Spinal Tap actor dies
Actor Tony Hendra – star of surprise 1984 film hit This Is Spinal Tap – has died.
The 79-year-old passed away after a year-long battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Film director Rob Reiner said: “Tony, who played Spinal Tap’s manager, Ian, has sadly passed away. He was a brilliant satirist.”
Scotland has recorded 12 deaths from coronavirus and 555 positive tests in the past 24 hours, Scottish Government figures show.
It brings the death toll to 7421. There are 639 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, with 63 in intensive care.
A total of 1,743,869 people have received their first vaccine dose.
Rishi Sunak will unleash 30 more tax changes when he delivers the second half of his Budget in two weeks.
Th e y w i l l include proposals for an “Amazon tax” on online companies that have enjoyed huge profits during lockdown.
However, he also plans to slash public spending, despite the country being battered by Covid-19, and has not ruled out more import checks on EU goods following Brexit, which could hit the UK’s ability to trade.
Sunak said: “One of my priorities is to get international agreement on a new way to tax these companies.”
This year, for the first time, the Chancellor has cut the Budget in two, with longterm tax consultations being unveiled on March 23.
The Queen has led a call for unity across the Commonwealth as Harry and Meghan prepare to launch a broadside against The Firm on Oprah.
The monarch is joined by other senior royals, including Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in putting duty before everything amid one of the most turbulent periods in monarchy royal history.
The family came together to take part in A Celebration for Commonwealth Day – a special programme to be broadcast on BBC1 tonight at 5pm.
In Her Majesty’s annual Commonwealth Day message, the Queen pays tribute to the way in which communities across the family of nations have come together in response to the pandemic.
A palace source said: “It was great sadness that the usual celebration at Westminster Abbey could not go ahead this year due to the pandemic but the Queen was absolutely determined to make the best of it.
“This special message is a symbol that, despite such extraordinary challenges going on throughout the world, the concept of togetherness has never been more important.”
The Queen remained calm and composed despite her husband Prince Philip, 99, recovering from heart surgery this week after spending almost three weeks in hospital – and the imminent broadcast of Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview.