Babak Belurs

Sabtu, 02 Juli 2022

More flight cancellations as airlines re-work schedules in line with slot amnesty - Sky News

Frustrated travellers face more flight cancellations over the coming weeks, as airlines rush to re-work their schedules.

The upheaval comes in response to last month's announcement that an amnesty will allow airlines to cancel flights while still retaining take-off and landing slots next year.

Airlines buy slots to operate their schedules but can lose them to rivals if they fail to maintain their obligations to the airport and passengers by failing to fly.

It is hoped that being able to more freely adjust schedules will allow airlines to run only the flights they can fully staff, ending the reports of passengers arriving at the airport to find their flights cancelled at the last minute.

British Airways flights from Heathrow are likely to see the highest number of cancellations, according to a report.

The Daily Telegraph said that the airline had planned to carry 1.8 million passengers on more than 9,000 flights from Heathrow in July alone.

A spokesperson for British Airways told the PA news agency that the slot amnesty and consequent cancellations will "help us to provide the certainty our customers deserve by making it easier to consolidate some of our quieter daily flights to multi-frequency destinations well in advance".

They said that the airline "welcomes these new measures", adding: "Slot alleviation allows airlines to temporarily reduce their schedules but still retain their slots for the next year to maintain networks and provide consumers with certainty and consistency.

"Allocating slots according to the (World Airport Slots Guide system) means airlines can offer the consistent services and efficient connections that consumers are looking for and protect jobs and create growth in the UK."

Staff shortages in ground handling, airports, and flight crew, have presented major challenges as the aviation sector struggles to move into the peak season after two years of coronavirus pandemic-related turbulence.

Thousands of flights have been cancelled across various airlines over recent weeks, as capacity fails to keep up with demand - a problem also being seen across Europe.

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On Thursday, for example, Heathrow asked airlines to remove 30 flights from the morning peak schedule, saying that it was expecting "higher passenger numbers than the airport currently has capacity to serve".

Many passengers have also had luggage delayed or missing.

There is also the looming threat of industrial action, with hundreds of Heathrow-based check-in staff and ground handling agents voting last month for industrial action over pay.

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2022-07-02 03:31:40Z
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Jumat, 01 Juli 2022

'Sex pest' Tory Chris Pincher faces fresh claim by activist - The Times

Boris Johnson bowed to pressure to suspend a former Tory minister accused of drunkenly groping two men as a fresh claim emerged about his behaviour.

Chris Pincher, who resigned as the deputy chief whip on Thursday, will face an investigation by a parliament watchdog after one of the men made a formal allegation.

The prime minister was alerted to the complaint by a Conservative MP who said he had witnessed the incident and was in contact with the alleged victim.

Downing Street sources said that having heard the first-hand account, Johnson immediately moved to suspend the whip from Pincher pending the outcome of the investigation.

They defended Johnson’s failure to act earlier, saying that the prime minister had wanted to follow “due process”.

• Alice

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2022-07-01 20:00:00Z
1487432988

Covid in Scotland: One in 18 people had virus last week - BBC

Scotland again saw a rise in Covid cases last week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It estimates about 288,200 people - one in 18 - had the virus in the week ending 24 June and is the highest figure since early April.

That was up on the previous week when about 250,700 (one in 20) had Covid.

The latest ONS Infection Survey data compares with one in 30 for England and Wales and one in 25 for Northern Ireland.

It said the increase in the number of people testing positive was likely being driven by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants.

They are not thought to be more lethal than any other form of Covid but they do appear to be spreading more quickly.

Responding to the figures, Scotland's national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme: "Let's be concerned but let's see what we can do as individuals to help."

He added that the numbers were "worrying", especially for groups such as the elderly or immunosuppressed, but added: "There's no suggestion we should go backwards."

Asked about the risks posed by mass events, such as next weekend's TRNSMT music festival in Glasgow, Prof Leitch urged those planning to attend to ensure they were vaccinated and not to go if they are sick.

The ONS survey said Covid infections in the UK had jumped by more than half a million in a week and hospital numbers were continuing to increase.

