Babak Belurs

Jumat, 04 Maret 2022

Ukraine invasion: Refugees fleeing war-torn country who have family in UK will be eligible for three-year UK visas - Sky News

Ukrainian refugees who have family settled in the UK will be able to apply to come to Britain for three years, the Home Office has confirmed.

Initially, the UK offered a visa to just immediate family but on Tuesday that was widened to include parents, grandparents and siblings

Announcing the first extension of the scheme earlier this week, Home Secretary Priti Patel said Ukrainians who had close relatives settled in the UK could be given leave for "an initial period of 12 months".

Live updates as Putin issues fresh warning

But on Friday, after facing calls to extend visas to all fleeing the war zone, the Home Office announced that Ukrainians leaving due to the Russian invasion will now be able to live, work and claim benefits in the UK for three years.

They could be allowed to stay longer if a future scheme allowing this is introduced.

Applications will be processed 'as quickly as possible'

The Ukraine Family Scheme will allow applications from those with immediate family, extended family members or immediate family members of an extended family member in the UK and has opened today.

Immediate family includes spouses or civil partners, unmarried partners living together for two or more years, children under 18, a parent if their child in the UK is under 18, or fiancées or proposed civil partners.

Extended family includes grown-up children, the parents of grown-up children, grandparents, grandchildren and siblings.

Individuals must be Ukrainian or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national who is applying to the scheme and have been residing in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022 (including those who have now left the country).

Those eligible can apply to the scheme without charge and their applications will be subject to security checks.

The Home Office said the scheme will allow applicants "to join family members of extend their stay in the UK" and that applications will be processed "as quickly as possible".

A sponsorship scheme will also allow individuals and organisations to bring Ukrainians to the UK.

Labour pressure for scheme to be extended

The extension of the Ukraine Family Scheme comes after Labour said the government needed to go further by introducing a "simple emergency visa available to all Ukrainians that need sanctuary and protection in the UK".

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper called for a more flexible "emergency protection visa" valid for 12 months for everyone fleeing Ukraine, whether they have relatives in the UK or not.

Labour said normal visa conditions could be lifted, although biometrics and security checks would still have to be carried out and could be done en route to the UK.

"People need a simple and safe route to sanctuary right now," Ms Cooper said.

"Most want to stay close to home, especially those who have had to leave relatives behind, but the UK must play its part to help people seeking support and safety in our country too."

The SNP had previously called for a visa waiver, but Ms Patel rejected this on security grounds, saying security checks were necessary.

'Critical moment in fight for freedom'

On Friday, Ms Patel travelled to Medyka in eastern Poland on the border with Ukraine to meet people trying to flee to the UK and to see the situation for herself.

Ahead of the visit, she said: "The British government will do everything it can to support the Ukrainian people at this critical moment as they fight for freedom.

"I have developed the Ukraine family scheme following discussions with the Ukrainian government and neighbouring countries and I am proud to have launched it within a matter of days, enabling Ukrainians with family in the United Kingdom to be welcomed safely, quickly and free of charge.

"The United Kingdom stands to shoulder with Ukrainians, providing humanitarian practical support."

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A Home Office spokesperson also confirmed that in the three weeks that the current scheme has been open for, "around 100 applications" have been received, alongside "around 300 applications" from the visitor route.

Ms Patel had been under increasing pressure to extend the Ukraine Family Scheme after the EU announced fleeing Ukrainians would not need family ties in member countries to stay for three years.

More than a million refugees have fled Ukraine so far.

The Home Office said the "generous scheme" will have the aim of allowing 6,000 Ukrainians to come to the UK a week by the end of March, with capacity ramping up daily.

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2022-03-04 16:03:51Z
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Birmingham Erdington by-election: Starmer hails new MP as 'champion of working people' - BBC.com

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Sir Keir Starmer has hailed Paulette Hamilton's victory in the Birmingham Erdington by-election as the passing of a "baton" from one "great champion of working people" to another.

The former nurse polled 9,413 votes, 55% of ballots cast, as Labour increased its vote share.

