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The chairwoman of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has begun to hear evidence relating to the impact of the pandemic on patients and the NHS. Baroness Heather Hallett told the inquiry on Monday morning that she understood people’s concerns over how much evidence would be heard but argued the hearing needed to stick to its timescale. It comes after the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK campaign group said only two of the 23 witnesses it put forward for module three of the inquiry would be heard. Lady Hallett said: “I apologise in advance to those who would like us to spend more time examining particular issues in these hearings. “I understand their concerns and, as I have said before, the longer any set of hearings take, the longer the delay in making recommendations and the longer the delay in investigating other important modules, such as the impact on the care sector and children and young people.” Module three of the inquiry began on Monday with a film showing patients and NHS workers speaking about working on the frontline during the pandemic. Writer and broadcaster Michael Rosen is seen discussing his treatment in intensive care when he was struck by Covid-19. He said he was asked by staff to sign a form authorising him to be put “to sleep”. When he asked whether he would wake up, he was told he would have a “50/50” chance, he said. This part of the inquiry is looking at the governmental and societal response to Covid-19 by assessing the impact of the pandemic on how NHS services were delivered. This will include how managers led the pandemic response, the role of primary care and GPs, NHS backlogs and how the vaccine programme was integrated. The diagnosis of long Covid and the support offered to those affected will also be examined. Evidence this week will come from Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice; Dr Barry Jones, chairman of the Covid-19 Airborne Transmission Alliance; Richard Brunt, director of engagement and policy division at the Health and Safety Executive; and Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison. Jacqueline Carey KC, counsel to the inquiry, told the hearing on Monday there was a “lack of scientific consensus” about the transmission of Covid-19 during the pandemic, which may not yet have been resolved. She also said there were not enough GPs to meet demand, while one practice nurse described having up to 20 different guidelines to read daily which took away from patient care. The NHS 111 services and 999 also came under intense pressure, the inquiry heard. Nicola Brook, solicitor at Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents more than 7,000 families from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group, said before the hearing: “This module of the inquiry is one of the most important in understanding the true horrors of the pandemic. “It will reveal some of the most shocking details, distressing stories and outrageous scandals that took place. “Despite the narrative pedalled by those in charge that the UK coped, the sad fact is people died unnecessarily. “Groups like the disabled and the elderly were written off because it was considered that their lives were not worth saving.” In July, the inquiry’s first report into preparedness for a pandemic found the UK Government and the civil service “failed” the public due to “significant flaws”. It said there was a “damaging absence of focus” on the measures and infrastructure that would be needed to deal with a fast-spreading disease, even though a coronavirus outbreak at pandemic scale “was foreseeable”. The public hearings for module three are expected to run for 10 weeks. Published: 09/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub

The number of people killed in overnight Israeli strikes in Syria has risen to 14 with more than 40 wounded, Syrian state media said. Israeli strikes hit several areas in central Syria late on Sunday, damaging a highway in Hama province and sparking fires, Syrian state news agency SANA said. The initial death count reported by the Masyaf National Hospital in western Hama province was four. SANA, citing hospital head Faysal Haydar, said 14 people were killed and 43 wounded. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said at least four of those killed were civilians. One of the strikes targeted a scientific research centre in Masyaf and others struck sites where “Iranian militias and experts are stationed to develop weapons in Syria”, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Local media also reported strikes around the coastal city of Tartous. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years, but it rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations. The strikes often target Syrian forces or Iranian-backed groups. Israel has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, particularly since Syria is a key route for Iran to send weapons to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Hezbollah has been clashing with Israeli forces for the past 11 months against the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hamas – an ally of Hezbollah – in Gaza. Published: 09/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Sir Keir Starmer has promised action to tackle the online sale of deadly weapons as he hosted a summit with knife crime campaigners including Luther star Idris Elba and victims’ families. The Prime Minister promised to “double down” on commitments made before the general election on tackling knife violence. Elba told the summit “talk is good, but action is important” and said he hoped the work done by a coalition of organisations and campaigners could prevent younger generations being involved in knife crime. Sir Keir said: “Far too many knives are too easily available, whether that’s online, whether that’s through the post.” There are examples of knives “bought online being posted through without any markings, and then people picking them up without any identification, and then those knives being used”. It is “just too shocking – that needs to be dealt