Greater Greenfield MA - Franklin County

Ex-president in court in Manhattan for hush-money trial as judge scolds press for using physical descriptions of jurorsJudge Merchan, in directing the press not to use physical descriptors to describe jurors, complained specifically about mentioning one of the jurors had an Irish accent.“We just lost” what would have been a good juror for the case, Merchan said, after one of the jurors was excused after she told the court that she had concerns about her ability to be impartial. Merchan added:She said she was afraid and intimidated by the press, all the press.I would recommend the press simply apply common sense and refrain from anything that has to do, for example, with physical descriptions. It’s just not necessary, it serves no purpose. Continue reading...

Labour leader says there are ‘a lot of unanswered questions’ over allegations including why the Conservatives took so long to actDuring questions in the Commons on next week’s business, Penny Mordaunt, leader of the house, said that MPs would debate the latest Lords amendments to the Rwanda bill on Monday and that, if necessary, time would also be set aside on Tuesday for MPs to vote again on Lords amendments to the bill.But, at the No 10 lobby briefing, the PM’s spokesperson told journalists that the government wants to conclude the “ping pong” process (when the bill shuttles between the Commons and the Lords until both sides agree on its wording) on Monday night. He said:Our intention is to get this passed on Monday such that we can then set out the timetable for getting flights off as soon as possible. Continue reading...

Minister says move being considered over concerns UK money could finance projects that undermine national securityUK politics – latest updatesMinisters are considering blocking British investors from funding emerging technologies in hostile countries if they believe the technology could pose a threat to UK security, the deputy prime minister has said.Oliver Dowden said on Thursday the government would consult on curbing British investment abroad, after becoming concerned that money from the UK could be used to finance projects that could undermine national security. Continue reading...

Forty-eight people died when a blaze tore through nightclub in Artane in February 1981The 48 young people who died in the Stardust nightclub disaster in Dublin in 1981 were unlawfully killed, an inquest jury has found.The devastating blaze at the venue in Artane, north Dublin, broke out in the early hours of 14 February 1981. Continue reading...

Email was sent suggesting postal company should withhold disclosing investigation guidelinesThe Post Office was urged by its external law firm to “try and suppress” disclosure of a key document for “as long as possible” as branch owner-operators tried to mount legal action against the state-owned body, a public inquiry has heard.Rodric Williams, a senior in-house lawyer at the Post Office, giving evidence to the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal was asked about an email sent to him in which it was suggested that his employer should withhold disclosing its investigation guidelines as it could harm its defence to a lawsuit brought by post office operators. Continue reading...