Month: February 2022

It follows comments made after the Euro 2020 final A football fan has admitted racially abusing former England defender Rio Ferdinand following the Euro 2020 final. Robert Whippe, 54, pleaded guilty at St Albans Magistrates’ Court to two counts of sending a grossly offensive message to Mr Ferdinand over his commentary on the Wembley final, the Crown Prosecution Service said. After England lost to Italy in a penalty shoot-out, Whippe […]

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf says reaching 15 million tests is a “major milestone” More than 15 million PCR tests have been carried out in Scotland since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, a figure hailed as a “milestone” for health teams across the country. A total of 15,092,074 of the tests, which include those performed by NHS Scotland, three NHS regional hubs and the network of health board diagnostic labs, […]

She has signed with the Germany-based music company BMG. Rita Ora has signed a record deal with BMG that gives her ownership of all future master recordings. The singer, whose hits include Let You Love Me and For You, said it is “empowering” knowing she is now in control of her music. Germany-based music company BMG features a roster of artists that includes Kylie Minogue, YouTuber and rapper KSI, and […]

The deposed statue of slave trader Edward Colston should be put on display in a museum in its current state, an independent commission has recommended. The We Are Bristol History Commission said the statue should enter the permanent collection of Bristol’s museum service and preserved in its current condition. It said it should be exhibited and the history of Colston should be presented in a “nuanced, contextualised and engaging way”. […]

Boris Johnson has defended the Government’s package to ease the impact of the cost-of-living crisis after the Chancellor said he could not rule out further rises later in the year. Rishi Sunak on Thursday announced a £9 billion package, including a one-off repayable £200 discount and a £150 rebate on council tax bills, and £144 million to councils to support vulnerable households amid surging energy prices. The Chancellor added he […]

West Brom have appointed Steve Bruce as their new manager on an 18-month contract. The 61-year-old is back in work having been sacked at Newcastle in October following the club’s takeover and is charged with taking the Baggies back to the Premier League. Bruce has plenty of experience of that, winning promotion from the Championship four times, and has managed in the midlands previously with both Aston Villa and Birmingham. […]

Boris Johnson has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that a further incursion into Ukraine would be a “tragic miscalculation” as they finally held their delayed call. The Prime Minister expressed his “deep concern” about Russia massing an estimated 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border when they spoke on Wednesday afternoon. Downing Street said Mr Johnson stressed during a call lasting around 45 minutes that Ukraine has a right to aspire […]

Ryanair has failed in its bid to overturn a court ruling that it cannot avoid paying compensation to passengers affected by industrial action. Tens of thousands of customers were affected when flights were cancelled due to a series of walkouts by pilots and cabin crew during the summer of 2018. The Dublin-based carrier claimed it was exempt from awarding compensation because the disruption was due to “extraordinary circumstances”. But the […]

Doctors of colour in the UK “live in fear” because of racism in the NHS, according to one psychiatrist. At least 75% of ethnic minority doctors have experienced racism in the last two years, according to a report from the British Medical Association (BMA) which was shared with the BBC. Ahmed Hankir, a psychiatrist working in London, said the statistic was “no surprise” to him. “It was painful to read, […]