theweekuk--2020-06-30--48 Group Club: why China is ‘grooming’ Britain’s business and political elite

An elite group of British business and political leaders with strong ties to China is being groomed by President Xi ’ s government , a new book has claimed .
Hidden Hand , an expose of Chinese influence networks , suggest that Beijing ’ s influence in Britain through the Chinese Communist Party is far-reaching and unstoppable .
Stephen Perry , the London businessman who chairs the 48 Group Club , has launched legal action in an attempt to stop the book being published in the UK and Canada , Hidden Hand ’ s co-author , Clive Hamilton , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Group Club ?
The 48 Group Club has its headquarters in London , where it keeps a low profile and serves as a political and business networking hub for its 500 members .
The book claims it is this networking “ through which Beijing grooms Britain ’ s elites ” .
Former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine , who is a founding patron , says the group provides a support network for those involved in trade with China .
But Hidden Hand says a meeting between Perry and President Xi reveals the significance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to exert influence in the UK .
At their meeting , Perry praised Xi ’ s vision “ of a community with a shared future for humanity ” , The Times reports .
He was the only Briton among ten foreigners awarded the China Reform and Friendship Medal in 2018 to mark the 40th anniversary of the economic reforms , according to the state-controlled China Daily newspaper .
“ China is already enormously influential in the world , but I think there ’ s much , much more to come , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Chinese embassy in London in 2019 .
He described the award as “ the most breathtaking moment of my life ” , the newspaper says .
The club took down its website after the book ’ s publication , but an archived version of the site from December shows current and former MPs , peers , chief executives , and prominent individuals from academia and media as “ fellows ” .
Jack Straw , a former Labour home secretary , told The Times that he had never heard of the club @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their website I ’ ve no idea ” .
The board of the 48 Group Club confirmed it was taking legal action against the authors of the book , adding that the club “ is not in any sense a vehicle for Beijing ” .
Instead , the group describes itself as “ an independent body promoting understanding of China and positive Sino-British relations , which it believes “ to be in the UK ’ s national interest ” .
Why does China want UK influence ?
A report published by the Royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a defence and security think-tank , said it would be “ naive ” and irresponsible ” to think China would not exploit UK infrastructure if it had the chance .
The report , written by Charles Parton , a former British diplomat who spent most of his 30-year career working on China , also warned of the risk of interference from China in areas including network infrastructure , academia , politics and technology , reports the BBC .
It describes a practice called “ elite capture ” , in which former politicians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lucrative jobs with Beijing links after they leave office , in order to promote Chinese interests .
China ’ s aim in influencing the UK is not simply to disrupt , like Russia , Parton says , but to promote the legitimacy of Communist Party rule in the country and limit dissent against it , as well attempting to build support for its policies overseas .
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Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– How much influence does China have in the UK already ?
The threat to UK from Chinese influence and interference is significant , according to senior politicians , academics and former diplomats who have spoken about the risk to British institutions .
British universities are to be given comprehensive security guidelines on how to protect themselves from interference by foreign powers , because of growing fears about the influence of China on campuses , The Times reported last weekend .
Universities UK ( UUK ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduce the guidance , which has been developed with government support .
But the authors of Hidden Hand say the advice comes too late .
“ In our judgment , so entrenched are the [ Chinese ] influence networks among British elites that Britain has passed the point of no return and any attempt to extricate itself from Beijing ’ s orbit would probably fail , ” wrote Hamilton , a professor of public ethics and CCP expert at Charles Sturt University and his co-author , Mareike Ohlberg , a senior fellow in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fund .
Earlier this year , the UK government gave the green light to Chinese firm Huawei to build elements of Britain ’ s 5G network , despite US demands to ban Huawei from UK networks .
A US delegation told UK ministers that “ it would be madness ” to work with the Shenzhen-based firm .
The American government believes China would exploit its role in UK infrastructure to spy on UK targets or sabotage critical networks .

An elite group of British business and political leaders with strong ties to China is being groomed by President Xi’s government, a new book has claimed.
Hidden Hand, an expose of Chinese influence networks, suggest that Beijing’s influence in Britain through the Chinese Communist Party is far-reaching and unstoppable.
Stephen Perry, the London businessman who chairs the 48 Group Club, has launched legal action in an attempt to stop the book being published in the UK and Canada, Hidden Hand’s co-author, Clive Hamilton, told The Times.
What is the 48 Group Club?
The 48 Group Club has its headquarters in London, where it keeps a low profile and serves as a political and business networking hub for its 500 members. The book claims it is this networking “through which Beijing grooms Britain’s elites”.
Former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine, who is a founding patron, says the group provides a support network for those involved in trade with China.
But Hidden Hand says a meeting between Perry and President Xi reveals the significance of the club in China’s efforts to exert influence in the UK.
At their meeting, Perry praised Xi’s vision “of a community with a shared future for humanity”, The Times reports.
He was the only Briton among ten foreigners awarded the China Reform and Friendship Medal in 2018 to mark the 40th anniversary of the economic reforms, according to the state-controlled China Daily newspaper.
“China is already enormously influential in the world, but I think there’s much, much more to come,” Perry reportedly said at an awards ceremony at the Chinese embassy in London in 2019. He described the award as “the most breathtaking moment of my life”, the newspaper says.
The club took down its website after the book’s publication, but an archived version of the site from December shows current and former MPs, peers, chief executives, and prominent individuals from academia and media as “fellows”.
Jack Straw, a former Labour home secretary, told The Times that he had never heard of the club “so why I’m on their website I’ve no idea”.
The board of the 48 Group Club confirmed it was taking legal action against the authors of the book, adding that the club “is not in any sense a vehicle for Beijing”. Instead, the group describes itself as “an independent body promoting understanding of China and positive Sino-British relations, which it believes “to be in the UK’s national interest”.
Why does China want UK influence?
A report published by the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), a defence and security think-tank, said it would be “naive” and irresponsible” to think China would not exploit UK infrastructure if it had the chance.
The report, written by Charles Parton, a former British diplomat who spent most of his 30-year career working on China, also warned of the risk of interference from China in areas including network infrastructure, academia, politics and technology, reports the BBC.


theweekuk--2020-06-30--Australia SAS chief says elite troops committed war crimes in Afghanistan - but what happened?

The head of the Australian special forces has admitted that some of his country ’ s elite soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan , according to leaked records of a confidential military meeting .
In a secret briefing with Special Air Service ( SAS ) soldiers in March , after a war crimes probe into the regiment , Major-General Adam Findlay said “ there are guys who criminally did something ” .
The comments offer “ the first direct admission from a senior serving officer that the actions of the SAS were unlawful ” , The Times says .
Australian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were deployed to southern Afghanistan in 2005 .
They undertook a range of combat , reconnaissance and surveillance operations for eight years before most of them were withdrawn in 2013 , having suffered five casualties .
Three years later , an inquiry began into claims that SAS soldiers killed unarmed Afghan men and children during their deployment .
Over the past weekend , two Australian newspapers - The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald - as well as ABC television , published and broadcast reports about a former SAS medic ’ s attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Afghan man killed in suspicious circumstances .
In a programme broadcast on Sunday night , Dusty Miller , a British-born former Australian SAS medic , described an incident in which he treated an Afghan farmer who had been shot in the thigh .
The man was taken from him by a senior SAS soldier and was dead just minutes later .
According to Miller , his injuries suggested he had been “ stomped to death ” .
The 50-year-old medic said he had been haunted by the farmer ’ s death and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family .
The story emerged following years of reports by Australian newspapers of alleged war crimes committed by a small number of special forces in Afghanistan , some involving troops killing unarmed or injured Afghan men .
Many of the incidents exposed by the papers have subsequently been investigated by Australian police , as well as by an inquiry headed by Major-General Paul Brereton , a judge and senior officer in Australia ’ s army reserve .
What was said in the March briefing ?
In his March briefing , first reported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal acts in Afghanistan had been committed due to “ poor moral leadership up the chain of command ” .
“ If you have led a command climate that has permitted people to think [ it was OK to do ] egregiously wrong acts , you need to be rooted out .
One , as an individual and , two , as a group , ” he said .
“ You ’ ll have to sleep once you leave the services .
If your honour has been compromised , it will affect you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 happens next ?
The inquiry will report its findings to the head of the Australian Defence Force Angus Campbell in the coming weeks .
Campbell will then report to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds .
She and Australia ’ s Prime Minister Scott Morrison will then be “ under pressure ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliament and to the Australian public , the Sydney Morning Herald says .

