Thousands join global march in capital to campaign for women's rights

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Pic-march attender(wp)

staff reporter(wp/es):::

Huge crowds have gathered in central London for the global Women’s March to protest against violence against women and the impact of policies on austerity. 

Thousands of people carrying placards joined this year’s march, which is taking place in more than 30 countries around the world. 

This year's event was significantly smaller than 2017's protest, where close to 100,000 demonstrators took to London's streets - largely in response to the inauguration of President Trump the previous day.

The theme for the London chapter this year is “bread and roses,” in honour of the Polish-born American suffragette and worker’s rights campaigner Rose Schneiderman. 

After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 where 146 - mainly female - garment-industry workers died, Schneiderman declared: “The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too.”

The rally began at midday and saw women March from Portland Place towards Regent Street, along Haymarket before ending at Trafalgar Square. 

Saturday marks the third anniversary of the first Women’s March in 2017, a day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, when as many as 6 million people around the world gathered in protest of his election. 

Last year, thousands gathered in central London for the Time’s Up rally, in honour of the campaign against sexual harassment and honouring the #MeToo movement.

The march in Washington this year is expected to smaller and more spointered amid inclement weather, an ideological split and reconfiguring of the route due to the government shutdown.

Several major sponsors withdrew this year and local chapters disaffiliated from the central organization which leads it, following allegations of antisemitism.

Saturday marks the third anniversary of the first Women’s March in 2017, a day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, when as many as 6 million people around the world gathered in protest of his election. 

Last year, thousands gathered in central London for the Time’s Up rally, in honour of the campaign against sexual harassment and honouring the #MeToo movement.

The march in Washington this year is expected to smaller and more spointered amid inclement weather, an ideological split and reconfiguring of the route due to the government shutdown.

Several major sponsors withdrew this year and local chapters disaffiliated from the central organization which leads it, following allegations of antisemitism.

"If you don't constantly keep fighting nothing is going to change."

Fellow student Frida Lorentzen said: "There are a lot of things going on everywhere and while you might not feel everything yourself it's important to show up."

Elsewhere, 16-year-old Eve Rooney,said: "I'm here to show my solidarity, to march with women who believe the same thing as me and to march for all those women who can't be here."

The leader of Women’s Equality UK Sophie Walker addressed the crowds.

“Patriarchy doesn’t just take women for granted, it relies on our oppression to ensure others thrive,” she said.

Leader of Women for Refugee Women Monica Aidoo told the crowds: “Refugee women desrve to be given a chance to thrive in the UK.”

Half of Southampton school staff call in sick with 'flu'

Educational reporter(wp/bbc):::

More than 300 pupils and staff at a secondary school have fallen ill in a suspected outbreak of flu.

Redbridge Community School in Southampton has been shut for at least two days after 56 staff called in sick - about half of the staff employed.

At least a quarter of the school's 1,000 pupils have also been affected.

Public Health England said the most common strain of flu currently in circulation often affects working-age adults and children.

Head teacher Jason Ashley said the outbreak began on Wednesday when 62 pupils were sent home.

More pupils and teachers succumbed to the "incredibly virulent" strain on Thursday, he said.

Mr Ashley said the decision to close the school on Friday and Monday followed advice from Public Health England, which said the school should be deep-cleaned.

"I've been in the profession for over 24 years and I've never seen a virus spread so quickly around a school. It was like a domino effect," the head teacher said.

He said he had been told the virus had a "five-day impact".

Another school, Portesham Primary in Dorset, closed on Tuesday and was due to reopen on Monday after reporting a "serious outbreak of a 'flu' type virus".

Eight flu outbreaks were reported in schools in the week to 13 January, Public Health England said.

The government said this year's flu strain "particularly affects adults in at-risk groups", including those with asthma and diabetes.

It also said provisional data suggested the latest flu vaccine was "well matched to circulating strains

UKIP member called for Gina Miller to be beheaded

Political reporter(wp/bbc):::

A UKIP member who said he looked after party leader Gerard Batten at a rally called for a campaigner to be beheaded, a BBC investigation has found.

