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HS2 to go ahead, Boris Johnson tells MPs Government backs high-speed rail line despite spiralling costs that could top £100bnAll the day’s politics news - liveBoris Johnson’s cabinet has given its approval for the whole of the HS2 high-speed train line to go ahead, with work expected to start within weeks.The prime minister announced his decision to the House of Commons, saying the government believed it should proceed despite spiralling costs that could top £100bn. Continue reading... Go to Source

Deportation flight concerns coming from 'Westminster bubble', says No 10 Government defends decision to go ahead with deportation flight to Jamaica despite outcryDowning Street has dismissed concerns about a deportation flight to Jamaica as the preoccupation of a “Westminster bubble” and vowed to press ahead with an inquiry into the use of judicial review.After a court judgment forced the government to remove more than half the people from the flight list, the prime minister’s press secretary said reaction to the case showed that “certain parts of Westminster still haven’t learned the lessons of the 2019 election”. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK man linked to several coronavirus cases speaks from hospital Steve Walsh says his thoughts are with others who have the potentially fatal illnessCoronavirus – live updatesA businessman who inadvertently infected at least 11 people with coronavirus has identified himself in a statement from hospital in which he said his thoughts were with others who had contracted the potentially fatal illness.Steve Walsh, 53, who is in an isolation unit at St Thomas’ hospital in London, which has a specialist infectious disease centre, said he had fully recovered. Continue reading... Go to Source

Four men arrested in connection with murder of Lyra McKee Men detained in Derry under Terrorism Act over April 2019 murder of journalistFour people have been arrested in the investigation into the murder of the journalist Lyra McKee.The men, aged 20, 27, 29 and 52, were detained under the Terrorism Act in Derry on Tuesday morning, a Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said. They are being questioned by detectives at the Musgrave serious crime suite in Belfast. Continue reading... Go to Source

HS2 to be given go-ahead by government despite fierce opposition Boris Johnson to give high-speed rail line green light after weighing up ‘pros and cons’HS2 is expected to get the go-ahead on Tuesday as the chancellor said government had weighed up the “pros and cons” of the multibillion-pound rail line connecting London to the north of England.The high-speed line’s spiralling costs led Boris Johnson to request a review of the scheme last summer. Leaked reports suggested the line may eventually cost in excess of £100bn – more than double the 2015 estimate. Continue reading... Go to Source

Jamaica deportation flight leaves with 'about 20' people Home Office flight leaves UK less than half full after court upheld legal challengeA planned deportation flight to Jamaica has taken off but with fewer than half of those due to have been on board after a court upheld a legal challenge.As the government came under fire for proceeding with the flight, it was defended on Tuesday by the chancellor, who said those onboard were not members of the Windrush generation but offenders who posed a risk to the public. Continue reading... Go to Source

Gove criticises US and Brazil for climate crisis scepticism Minister refuses to comment on speculation he could take over UK’s COP 26 preparationsMichael Gove has implicitly criticised the US and Brazilian presidents for their scepticism about the climate emergency, as he refused to comment on speculation that he could be put in charge of government preparations for UN climate crisis talks.Gove, a Cabinet Office minister with a wide-ranging government role, used a speech opening an event looking ahead to COP 26 to express strong views on the UK’s likely role at the summit it is hosting in Glasgow in November. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live updates: two senior Hubei officials sacked as deaths pass 1,000 – latest news Hong Kong’s Carrie Lam tells people to stay at home and nervous global investors turn to safe havens like gold. Follow updates live‘Come back soon’: coronavirus wreaks havoc on global tourism hotspotsNumber of confirmed UK cases rises from four to eightCould the coronavirus mutate if a vaccine can’t be found in time? 5.44am GMTAgence France-Presse has published its roundup of global cases of the virus. I have updated the list to include the newest cases in the US (1) and Vietnam (1), today. 5.33am GMTSouth Korea’s Yonhap news agency is reporting that the country has advised against travel to Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. I’ll bri...

Johnson plans £5bn bus funding ahead of HS2 announcement PM poised to approve controversial rail project as he unveils funding boost for depleted servicesBoris Johnson is poised to give the formal go ahead to the HS2 project on Tuesday with ministers promising an additional £5bn on buses and cycle routes to head off critics who fear the troubled high speed rail line will suck cash from other priorities.Ahead of an expected announcement giving the green light to the vast infrastructure project, Johnson will claim that his government will offer bus passengers outside London a more frequent service and simpler fares, as part of his agenda to “level up” the UK. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: new UK cases are 'closely linked', official says – live news UK government declares virus an ‘imminent threat to public health’ as death toll inside China jumps to 908 with more than 40,000 infectionsNumber of UK confirmed cases rises from four to eightSixty more cases on cruise ship as ‘depression sets in’How to protect yourself from coronavirusShare your stories 5.47pm GMTBritish Airways has extended the suspension of flights serving Chinese cities amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus. On Monday the airline said flights to and from Beijing and Shanghai had been cancelled until March 31. 4.45pm GMTIn the same statement, PHE revealed that two of the four new cases of coronavirus are healthcare workers. Doyle added: “Two of these new ca...

Priti Patel apologises to Yvette Cooper after Tory activist is jailed Labour MP sought apology after Joshua Spencer jailed for sending threatening messagesPriti Patel has formally apologised in parliament to Yvette Cooper after a Conservative activist was jailed for sending messages threatening to pay “crackheads” £100 to beat up the Labour MP.Cooper used Home Office questions in the Commons to seek an apology after Joshua Spencer was jailed last week for nine weeks, and to ask why Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns gave Spencer a character reference at the court case. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sinn Féin declares victory in Irish general election Party leader Mary Lou McDonald calls for talks with main rivals to form coalitionIrish general election – latest resultsShare your reactionSinn Féin has declared victory in Ireland’s general election and called for talks with other main parties to form a coalition government.Its leader, Mary Lou McDonald, urged Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to start negotiations with the republican party as the scale of its breakthrough confirmed a realignment of Irish politics. Continue reading... Go to Source