that plans for a post-Brexit UK-wide internal market will put Scotland and Wales on a collision course with Westminster.As support for Scottish independence shows a sustained polling lead and the Welsh parliament prepares for a debate on Wednesday about holding an independence referendum, the UK government has been accused of bringing a “statutory fist crashing down” as it attempts to regulate policy and standards across the four parts of the UK. Continue reading... ...

Revealed: Dominic Cummings firm paid Vote Leave's AI firm £260,000 Boris Johnson’s chief adviser declines to explain reason for payments to FacultyA private company owned and controlled by Dominic Cummings paid more than a quarter of a million pounds to the artificial intelligence firm that worked on the Vote Leave campaign.The prime minister’s chief adviser is declining to explain the reason for the payments to Faculty, which were made in instalments over two years. Faculty also declined to say what they were for. Continue reading... Go to Source