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Trump impeachment: House sends articles to Senate, setting stage for trial Senate likely to hold opening arguments next TuesdayTrial could reveal damaging new evidence against TrumpTrump impeachment – live updatesThe House of Representatives transmitted articles of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate on Wednesday, setting in motion a trial that could unearth damaging new evidence of misconduct by Trump as the 2020 presidential contest heats up. Related: Trump impeachment: House votes to send articles to the Senate – live Continue reading... Go to Source

Plan to scrap A&E target sparks furious backlash from medics Critics claim proposal is driven by ministers’ desire to avoid negative publicity about patients facing longer delaysPlans to scrap the four-hour A&E target have sparked a furious backlash from doctors and nurses, with some claiming it is driven by ministers’ desire to avoid negative publicity about patients facing increasingly long delays.A&E consultants led a chorus of medical opposition to the move. They pointedly urged NHS leaders and ministers to concentrate on delivering the long-established maximum waiting time for emergency care rather than finding “ways around” it. Continue reading... Go to Source

Momentum set to back Rebecca Long-Bailey as poll places her in lead Poll by LabourList readers puts shadow business secretary ahead of rival Keir StarmerRebecca Long-Bailey is expected to win the backing of Momentum as a poll placed her ahead of closest rival for the Labour leadership, Keir Starmer. The shadow business secretary, who has been criticised for the slow start to her campaign, came out ahead of the shadow Brexit secretary based on first preferences, with 42% of the votes compared to his 37% in the poll, conducted by Survation of more than 3,800 LabourList readers . Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump impeachment: House transfers articles to Senate – live Move sets in motion trial that could unearth damaging new evidenceDemocrats to deliver impeachment articles on historic dayHelp us cover the critical issues of 2020. Consider making a contribution 11.14pm GMTDonald Trump’s supporters have taken issue with Nancy Pelosi’s choice to use commemorative pens to sign the resolution to transfer articles of impeachment to the Senate, saying it undercuts her insistence that impeachment is a solemn undertaking. No surprise...Speaker Pelosi just held a celebratory signing ceremony handing out souvenir impeachment pens.The truth comes out.This isn't "somber" or "serious" for @HouseDemocrats. This has been partisan since day one. pic.twitter.com/E07UFIXNgrDonald Trump, like ma...

Meghan faces release of more texts in case against Mail on Sunday Newspaper defence says it could release further messages between duchess and friendThe potential perils for Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in her high-stakes legal battle against the Mail on Sunday have become clear after the newspaper filed a detailed legal defence hinting at the future release of royal text messages.The case revolves around allegations of breach of copyright, invasion of privacy and misuse of personal data after the newspaper published excerpts from a letter she sent to her father complaining about his treatment of her. Continue reading... Go to Source

Climate emergency: 2019 was second hottest year on record Last decade was also hottest yet in 150 years of measurements, say scientistsThe year 2019 was the second hottest on record for the planet’s surface, according to latest research. The analyses reveal the scale of the climate crisis: both the past five years and the past decade are the hottest in 150 years.The succession of records being broken year after year is “the drumbeat of the Anthropocene”, said one scientist, and is bringing increasingly severe storms, floods, droughts and wildfires. Continue reading... Go to Source

Russian PM and government quit as Putin proposes constitutional changes President, due to step down in 2024, suggests two-term limit for successorsVladimir Putin has embarked on a sweeping reshuffle of Russia’s leadership, accepting the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev and proposing constitutional amendments that would limit the power of a potential successor as president if he steps down in 2024.In a surprise move, Russia’s government said it would resign in full just hours after Putin announced plans for a national referendum that would shift power away from the presidency. Continue reading... Go to Source

Pelosi names trial managers to carry articles of impeachment to the Senate Pelosi named seven so-called managers to make the case that Trump is guilty of abuse of power and obstruction of CongressThe House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, revealed the team that will prosecute Donald Trump in an impeachment trial to get under way in earnest in the Senate early next week.In a morning news conference, Pelosi named seven so-called managers to carry the articles of impeachment to the Senate and make the case that Trump is guilty of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Continue reading... Go to Source

