Sabtu, 29 Januari 2022

Storm Malik LIVE as yellow and amber warnings for 80mph winds issued across Scotland - Scottish Daily Record

Winds of up to 80mph could batter large parts of Scotland today as Storm Malik sweeps in.

Yellow weather warnings are in place across all of Scotland for most of Saturday as Storm Malik is expected to bring high winds and rain.

There is an amber warning for eastern Scotland, where damaging gusts of wind will likely cause disruption to road, rail, air and ferry services.

Power supplies and mobile phone coverage could also be affected.

The Met Office warned: "Injuries and danger to life could occur from flying debris as well as from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties."

SP Energy Networks, the company responsible for electricity transmission in central and southern Scotland, issued safety advice around potential power cuts.

While, Network Rail Scotland said it would introduce some speed restrictions for safety, and have additional staff equipped with chainsaws across the network to deal with fallen trees on tracks.

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2022-01-29 08:42:56Z
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Jumat, 28 Januari 2022

Partygate: Boris Johnson to receive report in 'coming hours or days' as Metropolitan Police denies delaying publication - Sky News

Boris Johnson will receive the long-awaited report into parties in Downing Street and Whitehall in "the coming hours or days", Sky News understands - as police denied trying to delay publication.

It is understood the report - compiled by senior civil servant Sue Gray - will not be made public until "in all likelihood next week", when MPs return to the Commons after the weekend.

The version made public will be redacted to ensure it is compliant with the Metropolitan Police's earlier request that nothing jeopardises its inquiry, it is believed.

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Will PM weather the partygate storm?

It comes as the Met said on Friday evening that it had received the information to support its investigation and denied trying to delay the report.

Commander Catherine Roper said: "We have not delayed this report and the timing of its release is a matter for the Cabinet Office inquiry team."

She said the Special Enquiry Team was examining the Cabinet Office material "to establish whether individuals attending the events in question may have breached the regulations".

Earlier, the Met had called for "minimal reference" in the report to the events it is investigating - raising new doubts over when it would be published.

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Its statement on Friday morning said: "The Met did not ask for any limitations on other events in the report, or for the report to be delayed, but we have had ongoing contact with the Cabinet Office, including on the content of the report, to avoid any prejudice to our investigation."

When the police investigation into partygate began on Tuesday, the force said it did not believe there was a risk of prejudice.

It said it was investigating a "number of" gatherings in 2020 and 2021 for potential breaches of coronavirus rules.

Read more:
How is the Met Police inquiry into No 10 COVID breaches different to Sue Gray's?
What could the Gray inquiry mean for Boris Johnson?
Met commissioner won't be relishing 'career threatening' investigation

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'Are you delaying the Sue Gray report, PM?'

Met request 'absolute nonsense'

Lawyers have questioned the Met's request, but Commander Roper said it was normal "to protect the integrity of the police investigation... and to be as fair as possible to those who are subject to it".

"This will only be necessary until these matters are concluded and is to give detectives the most reliable picture of what happened at these events," she added.

Commander Roper said a fixed fine would be the normal result if the lockdown-breaking offences under investigation are proven.

Undated handout photo issued by GOV.UK of Sue Gray, second permanent secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, who will take over from Cabinet Secretary Simon Case who has "recused himself" from leading an investigation into lockdown-breaking parties across Whitehall, following allegations of gatherings in his own department. Issue date: Issue date: Friday December 17, 2021.
Image: Sue Gray has been investigating allegations of parties in Downing Street and across Whitehall

Some have questioned how the Met's investigation could be prejudiced if only lesser offences are being considered.

Publication of reports and other inquiries can often be delayed until a police investigation and any court case is concluded, typically to avoid prejudicing a jury.

However, if police investigate under coronavirus laws there would be little risk as the penalty for breaking lockdown rules is a fine and highly unlikely to result in a prosecution.

Nazir Afzal, a former chief prosecutor for the North West, tweeted: "This is absolute nonsense from the Met Police.

"A purely factual report by Sue Gray cannot possibly prejudice a police investigation. They just have to follow the evidence, of which the report will be a part."

Former director of public prosecutions Lord Macdonald also suggested to the BBC that the Met's stance was "disproportionate".

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'Govt paralysed' by Sue Gray report

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said he wanted the report "in full and the investigation finished as quickly as possible", claiming the government was "paralysed" by the police probe.

