Babak Belurs

Rabu, 31 Maret 2021

COVID-19: UK records 43 more coronavirus deaths and 4,052 new cases as vaccine first doses hit 30.9m - Sky News

The UK has recorded another 43 coronavirus-related deaths and 4,052 new cases in the latest 24-hour period.

This compares with 56 fatalities and 4,040 infections announced yesterday.

Last Wednesday, 98 deaths were announced in the UK along with 5,605 cases.

A total of 126,713 people have now died in the UK within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test, and there have been 4,345,788 lab-confirmed cases since the pandemic began.

Meanwhile, 224,590 people had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine yesterday, taking the total to 30,905,538.

Some 270,526 had their second dose yesterday, meaning 4,108,536 have now had both shots.

It comes as European Medicines Agency (EMA) executive director Emer Cooke said there is "no evidence" to support restricting the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in any population.

Yesterday, Germany announced it will suspend using the jab in the under-60s over concerns about rare blood clots.

However, the UK is "100% confident in the efficacy" of the vaccine, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told Sky News.

He said: "It is a safe vaccine and the UK's vaccine rollout is saving people's lives right across the country every day."

Mr Jenrick said the jab's effectiveness was "borne out by study after study".

The EU medicines regulator - the EMA - and the World Health Organisation have both insisted the vaccine is safe and effective.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9jb3ZpZC0xOS11ay1yZWNvcmRzLTQzLW1vcmUtY29yb25hdmlydXMtZGVhdGhzLWFuZC00LTA1Mi1uZXctY2FzZXMtYXMtdmFjY2luZS1maXJzdC1kb3Nlcy1oaXQtMzAtOW0tMTIyNjE4NTHSAYsBaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2NvdmlkLTE5LXVrLXJlY29yZHMtNDMtbW9yZS1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1kZWF0aHMtYW5kLTQtMDUyLW5ldy1jYXNlcy1hcy12YWNjaW5lLWZpcnN0LWRvc2VzLWhpdC0zMC05bS0xMjI2MTg1MQ?oc=5

2021-03-31 15:13:18Z
52781476909623

UK report denies systemic racism, prompting angry backlash - Al Jazeera English

London, United Kingdom – A government-commissioned review into racism has concluded the United Kingdom is not an institutionally racist country, prompting a backlash from critics who described the findings as an “utter whitewash”.

In an anticipated report published on Wednesday, the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities said the UK was not yet a “post-racial country” but should be regarded as a “model for other white-majority countries”, citing achievements towards equality in the sectors of education and economy.

While the report acknowledged “overt and outright” racism persisted and said some communities were “haunted” by historic discrimination, it downplayed the importance of systemic racism in explaining inequalities in areas such as health and crime.

The UK, it said, was no longer a country where the system is “deliberately rigged” against ethnic minorities.

“Impediments and disparities do exist, they are varied, and ironically very few of them are directly to do with racism,” the 258-page report said. “The evidence shows that geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion have more significant impact on life chances than the existence of racism.”

But opposition politicians and campaigners were quick to dismiss the commission’s conclusions.

Halima Begum, director of the UK’s Runnymede Trust race equality think-tank, said the report had been “written to a script” defined by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government, as she labelled it an “utter whitewash”.

“In it, the government cannot even bring itself to acknowledge or show any empathy for the incidence of racism in the UK,” Begum told Al Jazeera.

“Frankly, by denying the evidence of institutional racism … I think they’ve insulted every ethnic minority in this country – the very people who continue to experience racism on a daily basis.”

The Institute of Race Relations (IRR), another UK-based think-tank, said in a statement: “We can see no attempt here to address the common ethnic minority experience of structural racism within areas such as the criminal justice system.”

The report’s findings, the IRR said, “fit neatly with the government’s attempts, post-Brexit, to portray the British nation as a beacon of good race relations and a diversity model”.

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities was set up by Johnson after anti-racism protests swept the UK last summer following the death of George Floyd in the United States.

