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Orkney to trial two electric ferries for three years | UK News

Two electric ferries will go on trial in Orkney thanks to a £15m funding boost.

The vessels – which use hydrofoil technology to lift the hull out of the water to navigate above the waves – are being supplied by Artemis Technologies for a three-year pilot.

The smaller 12m ferry will operate a year-round service around the inner north isles, while the larger 24m boat will transfer passengers and light cargo around Eday, Stronsay, Sanday and Westray.

The 12m vessel is expected to arrive in March next year, while the larger boat is due to be delivered in 2025.

The fully-electric vessels will remain in the ownership of Orkney Ferries after the trial has concluded.

Electric ferry. Pic supplied by Artemis Technologies
Image:
A 24m vessel. Pic: Artemis Technologies

Electric ferry. Pic supplied by Artemis Technologies
Image:
A 12m vessel. Pic: Artemis Technologies

Charging infrastructure will also be installed as part of the Electric Orkney project, which is a partnership between Orkney Islands Council, Artemis Technologies and EMEC.

The multi-million-pound funding has come from the UK government’s Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure (ZEVI) fund, which aims to boost the country’s decarbonisation efforts.

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Sky’s Connor Gillies gets on board a driverless bus in Scotland

Orkney Islands Council leader James Stockan said: “Whilst this is tremendous news, this latest development must not be confused with our drive to secure funding for replacement ferries.

“This work is about looking at how we can, in the future, decarbonise our fleet – a key point of discussion with the Scottish government.

“Securing two vessels of this smaller size is the first stage in that process, allowing us to see how electric vessels might work, with a view to potentially upscaling in the future when further funding packages are in place.”

RAAC: Collapse-prone concrete found in parliament | Politics News

Collapse-prone concrete has been found in the Houses of Parliament.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, known as RAAC, was a common building material used in the post-war era as it was cheaper and lighter than traditional concrete.

But it is now proving a nightmare for the government as it has been found to have a 30-year lifespan before becoming susceptible to collapse.

Politics latest: Former MI6 chief ‘concerned’ about who has access to parliament

Hundreds of schools have been checked for RAAC – with some told to partially or fully close buildings – while hospitals and airports have also been found to contain the concrete.

A parliamentary spokesperson said: “As part of routine ongoing investigations, RAAC was identified in one area of the Palace [of Westminster].

“Structural engineers have confirmed there is no immediate risk. Where RAAC is found, mitigations will be put in place as necessary.”

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PM denies limiting school repairs fund

It is understood the concrete was found in an area which was built in 1974.

Elsewhere, more than 600 schools have now been checked for RAAC, according to senior Department for Education (DfE) officials.

A list of 147 schools where RAAC had been found was released last week, but this was already a week out of date.

Permanent secretary at DfE, Susan Acland-Hood, and chief operating officer Jane Cunliffe appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday.

Ms Cunliffe said that in more than 600 schools assessed, two-thirds had not been found to have RAAC.

But the officials could not confirm how many surveys they were waiting to get back from schools.

Ms Cunliffe said: “It is very fast moving, we are doing tens of surveys every day.”

Read more:
Minister swears on camera in school concrete rant
What is RAAC and why was it used so much?
List of schools in England affected by unsafe concrete

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Headteacher’s anger at clip of minister swearing

Meanwhile, Ms Acland-Hood praised Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, who was caught on camera last week complaining about not being thanked for doing a “f****** good job” over the unsafe concrete crisis, while others “sat on their arses”.

The official told MPs: “The secretary of state has been generous in recognising work done in the department.

“I don’t think she did intend to suggest others hadn’t been working hard. All I can say is on behalf of the department, I am really grateful.

“I think schools, responsible bodies and teachers up and down the country have worked unbelievably hard in what were very difficult circumstances, at short notice.”

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Concerns about the safety of the parliamentary estate – including fire risks and the presence of asbestos – have been longstanding for the mainly Victorian-era building.

Restoration is forecasted to cost several billion pounds, with both the Lords and Commons potentially having to relocate while work is carried out.

Girl, 2, dies after being found in pond in Hampshire as woman arrested on suspicion of murder | UK News

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a two-year-old girl who was found in a pond in Hampshire.

The child was reported missing from her home in Kingsley, near Bordon, shortly after 5pm on Sunday.

Following a search for the toddler, she was found in Kingsley Pond and taken to hospital in a serious condition.

In an update on Monday evening, Hampshire Police said the girl had died in hospital.

The woman is in custody for questioning, the force said.

A spokesperson said the girl’s family were being supported by specialist officers.

The spokesperson added: “A woman, aged in her 40s, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

“She is currently in police custody.”

