PULL THE PLUG BORIS
The Express reports that Boris Johnson has been told to “pull the plug” on the post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union as Brussels continues to drag its feet over ratifying the agreement. The deal between the UK and EU was signed at the end of last year but the bloc only applied the Trade and Cooperation Agreement in order to avoid a hard Brexit. Later this month, MEPs are expected to ratify the trade pact but EU officials have already delayed on a vote, accusing the UK of violating the terms of the deal. The UK has already granted MEPs an extension on the vote, but those ministers delayed a vote on the deal after accusing the UK of violating the agreement in relation to the grace period for goods moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
MUSLIMS TOLD IT’S PERMISSIBLE TO HAVE COVID JAB DURING RAMADAN
The Stratford Observer reports that a prominent doctor has made an urgent call for Muslims who are concerned having their Covid-19 vaccine will invalidate their fast during Ramadan to avoid vaccine hesitancy. Professor Wasim Hanif, professor of diabetes and endocrinology, consultant physician and clinical service lead in diabetes at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust is also a trustee of the South Asian Health Foundation (SAHF). Working with colleagues from the organisation he has published a paper called ‘Ramadan and Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy—a call for action’, following concerns among the Muslim community that having the vaccine during the holy period is not allowed. However, the charity is reassuring people that the vaccine is permissible over the course of the religious festival, which starts on April 12 and requires Muslims to abstain from food and drink during daylight hours.
INDIA BANS EXPORTS OF ANTIVIRAL DRUG
Reuters reports from New Delhi that India has banned the export of antiviral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in COVID-19 infections, leading to a crippling shortage in many parts. Authorities have blamed the ferocious resurgence of the Covid virus mainly on crowding and a reluctance to wear masks. Religious gatherings have continued and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have themselves addressed election campaigns attended by tens of thousands of people, many without masks and hardly any following social distancing. As new COVID-19 cases surged to 152,879 on Sunday, the sixth record rise in seven days, relatives of patients made a kilometre-long queue to buy Remdesivir outside a big hospital in the western state of Gujarat, witnesses said. India, known as the pharmacy of the world, has already stalled major exports of coronavirus vaccines though its supply too has run short in some states of the country.
HALF OF PEOPLE IN ENGLAND LIVE IN COVID FREE AREAS
The Sunday Telegraph reports that over half of people in England now live in an area in which new cases of Covid have all but vanished, with some places not reporting a case in public data for more than a month. Infections have been so low in areas with a total population of 34.5 million that Public Health England has redacted their latest weekly case tallies in order to protect the privacy of those – if any – who test positive.
COVID MUTANTS NOT TAKING OFF IN POPULAR EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS
The London Evening Standard reports that Covid-19 variants that have been worrying scientists do not appear to be rising in popular European destinations, UK advisers have said. While Covid infection rates are still high in countries such as Spain and France, levels of, for example, the South African variant, are staying pretty constant and are not going up, according to scientists advising the Government. The Kent variant is now so prevalent in many European countries that there is currently no advantage for other variants, and so they are not particularly rising. Although there are pockets where variant cases appear to be high, they are still only accounting for around 5% of cases or fewer.
NEW TANK BOTS ON THE BLOCK
The Express reports that Russia has unveiled its first ever special unit of tank robots that could be sent to the Ukrainian border amid war fears. The unmanned Uran-9 robotic tanks can be remotely controlled by specially trained soldiers that will form military units. This week, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, inspected the tanks at the 766th Production and Technological Enterprise in Nakhabino near Moscow. The robot tanks have been used before during the Syrian war but they were reportedly plagued by issues. Shortcomings were identified during the tests in Syria, said Vladimir Dmitriev, General Director of Kalashnikov Concern, which designed the robot tanks. The Uran-9 also serves the function of protecting infantry from enemy fire and is capable of fighting back against infantry, armoured vehicles and even other tank units. It is unclear whether the new Uran-9 robot tanks will be deployed on Ukraine’s borders.
DE- ESCALATE RAAB TELLS RUSSIA
The Daily Mail reports that Dominic Raab has urged Russia to immediately de-escalate the situation at the Ukrainian border where Russia has been amassing troops. Raab’s comments came as chilling footage on social media showed thousands of Russian tanks, missile trucks, armoured vehicles and long-range guns being transported on freight trains to Crimea and the border of the disputed eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass, which has been occupied by Russian-backed separatists since 2014.
SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIERS DEPLOYED IN NORTHERN IRELAND
The Sunday Mirror reports that special forces soldiers have been deployed undercover in Northern Ireland. At least eight of the covert unit have been sent to work with MI5 for the first time in four years as protests and violence escalate. The move follows clashes in which dozens of officers were injured as stones, petrol bombs and fireworks were hurled by gangs of youths on Belfast’s nationalist Springfield Road. MI5 and military intelligence officials fear that the riots, which have spread across the country, could spark a return of deadly paramilitary attacks. A Special Reconnaissance Regiment team will help coordinate intelligence operations and attempt to identify the ringleaders behind the violence. A source said:’ Northern Ireland is a tinderbox and has been for a while. Tensions are extremely high.There are elements on both the nationalist and loyalist sides who want to see British troops back on the streets but that would be a disaster.’ The covert operation comes after more than a week of violent clashes sparked by post-Brexit tensions.