"Any issues of prejudice have got to be worked through but this whole mess, this whole paralysing of politics, is being caused by the prime minister and his wrongdoing," said Sir Keir.

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2022-01-28 21:26:00Z
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Government backs bill to promote use of British Sign Language - BBC News

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A bill which would make British Sign Language a legally recognised language has received government backing.

The proposed law, which passed its first hurdle in the Commons on Friday, would require public bodies to promote the language.

Actor Rose Ayling-Ellis has been one of those campaigning for the change.

The bill was put forward by Labour's Rosie Cooper who said it would send "a clear message that they [the deaf community] deserve equal access".

Announcing the government's support for the legislation, Work and Pensions Minister Chloe Smith said it was a "significant step towards ensuring that deaf people are not excluded from reaching their full potential".

During the Commons debate, Ms Cooper told MPs about her experience of growing up with deaf parents - including having to book a family holiday, on behalf of her parents, when she was only four years old.

The West Lancashire MP said children of deaf parents had to "shoulder the responsibility well beyond their years, and that's not fair".

She added: "We do it willingly, I never knew any different but we have the chance to help with that."

Urging MPs to support her legislation, she said: "For every deaf person like my parents, who've been ignored, misunderstood, or even treated as unintelligent for simply relying on BSL (British Sign Language), this recognition will be a clear and will be a message that their language is equal and should be treated as equal."

Ms Cooper's bill is a Private Member's Bill - the name for laws proposed by backbench MPs. They often do not become law, because they run out of Commons time.

But by securing government support, Ms Cooper has significantly increased the chances of the bill being passed.

Rosie Cooper
HoC

If the bill does pass, the government would be required to follow new guidance on how the use of BSL can be put in place across services. It also calls for a British Sign Language Council to be formed to promote and advise on the use of BSL.

Ms Ayling-Ellis, who has supported the bill, told the BBC: "If I go to the doctor and there's no interpreter it means I have to bring a family member with me. But I don't want that, I want privacy."

David Buxton, chair of the British Deaf Association, said: "This bill has been 19 years in the making.

"Deaf people in Britain never gave up hope that their language would one day be not only recognised in law, but also protected and promoted so that deaf people are finally able to access information and services and achieve their potential on an equal basis with their fellow hearing citizens."

According to figures from the British Deaf Association, up to 250,000 people use some BSL on a daily basis.

BSL is not currently recognised as an official language in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. In 2015 Scotland recognised BSL as an official language.

On Friday, the British Sign Language Bill passed its first hurdle in the House of Commons when MPs approved it at second reading. The bill will now move on to committee stage where it will be scrutinised line-by-line by MPs.

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2022-01-28 16:04:50Z
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Leeds rape: Man seen carrying victim in 2015 admits attacks - BBC News

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A rapist caught on CCTV carrying his female victim through Leeds city centre has admitted the attack more than six years after it took place.

The woman was walking to get a taxi home after a night out when Austin Osayande approached her in Kirkgate in August 2015.

Police released footage after the attack, but he was not caught until he assaulted another woman last year.

Osayande pleaded guilty to rape at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday.

CCTV image of a man walking in Leeds
West Yorkshire Police

The 40-year-old, of Sissons Road, Leeds, also admitted one count of sexual assault in relation to an attack on another woman in the city last September.

He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced at the same court on 23 February.

At the time the CCTV was released, West Yorkshire Police said it "made for disturbing viewing".

Osayande was seen approaching the woman and then walking alongside her on Briggate at 05:00 BST, before they reached Dortmund Square and he picked her up in his arms.

He then carried her to the scene of the attack a short distance away on Mark Lane, police said.

Prior to the attack he had been seen "loitering in a car park at the rear of the Malmaison hotel in Swinegate", with police believing he was looking for a victim.

CCTV image of a man walking in Leeds
West Yorkshire Police
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2022-01-28 13:36:33Z
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Partygate: Met Police wants 'minimal reference' in Sue Gray report to events it is investigating - Sky News

The Metropolitan Police has asked for "minimal reference" to be made in Sue Gray's partygate report to the events it is investigating.

The senior civil servant is investigating a series of events in Downing Street and across Whitehall which are alleged to have broken lockdown rules.

Her report, which is likely to have a significant impact on Boris Johnson's future as prime minister, has not yet been delivered to Number 10.

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'Are you delaying the Sue Gray report, PM?'

