theweekuk--2020-06-15--Reaction: BLM activist saves counter-protester amid violent clashes

A Black Lives Matter protester is being applauded as a hero for carrying an injured rival demonstrator to safety after violence erupted at demonstrations in London on Saturday .
An image captured by a Reuters news agency photographer shows Patrick Hutchinson , a personal trainer and grandfather , rescuing a man believed to be a far-right protester from an angry crowd near Waterloo Station .
Hutchinson , from Wimbledon , later identified himself on social media after the image went viral .
Speaking to Channel 4 News , he described the “ scary ” moment when the violence erupted around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trafalgar Square and headed across the River Thames .
“ It was pretty hectic , it was almost like a stampede .
There was a bit of an altercation at the top of the stairs , between the far-right… football hooligans , whatever you want to call them , and some of the Black Lives Matter protesters .
“ It looks as though the hooligans got dispersed , leaving one man standing , and unfortunately for him everybody set upon him.
” Hutchinson said he had feared that if the lone man was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s not going to make it ” , so “ I just went under , scooped him up , put him over my shoulders and sort of started marching towards the police ” .
The martial arts expert has been hailed as a symbol of hope by online commentators including Labour MP for Tottenham David Lammy .
“ It ’ s easy to focus on the worst instincts of human behaviour .
But it is vital we also celebrate the best , ” Lammy wrote .
Claudia Webbe , the Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ A national hero – this is what humanity looks like.
” That sentiment has been echoed by The Telegraph , which describes the image of Hutchinson carrying the unnamed white man to safety on his shoulder “ as a symbol of hope and unity amid the chaos of Saturday ’ s disorder ” .
Writing for The Sun , social worker Ray Lewis , a former London deputy mayor for young people , describes the father of two as a “ black superhero without a uniform ” .
Hutchinson “ could so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walk on by and leave his opposition in harm ’ s way ” , Lewis adds .
But instead , “ he showed the world what is at the heart of black consciousness – a sense of humanity and equality which we simply want reflected back at us ” .
Responding to the praise , Hutchinson said that while had had been scared , “ you just do what you have got to do ” .
“ It ’ s not black versus white , it is everyone versus the racists .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected those who needed us , ” he concluded .
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A Black Lives Matter protester is being applauded as a hero for carrying an injured rival demonstrator to safety after violence erupted at demonstrations in London on Saturday.
An image captured by a Reuters news agency photographer shows Patrick Hutchinson, a personal trainer and grandfather, rescuing a man believed to be a far-right protester from an angry crowd near Waterloo Station.
Patrick Hutchinson, the black man who carried a suspected far-right protester to safety in a viral photo captured by @Reuters during protests in London, says he and his friends ‘did what we had to do’ https://t.co/JWv17pv0d4 pic.twitter.com/0eStlC1pUF — Reuters (@Reuters) June 15, 2020
Hutchinson, from Wimbledon, later identified himself on social media after the image went viral. Speaking to Channel 4 News, he described the “scary” moment when the violence erupted around him after far-right agitators spilled out from Trafalgar Square and headed across the River Thames.
“It was pretty hectic, it was almost like a stampede. There was a bit of an altercation at the top of the stairs, between the far-right… football hooligans, whatever you want to call them, and some of the Black Lives Matter protesters.
“It looks as though the hooligans got dispersed, leaving one man standing, and unfortunately for him everybody set upon him.”
Hutchinson said he had feared that if the lone man was left to fend for himself, “he’s not going to make it”, so “I just went under, scooped him up, put him over my shoulders and sort of started marching towards the police”.
The martial arts expert has been hailed as a symbol of hope by online commentators including Labour MP for Tottenham David Lammy. “It’s easy to focus on the worst instincts of human behaviour. But it is vital we also celebrate the best,” Lammy wrote.
Patrick Hutchinson carries an injured stranger to safety during yesterday's protests. It's easy to focus on the worst instincts of human behaviour. But it is vital we also celebrate the best. pic.twitter.com/WPuH27W48J — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 14, 2020
Claudia Webbe, the Labour MP for Leicester East, tweeted: “A national hero – this is what humanity looks like.”
A national hero - this is what humanity looks like: “If the other three police officers who were standing around when George Floyd was murdered had thought about intervening like what we did, George Floyd would be alive today." Patrick Hutchinson 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾#BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/qwhcEav23E — Claudia Webbe MP (@ClaudiaWebbe) June 14, 2020
That sentiment has been echoed by The Telegraph, which describes the image of Hutchinson carrying the unnamed white man to safety on his shoulder “as a symbol of hope and unity amid the chaos of Saturday’s disorder”.
Writing for The Sun, social worker Ray Lewis, a former London deputy mayor for young people, describes the father of two as a “black superhero without a uniform”.
Hutchinson “could so easily have made a conscious decision to walk on by and leave his opposition in harm’s way”, Lewis adds.
But instead, “he showed the world what is at the heart of black consciousness – a sense of humanity and equality which we simply want reflected back at us”.
Responding to the praise, Hutchinson said that while had had been scared, “you just do what you have got to do”.
“It’s not black versus white, it is everyone versus the racists. We had each other’s back and protected those who needed us,” he concluded.
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theweekuk--2020-06-16--‘Right on time’ - so where did Peru’s swift coronavirus lockdown go wrong?

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Health experts are puzzling over why Peru has been hit so hard by the coronavirus pandemic despite having been one of the first Latin American countries to lock down.
With almost 233,000 confirmed Covid-19 infections and more than 6,800 deaths, according to latest figures, Peru is the second-worst hit nation in the region, after Brazil, and the eighth-worst in the world. So what went wrong?
Peru’s President Martin Vizcarra adopted the World Health Organization’s coronavirus recommendations almost to the letter. Lockdown plans enforced by police and the army were in place nationwide by 16 March, with schools closed and borders closed to travellers from countries with high infection rates.
“Peru’s response was right on time,” said Elmer Huerta, a Peruvian doctor and broadcaster on public health matters. “It was the first country in Latin America to respond with a lockdown.”
“But the problem was people’s behaviour,” Huerta told The Guardian. “The fact that on the eighth week of confinement you have thousands of people who are positive [for Covid-19] means that those people got the virus while the country was in lockdown – which means they did not respect the law.”
According to Reuters, “high levels of poverty and informal labour” are key reasons for the failure of the response.
That view is also held by Hugo Nopo, a researcher at Peruvian think-tank Grade.
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“They asked us to stay at home, but a lot of people have no savings so that was impossible. They asked us to wash our hands, but one in three poor households has access to running water,” he told The New York Times.
In a country where only half of homes have refrigerators, Nopo added, many families have no option but to go to crowded markets every day for basic provisions - a major source of contagion.
Dr Huerta agrees that the country’s deep financial inequality is at least partially to blame for the soaring infection rates. “What I have learned is that this virus lays bare the socio-economic conditions of a place,” he told CNN.
Or as The New York Times puts it, the scale of the crisis “has marred Peru’s veneer of economic progress, exposing the deep-rooted inequality and corruption that have thwarted its pandemic response”.
Strained healthcare services and income inequality have also scuppered the response to the outbreak. “Hundreds have died without receiving help from the health system, and many families have faced financial ruin due to the cost of trying to care for the sick,” says The Guardian.
Last month, doctors across Peru called for more government support for hospitals struggling to cope with the rising number of coronavirus admissions, as Al Jazeera reported at the time. More than 1,300 doctors nationwide had already contracted the virus when they made their plea.
Meanwhile, President Vizcarra admitted that his country was facing a challenge like no other faced before.
“Results haven’t been exactly what we expected,” he said. “This isn’t just a health or sanitary crisis, but a social and economic crisis without precedent.”


