The social media giants are becoming digital graveyards January 6, 2020 In the final weeks of 2019, Twitter announced an imminent cull of inactive accounts. Desultory users risked losing their Twitter handles and having to start building their social media presence all over again. But there was another implication: inactivity might also mean that the person behind the profile is no longer alive. Bereaved people reacted [...]
The week ahead in Westminster: MPs get ready to return January 5, 2020 Parliament is set to resume tomorrow as MPs prepare to scrutinise the government’s withdrawal agreement bill over a three-day period. MPs already voted to approve the bill, by 358 to 234, on its second reading last month and agreed to the three-day timetable set by the government. Read more: Brexit bill: MPs approve EU withdrawal [...]
Sadiq Khan says voters ‘got it right’ by rejecting Labour January 5, 2020 Sadiq Khan has said voters “got it right” by consigning Labour to its worst electoral defeat since 1931 and that the party did not deserve to win. The mayor of London criticised the Labour leadership for the party’s landslide defeat last month, citing concerns about antisemitism, Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and the overall policy direction as [...]
Labour leadership contenders make early pitches January 5, 2020 Four Labour leadership contenders have distanced themselves from the party’s election manifesto as they began their respective campaigns. Labour’s 2019 election manifesto was considered to be one of the most left-wing offerings in party history, with mass nationalisation and spending plans at its core. Speaking to the BBC this morning, Sir Keir Starmer said the [...]
Qasem Soleimani: Dominic Raab urges ‘nefarious’ Iran to calm tensions January 5, 2020 Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has called for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East, while also chastising Iran’s “nefarious activities” in the region. Raab said today that America “had a right to exercise self-defence” when they killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on Friday. Read more: ‘US will pay for Soleimani assassination for years t [...]
World leaders call for restraint as Iran promises revenge for killing January 3, 2020 World leaders have urged calm amid simmering tensions after the US confirmed it was responsible for an air strike which killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei, said that harsh revenge awaited the “criminals” who killed Soleimani. Read more: European stocks falter after US kills top Iranian general [...]
US says threat of ‘imminent attack’ triggered air strikes against Iran January 3, 2020 US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has claimed that the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was carried out to prevent an “imminent attack” that would have endangered US citizens in the region. Speaking to CNN and Fox News, Pompeo said that the attack was based on an “intelligence based assessment”, but refused to say [...]
European stocks falter after US kills top Iranian general in Baghdad January 3, 2020 European markets faltered this morning amid rising tensions after the US confirmed that it had killed one of Iran’s top military officials in an air strike. In the UK, the FTSE 100 opened 0.5 per cent down, with the biggest fallers being the travel groups and airliners EasyJet, IAG and TUI Group. Read more: Donald [...]
Sadiq Khan promises free travel for disabled people’s carers January 2, 2020 London’s public transport system will be free for anyone accompanying a disabled passenger if Sadiq Khan is re-elected. The Labour mayor of London has pledged to create a “companion pass” if he wins the May election, which would provide free travel on all Transport for London (TfL) services for carers of disabled people. Read more: [...]
National living wage set to rise over six per cent in 2020 December 31, 2019 Almost three million workers are set to receive a 6.2 per cent pay rise from April, after the government announced plans to raise the national living wage. The raise, which the government says will be “the biggest cash increase ever”, comes as prime minister Boris Johnson seeks yo shore up support from the working class [...]