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Coronavirus live updates: all arrivals to Hong Kong from mainland China face 'compulsory quarantine' – latest news Thousands on board Diamond Princess cruise ship in offshore quarantine in Japan after 10 people test positive, as China death toll passes 490Thousands trapped on cruise ship in Japan after 10 test positiveBritain advises nationals to leave China How to protect yourself from coronavirusCould the US travel ban backfire?Share your experiences 11.41am GMTAfrican governments remain under pressure from citizens to arrange their evacuation from China amid fears of the outbreak reaching the continent.So far most have resisted the calls but Kenyan officials have said they will evacuate 85 of their citizens who are under lockdown in Wuhan city, when restrictions on movements are li...

Diary of a coronavirus evacuee: 'Everyone's trying to avoid contact with each other' | Daniel Ou Yang Australian Daniel Ou Yang, 21, was on the Air New Zealand flight out of virus-struck Wuhan to Auckland. Here he writes about the stress of his evacuationAt 2.52pm, we arrived at Wuhan Tianjin airport.The drive here was smooth, all the big wide roads with no cars on them. We made it through the checkpoints and arrived within an hour. Continue reading... Go to Source

State of the Union: Pelosi expresses her disdain as Trump pitches for re-election Trump used speech to brag about ‘the great American comeback’ but House speaker said she couldn’t find ‘one page with truth on it’An emboldened Donald Trump bragged about the “great American comeback” in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, in a speech resembling an 81-minute re-election rally that prompted the most powerful woman in Congress to rip up her copy of the speech on national television.The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said she tore up the address, which he delivered on the eve of the verdict in his impeachment trial, because she couldn’t find “one page with truth on it”. Continue reading... Go to Source

David Cameron turns down offer of COP 26 climate summit job Ex-PM rejects Boris Johnson’s offer saying he already has ‘a lot of things’ to do this yearDavid Cameron has turned down an offer from Boris Johnson to head the UK’s preparations for a crucial international climate summit in Glasgow, saying he already has “a lot of things” to do this year.The former prime minister was asked by Johnson to be the president of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) but Cameron rejected the offer. Continue reading... Go to Source

Nicky Morgan rejects claim BBC licence fee move amounts to 'punishment' for Brexit and election coverage - live news Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn at PMQsBBC licence fee: proposals to decriminalise non-paymentMorgan rejects claim BBC being punished for anti-government coverageMorgan’s Q&A after BBC speech - Summary 11.36am GMTHere are the main points from Nicky Morgan’s Q&A. The full text of the culture secretary is not available yet (it should be on the DCMS website soon), but the spiky stuff came in the Q&A.You say the BBC needs to adapt to the new streaming era. Everyone in the BBC knows that. What I’m not clear about is why you think decriminalising, or moving to a...

Nancy Pelosi rips up copy of Trump's State of the Union speech following divisive address – live The president delivered an address that would not have sounded out of place at a campaign rally• Iowa caucus results – live 5.31am GMTThat’s it from me tonight after a very divisive State of the Union. Here’s how the night unfolded: 5.20am GMTIn her full statement about the State of the Union, Nancy Pelosi said Trump “gave no comfort” to families looking for better healthcare options and was “not truthful” about his healthcare policies. .@SpeakerPelosi statement on Trump's SOTU address pic.twitter.com/5buQYyeYhq Continue reading... Go to Source

Councils in crisis with more tax rises and service cuts due Report reveals English local authorities’ financial despair after decade of austerityCouncil tax payers in England face near universal rises on top of increased fees and charges to pay for what in many cases will be reduced levels of local services, according to a survey of local authorities.It reveals that 97% of local authorities will put council tax up again in April to cope with a growing financial crisis, and the same proportion will raise charges for services such as parking, garden waste disposal and aspects of social care. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live updates: China deaths pass 490 as 10 test positive on cruise ship in Japan – latest news Thousands on board Diamond Princess face at least 14 days in offshore quarantine as eight more buildings are turned into hospitals in Wuhan. Follow all the developments hereThousands trapped on cruise ship in Japan after 10 test positiveBritain advises nationals to leave China How to protect yourself from coronavirusCould the US travel ban backfire? 5.29am GMTHong Kong’s health department says 30 crew on the World Dream cruise ship docked in Hong Kong have symptoms of the coronavirus.It added that department staff are conducting tests on 1,800 crew and passengers on board the ship. 5.00am GMTMedical workers in Hong Kong have begun a third day of strike action over concerns t...

Pete Buttigieg holds early lead in Iowa caucuses after chaos over results Iowa Democratic party announces partial results with former South Bend mayor trailed closely by Bernie SandersButtigieg pulls ahead in Iowa caucuses – live updatesIowa results – live caucus updates as they come inPete Buttigieg, the previously little-known former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, held a narrow lead in the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday night, according to a partial release of a majority of the results by the state Democratic party a day after an embarrassing organizational breakdown that marred the biggest night of the election year so far.With 62% of the precincts reporting from all of Iowa’s 99 counties, Buttigieg held 26.9% of the state’s delegate count, trailed closely by the V...