theweekuk--2020-06-16--Instant Opinion: Keir Starmer must complete the ‘purge of Corbynism’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
on how the Labour leader must take on the hard-left Keir Starmer should finish the purge of Corbynism “ Brand matters in politics at least as much as it does in business .
That is why both Tony Blair and David Cameron were so determined to detoxify their parties .
Their aim was to change perceptions and reach out to new audiences rather than simply reinforce preconceptions .
For Mr Blair that meant adding an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Scarecrow , and for Mr Cameron that required giving the Tory party a heart as well as a head .
Their electoral fortunes depended largely on how far they succeeded .
Sir Keir is currently trying to broaden Labour ’ s appeal : his refusal to back the toppling of Edward Colston ’ s statue in Bristol reflects the views of voters more than his party ’ s left wing ... To return to the Yellow Brick Road , the Labour leader now needs to look to the Lion .
Having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image , and brought in a new , more moderate general secretary , he must next find the courage to take on his left-wingers over policy and dump the unrealistic pledges that made the party so unpalatable to the voters at the last election.
” on getting serious about Black Lives Matter Britain needs leadership on race inequality .
Not just another review “ We do not need another review , or report , or commission to tell us what to do .
I personally made 35 recommendations in the Lammy report on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are 110 specific recommendations in the Angiolini review about disproportionality in deaths in custody .
There are 30 recommendations in Wendy Williams ’ s review about the Home Office ’ s failure in the Windrush scandal .
There are 26 specific recommendations in Ruby McGregor-Smith ’ s review about discrimination in the workplace .
If Boris Johnson is serious about responding to the Black Lives Matter movement that has inspired people from all races and all backgrounds , he does not need to announce another commission on the back of a fag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did , as an aside in his Daily Telegraph column today about the Winston Churchill statue .
We do not need a repeat of Theresa May ’ s 2017 race audit .
It is time for action on the countless reviews , reports and commissions on race that have already been completed.
” on data privacy in the age of coronavirus I will not be downloading the NHS tracing app .
This government can not be trusted not to abuse our data “ I have thought about it , long and hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not do it .
It is not 2013 anymore , and I do not trust my government with my data .
Pardon the pun , but to trust the people running the current government to look after your data would be like trusting the cookie monster to look after your cookies .
Questions of this nature tend to be hypothetical .
Civil liberties campaigners who have objections to ID cards , or large health databases and so on , tend to do so , at least in this country , on moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree to carry an ID card now , on the watch of a moderate , benign government , but how might those powers be used in the future by more sinister forces ?
This is not a conceptual or hypothetical question anymore , however .
It is a real one .
This country has an entirely malignant , entirely untrustworthy government .
It is being run by the unsackable Dominic Cummings , whose own behaviour while running Vote Leave is a matter of public record.
” on looking back wincingly at our forebears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right thing today , the next generation will find it wrong “ In all the recent acknowledgements of our past wrong-doings , we ’ ve never stopped to question our present mistakes - let alone how wincingly regressive some of the ideologies , thoughts and actions of 2020 will look to future generations .
Although some of the steps we ’ re taking to right past wrongs , such as the systemic racism that resulted in the death of George Floyd , are crucial and long overdue , I doubt our decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours a day inhaling the toxic fumes of social media will look very enlightened to our great-grandchildren .
They will likely look upon that with the same appalled disbelief as we now do the legal use of opium .
They will gawp , too , at the notion that fat women were once ‘ shamed ’ for wanting losing weight , and shake their heads in astonishment when they read about how , as Britain tried to recover from a global pandemic , the re-opening of high-street clothing shops was deemed more pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our breathtaking arrogance , we have cocooned ourselves in our own convictions.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 5 .
Michelle Goldberg in The New York Times “ Before Monday , you could legally be fired for being gay , bisexual or transgender in 26 states .
Now the court has ruled that gay and transgender people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1964 Civil Rights Act , which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex .
The decision has extra cultural force because it was written by Justice Neil Gorsuch , a Trump appointee , and joined by the conservative chief justice John Roberts ...
The phrase ‘ But Gorsuch ’ is shorthand for how conservatives justify all the moral compromises they ’ ve made in supporting Trump ; controlling the Supreme Court makes it all worth it .
So there ’ s a special sweetness in Gorsuch spearheading the most important L.G.B.T .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obergefell v. Hodges , which established a constitutional right to same-sex marriage .
This isn ’ t simply Schadenfreude .
The fact that this momentous ruling was written by a right-wing judge sends a message that progress on L.G.B.T .
rights will be very hard to reverse .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Rachel Sylvester in The Times
on how the Labour leader must take on the hard-left
Keir Starmer should finish the purge of Corbynism
“Brand matters in politics at least as much as it does in business. That is why both Tony Blair and David Cameron were so determined to detoxify their parties. Their aim was to change perceptions and reach out to new audiences rather than simply reinforce preconceptions. For Mr Blair that meant adding an element of the Tin Man to Labour’s Scarecrow, and for Mr Cameron that required giving the Tory party a heart as well as a head. Their electoral fortunes depended largely on how far they succeeded. Sir Keir is currently trying to broaden Labour’s appeal: his refusal to back the toppling of Edward Colston’s statue in Bristol reflects the views of voters more than his party’s left wing... To return to the Yellow Brick Road, the Labour leader now needs to look to the Lion. Having shaped his shadow cabinet in his own image, and brought in a new, more moderate general secretary, he must next find the courage to take on his left-wingers over policy and dump the unrealistic pledges that made the party so unpalatable to the voters at the last election.”
2. David Lammy, shadow justice secretary, in The Guardian
on getting serious about Black Lives Matter
Britain needs leadership on race inequality. Not just another review
“We do not need another review, or report, or commission to tell us what to do. I personally made 35 recommendations in the Lammy report on inequality in the criminal justice system. There are 110 specific recommendations in the Angiolini review about disproportionality in deaths in custody. There are 30 recommendations in Wendy Williams’s review about the Home Office’s failure in the Windrush scandal. There are 26 specific recommendations in Ruby McGregor-Smith’s review about discrimination in the workplace. If Boris Johnson is serious about responding to the Black Lives Matter movement that has inspired people from all races and all backgrounds, he does not need to announce another commission on the back of a fag packet. Yet that’s what he did, as an aside in his Daily Telegraph column today about the Winston Churchill statue. We do not need a repeat of Theresa May’s 2017 race audit. It is time for action on the countless reviews, reports and commissions on race that have already been completed.”
3. Tom Peck in The Independent
on data privacy in the age of coronavirus
I will not be downloading the NHS tracing app. This government cannot be trusted not to abuse our data
“I have thought about it, long and hard, and I have decided that I will not do it. It is not 2013 anymore, and I do not trust my government with my data. Pardon the pun, but to trust the people running the current government to look after your data would be like trusting the cookie monster to look after your cookies. Questions of this nature tend to be hypothetical. Civil liberties campaigners who have objections to ID cards, or large health databases and so on, tend to do so, at least in this country, on moral rather than practical grounds. You might agree to carry an ID card now, on the watch of a moderate, benign government, but how might those powers be used in the future by more sinister forces? This is not a conceptual or hypothetical question anymore, however. It is a real one. This country has an entirely malignant, entirely untrustworthy government. It is being run by the unsackable Dominic Cummings, whose own behaviour while running Vote Leave is a matter of public record.”
4. Celia Walden in The Daily Telegraph
on looking back wincingly at our forebears
For all those thinking they are doing the right thing today, the next generation will find it wrong
“In all the recent acknowledgements of our past wrong-doings, we’ve never stopped to question our present mistakes - let alone how wincingly regressive some of the ideologies, thoughts and actions of 2020 will look to future generations. Although some of the steps we’re taking to right past wrongs, such as the systemic racism that resulted in the death of George Floyd, are crucial and long overdue, I doubt our decision to allow children and adults to spend hours a day inhaling the toxic fumes of social media will look very enlightened to our great-grandchildren. They will likely look upon that with the same appalled disbelief as we now do the legal use of opium. They will gawp, too, at the notion that fat women were once ‘shamed’ for wanting losing weight, and shake their heads in astonishment when they read about how, as Britain tried to recover from a global pandemic, the re-opening of high-street clothing shops was deemed more pressing than the re-opening of schools. In our breathtaking arrogance, we have cocooned ourselves in our own convictions.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
5. Michelle Goldberg in The New York Times
on a landmark Supreme Court decision
Surprise! Justice on L.G.B.T. Rights From a Trump Judge
“Before Monday, you could legally be fired for being gay, bisexual or transgender in 26 states. Now the court has ruled that gay and transgender people are protected by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex. The decision has extra cultural force because it was written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, and joined by the conservative chief justice John Roberts... The phrase ‘But Gorsuch’ is shorthand for how conservatives justify all the moral compromises they’ve made in supporting Trump; controlling the Supreme Court makes it all worth it. So there’s a special sweetness in Gorsuch spearheading the most important L.G.B.T. rights decision since the 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which established a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. This isn’t simply Schadenfreude. The fact that this momentous ruling was written by a right-wing judge sends a message that progress on L.G.B.T. rights will be very hard to reverse.”


theweekuk--2020-06-16--Are we heading for clashes between North and South Korea?