Separately, the Metropolitan Police is investigating partygate events to see if any laws were broken.

Police say they haven't asked for report to be delayed

In its latest statement released on Friday, the force said: "For the events the Met is investigating, we asked for minimal reference to be made in the Cabinet Office report.

"The Met did not ask for any limitations on other events in the report, or for the report to be delayed, but we have had ongoing contact with the Cabinet Office, including on the content of the report, to avoid any prejudice to our investigation."

More on Downing Street Parties

Westminster has been braced this week for the publication of the Gray report, but this latest police statement throws the timing of that into doubt.

The statement indicates there will either have to be significant changes made to the Cabinet Office report before it is published, or the release of it may have to be pushed back until the Met concludes its investigation.

Sources close to the inquiry have indicated in the past that Ms Gray was concerned about releasing a report that lacked some of its key findings.

Met's latest statement is significant - but whether it's good or bad news for the PM is unclear

Rob Powell Political reporter
Rob Powell

Political correspondent

@robpowellnews

This statement from the Met goes some way to explaining why the Gray report has been delayed.

But it also throws the publication of this crucial inquiry into doubt.

The fact officers have asked for "minimal reference" to be made to events they are investigating raises the potential that details about the most serious allegations could be scaled back, if the report is to published before the police inquiry concludes.

Labour has already warned of the potential for the Gray report to be watered down if details around certain events are removed.

Then there is the question about what Sue Gray does next.

Faced with accusations of releasing an incomplete report, the famously thorough civil servant may decide it is in fact better to hold off on publication until the Met has finished its inquiries.

That could mean weeks of waiting though.

This all, on a basic level, is good for Boris Johnson.

But it also scrambles the political calculations being made by those trying to remove him.

Do they now wait for the full Gray report to be released? At which point the political dynamic may have shifted, especially if the prime minister is exonerated by the Met. Or do they act now?

There are also legal questions over why exactly the Met believes the Cabinet Office report presents a risk of prejudice, given there is no apparent prospect of a jury trial resulting from the inquiry.

Today's intervention from the Met confirms what we all thought: that the decision to launch a criminal investigation threw a major spanner into the Cabinet Office inquiry.

But it also substantially changes the prime minister's political outlook.

Whether that's for good or for ill is still not clear.

There has been no confirmation of how many events officers are looking into, but reports have suggested it could be as many as eight.

Minister says 'I don't know a lot more than you do'

Asked on Sky News on Friday if Number 10 had received the document, technology minister Chris Philp said: "I spoke to someone in Downing Street about half an hour ago, and they certainly didn't indicate that it had been received.

"So, I don't know a lot more than you do but I've certainly got no information as of right now that it has been received."

Earlier this week, it was believed the delay was in part due to Ms Gray wanting to run the document past lawyers, HR and the Metropolitan Police to make sure the document can be published in full.

It was thought that on Wednesday a delicate checking process was being carried out to ensure a duty of care was being given to Downing Street staff who may be implicated in the report.

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Will PM weather the partygate storm?

But along with questions regarding the timing of the report's publication, there has also been speculation around just how much of Ms Gray's work will be made publicly available.

On Wednesday, Mr Johnson failed to explicitly commit to publishing the full report once the findings of inquiry are finally received by Downing Street.

Asked at PMQs by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer if he will release the entirety of Ms Gray's report, the PM replied: "We've got to leave the report to the independent investigator, as he knows, of course when I receive it, of course, I will do exactly what I said."

Sir Keir said anything other than the document being published "in full" would amount to a "cover up".

Sky News understands Ms Gray wants the report to be published in full and it will cover all the alleged events, not just those the police are not investigating.

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2022-01-28 08:09:35Z
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Kamis, 27 Januari 2022

Prince Andrew denies close friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell, in US court files - BBC News

Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001
Virginia Roberts

Prince Andrew has denied being a close friend of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, in a legal response to the woman who is suing him in the US for sexual assault.

Lawyers for the prince also say he wants to go before a jury to contest the claim brought by Virginia Giuffre.

The Duke of York has consistently denied all the allegations against him.

Ms Giuffre alleges he assaulted her when she was 17 at homes owned by Maxwell and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

But in the 11-page court document, filed on Wednesday, Prince Andrew's legal team list a number of reasons why they believe her civil lawsuit should be dismissed.

One factor they ask the court to consider is the issue of consent.

