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  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Boris Johnson is considering new lockdown measures in England should there be a second wave of coronavirus infections. Plans are being assessed after a rise in Covid-19 cases forced the prime minister to slow the lockdown easing on Friday, with proposed relaxations for the leisure and beauty sectors delayed. Johnson held a “war game” session with the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, on Wednesday to run through possible options for averting another nationwide lockdown that could stall any potential economic recovery. According to the Sunday Times, measures under consideration include asking the elderly to shield once again and lockdown-like conditions for London should there be a second wave. Under the proposals, a greater number of people would be asked to take part in the shielding programme, based on their age or particular risk factors that have been identified since March, said the Telegraph. It could even lead to those aged between 50 and 70 given “personalised risk ratings”, in a move that would add to the 2.2 million people who were deemed most vulnerable and asked to shield themselves from society during the spring peak. Shielding advice was only lifted on Saturday for those in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and remains in place until 16 August for those shielding in Wales. Shielding advice remains in place in specific regions of England, including Greater Manchester, which are subject to special restrictions. Other ideas mooted should the R number escalate in the capital include restricting travel beyond the M25 and putting a stop to stays at other people’s houses – similar to policies in local lockdowns imposed in Leicester and parts of the north-west of England in recent days. Downing Street sources distanced themselves from the detail in the reports, calling them “speculative”. The housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, cast doubt on the reported plans to introduce more shielding for older people or bespoke measures for London. He told Times Radio: “This is just speculation. You would expect the government to be considering all of the range of options that might be available. That’s not something that is being actively considered.” Asked whether there were plans to put London under lockdown if Covid rates increased, he said: “Not as far as I’m aware.” He expected schools to return to full capacity in September and he also distanced ministers from a reported internal debate over whether to close pubs again. “I think you’re right to say that reopening schools and getting our children back into the classroom with that direct face-to-face contact with their teachers will be a priority for the government when we have to make those tough choices,” he said. The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said people in his area “on the whole” had been brilliant “and I reject efforts to blame some for breaking lockdown rules”. Writing in the Sunday Mirror, Burnham called on the government to ensure people in low-paid, insecure jobs are financially supported if they have to self-isolate due to coronavirus. He wrote: “We shouldn’t spend taxpayers’ money on subsidising meals out but not support the low-paid to take time off work to protect their health.” Q&A What does the 'R' number of coronavirus mean? Show Hide R, or the 'effective reproduction number', is a way of rating a disease’s ability to spread. It’s the average number of people on to whom one infected person will pass the virus. For an R of anything above 1, an epidemic will grow exponentially. Anything below 1 and an outbreak will fizzle out – eventually. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the estimated R for coronavirus was between 2 and 3 – higher than the value for seasonal flu, but lower than for measles. That means each person would pass it on to between two and three people on average, before either recovering or dying, and each of those people would pass it on to a further two to three others, causing the total number of cases to snowball over time. The reproduction number is not fixed, though. It depends on the biology of the virus; people's behaviour, such as social distancing; and a population’s immunity. A country may see regional variations in its R number, depending on local factors like population density and transport patterns. Hannah Devlin Science correspondent Behavioural experts have speculated that ministers might have to order the closure of pubs, which were permitted to start serving again on 4 July, if schools are to reopen fully in September. Prof Graham Medley, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said earlier a “trade-off” could be required if the prime minister’s pledge was to be met. His comments followed remarks by Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, that the country was “near the limit” for opening up society following the coronavirus lockdown. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was forced to deny it had abandoned its pledge to regularly test care home residents through the summer following a leaked memo from Prof Jane Cummings, the government’s adult social care testing director. The government has come in for criticism for failing to do more to prevent Covid-19 infections from reaching care homes during the initial spring peak. Cummings wrote to local authority leaders to inform them that “previously advised timelines for rolling out regular testing in care homes” were being altered because of “unexpected delays”. Regular testing of residents and staff was meant to have started on 6 July but will be pushed back until 7 September for older people and those with dementia, PA Media reported. A department spokeswoman confirmed there were issues with “asymptomatic retesting”. The problems relate to a combination of factors, including a restraint on the ability to build testing kits, already announced issues with Randox swab kits, overall lab capacity, and greater than anticipated return rate of care home test kits. The DHSC spokeswoman said: “It is completely wrong to suggest care homes were deliberately deprived of testing resources, and any care home resident or member of staff with symptoms can immediately access a free test. “We continue to issue at least 50,000 tests a day to care homes across the country and prioritise tests for higher-risk outbreak areas. “A combination of factors have meant that a more limited number of testing kits, predominantly used in care homes, are currently available for asymptomatic retesting and we are working round the clock with providers to restore capacity.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Image copyright NASA Image caption Dragon Endeavour departed as the station flew over Johannesburg, South Africa US astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have undocked their Dragon Endeavour capsule from the space station to begin their return to Earth. The pair are expected to splash down off the coast of Florida just after 14:45 EDT (19:45 BST) on Sunday. A successful landing would mean America once again has a fully serviceable, fully certified means of getting its own people into orbit and back. This capability was lost when the country retired its shuttles in 2011. The US space agency Nasa and its commercial partner, SpaceX, have chosen a splashdown location well away from Hurricane Isaias, which looks as though it will track up the eastern coast of Florida. Waiting recovery vessels are therefore being directed to the Gulf of Mexico, to waters off Pensacola in western Florida. Mission controllers are following strict guidelines on permissible wind and wave conditions, and will study the latest forecasts before giving a final "go" for re-entry. Image copyright NASA Image caption Bob Behnken (L) and Doug Hurley (R) launched to the space station at the end of May When that happens, Hurley's and Behnken's capsule will light its thrusters to begin the drop out of orbit. It's a high-speed descent, initially at several kilometres per second, and will see Endeavour experience heating of up 2,000C on its shielded underside as it pushes down through the atmosphere. Two sets of parachutes are programmed to deploy - a drogue system at about 5,500m (18,000ft) in altitude when the capsule is still moving at approximately 560km/h; and then four main chutes, at 1,800m in height, which should gently deposit the vehicle on the ocean surface. As is always the case with a re-entry, there will be a few minutes of radio silence as hot gases (plasma) temporarily envelop the craft. Image copyright NASA Image caption Nasa and SpaceX practised the splashdown procedures in an uncrewed mission last year It's 45 years since the last US crewed capsule made an ocean splashdown. That was an Apollo vehicle which returned to the Pacific after meeting up with a Soviet Soyuz craft above the Earth. Doug Hurley said he'd read the reports from the time and discovered that astronauts could experience some nausea when bobbing about on the water waiting for recovery. "There are bags if you need them, and we'll have those handy," he told reporters on Friday. "We'll probably have some towels handy as well. If that needs to happen, it certainly wouldn't be the first time. Folks that fly in space know that sometimes going uphill can have an effect on your system and sometimes coming downhill is the same way." The astronauts launched to the space station at the end of May. Their ascent on a Falcon-9 rocket, again provided by SpaceX, ushered in a new era in American spaceflight. Nasa has decided it will no longer own and operate crew transportation hardware in low-Earth orbit, preferring instead to buy this service off commercial partners. California's SpaceX company is the first provider. Much of its hardware, including parts of the Falcon rocket, is reusable. This approach had reduced costs, said Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "We established basically the high-level criteria, the requirements, in terms of payload and safety, but we didn't get involved in designing everything downstream. We let private companies go and innovate. That ultimately drove us to a point where we're now reusing these rockets, reusing the capsules, and of course, we want to apply that to what we do with the Moon and eventually Mars," the agency official explained. The Boeing company is also developing a "taxi service" to the space station, but has had to delay its introduction after encountering software problems on its Starliner capsule. Assuming this demonstration mission is completed successfully with a copybook splashdown, Nasa will move forward with routine, "operational" SpaceX flights, perhaps as early as the end of September. Endeavour will go for refurbishment with the expectation it be put back on a rocket next year. The crew for this flight, by chance, will include astronaut Megan McArthur, the wife of Bob Behnken. The husband said he would have some tips on where best to pack personal items in the capsule. "Just like on any trip, if you pack things appropriately, it can be fun," he joked. "But if you pack everything at the bottom of the big van that you take on vacation, and you've got to get it all out one item at a time at various times, it can be tiring and eat into your enjoyment." Hurley and Behnken are bringing back a commemorative US flag that was left on the space station by the crew of the last shuttle mission (which happened to include Doug Hurley). The Stars and Stripes also flew on the very first shuttle mission in 1981. It's expected to go back into space again when America returns astronauts to the Moon later this decade. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 A former Conservative minister has been arrested after a woman accused him of rape, sexual assault and coercive control, it was reported last night. The Metropolitan police confirmed they had launched an investigation into four alleged incidents between July 2019 and January 2020 at different locations in London. They said “a man in his 50s” was taken into custody early yesterday and was still in a police station in east London last night. He faces allegations from a woman who reportedly worked on the parliamentary estate that he abused her on several occasions. She alleges that the MP assaulted her, forced her to have sex, and left her so traumatised that she had to go to hospital, according to the claim. In a statement, Scotland Yard said: “On Friday 31 July, the Metropolitan Police Service received allegations relating to four separate incidents involving allegations of sexual offences and assault. These offences are alleged to have occurred at addresses in Westminster, Lambeth and Hackney between July 2019 and January 2020. “A man was arrested on 1 August on suspicion of rape.” The Met said it was not making any statement about the man’s occupation. The Sunday Times reported that a fellow Conservative MP first raised the woman’s allegation with Mark Spencer, the Tory chief whip, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the House of Commons, after speaking to the alleged victim a month ago. The Press Association said that Spencer had advised her to make a formal complaint. A spokesman for Spencer said: “The chief whip takes all allegations of harassment and abuse extremely seriously and has strongly encouraged anybody who has approached him to contact the appropriate authorities, including parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme.” The Conservative party said: “We take all allegations of this nature extremely seriously. As this matter is in the hands of the police, it would be inappropriate to comment further.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Boris Johnson is considering new lockdown measures in England should there be a second wave of coronavirus infections. Plans are being assessed after a rise in Covid-19 cases forced the prime minister to slow the lockdown easing on Friday, with proposed relaxations for the leisure and beauty sectors delayed. Johnson held a “war game” session with the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, on Wednesday to run through possible options for averting another nationwide lockdown that could stall any potential economic recovery. According to the Sunday Times, measures under consideration include asking older people to shield once again and lockdown-like conditions for London should there be a second wave. Under the proposals, a greater number of people would be asked to take part in the shielding programme, based on their age or particular risk factors that have been identified since March, said the Telegraph. It could even lead to those aged between 50 and 70 given “personalised risk ratings”, in a move that would add to the 2.2 million people who were deemed most vulnerable and asked to shield themselves from society during the spring peak. Shielding advice was only lifted on Saturday for those in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and remains in place until 16 August for those shielding in Wales. Shielding advice remains in place in specific regions of England, including Greater Manchester, which are subject to special restrictions. Other ideas mooted should the R number escalate in the capital include restricting travel beyond the M25 and putting a stop to stays at other people’s houses – similar to policies in local lockdowns imposed in Leicester and parts of the north-west of England in recent days. Downing Street sources distanced themselves from the detail in the reports, calling them “speculative”. The housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, cast doubt on the reported plans to introduce more shielding for older people or bespoke measures for London. He told Times Radio: “This is just speculation. You would expect the government to be considering all of the range of options that might be available. That’s not something that is being actively considered.” Asked whether there were plans to put London under lockdown if Covid rates increased, he said: “Not as far as I’m aware.” He expected schools to return to full capacity in September and he also distanced ministers from a reported internal debate over whether to close pubs again. “I think you’re right to say that reopening schools and getting our children back into the classroom with that direct face-to-face contact with their teachers will be a priority