Tag: uk news

  • Councils’ care spending spirals as other services and products minimize

    Children walking with parent Image copyright AFP/Getty Symbol caption Spending on children’s products and services is expanding at the same time as different areas are being cut back

    The plight of Northamptonshire County Council has highlighted the perilous financial state of local authorities.

    One of the important thing pressures they face is the fee of taking care of kids and inclined adults – which has been spiralling as services and products in other places are cut back.

    Ahead of latest legitimate figures that are anticipated to turn extra overspending, the BBC has been the way it is playing out at the floor.

    Money-problem council backs ‘radical’ cuts 2D council cuts products and services to ‘minimum’

    Suzannah Marland-Griffiths says it is excellent to “have a few days” to “take a while to grieve” when the child young children she fosters move on.

    However not too long ago each time a child has left, they’ve taken some other one in nearly instantly. “Over the ultimate couple of years it is pretty much been one in, one out,” she says.

    the price of taking care of those youngsters falls to native councils. And the rise fashionable is costing them dear. A BBC research of council spending displays that during 2016-17 they spent £640m greater than they would planned on handing over kid’s products and services.

    Five years ago, the overspend was less than £100m, and it’s higher once a year since.

    And that overspend has a real affect, both at the other services and products councils ship – and on their very viability.

    Councils are required, through law, to stability their budgets, that means they should not spend more money than they have got available in any given year.

    Northamptonshire County Council, which broke that regulation ultimate yr, spent £120m more than it had planned on kid’s services among 2013 and 2016.

    ‘Going bust’

    Earlier this month it announced plans to make “radical provider reductions” value as a lot as £70m by way of subsequent April as it attempts to circumvent some other breach of the regulation.

    And Jonathan Carr-West, leader govt of the non-partisan Local Govt Data Unit assume tank, warns that overspending on social services and products could push more government to the brink.

    “If we proceed to look the velocity of overspend we’re recently seeing in children’s products and services and adult social products and services we can see councils going bust,” he says.

    Symbol caption Deep cuts to budgets at Northamptonshire County Council have angered residents

    “Over the longer term, we can’t sustain that overspend. Councils will simply run out of money.”

    In March, the Nationwide Audit Place Of Job warned that greater than 15 local government would run out of reserves within three years if they drew them down at the similar charge as they did throughout 2016-17.

    And in Oldham, the council has – for the primary time – had to take vital sums of money out of its reserves in each and every of the earlier two years so as to steadiness its books.

    Last year it took £3.5m out of its savings account at the same time as the year before it withdrew £6.5m.

    ‘Deterioration’

    And the council’s Labour chief, Sean Fielding, says price range pressures mean it’s having to make cuts to products and services to boot and “folks will get started to look a deterioration in their services”.

    Cllr Fielding says that “for a protracted time” the council “just were given on with it as a long way as lets”.

    However in 2016 it lowered the frequency of bin collections from fortnightly to each 3 weeks and, as he places it, “everybody kicked off”.

    Other councils have also diminished their spending on different services and products. Throughout England, spending on highways and transport – including road repairs – fell from £4.8bn to £4bn among 2012-13 and 2016-17.

    Spending on libraries fell from £825m to £670m – a drop of 23% – over the same length. By comparison spending on social services for kids and adults grew from £21 billion to £23 billion – an increase of 11%.

    The Division for Education stated it had made £200bn available to councils up to 2020 for native services.

    “We additionally supply an additional £270m for councils to increase enhancements in their carrier and create innovative programmes to improve the lives of those susceptible children,” it added.

    Many council leaders glance with fear at what’s took place in Northamptonshire this yr.

    They will, in fact, all the time prioritise the kind of inclined youngsters taken care of by way of Suzannah and Paul.

    However, if nothing adjustments, some may just soon in finding themselves struggling to do anything.

  • Labour MP Chris Williamson’s ‘democracy roadshow’ criticised

    Chris Williamson

    An best friend of Jeremy Corbyn’s has rejected claims he is the use of a tour of Labour constituencies to push for the removal of critics of the party chief.

