Brexit

Express
BORIS JOHNSON should walk away from post-Brexit talks in September if the European Union continue to play hardball in negotiations, according to a poll of Express.co.uk readers. Discussions between the UK and the EU are the on brink of collapsing with outstanding issues over a free-trade deal, fisheries and laws proving huge a stumbling block. The Prime Minister is understood to have issued an ultimatum to the EU, and warned Brussels chiefs that the UK is prepared to walk away without a deal and on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms in September – three months ahead of the scheduled end of the transition period on December 31. A poll of more than 4,500 Express.co.uk readers has found the overwhelming majority think Britain should end talks prematurely if no breakthrough can be made. The survey conducted on Thursday June 4 between 10.11am and 7.30pm asked 4,753 Express.co.uk readers “As EU plays hardball, should UK walk away from negotiations in September?”. A huge 97 percent (4,628) of readers believe the Prime Minister should walk away from the negotiating table and voted yes.

EU

Express
THE European Union has been accused of “preparing its ground for the inevitable blame game” following Michel Barnier’s offer to extend the Brexit transition period by up to two years as bitter trade deal talks with the UK threaten to collapse. Britain officially left the European Union on January 31, with the focus now turning firmly to the trading relationship between the two respective sides during a series of virtual meetings brought on by the current coronavirus pandemic. The UK and EU trade talks in March – led by Boris Johnson’s chief Brexit negotiator David Frost and Brussels counterpart Mr Barnier. But talks have descended into chaos, with both sides trading vicious insults over each other’s negotiating strategies and demands for what should be included in any future trade deal.

Guardian
Britain must give away some sovereignty to secure free trade with the EU but Europe’s leaders will intervene in the negotiations in the autumn with the aim of sealing a compromise deal at a summit on 15 October, Germany’s ambassador in Brussels has said. Michael Clauss, whose country will take over the rolling presidency of the EU for the second half of the year, said there had been “no real progress” in the talks so far but predicted they would become the EU’s main political focus in September and October.

Express
THE European Union will face its “worst nightmare” if the UK and Brussels end post-Brexit talks without a deal, a former MEP has warned. Negotiations between the UK and the EU are already on the brink as the fourth round of post-Brexit talks near an end – with outstanding issues over a comprehensive free-trade deal, fisheries and regulations among the major stumbling blocks. By the end of this month and the midway point of talks, both sides must decide whether to prolong discussions beyond December 31 – something Downing Street has constantly rejected. The lack of progress in discussions has already prompted panic from within the EU with Michel Barnier offering the UK a delay of up to two years.

Times
A larger and faster than expected expansion of emergency measures to combat the economic impact of coronavirus has been approved by the European Central Bank, taking the stimulus to €1.35 trillion. Christine Lagarde, the ECB president, announced the extra €600 billion of bond purchases while warning that the eurozone faced “severe job and income losses and exceptional uncertainty”. “The euro area economy is experiencing an unprecedented contraction,” she said.

Times
Germany will cut taxes, hand families €300 in cash for every child and invest €7 billion in hydrogen as the “fuel of the future” after Angela Merkel opened the fiscal flood gates in a €130 billion effort to revive the country’s pandemic-stricken economy.  The chancellor said that the “toughest crisis” in Germany’s modern history was a chance to reconfigure it for the 21st century, with €50 billion poured into technologies such as electric cars, quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

Telegraph
The European Central Bank has doubled down on emergency stimulus with an extra €600bn blitz of bond purchases, brushing aside dissenters on its own governing council and risking a fatal showdown with Germany’s top court. The scheme is effectively open-ended and the bonds will be reinvested as far out as 2022, features that are likely to grate on the nerves of the German judges in Karlsruhe. They ruled in May that the ECB has already crossed the line with an earlier bond purchase scheme and is violating Treaty law.  Holger Schmieding from Berenberg Bank said the ECB has shown that it “remains a truly independent institution fully committed to its mandate of price stability – and is not in any way constrained by the verdict of the German Constitutional Court.”

Times
President Macron asked unions to accept lower pay for French workers yesterday as he prepared the country for its deepest recession in 76 years. Mr Macron called in unions and employers to help devise emergency measures. He also announced the cancellation of this year’s Bastille Day military parade, which has been staged on the Champs Élysées on July 14 since 1981. It will be replaced this year by a smaller static ceremony on the Place de la Concorde. The president, who has suffered poor approval ratings, promised last month to “reinvent” France and his own style of leadership after the outbreak.

Cancer

Times
Cancer patients are travelling miles for radiotherapy as advanced equipment sits unused in half of NHS trusts because of bureaucratic delays, health professionals say. They have written to the health secretary calling for an end to the “absurd situation” in which patients cannot access vital equipment at local cancer centres because staff are prevented from using it. Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) is limited to half of NHS trusts at present despite its huge potential for dealing with the cancer care backlog. During the pandemic chemotherapy treatment has been delayed owing to immune system suppression risks and cancer surgeries cancelled because of demands on intensive care units.

