Government has been ‘too slow’ to help the arts during pandemic, say MPs July 23, 2020 The government has been “too slow” to respond to the “existential threat” faced by theatre, live music and other cultural outlets during the coronavirus pandemic, a committee of MPs has said. A wide-ranging report released today by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee found that MPs have “consistently failed to recognise [...]
Labour apologises to BBC Panorama over antisemitism claims and hands out six-figure settlement July 22, 2020 Labour has formally apologised to BBC’s Panorama for claiming it had misrepresented allegations of antisemitism within the party, and promised to shell out “substantial damages” to whistleblowers who sued the party over the row. The party issued an unreserved apology at the High Court after agreeing to settle a defamation lawsuit by seven Labour whistleblowers [...]
Amber Heard’s former neighbour: Police said they had ‘enough’ to arrest Johnny Depp for domestic assault July 22, 2020 Amber Heard’s former neighbour today told the High Court that police said they had “enough” to arrest Johnny Depp for domestic assault following a fight between the former couple at their shared penthouse in Los Angeles in 2016. The court heard evidence from Heard’s friend and former neighbour Joshua Drew via video link from LA [...]
Wall Street Journal staff attack ‘misinformation’ and ‘racism’ in newspaper’s opinion section July 22, 2020 Almost 300 journalists at the Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal (WSJ) have sent a letter to the newspaper’s publisher lambasting “misinformation” regarding coronavirus and racism in its opinion section. The letter, signed by hundreds of reporters, editors and video journalists, accused WSJ’s opinion pages of a “lack of fact-checking and transparency” and a “disregard for [...]
UK and US close diplomatic immunity loophole used in Harry Dunn case July 22, 2020 UK and US officials have struck a deal to amend the “anomaly” that allowed Harry Dunn’s alleged killer Anne Sacoolas to claim diplomatic immunity following his death in a road collision last year, the foreign secretary has said. Dominic Raab this morning said changes had been made that would “see justice done” if another family [...]
Tiktok could be sold to US investors to avoid American ban July 22, 2020 Beleaguered video app Tiktok could be split from its Chinese parent company Bytedance and sold off to US investors in a bid to curtail a mooted ban on the app in America, as questions over the company’s data protection policies face mounting criticism on both sides of the Atlantic. Tiktok’s $110bn (£86bn) parent firm Bytedance [...]
Londoners spark online shopping revolution during lockdown July 22, 2020 Londoners have catalysed an online shopping revolution, according to new research, after shoppers in the capital contributed the biggest spike in online sales in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic. A new report by packaging firm DS Smith showed that 62 per cent of 2,000 Londoners surveyed increased their online shopping habits during lockdown, helping [...]
Eve Sleep shares soar as group posts strong revenue July 22, 2020 Shares in mattress maker Eve Sleep hiked as much as 45 per cent this morning as the group posted revenue ahead of expectations, after a spike in sales during lockdown. Eve reported group revenue of £12.2m for the six months to 30 June, as sales smashed expectations, buoyed by strong e-commerce sales and increased demand [...]
Coronavirus vaccine likely to be limited to the elderly, says top scientist July 21, 2020 Rollout of a potential coronavirus vaccine will likely be limited to the most at-risk members of the public, the deputy chief medical officer said today, as the UK braces for a second wave of coronavirus in the winter. Speaking to a virtual meeting of the Health and Social Care Committee, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam today said: [...]
Amber Heard admits punching ex-husband Johnny Depp during heated row July 21, 2020 Amber Heard has admitted that she punched ex-husband Johnny Depp during a heated row at their Los Angeles penthouse in 2015, as Depp’s court battle against the Sun newspaper enters its third week. Depp is suing the Sun’s publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) and the Sun’s executive editor Dan Wootton over an article from April [...]