There are also early signs of a rise in intensive care admissions among older age groups.

A total of 2.3 million people in private households are estimated to have had the virus last week, up 32% from a week earlier.

This is the highest estimate for total infections since late April, but is still some way below the record high of 4.9m seen at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave at the end of March.

'Continued increase'

Sarah Crofts, ONS head of analytical outputs for the Covid-19 infection survey, said: "Across the UK we've seen a continued increase of over half a million infections, likely caused by the growth of BA.4 and BA.5 variants.

"This rise is seen across all ages, countries and regions of England.

"We will continue to monitor the data closely to see if this growth continues in the coming weeks."

On Wednesday, the latest Public Health Scotland weekly Covid-19 statistical report said there were 14,500 reported virus cases last week.

That was down slightly on the previous seven days when 15,541 virus cases were reported.

But the latest figures, for week ending 26 June, show the average number of patients in hospital with Covid rose by 32% to 1,148.

The ONS sampling is considered a better indicator than the PHS data as so few people are now reporting test results.

Prof Hugh Pennington, of the University of Aberdeen, said Omicron was "good at getting about" but not as effective as causing serious harm to people.

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live he was not surprised by the current surge in cases as less was being done to control the spread of the virus.

But he said it was not clear why case rates were higher in Scotland.

'No simple explanation'

Prof Pennington said: "There's a fair amount of chance involved; it depends on super-spreader events, where the virus was a few months ago and all these kind of things.

"There's no simple explanation. You could say it's bad luck we've got higher figures than the rest of the UK.

"A lot of people don't have any symptoms but are still infectious."

The microbiologist said people were less likely to pass on the virus if they wore masks in crowded places.

He added: "I think there should be a bit more public encouragement to wear them.

"Not necessarily to go back to the compulsory rules we had but really have quite a good publicity campaign explaining why mask wearing is a good thing."

Prof Pennington also hailed the vaccines as a "great success story" and added that they reduced the risk of hospitalisation.

Dr Christine Tait-Burkard, an infection expert at the University of Edinburgh, described the latest figures as "more comforting than alarming".

She believes the vast majority of cases in Scotland are people who have been infected for the first time.

Dr Tait-Burkard also told the Drivetime programme that Scotland appeared to be "just past the peak" or "hovering around a plateau".

She added: "At the moment these numbers still look relatively positive.

"In terms of the wider community, Covid has lost a lot of its ferocity and it is not as severe as it used to be in any way."

The expert said the country was now moving to a different stage of dealing with the virus, which involved protecting the most vulnerable.

'Not panicking'

Holyrood's Covid-19 Recovery Committee was told on Thursday that the recent spike in virus cases had left public health officials "concerned, but not panicking".

Prof Leitch told MSPs that the spike was not unexpected.

He said the public should consider making use of previous preventative measures.

Prof Leitch added: "Our advice remains pretty much the same, but you can tell our tone has changed in the last few weeks.

"It's about staying off if you're sick, whether that's college or work or school, certainly reintroducing or thinking about face coverings, handwashing, surfaces - all of those anti-viral things - and, of course, the key intervention remains vaccination."

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2022-07-01 16:56:02Z
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Tory MP Chris Pincher suspended by party over 'drunken groping' claims - Sky News

Boris Johnson has bowed to pressure and suspended former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher from the parliamentary party over an allegation that he drunkenly groped two men.

Mr Pincher had already been forced to quit his role in the Tory whips' office - in which he was responsible for party discipline and the smooth running of government business at Westminster - after the claim emerged this week.

Now, after a formal complaint was made against him to parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), he will be forced to sit as an independent outside the Conservative group.

Politics Hub: Boris Johnson agrees to withdraw whip from Tory MP

A spokesperson for Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris said: "Having heard that a formal complaint has been made to the ICGS, the PM has agreed with the chief whip that the whip should be suspended from Chris Pincher while the investigation is ongoing.

"We will not pre-judge that investigation. We urge colleagues and the media to respect that process."

Former housing minister Kelly Tolhurst has been appointed as the new Tory deputy chief whip.

