Category Archives: UK news

Coronavirus live news: France make masks compulsory in shops from Monday; UK to pause daily death toll updates

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Sage member says virus will ‘come back very fast’ if normal behaviour resumes too soon; confirmed global cases pass 14m. Follow all the developments live

Scotland has recorded its highest number of daily positive coronavirus tests for almost a month, with 21 confirmed results in 24 hours, as the deputy first minister warned of the ongoing threat of coronavirus.

Figures released by the Scottish government on Saturday were the highest number since 21 June, when there were 26 positive test results.

Related: Scotland records highest daily rate of positive Covid-19 tests for month

Parisians heading to the opening of Paris Plages, the yearly transformation of sections of the Seine river into man-made beaches, were met with a new attraction on Saturday: Covid-19 test centres.

A series of indicators across the country, including in the French capital, have suggested the virus could once again be gaining momentum.

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Ministers ignore pleas to honour vow and bring ‘innocents’ back from Syria

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After last week’s Shamima Begum ruling, Home Office stays silent on rescue of minors from camps in the north-west of the country

The Home Office has been accused of “alarming inaction” after making no apparent attempt to bring back any British children from Syria for the past eight months despite pledges of help from ministers.

The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, announced last October that “unaccompanied minors or orphans” in Syria could be returned to Britain. After three orphans returned in November, he hailed the move as “the right thing to do”. He added: “These innocent, orphaned children should never have been subjected to the horrors of war.”

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Daily updates on English Covid-19 deaths paused amid accuracy concerns

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Government confirms PHE set no cut-off between time of testing and date of death

Daily updates on the coronavirus death toll in England have been paused amid growing concern that the numbers could have been exaggerated.

A message on the government’s website on Saturday said: “Currently the daily deaths measure counts all people who have tested positive for coronavirus and since died, with no cut-off between time of testing and date of death.

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Meghan blames ‘intrusive’ UK tabloids for falling-out with father

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Details of father/daughter financial relationship disclosed as part of Mail on Sunday lawsuit

The Duchess of Sussex has blamed British tabloids for destroying her relationship with her father, claiming he received “significant payments” for providing quotes to newspapers and commentators.

Meghan’s lawyers said she and Thomas Markle “had a very close father/daughter relationship throughout her childhood and remained close until he was targeted three years ago by intrusive UK tabloid media”.

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Man jailed for 35 years for killing pregnant ex-girlfriend and baby in London

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Aaron McKenzie broke into Kelly Fauvrelle’s bedroom as she slept and stabbed her in jealous rage

An man has been jailed for at least 35 years for killing his heavily pregnant ex-girlfriend and their baby in a jealous rage. Crane operator Aaron McKenzie, 26, broke into Kelly Fauvrelle’s bedroom as she slept and stabbed her 21 times, the Old Bailey was told.

Their son, Riley, was delivered by caesarean section, but died in hospital four days later. McKenzie had denied killing the 26-year-old Royal Mail worker, claiming a man named Mike was responsible.

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‘Get off my neck’: London police officer suspended after arrest incident

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Video appears to show Met officer applying pressure with his knee to suspect’s neck area

A Metropolitan police officer has been suspended after a video appeared to show him briefly applying pressure with his knee to a suspect’s neck area during an arrest in London.

The footage shows the suspect, who is handcuffed and on the ground, shouting, “Get off my neck.” The Metropolitan police said the video was “extremely disturbing” and that they had suspended one officer and removed another from operational duty.

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How prepared is Boris Johnson for a winter resurgence of coronavirus?

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The prime minister says he is hoping for the best but planning for the worst. We look at key areas of concern

Boris Johnson’s approach to a winter wave of Covid-19 is to hope for the best but plan for the worst, he said on Friday. The worst-case scenario was spelled out earlier in the week by the Academy of Medical Sciences: as many as 120,000 hospital patients dead. Avoiding that will depend on the state of preparations in many areas.

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Capt Tom Moore knighted by Queen for coronavirus fundraising – video

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Capt Tom Moore, whose sponsored walks in his garden raised £33m for NHS charities, has been knighted in the Queen’s first official engagement in person since lockdown. The 100-year-old war veteran attended a unique open-air ceremony at Windsor Castle on Friday to receive the honour

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BA begins to carry out its ‘fire and rehire’ threat to jobs

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As airline moves to cut 12,000 jobs, senior crew told they will get 80% of current basic pay

British Airways has started carrying out its threat to fire and rehire thousands of workers – days after unions joined talks with a plan to save jobs.

Long-serving cabin crew were served notice this week to either accept an enhanced redundancy package within three weeks, or risk losing it by reapplying for a similar job at much lower pay.

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Labour abuses happening ‘at scale’ far beyond Leicester, warn rights groups

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Exploitation occurring in UK farming, construction, contract cleaning, fishing, recycling and domestic work, say labour organisations

The labour abuses and sweatshop conditions reported in factories in Leicester are occurring “at scale” across the UK’s garment, manufacturing and farming industries, campaigners warn.

Reports of similar exploitative conditions and labour abuses alleged to be occurring in Leicester have also been linked to garment factories in Birmingham, Manchester and London, among other places.

