The Prime Minister is set to face further questions over parties at 10 Downing Street as the wait for Sue Gray's report into possible lockdown breaches continues.
The senior civil servant’s inquiry had been expected to be finalised this week, with reports suggesting it could be published to coincide with Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, or possibly on Thursday. It comes as police launched their own probe into multiple events in No 10 after being passed information from the Gray inquiry.
In other news, a primary school teacher has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty by the RSPCA after she was filmed appearing to punch and kick a horse.
Sarah Moulds, 37, was fired from her post at the Mowbray Education Trust in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, last month after footage was shared online showing a woman repeatedly slapping the animal when it ran into the road.
The RSPCA has since confirmed a prosecution case has been brought against the former teacher and she is due to appear in Boston Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Meanwhile, 39 people are missing after a boat believed to have been piloted by human smugglers from the Bahamas capsized off Florida's coast, the US Coast Guard has said.
A good Samaritan called the Coast Guard early on Tuesday after rescuing a man clinging to the boat 45 miles east of Fort Pierce, the maritime security agency reported on Twitter.
The man said he was with a group that left the island of Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday night. He said the boat capsized in severe weather and that no-one was wearing life jackets.
These are just some of the national and international news stories making headlines this morning after breaking overnight.
Others include:
- Fourth jab needed to protect blood cancer patients from Omicron
- Only Fools And Horses star diagnosed with cancer
- Over quarter of a million people sought Citizens Advice debt help in 2021
Read on to find out more.
Sue Gray report delayed as Boris Johnson faces further questions
The Prime Minister is set to face further questions over a police investigation into partygate as No 10 braces for the submission of a report into possible lockdown breaches.
A Downing Street source said that Sue Gray had not, as of Tuesday evening, handed in her findings about alleged coronavirus rule-breaking parties held at the top of Government.
The senior civil servant’s inquiry had been expected to be finalised this week, with reports suggesting it could be published to coincide with Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, or possibly on Thursday.
It comes as police launched their own probe into multiple events in No 10 after being passed information from the Gray inquiry.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said investigations into historic allegations of Covid regulation flouting were carried out in cases of the “most serious and flagrant” breaches, and when it was considered those involved “ought to have known that what they were doing was an offence”.
Teacher filmed allegedly kicking and punching horse faces animal cruelty charges
A primary school teacher who was sacked after she was filmed appearing to punch and kick a horse has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty by the RSPCA.
Sarah Moulds, 37, was fired from her post at the Mowbray Education Trust in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, last month after footage was shared online showing a woman repeatedly slapping the animal when it ran into the road.
The RSPCA has since confirmed a prosecution case has been brought against the former teacher and she is due to appear in Boston Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
In a statement issued this week, a spokesperson from the organisation said Ms Moulds has been accused of two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 against a grey pony named Bruce.
US Coast Guard searching for 39 people missing off coast of Florida
A boat believed to have been piloted by human smugglers from the Bahamas has capsized off Florida's coast with 39 people missing, the US Coast Guard has said.
A good Samaritan called the Coast Guard early on Tuesday after rescuing a man clinging to the boat 45 miles east of Fort Pierce, the maritime security agency reported on Twitter.
The man said he was with a group that left the island of Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday night. He said the boat capsized in severe weather and that no-one was wearing life jackets.
Officials said on Twitter that they are searching by both air and sea over a roughly 135-mile area extending from Bimini to the Fort Pierce Inlet. The Coast Guard is calling it a case of human smuggling.
Fourth jab needed to protect blood cancer patients from Omicron
The Omicron variant of coronavirus “poses a greater risk” to people with blood cancer, experts warned as they urged examination of the effect of a fourth booster dose among patients with cancer.
Experts from the Francis Crick Institute and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust have been tracking the level of antibodies in the blood of cancer patients after vaccination.
Antibodies work as part of the body’s defence system by identifying and attacking viruses, these can be generated through vaccination or can occur naturally after someone has had an infection.
Only Fools And Horses star diagnosed with cancer
Only Fools And Horses actor Patrick Murray has revealed he had a cancerous lung tumour removed.
Murray, 65, who played Mickey Pearce in the classic BBC sitcom, is endorsing a government advert urging people to get unexplained discomfort checked out, after an ultrasound gave him a “fighting chance”.
Over quarter of a million people sought Citizens Advice debt help in 2021
One in four people who completed a debt assessment with Citizens Advice in 2021 was in a single-parent family.
In total, around 280,000 people in England and Wales sought one-to-one help with debt in 2021, the charity said, with many more using its website.
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