News- UK

Thursday briefing: China says UK can't grant Hongkongers residency Beijing vows to take action after PM promised UK rights to 3 million ... Big job cuts hit the high street … and what’s wrong with WhatsApp?Good morning and welcome to this Thursday briefing with me, Alison Rourke. Continue reading... Go to Source

Fears grow for UK high street as more than 6,000 retail jobs cut in a day Harrods and Arcadia shed 1,200 jobs as John Lewis warns of staff and bonus cutsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMore than 6,000 retail jobs were cut from the UK high street on Wednesday as the full impact of the pandemic on the high street – combined with the wind-down of the government furlough scheme – starts to emerge.The latest job losses – from retailers ranging from Harrods to Philip Green’s Arcadia group and SSP, the company behind hundreds of railway and airport eateries – bring the total cuts announced this week to more than 10,000. Continue reading... Go to Source

California closes bars and indoor dining across state as Covid-19 cases surge – live Trump says plan to paint Fifth Avenue will ‘denigrate’ itCuomo urges Trump to ‘admit you were wrong’US reports record one-day increase in cases as Trump stays silentSign up to our First Thing newsletter 12.17am BSTThe heads of four big tech firms – Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook – have agreed to participate in a House Judiciary Committee hearing in late July. The House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee has been investigated whether the market power of these tech giants poses a threat to competition. 11.38pm BSTThe Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign raised $131m in June, eclipsing the total they raised in any month in 2016, according to the RNC. T...

UK should prioritise green projects to kickstart economy, says IMF Chief economist tells committee that coronavirus recovery is an opportunity to create jobs and greener planet The British government should prioritise spending on green projects to create jobs and kickstart the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis, the International Monetary Fund’s chief economist has said.Gita Gopinath, the IMF’s economic counsellor, said that mounting unemployment triggered by the Covid-19 crisis would require swift action to prevent lasting damage, and that spending on low-carbon projects could be used in response. Continue reading... Go to Source

China may block Hongkongers from moving to UK, admits Dominic Raab Foreign secretary says Britain can do little to ‘coercively force’ China to let citizens leaveBritain could do little to “coercively force” China if it tries to block Hongkongers from coming to the UK to take up a government visa pledge, the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has admitted.Boris Johnson has said he will honour a promise to offer nearly 3 million residents of the former British colony the right to settle in the UK and ultimately apply for citizenship after Beijing imposed a controversial new national security law. Continue reading... Go to Source

Police in England and Wales facing 'new era of austerity' London mayor among those fearing imminent financial crisis mainly caused by Covid-19Police are facing a “new era of austerity” with some forces potentially facing their worst ever annual budget cuts fuelled by the coronavirus crisis.The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has warned the funding crisis endangers the government’s pledge to recruit 20,000 extra officers to fight crime and risks leaving police “with one hand tied behind their back”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Exclusive: water firms discharged raw sewage into England's rivers 200,000 times in 2019 Untreated effluent flowed into waterways for more than 1.5m hours, data showsEngland’s privatised water firms paid £57bn in dividends since 1991Water companies in England discharged raw sewage into rivers on more than 200,000 occasions last year, according to data obtained by the Guardian.The analysis reveals untreated human waste was released into streams and rivers for more than 1.5m hours in 2019. Continue reading... Go to Source

Data reveals coronavirus hotspots in Bradford, Barnsley and Rochdale Exclusive: figures reveal locations with highest levels of new infections after LeicesterCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBradford, Barnsley and Rochdale can be revealed as the places with the highest levels of new Covid-19 infections after Leicester, as fears grow of further local outbreaks and the UK heads towards Saturday’s lifting of more lockdown restrictions.The official data, which has not been previously published on Public Health England’s online dashboard, comes amid complaints from local health officials and medics that a lack of detailed testing about local outbreaks is causing delays in attempts to curtail them. Continue reading... Go to Source

Hong Kong: hundreds arrested as security law comes into effect Teenager waving independence flag among those held as thousands take to the streetsHong Kong protests: latest updates – liveMore than 370 protesters have been arrested as police fired teargas, pepper spray and water cannon at thousands of people protesting against a national security law imposed by Beijing.The extent of Beijing’s mandate was made clear as full details of the law were released late on Tuesday, giving authorities sweeping powers to crack down on dissent and allowing China new levels of control over the semi-autonomous territory. Continue reading... Go to Source

Hong Kong protests: more than 180 arrested as security law comes in; UK opens pathway to citizenship Police use water cannon and pepper spray as people take to the streets to protest new security law introduced by ChinaProtesters arrested on first day of Hong Kong’s hated new lawsAnalysis: security laws usher in new era of Chinese controlHow are you being affected by protests in Hong Kong? 12.36pm BSTBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the new security law in Hong Kong is a clear breach of China’s obligations. He added that the UK will now create a new route for people in Hong Kong with a British National overseas passport to come to the UK and have a path to citizenship. 12.29pm BSTThe British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has accused China of a “clear an...

