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Continue reading...Category Archives: UK news
British security services to get extra powers in wake of Russia report
Counter-espionage laws to be strengthened as government accused of failing to respond to security threat
Legislation to clamp down on foreign spying is being considered by Downing Street in the wake of a damning report laying bare the impact of Russian influence in Britain and accusing the government of “badly” underestimating the threat posed by the Kremlin.
Under the new legislation, foreign agents would have to register in the UK in a move modelled on similar requirements in the US and Australia.
Continue reading...World is legally obliged to pressure China on Uighurs, leading lawyers say
Exclusive: Sanctions on China and companies operating there, along with use of treaty agreements, can bring Beijing to account, British barristers argue
The international community is legally obliged to take action on China’s alleged abuse of Uighur and other Turkic minorities, a prominent group of British lawyers has said, suggesting nations use sanctions, corporate accountability mechanisms, and international treaties preventing racial discrimination to pressure Beijing.
China’s refusal to be held legally accountable for the widespread and documented allegations did not absolve the global community of responsibility, the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) said in a report released on Wednesday.
Continue reading...Mike Pompeo attacks WHO in private meeting during UK visit
US secretary of state said the World Health Organization was responsible for Britons who had died from Covid-19
The US secretary of state Mike Pompeo launched an extraordinary attack on the World Health Organization during a private meeting in the UK, accusing it of being in the pocket of China and responsible for “dead Britons” who passed away during the pandemic.
Pompeo told those present that he believed the WHO was “political not a science-based organisation” and accused its current director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of being too close to Beijing.
Continue reading...Grenfell project manager denies saying cladding ‘would not burn’
Simon Lawrence tells inquiry he offered no such assurances about cladding material
The project manager on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment has denied assuring the block’s landlord its new cladding panels “would not burn at all”.
The public inquiry into the disaster that killed 72 people was shown a witness statement from David Gibson, head of capital investment at the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, that claimed Simon Lawrence of Rydon said the plastic-filled panels were “inert”. In fact they were highly combustible and the inquiry has already deemed they were the primary cause of the fire’s spread.
Continue reading...UK must ramp up coronavirus efforts to avoid second wave, scientists warn
Senior scientists say it is ‘critical’ Britain improves capacity to spot and contain outbreaks before winter
Britain must ramp up its capacity to spot and contain coronavirus outbreaks if it is to avoid a potentially devastating second wave of infections this winter, senior scientists have warned.
The next two months are “critical” for building a more effective test-and-trace system and ensuring that local outbreak teams are ready to handle the resurgence of infections that is feared as temperatures fall, the experts told the Lords science committee.
Continue reading...UK government ‘did not want to know’ about Russian interference in EU referendum – video
Long-delayed findings on Russia’s influence over UK politics reveals that the British government and intelligence agencies failed to conduct any proper assessment of Kremlin attempts to interfere with the 2016 EU referendum.
Parliament’s intelligence and security committee revealed the findings in a long overdue report that said ministers, in effect, ignored allegations of Russian disruption
Are official figures overstating England’s Covid-19 death toll?
PHE figures include deaths of anyone who tested positive, even if it was months ago
Matt Hancock has announced an urgent review into how Public Health England (PHE) counts Covid-19 deaths after discovering what appeared to be a serious issue in how rates are calculated.
Following the health secretary’s move on Friday, Yoon K Loke and Carl Heneghan, of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University, wrote in a blogpost: “It seems that PHE regularly looks for people on the NHS database who have ever tested positive, and simply checks to see if they are still alive or not. PHE does not appear to consider how long ago the Covid test result was, nor whether the person has been successfully treated in hospital and discharged to the community.”
Continue reading...Russia report reveals UK government failed to investigate Kremlin interference
Intelligence and security committee publishes long-delayed findings on Russian influence over UK politics
The British government and intelligence agencies failed to conduct any proper assessment of Kremlin attempts to interfere with the 2016 Brexit referendum, according to the long-delayed Russia report.
The damning conclusion is contained within the 50-page document from parliament’s intelligence and security committee, which said ministers in effect turned a blind eye to allegations of Russian disruption.
Continue reading...UK will ‘bear the consequences’ for Hong Kong decision, China warns
Ambassador to London calls extradition treaty suspension ‘blatant’ interference in Chinese affairs and a contravention of international law
China’s ambassador has accused the UK government of blatantly interfering in China’s internal affairs by suspending extradition with Hong Kong, and led a cavalcade of Beijing voices warning of consequences.
On Monday the UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, announced his government would follow moves by Australia, Canada, and the US, and formally suspend its extradition agreement with Hong Kong in response to Beijing’s unilateral imposition of national security laws.
Continue reading...Importance of Prince Andrew interview became clear in editing suite, says Maitlis
Newsnight presenter could not understand the lack of empathy for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims
The Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis has said she only realised the significance of her interview with the Duke of York after watching the footage.
