Babak Belurs

Kamis, 25 Juni 2020

Coronavirus: Prof Chris Whitty warns public over gatherings in hot weather - BBC News

People must follow social distancing guidance while enjoying the sun, or Covid-19 cases "will rise again", the UK's chief medical adviser has warned.

Prof Chris Whitty's remarks on social media came after a major incident was declared in Bournemouth when thousands of people flocked to the Dorset coast.

"Naturally people will want to enjoy the sun but we need to do so in a way that is safe for all," he said.

The UK's coronavirus death toll is now 43,320, a rise of 149 since Wednesday.

The latest figures, released by the Department for Health and Social Care, showed 307,980 people have tested positive across the UK.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council said Bournemouth Beach was "stretched to the absolute hilt" on Thursday, while Dorset Police said there were reports of gridlocked roads, fights and overnight camping.

Council leader Vikki Slade said they were "absolutely appalled at the scenes witnessed on our beaches".

Later, on Twitter, Prof Whitty said: "Covid-19 has gone down due to the efforts of everyone but is still in general circulation.

"If we do not follow social distancing guidance then cases will rise again."

Since May, people in England have been able to meet in groups of up to six people in outdoor spaces such as parks or private gardens - provided they observe social distancing and remain two metres apart.

The government has since announced a further easing of lockdown restrictions in England - to come into effect from 4 July.

This includes the introduction of a new "one metre plus" rule - meaning that if a distance of two metres is not possible then one metre will be acceptable if certain precautions are taken, such as the use of face coverings.

'Note of caution'

The announcements at the prime minister's Downing Street briefing this week on the reopening of pubs and other venues in England in early July and the new "one metre plus" rule made all the headlines.

But the note of caution struck by the senior official advisers, Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance was all too obvious.

There were repeated comments that the easing of lockdown restrictions was not risk free and that the virus would be circulating right through the winter.

Prof Whitty said it was "really critical" that people took social distancing rules seriously otherwise chains of virus transmission would be re-established.

He clearly feels the rules are not being taken seriously on the beach in Bournemouth and has felt the need to repeat his warning.

This further underlines the concerns felt by health leaders that people will drop their guard and create mass gatherings in the hot weather and holiday season which will allow the spread of the virus to pick up again.

On Thursday, for the second consecutive day, the UK recorded its hottest temperature of the year so far, with highs of 33.3C (92F) at Heathrow Airport.

Both Wales and Scotland also individually recorded their hottest days of the year.

In Wales, the temperature reached 30.7C at Gogerddan, near Aberystwyth, beating the previous high of 30C from Wednesday. And in Scotland, a high of 30C was recorded in Prestwick, Gannett.

In Northern Ireland, a high of 25.5C was recorded in Aldegrove.

An amber level three heat-health alert, issued by the Met Office, was extended on Thursday to take in Yorkshire and the east and south of England as well as the West and East Midlands.

That means people should drink plenty of fluids, avoid consuming excess alcohol and "look out for" young children, babies and those with underlying health conditions, the Met Office said.

Commenting on the crowded scenes in his constituency, Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood said he had asked the government to dispatch additional officers to Dorset if needed to deal with traffic and antisocial behaviour.

"It is very sad to see a number of people being selfish and also acting dangerously," he said.

Mr Ellwood said it was "not practical" to close Dorset's beaches altogether but suggested signs warning about overcrowding could be put up at railway stations and on approaching motorways.

He added the government needed to be "dynamic" in its response to beach crowding, otherwise the lockdown would have "been for nothing".

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2020-06-25 17:35:39Z
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Keir Starmer sacks Rebecca Long-Bailey for sharing 'anti-Semitic conspiracy theory' - Evening Standard

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Keir Starmer sacks Rebecca Long-Bailey for sharing 'anti-Semitic conspiracy theory' Evening Standard
Labour’s Rebecca Long-Bailey sacked in anti-Semitism row BBC News
'Critical or not?': Starmer challenges Johnson on test-and-trace app Guardian News
Rebecca Long-Bailey's sacking sums up Labour's long-time failure to recognise anti-Semitism iNews
PMQs sketch: Yes, Keir Starmer is a lawyer. And your point? The Scotsman
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2020-06-25 16:14:16Z
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Labour’s Rebecca Long-Bailey sacked in anti-Semitism row - BBC News

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has sacked Rebecca Long-Bailey for sharing an article containing an "anti-Semitic conspiracy theory".

