English Daily

The prime minister's fiancee Carrie Symonds and others in the UK has paid tribute to our "NHS heroes" during the weekly Clap for our Carers event. Britons across the country came out of their homes to applaud NHS workers for the sixth weekly Clap for our Carers event. Families have been expressing their gratitude to all health and care workers every Thursday at 8pm.

More than 9,000 fines have been issued in England and Wales for breaching coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Almost 400 of those fined are repeat offenders and one individual was fined six times, according to data from the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC). In England, there were 8,877 fixed penalty notices issued between 27 March and 27 April, while in Wales there were 299. Police have been given powers to hand out a £60 penalty, reduced to £30 if paid within two weeks, for breaches of the lockdown rules. The fine is doubled for each repeat offence up to a £960 maximum.

The appeal by NHS fundraiser Captain Tom Moore topped £32m as he celebrated his 100th birthday. The war veteran, who raised the money by walking laps of his garden, has also been made an honorary colonel. The occasion was also marked with an RAF flypast and birthday greetings from the Queen and prime minister. With celebrations underway, Capt Tom said everyone who donated was "magnificent" as the fund reached £30m on Thursday morning. Head of the Army, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, called Capt Tom "an inspirational role model". Capt Tom said it was "extraordinary" to be turning 100, especially with "this many well-wishers".

British Airways is set to cut up to 12,000 jobs from its workforce due to a fall in business demand due to COVID19. The airline's parent company said it needed to impose a "restructuring and redundancy programme" until the demand for air travel returns to 2019 levels. In a statement, IAG, British Airways parent company said: "The proposals remain subject to consultation, but it is likely that they will affect most of British Airways' employees and may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000 of them."

A minute's silence has been held across the UK to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who returned to work on Monday, joined the tribute at 11:00 BST. Intisar Chowdhury, the son of a doctor who died, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he wanted ministers "to accept their mistakes and let their mistakes become improvement rather than just ignore them and completely move on". Intisar's father, Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, who died earlier this month, had warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson about a lack of PPE five days before being hospitalised. Health Secretary Matt Hancock was also asked by Mr Chowdhury to apologise on LBC, and said "listening to the voices on the front line is a very, very important part of how we improve".

Repair work has restarted at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris after halting during coronavirus lockdown. A fire tore through the iconic medieval building, destroying its roof but leaving its structure intact. President Emmanuel vowed to restore the building within five years. The global coronavirus pandemic forced officials to delay the planned start of reconstruction on 23 March. But on Monday, workers returned to the construction site to make it compliant with new social distancing rules.

Virgin Media, one of the UK's largest broadband providers, has gone offline for thousands of users, at peak time. The outage began just after 17:00 on Monday, coinciding with the government daily coronavirus press briefing. Virgin said the problem had been fixed, despite ongoing complaints on Twitter. In a statement that followed, a company spokesman said: "We're currently investigating an intermittent broadband issue that lasted for a very short period of time earlier this evening.

British Ambassador to the UAE has sent a heart-warming message of appreciation to the UAE, as well as to its British citizens who decided to continue staying in the nation amid the coronavirus pandemic. In a televised statement he thanked the UAE government not only in the repatriation of its citizens but also for extending its hand abroad and offering assistance to the healthcare system in London.

The #UAE 's is preparing to launch the Mars probe mission, it has been transferred from #Dubai 's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre to its launch site on the Tanegashima island in Japan. #technology #space #satellite https://t.co/1qt6I8dIqT pic.twitter.com/1gBqbgHmns — English Daily (@EnglishDaily) April 25, 2020 The UAE's Mars probe has been transferred from Dubai's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre to its launch site on the Tanegashima island in Japan. A video showing the massive 83-hour mission was released by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The feat was achieved under the supervision of a team of Emirati engineers despite a Covid-19-triggered suspension of international travel. The video showed the engineers adhering to precautionary measures like wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing as they went about their business. The probe, which forms the core o...