    Chris Williamson stated his “democracy roadshow” used to be an try to have interaction severely with activists, rather than oust MPs whose views he disagreed with.

    Veteran MP Barry Sheerman has accused his colleague of intentionally focused on the seats of “reasonable” MPs.

    He instructed Mr Corbyn to condemn what amounted to a “deselection roadshow”.

    Mr Williamson has referred to as for Labour MPs to face mandatory reselection ahead of the next general election as a part of a package of sweeping interior reforms designed to give activists higher energy over policy.

    Critics of the speculation – which would require sitting MPs to face a poll of individuals before being readopted – say it is a way of hunting down those on the right of the birthday celebration who disagree with the celebration’s route.

    Council tax hike MP denies being sacked Corbyn’s warning on Labour rule changes What Momentum ’s wins may imply for Labour

    Mr Williamson is traveling around the us of a with other outstanding supporters of Mr Corbyn, including Fire Brigades Union leader Matt Wrack and Aslef president Tosh McDonald, to make the case for greater democracy and duty throughout the birthday celebration.

    A video of Mr McDonald and Mr Williamson riding Harley-Davidsons, in which the MP describes individuals as Labour’s “biggest belongings”, is being used to advertise the excursion.

    Skip Twitter publish by means of @DerbyChrisW

    The #DemocracyRoadshow rolls into Warley within the West Midlands this evening.
    Meeting starts at 7 p.m. on the Windsor Theatre Bar, 377 Bearwood Rd, Smethwick.
    Remember Tony Benn said: “Democracy is probably the most progressive thing within the global.”#ChangeIsCominghttps://t.co/qWnViBjdBZ

    — Chris Williamson MP #JC9, yes NINE (@DerbyChrisW) August 21, 2018

    File

    Finish of Twitter submit via @DerbyChrisW

    They’re as a result of discuss at greater than 20 venues in England and Wales, having already held events in Durham, Redcar, Liverpool, Plymouth and Ilford among others.

    A site promoting the roadshow highlights meetings because of happen in Dudley North and Nottingham East, whose MPs Ian Austin and Chris Leslie are amongst Mr Corbyn’s most vehement critics.

    Mr Sheerman, whose Huddersfield constituency is because of be visited by Mr Williamson on Friday, mentioned there has been a focus on spaces, including in West Yorkshire, represented via MPs at the centre and centre proper of the celebration.

    ‘Deeply concerned’

    The former minister, who was first elected to Parliament in 1979, stated Mr Williamson believed the visits had been endorsed by way of the birthday party leadership and Mr Corbyn should distance himself from them.

    “i am deeply concerned that the long run of the celebration might be put in jeopardy if Chris Williamson’s actions aren’t right away condemned,” he stated in a letter to Mr Corbyn.

    “i’d no longer carry this topic except i used to be deeply involved that this task will seriously damage our celebration’s chances of winning the following general election.”

    Skip Twitter post via @BarrySheerman

    I wrote to the chief of our birthday party Jerrmy Corbyn as a result of I Feel this “Roadshow” seems to attack the very fraternity that our Birthday Party has at all times supported!

    — Barry Sheerman (@BarrySheerman) August 20, 2018

    Record

    Finish of Twitter post through @BarrySheerman

    Mr Williamson has defended the excursion as an opportunity to make the case for “commonsense socialism” in the Labour motion and to verify the “transformative” amendment promised through Mr Corbyn can be brought in govt.

    He informed the web site Labour Listing that he was once not focused on individual MPs and were invited to talk by way of party participants in the constituencies involved.

    “this is not some nice plan to oust centrist MPs from the birthday party,” he stated. “i’d have views at the politics of positive MPs but that isn’t the point. the point is simply to engage with and take heed to our individuals and to bolster democracy in our birthday celebration”.

    Labour is thinking about a series of changes to celebration democracy – including laws for future leadership elections – but the factor of obligatory reselection isn’t part of a overview as a result of file at next month’s conference.

