Shamima Begum cannot return to UK, Supreme Court rules - BBC News

BBC News

Shamima Begum, who left the UK for Syria to join the Islamic State group as a teenager, will not be allowed to return and fight her citizenship case, the Supreme Court has ruled.

The court said in a unanimous ruling that her rights were not breached when she was refused permission to return.

Ms Begum, 21, wants to come back to challenge the home secretary's decision to remove her British nationality.

She is in a camp controlled by armed guards in northern Syria.

Ms Begum was 15 when she and two other east London schoolgirls left the UK and travelled to Syria to join the Islamic State group in February 2015.

Two years ago, the then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid stripped Ms Begum of her citizenship on national security grounds.

Last July, the Court of Appeal ruled that the only fair way forward was to allow her into the UK because she could not effectively appeal against the decision from the camp in northern Syria.

The Home Office subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court to reconsider the Court of Appeal's judgement, arguing that allowing her to return to the UK "would create significant national security risks".

On Friday, Lord Reed, president of the Supreme Court, said the government had been entitled to prevent Ms Begum from returning to the UK.

• Who is Shamima Begum and how do you lose your citizenship?
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• Supreme Court to rule on Shamima Begum's fate
• Shamima Begum return to UK 'a security risk'

Announcing the ruling, Lord Reed said: "The Supreme Court unanimously allows all of the home secretary's appeals and dismisses Ms Begum's cross-appeal."

He said the Court of Appeal's judgment had been wrong and failed to take proper account of the home secretary's case.

"It did not give the home secretary's assessment the respect which it should have received, given that it is the home secretary who has been charged by Parliament with responsibility for making such assessments, and who is democratically accountable to Parliament for the discharge of that responsibility," Lord Reed said.

"The Court of Appeal mistakenly believed that, when an individual's right to have a fair hearing... came into conflict with the requirements of national security, her right to a fair hearing must prevail."

He added: "But the right to a fair hearing does not trump all other considerations, such as the safety of the public."

Lord Reed said the appropriate answer was not to force the government to bring Ms Begum back to the UK - but to pause her legal fight over citizenship until she is in a safer position to take part in her appeal.

He added: "That is not a perfect solution, as it is not known how long it may be before that is possible. But there is no perfect solution to a dilemma of the present kind."

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2021-02-26 10:15:26Z
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Prince Harry reveals he stepped down because British press was 'destroying' his mental health - Sky News

Prince Harry has revealed he stepped back from his royal duties because the British press was "toxic" and was "destroying" his mental health.

The royal gave a candid interview to British talk show host James Corden's The Late Late Show - with the pair touring Los Angeles on an open air bus with afternoon tea.

Harry opened up about why he withdrew from Royal duties, insisting "I did not walk away", but had to leave due to the British press affecting his mental health.

He said it was a "really difficult environment, as I think a lot of people saw".

"We all know what the British press can be like. And it was destroying my mental health. This is toxic."

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He added: "So I did what any husband and father would do - I need to get my family out of here.

"But we never walked away - and as far as I'm concerned, what decisions are made on that side - I will never walk away.

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"I will always be contributing - my life is public service - so wherever I am in the world it is going to be the same thing.

He added that he is "trying to bring some compassion and try to make people happy and try to change the world in any small way we can".

In a wide-ranging interview he also revealed:

• The Queen bought Archie a waffle-maker for Christmas
• He knew wife Meghan was "the one" on second date
• He has seen little of LA because of lockdown
• He prefers The Crown's portrayal of his family's history because it "does not pretend to be news"
• He would like to be played in the series by Damian Lewis

On how he feels about the Netflix hit series The Crown, which is based on his family, he said: "They don't pretend to be news - it's fictional. But it's loosely based on the truth.

"Of course it's not strictly accurate, but it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle - the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else - what can come from that."

Image: Prince Harry said he has a 'real issue' with false news stories about his family

He continued: "I'm way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family, or my wife or myself.

