News

No.10 Refuses To Rule Out Post-Brexit Changes To 48-Hour Work Week

No 10 has refused to rule out changes to the 48-hour working week amid reports that it could be scrapped.

Covid vaccine misinformation targeting South Asian communities debunked

It's time to recognise the benefits of female Black leaders beyond race

Kamala Harris' history-making appointment marks a turning point in how we value Black women

Ruling coalition ‘quits’ in Netherlands over welfare payments scandal

Mark Rutte’s government will remain in a caretaker capacity until a new coalition is formed after a March election.

'Don't take travel advice from me', says Shapps after holiday debacle

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says he is the last person people should take travel advice from after he imposed quarantine restrictions on Spain within an hour of arriving on holiday there.

Casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson buried in Jerusalem

He was a supporter of outgoing US president Donald Trump and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.

Lawyers demand courts shutdown after 600 coronavirus cases in seven weeks

Nearly 600 court staff, judges, lawyers and jurors tested positive for Covid-19 in the last seven weeks, new figures have revealed as lawyers demand a temporary shutdown of the criminal justice system. The Law Society is calling for a two-week pause on jury trials and magistrates hearings which cannot be conducted virtually, while safety fears in the courts are investigated. New figures from the Ministry of Justice show 434 staff members tested...

Devastating video shows all the times that Trump has associated with white supremacists

As Donald Trump’s presidency winds to a close, few things will be as prominent to his legacy as his association with white supremacy. From the inclusion of Steve Bannon in his earliest team of advisers to refusing to denounce white supremacy for over a minute in an actual Presidential debate, Trump’s first and only term has been full of scary moments. So much so, that the Daily Show with Trevor Noah has put together a reel of some of the most...

Barcelona club postpones presidential election over COVID-19 fears

Barcelona club postpones presidential election over COVID-19 fears

UFC ditch marijuana ban but fighters warned to ‘temper enthusiasm’ after Usada rule change

UFC fighters are free to use marijuana without the risk of being hit with a ban after the United States Anti-Doping Agency changed their rules. Fighters must still avoid the drug on the day of the fight and are not permitted to use the drug for performance-enhancing reasons. Both Nick and Nate Diaz have shared content on social media smoking the drug in recent years, while many others have fallen foul of the previous rules to incur a ban. Niko...

Choosing Merkel's successor: Vote to determine who takes over after 16 years in power

Germany's conservative CDU party will pick a new leader on Saturday from three candidates: moderate Armin Laschet, arch-conservative Friedrich Merz and outsider Norbert Roettgen. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Armen Georgian tells us more.

Shetland pony spotted pulling passengers in bin enjoying life in new home

The small piebald pony was seen by police pulling two men in a makeshift trap in Middlewich, Cheshire.

Dr. Fauci on getting 'back to normal', Tunisia 10 years post-Arab Spring and Chanel's legacy

Amid increasing concerns over police brutality, France's police watchdog has been targeted for a controversial reform. This week, we also took a look at the human cost of Armenia's defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh, Denmark's giant wind-powered vertical farm and, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues, a French soap opera that has found a high-tech way to deal with the absence of an isolating cast member. Plus, FRANCE 24 explores Coco Chanel's legacy, 50...

'I cry a lot on the train home': London medics fight to save Covid patients

Dr Ben Lovell: a consultant in UCLH’s acute medical unit “In 16 years as a doctor I’ve never seen things as intense as they are now. It’s just the sheer volume of patients coming in. We’re admitting three or four times as many patients a day as we’re used to doing but we’ve not been able to increase staffing because there are no spare staff. Every day we think we can’t have more patients coming in than we did today and then the next day it’s...

Operation Aderlass doctor Mark Schmidt jailed for almost five years

Sentencing follows two-year punishment for ex-pro Stefan Denifl

Latest weekly Covid-19 rates for local authority areas in England

Barking and Dagenham in London continues to have the highest rate in England.

Parts of black box recorder recovered near site of Indonesia plane crash

Divers are still looking for the memory unit.

Childcare subsidy scandal forces Dutch government to resign

The government of Holland’s Prime Minister Mark Rutte collectively resigned today over a recent report which blamed Rutte’s cabinet for The post Childcare subsidy scandal forces Dutch government to resign appeared first on CityAM.

If ‘London is open’, why does Sadiq Khan want to charge an entry tax?

Here are two things that happened last week. On Sunday, Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, said council tax should be frozen. On Friday, Sadiq Khan, Labour's main representative in office, decided to increase his part of the council tax by almost 10 per cent. Confused? You shouldn't be, according to Sadiq. His £31 rise is simply further proof that bad things in London are always someone else's fault, usually the government's, and...