Earlier, Mr Johnson's official spokesman had said that the PM "does think he's [Mr Pincher] done the right thing in resigning and has accepted that resignation".

Downing Street rejected claims that the prime minister was not taking the allegations seriously enough, as Labour and some Tory MPs insisted the whip must be removed.

A Number 10 source later said that Mr Johnson had been prompted to take further action after he had "taken soundings" and been told of the formal complaint.

Mr Johnson was also under pressure to explain why he gave Mr Pincher such a sensitive post earlier this year amid reports that he had been advised not to do so. The PM's spokesman said it would not have been appropriate "to stop an appointment on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations".

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said the prime minister had been "dragged kicking and screaming into taking any action at all" and that the scandal was "yet more evidence of his appalling judgement".

Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: "It should never have taken Boris Johnson this long to act and withdraw the whip.

"Once again it seems Johnson has had to be forced into doing the right thing."

Earlier, Tory MPs Karen Bradley and Caroline Nokes - the only two Conservative female chairs of backbench select committees - criticised what they called the "inconsistent and unclear approach" by their party to such incidents.

In a letter to Mr Heaton-Harris, they said the current approach risked causing "serious reputational damage" to the party and the government and urged him to introduce a code of conduct for all Conservative MPs.

The MPs urged that in the meantime the party should adopt a "zero tolerance" stance.

"Once an investigation has been completed, a decision should be taken about returning the whip, but in the meantime anyone subject to such an investigation should not be allowed to sit as a Conservative MP and represent the party in any capacity," they said.

Mr Pincher, 52, resigned from his role as deputy chief whip on Thursday and apologised after admitting he had drunk "far too much" and "embarrassed myself and other people" on a night out.

Mr Pincher "groped two men in front of others" at the Carlton Club in the St James's area of central London, a government source told Sky News.

One of those groped is an MP, and the second one may also be a member of parliament, the source added.

Sky News has been told that the episode had added to the number of Tories who have lost faith in the PM - on top of the 148 who delivered a no-confidence verdict in a bruising revolt last month.

Meanwhile, Neil Parish - whose resignation as an MP after he admitted watching pornography in the Commons chamber resulted in the Tories' by-election mauling by the Liberal Democrats in Tiverton and Honiton, accused the party of "double standards".

Mr Parish told Sky News that after Mr Pincher had helped to organise the PM's survival of a no confidence vote "the chief whip, the prime minister and everybody was involved in trying to save Christopher Pincher whereas Neil Parish was entirely expendable".

At the last election, Mr Pincher was returned to his Tamworth seat with a majority of more than 19,000 and this could be vulnerable if he were to step down, coming after two recent bruising by-election defeats for the Tories.

This is the second time the MP has quit the whips' office.

In November 2017, Downing Street said he had "voluntarily referred himself both to the party's complaints procedure and the police".

The Mail on Sunday reported that Mr Pincher had been accused of making an unwanted pass at Conservative activist and former British rower Alex Story.

Mr Pincher told the newspaper: "If Mr Story has ever felt offended by anything I said, then I can only apologise to him."

Theresa May reappointed him to the whips' office the following year.

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2022-07-01 16:32:37Z
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Zara Aleena: Man in court accused of murdering 35-year-old - BBC

A man accused of murdering a woman in a street attack in east London has appeared at the Old Bailey.

Zara Aleena, 35, was walking in Cranbrook Road, Ilford, 10 minutes from her home, when she was attacked in the early hours of Sunday.

Jordan McSweeney, 29, from Church Elm Lane, Dagenham, east London, did not enter a plea to the charge of murder.

He is also charged with attempted penetration without consent and robbery.

Mr McSweeney, who appeared via video link from HMP Thameside wearing a green jumper, is set to appear again at the Old Bailey on 27 July.

'She thrived'

Ms Aleena had hoped to practise as a solicitor and had completed her Legal Practice Course. She had recently begun working at the Royal Courts of Justice, to complete her two-year work placement in order to become a fully qualified solicitor, her family said.

In a statement, they described her as "fierce: she didn't just survive, she thrived".

