British
US election: Boris Johnson congratulates Joe Biden, Kamala Harris
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday congratulated Joe Biden “on his election” as US president and Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris “on her historic achievement”. “The US is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security,” Johnson tweeted after US networks called the race for Biden over President Donald Trump. The prime minister has had strained ties with Biden and with former president Barack Obama, but Downing Street has been keen to stress the common interests still enduring in the US-British “special relationship” after Trump’s stormy presidency. In a statement, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, “President Trump fought hard in what proved a close contest.” He anticipated working...
EU: Brexit trade talks still face ‘too many difficulties’
With a deadline looming ever more menacingly, the European Union’s chief negotiator on the post-Brexit trade deal with Britain on Wednesday publicly blamed London for a lack of progress in the two sides’ belated attempt to reach an even rudimentary agreement. “At this stage, there are still too many difficulties remaining on important topics,” Michel Barnier said on his way to brief the envoys of the 27 member states. In a Twitter comment later, Barnier said, “Despite EU efforts to find solutions, very serious divergences remain.” Britain’s chief negotiator, David Frost, said he agreed that “wide divergences remain on some key issues.” “We continue to work to find solutions that fully respect U.K. sovereignty,” Frost tweeted. Barnier’s comments threw a dampener on optimistic reports that p...
British parliament approves second national lockdown
The British Parliament has approved a four-week coronavirus lockdown plan to begin Thursday morning. Lawmakers approved the plan Wednesday, 516-38. Beginning 1 a.m. Thursday, all nonessential businesses including pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, golf courses, gyms, swimming pools, entertainment and sporting venues will close until at least December 2. The vote on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s lockdown plan was never really in doubt after the opposition Labor Party said it would support the move, even though it criticized Johnson for acting too slowly. Some in Johnson’s own party, however, voted against the plan, saying a national lockdown was too severe. The plan is an effort prevent COVID-19 from escalating out of control and overwhelming Britain’s National Health Service. It represents ...
IPOB warns Nigerian government to stop harassment of members
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Thursday, told the Federal Government to halt “the incessant harassment and arrest of its members and their families in South-East.” It also called on South-East and South-South governors, particularly Ebonyi State government, to prevail on the security agents in their states to release IPOB and their family members, particularly its Ebonyi State Coordinator, Mazi Igwe Ogbonnaya, without further delay. The pro-Biafra group said it is particularly upset by the alleged recent arrest of its Coordinator in Ebonyi State; and the intimidation of an innocent woman who recently put to bed in Oji River Council Area of Enugu State by security operatives in the guise of searching for Radio Biafra Station. In a statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary...
Britain secures early access to promising vaccine candidates
The British government on Friday announced that it had secured early access to 90 million doses of two new promising vaccine candidates. British citizens will receive early access to 90 million doses of the two COVID-19 vaccine candidates should they prove safe and effective. By far, the British government has secured access to six different vaccine candidates as part of the government’s strategy to build a portfolio of promising new vaccines should any be found to be safe and effective. The government has also agreed in principle to co-fund a global clinical trial with the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson to establish how effective their vaccine could be in providing long-term immunity against COVID-19. The next phase of Janssen’s clinical trials is expected to begi...
Huawei to stop smartphone chip production due to US sanctions
Chinese telecom giant Huawei said production of its most advanced smartphone chips would stop in September due to US sanctions, causing a “huge loss”. The post Huawei to stop smartphone chip production due to US sanctions appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Security forces head off anti-government protests in Zimbabwe
Streets were deserted and businesses shut in Zimbabwe’s two main cities on Friday after security forces were deployed to prevent anti-government marches called by activists over corruption and economic hardship. Protesters stayed away. Job Sikhala, an opposition lawmaker and one of the protest organisers, said the heavy security presence showed a state afraid of its citizens. He added: “Protracted demonstrations will be the way forward.” He is among more than a dozen activists who are in hiding and who police say they are seeking for promoting Friday’s protests. In Bulawayo and central Harare, the capital, businesses were shut as police and soldiers patrolled the streets. Shops also stayed shut in some Harare townships, including Mbare – a hotbed of past protests. President Emmerson Mnanga...
South Africa Super Rugby teams back in training on Monday
South Africa’s Super Rugby franchises will be allowed to start training next week, officials confirmed on Friday, a step closer to a return to the playing field after a frustrating four months. The game has been suspended in the country since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with South African Rugby having to sit idle as domestic competitions took flight in New Zealand and Australia. “This is an important first step back to playing, and we have taken it carefully to ensure full compliance and having thoroughly interrogated the regulations with government,” SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux said in a statement. “Contact training will not be permitted for the moment but the players will be allowed back onto the field with a rugby ball and back into the gym – while observing strict proto...
Stormzy Announces Plans To Finance British Black Empowerment Organizations
Source: Paul Bergen / Getty Stormzy has announced new plans to donate funds to a number of organizations and causes in support of British Black empowerment. Over the next decade, the popular rapper will donate 10 million pounds to various groups as the fight against racism continues to swell worldwide. In a new piece from The Guardian, the artist born Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. shared a statement in regarding his new initiative in conjunction with the rapper’s #Merky company and brand. From The Guardian: The uncomfortable truth that our country continuously fails to recognise and admit is that black people in the UK have been at a constant disadvantage in every aspect of life – simply due to the colour of our skin. I’m lucky enough to be in the position I’m in and I’ve heard pe...
Britain announces more flights to evacuate nationals from Nigeria
The British government has announced three more charter flights for more hundreds of its citizens set to return home from Nigeria. Already, more than 1,700 British travellers had been evacuated out of Nigeria back to the UK on special charter flights between April and May from Lagos and Abuja airports. Details of the coming new flights include the charter flight slated for Friday 29 May from Lagos to London. The other special flights will be operated on Monday 1st June between Lagos and London while the third flight which comes up Saturday 6th June from Abuja to London. According to information gathered, the UK organised special internal charter flight will travel from Port Harcourt to Abuja on Saturday 6th June to enable British nationals based in, or near, Port Harcourt to join the 6th J...
Egypt editor detained outside Cairo jail
Egyptian security services on Sunday detained the editor-in-chief of prominent independent news outlet Mada Masr, its lawyer said, the latest in a crackdown against journalists. Lina Attallah was arrested outside Cairo’s Tora prison as she was interviewing rights activist Laila Soueif, mother of jailed activist Alaa Abdel Fattah who recently began a hunger strike. “The prison security guards asked Attallah to show her identification card and later called her in for an investigation that lasted three hours,” lawyer Hassan al-Azhari told AFP. He said she was later taken a police station and was expected to appear before the prosecution Monday morning, adding the reason for her arrest and charges remained unclear. Later on Sunday, Mada Masr tweeted that the prosecution ordered Attallah’s rele...
EU, Britain to start third push on post-Brexit ties
Britain and Brussels embark on a fresh round of trade talks Monday that downbeat EU officials say show little promise of advancing amid the added turmoil of the coronavirus outbreak. The UK left the European Union on January 31 and both sides have until the end of the year to forge a new basis for relations, barring an optional extension that London refuses to contemplate. The new talks round will begin with a virtual head-to-head between Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, and his UK counterpart, David Frost — both of whom have recovered from a bout with the virus. That will be followed by videoconferences involving hundreds of officials throughout the week. The previous round of UK-EU talks broke up on April 24 with little or no progress. European officials accuse Britain of focus...