She has become Birmingham's first black MP and revealed her father died just as her campaign started.

The by-election was held following the sudden death of Jack Dromey.

The veteran MP died in January aged 73 and had held the seat since 2010.

Speaking on a visit to Birmingham following the win, the Labour leader said: "Jack would be smiling this morning... looking down seeing that baton being passed to Paulette, a champion of working people for Erdington."

Addressing Ms Hamilton, he said: "You will be a fantastic champion for them, bringing them what they want most - the security of knowing they've got a champion for them in Parliament, the prosperity that they want for themselves, their businesses, their communities, and the respect that they so richly deserve."

Sir Keir, who had earlier tweeted that Ms Hamilton had "made history", added her swearing in as an MP on Monday would be a "special moment".

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Following her win, she said: "I never thought I'd be running to be an MP, but the fact that I am now not only the MP for Erdington but the first black woman - the first woman to ever get the position - I am delighted and I am still pinching myself."

Twelve candidates stood in the election and the turnout was 27%, compared with 50.3% in the 2019 general election.

Robert Alden, Conservative leader at the city council, had been vying to become the first Tory MP for the constituency since 1936.

He won 6,147, or 36% of votes, giving Ms Hamilton a majority of 3,266.

In her victory speech, Ms Hamilton said she was "exhausted but delighted".

"But I'd also like to say a special thank you to Keir Starmer for his endless support - even when my dad died, they were there, they wrapped me in cotton wool and they supported me, and my dad isn't even buried yet but they were there when I was crying."

Thanking her family and campaign team, she also gave thanks to police and council staff for the "smooth running" of the count operation.

"I know it's a lot of work that often goes unmentioned, so thank you for your endless professionalism and commitment to the democratic process," she added.

"Something I think we all treasure even more following the events in Europe."

Prior to the election, Conservative MPs Tom Hunt and Gary Sambrook had called on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to suspend Ms Hamilton, following comments she made at an event titled "The Ballot or the Bullet - Does your vote count?" in 2015 about increasing ethnic minorities' representation in politics.

Mr Hunt added she should have the party whip withdrawn if she was elected.

A Labour spokesman said: "In Paulette, the people of Birmingham Erdington have elected a great local champion.

"We're delighted that this campaign has seen the first black MP elected from a Birmingham constituency."

Some 17,016 ballots were cast in the election, in an electorate of 62,996.

Some in the local black community said they were surprised the city had not had a black MP before.

Shopkeeper Buki Hannawai said it was "shocking" and "really quite sad".

But she welcomed the development and said: "It's positive change for me personally as a local resident and as someone who works in the area as well."

She also believes Ms Hamilton will feel the pressure of being the first and said: "It's with anything, across society. If you're the first, you're carrying everybody with you and their expectations."

Analysis - Rob Mayor, political reporter - BBC Radio WM

This was a by-election which started with the background of investigations into parties at Downing Street and ended overshadowed by war in Ukraine.

It's a case of as you were for the two main parties, though Labour's vote share increased and the Conservatives' reduced slightly.

The Lib Dems meanwhile were beaten down to sixth behind the Trade Unionist Socialist Coalition, Reform Party and the Greens.

This result may not tell us a huge amount about the standing of the two parties with voters, but it is a landmark moment, as Paulette Hamilton becomes the first black MP to represent a Birmingham constituency.

Mr Alden said the low turnout was a reflection Labour was not "ready to govern".

"This is a seat that has been Labour over the last 85 years... the fact the majority is so small here today is really a damning indictment where the Labour party is nationally," he added.

Mr Dromey, a shadow minister married to fellow Labour MP Harriet Harman, made his name in politics through the union movement, as a leading figure in the Transport and General Workers' Union, which later became Unite.

In the 2019 general election he won the seat with 17,720 of votes cast.

A by-election is held when a seat becomes vacant when an MP resigns or dies, is declared bankrupt, takes a seat in the House of Lords or is convicted of a serious criminal offence.

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Kamis, 03 Maret 2022

Sarah Everard: Family say 'we miss her all the time' one year on from brutal murder - Sky News

Sarah Everard's family have said their lives are "changed forever" and "we miss her all the time" in a tribute to mark a year since the marketing executive's murder.