"Zara was happy and at a point in her life that she had worked hard for," they said.

"She was a joy to all of us, her sparkling eyes and the curly, jet-black hair. Her glorious laughter and her sweet, smiling voice. Her tiny frame embodied a passionate spirit and indomitable energy."

A post-mortem examination revealed she had "multiple serious injuries".

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk

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2022-07-01 09:20:07Z
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Kamis, 30 Juni 2022

Conservative Party whip Chris Pincher resigns over groping allegation after 'drinking far too much' on night out - Sky News

Boris Johnson's deputy chief whip has resigned over an allegation of groping, Sky News understands.

Chris Pincher, 52, said he had drunk "far too much" and had "embarrassed myself and other people" on a night out.

"I apologise to you and to those concerned," he added in a letter to the prime minister.

Mr Pincher "groped two men in front of others" at the Carlton Club in the St James's area of central London, a government source told Sky News.

One of those groped is an MP, and the second one may be a member of parliament too, the source added.

Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said Mr Johnson had "serious questions to answer" about why Mr Pincher had been "given this role (as deputy chief whip) in the first place and how he can remain a Conservative MP".

His departure comes less than a week after former Tory chairman Oliver Dowden stood down over two by-election defeats.

It is the second time Mr Pincher has quit the whips office.

In November 2017, Downing Street said he had "voluntarily referred himself both to the party's complaints procedure and the police".

The Mail on Sunday reported that Mr Pincher had been accused of making an unwanted pass at Conservative activist and former British rower Alex Story.

Mr Pincher told the newspaper: "If Mr Story has ever felt offended by anything I said then I can only apologise to him."

Theresa May reappointed him to the whips office the following year.

In his letter to Boris Johnson, the Conservative MP for Tamworth wrote: "Last night I drank far too much.

"I've embarrassed myself and other people which is the last thing I want to do and for that I apologise to you and to those concerned.

"I think the right thing to do in the circumstances is for me to resign as deputy chief whip.

"I owe it to you and the people I've caused upset to, to do this."

Mr Pincher added: "I want to assure you that you will continue to have my full support from the back benches, and I wish you all the best as you deal with aftershocks of COVID and the challenges of international inflation.

"It has been the honour of my life to have served in Her Majesty's Government."

Ms Rayner said the resignation showed "how far standards in public life have been degraded on Boris Johnson's watch".

She added: "The Conservative Party is so mired in sleaze and scandal that it is totally unable to tackle the challenges facing the British people."

Mr Johnson has been fined by the Metropolitan Police for breaking lockdown rules.

In May, Neil Parish resigned as a Conservative MP after admitting watching pornography in the House of Commons.

Chris Pincher has been an MP since the 2010 general election, when the Conservatives formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.

Before his latest spell in the whips office he was minister of state for Europe and the Americas, and minister of state for housing.

He also writes a column on alcoholic drinks for The Critic magazine. A recent one was headlined: "Fall into the gin trap."

The Tories are not the only party experiencing sleaze allegations at present.

Earlier this month, it emerged that SNP MP Patrick Grady was facing suspension from the House of Commons after an allegation of sexual misconduct was upheld following a parliamentary investigation.

An independent expert panel recommended that Mr Grady be suspended from the House for two days for making an "unwanted sexual advance" to a member of party staff at a work social event at a pub in 2016.

Mr Grady was also ordered to make a public apology in the chamber and to say sorry privately to the person who complained.

The SNP's leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, has faced calls to step down in connection with the same matter.

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2022-06-30 21:30:47Z
1487432988

Conservative Party whip Chris Pincher resigns over groping allegation after 'drinking far too much' on night out - Sky News

Boris Johnson's deputy chief whip has resigned over an allegation of groping, Sky News understands.

Chris Pincher said he had drunk "far too much" and had "embarrassed myself and other people" on a night out.

"I apologise to you and to those concerned," he added in a letter to the prime minister.

Mr Pincher groped two men in front of others at the Carlton Club in the St James's area of central London, a government source told Sky News.

One of those groped is an MP, and the second one may be an MP too, the source added.