    Mr Williamson give up front bench earlier this year, in a while after he known as for council tax on the most expensive houses to be doubled – a policy rejected through the celebration leadership.

    The outspoken MP has attracted controversy on the grounds that, protecting and subsequently sharing a platform with a Labour activist expelled from the birthday party for haranguing Jewish MP Ruth Smeeth on the release of the birthday celebration’s anti-Semitism evaluation in 2016.

    Over the weekend, he was once criticised for tweeting that it have been a “privilege” to have met blogger Vanessa Beeley, who has defended the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and previously defined murdered MP Jo Cox as a “warmongering Blairite”.

  • Jeremy Hunt: What are the demanding situations for brand new international secretary?

    Jeremy Hunt Symbol copyright Getty Images

    Such is the continuity of the British state that Boris Johnson had hardly left the International Administrative Center earlier than his successor, Jeremy Hunt, was being ushered in to meet senior officials and get his ft underneath the table.

    He was once even presented to Palmerston, the administrative center cat named after the previous top minister and statesman who built the grand Foreign Workplace buildings in King Charles Side Road that Mr Hunt will now occupy.

    In different countries, there are appointment techniques and parliamentary hearings. Right Here, the prime minister can play musical chairs with her ministers with the brutal stroke of pen and patronage.

    Thus is a political candidate with no known foreign policy revel in thrust into the good office of secretary of state for the Overseas and Commonwealth Place Of Job. The question now is what’s going to he do with it?

    Mr Hunt is by definition inexperienced, so there’ll be time spent getting as much as speed.

    Image copyright PA Image caption Mr Hunt has already met Palmerston, the International Office’s resident cat

    of course, he held the job for less than a couple of months but by no means has a brand new overseas secretary been so smartly briefed. it is a privilege that shall be denied Mr Hunt.

    On Tuesday, he’s attending the western Balkans summit in London where Britain is calling to bring steadiness to the area and show its continued dedication to Ecu security after Brexit – now not a very easy matter for one’s first day in the administrative center.

    On Wednesday, Mr Hunt is expected to head to Brussels for the Nato summit where Donald Trump will push for Britain and different European international locations to spend more on their defence.

    If the president threatens to reduce the us defence commitment in Europe or even refuse to enhance international locations no longer spending the Nato objective of 2% in their national output on defence, how may Mr Hunt suppose Britain will have to respond?

    Then, on Thursday, the foreign secretary might be part of the staff playing host to the united states president as he visits Britain. How does Mr Hunt assume Britain must respond to Mr Trump’s business price lists on EUROPEAN steel and punitive sanctions on British banks trading with Iran?

    Image copyright Getty Photographs Image caption Mr Hunt is predicted to wait the upcoming Nato summit

    and then, early subsequent week, Mr Trump will move directly to Helsinki to fulfill President Putin. If the u.s. makes concessions to Moscow, how must Mr Hunt reply so soon after the demise of a UNITED KINGDOM national on the palms of a suspected Russian nerve agent assault?

    All that in simply the new foreign secretary’s first week. Mr Hunt’s largest problem, regardless that, might be to boost his head above these day-to-day occasions and crises to appear to the horizon.

    he’ll must craft an extended term technique for Britain’s international policy. the government has an manner known as “global Britain”. But this has long been criticised as a slogan and not using a coverage.

    Jeremy Hunt replaces Boris Johnson as overseas secretary What did Boris Johnson succeed in as international secretary?

    Mr Hunt now has a possibility to think, to consult, to think about and start to caricature out a vision of what position Britain should play in the global in 5, 10 years’ time.

    what’s the UNITED KINGDOM’s method to an increasingly impartial-minded and not more transatlantic United States Of America, to a Europe beset with political instability, and to the emerging powers of China and India?

    Image copyright Getty Pictures

    What will have to Britain’s coverage be to Syria, Yemen, and North Korea? How will have to it respond to the rising problem of migration from sub-Saharan Africa in coming a long time?