The head of the Australian special forces has admitted that some of his country’s elite soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan, according to leaked records of a confidential military meeting.
In a secret briefing with Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers in March, after a war crimes probe into the regiment, Major-General Adam Findlay said “there are guys who criminally did something”.
The comments offer “the first direct admission from a senior serving officer that the actions of the SAS were unlawful”, The Times says.
What happened?
Australian special forces, including the SAS, were deployed to southern Afghanistan in 2005. They undertook a range of combat, reconnaissance and surveillance operations for eight years before most of them were withdrawn in 2013, having suffered five casualties.
Three years later, an inquiry began into claims that SAS soldiers killed unarmed Afghan men and children during their deployment.
Over the past weekend, two Australian newspapers - The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald - as well as ABC television, published and broadcast reports about a former SAS medic’s attempts to seek forgiveness from the family of an Afghan man killed in suspicious circumstances.
In a programme broadcast on Sunday night, Dusty Miller, a British-born former Australian SAS medic, described an incident in which he treated an Afghan farmer who had been shot in the thigh. The man was taken from him by a senior SAS soldier and was dead just minutes later.
According to Miller, his injuries suggested he had been “stomped to death”. The 50-year-old medic said he had been haunted by the farmer’s death and went to try to apologise to his family.
The story emerged following years of reports by Australian newspapers of alleged war crimes committed by a small number of special forces in Afghanistan, some involving troops killing unarmed or injured Afghan men.
Many of the incidents exposed by the papers have subsequently been investigated by Australian police, as well as by an inquiry headed by Major-General Paul Brereton, a judge and senior officer in Australia’s army reserve.
What was said in the March briefing?
In his March briefing, first reported by The Age, Findlay said that the illegal acts in Afghanistan had been committed due to “poor moral leadership up the chain of command”.
“If you have led a command climate that has permitted people to think [it was OK to do] egregiously wrong acts, you need to be rooted out. One, as an individual and, two, as a group,” he said. “You’ll have to sleep once you leave the services. If your honour has been compromised, it will affect you for the rest of your life.”
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What happens next?
The inquiry will report its findings to the head of the Australian Defence Force Angus Campbell in the coming weeks. Campbell will then report to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.
She and Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison will then be “under pressure” to release details of the report both to parliament and to the Australian public, the Sydney Morning Herald says.


theweekuk--2020-06-30--Instant Opinion: ‘the global Covid-19 crisis isn’t close to over’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
on the need for a continued and coordinated response The latest figures are a wake-up call : the global Covid-19 crisis isn ’ t close to over “ The question is do we have the political imagination , the sympathy and the grit necessary to grasp this crisis at the world level ?
Can public opinion and decision-makers in Europe and Asia , where the disease has been more or less effectively suppressed , be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the crisis in the rest of the world ?
The pandemic poses a profound challenge to the contemporary imagination .
It has made real both the degree of our interconnectedness and the extreme difficulty that we , particularly those of us in the west , have in grasping the global forces that are at work ...
If Chinese or European-style suppression is off the table , the focus must be on low-cost mass testing and a global push to ensure best practice in treatment , including key drugs for all .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the US hamstrung by its isolationist president , the question of Covid-19 , as on other global challenges such as climate breakdown , is whether Asia and Europe can combine to deliver the necessary leadership.
” on the cull of senior civil servants “ The latest stand-off can be partly explained by the fact that a pandemic blame game is already under way .
Downing Street wants to pin responsibility on the civil service but officials know what mistakes have also been made by ministers and political advisers .
Too often , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contradicted by reality .
Mr Cummings claims to be in favour of devolving power .
‘ Anybody who has read what I ’ ve said about management over the years will know it ’ s ludicrous to suggest the solution to Whitehall ’ s problems is a bigger centre and more centralisation , ’ he told special advisers recently ...
There has to be a reason for the revolution .
Mr Gove has long been on a mission to save the young people who are left behind - to ‘ redeem souls ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech - but Mr Cummings has always been more interested in challenging systems than changing lives .
The culture war launched by No 10 in recent weeks will do little to make any real improvement to people ’ s lives .
A purge of mandarins will not make any difference to schools , hospitals or living standards.
” on providing Britons with a safe home and a secure job Coronavirus Is Our Opportunity To Fix Our Broken Housing System “ We have seen through this crisis that a safe home is a fundamental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in all our lives .
It ’ s not something that can be left solely to the vagaries of the highs and lows of the housing market .
With the waiting list for a social home standing at over a million households , now is the time we need to invest in these homes , not in five years when we all hope to have a vaccine .
Why delay , when it only means land will go undeveloped , homes will sit unfinished , and builders will lose their jobs ?
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow in the steps of post-war Conservative leaders , Macmillan , Eden and of course Churchill and invest in a new generation of social homes .
What an asset they would be for a country facing an uncertain future trying to combat this virus .
And what a lifeline they would be for the hundreds of thousands whose jobs are on the line without a housebuilding stimulus .
The prime minister has said he wants to build , build , build .
His chancellor has identified the money we need to spend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with it and build social housing .
It ’ s his best chance to deliver on that goal.
” 4 .
Dana Milbank in The New York Times on Trump ’ s grasp of , well , everything Trump ’ s ignorance is total - and you can quote his press secretary on that “ If things weren ’ t already bad enough for President Trump — economic collapse , botched pandemic response , mass unrest — U.S. intelligence believes Trump ’ s ‘ friend ’ Vladimir Putin paid Taliban fighters bounties to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House is ready with a defense : The president has no earthly idea what ’ s going on .
Totally in the dark .
Not a clue !
...
In fact , [ White House press secretary Kayleigh ] McEnany suggested , Trump still hadn ’ t been briefed on the Russian bounties by Monday afternoon , even though administration officials were , at that hour , briefing lawmakers .
Previous presidents have claimed not to have been briefed about things they shouldn ’ t have known about , as when then-Vice President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ out of the loop ’ on the Iran-contra affair during the 1980s .
But this is quite unusual : The White House insisting the president was out of the loop on something he should have known about .
It ’ s as though Trump ’ s ignorance is a point of pride.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be ‘ loved ’ Britain ’ s woke police forces have lost their way “ When you cast your mind back across recent months what are your most distinctive memories of the British constabulary ?
Dancing for public likes in TikTok videos ?
Skateboarding down major London thoroughfares closed down by climate extremists ?
Officers ‘ taking the knee ’ before Black Lives Matter activists shortly before some of those same officers had to flee from the protesters who had turned violent ?
All of these sights are indelibly linked in the minds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But in the minds of a portion of the public they meld with another vision of the British police .
A vision which numerous commentators and politicians have helped to exaggerate in recent weeks ...
In the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minnesota , politicians and Left-wing pundits in the UK as much as in the US sought to make some grand strategic play off the back of that appalling incident ... .
These people – not least the organisers of BLM UK – wish to present the British police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same and the history of American racism synonymous with all British history .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Adam Tooze, professor of history at Columbia University, in The Guardian
on the need for a continued and coordinated response
The latest figures are a wake-up call: the global Covid-19 crisis isn’t close to over
“The question is do we have the political imagination, the sympathy and the grit necessary to grasp this crisis at the world level? Can public opinion and decision-makers in Europe and Asia, where the disease has been more or less effectively suppressed, be rallied to support an adequate global response to the crisis in the rest of the world? The pandemic poses a profound challenge to the contemporary imagination. It has made real both the degree of our interconnectedness and the extreme difficulty that we, particularly those of us in the west, have in grasping the global forces that are at work... If Chinese or European-style suppression is off the table, the focus must be on low-cost mass testing and a global push to ensure best practice in treatment, including key drugs for all. The costs are high but eminently affordable. With the US hamstrung by its isolationist president, the question of Covid-19, as on other global challenges such as climate breakdown, is whether Asia and Europe can combine to deliver the necessary leadership.”
2. Rachel Sylvester in The Times
on the cull of senior civil servants
This pin-striped purge is political vandalism
“The latest stand-off can be partly explained by the fact that a pandemic blame game is already under way. Downing Street wants to pin responsibility on the civil service but officials know what mistakes have also been made by ministers and political advisers. Too often, the reforming rhetoric of No 10 is contradicted by reality. Mr Cummings claims to be in favour of devolving power. ‘Anybody who has read what I’ve said about management over the years will know it’s ludicrous to suggest the solution to Whitehall’s problems is a bigger centre and more centralisation,’ he told special advisers recently... There has to be a reason for the revolution. Mr Gove has long been on a mission to save the young people who are left behind - to ‘redeem souls’, as he put it in his speech - but Mr Cummings has always been more interested in challenging systems than changing lives. The culture war launched by No 10 in recent weeks will do little to make any real improvement to people’s lives. A purge of mandarins will not make any difference to schools, hospitals or living standards.”
3. Greg Beales, campaign director at Shelter, on HuffPost
on providing Britons with a safe home and a secure job
Coronavirus Is Our Opportunity To Fix Our Broken Housing System
“We have seen through this crisis that a safe home is a fundamental human need, and an essential foundation in all our lives. It’s not something that can be left solely to the vagaries of the highs and lows of the housing market. With the waiting list for a social home standing at over a million households, now is the time we need to invest in these homes, not in five years when we all hope to have a vaccine. Why delay, when it only means land will go undeveloped, homes will sit unfinished, and builders will lose their jobs? What an opportunity this government has, to follow in the steps of post-war Conservative leaders, Macmillan, Eden and of course Churchill and invest in a new generation of social homes. What an asset they would be for a country facing an uncertain future trying to combat this virus. And what a lifeline they would be for the hundreds of thousands whose jobs are on the line without a housebuilding stimulus. The prime minister has said he wants to build, build, build. His chancellor has identified the money we need to spend. So, let’s get on with it and build social housing. It’s his best chance to deliver on that goal.”
4. Dana Milbank in The New York Times
on Trump’s grasp of, well, everything
Trump’s ignorance is total - and you can quote his press secretary on that
“If things weren’t already bad enough for President Trump — economic collapse, botched pandemic response, mass unrest — U.S. intelligence believes Trump’s ‘friend’ Vladimir Putin paid Taliban fighters bounties to kill U.S. troops. But the White House is ready with a defense: The president has no earthly idea what’s going on. Totally in the dark. Not a clue!... In fact, [White House press secretary Kayleigh] McEnany suggested, Trump still hadn’t been briefed on the Russian bounties by Monday afternoon, even though administration officials were, at that hour, briefing lawmakers. Previous presidents have claimed not to have been briefed about things they shouldn’t have known about, as when then-Vice President George H.W. Bush claimed he was ‘out of the loop’ on the Iran-contra affair during the 1980s. But this is quite unusual: The White House insisting the president was out of the loop on something he should have known about. It’s as though Trump’s ignorance is a point of pride.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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. Douglas Murray in The Daily Telegraph
on officers’ desperation to be ‘loved’
Britain’s woke police forces have lost their way
“When you cast your mind back across recent months what are your most distinctive memories of the British constabulary? Dancing for public likes in TikTok videos? Skateboarding down major London thoroughfares closed down by climate extremists? Officers ‘taking the knee’ before Black Lives Matter activists shortly before some of those same officers had to flee from the protesters who had turned violent? All of these sights are indelibly linked in the minds of everybody who has seen them. But in the minds of a portion of the public they meld with another vision of the British police. A vision which numerous commentators and politicians have helped to exaggerate in recent weeks... In the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, politicians and Left-wing pundits in the UK as much as in the US sought to make some grand strategic play off the back of that appalling incident.... These people – not least the organisers of BLM UK – wish to present the British police and the American police as being the same and the history of American racism synonymous with all British history.”


