Month: October 2021

Getty Images The National Living Wage is set to rise from £8.91 per hour to £9.50 in the Budget on Wednesday. This is a 6.6% increase in the minimum wage for all those aged 23 and over – more than twice the current 3.1% rise in the cost of living. It will take effect from

PA Media This week’s Budget will include an extra £5.9bn for the NHS in England, the government has announced. The money will be used to help clear the backlog of people waiting for tests and scans, and also to buy equipment and improve IT. More details are due on Wednesday – but Chancellor Rishi Sunak

Labour is calling on the government to bring in its Plan B measures to tackle Covid in England, including advice to work from home and compulsory masks. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves also told the BBC the vaccine programme was “stalling” and needed to work better. But Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the data did not currently

Film director Joel Souza says he is “gutted by the loss of my friend and colleague” Halyna Hutchins, in his first statement since a gun accident on the set of a movie in New Mexico. Ms Hutchins was killed and Mr Souza wounded when a prop gun with a live round was fired by actor

The gun that actor Alec Baldwin fired on set, killing a woman, was handed to him by an assistant director who told him it was safe, court records show. The unnamed director did not know the prop contained live ammunition and indicated it was unloaded by shouting “cold gun!”, the records say. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

Jim Weber/The New Mexican Actor Alec Baldwin has expressed his shock and sadness after fatally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a prop gun on a New Mexico film set. He tweeted that he was in touch with her husband and had offered support. “My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who

Getty Images A woman has died and a man injured after actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a New Mexico film set. Police in the US state said Mr Baldwin discharged the weapon during filming for the 19th Century western Rust on Thursday. The woman, 42, was taken to hospital but died of

PA Media The Queen spent Wednesday night in hospital for preliminary medical checks and is now back at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace has said. The 95-year-old monarch returned from hospital at lunchtime on Thursday and is “in good spirits”, the palace added. The Queen was said to be “disappointed” after cancelling a visit to Northern

A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder and the preparation of terrorist acts after the fatal stabbing of MP Sir David Amess. Ali Harbi Ali was arrested following the attack at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on Friday. Sir David, a Conservative MP since 1983, suffered multiple stab wounds and died at the

If not enough people get vaccinated, it is more likely restrictions will be reintroduced in England, the health secretary has said. Sajid Javid said the government would not be bringing in its Plan B measures, which include mandatory face coverings and working from home, “at this point”. He added that he did not believe the

Reuters Some Covid restrictions must immediately be reintroduced if England is to avoid “stumbling into a winter crisis”, health leaders have warned. The NHS Confederation said ministers’ “Plan B” back-up strategy, including mandatory face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces, should be implemented. UK cases have been rising sharply but deaths are well below the

PA Media Downing Street says it is “keeping a very close eye” on rising Covid cases – but the cabinet has not yet discussed rolling out its Plan B to control coronavirus in England this winter. Daily cases have been above 40,000 for seven days in a row, with 43,738 new Covid cases reported on

Getty Images Another big push towards electric vehicles is being made in the UK government’s latest strategy to make the great shift to a virtually zero-carbon economy. Ministers are investing £620m in grants for electric vehicles and street charging points. Car makers will be mandated to sell a proportion of clean vehicles each year. An

STEPHEN HUNTLEY Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced the Queen has agreed Southend will be granted city status following the killing of MP Sir David Amess. Sir David was stabbed to death at Belfairs Methodist Church on Friday. He regularly championed Southend’s case to be a city during his time in Parliament. Mr Johnson told

PA Media The family of Sir David Amess have visited the church where he was killed to see some of the many tributes left in his memory. Sir David’s widow, Julia, was comforted by family members as she read messages during the 10-minute visit to Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea. The family have said their