    In his first phrases in submit, Mr Hunt stated the size of the task ahead of him, talking of the will to venture a strong, assured Britain at the global stage.

    “that is a time while the sector is looking at us as a rustic wondering what form of country we’re going to be in a post-Brexit global,” he mentioned.

    “And what i would like to mention to them is that Britain is going to be a dependable best friend, a country that stands up for the values that matter to the folks of this u . s . and will be a strong and confident voice in the global.”

    Observe that word “dependable ally”. A Few overseas politicians and diplomats struggled to believe Boris Johnson, occasionally unsure when he was once speaking for himself or his executive.

    the previous head of the Foreign Place Of Business, Lord Ricketts, stated: “Jeremy Hunt will have to make it his precedence to present Britain back a revered voice in the international and a power on at least some of the key issues.”

    Symbol copyright Getty Images Image caption Mr Hunt will face the problem of imposing the International Place Of Work’s vision of a “global Britain”

    In contemporary months, the Foreign Administrative Center has had some successes: persuading 28 nations to expel greater than A HUNDRED AND FIFTY Russian diplomats after the poisoning of Russian former undercover agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and convincing the world group to present guns inspectors greater powers to mention who was once liable for the use of chemical nerve dealers in Syria.

    Mr Hunt’s process now might be to give his diplomats new leadership, finding out the issues and regions where he thinks that he – and so they – could make a difference.

    which will require not just opting for priorities but in addition providing an overarching narrative of what the International Place Of Job – and Britain more in most cases – can and should do in the global.

    Not Like his predecessor, Mr Hunt comes to the task with little baggage. he’s seen by means of officials as a blank slate: bright, able and bold.

    One stated: “He might be a gaffe-loose zone.” he’s also a political survivor, one in every of most effective three individuals of David Cameron’s first cabinet which are nonetheless across the table.

    But in all probability his greatest benefit as foreign secretary is that he’s trusted through Prime Minister Theresa May and Number 10.

    When it involves getting the ear of foreign politicians and diplomats, that is a powerful thing to have.

  • Jeremy Corbyn starts tour of Scotland

    Jeremy Corbyn Symbol caption The Labour leader was once because of ship a speech at a bus producers in Falkirk.

    Jeremy Corbyn has begun a 4-day tour of Scotland, amid proceeding accusations of anti-Semitism.

    The Labour birthday party leader is because of deliver a speech outlining a new imaginative and prescient for the Scottish economic system.

    However he’s expected to stand more questions on anti-Semitism following the suspension of former MP Jim Sheridan from the birthday celebration.

    Mr Sheridan is alleged to be answerable for posts about the Jewish neighborhood made on social media.

    A publish on Facebook noted the Renfrewshire councillor’s lack of “admire and empathy” for the Jewish group amid the row approximately anti-Semitism.

    Symbol copyright Labour Birthday Celebration Image caption Former MP Jim Sheridan has been suspended from the Labour celebration

    The row centres on Labour’s new code of behavior on anti-Semitism, which its critics say is not as comprehensive as the World Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s guidelines.

    Scottish Labour chief Richard Leonard has mentioned he wants Labour to have a “powerful” code of habits that commands the toughen of the Jewish group.

    He is anticipated to share a platform with Mr Corbyn at the Alexander Dennis bus manufacturers in Falkirk later as a part of a campaign to advertise British industry.

    Ephraim Borowski, of the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, informed BBC Radio Scotland he had held optimistic discussions with Mr Leonard.

    Interviewed on Just Right Morning Scotland, he rubbished tips that the row was once a part of a plot to oust Mr Corbyn from the head of the Labour birthday celebration.

    “there’ll be all kinds of individuals who have all kinds of different reasons for the attitude that they take to Jeremy Corbyn, or for that topic Theresa Would Possibly or Boris Johnston, it does not cause them to plotters,” he said.

    “the truth that they have got one thing that they object to, the proven fact that they may even agree with other people about what it’s that they item to, does not make them part of any kind of conspiracy.”

