A serving Met police officer charged with the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard is to face trial in autumn.PC Wayne Couzens, 48, is accused of killing the 33-year-old marketing executive who vanished while walking home from a friend’s flat in Clapham, south London on March 3.He appeared in court via video link from the Category A Belmarsh Prison in south-east London on Tuesday morning.He will be remanded in custody until a plea hearing on July 9, with a provisional trial date set for October 25.Couzens, from Deal in Kent, sat with his head bowed during the hearing and spoke only to confirm...…A serving Met police officer charged with the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard is to face trial in autumn.PC Wayne Couzens, 48, is accused of killing the 33-year-old marketing executive who vanished while walking home from a friend’s flat in Clapham, south London on March 3.He appeared in court via video link from the Category A Belmarsh Prison in south-east London on Tuesday morning.He will be remanded in custody until a plea hearing on July 9, with a provisional trial date set for October 25.Couzens, from Deal in Kent, sat with his head bowed during the hearing and spoke only to confirm...WW…

Crossing the Scottish border will be illegal from today under sweeping new coronavirus restrictions branded ‘deeply flawed’ by critics.As of 6pm on Friday, entering or leaving Scotland without a reasonable excuse is banned and anyone caught doing so could be hit with a £60 fine.The regulations have been criticised by opposition parties, which said they had ‘grave doubts’ about the competence of Scottish ministers to implement the legislation.According to a draft document published on Thursday evening, anyone living in Scotland must not travel to any other part of the common travel area...…Crossing the Scottish border will be illegal from today under sweeping new coronavirus restrictions branded ‘deeply flawed’ by critics.As of 6pm on Friday, entering or leaving Scotland without a reasonable excuse is banned and anyone caught doing so could be hit with a £60 fine.The regulations have been criticised by opposition parties, which said they had ‘grave doubts’ about the competence of Scottish ministers to implement the legislation.According to a draft document published on Thursday evening, anyone living in Scotland must not travel to any other part of the common travel area...WW…

sharesFrench President Emmanuel Macron has declared the country ‘under attack’ and said soldiers would be posted at churches to ‘protect’ them.The country is reeling from a string of incidents feared to be terror-related, beginning with a knife attack in NiceMr Macron halted a parliament debate on coronavirus lockdown to visit the scene of the tragedy in the southern city.He told reporters in Nice: ‘If we are attacked, it is because of our values, our values of freedom and our desire not to yield to terror. ‘A deployment of soldiers [is] to be stepped up on French territory,...…sharesFrench President Emmanuel Macron has declared the country ‘under attack’ and said soldiers would be posted at churches to ‘protect’ them.The country is reeling from a string of incidents feared to be terror-related, beginning with a knife attack in NiceMr Macron halted a parliament debate on coronavirus lockdown to visit the scene of the tragedy in the southern city.He told reporters in Nice: ‘If we are attacked, it is because of our values, our values of freedom and our desire not to yield to terror. ‘A deployment of soldiers [is] to be stepped up on French territory,...WW…

has admitted the UK is ‘now seeing a second wave coming in’ and that it was ‘inevitable’ coronavirus would hit the country again.The prime minister said a second national lockdown was the ‘last thing anybody wants’ but that it could not be ruled out if current measures don’t bring the virus down.Around 10 million people are living under tighter restrictions in the UK after the North East, Merseyside and Lancashire were put on lockdown this week. Measures to contain the virus are already in place in parts of the Midlands, Greater Manchester, south Wales and Scotland.Mr Johnson said his...…has admitted the UK is ‘now seeing a second wave coming in’ and that it was ‘inevitable’ coronavirus would hit the country again.The prime minister said a second national lockdown was the ‘last thing anybody wants’ but that it could not be ruled out if current measures don’t bring the virus down.Around 10 million people are living under tighter restrictions in the UK after the North East, Merseyside and Lancashire were put on lockdown this week. Measures to contain the virus are already in place in parts of the Midlands, Greater Manchester, south Wales and Scotland.Mr Johnson said his...WW…

