Sabtu, 27 Agustus 2022

Man dies after entering River Thames during arrest - BBC

Kingston BridgeSean Davis/Geograph

A man has died after entering the River Thames while being arrested by police.

Officers were flagged down on Kingston Bridge at about 22:30 BST on Friday, the Metropolitan Police said.

A "verbal altercation" involving a man and a woman known to each other was taking place and an allegation of theft was made, the force added.

Officers were in the process of arresting the man, but he had not been placed in handcuffs, when he entered the water, the Met said.

The force's Marine Policing Unit, the National Police Air Service, London Fire Brigade and the RNLI were all involved in the search for the man, who was believed to be in his 20s.

He was recovered from the water at about 00:30 BST and was treated by paramedics, but was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The man's family had been informed and the force had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), according to the Met.

'Public very concerned'

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: "My thoughts, and those of the Metropolitan Police Service, are with the friends and family of the man who has sadly lost his life following this incident.

"I fully appreciate the public will be very concerned. We of course share that concern.

"The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards made an immediate referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as is protocol in any incident in which a person comes to harm following police contact."

The IOPC said its investigators had taken initial accounts from the officers involved.

In a statement, an IOPC spokesperson said: "We have now begun the process of gathering and reviewing evidence, including footage of the interaction between officers and the man.

"Our thoughts are with the man's loved ones and all those affected by his death."

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2022-08-27 11:33:50Z
1548993463

Jumat, 26 Agustus 2022

Liverpool shooting: Murder arrest over Olivia Pratt-Korbel's death - BBC

Olivia Pratt-KorbelFamily handout

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a nine-year-old girl was fatally shot in her own home.

Olivia Pratt-Korbel was hit in the chest as her mother struggled with a gunman at the door of their house in Dovecot, Liverpool, on Monday.

Police said a 36-year-old man from Huyton had been detained after an operation involving armed officers in Merseyside on Thursday night.

He was also arrested on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder.

Olivia was killed after Cheryl Korbel, 46, opened her front door on Kingsheath Avenue at 22:00 BST in response to a commotion outside.

The intended target of the attack, 35-year-old Joseph Nee, was being chased by a gunman.

Joseph Nee
Cheshire Police

The men - complete strangers to the family - burst in and Olivia was fatally shot.

Ms Korbel was shot in the wrist as she tried to shut the door.

She has now been released from hospital.

Nee, from Dovecot, was shot in the upper body and taken to hospital in a black Audi by a third man.

Once his treatment is completed, Nee will be recalled to prison for allegedly breaching the terms of his licence conditions.

The convicted drug dealer was jailed for three years and nine months in 2018 for burglary.

He was also previously convicted of two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving while disqualified.

Olivia was described by her family as a "unique, chatty, nosey little girl who broke the mould when she was born".

In a statement, they said Olivia "lived [life] to the most she could, and would blow people away with her wit and kindness.

"We as a family are heartbroken and have lost a huge part of our life."

Floral tributes to Olivia Pratt-Korbel
PA Media

Det Ch Supt Mark Kameen, of Merseyside Police, previously said there was a sense of "disgust" in the city about recent shootings including 28-year-old Ashley Dale was killed in the Old Swan area and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer died in Dingle.

Karen Dempsey, 55, was also found stabbed in a pub car park near Kirkby on Monday. Her son has been charged with her murder.

The government has announced it will allocate £500,000 for Merseyside to counter crime and provide mental health support following the killings.

During a visit to Liverpool, Home Secretary Priti Patel said the whole country had been "appalled at the spate of violence".

Earlier, former Liverpool striker Ian Rush and ex-Everton player Ian Snodin left flowers in Kingsheath Avenue on behalf of both football clubs.

Ambassador of Liverpool FC, Ian Rush (right), and the Ambassador of Everton FC, Ian Snodin, visits the scene in Kingsheath Avenue
PA Media

On the flowers from Everton FC, a message read: "RIP Olivia. No words will lessen the pain or explain such a tragedy.

