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Main story: Covid scare adds to crisis within number 10
Good morning to all. I am Martin Farrer and these are the best stories of today.
Boris Johnson will be forced to handle what could be a crucial week in his tenure as prime minister since self-isolation in Downing Street after meeting a conservative supporter who later tested positive for coronavirus. The prime minister, who survived a period in intensive care with Covid-19 earlier this year, was said to be “fine” and had no symptoms. But the mandatory isolation comes at a difficult time for him as he tries to reestablish the course of his government in the wake of the dramatic departure last week of his senior adviser, Dominic Cummings. Not only is it facing mounting pressure to ensure that the lockdown in England succeeds in reducing coronavirus infections, but a decision could also be made this week on whether a Brexit deal with the EU is possible. It is also expected to announce a series of green initiatives aimed at phasing out gasoline and diesel vehicles within a decade.
However, many conservatives were encouraged by the departure of Cummings, who was seen by many as a dire influence on Johnson. One MP cited a truce with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, which No. 10 had boycotted since April, as an example of a less confrontational approach. Our media editor looks at how Cummings’ attempt to reshape the relationship between the government and the media ended up playing a key role in his downfall.
Vaccine trial – Some 6,000 British volunteers will be injected with a vaccine developed by a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary and based on an Ebola vaccine. It is the third Covid vaccine to enter large-scale clinical trials in the UK, and the scientist behind the potential first vaccine said its treatment could cut Covid transmission in half. Ministers hope that two new laboratories opening early next year could more than double the testing capacity in the UK. The facility at Leamington Spa and a yet-to-be-revealed location in Scotland will employ up to 4,000 people, and will increase the number of PCR tests that can be processed daily by 600,000, from 520,000 today. Follow all the nightly developments of the pandemic on our live blog here, including the store in Japan that has dispatched a robot to check if customers are wearing a face mask.
The crisis in the United States – Pressure is mounting on Donald Trump to allow transition talks to begin with President-elect Joe Biden’s team amid a terrifying surge in coronavirus cases that is pushing the nation’s hospital systems to the brink of collapse. . The United States recorded 166,000 cases on Saturday, but Biden’s new Covid task force is on hold until the Trump administration allows the federal bureaucracy to begin a transition period. Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease expert, said Trump had not attended a Covid task force meeting “for months.” The president was closer so far to admitting defeat in the election when he tweeted yesterday that Biden “won because the election was rigged.” He branded him by repeating unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, but did not mention that his campaign has abandoned part of its legal challenge to results in the key state of Pennsylvania.
Taxi for NASA – Elon Musk was forced to watch from isolation as his SpaceX rocket took off with four astronauts to the International Space Station in the first full taxi flight for NASA by a private company. Musk, the businessman behind the company, said he “most likely” had a mild case of Covid-19 and couldn’t be in Florida to see the Falcon rocket lift off Sunday night. Your Dragon capsule will arrive at the space station after 27 1/2 hours and will remain there until spring.
Housing reform – The government is preparing to unveil social housing reforms for England this week, which could see millions of tenants offering greater protection against landlord wrongdoing more than three years after the Grenfell Tower disaster. The policies are expected to include a strengthened regulator with a mandate to check on council and registered social landlords in England, listen to tenants and uphold housing standards. Tenants are also expected to have a more direct way of filing complaints without going through local councilors or deputies.
Weather bomb – Don’t be fooled by the pleasant feeling in much of the country today: a meteorological “roller coaster” is coming, bringing heavy rain, snow and freezing temperatures in many parts. Mercury will drop noticeably on Thursday, the Met Office says, and there are flood warnings in western Scotland and on the west coast of England from Carlisle to Cornwall. There is also the possibility of snow in the mountainous areas.
Podcast Today in Focus
A large number of city council initiatives have meant that drivers are moving from residential streets to the busiest main roads. But while many residents support the plans, the measures have sparked protests.
How Traffic Relief Plans Are Dividing Neighbors
Lunchtime Reading: How Ethan Hawke Took Flight Again
In what may be his “best performance yet,” Ethan Hwake hits our small screens in The Good Lord Bird, a dramatization by American abolitionist John Brown that Hawke has also co-written and co-produced. Hadley Freeman talks to him about race, avoiding drugs and how his mother pushed him “towards a British understanding of acting as a trade and away from American ideas about celebrity.”
Sport
Dustin Johnson’s career has reached new highs after the 36-year-old became a great multiple champion with a Masters scoring record. The world’s number one golfer won at Augusta National by five shots, 20 under par, and was as comfortable as the numbers suggest. Lewis Hamilton equaled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world championships on Sunday by winning the Turkish Grand Prix and then said he hoped his success as a black man in an almost exclusively white sport would inspire children around the world.
Gareth Southgate insisted that England could receive encouragement from his performance against Belgium and the performance of Jack Grealish, despite his interest in this season’s Nations League ending with a 2-0 loss in Leuven. Former Liverpool, Tottenham and England goalkeeper Ray Clemence has passed away at the age of 72. Eddie Jones warned his players of the “big step up” against Ireland on Saturday, suggesting that England are at a disadvantage because of a lack of quality opposition this fall. Former league and union striker Sam Burgess has appeared in court in Australia on the first day of his trial for harassment or intimidation.
Deal
Matthew Molding, Chief Executive Officer of The Hut Group, is awaiting one of the largest payouts in UK corporate history after the recently listed online retailer’s share price rose, hitting targets set when it went live. floats in September. Molding, which founded the company in 2004, will receive at least £ 830 million in stock, prompting a call for higher taxes for the super rich. The FTSE100 itself will rise 0.5% this morning, while the pound is worth $ 1,326 and € 1,115.
The papers
Boris Johnson’s health is the star of many covers. the Guardian splash says “PM forced to isolate himself again when crucial week begins”, the Telegraph has “Johnson isolating after Covid warning”, and the Sun says “Bojo said to isolate himself.” the I has a slightly different take – “The Johnson Charm Offense” – as does the FOOT with “Johnson Moves To Reassure Conservative Donors After Downing Street Upheaval”.
The pink paper is the only one that does not carry a photo of Des O’Connor, the veteran artist who died on Saturday. His death is the leader in the Mirror – “He’ll be up there in the sky laughing” – while the Stars The headline “Watch Out Ern … He’s Gonna Sing” is perhaps one of the best understood by those over 60, referring to a long-running joke by the great ’70s comedic duo Morecambe & Wise.
the Mail continues its Christmas campaign with the headline “We just want to hug our children”, the Times leads on “Charges for the use of roads to cover a budget hole of £ 40 billion”, and the Quick he yells: “Boris tells the EU: Stop the harassment or we will stop talking.” In Scotland the Herald splash is “Lawyers ask for 50% in legal aid fees,” while the Record details what it says was an avoidable death from Covid: “Fatal defect.”
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