theweekuk--2020-06-30--Mark Sedwill promised shot at Nato top job

Boris Johnson has told Mark Sedwill that he will receive British backing to be the next chief of Nato as part of his exit package from the civil service , according to reports .
Sedwill , who will step down as cabinet secretary and national security adviser to the PM in September , “ was apparently told by the prime minister that Number 10 will put his name forward for the highly-coveted position ” , the Daily Mail reports .
Current general secretary , Jens Stoltenberg , is not expected to retire from the role until the end of 2022 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether Johnson “ will actually deliver on the promise , given that it is so far in the future ” , the paper adds .
Johnson told Sedwill that securing the top Nato role for the UK is “ critical to his ‘ Global Britain ’ agenda ” , The Times says .
But Sedwill “ may struggle to win the support of other European Nato members amid probable competition from Mark Rutte ” , the serving Dutch prime minister , the paper notes .
“ I think Mark is either brave or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll do that in 2022 , ” one Whitehall source told the paper .
“ I really hope they keep their word but we ’ ve all seen this happen before.
” The source added that Sedwill ’ s hopes for the top Nato role could be “ sacrificed ” by Number 10 in the future for “ something that they really want ” .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The announcement that the UK ’ s most senior civil servant would be stepping down “ sent shockwaves through Whitehall ” on Sunday and followed “ repeated reports of clashes ” with Johnson ’ s closest aide Dominic Cummings .
The Guardian said that Sedwill ’ s departure will be seen as a “ victory for Dominic Cummings ” and for Michael Gove , who “ is pushing through a restructuring of government departments ” .

Boris Johnson has told Mark Sedwill that he will receive British backing to be the next chief of Nato as part of his exit package from the civil service, according to reports.
Sedwill, who will step down as cabinet secretary and national security adviser to the PM in September, “was apparently told by the prime minister that Number 10 will put his name forward for the highly-coveted position”, the Daily Mail reports.
Current general secretary, Jens Stoltenberg, is not expected to retire from the role until the end of 2022, leading some Whitehall sources to question whether Johnson “will actually deliver on the promise, given that it is so far in the future”, the paper adds.
Johnson told Sedwill that securing the top Nato role for the UK is “critical to his ‘Global Britain’ agenda”, The Times says. But Sedwill “may struggle to win the support of other European Nato members amid probable competition from Mark Rutte”, the serving Dutch prime minister, the paper notes.
“I think Mark is either brave or courageous to accept a promise that they’ll do that in 2022,” one Whitehall source told the paper. “I really hope they keep their word but we’ve all seen this happen before.”
The source added that Sedwill’s hopes for the top Nato role could be “sacrificed” by Number 10 in the future for “something that they really want”.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The announcement that the UK’s most senior civil servant would be stepping down “sent shockwaves through Whitehall” on Sunday and followed “repeated reports of clashes” with Johnson’s closest aide Dominic Cummings.
The Guardian said that Sedwill’s departure will be seen as a “victory for Dominic Cummings” and for Michael Gove, who “is pushing through a restructuring of government departments”.


theweekuk--2020-06-30--Is your city at risk of a Leicester-style ‘local lockdown’?

Leicester is the first UK city to be placed under local lockdown , with schools and shops re-closing in a bid to suppress a surge in coronavirus cases .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the Commons on Monday night that “ the growing outbreak in Leicester ” meant the government “ can not recommend that the easing of the national lockdown ” takes place in the city .
The local lockdown has triggered concerns that other areas of the UK could soon face a similar fate .
While much of the country is seeing lower coronavirus infection rates , Leicester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the national cases .
There have been 2,987 positive cases in Leicester since the pandemic began , with 866 of those - 29 % - reported in the two weeks to 23 June , says the BBC .
Currently , Hancock says , the city has “ 10 % of all positive cases in the country over the past week ” .
The health secretary added that Leicester ’ s seven-day infection rate of 135 cases per 100,000 people was “ three times higher than the next highest city ” and admissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per day - compared to about one a day at other trusts .
As a result , Leicester will not enjoy the same unlocking of pubs , restaurants , hotels and hairdressers this weekend as the rest of the country .
Rather than taking a step forward , it will take a step back .
Non-essential shops have been ordered to close from Tuesday , and schools will close once again from Thursday .
The health secretary said on Monday that “ non-essential retail will have to close and ... schools will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Leicester : stay at home as much as you can .
And we recommend against all but essential travel to , from and within Leicester , ” he added .
The local measures will be reviewed in two weeks ’ time , Hancock said , and will also apply to the surrounding areas of the city , including Oadby , a town three miles south , and the villages of Glenfield and Birstall , three miles north , reports The Guardian .
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Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– What other places are at risk ?
Leicester may have been the first locality to be put on lockdown , but it is unlikely to be the last .
There are 36 cities or counties across England now seeing a fresh surge in cases , risking more local lockdown , says The Telegraph .
Kent had 101 new cases between 20-26 June , significantly more than double Leicester ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period .
Staffordshire - which was well documented as being hit hard by the virus near the start of the UK outbreak - saw 34 new cases last week .
Doncaster is one of the most troubling areas , with 32 new cases between 20-26 June , a nearly 300 % increase on the 11 cases it saw between 11-19 June .
There have also been small increases in Derbyshire , Medway , Sandwell , Wakefield , Haringey , Plymouth , Walsall , Suffolk , Gloucestershire , Harrow , Slough , Gateshead and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there have also been small increases in : Hammersmith and Fulham , Hounslow , Ealing , Westminster , Wandsworth , Barking and Dagenham , Enfield , Tower Hamlets , Richmond and Windsor and Maidenhead .
Most of these rises have been small and the general pattern across the UK is still that infection rates are falling .

