International

A veritable Battle of the Big Cities has been launched to see which UK metropolis will host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. It should be Ukraine , as its entry won this year’s event, but in what passes for its wisdom the European Broadcasting Union ruled that the Russian invasion and subsequent war meant that was impossible. And so the Brits valiantly offered to fill the breach with Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and Glasgow all vying to be the host city . But already nationalists are determined to make it a Scotland versus England battle - a fight that, I for one, sincerely hope rebounds against them. Displaying her now famous modesty, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister , immediately declared “It’s Got To Be Glasgow”, a sentiment that was immediately followed up by her fellow SNP stalwart - Susan Aitken, the leader of Glasgow City Council, who said that her city has an unrivalled track-record for successfully hosting major global … [Read more...] about Scottish nationalists are determined to make Eurovision a battle against England

Nicola Sturgeon could embark on a new green crackdown of Scotland’s whisky industry , over fears that emissions from the “angel’s share” of casks is harming the environment and human health. Every year, around two per cent of whisky, the so-called “angel’s share” because it evaporates during the maturation process, is lost during its production. But SNP and Green ministers are concerned that the emissions could be having a detrimental impact on the environment and health, and want to find out whether action should be taken to reduce the damage. It is funding a review of the harm caused by the non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) that arise from malt whisky maturation, which have surged over recent years due to the rising international popularity of Scotland’s national drink. Researchers have been asked to suggest possible “mitigation strategies” for “controlling” whisky-related emissions, leading to a backlash from the industry. “Some loss of spirit from casks … [Read more...] about Nicola Sturgeon mulls green crackdown for Scottish malt

Four months ago, Boris Johnson travelled to Lydd Airport in Kent to make what was billed as a significant announcement about the Government’s plan to tackle illegal immigration via the English Channel. Normally, such a statement would have been made by the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, but this was “the big one”, so the Prime Minister delivered it personally. His pledges excited much media interest and growing optimism that a solution to this crisis had been found. I, for one, never believed a word of it. The centrepiece of the new plan was that the Ministry of Defence would take charge of the Channel and the Royal Navy would patrol our waters 24 hours a day, intercepting small boats . Armed Forces Minister James Heappey spoke with passion about the deterrent effect this would have. It was obvious from day one, however, that this idea had not been fully thought through. I interviewed the then-Minister for Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove, at the time and explained to him … [Read more...] about The Tories have opened the gates for illegal immigrants. We need a Brexit 2.0 to fix it

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email As a disabled activist who has fought to hold the government accountable, I’m used to being brushed off, but the latest announcement from the Department for Work and Pension (DWP) feels like its cruellest trick yet. The work and pensions secretary, Therese Coffey, has said she will not publish five official reports into how the department handles helping the vulnerable, or how many people have died as a result of being denied disability benefits . The publication of these reports was promised by Coffey’s predecessors, following claims that thousands of disabled people had died since the Conservatives came into power in 2010. The true number still isn’t known, but it was found that over 17,000 people died between 2013 and 2019 whilst waiting for decisions to be made over their benefit claims. In 2020, we learned that … [Read more...] about We deserve to know what the DWP is hiding about benefits

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails The families of 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian attackers at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich will not attend a 50-year anniversary ceremony organized by German authorities, saying they deserve more compensation and a fuller reckoning of the tragedy. The decision announced Thursday underscores a lingering point of friction between the two countries that have built strong ties despite the enduring legacy of the Nazi Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were murdered during World War II. Members of the Palestinian group Black September broke into the Olympic Village, killed two athletes from Israel’s national team and took nine more hostage on Sept. 5, 1972. The attackers hoped to force the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel as well as two left-wing extremists in West German jails. … [Read more...] about Olympics attack victims’ families to boycott German ceremony

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails The UK’s global competitiveness could be harmed by too much political interference in the regulation of the City of London , the Bank of England (BoE) governor has said. Tory leadership contenders Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have both said they want to reform key EU financial regulations, and give politicians more power to intervene in regulators’ decisions, in an effort to boost the nation’s economy. In an open letter to the Treasury Select Committee, dated July 27, Andrew Bailey said regulatory independence was vital to the nation’s “international standing”. His comments came in the wake of the Government introducing a Financial Services and Markets Bill aimed at revoking retained EU law on financial services. In his letter, Mr Bailey stated: “Regulatory independence is important, not least because … [Read more...] about Andrew Bailey: Regulatory independence vital to UK’s competitiveness

Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter We may be in the middle of the summer holidays, with heatwaves and outings leaving your energy levels feeling a bit sapped – but it’s the perfect time to get ahead on jobs around the house. After all, it only takes a turn in the weather to remind us autumn isn’t that far off – and you might want to make a start on some tasks now, especially if we’re going to be hunkering down inside in the months to come. “Throw open the windows and let the fresh summer air circulate through your home!” says Howard Moss, CEO of Astonish cleaning brand (astonish.co.uk). “August is the perfect time to give your house a deep clean before wintry weather and shorter days make it tougher to keep up with your cleaning routine.” Here’s how to give yourself a head start… 1. Declutter your … [Read more...] about 7 cleaning jobs you need to tackle this summer

A rare two-headed baby tortoise has baffled experts, who predict it's likely to live a long, healthy life despite its anomaly. The mutant tortoise has two heads and four front legs but only one set of internal organs, a CT scan has revealed. The African spurred tortoise ( Centrochelys sulcata ) is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This one—nicknamed Sorte, or 'Luck' in Portuguese—was hatched on August 1 to breeder Ruben van Schoor in Putten, the Netherlands. Veterinarian and reptile expert Sandra Vink from AniCura vets told Zenger News: "It's the first one in the Netherlands as far as we know. It is very rare, especially with this specific kind of tortoise." She added: "As far as the owner knows, it's the first one in the world. It is very uncommon. "We've found few cases in media. Usually they do not have long to live. "Often the animals have a complete second organ system, also with two … [Read more...] about Rare two-headed mutant baby tortoise stuns vets

Everton v Chelsea: Pictures SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Chelsea chief Todd Boehly has teamed up with Newcastle ’s Saudi owners in a new investment project away from football. Boehly completed his takeover of the Blues at the end of May after previous owner Roman Abramovich had put the club on the market. Related articles Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd's £42m deal, Chelsea close in on duo Everton keen on three Chelsea stars as Tuchel closes in on Gordon Boehly is the co-founder of Cain International alongside his fellow Chelsea director Jonathan Goldstein, who is currently the firm’s chief executive. And on Monday it was announced that Cain International and the Saudi Public Investment Fund, … [Read more...] about Chelsea chief Todd Boehly teams up with Newcastle’s Saudi owners on a new project

Marcus Thuram scores impressive goal for Monchengladbach SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing France international Marcus Thuram. The 25-year-old has already scored five goals for Borussia Monchengladbach this season and his form is claimed to have caught United's eye. Related articles Man Utd have four players in trouble as De Jong 'makes confession' What Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and three others have told Man Utd board The Red Devils are in the market for a forward in the remainder of the window, with Cristiano Ronaldo's future looking increasingly uncertain. United are now thought to be more open to selling Ronaldo. Atletico Madrid's Matheus … [Read more...] about Man Utd ‘interested’ in striker who has already scored five goals this season