Virologist says Brazilian COVID variant detected in UK is not the one 'of concern'

Ban on travellers entering UK from across South America, Central American state of Panama and Portugal came into force at 4am today.

Boris Johnson To Hold Downing Street Coronavirus Press Conference

Boris Johnson will host a Downing Street press conference on Friday afternoon, No.10 has announced. The prime minister has repeatedly warned England’s national lockdown rules could be tightened if they are not “properly observed”. Priti Patel, the home secretary, said on Thursday tougher rules would not be introduced “today or tomorrow”. But she did not rule out new measures being announced next week. Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has said...

Fur-wearing ‘QAnon Shaman’ appeals to Trump personally for pardon over Capitol riots

A pro-Trump rioter and prominent QAnon believer charged for his role in last week's US Capitol violence that left five people dead is asking the president to pardon him. Jacob Anthony Chansley, who calls himself the "QAnon Shaman", says Mr Trump invited him to storm Congress as lawmakers certified Joe Biden's election victory. Mr Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, handed himself in to authorities on Saturday and was subsequently charged with...

France introduces tougher Covid-19 restrictions for non-EU travellers

People traveling from non-EU countries to France will no longer be allowed enter by presenting a negative result from a quick COVID-19 test, but cross-Channel truck drivers will be exempt, the French government said on Friday. The new rules, which come into force from Monday, Jan. 18, and are set out in a French government document, say people will no longer be able to use antigen, or lateral flow, tests that can deliver results within minutes....

EasyJet to refund holidays booked until last week of March

Customers with a booking up to and including March 24 can change their booking or opt for a full refund, the firm has said.

Russia QUITS Open Skies treaty allowing mutual reconnaissance flights

Moscow's decision to pull out of the 1992 agreement, observed by 34 states, comes two months after Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the treaty.

Coronavirus news - R rate ‘drops to 0.6’ in parts of England and travel ban takes hold to halt Brazil variant

France is banning the use of rapid Covid-19 tests for non-EU travellers, prompting fears there will be a return to the chaos seen at the borders before Christmas. Travellers will require a negative PCR test less than 72 hours old to enter France, the same system the UK is introducing from Monday. Transport secretary Grant Shapps said he believed there would be an exemption for lorry drivers to continue receiving the 30-minute tests - which are...

Hundreds of students breach lockdown rules during giant snowball fight in Leeds

Hundreds of students in Leeds broke lockdown rules to take part in a giant snowball fight. It came as heavy snow caused “severe” problems for ambulance services in parts of northern England as they struggle to keep up with high demand. The Met Office had put in place various yellow warnings across most of the UK for snow and ice which will last throughout Friday and until 9pm on Saturday. Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust said the...

Solicitors’ leaders warn two-week ‘pause’ of court work needed to stem infection

The Law Society of England and Wales said protecting court workers and users from the virus is of the ‘utmost importance’.

Germany is going through 'the hardest phases of the pandemic'

Germany Health Minister Jens Spanh said in Parliament the country was living through one of the hardest phases of the coronavirus pandemic, as their number of infections and deaths are still too high. More than 750,000 people have been vaccinated.

France tightens coronavirus border controls, imposes earlier curfew

France will strengthen border controls and bring forward its night curfew by two hours to 6 p.m. for at least a fortnight as it tries to slow the spread of coronavirus infections, the government said on Thursday.

Argentine major winner Cabrera arrested in Rio

Argentine major winner Cabrera arrested in Rio

Best of CES 2021: Top TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic

Best of CES 2021: Top TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic

Jayne Torvill says Dancing On Ice's Yebin's injury was one of the worst she's ever seen

Dancing On Ice judge Jayne Torvill said Yebin Mok's leg injury was "a real shocker" that left the tendons visible, and she may not be able to return for the series

Boris Johnson to hold Downing Street press conference at 5pm today

He will be joined by the Chief Scientific Advisor and Chief Medical Officer

Hong Kong civil servants given four weeks to pledge loyalty to the government

Hong Kong civil servants given four weeks to pledge loyalty to the government

Katie Price reveals she’s putting son Harvey into full-time care

Katie Price has said that she is putting her son, Harvey, 18, into full-time care. Harvey, who was born on 27 May 2002, has partial blindness, autism and Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic condition that can cause physical issues and behavioural difficulties. Now, speaking to The Sun, Price has explained that she believes giving him full-time care will be the best thing for him. “It's so upsetting to think I won't see him every day but this...

Covid crisis prompts financial fears for those organising funerals

A third of people organising a funeral in the UK because of Covid-19 found meeting the costs caused them financial worries, according to the insurer SunLife. The pandemic also contributed to a fivefold surge in no-frills direct cremations, where there is no funeral service and no family or friends present, the annual report on the cost of dying found. This type of simple, low-cost funeral is typically cheaper than ever, the report says, costing...

