Babak Belurs

Senin, 10 April 2023

Good Friday Agreement: Rishi Sunak calls on Stormont return ahead of Joe Biden visit - BBC

By Ali Gordon

BBC News NI

Rishi Sunak has praised the "bravery, perseverance and political imagination" shown by the leaders who shaped Northern Ireland's peace deal.

The 1998 Good Friday Agreement ended Northern Ireland's decades-long violent conflict known as the Troubles.

But on its 25th anniversary the PM has called on Stormont politicians to "get on with the business of governance".

As part of the milestone date, Mr Sunak will welcome the US President Joe Biden to Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

Praising the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Sunak said it was "born of partnership between the British and Irish governments".

"As we will see from President Biden's visit this week, it continues to enjoy huge international support from our closest allies," he said.

"But most importantly it is based on compromise in Northern Ireland itself.

"As we look forward, we will celebrate those who took difficult decisions, accepted compromise, and showed leadership - showing bravery, perseverance, and political imagination.

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"We commemorate those who are no longer with us and the many who lost their lives by trying to prevent violence and protect the innocent.

"We give thanks to them as we reflect on the new generations that have grown up and continue to grow in a world in which peace and prosperity has prevailed."

When Northern Ireland was created in 1921 it remained part of the UK while the rest of Ireland became an independent state.

That created a split in the population between unionists, who wish to see Northern Ireland stay within the UK; and nationalists, who want it to become part of the Republic of Ireland.

From the late 1960s until 1998 - a period known as the Troubles - thousands of people were killed and injured as violence flared between the two sides.

Mr Sunak said that while it was important to reflect on the progress made "we must also recommit to redoubling our efforts on the promise made in 1998 and the agreements that followed".

"One of economic opportunity, prosperity and stability - it is a promise we must continue to fulfil," he said.

What will Biden do in Belfast?

Rishi Sunak will welcome the US president to Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening.

President Biden is due to make a speech at Ulster University's newly-opened Belfast campus on Wednesday.

He will also address business and civic leaders and may speak to political parties.

His visit to Northern Ireland will be shorter than many people had expected when it was first announced last month.

It is understood that he will leave Northern Ireland on Wednesday afternoon to travel to the Republic of Ireland.

Where will Biden visit in Ireland?

During his three days in the Republic of Ireland, Mr Biden will attend engagements in Dublin, County Louth, and County Mayo.

The White House has said he is expected to address the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) on Thursday.

Declan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement - the deal which heralded the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

They look at what the agreement actually said and hear from some of the people who helped get the deal across the line.

Listen to all episodes of Year '98: The Making of the Good Friday Agreement on BBC Sounds.

Minggu, 09 April 2023

Junior doctors' strike will be 'most disruptive in NHS history', health leaders warn - Financial Times

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2023-04-09 23:00:42Z
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Procession route for King Charles III coronation to be far shorter than in 1953 - The Guardian

King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, will arrive at Westminster Abbey for the coronation on 6 May in the sovereign’s newest state carriage, and depart it in the oldest, during a day of celebrations that will see a procession route far shorter than that of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation, it has been revealed.

The king and queen consort will leave Buckingham Palace in the diamond jubilee state coach, built to celebrate the late queen’s 60th anniversary on the throne in 2012. They will depart, as King Charles III and Queen Camilla, in the 260-year-old gold state coach, which has been used in every coronation since William IV’s in 1831.

In keeping with the king’s wish for a smaller-scale ceremony, the 1.3-mile (2.1km) procession will be much shorter than that staged for the coronation of his mother, who travelled in the gold state coach on both journeys; her outward route to the abbey being 1.6 miles in length, and the return about 5 miles, taking in Haymarket, Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner, Oxford Street and East Carriage Drive in Hyde Park.

The king and queen consort will instead travel to the abbey in the king’s procession along the Mall, through Admiralty Arch and along the south side of Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall and along Parliament Street. The procession will then travel around the east and south sides of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary to arrive at Westminster Abbey, where the coronation service will begin at 11am. The decision is said to be based on practical reasons, being a familiar royal route.

Once crowned, the couple will return to Buckingham Palace along the same route. The second procession will be on a far grander and larger scale, and comprise thousands of members of the armed services from the UK, Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories who will be marching and lining the route, along with the Sovereign’s Bodyguard and Royal Watermen.

Details of the route were revealed as Buckingham Palace also unveiled a new emoji, of the St Edward’s crown, to mark the coronation weekend.

On the day, the public will get a first glimpse of the king and queen consort as they leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey in the diamond jubilee state coach, drawn by six Windsor grey horses, and accompanied by the sovereign’s escort of the Household Cavalry.