Britain’s biggest steel producer is seeking millions of pounds in support as they struggle with a slump in global orders caused by the coronavirus. Tata Steel has approached ministers to ask for a funding package worth in the region of £500m. The request is said to be under discussion with the Treasury and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Sources close to Tata Steel indicated this weekend that the talks were at a preliminary stage and that no agreement between the company and government yet.

More than 20,000 people have now died with coronavirus in UK hospitals, the Department of Health has announced. The latest figures showed a total of 20,319 deaths in the UK, up by 813 on the previous day. It has taken 51 days for the UK to go from announcing its first death to reaching the latest milestone. The government's figures do not account for deaths that have happened in care homes, at home, in hospices or elsewhere in the community. These are measured separately by the Office for National Statistics, based on death certificates, and a weekly figure is announced each Tuesday.

Captain Tom Moore, the war veteran who raise money for the NHS, has become the oldest person ever to score a number one single in the UK. At the age of 99, his duet with Michael Ball has knocked Canadian superstar The Weeknd from the top of the charts. Their cover of You'll Never Walk Alone sold 82,000 copies, with proceeds going to the NHS Charities Together fund. He thanked the public for buying the single, adding: "We're in this together, and I am forever grateful for your support. "And this just proves 'you'll never walk alone'."

The Duchess of Sussex's allegations that articles in the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline caused a dispute between her and her father are "objectionable", the High Court has heard. Lawyers for publisher Associated Newspapers said Meghan's claim that her father was "harassed" and "manipulated" should not form part of her case. The duchess is suing after articles reproduced parts of a letter she sent to Thomas Markle. The publisher denies the allegations. Meghan is suing for invasion of privacy, breach of data protection and copyright infringement, after two articles in the Mail on Sunday and three on MailOnline published the handwritten letter in February 2019.

The progress made in post-Brexit trade talks between the UK and EU has been disappointing, Michel Barnier has said. The EU's chief negotiator said "genuine progress" and a decision on whether to extend the transition period were both needed by June. The UK said "limited progress" had been made and talks needed to "move forward in a constructive fashion". The two sides will hold two further rounds of talks before the end of the transition period in December.

The first human trial of a coronavirus vaccine has begun in Oxford. Two volunteers were injected, the first of more than 800 people recruited for the study. Half will receive the Covid-19 vaccine, and half a control vaccine which protects against meningitis but not coronavirus. The design of the trial means volunteers will not know which vaccine they are getting, though doctors will. The vaccine was developed in under three months by a team at Oxford University. Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the Jenner Institute, led the pre-clinical research.

UAE has sent 10 tonnes of medical supplies to Italy, sources from The National- UAE reveal. More than 10,000 doctors and nurses can be benefited with the help of the shipment. Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio in his tweet to UAE minister of foreign affairs and international co-operation said, "Thanks to my colleague Abdullah bin Zayed for the friendship and solidarity shown. A gesture that we will not forget." UAE ambassador to Italy, Omar al Shamsi said that the humanitarian programme of UAE 'prioritizes support for the leadership and people of countries experiencing challenges.' "These initiatives include emergency assistance collaborations with the World Health Organizations, as well as the provisions of aid to various countries, including China, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Seychelles to help them overcome the crisis." the ambassador said.

 Wales health minister has been caught swearing about a Labour colleague in a virtual Welsh Assembly session after he left his microphone on by mistake. Vaughan Gething made the comment about Cardiff Central AM Jenny Rathbone.

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE, has sent a message of congratulations to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on Her Majesty's 94th birthday. The Queen turns 94 on April 21. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, also sent similar messages to Her Majesty.

Ronan Hughes, 40, has appeared in court in #Ireland facing charges of counts of manslaughter following the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants found in the back of a lorry in #Essex. He was brought in after police executed a European arrest warrant and detained him in Co Monaghan. Garda Detective Sergeant James Kirwan told the court how he arrested Mr Hughes at Leitrim, Silverstream, Tyholland, Co Monaghan at 5.15pm on Monday. The European arrest warrant outlined charges including 39 counts of manslaughter and one charge of conspiracy to assist in unlawful immigration.

