Babak Belurs

Rabu, 28 April 2021

Janey Godley in hilarious Arlene Foster voiceover after Northern Irish First Minister resigns - Daily Record

Janey Godley has been keeping Scots entertained through the pandemic with her hilarious Nicola Sturgeon voiceovers.

But today the comedian turned her hand to a new politician - Arlene Foster, who resigned as DUP leader and Northern Ireland's First Minister this afternoon.

Foster is to step down as DUP leader and the country's leader having faced criticism over her handling of Brexit, which sparked calls within the party for a leadership contest.

In a statement, Foster said: "It is important to give space over the next few weeks for the Party Officers to make arrangements for the election of a new leader."

She delivered the statement on Sky News, and Janey Godley wasted little time getting to work.

Opening the video she said: "Hi there, Arlene here, just to let you know that I am resigning, but the good news is I can finally, finally explore my passion as a wedding singer.

"Me and big Theresa May, we've started our own wedding band singers. We're going to be doing the hits of Gaga, Madonna, Steps, Kylie, Abba... aw the big songs like....mamamamammaa Poker Face!

She added: "And I've got the 'the winner takes it all... you can make me wholeeeee..... whole again, yeah that's the words.

"Yeah, so we're looking forward to that, watch out for a caravan site, we'll be coming near you! Thank you!"

And many loved Janey's latest voice over.

One wrote: "Fantastic thank you for the laugh."

Another added: "I can actually see this happening, and what's more, I would pay to see it!"

While one penned: "Belter, Cheers Janey."

And one wrote: "This is just SO funny!"

Arlene Foster will stand down as DUP leader at the end of May and as First Minister at the end of June after a five year term that saw Brexit and the controversial Northern Ireland protocol enacted.

Foster was under fire from her party colleagues over the political storm caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol which has imposed a customs border down the Irish Sea.

New photos of William and Kate to mark their 10th wedding anniversary - Sky News

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have released two new portraits ahead of their 10th wedding anniversary on Thursday.

The photographs were taken at Kensington Palace this week by Chris Floyd.

Second-in-line to the throne William married his former university flatmate Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London on 29 April, 2011.

Their wedding came after an eight-year relationship.

They now have three children: seven-year-old Prince George, Princess Charlotte, five, and three-year-old Prince Louis.

Royal writer Penny Junor said Kate - the Duchess of Cambridge - has supported William over the past 10 years.

She told the PA news agency: "I think she has been absolutely extraordinary and a model of what a future queen should be.

"She has got such poise and elegance and she's not in competition with William. She doesn't seem to be seeking fame.

"Everything about her is measured. She's a grown-up. She seems to care a lot about everything she's put her name to.

"And she's very good with people but she's not on an ego trip and I think that is absolutely crucial in that role."

During the coronavirus lockdowns, William and Kate have baked goods for local vulnerable people, carried out video calls, supported key workers and home-schooled their children.

Kate has also focused on charity work in the areas of mental health, the visual arts and the benefits of outdoor life.

The couple also became joint patrons of NHS Charities Together.

The 240 NHS charities in the UK provide extra funding for hospitals, community and mental health services, and ambulance services.

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2021-04-28 21:48:49Z
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Two police officers are charged with misconduct after 'taking selfies next to murdered sisters' - Daily Mail

Two Met police officers, 47 and 32, are charged with misconduct after ‘taking selfies next to bodies of murdered sisters in Wembley’

PCs Deniz Jaffer, 47, and Jamie Lewis, 32, will appear in court next month
The two police officers have both been charged with misconduct in public office
It came after allegations they took selfies next to the bodies of murdered sisters

By Dan Sales For Mailonline

Published: 14:15 BST, 28 April 2021 | Updated: 15:32 BST, 28 April 2021

Two police officers have been charged with misconduct in public office after allegedly taking selfies next to the bodies of two murdered sisters.

PCs Deniz Jaffer, 47, and Jamie Lewis, 32, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 27 May 2021 for their first hearing.

It comes after they were investigated over inappropriate pictures of Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, who were stabbed to death in Wembley, north-west London, in the early hours of June 6 last year.

The images were then allegedly shared on WhatsApp before ending up in the public domain.

Experts from the Independent Office for Police Conduct had investigated the claims then passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The CPS London Complex Casework unit authorised the charges following a review of their findings.

PC Deniz Jaffer, 47, has been charged with misconduct in a public office over the pictures

Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, who were stabbed to death in Wembley last year

Reports of the pictures had devastated the mother of Ms Smallman and Henry.

Mina Smallman told the BBC at the time that the pictures 'dehumanised' her children.

'This has taken our grief to another place,' she said.

Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said she was stunned at news of the allegations last yeear.

The sisters' mother Mina Smallman (pictured) told the BBC that the pictures 'dehumanised' her children

She said: 'My heart goes out to the family.

'In relation to the allegations about a photograph, I am dumbfounded. I am appalled.'

Police previously released pictures of senior social worker Ms Henry, from Brent in north-west London, and photographer Ms Smallman dancing with fairy lights before they were murdered.

The pair had met with friends during the evening to celebrate Ms Henry's birthday.

Danyal Hussein, 18, from Blackheath, has been charged with two counts of murder and possession of an offensive weapon, and faces trial later this year.

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2021-04-28 13:15:20Z
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Brexit: Boris Johnson hails 'final step in long journey' as European Parliament backs UK-EU trade deal - Sky News

Boris Johnson has hailed the "final step in a long journey" after the European Parliament gave its approval to the post-Brexit trade deal.