"Our city stands united. Forever in our thoughts."

While a card on the floral tribute from Liverpool FC read: "Rest in peace, Olivia, with deepest sympathy from all of us at Liverpool Football Club.

"You'll Never Walk Alone."

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2022-08-26 12:23:51Z
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Emmanuel Macron responds after Liz Truss says 'jury is out' on whether he is 'friend or foe' - as PM calls French president a 'tres bon buddy' - Sky News

Emmanuel Macron has responded after Liz Truss refused to say if he was a "friend or foe" during the penultimate Conservative leadership hustings on Thursday.

Asked if Mr Macron, the French president and leader of the UK's closest neighbour, was a "friend or foe", the Conservative leadership race frontrunner replied: "The jury is out."

She added: "If I become prime minister, I will judge him on deeds, not words."

Responding to the foreign secretary's comment on Friday morning, the French president quipped that "the United Kingdom is a friendly nation, regardless of its leaders, sometimes in spite of its leaders".

Bills set to soar after price cap announcement - live updates

French President Emmanuel Macron

He told broadcasters: "If I were asked the question, this is roughly how I'm going to answer you - whichever person is being considered and whatever the future leadership in Britain, I don't hesitate one second. The United Kingdom is France's friend."

President Macron continued: "If, between us as French and British people, we aren't able to say if we're friends or foes - the term isn't neutral - we're heading towards serious problems.

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'UK is a friend in spite of its leaders'

"So yes, certainly, let me say that the British people, the United Kingdom is a friendly, strong, ally nation, regardless of its leaders, and sometimes in spite of and beyond its leaders, or any potential slip-ups they make when playing to the gallery."

The relationship between the UK and France has suffered since Brexit, with the two sides rowing on issues such as fishing and migration.

Labour warned that Ms Truss's comment, which could be seen to risk straining tensions with France, showed a "terrible and worrying lack of judgment".

But on Friday morning, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi defended Ms Truss's remarks.

"It was clearly said as a light-hearted comment with a touch of humour," he said.

"We like people to judge us on our actions, on our deeds, not words. And I think it is right that we also hold our allies to that very high standard."

When asked the same question, leadership rival Rishi Sunak replied instantly that President Macron was a "friend".

He has previously said he wants to reset the UK's relationship with Europe if he wins the race to succeed Boris Johnson.

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Macron a 'très bon buddy' says PM

Meanwhile, the PM described President Macron as a "tres bon buddy" of the UK when asked about Ms Truss's comments.

"I think I've always had very good relations with Emmanuel Macron. Emmanuel Macron est un tres bon buddy de notre pays," Mr Johnson told reporters.

He added: "I think the relations between the UK and France are of huge importance. They have been very good for a long time, ever since the Napoleonic era basically, and I think we should celebrate that.

"As for Emmanuel, I've had very good relations with him and I can tell you something: he's a great, great fan of our country."

He continued: "And there were lots of chuckles around it. Liz and I both know that France is a strategic ally in defence, cyber, in our war effort in helping Ukraine, all these things we work very closely together.

"We like to be held by our allies on our actions and our deeds, not words, as we have done in Ukraine. Liz has led that effort in facing down Putin and his cronies and sanctioning them and of course, she will continue to do that as prime minister."

Read More:
Sunak claims he was gagged over negative effects of COVID lockdowns
Woman confronts health secretary over 'people dying' due to ambulance waits

During the quick-fire questions round at Thursday's hustings, both Tory leadership candidates were asked if they would rather be stuck in a lift with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon or Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Sunak quipped that he would "rather take the stairs", leading to a large round of laughter from the audience.

Ms Truss said she would pick Ms Sturgeon so she can "persuade her to stop being a separatist by the time we got to the ground floor".

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'Rather take stairs' than be stuck in lift with Starmer

The foreign secretary previously suggested she will "ignore" the Scottish leader over her wish for another independence referendum and called her an "attention seeker".

It led to a war of words, with Ms Sturgeon hitting back that Ms Truss asked her how she could get into Vogue when they met briefly last year.