Ms Everard, 33, was kidnapped, raped and murdered in south London on 3 March 2021.

Her killer was a serving Metropolitan Police Officer, Wayne Couzens, who is now serving a whole-life jail term.

In a statement, Ms Everard's family said: "It is a year since Sarah died and we remember her today, as every day, with all our love. Our lives have changed forever and we live with the sadness of our loss. Sarah was wonderful and we miss her all the time.

"Over the past year, we have been overwhelmed with the kindness shown to us, not just by family and friends, but by the wider public. We are immensely grateful to everyone for their support, it has meant such a lot to us and has comforted us through this terrible time.

"Sadly, Sarah is not the only woman to have lost her life recently in violent circumstances and we would like to extend our deepest sympathy to other families who are also grieving."

Ms Everard went missing on 3 March 2021 as she was walking home near Clapham Common.

Her disappearance sparked a mass search across south London and six days later Couzens was arrested in Kent, first on suspicion of kidnapping and later for murder.

Ms Everard's remains were found in woodland near Ashford, Kent, on 10 March.

The Metropolitan Police firearms officer has used his warrant card and handcuffs to kidnap Ms Everard as she walked home, using COVID-19 lockdown rules as the premise for a false arrest.

Couzens, 48, had been planning the crime for at least a month.

Vigils were held for Ms Everard around the UK and one gathering in Clapham Common led to criticism for the police response after four people were arrested for breaching COVID regulations.

Couzens pleaded guilty to kidnapping and rape on 8 June and gave another guilty plea for murder the following day.

Lord Justice Fulford gave Couzens a whole life order on 30 September.

Prime minister and London mayor pay tribute

Boris Johnson paid tribute to Ms Everard saying that his "heart goes out to the family and friends of Sarah Everard today".

"The circumstances of her death were truly horrifying and I cannot imagine the pain they have suffered over this past year," he said.

"It is unacceptable that so many women and girls still fear and face violence and abuse, and perpetrators must be held to account for their actions. Everyone deserves to feel safe on our streets."

London mayor Sadiq Khan also paid tribute, saying that "we must prevent" violence against women and girls.

"I want every woman and girl to be safe, and to feel safe - whatever the time of day and wherever they are in the capital," he said.

"I will continue to do everything within my power to ensure that ending violence against women and girls is treated with the utmost urgency, both by our police and society as a whole."

Government inquiry into the murder

In January, Priti Patel announced an inquiry in Ms Everard's murder will inform the government on what policing issues need to be addressed and how the protection of women should be considered.

The home secretary revealed the terms of reference for the first phase of the inquiry, which will be led by Dame Elish Angiolini, investigating how, as a serving officer, Couzens was able to abduct, rape, and murder Everard as she walked home in south London in March last year.

Following this, there are plans for a second part that will look at wider issues in policing.

The Met Police has commissioned its own review of the culture and standards at the force.

The focus on police behaviour in the wake of Ms Everard's murder has had ongoing consequences. The former comissioner Dame Cressida Dick resigned after Mr Khan said he had lost confidence in her ability to come up with a robust plan for dealing with officers' behaviour.

The past year has also seen a number of high profile alleged stranger murders of women, including the deaths of PCSO Julia James and teachers Sabina Nessa and Ashling Murphy.

Walk for 'victims of gendered violence'

On Thursday evening, a walk will take place in southwest London, which organisers The Urban Angels said is in memory of "victims of gendered violence."

The group wrote it is a "chance for us all to stand in solidarity and show that we both demand and support change".

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The event will begin at Clapham North underground station at 7pm and will finish at Clapham Common bandstand, near where Ms Everard went missing and the location of a socially distanced vigil held in her memory last year.

A statement from the Met released on the anniversary said: "Our thoughts are with Sarah Everard's family and loved ones. One year on we remain deeply disgusted and shamed that a Met police officer was responsible for Sarah's appalling murder."

