Coronavirus: 'Increased likelihood' of cases in the UK - BBC News

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There is an "increased likelihood" of cases of the new coronavirus occurring in the UK, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.

However, he said there were no confirmed cases of the virus in the UK and the country was "well prepared and well equipped to deal with them".

There are more than 500 confirmed cases of the virus, which has killed 17 people in China.

The UK is monitoring flights arriving from China as a precaution.

The new strain of coronavirus, which has spread abroad, is believed to have originated in Wuhan - and the city has gone into lockdown.

Authorities have suspended planes and trains in and out of the Chinese city - which has a population of 11 million people - as well as all public transport within Wuhan.

In a statement to the House of Commons, Mr Hancock said that it was a "rapidly developing situation and the number of deaths and the number of cases is likely to be higher than those that have been confirmed so far and I expect them to rise further".

He told MPs: "The chief medical officer has revised the risk to the UK population from 'very low' to 'low' and has concluded that while there is an increased likelihood that cases may arise in this country, we are well prepared and well equipped to deal with them."

He added: "The UK is one of the first countries to have developed a world-leading test for the new coronavirus.

"The NHS is ready to respond appropriately to any cases that emerge."

In response to the outbreak, the Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to Wuhan.

On Wednesday, Public Health England began carrying out enhanced monitoring of direct flights from China - including Wuhan City, although flights from there have now been stopped by the Chinese government.

Passengers are receiving advice on what to do if they fall ill, which Mr Hancock said was the most important part of the monitoring as it can take days after infection before a patient develops symptoms, so physical checks were considered less useful.

He added: "We are working closely with our counterparts in the devolved administrations and the public can be assured that the whole of the UK is always well prepared for these types of outbreaks.

"And we'll remain vigilant and keep our response under constant review in the light of emerging scientific evidence."

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Authorities around the world have announced screening measures for passengers from China.

Thailand has confirmed four cases of the virus, the most outside of China. The US, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea have all reported one case each.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) emergency committee is meeting on Thursday in Geneva to decide whether or not to declare a "global emergency" over the new virus.

A global emergency is the highest level of alarm the WHO can sound and has previously been used in response to swine flu, Zika virus and Ebola.

All the fatalities so far have been in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital. Most of the 17 victims were elderly and suffered from other chronic diseases including Parkinson's disease and diabetes.

The lockdown in Wuhan comes as millions of Chinese people travel across the country for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

Similar measures will also take effect in nearby Huanggang, a city of more than seven million.

What do we know about the virus?

Currently known as 2019-nCoV, the virus is understood to be a new strain of coronavirus not previously identified in humans. The Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus that killed nearly 800 people globally in the early 2000s was also a coronavirus, as is the common cold.

Authorities have said this new virus originated in a seafood market in Wuhan that "conducted illegal transactions of wild animals". The market has been shut down since the beginning of the year.

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2020-01-23 12:21:51Z
52780557239644

Brexit: UK has 'crossed Brexit finish line', says Boris Johnson - BBC News

Boris Johnson has said the UK has "crossed the Brexit finish line" after Parliament passed legislation implementing the withdrawal deal.

The EU Bill, which paves the way for the country to leave the bloc on 31 January, is now awaiting royal assent.

The PM said the UK could now "move forwards as one" and put "years of rancour and division behind it".

The EU's top officials are expected to sign the agreement in the coming days, while MEPs will vote on it next week.

The European Parliament will meet on 29 January to debate the agreement, which sets out the terms of the UK's "divorce" settlement with the EU, the rights of EU nationals resident in the UK and British expats on the continent and arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Its ratification is expected to prove a formality.

The UK will officially leave the 27-member bloc at 23:00 GMT on 31 January - more than three and a half years after the country voted for Brexit in a referendum in June 2016.

From 1 February, the UK will enter into an 11-month transition period in which it will continue to follow EU rules but without representation in the bloc's institutions.

This arrangement will come to an end on 1 January 2021, by which point the two sides hope to have completed negotiations on their future economic and security partnership, at the heart of which the government believes will be an ambitious free trade deal.

What happened on Wednesday?

The government's Brexit Bill, which enshrines the agreement reached by Mr Johnson in October, is one step away from becoming law after completing its passage through Parliament without any changes.

MPs overwhelmingly rejected all the changes made to the bill in the House of Lords earlier this week - on citizens' rights, the power of UK courts to diverge from EU law, the independence of the judiciary after Brexit and the consent of the UK's devolved administrations.

MPs also removed an amendment which would have obliged the government to negotiate an agreement with the EU to allow unaccompanied children who have claimed asylum elsewhere but have a relative in the UK to be re-united with their family.