After giving her answer, Ms Truss could not resist making a dig at the Labour leader, saying: "Frankly, being stuck in a lift with Keir Starmer would be extremely boring."

The opposition leader has previously been forced to defend himself against accusations he is too boring to be prime minister, saying "the only thing that is boring is being in opposition".

Read more:
What have the Tory leadership candidates pledged for the country?

Ms Truss also said Mr Johnson would be a better prime minister than Mr Sunak after her leadership rival said he would prefer to see her in Number 10 than the outgoing leader.

Ms Truss is widely expected to win the leadership contest when the result is announced on 5 September.

Mr Sunak said on Thursday that he will not leave politics if he is defeated but insisted there was still "everything left to play for".

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2022-08-26 11:59:22Z
1543679478

Tory leadership: Truss criticised for Macron 'jury is out' remark - BBC

Liz TrussReuters

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has been criticised after she said the "jury was still out" on French President Emmanuel Macron.

Her remark came as she was asked if Mr Macron was a "friend or foe" of the UK at a Tory leadership hustings.

She added that if elected PM she would judge him on "deeds not words".

But Labour's David Lammy accused Ms Truss of "a woeful lack of judgement", saying she had insulted one of "Britain's closest allies".

Ms Truss, widely seen as the clear front-runner to be the next Conservative leader and prime minister, made the remark at the penultimate leadership hustings in Norwich, to loud applause.

Her comment came at the end of the hustings during a series of "quickfire questions" posed by the host, TalkTV's Julia Hartley-Brewer.

When asked the same question Mr Sunak said Mr Macron was a "friend".

One Conservative minister said Ms Truss's comments had "completely undermined our relationship with France", calling her a "faux Thatcher", a reference to the infamously Eurosceptic former Tory prime minister.

In a tweet, former foreign minister Alistair Burt said Ms Truss has made a "serious error" and should have struck a more diplomatic tone.

Former Conservative minister Gavin Barwell also questioned Ms Truss's comment saying: "You would have thought the foreign secretary was aware we are in a military alliance with France."

Another ex-Tory minister, David Gauke, said: "There's playing to the gallery and then there's letting the prejudices of the gallery go to your head, especially when now is one of the worst times to try to fragment the West."

Ms Truss's comments have been picked up by French media, who have highlighted recent tensions between Paris and London.

The UK and France have clashed over several issues in recent years, including migrant boat crossings in the Channel, a military pact between Britain, the US and Australia, and Brexit measures involving Northern Ireland.

Mr Macron has sometimes publicly criticised the Conservative government's approach.

Last year Mr Macron reacted angrily to British Prime Minister Johnson's public call for France to take back migrants who reach the UK.

The French president accused the UK prime minister of not being "serious" by making the call on Twitter, though they had since been pictured arm-in-arm at a G7 summit in Germany this year.

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Emmanuel Macron - friend or foe?

Emmanuel Macron
Reuters

Analysis by BBC political correspondent David Wallace Lockhart

There's no denying the UK can have a complex relationship with France. From boat crossings in the Channel to ferry passport checks, there's been tension recently.

But as a close neighbour and a fellow NATO member, there are few in mainstream politics who would consider France anything but a strong ally. Especially at a time when western unity over the war in Ukraine is so important, and any division could be exploited by the likes of Vladimir Putin.

While Ms Truss's comments did appear to go down well with the audience of Conservative members, she's still the foreign secretary - the UK's chief diplomat. And therefore what she says on international affairs really matters.

This won't be the end of the matter. Ms Truss will be asked about these comments again over the coming days.

What happens next will be watched carefully, on both sides of the Channel.

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At the Tory leadership event in Norwich, Ms Truss and her rival Rishi Sunak were also asked who would make a better prime minister - Boris Johnson or their leadership rival.

Mr Sunak chose Ms Truss, arguing it was important for the country to move forward. But Ms Truss picked Mr Johnson - a decision that earned her applause from the crowd of Conservative Party members.

The pair were also asked about the recent shooting of nine year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool and how they would tackle crime.

