Dadzie Daily

Sifting through the mountain of news to bring you clear and concise information

[dadziedaily]

England could suspend Sunday trading laws in push to boost economy

Sunday trading laws were introduced under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, which limits shops with retail space over 280 square metres to a maximum of six hours of trading.

New legislation would enable larger supermarkets to open for more than six hours on Sundays, a plan the chief whip, Mark Spencer, believes Labour and more traditionally minded Conservative MPs would oppose.

Paddy Lillis, the general secretary at Usdaw, the UK’s fifth biggest trade union, with more than 400,000 members, criticised the plan. “ Opening for longer will increase overheads but not necessarily take any more cash through the tills. The fact is that customers will not have more to spend just because the shops are open for longer.” 

David Cameron’s attempt to abolish Sunday trading laws in 2016 failed after 27 Tory MPs rebelled.

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Trafficked and unaccompanied children are going missing in “significant” numbers from the UK’s care system following a government move to dramatically reduce protection for youngsters, the Observer can reveal.

Three charities have documented an “alarming” series of cases since the beginning of lockdown and following legislation introduced in April that stripped most legal safeguards for vulnerable children during the coronavirus pandemic.

Evidence has emerged that younger children are being targeted by criminals with one 15-year-old in foster care among those approached by “groups of men” and asked to deliver packages in exchange for small sums of money.

Campaigners say concern over underfunded children’s services has escalated after the government introduced statutory instrument 445 on 23 April without parliamentary debate or public consultation. The move removed or weakened 65 vital legal protections for youngsters in care, leaving already vulnerable children at risk of becoming destitute and exploited or retrafficked.

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Scientists funded by Zuckerberg criticize Facebook’s inaction on Trump posts

Dozens of scientists who have received research funding from Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropic vehicle have signed an open letter sharply criticizing Facebook for its policies on misinformation and inflammatory language, calling the social media giant’s practices “antithetical” to their benefactor’s philanthropic mission.

The letter lauds the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s mission to use technology to improve the world. But, the letter says, “the spread of deliberate misinformation and divisive language is directly antithetical to this goal and we are therefore deeply concerned at the stance Facebook has taken.”

“We urge you to consider stricter policies on misinformation and incendiary language that harms people or groups of people, especially in our current climate that is grappling with racial injustice.”

[dadziedaily]

Brazil takes down months of Covid-19 data, hiding toll as deaths soar

Brazil's Health Ministry removed the data from a website that had documented the epidemic over time and by state and municipality. The ministry also stopped giving a total count of confirmed cases, which have shot past 672,000 – more than anywhere outside the United States – or a total death toll, which passed Italy this week, nearing 36,000 by Saturday.

"The cumulative data ... does not reflect the moment the country is in," Bolsonaro said on Twitter, citing a note from the ministry. "Other actions are underway to improve the reporting of cases and confirmation of diagnoses."

Bolsonaro has played down the dangers of the pandemic, replaced medical experts in the Health Ministry with military officials and argued against state lockdowns to fight the virus, hobbling the country's public health response.

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Fox News: Black deaths, stock market graphic was insensitive

Fox News apologized Saturday for how it displayed a chart correlating the stock market’s performance with the aftermath of the deaths of George Floyd, Martin Luther King Jr. and Michael Brown.

The graphic that aired Friday to illustrate market reactions to historic periods of civil unrest “should have never aired on television without full context. We apologize for the insensitivity of the image and take this issue seriously,” the cable channel said in a statement.

The chart included on “Special Report with Bret Baier” illustrated gains made by the S&P 500 index after King’s assassination in 1968; the Ferguson, Missouri, police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014, and the May 25 death of Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. It also measured the financial yardstick against the 1991 acquittal of Los Angeles police officers in the beating of Rodney King.

[dadziedaily]

The plan to speed up the development and approval of vaccines was put forward by European commission representatives sitting on the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) – a public-private partnership whose function is to back cutting-edge research in Europe – but it was rejected by industry partners on the body.

The commission’s argument had been that the research could “facilitate the development and regulatory approval of vaccines against priority pathogens, to the extent possible before an actual outbreak occurs”. The pharmaceutical companies on the IMI such as GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Pfizer, Lilly and Johnson & Johnson, however, did not take up the idea.

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Fresh UK review into Huawei role in 5G networks

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) involvement comes after the US brought fresh sanctions against the Chinese company, citing security fears.

In January, after a prolonged and difficult debate, the government decided to allow Huawei to play a role in 5G but to limit its market share to 35% of the network and keep it out of the most sensitive parts.

But there was a significant backbench rebellion over the issue in March and pressure has grown domestically since the Coronavirus crisis began to take a tougher line on China.

At the same time the Trump administration has not let up in its campaign for the UK and other allies to exclude Huawei entirely.

[dadziedaily]

Government draws up rescue plan for key companies

The government could aid strategically important firms affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Treasury said "last resort" support could be made available if a firm's failure would "disproportionately harm the UK economy".

The move follows indications that a number of big firms are seeking government help to survive the crisis. These include Jaguar Land Rover, which is in talks to secure a £1bn loan.

