Scotland not properly prepared for pandemic – Covid inquiry - BBC

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

1. Scotland not properly prepared for pandemic – Covid inquiry  BBC
2. Government ‘failed its citizens’ on Covid by planning for wrong pandemic, report finds  BBC
3. Hancock and Hunt failed to prepare UK for pandemic, Covid inquiry finds  The Guardian
4. UK public 'failed' by governments which prepared for 'wrong pandemic' ahead of COVID-19, inquiry finds  Sky News
5. Civil Service ‘groupthink’ left Britain unprepared for Covid, inquiry finds  The Telegraph

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGVzL2NuZTRkMDN2bTdqb9IBNGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGVzL2NuZTRkMDN2bTdqby5hbXA?oc=5

2024-07-18 11:01:18Z
CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGVzL2NuZTRkMDN2bTdqb9IBNGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGVzL2NuZTRkMDN2bTdqby5hbXA

European summit live: Starmer hosts leaders as Labour warns UK ‘nowhere near’ Brexit deal renegotiation with EU - The Independent

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

1. European summit live: Starmer hosts leaders as Labour warns UK ‘nowhere near’ Brexit deal renegotiation with EU  The Independent
2. Starmer promises EU leaders at EPC he will repair ties with their countries  The Guardian
3. Keir Starmer’s Brexit reboot  POLITICO Europe
4. Politics latest news: Macron tells Starmer 'no silver bullet' to stopping small boat Channel crossings  The Telegraph
5. Starmer urges action on migration 'crisis' as he seeks deal with France  Sky News

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWsvcG9saXRpY3Mvc3Rhcm1lci1sYWJvdXItYnJleGl0LWV1cm9wZWFuLXN1bW1pdC11ay1raW5ncy1zcGVlY2gtYjI1ODE1MjguaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5

2024-07-18 09:08:14Z
CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWsvcG9saXRpY3Mvc3Rhcm1lci1sYWJvdXItYnJleGl0LWV1cm9wZWFuLXN1bW1pdC11ay1raW5ncy1zcGVlY2gtYjI1ODE1MjguaHRtbNIBAA

Jay Slater's mum issues new GoFundMe statement after son's body found in Tenerife - Manchester Evening News

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

1. Jay Slater's mum issues new GoFundMe statement after son's body found in Tenerife  Manchester Evening News
2. Jay Slater's mum asks for more fundraising support to give teen a 'send-off'  Sky News
3. Jay Slater's mum issues update on GoFundMe page after body found in Tenerife  Liverpool Echo
4. Family leave fresh emotional tributes for Jay Slater  BBC.com
5. Jay Slater police break silence over stolen £12,000 Rolex after body found  Birmingham Live

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm1hbmNoZXN0ZXJldmVuaW5nbmV3cy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2dyZWF0ZXItbWFuY2hlc3Rlci1uZXdzL2pheS1zbGF0ZXJzLW11bS1pc3N1ZXMtbmV3LTI5NTY2MjM10gEA?oc=5

2024-07-18 11:37:00Z
CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm1hbmNoZXN0ZXJldmVuaW5nbmV3cy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2dyZWF0ZXItbWFuY2hlc3Rlci1uZXdzL2pheS1zbGF0ZXJzLW11bS1pc3N1ZXMtbmV3LTI5NTY2MjM10gEA

Jay Slater's family hope to bring teen 'home together' on same flight - Daily Mail

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

1. Jay Slater's family hope to bring teen 'home together' on same flight  Daily Mail
2. Jay Slater: How search for missing teenager captured nation's attention  Sky News
3. The 'deathtrap' ravine which Jay Slater clambered over before meeting his tragic demise: Drone footage reveals  Daily Mail
4. Jay Slater: body found in Tenerife is that of missing Briton, autopsy confirms  The Guardian

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtMTM2NDQyNjcvamF5LXNsYXRlci1mYW1pbHktaG9wZS1icmluZy10ZWVuYWdlci1ob21lLWZsaWdodC10ZW5lcmlmZS5odG1s0gEA?oc=5

2024-07-17 17:17:18Z
CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtMTM2NDQyNjcvamF5LXNsYXRlci1mYW1pbHktaG9wZS1icmluZy10ZWVuYWdlci1ob21lLWZsaWdodC10ZW5lcmlmZS5odG1s0gEA

‘Mini heatwave’ due to hit UK – but rain still a threat in Northern Ireland - Belfast Telegraph

Yellow heat health alerts have been issued as the mercury is expected to rise to around 30C in other parts of the UK from Thursday to Sunday.

But Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “It will be quite a bit cooler for Scotland and Northern Ireland, where temperatures may be 18C or 19C, or maybe a bit lower, where that rain persists on the west coast.”

The hot weather comes as parts of the country have already experienced well in excess of July’s average rainfall figures despite only being halfway through the month.

A Met Office spokesperson said NI had 47% of July’s average rainfall between July 1 and 15. England had 97%, Wales had 65% and Scotland 49%.

Nicola Maxey of the Met Office said: “There are quite big regional differences, but overall it’s looking like a wet month so far.

“There is a caveat that, with a dry couple of weeks, by the end of the month things could even themselves out.”

Wednesday saw temperatures in many areas in NI reach up to 20C, but the outlook for Friday through to Sunday so far seems to be rather unsettled, with showers or, especially on Saturday, longer spells of occasionally heavy rain.

A warm Friday has been forecasted, but it will get cooler again over the weekend.

Looking further ahead to the end of this month and into August, the national forecaster says there will be some hints of drier spells.

However, low pressure may continue to affect NI at times, bringing cooler, wetter and windier conditions.

Though difficult to predict a long-range forecast, meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey has reassured the public that the weather predictions do not “mean it will be raining every day”.

Last month saw temperatures remain in the early teens — the last time the first 10 days of June were that cold was in 2020. Compared to June last year, NI was enjoying daily temperatures of around 20C.

Experts explained that the below-average temperatures were due to the Atlantic jet stream bringing in cool air from Iceland and Greenland.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist David Hayter said: “The position of the jet stream, which is a ribbon of air high up in the atmosphere, is often the driving force behind the weather we experience in the UK.

“In recent weeks, the jet stream has been either directed towards the UK or shifted further south, which has predominantly brought cooler air over the UK, with frequent incursions of some unseasonable winds and rain.

“For warm weather in the UK in summer, you’d tend to see the jet stream shifted further north, which allows the possibility of warmer air to drift over the UK from the south.

“Unfortunately for those who like the warmth, we have only had brief periods where this pattern has been present in summer so far.

“While there’s much uncertainty in the forecast at this range, there are some subtle signs of a more settled spell possibly developing, at least for a time, in the second half of July.”

News Catch Up: Wednesday 17th July 2024

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZWxmYXN0dGVsZWdyYXBoLmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvbm9ydGhlcm4taXJlbGFuZC9taW5pLWhlYXR3YXZlLWR1ZS10by1oaXQtdWstYnV0LXJhaW4tc3RpbGwtYS10aHJlYXQtaW4tbm9ydGhlcm4taXJlbGFuZC9hMjAzNDcxMzMzMi5odG1s0gEA?oc=5

2024-07-17 16:30:51Z
CBMikQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZWxmYXN0dGVsZWdyYXBoLmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvbm9ydGhlcm4taXJlbGFuZC9taW5pLWhlYXR3YXZlLWR1ZS10by1oaXQtdWstYnV0LXJhaW4tc3RpbGwtYS10aHJlYXQtaW4tbm9ydGhlcm4taXJlbGFuZC9hMjAzNDcxMzMzMi5odG1s0gEA

Jay Slater: Family faces wait to bring body home from Tenerife - BBC

Family handout

Jonny Humphries

BBC News, Tenerife

12 minutes ago

The family of Jay Slater could face a wait of at least a week before they can bring the 19-year-old's body home from Tenerife.

Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, has been formally identified as the body discovered in a ravine in the Masca area of the island on Monday.

The charity LBT Global told the BBC it is helping the family organise the return of the body.

It is understood some of the near £60,000 raised in a GoFundMe appeal could be used towards the repatriation costs if necessary.

Signi Zoekhonden

On Tuesday the Guardia Civil and Canary Islands Higher Court of Justice confirmed the body had injuries consistent with a fall onto rocky ground.

Matthew Searle, chief executive of LBT Global, which has been helping the Slater family, told the BBC he understood the Spanish authorities had carried out all the examinations they needed to.