Mr Sunak said the shooting was appalling and pledged to make sure there were more police officers on the street and that they "have tools they need to keep us safe".

He expressed concern that "wokeish ideology" was holding back police from using stop-and-search powers.

Ms Truss agreed on the need for more police and said at the moment forces were spending too much time "policing Twitter" instead of "crimes that people care about".

Both reiterated their previously-stated concerns about the level of restrictions during the Covid pandemic, with Ms Truss arguing it had been wrong to close schools.

"We were too draconian," she added.

Rishi Sunak
EPA

More light-heartedly, the pair were also asked who they would rather be stuck in a lift with - Labour leader Keir Starmer or Nicola Sturgeon.

Ms Truss opted for Scotland's first minister with the hope she could persuade Ms Sturgeon "to stop being a separatist by the time we got to the ground floor".

She added that the idea of being stuck in a lift with Labour leader Sir Keir was "extremely boring".

Mr Sunak said he would take the stairs.

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2022-08-26 09:36:54Z
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Protesters smash petrol pumps and block service stations across London - Metro.co.uk

Just Stop Oil protesters have blocked service stations and smashed petrol pumps across London this morning.

Action began at 6am today in the west and south of the city.

Some protesters have been pictured sitting in the road with banners while others block entrances.

Groups have broken display glass and covered pumps with spray paint before sitting down ‘to await arrest’.

Pumps have been decommissioned after Just Stop Oil say 51 campaigners flocked to service stations.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘Police were called at 06:29am on Friday, 29 August to reports of protestors damaging pumps at a petrol station in Talgarth Road, Hammersmith. 

‘Officered attended and within approximately 10 minutes had arrested four men and one woman on suspicion of criminal damage. They remain in custody at a west London police station.

‘Enquiries are ongoing.’

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Police officers arrest a woman during an action at a BP petrol station by the Just Stop Oil environmental protest group on August 26, 2022 in London, England. Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups working together to ensure the UK Government commits to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Protesters have demanded government action against oil and gas projects (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
?? Licensed to London News Pictures. 26/08/2022. London, UK. Acton by Members of the climate activist group Just Stop Oil at a BP filing stain on the A40 in Perivale, west London. Just Stop Oil, a branch if Extinction Rebellion, have targeted petrol stations and oil refineries across the UK, calling for an end to the use of fossil fuels. Photo credit: Ben Cawthra/LNP
Just Stop Oil at a BP filling stain on the A40 in Perivale, west London (Picture: Ben Cawthra/LNP)

Today’s action was timed to coincide with the announcement by Ofgem of an increase in electricity bills for October.

The energy price cap will rocket to £3,549 on October 1, a move which will pile cost of living pressure on families. 

Tez Burns, 34, a bicycle mechanic and physics graduate from Swansea taking action today said: ‘We are suffering the worst cost of living crisis in 40 years and facing climate breakdown because of our dependence on oil.

‘Yet the government is allowing energy companies to drive us into poverty with skyrocketing energy bills, and is failing to protect us from the consequences of climate collapse.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Police officers move in to remove people during an action by the Just Stop Oil environmental protest group on August 26, 2022 in London, England. Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups working together to ensure the UK Government commits to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Police officers speak with protesters this morning (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
?? Licensed to London News Pictures. 26/08/2022. London, UK. Acton by Members of the climate activist group Just Stop Oil at a BP filing stain on the A40 in Perivale, west London. Just Stop Oil, a branch if Extinction Rebellion, have targeted petrol stations and oil refineries across the UK, calling for an end to the use of fossil fuels. Photo credit: Ben Cawthra/LNP
Just Stop Oil, a branch of Extinction Rebellion, are targeting petrol stations (Picture: Ben Cawthra/LNP)
51 supporters of Just Stop Oil claim to have blocked service stations and decommissioned pumps across central London this morning in support of their demand that the UK government end new oil and gas projects in the UK, August 26 2022. The group announced that starting from 6am today, actions took place across West and South London affecting 7 service stations. In some locations, Just Stop Oil supporters blocked access to the petrol pumps by sitting in the road with banners. Elsewhere, groups moved from one station to the next decommissioning petrol pumps by breaking the display glass or covering them with spray paint before sitting down to await arrest.
Protesters clashed with police early this morning (Picture: Just Stop Oil / SWNS)

‘Enough is enough.’

