New law unveiled to make UK 5G network safer - Sky News

A bill that would give the government greater powers to shut out high-risk vendors from the UK's telecoms infrastructure will be put before parliament on Tuesday.

At the beginning of the year, ministers determined that additional safeguards should be put into place to protect the UK's 5G and gigabit-capable networks and exclude 'high risk' vendors from areas of it that are critical to security.

High risk vendors are those who pose greater security and resilience risks to UK telecoms.

The new Telecommunications (Security) Bill aims to create national security powers capable of imposing controls on when - if at all - a telecoms firm can use material supplied by companies like Huawei.

In the summer the government announced a ban on the purchase of any new 5G equipment from the Chinese firm from the end of the year.

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It also unveiled plans to rip out all Huawei equipment from 5G networks by 2027.

Image: Huawei has been banned from the most sensitive parts of the UK network

These moves will be enshrined in law by the new bill.

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Also under the proposals, security protocols around UK networks will be strengthened with fines - of 10% of turnover or £100,000 a day - for those who do not meet the new standards.

Communications regulator Ofcom is to be tasked with the monitoring and assessing of security protocols among telecoms providers.

Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "We are investing billions to roll-out 5G and gigabit broadband across the country but the benefits can only be realised if we have full confidence in the security and resilience of our networks.

"This groundbreaking bill will give the UK one of the toughest telecoms security regimes in the world and allow us to take the action necessary to protect our networks."

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said current-self governance laws in which telecoms providers were responsible for setting their own security standards, did not work.

The government's Telecoms Supply Chain Review found that with self-regulation, they often had little incentive to adopt the best security practices.

It said the new rules laid out in the bill would set minimum security standards for firms to reach, while new codes of practice will be introduced to help providers comply with their legal obligations around high-risk vendors.

Dr Ian Levy, technical director at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said: "The roll-out of 5G and gigabit broadband presents great opportunities for the UK but as we benefit from these we need to improve security in our national networks and operators need to know what is expected of them."

Analysis: 5G brings greater possibilities, but also greater threats

By Alistair Bunkall, defence & security correspondent

Although this Bill is broad in scope, it effectively signs into law the major decision taken by the UK government in July to exclude Huawei from Britain's future 5G network.

The decision was influenced by heavy lobbying from Washington; under Donald Trump the US took a hard-line towards China and expected allies to follow. The UK was threatened: ban Huawei or impact intelligence sharing.

Any prospect that a Biden presidency might take a more lenient view of Huawei is unrealistic. Although the president-elect is expected to pursue a more consistent approach to China, working with allies rather than berating them into submission, he is expected to retain Trump's hard-line position against the telecoms provider and Beijing more broadly.

5G will create a faster, better connected world, opening up a wealth of new possibilities for the way we live our lives. The advantages will be immense but the downside is that it will come with greater security threats as adversaries look for back doors into Britain's vital infrastructure.

The network is only as strong as each individual part of the chain - should one link be hacked, the entire network could be compromised: this Bill is intended to protect against that and ensure Huawei is not allowed back in.

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2020-11-24 03:18:06Z
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COVID-19: Travellers can shorten quarantine on arrival from next month - but they'll have to pay for it - Sky News

Travellers who arrive in England from countries with high infection rates will be able to shorten their quarantine from 14 days to five if they test negative for coronavirus on the fifth day, the Department of Transport has said.

Passengers will have to pay for the tests themselves, and will need to book with one of the private providers on the government's list.

Authorities said they want the scheme, which will come into effect on 15 December, to boost travel without putting additional pressure on the NHS.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "We have a plan in place to ensure that our route out of this pandemic is careful and balanced, allowing us to focus on what we can now do to bolster international travel while keeping the public safe.

"Our new testing strategy will allow us to travel more freely, see loved ones and drive international business. By giving people the choice to test on day five, we are also supporting the travel industry as it continues to rebuild out of the pandemic."

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Critics have said the measure should have been implemented earlier to facilitate travel over the summer break. But those making a living during the winter season, like Tom Staines who owns a ski chalet in France, are breathing a sigh of relief.

"This is great news for us," he said.

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"Shortening the quarantine from 14 days to five is going to mean that our guests are going to be able to travel out. Many have indicated that short quarantine they will be able to cope with whereas 14 days they can't.

