UK

February 2021

Surge testing in Ealing after South African variant detected

Additional testing is to be rolled out across part of west London after a “small number” of new cases of the South Africa coronavirus variant were found.

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Lockdown ‘fatigue’ blamed for steep rise in Covid breach fines

A police chief has blamed lockdown “fatigue” for a rise in Covid-19 rulebreakers as new figures show almost 40% of all fines issued for breaches of coronavirus regulations came in just four weeks.

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New committee will be ‘step up’ from Union unit, minister says

The cabinet’s new union strategy committee will be a “step up” from the government unit it replaces, a minister has said.

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Farmers warn of shortage of British leeks ahead of St David’s Day

Farmers have warned of a potential shortage of British leeks, partly due to coronavirus, as people in Wales get ready to mark St David’s Day.

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Six more Myanmar military figures handed UK sanctions for role in coup

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced further sanctions against members of the Myanmar military for their part in the coup that has deposed the democratic leadership.

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Williamson insists exam results will be fair amid grade inflation concerns

The Education Secretary has insisted A-level and GCSE grades decided by teachers will be fair amid concerns that the plan will result in grade inflation.

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What has the rest of the world learned from Australia’s tussle with tech giants?

Facebook, Google and Australia have been under the spotlight over the past two weeks in a row about how much tech giants pay towards news content shared on their platforms.

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Plan to scrap weekend rail closures if leisure travel soars when lockdown ends

Weekend rail closures could be scrapped if demand for leisure travel surges when lockdown restrictions ease.

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Six people charged after rooftop protest at Israeli-owned drone parts factory

Six people have been charged with criminal damage after a rooftop protest at a factory which pro-Palestinian activists have claimed supplies engines for Israeli military drones.

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Rees-Mogg condemns ‘unethical’ academics for sending MPs spoof emails

Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg has condemned “unethical” academics for sending out spoof emails to MPs to gauge response times.

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WWE star Mick Foley 'sorry' after accidentally tagging MSP Annabelle Ewing in wrestling tweet

A former WWE star has apologised to a member of the Scottish Parliament after he accidentally tagged her as a professional wrestling company on Twitter.

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Lone HS2 protester underground after Swampy leaves tunnels network

One person remains underground after veteran environmental activist Swampy left a network of tunnels in central London where they had been protesting against the HS2 railway line.

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Aston Martin’s losses widen but DBX sales boost growth hopes

Aston Martin Lagonda’s attempted turnaround went into reverse as the pandemic took its toll, the company has revealed.

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Polish and Romanians top nationalities applying for EU settlement scheme

People from Poland and Romania have made more applications to the EU settlement scheme than any other nationality, figures show.

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Case of man accused of abusing MPs sent to crown court

A man accused of sending abusive emails to a number of current and former MPs has had his case sent to the crown court.

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Alex Salmond to face Holyrood inquiry on Friday

Alex Salmond has agreed to appear before the Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Government’s unlawful investigation of sexual harassment claims made against him.

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Three planes land at airport after stepladder dropped on runway

Three airliners landed at Birmingham Airport while a stepladder was on the runway following a mishap by maintenance workers, an investigation has found.

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Trees to be planted around the world in Captain Tom’s honour

Trees will be planted around the world in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore through the Trees for Tom campaign.

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NI school reopening plan risks making children second class citizens – minister

Northern Ireland risks treating its children as second class citizens if it does not accelerate the pace of school reopening, the Education Minister has warned.

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Almost 70,000 fines handed out for Covid breaches

Almost 70,000 fines have been handed out by police for breaches of Covid-19 laws since they came into force, with more than 6,000 issued in a single week, new figures show.

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January lockdown saw 700,000 more workers furloughed

The number of people on furlough ballooned by around 700,000 in January as harsher lockdown restrictions were imposed at the beginning of the month.

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Face coverings in English secondary schools will not be compulsory, says Nick Gibb

Face coverings and asymptomatic Covid-19 tests in secondary schools will not be compulsory when pupils in England return to class next month, the schools minister has confirmed.

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Experimental arthritis drug may help prevent severe Covid-19 in high-risk group

An experimental arthritis drug could help prevent severe Covid-19 in those at highest risk from the disease, research suggests.

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British Gas engineers to launch new strikes

British Gas engineers will launch a fresh wave of strikes on Friday in a deadlocked dispute over pay and conditions.

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Brexit disruption at UK border will ease and exports will increase, vows Graham Stuart

An international trade minister has acknowledged there will be “ongoing frictions” for UK exporters post-Brexit, but claimed things are improving every day.

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Applications to EU settlement scheme just under five million by end of 2020

Just under five million applications were made to the EU settlement scheme by the end of last year, figures show.

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Lisa Dorrian’s family appeal to ‘small group’ to finally say where she is buried

The family of missing Co Down woman Lisa Dorrian have appealed to the small group of people they believe know where she is hidden to finally reveal it to allow them to lay her to rest beside her mother.

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Number of black homicide victims at highest in nearly two decades

The number of black victims of homicide in England and Wales has climbed to its highest level in nearly two decades, figures show.

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David Walliams and Martin Clunes among stars to settle phone hacking claims

David Walliams and Martin Clunes are among a number of high profile celebrities to have formally settled damages claims over phone hacking against a newspaper publisher at the High Court.

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Drax abandons plans to build new gas plant

Power giant Drax has abandoned plans to build Europe’s biggest gas power plant following strong opposition from environmental campaigners.