Speaking for the first time since the ban earlier this week, recently-appointed BBC Director-General Tim Davie accused countries such as China of trying to expand their “control of information”. The BBC boss warned it is of “deep concern” that China was preventing the BBC from properly doing its job and broadcasting around the world. The Director-General warned of the “growing global threats to the free media as some seek to increase their control of nformation”............"Now, more than ever, it is important that we speak out to defend free and fair journalism.”

A group of almost 200 British academics from more than a dozen UK universities could face jail, as officials probe whether they may have unwittingly helped the Chinese government build weapons of mass destruction. Officials are investigating the academics amid suspicion they may have breached laws designed to protect national security and human rights.

During a protest against the imposition of a nationwide 9pm curfew in Eindhoven last Sunday, a police truckturned its water cannon on a young woman who was hurled against a concrete wall so hard that she appeared to bounce off it. Spain has experienced extreme weather conditions across the country over the last fortnight, during a highly unusual period of record-breaking high and low temperatures, snowfall and earthquakes. “We found changes in the tongue that until then had not been linked to Covid: the tongue is enlarged, it appears swollen, the teeth marks can be seen and it can also be depapillated.................... Spain is facing another debate about face masks. At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Spanish health authorities did not recommend the use of face masks, partly because there were not enough to supply everyone. In 2014, Spanish doctor Gabriel Heras, specialist in Intensive Medicine, created the International Research Project for the Humanisation of Intensive Care Units (HU-CI Project). Black Lives Matter has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of what the nominator said was BLM's impact in raising awareness of racism worldwide......... Petter Eide, the Norwegian parliamentarian who nominated BLM, dismissed questions about violence carried out in the movement's name. Six men aged between 20-34, including the ‘YouTuber’ and influencer Gonzalo Sapiña, were detained in an investigation into alleged fraud surrounding trading courses, as part of a joint operation involving Europol and other law enforcement agencies.

EU commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said a 'transparency mechanism' is being introduced as she insisted that the bloc 'means business' about getting its fair share of supplies. A home confinement cannot be legally imposed in Spain under the current emergency state approved by parliament in late October and due to expire in May. But the string of increasingly strict restrictions imposed by regional governments is coming close to a de facto lockdown. Concern is rising in Spain over the number of individuals who have jumped the line to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. The list includes several mayors, a regional health chief and family members of medical workers. Vaccines may not fully prevent people from passing Covid-19 on to others, England’s deputy chief medical officer has again warned. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said Rufus Hound has seen MPs and Bomb victims call for him to be removed from Dancing on Ice after he retweeted unsubstantiated claims Theresa May planned the Manchester terror attack.

The worst snow seen this century has caused chaos, leaving three dead and hundreds of drivers trapped in their vehicles. Madrid, Albacete, Cuenca, Toledo, Guadalajara, Valencia, Castellón, Tarragona, Teruel and Zaragoza are expected to see 20 centimeters of snowfall The number of coronavirus cases recorded in Spain since the beginning of the pandemic officially exceeded two million on Thursday, amid warnings of difficult weeks ahead. According to the Health Ministry’s latest report, all data points clearly indicate that the pandemic continues to follow an upward trend.

As of 31st December non/resident expats will have to return home after 90 days in the Schengen country as opposed to 180 days. They will need to return for 90 days and then will be eligible for the next 90 day stay. This will have implications for long stay semi/permanent residents. The DGT has come up with a new system for exchanging UK driving licences that went live on Monday November 16th that creates a two-step process to enable UK nationals to complete stage one before the end of year deadline even if they are unable to secure a coveted cita previa at a local DGT office. ALICANTE-ELCHE airport will be renamed after the Mediterranean province's most famous poet, Miguel Hernández – an announcement had been made on the exact day of what would have been his 110th birthday. In the UK, John Price - a local potato and cattle farmer - dredged a section of the River Lugg near Leominster in Herefordshire and reportedly stripped a mile-long stretch of the bank of trees and bushes. Video footage taken from the ground shows aggressive boos from the stands as the players took the knee, prompting criticism from ex-players including Lineker, Trevor Sinclair and Greg Halford. Eddie Jones, 60, was responding to a question from a pupil during an event at Eton the £42,500-a-year-school near Windsor, in Berkshire. A female staff member told the England rugby coach that she thought it was an 'inappropriate word', according to a parent. Meanwhile, another parent added that he was respectfully asked to define manliness and that such questions are a necessary part of the events. A nurse who drunkenly smashed her car into a teenage boy will be allowed to return to her profession following a suspension after expressing her deep remorse. Sarah Hogg got behind the wheel, despite being double the drink drive limit after celebrating her 50th birthday and lost control of the Honda CR-V. ….President Donald Trump has tweeted video of a Chinese professor suggesting that China has managed to influence U.S. policy for decades thanks to a special network of relationships with people at the upper echelons of American power.

.Why is it so difficult to reach an agreement on education in Spain? “Different ways of perceiving society and life come into play. The Lomloe, popularly known as the “Celaá law” after Education Minister Isabel Celaá, was approved on Thursday inside a divided lower house of parliament with 177 votes in favor, 148 against and 17 abstentions. Regional governments must aim to reduce the environmental impact of education centers and create “safe paths to school” to allow students to walk to school. The Spanish Constitutional Court on Thursday upheld most of the Public Safety law, popularly known as the “gag law,” including the immediate removal of migrants who try to enter Spanish territory by crossing the border fence in Spain’s North African exclave cities, Ceuta and Melilla.

Spain’s Coronavirus-ravaged economy is expected to fall by an unprecedented 11.2% this year, with tax revenues due to fall by 7.6%. The PSOE–Podemos coalition government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez aims to bolster revenues by 6.8 billion euros with its 2021 budget. ‘This budget cannot be postponed. This budget is essential for the modernisation and recovery of our economy,’ Sánchez said.

Just posted:@terrywhitehead joins @vincetracy to discuss #Paris #Nice #Vienna #Covid #gotafria #Mali #Logroño #UK #Tourism #anti-Semitic #dementia #1966 #WorldCup#Barbarians #BBC

The perfect storm that dragged Spain to the bottom of advanced economies Experts point to factors such as reliance on tourism, a stricter lockdown and the small size of businesses............................... Spain has been hampered by its excessive reliance on tourism, which in pre-crisis days contributed around 14% of GDP and employed three million people