Leicester is the first UK city to be placed under local lockdown, with schools and shops re-closing in a bid to suppress a surge in coronavirus cases.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the Commons on Monday night that “the growing outbreak in Leicester” meant the government “cannot recommend that the easing of the national lockdown” takes place in the city.
The local lockdown has triggered concerns that other areas of the UK could soon face a similar fate.
What is happening Leicester?
While much of the country is seeing lower coronavirus infection rates, Leicester is still struggling with a high proportion of the national cases.
There have been 2,987 positive cases in Leicester since the pandemic began, with 866 of those - 29% - reported in the two weeks to 23 June, says the BBC. Currently, Hancock says, the city has “10% of all positive cases in the country over the past week”.
The health secretary added that Leicester’s seven-day infection rate of 135 cases per 100,000 people was “three times higher than the next highest city” and admissions to hospital were between six and 10 per day - compared to about one a day at other trusts.
As a result, Leicester will not enjoy the same unlocking of pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers this weekend as the rest of the country. Rather than taking a step forward, it will take a step back. Non-essential shops have been ordered to close from Tuesday, and schools will close once again from Thursday.
The health secretary said on Monday that “non-essential retail will have to close and... schools will also need to close”. “People in Leicester: stay at home as much as you can. And we recommend against all but essential travel to, from and within Leicester,” he added.
The local measures will be reviewed in two weeks’ time, Hancock said, and will also apply to the surrounding areas of the city, including Oadby, a town three miles south, and the villages of Glenfield and Birstall, three miles north, reports The Guardian.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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 other places are at risk?
Leicester may have been the first locality to be put on lockdown, but it is unlikely to be the last. There are 36 cities or counties across England now seeing a fresh surge in cases, risking more local lockdown, says The Telegraph.
Kent had 101 new cases between 20-26 June, significantly more than double Leicester’s 41 new cases in the same period. Staffordshire - which was well documented as being hit hard by the virus near the start of the UK outbreak - saw 34 new cases last week.
Doncaster is one of the most troubling areas, with 32 new cases between 20-26 June, a nearly 300% increase on the 11 cases it saw between 11-19 June. There have also been small increases in Derbyshire, Medway, Sandwell, Wakefield, Haringey, Plymouth, Walsall, Suffolk, Gloucestershire, Harrow, Slough, Gateshead and Milton Keynes.
In and around London, there have also been small increases in: Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Ealing, Westminster, Wandsworth, Barking and Dagenham, Enfield, Tower Hamlets, Richmond and Windsor and Maidenhead.
Most of these rises have been small and the general pattern across the UK is still that infection rates are falling.


theweekuk--2020-06-30--Donald Trump ‘bullied and humiliated' Theresa May in ‘near-sadistic’ phone calls

Donald Trump regularly “ bullied and humiliated ” Theresa May calling her “ spineless ” on Brexit , according to one of the journalists behind the Watergate scandal .
Carl Bernstein investigated the calls of the president with world leaders for four months , finding that “ Trump was consistently underprepared , repeatedly outplayed by US enemies and abusive to allies ” , the Daily Mirror says .
The reporting revealed that Trump was “ deferential to the Russian and Turkish presidents ” , while “ abusing the leaders of America ’ s allies , taking a particular dislike to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He ’ d get agitated about something with Theresa May , then he ’ d get nasty with her on the phone call , ” a source told Bernstein .
The president ’ s conversations with May were described as “ humiliating and bullying ” , while another source said : “ He clearly intimidated her and meant to.
” Bernstein reports that the US president also labelled May “ a fool ” for her pro-Remain stance on the European Union and support for Nato .
The Telegraph notes that Bernstein ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denigrated ” German Chancellor Angela Merkel - whom he called “ stupid ” - while remaining “ cordial - even reverential ” with Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The president ’ s grip on geopolitics in phone calls led senior officials to conclude that “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national security of the United States ” , Bernstein writes for CNN .
The calls led senior Trump aides to believe he is “ delusional ” in his dealings with other leaders , two sources told Bernstein , who adds that Trump believed he could “ charm , jawbone or bully almost any foreign leader into capitulating to his will , and often pursued goals more attuned to his own agenda than ... the national interest ” .
Trump is currently under pressure to respond to reports that Russia paid members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The president initially described the reports as “ fake news ” .

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theweekuk--2020-06-30--Greece bans Brits ‘casting cloud’ over holiday air bridges

Government plans for quarantine-free travel in Europe have been thrown into “ chaos ” after Greece said that it would ban flights from the UK for another two weeks .
British holidaymakers will not be allowed to fly to Greece until 15 July , despite the country opening its borders to other international visitors as of Wednesday this week .
A “ travel corridor agreement ” between the UK government and Greece had been expected to allow holidays as early as next week and government sources had “ briefed that it was likely to be among the first wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Times says .
But Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said that flights from Britain - along with Sweden - will not be allowed , but will remain under “ continuous review ” , Sky News reports .
The suggestion that the ban will be reconsidered means “ British families with Greek getaways booked for the school summer holidays should still be able to travel ” , the broadcaster adds .
Haris Theoharis , the Greek tourism minister , had previously told ITV News that the UK ’ s coronavirus record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be allowed into the country ” .
“ I think that the UK has a big difference in terms of the current medical status of the country with Greece , so I don ’ t think it ’ s likely it will be there , ” Theoharis said .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second setback for the air bridge scheme this week , after the Portugese government criticised plans to exclude the popular holiday destination from the UK ’ s proposed scheme .
Home Affairs Minister Eduardo Cabrita said that Portugal was “ manifestly not where the risk is ” , adding that “ Portugal has better public health indicators and better pandemic response indicators than the United Kingdom ” .

Government plans for quarantine-free travel in Europe have been thrown into “chaos” after Greece said that it would ban flights from the UK for another two weeks.
British holidaymakers will not be allowed to fly to Greece until 15 July, despite the country opening its borders to other international visitors as of Wednesday this week.
A “travel corridor agreement” between the UK government and Greece had been expected to allow holidays as early as next week and government sources had “briefed that it was likely to be among the first wave of countries opened up from July 6”, The Times says.
But Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said that flights from Britain - along with Sweden - will not be allowed, but will remain under “continuous review”, Sky News reports.
The suggestion that the ban will be reconsidered means “British families with Greek getaways booked for the school summer holidays should still be able to travel”, the broadcaster adds.
Haris Theoharis, the Greek tourism minister, had previously told ITV News that the UK’s coronavirus record was “not good enough for Britons to be allowed into the country”.
“I think that the UK has a big difference in terms of the current medical status of the country with Greece, so I don’t think it’s likely it will be there,” Theoharis said.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The ban on Brits heading to Greece is the second setback for the air bridge scheme this week, after the Portugese government criticised plans to exclude the popular holiday destination from the UK’s proposed scheme.
Home Affairs Minister Eduardo Cabrita said that Portugal was “manifestly not where the risk is”, adding that “Portugal has better public health indicators and better pandemic response indicators than the United Kingdom”.


theweekuk--2020-06-30--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 30 Jun 2020

A new strain of flu , with the potential to become a pandemic , has been identified in China .
@ @ @ @ @ which is carried by pigs , can infect humans .
Experts fear that it could @ @ @ @ @ can spread easily from person to person , and trigger a global outbreak .
They @ @ @ @ @ the hallmarks ” of being highly adapted to infect humans and must be closely watched @

Flu with pandemic potential found in China
A new strain of flu, with the potential to become a pandemic, has been identified in China. Scientists say the virus, which is carried by pigs, can infect humans. Experts fear that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak. They say it has “all the hallmarks” of being highly adapted to infect humans and must be closely watched.


theweekuk--2020-06-30--‘Cannibal’ rats on the march in Britain

‘Cannibal’ rats on the march in Britain

Cannibal rats are on the march across Britain as the closure of restaurants forces them to resort to raiding human houses to try and find food during lockdown .
Some of the hungry rodents are even eating their own young .
Rentokil has reported an 80 % rise in demand for its anti-rat services .
Mother of 44 kids stopped from having more The world ’ s most fertile woman , who is raising 44 children alone , has been medically stopped from having more .
Mariam Nabatanzi , from Uganda , gave birth to her first set of twins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now has has three sets of quadruplets , four sets of triplets and six sets of twins .
Europe ’ s biggest sex festival has been forced to cancel after social distancing rules made it unfeasible .
As hundreds of swingers prepared for the party , the team behind the Aurora Lifestyle gathering said they were not ready to offer a “ poor replica ” of the event .
They said they hope to return with a “ bigger and fresher ” event next year .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Cannibal rats are on the march across Britain as the closure of restaurants forces them to resort to raiding human houses to try and find food during lockdown. Some of the hungry rodents are even eating their own young. Rentokil has reported an 80% rise in demand for its anti-rat services.
Mother of 44 kids stopped from having more
The world’s most fertile woman, who is raising 44 children alone, has been medically stopped from having more. Mariam Nabatanzi, from Uganda, gave birth to her first set of twins when she was just 13. She now has has three sets of quadruplets, four sets of triplets and six sets of twins.
Social distancing rules halt sex festival
Europe’s biggest sex festival has been forced to cancel after social distancing rules made it unfeasible. As hundreds of swingers prepared for the party, the team behind the Aurora Lifestyle gathering said they were not ready to offer a “poor replica” of the event. They said they hope to return with a “bigger and fresher” event next year.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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--2020-06-29--Reaction: Boris Johnson pledges £1bn ‘decade of spending’ on schools

Boris Johnson has announced £1bn funding for school building projects in England and a further £560m for repairs and upgrades .
But the pledged cash isn ’ t nearly enough , according to head teachers , who point out that the National Audit Office has identified a backlog of £6.7bn repairs needed across the nation ’ s 21,000 schools .
The spending watchdog listed the work required to bring school buildings to a “ satisfactory ” state in a report published back in 2017 - and the problems will have “ worsened ” since then , warns Geoff Barton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union .
Barton told the BBC that the prime minister ’ s funding pledge was a “ significant step in the right direction ” , but added that “ far too many children are studying in buildings that are not fit for purpose ” .
National Association of Head Teachers chief Paul Whiteman also welcomed the extra funding after a “ decade of underinvestment ” , but warned that funding for schools should “ never be allowed to fall into such a perilous state again ” .
Labour ’ s Building Schools for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tories in 2010 , “ an initial casualty of austerity that halted 715 rebuild projects ” , says The Guardian .
Luke Sibieta , a research fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies , told Tes ( formerly the Times Education Supplement ) that even if the newly promised £1bn were added to next year ’ s capital spending budget for schools , “ it would still only be sufficient to take spending back to 2015-16 levels and would still be well below its high point around 2010 ” .
Many other commentators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boris Johnson ain ’ t got no education , and now he ’ s trying to screw up everyone else ’ s too , ” tweeted Fleet Street Fox , aka tabloid newspaper reporter Susie Boniface “ His £1bn ‘ school building programme ’ is a £6bn cut on the promises he made only 6 months ago.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader Keir Starmer said that the Tories ’ “ record on building and investment has been a lost decade ” .
Meanwhile , Liberal Democrats ’ education spokesperson Layla Moran told Schools Week that the funding announcement was “ spin over substance ” .
“ Schools need urgent investment to increase space now , not vague numbers pulled out of thin air , ” said Moran .

Boris Johnson has announced £1bn funding for school building projects in England and a further £560m for repairs and upgrades.
But the pledged cash isn’t nearly enough, according to head teachers, who point out that the National Audit Office has identified a backlog of £6.7bn repairs needed across the nation’s 21,000 schools.
The spending watchdog listed the work required to bring school buildings to a “satisfactory” state in a report published back in 2017 - and the problems will have “worsened” since then, warns Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers’ union.
Barton told the BBC that the prime minister’s funding pledge was a “significant step in the right direction”, but added that “far too many children are studying in buildings that are not fit for purpose”.
National Association of Head Teachers chief Paul Whiteman also welcomed the extra funding after a “decade of underinvestment”, but warned that funding for schools should “never be allowed to fall into such a perilous state again”.
Labour’s Building Schools for the Future scheme was scrapped by the Tories in 2010, “an initial casualty of austerity that halted 715 rebuild projects”, says The Guardian.
Luke Sibieta, a research fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, told Tes (formerly the Times Education Supplement) that even if the newly promised £1bn were added to next year’s capital spending budget for schools, “it would still only be sufficient to take spending back to 2015-16 levels and would still be well below its high point around 2010”.
Many other commentators are also less than impressed.
“Boris Johnson ain’t got no education, and now he’s trying to screw up everyone else’s too,” tweeted Fleet Street Fox, aka tabloid newspaper reporter Susie Boniface “His £1bn ‘school building programme’ is a £6bn cut on the promises he made only 6 months ago.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Labour leader Keir Starmer said that the Tories’ “record on building and investment has been a lost decade”.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrats’ education spokesperson Layla Moran told Schools Week that the funding announcement was “spin over substance”.
“Schools need urgent investment to increase space now, not vague numbers pulled out of thin air,” said Moran.


theweekuk--2020-06-29--Instant Opinion: Labour ‘can’t just give up the fight’ on Brexit

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
1 .
Michael Chessum , national organiser for Another Europe and Labour activist , in The Independent on the need for Brexit scrutiny Brexit is a battle over the type of country we want to become .
Labour can ’ t just give up the fight “ The awkward reality of the situation is that , despite having been elected to the Labour leadership by a landslide in part because of his Remainer credentials , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question of Brexit is eerily reminiscent of the Corbyn leadership .
Labour knows that the fighting for an extension is the right thing to do , and could have had a chance of success , but this ultimately comes second to the party political calculation that it can not be seen to ‘ frustrate ’ the process in a way that Johnson could exploit at the next election ...
The left as a whole has spent many years reluctant , or outright unwilling , to really engage with the Brexit process , regarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property of centrist obsessives .
But these negotiations – and the agreements – they produce are not going to just be dry and technical documents .
Brexit is , and always has been , a battle for the kind of country Britain will become .
It is too late to stop it entirely , but if Labour is to remain attached to political reality then it must develop a strategy to resist , oppose and , eventually , reverse the Brexit juggernaut.
” on making more , not less , political appointments Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grip ‘ impartial ’ civil servants have on power “ The problem for the UK civil service is that a refusal to bend has increased the chances of its breaking .
When Britain voted to leave the EU , it was every civil servants ’ job to consider how , not if , the break should be made .
Yet it would be hard to conclude that our ‘ impartial ’ public servants have done everything in their power in the last four years to achieve that end .
As a nation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a model of government in which impartial and professional civil servants , working to ensure that the government ’ s policies are successfully implemented , work closely and co-operatively with political appointees who , in many more cases than at present , should have the final say ( aside from ministers , obviously ) .
It is up to the electorate , not civil servants , to make the judgment as to whether those policies are right for the country .
As well as the structure of government , it is the culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to stop seeing ‘ political ’ as a swear word and ‘ impartial ’ as a an immutable good .
Government is political and we need to get used to it .
Sedwill ’ s departure and Frost ’ s arrival will aid that process.
” No more going viral : why not apply social distancing to social media ?
“ In the absence of a vaccine or cure for Covid-19 , the approach to dealing with the deadly virus has been to introduce barriers to transmission : physical-distancing rules , stay-at-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face masks .
Now apply that to social networks .
Two years ago , WhatsApp limited the number of people to whom an individual can forward a single message at one time .
The result was , according to an MIT study , that ‘ 80 % of messages died within two days ’ .
WhatsApp says forwards overall declined 25 % as a result of the change .
The messaging app followed up this year by imposing restrictions on sending messages that had already been forwarded lots of times .
In less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 70 % reduction in the number of highly forwarded messages sent on WhatsApp ’ .
WhatsApp ’ s example shows that changes to the structure of a network can have enormous effects.
” on the scourge of post-lockdown parties “ Last week ’ s plastic carnage was not some aberration but confirmation that Britain ’ s litter problem is truly dire .
According to the Hygiene Council , ours is the dirtiest developed country in the world .
About 122 tonnes of cigarette-related litter are dropped every day .
Councils spend hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up — too late for the creatures who die as a result of the pollution .
The RSPCA receives about 5,000 calls a year about litter-related injuries to animals .
Our rivers , lakes and seas have become a soup of plastic particles ; at the last count there were an average of 358 items of litter per square kilometre of seabed ... Litter matters , but what can we do ?
Anti-littering campaigns are the usual answer but seeing the volume of rubbish last week , they seem inadequate .
If people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cartons on the grass in the first place , I doubt that a strongly-worded poster will get through .
Instead of simply asking people to do the right thing , we must force them to do it.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 .
Binyamin Appelbaum in The New York Times on the NBA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or socialism ?
“ Professional sports — the pinnacle of pure competition .
Thirty N.B.A .
teams stocked with the world ’ s best basketball players , all vying for one championship trophy .
But here ’ s the truth that doesn ’ t get said often enough : Preserving competition on the court requires strict limits on competition everywhere else .
The N.B.A .
knows that unregulated competition would be a disaster .
And the N.B.A.
’ s rules , as explained in the video above , could help to revive the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a while before you can catch a live game , but you can still pick up something from watching the N.B.A.
” ( Follow the link to find out more with the NYT ’ s opinion video . )