with”, he said. Sir Keir suggested ministers will look at the punishments for those caught with knives. The Prime Minister told the knife crime summit in Downing Street: “We also need to deal with the sanctions for those that are found with knives.” But there is also a need to “try to reach into the lives of young people who may be going off the tracks and trying to bring them back before they do so”. Pooja Kanda, whose son Ronan was murdered in 2022 with a zombie knife bought online, told the No 10 summit she was “horrified, absolutely horrified” by what was available to her son’s killer. “It was as easy as picking up a loaf of bread from a supermarket,” she said. Calling for action, she said: “I’m not a policy expert in reducing crime. I’m a grieving mother. “But I will do all I can to ensure that the failings that led to my son’s murder are corrected.” She added: “It blows my mind at how easy it is to purchase these weapons and have them delivered to your door with absolutely no checks or accountability held.” Elba, who met Sir Keir during the election campaign to push for action on knife crime, said it was important there was a coalition of interests involved in the first summit, which is expected to become an annual event. He said: “We needed joined-up thinking, we needed so many different perspectives: parents’ perspectives, youth workers’ perspectives, charity organisations, governance, policing. “We need all of these perspectives to sit around the table when you think about this. “We aren’t going to end knife crime. We can’t, that’s not realistic. “But we can tackle the attributes towards it. At the centre of it is obviously young people – my son’s 10, and I’m hoping the work that we do annually, keep pushing, (can) help him by the time he’s 16. “There are kids right now that are 16 to 24, they’re in that cycle right now that we might not be able to help, but with our joined-up thinking we can help future generations.” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood were at the Downing Street meeting and the new coalition to tackle knife crime will also include technology companies, sport organisations and representatives from the police and the NHS. Published: 09/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher has said he is “thrilled and honoured” as a “grumpy middle-aged man, who hates having his picture taken” to have his image added to the National Portrait Gallery. The picture of Gallagher, taken by photographer Zoe Law, will go on display for the first time on November 29, as part of the London gallery’s Legends exhibition, which will feature 100 portraits taken by Law of people who have influenced her life and career. The image of Gallagher will remain part of the gallery’s permanent collection once the exhibition ends on March 2 2025. Other stars included in the display of black and white photos are England World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton, actor Orlando Bloom, and a never-before-seen picture of Canadian actress Kim Cattrall. Speaking about having a picture of himself in the gallery, Gallagher said: “I am thrilled and honoured to have my portrait added to the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection. “The thought of the portrait of a grumpy middle-aged man, who frankly hates having his picture taken, being permanently displayed for future generations to marvel at is very special. Thanks and praise.” Law said having her photo of Gallagher become part of the gallery’s permanent collection is “the greatest honour”. She said: “It is the greatest honour that my portrait of the legend Noel Gallagher has been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery – a lasting legacy that all portrait photographers and artists dream of.” It comes after Gallagher and his brother Liam announced that their band, Oasis, will be reuniting for a run of UK and Ireland gigs next year for the first time since breaking up in 2009. Sabina Jaskot-Gill, senior curator of photographs at the gallery, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have recently acquired Zoe Law’s portrait of Noel Gallagher for the National Portrait Gallery’s photographs collection. “I am really looking forward to seeing more of her Legends exhibited across our studio gallery and spotlight space in what promises to be an exciting and innovative display. “I hope that these striking monochromatic portraits – which celebrate the diversity of British cultural life – help inspire the next generation of photographers and visitors to the National Portrait Gallery.” Published: 09/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub

The Metropolitan Police “didn’t get everything right” and could have made arrests sooner when policing recent large-sale protests, the force’s assistant commissioner has said. Matt Twist, who is responsible for protest and public order policing across London, also said the force used an “infinite number of tiers of policing” in response to criticisms of the Met adopting a ‘two-tier’ stance. It comes as a new major report revealed the scale of the impact caused by “a new era of increasingly disruptive protests” on public service finances and public tourism and retail. A series of groups have held frequent protests and counter-protests since October last year, including environmental campaigns by Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion and marches organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) calling for immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Many protests also developed into rioting and disorder after three young girls were killed in an attack in the Merseyside town of Southport on July 29. In an interview with think tank Policy Exchange in May, Matt Twist said: “When we look back at the policing of protests over the last eight months, we know we didn’t get everything right – particularly in the early stages in October. “On occasion we did not move quickly to make arrests, for example the man chanting for ‘Jihad’ which was a decision made following fast time advice from lawyers and the CPS. “We are now much more focused on identifying reasonable grounds