Babak Belurs

Selasa, 27 Juli 2021

Brexit: EU halts legal action against UK over NI Protocol 'breaches' - BBC News

Lorries and shipping containers in Belfast Harbour

The EU has paused its legal action against the UK for alleged breaches of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

It said it was doing so to create the "necessary space" to consider UK proposals for reforming the deal.

The legal action was started in March after the UK took unilateral action to change the implementation of the protocol.

At that time the UK delayed new checks on food, parcels and pets entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

The Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed by the UK and EU to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

It does that by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods.

That has created a new trade border in the Irish Sea, causing some difficulties in moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Last week the UK published proposals for the protocol, which amounted to a request for a major renegotiation.

It also asked for a standstill period, which would involve pausing the legal action and extending so-called grace periods.

The EU has already said it will not renegotiate the protocol but will "consider any proposals that respect the principles" of the deal.

However it has not ruled out the standstill period.

A European Commission spokesperson said: "With regards to the request for a standstill, the commission will carefully assess the new proposals made by the UK, in accordance with the necessary consultation procedures, both internally and with the European Parliament.

"In order to provide the necessary space to reflect on these issues and find durable solutions to the implementation of the protocol, we have decided at this stage not to move to the next stage of the infringement procedure, started in March."

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2021-07-27 18:25:34Z
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COVID-19: UK records 23,511 new coronavirus cases and 131 more deaths - Sky News

The UK has recorded 23,511 new COVID-19 cases and 131 more coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data.

It is the seventh day in a row that the number of infections has fallen.

But it is the highest number of daily deaths since 17 March, when 141 fatalities were reported.

It takes the total number of people who have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive COVID test to 129,303.

Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that since the pandemic began there have been 154,000 deaths registered in the UK where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate.

Follow live COVID updates from the UK and across the world

Responding to Tuesday's data, Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England (PHE), said: "Rates are still high and the pandemic is not over yet, today we have recorded the highest number of deaths since March.

"This is in part due to the high number of cases recorded in recent weeks. We know deaths follow when there are a high number of cases and data today highlights we are still in the third wave."

She continued: "We can all help. Meeting outside is safer than inside, get two doses of the vaccine as soon as you can and isolate if you are told to by NHS Test & Trace. If you show symptoms, stay home and get a PCR test. Limiting your contacts is the best way to stop the virus spreading."

Today's figures compare with 24,950 infections and 14 deaths reported yesterday, while 46,558 cases and 96 deaths were announced this time last week.

Also, 64,585 people had their first dose of a COVID vaccine yesterday, taking the total to 46,653,796.

And a further 171,676 people had their second jab, meaning 37,459,060 are now fully vaccinated.

The latest data has shown that England and Wales recorded the highest number of weekly coronavirus-related deaths since April.

There were 218 deaths with coronavirus mentioned on the death certificate in the week to 16 July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - the third consecutive weekly rise and a 19% increase on the previous seven days.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Boris Johnson acknowledged the falling case numbers over the past week.

He said: "I've noticed that, obviously, we are six days into some better figures.

"But it is very, very important that we don't allow ourselves to run away with premature conclusions about this.

"Step four of the opening up only took place a few days ago; people have got to remain very cautious and that remains of the approach of the government."

Earlier, policing minister Kit Malthouse told Sky News he thought the falling cases was an "interesting cocktail of effects" - and it seems to be a common theory in government that a number of factors are contributing to the decrease.

SAGE member Professor Mark Walport admitted "everyone's scratching their heads a little bit as to exactly what the explanation is", while other scientists have urged caution.

And Dr Duncan Robertson, an expert in COVID-19 modelling and analysis, said we should be looking at the positivity rate (or percentage of tests coming back positive) - which remains "very high" and could indicate not enough testing is being carried out.

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2021-07-27 15:25:53Z
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Culture of cover-up saw hundreds of children abused in Lambeth, report finds - BBC News

Staff and councillors presided over a "culture of cover-up" that led to more than 700 children in south London care homes suffering cruelty and sexual abuse, an inquiry has found.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse strongly criticised Lambeth Council for allowing abuse in five homes from the 1960s to the 1990s.

It said abusers were able to to infiltrate homes and the foster system.

Lambeth Council has made an unreserved apology to the victims.

And a former council leader said the authority had "clearly failed" and she should have known about the abuse.

The inquiry into the council, held in the summer of 2020, examined five homes - Angell Road, South Vale Assessment Centre, the Shirley Oaks complex, Ivy House and Monkton Street.

The Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) report said: "With some exceptions, they [Lambeth Council staff] treated children in care as if they were worthless.

"As a consequence, individuals who posed a risk to children were able to infiltrate children's homes and foster care, with devastating, life-long consequences for their victims."

Of the 705 complaints made by former residents across three such facilities, only one senior member of staff was ever disciplined by the council, the report said.

At Shirley Oaks, which closed in 1983, the council received allegations of abuse against 177 members of staff, involving at least 529 former residents.

The council was mired in corruption and financial mismanagement during the decades of abuse, with "politicised behaviour and turmoil" dominating its culture, according to the report.

