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Coronavirus: Italy and Germany confirm cases after WHO declares global emergency – live news WHO director says decision comes amid concern for countries with weaker health systems as UK citizens in Hubei are due to be flown home on FridayWHO declares coronavirus a global health emergencyHow does coronavirus spread and how can you protect yourself?Disabled teenager in China dies alone after relatives quarantinedShare your stories 11.32pm GMTThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office have confirmed that following a last-minute decision from China, dependents of British nationals and dual nationals will be allowed on to the evacuation flight.Previously, restrictions imposed by China meant those with Chinese passports were not permitted to leave the country, and China does not recognise dual nat...

No 10 plans low-key Brexit celebration at 'dawn of new era' Boris Johnson to mark moment of departure with message promising to unite countryBoris Johnson will say on Friday that Brexit signals “the dawn of a new era” as his government prepares for a low-key celebration at the moment of departure.The prime minister is expected to mark the moment at 11pm with a pre-recorded video message promising to bring the country together and seek to eradicate inequalities between regions. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump impeachment: chief justice again blocks Republican bid to name whistleblower – live John Roberts refuses to read Rand Paul’s submitted questionRoberts insists he will not say alleged whistleblower’s nameHelp us cover the critical issues of 2020. Consider making a contribution 11.45pm GMTThe trial has adjourned for a 45-minute dinner break. 11.28pm GMT.@RepJeffries "This is the Senate. This is America's most exclusive political club. This is the world's greatest deliberative body and all you offer us is conspiracy theories because you can't address the facts in this case, that the President corruptly abused his power..." pic.twitter.com/D7WuAbizcEResponding to a question from Republican senators on whether the Steele dossier would be considered foreign interference i...

People who worked on Grenfell Tower 'could face life sentences' Lawyers say police interviews indicate workers could face manslaughter chargesGrenfell refurbishment firms ‘killed in pursuit of money’, inquiry told People who worked on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment could face the threat of being jailed for life, their lawyers have said, with witnesses interviewed by police believing they could be charged with manslaughter.On Thursday at the public inquiry into the June 2017 disaster, lawyers for current and former employees of the architect, contractor, subcontractor and client on the project said it was plain to those interviewed already by police that the investigation “will include gross negligence manslaughter where applicable”. Continue reading... Go to...

Sharp rise in football racism as incidents go up by more than 50% in one year • More than 150 incidents reported to police last season• Figures spark calls for action to combat hate crimesMore than 150 football-related racist incidents were reported to police last season, Home Office figures show, a rise of more than 50% on the year before and more than double the number from three seasons ago.The figures, revealed by Home Office minister Susan Williams, show three years of increases in reported incidents across England and Wales, with a sharp rise from 98 to 152 between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Previously there had been a decline in reported incidents of racially charged non-violent abuse, such as chanting or verbal intimidation, from 99 during the 2013-14 season, t...

Grenfell refurbishment firms 'killed in pursuit of money', inquiry told Lawyers for bereaved and survivors say companies ‘all have blood on their hands’The companies that worked on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment killed 72 people “as sure as if they had taken careful aim with a gun and pulled the trigger”, the public inquiry into the disaster has been told by lawyers for the bereaved and survivors.After three days of submissions from the corporates, which the inquiry’s lead counsel described as a “merry-go-round of buck-passing”, the survivors said on Thursday they were “genuinely shocked at corporates seeking to defend the indefensible”. They said: “All have blood on their hands.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump impeachment: 'You cannot be acquitted if you don't have a trial,' says Pelosi – live House speaker says likely acquittal would not be legitimate Mitch McConnell says he ‘always’ feels confident about voteHelp us cover the critical issues of 2020. Consider making a contribution 5.36pm GMTThe impeachment trial will resume in about 30 minutes with another eight hours of questions from the senators.Here’s where the day stands so far: 5.24pm GMTLead impeachment manager Adam Schiff criticized the answers presented by the president’s lawyers yesterday, saying Trump’s legal team was pushing “the most incredible arguments born of desperation.”Schiff warned the logic deployed by president’s lawyers would lead the country down the “most...