    ‘Extremely serious’

    He introduced: “the idea that as a result of any individual is critical of Jeremy Corbyn, they should be within the pay of Mossad is frankly laughable.”

    In a press release from the Labour birthday party, it said it took all proceedings of anti-Semitism “extremely seriously” and was “dedicated to difficult and campaigning in opposition to it in all its forms”.

    “All complaints about anti-Semitism are totally investigated in line with our laws and methods and any appropriate disciplinary motion is taken,” it brought.

    It came as Scotland’s justice secretary Humza Yousaf revealed he had no longer yet been interviewed as part of a Labour investigation into Islamophobic remarks made against him.

    Dumfries and Galloway Labour councillor Jim Dempster was once suspended from the birthday celebration after he admitted the outburst, and apologised for it.

    In a chain of tweets, Mr Yousaf said he have been instructed the probe could finish in July however he had “heard not anything”.

    Skip Twitter submit via @HumzaYousaf

    Hi There @LabourRichard at Pakistan Welfare Agree With dinner this night you mentioned you could have a 0 tolerance method to Islamaphobia. It has been 5months due to the fact that a ScotLab Cllr admitted making Islamaphobic feedback against me. i used to be informed investigation will conclude in July. I’ve heard nothing.

    — Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) August 19, 2018

    File

    End of Twitter publish through @HumzaYousaf

    Skip Twitter submit 2 via @HumzaYousaf

    I’ve never been interviewed through ScottishLab HQ either have the opposite witnesses i’ve spoken to.

    Step up @LabourRichard and display me you are serious about tackling Islamaphobia by way of your deeds not empty, hole words.

    — Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) August 19, 2018

    File

    Finish of Twitter put up 2 through @HumzaYousaf

    Mr Corbyn is scheduled to spend the morning at bus producer Alexander Dennis in Falkirk as a part of the celebration’s “Build it in Britain” marketing campaign to advertise British industry.

    He launched that campaign at a speech in Birmingham remaining month, wherein he promised that Labour could use state help powers “to the entire” to make stronger Britain’s production sector following Brexit.

    The celebration believes that UNITED KINGDOM-based producers may benefit from its plans to use government spending to shop for British the place possible, with positive consequences for process introduction and tax revenues.

    Speaking ahead of the consult with, Mr Corbyn mentioned: “the following Labour govt will re-programme the economic system to deliver an industrial renaissance for Scotland.”

    He brought: “Labour will use the public sector’s enormous buying power to reinforce staff and industries through shopping for in Britain every time imaginable.

    “we will spice up Scottish production, so one can support jobs and living standards in the wider economic system, strengthen our capacity to export, and extend our tax base.

    “it’s time the Scottish folks had a central authority with the decision to create an economy that works for the various, no longer the few.”

  • Upward Push in kind 2 diabetes in children in England and Wales

    Group of young women Image copyright Getty Photographs

    The collection of children and youngsters being treated for kind 2 diabetes in England and Wales has long past up from 507 to 715 in four years, new figures show.

    More than three-quarters had been also obese, consistent with the NHS knowledge.

    Child well being experts said the upward push used to be “alarming” and the formative years weight problems epidemic used to be “beginning to bite”.

    Councils mentioned more had to be done to take on the obesity concern in kids, specifically among minority ethnic teams, who were such a lot affected.

    Kind 2 diabetes can result in a variety of illnesses similar to middle disease, strokes and kidney issues.

    The situation occurs while the frame cannot produce sufficient insulin to regulate blood sugar ranges. it might be associated with weight problems.

    The figures come from an audit published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Kid Well Being of kind 2 diabetes instances in professional paediatric units.

    They display an increase in youth receiving take care of the condition among 2013-14 and 2016-17, but they make up a tiny share of the full population of under-25s.

    Almost 1/2 the ones handled for sort 2 diabetes in 2016-17 have been black or Asian, the figures display. They were additionally more likely to be feminine and dwelling in a deprived area.