"Because it's the difference between fiction - take it how you will - but this [news reports] is being reported on as fact because you're supposedly news. I have a real issue with that."

When Corden asked Harry who he would like to see play him on the show, he revealed without hesitation: "Damian Lewis".

The famous redheaded actor, 50, is best known for his roles in Band of Brothers and Homeland.

Image: James Corden and Prince Harry toured LA on an open air bus with afternoon tea

Harry also opened up about wife Meghan and how he knew she was the one on their second date.

"It wasn't so much where we went but the fact we hit it off with each other, and we were just so comfortable in each other's company," he said.

"Dating me or any member of the Royal Family is kind of flipped upside down. All the dates become dinners or watching the TV or chatting at home."

He said the pair got to spend "an enormous time" getting to know each other without other distractions, saying it was "an amazing thing".

"We went from zero to 60 in the first two months."

Image: James Corden FaceTimed Meghan during the interview

Former Suits actress Meghan, who is pregnant with the couple's second child, made a cameo in the interview via FaceTime when Harry and Corden paid a trip to the house from the 90s TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

When Corden suggested the couple should buy the house, Meghan said: "I think we've done enough moving".

During the visit to the house, Corden and Harry spoke to the owner and jokingly made an offer to buy it, before Harry asked if he could use the toilet.

"I'm actually dying for a pee. Can I use your bathroom?", he said, before heading in for the toilet break.

Image: 'I'm dying for a pee!'

Later on, Harry made the surprise remark that his grandmother The Queen bought his son Archie a waffle maker for Christmas.

"My grandmother asked us what Archie wanted for Christmas, and Meg said a waffle maker. So she sent a waffle maker for Archie!"

He revealed Meghan now makes waffles with a "beautiful organic mix" and they eat them for breakfast with toppings including berries and syrup.

He also said both his grandparents, The Queen and Prince Philip, know how to use Zoom, joking that his grandfather shuts the laptop physically when he finishes one of their calls instead of clicking off it.

Image: Prince Harry and James Corden competed against each other in an obstacle course at the end of the interview

Harry appeared to be enjoying fatherhood, saying his son Archie, one and a half, is "hysterical".

"He has the most amazing personality and is already putting three or four words together, he's already singing songs," he said.

The royal also revealed Archie's first word was "crocodile".

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2021-02-26 07:49:13Z
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COVID-19: Hundreds of thousands of new shielders invited to get vaccine - Sky News

Hundreds of thousands of people who were asked to shield earlier this month are being invited for a COVID-19 vaccination.

A further 1.7 million people in England were identified as being at additional risk from the virus and were told to shield last Tuesday.

They were identified by a new algorithm that looks at multiple factors, and were told they would be prioritised for the jab and that it would be offered soon.

Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world

About 600,000 of them are now being invited to book a slot at a vaccination centre or with a pharmacy, the NHS said.

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The remainder have already had their jabs as they are part of the first priority groups.

People in group five - anybody aged 65 and over - are currently being immunised. Some areas have moved on to group six - adults aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions.

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The NHS has said invitation letters will now also be going to about 445,000 people aged 64 who have not yet been offered the vaccine.

They are in group seven - all those aged 60 and over.

On Wednesday, the government announced that all adults on the learning disability register will be prioritised to get the vaccine.

They are already part of group six, but care minister Helen Whately confirmed they will all be invited for a vaccine now following a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the panel that advises the government on inoculation priority.

Broadcaster Jo Whiley, 55, had been calling for people with learning disabilities to be prioritised after her sister, who has learning disabilities, was admitted to hospital with COVID-19 while the DJ was offered a vaccine.

NHS medical director Professor Stephen Powis has urged anyone in the top priority groups who has not yet been vaccinated that "it is not too late" to come forward for a jab.

Boris Johnson has said all adults in the UK should be offered their first vaccination by 31 July, and everyone over the age of 50 by 15 April.

On Monday, he laid out a roadmap out of lockdown with the hope of lifting all restrictions by 21 June. It depends on how the vaccination programme goes as well as data.