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Face mask fashion: politicians step out in statement masks

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From Nicola Sturgeon’s tartan to Michael Gove’s fog, politicians find masks to match their personality

Nicola Sturgeon set the template for face mask diplomacy almost three weeks ago with a £10 tartan mask, which raised money for Shelter Scotland. Her endorsement sparked staggering sales and promoted Scottish culture, charity and business in one photo op, while making a clear message about public health. In other words, she played a blinder.

Sturgeon also sparkled a trend of sorts, with Jackson Carlaw, the leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist party, wearing an even toastier-looking tartan face mask to pour himself a patriotic pint a few weeks later.

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Princess Beatrice marries in secret ceremony attended by Queen

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Marriage to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi followed social distancing guidelines, says palace

The Queen’s granddaughter Princess Beatrice has married the property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret ceremony attended by the Queen and close family.

In what is believed to be the first family gathering that the Queen and Prince Philip have attended since lockdown, the wedding of Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi took place at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in Windsor, after being initially delayed from 29 May due to the coronavirus outbreak.

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Coronavirus symptoms fall into six different groupings, study finds

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Exclusive: Findings could give medics advance warning for hospital care and respiratory support

Symptoms of Covid-19 appear to fall into six different groupings, researchers have revealed, in work they say could help to predict whether a patient will end up needing a ventilator or other breathing support.

The team say the findings could give healthcare providers several days advanced warning of demand for hospital care and respiratory support.

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‘Work from home’: UK chief scientific adviser warns of coronavirus risks – video

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The UK government's chief scientific adviser has said working from home is still the best option where possible to maintain physical distancing, as he acknowledged that the outcome of Britain's response to the Covid-19 outbreak 'has not been good'. Sir Patrick Vallance's advice during a two-hour appearance before the science and technology select committee contrasts with Boris Johnson's recovery 'roadmap' under which the prime minister is encouraging more people to return to their workplaces in an effort to help city centre economies recover

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UK coronavirus live: Johnson to unveil £3bn plan to get NHS ‘battle ready’ for winter

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News updates: PM set to make announcement in press conference on Friday

The news that the court of appeal decided yesterday to allow Shamima Begum to return to Britain makes many front pages this morning, and is now under discussion on the Today programme.

Richard Walton, former head of counter terrorism command at the Met, says the court has made a “profound mistake”. “It’s quite alarming to see the court of appeal taking over the home secretary’s job of deciding who should be allowed into the UK,” he says.

With much discussion today of how to encourage people to embrace the reopening of the economy, Joanna Partridge reports grim findings for England’s pubs, bars and restaurants. Figures released overnight find that sales since they reopened are about 40% down compared on the same period last year.

On the other hand, argues Karl Chessell, director of the consultancy CGA which released the findings, that’s actually better bounceback for the sector than in many other countries. You can read more about that here:

Related: England yet to embrace reopened restaurants and pubs, data suggests

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Coronavirus live news: record 24-rise in worldwide Covid-19 cases as Australian parliament to be postponed

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Increase of 237,743 cases globally; EU ‘no closer to agreeing rescue package’; Brazil cases pass 2m

That’s where we might leave this blog for now. You can keep up to date with global news on The Guardian website or come join me on the new Guardian live blog launching soon.

Labor MP Amanda Rishworth is also speaking with ABC. She agrees the parliament must follow medical advice, but says the cancellation of this sitting fortnight makes it difficult for the opposition to scrutinise government.

Question time is a really important forum which the opposition can ask the government questions, and every MP has a chance to raise their voice in parliament. So this is critically important that we have parliament sitting. It is a really important vehicle.

Yes, there is the Covid committee, but parliament itself is the opportunity for every MP from around the country to bring the concerns of their constituents. So it does make it more challenging [if it is not sitting].

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Battery firm chooses Welsh site for Britain’s first gigafactory

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Startup firm Britishvolt, serving energy storage and electric cars, plans 30GWh battery plant at Bro Tathan

A startup company with plans to build Britain’s first gigafactory to make batteries for electric cars has chosen a site in south Wales for the plant after discussions with the Welsh government.

Britishvolt, which in May launched an ambitious effort to create a £1.2bn factory, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Welsh government ahead of signing a lease for a former Royal Air Force base at Bro Tathan business park, south Wales.

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Munroe Bergdorf receives landmark book deal for trans manifesto

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Model and activist signs six-figure contract to publish Transitional, ‘a manifesto for how I see society changing for the better, bringing us all closer’

The first book by Munroe Bergdorf, a manifesto on gender by the black transgender activist and model, has been bought for a six-figure sum after a bidding war between 11 publishers.

Bergdorf’s Transitional will be published by Bloomsbury in 2021. Exploring six different facets of human experience – adolescence, sexuality, gender, relationships, identity and race – the book will draw on Bergdorf’s own experiences, including growing up in a mixed-race family, going to an all-boys school and starting her transition at the age of 24. In it, she will argue that transition is an experience every person faces in every phase in life, “and that only by recognising this can we understand times of change”.

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England yet to embrace reopened restaurants and pubs, data suggests

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Tracker finds sales about 40% down on same period last year among venues that reopened

People have not embraced an easing of lockdown restrictions in England’s pubs, bars and restaurants, according to figures that showed a drop in sales of about 40% among venues that opened their doors at the beginning of the month.

Pubs that were open in the week beginning 6 July posted a 39% decline in sales compared with the same period last year, while bars were down 43% and restaurants down 40%.

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