    ‘Extremely being worried’

    The Local Govt Association, which gets funding for public health from the federal government, says the actual number of youngsters affected could be higher.

    It mentioned it was “extremely being concerned” that extra youngsters are developing the condition.

    Official data presentations that one in 5 10 and ELEVEN-12 months-olds is overweight, and one in 10 4 and 5-year-olds is obese in England.

    Prof Russell Viner, president of the RCPCH, stated: “a rise in Sort 2 diabetes of this importance is alarming and displays that the youth obesity epidemic is starting to chew.”

    Kathryn Kirchner, clinical guide at Diabetes UNITED KINGDOM, stated considered one of essentially the most necessary possibility elements for kind 2 diabetes used to be being overweight or overweight, which is one thing that may also be prompted.

    “Those figures are a stark reminder that we have a collective responsibility to push for the actions defined in essentially the most up to date chapter of the formative years weight problems plan, together with clearer and more consistent food labelling.”

    A Division of Well Being and Social Care spokeswoman mentioned: “We’ve Got invested billions in public well being services and products and feature already removed the an identical of FORTY FIVE million kilograms of sugar from comfortable beverages yearly.

    “Our new childhood obesity plan will now get children exercise extra in schools, and reduce their exposure to sugary and fatty meals.”

  • Jokes concerning the EgyptAir hijacker divide social media

    hijacked aircraft Symbol copyright AP Image caption EgyptAir Flight MS181, sure for Cairo, used to be pressured to divert to Larnaca airport in Cyprus

    Whilst EgyptAir Flight MS181 with 63 passengers on board was hijacked by a suspected terrorist, considerations approximately airport safety had been raised again.

    But as details emerged in regards to the state of affairs, other folks started sharing jokes about the hijacker’s possible reasons.

    It gave the impression the person, who used to be pretending to be wearing a suicide belt, used to be much less thinking about terrorism and more taken with contacting his ex-wife, even supposing his actual reasons stay doubtful.

    As the ideas began to be shared, Twitter users took the chance to shaggy dog story about the incident but not everybody found the jokes amusing.

    One Twitter user @iamkoshiek commented: “There May Be not anything romantic about endangering the lives of 50+ people 30,000ft in the air.”

    Symbol copyright @ATSOULOUPAS Image caption one among the memes created because the hijack was going down

    despite the fact that main points emerging were doubtful, lots of the tweets mocked the hijacker’s apparently excessive the right way to get his ex-spouse’s attention.

    Image copyright @r_uhi Symbol caption certainly one of the thousands of shaggy dog story tweets posted following suggestions that the hijacker’s motives were not terror-similar, but personal Image copyright @Karen_Chan Symbol caption @Karen_Chan urged a distinct method of having the eye of a family member

    But many social media users had been outraged by the online humour.

    Symbol copyright @shellbaker Symbol copyright @mybravetweet Image caption @mybravetweet defined why he used to be no longer inspired with the jokes

    ‘There’s at all times a woman involved’

    As the situation opened up, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades spoke back to a reporter’s question approximately whether the hijacker used to be motivated via romance. His reaction, “there is at all times a girl concerned,” used to be briefly lambasted.

    Image copyright @MasalaBai Image caption Other Folks got dissatisfied over the Cypriot president’s feedback approximately ladies

    In any other response to president Anastasiades, @ellenmcoyne published: “That Is ladies, at all times inciting hostage situations.”

    Via the time the hijacker was once arrested, greater than six hours later, more than THREE HUNDRED,000 tweets were published the usage of the hashtag EgyptAir.

    Many tweets quoted the Egyptian overseas ministry, which stated: “he’s now not a terrorist he is an idiot. Terrorists are loopy however they are now not dull. This man is.”

    Symbol copyright @Ulteri0rM0tive Image copyright @Solarholic

    Compiled by Rozina Sini

  • Hijacker photo guy Ben Innes explains Egyptair aircraft snap

    Ben Innes

    A MAN who posed for a picture with an alleged hijacker dressed in a suspected suicide belt has stated he was once seeking to get a greater look at the device.

    the picture of Ben Innes, grinning next to his captor at the Egyptair flight, has long past viral on social media.