Just Stop Oil launched the action in support of their demand that the UK government end new oil and gas projects in the UK.

Jade Calland, 29, from Lancashire, is also taking action today.

He said: ‘Today we are resisting the government’s plans to allow more oil and gas.

‘We want to stop the misery forced on millions by rising energy bills, food poverty, poorly insulated housing and a society run for the benefit of the fossil fuel companies and the rich.’

Today’s actions will put further pressure on petrol and diesel supplies for the south-east ahead of the August Bank Holiday weekend.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Members of the Just Stop Oil environmental protest group hold onto petrol pump lines during an action at a BP petrol station on August 26, 2022 in London, England. Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups working together to ensure the UK Government commits to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Today’s action was timed to coincide with the announcement by Ofgem of an increase in electricity bills for October (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
?? Licensed to London News Pictures. 26/08/2022. London, UK. Acton by Members of the climate activist group Just Stop Oil at a BP filing stain on the A40 in Perivale, west London. Just Stop Oil, a branch if Extinction Rebellion, have targeted petrol stations and oil refineries across the UK, calling for an end to the use of fossil fuels. Photo credit: Ben Cawthra/LNP
Police say enquiries are ongoing into arrests made this morning (Picture: Ben Cawthra/LNP)
51 supporters of Just Stop Oil claim to have blocked service stations and decommissioned pumps across central London this morning in support of their demand that the UK government end new oil and gas projects in the UK, August 26 2022. The group announced that starting from 6am today, actions took place across West and South London affecting 7 service stations. In some locations, Just Stop Oil supporters blocked access to the petrol pumps by sitting in the road with banners. Elsewhere, groups moved from one station to the next decommissioning petrol pumps by breaking the display glass or covering them with spray paint before sitting down to await arrest.
This morning’s protest is the latest in Just Stop Oil’s campaign (Picture: Just Stop Oil / SWNS)

Earlier this week, protesters formed a human chain along the main route used by tankers driving between the ring road and the Navigator oil terminal in Grays, Essex.

Footage showed protesters climbing over a tall iron fence along the nearby InterTerminals facility while security staff with a guard dog tried to intercept them

Activists had to be forcibly removed and at least 18 were arrested following the action.

The group has also claimed to have dug tunnels underneath roads outside each facility.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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2022-08-26 06:53:00Z
1543382720

Kamis, 25 Agustus 2022

Rishi Sunak claims he was gagged over negative effects of COVID lockdowns and scientists had too much influence over decision making - Sky News

Rishi Sunak has said it was "wrong to empower scientists" during the pandemic and claimed lockdown "trade-offs" were never properly discussed.

In an interview for The Spectator on the "inside story of lockdown", the former chancellor attacked the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) for having too much influence over government decision-making during the COVID crisis.

He claims he was banned from discussing the negative side-effects of the draconian restrictions the nation lived under, such as the NHS backlog and exams chaos, and that minutes of SAGE meetings often edited out dissenting voices.

And he said decisions during the pandemic were typically reached after ministers were shown gloomy scientific analysis pointing to horrifying "scenarios" that would come to pass if lockdown was not imposed or extended, but it was not clear "how these all-important scenarios had been calculated".

Politics Hub: Minister pours cold water on cost of living help suggestion

In the article, Mr Sunak said: "We didn't talk at all about missed [doctor's] appointments, or the backlog building in the NHS in a massive way. That was never part of it.

"Whoever wrote the minutes for the SAGE meetings - condensing its discussions into guidance for government - would set the policy of the nation. No one, not even cabinet members, would know how these decisions were reached."