The uneasy truce that has existed between North and South Korea for almost 70 years is under threat once again following a fresh outbreak in hostilities .
The two neighbouring nations failed to reach a peace agreement at the end of the Korean War in 1953 , instead signing an armistice deal that included a “ suspension of open hostilities ” and a 2.4-mile demilitarised zone ( DMZ ) along their border .
But North Korea is now threatening to enter this zone and take “ action ” against the South , sparking fears of another all-out conflict on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
North Korea warned over the weekend that its army was prepared to enter the demilitarised zone in response to defector groups in the South sending propaganda material across the border , reports the BBC .
Large helium-filled balloons are often used to carry leaflets into the North along with other items , including food , $ 1 bills , radios and USB sticks loaded with South Korean dramas and news .
Despite the South Korean government warning its citizens to stop the practice , the authorities in Pyongyang say that the continuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yo Jong , the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , announced on Saturday that she had ordered her country ’ s army to prepare to strike back , adding : “ I feel it is high time to surely break with the South Korean authorities.
” “ Rubbish must be thrown into the dustbin , ” added Yo Jong , who has risen rapidly through the ranks of the ruling Communist Party to become the most important figure in the regime after her brother .
Tensions had been soaring since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week that its leader were “ studying an action plan ” to move “ into the zones that had been demilitarised ” .
Pyongyang then cut all communications with the South , including a hotline between the two nation ’ s leaders .
Yesterday , North Korea turned the threats into action , blowing up a liaison office that had been set up in the northern border town of Kaesong in order to improve communications with the South .
Kim Yo Jong had warned on Saturday that Seoul would soon witness “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office being completely collapsed ” .
No one is believed to have been in the office when it was blown up , at around 3pm local time ( 5:49am GMT ) on Monday .
Al Jazeera reports that the four-storey base had been temporarily closed since January owing to the coronavirus pandemic .
Pyongyang ’ s official Korean Central News Agency subsequently said the North had destroyed the office to “ force human scum and those who have sheltered the scum to pay dearly for their crimes ” .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The possibility of North Korea ’ s military entering the DMZ remains a real possibility .
Following Kim Yo Jong ’ s announcement at the weekend , the North Korean military said it was ready to “ turn the front line into a fortress and heighten military vigilance ” , in a statement released through state news agency KCNA .
The army is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ rapidly and thoroughly ” carry out any orders from the government , the statement added .
North Korea has also threatened to start is own propaganda campaign as part of a “ large-scale leaflet-scattering struggle against the enemy ” , reports The Guardian .
In a bid to defuse to growing tensions , the South ’ s President Moon Jae-in is calling for a continuation of peaceful communications between the two countries ’ governments .
“ I regret that North Korea-US and inter-Korean relations have not made progress as expected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mark the 20th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit .
“ But what ’ s most important is trust , which the South and North should build through constant dialogue.
” The South may also step up action against the defector groups sending propaganda to the North , after warning that the lives of people living on the border were being endangered .
Seoul has already filed a police complaint against two such groups , saying their activities were not helping “ efforts to achieve peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the defectors ’ leaflets a “ relatively harmless expressive act ” that should not be banned , reports The Independent .
“ It is shameful how President Moon and his government are totally unwilling to stand up for the rights of North Koreans , ” the international rights group ’ s deputy Asia director , Phil Robertson , said in a statement .
“ Instead of proposing a blanket ban on sending balloons with messages and materials to the North , President Moon should publicly demand that North Korea respect freedom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can see.
” As the world watches the unfolding crisis , defector groups say they are planning to send further leaflets across the DMZ and into the north later this week .

The uneasy truce that has existed between North and South Korea for almost 70 years is under threat once again following a fresh outbreak in hostilities.
The two neighbouring nations failed to reach a peace agreement at the end of the Korean War in 1953, instead signing an armistice deal that included a “suspension of open hostilities” and a 2.4-mile demilitarised zone (DMZ) along their border.
But North Korea is now threatening to enter this zone and take “action” against the South, sparking fears of another all-out conflict on the peninsula.
What has happened so far?
North Korea warned over the weekend that its army was prepared to enter the demilitarised zone in response to defector groups in the South sending propaganda material across the border, reports the BBC.
Large helium-filled balloons are often used to carry leaflets into the North along with other items, including food, $1 bills, radios and USB sticks loaded with South Korean dramas and news.
Despite the South Korean government warning its citizens to stop the practice, the authorities in Pyongyang say that the continuing onslaught demands retaliatory military action.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, announced on Saturday that she had ordered her country’s army to prepare to strike back, adding: “I feel it is high time to surely break with the South Korean authorities.”
“Rubbish must be thrown into the dustbin,” added Yo Jong, who has risen rapidly through the ranks of the ruling Communist Party to become the most important figure in the regime after her brother.
Tensions had been soaring since the North Korean military announced early last week that its leader were “studying an action plan” to move “into the zones that had been demilitarised”.
Pyongyang then cut all communications with the South, including a hotline between the two nation’s leaders.
Yesterday, North Korea turned the threats into action, blowing up a liaison office that had been set up in the northern border town of Kaesong in order to improve communications with the South.
Kim Yo Jong had warned on Saturday that Seoul would soon witness “a tragic scene of the useless North-South liaison office being completely collapsed”.


theweekuk--2020-06-16--Left-wing voters lead collapse in trust in media

The public ’ s trust in the UK media has fallen dramatically during the past five years , especially among left-wing voters , new research has found .
Just 15 % of left-leaning voters say they trust most news most of the time , down from 46 % as recently as 2015 , according to the latest digital news report from Oxford University ’ s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism .
This compares with 36 % of right-leaning voters , among whom trust levels have fallen from 58 % .
The rapid decline has come amid “ enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cuts at almost every major news outlet , and strong criticism of media coverage of issues such as Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn ’ s leadership of the Labour Party ” , says The Guardian .
“ Britain now ranks below the likes of the US and Hong Kong when it comes to public trust in the media , ” the newspaper adds .
“ Even the most trusted brands like the BBC are seen by many as pushing or suppressing agendas , especially over polarising issues like Brexit , ” the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the news has fallen over 20 percentage points since 2015.
” A “ silent majority ” of Britons strongly want the news to be presented in a “ neutral and detached ” manner , they continue .
The study also found that photo-sharing app Instagram is set to overtake Twitter as a news source , the BBC reports .
Use of Instagram for news has doubled since 2018 , with a quarter of people aged between 18 and 24 using the platform to get updates about the Covid-19 coronavirus .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media platforms were also among the least-trusted sources ” of news , the broadcaster notes .
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Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Which UK media publications have the widest reach ?
( % weekly usage )

The public’s trust in the UK media has fallen dramatically during the past five years, especially among left-wing voters, new research has found.
Just 15% of left-leaning voters say they trust most news most of the time, down from 46% as recently as 2015, according to the latest digital news report from Oxford University’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
This compares with 36% of right-leaning voters, among whom trust levels have fallen from 58%.
The rapid decline has come amid “enormous growth of social media audiences, rounds of cuts at almost every major news outlet, and strong criticism of media coverage of issues such as Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party”, says The Guardian.
“Britain now ranks below the likes of the US and Hong Kong when it comes to public trust in the media,” the newspaper adds.
“Even the most trusted brands like the BBC are seen by many as pushing or suppressing agendas, especially over polarising issues like Brexit,” the report’s authors say. “Trust in the news has fallen over 20 percentage points since 2015.”
A “silent majority” of Britons strongly want the news to be presented in a “neutral and detached” manner, they continue.
The study also found that photo-sharing app Instagram is set to overtake Twitter as a news source, the BBC reports.
Use of Instagram for news has doubled since 2018, with a quarter of people aged between 18 and 24 using the platform to get updates about the Covid-19 coronavirus.
However, the researchers also found that “social media platforms were also among the least-trusted sources” of news, the broadcaster notes.
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Which UK media publications have the widest reach? (% weekly usage)
BBC - 45% The Guardian - 18% MailOnline - 15% Sky News - 10% Local or regional news website - 9% The Telegraph - 7% HuffPost - 6% The Independent/i100 - 6% Buzzfeed - 6% The Sun - 6% Yahoo News - 6% MSN News - 6% Metro - 5% Daily Mirror - 4% Lad Bible - 4% The Times - 4%
(Source: Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2020)


theweekuk--2020-06-16--Who is Munira Mirza: Boris Johnson’s controversial race inquiry pick

Critics are claiming that a new government commission on racial inequalities is “ dead on arrival ” amid reports that the inquiry is to be lead by a Downing Street adviser who has cast doubt on the existence of institutional racism .
According to The Guardian , Boris Johnson has chosen Munira Mirza , the head of the No .
10 policy unit , to oversee the new Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities , which is being launched in the wake of global Black Lives Matter protests .
Mirza was born in Oldham , Greater Manchester , to parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read English literature at Oxford University .
After a stint at Policy Exchange , a Tory think-tank , she worked for Johnson during his tenure as London mayor , between 2008 and 2016 .
She initially acted as his director of arts , culture and the creative industries , before becoming his deputy mayor for education and culture , The Sun reports .
Johnson has described Mirza as his “ nonsense detector ” , and earlier this year included her in a list of “ the five women who have influenced and inspired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister told Grazia magazine that she was “ capable of being hip , cool , groovy and generally on trend ” .
Despite her close ties to the Tory leader , Mirza started out as a supporter of the Left .
She was a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party while studying at Oxford ’ s Mansfield College , Oxford and went on to contribute to the party ’ s magazine Living Marxism ( now called Spiked ) .
However , she “ got frustrated at what she saw as the narrow-mindedness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journey across the political spectrum ” , says The Guardian ’ s political editor Heather Stewart .
Indeed , Mirza has become “ an outspoken critic of anti-racism ” and what she has described as “ its culture of grievance ” , the newspaper reports .
She was a vocal critic of David Lammy ’ s 2017 report on racial disparities in the criminal justice system , arguing in an article for The Spectator that in some ways people from BAME backgrounds had got “ more favourable treatment compared with whites ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote that injustices were only treated seriously if there was a “ social justice angle that can be divined ( or manufactured ) ” .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– And the reaction over her new role ?
Lammy added : “ My review was welcomed by all parties : Corbyn , Cameron and May .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attack it .
Johnson isn ’ t listening to # BlackLivesMatter .
He ’ s trying to wage a culture war.
” Former Labour frontbencher Diane Abbott has warned that “ a new race equalities commission led by Munira Mirza is dead on arrival ” , PoliticsHome reports .
“ She has never believed in institutional racism , ” Abbott added .
The Institute of Race Relations think-tank has also voiced concern about Johnson ’ s choice .
A spokesperson said : “ Any enquiry into inequality has to acknowledge structural and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have any confidence in policy recommendations from someone who denies the existence of the very structures that produce the social inequalities experienced by black communities .
”