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2022-03-03 09:56:15Z
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Rabu, 02 Maret 2022

UK eyes seizing the property of sanctioned oligarchs - Financial Times

UK cabinet minister Michael Gove is drawing up plans to seize British property owned by Russian oligarchs with links to President Vladimir Putin, without paying them compensation.

Ukrainians fleeing their homeland could be housed in the lavish UK residences of oligarchs hit with sanctions under the proposals discussed by Gove, the levelling-up secretary, and other ministers, according to government insiders.

Boris Johnson, UK prime minister, who was accused by Labour on Wednesday of failing to take sufficient action against Putin’s allies following his invasion of Ukraine, is said to be supportive of Gove’s plans to seize the land and property of sanctioned oligarchs.

The proposals are likely to require legislation, and government lawyers have concerns the plans would be subject to legal challenges because they would undermine UK property rights. No final government decision has been reached on whether to proceed.

Gove’s plans would apply to nine oligarchs who have been sanctioned by the UK, including Kirill Shamalov, Russia’s youngest billionaire and Putin’s former son-in-law. The government has proposed these people will have their UK assets frozen and be unable to travel to Britain.

Liz Truss, UK foreign secretary, on Monday said the government was working through a “hit list” of oligarchs with links to Putin, with a view to imposing sanctions on them.

Johnson told the House of Commons on Wednesday: “The vice is tightening on the Putin regime and it will continue to tighten.”

One government insider involved in Gove’s plans said “freezing assets is not enough” and officials in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities were “looking at seizing the land and property of sanctioned individuals”.

A Whitehall official said civil servants were examining “very carefully” what steps would be needed to hand powers to ministers to “swiftly acquire specific land and property in the UK owned by a sanctioned person, without the need to pay them compensation”.

Another government insider said ministers were discussing using oligarchs’ properties for housing Ukrainians who have had to flee the war in their country.

Johnson is coming under pressure from Labour to match EU sanctions introduced since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which cover prominent Russian oligarchs, Kremlin officials and other Putin allies.

While the UK has targeted nine oligarchs to date, the EU has sanctioned more than 25 Russians with links to Putin.

Sir Keir Starmer, Labour leader, on Wednesday asked Johnson why Igor Shuvalov, Russia’s former deputy prime minister, was not on the UK’s sanctions list given he had already been targeted by the EU.

Starmer used parliamentary privilege to repeat claims that Shuvalov owns two flats worth about £11.4mn on a combined basis in central London.

“Last week, Putin summoned to the Kremlin the cronies who prop up his regime,” said Starmer. “They dip their hands in the blood of Putin’s war.

“Among them was Igor Shuvalov, Putin’s former deputy prime minister. Shuvalov owns two flats, not five minutes walk from this House. They’re worth over £11mn. He is on the EU sanctions list, but he’s not on the UK sanctions list. When will the prime minister sort this out?”

Starmer said Shuvalov’s properties were registered under a “shell company” and the true owner was only known because of information obtained by Alexei Navalny, the Russian dissident and leading opponent of Putin.

Johnson said the UK government was willing to “sanction any individual [and] any company connected” to Russia’s leadership, but would not comment on individual cases.

The government on Monday unveiled a much-delayed economic crime bill that will establish a register requiring anonymous foreign owners of UK land and property to reveal their identities. It is meant to stop people hiding their ownership of property behind shell companies registered in offshore tax havens.

Starmer said that Labour supported the economic crime bill but warned the new rules would not come into force for existing foreign owners of UK property until 18 months after the legislation is approved.

“Why are we giving Putin’s cronies 18 months to quietly launder their money out of the UK property market and into another safe haven?” he asked.

Johnson said the government would work with Labour to “strengthen and accelerate the package of measures” outlined in the bill.

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2022-03-02 19:37:50Z
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Ukraine invasion: Boris Johnson accuses Putin of 'war crime' after MPs give rare standing ovation in Commons to Ukraine ambassador - Sky News

Boris Johnson has accused Vladimir Putin of committing "a war crime" as he spoke during a session of PMQs preceded by a standing ovation for Ukraine's ambassador.