It had been due to publish its report last year. The delay was blamed on COVID-19 restrictions and the high number of responses from the public.

A spokesperson for Black Lives Matter UK told Al Jazeera the commission’s conclusions highlighted a bleak reality that Black Britons’ voices are still not heard.

“We didn’t need another report. We needed to start looking at implementing impactful and lasting change,” the spokesperson said, adding the criminal justice system and policing methods – including controversial stop-and-search procedures, needed reform.

“We need action,” they said.

Recommendations to ‘remove obstacles for everyone’

The report said children from ethnic minority communities often performed as well as, or better than, white pupils.

Students of Black Caribbean heritage were the only group to register lower attainment levels, it said.

As evidence of an “improving picture” at workplaces, it cited increased diversity in professions such as medicine and law and a shrinking race pay gap overall, which stood at 2.3 percent.

“The well-meaning idealism of many young people who claim the country is still institutionally racist is not borne out by the evidence,” the report said.

“The country has come a long way in 50 years and the success of much of the ethnic minority population in education and, to a lesser extent, the economy, should be regarded as a model for other white-majority countries.”

In light of its findings, the commission made 24 recommendations “designed to remove obstacles for everyone, rather than specific groups”.

One suggestion was to end the use of the BAME acronym, meaning Black, Asian and minority ethnic, which it called “unhelpful”.

Another idea was to establish an office for health disparities aimed at reducing inequalities, and a third example focused on encouraging companies to move away from unconscious bias training in favour of seemingly vague new interventions to “advance fairness in the workplace”.

But opposition Labour Party MP and shadow secretary of state for justice David Lammy said the government had missed an opportunity to address an “overwhelming desire for change” after Floyd’s killing.

The report, he said, could have been a “turning point and a moment to come together” but instead had divided the UK once more.

“British people – Black and white – are crying out to turn the page on racism,” Lammy tweeted. “With this report, Boris Johnson is standing in their way.”

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFsamF6ZWVyYS5jb20vbmV3cy8yMDIxLzMvMzEvdWstcmFjZS1yZXBvcnQtc2F5cy1zeXN0ZW0tbm90LXJpZ2dlZC1hZ2FpbnN0LW1pbm9yaXRpZXPSAWVodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbGphemVlcmEuY29tL2FtcC9uZXdzLzIwMjEvMy8zMS91ay1yYWNlLXJlcG9ydC1zYXlzLXN5c3RlbS1ub3QtcmlnZ2VkLWFnYWluc3QtbWlub3JpdGllcw?oc=5

2021-03-31 13:38:53Z
52781470027083

Sarah Everard vigil: Critics attacked policing 'without knowing facts' - Met chief - BBC News

Police officers at the vigil for Sarah Everard in Clapham Common

Critics of the police handling of a Sarah Everard vigil in south London spoke out "without knowing the facts", the Met Police chief has said.

Dame Cressida Dick told the BBC that remarks during a "social media pile-on" had damaged confidence in policing.

The force was criticised after women were handcuffed and removed from crowds on Clapham Common, but a report has said police acted "appropriately".

The Duchess of Cambridge's visit to the vigil was legal, Dame Cressida added.

Ms Everard was last seen walking home nearby on 3 March. Her body was found a week later in woodland near Ashford, Kent - prompting a public debate over women's safety

Several hundred people gathered on Clapham Common on 13 March to pay tribute to the 33-year-old, despite Covid restrictions.

Dame Cressida said it was "clearly possible" under the law for those who lived locally to walk to the common and "lay flowers legally".

"You would have seen for six hours we did not enforce any laws, we showed some discretion and we allowed people to carry on," she said.

A woman looking at the flowers in Clapham Common left in memory of Sarah Everard

But the Met chief said she had warned City Hall and senior members of the government the event was likely to become an illegal mass gathering and could end with arrests.

