A confidential settlement between Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre appears to absolve him and any other party who could have been included as a possible defendant from legal claims she had made. The 2009 agreement also makes clear that Epstein paid Ms Giuffre a sum of £500,000 to sign the settlement and end the legal
Month: January 2022
Ministers are “concerned” that the number of over-50s being admitted to hospital with COVID is rising, the education secretary has said. Despite the increasing numbers, Nadhim Zahawi became the second minister in two days to tell Sky News that coronavirus data does not currently suggest further restrictions are needed in England this week ahead of
Schools have been advised by ministers to start preparing for COVID staff shortages by merging classes into larger groups and considering “flexible” teaching options. The latest advice sent to schools in an email from the Department of Education and published in an open letter by Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi comes as many pupils prepare to
Sudan’s prime minister has announced his resignation from the country’s military-controlled government following the reported deaths of two pro-democracy protesters. Abdalla Hamdok’s resignation comes less than two months after he was reinstated into power after signing a power-sharing agreement with the country’s military following the 25 October coup that derailed Sudan‘s transition to democratic rule.
World-renowned conservationist and fossil hunter Richard Leakey, whose discoveries helped prove humankind evolved in Africa, has died at the age of 77. Tributes have poured in for the Kenyan paleoanthropologist who also spearheaded campaigns against the ivory trade to save the dwindling African elephant population. Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta said Leakey had “served our country
A confidential settlement between Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, which could be key to a legal case involving Prince Andrew, is set to be made public today. The 2009 agreement between Epstein – the late disgraced financier – and Ms Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, is due to be released following an order by
Twitter has permanently suspended the personal account of US politician Marjorie Taylor Greene for repeated violations of its COVID-19 misinformation policy. Ms Greene has been kicked off of Twitter after being issued a “fourth strike” in August when she was suspended for a week for saying that vaccines were failing. She claimed in July that
An unidentified person has crossed the demilitarised zone into North Korea. The person was spotted using surveillance equipment on the eastern portion of the heavily fortified border on Saturday night, but South Korean troops failed to capture them. The DMZ stretches from coast to coast on the Korean peninsular. It is about 2.5 miles (4km)
England and Wales have reported 137,583 new COVID cases and 73 coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to official data. Figures from Scotland and Northern Ireland are going to be updated after the bank holiday weekend. It comes after England reported a record high of 162,572 new COVID cases on New Year’s Day.
Further COVID restrictions in England are not expected this week thanks to people testing and getting their boosters, a cabinet minister has suggested. His confidence comes despite warnings from NHS leaders about an intensifying ‘health emergency’ as COVID admissions rise. Cabinet Office minister Stephen Barclay said there has been a “significant behaviour change” by the
One of Britain’s most acquisitive insurance companies has struck a £400m deal to snap up the group which distributes policies for the likes of Marks & Spencer and the RAC. Sky News has learnt that Markerstudy has agreed to buy BGL Insurance, which is owned by the group behind the Comparethemarket price comparison platform in
Thunderstorms are expected to hit the south of England today, bringing the possibility of road closures, power cuts and damage to trees and buildings. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for a band of stormy weather from Exeter in the West across to Norwich in the East. “A band of thunderstorms will
A cyber attack – possibly by China or Russia – hit the academic arm of the UK’s Ministry of Defence and had a “significant” impact, the officer in charge at the time has revealed. Air Marshal Edward Stringer, who retired from the armed forces in August, said the “sophisticated” hack – discovered last March –
Twenty Conservative politicians have urged Boris Johnson to scrap energy taxes as bills continue to rocket. The MPs and peers have written a letter in the Sunday Telegraph to ask the prime minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak to help consumers facing “fuel poverty”. Energy prices in the UK are being forced up faster than any
A fire has broken out at South Africa’s parliament in Cape Town. Flames could be seen and a column of smoke rose into the sky early on Sunday morning. The blaze began in third floor offices and spread to the National Assembly chamber, local fire service spokesman Jermaine Carelse said. No one has been injured,
Prince Andrew’s bid to block the continuation of a lawsuit by a woman who says he sexually assaulted her when she was 17 – on the grounds that she no longer lives in the US – has been rejected by a judge. Federal judge Lewis A Kaplan told the Duke of York’s lawyers in a