The coach is topped with a gilded crown carved from oak from HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Its interior is inlaid with samples of wood, metals and other materials from buildings and places with specific connections to Britain and its history, including Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Windsor Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, as well as historic ships, such as the Mary Rose.

After the coronation service, the new king and queen will depart Westminster Abbey for Buckingham Palace in the gold state coach. Last seen during the pageant of the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022, it was commissioned in 1760 and first used by King George III, to travel to the state opening of parliament in 1762.

The gold state coach passes in front of Buckingham Palace during the platinum jubilee pageant for Queen Elizabeth II

It will be drawn by eight Windsor greys and, due to its weight of four tonnes, will travel at walking pace. Said to creak like an “old galleon” as it rolls along, it runs a lot smoother than it used to, according to the man in charge of its care.

Martin Oates, senior carriage restorer at the Royal Mews, will walk behind the carriage in the coronation procession and act as the “brake man”, pulling the hand-held T-bar at the back to secure it in place when it stops. “When you’re following it, you can hear it creaking, so it sounds like an old galleon going along,” he said. “It’s not quite a washing machine, but where other vehicles just go from back to front, this is moving from side to side.”

Queen Elizabeth II once described her journey to and from her coronation in the uncomfortably bumpy gold state coach as “horrible”, while Queen Victoria complained of its “distressing oscillation”.

On their return to Buckingham Palace, the king and queen will receive a royal salute from the UK and Commonwealth armed forces on parade that day. They will take the salute from the west terrace of the Buckingham Palace garden. It will be followed by three cheers from the assembled service personnel for the new king and queen.

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2023-04-09 21:40:00Z
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Tributes to girl ‘with heart of gold’ killed in suspected arson as boy arrested on suspicion of murder - The Independent

Heartbroken friends and relatives have paid tribute to a 15-year-old girl killed in an east London fire.

Tiffany Regis is believed to have died in the suspected arson on Thursday at a block of flats in Beckton, the Metropolitan Police said, though identification was not conclusive. A post-mortem found that the cause of death was smoke inhalation.

Police were called at about 5.28pm on Thursday to the fire in Tollgate Road, which detectives are treating as arson.

Tiffany Regis, who family and friends say had a ‘heart of gold’

(Metropolitan Police)

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of murder following the fire. He was later bailed pending further inquiries.

Five others at the address were injured. They have since been discharged from hospital.

Vasee Ahmed a family friend, who saw the blaze take hold, told the Evening Standard: “Tiffany was loving and caring and was very close to my daughter and wife.

“Tiffany was living with her gran near the Asda as her gran was elderly. That flat was Tiffany’s friends I think the school friends got together and met up in the flat to just have a chat and enjoy their holidays.”

Ahmed added: “We have lived in Beckton since 1988 and have seen kids and families grow up over the years.

“My daughter is in the same class as Tiffany in Kingsford Community School. We always saw Tiffany she was so generous and humble and has a heart of gold.

“My daughter is very distressed since yesterday as she is trying to come to terms with this tragedy.”

Tiffany died in the fire on Thursday at a block of flats on Tollgate Road in Beckton

A woman who said she was Tiffany’s aunt posted on social media: “This can’t be real this was my niece.

“RIP beautiful you were gone to soon. The world is so horrible may your beautiful soul rest at peace now. Love you baby girl.”

One man who said he was a family friend described the teenager as “an angel”.

The man, who gave his name only as Godfrey, 30, said: “I’ve even got videos of her from when she young.

“She spent some time with my little nephews. Those memories with her I will never forget.”

Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, who leads the North East Command Unit, said that his thoughts were with Tiffany and her family and friends.

Emergency responders at the scene on Thursday

He added: “My thoughts at this time are with Tiffany and her family and friends. Incidents such as these send shockwaves through our communities and I don’t underestimate the impact this will have in the local area and beyond.

“Your officers will be on patrol in the immediate vicinity over the Easter weekend, please talk to them if you have any concerns.”

Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz said: “Tiffany’s parents are going through unimaginable pain at the loss of their much loved 15-year-old daughter who brought so much joy. I am deeply upset by this tragic loss of a young life, as is everyone in Newham.

“My thoughts and prayers are with Tiffany’s parents, family and friends at this very difficult and heartbreaking time. I am urging anyone with any information to contact the police incident room.

“Our priority is to support Tiffany’s parents grieving the loss of their child; and all those young people who have lost a dear friend.”