The bailout plan, named "Project Birch", was mentioned by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in Parliament last week when discussing the future of the aviation industry. It could involve the state taking stakes in companies, although extending existing loans would be preferable.

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Volkswagen ordered to compensate motorists in landmark ‘Dieselgate’ ruling

Germany's highest court for civil disputes ruled that those who purchased the vehicles in question are entitled in principle to receive damages from the carmaker.

The ruling, which will allow owners to return their vehicles for partial reimbursement of the purchase price, is expected to serve as a template for about 60,000 lawsuits that are still pending with lower German courts.

Monday's hearing specifically concerned a case brought by 65-year-old Herbert Gilbert who bought a diesel-powered Volkswagen Sharan minivan in 2014 — just one of the 11 million cars worldwide fitted with emissions cheating software by the carmaker.

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Boris Johnson faces his biggest rebellion yet

At a dramatic press conference in Downing Street, the Prime Minister claimed his chief aide had acted 'responsibly, legally and with integrity' while making a controversial 260-mile trip from London to Durham during lockdown.

But he refused to deny that while in the North East, Mr Cummings had also driven 30 miles to go for a walk in the countryside in an apparent second lockdown breach.

One senior minister branded Mr Cummings an 'arrogant idiot', adding: 'The fact that he is still there just shows how dysfunctional No 10 is. I am being bombarded with emails from constituents who are angry that while they have been making these incredible sacrifices and not seeing family, he's just done whatever he wants. It is breathtaking that the PM is defending him.'

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A recent survey of 2,000 British adults reveals that 43% of people feel they’ve “changed their ways for the better” as a result of all the time inside these past few months. 

Nearly half of those surveyed expect to keep up these new hobbies, skills, and daily habits they’ve taken on after the lockdown restrictions are lifted. Learning new computer skills, creating podcasts, participating in online fitness classes and going for long walks are some of the new activities people have turned to as a new means to occupy their time. 

Two in five feel their new habits have helped their overall well-being. A quarter of adults say these activities have taught them new ways to relax. They hope to continue to be their improved selves once everyone returns to their old routines.

[dadziedaily]

Netanyahu to be Israel's first sitting PM on trial

After years of probes, immunity battles, High Court decisions and a corona delay, Benjamin Netanyahu will go down in history on Sunday at 3 p.m. as the first sitting prime minister to go on trial for public corruption.

The trial schedule could have a huge impact on Netanyahu’s transfer of power to Blue and White’s Benny Gantz in November 2022, as well as what Netanyahu’s status will be after that transfer.

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Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Washington had been infected by a "political virus" compelling figures there to continually attack China, but offered an olive branch by saying the country would be open to an international effort to find the coronavirus source. 

"It has come to our attention that some political forces in the US are taking China-US relations hostage and pushing our two countries to the brink of a new Cold War," he told reporters during a press conference at China's week-long annual parliament session.

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A Daily Mail survey by JL Partners highlights the heroic status gained by doctors, nurses and other NHS staff on the front line, with almost 100 per cent approval.

It also showed that on average people have more money in their pockets than when the lockdown started – with public-sector workers gaining the most. Millions of voters are putting their feet up at home – and an astonishing four in ten have put on weight, particularly worrying following clear evidence of a link between obesity and coronavirus.

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£283m for safer transport and £50 bike repair vouchers for cyclists

The Transport Secretary said today the cash injection, divided into £254m for buses and £29m for trams and light rail, would increase both frequency and capacity of services while ensuring there is enough space on vehicles to allow for social distancing.

Grant Shapps also announced that up to 500,000 vouchers, worth £50 each, would be provided to help cyclists 'drag bikes out of retirement' and get more people travelling on two wheels.

In addition, 3,400 people, including British Transport Police officers and Network Rail staff, have been deployed at stations to make sure passengers follow the social distancing guidance put in place.

[dadziedaily]

Mike Padgham, who runs four homes in North Yorkshire and is chairman of the Independent Care Group, said he was worried about the rising costs of the pandemic, from personal protective equipment (PPE) to extra staff to cover for those self-isolating as well as lost income from empty beds. 

The  government is spending £600m to tackle the infection in care homes but Mr Padgham said it had become tied up in bureaucracy, and will not get to care homes until June.

"The NHS and social care have been on the front line together from day one, but social care has only just been recognised... Even though people have said things [in Parliament] and at the number 10 briefing about us having an arm put around us, a ring put around us, we don't feel protected."

[dadziedaily]

Italian government recruits 60,000 informants to spy on neighbors

The government is recruiting unemployed citizens, especially those who receive social security or unemployment income, as an extension of its uniformed security services during the second phase of the coronavirus lockdown, Italian media reported. 

The plainclothes informants have received instructions to watch for abuses of state-mandated safety norms and to report on violators. The new measure is meant to prevent citizens from being tempted to slack off in compliance with government norms just because no uniformed police are present, since anyone could be an informant.

The deployment of the army of “civic assistants” is reminiscent of measures taken by Italian mayors, such as Rome mayor Virginia Raggi, during the first phase of the lockdown. Ms. Raggi set up a special website where Italians could snitch on their neighbors if they saw them failing to comply with the established norms. The measure met with considerable opposition, with some suggesting that the move typical of the dark days of national fascism.