The UK government is set to push forward with legislation that regulates the country’s private rented sector. The bill aims to repeal “no fault” or Section 21 evictions which will eliminate the ability for landlords to remove tenants from their properties without severe cause. Unscrupulous sectors of both the landlord and tenant groups have been found to inflict outward costs on the other. Government action will increase pressure to ensure high standards are maintained throughout the market from both landlords and tenants.
The UK current fertility rate of 1.6, compared to the replacement rate of 2.1, continues to fall, according to an opinion piece by Miriam Cates, the Conservative MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge. Cates argued that since government policies either encourage or discourage family formation, public discussion should be openly held on how reforming policies such as the tax system and housing regulations could promote the creation of families. The piece also argued that the challenges facing public services outlined by Left and Right politicians will only worsen unless the UK takes measures to avoid population decline.
Jacksonville voters elect Florida city’s first female mayor
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 04:10
Donna Deegan has been elected as Jacksonville’s first female mayor, beating the Republican Daniel Davis with 52% of the vote, according to unofficial results. Jacksonville is Florida’s most populous city, home to around 950,000 residents, and is currently transitioning from Republican to Democratic leadership. Deegan, who is a former television Anchor and an advocate for healthcare, plans to focus on healthcare access and working to improve the City's infrastructure among her top priorities. Approximately 33% of electorate turnout out for the election.
The UK’s Conservative Party has been told its MPs who are nominated for a peerage will be able to serve in the House of Lords only if they stand down before the next election. Scotland Secretary Alister Jack, former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, former Cabinet Minister Nigel Adams and President for COP26 Alok Sharma were listed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson for inclusion in the House of Lords in his resignation honours list. They had planned to continue as MPs before retiring at the next election. However, the House of Lords Appointments Commission has argued that such a move would be “constitutionally improper”.
Former Conservative Party chairman Sir Jake Berry has called on the UK government to cut taxes for ordinary people, saying the "part of low tax…reality, you're the government of high taxes". One in five taxpayers will pay the 40% rate by 2027 due to frozen thresholds, according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Berry argued that one in four teachers and one in eight nurses will be higher tax payers by the time that deadline is reached.
The Canadian government has converted its delayed Africa strategy into a framework, arguing the change helps better reflect the policy’s original purpose. The Liberal Party had promised a strategy since last year to formulate the national approach to African countries, and take advantage of opportunities to engage with the African Continental Free Trade Area, a tariff project operating across 45 nations. Critics regard the recasting of the policy as evidence that Canada is treating Africa less seriously than it does other areas of the world. A formal approach to Africa is now expected to be presented to cabinet by autumn 2023.
During his first official visit to South Korea, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warns that authoritarianism is gaining ground and "antagonistic countries" are taking advantage of economic interdependence to their own geopolitical advantage. He adds that Canada and South Korea can be partners in addressing climate change, which is also a way to safeguard against geopolitical instability and build more resilient economies. The visit comes as both countries try to strengthen economic and military ties to counterbalance the influence of China.
Human Rights Watch and Pakistan's Human Rights Commission have condemned the Pakistani government's plan to bring supporters of Imran Khan to trial under military rules rather than civilian following recent protests & violence. It’s thought civil trials are being avoided to restrict access to basic rights like a lawyer. The wave of violence had resulted from the arrest of Kham and saw angry supporters attack police and military facilities, killing 10 people and resulting in the arrest of 4,000 people. Though Khan was released, the Pakistani government later said it would try ”the arsonists” under military law.
The UK current fertility rate of 1.6, compared to the replacement rate of 2.1, continues to fall, according to an opinion piece by Miriam Cates, the Conservative MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge. Cates argued that since government policies either encourage or discourage family formation, public discussion should be openly held on how reforming policies such as the tax system and housing regulations could promote the creation of families. The piece also argued that the challenges facing public services outlined by Left and Right politicians will only worsen unless the UK takes measures to avoid population decline.
Ukrainian air defences using US-made Patriot interceptors neutralised a heavy Russian missile attack against Kyiv, with six KH-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched missiles reported to have been stopped by Patriots. However, the Kinzhal missiles are modified air-launched versions of the ground-launched Iskander short-range ballistic missile developed three decades ago, and do not incur the additional hypersonic boost-glide system of manoeuvrable hypersonic descent hypersonic weapons that can be fired atop booster rockets, making them harder to intercept. Therefore, while Patriots can indeed stop Kinzhal missiles, they cannot necessarily intercept swerving-and-jinking weapons. Additionally, Russia has been developing an Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, deployed on Russian ICBMs, capable of descending at Mach 20 and outpacing any interceptors. China is also said to be developing similar weapons.