The bill, as agreed by Parliament, would only compel the government to make a statement on the issue within two months.

Ministers insisted they backed the principle of the Dubs amendment, tabled by the Labour peer Lord Dubs, but argued that there was no point legislating before the UK reached an agreement with the EU on future numbers.

Lord Dubs, who has been campaigning on the issue for years, said the outcome was "bitterly disappointing" while Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said the government had shown a "compassion by-pass".

What happens next?

The ratification process will be completed over the next week in time for the 31 January deadline.

Belgian politician Charles Michel, who represents the 27 remaining states as president of the European Council, is expected to sign the document in the coming days as will European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Mr Johnson will also sign officially the agreement on behalf of the UK government.

The prime minister, who became Tory leader in July on the back of a promise to "get Brexit done" and won an overwhelming victory at last month's general election, said Parliamentary approval was a major milestone.

"Parliament has passed the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, meaning we will leave the EU on 31 January and move forwards as one United Kingdom.

"At times it felt like we would never cross the Brexit finish line, but we've done it. Now we can put the rancour and division of the past three years behind us and focus on delivering a bright, exciting future."

---

What questions do you have about Brexit and how it will affect you in the future?

In some cases your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.

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If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.

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2020-01-23 09:39:27Z
52780560232492

Brexit: UK has 'crossed Brexit finish line', says Boris Johnson - BBC News

Boris Johnson has said the UK has "crossed the Brexit finish line" after Parliament passed legislation implementing the withdrawal deal.

The EU Bill, which paves the way for the country to leave the bloc on 31 January, is now awaiting royal assent.

The PM said the UK could now "move forwards as one" and put "years of rancour and division behind it".

The EU's top officials are expected to sign the agreement in the coming days, while MEPs will vote on it next week.

The European Parliament will meet on 29 January to debate the agreement, which sets out the terms of the UK's "divorce" settlement with the EU, the rights of EU nationals resident in the UK and British expats on the continent and arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Its ratification is expected to prove a formality.

The UK will officially leave the 27-member bloc at 23:00 GMT on 31 January - more than three and a half years after the country voted for Brexit in a referendum in June 2016.

From 1 February, the UK will enter into an 11-month transition period in which it will continue to follow EU rules but without representation in the bloc's institutions.

This arrangement will come to an end on 1 January 2021, by which point the two sides hope to have completed negotiations on their future economic and security partnership, at the heart of which the government believes will be an ambitious free trade deal.

What happened on Wednesday?

The government's Brexit Bill, which enshrines the agreement reached by Mr Johnson in October, is one step away from becoming law after completing its passage through Parliament without any changes.

MPs overwhelmingly rejected all the changes made to the bill in the House of Lords earlier this week - on citizens' rights, the power of UK courts to diverge from EU law, the independence of the judiciary after Brexit and the consent of the UK's devolved administrations.

MPs also removed an amendment which would have obliged the government to negotiate an agreement with the EU to allow unaccompanied children who have claimed asylum elsewhere but have a relative in the UK to be re-united with their family.

The bill, as agreed by Parliament, would only compel the government to make a statement on the issue within two months.

Ministers insisted they backed the principle of the Dubs amendment, tabled by the Labour peer Lord Dubs, but argued that there was no point legislating before the UK reached an agreement with the EU on future numbers.

Lord Dubs, who has been campaigning on the issue for years, said the outcome was "bitterly disappointing" while Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said the government had shown a "compassion by-pass".

What happens next?

The ratification process will be completed over the next week in time for the 31 January deadline.

Belgian politician Charles Michel, who represents the 27 remaining states as president of the European Council, is expected to sign the document in the coming days as will European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Mr Johnson will also sign officially the agreement on behalf of the UK government.

The prime minister, who became Tory leader in July on the back of a promise to "get Brexit done" and won an overwhelming victory at last month's general election, said Parliamentary approval was a major milestone.

"Parliament has passed the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, meaning we will leave the EU on 31 January and move forwards as one United Kingdom.

"At times it felt like we would never cross the Brexit finish line, but we've done it. Now we can put the rancour and division of the past three years behind us and focus on delivering a bright, exciting future."

---

What questions do you have about Brexit and how it will affect you in the future?

In some cases your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.

Use this form to ask your question:

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.

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2020-01-23 08:23:42Z
52780560232492

Brexit: UK has 'crossed Brexit finish line', says Boris Johnson - BBC News

Boris Johnson has said the UK has "crossed the Brexit finish line" after Parliament passed legislation implementing the withdrawal deal.

The EU Bill, which paves the way for the country to leave the bloc on 31 January, is now awaiting royal assent.

The PM said the UK could now "move forwards as one" and put "years of rancour and division behind it".