Brexit news - live: Government rejects claim worker protections to be scrapped as Rudd attacks ‘boy’s club’ PM

The government has insisted ministers are not planning to "lower" workers' rights amid reports they are preparing to tear up key protections enshrined in EU law. The Financial Times said the 48-hour working week could be scrapped under government plans for a post-Brexit overhaul of employment laws. Labour described the reported plan as a "disgrace" and warned it would fight any such moves "tooth and nail". Meanwhile, Amber Rudd has criticised...

Sentence increased for dissident republican convicted of police murder bid

Belfast woman Christine Connor lost an appeal against convictions over pipe bomb attacks in May 2013.

This New Robo-Trash Hunter Could Clear Up The World's Waterways

A newly launched robot is designed to autonomously collect garbage from waterways. Clearbot uses ‘AI-Vision’ to detect & collect trash. The robots are solar-powered & work as a team to remove rubbish. Any floating waste is collected through a front entry point. When full of garbage, or if battery is low, Clearbot docks to prepare for its next outing. Hong Kong-based developers Open Ocean Engineering LTD say: “we're able to plough through some of the muddiest, trashiest water imaginable, without breaking a sweat!”

Why Joe Biden's presidential tenure matters for the UK

Although the White House seems like a faraway land, its new occupants are front of mind at Downing Street

Large parts of England and Scotland placed under new weather warnings amid heavy snow

Two yellow weather warning has been issued for large swathes of England and Scotland with heavy snow forecast this weekend. Up to 20cm is predicted to settle in northern higher regions but even London could be hit by 5cm, the Met Office warned. Travel delays and power cuts were a possibility, it added as part of the twin alerts on Friday morning. In the first one - which will come into effect at midnight - forecasters warned of snow and ice...

North Korea shows off new ballistic missiles in spectacular military parade as Kim Jong-un warns against US ‘hostility’

North Korea has shown off new submarine-launched ballistic missiles under development and other military hardware in a parade that underlined leader Kim Jong-un's defiant calls to expand the country's nuclear weapons programme. State media said Mr Kim took centre stage in Thursday night's parade celebrating a major ruling party meeting in which he vowed maximum efforts to bolster the nuclear and missile programme that threatens Asian rivals and...

Amazon.com and 'Big Five' publishers accused of ebook price-fixing

Amazon.com and the “Big Five” publishers – Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster – have been accused of colluding to fix ebook prices, in a class action filed by the law firm that successfully sued Apple and the Big Five on the same charge 10 years ago. The lawsuit, filed in district court in New York on Thursday by Seattle firm Hagens Berman, on behalf of consumers in several US states, names the retail...

EMA ‘hopeful’ Oxford/AstraZeneca jab will be given EU green light this month

EMA head also said that she hopes Johnson & Johnson will seek EU approval for its Covid-19 jab next month.

Trump ‘not expected’ at Scottish golf course after leaving White House

Donald Trump is not expected to visit Scotland ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony next Wednesday. There had been speculation that the outgoing US president would travel to his Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire after leaving the White House to avoid witnessing his rival take office. Prestwick Airport was told to prepare for the arrival of a US military Boeing 757 aircraft previously used by Mr Trump on 19 January, according to...

Friday afternoon forecast - 15/01/21

15th Jan - National forecast presented by Aidan McGivern

Trump impeachment news - live: Capitol rioters ‘sought to capture and assassinate’ elected officials

Rioters whipped up by Donald Trump’s rhetoric over a period of months sought to “capture or assassinate elected officials in the United States government” in their attack on the US Capitol, prosecutors believe. In a memo asking a judge to detain Jacob Chansley, the QAnon-conspiracy theorist who wore a Viking hat to the riot, federal prosecutors reference a note he left for Mike Pence, which read: "It's only a matter of time, justice is coming."...

UK coronavirus LIVE: 30% of Londoners ‘have already had Covid’ as capital ‘passes peak’

London has passed the peak of the second coronavirus wave, new figures suggest, but the capital is far from being out of the woods. Covid-19 cases dropped in 22 boroughs, according to the latest weekly figures, while researchers at Cambridge University estimate that up to 36 per cent of Londoners may already have had the virus. However, the city’s public health chief Professor Kevin Fenton warned that case rates “remain extremely high” and “we...

We’re Risking More Lives By Taking Children To Nursery

As I type these words, my 18-month-old daughter is intent on destroying the house. In just five minutes, she has banged the floor lamp against the window, climbed on the dining table, bitten the cat’s tail and started wailing after the cat scratched her in retaliation. She hasn’t been to nursery in a month and we’re starting to lose our minds. Homeworking with a toddler is impossible, but, as the pandemic rages on, is taking her back to nursery...