Health Secretary Matt Hancockhas reportedly called for an urgent review into the way Public Health England (PHE) counts coronavirus deaths.A scientist has realised PHE is ‘over-exaggerating’ the daily coronavirus death toll because it counts people as victims if they die of any cause at any time after testing positive for Covid-19.  Dr Yoon Loke, a pharmacologist at the University of East Anglia, made his findings public in a blog post on Thursday night.He wrote: ‘It seems that PHE regularly looks for people on the NHS database who have ever tested positive, and simply checks to...…Health Secretary Matt Hancockhas reportedly called for an urgent review into the way Public Health England (PHE) counts coronavirus deaths.A scientist has realised PHE is ‘over-exaggerating’ the daily coronavirus death toll because it counts people as victims if they die of any cause at any time after testing positive for Covid-19.  Dr Yoon Loke, a pharmacologist at the University of East Anglia, made his findings public in a blog post on Thursday night.He wrote: ‘It seems that PHE regularly looks for people on the NHS database who have ever tested positive, and simply checks to...WW…

A man was seen urinating by the memorial to murdered officer Keith Palmer as tensions flared between police and far-right groups in the capital today.Mr Palmer was tragically killed as he protected Parliament from a terrorist attack on 22 March, 2017.Pictures show a man relieving himself right next to Palmer’s plaque which was erected outside the Palace of Westminster last February.At the time, then Speaker of the House John Bercow said it would serve ‘as a lasting tribute to his dedication and his courage’ and ensure visitors would ‘never forget the sacrifice and heroism of this brave...…A man was seen urinating by the memorial to murdered officer Keith Palmer as tensions flared between police and far-right groups in the capital today.Mr Palmer was tragically killed as he protected Parliament from a terrorist attack on 22 March, 2017.Pictures show a man relieving himself right next to Palmer’s plaque which was erected outside the Palace of Westminster last February.At the time, then Speaker of the House John Bercow said it would serve ‘as a lasting tribute to his dedication and his courage’ and ensure visitors would ‘never forget the sacrifice and heroism of this brave...WW…

Around 25,000 homes are without water this morning after a major outage hit properties across South West and West London.It comes as people across the country are stuck indoors to avoid catching or spreading coronavirus, either from self-isolating or sticking to extreme social distancing measures advised by Boris Johnson.The shortage poses a major health risk amid the worsening pandemic, with scientists and health experts advising that washing your hands regularly can protect you from becoming infected with the deadly disease.Thames Water confirmed there is low pressure or no water in...…Around 25,000 homes are without water this morning after a major outage hit properties across South West and West London.It comes as people across the country are stuck indoors to avoid catching or spreading coronavirus, either from self-isolating or sticking to extreme social distancing measures advised by Boris Johnson.The shortage poses a major health risk amid the worsening pandemic, with scientists and health experts advising that washing your hands regularly can protect you from becoming infected with the deadly disease.Thames Water confirmed there is low pressure or no water in...WW…

Government officials are scrambling for a refund after paying £16 million for testing kits that did not work.Downing Street paid the huge sum to two Chinese companies despite the technology behind the kits being unproven, the . AllTest Biotech and Wondfo Biotech, both said their products met the health, safety and environmental standards set by the .Public health officials reviewed the specifications on paper while the foreign office dispatched diplomats in China to ensure the companies existed and to examine their products.The gamble backfired as the tests, said to detect anitbodies...…Government officials are scrambling for a refund after paying £16 million for testing kits that did not work.Downing Street paid the huge sum to two Chinese companies despite the technology behind the kits being unproven, the . AllTest Biotech and Wondfo Biotech, both said their products met the health, safety and environmental standards set by the .Public health officials reviewed the specifications on paper while the foreign office dispatched diplomats in China to ensure the companies existed and to examine their products.The gamble backfired as the tests, said to detect anitbodies...WW…

The UK’s top scientists and manufacturers have been drafted in to form a new coronavirus task force with the ‘single goal’ of developing a vaccine ‘at pace’, the government has announced.Business Secretary Alok Sharma told today’s daily press briefing that the group, which will consist of experts from government, industries, academia and regulators, is already up and running. A further 21 vaccine research projects have been given the green light by the government, which will receive £14 million in funding. This is in addition to six projects announced last month and a former £250...…The UK’s top scientists and manufacturers have been drafted in to form a new coronavirus task force with the ‘single goal’ of developing a vaccine ‘at pace’, the government has announced.Business Secretary Alok Sharma told today’s daily press briefing that the group, which will consist of experts from government, industries, academia and regulators, is already up and running. A further 21 vaccine research projects have been given the green light by the government, which will receive £14 million in funding. This is in addition to six projects announced last month and a former £250...WW…