for arrest, acting where needed, and then investigating, so in these circumstances its very likely arrests would be made more quickly now.” The assistant commissioner said that while the number of demonstrators had fallen significantly from a peak of around 300,000 people at pro-Palestinian events every fortnight last November to around 5,000 to 10,000 people every third weekend as of May, the protests still represented a “very real policing challenge”. Between last October and June the Palestine-related protests in London cost the Metropolitan Police £42.9million, according to the new report by Policy Exchange. Almost 52,000 Met officers’ shifts and almost 10,000 police officer shifts from forces elsewhere in the country were required for all protests in the same period. On the topic of ‘two-tier’ policing, Mr Twist said: “In public order policing we are neutral as to the cause that is being protested. We base policing tactics on the threat, harm and risk based on the information and intelligence available to us. “In that sense there is no such thing as ‘two-tier or differential policing’ – there are in fact an infinite number of tiers of policing, depending on the threat, harm and risk.” The report found current legislation requires protest organisers to only provide six days’ notice to the police of their intention to stage a march. Final plans for the event are often therefore only provided to the public the day before or the day of a march itself, which is “simply unreasonable for the public to be required to continually adapt”, the report says. It also found that in nearly a third of cases, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is choosing not to prosecute suspects in public order cases based on ‘public interest’ grounds, almost double the number in robbery or homicide cases. A nationwide poll of more than 1,500 adults was also conducted for the study to gauge public attitudes towards major protests. It found that more than two thirds of respondents would drop plans to travel with small children (71%) or an elderly or mobility-impaired friend of relative (69%) if a major protest was taking place in a nearby city or town centre. In terms of leisure and retail, 62% of those surveyed would drop plans to visit a tourist attraction while 58% would drop plans to go shopping, with the latter rising to 69% for women. More than half (58%) of those surveyed said they did not believe an organisation should be allowed to protest more than once a month. As of September 7, there have been 18 PSC-organised demonstrations in central London since last October. Among its 26 recommendations, the report calls on the Government to change the criteria to prohibit a protest march under section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 to include ‘serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community’, and to establish a Protest Commission for London appointed by the Home Secretary. It also calls on the Met to impose “more stringent” conditions on protest marches, relating to the length of time, locations and distance over which they are held, and on all police forces to publish the full records of discussions between them and protest organisers well in advance of an event. Former Met commissioner Lord Hogan-Howe QPM, who endorsed the report, said: “In recent years the policing of protest has become increasingly challenging for police commanders and officers on the ground. “We regularly see police officers demonstrating conspicuous courage and for that they deserve our gratitude and respect. “As this timely and detailed Policy Exchange report shows, the Government must rebalance the legal regime in favour of ordinary members of the public going about their daily lives.” Published: 09/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Analysis of Covid-related contracts worth some £15.5 billion has identified corruption concerns, campaigners have claimed. The research by Transparency International UK suggests there are questions to answer about the nature of 135 contracts made during the pandemic. The group points to at least 28 contracts, worth £4.1 billion, which went to organisations with close connections at Westminster, particularly with the Conservatives who were in government during the pandemic. It also raises concerns about contracts awarded through the VIP lane, a system deemed unlawful by the high court, of which 15 contracts worth £1.7 billion were awarded to politically connected suppliers. The analysis also raises red flags about contracts which went to “new inexperienced suppliers”, and uncompetitive processes. It comes as the Covid-19 Inquiry is set to reconvene for its third module, examining the impact of the pandemic on the UK’s health services. Daniel Bruce, chief executive of Transparency International UK, said: “The scale of corruption risk in the former government’s approach to spending public money during the years of the Covid pandemic was profound.” He added: “The Covid procurement response was marked by various points of systemic weakness and political choices that allowed cronyism to thrive, all enabled by woefully inadequate public transparency. “As far as we can ascertain, no other country used a system like the UK’s VIP lane in their Covid response.” He urged the authorities to “ensure full accountability”, as ministers look to appoint a Covid corruption commissioner. The report titled Behind the Masks, due to be launched in Westminster on Monday afternoon, recommends ministers investigate the concerns it highlights, bolster its procurement practices and safeguards against impropriety. A Conservative spokesman said: “Government policy was in no way influenced by the donations the party received – they are entirely separate.” Rachel Reeves told the Commons in July a Covid anti-corruption probe would go ahead, aimed at clawing back money from Covid fraud. A spokesperson for the Treasury, which is now leading efforts on investigating Covid era corruption, said: “The Chancellor has been clear that she will not tolerate waste and will appoint a Covid corruption commissioner to get back the money that is owed to the British people. “The commissioner will report directly to the Chancellor, working with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and their report will be presented to Parliament for all Members to see.” Published: 09/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Measures to empower local leaders to take control of bus services have been unveiled by the Government. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh claimed her “bus revolution” will save vital routes nationwide. Legislation giving all local transport authorities new powers to run their own bus services will be laid before Parliament on Monday in the form of a statutory instrument. Only metro mayors can currently control services in this way. The Government has also launched a consultation on new, simplified guidance speeding up processes and reducing costs for local leaders looking to bring services into public control. This model – known as bus franchising – involves local authorities granting private companies the right to operate in a specific area but retaining control over key aspects of the service such as routes, timetables and fares. The Department for Transport (DfT) plans to bring forward a Buses Bill later in this parliamentary session to deliver changes to further support franchising, alongside other measures on areas such as funding and accessible travel. The annual total distance travelled by buses in England has fallen by nearly 300 million miles since 2010, according to the department. Ms Haigh said: “Buses are the lifeblood of our communities, but for too many people it has become impossible to rely on local services, as routes have been slashed and timetables hollowed out. “Today is the first stop on our journey to delivering better buses across the country. “After decades of failed deregulation, local leaders will finally have the powers to provide services that deliver for passengers. “And we are taking steps to support local leaders to deliver improved bus services faster and cheaper than ever before. “With local communities firmly back in the driving seat, our bus revolution will save vital routes up and down the country and put passengers first.” Jason Prince, director of the Urban Transport Group, which represents seven major city transport authorities, said: “We welcome the pace at which Government is moving on its ambitious transport agenda. “Buses are the cornerstone of our public transport system, so it’s greatly encouraging to see this new package of measures which will deliver better bus services for more local areas. “We look forward to working with Government to create a smoother journey for all bus passengers.” Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association which represents councils, said the proposals were “a step towards helping to restore public faith in local bus networks”. “Buses remain critical to local government’s efforts to ensure that everyone can benefit from inclusive economic growth and job opportunities, and to prevent social isolation by making local services more accessible. “They also continue to play a vital role in reducing carbon and other harmful emissions. “These proposed measures recognise the fundamental role of local leadership in shaping future bus provision, which the LGA has long been calling for. “Alongside anticipated reform to funding and bus subsidies, these proposals are a step towards helping to restore public faith in local bus networks and ensuring that bus services have a bright future.” Silviya Barrett, director of policy and research at Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Allowing local authorities to choose how best to deliver bus services and giving them greater control of routes, fares and standards where needed, could help to sustain and protect bus services, creating a more reliable bus network for all. “Whilst franchising may not be suitable for all areas, everyone should have access to a quality bus service without risk of it being cut, which is why we are also calling for a minimum service level guarantee and long-term, ringfenced funding for all local authorities.” Helen Whately, the shadow transport secretary, said: “Labour’s plans are unfunded. They need to explain whether local authorities will raise council tax or make cuts to vital services like social care to fund this. “Moreover, it won’t make a blind bit of difference for passengers. It won’t increase the number of services and they would much prefer to have the £2 fare cap extended at the Budget.” Published: 09/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub

The impact of the Covid pandemic on NHS workers, patients and the delivery of healthcare is set to be examined by a public inquiry. The first public hearings of module three of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry will be held on Monday, with leaders from the Health and Safety Executive and Unison expected to give evidence this week. This part of the inquiry is looking at the governmental and societal response to Covid-19 by assessing the impact of the pandemic on how NHS services were delivered. This will include how managers led the pandemic response, the role of primary care and GPs, NHS backlogs, and how the vaccine programme was integrated. The diagnosis of long Covid and the support offered to those affected will also be examined. Evidence this week will come from Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice; Dr Barry Jones, chair of the Covid-19 Airborne Transmission Alliance; Richard Brunt, director of engagement and policy division at the Health and Safety Executive; and Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison. Nicola Brook, solicitor at Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents more than 7,000 families from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group, said: “This module of the inquiry is one of the most important in understanding the true horrors of the pandemic. “It will reveal some of the most shocking details, distressing stories and outrageous scandals that took place. “Despite the narrative pedalled by those in charge that the UK coped, the sad fact is people died