6:30 am, August 21, 2023
Child serial killer nurse Lucy Letby to be sentenced
Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced on Monday.
The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015-2016.
She has joined the list of the UK’s most twisted child killers, including the Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and the so-called Angel of Death paediatric nurse Beverley Allitt. Letby, 33, could be handed a whole-life order by judge Mr Justice Goss at Manchester Crown Court.
Rishi Sunak jibed after saying England ‘left absolutely nothing out there’
Rishi Sunak has been poked fun at for his commiseration tweet after the Lionesses lost the women’s World Cup final 1-0 to Spain.
In a post on Twitter, now known as X, the prime minister told the England football team: ‘You left absolutely nothing out there, Lionesses.’
Senior Labour MP Angela Eagle pointed out that he had muddled what was intended to be a supportive comment about Sarina Wiegman’s side’s efforts in the contest. ‘I think the phrase is ‘absolutely everything’ PM,’ she tweeted.
Broadcaster Jon Sopel, host of The News Agents podcast, also pointed out the error, saying: ‘Everything, surely!?’ Sunak has also faced criticism for not travelling to Sydney, Australia, to watch the final in person.
Lionesses have ‘inspired millions’ despite falling short in first World Cup final
Celebrities, royals and politicians have said the Lionesses have ‘inspired millions’ and ‘paved the way for generations to come’ despite their narrow World Cup final defeat.
The Prince of Wales tweeted a personal message to the Lionesses after the match, saying their ‘spirit and drive have inspired so many people’.
No senior member of the British royal family attended the match, however, but Queen Letizia of Spain was there with her 16-year-old daughter Infanta Sofia in order to show her country’s commitment to national football.
GCSE pupils warned of ‘shock’ as 300,000 fewer top grades predicted
Around 300,000 fewer top GCSE grades could be awarded this week in a ‘shock’ to pupils and their parents, it has been suggested.
Exams regulator Ofqual has said a return to pre-pandemic grading means this year’s national GCSE results in England will be lower than last year and similar to levels in 2019 – the year before coronavirus.
An education expert has predicted families may find the ‘substantial drop’ in top GCSE grades awarded this summer ‘hard to accept’, and results day on Thursday ‘will not be as enjoyable’ as during the pandemic years.
Man, 50, in court for possessing documents following PSNI data breach
A man charged with possessing documents following a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach will appear in court on Monday.
PSNI said the 50-year-old, who has been charged with possessing documents or records likely to be useful to terrorists and possession of articles for use in terrorism, will appear at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court.
Personal data on all serving members of the PSNI was published earlier this month following an error by a junior member of staff in response to a Freedom of Information request. Details released included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit they work in.
Sadiq Khan accused of trying to ‘squash’ scientific ‘dissent’ over Ulez
London mayor Sadiq Khan has been accused of attempting to ‘squash dissent’, after his deputy asked a City Hall-funded expert to counter science that questioned the benefits of a charge on polluting vehicles.
Shirley Rodrigues asked an academic, who was in receipt of funding from Khan’s office, on two occasions to counter research and reporting about the ultra low emission zone (Ulez) in the capital.
Emails between Rodrigues and Prof Kelly, which were obtained via a Conservative Party freedom of information request and shared with the PA news agency, show the deputy mayor contacted the air quality expert on November 16, 2021 to highlight a study published by Imperial College, which she described as ‘misleading’.
Wind power returns to commercial shipping with trial of high-tech sails
Commercial shipping will once again use wind power, with several companies teaming up to demonstrate how a pair of high-tech sails can save fuel and cut carbon emissions.
The WindWings have been retrofitted onto the Pyxis Ocean, owned by Mitsubishi and chartered by Cargill, and engineers will be monitoring their performance during their first real-world test.
Designed by a team of British Olympic sailors under BAR Technologies and built by Yara Marine Tech, the WindWings are expected to save up to 30 per cent of shipping fuel on average, although they cannot be fitted onto every ship, such as those loaded with containers or on routes with little wind.
Weather
Fog will ease leaving a day of sunshine in the south of the country, reports BBC Weather. North-western Scotland, however, will see heavy showers and strong winds. Showers in Wales and other parts of England. Highs of 25 degrees in the east and south-east of England.
Showers and heavy winds will continue to batter western Scotland tonight. Clear skies everywhere else.