Man, 18, arrested over death of two sisters in London park Man held in south London on suspicion of murder of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa HenryAn 18-year-old man has been arrested over the killing of two sisters in a London park, the Metropolitan police said.The man was arrested at an address in south London overnight on suspicion of the murders of Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, at Fryent Country Park in Wembley, north-west London, in the early hours of 6 June. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson denies Leicester lacked infection data at PMQs Keir Starmer questions PM over lack of local infection data; government minister warns more local lockdowns to be expectedRising infections in pockets of UK raise fears of further local lockdownsSome Leicester factories ‘stayed open and forced staff to come in’UK house prices fall as Covid-19 job losses surge – business liveEvictions could treble due to coronavirus rent debts, activists warnGlobal coronavirus updates – live 12.41pm BSTJohnson says the Department for Education has been working with the Department for Transport on ensuring children can use buses to return to school in the autumn.And PMQs is now over. Snap verdict coming up soon. 12.41pm BSTJohnson says he does think t...

Injured boy 'stopped and searched' by Met officer he asked for help Teenager attacked in London by rightwing opponents of Black Lives Matter movementRights groups have criticised police after a boy of 16, attacked by far-right opponents of a Black Lives Matter demonstration in London, said he was stopped and searched by the policeman he had asked for help.The teenager, who is black, said that even though he had been injured in the attack, the police officer he approached for protection looked him over, searched him and told him to find medical help elsewhere. Continue reading... Go to Source

English councils breaking law in 'secretly' relocating homeless people Many do not notify new local authority and flout guidance to keep people in neighbourhoodsCouncils across England are systematically breaking the law by relocating hundreds of homeless people outside of their boroughs without notifying the authorities receiving them.An investigation found that schools are being overwhelmed, with northern cities such as Bradford having received at least 290 households from 31 different boroughs in the past two years, many of them from London, Kent and Essex. Continue reading... Go to Source

US buys up world stock of key Covid-19 drug remdesivir No other country will be able to buy remdesivir, which can help recovery from Covid-19, for next three months at leastCoronavirus – latest US updatesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe US has bought up virtually all the stocks for the next three months of one of the two drugs proven to work against Covid-19, leaving none for the UK, Europe or most of the rest of the world.Experts and campaigners are alarmed both by the US unilateral action on remdesivir and the wider implications, for instance in the event of a vaccine becoming available. The Trump administration has already shown that it is prepared to outbid and outmanoeuvre all other countries to secure the medical supplies it needs for the...

Fauci says US death toll 'going to be very disturbing' and fears 100,000 daily cases Infectious disease expert says US ‘going in the wrong direction’‘I’m very concerned. I’m not satisfied with what’s going on’The top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci said the country could see 100,000 new coronavirus cases daily unless action is taken to reverse the epidemic. Related: Fauci says new US coronavirus cases could hit 100,000 a day in stark warning to Senate – live Continue reading... Go to Source

Likelihood of 40C temperatures in UK is ‘rapidly accelerating’ Such deadly heat may become regular occurrence later this century, scientists findThe likelihood of the UK experiencing deadly 40C temperatures for the first time is “rapidly accelerating” due to the climate crisis, scientists have found.The research shows that such searing heat could become a regular occurrence by the end of the century unless carbon emissions are cut to zero. Global heating has already made UK heatwaves 30 times more likely and extreme temperatures led to 3,400 early deaths from 2016-19. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson vows to act fast to fix economy in wake of coronavirus PM pledges to deliver manifesto pledge of ‘levelling up’ country after Covid-19 crisisCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has promised to act fast to boost spending on infrastructure in the face of the looming recession, as he returned to his manifesto pledge of “levelling up” the UK in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis.Delivering a major speech in Dudley College of Technology, at a podium emblazoned with the slogan “build, build, build”, the prime minister claimed his government would tackle the long-term problems in the UK economy revealed by the “lightning flash” of the pandemic. Continue reading... Go to Source

Hong Kong activists shut down protest groups after China passes security law Campaigners fear ‘disturbing’ legislation aimed at quashing protests will target themHong Kong activists have deleted social media profiles and closed down campaign groups after Beijing passed a new security law for the territory that many fear could land them in jail.The standing committee of the National People’s Congress approved the measure on Tuesday morning and it is expected to be enacted in Hong Kong late Tuesday, on the eve of the 23rd anniversary of its return to Chinese rule. Continue reading... Go to Source

Former England boxer Kelvin Bilal Fawaz wins 16-year battle to stay in UK Exclusive: Fawaz, who was trafficked to the UK from Nigeria as a child, won his Home Office appeal last weekThe former England boxer Kelvin Bilal Fawaz has won his 16-year legal battle to live and work in the UK after the Home Office granted him leave to remain for 30 months.Fawaz, who has represented England six times and was once an amateur champion, has been struggling to establish his adult nationality and immigration status after being trafficked from Nigeria to the UK as a child and kept in domestic servitude. Continue reading... Go to Source

