NowMyNews

Hundreds of empty offices in central London look set to be used in plans for a post-pandemic shake up that could see vacant units transformed into housing in a bid to revive the once-bustling area. As Covid cases and hospitalisations continue to rise, both nationally and in the capital, hundreds of buildings in the historic City of London remain unused and largely devoid of life. But clear desks, empty rooms and lifeless office blocks could be given a breath of fresh air after more than 18 months of stagnation, as plans were announced to provide 1,500 new homes by the end of the decade in the City earlier this year. Leaders within the City of London Corporation had pointed to the potential repurposing of idle buildings in the Capital to kickstart a five-year strategy to build new homes and flats on long-term and affordable leases.  Those suggestions were backed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has previously pointed to the pandemic's potential to solve the capital's housing cris

A lifelong Aston Villa fan stormed the pitch and lashed out at stewards after a referee disallowed his team's late equaliser, a court heard. Mitchell Voss, 26, was incensed when Henri Lansbury's effort was chalked off and captain Jack Grealish was given a yellow card for a dive in the build-up in the game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. He was seen throwing punches before falling over, staggering to his feet and making gestures at Palace fans. But Voss was spared a football ban after he told the court he was drunk and apologised at Croydon magistrates court. Mitchell Voss, 26, was incensed when Henri Lansbury's effort was chalked off and captain Jack Grealish was given a yellow card for a dive in the build-up in the game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park Alex Alawode, prosecuting, told the court: 'The defendant is being sentenced for a matter of affray, dating back some two years now to 31 August 2019. 'There was a football match between Crystal Pala

A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced to nearly two years in jail after pleading guilty to neglect and abuse after locking up her older sister, who has special needs, inside a wooden homemade cage, prosecutors said.   Leona Biser, 52, confessed to keeping her sister sister, Loretta Lancaster, 54, in a wooden cage with a filthy mattress laid out in the living room of their Vestaburg home, which was lined with feces and swarming with bugs and snakes.  Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro called the home a 'house of horrors' not fit for anyone to live in and which had no bathroom or running water. 'What Leona Biser did to her sister is unforgivable, but today's plea is a step towards justice,' Shapiro said in a statement on Thursday. Leona Biser, 52, pictured blocking her face, pleaded guilty to charges of the neglect and abuse of her older sisiter, Loretta Lancaster, 54 Leona Biser was arrested in 2020 for keeping her sister inside a homemade wooden cage Authoritie

Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Thursday that the United States is 'keeping a very close eye' on the Mu variant of COVID-19 but it is 'not an immediate threat.' Fauci, the chief medical advisor to the president, was asked about the strain at a White House briefing on COVID-19 after it was added to the World Health Organization's 'variant of interest' list on Monday. The Mu variant, also known as B.1.621, 'has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape,' according to the weekly pandemic bulletin published by the WHO.  'Yes, we certainly are aware of the Mu variant. We're keeping a very close eye on it,' Fauci said on Thursday. Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Thursday that the United States is 'keeping a very close eye' on the Mu variant of COVID-19 but it is 'not an immediate threat' He added that the Mu variant is 'not at all even close to being dominant' as the Delta variant maintains i

Former President Trump  said he 'probably' will not get a booster shot against coronavirus, but added that he was not 'against' them.  Trump was vaccinated last January after a Covid infection in October.  'I feel like I’m in good shape from that standpoint—I probably won’t,' told the Wall Street Journal, asked if he would get another round of inoculation. 'I’ll look at stuff later on. I’m not against it, but it’s probably not for me.' The Food and Drug Administration authorized an additional jab for those with weakened immune systems last month. The White House announced recently that both Pfizer and Moderna plan to roll out booster shots, as the Delta variant rages across the US.  Meanwhile, Biden said in August that he and First Lady Jill Biden plan on receiving COVID-19 vaccine booster shots when available in September. The two pharmaceutical giants have both submitted data to the FDA for approval of their next round of jabs.  Trump was booed last m

Dominic Raab has arrived in Pakistan to announce a £30million aid package as he continues the push to secure safe passage for Britons and Afghans stuck in Afghanistan. The Foreign Secretary will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, during a two-day visit and the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Mr Raab is scheduled to have 'interaction at the leadership level'. Mr Raab arrived in Pakistan after Boris Johnson insisted the UK needs to 'level' with the Taliban and make the group understand the need to allow people to leave Afghanistan. The Prime Minister signalled further engagement between the West and the Taliban could be dependent on whether Britons and Afghans are allowed to leave the country. We are working with regional partners around the clock. I spoke to Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin and discussed how our countries can help maintain stability in the region, and tackle the humanitarian situation

Key findings of IICSA report on child sex abuse in religious settings in England  The IICSA's report found : Most major religions in Britain were today accused in a child sex abuse inquiry of 'moral failings' as it found 'blatantly hypocritical' faith leaders discourage alleged victims from coming forward by creating a 'culture of fear'. The damning 226-page report found sexual abuse takes place in a broad range of religious settings and is likely to be 'significantly under-reported'. Victim-blaming, ideas of sexual 'purity', abuse of power and the discouraging of external reports of alleged abuse are among the 'shocking' and 'moral failings' outlined in the report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.  The Inquiry also found alleged victims were reluctant to come forward due to 'concern about prejudices, including Islamophobia or anti-Semitism', adding: 'Minority religious and racial communities ar

Alexanda Kotey, 36, a member of the British ISIS militant group dubbed the 'Beatles', pleaded guilty to terrorism charges on Thursday for torturing and murdering captives in Syria, including four Americans.  Kotey, known as 'Jihadi Ringo,' plead guilty to all eight counts in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia for his part in aiding the terrorist organization.  He had originally plead non-guilty last October. The change of plea suggests that Kotey may be cooperating with prosecutors.  He and another British ISIS member, El Shafee Elsheikh, 32, known as 'Jihadi George' were implicated in the beheadings of international hostages, including U.S. aid workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig and U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.  Both men have been charged with hostage-taking resulting in death, conspiracy to commit murder against U.S. citizens abroad, and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.  Nothing in the court records indicates tha