NO SUMMIT ON NORTHERN IRELAND VIOLENCE SAY JOHNSON
The Guardian reports that Boris Johnson’s government is resisting growing calls to hold a special crisis summit with Dublin to address rising tensions in Northern Ireland – amid growing international anxiety about a return to sectarian violence. It is understood that Dublin strongly believes recent tensions and several nights of violence, as well as the breakdown of relations between Northern Irish parties, require the two governments to meet as a matter of urgency. The view in Dublin is that the political leadership required to stabilise the situation is not going to come from within Northern Ireland right now. It needs to come from the two governments. Dublin believes that such a meeting would provide a very visible way to reassure people that the centre is going to hold,” said a source.
TIME MARCHES ON
The Sunday Mirror reports that last weekend marks 40 years since the Brixton riots, when clashes across three dramatic days left 300 injured. They followed months of tension between the Metropolitan Police and London’s black community. Riots followed in other inner-city areas as a cocktail of racial tensions and deprivation exploded – including Toxteth, Liverpool; Handsworth, Birmingham; Chapeltown, Leeds; and Moss Side, Manchester. The spark for the Brixton riots was a false rumour that a policeman had stabbed a young black man – weeks after 13 died in a London house fire. The Scarman report later found the overuse of stop-and-search powers provoked “young black people who felt they were being hunted irrespective of their innocence or guilt.”
COUNTER MONUMENT TO THE SLAVE TRADE
The Guardian reports that the National Gallery is being called on to become the first UK public institution to build a counter-monument to the slave trade. Last Thursday the London gallery announced the six shortlisted design teams that will compete for a £30m project to mark its bicentenary in 2024. The NG200 plans include revamping the main entrance in Trafalgar Square, with an opportunity to “reimagine the public realm” by linking its 1991 Sainsbury’s Wing with the historic setting of the Wilkins Building. Prof Fred Steward of the School of Architecture and Cities at Westminster University, said this could be a chance to create “an imaginative counter-monument of national contrition for our central role in the slave trade”. As part of its plans, he argued, the gallery could address the issue of the 1.5 metre bronze statue of James II in its front garden. In 1660, before he became king, James Stuart was a founder of the Royal African Company, which sent more than 200,000 African slaves to the Americas.
AND FINALLY
From the Worcester News: Highways England officers pulled off a daring rescue mission on Friday. Brave officers rescued six adorable fluffy ducklings who had decided to try to cross the M5 motorway. And they wrote in a ‘tweet’, “Have we got a Duck Tale for you! Highways TrafficOfficers managed to rescue these 6 adorable ducklings from harm trying to cross the M5 today. It was our absolute pleasure to ensure these little ones were safe.Thankfully, everyone is safe and sound and the ducklings have had a talking to about road safety!”
Pull the plug : they dont want our vaccine , shellfish , language( tough on the Torads).
Why are we paying for access to a closed down market full of sick men of Europe ?
The Guardian has a piece on yhe climate emergency with forecasts of doom and runway heating. The word ‘could’ is used. now there’s a sirprise.
We’d better get used to this item in all the papers until Earth Day on 22 April. Oh goody.
JF
They even mention James Hansen, whose limate projections were nearly as useless as Ferguson’s efforts re Covid.
JF
King James11. The monster!
AND, he was a Catholic too. All because he grew up in France.
That’s settled then. It’s MACRON’s fault.
Here’s an interesting video, although nearly an hour long. I’m posing this because I think we should ram this down our politicians’ throats; how we’ve allowed them to get away with calling this disaster cultural enrichment is unbelievable.
“The Continuing Scandal of Muslim Grooming Gangs & the Failure of Our Institutions To Deal With It.”
The New Culture Forum Channel
https://youtu.be/V3th9uEGnvs
I watched the video and the subject is a serious one that needs to be dealt with, but there is a lack political willpower, and as per usual it all stems from the very top. Not from the top of the police but the top of government. The Conservatives have been in power for 10 whole years, and have diddly squat about pretty much everything, apart from getting us out of the European Union, and even that was a stitch up. We need political change in this country, and the woke culture that is being promoted by mainstream political parties including the Conservatives needs to be urgently cast aside. Apart from that, the video itself as good as it might be, has only had 22,349 viewing since 28th February 2021 which is peanuts in the general scheme of things. I know Peter Whittle is a member of the London Assembly, but is he standing again, and if that is the case what party is he standing for, and what specifically is he personally doing to bring this problem to the fore. Its ok to be producing You Tube videos but it is only going out to a very small audience, as in the case of this one. Having said that his presentation style is so much better than Richard Tice on Tice Talk, which is utterly tedious and banal.