Ian Paterson inquiry: more than 1,000 patients had needless operations Report says hospitals displayed wilful blindness to damaging operations on hundreds of patientsPaterson patients welcome milestone and vow to fight onThe rogue breast surgeon Ian Paterson subjected more than 1,000 patients to unnecessary and damaging operations over 14 years before he was stopped, an independent inquiry has found.Paterson was free to perform harmful surgery on mainly female patients in NHS and private hospitals because of “a culture of avoidance and denial” in a “dysfunctional” healthcare system where there was “wilful blindness” to his behaviour. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus crisis: Raab urges Britons to leave China UK citizens should leave ‘if they can’ to reduce risk of exposure to virus, says foreign secretaryStay or go? Britons in China weigh up coronavirus risksIs UK overreacting by telling citizens to leave China?All 30,000 British nationals in China have been urged to leave the country “if they can” because of the coronavirus outbreak, in a surprise move that prompted criticism that the UK government has left its citizens to fend for themselves.In a further sign of mounting international concern about the spread of the coronavirus, the Foreign Office also recommended a ban on Britons travelling to China. Continue reading... Go to Source

'I am not a slapper': Labour MP hits back at criticism of attire Tracy Brabin responds to Twitter insults over shoulder-baring despatch box outfit A Labour frontbencher has shrugged off criticism over an outfit that showed part of her shoulder in the Commons as she spoke at the despatch box.Tracy Brabin reported that she received a series of insults over her choice of attire on Tuesday. Her remarks were in response to a Twitter user sharing a photograph of her wearing the outfit and asking: “Is this really appropriate attire for parliament?” Continue reading... Go to Source

Johnson sets out his climate crisis vision as Cameron turns down talks role PM reaffirms 2050 net-zero pledge but his predecessor declines offer to lead UK preparations for crucial summitBoris Johnson has set out his vision for forging a new global consensus on the climate crisis promising “we will crack it”, amid news that he approached former prime minister David Cameron to lead the UK’s preparations for a crucial summit.Johnson has brought forward the UK’s phaseout of diesel and petrol vehicles by five years to 2035, and hastened the phaseout of coal-fired power by a year to 2024. He reaffirmed the UK’s pledge to switch to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, and urged other nations – without naming any – to do the same. Continue reading.....

Coronavirus: UK advises British citizens to leave China – live updates Advice comes after 39-year-old man in Hong Kong dies of the virus as WHO says outbreak is not yet a pandemicFull story: UK foreign secretary tells Britons in China to leaveChina’s leadership admits ‘shortcomings’ in coronavirus responseHow to protect yourselfAfrican countries rush to reinforce defences 5.57pm GMTThe head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday he had written to all health ministers urging them immediately to improve data-sharing on coronavirus and said he would send a team of international experts to work with Chinese counterparts, Reuters reports. So far 22 nations have officially reported trade or travel-related measures linked to the coronavirus, which WHO direc...

Is UK overreacting to coronavirus crisis by telling citizens to leave China? Decision leaves tens of thousands weighing up huge choice without knowing why they should leaveFull story: UK tells Britons in China to leaveCoronavirus crisis - live updatesThe British government’s surprise announcement telling Britons to leave China “if they can” comes amid mounting international concern about the spread of coronavirus.But the advice came with no detailed guidance about why the UK’s position had changed – making it unclear whether this was a political stance, or a position based on new medical guidance that British authorities have not shared publicly. Continue reading... Go to Source

Ian Paterson inquiry: culture of denial allowed rogue breast surgery Report says hospitals displayed wilful blindness to damaging operations on hundreds of patientsA rogue breast surgeon was able to perform unnecessary and damaging surgery on hundreds of patients because of multiple blunders by NHS and private hospitals and “a culture of avoidance and denial”, an official inquiry has declared.Opportunities to stop Ian Paterson carrying out medically unjustified operations were missed because staff and bosses of hospitals he worked in displayed a “wilful blindness” to his behaviour, despite many being concerned by it and some making complaints. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sinn Féin steps up attacks on Irish rivals after shock poll lead Party leader says voters want change as poll puts it in top position for general electionSinn Féin has stepped up its attacks on Ireland’s political establishment as polls show the party poised for a historic breakthrough in Saturday’s general election.Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin’s leader, said on Tuesday that Irish people wanted a change from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, centrist rivals that have dominated Irish politics for a century. Continue reading... Go to Source

Iowa caucus chaos: Democrats plan to release results 'as soon as possible' – live coverage Full story: Democratic race off to disastrous startIowa caucuses results – live updatesWhat is the smartphone app at centre of Iowa debacle?Analysis: Trump campaign jubilant as Dems’ big night implodesHelp us cover the critical issues of 2020. Consider making a contribution 5.57pm GMTThe Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) just held a conference call for the presidential campaigns to update them on the delayed Iowa caucus results. It was heated.On a call with the Iowa Democratic Party and presidential campaigns, Bernie Sanders senior adviser Jeff Weaver said “folks who are just trying to delay” the Iowa results being released because of their position in the count are being &ldqu...