"What I was saying consistently was this is likely to be illegal, if it is illegal and people do not disperse when they're asked to do so, we will use as much discretion as we can, we will encourage people, we will try to get them to disperse, but if they don't disperse we will end up arresting people," she said.

An official event had been planned by Reclaim These Streets - but the group called it off, saying police had failed to "constructively engage" on how it could be held in a Covid-secure way.

People turned up to Clapham Common despite the group asking them not to.

Referring to the Duchess of Cambridge's visit to the vigil, the Met chief said she was "in the course of her duties, she was working."

She added: "At that point people had a whole series of potential reasonable excuses for being away from home, we didn't all have them.

"I've picked out one that may apply to her but, let's be clear, there was a very calm vigil to which she attended where lots of people came."

When challenged on her previous remarks that she would have attended the vigil if it had been legal, Dame Cressida said: "What we knew is that it was quite clear that what ever the organisers wanted to arrange, the numbers were going to be overwhelming, there was not an ability, in the long run, to be able to keep this socially distanced... Covid safe or strictly legal."

The duchess's visit was not listed in the daily list of royal engagements - the Court Circular - so it was not an official engagement. Palace sources at the time said it was a private visit, which can constitute a royal duty, but it would still usually be listed in the Court Circular.

'Insufficient communication'

On Tuesday, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that the force was "justified" in deciding that the risks of transmitting coronavirus "were too great to ignore" and officers "did their best to peacefully disperse the crowd".

However, it added that "there was insufficient communication between police commanders about changing events on the ground".

Images and footage from the vigil prompted widespread concern, but HMICFRS said calls for Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick to resign - including from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey - were "unwarranted".

The report added that "the chorus of those condemning" the force after the event showed "a distinct lack of respect for public servants facing... a sensitive and complex situation".

A spokesman for the Lib Dems has said: "We stand by our view that in the circumstances, the Met commissioner got the judgment on the vigil badly wrong."

'Stop and think'

Dame Cressida said: "I think there are two things that come out of this report about the immediate aftermath.

"The first is that people in public life, people in responsible positions, should stop and think before they judge, whoever they may be."

She added: "If they comment without knowing the facts, they may - and I would suggest on this occasion some people did - affect public confidence in their police service inappropriately.

"And, secondly, affect the officers' confidence about volunteering for the same duty in the next instance, if they are actually going to be criticised even when they've done a really good job."

Dame Cressida said the report suggested that if the force had been "slightly more conciliatory" in communications afterwards, "then that might have helped with what I think is, in modern-day parlance, a kind of social media pile-on".

An inquest into Ms Everard's death has been adjourned until the conclusion of criminal proceedings.

PC Wayne Couzens, 48, has been charged with her murder and kidnap.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 9 July ahead of a trial that is set to start on 25 October.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTU2NTkwNzg50gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYW1wL3VrLTU2NTkwNzg5?oc=5

2021-03-31 14:46:03Z
52781472285586

Students stage sit-in protest at London school over 'racist' uniform policy - Guardian News

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiK2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP3Y9ZTF1d05Ia09ITUHSAQA?oc=5

2021-03-31 12:29:19Z
52781476439109

Watch live: Latest COVID-19 data from UK and around the world - Sky News

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiK2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP3Y9dk9fTEhmYTZfWUnSAQA?oc=5

2021-03-31 11:59:39Z
52781475970320

UK no longer country 'where system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities', according to government-ordered race review - Sky News

The UK is no longer a country "where the system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities", a government-ordered review has argued.

The Independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities - which was appointed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson following last summer's Black Lives Matter protests - has published its 258-page report on inequality in Britain.

It explored ethnic and race disparities within education, employment, the criminal justice system and health.

Mr Johnson described its report was an "important piece of work", adding: "It is now right that the government considers their recommendations in detail, and assesses the implications for future government policy.

"The entirety of government remains fully committed to building a fairer Britain and taking the action needed to address disparities wherever they exist."