Disabled teenager in China dies at home alone after relatives quarantined Boy with cerebral palsy was left without a carer after his father developed a feverA 17-year-old boy with cerebral palsy from a rural village in China’s Hubei province has died because his relatives were unable to care for him after being quarantined as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the state-run Beijing Youth Daily newspaper has reported.Government officials from Hong’an County, 60 miles north of the provincial capital, Wuhan, where the outbreak first started, have launched an investigation into the death, said the report, which was picked up by other local media. Continue reading... Go to Source

Prince Harry loses Mail on Sunday complaint over sedated wildlife photos Harry told IPSO article implied he misled public about pictures of a rhino, elephant and lionThe Duke of Sussex has lost a complaint against the Mail on Sunday over a claim by the newspaper that dramatic wildlife pictures he took in Africa did not highlight the fact the animals were sedated and tethered.Prince Harry complained to press standards regulator the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) that the newspaper had breached a clause of the editors’ code of practice relating to accuracy over its article about photographs he took of a rhino, elephant and a lion. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sajid Javid to focus on skills in budget to hold on to ex-Labour seats Chancellor expected to fund broken FE colleges in effort to ‘level up’ countrySajid Javid will make skills a central theme of his March budget as the government seeks to cement its electoral hold on former Labour heartlands by emphasising its post-Brexit plan to “level up” the country.The chancellor is expected to announce more funding to repair crumbling further education colleges; measures to increase the availability of in-career retraining; and a further expansion of apprenticeships. Continue reading... Go to Source

Police send one-third fewer rape cases to prosecutors, figures show Call for inquiry into CPS as prosecutions fall by a quarter and convictions by a fifthRape victims are finding it increasingly difficult to access justice as police refer fewer cases to the Crown Prosecution Service and fewer allegations of rape are being prosecuted and convicted, according to new figures.The number of cases referred by the police for charging decisions fell by 32% in the year to September 2019, while prosecutions by the CPS fell 26%, and convictions dropped 21%, according to quarterly CPS prosecution data across a range of crimes. Continue reading... Go to Source

PM to hold crunch HS2 talks as Tories threaten rebellion Backbencher vows to oppose rail project, despite chancellor’s decision to back itTory backbench opposition to HS2 is brewing in response to the chancellor, Sajid Javid’s move to swing behind the controversial high-speed rail project.Boris Johnson is to hold crunch talks with Javid and the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, on Thursday to hammer out plans before an expected final move to publicly back the scheme. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus: 6,000 locked down on cruise ship off Italy – live news WHO says whole world must be on alert for Wuhan virus as UK citizens in Hubei told they will not be flown out on Thursday. Follow the latest news and live updatesWhole world must be ready to deal with coronavirus, says WHOJapan and US fly citizens home as China death toll jumpsShare your stories 11.52am GMTA hotel in Yorkshire has been put on lockdown after a man, believed to be a Chinese national, was taken to hospital after falling ill.The man, who was a guest at the Staycity Hotel in the centre of York, was taken to hospital by medics on Wednesday night.Paramedics wearing special protective clothing entered the hotel, near the city’s Barbican theatre, after reports that a guest had fallen ill at around 7.50pm...

Most of 11m trees planted in Turkish project 'may be dead' Agriculture and forestry union says up to 90% of saplings they have looked at so far have diedUp to 90% of the millions of saplings planted in Turkey as part of a record-breaking mass planting project may have died after just a few months, according to the country’s agriculture and forestry trade union.On 11 November last year, which the government declared National Forestation Day, 11 million trees were planted by volunteers in more than 2,000 sites across the country, including by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the parliament Speaker, Mustafa Şentop. Continue reading... Go to Source