As the Russian president's attempt to invade Ukraine entered a seventh day, the prime minister condemned Mr Putin's "abhorrent" attack on his country's neighbour.

"What we have seen already from Vladimir Putin's regime - in the use of munitions they have already been dropping on innocent civilians - in my view already fully qualifies as a war crime," Mr Johnson told the House of Commons.

"I know the ICC [International Criminal Court] prosecutor is already investigating and I'm sure the whole House will support that."

The Foreign Office later confirmed the UK plus 37 ally nations have referred Russia to the ICC to investigate "war crimes in Ukraine". It is the largest referral in the ICC's history.

As the nations have grouped together, the ICC prosecutor will not need to get judicial approval to begin so they can start the investigation straight away.

Mr Johnson called Russia's invasion "barbaric" and said all 38 countries are "crystal clear that Putin cannot commit these horrific acts with impunity".

Kherson 'completely surrounded by Russians' - follow latest updates

PM condemns Putin's 'abhorrent assault'

In an intelligence update on Wednesday morning, the Ministry of Defence said heavy Russian artillery and airstrikes had continued to target built-up areas in the past 24 hours.

More than 2,000 civilians have so far died in a week of war with Russia, according to Ukraine's state emergency service - although Sky News has not yet verified this information independently.

There are other unconfirmed claims of Russia using thermobaric weapons and widely-banned cluster munitions.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace earlier told Sky News that Mr Putin's actions would get "harder, tougher and more indiscriminate" as his invasion attempt lags "considerably" behind schedule.

Mr Johnson, who spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday morning, told MPs that the Russian president had "gravely miscalculated" in the "abhorrent assault on a sovereign nation".

"He has underestimated the extraordinary fortitude of the Ukrainian people and the unity and resolve of the free world in standing up to his barbarism," the PM told the Commons.

Downing Street later said possible war crimes were occurring "almost hourly" in Ukraine.

"Formally it will be for a criminal court to make that ruling but I think no one can be in any doubt that what we're seeing daily, almost hourly now, are horrific acts that would certainly appear to be war crimes," the PM's official spokesman said when asked about Mr Johnson's comments at PMQs.

MPs stand to applaud Ukraine's ambassador

At the beginning of Wednesday's PMQs, the entire Commons chamber stood to applaud Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, as he sat in the gallery to observe proceedings.

Addressing Mr Prystaiko after MPs had ended their applause, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle noted - to some laughter - that MPs "generally do not allow applause in the chamber".

"But I think on this occasion the House quite rightly want to demonstrate our respect and support for your country and its people at this most difficult time," Sir Lindsay added.

Starmer calls for 'every oligarch' to be sanctioned

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer used PMQs to urge Mr Johnson to bring forward sanctions against "every oligarch" and "crack open every shell company" in order to put further pressure on Mr Putin's regime.

Sir Keir asked why Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, who he described as a "person of interest to the Home Office because of his links to the Russian state", had not yet been sanctioned.

He also asked why action had not been taken by the government against Igor Shuvalov, Mr Putin's former deputy prime minister, who he accused of being among those Kremlin "cronies" who "dip their hand in the blood of Putin's war".

The Labour leader told MPs that Mr Shuvalov owns two flats "not five minutes' walk" from parliament that are worth over £11m.

PM vows UK will 'continue to tighten noose'

Mr Johnson would not comment on individual cases but said the UK would "continue to tighten the noose around Putin's regime" with sanctions and promised a "full list of all those associated" with the Russian president would be published.

He highlighted "unprecedented measures" brought forward by the government in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

"I know that the whole House will agree with me that nothing we do in rooting out corruption and corrupt money in London, or any other capital, should for one minute... distract for where the true blame for this crisis lies, which is wholly and exclusively and entirely with Vladimir Putin and his regime," the PM said.

"I'm glad that the benches opposite are as resolved as we are that Putin must fail in his venture and that we must ensure that we protect a sovereign, free and independent Ukraine, and that's what we're going to do.

"With the unity of this House, with the continued heroism and resolve of the Ukrainian people, which is so amazing that we've seen over the last few days.