Mrs Long-Bailey retweeted an interview with actor and Labour supporter Maxine Peake.

The shadow education secretary - who was beaten to the party leadership by Sir Keir - later said she had not meant to endorse all aspects of the article.

But Sir Keir said his "first priority" was tackling anti-Semitism.

The Labour leader said: "The sharing of that article was wrong… because the article contained anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and I have therefore stood Rebecca Long-Bailey down from the shadow cabinet.

"I've made it my first priority to tackle anti-Semitism and rebuilding trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority for me."

A spokesman for the Labour leader added: "Anti-Semitism takes many different forms and it is important that we all are vigilant against it."

In the article, Ms Peake discussed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

She said: "The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd's neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services."

There are political consequences to Keir Starmer's sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey.

On becoming leader, Sir Keir said he wanted to bring unity to the party where previously there have been factional fighting.

His decision may re-open divisions, with one former shadow minister on the party's left telling me that this was "a dangerous moment for the party" - with the new leader 'purging' those with whom he disagreed.

Others in the party note that Sir Keir has done quite a lot in a short space of time to install people close to him in key positions.

Leadership sources, though, insist the sacking was not part of some grand plan.

They say Mrs Long-Bailey had to go because she repeatedly refused to remove her retweet of Maxine Peake's article when asked to do so.

And for Sir Keir, this is all about tackling the toxic perception of anti-Semitism in the Labour party ahead of a potentially damning report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

His allies say he promised actions not words to the Jewish community and he is following through.

He wants to make sure that under his leadership he sends out a signal that those who are accused of anti-Semitism have no place at his top table.

The new shadow education secretary won't be announced today.

Those formerly close to Jeremy Corbyn say that the appointee must come from the left of the party if Labour's leader is concerned about maintaining unity.

But he is proving that he won't duck difficult decisions.

The Jewish Labour Movement - which has led calls for a crackdown on anti-Semitism in Labour's ranks - welcomed Sir Keir's decision to sack Mrs Long-Bailey.

National chairman Mike Katz said: "We have consistently maintained that the pervasive culture of anti-Semitism, bullying and intimidation can only be tackled by strong and decisive leadership.

"The culture of any organisation is determined by the values and behaviours of those who lead them. "

And the Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie Van der Zyl called Mrs Long-Bailey's initial response "pathetic" and thanked the Labour leader for his "swift action".

'Reckless'

But Mrs Long-Bailey's allies on the left of the party have criticised the decision.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who supported her leadership bid, said: "Throughout discussion of anti-Semitism it's always been said criticism of practices of Israeli state is not anti-Semitic.

"I don't believe therefore that this article is or Rebecca Long-Bailey should've been sacked. I stand in solidarity with her."

And Jon Lansman - founder of the Labour activist group Momentum - said her sacking was "a reckless over-reaction from someone who promised to end factionalism in the party and political interference in disciplinary matters. Keir has now made these tasks harder."

'Significant achievements'

The row erupted when Mrs Long-Bailey tweeted "Maxine Peake is an absolute diamond" with a link to the article on the Independent website.

The Salford and Eccles MP said she had retweeted the article because of Ms Peake's "significant achievements and because the thrust of her argument is to stay in the Labour Party" but she did not endorse "all aspects of it".

After she was sacked, Mrs Long-Bailey said she had issued a clarification of her retweet of the article "agreed in advance by the Labour Party Leader's Office".

She added that she was "subsequently instructed to take both this agreed clarification and my original retweet of Maxine Peake's interview down".

"I could not do this in good conscience without the issuing of a press statement of clarification.

"I had asked to discuss these matters with Keir before agreeing what further action to take, but sadly he had already made his decision."