Should we be worried about the new COVID variant? | UK News

The emergence of a new COVID variant, BA.2.8, has pushed forward the winter vaccination programme, with the rollout starting on Monday in England for older adult care home residents and immunosuppressed people.

All over-65s will be offered the jab during the next few weeks.

The other nations are also beginning their vaccination programmes this month.

On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), to discuss the new variant, and the importance of getting vulnerable people vaccinated.

Plus, our chief correspondent Stuart Ramsey talks to Niall from the epicentre of the earthquake in Morocco, which has killed 2,500 people so far.

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Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi
Promotions producer: David Chipakupaku
Editor: Wendy Parker

Parliamentary researcher accused of spying for China says he is ‘completely innocent’ | UK News

A parliamentary researcher who has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China has said he is “completely innocent”.

In a statement released by his lawyers, the man – who they did not name – said: “I feel forced to respond to the media accusations that I am a ‘Chinese spy’. It is wrong that I should be obliged to make any form of public comment on the misreporting that has taken place.

“However, given what has been reported, it is vital that it is known that I am completely innocent. I have spent my career to date trying to educate others about the challenge and threats presented by the Chinese Communist Party.

“To do what has been claimed against me in extravagant news reporting would be against everything I stand for.”

It comes as the Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he will make a statement on Monday in relation to the case this afternoon.

The researcher, who is in his 20s, is understood to have had links to security minister Tom Tugendhat, foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns and other senior Tory MPs.

The arrest under the Official Secrets Act led to Rishi Sunak confronting Chinese premier Li Qiang at the G20 summit in India on Sunday over “unacceptable” interference in democracy.

Labour calls for stronger action on ‘dangerous’ XL Bully dogs – politics latest

The incident has also thrown a spotlight on the government’s stance towards China and raised questions about whether it should adopt a tougher approach.

The prime minister has sought to adopt a more diplomatic stance towards Beijing than some of the more hawkish members of his cabinet and party, who want China to be officially classified as a threat.

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PM raised ‘concerns’ with China

This morning Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch echoed Mr Sunak’s approach, saying that China should not be considered a “foe” but a “challenge”.

Ms Badenoch said the claims of spying were an “extremely serious concern” but we “shouldn’t be using language that makes people scared”.

Asked whether China should be described as a threat, Ms Badenoch told Sky News: “I would define it as a challenge.

“I define China as a challenge because certainly from my job as business secretary working on international trade in particular, we see at international level just how significant China is, impacting the economies of countries all around the world.

“I was at the G20 two weeks ago – there were significant difficulties between China and Japan. There were difficult conversations between China and India. So I think across the world, China is becoming a very, very significant challenge.”

Pressed on whether China should be described as a “friend or a foe”, she replied: “We certainly should not be describing China as a foe – but we can describe it as a challenge.

“I don’t think we should be careless in terms of how we speak about other countries when these sorts of things happen.”

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China denies spying against the UK

The arrests were made in March and first revealed by The Sunday Times. Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, which oversees espionage-related offences, are investigating.

The Chinese embassy in London issued a statement yesterday in which it described the incident as “completely fabricated” and “nothing but a malicious slander”.

It also urged Britain’s lawmakers to “stop anti-China political manipulation”.

Read more:
How worried should we be about Chinese ‘spying’ in parliament?
Has China’s economy run out of steam?

Labour’s shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, claimed security services warned about the dangers of spying “some time ago”.

She pointed to the “damning” report from the security and intelligence committee in July which said the government had “no strategy” to deal with China.

“We think there has to be a comprehensive strategy towards the risks, the challenges, and the threats from other states to our national security,” she said.

Asked if she believed China was a friend or foe, she said: “Well, the relationship is clearly complex.

“There are serious issues around the human rights abuses in China. There are serious issues around their approach and their role across the world. And we also have this trading relationship, as we’ve seen the rise of China. We have to deal with that. But in particular, we have to make sure we protect our own national security. That has to come first.”

Invictus Games: ‘It’s like a true rebirth,’ says Ukrainian army medic who was captured and tortured | World News

A Ukrainian army medic who was captured and tortured by the Russians has said her involvement with the Invictus Games saved her life.

Yuliia “Taira” Paievska took part in last year’s games and is currently competing in Dusseldorf.

Prince Harry paid a personal tribute to her bravery at the game’s opening ceremony.

“I think I speak for everyone when I say I think you embody the true spirit of Ukraine and of Invictus,” he said.

We caught up with Taira who told us, she can’t believe she’s made it to the games.

“When you prepare yourself for death and then you get out of those horrible cells and then you see all this, it’s like a true rebirth,” she said.

Taira featured in Prince Harry’s recent Netflix series, Heart Of Invictus.

She was imprisoned for 12 weeks earlier this year, and says her links to the games secured her release.

