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The incident took place in the broadcaster’s central London HQ

The UK’s leveling-up secretary has missed an interview slot at the BBC after being stuck in an elevator in the corporation’s central London HQ. Appearing later on Radio 4, he joked it could be something from a comedy show.

On Monday morning, cabinet minister Michael Gove found himself trapped in a lift for some 30 minutes as he attempted to make his way to an interview at the BBC’s Broadcasting House.

A BBC producer tweeted an image of Gove stuck in the transparent elevator. 

Breaking W1A – Michael Gove finally free from the lift behind my desk, where he has been stuck for half an hour pic.twitter.com/Y9g7X3SA4i

— Jack Lamport (@JackLamport) January 10, 2022

Speaking around 8am, the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Nick Robinson, said that the minister had been stuck in the lift for some time but was “keeping cheerful.”

Robinson added that Gove had offered to conduct the interview by phone from the lift.

“I wish I could say this is a joke, it is not a joke, and it is not very funny for Mr Gove and the security man,” Robinson added.

Gove eventually appeared on the show around 15 minutes late and joked that he had been “leveled up,” a reference to his ministerial role. One of his formal government titles is ‘Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.’

In a light-hearted back and forth, the minister and the presenters joked that the mishap may provide “ammunition” for the scriptwriters of W1A – a popular BBC comedy, starring Hugh Bonneville, which pokes fun at the corporation and its alleged inadequacies.

W1A is sometimes more than a comedy… Michael Gove’s interview with us this morning was delayed while he was stuck in one of our lifts for half an hour… @BBCnickrobinson apologised to the now freed Mr Gove… pic.twitter.com/SYKY2UBOp6

— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) January 10, 2022

The gargantuan launch tower mechanism is designed to recover Super Heavy rockets and Starships

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has hailed the progress made in the testing of the robotic mechanism at the SpaceX launch pad in southern Texas, which was built to catch returning rockets and spacecraft.

‘Super Heavy’ is the dedicated launch vehicle for ‘Starship’, SpaceX’s spacecraft designed for eventual Moon and Mars missions. The launch system is intended to make delivering crews and large cargoes into deep space cheaper than ever, in part by making both of its elements fully recoverable.

In a Twitter post on Sunday, Musk showed off the gigantic robotic mechanism that will hopefully allow rockets and spaceships to be caught mid-air when they return home. The launch/catch tower, dubbed ‘Mechazilla’ by the space entrepreneur, is currently undergoing tests at SpaceX’s Boca Chica site in Texas.

Starship launch & catch tower pic.twitter.com/5mLIQwwu0k

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2022

In August of last year, Musk replied to a Twitter post of a 3D animation of how the 134-meter (440-foot) high ‘robot chopstick’ arm would work with a Super Heavy rocket, saying it was “pretty close.” Engineers have been testing and calibrating its hydraulic actuators and other equipment since early January.

Pretty close. Booster & arms will move faster. QD arm will steady booster for ship mate.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 13, 2021

The first orbital test flight of the transplanetary launch system was expected to take place in January or February, but has been delayed until at least March due to ongoing evaluation by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The flight plan, however, does not include the recovery of either the Super Heavy B4 or the Starship S20. They are scheduled to make splashdowns in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean respectively, after completing their parts of the test mission.

SpaceX is famous for introducing cost-cutting reusability features in its less-powerful launch systems, most notably routinely recovering the first stages of the Falcon 9. However, the approach used by the company now involves landing used boosters on a robotic floating platform or a landing pad, rather than catching them in flight with an arm.

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Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Belgian capital of Brussels to protest the government’s Covid-19 restrictions

A massive crowd flooded the streets of the Belgian capital, with demonstrators calling for “freedom” and demanding that authorities abolish the Covid-19 health pass required to enter various venues.

The large-scale protest, which was joined by thousands of people, was organized by an umbrella group, “Samen Voor Vrijheid” (‘Together for Freedom’). The crowd, chanting “Liberty!” and “Freedom!” and holding placards denouncing what they called the government’s “vaccine dictatorship,” marched through the city center from the Gare du Nord railway station to the Parc du Cinquantenaire to the east.