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Michael Chessum, national organiser for Another Europe and Labour activist, in The Independent
on the need for Brexit scrutiny
Brexit is a battle over the type of country we want to become. Labour can’t just give up the fight
“The awkward reality of the situation is that, despite having been elected to the Labour leadership by a landslide in part because of his Remainer credentials, Keir Starmer’s attitude to the question of Brexit is eerily reminiscent of the Corbyn leadership. Labour knows that the fighting for an extension is the right thing to do, and could have had a chance of success, but this ultimately comes second to the party political calculation that it cannot be seen to ‘frustrate’ the process in a way that Johnson could exploit at the next election... The left as a whole has spent many years reluctant, or outright unwilling, to really engage with the Brexit process, regarding it as a technocratic maze and the property of centrist obsessives. But these negotiations – and the agreements – they produce are not going to just be dry and technical documents. Brexit is, and always has been, a battle for the kind of country Britain will become. It is too late to stop it entirely, but if Labour is to remain attached to political reality then it must develop a strategy to resist, oppose and, eventually, reverse the Brexit juggernaut.”
2. Tom Harris in The Daily Telegraph
on making more, not less, political appointments
Mark Sedwill’s exit should break the grip ‘impartial’ civil servants have on power
“The problem for the UK civil service is that a refusal to bend has increased the chances of its breaking. When Britain voted to leave the EU, it was every civil servants’ job to consider how, not if, the break should be made. Yet it would be hard to conclude that our ‘impartial’ public servants have done everything in their power in the last four years to achieve that end. As a nation, we are far too reluctant to embrace a model of government in which impartial and professional civil servants, working to ensure that the government’s policies are successfully implemented, work closely and co-operatively with political appointees who, in many more cases than at present, should have the final say (aside from ministers, obviously). It is up to the electorate, not civil servants, to make the judgment as to whether those policies are right for the country. As well as the structure of government, it is the culture and mindset that needs reforming. We need to stop seeing ‘political’ as a swear word and ‘impartial’ as a an immutable good. Government is political and we need to get used to it. Sedwill’s departure and Frost’s arrival will aid that process.”
3. Leo Mirani in The Guardian
on controlling online misinformation
No more going viral: why not apply social distancing to social media?
“In the absence of a vaccine or cure for Covid-19, the approach to dealing with the deadly virus has been to introduce barriers to transmission: physical-distancing rules, stay-at-home measures, barriers such as screens and face masks. Now apply that to social networks. Two years ago, WhatsApp limited the number of people to whom an individual can forward a single message at one time. The result was, according to an MIT study, that ‘80% of messages died within two days’. WhatsApp says forwards overall declined 25% as a result of the change. The messaging app followed up this year by imposing restrictions on sending messages that had already been forwarded lots of times. In less than a month, that caused ‘a 70% reduction in the number of highly forwarded messages sent on WhatsApp’. WhatsApp’s example shows that changes to the structure of a network can have enormous effects.”
4. Claire Foges in The Times
on the scourge of post-lockdown parties
Let’s throw everything at Britain’s litter problem
“Last week’s plastic carnage was not some aberration but confirmation that Britain’s litter problem is truly dire. According to the Hygiene Council, ours is the dirtiest developed country in the world. About 122 tonnes of cigarette-related litter are dropped every day. Councils spend hundreds of millions a year clearing it all up — too late for the creatures who die as a result of the pollution. The RSPCA receives about 5,000 calls a year about litter-related injuries to animals. Our rivers, lakes and seas have become a soup of plastic particles; at the last count there were an average of 358 items of litter per square kilometre of seabed... Litter matters, but what can we do? Anti-littering campaigns are the usual answer but seeing the volume of rubbish last week, they seem inadequate. If people are thick-headed enough to leave their KFC cartons on the grass in the first place, I doubt that a strongly-worded poster will get through. Instead of simply asking people to do the right thing, we must force them to do it.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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. Binyamin Appelbaum in The New York Times
on the NBA’s battle against inequality
Is it basketball … or socialism?
“Professional sports — the pinnacle of pure competition. Thirty N.B.A. teams stocked with the world’s best basketball players, all vying for one championship trophy. But here’s the truth that doesn’t get said often enough: Preserving competition on the court requires strict limits on competition everywhere else. The N.B.A. knows that unregulated competition would be a disaster. And the N.B.A.’s rules, as explained in the video above, could help to revive the American economy, too. It may be a while before you can catch a live game, but you can still pick up something from watching the N.B.A.” (Follow the link to find out more with the NYT’s opinion video.)


theweekuk--2020-06-29--Behind the Russian plot to pay Taliban for killing US troops

The Russian military unit that poisoned former double agent Sergei Skripal has been paying Taliban fighters to kill American troops serving in Afghanistan , according to US intelligence reports .
In a “ significant and provocative escalation ” of the Putin government ’ s covert activities , Russian agents “ secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces ” , says The New York Times ( NYT ) .
The payments “ are believed to have resulted in the deaths of several US service members ” , The Washington Post reports , citing “ intelligence gleaned from US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months ” .
British troops were also targeted , an unnamed “ European intelligence official ” told CNN - although whether any died as a result of the operation is unclear .
Both Russia and the Taliban have denied the allegations .
“ These kinds of deals with the Russian intelligence agency are baseless , ” said Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid .
“ Our target killings and assassinations were ongoing in years before , and we did it on our own resources.
” Donald Trump has also dismissed the reports as “ fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have offered unofficial corroboration .
“ British sources did not deny the accuracy of the allegations ” , but rather “ gave every indication that the report of bounties being offered to the Taliban was based on fact ” , says The Times .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The US government believes the operation “ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an arm of Russia ’ s military intelligence agency , known widely as the GRU ” , says the NYT .
The Times adds : “ This is the elite subversion and assassination wing of the GRU , Russia ’ s military intelligence arm , whose agents were charged with the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury in 2018.
” The GRU was also “ at the centre of Moscow ’ s covert efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election ” , according to the NYT .
Who knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion as far back as February and March in the US intelligence community and among the top military commanders about the Russian operation , ” says CNN .
The claims were reportedly taken seriously enough to result in “ some efforts at protecting US forces ” .
According to the NYT , “ the intelligence finding was briefed to President Trump , and the White House ’ s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March ” .
That claim has been strongly disputed by White House press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Neither the president nor the vice president were briefed on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence.
” Trump has repeated that denial , tweeting that his intelligence services “ did not find this info credible , and therefore did not report it to me ” .
However , a former senior Pentagon official told The Times that “ it beggars the imagination ” that the president would not have been briefed .
“ It suggests gross dereliction of duty by senior US government officials or a colossal breakdown of the national security decision-making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What will happen next ?
“ The issue is not when the president was briefed , ” a source told The Washington Post , “ but rather , now that you are aware of it , what are you going to do about it ?
” Even Senator Lindsey Graham , a vocal Trump ally , said it was “ imperative Congress get to the bottom of ” the allegations .
But it remains “ unclear whether [ Trump ] will choose to take action ” , says Vox .
The reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - has provided his critics with “ further evidence that the president has failed to adequately curb the influence of Russia and has instead sought to foster a cosy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin ” , says NPR .
“ His entire presidency has been a gift to Putin , ” Biden said , “ but this is beyond the pale.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