Mrs Long-Bailey became a Labour MP in 2015. She was a supporter of former leader Jeremy Corbyn and was quickly promoted to his frontbench team, serving as shadow chief secretary of the Treasury and later shadow business secretary.

Following Labour's defeat in the 2019 election, Mrs Long-Bailey entered the leadership contest to replace Mr Corbyn and was supported by many on the left of the party.

She came second in the contest securing 26.6% of the vote, while Sir Keir won 56.2%.

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2020-06-25 15:47:52Z
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Brixton brawl broke out in park hours before street party attack - Daily Mail

Shocking moment vicious brawl breaks out in park in Brixton hours before 'up to 30 police officers' were injured by violent mob at street party nearby

The mob started fighting in Slade Gardens in the south London district at 7.45pm
Two shirtless men - one with blood gushing down his face - threw wild punches
Metropolitan Police were called to the fight and police helicopter circled above
Witnesses claimed the helicopter was searching for one of the fighters who fled
Came hours before '30' police were injured at street party on Angell Town estate

By James Gant For Mailonline

Published: 15:39 BST, 25 June 2020 | Updated: 16:16 BST, 25 June 2020

A vicious brawl erupted between thugs in a Brixton park just hours before up to 30 police officers were injured as they tried to break up a street party nearby.

Two yobs started fighting in Slade Gardens in the south London district at around 7.40pm.

The shirtless men, one in his 20s who had blood gushing from his face, threw wild punches at each other during the scrap.

The Metropolitan Police were called to the skirmish and a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.

Witnesses claimed a helicopter circling overhead was looking for one of the fighters who fled before officers arrived.

The mob started fighting among itself in Slade Gardens in the south London district at around 7.45pm (pictured)

Two shirtless men, one who had blood gushing from his face, threw wild punches at each other during the scrap (pictured)

The Metropolitan Police (pictured on the scene) were called to the skirmish and a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm

It came just hours before up to 30 officers were injured after a street party turned violent down the road on the Angell Town estate.

There is no suggestion that the two events, which happened 300m apart, were linked.

Footage on social media showed police vehicles being smashed and officers pelted with bottles and chased during clashes with a large crowd.

No 10 condemned the violence while Home Secretary Priti Patel branded it 'utterly vile' and said she would speak to Met Commissioner Cressida Dick.

Police said they were called to reports of a 'large unlicensed music event' in Overton Road, and officers tried to 'encourage the crowd to leave'.

A Scotland Yard statement said: 'The event continued and more officers attended the scene and the group became hostile towards officers.'

Two men set about vandalising a police car after a party in Brixton erupted into violence last night

Police were confronted by a mob last night and chased out of Brixton with people screaming 'run them out'

One witness, who did not want to be named, said: 'After the police backed up, the group of people then forced the police out of the estate, throwing things at the police, smashed up a police car that they abandoned and then it moved more towards the main road.'

Bus driver Michael, who did not wish to share his second name, lives in Overton Road and said it was 'very upsetting' that the violence happened in his area.

He said: 'The whole thing should have been shut down earlier.

'People who live here are not the culprits, it's those damn fools from different areas that come down to tarnish the works and efforts that have been put into the area by the estate management.'

Four people are in custody after arrests were made for assault and public order offences.

The force said 22 officers were injured, two of whom required hospital treatment, while a small number of police vehicles were damaged.

But Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said nearly 30 of his colleagues were hurt, including 'walking wounded', and described the incident as 'absolutely shocking'.

Groups of people confronted officers last night in Brixton after an unlicensed music event descended into chaos

Hundreds of people appeared to be at the late night gathering in Brixton last night

He said: 'It's a very, very difficult situation that my colleagues are faced with, with an unlawful event taking place and upon arrival they are met with hostility from the off.

'No-one expects this level of violence and hostility to just erupt at the speed it does towards police. It's horrendous.

'We are rufty-tufty and can deal with violent disorder but it's not pleasant and it's not nice to have to go somewhere where someone wants to try and kill you.'

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said large gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic are 'deeply irresponsible and risk others' lives'.

