Thursday, March 28

UK

Fifteen Arrested for Smuggling Migrants Through the Channel
France, News, UK

Fifteen Arrested for Smuggling Migrants Through the Channel

French police have arrested 15 suspected members of an international network that helped migrants cross the Channel to the United Kingdom.   The arrests come at a time when more and more migrants are venturing down this perilous route, and tensions are mounting between the French and British. Among those arrested are Iraqi Kurds, Romanians, Pakistanis and Vietnamese. They are said to have approached migrants in northern France and urged them to cross the Channel in small boats. According to the survey, which began in October last year, this network helped at least 250 people a month on their journey to the south of England. According to the police, the smugglers charged 6000 euros per migrant. They would have made about 3 million euros in profit. The arrests, which had already tak...
Jail Sentences for British Road-Blocking Climate Activists
News, UK

Jail Sentences for British Road-Blocking Climate Activists

Nine British climate activists have been sentenced to months in prison for blocking roads and ignoring police orders.   Members of the action group Insulate Britain have caused long traffic jams, including walking on busy motorways in London and clinging to the road during the climate summit in Glasgow. Insulate Britain demands that the British government isolate millions of homes in the fight against climate change. The action group has repeatedly blocked roads in and around London since September, much to motorists' anger. According to the group, members aged 20 to 58 were sentenced to three to six months in prison. According to the British transport minister, anyone who causes misery on highways by ignoring warnings should go to jail.
UK to Offer Booster Vaccines to People Over 40
News, UK

UK to Offer Booster Vaccines to People Over 40

The United Kingdom is expanding its vaccination program against coronavirus. Vaccine Committee JCVI recommends administering booster vaccines to people over 40. Health Minister Sajid Javid immediately announced that he would adopt that recommendation.   In the UK, booster vaccines were already approved for people over 50 and vulnerable groups. More than 12 million people have already had such a third shot. This should ensure that people are better protected against the virus. According to British media, the JCVI says that people should receive a booster dose of the vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna, even if they have been given another drug first. The government wants to expand the vaccination program in the run-up to the winter months and welcomes the committee's recommenda...
UK MP Stabbed at Constituency Mobile Office
News, UK

UK MP Stabbed at Constituency Mobile Office

British MP David Amess was stabbed Friday afternoon outside a mobile office in his Leigh-on-Sea constituency.   Amess went there to talk to people from the district. A suspect has been arrested. According to Sky News, a man walked into the office and stabbed Amess several times. It is not known how the Conservative MP is doing.
British Security Services: Russia Has Stolen Vaccine
News, Russia, UK

British Security Services: Russia Has Stolen Vaccine

Russia has stolen the AstraZeneca vaccine blueprint to provide its own Sputnik V vaccine. That's what British security services claim. "We are facing threats that are more sophisticated than ever before," said the interior minister. According to sources within the British government, several ministers have said that spies working for the Kremlin have stolen the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine blueprint. With that blueprint, they could have created their own designs for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. "Clearly, the blueprint and vital information were stolen by a foreign agent," writes The Sun. The claims come a few months after President Vladimir Putin received his shot off the Sputnik vaccine. Last year, spies pointed the finger at the Russian president. Then, they said they were "more than 95...
England Gets New Travel Policy Due to High Vaccination Rate
News, UK

England Gets New Travel Policy Due to High Vaccination Rate

The British government will "simplify" the travel policy for travellers to and from England because of the large number of people who have been vaccinated.   The measures should ensure lower costs, Transport Minister Grant Shapps reports. What that exactly means is not yet clear. The details will be announced later on Friday. Colleague Sajid Javid, the health minister, implied that cheaper rapid tests might replace the mandatory PCR tests before departure abroad. He did so when asked about it. Shapps wrote in a short announcement on Twitter that "the high vaccination rate that keeps us all safe should be taken advantage of". Government statistics say that more than 80 percent of the UK population aged 16 and over has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Of the over 16s, 90 perc...
The Queen Will Receive American President Joe Biden on June
News, UK, US

The Queen Will Receive American President Joe Biden on June

US President Joe Biden will attend an audience with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde on June 15. He will also speak to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. Biden will visit Europe in a week, including a G7 and NATO summit and a visit to the British Queen.   On June 15, in the morning, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde receive American President Joe Biden at the Royal Palace in Brussels. Biden will also meet Prime Minister Alexander De Croo that day. Biden is coming to Europe for a few days a week. The visit to Filip and Mathilde will be his second royal reception because two days before, on June 13, he is allowed to have tea with the British Queen Elizabeth II. That will happen at Windsor Castle, where the Queen has spent most of her time since the start of the corona pandemic. Biden w...
Scottish and Irish Prime Minister Saddened by Prince Philip’s Death
Ireland, News, Scotland, UK

Scottish and Irish Prime Minister Saddened by Prince Philip’s Death

The death of Prince Philip saddens the Scottish head of government Nicola Sturgeon.   Queen Elizabeth's husband passed away on Friday at the age of 99. Sturgeon offers his condolences to the Queen and the Royal Family, and the Scottish people. Northern Ireland's Prime Minister, Arlene Foster, sympathizes with the family. Condolences also came from parliament. Labor Party leader Keir Starmer said the UK had lost an "extraordinary" servant of the public good. "Prince Philip dedicated his life to this country."
BBC Journalist Taken Off the Street and Disappeared in Myanmar
Myanmar, News, UK

BBC Journalist Taken Off the Street and Disappeared in Myanmar

A BBC journalist has disappeared in Myanmar, where there has been significant unrest after a coup.   The British broadcaster says reporter Aung Thura was taken by "unidentified men" in the capital, Naypyidaw. The BBC says it is very concerned about the journalist and has asked the authorities for help. The country has been in chaos for weeks because of the coup by the armed forces. Security forces have shot at civilians demonstrating for the restoration of democracy and the release of the arrested head of government Aung San Suu Kyi. Local and foreign journalists are also not spared. Earlier this month, the authorities arrested Polish journalist Robert Bociaga, who works for the German news agency DPA. He was allegedly detained in the city of Taunggyi. The German embassy has cal...
Imprisonment for Stealing Buckingham Palace Employee
News, UK

Imprisonment for Stealing Buckingham Palace Employee

An employee of Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British Queen Elizabeth in London, has been sentenced to eight months in prison.   He stole dozens of medals, signed photos and other items from the palace. The PA news agency reported this on Monday. The 37-year-old man has worked as an assistant at the palace's catering service since 2015. Police found a "significant number" of stolen items during a search of the man's room in the palace. According to the British public broadcaster BBC, he confessed to three thefts he allegedly committed between November 11, 2019, and August 7, 2020. He stole the items from the souvenir shop, staff lockers and the storage room of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and the Queen's second eldest son. He sold the stolen items, including...