Kenneth Allen said Gina Miller, who campaigned for MPs to vote on Article 50, should have her head cut off and left outside Buckingham Palace.

He also said a "full pig" should have been thrown at a mosque in Blackpool.

Mr Batten said he "deplored" the posts and Mr Allen was not a member when he made the remarks on Facebook in 2016.

Mr Allen also warned a woman before the EU referendum to "do yourself a big favour and vote out so you don't get raped of (sic) a migrant".

He said he looked after Mr Batten when the UKIP leader appeared at a rally in Sunderland in September.

Mr Allen also called Ms Miller a "cow traitor" in the Facebook post.

He did not want to comment when he was approached by BBC Inside Out.

Ms Miller said: "It's frightening. To actually be confronted with the words.

"It's ridiculous to think that I now think it's normal for people to threaten me on a daily basis, but to see it in black and white... that somebody wants me to be beheaded and my head put outside Buckingham Palace.

"This is just one of the death threats I get almost on a daily basis."

UKIP leader Mr Batten said: "I attended a rally organised by justice for women and children on 15 September.

"Many people ask to have their photograph taken with me at these events and it would be impractical and rude of me to refuse them.

"Kenneth Allen was a lapsed member who renewed his membership in April 2018. When he made the posting in question he was not a member of the party.

"I deplore the remarks made and these in no way represent the views of me, UKIP, or the overwhelming numbers of our membership."

He said the party could only take action if someone lodged a formal complaint, and he hoped the BBC would not try to smear UKIP or himself by means of "guilt by association".

UK house prices make weakest start to year since 2012 - Rightmove

Staff reporter(wp/reuters):::

Asking prices for British property are rising at the slowest pace since 2012 amid ongoing Brexit worries, property website Rightmove said on Monday.

Rightmove’s data suggested a continuation of the weakness in British house prices that intensified in 2018, especially in and around London where fears of economic damage from Brexit made buyers loath to pay more for already-expensive homes.

“Given the current market backdrop and ongoing political turmoil, it’s not surprising that the more challenging conditions in London and nearby regions mean they have had a slower start to the year,” Rightmove director Miles Shipside said.

Last week the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said its members had the most negative outlook for house sales over the coming three months since its records began in 1999.

Asking prices on Rightmove, which advertises property for 90 percent of British estate agents, were 0.4 percent higher in the first two weeks of January than a year earlier.

Prices were also 0.4 percent up on December levels, the weakest December to January increase since 2012.

Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29, but Prime Minister Theresa May’s record parliamentary defeat over her plans last week has thrown into doubt the terms, timing and even the certainty of Brexit.

Rightmove said potential buyers were tuning out the political noise and the number of people viewing property on its website in the first half of January was up 5 percent from 2018.

“Mass-market home-movers have a track-record of ignoring the politics and continuing to satisfy their housing needs, and as long as these fundamentals remain in place through this period of uncertainty, the market will keep moving,” Shipside said.

Record number of British energy customers switched supplier in 2018 - data

Staff reporter(wp/reuters0:::

A record number of British energy customers switched supplier last year, with one in five customers making a change, data from industry group Energy UK showed on Monday.

Britain’ big six energy companies have been losing customers over the past few years, under pressure from smaller, nimbler rivals often offering cheaper deals.

The data did not reveal which companies gained or lost customers, but showed 30 percent of switches were to small or mid-tier firms.

A record 5.9 million customers changed supplier in 2018, up from 5.5 million in 2017, the data showed.

A price cap on energy prices by regulator Ofgem has come into force this year, which some suppliers have warned could stifle competition and lead to reduced switching rates.

“My hope remains that, with the recent introduction of the price cap, we don’t see this element of competition undermined and switching levels fall,” Energy UK chief executive Lawrence Slade said.

Consumer groups say the best way for people to ensure they are paying the lowest possible price is still to shop around for a deal.

Britain’s big six energy suppliers are Centrica’s   British Gas, SSE , E.ON , EDF Energy , Innogy’s  Npower and Iberdrola’s  Scottish Power.