He added he was confident that insurance should cover the cost of bringing Mr Slater's body home, but that there was the option of using crowdfunded donations if not.

Handout

LBT Global has been helping Mr Slater's family through the formal processes with the Spanish judicial system, which Mr Searle said could be "overwhelming" for grief-stricken relatives.

He said: "There is so much to do, and obviously when you're in a foreign country, and you don't speak the language, and you've got no-one around you to help really, and you're in the position that Jay's parent's are in... it's just not the kind of thing that you cope with, it's just overwhelming."

Mr Searle also said the charity would try and make sure Mr Slater's family were on the same flight when he is repatriated.

"It's always nice for them to say we have literally brought him home together," he added.

Mr Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, said her family's "hearts were broken" after her son's identity was confirmed.

She added: "I just can’t believe this could happen to my beautiful boy."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk

Related Topics

• Canary Islands
• Oswaldtwistle
• Brits abroad

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGVzL2Nra2c0ZzVubnY5b9IBAA?oc=5

2024-07-17 14:10:36Z
CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGVzL2Nra2c0ZzVubnY5b9IBAA

King’s speech live: Labour agenda includes housebuilding and nationalising railways, announces Charles - The Independent

King travels in royal coach to state opening of parliament

Support truly
independent journalism

Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.

Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Louise Thomas

Editor

The new Labour government’s plans for Britain include delivering 1.5 million homes and nationalising the country’s railways, King Charles has announced.

In the first State Opening of Parliament under a Labour government since 2009, Charles set out the legislation being prioritised by Sir Keir and his ministers.

He outlined around 35 draft laws including a national housebuilding programme to build 1.5 million homes, a bill to enact Labour’s pledge to nationalise the railways and a workers’ rights bill.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will seek to allow for land to be bought more cheaply for building through reforms to “get Britain building”.

A new public body, Great British Railways (GBR), will oversee the rail network, and give all English councils new powers to franchise local bus services.

As part of the new set of policies, local governments could receive more powers and a law to ensure all government budgets get advance independent scrutiny.

The King said the “fundamental mission” of the government will be to secure economic growth.

“My government will seek a new partnership with both business and working people and help the country move on from the recent cost-of-living challenges by prioritising wealth creation for all communities,” Charles said.

1721220649

What are Labour’s promises in King’s Speech?

• Hillsborough Law: This will introduce a “legal duty of candour” for public servants in an effort to tackle the “defensive culture” highlighted in the Hillsborough and Infected Blood inquiries.
• Armed Forces Commissioner Bill: This will establish a statutory commissioner for the armed forces to act as an “independent champion” for service personnel and their families and be fully empowered to investigate and highlight issues.
• Northern Ireland Legacy Legislation: The Government plans to repeal the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 and replace it with new legislation that changes the sections most vehemently opposed by victims and survivors and those found deficient by Northern Ireland’s High Court.
• House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: This will take a first step to modernising the upper house of Parliament by removing the right of the almost 100 remaining hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.
• Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: This aims to boost the country’s defences against cyber attacks that have affected the NHS and Ministry of Defence by strengthening regulators and increasing reporting requirements.
• Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill: This will enable the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the International Committee of the Red Cross to continue to operate fully in the UK.
• Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill: This will support efforts to increase the number of female bishops in the House of Lords by extending a provision from 2015 that prioritises female diocesan bishops to fill vacancies among the 21 House of Lords bishops aside from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, and the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester.
• Holocaust Memorial Bill: This will enable the Government to build the planned Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre next to the Houses of Parliament.

Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 13:50

1721220049

Starmer warned pension bill fails to tackle long-term pensions crisis

Sir Keir Starmer has been warned his new pensions bill will fail to tackle the crisis facing retirees, with the prime minister having ducked an increase in automatic enrolment.

In his first King’s Speech, the PM unveiled plans to support more than 15m people with private pensions and ensure they get better outcomes.

Sir Keir said the bill would boost the amount available for pension savers and help average earners save an additional £11,000 over the course of their career.

The pensions schemes bill included measures to prevent people losing track of pension pots, ensure workers are saving into pension schemes that deliver value for money and consolidate the defined benefit pensions market through so-called commercial superfunds.