unnecessarily. “Groups like the disabled and the elderly were written off because it was considered that their lives were not worth saving.” In July, the inquiry’s first report into preparedness for a pandemic found the UK Government and the civil service “failed” the public due to “significant flaws”. It said there was a “damaging absence of focus” on the measures and infrastructure that would be needed to deal with a fast-spreading disease, even though a coronavirus outbreak at pandemic scale “was foreseeable”. Chair Baroness Heather Hallett said lessons must be learned because, unless changes are made, the next pandemic will “bring with it immense suffering and huge financial cost, and the most vulnerable in society will suffer the most”. She added: “There were serious errors on the part of the state and serious flaws in our civil emergency systems. This cannot be allowed to happen again.” The public hearings for module three are expected to run for 10 weeks.   Published: 09/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Hollywood actor Idris Elba will join the Prime Minister in Downing Street to launch a new effort to tackle knife crime. Elba, an anti-knife crime campaigner, will join Sir Keir Starmer on Monday morning as he launches the coalition which aims to stop young people from being dragged into violent gangs. The coalition will bring together campaign groups, families of people who have lost their lives to knife crime, and young people who have been affected by it – as well as Elba and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Technology companies, sporting organisations, the health service, and the police are also involved in what is expected to the first annual knife crime summit. The coalition will work with experts to develop an understanding of what causes young people to be dragged into knife crime. “We need to tackle the root causes of knife crime, not just the symptoms,” said Elba. He added: “The coalition is a positive step toward rehabilitating our communities from the inside out.” The Prime Minister is expected to share how personal the task is for him, drawing from his legal career. Ahead of the gathering, Sir Keir said: “As director of public prosecutions, I saw first hand the devastating impact that knife crime has on young people and their families. This is a national crisis that we will tackle head on. “We will take this moment to come together as a country – politicians, families of victims, young people themselves, community leaders and tech companies – to halve knife crime and take back our streets.” Ministers have already taken steps to ban so-called ninja swords, and plan to strengthen the laws around the online sales of knives. Commander Stephen Clayman, the national policing lead for knife crime, has been tasked with leading a rapid review to understand how these weapons are sold online and delivered to under 18s, and to close loopholes in the law. He will report back to the Home Secretary by the end of the year. Ms Cooper said: “Getting weapons off our streets and making sure there are tough and clear consequences for violence are vital. “And we also need to prevent young people heading down this path – that means offering young people more hope, more opportunities.” Today’s announcement is the first step in the Government’s 10-year plan to tackle knife crime, which will be central to its mission to keep our streets safe. Published: 08/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Jannik Sinner let his tennis do the talking as he won the US Open for the first time. The world number one came into the tournament under a cloud following his anti-doping scandal, where he escaped a ban despite two positive tests in March. Many people thought Sinner was lucky not to be suspended but he put all that to one side to claim a second grand slam title of the year by ending Taylor Fritz’s American dream in New York. The Italian, who beat Britain’s Jack Draper in the semi-final, won 6-3 6-4 7-5 to add this crown to the title he won in Australia. Fritz, backed by a partisan crowd on Arthur Ashe, was hoping to become the first American to win the men’s US Open title since Andy Roddick in 2003. It was not a case of him freezing on the big stage of his first grand slam final, he just came up against an unstoppable force. Sinner has denied any wrongdoing over his failed tests and was absolved of fault or negligence by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). An independent tribunal accepted Sinner’s explanation that clostebol, an anabolic agent that can aid muscle growth, had accidentally entered his system via a product one of his team had used to treat a small wound. But he came under heavy under criticism for the speed at which the case was resolved while some high-profile players, such as Nick Kyrgios, questioned whether he should still have been banned regardless. Nobody can question Sinner’s ability on court as he proved why he is ranked as the best player in the world. He was aided by the early exits of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic but did what he needed to do throughout a tournament he grew into. Fritz had come through an emotional all-American semi-final battle with Frances Tiafoe to become the first home male finalist at Flushing Meadows in 18 years. And when he turned a 2-0 deficit in the third set into a 3-2 lead he might have believed. But Sinner turned the screw, winning the next four games to take the first set. Fritz matched his opponent toe-for-toe in the second set, until it came to serve to stay in it at 4-5. A couple of wayward shots handed Sinner the set points, which he took with a speared backhand down the line. Fritz’s moment came midway through the third set. After saving two break points he then delivered a fine return game to break Sinner’s serve. He finally had a raucous crowd on their feet but, as he was serving for the set, the Italian showed his champion mentality by breaking back. The rest was inevitable as he quickly reeled off two more games to seal a straight-sets win, becoming the first male Italian champion in New York. Published: 08/09/2024 by Radio NewsHub