    Mr Innes, primarily based in Aberdeen, also told the Sun newspaper he desired to “stay joyful in the face of adversity”.

    The alleged hijacker was once arrested after a stand-off in Cyprus and the suicide belt used to be discovered to be fake.

    How the hijacking unfoldedHijacker jokes divide social media

    Oil employee Mr Innes, who’s at the beginning from Leeds, was a passenger on the Airbus A320 on Tuesday when a person, named via Cypriot officials as Seif Eldin Mustafa, was said to have threatened to blow up the airplane.

    the image used to be taken right through a 5-hour standoff after the aircraft was diverted to Larnaca airport.

    Media playback is unsupported in your software

    Media captionA man was once noticed fleeing from a cockpit window in a while sooner than the hijacker surrendered

    Mr Innes told the Sun: “I’m Not sure why I did it – I simply threw warning to the wind at the same time as seeking to keep joyful within the face of adversity.”

    He said the photograph, which was taken by means of a member of the cabin team, was once the “absolute best selfie ever”.

    The plane was sporting at least FIFTY FIVE passengers, including 26 foreigners, on an EgyptAir domestic flight from Alexandria to Cairo.

    Most of those on board were freed shortly after the airplane landed at Larnaca but the hijacker held seven people hostage ahead of the incident came to a relaxed conclusion.

    Mr Innes mentioned a part of his motivation was once to seek out out extra concerning the suspected explosive belt and whether or not it was once equipped with a “dead man’s trigger” that will detonate the software if the hijacker was incapacitated.

    The alleged hijacker’s reasons had been doubtful but the Cypriot president said the incident was not terrorism-related.

    ‘Offering fortify’

    Mr Innes used to be at the plane with TWMA colleague Brian Scott.

    A TWMA spokesperson said: “Ben Innes used to be working from our Alexandria place of work and was vacationing house whilst the hijacking happened.

    “we’ve got been in conversation with each Ben and his family, to beef up each right through Tuesday’s events. we’re very happy that each one passengers and group left the plane accurately.

    “Our center of attention at the moment is on getting Ben again to the united kingdom and providing any make stronger he wishes. Till he returns to the office and discussions have taken place, we will be able to be unable to comment any longer at this degree.”

    (more…)

  • Westminster automobile crash: Guy charged with attempted homicide

    Houses of Parliament Symbol copyright PA Symbol caption Salih Khater is charged with two counts of attempted murder

    a man has been charged with attempted homicide after a automotive crashed outdoor the houses of Parliament.

    Salih Khater, 29, from Birmingham, is claimed to have swerved his automobile into cyclists and pedestrians shortly after 07:30 BST on 14 August.

    The case is being treated as terrorism, a spokesperson for the Met Police added.

    He will seem in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday 20 August.

    Three folks were injured in the incident that’s being treated via prosecutors as terrorism due to the site, methodology and alleged targeting of civilians and cops.

    Khater, a UNITED KINGDOM nationwide in the beginning from Sudan, is charged with one depend of trying to homicide individuals out of doors Parliament and a 2nd rely of trying to homicide cops.

  • Brexit vote marketing campaign will get £1m from Superdry co-founder

    Julian Dunkerton Image copyright Getty Photographs Symbol caption Julian Dunkerton says Brexit would have prevented Superdry from changing into a success

    certainly one of the co-founders of the trend label Superdry has donated £1m to the marketing campaign for one more EUROPEAN referendum.

    Multi-millionaire Julian Dunkerton mentioned he was backing the People’s Vote marketing campaign as a result of “now we have a real probability to turn this around”.

    The People’s Vote, a cross-birthday celebration crew including a few Labour and Lib Dem MPs, want a vote at the final Brexit deal.

    The government has dominated out another referendum after Britain voted to go away the european in June 2016.