More on Coronavirus

The Tory leadership hopeful suggested that No 10's desperation to present its policies as "following the science" meant SAGE was given too much power to make decisions, and that this was a mistake.

"We shouldn't have empowered the scientists in the way we did," he said.

"And you have to acknowledge trade-offs from the beginning. If we'd done all of that, we could be in a very different place. We'd probably have made different decisions on things like schools."

But the former director of communications in Number 10 during the pandemic, Lee Cain, said Mr Sunak was "simply wrong".

He tweeted that it would have been "morally irresponsible" not to implement a lockdown in spring 2020 as the virus "would have killed tens of thousands of people who survived COVID", and the NHS would have been overwhelmed, leading to "an even greater backlog of excess deaths" from missed appointments.

File photo dated 15/05/20 of a jogger running past a social distancing sign in Hyde Park in London during lockdown. A photo has been obtained by the Guardian showing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his then-fiancee Carrie, and 17 other staff members in the Downing Street garden on May 15, 2020, with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard on a table in front of the Prime Minister. Issue date: Monday December 20, 2021.
Image: File photo dated 15/05/20 of a jogger running past a social distancing sign in Hyde Park in London during lockdown

It comes as thousands of teenagers across the country are due to receive their GSCE results on Thursday, after having their education disrupted for much of the past two years.

Mr Sunak claims at times he became "very emotional" about the impact of closing schools - but that his concerns were met with silence from colleagues.

Read More:
What have Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss pledged for the country?
Rishi Sunak hints he won't take cabinet post if Liz Truss wins leadership race

He claimed he "wasn't allowed to talk about" his fears in public, and ministers were briefed on how to handle questions about the socio-economic impact of lockdown.

He said: "The script was not to ever acknowledge them. The script was: oh, there's no trade-off, because doing this for our health is good for the economy."

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Mr Sunak, who resigned from Boris Johnson's government last month, said he didn't quit over his differences during the pandemic as that would not have been "responsible" given the crisis the nation faced.

He said he is opening up now not just because of the Tory leadership race, but because lessons must be learnt on "how important questions about lockdown's knock-on effect were never properly explored".

He said the public were being scared by scientists and the government "helped shape that: with the fear messaging".

Mr Sunak has previously claimed he flew back from the US early to stop another lockdown being imposed when the Omicron variant spread last winter.

With just two weeks to go until a new prime minister is chosen, he is seeking to make up ground on rival Liz Truss, who he is trailing in the polls.

His interview comes after allies of the foreign secretary attacked him for adopting a "scorched earth" policy that risks destroying the Conservative Party after he refused to say if he would vote for her tax cuts, according to a report in The Times.

A No10 spokesperson has defended the government's record on the pandemic.

They said: "Throughout the pandemic, public health, education, and the economy were central to the difficult decisions made on COVID restrictions to protect the British public from an unprecedented novel virus.

"At every point, ministers made collective decisions which considered a wide range of expert advice available at the time in order to protect public health.

"The UK government spent over £400bn to support people, families, and their livelihoods throughout our response to the pandemic, which included the fastest lifesaving vaccine rollout in Europe."

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2022-08-25 12:33:45Z
CBMiogFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9zdW5hay1jbGFpbXMtaGUtd2FzLWdhZ2dlZC1vdmVyLW5lZ2F0aXZlLWVmZmVjdHMtb2YtY292aWQtbG9ja2Rvd25zLWFuZC1zY2llbnRpc3RzLWhhZC10b28tbXVjaC1pbmZsdWVuY2Utb3Zlci1kZWNpc2lvbi1tYWtpbmctMTI2ODA4NDLSAaYBaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL3N1bmFrLWNsYWltcy1oZS13YXMtZ2FnZ2VkLW92ZXItbmVnYXRpdmUtZWZmZWN0cy1vZi1jb3ZpZC1sb2NrZG93bnMtYW5kLXNjaWVudGlzdHMtaGFkLXRvby1tdWNoLWluZmx1ZW5jZS1vdmVyLWRlY2lzaW9uLW1ha2luZy0xMjY4MDg0Mg