LONDON (AP) — Britain's Metropolitan Police says it has concluded its investigation into breaches of COVID-19 regulations at British government offices, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official residence, and has issued a total of 126 fines. Police said Thursday that they issued fixed-penalty notices to 53 men and 73 women for gatherings that took place on eight dates between May 2020, at the height of the first wave of the U.K.'s pandemic, and April 2021. Some people received multiple fines. The scandal, dubbed “partygate” by the media, has dealt a heavy blow to Johnson's leadership. The conclusion of the police investigation means that results from a separate probe by a senior civil servant, Sue Gray, can now be published. Government officials say the Gray report, which is being closely watched for the extent to which it censures Johnson and his Conservative government, will be published as soon as possible, though unlikely before next week. Johnson apologized … [Read more...] about UK police conclude probe into Johnson’s ‘partygate’ scandal
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A Louisiana teacher seeks to survive inflation, one plasma donation at a time
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 SLIDELL, La. - Tuesdays she asked for the needle in her left arm, and one afternoon in late April, Christina Seal, 41, arrived at the clinic after work. The parking lot was almost full, as usual. She had been giving plasma for nearly six months, and she had a routine locked in place. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Two Sam's Club protein shakes and an iron supplement a day to keep herself serviceable. Afterward, vitamin E oil on her skin to prevent needle scars. The routine had helped tame into normalcy what at first had felt so bizarre. "I never thought I would be in a position where I would have to sell my plasma to feed my children," she would say later. This was where inflation had driven Seal. A month earlier, the Bureau of Labor Statistics had announced that prices had risen 8.5% over the past year, the largest annual jump since December 1981. Fuel, food and housing costs … [Read more...] about A Louisiana teacher seeks to survive inflation, one plasma donation at a time
Ministry plans to open registration for migrant workers
Workers hold signs as they celebrate Labour Day on May 1 at Democracy Monument, Bangkok. (File photo: Apichit Jinakul) The Labour Ministry will open registration for illegal migrant workers in the country and those whose work permits are about to expire after the ministry's proposal has received cabinet approval. A meeting of the migrant workers' policy management committee and concerned agencies on Thursday agreed on four issues, Department of Employment director-general Pairoj Chotikasathien said. The meeting agreed that registration will be open for illegal migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. They include workers with expired work permits and those without a work permit. Employers are required to submit lists of their migrant workers to the department to apply for online registration. Their workers will then be allowed to work in the country until Feb 13 next year. Migrant workers who wish to apply for a permit extension can have their one-year … [Read more...] about Ministry plans to open registration for migrant workers
North Korea ‘ready for nuclear test’ with Biden due in Seoul
North Korea has carried out a record-breaking blitz of missile launches this year. SEOUL: North Korea is poised to conduct a nuclear test, Seoul said Thursday, as the United States warned it could come as President Joe Biden visits South Korea this week. The visits to Seoul, followed by Tokyo, are being touted as proof that Washington is seeking to cement its years-long pivot to Asia, where rising Chinese commercial and military power is undercutting decades of US dominance. However, Biden's first trip as president to the region looks set to be overshadowed by an increasingly belligerent North Korea. Despite a spiralling Covid outbreak, Pyongyang's "preparations for a nuclear test have been completed and they are only looking for the right time", South Korean lawmaker Ha Tae-keung said after being briefed by Seoul's spy agency. US intelligence says there is a "genuine possibility" that North Korea's Kim Jong Un could stage this "provocation" after Biden arrives in Seoul late … [Read more...] about North Korea ‘ready for nuclear test’ with Biden due in Seoul
2022 Lausitzring DTM: Start time, how to watch and more