Critics are claiming that a new government commission on racial inequalities is “dead on arrival” amid reports that the inquiry is to be lead by a Downing Street adviser who has cast doubt on the existence of institutional racism.
According to The Guardian, Boris Johnson has chosen Munira Mirza, the head of the No. 10 policy unit, to oversee the new Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, which is being launched in the wake of global Black Lives Matter protests.
Who is Munira Mirza?
Mirza was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, to parents of Pakistani origin and went on to read English literature at Oxford University.
After a stint at Policy Exchange, a Tory think-tank, she worked for Johnson during his tenure as London mayor, between 2008 and 2016. She initially acted as his director of arts, culture and the creative industries, before becoming his deputy mayor for education and culture, The Sun reports.
Johnson has described Mirza as his “nonsense detector”, and earlier this year included her in a list of “the five women who have influenced and inspired him the most”. The prime minister told Grazia magazine that she was “capable of being hip, cool, groovy and generally on trend”.
Despite her close ties to the Tory leader, Mirza started out as a supporter of the Left. She was a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party while studying at Oxford’s Mansfield College, Oxford and went on to contribute to the party’s magazine Living Marxism (now called Spiked).
However, she “got frustrated at what she saw as the narrow-mindedness of the Left, and embarked on the journey across the political spectrum”, says The Guardian’s political editor Heather Stewart.
Indeed, Mirza has become “an outspoken critic of anti-racism” and what she has described as “its culture of grievance”, the newspaper reports.
She was a vocal critic of David Lammy’s 2017 report on racial disparities in the criminal justice system, arguing in an article for The Spectator that in some ways people from BAME backgrounds had got “more favourable treatment compared with whites”.
And in a 2018 blogpost, she wrote that injustices were only treated seriously if there was a “social justice angle that can be divined (or manufactured)”.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
And the reaction over her new role?
Labour’s shadow justice secretary David Lammy tweeted that Mirza’s appointment “further undermines [Boris Johnson’s] race commission”.
Lammy added: “My review was welcomed by all parties: Corbyn, Cameron and May. But Munira Mirza went out of her way to attack it. Johnson isn’t listening to #BlackLivesMatter. He’s trying to wage a culture war.”
Former Labour frontbencher Diane Abbott has warned that “a new race equalities commission led by Munira Mirza is dead on arrival”, PoliticsHome reports.
“She has never believed in institutional racism,” Abbott added.
The Institute of Race Relations think-tank has also voiced concern about Johnson’s choice. A spokesperson said: “Any enquiry into inequality has to acknowledge structural and systemic factors.
“It is difficult to have any confidence in policy recommendations from someone who denies the existence of the very structures that produce the social inequalities experienced by black communities.”


theweekuk--2020-06-16--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 16 Jun 2020

Two million children have done little or no schoolwork at home during lockdown , according to a study from University @ @ @ @ @ that a fifth of the country ’ s 10m school children had done no work @ @ @ @ @ a day .
The lead researcher said that the closure of schools and failure to @ @ @ @ @ “ potential threat to the educational development of a generation of children ” .

Millions of children falling behind during lockdown
Two million children have done little or no schoolwork at home during lockdown, according to a study from University College London. Researchers found that a fifth of the country’s 10m school children had done no work or less than an hour a day. The lead researcher said that the closure of schools and failure to reopen them fully constituted a “potential threat to the educational development of a generation of children”.


theweekuk--2020-06-16--‘Did I miss anything?’ asks man after 75-day retreat

A man has emerged from a 75-day silent retreat , tweeting : “ I ’ m back from 75 days in silence .
Did I miss anything ?
” In March , Daniel Thorson withdrew into a remote cabin in northwestern Vermont as part of a Buddhist monastic community .
One tweeter told him he had “ missed history on steroids.
” Up to 36 alien civilisations in our galaxy , says study There could be 36 intelligent alien civilisations in our galaxy , according to a new study .
Researchers at the University of Nottingham say the average distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17,000 light years .
“ We calculate that there should be around 36 active civilisations in our Galaxy , ” they said .
A plane was forced to make an emergency landing after a drunken passenger broke one of the aircraft ’ s windows mid-flight .
The 29-year-old punched the hole while travelling on Loong Airlines Flight 8528 , which had taken off from Xining , in north-western China .
It was bound for the coastal city of Yancheng in Jiangsu Province , east China but had to make an unscheduled emergency stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A man has emerged from a 75-day silent retreat, tweeting: “I’m back from 75 days in silence. Did I miss anything?” In March, Daniel Thorson withdrew into a remote cabin in northwestern Vermont as part of a Buddhist monastic community. One tweeter told him he had “missed history on steroids.”
Up to 36 alien civilisations in our galaxy, says study
There could be 36 intelligent alien civilisations in our galaxy, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Nottingham say the average distance to the purported civilisations would be around 17,000 light years. “We calculate that there should be around 36 active civilisations in our Galaxy,” they said.
Emergency landing after passenger breaks window
A plane was forced to make an emergency landing after a drunken passenger broke one of the aircraft’s windows mid-flight. The 29-year-old punched the hole while travelling on Loong Airlines Flight 8528, which had taken off from Xining, in north-western China. It was bound for the coastal city of Yancheng in Jiangsu Province, east China but had to make an unscheduled emergency stop at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


theweekuk--2020-06-15--Indoor cycling gear to keep you cool

Indoor cycling gear to keep you cool

With the surge in popularity of indoor cycling , it ’ s no surprise that brands have been releasing gear specifically designed for this purpose .
The kit uses lighter fabrics with improved moisture management - an unfortunate necessity when there ’ s no cooling breeze - as well as extra comfort for increased time in the saddle .
Here are some key pieces to look out for from top British brands Le Col and Rapha : Designed in Britain and made in Italy , Le Col ’ s gear is undoubtedly some of the best you can buy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality .
These bib shorts are part of their recently released line of indoor cycling gear which has seen them partnering up with Wahoo , one of indoor cycling ’ s hottest brands .
Made from a very lightweight fabric , they also incorporate tiny perforated holes around the thigh region to facilitate heat escape .
The thick chamois pad compensates for a rider typically being more stationary on an indoor bike , and a wicking bib strap helps draw sweat away from the body .
They feel great and certainly perform as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Le Col The head and face are also prone to perspiration during indoor training - a problem that can be relieved by Rapha ’ s sweat cap , which is far better suited to the rigours of indoor cycling than a conventional cycling cap .
It is made from a spongy kind of mesh , perforated with holes which help capture some of that excess sweat before it cascades down your face , dissipating moisture and taking heat away from the body .
£30 from Rapha Rapha ’ s cargo shorts offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offering most of their benefits in a more relaxed form .
The classic chamois pad is very comfortable , as is the low-cut front , which won ’ t cut into your stomach .
The back is higher , with a silicon grip to hold them in place - which means you can take them on and off without worrying about layering the shoulder straps .
Uniquely , they ’ re fitted with stretchy mesh pockets , positioned on the outside of each thigh which are very handy for storage .
A great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your thing .
£95 from Rapha Intended to be paired with Le Col ’ s indoor bib shorts ( see above ) , the matching jersey is equally at home in the heat of indoor cycling .
Its highly breathable lightweight fabric - almost semi-translucent thanks to its snazzy 3D mesh fabric - provides a particularly quick transfer of heat and sweat away from the body .
It ’ s practical for outside use too , with three pockets of the kind seen on road going equivalents - ideal for summer riding in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merino wool has long been used in premium sportswear .
Naturally breathable , it ’ s soft , moisture-wicking , temperature-regulating , odour-resistant and elastic .
Here , Rapha has turned it into a highly versatile base layer , which can be worn on its own inside or in summer - and under other layers for winter rides out .
The blend of polyester in the material brings quick-drying qualities and makes the fabric more durable .
£55 from Rapha