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the full story:

Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 13:40

1721219749

Starmer delivers ‘change’ with focus on Generation Rent in King’s speech

Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 13:35

1721219449

Labour’s law-making plans in King’s Speech at a glance

The speech outlined dozens of draft laws that ministers will later debate in parliament, here’s some of the proposed bills at a glance:

• Skills England Bill: This paves the way for the establishment of Skills England to assess the skills needed in the workforce and reform of the apprenticeship levy.
• Renters’ Rights Bill: This wide-ranging Bill’s measures include a ban on so-called no-fault evictions; empowering tenants to challenge rent increases and to request a pet; setting rules around the timeframes within which landlords must make homes safer for private renters, known as Awaab’s Law, and applying a “decent homes standard” to the sector.
• Football Governance Bill: This includes establishing an independent football regulator to address clubs’ financial sustainability and approve stadium sales or relocation; requiring clubs to get fan approval for changes to shirt colours; and preventing clubs from joining break-away leagues.
• Draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill: This draft legislation will bolster leaseholders’ rights to extend their lease and buy their freehold; restrict the sale of new leasehold flats; regulate extortionate ground rents; and end the “fleecehold” system, whereby people who own freehold properties are locked into contracts to maintain the communal areas around them.
• Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill: This enshrines in law the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people and introduces mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting.
• Draft Conversion Practices Bill: This aims to ban practices that aim to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity by creating new offences to target acts not covered by existing law.
• Tobacco and Vapes Bill: This reintroduces Mr Sunak’s proposed smoking ban, gradually lifting the age at which people can buy cigarettes, and it will impose limits on selling and marketing vapes.
• Mental Health Bill: This will modernise the Mental Health Act to shift the balance of power from the system to the patient with the aim of putting service users at the centre of decisions about their own care.

Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 13:30

1721219029

Pictured: Farage during the State Opening of Parliament

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage walks from the House of Lords after hearing the King's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament in the London, Britain, July 17, 2024 (via REUTERS)

Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 13:23

1721218693

‘High time’ Martyn’s Law on statute books

Campaigners have said it is “high time” Martyn’s Law makes it onto the statute books as they welcomed plans to bring in the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

Labour vowed in its manifesto to bring in laws named after Manchester Arena bombing victim Martyn Hett amid a row over years of delays in introducing the legislation and it was announced in the King’s Speech to Parliament on Wednesday.

The proposed measures are in a bid to help protect venues against terror attacks. They would require UK venues and councils to have mandatory training and plans to prevent and protect against such attacks.

Mr Hett, 29, was one of 22 people murdered in a suicide bombing at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.

Martyn’s mother, Figen Murray, has been campaigning for the Government to bring in the law and earlier this year walked 200 miles from Manchester to Downing Street to promote her cause.

Ms Murray said: “It’s fantastic to see Martyn’s Law in the King’s Speech. I’ve campaigned for this for years and it’s a huge relief to see it at the top of the agenda for the new Government.”

Martyn’s image on a T-shirt as Figen Murray, the mother of Manchester Arena bombing victim Martyn Hett, begins a 200-mile walk (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 13:18

1721218517

Bus firms demand ‘priority on the road network’

Three years after Boris Johnson outlined a “long-term strategy for buses in England” called Bus Back Better, the new Labour government is promising a Better Buses bill that has broadly similar aims, our Transport Correspondent Simon Calder reports.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), representing bus firms, welcomed the Kings Speech promising the bill.

The CPT chief executive, Graham Vidler, said “passengers want more bus services that are regular, fast, and punctual”.

But he warned: “No amount of regulatory change will deliver better services unless local, regional and national governments move swiftly to give buses priority on the road network, curb congestion, and persuade more people to switch away from private car journeys and towards public transport.

“Whoever controls bus networks, stable long-term investment in the sector will be critical. Immediate action must prevent a ‘cliff-edge’ return to fully commercial fares when the £2 fare cap ends in December – a scenario that will harm passengers and services.”

At present bus fares are capped at £2, saving as much as £10 on some routes.

Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 13:15

1721217885

SNP slams Labour’s King Speech for ‘failing to address two-child benefit cap'

The SNP criticised the King’s Speech as a “missed opportunity” that failed to deliver measures such as scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn accused Sir Keir Starmer of failing his “first test in government” and branded the legislative program “timid”.