The Russian military unit that poisoned former double agent Sergei Skripal has been paying Taliban fighters to kill American troops serving in Afghanistan, according to US intelligence reports.
In a “significant and provocative escalation” of the Putin government’s covert activities, Russian agents “secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces”, says The New York Times (NYT).
The payments “are believed to have resulted in the deaths of several US service members”, The Washington Post reports, citing “intelligence gleaned from US military interrogations of captured militants in recent months”.
British troops were also targeted, an unnamed “European intelligence official” told CNN - although whether any died as a result of the operation is unclear.
Both Russia and the Taliban have denied the allegations. “These kinds of deals with the Russian intelligence agency are baseless,” said Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid. “Our target killings and assassinations were ongoing in years before, and we did it on our own resources.”
Donald Trump has also dismissed the reports as “fake news”, but other intelligence agencies have offered unofficial corroboration.
“British sources did not deny the accuracy of the allegations”, but rather “gave every indication that the report of bounties being offered to the Taliban was based on fact”, says The Times.
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Who was responsible?
The US government believes the operation “to be the handiwork of Unit 29155, an arm of Russia’s military intelligence agency, known widely as the GRU”, says the NYT.
The Times adds: “This is the elite subversion and assassination wing of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence arm, whose agents were charged with the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury in 2018.”
The GRU was also “at the centre of Moscow’s covert efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election”, according to the NYT.
Who knew what and when?
“There was discussion as far back as February and March in the US intelligence community and among the top military commanders about the Russian operation,” says CNN. The claims were reportedly taken seriously enough to result in “some efforts at protecting US forces”.
According to the NYT, “the intelligence finding was briefed to President Trump, and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March”.


theweekuk--2020-07-02--Instant Opinion: not wearing a face mask ‘is like driving drunk’

“ Republicans seem to be coming around .
Vice President Mike Pence earlier eschewed masks but now says that wearing them ‘ is just a good idea.
’ Senator Marco Rubio urged , ‘ Just wear a damn mask.
’ Representative Liz Cheney tweeted a photo of her father , former Vice President Dick Cheney , wearing one , with the hashtag # realmenwearmasks .
Good for them !
But Trump has resisted .
Republicans talk a good game about ‘ personal responsibility , ’ so it ’ s time for Trump to display some — and to call on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As we celebrate our independence , this is how they can show patriotism , protect the economy and save the lives of their neighbors .
The White House press secretary , Kayleigh McEnany , deflects questions about Trump and masks by insisting that mask-wearing is simply a ‘ personal choice.
’ No , it ’ s not .
Refusing to wear a mask is no more a ‘ personal choice ’ than is drinking all evening and then stumbling into your car and heading down the road .
In a time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like driving drunk , putting everyone in your path in danger.
” 2. research associate at the University of Greenwich , in The Guardian on the call from the Black Lives Matter movement ‘ Defund the police ’ is not nonsense .
Here ’ s what it really means “ When Keir Starmer condemned demands to defund the police as ‘ nonsense ’ on BBC Breakfast on Monday , it prompted dismay from criminal justice system reformers and supporters of Black Lives Matter .
In dismissing what amounts to a realistic and serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts : that policing has entirely failed to improve public safety , and that there are numerous constructive alternatives to ineffective attempts to ‘ police away ’ social problems .
It seems likely that some critics have misunderstood what defunding really means .
Campaigns to defund the police and prison system do not argue that every prison should close tomorrow and every police officer be sacked the day after – they argue that social problems are better addressed through social responses .
It may be hard to fathom , but no matter how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last 30 years , there has been no improvement in public safety.
” on the extreme voices on the Labour frontbench Starmer should finish off his far-left fringe “ Everything that has happened since 2016 has indicated the crying need for an alternative party of government in Britain : pragmatic , radical and with a broad base of appeal .
Deprived of that in 2019 , the British voting system conjured up a landslide victory for an exhausted and increasingly strident Toryism .
There are signs that Sir Keir can , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for such an alternative , and might even represent it .
But as moderates in places like Brighton , Liverpool and Haringey can tell you - and as Neil Kinnock ’ s battle with Militant Tendency reminds us - there isn ’ t a deal to be done with the far left ...
The far left thrives on the adrenaline rush of an out-of-control street protest .
It likes nothing better than to colonise an inchoate movement with a genuine grievance .
But it is an utter liability to a party of government.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mission does chime with voters Johnson ’ s real philosophy : a popular radicalism that blends Left and Right “ What does Boris Johnson really believe in ?
He isn ’ t a communist , as he told us in his speech , which is a good start .
He isn ’ t a follower of Franklin D Roosevelt , contrary to the nonsensical , insulting spin of the past few days , a relief given how calamitous that US president ’ s domestic policy agenda turned out to be .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either : sadly , as far as I ’ m concerned , he never talks about cutting the size of the state , or privatising anything .
He isn ’ t a Blairite , or a Cameroon , or a Heseltinian : he is destroying all of these men ’ s core legacies .
He doesn ’ t fit into any of the traditional left-right boxes , which is why his ideology is endlessly mischaracterised .
So what is he ?
Why do the illiberal elites loathe him so much ?
The answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its pure form , is to force a realignment between the establishment and the public.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– “ In 2016 , Never-Trump conservatives warned that the man was ‘ not conservative and not qualified ’ .
The former issue probably gets the least attention in the mainstream , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not conservative in the most fundamental way , then what is he for , except to be a gravy train for career politicians who , having thrown their lot in with him , can wear his treachery too ?
Whether or not one agrees with an America First policy thrust to begin with is largely irrelevant here , because within the GOP leadership , the notion has failed on its own terms ; none are putting country before party .
We hear a lot of talk about left-wing virtue signalling – obsessions with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right has had its own version – sham patriotism – for time out of mind .
Of all the easy aesthetics a Republican could opt for , flag-waving is number one .
Now , this latest failure to protect the homeland exposes this symbolism as a grift .
Just as anyone ( except perhaps Mike Pence ) can say ‘ black lives matter ’ without any meaningful action , ‘ God bless America ’ is an easy right-wing virtue signal .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times
on President Trump’s supporters taking personal responsibility
Refusing to Wear a Mask Is Like Driving Drunk
“Republicans seem to be coming around. Vice President Mike Pence earlier eschewed masks but now says that wearing them ‘is just a good idea.’ Senator Marco Rubio urged, ‘Just wear a damn mask.’ Representative Liz Cheney tweeted a photo of her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, wearing one, with the hashtag #realmenwearmasks. Good for them! But Trump has resisted. Republicans talk a good game about ‘personal responsibility,’ so it’s time for Trump to display some — and to call on his supporters to wear masks as well. As we celebrate our independence, this is how they can show patriotism, protect the economy and save the lives of their neighbors. The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, deflects questions about Trump and masks by insisting that mask-wearing is simply a ‘personal choice.’ No, it’s not. Refusing to wear a mask is no more a ‘personal choice’ than is drinking all evening and then stumbling into your car and heading down the road. In a time of plague, shunning a face mask is like driving drunk, putting everyone in your path in danger.”
2. Adam Elliott-Cooper, sociology research associate at the University of Greenwich, in The Guardian
on the call from the Black Lives Matter movement
‘Defund the police’ is not nonsense. Here’s what it really means
“When Keir Starmer condemned demands to defund the police as ‘nonsense’ on BBC Breakfast on Monday, it prompted dismay from criminal justice system reformers and supporters of Black Lives Matter. In dismissing what amounts to a realistic and serious policy approach, Starmer ignores two critical facts: that policing has entirely failed to improve public safety, and that there are numerous constructive alternatives to ineffective attempts to ‘police away’ social problems. It seems likely that some critics have misunderstood what defunding really means. Campaigns to defund the police and prison system do not argue that every prison should close tomorrow and every police officer be sacked the day after – they argue that social problems are better addressed through social responses. It may be hard to fathom, but no matter how much policing and prisons have expanded in the last 30 years, there has been no improvement in public safety.”
3. David Aaronovitch in The Times
on the extreme voices on the Labour frontbench
Starmer should finish off his far-left fringe
“Everything that has happened since 2016 has indicated the crying need for an alternative party of government in Britain: pragmatic, radical and with a broad base of appeal. Deprived of that in 2019, the British voting system conjured up a landslide victory for an exhausted and increasingly strident Toryism. There are signs that Sir Keir can, at the very least, pave the way for such an alternative, and might even represent it. But as moderates in places like Brighton, Liverpool and Haringey can tell you - and as Neil Kinnock’s battle with Militant Tendency reminds us - there isn’t a deal to be done with the far left... The far left thrives on the adrenaline rush of an out-of-control street protest. It likes nothing better than to colonise an inchoate movement with a genuine grievance. But it is an utter liability to a party of government.”
4. Allister Heath in The Daily Telegraph
on how the Prime Minister’s mission does chime with voters
Johnson’s real philosophy: a popular radicalism that blends Left and Right
“What does Boris Johnson really believe in? He isn’t a communist, as he told us in his speech, which is a good start. He isn’t a follower of Franklin D Roosevelt, contrary to the nonsensical, insulting spin of the past few days, a relief given how calamitous that US president’s domestic policy agenda turned out to be. But he isn’t a proper libertarian either: sadly, as far as I’m concerned, he never talks about cutting the size of the state, or privatising anything. He isn’t a Blairite, or a Cameroon, or a Heseltinian: he is destroying all of these men’s core legacies. He doesn’t fit into any of the traditional left-right boxes, which is why his ideology is endlessly mischaracterised. So what is he? Why do the illiberal elites loathe him so much? The answer is simple: the Johnsonian mission, in its pure form, is to force a realignment between the establishment and the public.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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. Bonny Brooks in The Independent
on labelling the modern GOP’s views
Is Trump’s Republican Party even conservative?
“In 2016, Never-Trump conservatives warned that the man was ‘not conservative and not qualified’. The former issue probably gets the least attention in the mainstream, but it’s important. If a conservative leader is not conservative in the most fundamental way, then what is he for, except to be a gravy train for career politicians who, having thrown their lot in with him, can wear his treachery too? Whether or not one agrees with an America First policy thrust to begin with is largely irrelevant here, because within the GOP leadership, the notion has failed on its own terms; none are putting country before party. We hear a lot of talk about left-wing virtue signalling – obsessions with symbols and cheap words. But the right has had its own version – sham patriotism – for time out of mind. Of all the easy aesthetics a Republican could opt for, flag-waving is number one. Now, this latest failure to protect the homeland exposes this symbolism as a grift. Just as anyone (except perhaps Mike Pence) can say ‘black lives matter’ without any meaningful action, ‘God bless America’ is an easy right-wing virtue signal.”