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2023-04-09 19:03:34Z
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Underage vaping to be targeted by UK government's 'enforcement squad' - The Guardian

Ministers are to promise a crackdown on the illegal sale of e-cigarettes to under 18s as they consider stricter rules to tackle underage vaping.

An “illicit vapes enforcement squad”, led by Trading Standards and backed by £3m in funding, will be set up to conduct test purchases and remove banned products from shops and at borders.

The government will also launch a call for evidence to “identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes”, according to plans expected to be unveiled this week.

The measures come amid rising concern over youth vaping in Britain, with the latest survey by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) showing a rise in recent years. In 2022, 7% of 11- to 17-year-olds surveyed said they used vapes, compared with 3.3% in 2021.

The plan to tackle illegal sales to children has been welcomed by vape manufacturers. The UK Vaping Industry Association had been calling for increased action on “rogue resellers” and said the targeted action due to be announced by the government would help cut the supply of e-cigarettes to minors. Recent raids have found shops across the country selling illegal vapes, including those containing illegal nicotine levels, and failing to conduct proper age checks.

However health experts warned the measures would do little to stop underage vaping and said action was needed to make e-cigarettes less appealing to children in the first place.

Dr Mike McKean, the vice-president for policy at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “We’re relieved that the UK government has started to focus on the rising levels of children and young people picking up e-cigarettes, but an enforcement squad is just the tip of the iceberg.”

He said vapes were often “affordable, appealing and clearly very accessible for children”, and called for action on the “bright packaging, exotic flavours and enticing names” used in many products. “Tighter restrictions on advertising of vaping products are also needed to ensure these products are only advertised as a smoking reduction aid rather than a fun and colourful lifestyle product,” he said.

The Department of Health and Social Care said its call for evidence would look at ways of cutting underage vaping while “ensuring they remain available as a quit aid for adult smokers”. It is expected to explore issues such as the marketing and promotion of vapes. Vape manufacturers argue that features such as fruity flavours can help adults quit smoking.

Last year, the Observer revealed how influencers were flouting advertising rules to promote popular Elf Bar vapes to young people on TikTok. E-cigarette companies have also run campaigns across buses and billboards.

Health minister Neil O’Brien said the government was “concerned about the rise in youth vaping, particularly the increasing use of disposable vaping products”, and that the measures were designed to “clamp down” on those businesses that were “getting children hooked on nicotine”. “Our call for evidence will also allow us to get a firm understanding of the steps we can take to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes,” he added.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Ash, said the charity welcomed the government announcement but that more action was needed to “tackle the scourge of youth vaping”. She said: “The call for evidence is all well and good, but we already know the problems that need addressing, and how to address them. Cheap disposable vapes need to be taxed so they can no longer be bought for pocket money prices. And the government needs to regulate to limit where these products can be sold, and prohibit brightly coloured packaging with cartoon characters and names like ‘gummy bears’. There’s no time for delay.”

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2023-04-09 05:01:00Z
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Rishi Sunak to capitalise on Joe Biden's Northern Ireland visit with investment drive - The Telegraph

Rishi Sunak is seeking to capitalise on Joe Biden’s visit to Northern Ireland this week with an investment drive that he says will deliver on the “promise” of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Prime Minister said delivering economic growth was “the biggest thing” he could do to “secure a prosperous and thriving Northern Ireland”.

President Biden will arrive in Belfast this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement - the peace deal that brought power-sharing to the province and ended the 30 years of conflict known as The Troubles.

Mr Sunak is expected to meet the president on the tarmac as he disembarks from Air Force One on Tuesday evening, with Mr Biden then undertaking a programme of engagements including a meeting with the Prime Minister.

Downing Street said that he would use the president’s visit and his engagements with business leaders and others in Belfast to “celebrate Northern Ireland’s successes and encourage further long-term investment”.

Investment summit

As part of his drive to bring more private capital to the province, Mr Sunak has decided that the UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit in Belfast in September.

The Prime Minister said: “The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was an incredible moment in our nation’s history. It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland.

“It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days. It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise.

“Northern Ireland – like the rest of the UK – is teeming with opportunities, talent and ingenuity. The biggest thing we can do to improve people’s standard of living and secure a prosperous and thriving Northern Ireland, is economic growth. That’s something I’m relentlessly focused on delivering.”

Windsor Framework deal

The Prime Minister will return to Belfast on April 19 to address Queen’s University’s ‘Agreement 25’ conference and to host a special gala dinner to commemorate the anniversary.

His pledge to drum up investment for Northern Ireland will be seen as an attempt to move on from the bitter rows over the province’s post-Brexit status.

Last month, the UK sealed its new Windsor Framework deal with the EU.