With the surge in popularity of indoor cycling, it’s no surprise that brands have been releasing gear specifically designed for this purpose.
The kit uses lighter fabrics with improved moisture management - an unfortunate necessity when there’s no cooling breeze - as well as extra comfort for increased time in the saddle.
Here are some key pieces to look out for from top British brands Le Col and Rapha:
Le Col x Wahoo indoor training bib shorts
Designed in Britain and made in Italy, Le Col’s gear is undoubtedly some of the best you can buy in terms of fit, material and build quality. These bib shorts are part of their recently released line of indoor cycling gear which has seen them partnering up with Wahoo, one of indoor cycling’s hottest brands. Made from a very lightweight fabric, they also incorporate tiny perforated holes around the thigh region to facilitate heat escape. The thick chamois pad compensates for a rider typically being more stationary on an indoor bike, and a wicking bib strap helps draw sweat away from the body. They feel great and certainly perform as hoped during high-intensity indoor training.£150 from Le Col
Rapha sweat cap
The head and face are also prone to perspiration during indoor training - a problem that can be relieved by Rapha’s sweat cap, which is far better suited to the rigours of indoor cycling than a conventional cycling cap. It is made from a spongy kind of mesh, perforated with holes which help capture some of that excess sweat before it cascades down your face, dissipating moisture and taking heat away from the body.£30 from Rapha
Rapha Core cargo shorts
Rapha’s cargo shorts offer a great alternative to bib shorts, offering most of their benefits in a more relaxed form. The classic chamois pad is very comfortable, as is the low-cut front, which won’t cut into your stomach. The back is higher, with a silicon grip to hold them in place - which means you can take them on and off without worrying about layering the shoulder straps. Uniquely, they’re fitted with stretchy mesh pockets, positioned on the outside of each thigh which are very handy for storage. A great option if bib shorts aren’t your thing.£95 from Rapha
Le Col x Wahoo indoor training jersey
Intended to be paired with Le Col’s indoor bib shorts (see above), the matching jersey is equally at home in the heat of indoor cycling. Its highly breathable lightweight fabric - almost semi-translucent thanks to its snazzy 3D mesh fabric - provides a particularly quick transfer of heat and sweat away from the body. It’s practical for outside use too, with three pockets of the kind seen on road going equivalents - ideal for summer riding in the hills.£120 from Le Col
Rapha merino mesh base layer
Merino wool has long been used in premium sportswear. Naturally breathable, it’s soft, moisture-wicking, temperature-regulating, odour-resistant and elastic. Here, Rapha has turned it into a highly versatile base layer, which can be worn on its own inside or in summer - and under other layers for winter rides out. The blend of polyester in the material brings quick-drying qualities and makes the fabric more durable.£55 from Rapha


theweekuk--2020-06-16--Coronavirus: Norway deletes contact tracing data over privacy concerns

Norway is to delete all of the information collected by its coronavirus track-and-trace app after data protection watchdogs raised concerns over privacy .
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health ( NIPH ) announced yesterday that the app was being suspended over claims that “ it was too invasive ” , The Guardian says .
But NIPH director Camilla Stoltenberg said that she disagreed with the Datatilsynet data agency ’ s assessment , and warned that shutting down the app would weaken Norway ’ s response to the outbreak .
“ The pandemic is not over , ” she added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Infection Stop ” ) - was one of the first released by Western governments and relies on “ both Bluetooth connections and a centralised database of users ’ GPS locations ” , Sky News reports .
Similar centralised storage systems are planned for contract-tracing apps to be used in France and the UK , adds The Guardian .
The data is stored for 30 days and used to track transmissions and warn people who may have come into contact with anyone infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus .
But the Norwegian data protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrated that it is “ strictly necessary ” to collect location data .
The app has been downloaded by around 1.6 million people across Norway , but was being used on a daily basis by just 600,000 of the country ’ s 5.3 million inhabitants .
The BBC reports that Norway is now considering a “ switch to a rival design backed by Apple and Google ” .
The two tech firms ’ “ decentralised model ” gives users a higher degree of anonymity , but also provides less data to model the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the broadcaster .
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theweekuk--2020-06-16--How the polio vaccine could curb coronavirus

A vaccine developed in 1952 and delivered to generations of children on lumps of sugar could become the first line of defence against Covid-19 , new research suggests .
Scientists from the Global Virus Network ( GVN ) say the vaccination against poliomyelitis , commonly known as polio , “ could provide temporary protection ” from the new coronavirus .
The childhood immunisation is the second of its kind to be identified as a possible weapon against the ongoing pandemic , with large-scale trials already under way to test whether the BCG vaccine for tuberculosis could be used to tackle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective , those vaccines could potentially provide protection against the second wave of coronavirus , which is likely to crest before a covid-specific vaccine is widely available , ” says The Washington Post .
Like the BCG jab , the polio vaccine consists of a weakened - but still live - strain of the disease .
This “ is expected to trigger a general immune response to any foreign organism ” , during which the recipient develops antibodies to fight the specific virus or bacteria introduced into their body , says Forbes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ secondary effect .
“ An increasing body of evidence suggests that live attenuated vaccines can also induce broader protection against unrelated pathogens , ” write researchers from the GVN , a coalition of medical virologists , in a paper published in the journal Science .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– “ A retrospective study from Denmark found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polio vaccine ] was associated with reduced hospital admissions for respiratory infections in children , ” they add .
There is no evidence as yet that the polio vaccine works specifically against the new coronavirus , but the researchers are calling for immediate trials to test their theory .
Few medical interventions come without risks , and the polio vaccine is no exception .
In fact , the live oral vaccine “ is actually being phased out ” and replaced with an inactivated version , delivered by injection , says Dr Peter Hotez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Tropical Medicine .
This switch is partly because the live vaccine can lead to a full-blown case of polio in a small number of cases , and partly because even people who are successfully immunised will shed traces of live polio in their faeces .
Once in the sewage system , the virus could enter the water supply .
“ I think OPV is worth studying , ” Hotez told Forbes , “ but this has to be weighed against the risk of re-introducing live strains.
” Widespread vaccination has eliminated polio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Afghanistan , where the coronavirus pandemic is hampering eradication efforts .
“ In April , almost 40 million children missed their polio drops in Pakistan after the cancellation of the nationwide vaccination campaign , ” The Guardian reports .
Most people infected with polio make a full recovery , but the virus can lead to muscle weakness , paralysis and death by suffocation in a small minority of cases .
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theweekuk--2020-06-16--Why everybody’s talking about Marcus Rashford and free school meals

At the start of the coronavirus outbreak , footballers were facing pressure from all sides to take pay cuts to help Premier League clubs weather the pandemic storm .
“ Given the sacrifices many people are making , the first thing PL footballers can do is make a contribution , ” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at a government briefing in early April .
But while politicians were quite happy to meddle in the world of football , the government probably didn ’ t expect Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford to even the score by forcing No .
10 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ humiliating ” U-turn on a hot political issue .
What has Rashford done ?
The England striker has been leading a public campaign for the government to carry on providing free school meals to vulnerable children over the summer , says Sky News .
On Monday , Rashford posted an open letter to MPs in which he drew on his own childhood experiences , saying that “ the system isn ’ t built for families like mine to succeed ” .
“ Without the kindness and generosity from the community there wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see today : a 22-year-old black man lucky enough to make a career playing the game I love , ” he wrote .
“ This is not about politics ; this is about humanity .
Political affiliations aside , can we not all agree that no child should be going to bed hungry ?
Food poverty is a pandemic in England that could span generations if we don ’ t course correct now.
” Rashford also penned an article published today in The Times in which he again calls on the government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during his youth , have to rely on food banks and free school meals .
“ Today I focus on a trophy that stands for something much bigger than football , ” he writes .
“ A U-turn on the decision to stop the free food voucher scheme continuing over the summer holidays could help us reach the next round but we still have a very long way to go as a country to eventually lift the trophy .
In this case , the trophy is combating child poverty.
” In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to raise £20m in partnership with FareShare , a food distribution charity that is providing three million meals a week to vulnerable people across the country during the coronavirus outbreak .
The Department for Education yesterday thanked Rashford for his open letter but said it would not reverse its decision on free school meals .
However , just hours before Labour was planning to force a vote on the issue in the House of Commons today , Boris Johnson ’ s official spokesperson announced a new £120m “ Covid summer food fund ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the corona pandemic , the prime minister fully understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer , ” the spokesperson said , adding that Johnson “ welcomes Marcus Rashford ’ s contribution to the debate around poverty ” .
Under the new plan , around 1.3 million children will be given vouchers for free meals over the school holidays , The Telegraph reports .
Responding to the news , Rashford tweeted : “ I don ’ t even know what to say .
Just look at what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , THIS is England in 2020.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– What else has been said ?
Labour has thrown its weight behind Rashford ’ s initiative , with Keir Starmer announcing an appeal from his party for the government “ to make sure no child goes hungry this summer by funding free school meals ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U-turn , Starmer said : “ The thought of 1.3 million children going hungry this summer was unimaginable .
Well done to [ Marcus Rashford ] and many others who spoke out so powerfully about this issue.
” London Mayor Sadiq Khan had also backed Rashford ’ s push , tweeting : “ I might be a Londoner and Liverpool fan , but I fully support Man Utd ’ s Marcus Rashford.
” In Labour-run Wales , the devolved government ’ s education minister Kirsty Williams said she had “ already committed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holidays ” , and praised Rashford ’ s stand .
Rashford has also been backed by big businesses including the Co-op , which pledged in a tweet on Monday to extend the free school meals scheme at its 25 academy schools throughout the summer holidays .