theweekuk--2020-07-02--Why air bridges have been ‘shelved’ - and the countries cleared for take-off

Plans to launch individual “ air bridges ” from the UK are being ditched as the government opts instead to allow quarantine-free travel to up to 75 low-risk countries , according to reports .
The Foreign Office is expected to lift a ban on non-essential travel to a host of countries with low coronavirus infection rates , and holidaymakers will no longer be required to quarantine for 14 days when they arrive back in the UK .
Why are air bridges being scrapped ?
The new plan , to be announced officially later this week , is viewed by many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bilateral air bridges ’ , or ’ travel corridors ’ , were unworkable ” , reports The Telegraph .
Regardless of the reasons , the decision to open up the UK ’ s borders to dozens of countries included on a “ quarantine exemption list ” has been welcomed by the travel and aviation industry , as well as holidaymakers .
Paul Charles , a spokesperson for the Quash Quarantine campaign group of 500 travel and hospitality businesses , told the newspaper : “ We have said all along that air bridges were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t restrict people travelling in the EU or Schengen .
“ It ’ s sensible and logical and I wish we could have had it earlier .
It begs the question as to why have we gone round in circles.
” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has been pushing for a series of air-bridge deals with individual countries , but Foreign Office officials were reportedly concerned about the potential political consequences .
A senior government source told The Telegraph that creating a specific list of air-bridge countries exempt from quarantine could cause diplomatic strife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They suggested that to avoid such a fall-out , officials were instead pushing for a more informal system which would merely see the FCO ’ s travel advice section amended to include a list of high-risk countries where Britons should refrain from travelling to , ” the paper reports .
Henry Smith , chair of the cross-party Future of Aviation group , said : “ We need to get a set of criteria and subsequent list of countries published .
Every day of uncertainty translates into more jobs lost.
” Which countries are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classified as green , amber or red under the government ’ s traffic light system , according to the number of new coronavirus cases reported .
Nearly all EU destinations are expected to be cleared for travel , along with British territories such as Bermuda and Gibraltar .
Countries that currently have lower infection rates than the UK include France , Spain , Italy , Austria , Greece , Switzerland , Belgium , Ireland , Iceland , Poland , Malta , Cyprus , the Netherlands , Denmark , Norway , Finland , Denmark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of which are expected will be on the safe , or green , list .
Turkey , Thailand , Australia and New Zealand have also all been judged sufficiently low risk and will be cleared , as will Croatia , says The Telegraph .
But the US , Russia and Brazil will stay in the UK ’ s “ red ” list , with the ban on non-essential travel to remain in place .
The ban will also apply to Sweden , which has never fully locked down and currently tops the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rate of 60 cases of coronavirus per 100,000 of the population .

Plans to launch individual “air bridges” from the UK are being ditched as the government opts instead to allow quarantine-free travel to up to 75 low-risk countries, according to reports.
The Foreign Office is expected to lift a ban on non-essential travel to a host of countries with low coronavirus infection rates, and holidaymakers will no longer be required to quarantine for 14 days when they arrive back in the UK.
Why are air bridges being scrapped?
The new plan, to be announced officially later this week, is viewed by many commentators as “tacit acceptance that ‘bilateral air bridges’, or ’travel corridors’, were unworkable”, reports The Telegraph.
Regardless of the reasons, the decision to open up the UK’s borders to dozens of countries included on a “quarantine exemption list” has been welcomed by the travel and aviation industry, as well as holidaymakers.
Paul Charles, a spokesperson for the Quash Quarantine campaign group of 500 travel and hospitality businesses, told the newspaper: “We have said all along that air bridges were unsustainable in Europe because you can’t restrict people travelling in the EU or Schengen.
“It’s sensible and logical and I wish we could have had it earlier. It begs the question as to why have we gone round in circles.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has been pushing for a series of air-bridge deals with individual countries, but Foreign Office officials were reportedly concerned about the potential political consequences.
A senior government source told The Telegraph that creating a specific list of air-bridge countries exempt from quarantine could cause diplomatic strife and lead to legal challenges.
“They suggested that to avoid such a fall-out, officials were instead pushing for a more informal system which would merely see the FCO’s travel advice section amended to include a list of high-risk countries where Britons should refrain from travelling to,” the paper reports.
Henry Smith, chair of the cross-party Future of Aviation group, said: “We need to get a set of criteria and subsequent list of countries published. Every day of uncertainty translates into more jobs lost.”
Which countries are to be cleared?
Countries will be classified as green, amber or red under the government’s traffic light system, according to the number of new coronavirus cases reported. Nearly all EU destinations are expected to be cleared for travel, along with British territories such as Bermuda and Gibraltar.
Countries that currently have lower infection rates than the UK include France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Iceland, Poland, Malta, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia and Germany, all of which are expected will be on the safe, or green, list.
Turkey, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand have also all been judged sufficiently low risk and will be cleared, as will Croatia, says The Telegraph. But the US, Russia and Brazil will stay in the UK’s “red” list, with the ban on non-essential travel to remain in place.
The ban will also apply to Sweden, which has never fully locked down and currently tops the infection rate table in the EU with a rate of 60 cases of coronavirus per 100,000 of the population.


theweekuk--2020-07-02--Israel delays controversial West Bank annexation

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has missed a self-imposed 1 July target date to begin annexing parts of the West Bank, amid international pressure to abandon the plan.
Israeli cabinet minister Ofir Akunis confirmed on Wednesday that the annexation of occupied Palestinian territories had been delayed and that “officials were still working out the final details with their US counterparts officials”, The Guardian reports. But Akunis insisted that “he still expected the annexation to take place later in July”, the newspaper adds.
Under a peace plan put forward by the Donald Trump administration in January, Israel aims to establish sovereignty over a third of the West Bank territories that the state has occupied since 1967.
However, senior US officials are now worried about how the plans will affect ties with “pro-Western” Arab nations, which along with the United Nations and the European Union, “have said the move would violate international law”, The Times reports.
Centrist ministers within Netanyahu’s government have also expressed reservations about annexation, which Palestinians view as an illegal land grab.
Both the UN and the EU warned last week that such a move would be likely to incite violent clashes in the region and dash any hopes of a two-state solution, as The New York Times reported.
Boris Johnson has also weighed in, warning in an article for Israel’s ynetnews that annexation represented a “violation of international law, which will not be accepted by London”.
Netanyahu had pushed the issue to the forefront of his policy agenda over the last 18 months, during which he has fought three election campaigns.
With polls over in the US appearing to show that Trump is unlikely to win his upcoming presidential election battle, “leaders of Israel’s settlements in the West Bank, which are key allies of the Netanyahu administration, have voiced concern that any delay will end up in annexation being cancelled”, The Independent reports.
In a bid to reassure his base, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement yesterday insisting that “additional discussions will be held in the coming days” between US diplomats and Israeli defence officials.
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