Author: News Desk

The i newspaper leads with the government ‘u-turn’ on its ‘accidental lockdowns’.  Online, the i is heavily focused on Dominic Cummings committee meeting today, the paper says Cummings could have secret audio recordings and that he has been given a warning over the Offical Secrets Act.  The i reports the vaccination rollout has now opened up to ages 30 and 31, telling the age group to expect a text or letter from the NHS within days.  No 10 cancels accidental lockdowns The i newspaper’s front page leads with the ‘U-turn’ on what it calls the “accidental lockdowns.” The paper reports…

The Daily Telegraph leads with the government ‘forced into retreat’ over the plans for new lockdowns ‘unravel’. The paper reports on Tim Parker quitting his role as National Trust chief and an update on London’s BLM activist Sasha Johnson, who was shot in the head on Sunday.  Online, the headlines are heavily dominated by the highly-anticipated Dominic Cummings committee meeting, in which he is expected to ‘spill’ secrets as he is summoned to answer questions about the government’s handling of the pandemic.  Farce as plans for new lockdowns unravel  The Daily Telegraph’s front page leads with the government being “forced…

Iraq: 1 Iraqi protester killed, dozens injured at Baghdad rally A protester at a Baghdad rally was shot dead whilst dozens of others were injured at a rally where thousands marched demanding accountability for the murder of prominent Iraqi activists and protesters.  Tuesday morning started with a hopeful wave of peaceful protesting in Tahrir Square but as the day went on, tensions grew and violence between protesters and security forces erupted by early evening.  Footage posted online showed tear gas, live fire and chaos reminiscent of the nationwide social uprising beginnings in October 2019. Since October, almost 600 demonstrators have…

UK and America arrive in Israel, $40m in aid to Gaza, pleas to end cycle of violence  Britain’s foreign minister Dominic Raab has arrived in Israel and called for the cycle of violence between Israelis and Palestinians to end.  Raab’s arrival followed the worst outbreak of violence between the two sides in years.  “I will meet with both senior leaders here and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories on how to make the recent ceasefire lasts,” he wrote on Twitter. “We must end the cycle of violence and make progress towards a lasting peace.”  Meanwhile, America’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken…

Italy celebrates, Mafia boss Rocco Morabito caught after 30 year hunt  After nearly 30 years of dodging justice, Rocco Morabito has been arrested in northeast Brazil, delighting Italian prosecutors and police.  Morabito is number two on the Italian interior ministry’s most dangerous fugitives list, he was arrested Monday, almost two years after his escape from a prison in Uruguay, where he was awaiting extradition to Italy.  The “the king of cocaine”, has been wanted since 1994 by Italian authorities, who for decades have been trying to slowly chip away at the ‘Ndrangheta, the country’s most powerful mob syndicate.  Morabito is…

UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Mali following coup The UN Security Council is expected to have an emergency meeting – requested by  France, Niger, Tunisia, Kenya and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – over the ‘coup’ in Mali. The behind closed doors meeting is expected on Wednesday at 1900 GM, diplomats said.  The meeting comes after Mali’s military pushed out its transitional leaders including the country’s interim president and prime minister.  Colonel Assimi Goita ousted the leaders because they did not consult him about the nomination of a new government.  The coup has triggered widespread condemnation and…

Covid-19: Dominic Cummings highly-anticipated appearance in Commons today  The former prime minister aide Dominic Cummings is expected to tell MPs later that Boris Johnson purposely delayed the autumn lockdown by claiming “Covid is only killing 80-year-olds.”  The highly-anticipated appearance in front of MPs is set to reveal the details of the government’s response to the pandemic, and what went on behind the scenes.  ITV reported the alleged comments are expected to be attributed to the prime minister and come after other allegations the PM said he would rather “let the bodies pile high” than order another lockdown – the second…

Covid-19: No local restrictions for 8 areas in England hit by the Indian variant – update after chaos The government has updated advice for eight areas in England that have been hit hard by the variant first identified in India.  The government says it was not imposing local restrictions after earlier advice told people to avoid non-essential travel altogether throwing holiday plans into chaos. The earlier advice had caused a storm because it had come without an announcement and local leaders said they had not been consulted.   However, the updated advice asks people to minimise travel into and out of…

They must also have a negative Covid PCR test result. he UAE health sector announced that attendance of all events, exhibitions, activities and events, including sports, cultural, social and artistic, is restricted to vaccine recipients and participants in clinical trials of the vaccine only. This is in addition to the requirement to present a negative PCR test result within a maximum of 48 hours prior to the date of the event. The UAE is also the first country globally in the number of vaccination doses administered per 100 people in the total population. The country is well on track to…

Elliot Page celebrates his body after sharing snap post top surgery  Elliot Page is being celebrated for posing bare-chested for the first time since coming out as trans.  Page came out as transgender in August last year Actor starred in Jun, Inception and The Umbrella Academy  Elliot Page sat down with Oprah to discuss transition, he said top surgery brought him the most joy during the transition  Praised for posing bare-chested since top surgery  The actor posted a picture on Instagram of him at a swimming pool alongside the words #transjoy and #transisbeautiful.  https://www.instagram.com/p/CPRDYAUhvEt/?utm_medium=twitter Page, 34, spoke to Oprah describing…