“I am thankful for this competition because it made me famous and because a lot of people got to know me, that’s why I was freed so quickly.”

Ukrainian medic Yuliia Paievska, known to Ukrainians by the nickname Taira, gets emotional during an appearance before U.S. lawmakers on the Helsinki Commission, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
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Ukrainian medic Yuliia ‘Taira’ Paievska

Taira had a private meeting with the Duke of Sussex. She still needs more surgery, but won’t stop fighting for her country.

“The conditions in captivity are horrible, the tortures in basic basements which they use for captivity,” she said. “I want the world to demand the release of all prisoners.”

When Prince Harry founded the games it was all about Afghanistan. A different conflict has brought new competitors.

Semen Lahun, 26, who is part of team Ukraine at Invictus Games. Bundock VT grab
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Semen Lahun, who is planning to return to the frontline after the games

Semen Lahun, 26, who is part of team Ukraine at Invictus Games. Bundock VT grab

We met Semen Lahun, 26, who’s part of team Ukraine.

He was a builder in Lviv but signed up to fight when Russia invaded.

Last August, Semen was badly injured when a landmine exploded. He nearly lost his foot, but surgeons saved it.

Training for the games has helped his recovery.

“It is an escape, a recreation, both physical and mental. I have lost some of my brothers-in-arms and I felt so helpless, but the games have put me back on track,” he said.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, talks to participants and officials at the 6th Invictus Games. Pic: AP
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Prince Harry at the 6th Invictus Games in Dusseldorf. Pic: AP

Read more:
Prince Harry opens Invictus Games in Germany
Daughter of medic captured by Russia meets Harry and Meghan

Semen will soon return to the frontline. He was moved when Prince Harry spoke about Ukraine, and says his Invictus involvement makes a difference.

“He’s a special person for me. I admire him because he made this happen, and he organised it and developed it, and it helps so much. Not just me, but my family too.”

Inmate in critical condition after HMP Wandsworth stabbing | UK News

An inmate has been stabbed at HMP Wandsworth, in the same week that a terror suspect escaped from the prison.

The man is in a critical condition and was taken to a major trauma centre by ambulance after emergency services were called around 3pm.

An air ambulance was also sent to the scene.

It is understood that the incident involved two prisoners.

Police have said they were called at around 3.20pm to reports of an inmate being assaulted at the prison.

They added that no arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Staff swiftly responded to an incident between prisoners at HMP Wandsworth today.

More on Daniel Abed Khalife

“We have a zero tolerance approach to violence and will always take strong action against those who break these rules.”

Read more:
What is life like at Wandsworth Prison?
Dozens of inmates transferred from Wandsworth
Terror suspect charged with escaping custody

Daniel Khalife
Image:
Daniel Khalife escaped last week

A father who was visiting his son inside the prison said the stabbing happened in one of the communal areas.

He told Sky’s Tom Parmenter: “I saw two ambulances going in and someone said a prisoner has stabbed someone.

“It’s just another day at Wandsworth jail – you do worry as a parent.

“It is chaotic right now – even the officers inside all say they need more staff, my son is always calling saying he is on a lockdown meaning they can’t leave their cells at all, not for a shower not for anything.

“It’s unacceptable, yes they have to be punished but it is inhumane.”

The stabbing comes days after Daniel Khalife, a 21-year-old terror suspect, went missing from the prison on Wednesday.

He was arrested in west London on Saturday after 75 hours on the run and will appear in court tomorrow.

Daniel Khalife: Terror suspect charged with escaping custody at HMP Wandsworth | UK News

Daniel Khalife has been charged with escaping custody at HMP Wandsworth, the Metropolitan Police said.

The terror suspect went missing from prison on Wednesday and was arrested in a London suburb on Saturday – ending 75 hours on the run.

Khalife reportedly laughed as he was apprehended in Northolt on Saturday morning – not long after a plain-clothes police officer pulled him off a bike on a canal towpath.

The former soldier was working in the prison kitchen and was wearing a cook’s uniform when he disappeared. He is believed to have held on to straps on the underside of the truck to make his escape.

Khalife, 21, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Read more:
Daniel Khalife’s 75 hours on the run
Notorious prison breakouts

About 40 inmates of HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the prison after Khalife’s escape, the Justice Secretary told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.

Alex Chalk said the preliminary findings of his investigation had found the relevant procedures and security staff were in place – but it was still to be established whether they had been followed.

Dozens of individuals on remand had been moved to different sites “out of an abundance of caution”, he said.

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Khalife charged after escape

Khalife is a former member of the Royal Signals and was based at Beacon Barracks in Stafford.

He was on remand at HMP Wandsworth awaiting trial. He was accused of leaving fake bombs at a military base, a charge under the Terrorism Act, and another under the Official Secrets Act, which alleges he committed “an act prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state”.