However, the Democratic Unionist Party is continuing to boycott the Stormont Assembly over the post-Brexit arrangements, claiming they threaten Northern Ireland’s place within the union.

Mr Biden will give a key address at Ulster University’s newly opened campus on Wednesday, before departing for Dublin in the afternoon.

He will undertake a number of engagements in the Republic of Ireland before flying back on Friday.

The president is not expected to visit Stormont, which, coupled with just one confirmed engagement in Northern Ireland, is being viewed by some as a snub.

The Irish deputy premier, Micheal Martin, denied this was the case. “I think his visit to Northern Ireland is a manifestation of his genuine commitment to the people of Northern Ireland," he said.

Mr Biden’s visit has been overshadowed by warnings from the police that dissident republicans are plotting terror attacks against police officers to coincide with tomorrow’s anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The president’s visit to Northern Ireland comes after The Telegraph revealed that he would not be attending the King’s Coronation next month.

The White House said a decision to send the first lady Jill Biden in his absence was “not a snub”, insisting “the president has a good relationship with the King”.

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2023-04-09 06:00:00Z
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Junior doctor strike: Union's pay demands unrealistic, says Steve Barclay - BBC

By Michael Sheils McNamee

BBC News

The junior doctors' union appears "intent on maintaining a militant stance" which "hampers serious talks over pay", the health secretary says.

Writing in The Telegraph, Steve Barclay said pay demands by the British Medical Association (BMA) were "unrealistic".

Junior doctors in England are set to stage a four-day strike from Tuesday.

The BMA wants a 35% pay rise to make up for 15 years of below-inflation wage rises, It says falling pay has caused a recruitment and retention crisis.

Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-director of the junior doctors' committee at the BMA, said on Saturday that Mr Barclay is yet to put a serious offer on the table.

"All we're asking for is a credible offer that shows us he's serious, that we can start a path of negotiations to try to address the real-terms pay cut," he said.

The strike is due to take place from 07:00 BST on Tuesday until 07:00 BST on Saturday.

The NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, is warning that the strike will cause "unparalleled levels of disruption" as it is longer than previous strikes and comes after the bank holiday when many staff are "taking much-needed holiday".

Up to quarter of a million operations and appointments could be postponed because of it, the NHS Confederation - the body which represents health service trusts - has warned, and health bosses are more concerned about this than they have been about any other strike.

Th BMA has refused to exempt any services but says it has plans to protect patients.

'Out of step'

Mr Barclay said the walkout - just after the bank holiday and which "coincides with school holidays, Ramadan and Passover", has been timed to "cause maximum disruption".

Mr Barclay said pay demands by junior doctors were "out of step with pay settlements in other parts of the public sector" and claimed some doctors could receive an extra £20,000 a year if wage demands were met.

He said he wanted to "see a fair deal that increases their pay" but could see "no prospect of getting into serious and constructive talks" unless the strike action was cancelled and the BMA changed its pay demands.

The BMA says junior doctors' pay has fallen by 26% since 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

Junior doctors represent more than 40% of the medical workforce and include those fresh out of university through to experienced medics with more than 10 years of experience. Around two-thirds are BMA members.

In a ballot issued in February, 98% of eligible BMA members backed strike action, on a turnout of 77%

Deputy chair of the BMA junior doctors committee Dr Mike Greenhalgh said falling pay had caused "a real recruitment and retention crisis" in the health service.

He told the BBC on Saturday: "It's hard to negotiate when only one side is doing it, and we're not getting anything back from the government on that front."

He added: "We're happy to meet at any time. We would still meet [Mr Barclay] over the bank holiday weekend before the industrial action next week.

"And if he was to bring a credible offer to us, it could still, even at this late stage, avert action."

During last month's strike, hospitals drafted in consultants to provide cover but it is estimated a quarter of them are on leave due to the Easter holidays.

The BMA says it will not exempt any services but that there are plans to protect patients, which could involve pulling junior doctors off the picket line if individual hospitals report lives are in immediate danger.

The Department of Health and Social Care has said the government is working with NHS England to put contingency plans in place to protect patient safety during the strike.

"The NHS will prioritise resources to protect emergency treatment, critical care, maternity and neonatal care, and trauma," a spokesman said.

Are you a junior doctor with a view on the strike? Are you a patient affected? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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Babak Belurs

Senin, 10 April 2023

Good Friday Agreement: Rishi Sunak calls on Stormont return ahead of Joe Biden visit - BBC

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Read more about the agreement

What will Biden do in Belfast?

Where will Biden visit in Ireland?

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Minggu, 09 April 2023