    The Uk is heading in the right direction to go away the ecu on 29 March subsequent 12 months.

    Brexit: All you wish to have to grasp Have voters changed their minds approximately Brexit? Gary Lineker backs Brexit vote marketing campaign

    Mr Dunkerton stated he believes his brand, which he left earlier this year, “could by no means became the worldwide luck that it did” if Brexit had took place twenty years in advance.

    His donation, the largest received via the People’s Vote, will cross towards funding opinion polls.

    He added: “i can be paying for one of the most distinct polling workout routines ever undertaken through a marketing campaign in order that extra and more other folks have the arrogance to demand the democratic right for their voice to be heard.”

    The People’s Vote marketing campaign is hoping to get enough MPs, including the Labour leadership, to back a referendum at the deal High Minister Theresa Might strikes with Brussels, that’s because of be positioned to a vote in Parliament in October.

    They have organised a number of events over the summer season to step up pressure on MPs.

    Hundreds of individuals attended a rally in Edinburgh’s Competition Square on Saturday in toughen of the campaign.

  • Cornwall squirrel ‘pack’ assaults boy, three

    Finlay's hand Symbol caption A squirrel from the group charged out of a hedge and sank its tooth into Finlay’s hand five times

    a 3-year-antique boy used to be left pouring with blood while he was attacked by means of a “pack” of squirrels as he fed them.

    The animals pounced and bit Finlay Renouf 5 occasions at a country park in Cornwall, his mother Sophie, stated.

    “All of a surprising six of them got here at him. I Have never heard this sort of center-rending scream. there has been blood dripping far and wide,” she stated.

    Cornwall Council mentioned it is going to put up indicators approximately feeding animals “if this turns into a standard problem”.

    More on the squirrels attack, plus more Devon and Cornwall news

    Image caption Sophie Renouf and Finlay regularly feed the squirrels

    Keep assistant Ms Renouf, 22, from Pool, said she have been to Tehidy U . S . A . Park several occasions earlier than and fed the squirrels with Finlay.

    “He was feeding them as normal with nuts. i would not permit him feed them if i believed there has been any danger,” she mentioned.

    “One squirrel got here up after which all of a unexpected six of them came out of the hedge.

    “one in every of them bit him on the hand 5 instances.

    “there has been blood pouring out of his hand and down his legs, it was all over the place him.”

    RSPCA squirrel recommendation

    “many of us enjoy seeing grey squirrels whilst out within the nation-state they usually may also be correctly noticed from an affordable distance. Squirrel feeders can be found to shop for or make for individuals who want to feed squirrels of their garden.

    “we’d by no means recommend any adult or kid hand feed any wild animal as they may be able to be unpredictable.

    “This will need to have been very provoking, however fortunately those incidents are extraordinarily uncommon.”

    As she went to help Finlay, one squirrel tried to climb up her, she stated.

    She rushed Finlay to local Barncoose Health Center minor injuries unit however he used to be transferred to Cornwall’s primary hospital, Treliske, close to Truro.

    He is now recuperating with bandages on his fingers.

    “Nothing like this has happened to us there ahead of,” Ms Renouf said.

    Image copyright Jill Y Nightingale Symbol caption Cornwall Council mentioned it doesn’t inspire or recommend folks to feed squirrels at Tehidy

    “It’s A caution to others.”

    Cornwall Council mentioned it was “sorry to listen to in regards to the incident”.

    A spokesman said: “many of us talk over with Tehidy U . S . A . Park to peer the squirrels so they are fairly used to folks being round and unafraid to approach if they assume food could be available.”

    “However, they’re wild animals which can be naturally in a position to discovering their own meals and we don’t encourage or suggest people to feed them or any of the wild birds at Tehidy.”

    according to several entries on Shuttle Consultant, Tehidy is an excellent position to feed squirrels.

    One customer wrote: “this is a gorgeous tranquil place that is large and nice for exploring with or with out the youngsters. It additionally has very friendly gray squirrels, huge swans and wonderful flora and fauna.”