EU ARMY RIDICULOUS SAYS DANISH MEP

The Express reports: Emmanuel Macron’s plans for an increasingly integrated European Union and an independent EU army have been torn apart by a Danish MEP who warned the project would risk security within NATO. Speaking to Expres Peter Kofod claimed the French President’s vision for a unified defence corp in the EU could risk Europe’s biggest allies within NATO, the US and the UK. The Danish People’s Party’s MEP dismissed the idea as ridiculous as he blasted the French leader’s worrying ambitions.

 

NORFOLK COASTAL  WIND FARM CANCELLED

The Times reports: approval for a huge wind farm off the coast of Norfolk has been overturned by the High Court after a crowdfunded legal challenge concerning onshore infrastructure. Vattenfall’s Norfolk Vanguard project was granted planning consent by the government in July and would entail up to 158 turbines about 30 miles offshore, generating enough electricity to power 2 million homes. It would connect to the national electricity grid through a 37-mile cable from landfall at Happisburgh to a new substation near the village of Necton. Residents objected to the visual impact of the substation, together with another planned for a second proposed Vattenfall wind farm, Norfolk Boreas.

 

BBC MUST REALISE ITS MISTAKE

The Telegraph reports: The BBC must realise its mistake and scrap the licence fee for the over-75s, MPs have said, after the corporation announced an amnesty for the elderly for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. Tory backbenchers said the BBC was in danger of becoming more unpopular with voters if it restarted charges for the over-75s once the pandemic is over. The BBC and Government  have blamed each other for the decision to scrap the free licences, with the corporation arguing that it had little choice to end the scheme after ministers refused to pay for it.Sir David Clementi, the BBC’s Chairman, said the decision had  not been easy, but stressed that 1.5 million over-75s can still claim the free pass if they collect Pension Credit. Other MPs have called for the licence fee to be scrapped altogether.

 

AUSTRALIA IN SHOCK AT FACEBOOK BAN ON NEWS

The Daily Mail reports: Australia has been plunged into a state of shock after Facebook ambushed the country with its unjustified ban on news – but it’s far from the first time the so-called social network has made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The social media juggernaut, helmed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday banned Aussies from reading and sharing local news in response to a world-first law to make tech companies pay media outlets for the content they use. When Australians went to reliable Facebook news accounts they were ominously met with a message saying no posts’ were available – and even non-news pages providing desperately needed services were banned. Prime Minister Scott Morrison  has condemned the arrogant and disappointing move while refusing to bow to intimidation from the tech giant. A former Facebook CEO even encouraged Australians to delete the app in protest at the irresponsible and reckless new policy.

 

FACEBOOK DEFRIENDED

The Times writes that Facebook is facing international condemnation for its decision to ban all news sites in Australia, with British MPs saying that the tech giant is showing a “staggering lack of respect” for democratic processes. The social media company has  blocked Australians from accessing and sharing domestic or international news content before a proposed law forces it to pay the news organisations that produce that content. Under the law, whenever anyone posts a link to a news site on Facebook the company would have to pay the news outlet. The Australian government has said that it expects companies such as Facebook to do this by striking up an overall payment deal that covers all news content being linked across its platforms.

 

THERE’S A MOOD IN THE AIR SAYS SIR KEIR STARMER

The Independent reports: Labour  leader Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans for a new British Recovery Bond to allow people to take a stake in Britain’s future by investing billions of pounds in savings built up during the pandemic in communities, jobs and businesses. Alongside a call for start-up loans for 100,000 new businesses across every region of the UK, it was the most eye-catching new policy in a speech setting out how Labour would approach the 3 March Budget. Vowing that Labour would not go back to business as usual, he said it was time for a restart equivalent to the post-war creation of the welfare state and NHS and the homes for heroes housebuilding drive under Clement Attlee. Covid-19 had exposed deep inequalities and injustices, he said, adding: We have to seize this moment to address them. I believe there’s a mood in the air which we don’t detect often in Britain. It was there in 1945, after the sacrifice of war, and it’s there again now.

