On Sunday, France made the decision to close its borders with the UK for 48 hours – which put a stop to the movement of all lorries, flights and ferries – with a significant number of vehicles experiencing prolonged hold-ups at the Kent border.
It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed last week that a “new variant” of coronavirus has been detected in the UK, with a significant spread noted in London and areas of the South East.
France has since said it will aim “to ensure movement from the UK can resume”.
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Beginning the conference by offering an update, Mr Johnson said: “These delays are only occurring at Dover, only affect human-handled freight and that is only 20% of the total arriving from or departing to the European continent,”
He assured people that vast majority of food and medical supplies are unaffected, and says the government has been preparing for such a situation for a while.
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"The vast majority of food, medicines and other supplies are coming and going as normal"
PM Boris Johnson says delays at Dover – after France closed its border to the UK – "only affect human-handled freight"
Mr Johnson said the government continues to have talks with French officials.
He stated that he understands worries over COVID transmission by EU countries, but says the “risks of transmission by a solitary driver sitting alone in the cab are very low”.
He also added that UK supermarkets’ supply chains “are strong and robust”, and because of this, “everyone can continue to shop normally”, as he says he understands concerns of international partners about new strain, but the UK took “prompt and decisive action” to curb its spread.
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"Everyone can continue to shop normally"
PM says UK supermarkets' supply chains "are strong and robust"
The press conference comes amid an increasing number of countries having chosen to ban all flights from the UK, including Belgium, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Denmark, Poland, Bulgaria, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Hong Kong, India, Canada, Romania and more, with others expected as likely to follow.
The Czech Republic has imposed stricter quarantine measures for people arriving from Britain, and Turkey and Morocco have announced they will be suspending air travel from the UK, while Saudi Arabia is also believed to be looking into suspending international flights for one week.
El Salvador is also barring entry to anyone who has visited the UK in the preceding 30 days.
Offering further reassurance, Mr Johnson also announced that more than 500,000 people in the UK have now received their first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
He says: “We want to work with our colleagues, with our friends around the world, as we have from the beginning, to develop new treatments, to develop new vaccines, as we have [and] I can today announce that over half a million people, more than 500,000 people in the UK, have now received their first dose.”
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Teams and fixture date confirmed for first-ever regular season NBA game in Manchester
Danny Jones
In another major coup for Manchester, the NBA is coming to our shores for just the second time in our history, and now the teams set to take part have finally been announced.
Having only been played in the UK on a relative handful of occasions, this is nothing short of a massive milestone for the city.
Last crossing the pond back in 2019, the NBA has only visited 0161 once before over a decade ago at the old AO Arena, and there’s only been a total of 19 transatlantic meetings up until now.
As if that wasn’t exciting enough, being confirmed as part of the NBA’s new European slate, Manchester is also set to be one of the first venues in the UK to ever host a regular-season game outside of the United States. Massive. Here’s who’s playing and when:
NBA Europe managed to secure a three-year programme of fixtures that will feature as part of the league’s normal competitive season in late 2025.
As you can see, kicking off next year and running until 2028 at the very least, the current deal will see the much-loved sport watched worldwide first land on the continent for a pair of games next year in Berlin and London, before heading to Paris and our very own Manchester in Q1.
Florida’s Orlando Magic and Tennessee’s Memphis Grizzlies had already been announced for the first two games last July, and now the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans are set to face off for the Manc meeting.
With Basketball England being officially headquartered within the wider Etihad Campus, there was no question that the Manchester NBA fixture was going to be held at Co-op Live.
As well as being not just the biggest indoor entertainment venue of its kind in England but all of Europe, the arena has also recently welcomed the likes of the UFC, WWE and multiple boxing bouts, proving it can serve as the perfect host for premier live sporting action on a global scale.
In addition to the matches themselves, the Spurs and Pelicans will also be holding various fan activities and events within the region as part of the NBA Cares social impact programming initiative, with a focus on health, wellness, sustainability and coaching, as well as both player and even referee development.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS AND SAN ANTONIO SPURS TO PLAY REGULAR-SEASON GAMES IN PARIS AND MANCHESTER IN 2027
Spurs and Pelicans to Face Off on Jan. 14 in Paris and Jan. 17 in Manchester
The NBA today announced that the New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs will play… pic.twitter.com/S80Yl102Fg
Speaking on the seismic news last summer, the leader of Manchester City Council and representative for Burnage, Bev Craig, could only echo how big a deal this is for the region.
“Manchester once again has shown what a magnificent draw it is for major events, and we are thrilled to welcome the NBA back to our city”, she said. “This city is known for big names, big games and a reputation for showcasing world-class events on the biggest stage possible.
“With a growing basketball scene in Manchester, this event feels like the perfect fit and will give so many people in our city the chance to see what the best athletes in the sport can do on our home turf.
“When it comes to delivering world-class events, we know that Manchester is now firmly on the map. Now, working with our partners, we want to continue driving investment towards our city, creating new jobs, increasing growth and providing new opportunities and experiences for all of our residents.”
You can register your interest for tickets to see Spurs vs Pelicans in a proper competitive NBA regular season round right at the Co-op Live in Manchester, right HERE; remember, you can always spring for the discounted posh seats, as well.
Family pay tribute to 17-year-old girl who died in crash during police pursuit in Bolton
Emily Sergeant
The family of a 17-year-old girl who sadly lost her life in a collision in Bolton earlier this month have now paid tribute to her.
Erica De Sousa Correia sadly died in hospital in the early hours of Tuesday morning (19 May), following injuries sustained in a collision on Walker Fold Road in Bolton back on 5 May.
Her passing comes after, at around 6:25pm on 5 May, a car activated an ANPR camera in the Bolton area, having previously being marked as a suspicious vehicle.
A short time later, officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) traffic unit spotted the vehicle, which failed to stop on Old Kiln Lane, and following a brief pursuit, the vehicle subsequently crashed on Walker Fold Road.
The driver of the vehicle – a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons – was charged with a number of offences, including causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and has been bailed pending further enquiries.
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is ongoing at this time.
In the meantime, Erica’s family has now paid tribute to her: “Erica’s happiness was contagious. She loved to dance and sing and loved spending time in Portugal with her family. She wanted to become a midwife as she loved children and also studied travel and tourism. She was incredibly intelligent and studied hard and got good grades in school .
“Erica was due to celebrate her 18th birthday on 1 June and was looking forward to having a party to celebrate her special day. She even had her outfit planned for her birthday.
The Manc -
21st December 2020 