He was discharged from the army in May and appeared at the Old Bailey via video link in July, denying the charges against him.

PM confronts China’s premier after arrest of parliament ‘spy’ | Politics News

Rishi Sunak has confronted China’s premier about Chinese interference in the UK’s parliamentary democracy.

It comes after two men were arrested under the Official Secrets Act amid reports a parliamentary researcher spied for China.

The researcher, who is in his 20s, is understood to have had links to security minister Tom Tugendhat, foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns and other senior Tory MPs.

Mr Sunak met Chinese premier Li Qiang, who is attending the G20 in place of president Xi Jinping, on the fringes of the summit’s final session on Sunday morning.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Sunak said he raised his “very strong concern” about interference with parliamentary democracy, which he said was “obviously unacceptable”.

It was the “right approach” to talk face-to-face with China’s premier, he said.

“Where there are areas of disagreement … I’d rather be in the room directly expressing my concerns, and that’s what I did today.”

The arrests were made in March and first revealed by The Sunday Times.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media during the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India. Picture date: Saturday September 9, 2023.

Mr Sunak has been clear China is an “epoch-defining” challenge, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday.

He defended security in parliament, saying a “rigorous approach is taken” in terms of who is given a parliamentary pass.

Asked if there are weaknesses in the security system that need addressing, he said: “I don’t think you should rule anything out”.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, which oversees espionage-related offences, are investigating.

Mr Chalk said the investigation must “play through” and police and security services are taking this “seriously”.

“Whatever lessons need to be learned by the parliamentary authorities I’m sure will be learned,” he said.

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“China is an epoch-defining challenge”

Read more from Sky News:
Terror suspect who escaped prison ‘laughed’ during arrest
Chaos and pain as quake-hit areas face devastation

Asked about the view of some in parliament that China is a threat to the UK, Mr Chalk said “you can’t wish China away”, noting it is second largest global economy and key to tackling the challenge of climate change.

“We have to engage, but we do so with our eyes open,” he said.

Former cabinet minister and diplomat Rory Stewart told Trevor Phillips the UK needs to be “much, much more serious” about protecting itself against Chinese and Russian spies.

“It’s in the interests of authoritarian states to weaken countries like the United Kingdom, so we should be very, very cautious,” he said.

Both the allocation of parliamentary passes and the funding of MPs needed reviewing, he said.

“People with strong links to the Chinese Communist Party have been giving money to Labour MPs and employing former Conservative MPs,” he said.

One of the men, in his 30s, was arrested in Oxfordshire on 13 March, while the other, in his 20s, was arrested in Edinburgh, Scotland Yard said.

“Searches were also carried out at both the residential properties, as well as at a third address in east London,” a statement from the force said.

The MPs he is linked to are privy to classified or highly sensitive information.

Both men were held at a south London police station until being bailed until early October.

Mr Tugendhat is said not to have had any contact with the researcher since before he became security minister in September last year.

Ms Kearns declined to comment, adding: “While I recognise the public interest, we all have a duty to ensure any work of the authorities is not jeopardised.”

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China pressure group said it was “appalled at reports of the infiltration of the UK Parliament by someone allegedly acting on behalf of the People’s Republic of China”.

UK weather: Heatwave to reach dramatic climax today – with yellow warnings for thunderstorms in place | UK News

The heatwave will reach a dramatic climax on Sunday – with a yellow warning for thunderstorms in place across large parts of the UK.

Temperatures are set to head above 30C (86F) once again in parts of southern England – with much cooler conditions expected as a new week begins.

But further north, the Met Office is warning that thunderstorms could bring disruption, and a risk of sudden flooding in some areas.

Find out the weather forecast where you are

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UK heatwave soon to end?

A yellow warning is in force from 2pm to 11.59pm – covering much of northern England and Northern Ireland, alongside parts of Scotland and Wales.

“Unlucky locations” could see up to 70mm of intense rainfall in the space of a few hours – with “additional hazards” of frequent lightning and large hail.

Saturday was provisionally the hottest day of the year so far – with highs of 33.2C (92F) recorded at London’s Kew Bridge.

And Sunday is set to prolong the record for the longest consecutive stretch of September days above 30C, with temperatures above this threshold for the seventh day in a row.

Britons are being urged to make the most of the warmer weather, as conditions are set to become more typical for this time of year.

Read more:
This heatwave was very unusual – here’s why

Showers and longer spells of rain will begin to sweep in on Monday – and it’s shaping up to be rather unsettled in the South on Tuesday.

Sky’s weather producer Chris England said: “It will be cooler and fresher for many, still quite muggy in the South East, although not as hot as recently.”