He added: 'I'm in touch with the Met Police about the completely unacceptable events in Brixton overnight. Violence against the police will not be tolerated.'

The PM's spokesman said the Government would shortly be launching a consultation on doubling the maximum sentence for assaulting an emergency worker.

He said: 'These were appalling scenes. Violence against the police will not be tolerated.

'We have been clear that anyone who assaults the police or any of our emergency service workers who keep us safe should feel the full force of the law.'

A man advancing on police with a piece of wood

Dozens of police were videoed at the scene last night (pictured left), in one clip a man could be seen advancing on officers with what appears to be a large piece of wood (pictured right)

There were a number of confrontations with police officers last night, who were later chased out of Brixton

Officers were involved in multiple confrontations last night

Officers were confronted on multiple occasions last night (left and right) and were chased out the area at one point

Ms Patel condemned the violence, which came days after a suspected terrorist was tackled to the ground by an unarmed policeman in Reading, Berkshire, on Saturday.

She said: 'These are utterly vile scenes. Just last weekend, the whole country came together to praise our heroic police officers for putting their own lives on the line to keep us safe. I'll be picking up with the Met Commissioner immediately.'

The Met said the party was cleared in the early hours while a Section 60 order, which gives police powers to stop and search without suspicion, was put in place.

Commander Colin Wingrove said: 'Our role is to protect the public and ensure guidelines are adhered to in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, protecting the NHS and save lives.

'Our officers work incredibly hard to engage and explain the public health message and regulations to prevent such gatherings occurring.

'Last night we received numerous concerns from residents complaining about a large gathering, noise, anti-social behaviour and violence, and officers responded to those concerns.

'These gatherings are unlawful, as well as posing a risk to public health and against coronavirus restrictions.

'The violence shown towards officers is totally unacceptable and we will not tolerate it in any form.

'An investigation into the incident is now taking place and those involved will be brought to justice.'

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2020-06-25 15:31:38Z
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Labour’s Rebecca Long-Bailey sacked in anti-Semitism row - BBC News

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has sacked Rebecca Long-Bailey for sharing an article containing an "anti-Semitic conspiracy theory".

Mrs Long-Bailey retweeted an interview with actor and Labour supporter Maxine Peake.

The shadow education secretary - who was beaten to the party leadership by Sir Keir - later said she had not meant to endorse all aspects of the article.

But Sir Keir said his "first priority" was tackling anti-Semitism.

"I've made it my first priority to tackle anti-Semitism and rebuilding trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority for me."

'Decisive leadership'

A spokesman for the Labour leader added: "Anti-Semitism takes many different forms and it is important that we all are vigilant against it."

In the article, Ms Peake discussed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

She said: "The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd's neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services."

The Jewish Labour Movement - which has led calls for a crackdown on anti-Semitism in Labour's ranks - welcomed Sir Keir's decision to sack Mrs Long-Bailey.

National chairman Mike Katz said: "We have consistently maintained that the pervasive culture of anti-Semitism, bullying and intimidation can only be tackled by strong and decisive leadership.

"The culture of any organisation is determined by the values and behaviours of those who lead them. "

But Mrs Long-Bailey's allies on the left of the party have criticised the decision.

"I don't believe therefore that this article is or Rebecca Long-Bailey should've been sacked. I stand in solidarity with her."

'Significant achievements'

The row erupted when Mrs Long-Bailey tweeted "Maxine Peake is an absolute diamond" with a link to the article on the Independent website.

After she was sacked, Mrs Long-Bailey said she had issued a clarification of her retweet of the article "agreed in advance by the Labour Party Leader's Office".

She added that she was "subsequently instructed to take both this agreed clarification and my original retweet of Maxine Peake's interview down".

"I could not do this in good conscience without the issuing of a press statement of clarification.

"I had asked to discuss these matters with Keir before agreeing what further action to take, but sadly he had already made his decision."

Following Labour's defeat in the 2019 election, Mrs Long-Bailey entered the leadership contest to replace Mr Corbyn and was supported by many on the left of the party.

She came second in the contest securing 26.6% of the vote, while Sir Keir won 56.2%.