The demonstration attracted several public figures and politicians, including even some European Parliament members. “We are asking for our rights, freedom and our liberty back,” a Romanian MEP Cristian Terhes, from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, told Politico.

“What is happening right now all across Europe, it’s an indescribable abuse that we haven’t seen, at least in the West, since the Second World War,” he added. According to the police, the march was attended by some 5,000 participants.

The organizers named a much higher figure, stating that around 25,000 joined the rally. The organizers also denounced “freedom-restricting measures,” which they said were not a “structural solution.” Such measures were “no longer justifiable,” they argued, and called “anyone who senses that something is not right” to join the cause.

Thousands take to the streets in Brussels, Belgium today to march in protest against vaccine passports and COVID tyranny.pic.twitter.com/FjL3HEfPKQ

— Michael P Senger (@MichaelPSenger) January 9, 2022

The demonstration was largely peaceful unlike a similar event in November 2021, which ended in major scuffles with police. However, some protesters were still throwing pyrotechnics and burning Christmas trees placed in front of several buildings for decoration, as videos published on social media suggest.

Police responded with tear gas. More than 30 people were detained, including 11 who were arrested even before the event started, over possession of pyrotechnics and flammable materials, police spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere told local media. After the demonstration, a small group of protesters sought to confront the police, but law enforcement quickly got the situation under control.

30 arrested as thousands protest COVID-19 restrictions in Brussels

Around 5,000 protesters, according to the police, took to the streets of Belgium’s capital on Sunday to protest anti-Covid regulations and the vaccination pass.#belgium #brussels #covid_19 #covid_19 #antivex pic.twitter.com/AS0691pbFY

— 5 News Australia (@5NewsAustralia) January 10, 2022

The protest came even though Belgian officials avoided imposing tougher measures last week. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo warned that “the coming weeks will be difficult” and said that infection numbers are likely to rise.

READ MORE: Dozens detained amid protests over anti-Covid restrictions in Brussels (VIDEOS)

On Sunday, Belgium’s Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke also called for a parliamentary debate on tougher rules and even mulled over introducing mandatory vaccination. “A year ago, I was saying: compulsory vaccination is not a good idea,” he said, adding that “now, knowing that we really need to vaccinate 100 percent of the population … we still need some sort of generalized take-up.”

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has claimed the prime minister is failing to protect England

Wales’ first minister has doubled down on comments in which he accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of “ignoring the science” on Covid-19 by refusing to introduce new measures to prevent the spread of Omicron.

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, First Minister Mark Drakeford reiterated claims that England was a “global outlier” and was not protecting its people from the current wave of Covid-19. 

Drakeford said he is constantly asked why Wales is not doing the same thing as England. “My answer was to point out that in this debate it is not Wales that is the outlier,” he stated, adding that Scotland, Northern Ireland, and other nations around the world are doing the same thing.

He said it was not for him to answer on behalf of the UK government, which has jurisdiction over England. “I think they have not done what the science would have told them they should do,” he added, doubling down on Friday’s remarks in which he said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was “ignoring the science.” 

READ MORE: WATCH: Anti-vaccine passport protesters pelt MP with seaweed 

Wales is currently subject to Alert Level 2 restrictions, with masks mandated indoors and restaurant bookings limited to six people. Indoor events with more than 30 people and outdoor events for more than 50 people are prohibited. 

“When we have different messages across our border that does make it more difficult for us,” Drakeford added. 

Despite the lack of restrictions in England, the most populous nation of the UK has the lowest Covid-19 infection rates; the current figure stands at 1,924 cases per 100,000 people. By comparison, Wales’s infection rate is 2,380 cases per 100,000 people. 

Welsh rules have also angered many in the sporting world, with Drakeford insisting that the stadium of English football team Chester is in Wales, and therefore must play their games behind closed doors. Wales’ rugby stars have also called to play their upcoming Six Nations games in England to avoid playing in an empty stadium.

Healthcare and front-line workers along with people above 60 with health issues line up at vaccine centres across India.

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