The Prince Andrew interview in November 2019, in which he was grilled over his relationship with billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, won scoop of the year at the Royal Television Society Awards while the BBC’s flagship current affairs show was also named daily news programme of the year.
Continue reading...Matt Hancock hails ‘promising news’ on Oxford University coronavirus vaccine – video
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has welcomed the 'promising news' on Oxford University's coronavirus vaccine.
Researchers working on the experimental vaccine said it was safe and generated a strong immune response in the people who volunteered to help trial it, raising hopes it could contribute to ending the pandemic.
'Very encouraging news. We have already ordered 100m doses of this vaccine, should it succeed,' Hancock said
Continue reading...UK could face lawsuit over $1bn aid to Mozambique gas project
Government accused of hypocrisy for backing scheme while claiming to be leading on climate
The UK government could face a legal battle after offering more than $1bn in financial support to help build a gas project in Mozambique despite its commitment to tackling the climate crisis.
Under the deal, UK taxpayer funds will be used to help develop and export Mozambique’s gas reserves, in one of the largest single financing packages ever offered by a UK credit agency to a foreign fossil fuel project.
Continue reading...UK risks China’s wrath by suspending Hong Kong extradition treaty
Foreign secretary also bans export of riot control kit in response to security crackdown
The UK is to immediately suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and also bar the export of riot control equipment following Beijing’s imposition of a sweeping national security law on the territory, Dominic Raab has announced.
Speaking to the Commons on Monday, the UK foreign secretary said that while Britain sought cooperative ties with China, it was deeply worried at both events in Hong Kong and the repression of the Uighur population in China’s Xinjiang province.
Continue reading...Women seeking asylum left ‘without basic support’ during UK lockdown
Charity report finds many vulnerable women struggled to access food, water and soap
Women seeking asylum in the UK have described a significant increase in unsafe and unsanitary living conditions during the Covid-19 crisis, according to a report from a coalition of charities.
The report, published by Sisters Not Strangers, which collated evidence from nine charities supporting refugee and asylum-seeking women, paints a picture in which those living in the most precarious of circumstances have been made even more vulnerable during lockdown.
Continue reading...Russia report to be released on Tuesday after nine-month delay
Document on Russian interference into UK politics blocked by Boris Johnson before election
The long-awaited Russia report from the UK parliament’s intelligence and security committee is due to be released on Tuesday morning, nine months after its publication was blocked by Boris Johnson before the general election.
An examination of the reach of the Kremlin into UK politics and public life, the document is the product of 18 months’ work by a cross-party committee taking evidence in secret from British intelligence and independent experts.
Continue reading...Trial of Covid-19 drug given via inhaler ‘very promising’, say scientists
Researchers say SNG001 can reduce need for ventilation and improve survival chances
Trials of an experimental drug inhaled by patients have found a significant reduction in hospital patients with Covid-19 needing to be put on a ventilator or dying from the disease, according to researchers
The drug, called SNG001, is delivered via an inhaler and is based on interferon beta, a protein produced naturally in the body that plays an important role in coordinating the body’s antiviral response.
Continue reading...Oxford coronavirus vaccine triggers immune response, trial shows
Early results also indicate vaccine is safe, raising hopes it could help end pandemic
Hopes for a vaccine to address the global spread of coronavirus have been raised after Oxford University’s experimental version was revealed to be safe and to generate a strong immune response in the people who volunteered to help trial it.
After intensive research, Prof Sarah Gilbert, from Oxford’s Jenner Institute, said they were more than happy with the first results, which showed good immunity after a single dose of vaccine.
“We’re really pleased that it seems to be behaving just as we thought it would do. We have quite a lot of experience of using this technology to make other vaccines, so we knew what we expected to see, and that’s what we have seen,” she told the Guardian.
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, called the results “very positive news”, adding: “There are no guarantees, we’re not there yet and further trials will be necessary – but this is an important step in the right direction.”
Continue reading...Amber Heard: Johnny Depp threatened to carve up my face
Court hears testimony from actor’s ex-wife, who says he was abusive and violent
Johnny Depp threatened to carve and disfigure Amber Heard’s face if she left him, repeatedly demeaned her and often physically attacked her, she has told the high court.
Opening the defence case in the libel trial initiated by the Pirates of the Caribbean star, Heard said her former husband insulted her and on one occasion told her: “I’m going to have to watch you get raped.”
Continue reading...Revealed: NHS denied PPE at height of Covid-19 as supplier prioritised China
Disclosures call into question UK’s reliance on ‘just in time’ logistics during pandemic
The NHS was deprived of large amounts of protective gear at the height of the coronavirus outbreak after a French company contracted to supply millions of masks allegedly prioritised more lucrative deals with deep-pocketed clients including a Chinese state-owned energy company.
A joint investigation by the Guardian and the French news website Mediapart has uncovered evidence suggesting the mask manufacturer Valmy failed to fulfil the terms of a £1.2m contract with the NHS to supply about 7m masks in the event of a pandemic.
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