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Rebecca Long-Bailey sacked from Labour front-bench by Keir Starmer for sharing anti-semitic theory - The Sun

CORBYNISTA Shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey has been sacked from the Labour front-bench for sharing an anti-semitic conspiracy theory on Twitter.

Sir Keir Starmer said she had been asked to step down after sharing an article which claimed the tactic used by US police to kill George Floyd was "taught by the Israeli army".

Rebecca Long-Bailey shared an anti-semitic conspiracy theoryCredit: Alamy Live News

Sir Keir announced this afternoon Ms Long-Bailey had been sackedCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Rebecca Long-Bailey lost the leadership race to Sir Keir in AprilCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Sir Keir said this afternoon: "The sharing of that article was wrong because the article contained anti-semitic conspiracy theories and I have therefore stood Rebecca Long-Bailey down from the shadow cabinet

"I made it my first priority to tackle anti semitism and rebuild trust with the Jewish community."

A spokesperson for Sir Keir added: "Antisemitism takes many different forms and it is important that we all are vigilant against it.”

Ms Long-Bailey had shared an article quoting actress Maxine Peake claiming the tactic of kneeling on someone's neck - which killed George Floyd was taught by Israeili secret services.

Sir Keir's decision to sack Ms Long-Bailey has sparked a furoius row between the hard left of the Labour party who rushed to Ms Bailey defence.

Chair of the hard-left group Momentum Jon Lansam labelled the sacking as a "reckless overreaction".

Ms Peake said in the article: "The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services.”

The article, published in The Independent added: "A spokesperson for the Israeli police has denied this, stating that 'there is no tactic or protocol that calls to put pressure on the neck or airway'."In a virtual press conference with Scottish journalists,The conference was delayed until 3 pm and then the zoom broke.

Sir Keir said that the article contained conspiracy theories but he does not believe that Ms Long-Bailey is antisemitic.

In a question and answer session with Scottish journalists, which was delayed as Ms Long-Bailey was sacked, he twice said that he was "having one of those days" and declined to give any details of the conversation between the pair.

"I asked Rebecca Long-Bailey to step down from the shadow cabinet for sharing the article," he said.

"I didn't do that because she is antisemitic, I did it because she shared the article which has got, in my view, antisemitic conspiracy theories in it.

"My primary focus is on rebuilding trust with the Jewish communities. I didn't think sharing that article was in keeping with that primary objective."

When the zoom broke he said: "I am just having one of those days where just about everything is determined to go in the wrong order and mean that things aren't running as they should.”

Ms Long-Bailey - who came in second place to Sir Keir in a failed bid for the Labour leadership earlier this year - said Ms Peake "is an absolute diamond".

The sacked front-bench MP for Salford and Eccles was forced to clarify her comments, saying "I retweeted Maxine Peake’s article because of her significant achievements and because the thrust of her argument is to stay in the Labour Party.

"It wasn’t intended to be an endorsement of all aspects of the article."

In a decisive win against the growing hard-left faction of the Labour party, Sir Keir won the leadership race on April 4, taking over from Ms Long-Bailey's ally Jeremy Corbyn.

Ms Long-Bailey finished up with only 27.6 per cent of the vote.

The Labour MP had previously said she would have offered her ally and friend Mr Corbyn a spot in her shadow cabinet if she replaced him as leader.

When Sir Keir took over as Labour leader he vowed to stamp out anti-semitism in the party.

Ms Long-Bailey again clarified her tweets after being given the boot by Sir Keir - but did not apologise for the original tweet.

She said: "Today I retweeted an interview that my constituent and stalwart Labour Party supporter Maxine Peake gave to the Independent.

"Its main thrust was anger with the Conservative Government’s handling of the current emergency and a call for Labour Party unity.

"These are sentiments are shared by everyone in our movement and millions of people in our country.

"I learned that many people were concerned by references to international sharing of training and restraint techniques between police and security forces."

"In no way was my retweet an intention to endorse every part of that article.

Ms Long-Bailey said Sir Keir's office had asked her to take down the original tweet and her clarification.