Politician Ann Widdecombe has come under fire from TV presenter Vanessa Feltz after she suggested consumers should not make cheese sandwiches if they cannot afford ingredients, after research showed the price of making one had risen by a third in a year. Feltz likened the comments to those of Marie Antoinette, while pointing out that the food item was a staple and asking what poor people were to eat instead. Rachel Cunliffe of the New Statesman said the rising cost of basic items meant some families could not afford to feed their children, but Widdecombe responded that the situation was not new.
France is surpassing Britain as a leader in Europe and making progress with its big business investment and tech start-ups. With infamous hurdles such as a 35-hour week, high taxes and lengthy lunches, British business leaders have dismissed the French efforts to improve. This couldn't be further from the truth and France is beginning to outshine great britain through reforms, pro business and pro innovation engagements — wooing global corporations such as Tesla and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to invest in France.
UK Labour leader Keir Starmer recognises that to implement a reformist agenda, voters must perceive that the proposals are rooted in their values and know that he can restrain his radicalism, as all successful Labour leaders have understood. Although the non-Tory vote exceeds the Conservative Party's vote at elections, the innate conservatism of many Labour voters means that they believe in strong defence, patriotism, wariness of social change and the rule of law. In his speech to the Progressive Britain conference last weekend, Starmer reprimanded progressives for abandoning Labour's working-class support, for exhibiting patronising contempt for those who fly the flag and for pursuing culture war politics.
Arab foreign ministers meet ahead of Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 12:01
Arab foreign ministers have gathered in Saudi Arabia ahead of the annual summit in Jeddah. The summit will see Syria return to the 22-member league after a 12-year suspension caused by President Bashar Assad's brutal crackdown on the 2011 mass protests against his rule. Despite the move, a number of Arab countries remain skeptical of Syria’s return to the league, primarily Qatar. The summit also takes place as Arab governments are attempting to resolve the conflict between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, which has left over 600 people dead.
The University of Oxford must stop infantilising students and should instead teach students to live in the “adult world” by threatening them with “serious punishment” if they infringe upon others’ rights, an op-ed in The Telegraph has stated. The article follows controversy over a threat to cancel a talk by feminist writer Kathleen Stock, and the distribution of colored pencils to anxious students. Students are warned they will face funding cuts from the university and colleges if they breach academic principles or governance of student unions. Seminars on the history of free speech are being suggested.
UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has expressed his desire to cut taxes before the next election as he claimed that the nation’s economy was bouncing back more quickly than analysts had anticipated. Sunak argued it was important to drive down inflation first before cutting taxes, but added that he was a “low tax Conservative" and wanted to cut people’s taxes. Sunak’s comments come after the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) claimed that one in five British workers would be paying the higher rate of income tax by 2027. The IFS also argued the tax burden is unlikely to return to 2020 levels for many years.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has accused historian David Starkey of seeking to “drive a wedge between communities” following comments he made at the National Conservatism Conference. Speaking on the final day of the conference, Starkey claimed that left-wing activists wanted to “replace” the Holocaust with slavery and that the Black Lives Matter campaign, which he described as an effort “to do exactly what was done to German culture because of Nazism and the Holocaust”, represented a threat to the Western “political and cultural tradition”.
The UK Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has underlined the need for the UK to be “pragmatic” about immigration policy as Cabinet members debate further cuts to numbers. Hunt said the UK would “always be pragmatic” about limiting the number of migrant workers, but suggested that the shortage occupation list, which offers exemptions and streamlined visa processes for some industrial sectors that lack workers, could be expanded to enable companies to secure the employees they require. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has put forward a series of measures including increased minimum salaries to restrict numbers.
The Elizabeth Tower's clock face stopped working again while the clock tower in Westminster undergoes its £80m ($110m) refurbishment, which was delayed from its original expected completion date in 2021 to 2022. The refurbishment, which commenced in August 2017, aimed to replace the deteriorating clock mechanism on the tower while preserving the original materials, restoring its heritage features and renovating everything from its 330ft-high (100m-high) tower to the clock face.
The UK's Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, will sign the "Hiroshima Accord" with Japan when he visits Tokyo ahead of the G7 meeting. This accord involves the UK extending its defence cooperation with Japan to uphold stability in the Indo-Pacific, as concerns grow over alleged warmongering from China. In addition, the two countries will launch a partnership on semiconductors, working together on research and development to help the West keep ahead of the game. Arriving in Tokyo on Thursday, the Prime Minister will visit a naval base, confirm new UK-Japan defence cooperation and launch a set of science and technology programmes to support UK-Japan collaboration. As part of the defence agreements under the Hiroshima Accord, the Prime Minister is expected to agree a new Cyber Partnership with Japan. This will deepen UK-Japan cooperation on cyber and set a high level of ambition for the future relationship. The UK will also unveil a new Renewable Energy Partnership, aimed at accelerating the deployment of clean energy in the UK, Japan and third countries.
