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| Prince Andrew settles civil case but questions over payout |
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Prince Andrew no longer faces appearing in court in the US accused of sexual assault. This is because he and his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, have reached a settlement in the civil case she brought against him. This has now raised fresh questions over his future. This settlement is about as good as it gets for Prince Andrew, barring going to trial and winning, says our royal correspondent Jonny Dymond. The Duke of York - who repeatedly denied allegations he had sexually assaulted Ms Giuffre on three occasions when she was 17 - makes no admission of liability. He recognises Ms Giuffre - previously known as Virginia Roberts - had "suffered both as an established victim of abuse, and as a result of unfair public attacks". And he will pay an undisclosed sum to her - which reports speculate could run into millions of pounds.
How this payout is funded and what happens next for the prince is being questioned. The duke receives a Royal Navy pension and a stipend from the Queen's Duchy of Lancaster income, but taxpayers deserve to know where the money for the settlement is coming from, says the anti-monarchy group Republic. And lawyer Kate Macnab adds it’s "likely there will be some demands to know where the payment is coming from - public or private purse?" The duke’s role in public life is also being questioned. He’s facing a renewed call from the MP for York to give up his association with the city, while his ex-flight commander, former Royal Navy officer Rear Adm Chris Parry, thinks he "should stay out of the public eye". Last month, the prince lost his military titles and his royal patronages were returned to the Queen. Last night, there was no new statement from the palace after the settlement emerged. The courtroom drama is over before it began, says our home and legal correspondent Dominic Casciani, now the court of public opinion will decide what the prince's words mean. So is there any way back for Prince Andrew? | |
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| Human cost of Russia attack would be immense - Biden |
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| Although Russia says it has withdrawn some troops from near Ukraine's border, US President Joe Biden believes an attack is "still very much a possibility". The human cost of that would be "immense", he says, as nations including the US have been working to de-escalate tensions that have been building in the region since November. Russia denies it's planning to invade despite massing 150,000 troops on the border with Ukraine. Reports Russia has pulled back some of its forces haven’t been verified, according to Mr Biden, who adds: "Our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position." Ukrainians are also wary of claims Russia has withdrawn but Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterates he doesn’t want another war in Europe. He says Moscow's security concerns should be addressed and taken seriously. | |
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| If you drink wine whether it’s red, white, rosé, fruit or sparkling, do you know how much sugar is in a glass or two? Research shows some bottles have up to 59g - more than a glazed doughnut. In some cases, having two glasses could be enough to reach the daily sugar limit of 30g for adults recommended by the NHS, according to analysis by Alcohol Health Alliance UK. More than 30 bottles were reviewed and none of them featured nutritional information on labels. That’s because it’s currently not required by law. Read more here. | |
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| |  | | | The first patients in the NHS are being offered a new drug to help treat Covid-19. As Covid treatments are changing, fewer patients are becoming seriously ill or dying. So does this mean we are finally taming the virus? At the start of the pandemic there were no drugs for Covid. In April 2020, I stood in a Covid intensive care ward while a doctor, in full PPE, told me they had nothing but oxygen to treat critically ill patients. I watched patient after patient on ventilators being turned on to their fronts to help their lungs take in oxygen.
Now things have changed enormously. At the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, the critical care unit looks and feels very different. Firstly, staff are no longer in full PPE, because most wards are Covid-free. At the peak a year ago the hospital trust was caring for 90 critically ill Covid patients. Today there are just three. It is now the exception, rather than the norm, for patients to go on a ventilator. Hospital stays are much shorter and survival rates have improved significantly. | |
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| | Fergus Walsh | Medical editor | |
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| | | | Prince Andrew’s out-of-court settlement dominates this morning’s papers. The cost of settling the civil sexual assault case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre is expected to exceed $10m (£7.4m), reports the Guardian. According to the Mirror, the undisclosed sum is £12m and money from the Queen will help pay for the settlement, the Daily Telegraph claims. The Daily Express says "there’s no way back" for the Duke of York, who makes no admission of liability in the case. Read the newspaper review in full here. | |
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| | | Storm Dudley Rail services cancelled as 80mph winds forecast |
| | | | Motoring Car industry calls for electric charge watchdog |
| | | | Covid Ottawa police chief resigns amid anti-vaccine mandate protests |
| | | | Telegram Where women's nudes are shared without consent |
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| If you watch one thing today |
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| If you listen to one thing today |
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| If you read one thing today |
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| Need something different? |
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| Does work feel relentless and like it's ruling your life? There’s a movement in China where people are challenging the pressures of work by relaxing - and lying flat. The idea of lying flat, known as tang ping in Chinese, means you take a break from the daily grind by quitting or scaling back your work commitments. Interested? Find out more here.
Here’s another story about upheaval, but this one involves trees. Storms often cause widespread disruption, and destruction, and we hear about trees that have fallen. But did you know there were more than eight million trees lost in one winter alone? Read more here.
And finally, to a story of survival. Harley and Harry Crane - thought to be the most premature twins to survive in the UK - were born at 22 weeks and five days. They're now 16 weeks old and still in hospital, but hopefully they’ll get to go home soon. Here’s their story. | |
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| On this day |  |
| | | 1959 Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro is sworn in as prime minister in the cabinet room of the Presidential Palace in Havana. |
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| Let us know what you think of this newsletter by emailing [email protected]. If you’d like to recommend it to a friend, forward this email. New subscribers can sign up here. | |
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