But she said "I could not do this in good conscience without the issuing of a press statement of clarification."

She added she had "asked to discuss" the matter with Sir Keir before "agreeing what further action to take" but that the Labour leader "had already made his decision".

Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has thanked Sir Keir for his swift action in removing Ms Long-Bailey.

Marie said: “I would like to thank Keir Starmer for backing his words with actions on antisemitism.

"After Rebecca Long-Bailey shared a conspiracy theory, we and others gave her the opportunity to retract and apologise. To our surprise and dismay, her response was pathetic.

"Her position as Shadow Education Secretary was therefore untenable.

"There can be no space for this sort of action in any party and it is right that after so many challenging years Labour is now making this clear under its new leader.”

But some of Ms Long-Bailey hard-left allies jumped to her defence.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: "Throughout discussion of antisemitism it’s always been said criticism of practices of Israeli state is not antisemitic.

"I don’t believe therefore that this article is or ⁦⁦@RLong_Bailey should’ve been sacked. I stand in solidarity with her."

In support of Ms Long-Bailey, Labour MP Jon Trickett tweeted: "What has Sir Keir got against Northern socialists from working class backgrounds?"

Jewish Labour MP Margaret Hodge tweeted: "This is what a change in culture looks like.

"This is what zero tolerance looks like. This is what rebuilding trust with the Jewish community looks like."

Labour leader contender Rebecca Long-Bailey accused of being soft on anti-semitism by rival Emily Thornberry

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2020-06-25 15:18:56Z
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More than 20 police officers injured after clashes at illegal street party in London - CNN

Officers arrived to break up the event in Brixton, south London on Wednesday evening, but clashes broke out and led to chaotic scenes that have been condemned by the mayor of London and the UK's Home Secretary.

Footage appears show police cars being attacked and officers being chased away by revelers, with some throwing bottles towards the authorities. Unverified videos posted to Snapchat in the area appear to show police vehicles retreating from the crowds in the early hours of Thursday.

"Officers attended to encourage the crowd to leave the location but they did not engage with police. The event continued and more officers attended the scene and the group became hostile towards officers," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Two London police officers attacked in 'shocking' incident

None of the officers were seriously injured but two required hospital treatment, the force added. Four arrests were made for assault and public order offences.

Illegal raves and street parties have been gaining popularity in Britain in recent weeks, even as the coronavirus pandemic has forced the country into lockdown. Police have urged people not to attend, but in some cases the large crowd sizes and impromptu nature of the events have left them unable to break up the gatherings.

"I'm in touch with the Met about the completely unacceptable events in Brixton overnight. Violence against the police will not be tolerated," London's mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter. "Large gatherings during COVID19 are deeply irresponsible and risk others' lives."

"These are utterly vile scenes," the UK's Home Secretary Priti Patel added. "Just last weekend, the whole country came together to praise our heroic police officers for putting their own lives on the line to keep us safe."

The London Ambulance Service said it received "multiple calls" to the area overnight, sending six ambulance crews to the scene and an advanced trauma team.

Two patients were seen by paramedics and required further medical treatment, the ambulance service said. Eight police officers were treated -- two of whom went to hospital.

Police have been involved in clashes with protesters on occasions during the past month, including during a far-right rally outside Parliament and to a lesser extent at Black Lives Matter demonstrations around the capital.

"Our officers work incredibly hard to engage and explain the public health message and regulations to prevent such gatherings occurring," Basic Command Unit Commander Colin Wingrove said in a police statement on Thursday. "The violence shown towards officers is totally unacceptable and we will not tolerate it in any form."

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2020-06-25 14:05:02Z
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Kamis, 25 Juni 2020

'Note of caution'

'Reckless'

'Significant achievements'

Shocking moment vicious brawl breaks out in park in Brixton hours before 'up to 30 police officers' were injured by violent mob at street party nearby

'Decisive leadership'

'Significant achievements'

sand storm

R-EVEALED

CHILLING SMIRK

'BRIGHT TALENT'

'party' carnage

TAKING ITS TOLL