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2021-02-26 02:52:58Z
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Covid-19: Queen's vaccine call and 'superhero' mum inspires family of nurses - BBC News

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning. We'll have another update for you this evening.

1. Queen makes vaccine call

The Queen is urging people to get vaccinated against Covid, telling NHS leaders she hopes those who are reluctant will "think about other people". Since receiving her first jab in January, she says she feels "protected" and the injection "didn't hurt at all". England's vaccine deployment programme chief, Dr Emily Lawson, believes the monarch's comments are an "incredibly important vote of confidence".

2. Senior doctor 'shortage' could hit NHS recovery

Doctors' representatives say allowing NHS staff to recover from dealing with the pandemic is crucial, given there was "widespread burnout" even before Covid hit. The British Medical Association Scotland says vacancies for consultants may now be higher than 15% and it will be "impossible" for NHS Scotland to recover if senior staff cannot be retained. The Scottish government says the number of consultants has increased by more than 56% since 2006.

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3. 'Vaccine will give me some normality'

While the main thrust of the vaccine rollout has targeted older age groups, nearly 200,000 younger people across the UK classed as extremely clinically vulnerable have had jabs. Two of them told us how they felt about getting their first dose.

4. 'Delays and politicking cost lives'

Party politicking and delayed decisions have caused lives to be lost to coronavirus, according to Northern Ireland's Health Minister Robin Swann. One year since the first case was reported in Northern Ireland, Mr Swann tells us the public health message has been damaged by politicians failing to stand together.

5. 'Superhero' inspired family of nurses

District nurse Linda Obiageli Udeagbala was such a strong character, her family almost felt she was "invincible", until she died with Covid - aged 60 - this month. Now, her children talk with pride about how Linda's 17 years with the health service inspired them to follow in her footsteps.

Get a longer daily news briefing from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning, by signing up here.

And don't forget...

You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

Wondering when it'll be your turn to get the vaccine? Our explainer runs through the programme's priorities.

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2021-02-26 07:28:12Z
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Budget 2021: Sunak's tax raid on pensioners likely to freeze lifetime allowance - The Times

Rishi Sunak is drawing up plans for a new “stealth tax” on wealthy pensioners as he seeks to repair Britain’s finances after the pandemic, The Times has learnt.

The chancellor is expected to announce in his budget next week that the lifetime allowance, the amount people can build up in their pension pot before incurring punitive tax charges, will be frozen for the rest of this parliament at just over £1 million.

The freeze means more people risk being dragged over the threshold and could face a 25 per cent levy on any additional income from their pension pot. The charge rises to 55 per cent if they choose to draw down a lump sum.

The additional charge would mean about 10,000 people with larger

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2021-02-26 00:01:00Z
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COVID-19: Major cities falling well behind in UK's bid to vaccinate its way out of lockdown - Sky News

The 15 areas of England to have vaccinated the lowest proportion of adults against COVID-19 are all in London.

In some boroughs, including Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham, just one in five adults have received a single dose of a vaccine, according to NHS England data up to 25 February.

Other cities including Nottingham and Manchester also have low vaccination rates.

Is this a surprise?

More than nine in 10 local authorities in England have now vaccinated a quarter of their adult population but London is being left behind.

Half of London's boroughs had the lowest vaccination rates in England up to the week ending 25 February.

The obvious explanation is age. London’s population is younger than average with just 8.6% of people aged over 70, compared to 13.4% for England as a whole.

So, let’s change the map to consider just people aged over 70. The colour looks more similar across the country because nine out of 10 local areas have vaccinated more than 90% of that age group.

But again London is behind, with 18 of the 20 areas with the lowest vaccination rates in the capital.

Other cities and large towns, including Manchester, Birmingham and Luton, are also among the lowest. So, what could explain the lower rate in these areas?

Lower vaccine uptake among ethnic minorities could be one of the main factors.

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Sky News analysis has found areas with a higher percentage of ethnic minorities are also among those to have given a smaller proportion of over-70s their first jab.

