Culture in the age of Trump: His legacy in theatre, art and film January 19, 2021 Tomorrow marks the inauspicious end to one of the most divisive and controversial Presidencies in American history. Trump’s four-year legacy includes a partially-built wall, the dismantling of decades worth of environmental legislation, and a record-setting second impeachment. But he also had a huge influence over the world of art and culture, with creators across the [...]
Kwarteng confirms UK post-Brexit review of EU workers’ rights regulations January 19, 2021 Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has confirmed his department launched a review into EU workers’ protections post-Brexit, but insisted there will not be a “bonfire of rights”. Responding to reports that the government was preparing to rip up regulations that prevent Britons working more than 48 hours a week, Kwarteng told Westminster’s business select committee today [...]
Scotland extends lockdown until at least mid-February January 19, 2021 Scotland has extended its nationwide lockdown until at least the middle of February, first minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced. The Scottish premier told MSPs that transmission of the virus appeared to be on the decline, but was still too high to lift restrictions. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Sturgeon said: “The Cabinet decided this morning [...]
Alexei Navalny calls for UK sanctions against Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich January 19, 2021 Detained Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has called for the UK to sanction Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and former Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov if he is not released from prison. Navalny’s close associate Vladimir Ashurkov said today that Navalny had written up a list of eight Russian oligarchs that “he felt should be sanctioned if [...]
Tonnes of meat from UK thrown out at EU borders due to post-Brexit changes January 19, 2021 UK meat exporters have warned the government that post-Brexit changes at the border have caused disruption to meat shipments crossing the channel. Tonnes of produce worth hundreds of thousands of pounds coming from the UK has been confiscated at EU ports over the past two weeks due to companies not filling out the right paperwork. [...]
Health secretary Matt Hancock self-isolating after NHS app alert January 19, 2021 Matt Hancock is self-isolating after receiving an alert from the NHS coronavirus contact tracing app. The health secretary today said he had been “pinged” by the app and would not be leaving his house until Sunday. “This self-isolating is perhaps the most important part of all the social distancing,” he said in a video posted [...]
‘Haves’ and ‘have nots’ disparity risks geopolitical instability, warns WEF January 19, 2021 The economic and digital disparities of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ risks widening social cohesion, and could lead to geopolitical instability, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has warned. The Covid-19 pandemic has widened long-standing health, economic and digital disparities between individuals, according to the latest WEF global risk report, which could hinder global cooperation [...]
Exclusive: City of London Corporation chief says ‘not our place’ to criticise China human rights abuses January 19, 2021 The City of London Corporation’s policy chief has said it is not the powerful local authority’s role to hold China to account for human rights abuses. Catherine McGuinness told City A.M. that she was “really not clear it’s our place” to publicly criticise the Chinese government for human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims and that [...]
Rishi Sunak mulls over a UK corporation tax hike in March Budget January 18, 2021 Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering raising corporation tax in the upcoming March Budget in a bid to pay off some of the UK government’s Covid spending bill. The chancellor is also now expected to increase business support in the 3 March Budget by extending the furlough scheme and Covid business loan programme. Senior government sources [...]
Patient admitted to hospital ‘every 30 seconds’ as Covid hospitalisations hit record January 18, 2021 “Someone is admitted to hospital with coronavirus every 30 seconds,” the health secretary has said, as hospitalisations continue to hit fresh heights amid the rapid spread of new Covid mutations. There are currently 37,475 people in UK hospitals with coronavirus, with more than a tenth on ventilators. “That is the highest that it’s been throughout [...]