 

BIDEN TOLD NOT TO INTERFERE IN UK POLITICS

From The Express: President Joe Biden has been warned not to interfere in UK politics following the US President’s backtracking over China’s treatment of the country’s minority Uyghurs. Joe Biden critic and columnist Melanie Phillips slammed the US President for his approach to world politics and said she took a rather dim view of suggestions the new White House administration may look to try and influence the UK Government’s foreign policy. It comes as President  Joe Biden was criticised for not asking China  to own up over the communist party’s oppression of Uighur Muslims during his second call with Premier Xi Jing Ping.

 

FINES ON THE CARDS

From the Daily Mail: The defiant owners of a gift card shop have racked up almost £20,000 in fines after refusing to close during lockdown. Alasdair, 54, and Lydia Walker-Cox, 50, were penalised for breaking coronavirus rules after keeping their gift card shop in Droitwich, Worcestershire, open despite non-essential shops being told to stay shut. The couple, who have been fined £17,000 since the start of the year, believe their shop should be classed as essential as it sells items including newspapers, snacks and baking products.Police and trading standards officers have hit them with fines after ordering them to close Grace Cards and Books. Mrs Walker-Cox has also been threatened with arrest for refusing to wear a mask while stacking the shelves in the shop. Despite the fines, the couple, who have run the shop for 30 years, say they would rather go to prison than close their business.

 

JAB PASSPORTS WELCOMED BY MOST BRITS

The Daily Star reports that two-thirds of UK adults support the idea of vaccination passports despite legal and ethical concerns, a poll has revealed. A new survey of 2,000 adults revealed 68 per cent support vaccination passports for people heading out of the UK on holiday and business. And 77 per cent think tourists entering the UK should also be able to provide proof they have been vaccinated, the OnePoll survey showed. The poll found almost half (47 per cent) think the threat of 10 years in prison for lying about their travel to avoid a 10-day quarantine is a fair punishment, with just 37 per cent regarding it as harsh.

 

BORIS SHARES THE LIMELIGHT

From the Guardian: Boris Johnson will lead efforts to fend off accusations that the world’s richest countries are hoarding Covid vaccines by pledging at a G7 summit that the UK will donate surplus doses to poorer countries and cut to 100 days the time it takes to produce new jabs. Both Russia and China are threatening to win an escalating vaccine diplomacy war by sending their vaccines directly to Africa, while the G7 club of wealthy nations continues to pile up surplus supplies as insurance against stocks running out. Johnson, who is chairing the first meeting of the G7 attended by new US president Joe Biden, found himself forced to share some of the limelight with the French president Emmanuel Macron. On Thursday Macron announced a parallel plan for 5% of Europe’s vaccine stocks to be sent to Africa now, saying his proposal had the backing of the German chancellor Angela Merkel

 

SCOTLAND COULD BE BACK TO  COVID SQUARE ONE NEXT WINTER

The Telegraph reports: Scotland could be forced into another lockdown next winter if restrictions are relaxed too quickly this time, Nicola Sturgeon has insisted despite the vaccination programme already dramatically cutting deaths among the most vulnerable.The First Minister said the worst thing the Scottish Government could do would be to lift the current rules too rapidly, as this would mean the virus “running out of control again” and risk sending the nation back to square one. Although she reiterated that the vaccines have already reduced care home deaths, she warned that Scots could be forced to wear face masks and observe social distancing long after the roll-out is completed. Prof Jason Leitch, Scotland’s national clinical director, said there would also have to be severe restrictions on international travel for some time.

 

AND FINALLY

The Daily Star writes: A recent survey showed which accents grate on people’s nerves. If you’re a Cockney or Essex local, you may have been unwittingly winding people up with the sound of your voice. Is your accent irritating to others? If you’re a Cockney or hail from Essex, your voice may sound like nails on a chalkboard to some. According to the Mirror, The Knowledge Academy polled 2,357 about their favourite twangs. And a number of accents from the South East of England were deemed to be the most annoying out there.On the flip side, participants said they can’t get enough of comforting Geordie and Glaswegian tones. According to language specialist Yelena McCafferty, people tend to be drawn to accents that make them feel most at home.These voices sound more trustworthy, which is probably why we like listening to them a lot more.

 

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Ed: You’ll be pleased to hear that Debbie is out of hospital and back home. However, the recovery from the operation on her spine will take some time – it’s very early days yet. So for the time being it’s more important that she gets her health back even if this means we won’t see her for a few more weeks. I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing Debbie all the best for her recovery!

 

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