At the start of the coronavirus outbreak, footballers were facing pressure from all sides to take pay cuts to help Premier League clubs weather the pandemic storm.
“Given the sacrifices many people are making, the first thing PL footballers can do is make a contribution,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at a government briefing in early April.
But while politicians were quite happy to meddle in the world of football, the government probably didn’t expect Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford to even the score by forcing No. 10 to perform what The Guardian describes as a “humiliating” U-turn on a hot political issue.
What has Rashford done?
The England striker has been leading a public campaign for the government to carry on providing free school meals to vulnerable children over the summer, says Sky News.
On Monday, Rashford posted an open letter to MPs in which he drew on his own childhood experiences, saying that “the system isn’t built for families like mine to succeed”.
“Without the kindness and generosity from the community there wouldn’t be the Marcus Rashford you see today: a 22-year-old black man lucky enough to make a career playing the game I love,” he wrote.
“This is not about politics; this is about humanity. Political affiliations aside, can we not all agree that no child should be going to bed hungry? Food poverty is a pandemic in England that could span generations if we don’t course correct now.”
Rashford also penned an article published today in The Times in which he again calls on the government to help families who, like his own during his youth, have to rely on food banks and free school meals.
“Today I focus on a trophy that stands for something much bigger than football,” he writes.
“A U-turn on the decision to stop the free food voucher scheme continuing over the summer holidays could help us reach the next round but we still have a very long way to go as a country to eventually lift the trophy. In this case, the trophy is combating child poverty.”
In addition to his political intervention, Rashford has helped to raise £20m in partnership with FareShare, a food distribution charity that is providing three million meals a week to vulnerable people across the country during the coronavirus outbreak.
And the government’s response?
The Department for Education yesterday thanked Rashford for his open letter but said it would not reverse its decision on free school meals.


theweekuk--2020-06-17--Instant Opinion: ‘incompetence a built-in feature’ of Boris Johnson’s government

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
on a cabinet founded on ‘ loyalty to bad ideas ’ Incompetence is a built-in feature , not a bug in Boris Johnson ’ s government “ Instead of performing non-essential surgery on an exhausted government machine , the prime minister might more usefully bolster the UK ’ s international reputation by competently handling a public health emergency and incipient economic crisis .
But Johnson did not go into politics for the love of managerial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on which he appointed his cabinet ... Johnson recruited from a pool of people who either believed in wanton national vandalism under the banner of ideological delusion , or were happy to countenance it to advance their careers .
It is not a coincidence that such a team has struggled with the complex challenges raised by a pandemic .
There might be clever , able individuals among them but those qualities have to battle the wilful stupefaction that was their entry fee to cabinet .
It is a collective flaw that no rebadging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When the qualification for joining the government is loyalty to bad ideas , it is no surprise that Britain is badly governed.
” 2 .
Ben Walker in the New Statesman Labour is closing in on the Conservatives but it still faces an electoral Everest “ In May and June , Opinium asked voters whether they ’ d associate Johnson and Starmer with certain phrases and traits .
The figures are notable – the changes in the space of a month even more so .
On every measure , be it trustworthiness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stand up for the country , Starmer has seen substantial improvements .
The same can not be said of the Prime Minister , who on every measure over the last month has averaged a fall of 11 points .
Nonetheless , Johnson still leads the Labour leader on measures such as bravery , being able to take big decisions , and then get said decisions done ... Starmer has had a successful few months - undoubtedly the most successful of any opposition Labour leader since Tony Blair .
Unlike in the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s party trails the Tories and has ten years ’ worth of public perceptions to overturn .
Politics might be in flux , votes might be more fluid than ever , but there is no way to describe Labour ’ s challenge as anything other than an electoral Everest.
” on surveillance tech in the age of coronavirus “ Fear of the coronavirus is institutionalising state surveillance .
It is turning privacy intrusion into a social virtue , making public health heroes out of tech innovators who know very well that the tools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be used against citizens when the current emergency passes .
The result : liberal democracies , corrupted by the new levers of control on offer , will grow more and more like the autocratic societies we supposedly despise .
No one blinked an eyelid this week when China announced it was declaring “ war ” on the latest Covid-19 outbreak in a Beijing food market .
The regime , fearful that dozens of new infections could signal the start of a second wave , is throwing everything at the problem ...
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK safely out of lockdown - track , trace , test , isolate - thus sounds like an echo of what China is up to , very People ’ s Congress .
The difference lies in the thoroughness of the tracing technology , the range of the data and the actual implementation.
” on concerns the president is the sick man of America I spoke to doctors and people close to Trump this week .
We ’ re right to worry about his health “ Trump ’ s physical condition has been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quest for the GOP nomination in 2016 , and that speculation has been fed by a series of hyperbolic , often nonsensical pronouncements by his own doctors ...
The June 13 video was just the latest in a multitude of appearances during which Trump ’ s presentation has raised questions .
On multiple occasions he has slurred his words , appeared sedated , or both , in addition to his frequent loud sniffing during public appearances , and occasions in which he has appeared to forget words or confuse one word for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ for ’ origins ’ ) .
And to the extent the physicians who have been responsible for his care since he assumed the presidency have tried to put it to rest , their efforts have often raised done more harm than good to the president ’ s cause — and in some cases , their own reputations.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 .
Nick Clegg , former leader of the Liberal Democrats and current head of global affairs and communications at Facebook , in The Daily Telegraph on changes at the social media giant after 2006 ’ s Russian interference Facebook is preparing for an election like no other “ What Facebook does during this election is not only about the integrity of American elections , it is relevant to the rest of the world too .
Elections have changed - and so has Facebook .
As a company , it has looked hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2016 elections and made some big changes .
There are now three times as many people working on safety and security issues , more than 35,000 in total , and we work closely with government and law enforcement .
Facebook has helped fight interference in more than 200 elections since 2017 and reduced fake news on its platform - by more than 50pc according to independent studies .
Facebook also prevents millions of fake accounts from being created every day and takes down coordinated networks of malicious accounts ...
This provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything which existed in the last US election or the Brexit referendum – and exceeds the transparency of political ads in print or broadcast media .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Rafael Behr in The Guardian
on a cabinet founded on ‘loyalty to bad ideas’
Incompetence is a built-in feature, not a bug in Boris Johnson’s government
“Instead of performing non-essential surgery on an exhausted government machine, the prime minister might more usefully bolster the UK’s international reputation by competently handling a public health emergency and incipient economic crisis. But Johnson did not go into politics for the love of managerial capability, nor was that the basis on which he appointed his cabinet... Johnson recruited from a pool of people who either believed in wanton national vandalism under the banner of ideological delusion, or were happy to countenance it to advance their careers. It is not a coincidence that such a team has struggled with the complex challenges raised by a pandemic. There might be clever, able individuals among them but those qualities have to battle the wilful stupefaction that was their entry fee to cabinet. It is a collective flaw that no rebadging or abolition of ministries can fix. When the qualification for joining the government is loyalty to bad ideas, it is no surprise that Britain is badly governed.”
2. Ben Walker in the New Statesman
on the challenge facing Keir Starmer
Labour is closing in on the Conservatives but it still faces an electoral Everest
“In May and June, Opinium asked voters whether they’d associate Johnson and Starmer with certain phrases and traits. The figures are notable – the changes in the space of a month even more so. On every measure, be it trustworthiness, likeability, strength, or perceived willingness to stand up for the country, Starmer has seen substantial improvements. The same cannot be said of the Prime Minister, who on every measure over the last month has averaged a fall of 11 points. Nonetheless, Johnson still leads the Labour leader on measures such as bravery, being able to take big decisions, and then get said decisions done... Starmer has had a successful few months - undoubtedly the most successful of any opposition Labour leader since Tony Blair. Unlike in the situation Blair inherited, however, Starmer’s party trails the Tories and has ten years’ worth of public perceptions to overturn. Politics might be in flux, votes might be more fluid than ever, but there is no way to describe Labour’s challenge as anything other than an electoral Everest.”
3. Roger Boyes in The Times
on surveillance tech in the age of coronavirus
This snooping epidemic will outlive Covid-19
“Fear of the coronavirus is institutionalising state surveillance. It is turning privacy intrusion into a social virtue, making public health heroes out of tech innovators who know very well that the tools being used to track the virus can also be used against citizens when the current emergency passes. The result: liberal democracies, corrupted by the new levers of control on offer, will grow more and more like the autocratic societies we supposedly despise. No one blinked an eyelid this week when China announced it was declaring “war” on the latest Covid-19 outbreak in a Beijing food market. The regime, fearful that dozens of new infections could signal the start of a second wave, is throwing everything at the problem... The current mantra, intended to guide the UK safely out of lockdown - track, trace, test, isolate - thus sounds like an echo of what China is up to, very People’s Congress. The difference lies in the thoroughness of the tracing technology, the range of the data and the actual implementation.”
4. Andrew Feinberg in The Independent
on concerns the president is the sick man of America
I spoke to doctors and people close to Trump this week. We’re right to worry about his health
“Trump’s physical condition has been a subject for speculation since he announced his quest for the GOP nomination in 2016, and that speculation has been fed by a series of hyperbolic, often nonsensical pronouncements by his own doctors... The June 13 video was just the latest in a multitude of appearances during which Trump’s presentation has raised questions. On multiple occasions he has slurred his words, appeared sedated, or both, in addition to his frequent loud sniffing during public appearances, and occasions in which he has appeared to forget words or confuse one word for a similar-sounding one (e.g. ‘oranges’ for ’origins’). And to the extent the physicians who have been responsible for his care since he assumed the presidency have tried to put it to rest, their efforts have often raised done more harm than good to the president’s cause — and in some cases, their own reputations.”
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5. Nick Clegg, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and current head of global affairs and communications at Facebook, in The Daily Telegraph
on changes at the social media giant after 2006’s Russian interference
Facebook is preparing for an election like no other
“What Facebook does during this election is not only about the integrity of American elections, it is relevant to the rest of the world too. Elections have changed - and so has Facebook. As a company, it has looked hard at what went wrong with Russian interference in the 2016 elections and made some big changes. There are now three times as many people working on safety and security issues, more than 35,000 in total, and we work closely with government and law enforcement. Facebook has helped fight interference in more than 200 elections since 2017 and reduced fake news on its platform - by more than 50pc according to independent studies. Facebook also prevents millions of fake accounts from being created every day and takes down coordinated networks of malicious accounts... This provides a level of transparency far greater than anything which existed in the last US election or the Brexit referendum – and exceeds the transparency of political ads in print or broadcast media.”