But deprivation is also key.

The Sky News data team identified significant differences in over-70s vaccination rates between the most and least deprived parts of local authorities.

The picture in London may be complicated by the number of non-permanent residents in affluent boroughs.

A similar trend was found in Birmingham.

So, while it's clear that age is a major factor driving the different pace of vaccination locally, it isn't the only one.

The reason for the difference is made more difficult to determine in affluent areas of central London which may be skewed by non-residents.

Ethnicity and deprivation appear to be key in determining uptake and could mean some parts of England have less protection from COVID-19 than others.

The total number of first doses hit 18,691,835 on Thursday - a rise of 448,962.

And 700,718 people have had their second jab - up by 31,613, which was a record increase.

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2021-02-25 20:49:01Z
CBMiZmh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2NvdmlkLTE5LXdoeS1jaXRpZXMtYXJlLWZhbGxpbmctYmVoaW5kLWluLXRoZS11a3MtdmFjY2luYXRpb24tcmFjZS0xMjIyODcxONIBamh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2FtcC9jb3ZpZC0xOS13aHktY2l0aWVzLWFyZS1mYWxsaW5nLWJlaGluZC1pbi10aGUtdWtzLXZhY2NpbmF0aW9uLXJhY2UtMTIyMjg3MTg

Coronavirus latest: UK lowers Covid alert level from highest category - Financial Times

Mayor Bill de Blasio and top New York City health officials have urged residents to remain calm following a media report that a more infectious variant of coronavirus that is more resilient to vaccines was spreading rapidly in the city.

City officials were wary of a report in the New York Times on Wednesday that cited unpublished research papers from Columbia University and the California Institute of Technology that a new variant, known as B.1.526, appeared in late November and accounted for about 25 per cent of coronavirus genomes sequenced and deposited from New York during February. The studies have yet to be peer-reviewed.

“We shouldn’t assume the worst. We should say we need the proof,” de Blasio said at a press conference on Thursday.

Earlier in the morning, his press secretary said in a message on Twitter that while it was “great” academics were researching Covid-19 variants, “please, please for the love of all that is holy share the data with public health officials before you publicise pre-writes that still have track changes with the NY Times”.

While most of the US is experiencing a decline trends in new coronavirus cases and hospitalisations, New York appears to be lagging. It is one of just five states where the seven-day average of new cases per 100,000 people has fallen by less than two-thirds from its peak rate, according to a Financial Times analysis of Wednesday data from Covid Tracking Project. About 30 people per 100,000 are currently in hospitals across the state with coronavirus, the highest per capita rate in the country.

“We don’t have any evidence at this point that the New York variant is what is contributing to the trajectory of cases,” New York City health commissioner Dave Chokshi said in response to reporters’ questions about the new strain. Dr Chokshi also said cases may appear higher in New York City because it is more densely populated than other cities in the US and was also “testing much more than any other place”.

It should also be noted that New York was among the states that started their autumn-winter surge in cases and hospitalisations later than others, and so its seasonal highs for those metrics have occurred later than in other parts of the US, according to an FT analysis of Covid Tracking Project data. 

California, for example, had its seven-day average peak at about 111 cases per 100,000 people on December 22 and is now down to about 14 per 100,000. New York reached a peak per capita rate of about 84 per 100,000 on January 12 and is now averaging about 36 per 100,000 per day. The Empire State’s per capita rate slides in behind top-ranked South Carolina (46 per 100,000), which reached its peak on January 9, and ahead of New Jersey (about 33 per 100,000), which peaked on January 13.

Jay Varma, senior advisor for public health in New York City, urged residents to be “a little sceptical” of news about new variants, as not all of them were problematic and not enough peer-reviewed research has been conducted on B.1.526. Varma urged New Yorkers to “continue doing all the things you have been doing”, such as following guidance on masks — perhaps wearing two — maintaining distance from people, washing hands and being tested.

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2021-02-25 17:24:28Z
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