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Majority of retired NHS staff don't want to return to tackle Covid-19 crisis Some former workers say going back would threaten their mental and physical health• Coronavirus – latest• Tell us: have you been affected by the coronavirus? Scores of retired NHS doctors and nurses have told the Guardian that they are against returning to work to help tackle coronavirus, with many saying it would threaten their physical and mental health. The government confirmed contingency plans on Tuesday to call back to work NHS “leavers and retirees” to help relieve pressure on an NHS workforce that is expected to be overwhelmed by the virus.But a majority of 120 former NHS employees who responded to a Guardian callout were resistant, and in some cases hostile, to the idea. Man...

Joe Biden wins Texas primary, topping off remarkable Super Tuesday surge – live Biden wins Texas, Massachusetts, Arkansas, Minnesota, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia primariesSanders wins California, Utah, Colorado and Vermont primariesFull story: Biden surges with early victories as Sanders wins CaliforniaSuper Tuesday: live results from all 14 statesSupport the Guardian’s independent journalism. Make a contribution 11.50am GMTAxios has more on what Bloomberg might do today as he licks his wounds following last night’s ultra-expensive electoral flop.Look for Bloomberg to drop out as soon as this morning, and try to save face by promising to spend a helluva lot more to defeat President Trump with someone other than him. 10.45am GMTNot all of Mike Bl...

Eustice told to 'get real' as he tells peers UK will not use fisheries as bargaining chip in trade talks - live news Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs 11.37am GMTLord Reed, the new president of the supreme court, has been giving evidence to the Lords constitution committee. John Hyde from the Law Society Gazette has some lines from the hearing.Lord Reed, president of the Supreme Court, is giving evidence to a House of Lords committee. Says relationship between the court and parliament 'needs to be addressed'.Lord Reed: 'Our ties with the House of Commons are extremely limited. I want to find ways MPs and justices can have appropriate contacts to answer their questions so they can better understand...

Murder inquiries could be hit if coronavirus reduces police numbers Up to one-fifth of UK workforce could be off sick at peak of epidemic, government warnsCoronavirus: latest updatesPolice investigations into some homicides would be halted and 999 response times extended under contingency plans to help forces cope with a severe coronavirus outbreak, the Guardian has learned.As the number of confirmed UK cases reached 51, the government warned that up to a fifth of the workforce could be off sick during the peak of a potential epidemic. A raft of measures would be introduced if the virus moved beyond the currently designated “contain phase,” a 28-page action plan warned. Continue reading... Go to Source

Thousands of intensive care patients to be tested for Covid-19 NHS bosses in England ramp up efforts to detect virus amid fears it is circulating in ICUsCoronavirus: latest updatesThousands of patients in intensive care will be tested for signs of the coronavirus amid fears that it is circulating among units treating people who are seriously ill in hospital. Related: Coronavirus latest: at a glance Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris fails to convince with sanitised take on coronavirus | John Crace PM sought to calm nation but it soon became clear his emergency plan was remarkably thinAnd… breathe. Though not too deeply. And certainly not all over anybody else. After more than six weeks of mooching around No 10 hoping the pangolins would deal with the coronavirus on their own, Boris Johnson finally broke off from his sabbatical to ease widespread concerns about a global pandemic with an emergency press conference. Don’t panic! Don’t panic!There were no face masks or breathing equipment stashed in the corner of the state room. Just hand sanitiser at the front door on the way in. This was Downing Street in full “Keep calm and carry on” mode. As Boris walked into the room, flanked b...

Super Tuesday: crucial vote to show if 'Biden bump' is enough to stop Sanders – live First polls near their closing times on critical voting day of 2020 electionExplainer: your guide to Super TuesdaySuper Tuesday: live results from all 14 statesSupport the Guardian’s independent journalism. Make a contribution 11.43pm GMTMike Bloomberg is showing no signs of dropping out of the race, as the billionaire candidate faces his first test with voters tonight. 11.30pm GMTSome Tennessee polling places are staying open later because of the tornadoes that swept through earlier today.The Tennessean reports: A Davidson County judge Tuesday afternoon ruled that polls can remain open until 8 p.m. CT at all sites across Nashville.Polls were originally set to close at 7 p.m. CT. Five polling site...

Top civil servant begins legal case against Priti Patel and Home Office Home secretary may have to give evidence under oath if case comes to tribunalSir Philip Rutnam, the senior civil servant who resigned on Saturday claiming he was bullied and forced from office, has begun legal action against the government over his treatment by Priti Patel, his union has told the Guardian.Legal documents name the home secretary, the Home Office and the Cabinet Office as respondents, the FDA said. It would mean that Patel will be expected to give evidence under oath if the case comes to tribunal. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: Iran to mobilise 300,000 soldiers and volunteers as 23 MPs infected - latest news Follow live updates on outbreak as Germany also reports increase in infections and more events are cancelled across Europe Full story: Iran steps up coronavirus effortsUK coronavirus plans would strip police and fire services to essentialsBattling coronavirus misinformation in the age of social mediaWhat is coronavirus and what should I do if I have symptoms? 5.44pm GMTThe World Health Organization said Tuesday that understanding how the new coronavirus spreads was rapidly increasing, but warned the protective gear needed to fight the disease was “rapidly depleting”.The UN health agency voiced concern that the masks and other protective equipment used by health workers was running ...

Coronavirus: 12 more test positive in UK bringing total to 51 Eight had recently travelled from Italy and others from Germany, Japan and IranLatest updates | At a glanceTwelve more people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number infected to 51.Eight of the new patients announced on Tuesday had recently travelled from Italy, and the fresh cases also included the first to have travelled from Germany. The others had been to Singapore, Japan and Iran, suggesting none are believed to have contracted the virus in the UK. Continue reading... Go to Source

Federal Reserve makes emergency US rate cut to fight coronavirus slowdown - business live In an emergency move, the US central bank has cut borrowing costs by 50 basis points and warns that the coronavirus “poses evolving risks to economic activity” Latest: Fed chair Jerome Powell’s press conferenceNEWSFLASH: FED EMERGENCY RATE CUTRead the full statementEarlier:Finance ministers and central bankers issue joint statementMark Carney says Bank of England is preparing for coronavirus shockLast night, the Dow surged by 5% 5.43pm GMTTime for a quick recap Related: Coronavirus: Iran to mobilise 300,000 soldiers and volunteers as 23 MPs infected - latest news 5.15pm GMTEuropean stock market have ended the day with gains, but have fallen back from their highs earlier in the da...

Woman serving 'never-ending' jail term suffered 'sudden unexpected death' Charlotte Nokes died of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in cell, inquest jury findsAn artist caught in a “perfect storm” of deteriorating mental health and a prison term she feared would never end suffered an extremely rare sudden death alone in her cell, an inquest has concluded.Charlotte Nokes, 38, was on suicide watch when she died in her cell in Peterborough prison, run by the outsourcing company Sodexo, on 23 July 2016, the inquest was told. Continue reading... Go to Source

Aide who called Dominic Cummings ‘unkind’ to leave post Conservatives deny PM’s de facto chief of staff is involved in Lynn Davidson’s departureDowning Street has confirmed that the special adviser who confronted Dominic Cummings over his “unkindness” at a recent meeting is leaving the government.Lynn Davidson, an aide to the defence secretary Ben Wallace, was asked to move post as part of a special advisers’ (Spad) reshuffle, in February, government insiders said – before she publicly upbraided Cummings over his treatment of aides. Continue reading... Go to Source