for the government when we have to make those tough choices,” he said. The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said people in his area “on the whole” had been brilliant “and I reject efforts to blame some for breaking lockdown rules”. Writing in the Sunday Mirror, Burnham called on the government to ensure people in low-paid, insecure jobs are financially supported if they have to self-isolate due to coronavirus. He wrote: “We shouldn’t spend taxpayers’ money on subsidising meals out but not support the low-paid to take time off work to protect their health.” Q&A What does the 'R' number of coronavirus mean? Show Hide R, or the 'effective reproduction number', is a way of rating a disease’s ability to spread. It’s the average number of people on to whom one infected person will pass the virus. For an R of anything above 1, an epidemic will grow exponentially. Anything below 1 and an outbreak will fizzle out – eventually. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the estimated R for coronavirus was between 2 and 3 – higher than the value for seasonal flu, but lower than for measles. That means each person would pass it on to between two and three people on average, before either recovering or dying, and each of those people would pass it on to a further two to three others, causing the total number of cases to snowball over time. The reproduction number is not fixed, though. It depends on the biology of the virus; people's behaviour, such as social distancing; and a population’s immunity. A country may see regional variations in its R number, depending on local factors like population density and transport patterns. Hannah Devlin Science correspondent Behavioural experts have speculated that ministers might have to order the closure of pubs, which were permitted to start serving again on 4 July, if schools are to reopen fully in September. Prof Graham Medley, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said earlier a “trade-off” could be required if the prime minister’s pledge was to be met. His comments followed remarks by Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, that the country was “near the limit” for opening up society following the coronavirus lockdown. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was forced to deny it had abandoned its pledge to regularly test care home residents through the summer following a leaked memo from Prof Jane Cummings, the government’s adult social care testing director. The government has come in for criticism for failing to do more to prevent Covid-19 infections from reaching care homes during the initial spring peak. Cummings wrote to local authority leaders to inform them that “previously advised timelines for rolling out regular testing in care homes” were being altered because of “unexpected delays”. Regular testing of residents and staff was meant to have started on 6 July but will be pushed back until 7 September for older people and those with dementia, PA Media reported. A department spokeswoman confirmed there were issues with “asymptomatic retesting”. The problems relate to a combination of factors, including a restraint on the ability to build testing kits, already announced issues with Randox swab kits, overall lab capacity, and greater than anticipated return rate of care home test kits. The DHSC spokeswoman said: “It is completely wrong to suggest care homes were deliberately deprived of testing resources, and any care home resident or member of staff with symptoms can immediately access a free test. “We continue to issue at least 50,000 tests a day to care homes across the country and prioritise tests for higher-risk outbreak areas. “A combination of factors have meant that a more limited number of testing kits, predominantly used in care homes, are currently available for asymptomatic retesting and we are working round the clock with providers to restore capacity.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 11:39 French health officials continue to urge people to follow the Covid-19 distancing and protection advice in response to an increase in positive cases but the message is not being heeded by all. At least 40 people have been infected across five regions and Switzerland following a wedding party last month. The reception, which took place on a cruise boat on the lake at Annecy in the Haute-Savoie, was attended by 88 guests. Two waiters from a local catering company and three crew were also present. Although everyone was asked to keep their masks on and respect social distancing advice, only the crew did so. After the three-hour cruise, 21 of the 93 people on the vessel had caught coronavirus. The three crew members, who wore masks throughout, were not among them. People board a boat in Annecy, France, in May, shortly after lockdown measures were eased. Photograph: Richard Bord/Getty Images The first guest tested positive two days after the wedding reception. It took another three days to alert the catering company and waiters, one of whom tested positive. However, in the interim, he had served at an engagement party 100km from Annecy where he was in contact with 37 people, two of whom tested positive. Another wedding guest, who later tested positive, had in the meantime celebrated his birthday in a restaurant. A woman and her daughter were also found to be positive several days after the wedding. By then, the child had visited a leisure centre and had a sleepover with a friend, who also caught the virus. In one week, the child was in contact with 28 people, 25 of them children. Three of them tested positive. Ignoring the 14-day self-quarantine rules, the mother took her contaminated child to a christening the following weekend during which they were in contact with 30 people. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Downing Street is being accused by Labour of flouting Whitehall rules to hire a new White House-style spokesperson to host daily government press conferences on live TV. A new special adviser is being recruited to reply to questions from journalists including rebuffing criticisms from opposition politicians. But the special advisers’ code of conduct stipulates that politically appointed staff cannot speak publicly or engage in political controversy. The Cabinet Office is aware that the rules will be interpreted at the discretion of Boris Johnson. Labour has criticised the move, amid concern that Dominic Cummings is dropping the previous practice of asking ministers to answer for government policy. The shadow Cabinet Office minister, Rachel Reeves, told the Guardian: “Once again, this government is showing its willingness to play fast-and-loose with the rules when it comes to Boris Johnson’s closest advisors. And once again, they are showing contempt for the most basic requirements for accountability. “Elected politicians answerable to parliament should be delivering the government’s messages; not well-paid appointees accountable to no one but the prime minister.” The job advert placed on the Conservative party’s website has led to speculation that the government is hoping to employ a well-known broadcaster who may already be well known to the public. Placed on the Conservative LinkedIn page, the advert describes the job as a chance to “communicate with the nation on behalf of the prime minister”. “Essential skills” include “excellent risk management and crisis communication skills”. US presidential spokesmen such as Sean Spicer and Anthony Scaramucci became household names, founding themselves at the centre of controversy. But in the UK, twice daily media briefings have been held behind closed doors, with a civil servant taking questions from a group of accredited journalists, known as the lobby. Questions regarding party matters are referred to the political party’s spokespeople. Under the new plan, a special adviser – a politically appointed civil servant who answers directly to a minister – will answer questions in front of television cameras. According to point 14 in the special advisers code of conduct, “special advisers must not take public part in political controversy, through any form of statement whether in speeches or letters to the press, or in books, social media, articles or leaflets … briefing on purely party political matters must be handled by the party machine.” A senior government source suggested it was a normal “special adviser” job and the code was at the discretion of the prime minister. As EU negotiator, David Frost is among those classed as special advisers but who have also given high-profile speeches, notably in February when he set out the UK’s vision for Brexit. In a further development, the union for senior civil servants has claimed that the Cabinet Office has confirmed suspicions that cabinet ministers are no longer expected to choose their special advisers. A senior official from the propriety and ethics team wrote to the FDA union on 14 July to say that an appointing minister as well as the prime minister are expected to agree before a “spad” is taken on. “I can confirm that it is still a requirement for the appointing minister, as well as the prime minister, to agree to the appointment of a special adviser,” the official wrote. The ministerial code says it is cabinet ministers who choose their advisers who must then be approved by the prime minister. Dave Penman, the head of the FDA, said that the letter shows a power shift which has left special advisers with few employment rights. “It is now clear that ministers are expected to approve their allocated special adviser from No 10, a complete reversal of the arrangements envisaged under the ministerial code. “As we witnessed with the resignation of former chancellor Sajid Javid, even the most powerful ministers in cabinet are expected to accept the advisers picked for them by No 10. “Special advisers are now left without security of employment, can be dismissed almost at will by the PM and are under the direct management of Dominic Cummings. These changes are not about effective government, but more effective control for No 10,” he said. A Whitehall source insisted that there had been no fundamental change. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 If Amy Lamé feels bruised by calls for her to quit her job, she is determined not to show it. The UK’s first “night tsar” has faced brutal criticism ever since she was hired in 2016 to champion London’s night-time culture. Nightclubs and music venue owners have claimed they do not know what she does, while at least one music magazine has asked what is the point of Lamé. Now, with the capital’s cultural life facing catastrophe, the industry is taking out its frustrations on Lamé. Last week, a petition with several hundred signatories from the nightlife sector was submitted to the mayor of London, demanding she be removed from her role, and that the position be re-evaluated. The complainants wrote that Lamé’s response to Covid-19 “has been extremely disappointing and has not inspired