With MEPs having overwhelmingly supported the Trade and Cooperation Agreement - which was struck on Christmas Eve - the prime minister said now "is the time to look forward to the future".

The European Parliament consented to the deal by 660 votes to five, with 32 abstentions.

The result was announced on Wednesday morning after MEPs cast their votes on Tuesday night.

The deal had provisionally been in force since the end of the transition period on 1 January.

Earlier this year, MEPs declined to set a date for a vote following a row over the UK's action in relation to post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.

But with an end of April deadline looming by which to ratify the agreement, MEPs have now made their decision.

There remain a few formalities to be completed over the next few days to complete the EU's ratification process.

Responding to the European Parliament vote, Mr Johnson tweeted: "This week is the final step in a long journey, providing stability to our new relationship with the EU as vital trading partners, close allies and sovereign equals.

"Now is the time to look forward to the future and to building a more Global Britain."

Cabinet minister Lord Frost, who oversees the EU-UK relationship, said the vote brought "certainty" and would allow the UK and EU to "focus on the future".

"We will always aim to act in that positive spirit but we will also always stand up for our interests when we must - as a sovereign country in full control of our own destiny," he added.

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European Parliament President David Sassoli said MEPs would "monitor closely" to ensure commitments made within the agreement "are kept".

"The agreement voted today lays the foundation for a new EU-UK relationship," he posted on Twitter.

"It will not be as frictionless as what came before, but it is in all our interests to make it work."

On Tuesday, speaking as MEPs began their final debate on the post-Brexit trade deal, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed the EU "will not hesitate" to take action against the UK under the terms of the agreement, if there is a dispute.

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2021-04-28 09:23:56Z
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Coronavirus news - live: UK’s vaccine passport to use NHS app, as India pandemic deaths soar past 200,000 - The Independent

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2021-04-28 08:39:57Z
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Arlene Foster: Leadership of DUP hangs in the balance - BBC News

Arlene Foster's leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party hangs in the balance after party members signed a letter of no-confidence in her.

The letter concerning Mrs Foster, who is also first minister, was circulated among DUP MPs and NI Assembly members.

The party said it would not be commenting.

It is understood there is majority support among the party's Stormont and Westminster ranks - about 80% - for a change in leadership.

It is believed 22 of the party's 27 MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) and four MPs have so far signed the letter.

Only a small number of the DUP membership - MLAs and MPs - will get to vote in a leadership contest.

Mrs Foster has endured a turbulent time as DUP leader and the fall-out from Brexit - which the party supported - has put particular pressure on the party's top brass as it faces having to weather the storm caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol, which imposed a border down the Irish Sea.

It has also been suggested that recent changes to NI's abortion laws and the commitment to implement an Irish language act were causing concerns with some elected DUP representatives ahead of next year's assembly election.

In addition, a letter was sent from DUP councillors to the party chairman, Lord Morrow, stating they were "severely worried" about the state of the party and country and calling for Mrs Foster and deputy leader Lord Dodds to resign.

"We as councillors and as members are deeply concerned about the future of unionism, Ulster conservatism and the DUP," the letter states.

"As members and councillors, we have received the brunt of the anger from our voter base caused by ineffective leadership."

How did we get here?

Mrs Foster was elected as the first female leader of the DUP in December 2015, taking over from Peter Robinson. She was the only candidate.

Her time at the helm has been seen many challenges, having faced Brexit a botched green energy scandal which subsequently led to the collapse of Stormont for three years and Covid-19.

The aftermath of Brexit has also caused friction both internally and between the party and some of its core voters who are unhappy at the deal which led to the Irish Sea border.

The DUP has argued that it has never supported the Northern Ireland protocol and has actively tried to have it overthrown.

For some time there have been rumblings of discontent, but Mrs Foster's internal enemies have lacked the numbers, or the courage, to act against her.

Leadership stories

Earlier on Tuesday, Mrs Foster played down suggestions her leadership of the party was under threat.

It followed a report in the Belfast News Letter, which said there was internal party unrest over her leadership.

But Mrs Foster said stories on leadership "come up from time to time".

"So we'll just deal with it and move on because I've bigger things to do, including getting us through this Covid pandemic, including listening to the concerns of working-class communities," she said.

Mrs Foster posted a biblical verse from the Book of Psalms on her private Facebook page on Tuesday evening: "It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure".

Hanging by a thread

Analysis box by Enda McClafferty, NI political editor

The move to oust Mrs Foster in the middle of a pandemic will raise the political stakes at a critical time.

The prospect of a DUP leadership contest at a time when the executive is trying to steer Northern Ireland out of lockdown will be challenging.

The prospect of an early election could also move closer.

The Northern Ireland Office has already started to scope out the potential fallout.

Might the DUP under a new leader harden its stance in the executive when it comes to working with Sinn Féin?

Might the party demand concessions on the Northern Ireland Protocol before appointing a first minister?

If the party fails to replace Mrs Foster as first minister seven days after her resignation then the secretary of state will be forced to call an election.

Electing a new leader might settle the unrest within the DUP but it could also unsettle those outside who share power with the party.

Selasa, 27 April 2021

Matt Hancock urges over-42s in England to take up Covid vaccine - The Independent

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2021-04-27 15:15:49Z
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Rabu, 28 April 2021

Top news stories today

Two Met police officers, 47 and 32, are charged with misconduct after ‘taking selfies next to bodies of murdered sisters in Wembley’

More from Boris Johnson

How did we get here?

Leadership stories

Hanging by a thread

Selasa, 27 April 2021