In its report, the commission said the UK "should be regarded as a model for other white-majority countries" although it cannot be considered "a post racial society".

"Overt and outright racism persists in the UK", particularly online, the report found, adding that it remained a "real force" and should be taken "seriously".

But it also said: "Too often 'racism' is the catch-all explanation, and can be simply implicitly accepted rather than explicitly examined.

"The evidence shows that geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion have more significant impact on life chances than the existence of racism."

The report argues there is an "increasingly strident form of anti-racism thinking that seeks to explain all minority disadvantage through the prism of White discrimination", which diverts attention away from other factors behind disparities of outcome.

It criticised what it said was the "confusing" way the term "institutional racism" has been applied, arguing it should only be used when there is proven deep-seated, systemic racism present and not as a "catch-all" term for any microaggression.

The report makes a total of 24 recommendations to the government in order to give a "further burst of momentum" in the UK's progress towards becoming a "successful multicultural community", including:

• The phasing in of extended school days, starting with disadvantaged areas, as part of a "bold intervention" into education following the impact of the COVID pandemic on pupils
• Access to better quality careers advice in schools for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, funded by university outreach programmes
• The commissioning of further research into the drivers in "high performing pupils' communities" to see what can be replicated to support all children to succeed
• For organisations "to move away from funding unconscious bias training" and the government "to work with a panel of academics and practitioners to develop resources and evidence-based approaches of what does work to advance fairness in the workplace"
• Ditching the BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) acronym

One of its major conclusions is that issues around race and racism are becoming less important and, in some cases, are not a significant factor in explaining disparities.

It found that children from many ethnic communities do at least as well or substantially better than white pupils in education.

This high achievement for children from certain ethnic communities is creating fairer and more diverse workplaces, the commission added.

Its report said some communities continue to be "haunted" by "historic cases" of racism, creating "deep mistrust" in the system which could prove a barrier to success.

But the commission claimed that there was a "reluctance to acknowledge that the UK had become open and fairer" from some groups.

It was also suggested that the well-meaning "idealism" of many young people who claim the country is still institutionally racist is not borne out by the evidence.

The report acknowledged that the Black Lives Matter demonstrations had focused attention on race, but said progress could not be achieved by "cleaving to a fatalistic account that insists nothing has changed".

It added: "We also have to ask whether a narrative that claims nothing has changed for the better, and that the dominant feature of our society is institutional racism and white privilege, will achieve anything beyond alienating the decent centre ground - a centre ground which is occupied by people of all races and ethnicities.

"We therefore cannot accept the accusatory tone of much of the current rhetoric on race, and the pessimism about what has been and what more can be achieved."

According to the commission, using phrases like "white privilege" and "white fragility" are "counterproductive and divisive" and "fails to identify the real causes for disparities".

Addressing calls for the curriculum in British schools to be "decolonised", the commission said "neither the banning of White authors or token expressions of Black achievement will help to broaden young minds".

"We have argued against bringing down statues, instead, we want all children to reclaim their British heritage. We want to create a teaching resource that looks at the influence of the UK, particularly during the Empire period."

It added: "There is a new story about the Caribbean experience which speaks to the slave period not only being about profit and suffering but how culturally African people transformed themselves into a re-modelled African/Britain."

Labour's shadow women and equalities secretary Marsha de Cordova highlighted this particular passage on her Twitter account, writing: "Putting a positive spin on slavery and empire. Published on a government website in 2021.

"Is this for real?"

Speaking before the full report was released, party leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was "disappointed" with the contents that had been pre-briefed.