The EU's top officials are expected to sign the agreement in the coming days, while MEPs will vote on it next week.

The European Parliament will meet on 29 January to debate the agreement, which sets out the terms of the UK's "divorce" settlement with the EU, the rights of EU nationals resident in the UK and British expats on the continent and arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Its ratification is expected to prove a formality.

The UK will officially leave the 27-member bloc at 23:00 GMT on 31 January - more than three and a half years after the country voted for Brexit in a referendum in June 2016.

From 1 February, the UK will enter into an 11-month transition period in which it will continue to follow EU rules but without representation in the bloc's institutions.

This arrangement will come to an end on 1 January 2021, by which point the two sides hope to have completed negotiations on their future economic and security partnership, at the heart of which the government believes will be an ambitious free trade deal.

What happened on Wednesday?

The government's Brexit Bill, which enshrines the agreement reached by Mr Johnson in October, is one step away from becoming law after completing its passage through Parliament without any changes.

MPs overwhelmingly rejected all the changes made to the bill in the House of Lords earlier this week - on citizens' rights, the power of UK courts to diverge from EU law, the independence of the judiciary after Brexit and the consent of the UK's devolved administrations.

MPs also removed an amendment which would have obliged the government to negotiate an agreement with the EU to allow unaccompanied children who have claimed asylum elsewhere but have a relative in the UK to be re-united with their family.

The bill, as agreed by Parliament, would only compel the government to make a statement on the issue within two months.

Ministers insisted they backed the principle of the Dubs amendment, tabled by the Labour peer Lord Dubs, but argued that there was no point legislating before the UK reached an agreement with the EU on future numbers.

Lord Dubs, who has been campaigning on the issue for years, said the outcome was "bitterly disappointing" while Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said the government had shown a "compassion by-pass".

What happens next?

The ratification process will be completed over the next week in time for the 31 January deadline.

Belgian politician Charles Michel, who represents the 27 remaining states as president of the European Council, is expected to sign the document in the coming days as will European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Mr Johnson will also sign officially the agreement on behalf of the UK government.

The prime minister, who became Tory leader in July on the back of a promise to "get Brexit done" and won an overwhelming victory at last month's general election, said Parliamentary approval was a major milestone.

"Parliament has passed the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, meaning we will leave the EU on 31 January and move forwards as one United Kingdom.

"At times it felt like we would never cross the Brexit finish line, but we've done it. Now we can put the rancour and division of the past three years behind us and focus on delivering a bright, exciting future."

---

What questions do you have about Brexit and how it will affect you in the future?

In some cases your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.

Use this form to ask your question:

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.

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2020-01-23 07:20:16Z
52780560232492

Will Titanic's sunken wreck be protected? Treasure hunters skeptical of new US, UK agreement - Fox News

The sunken wreck of the Titanic will be protected under a new treaty agreed to by the United States and the United Kingdom.

More than 100 years after the ill-fated ship sank to the bottom of the sea when it hit an iceberg, the formal agreement includes managing and safeguarding one of the world's most culturally significant sites.

"This momentous agreement with the United States to preserve the wreck means it will be treated with the sensitivity and respect owed to the final resting place of more than 1,500 lives," said British Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani in a statement announcing the news on Tuesday. "The UK will now work closely with other North Atlantic States to bring even more protection to the wreck of the Titanic."

STARVING LIONS IN SUDAN PROMPT WORLDWIDE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THEM

New images show the deterioration of the Titanic wreck. (Atlantic Productions)

The Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. ship's time on April 14, 1912, and sank on its maiden voyage just over two hours later with the loss of all but 706 of the 2,223 people onboard, according to a Senate report released at the time. The Titanic incident led to the drawing up of the SOLAS (Safety of Lives at Sea) Convention in 1914, which sets the minimum safety standards by which ships are required to comply worldwide.

"I am delighted that we are taking new steps to protect the Titanic, which played such a famous part in Belfast’s proud maritime history," Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Julian Smith MP, said in a statement. "People come from across the world to the Titanic Belfast visitor center, and these new measures are hugely symbolic of its continued role in the city’s growing tourist industry."

The wreck, which has attracted international attention since it was first discovered in 1985, has also attracted scavengers and others who have not been respectful of the site that sits about 12,500 feet below the surface and about 350 nautical miles off the Canadian coast of Newfoundland.

Robert Ballard, who first found the wreck, once attacked private submarine operators for inflicting damage on the deck during vessel landings, the Brisbane Times reports.

COULD YOU LIVE IN A GIANT FUNGUS MEGASTRUCTURE?

The Titanic leaving Southampton April 10, 1912. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

TITANIC EXPEDITION PRODUCES CRISP NEW IMAGES

The international agreement, which has been in negotiation since 1986 and was signed by the U.K. in 2003, was not accepted by the U.S. until last November.