Keir Starmer sets out vision for Labour to win back power Leadership favourite outlines plan for ‘moral socialism’ tackling inequality, injustice and climate crisisLabour can win again if we make the moral case for socialism | Keir Starmer Labour leadership latest - liveKeir Starmer has set out his vision for what he describes as a “moral socialism” focused on combating inequality and injustice, promising also to put the climate emergency at the centre of all policies if he becomes Labour leader.Writing in the Guardian, Starmer, currently seen as the favourite to succeed Jeremy Corbyn, said Labour should focus on becoming electable, but also use parliament to oppose Boris Johnson, calling him “a prime minister with no conviction or principles”. Cont...

Donald Trump and Liu He signs phase one trade deal - business live Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as US and China prepare to sign a preliminary trade agreementLatest: Trump and Liu arrive to sign trade dealTrump: This is a momentous step forwardsStephen Mnuchin welcomes trade dealExperts: it’s not the end of the trade warDow hits fresh record high 5.42pm GMTLooking ahead, Donald Trump says the US and China will start talking about a Phase Two deal as this deal kicks in.But in the meantime, the tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese imports will remain in place. 5.37pm GMTTrump has finally returned to the details of the US-China trade talks.He says Beijing has agreed to “greatly expand” the products it buys from America, and...

Matt Hancock signals A&E waiting targets likely to be scrapped Health secretary defends NHS’s performance and says targets should be ‘clinically appropriate’Matt Hancock has signalled that four-hour waiting targets for A&E are likely to be scrapped for the NHS in England after the worst figures on record this winter.The health secretary said it would be better if targets were “clinically appropriate” and the “right targets”, as he defended the NHS’s failure to meet the standard that 95% of patients attending A&E should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. Continue reading... Go to Source

HS2 will destroy or damage hundreds of UK wildlife sites, says report Survey reveals internationally protected natural habitats are among the areas at riskHS2 will destroy or irreparably damage five internationally protected wildlife sites, 693 local wildlife sites, 108 ancient woodlands and 33 legally protected sites of special scientific interest, according to the most comprehensive survey of its impact on wildlife.Swaths of other irreplaceable natural habitat will be lost to the new high-speed line, with endangered wildlife such as willow tit, white-clawed crayfish and dingy skipper butterfly at risk of local extinction. Continue reading... Go to Source

Elizabeth Warren's confrontation with Bernie Sanders caps testy debate night Warren appears to reject Sanders’ offer of handshakeRivals spar on foreign policy, healthcare and who can winDemocratic debate – follow it liveA post-debate confrontation between progressive senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders capped the final Democratic debate before the Iowa caucuses after an evening of infighting on foreign policy, healthcare, and what makes a candidate most fit to defeat Donald Trump. Related: Democratic debate: Warren challenges Sanders over electability – live Continue reading... Go to Source

Mail on Sunday could call Thomas Markle in high court defence Newspaper faces legal action from Duchess of Sussex for publishing excerpts from a letter to her fatherThomas Markle could be called to give evidence at the high court against his estranged daughter Meghan, as part of her ongoing legal action against the Mail on Sunday, after it emerged that the paper’s defence appears to rely on his account.The Duchess of Sussex is suing the newspaper for breach of copyright, invasion of privacy, and misuse of personal data after it published excerpts from a letter she sent her father complaining about how he was treating her. Continue reading... Go to Source

Exclusive: 2,000 Syrian troops deployed to Libya to support regime Anti-Turkish sentiment could grow after Ankara agrees to help fight against insurgencyA total of 2,000 Syrian fighters have travelled from Turkey or will arrive imminently to fight on the battlefields of Libya, Syrian sources in all three countries have said, in an unprecedented development that threatens to further complicate the north African state’s intractable civil war.The deployment came after Turkey agreed last month to come to the aid of the Libyan prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj, who is backed by the UN, in the face of a months-long campaign by his rival, the warlord Khalifa Haftar. Continue reading... Go to Source