The document says: "Assuming, without admitting, that Giuffre has suffered any injury or damage alleged in the complaint, Giuffre's claims are barred by the doctrine of consent."

The document also states that Prince Andrew "admits that he met Epstein in or around 1999", but denies that he participated in any abuse with the late financier.

On the matter of a photograph of the prince with his arm around Ms Giuffre, with Maxwell in the background, his lawyers say they do not have enough information to admit or deny its existence.

Elsewhere, the document "denies" Ms Guiffre's claim that Prince Andrew was a close friend of Maxwell.

Writing to a US judge, his lawyers state: "Prince Andrew hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the complaint."

US lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents a number of Maxwell's and Epstein's accusers, called this demand a "PR move", saying Ms Giuffre had already asked for a jury trial.

She said Prince Andrew's request was "meaningless" as it was Ms Giuffre's constitutional right to have a jury trial if she asked for one.

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Analysis box by Sean Coughlan, royal correspondent

Prince Andrew has shown he's ready to fight this out in court, firmly rejecting all the claims against him.

Even that infamous photograph with Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell is pushed back as unproven.

"Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegation that there exists photographic evidence of his alleged meeting with Giuffre," says his legal response.

His legal team are not giving any ground, with a robust denial of any wrongdoing and attacking the validity of the claims against him.

Prince Andrew is now contesting this case as a private citizen and this latest move paves the way for a bombshell trial in the autumn.

But Buckingham Palace will not relish such thunder clouds hanging over the Platinum Jubilee year.

And even though both sides will be flexing their legal muscles and talking tough, it doesn't rule out negotiations for a settlement.

But if that doesn't happen, Prince Andrew has shown he's ready to put his case to a New York jury.

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In the papers, Prince Andrew's lawyers further argue that Ms Giuffre has no legal basis to bring the case since she is a permanent resident of Australia.

They also refer to a 2009 settlement agreement between Ms Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein, a longtime associate of Prince Andrew.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender, killed himself in prison in 2019 while awaiting a sex trafficking trial. British socialite Maxwell was found guilty last month of grooming underage girls to be abused by him.

Ms Giuffre is suing the Queen's son for allegedly sexually assaulting her in London, New York and the Virgin Islands when she was a teenager.

She is seeking unspecified damages, but there is speculation the sum could be in the millions of dollars.

Buckingham Palace later stripped Prince Andrew of his military titles and patronages, and said he would contest the case as a private individual.

The new court documents describe the Queen's second son as "Prince Andrew, Duke of York aka Andrew Albert Christian Edward, in his personal capacity".

In a statement, David Boies - who is representing Ms Giuffre - said his client and legal team "look forward to confronting Prince Andrew with his denials and attempts to blame Ms Giuffre for her own abuse at his deposition and at trial".

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2022-01-27 04:28:45Z
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Rabu, 26 Januari 2022

Prince Andrew asks for trial by jury as he denies all Virginia Giuffre sex assault claims - Sky News

Prince Andrew has asked for a trial by jury as he officially responded to Virginia Giuffre's sexual assault lawsuit.

Court documents filed in New York show he has denied all allegations against him and "hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the complaint".

Ms Giuffre accuses the Duke of York of forcing her to have sex more than two decades ago at a London home of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

Ghislaine Maxwell. Pic: US Department of Justice
Image: Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking but wants a retrial. Pic: US Department of Justice

Earlier this month, following a judge's decision to allow Ms Giuffre's lawsuit to proceed, Buckingham Palace announced Andrew would have his military titles and patronages removed and would fight the case as a private individual.

The duke, 61, is being sued by Ms Giuffre, 38, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, in a US civil case. He has always strongly denied all the allegations against him.

She alleges "sexual assault and battery" at the hands of the duke on three occasions and that she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier, to have sex with Andrew when she was 17.

In the 11-page document filed on Wednesday, lawyers for Andrew set out his response to Ms Giuffre's allegations.

More on Prince Andrew

It says he denies the allegation that he sexually abused her when she was under 18.

The document, submitted to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, also sets out a series of defences "without assuming the burden of proof, and expressly denying any and all wrongdoing".

It includes arguments that the claim should be dismissed because Ms Giuffre is a permanent resident of Australia and that by entering into the 2009 agreement with Jeffrey Epstein she "waived the claims now asserted in the complaint".

The document concludes: "Prince Andrew hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the Complaint."

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2022-01-26 19:41:15Z
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