The Lyrid #meteor shower is expected to peak on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, and there could be around 20 meteors an hour. The Lyrid meteor shower is a burst of activity which takes place annually, is associated with the Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. Experts also claim stargazers could see "occasional fireballs" that can be "bigger and brighter" than shooting stars, and last longer - "for between five and 10 seconds", as they say you could "blink and miss a meteor".

The Duke and Duchess of #Sussex have told the UK's tabloids they are ending all co-operation with them. In a letter to editors of all the Sun, Mirror, Mail and Express titles and websites, the pair had taken the step due to "distorted, false or invasive" stories. Harry and Meghan said they refused to "offer themselves up as currency for an economy of click bait and distortion". In the letter, the couple's PR said it was "gravely concerning that an influential slice of the media" has printed "distorted, false or invasive" articles.

Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, was thanked for keeping the UAE's airports open. (Pawan Singh/The National) A senior British government official has praised the work of the UAE in helping to repatriate UK citizens amid the coronavirus outbreak. Middle East Minister James Cleverly said co-operation between the UK and UAE "is helping us to meet the challenges presented by the coronavirus". The @ForeignOffice remains focused on getting Brits home. I thanked my UAE 🇦🇪 counterpart @AnwarGargash this morning for the Emirates’ support, keeping airports open. 🇬🇧 & 🇦🇪 cooperation is helping us meet the challenges presented by #coronavirus . — James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) April 16, 2020 Speaking with Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cleverly thanked the UAE for its support and for keeping the airports open. The UK and UAE have also signed an agreement that allows Britons stranded abr...

A plane carrying new equipment for the NHS - including 10 million face masks - has landed in Scotland from China. Infusion pumps for intensive care units and laboratory kits are also listed among the cargo items, which have arrived at Prestwick Airport. The charter flight landed at Prestwick on Saturday morning. The Scottish government said it was working to ensure staff got the right personal protective equipment (PPE).

Michael Whitty, 47, has been charged with arson after a mobile telephone mast was damaged in a fire. The blaze happened in Coopers Lane, Kirkby, Merseyside, at about 21:45 BST on 5 April. He is due to appear at Sefton Adult Remand Court on Saturday. Phone mast attacks have occurred across the UK after theories spread on social media claiming that coronavirus was linked to the rollout of 5G technology. Scientists have described such a theory as "a physical and biological impossibility".

Captain Tom Moore's charity single You'll Never Walk Alone has gone to number one in the iTunes chart. The track, which the 99-year-old fundraiser recorded with Michael Ball, has pushed We'll Meet Again to number two. The 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein song will raise money for the NHS, alongside Captain Moore's ongoing walking appeal. The well-known Carousel number has become an anthem for medical staff during the coronavirus pandemic.

There will be no gun salutes to mark the Queen's 94th birthday on Tuesday because of the coronavirus outbreak. A Buckingham Palace official said the monarch had decided it would not be appropriate at this time. It is believed to be the first time in her 68-year reign that there will be no such salute, which usually take place at Hyde Park and the Tower of London. The Trooping the Colour parade in June to mark the Queen's official birthday has already been cancelled.

Lockdown restrictions in the UK will continue for "at least" another three weeks, Dominic Raab has said. The foreign secretary told the daily No 10 briefing that a review had concluded relaxing the measures now would risk harming public health and the economy. "We still don't have the infection rate down as far as we need to," he said. The United Kingdom Ministers are required by law to assess whether the rules are working, based on expert advice, every three weeks. Mr. Raab, deputizing for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovers from the illness, said: "There is light at the end of the tunnel but we are now at both a delicate and a dangerous stage in this pandemic.