The report partly blames the Labour council's battle against the Conservative government in the 1980s, saying it sought to "take on the government" to the detriment of local services.

"During that time, children in care became pawns in a toxic power game within Lambeth Council and between the council and central government," the report added.

The IICSA is calling on the Metropolitan Police to consider a criminal investigation into why allegations of sexual abuse made by a boy, later found dead at the Shirley Oaks care home, were not passed on to the coroner by Lambeth Council in 1977.

Shirley Oaks and South Vale were found to have been "brutal places where violence and sexual assault were allowed to flourish".

Another care home, Angell Road, "systematically exposed children (including those under the age of five years) to sexual abuse," the report said.

Elizabeth McCourt, who was sexually abused at Angell Road care home, said she could not forgive Lambeth Council.

The 56-year-old told the BBC she was forced into prostitution because of the council's "negligence".

"I felt dirty, I felt ashamed and I felt like I had nobody to listen to me," she said.

"Because of what happened to me in care, and then coming out of care, I can't hold a job down... I've got a criminal record so it's very difficult for me to work."

Sandra Fearon, who was at Shirley Oaks between 1964 and 1969 with her siblings, said she was violently sexually abused by a doctor from the age of 12.

She told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme the abuse continued every week for two years until her school intervened, after she was able to tell a school nurse what had happened to her.

"I got to the point where I was probably seconds away from suicide. That's how bad my health was and the state I was in," she said, adding that the abuse "absolutely destroyed me".

Children spent time with "social aunts" or "social uncles", volunteers who worked with children without proper vetting.

One such volunteer, Geoffrey Clarke, stayed at Shirley Oaks with regular and unimpeded access to children there from the early 1970s.

He was convicted of sexually assaulting three children in 1998, but Lambeth Council is now aware of at least 40 people who have made allegations against him.

Clarke was charged with numerous abuse offences as part of Operation Middleton, one of five police investigations into child sexual abuse linked to Lambeth Council from 1992 to the present date. Clarke took his own life before his trial.

The inquiry criticises the Metropolitan Police for its failures to follow up evidence that may have led to the identification of further offending.

Six men have been convicted since the 1990s in connection with abuse in Lambeth.

They include: William Hook, jailed for 10 years; Philip Temple, jailed for 18 years; and Leslie Paul, sent to prison for 13 years.

Michael Carroll was appointed to work in a Lambeth care home in 1978 despite abusing children previously in Liverpool and failing twice to declare his offences, including when he applied to be a foster carer. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to 10 years in 1999.

The report made a number of recommendations, including that the council publishes an action plan to deal with the issues raised, as well as improving staff training, recruitment and vetting.

Lambeth Council has accepted the recommendations and apologised to the inquiry for creating and overseeing conditions "where appalling and absolutely shocking and horrendous abuse was perpetrated".

It has also paid £71.5 million in compensation to former children's home residents, with individual payments of up to £125,000.

Linda Bellos, who led Lambeth Council between 1986-88, said she was "shocked" and "disgusted" by the abuse revealed in the report.

Ms Bellos, who was not called to give evidence by the inquiry, told the BBC: "I should have known, there should have been transparency for the services that we were supposed to be giving to vulnerable children."

"We clearly failed. I hold myself responsible for that failure," she added.

The long-running IICSA is investigating claims against organisations including the church, local authorities and the armed forces.

Its final report of overarching findings will be laid before Parliament next summer.

Additional reporting by Tom Symonds, BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

Support and resources for sexual abuse and violence are available via the BBC Action Line.

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2021-07-27 15:19:04Z
52781754461162

Culture of cover-up saw hundreds of children abused, report finds - BBC News

Staff and councillors in Lambeth presided over a "culture of cover-up" that led to more than 700 children in care homes suffering cruelty and sexual abuse, an inquiry has found.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse strongly criticised the south London council for allowing decades of abuse in five homes.

It said abusers were able to to infiltrate homes and the foster system.

Lambeth Council has made an unreserved apology to the victims of the abuse.

The inquiry into the council, held in the summer of 2020, examined five homes - Angell Road, South Vale Assessment Centre, the Shirley Oaks complex, Ivy House and Monkton Street - dating back to the 1960s.

The Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) report said: "With some exceptions, they [Lambeth Council staff] treated children in care as if they were worthless.

"As a consequence, individuals who posed a risk to children were able to infiltrate children's homes and foster care, with devastating, life-long consequences for their victims."

Of the 705 complaints made by former residents across three such facilities, only one senior member of staff was ever disciplined by the council, the report said.

The council was mired in corruption and financial mismanagement during the decades of abuse, according to the report, with "politicised behaviour and turmoil" dominating its culture.

The report partly blames the council's battle against the Conservative government in the 1980s, saying it sought to "take on the government" to the detriment of local services.

"During that time, children in care became pawns in a toxic power game within Lambeth Council and between the council and central government," the report added.

Shirley Oaks and South Vale were found to have been "brutal places where violence and sexual assault were allowed to flourish".

Another care home, Angell Road, "systematically exposed children (including those under the age of five years) to sexual abuse," the report said.