Face masks

Telegraph
Face coverings will be mandatory on all public transport from June 15 after the Government reversed its policy on the issue. Anyone without a face covering from that date can expect to be fined or stopped from boarding buses, trains, Tubes, trams, aeroplanes or ferries. The move has been brought in to coincide with the widespread reopening of shops and the return of some secondary school pupils, when public transport use is expected to surge. Ministers will also hope it will persuade more people to return to work, amid concerns that too many people who cannot work from home are still furloughing.

Independent
Wearing face coverings is to be compulsory on public transport in England from 15 June, with fines for those who refuse, transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced. Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, Mr Shapps said the move was designed to prevent an upsurge in coronavirus infections as the country moves to the next stage of lockdown relaxation, with non-essential shops allowed to reopen. Mr Shapps said wearing a face covering would be made a “condition of travel” on public transport, allowing passengers to be refused carriage if they do not comply, with the British Transport Police called in to deal with those resisting the rule where necessary.

Sun
BABIES, disabled people and anyone with breathing difficulties won’t have to wear a face mask on public transport, it was confirmed tonight. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced today that from June 15, everyone will have to cover up when they go on the train, bus or tube. Travellers will be refused boarding if they are not wearing one, or told to get off. The new rules will apply on trains, tubes, buses, ferries and planes. But people won’t have to wear them inside railway stations or bus terminals. Grant Shapps said tonight: “I can announce that as of Monday 15 June, face coverings will become mandatory on public transport. “The evidence suggests that wearing a face masks offers some, limited protection.

Times
Face coverings are to be compulsory on public transport to control the spread of coronavirus, prompting calls for similar rules in shops. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said that all passengers using trains, trams, the London Underground, ferries, aircraft and buses would be required to cover their mouth and nose two months after he dismissed the idea as “counterproductive”. Passengers are expected to use a scarf or homemade covering to avoid shortages of clinical facemasks for NHS and care workers, with ministers publishing a make-your-own guide.

Hairdressers

Mirror
Hairdressers and barber shops in England will not open before July “at the earliest”, the government declared today. Downing Street crushed hopes of an early reopening, despite millions growing shaggy locks or relying on their loved ones for a trim. The government’s plan has always been to include barbers, hairdressers and beauty salons in the final tranche of reopenings from July 4 at the earliest. But reports overnight had suggested Boris Johnson wanted them to reopen earlier than planned with “dentist style” PPE measures.

Metro
Brits desperate for a haircut after more than two months in lockdown could finally be in luck as Boris Johnson is reportedly considering plans to reopen hairdressers and barber shops later this month. It was initially thought they would remain closed until July at the earliest in order to help curb the spread of coronavirus. But ministers are said to be in discussions about bringing that date forward in another boost to the ailing economy. Salons could open their doors as early as June 15 in line with those of non-essential shops and businesses, The Telegraph reports.

Quarantine

Evening Standard
The furore over a 14-day quarantine for UK arrivals grew today as a Cabinet minister admitted it may be partially ditched as other European countries were closing their doors to millions of British summer holidaymakers. The controversial quarantine measure is due to come into force next Monday but Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis signalled that it could be swiftly scaled back in the face of widespread opposition from Tory and other MPs. He said it could be “fine-tuned” as ministers struggled to explain why it was being imposed now and not when the epidemic first hit Britain around three months ago, with the infection sweeping in particularly from Spain and Italy.

Tourism

Times
Private holiday lets, including Airbnb properties, could reopen as early as next month as ministers seek to kickstart the domestic tourism industry. Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, said the government’s target was for the sector to reopen by July 4, with self-let properties likely to be among the first to be available because they present a “lower risk” of spreading coronavirus. Domestic tourism chiefs are hoping for a boom once the lockdown restrictions are eased to allow people to stay overnight away from home. Campsite and holiday park owners, as well as private rental outfits, have been lobbying the government to allow them to be among the first in the hospitality sector to reopen, claiming they are already set up for social distancing.

Public loos

Times
Public lavatories must reopen and introduce enhanced safety measures, the government has urged councils. Government guidance from May 13 said public lavatories could be reopened with stricter cleaning procedures and signs asking visitors to queue two metres apart. However, only a fraction of facilities are open, according to a campaign group calling for greater access to public lavatories. Councils are responsible for decisions about reopening lavatories, based on risk assessments and whether social distancing can be ensured. A spokeswoman for the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We strongly encourage them to open wherever possible.

Second wave

Telegraph
The delicate balance between restarting economies and avoiding a second wave of coronavirus is being played out across the world. While the chance of dying from the virus now appears to be very low, particularly for younger people, it has the potential to be indiscriminately lethal and operates in a way we still do not fully understand. Yet lockdown is undoubtedly devastating for livelihoods, education and mental and physical health, and cannot continue for much longer without long-term implications that could last a generation. Treading the line between release and restriction is proving tricky for many countries.