He said: “People in Scotland voted for clear and substantial change at Westminster, and the Labour Government was handed a huge mandate to deliver it, so it’s bitterly disappointing that they have thrown that opportunity away.”

Although he welcomed some of the small measures, he claimed Labour did not announce plans to eradicate child poverty and put an end to “Tory austerity”.

Mr Flynn added: “And with no plan to reverse the damage of Brexit or properly invest in green energy – Starmer is restricting the potential for strong growth in the economy, wages and living standards.

“For Scotland, there was no plan to deliver the maximum devolution that Labour promised during the independence referendum and, despite promising to abolish the House of Lords for more than a century, they are only planning to tinker around the edges.

“The SNP will work with the Labour Government, wherever possible, to deliver the best outcomes for Scotland – but where that change isn’t forthcoming we will hold them to account.”

Members of the House of Commons, including SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, Mother of the House Diane Abbot, and Father of the House Sir Edward Leigh, listen to the King's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament in chamber of the House of Lords (Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 13:04

1721217521

GMB union hails Labour’s policies ‘breath of fresh air'

The GMB union has welcomed the new policy announced during the King’s Speech.

Gary Smith, the GMB’s general secretary, said: “After 14 years of Tory chaos, Labour’s first King’s Speech is the breath of fresh air the country has been looking for.”

Mr Smith claimed the proposed Employment Rights Bill will “make a difference” to working people.

He added: “GMB members will welcome proper national terms and conditions for school support staff, a fair pay agreement for social care workers, and the tackling of vindictive and outdated practices used by bad bosses.

“It’s good to see a much-needed focus on industrial strategy and skills, areas of critical importance to growth and prosperity that have been neglected for too long.

“The people of our country voted for change and this King’s Speech is a serious and comprehensive response.”

This is what the Employment Rights Bill proposes:

• Ban zero-hours contracts and fire and rehire policies.
• Improvements to statutory sick pay.
• Day-one rights to flexible working and protection from unfair dismissal.
• Establishing a fair pay agreement in the social care sector.
• Updating trade union legislation and simplifying the process of statutory union recognition.

Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 12:58

1721217469

Labour sets new policies to tackle crime, terrorism and a new asylum system

The King has unveiled Labour’s policies to tackle crime, terrorism and announced a reform of the asylum system. Here’s a summary of the proposed bills:

• Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: This gives the new UK Border Security Command the powers needed to crack down on criminal gangs, introduces stronger penalties for organised immigration crime and modernises the asylum system to clear the backlog.
• Crime and Policing Bill: Measures include strengthening neighbourhood policing; cracking down on antisocial behaviour with new “respect orders” for persistent adult offenders; introducing stronger measures against shoplifting; banning ninja swords and lethal knives; and ensuring an improved police response to violence against women and girls and spiking.
• Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill: This delivers Labour’s manifesto pledge to bring in Martyn’s Law named after 2017 Manchester Arena bombing victim, Martyn Hett. It is focused on improving security at public venues and better protecting the public from terror attacks.
• Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill: Measures include improving support for victims of crime and antisocial behaviour and protections from sex offenders, strengthening the Victims’ Commissioner’s powers and forcing offenders to attend their sentencing hearings.
• Children’s Wellbeing Bill: This includes forcing councils to maintain registers of children not in school; requiring all schools to teach the national curriculum; and cracking down on unregistered independent schools. Free breakfast clubs in every primary school and a limit on the branded items of uniform and PE kits a school can require are also included in this Bill.

The 40 Bills in this year’s King’s Speech is the highest number to be outlined at a state opening since 2005 (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 12:57

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWsvcG9saXRpY3Mvc3Rhcm1lci1sYWJvdXIta2luZ3Mtc3BlZWNoLXBhcmxpYW1lbnQtdG9yeS1yZWZvcm0tbmV3cy1iMjU4MTA5OC5odG1s0gEA?oc=5

2024-07-17 12:35:49Z
CBMidGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWsvcG9saXRpY3Mvc3Rhcm1lci1sYWJvdXIta2luZ3Mtc3BlZWNoLXBhcmxpYW1lbnQtdG9yeS1yZWZvcm0tbmV3cy1iMjU4MTA5OC5odG1s0gEA