The council received allegations of abuse, involving at least 529 residents, against 177 members of staff connected with Shirley Oaks, which closed in 1983.

Children spent time with "social aunts" or "social uncles", volunteers who worked with children without proper vetting.

One such volunteer, Geoffrey Clarke, stayed at Shirley Oaks with regular and unimpeded access to children there from the early 1970s.

He was convicted of sexually assaulting three children in 1998, but Lambeth Council is now aware of at least 40 people who have made allegations against him.

The inquiry criticises the Metropolitan Police for its failures to follow up evidence that may have led to the identification of further offending.

Six men have been convicted since the 1990s in connection with abuse in Lambeth.

They include William Hook, jailed for 10 years, Philip Temple, jailed for 18 years and Leslie Paul sent to prison for 13 years.

Michael Carroll was appointed to work in a Lambeth care home in 1978 despite abusing children previously in Liverpool and failing twice to declare his offences, including when applying to be a foster carer. Eventually, in 1999 he was convicted and sentenced to 10 years.

Lambeth Council has apologised to the inquiry for creating and overseeing conditions "where appalling and absolutely shocking and horrendous abuse was perpetrated".

However, while noting the apology was "fulsome", the report said the council "did not make any meaningful apology until relatively recently".

"This is despite the many investigations and inspections over 20 years which made it clear the duty of care it failed to deliver to so many child victims of sexual abuse," it added.

In 2016 Lambeth Council made an unreserved apology to victims of abuse and set up a redress scheme which promised a payment to anyone in its homes put in "harm's way".

The council has paid £71.5 million in compensation to former children's home residents, with individual payments of up to £125,000.

Additional reporting by Tom Symonds, BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

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Senin, 26 Juli 2021

Father speaks about tragedy in Loch Lomond - Sky News

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2021-07-26 21:10:53Z
52781747034172

Covid: More pinged workers eligible for daily tests instead of isolation - BBC News

More critical workers will be able to take daily tests rather than isolate if they are pinged after coming into close contact with someone who has Covid.

The government said 1,200 extra sites would be established, with prisons, waste management and the armed forces among the sectors prioritised.

Some 800 sites are already being set up for police, firefighters, supermarket depot staff and other workers.

Several sectors have warned of staffing shortages caused by 10-day isolations.

More than 600,000 contact tracing alerts, advising people to self-isolate for up to 10 days, were sent from the NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales in the week to 15 July.

Daily testing for some critical sectors in England was launched as an alternative to self-isolation for some workers, due to start this week. The government had said 500 sites would be set up this week.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Whether it's prison guards reporting for duty, waste collectors keeping our streets clean or workers in our energy sector keeping the lights on, critical workers have been there for us at every stage of this global pandemic.

"As we learn to live with the virus, we will keep doing everything in our power to break chains of transmission and stop this virus in its tracks."

He added: "Daily contact testing will play a vital role in this, helping minimise the potential for disruption caused by rising cases, while keeping staff protected."

When all 2,000 testing sites are opened, 800 will deal with food industry, transport and Border Force workers, as well as police and fire services.

The other 1,200 will be for people employed in prisons, waste, defence and veterinary medicine, plus the energy, pharmaceutical, telecoms, chemical, communications, water, space and fish industries.

Workers will be allowed to take the tests, rather than isolate, whether or not they are fully vaccinated.

The announcement of the scheme's extension came after the number of Covid cases reported in the UK fell to below 25,000 on Monday.

Frontline health and care staff who are fully vaccinated and identified as a close contact of someone with Covid have a separate system, allowing some to go to work, subject to strict testing rules.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are among workers self-isolating after Health Secretary Sajid Javid tested positive last week.

From 16 August anyone in England who is fully vaccinated - and unvaccinated under-18s - will be able to take PCR tests - which are sent to a laboratory to be checked - instead of self-isolating, if pinged.

Similar rules come into force in Scotland from 9 August - and in Wales from 7 August.

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2021-07-26 20:10:13Z
52781753746717

Covid: More pinged workers eligible for daily tests instead of isolation - BBC News

More critical workers will be able to take daily tests rather than isolate if they are pinged after coming into close contact with someone who has Covid.

Waste collectors, prison staff and defence workers in England will all now be included in the scheme.

They join police, firefighters, Border Force staff, transport and freight workers, supermarket depot staff and food manufacturers on the list.

Several sectors have warned of staffing shortages caused by 10-day isolations.

Almost 608,000 contact tracing alerts were sent from the NHS Covid-19 app in the week to 15 July - a record high.

Daily testing started on Monday, and the government has announced a further 800 testing sites will be set up, taking the total to 2,000.

Workers allowed to take the tests, rather than isolate, will be able to do so irrespective of whether they are fully vaccinated.

Frontline health and care staff who are fully vaccinated and identified as a close contact of someone with Covid have a separate system, allowing some to go to work, subject to strict testing rules.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are among workers self-isolating after Health Secretary Sajid Javid tested positive last week.

Similar rules come into force in Scotland from 9 August - and in Wales from 7 August.

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Selasa, 27 Juli 2021

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Senin, 26 Juli 2021