theweekuk--2020-06-17--Mystery owner of £150,000 worth of gold bars left on train urged to come forward

The cost of rail travel has soared in recent years but a mystery train passenger paid a far greater price when they lost £150,000 worth of gold during their journey .
The Swiss authorities have made a public appeal for help to find the owner of gold bars weighing a total of 3kg that were left in a carriage .
The owner has five years to reclaim the haul , which was found last October on a train that had travelled from St Gallen to Lucerne , about 30 miles south of Zurich , reports the BBC .
Officials say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find after “ extensive investigations ” failed to reveal the origins of the gold , which is in the keeping of the Lucerne public prosecutor ’ s office , according to The Independent .
The office has already received “ a number of queries ” about the valuable lost property , the newspaper adds , but “ it remains unclear how authorities will verify the claims of anyone who comes forward ” .
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Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The loss of the valuable gold is “ eye-popping even for a wealthy Alpine country with a high cost , and standard , of living ” , adds The Guardian .
In a similar incident three years ago , authorities in Geneva found wads of cut-up €500 notes “ mysteriously jammed into the toilets of three restaurants and a bank in separate episodes ” , says the newspaper .
The shredded notes reportedly “ appeared to have come from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unidentified Spanish women ” .
A lawyer for the women subsequently came forward and offered to pay for the damage caused to the plumbing at the restaurants and bank , according to Swiss paper Tribune de Geneve .

The cost of rail travel has soared in recent years but a mystery train passenger paid a far greater price when they lost £150,000 worth of gold during their journey.
The Swiss authorities have made a public appeal for help to find the owner of gold bars weighing a total of 3kg that were left in a carriage.
The owner has five years to reclaim the haul, which was found last October on a train that had travelled from St Gallen to Lucerne, about 30 miles south of Zurich, reports the BBC.
Officials say they have now gone public about the find after “extensive investigations” failed to reveal the origins of the gold, which is in the keeping of the Lucerne public prosecutor’s office, according to The Independent.
The office has already received “a number of queries” about the valuable lost property, the newspaper adds, but “it remains unclear how authorities will verify the claims of anyone who comes forward”.
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The loss of the valuable gold is “eye-popping even for a wealthy Alpine country with a high cost, and standard, of living”, adds The Guardian.
In a similar incident three years ago, authorities in Geneva found wads of cut-up €500 notes “mysteriously jammed into the toilets of three restaurants and a bank in separate episodes”, says the newspaper.
The shredded notes reportedly “appeared to have come from a safe deposit box in Geneva belonging to unidentified Spanish women”.
A lawyer for the women subsequently came forward and offered to pay for the damage caused to the plumbing at the restaurants and bank, according to Swiss paper Tribune de Geneve.


theweekuk--2020-06-17--Reaction: Boris Johnson to form government ‘super-department’ through merger

Boris Johnson is being accused of jeopardising the UK ’ s standing in the world after announcing that the government department responsible for overseas aid is to be merged into the Foreign Office .
Revealing the plan in the Commons on Tuesday , the prime minister said that abolishing the separate Department for International Development ( DfID ) was a “ long overdue reform ” that would ensure “ maximum value ” for taxpayers .
But Keir Starmer said the move was “ pure distraction ” from the UK ’ s soaring coronavirus death rates , and would weaken UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-establish the department if elected PM , reports the BBC .
The merger decision has also been criticised by former UK leaders David Cameron , Gordon Brown and Tony Blair .
Cameron tweeted that “ the end of @ DFID_UK will mean less expertise , less voice for development at the top table and ultimately less respect for the UK overseas ” .
“ Quite the achievement to get three former PMs out , ” wrote the BBC ’ s political editor Laura Kuenssberg .
“ Blair , Brown and Johnson ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticising his decision to fold DFID into FCO.
” The amalgamation of the two departments has “ sparked deep concerns , both ideological and practical ” , in a range of quarters , says New Statesman political correspondent Ailbhe Rea .
“ There are questions as to whether the merger will achieve the government ’ s aims , whether those aims are positive for the UK , and , perhaps above all , whether this is the right moment for a reorganisation of Whitehall.
” Merging DfID into the FCO during the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gains in child survival , nutrition and poverty ” , Save the Children UK chief executive Kevin Watkins told The Guardian .
The move “ is reckless , irresponsible and a dereliction of UK leadership ” , he added .
Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow has echoed such worries , tweeting that the two departments “ are profoundly different and necessary entities , unfit for merger ” .
Meanwhile , former FCO and DfID minister Rory Stewart warns in article for Prospect magazine that the merger “ will distract diplomats , befuddle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard and overdue thinking about Britain ’ s place in the world ” .
Don % u2019t merge @ foreignoffice and @ DFID_UK The problem is not our hugely respected development agency , but the lack of a confident coordinated UK strategy .
Merging is bad diplomacy and worse development .
Define a strategy + priorities , rather than move deckchairs in Whitehall .
In April , International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan told the cross-party International Development Committee that “ having a separate DFID secretary of state brings to our global leadership and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver in trying to achieve the reductions in global poverty is well served by having both a foreign secretary and a DfID secretary , ” she added .
Concerns have also been raised about the conflicting priorities of DfID and the FCO when it comes to Overseas Development Assistance ( ODA ) funding .
“ Independent reviews have repeatedly found DFID to be the most transparent and effective government department for spending ODA , ” says aid organisations umbrella body Bond .
The FCO , on the other hand , has “ been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that advance security and diplomatic interests , rather than reduce poverty ” .
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Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Despite the growing chorus of voices condemning the move , Johnson ’ s staunchest allies have backed the merger .
Proponents of the plan say that while “ DFID has garnered a strong reputation for transparency , impact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , foreign aid “ has become unpopular with the media and some elements of the Conservative Party ” , reports international development news site Devex .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tweeted that “ combining the assets of DFID and FCO under one roof will be an even stronger force for good in the world ” .
The Telegraph is also backing the move , arguing in an editorial that the abolition of DfID “ is a long-overdue Whitehall reform… needed now more than ever ” .
“ As the coronavirus pandemic has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with health security , prosperity and development issues .
It needs to speak with one strategic voice and now it can , ” the newspaper concludes .