Listen to this article The DTM will once again employ the banked Turn 1 that forms part of the tri-oval following a positive reaction from fans and drivers alike last year. The high-speed left-hander replaces a complex sequence of slow-to-medium speed corners, increasing the average speed of the track and potentially creating more opportunities for overtaking. Lamborghini driver Mirko Bortolotti heads to the Lausitzring as the championship leader after scoring back-to-back podiums at Portimao earlier this month. The Italian sits seven points clear of Audi rival Nico Muller, who won the second race of the season opener. Third in the standings is Mercedes man Lucas Auer , winner of the opening Portimao encounter, with Red Bull's Felipe Fraga and Audi racer Kelvin van der Linde tied on points in fourth place. Lausitzring DTM session timings Session GMT BST CEST ET PT AEST JST IST FP1 09:20 10:20 11:20 … [Read more...] about 2022 Lausitzring DTM: Start time, how to watch and more
Ralf expects ‘disastrous’ Spanish GP for Vettel
Ralf Schumacher has predicted a “disastrous” Spanish Grand Prix for Sebastian Vettel and pondered whether the four-time World Champion may retire. The 2022 season has not been kind to Vettel. Forced to miss the first two races due to a bout of Covid, he returned to the track in Australia and to a car performing well below where he would have liked. In his first race back in Melbourne, his comeback was a disaster with two crashes, two fines and an Aston Martin breakdown. So bad was his performance that after the race, he was told he should retire by former F1 team boss Giancarlo Minardi because “he won’t win any more” races. The rain at Imola provided him with an opportunity to showcase his talent as he took his Aston Martin car to P8, but he followed that up with another retirement in Miami following a crash with Mick Schumacher. Mick’s uncle Ralf has now predicted another bad weekend at the Spanish grand Prix for Vettel. “It will be a disastrous weekend … [Read more...] about Ralf expects ‘disastrous’ Spanish GP for Vettel
Magnussen feels guilty about removing wedding ring
Kevin Magnussen says he does not feel comfortable having to remove his wedding ring under the FIA’s jewellery ban. Niels Wittich, one half of the new race director set-up in Formula 1 , was quick to dig up the rule relating to drivers wearing jewellery in the car, re-enforcing the complete ban on that, while the requirement to wear fireproof underwear is also now a part of the scrutineering progress. Magnussen though feels it is probably a bit much to be asking drivers to also remove their wedding ring. “I understand what they are they saying, but it is a wedding ring around your finger,” he said, quoted by Motorsportweek.com. “I’ll take a little bit of extra burn on my finger to race in my wedding ring. And if something was going to happen, something bad, I would want to wear my wedding ring. It kind of feels bad to take it off. “With something like that, like your wedding ring. Let us take that responsibility. There must be somehow to remove liability.” Magnussen’s … [Read more...] about Magnussen feels guilty about removing wedding ring
They all starred in ‘Godspell’ – then they became comedy legends
They all still remember when Gilda Radner sang "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." It was the final callback auditions for a 1972 production of "Godspell," and the Stephen Schwartz musical about ragtag, hippie disciples of Jesus was the most sought-after gig in Toronto, hot off its off-Broadway success the year before. Eugene Levy sat in the auditorium near his college buddy Martin Short, whom he introduced to his friend Andrea Martin. Victor Garber brought a guitar. Paul Shaffer was there to accompany two auditioners on piano. This improbable lineup of ambitious 20-somethings would all end up onstage at the June 1 opening night, before they became famous through Second City, "Saturday Night Live," "SCTV," movies, Broadway and more. For several, "Godspell" at the Royal Alexandra Theatre was their first major job, the moment that nudged their life's trajectory toward show-business stardom. They formed relationships that have lasted 50 years - all while in a musical that is literally about … [Read more...] about They all starred in ‘Godspell’ – then they became comedy legends
The U.S. census estimates it missed more than a half-million Texans during 2020 count
Tripped up by politics and the pandemic — and with only a last-minute investment in promotion by the state — the 2020 census likely undercounted the Texas population by roughly 2%, the U.S. Census Bureau said Thursday. The once-a-decade national count put Texas’ official population at 29,145,505 after it gained the most residents of any state in the last decade, earning two additional congressional seats. In a post-count analysis using survey results from households, the bureau estimated that the count for people living in Texas households — a slightly smaller population than the total population — failed to find more than half a million residents. That’s the equivalent of missing the entire populations of Lubbock, Laredo and then some. The undercount means that many residents were missing from the data used by state lawmakers last year to redraw congressional and legislative districts to distribute political power. For the next decade, the undercount will also be baked into the … [Read more...] about The U.S. census estimates it missed more than a half-million Texans during 2020 count