Author: LoveWorld UK

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson backed his senior adviser Dominic Cummings on Sunday, despite calls from within his own Conservative Party for the aide to resign for driving 250 miles during the coronavirus lockdown. Cummings, architect of the 2016 campaign to leave the EU, came under pressure when newspapers reported he had travelled from London to northern England in March when his wife was ill with COVID-19 symptoms during a nationwide lockdown. With Johnson’s words that he had acted with integrity, Cummings was safe, at least for now. But the row in the governing Conservatives looks set to rumble on.…

The public returned to St Peter’s Square on Sunday to receive Pope Francis’s blessing from his window for the first time in nearly three months as he convoked a year of reflection on the environment. Only a few dozen people went to the square, which was reopened on Monday along with St Peter’s Basilica following coronavirus lockdowns. They kept to social distancing rules and most wore masks. Francis delivered his message via the internet from his library, as those in the square watched on large screens, and then went to the window for the silent blessing. In the past three…

Britain must defend its companies against overseas takeovers in the aftermath of the crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak, a senior British lawmaker said, adding that China’s state-owned companies have drawn on state banks to outbid rivals. “Increasingly, China’s state-owned enterprises have been able to draw on state banks to outbid rivals in Europe and America”, Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and a Conservative Party lawmaker, wrote in the Financial Times newspaper on.ft.com/2Xokfv1. “In a downturn, the difference between state-backed credit and the buying power of normal commercial investors will become starker, further strengthening the hand of…

Lawmakers from Britain’s ruling Conservatives Party on Sunday called for the resignation of Dominic Cummings, the senior adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson who travelled 400 km (250 miles) to northern England during the coronavirus lockdown. Cummings, who masterminded the 2016 campaign to leave the European Union, travelled from London to Durham in late March while his wife showed COVID-19 symptoms when measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus were in place. Johnson had ordered Britons to mostly stay at home and shut down large parts of the economy to curb the outbreak which has left the United Kingdom…

The corruption trial of Benjamin Netanyahu opens on Sunday in a Jerusalem court, where he will become the first serving Israeli prime minister to face criminal prosecution, in a case he calls a political witch-hunt. Netanyahu is required to appear for the session in Jerusalem District Court, a week after he was sworn in to a record fifth term as head of a unity government, ending more than a year of political deadlock in the wake of three inconclusive elections. He was indicted in November on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges in three cases involving gifts from millionaire…

Scores of councils in England say they cannot guarantee primaries will reopen on 1 June, throwing government plans to get pupils back to school into chaos. Only 20 of 99 councils to respond to a BBC Breakfast survey said they were advising schools to open more widely on Boris Johnson’s target date. Of the 99 who responded, two thirds (68), could not guarantee schools would reopen to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. It comes as the government prepares to publish scientific advice on its plan. On Thursday the governments of Scotland and Northern Ireland announced plans for a phased return to school for…

The United Kingdom will later on Friday spell out details of its plans for a COVID-19 quarantine for travellers arriving from overseas, a measure that airlines have warned will devastate their industry. The government is expected to announce that all international arrivals, including returning Britons, will be required to self-isolate for 14 days and provide details of where they will be staying to the authorities. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that those who breached the quarantine would be fined 1,000 pounds with health and border officials carrying out spot checks. “I can’t say just yet how long this quarantine will…

Renault (RENA.PA) could disappear if it does not get help very soon to cope with the fallout from the coronavirus crisis, France’s Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday, while adding the carmaker also needed to adapt to the situation. Le Maire told Europe 1 radio that Renault’s French plant in Flins must not close and that the company should be able to keep as many jobs as possible in France, but should also remain competitive. “Yes, Renault could disappear,” said Le Maire. He added Renault chairman Jean-Dominique Senard was working hard on a new strategy plan, and had…

Hong Kong activists called on Friday for people to rise up against Beijing’s plans to impose national security legislation in the city, prompting alarm that the new laws could erode its freedoms through “force and fear”. A proposed march at noon in the central financial district did not materialise after online calls were heeded only by a handful of activists and as riot police made their presence visible on the streets. But new calls have emerged for flash mobs at night across the territory and activists including Joshua Wong plan to meet the press to announce “street action” later on…

Britain has extended its mortgage payment holiday scheme for homeowners in financial difficulty during the coronavirus pandemic for another three months. Britain’s finance ministry said more than 1.8 million mortgage payment holidays had been taken up since the scheme was launched in March. It had been due to end in June. Homeowners struggling financially can also choose to make reduced payments. “Everyone’s circumstances will be different, so when homeowners can pay some or all of their mortgage, they should work with their lender on a plan; but if they are still struggling, I want them to know that help is…