"The Agreement reinforces the United States' collaborative efforts with the United Kingdom and others to preserve the wreck site as an international maritime memorial to the men, women and children who perished aboard the ship," the State Department explained in a statement at the time. "The RMS Titanic is of major national and international historical, cultural and scientific significance and merits appropriate protection."

However, the new agreement will be tested quickly as a U.S. private company reportedly plans to cut open a section of the deckhouse roof to access and retrieve thousands of precious artifacts.

Survivors watch from the lifeboats as the ill-fated White Star liner, the Titanic, plunges beneath the waves. Original Publication: Illustrated London News, 1912. ((Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images))

The U.K. will not take the lead in working with Canada and France to get them to also ratify the agreement -- but time is working against the sunken wreck.

Henrietta Mann, a researcher who co-discovered a new species of bacteria lurking in the "rusticles" growing off the wreckage, told the Brisbane Times that the ship may have just 30 years left before it vanishes for good.

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2020-01-22 13:32:55Z
52780563183582

US threatens to hike tariffs on UK car exports - CNN

Mnuchin said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that the United States regards digital services taxes such as the one imposed by France, and being planned by the United Kingdom and Italy, as being unfair to American tech companies.

President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, agreed this week to a truce over the issue after the White House threatened to significantly increase tariffs on French goods such as wine, cheese and handbags. France has already introduced a 3% tax on digital services.

Asked what would happen if Britain moves ahead with its tax, Mnuchin said that Washington would consider imposing tariffs on UK car exports.

"If people just want to just arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies, we'll consider arbitrarily putting taxes on car companies," said Mnuchin. The Trump administration official cautioned, however, that he was confident the issue would be resolved.

UK finance minister Sajid Javid, who was also on the panel, said he planned to go ahead with the digital services tax in April, even as the country seeks to negotiate a new free trade deal with the United States following Brexit.

"We're going to have some private conversations. I'm sure this will be worked out, if not at our level then between the prime minister and the president who have an excellent relationship," Mnuchin added.

The best solution, both officials agreed, would be a global resolution that establishes new rules for how countries can collect taxes on digital services sold by companies based in other markets. Negotiations are underway at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

UK car exports

Higher tariffs on cars made in the United Kingdom would be another massive blow to an industry that has been slammed by Brexit.

Nearly four years of uncertainty over leaving the European Union has caused UK auto production to decline for 17 of the past 18 months, according to the UK Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Production dropped 17% in November, the most recent month for which data is available.

The global automakers who have built factories in Britain fear that leaving the European Union will result in new barriers to trade with their biggest market. That would snarl their supply chains, disrupt production and erode profit margins that are already razor thin.

US tariffs would also harm the industry. According to the SMMT, nearly 20% of UK car exports are to the United States.

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2020-01-22 12:50:00Z
52780563721244

US threatens to hike tariffs on UK car exports - CNN

Mnuchin said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that the United States regards digital services taxes such as the one imposed by France, and being planned by the United Kingdom and Italy, as being unfair to American tech companies.

President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, agreed this week to a truce over the issue after the White House threatened to significantly increase tariffs on French goods such as wine, cheese and handbags. France has already introduced a 3% tax on digital services.

Asked what would happen if Britain moves ahead with its tax, Mnuchin said that Washington would consider imposing tariffs on UK car exports.

"If people just want to just arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies, we'll consider arbitrarily putting taxes on car companies," said Mnuchin. The Trump administration official cautioned, however, that he was confident the issue would be resolved.

UK finance minister Sajid Javid, who was also on the panel, said he planned to go ahead with the digital services tax in April, even as the country seeks to negotiate a new free trade deal with the United States following Brexit.

"We're going to have some private conversations. I'm sure this will be worked out, if not at our level then between the prime minister and the president who have an excellent relationship," Mnuchin added.

The best solution, both officials agreed, would be a global resolution that establishes new rules for how countries can collect taxes on digital services sold by companies based in other markets. Negotiations are underway at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

UK car exports

Higher tariffs on cars made in the United Kingdom would be another massive blow to an industry that has been slammed by Brexit.

Nearly four years of uncertainty over leaving the European Union has caused UK auto production to decline for 17 of the past 18 months, according to the UK Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Production dropped 17% in November, the most recent month for which data is available.

The global automakers who have built factories in Britain fear that leaving the European Union will result in new barriers to trade with their biggest market. That would snarl their supply chains, disrupt production and erode profit margins that are already razor thin.

US tariffs would also harm the industry. According to the SMMT, nearly 20% of UK car exports are to the United States.

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2020-01-22 11:28:00Z
52780563721244