Ship drawing sheds new light on Amsterdam's role in slave trade Print of the Beeckestijn, now identified as a slave ship, forms part of Amsterdammers and Slavery exhibitionA contemporaneous drawing of a Dutch West India Company slave ship from the early 1700s in which more than 1,000 people died has been identified and is being exhibited as part of a wider attempt by the city of Amsterdam to reckon with its past.The Beeckestijn transported around 4,600 slaves from the African west coast to the Dutch colonies of Suriname and St Eustatius over seven voyages to South America and the Caribbean between 1722 and 1736. At least a thousand slaves died on board. Continue reading... Go to Source

Scale of torture and deaths in Yemen's unofficial prisons revealed Human rights group says all sides in long war responsible for shocking abuseThe scale of abuse suffered by Yemenis in unofficial detention centres and prisons has been revealed in a report, which shows how extrajudicial detentions and killings have rocketed during the five-year-long conflict.Between May 2016 and April 2020, Mwatana, a leading Yemeni human rights group, documented 1,605 cases of arbitrary detention, 770 cases of enforced disappearance, and 344 cases of torture carried out by all of Yemen’s warring parties, according to research published on Tuesday. Continue reading... Go to Source

Leicester coronavirus outbreak: mayor 'frustrated' with ministers Peter Soulsby says government report is superficial and was ‘cobbled together very hastily’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government’s lack of communication with Leicester city council about the coronavirus outbreak in the city has been “intensely frustrating”, according to its mayor.Sir Peter Soulsby’s criticism comes after the home secretary, Priti Patel, said on Sunday the government was considering a localised lockdown in Leicester. Continue reading... Go to Source

Former top civil servants condemn Mark Sedwill resignation Downing Street denies cabinet secretary was forced out by Boris JohnsonFormer senior civil servants and opposition parties have condemned the departure of Sir Mark Sedwill as a sign the government is undermining the impartiality of the civil service, as Downing Street defended its decision to install a political appointee to one of his former jobs.It was announced on Sunday that Sedwill will step down as cabinet secretary, the country’s most senior civil servant, as well as Boris Johnson’s national security adviser, following months of briefings targeting him. Continue reading... Go to Source

Netanyahu’s annexation plan in disarray as Gantz calls for delay Alternate PM says planned 1 July date not ‘sacred’ and Israel should deal with Covid-19 crisis firstPlans by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to begin annexing parts of the occupied Palestinian territories from as early as Wednesday appeared in disarray as the country’s alternate prime minister, Benny Gantz, suggested annexation would have to wait while the country dealt with its coronavirus crisis.Gantz told a White House envoy, Avi Berkowitz – who is in Israel for talks on the issue – that a 1 July deadline was neither “sacred” nor urgent in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. Israeli media widely suggested that the timing could slip beyond Wednesday. Continue ...

China sterilising ethnic minority women in Xinjiang, report says Uighurs are among those facing involuntary contraception or threats over birth quotasChinese authorities are carrying out forced sterilisations of women in an apparent campaign to curb the growth of ethnic minority populations in the western Xinjiang region, according to research published on Monday.The report, based on a combination of official regional data, policy documents and interviews with ethnic minority women, has prompted an international group of lawmakers to call for a United Nations investigation into China’s policies in the region. Continue reading... Go to Source

India bans TikTok after Himalayan border clash with Chinese troops Government blacklists more than 50 Chinese-made apps, citing ‘threat to sovereignty’The Indian government has banned TikTok, the hugely popular social media app, as part of sweeping anti-China measures after a violent confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops.TikTok is one of more than 50 Chinese-made apps that have been banned by the Ministry of Information over concerns that they “pose a threat to sovereignty and security” of India. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: government wants to extend Leicester lockdown by two weeks to fight outbreak Parents in England face fines if they refuse to send children back to school in September; Boris Johnson says coronavirus has been a disaster in Times Radio interview Boris Johnson pledges ‘Rooseveltian’ economy pushLeicester council ‘frustrated’ with ministers over local outbreakJust 6% of UK want to go back to pre-Covid19 economyEngland park staff fear chaos on ‘Super Saturday’Global coronavirus updates - live 12.53pm BST 12.50pm BSTWearing face masks will be made compulsory on Northern Ireland’s public transport system later this week.The Northern Ireland executive at Stormont is expected to ratify the move today. Continue reading... Go to Sou...

Families criticise further delay to Birmingham crush deaths case Relatives of five men who died at scrap metal plant in 2016 say it is ‘as if our lives do not matter’The families of five migrant workers who were crushed to death at a scrap metal plant four years ago say they have been treated “as if our lives do not matter” after the criminal investigation was hit with further delays.The men, who were from the Gambia and Senegal and were employed on zero-hours contracts, were killed on 7 July 2016 when a 3.6-metre wall and 263 tonnes of metal collapsed on top of them at the Hawkeswood Metal Recycling site in Birmingham. Continue reading... Go to Source

US to join summit on global green recovery from Covid-19 crisis Exclusive: IEA chief warns rebound in emissions would be missed economic opportunityThe US is to join with other major powers including China, India and the EU in formulating plans for a global green recovery from the coronavirus crisis, in the only major international summit on the climate emergency this year.The idea of a green recovery to prevent a dangerous rebound in greenhouse gas emissions to above pre-Covid-19 levels has been gathering steam, but few governments have yet committed to plans. Continue reading... Go to Source