6:53 am, July 13, 2023
Boris Johnson’s Covid WhatsApps from old phone still not handed to inquiry
WhatsApp messages on Boris Johnson’s old mobile phone have still not been handed over to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
Downing Street on Monday said ‘all requisite material’ had been given to the inquiry after the government lost its bid to prevent their release.
The Cabinet Office had until 4pm on Monday to comply with a High Court ruling to hand over Johnson’s unredacted notebooks, WhatsApp messages and diaries from his time in Downing Street. But the PA news agency understands that the former prime minister’s old phone, which contains correspondence from pre-May 2021, is still in his possession.
‘We have to get back to talks’, say BMA leaders at start of strike
Leaders of striking junior doctors have said ‘we have to get back to talks’ over pay as they start the longest walkout of its kind in NHS history.
British Medical Association (BMA) members are taking to the picket lines in England from 7am on Thursday, with members of Unite at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London also on strike on Thursday. The walk-outs will last for five days.
Reports in the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail suggest prime minister Rishi Sunak is due to meet with chancellor Jeremy Hunt to make a decision on approving a six per cent pay rise for public sector workers, but the BMA called on the government to return to the negotiating table in a bid to resolve the long-running row.
Huw Edwards in hospital after being named as BBC presenter facing allegations
The wife of newsreader Huw Edwards has said he is receiving in-patient hospital care as she named him as the BBC presenter facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images.
Vicky Flind, said her husband was ‘suffering from serious mental health issues’ and was now receiving treatment in a statement issued on Wednesday evening.
It comes as the Metropolitan Police said no criminal offence had been committed by Edwards and that no further police action would be taken ‘at this time’, allowing an internal BBC investigation to resume.
Ukraine wins G7 security pledges but its Nato membership remains elusive
Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed fresh pledges of weapons and ammunition to fight Russia’s invasion along with longer-term security commitments from the West on Wednesday.
It comes after the Ukrainian president expressed disappointment over the lack of a clear path for his country to join Nato as the alliance wrapped up its annual summit in Lithuania.
Flanked by G7 leaders including US president Joe Biden at a press conference, Zelensky said: ‘The Ukrainian delegation is bringing home a significant security victory for the Ukraine, for our country, for our people, for our children.’
Defence case in Kevin Spacey sex offences trial due to begin
The defence case in the sex offences trial of Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey is set to begin.
Prosecutors concluded their evidence against the Hollywood star on Wednesday, after a jury panel heard accounts from his four alleged victims.
The defendant, standing trial under his full name Kevin Spacey Fowler, was labelled a ‘sexual bully’ when proceedings began last month. The 63-year-old denies charges including sexual assault and indecent assault, which are alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013.
China received £48m in aid from UK in 2021, says watchdog
The UK sent nearly £50m to China in aid last year, as a watchdog complained of ‘insufficient transparency’ in how money is spent.
The government is in the process of re-evaluating its wider relationship with China, amid increasingly frosty relations with the rising Asian power. Ministers have characterised the growing influence of China as an ‘epoch-defining challenge’, with many backbench MPs pushing for a more hawkish approach to Beijing.
A new report by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact found that aid to China was around £48m in 2021/22, a fall from just over £80m in 2019. It is expected to continue to fall, with the commission estimating that it could fall to £10m by the end of 2024. But the watchdog expressed concern at the lack of transparency from the government and British Council on aid spending.
Wednesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Experts fear Jaguar Land Rover’s ‘House of Brands’ plan will cause confusion
- Cazoo replaced by two major partners as used car dealer continues to back away from sponsorship deals
- New rules over rapid public EV chargers aim to encourage switch to electric
- LSH Auto dragon boat team raise thousands for patients as they paddle to victory
- Caterham unveils concept EV that looks on the light side of life
- Hendy Group looking to make the most of Ashes summer after partnering with Sir Ian Botham
- Dealer Auction launches vehicle collection and processing service as it looks to expand offering
Drop-off fees increased at more than a third of airports
Drop-off fees for drivers have increased at more than a third of major UK airports in the past year, according to new research.
Eight of the 21 airports analysed have raised or introduced charges for dropping off passengers since August 2022, an RAC investigation found. Drivers should ‘brace themselves’ for record high fees, the motoring services company said.
The biggest upswing in existing so-called kiss and fly charges – which are typically levied for dropping off someone as close to a terminal as possible – are at Southampton and Belfast International airports. The former has raised its fee from £4 to £6 for 20 minutes, while the latter has hiked its price from £1 to £3 for 10 minutes.
Gatwick ‘worst-performing European airport for air traffic control delays’
Gatwick is suffering more flight delays due to air traffic control (ATC) limits than any other major European airport, according to an airline veteran.
Willie Walsh, director-general of global airline body the International Air Transport Association (Iata), said figures from Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace, show the West Sussex airport is being hit by ‘severe impacts’.
EasyJet cancelled 1,700 summer flights earlier this week – mostly from Gatwick – in response to what it called ‘unprecedented’ ATC restrictions. Strikes, staff shortages and airspace closures related to the war in Ukraine means ATC providers are limiting flight numbers across Europe.
Weather
A more settled day is in store today, reports BBC Weather, with patchy cloud, sunny spells and the odd shower. Highs of 22 degrees celsius.
Showers tonight for Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and north-western England. Cloudy elsewhere with sharp showers for the south-west in the early hours.