Boris Johnson is being accused of jeopardising the UK’s standing in the world after announcing that the government department responsible for overseas aid is to be merged into the Foreign Office.
Revealing the plan in the Commons on Tuesday, the prime minister said that abolishing the separate Department for International Development (DfID) was a “long overdue reform” that would ensure “maximum value” for taxpayers.
But Keir Starmer said the move was “pure distraction” from the UK’s soaring coronavirus death rates, and would weaken UK influence. The Labour leader pledged to re-establish the department if elected PM, reports the BBC.
The merger decision has also been criticised by former UK leaders David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. Cameron tweeted that “the end of @DFID_UK will mean less expertise, less voice for development at the top table and ultimately less respect for the UK overseas”.
“Quite the achievement to get three former PMs out,” wrote the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg. “Blair, Brown and Johnson’s old rival, David Cameron, all criticising his decision to fold DFID into FCO.”
The amalgamation of the two departments has “sparked deep concerns, both ideological and practical”, in a range of quarters, says New Statesman political correspondent Ailbhe Rea.
“There are questions as to whether the merger will achieve the government’s aims, whether those aims are positive for the UK, and, perhaps above all, whether this is the right moment for a reorganisation of Whitehall.”
Merging DfID into the FCO during the coronavirus pandemic also “threatens to reverse hard-won gains in child survival, nutrition and poverty”, Save the Children UK chief executive Kevin Watkins told The Guardian. The move “is reckless, irresponsible and a dereliction of UK leadership”, he added.
Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow has echoed such worries, tweeting that the two departments “are profoundly different and necessary entities, unfit for merger”.
My start in life was VSO in Uganda...I depended upon the equivalent of DIFID. Later as a diplomatic Correspondent I reported the FCO They are profoundly different and necessary entities, unfit for merger : The FCO = diplomacy and avoidance of War. DIFID = relief and development. — Jon Snow (@jonsnowC4) June 16, 2020
Meanwhile, former FCO and DfID minister Rory Stewart warns in article for Prospect magazine that the merger “will distract diplomats, befuddle development officers and provide no substitute for hard and overdue thinking about Britain’s place in the world”.
Don’t merge @foreignoffice and @DFID_UK The problem is not our hugely respected development agency, but the lack of a confident coordinated UK strategy. Merging is bad diplomacy and worse development. Define a strategy + priorities, rather than move deckchairs in Whitehall. — Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) June 16, 2020
In April, International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan told the cross-party International Development Committee that “having a separate DFID secretary of state brings to our global leadership and respect”.


theweekuk--2020-06-17--How Germany is launching a coronavirus-tracing app that protects privacy

Germany has launched a coronavirus contract-tracing app that the government claims is the “best” yet when it comes to data protection.
The authorities in Berlin have been lauded for their effective response to the pandemic, yet are launching an app to track the spread of the virus weeks later than many other European nations.
But “having watched similar efforts in other countries fall apart”, Germany was “determined to avoid such pitfalls by extensively testing its app for privacy and cybersecurity failings”, says Politico.
Like the proposed UK app, the German version “analyses short-range Bluetooth signals between cell phones to alert people who have been close to an infected person for more than 15 minutes”, the news site reports.
However, in approach backed by Apple and Google, Germany’s app does not save information from all users in one place. Instead, the app encrypts the collected data, which is stored on users’ phones and deleted after 14 days.
Although use of the new contact-tracing technology is voluntary, Germany’s 30 largest companies on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange are set to publicly back a “promotional push” to persuade citizens to give it a try.
Officials are claiming that the app is so secure that “even government ministers can use it”, says the Associated Press.
Helge Braun, chief of staff for Chancellor Angela Merkel, has praised the app as the “front runner in its field”, reports Deutsche Welle. Braun said that while it was not “not the first warning app worldwide that has been put forward… I am quite convinced that it is the best”.
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The German government spent €20m (£17.9m) developing the app, which was built by home-grown technology companies SAP and Deutsche Telekom.
In what Politico describes as an “unprecedented open-source collaboration”, the two firms regularly published the code behind the final app online during development, “leading to more than 2,100 submissions with feedback from technology experts how to improve it”.
The app’s launch comes days after Norway was forced to delete all of the data collected by its version in response to privacy concerns raised by the Nordic nation’s data protection watchdog.


theweekuk--2020-06-17--Home Office ‘has no idea’ how many people are in UK illegally

An up-to-date estimate of the number of people living illegally in the UK has not been produced by the government since 2005 , according to Whitehall ’ s spending watchdog .
A new report from the National Audit Office ( NAO ) says that the last official estimate suggested that around 430,000 people were in the country with no right to remain - but notes that more recent independent research has put the figure at more than a million .
The NAO investigation into the Home Office ’ s Immigration Enforcement directorate found that the department has “ estimated demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 240,000 and 320,000 cases a year , says Sky News .
But “ the report said there was no baseline given against which progress can be measured or to demonstrate whether demand is rising or falling ” , the broadcaster adds .
The watchdog also “ disclosed that illegal immigrants who evade detection for two years are disregarded ” , and concluded that the £392m annual budget for Immigration Enforcement , one of the divisions run by Home Secretary Priti Patel , was not “ good value ” , says the Daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for officials to produce a proper estimate of how many people are living in the UK illegally ” , the newspaper continues .
The watchdog said that without up-to-date figures , the Home Office “ can not show whether its measures are working ” , despite “ collecting information around its missions and objectives ” .
That accusation has been echoed by Labour MP Meg Hillier , head of the Commons Public Accounts Committee , who said that the “ Home Office has no idea how many people are in the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in finding out ” .
“ It can ’ t demonstrate that its actions to control illegal immigration are working as intended , and doesn ’ t understand how different aspects of its work fit together , ” she added .
The NAO report also reveals that detected attempts by people to enter the UK illegally increased to 46,900 in the 12 months to October 2019 , up from 40,800 in the same period for the previous year .
But as ITV News notes , the watchdog concluded that it is “ it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more attempts being made overall or better detection ” .
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Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Responding to the pubication of the watchdog ’ s findings , a Home Office spokesperson said : “ We have taken back control of our immigration system and for the first time in a generation , we will have full control over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As this report acknowledges , the nature of immigration crime and offending is complicated and we are consistently looking at ways to get ahead of the organised gangs behind it .
”

An up-to-date estimate of the number of people living illegally in the UK has not been produced by the government since 2005, according to Whitehall’s spending watchdog.
A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) says that the last official estimate suggested that around 430,000 people were in the country with no right to remain - but notes that more recent independent research has put the figure at more than a million.
The NAO investigation into the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement directorate found that the department has “estimated demand for immigration enforcement activity” to be between 240,000 and 320,000 cases a year, says Sky News.
But “the report said there was no baseline given against which progress can be measured or to demonstrate whether demand is rising or falling”, the broadcaster adds.
The watchdog also “disclosed that illegal immigrants who evade detection for two years are disregarded”, and concluded that the £392m annual budget for Immigration Enforcement, one of the divisions run by Home Secretary Priti Patel, was not “good value”, says the Daily Mail.
The NAO has now “called for officials to produce a proper estimate of how many people are living in the UK illegally”, the newspaper continues.
The watchdog said that without up-to-date figures, the Home Office “cannot show whether its measures are working”, despite “collecting information around its missions and objectives”.
That accusation has been echoed by Labour MP Meg Hillier, head of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, who said that the “Home Office has no idea how many people are in the country illegally and doesn’t seem interested in finding out”.
“It can’t demonstrate that its actions to control illegal immigration are working as intended, and doesn’t understand how different aspects of its work fit together,” she added.
The NAO report also reveals that detected attempts by people to enter the UK illegally increased to 46,900 in the 12 months to October 2019, up from 40,800 in the same period for the previous year.
But as ITV News notes, the watchdog concluded that it is “it is unclear whether that was down to more attempts being made overall or better detection”.
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Responding to the pubication of the watchdog’s findings, a Home Office spokesperson said: “We have taken back control of our immigration system and for the first time in a generation, we will have full control over who comes and stays here.
“As this report acknowledges, the nature of immigration crime and offending is complicated and we are consistently looking at ways to get ahead of the organised gangs behind it.”


theweekuk--2020-06-17--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 17 Jun 2020

At least 20 Indian soldiers have died after clashes with Chinese troops along the countries ’ de facto border in @ @ @ @ @ occurred during a “ de-escalation process ” in the disputed Aksai Chin-Ladakh area .
The @ @ @ @ @ fought with rocks and clubs , with no shots were fired .
The two armies @ @ @ @ @ for the fighting , have held talks to try to defuse tensions .

China and India blame each other for deadly clashes
At least 20 Indian soldiers have died after clashes with Chinese troops along the countries’ de facto border in the Himalayas. The face-off occurred during a “de-escalation process” in the disputed Aksai Chin-Ladakh area. The BBC says the battle was fought with rocks and clubs, with no shots were fired. The two armies, which blame each other for the fighting, have held talks to try to defuse tensions.


theweekuk--2020-06-17--Man sues his date for giving him a cold sore

A man who says he picked up a cold sore after kissing a woman is suing her for more than £130,000. Martin Ashley Conway claims he has been “traumatised” and his life and work seriously affected after snogging the woman who he met in London last year. Conway says that she was “negligent” by kissing him while she had an active cold sore.
How much toilet roll did Americans use during lockdown?
A study has found that Americans used 140% more toilet paper during quarantine compared to pre-coronavirus life. With people staying home, a four-person family would burn their way through 17 double rolls or nine mega rolls in two weeks. Meanwhile, a two-person household would wipe their way through nine double rolls or five mega rolls in the same period.
Russian beauty pageant for sale on Gumtree
A Russian production company is selling a beauty pageant on Gumtree. The Beauty of Universe explains that it has been forced to focus on our other creative projects in the field of cinema and festivals. “We sell the Beauty of the Universe international beauty contest for almost a penny - only £2,500,” it says.
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