Boris Johnson’s approval rating has slumped in the wake of Dominic Cummings’ explosive evidence about the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, an opinion poll suggests. According to the Opinium study, the prime minister’s approval rating now stands at -6% -compared with +6% two weeks ago. But it seems that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer
Politics
Downing Street has defended a meeting between Viktor Orban and Boris Johnson amid renewed criticism over the Hungarian leader’s derogatory comments about migrants. Mr Orban has previously spoken of “Muslim invaders” and said migration is “a poison”, forcing Number 10 to condemn the comments as “divisive and wrong” ahead of their meeting on Friday afternoon.
The government’s refusal to implement an insurance scheme for mass events this year means the festival industry is looking at a “lost summer”, according to a Commons report. Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage has previously ruled out the introduction of such a scheme, claiming it could “pull the rug out from underneath” organisers. Boomtown Festival, which
Matt Hancock committed a “minor breach” of the ministerial code when a coronavirus contract was awarded to his sister’s company in which he had share holdings, an independent report has found. Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests, found that the health secretary made a “technical” breach of the ministerial code of conduct by
More than 1.5 million people flew into the UK between January and April while the UK’s borders were supposed to be heavily restricted, new figures reveal. Home Office data shows that about two-thirds of arrivals in 2021 were non-UK nationals. Labour says the figures demonstrate that the government’s border policy is “weak and dangerous”. Shadow
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is pressuring GOP senators to vote against a January 6 commission to investigate the Capitol riot. #CNN #News
14-year-old Joseph Costello reacts to being selected as the winner of a four-year, full-ride scholarship to any state school in Ohio after entering the state’s Vax-a-Million giveaway. The program was set up to encourage people to get vaccinated. #AtThisHour #CNN #KateBolduan
New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang on accused a New York Daily News cartoon of engaging in racist tropes and playing on an idea of Asian-Americans as permanent tourists and outsiders. The cartoon, drawn by artist Bill Bramhall, depicts Yang exiting the Times Square subway station as a souvenir shop owner says, “The tourists
Boris Johnson has avoided answering questions on Dominic Cummings’s explosive allegations – but suggested some claims were not based on reality. Mr Johnson sidestepped questions about the claims – including that he is not fit to be PM – during a visit to a hospital on Thursday by saying he was “getting on with the
Matt Hancock is launching a personal fightback after Dominic Cummings’ sensational claims that he should have been sacked for telling lies about COVID. After a brutal onslaught by Boris Johnson’s former aide, the health secretary will come out fighting in the Commons and at a Downing Street news conference. He is answering an urgent question
Dominic Cummings has said Boris Johnson initially considered COVID a “scare story” like swine flu. Boris Johnson’s former adviser kicked off a morning of questioning by MPs over the lessons learnt from the pandemic by saying the government did not do as much as it could in the early months of 2020. Explaining why Mr
New York federal prosecutors investigating Rudy Giuliani have seized material from a wider array of individuals than previously disclosed, according to an unsealed court document. This video and headline have been updated to reflect that it was not the prosecutors who made the faulty court filing. #CNN #News
Local authorities worst affected by the Indian variant have insisted no further COVID-19 travel restrictions apply to their areas after meeting government officials. The eight councils affected have said people are still allowed to travel in and out of the areas listed on the government website which were interpreted as having stricter measures placed on
According to the Washington Post, New York prosecutors have convened a grand jury in their criminal investigation into the Trump Organization. #CNN #News
NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins tells CNN’s Don Lemon about visiting a restaurant in Atlanta that refused to seat him and his girlfriend. #CNN #News
The vaccines minister has defended changing travel advice for areas of England worst affected by the Indian COVID variant, after Labour accused the government of imposing local lockdowns “by stealth”. Ministers have been criticised for creating “confusion and uncertainty” after people were urged to restrict their social interactions and avoid non-essential travel into and out
The public will likely have to wait longer for details of the government’s review of social distancing rules and its proposals for COVID certification due to the growth in cases of the Indian variant. Downing Street signalled Boris Johnson would wait longer to unveil the plans, despite the prime minister having previously promised to provide
The UK transport secretary has told airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace after a Ryanair flight bound for Lithuania was diverted to Minsk and a journalist on board was detained when it landed. In a tweet, Grant Shapps said: “Following the forced diversion of a @Ryanair aircraft to Minsk yesterday, I’ve instructed @UK_CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)
The sister of murdered MP Jo Cox is to be Labour’s candidate in the Batley and Spen by-election, a poll that could determine whether Sir Keir Starmer survives as party leader. Kim Leadbeater, 44, who only joined the Labour Party recently, will defend the seat once held by Ms Cox. Until recently it was held
Veteran journalist Martin Bashir has said he “never wanted to harm” Princess Diana with his now disgraced BBC Panorama interview, telling the Sunday Times newspaper, “I don’t believe we did.” In the 1995 world exclusive interview, Diana confirmed Prince Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles and described in frank detail how she believed royal life