Education

Telegraph
Top universities are preparing to lower offers to fill their places this autumn as they prepare for a wave of deferrals, The Daily Telegraph has learned. Russell Group institutions are hoping to plug the gaps left by international and European students, as well as British school leavers who decide not to take up places this year, by dropping their entry requirements. “Universities want to fill their places,” said Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute. “There is a smaller number of 18-year-olds this year so it was always going to be a buyers’ market. “If I were a young person this year getting my A-level results and I didn’t quite get what I needed for a top university, I would be on the phone to them immediately to say ‘Will you give me a place anyway?’ and they probably will.”

Bald men

Sun
BALD men are much more likely to suffer severe coronavirus symptoms, according to new research. The link between baldness and severe symptoms is so strong that many researchers are calling for it to be considered a risk factor. The leader of the major study at Brown University, Prof. Carlos Wambier, said: “We really think that baldness is a perfect predictor of severity.” If the link is confirmed then it could be a gamechanger for treating coronavirus patients and could drastically reduce the number of men dying from the disease. Results from the study showed that bald men are disproportionately vulnerable to dying of coronavirus because of their hormones. Past research and statistical analysis by Public Health England has shown that men are twice as likely as women to die of coronavirus.

Telegraph
Bald men may be at higher risk of suffering from severe Covid-19 symptoms, emerging evidence suggests.  The link is so strong that some researchers are suggesting baldness should be considered a risk factor called the “Gabrin sign”, after the first US physician to die of Covid-19 in the United States, Dr Frank Gabrin, who was bald. The lead author of the key study behind the association, Professor Carlos Wambier of Brown University, told The Telegraph: “We really think that baldness is a perfect predictor of severity.”

Mail
Bald men could be at a higher risk of dying from coronavirus  because male hormones help the virus attack cells, scientists have revealed. The hormone Androgen, which causes hair loss in men, has been linked to some of the worst cases of Covid-19 in Spanish hospitals. The discovery could be named the Gabrin Sign, after the first US physician to die of the illness in the US, Dr Frank Gabrin – a bald man. Professor Carlos Wambier, the lead author of the key study behind the discovery from Brown University, told The Telegraph: ‘We really think that baldness is a perfect predictor of severity.’

Taste-less

ITV News
Researchers have called for the use of additional coronavirus symptoms to detect new cases, reduce infections and save lives. In a letter published in The Lancet, the King’s College London team discussed how loss of taste and smell – anosmia – should form part of screening measures for the virus. The researchers, led by Professor Tim Spector, previously reported that loss of smell and taste is a key predictor of Covid-19 in addition to the most established symptoms of a high temperature and a new, continuous cough. On May 18, the symptoms were added to the NHS coronavirus symptoms list, weeks after experts first raised concerns that Covid-19 cases were being missed.

BAME

BBC News
The human rights watchdog will investigate racial inequalities “laid bare” by the coronavirus outbreak. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission will examine “the loss of lives and livelihoods” of people from different ethnic minorities. This week a report found that people from ethnic minorities are at a higher risk of dying from coronavirus. Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch has said work is under way to find out the reasons for the greater risk. However speaking in the House of Commons, she rejected claims that “systemic injustice” is the cause of ethnic minorities being more likely to die from coronavirus in England. She also told MPs the UK was “one of the best countries in the world to be a black person”.

Emergency fund

Times
The German chemicals giant BASF has emerged as the largest recipient of the Bank of England’s Covid-19 emergency funding scheme despite only employing 834 people in Britain. The company, which is valued at €50 billion, has borrowed £1 billion from the Bank, equivalent to nearly £1.2 million for each of its UK workers. The Bank revealed yesterday that 53 large businesses have taken a combined £16.2 billion from the Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), which was created to tide large companies through the pandemic.

Sport

Telegraph
The Rugby Football Union is open to the concept of rugby becoming a summer sport as part of global calendar negotiations  that could see next year’s British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa shifted from July to October. The scheduling of the 2023 World Cup in France is also among a number of radical options being considered by a World Rugby working group which has been tasked to align the northern and southern hemisphere seasons. Telegraph Sport revealed last month that the Six Nations was considering a move from its traditional window of February and March to allow it to take place at the same time as the southern hemisphere’s Rugby Championship as part of a realignment that would see the summer tour window moved from July to October.

Hong Kong

Times
HSBC was facing a growing political and consumer backlash last night over its decision to support China’s security crackdown in Hong Kong. MPs hit out at the bank after it indicated support for a controversial new law that critics say will limit freedoms for the territory’s citizens and breach treaty commitments. Tom Tugendhat, the Tory chairman of the Commons foreign affairs select committee, asked: “I wonder why HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank are choosing to back an authoritarian state’s repression of liberties and undermining of the rule of law? Where does this fit in their definition of corporate social responsibility?”

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