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The future of HS2 was thrown into doubt yesterday after a report recommended a huge scaling back of the £106billion project. The review by a panel of experts which advises ministers on major projects suggests the eastern leg of the high-speed line – a £40billion section connecting the East Midlands to Sheffield and Leeds – should be shelved. The National Infrastructure Commission report warns there is not enough money to complete HS2 and other planned rail upgrades. It suggests ministers use the £86billion earmarked for rail improvements to 'improve journeys that people are most likely to take – into cities from the surrounding area, rather than into London'.  In response, the leaders of Sheffield, Nottingham and Leeds said: 'Nothing less than the full delivery of HS2, which the Government have already committed to, is acceptable.' A Department for Transport spokesman said it would 'take the time to consider these recommendations in full'. It added: 'We expe

Vaccinating Britain will come at a cost of £12billion with the NHS needing 46,000 new staff - but half of us still won't have received the jab by the end of 2021, a report has revealed.  The National Audit Office, which monitors government spending, said the plans assumed that just 25million will receive jabs if enough become available. This would suffice for the priority groups – the over-50s, frontline health workers, those in care homes and people with underlying health conditions. But it would leave younger adults waiting until 2022. Its report also warned that the taxpayer could be liable to pay legal costs - on top of the £11.7bn cost of developing, buying and manufacturing the vaccine - should anything go wrong. The figures come as coronavirus cases continue to climb. Daily cases hit 18,540 yesterday, up 50 per cent on last Tuesday, although deaths were down. Rising cases in Sussex could see the county follow London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire into Tier 3, as plans

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday vowed that Congress would not recess for the holiday until it passed a COVID-19 aid package - a sentiment echoed by top Democrats in a sign that the two sides were nearing agreement. Top negotiators from the two parties reported progress on a long-delayed stimulus bill Tuesday after a rare meeting of Capitol Hill's four most senior lawmakers.  The quartet, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and McConnell, said they would reconvene on Tuesday night in hopes of sealing an agreement soon. 'I think there's progress,' reported House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, as he left the session in Pelosi's office.  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin joined by phone. The two most senior officials on Capitol Hill - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - are said to be in agreement that Congress will not recess for the holiday before passing a COVID relief bill Lawmak

A student has allegedly been caught using his mobile phone to film up the skirts of unsuspecting teenage girls at a public high school. The incident comes just weeks after another boy was cautioned by police for filming a much younger male student using the toilets at the same school.  That youth made full admissions to taking images of a Year 7 boy on the grounds of South Sydney High School at Maroubra in the city's south-east.  Police were again called to the school on December 10 after a student reported a boy taking photographs up the skirts of Year 8 students.  A student has allegedly been caught using his mobile phone to film up the skirts of unsuspecting teenage girls at a public high school in Sydney. Police were called to South Sydney High School at Maroubra in the city's south-east on December 10  A teenager was caught using his mobile phone to film a Year 7 student in the toilets of South Sydney High School at Maroubra in the city's south-east in October. He mad

Hollywood still has a long way to go to fix its culture of sexual harassment, according to an extensive new report from a commission led by Anita Hill.  The Hollywood Commission, which formed in late 2017 following an avalanche of abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, on Tuesday released its Culture and Climate Report 2019-20, based on an online survey of 10,000 entertainment industry workers between November 2019 and February 2020.   The findings showed that in the three years since Weinstein's downfall sparked the #MeToo movement, sexual harassment has remained all too common in Tinseltown.   More than two-thirds of women reported having experienced unwanted sexual attention (42%), sexual coercion (20%) or sexual assault (5%) in the 12 months prior to the survey - approximately twice the rate reported among men.  Less than a third of workers who experienced harassment said they reported it to a supervisor, human resources or their legal department, citing concerns about job

More fears were raised today that fresh food supplies will be hit by No Deal Brexit as frantic talks continue in Brussels - with Ursula von der Leyen hailing 'movement'. Former head of Sainsbury's Justin King warned that processes at the border are not ready for the end of the transition period. He suggested that in the absence of 'goodwill' from the EU supply chains for fruit and vegetables will struggle to 'cope' for up to six months.  Nerves are jangling as Michel Barnier and David Frost hold more talks in Brussels, with slightly more optimistic signs that there could be a way through on level playing field rules and fishing rights. The EU negotiator told the bloc's ambassadors at a briefing this morning that there might by a 'narrow path' to an agreement after progress was made before yesterday's deadline set by Boris Johnson and Ms von der Leyen. In another more positive hint, the commission president told an OECD conference that 'th

Heartless trolls have hijacked a family Christmas photo shared by Scott Morrison to attack the Australian prime minister about his climate change and refugee policies.  Mr Morrison uploaded the heartwarming picture with his two daughters, Abbey, 13, and Lily, 11, and wife Jenny to social media on Sunday.     'From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and a Happier New Year,' Mr Morrison wrote.  Australian prime minister Scott Morrison (pictured with his wife and daughters) shared a heartwarming Christmas photograph of his family to social media on Sunday  Mr Morrison posed with wife Jenny and his two daughters Abbey and Lily Mr Morrison used the post to wish Australians a 'Merry Christmas and a Happier New Year'  The picture showed the Morrison family posing together in a garden with 'Merry Christmas!' written in white cursive text over the image. Mr Morrison appeared relaxed as he sat at the back of the group with a big smile, while the family dog Buddy was pe

West End restaurateurs have slammed the enforced closure brought on by Tier 3 as they throw out bags and boxes of unused food - as police officer and Covid-19 volunteers cleared away the last of London's drinkers.  Millions of pounds worth of food could go to waste as a result of the capital going into tighter Covid-19 restrictions, UKHospitality has warned, as top restaurants and pubs enjoyed one last night of business before closing during the usually busy Christmas period.   London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will be put under Tier Three curbs from tonight with hospitality venues receiving less than 48-hours notice to close. While some restaurants are choosing to rely on deliveries during the lockdown measures, other dine-in venues have warned an 'immense amount' of food and drink will be binned.   One London restaurant owner revealed the move into Tier 3 had already cost him £42,000 in lost bookings, in addition to a week's worth of wasted stock. While The