A #Turkish warship fired missiles into the city of Al-Ajaylat, west of the #Libyan capital. A Libyan news website reported that rockets fired by a Turkish warship from the sea fell in the agricultural area of ​​Dhahra, on the outskirts of the army-held city of Al-Ajaylat, which is under the control of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Turkish warship may have intended to target Al-Watiya Air Force Base, which is located in the south. However, the missiles were aimed and fired in the wrong direction.

Chelsea FC will provide 78,000 meals to NHS staff and carers over the next six weeks as they look to support the most vulnerable through the coronavirus pandemic. The Blues have already opened the doors of the Millennium Hotel at Stamford Bridge to NHS staff. The club will pay for 13,000 meals a week which will be provided by their catering partner Levy and distributed daily to the five London hospitals under the umbrella of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Smugglers hid cocaine worth more than £1m in a consignment of protective face masks, Border Force officials said. Officers found the 14kg haul in a Polish-registered van as it attempted to enter the UK through the Channel Tunnel. The driver, a 34-year-old Polish national, has been arrested. Ian Hanson, Border Force regional director, said it was "despicable" to think drug smugglers would try to exploit the coronavirus situation.

Qatari authorities rounded up and expelled dozens of migrant workers after telling them they were being taken to be tested for COVID-19, Amnesty International has learned. The organization interviewed 20 men from Nepal who were apprehended by Qatari police, alongside hundreds of others, in March. The police told most of the men that they were going to be tested for COVID-19 and would be returned to their accommodation afterwards. Instead, they were taken to detention centres and held in appalling conditions for several days, before being sent to Nepal. “None of the men we spoke to had received any explanation for why they were treated this way, nor were they able to challenge their detention or expulsion. After spending days in inhumane detention conditions, many were not even given the chance to collect their belongings before they were put on planes to Nepal,” said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director of Global Issues. “It is disturbing th...

A 99-year-old army veteran who has raised more than £7m for the NHS said the fundraising has been "completely out of this world". Tom Moore aimed to raise £1,000 by completing 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden by Thursday. "Every penny that we get, they [the NHS] deserve every one of it," he said, as the total exceeded the £5m mark. Mr Moore began raising funds to thank the "magnificent" NHS staff who helped him with treatment for cancer and a broken hip.

Libyan interim government penned a letter to the Turkish people in which the Benghazi-based administration criticized the Ankara regime and its leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, violated all norms and laws, by supporting the terrorist groups he belongs to, to occupy the capital, Tripoli,” the foreign ministry said. The statement described Erdogan as “the godfather of terrorism”, noting that he had sent to the Government of National Accord (GNA) “foreign mercenaries, drones that bombard innocent people of our people, ships carrying all kinds of weapons and ammunition, missiles and armored vehicles, and cast your children from the Turkish army in support and training of criminal gangs to kill the Libyans. ”

The UK government has fallen well short of the number of ventilators it planned to add to the UK's stocks to treat coronavirus patients. Additional 200 ventilators have been sent out to the NHS in the past week, Downing Street said on Monday. Health Secretary Matt Hancock had earlier promised that around 1,500 ventilators would be acquired in that time frame. On Sunday 5 April, Mr. Hancock said the UK had between 9,000 and 10,000 ventilators - with an extra 2,000 spares attached to critical care beds

The UK's independent tax and spending watchdog has warned the coronavirus pandemic could see the economy shrink by a record 35% by June. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said that this was based on an assumption that the current lockdown would last for three months. The IMF expects the UK economy will shrink by 6.5% in 2020. It said the pandemic had plunged the world into a "crisis like no other". The OBR's estimates - which focus on the virus's impact on the UK economy and public finances - is more severe.

Huawei has urged ministers not to restrict its involvement in rolling out 5G services across Britain. Senior Tories have threatened a Commons showdown this summer to try to limit the company's access to the end of 2022. In January, the firm got the green light to supply "non-core" elements of the network in a move that US President Donald Trump disapprove of. Critics claim using its Huawei technology would be a security risk and could facilitate spying by the Chinese government.