"And with the unity of the West that we're seeing, which I think has also taken aback President Putin, I've no doubt at all that he will fail and we will succeed in protecting Ukraine."

Number 10 said a "significant proportion" of people who are set to appear on the government's list of people in Britain deemed to have links with Mr Putin's regime will be sanctioned.

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2022-03-02 17:43:52Z
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Man arrested on suspicion of murder after bodies of divorced couple found 15 miles apart in Gloucestershire - Sky News

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a divorced couple were found dead 15 miles apart in Gloucestershire.

A property near a picturesque Cotswolds village has been cordoned off and forensic officers are on the scene as the investigation is underway.

Although formal identification has not yet taken place, those who died have been named as Clive Warrington, 67, and Valerie Warrington, 73.

The victims had been married - and later divorced - and both sustained stab wounds.

A man is in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder.

Officers were called to Sherborne Place in Cheltenhamat around 6.25am on Wednesday where the body of Mr Warrington was found, Gloucestershire Police said.

An investigation was launched and the body of Ms Warrington was later discovered at an address in the rural village of Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds, some 15 miles away.

A spokesperson for the force said: "Those involved in the incident are known to each other and officers are not currently seeking anyone else in connection."

Detectives are keen to hear from any witnesses or anyone who may have dashcam or CCTV footage that could be relevant to the investigation.

Information can be provided online quoting incident 57 of 2 March or by phone on 101.

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2022-03-02 17:03:45Z
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Middlesbrough mayor says banning ballet over Russian name wrong - BBC

Middlesbrough's mayor says it would be "completely wrong" to stop a ballet company performing because it uses Russia in its stage name.

Sleeping Beauty is due to be performed in the town by the Russian National Ballet, but some have called for it to be stopped due to the Ukraine invasion.

The show is produced by UK-based Amande Concerts which performs under the name and has no political links to Russia.

Darlington Hippodrome pulled shows by the same company's Russian State Opera.

The Billingham Forum Theatre has also decided to cancel October's performance of Swan Lake.

Andy Preston, Middlesbrough's independent-elected mayor, said stopping the performance at the town's theatre in October would be unfair.

"It would be completely wrong to ban a UK-based company and their performers - some from Ukraine - who don't appear to have any links with the Russian state," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"My understanding is that this is an international cast of performers who, for artistic reasons, use the name of Russia in their stage name.

"We need to keep hold of reality here."

The advert on Middlesbrough Theatre's website showing National Ballet

Middlesbrough Theatre's website has since referred to the show as the "National Ballet". November's performance of The Nutcracker, performed by the same company, is also due to go ahead as planned.

The production has also changed its performance name at venues including the Grand Theatre in Blackpool.

"Like anyone sensible, my heart and head is with Ukraine right now and I want to see Putin disappear," Mr Preston said.

"But I am not anti-Russian or against Russian people, who are increasingly turning against their despotic leader.

"Not too long ago when our country was at war with Germany and Italy, some people turned on German and Italian neighbours they'd known for decades - just because of where they were born. We mustn't let that happen again."

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original post on Facebook

A performance of Madame Butterfly by the company's opera brand went ahead on Sunday at Newcastle's Tyne Theatre and Opera House.

Derek Cooper, manager of Billingham Forum Theatre, said the production had to be "viable" in order for the tour to the continue, and there had been a "split opinion" from customers about whether the show should go ahead.

"It was a really hard decision to make and we made it jointly," he said.

"It's a shame, it's a company and a guy I have been using for a decade - the performances are top-notch.

"It has already been rescheduled because of Covid - it's a double whammy for them."

Middlesbrough town hall lit up in the colours of the Ukraine flag

A statement from Amande Concerts, which is registered to a Canterbury address and has said it strongly condemns the violence, said it understood there was a potential for confusion over the name, but there is "no link between Amande Concerts to the Russian 'state' as a political entity."

"This brand acts as an umbrella for the presentation of artists of many different nationalities that have graduated from artistic institutions in Russia and countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union," it said.

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Babak Belurs

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