any confidence in why she receives a salary of £83,169”. The petition claims that she did not understand the infrastructure of the music and arts scene and has failed to adequately advocate for it in a crisis. “People will have their opinions, but I will be judged by the work that I do,” she says. Speaking to the Observer via video call, with a press officer from City Hall sitting in, Lamé admits the hostility is “unpleasant” but says she is getting on with the job. “Different people have different ideas of [how to do] it, but I’ve got 25 years-plus experience in running my own business, my own nightclub. My background is in advocating for venues: I helped save what is perhaps the most iconic LGBTQ+ venue in the country.” While working full time in the night tsar role and as a frequent radio host on BBC6 Music, Lamé also presented Duckie, one of London’s most celebrated club nights, which until lockdown had run every week for more than 20 years. In 2018, she helped secure the future of its host venue, Royal Vauxhall Tavern, which has been a centre of gay culture for decades. Now, of course, it is just one of thousands of London institutions battling to survive. More than a dozen club owners, promoters and nightlife workers who spoke to the Observer believe Lamé has achieved little in the post and has in recent months been absent. The criticism was unanimous, but none would go on the record for fear of damaging already fraught relationships with City Hall. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Over 40 cities around the world now have ‘night mayors’, but lockdown has been devastating for the after-dark economy. Photograph: PYMCA/UIG via Getty Images Bigger clubs have employed professional bid-writers to apply for loans from the government’s £270m culture recovery fund. Meanwhile, smaller pubs and spaces are relying on crowdfunding to save their future: The Gun in east London raised £30,000 in less than 24 hours to avoid going under; and last Friday, independent venues EartH and Village Underground launched a campaign hoping to do the same. “All I can do is listen,” says Lamé. “Like I did with the guy who started the petition: I called him up and said: ‘Let’s talk’. I have a kind ear and an open-door policy. If we can help, we will. If we can’t we will signpost you towards where to access that help.” Lamé’s is arguably a powerless role: she has no influence over the regulatory and licensing decisions that affect the city’s night culture. When she was appointed, London had lost more than half of its nightclubs and more than a third of its live music venues between 2007 and 2017. That tide appeared to have been stemmed – there has been no net loss of music venues during Lamé’s tenure. Then Covid-19 hit. But in the pandemic, hers is just one of multiple voices lobbying central government. Plus, she says, the nuts and bolts of what she and her team do are misunderstood. “If we were busy before lockdown, we have been quadruply so since. Nightclubs are a part of my job, but it is not all of my job. In London, we take a very specific view of life at night. Everything that happens between 6pm and 6am is part of the night-time remit – it’s not just the hospitality industry.” Night-time planning is an emerging field: more than 40 cities around the world have appointed night mayors, managers or tsars since Amsterdam pioneered the idea in 2014. Earlier this month, in Manchester, the city’s night-time economy adviser, Sacha Lord, was key to stopping the permanent closure of live music venues Gorilla and The Deaf Institute. In lockdown, Lord also set up a live streaming platform for local DJs and artists which raised just under half a million pounds to be distributed to local nightlife workers unable to access the furlough scheme or government grants. In 2017, Sadiq Khan set up an independent Night Time Commission. Lamé was not involved in producing its landmark report but it is now her job to implement its 10 recommendations. Does she feel she is doing a good job? “Well, there is a hell of a lot more to do. I guess my question is, what do people expect a night tsar to do? What are their expectations? If you want a night tsar that will be out partying every night, you’ve got the wrong night tsar.” But that’s not what her critics are asking for – they want her to loudly advocate for night culture, answer their emails and make a stronger impact on local authorities and central government. Lamé is frustrated: “I believe that I’m doing the best job I can to support the businesses to survive the pandemic.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 14:05 The pandemic is prompting difficult questions as fears grow over future of the northern English city of York, where one in four jobs rely on tourism The City of York council launched a £100,000 six-month marketing blitz on Saturday – Yorkshire Day – designed to tempt visitors back. But the pandemic has forced the city’s leaders to confront bigger questions about the underlying health of a once-thriving economy, built on the Victorian railway revolution, where today one in three jobs pay little more than the minimum wage. This “critical moment” warrants bold plans to transform the city, said Rachael Maskell, a local MP for the opposition Labour Party. People walk along the Roman city walls towards York Minster and York town centre in North Yorkshire. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Observer Maskell’s proposals include banning all private car journeys inside York’s Roman walls immediately, except for people who rely on cars such as disabled residents, as part of a green revolution. “Quiet mornings” should be introduced for vulnerable people to shop in the city before it fills up with tourists, she said. The council, meanwhile, thinks York could become “the working from home capital of the north” thanks to its mostly superfast broadband. Its political leaders are also assiduously courting the government over prime minister Boris Johnson’s apparent wish to set up a “government hub” in York. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Images show dozens of surfers about 10 metres from whales, which migrate up and down the Australian coast A humpback whale calf, closely followed by its mother, came within metres of surfers and swimmers at Manly beach, in Sydney’s north, on Sunday afternoon. It is unusual to see a whale calf so early in the year in Sydney. Eastern Australian humpbacks migrate north from Antarctica, along the coast to tropical waters in north Queensland from April to July. The whales give birth in the warmer waters and often mothers and calves are spotted heading south during the latter part of the Australian spring. Silence is golden for whales as lockdown reduces ocean noise Read more One boardrider, Josh, told Guardian Australia he had never seen a whale, particularly a calf, come so close to the beach at Manly. “There was a bit of pointing going on and I looked round and the little one was just there,” Josh said. “Then mum came in pretty quick smart, I think when she realised how close people were. “You often see [whales] further out the back but this one just came right up to where people were hanging on their boards.” Images show dozens of surfers watching from about 10m from the mother humpback and calf. John Martin (@Wingtags) Humpback whale appears to be in a shark net at Manly, unfortunately. Skin-diver appears to be assisting #abcmyvideo #sharknet #removesharknets #humpbackwhale @abcsydney pic.twitter.com/CZUjtRkw1D Initially there was some concern that one of the whales had been caught in a shark net, but surfers said that was not the case. “I think everyone was just paddling up to get a good look. It’s the sort of thing you won’t forget seeing.” Last week researchers from the University of NSW found that while whale watching season in Australia is often a tourism drawcard, many humpbacks were not in optimum health during the return leg of the migration. The researchers collected and analysed samples of whale blow – similar to mucus from a human nose – and found “significantly less” microbial diversity and richness on journey south. Their paper, published in the journal Scientific Reports, said this indicated the whales were likely in poorer health than when their journey began. “People enjoy whale-watching season, but with it comes reports of whales becoming stranded,” said the study’s lead author, science researcher Catharina Vendl. 'Yeah, I’m in trouble': man who rescued whale calf caught in Queensland nets faces $27,000 fine Read more “Although humpback whale stranding events occur naturally and regularly to injured and young whales, it is crucial to monitor the population health of this iconic species to ensure its long-term survival. “Humpback whales do not only play an essential role in their marine ecosystem but also represent an important economic resource because whale-watching is a booming industry in many Australian cities and around the world.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 A former Conservative minister has been arrested after a woman accused him of rape, sexual assault and coercive control, it was reported last night. The Metropolitan police confirmed they had launched an investigation into four alleged incidents between July 2019 and January 2020 at different locations in London. They said “a man in his 50s” was taken into custody early yesterday and was still in a police station in east London last night. He faces allegations from a woman who reportedly worked on the parliamentary estate that he abused her on several occasions. She alleges that the MP assaulted her, forced her to have sex, and left her so traumatised that she had to go to hospital, according to the claim. In a statement, Scotland Yard said: “On Friday 31 July, the Metropolitan Police Service received allegations relating to four separate incidents involving allegations of sexual offences and assault. These offences are alleged to have occurred at addresses in Westminster, Lambeth and Hackney between July 2019 and January 2020. “A man was arrested on 1 August on suspicion of rape.” The Met said it was not making any statement about the man’s occupation. The Sunday Times reported that a fellow Conservative MP first raised the woman’s allegation with Mark Spencer, the Tory chief whip, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the House of Commons, after speaking to the alleged victim a month ago. The Press Association said that Spencer had advised her to make a formal complaint. A spokesman for Spencer said: “The chief whip takes all allegations of harassment and abuse extremely seriously and has strongly encouraged anybody who has approached him to contact the appropriate authorities, including parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme.” The Conservative party said: “We take all allegations of this nature extremely seriously. As this matter is in the hands of the police, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”