Tottenham FC has reversed its decision to use the UK furlough scheme for some non-playing staff during the coronavirus crisis following criticism from supporters. The club earlier announced that 550 employees would take a 20% pay cut in an attempt "to protect jobs". But on Monday, a Spurs statement said non-playing staff will receive "100% of their pay for April and May". Only board members will now take salary reductions, the statement added. That includes chairman Daniel Levy, who earned £7m last year.

Iran has agreed to increase its monthly payments to terror group Hamas in exchange for intelligence on Israeli missile capabilities. The Islamic Republic is a longtime financial supporter of Hamas, the terror organization that is committed to Israel’s destruction. In a recent meeting in Tehran between nine senior Hamas officials and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran expressed willingness to raise its monthly financial backing to the terror group to an unprecedented $30 million per month, Channel 12 reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron has accused his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan of breaking his promise to stay out of Libya. Mr Macron said Turkish warships accompanied by Syrian mercenaries had been spotted arriving in Libyan. Mr Macron said the presence of Turkish warships was "a clear violation" of what President Erdogan had pledged in Berlin during a conference on Libya with other world leaders. Mr Macron called Turkey's actions "detrimental to the security of all Europeans and Sahelians".

In Libya, there are more than 4,750 militants sent there by the Turkish authorities. Their total number was calculated by the activists of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The data was published on the organization’s website. Turkey strengthened its support for the Libyan PNS army, which was opposing Field Marshal Haftar’s forces, which were attacking Tripoli. Additional military advisers and weapons were sent to Libya by Turkey.

The UK has recorded 917 new coronavirus deaths - including an 11-year-old. This brings the total number of UK deaths to 9,875, according to the Department of Health, making it likely that the toll will pass 10,000 on Easter Sunday. The rise in cases announced on Saturday was slightly lower than the rise of 980 announced on Friday. England reported 823 new deaths, with victims aged between 11 and 102, NHS England said.

An exiled Russian banker who fled to the UK has donated £1m to a hospital to help its response to the coronavirus pandemic. Andrey Borodin and his wife Tatiana made the generous donation to the Royal Berkshire Hospital to support staff and for their wellbeing.

A 99-year-old war veteran has left hospital fit and well after recovering from #coronavirus . Nurses at Tickhill Road Hospital in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, made a socially-distanced "guard of honour" for Albert Chambers as he left. pic.twitter.com/fPaQbSPbvu — English Daily (@EnglishDaily) April 10, 2020

Former Liverpool player and manager Sir Kenny Dalglish has tested positive for coronavirus. Dalglish was admitted to hospital due to an infection but was also tested for the virus, which "unexpectedly" came back positive despite him not showing any symptoms. The 69-year-old will remain in the hospital for further treatment. "Prior to his admission to hospital, Sir Kenny had chosen to voluntarily self-isolate for longer than the advised period together with his family," said a statement from Dalglish's family.

The UK MPs can claim £10,000 for additional office costs incurred as a result of the coronavirus, Parliament's expenses authority has said. The money can be used to buy additional equipment such as laptops and printers for staff having to work from home. This comes on top of the £26,000 MPs can claim to cover office costs. The extra funding will be available until March 2021 and come with a relaxation of the rules on the evidence of purchases.

A police chief has warned those who flout the coronavirus lockdown that they could be arrested and end up with a criminal record for not following the rules. Stringent rules restricting people's movements were introduced last month in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus. When asked if his force would be prepared to arrest people for things like sunbathing or gathering in large groups, Northamptonshire Police chief constable Nick Adderley said: "Yes, What I'm saying is we've got to get really serious with this, people are dying every day."

Another 938 coronavirus patients have died in UK hospitals, taking the total to 7,097. The Department of Health said as of 9am on Wednesday, 232,708 people have been tested, of which 60,733 tested positive. Overall, 282,074 tests have been carried out, with 14,682 tests on Tuesday. In England, there have been 828 more deaths, with the total now 6,483.