He said there had been "report after report" on the issue and it was time to tackle the UK's structural problems.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMipwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9icml0YWluLW5vLWxvbmdlci1jb3VudHJ5LXdoZXJlLXN5c3RlbS1pcy1kZWxpYmVyYXRlbHktcmlnZ2VkLWFnYWluc3QtZXRobmljLW1pbm9yaXRpZXMtYWNjb3JkaW5nLXRvLWdvdmVybm1lbnQtb3JkZXJlZC1yYWNlLXJldmlldy0xMjI2MTY3NdIBqwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvYnJpdGFpbi1uby1sb25nZXItY291bnRyeS13aGVyZS1zeXN0ZW0taXMtZGVsaWJlcmF0ZWx5LXJpZ2dlZC1hZ2FpbnN0LWV0aG5pYy1taW5vcml0aWVzLWFjY29yZGluZy10by1nb3Zlcm5tZW50LW9yZGVyZWQtcmFjZS1yZXZpZXctMTIyNjE2NzU?oc=5

2021-03-31 11:10:18Z
52781470027083

Greta Thunberg statue unveiled at Winchester University despite criticism from union bosses - Sky News

A £24,000 bronze statue of Greta Thunberg, which has been described as a "vanity project", has been unveiled at the University of Winchester.

The controversial life-size bronze sculpture of the environmental activist has been placed on the university's campus, despite calls from the students' union and staff union to delay the unveiling.

The university was criticised for the timing of the big reveal, with opponents believing that it should have been postponed after years of austerity.

The university had commissioned the £23,760 bronze of Thunberg in 2019 but has since had to make cuts to staff numbers and university services due to the impact of the pandemic.

Last week, students' union president, Megan Ball, told Sky News that it has urged the university to pause the unveiling.

"Students are angry and frustrated, we should have the opportunity to see how their money is being spent," Ms Ball said.

Despite facing criticism from Winchester Student's Union (SU) and the University and College Union (UCU), the university's vice-chancellor Professor Joy Carter said they are "proud to honour" Thunberg.

"The university's approach to art is to commission or purchase unusual and striking pieces which embody our distinctiveness and values," she said.

"Greta is a young woman who, in spite of difficulties in her life, has become a world-leading environmental activist.

"As the university for sustainability and social justice we are proud to honour this inspirational woman in this way.

"We know that many find her a controversial figure.

"As a university, we welcome reasoned debate and critical conversations.

"We hope her statue will help to inspire our community, reminding us that no matter what life throws at us we can still change the world for the better."

Ms Carter added that no funds were diverted from student support services or from staffing.

The UCU posted a motion of censure on Twitter, stating that while it "supports the role that Thunberg has played globally, this has come after several years of austerity".

"This money should have been better used by preventing redundancies and other cuts at the university," the UCU added.

She said the "the statue is a vanity project by the outgoing vice-chancellor".

Following the official unveiling, the UCU tweeted: "The university's distinctive approach to commissioning pieces of art is to do so in unminuted meetings and/or avoid any committee scrutiny.

"Not the ideal approach when spending university money."

The bronze is called 'Make a Difference' and was created by artist Christine Charlesworth, said that Thunberg is a remarkable woman who "has been able to forefront the mobilisation of young people in support of global environment protection".

The University of Winchester declared a climate and ecological emergency in 2019 and has eliminated all unnecessary single-use plastic across, as it aims to be carbon neutral by 2025.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMif2h0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2dyZXRhLXRodW5iZXJnLXN0YXR1ZS11bnZlaWxlZC1hdC13aW5jaGVzdGVyLXVuaXZlcnNpdHktZGVzcGl0ZS1jcml0aWNpc20tZnJvbS11bmlvbi1ib3NzZXMtMTIyNjE1NTPSAYMBaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2dyZXRhLXRodW5iZXJnLXN0YXR1ZS11bnZlaWxlZC1hdC13aW5jaGVzdGVyLXVuaXZlcnNpdHktZGVzcGl0ZS1jcml0aWNpc20tZnJvbS11bmlvbi1ib3NzZXMtMTIyNjE1NTM?oc=5

2021-03-31 10:04:57Z
52781474496010

Rabu, 31 Maret 2021

More from Covid-19

Recommendations to ‘remove obstacles for everyone’

'Insufficient communication'

'Stop and think'

More from Politics

More from Greta Thunberg