"We're hoping the lack of bookings we've had since the summer will turn around in the next few days, with some level of certainty on the ability to travel."

But some travel industry figures point out that even a shorter quarantine is still a major barrier to travel.

Paul Charles, the chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: "This measure is not going to be for everyone.

"There are some people who will find it easy to quarantine on their return but many people can't and they also may not be able to afford it, especially if they're a family of four, it could cost hundreds of pounds for them to get a private test after five days.

"But we have got to see a phased return to what life was like before COVID, and this is a start of that pathway to normality."

The government said testing five days into self-isolation will ensure no COVID-19 cases are missed because it will allow for the incubation time of the virus.

Airlines like BA and Virgin Atlantic want the government to implement pre and post-flight testing, which they said could scrap the need for quarantine altogether.

Shai Weiss, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said: "The only way to fully reopen vital trading and travel links, support the UK's economic recovery and protect more than 500,000 jobs supported by aviation, is to move to a robust pre-departure testing regime to safely replace quarantine as soon as possible."

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has gone further, saying that travellers will need to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to board the carrier's flights.

Mr Joyce said the move would be a "necessity" when vaccines are available and that he thought it would be "a common thing" among airlines in future.

But for now, in a sector where hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk, there is hope tat testing five days after arrival in the UK may be the first step to recovery.

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2020-11-24 02:29:19Z
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Covid-19: Arrivals in England to be able to cut quarantine if they pay for test - BBC News

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People arriving in England will be soon able to reduce their quarantine period by more than half if they pay for a Covid test after five days, the transport secretary has announced.

The rules will come into force from 15 December and the tests from private firms will cost between £65 and £120.

Grant Shapps said the scheme would "bolster international travel while keeping the public safe".

The travel industry welcomed the policy but described it as "long overdue".

It follows Boris Johnson's announcement earlier that England will come under "toughened" three-tiered regional restrictions when the lockdown ends on 2 December.

• Who has to quarantine when arriving in the UK?
• Can I take a winter holiday after lockdown?

Under the new travel rules, passengers who arrive from a destination not on the government's travel corridors list will still need to enter self-isolation.

However, if they pay for a test after five days and it comes back negative, they will no longer need to self-isolate.

Results will normally be issued in 24 to 48 hours. This means people could be released from quarantine six days after arrival.

Mr Shapps said: "Our new testing strategy will allow us to travel more freely, see loved ones and drive international business. By giving people the choice to test on day five, we are also supporting the travel industry as it continues to rebuild out of the pandemic."

A step in the right direction - that's how airlines are describing the government's decision to ease the quarantine regime.

The industry is in survival mode, desperate for money - so anything that could open up routes and bring in much-needed cash is being welcomed. And this does raise the prospect of Christmas holiday ticket sales.

But they say the new plan is still far from perfect.

Passengers will still have to go into quarantine - and realistically, a test on day five is still likely to leave them in isolation for the best part of a week in total, as they wait for the results to come through.

There's also the cost. The test has to be done privately, and typical prices range from £100-150. For a family of four, for example, that's a sizeable extra chunk on the cost of a winter holiday.

What airlines are calling for is something more radical. They want a pre-departure testing regime, or a system of quick, regular and cheap tests - which would allow quarantine to be avoided altogether, until a vaccine is ready.

But they say this announcement means there is, at least, some light at the end of the tunnel.

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, the industry association representing UK-registered carriers, said the announcement provided "light at the end of the tunnel" for the aviation industry and people wanting to go on holiday.

He predicted demand for air travel will "tentatively return" following the decision but said a pre-departure testing regime that can completely remove the need to self-isolate is "the only way we're going to comprehensively reopen the market".

On Monday, the prime minister - who is self-isolating after meeting an MP who later tested positive for Covid-19 - told the House of Commons via a video link that he expected "more regions will fall - at least temporarily - into higher levels than before". Regions will not find out which tier they are in until Thursday.

Describing how the tiers had become stricter, Mr Johnson said that in tier one, people should continue to work from home where possible, while in tier two, only pubs serving substantial meals can serve alcohol. In tier three, hospitality will close except for delivery and takeaway, and indoor entertainment venues must also close.

However, gyms and non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen when the lockdown ends, and spectators will be allowed to return to some sporting events. Weddings and collective worship will also resume.

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It comes as the coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford has been shown in large trials to be highly effective at stopping people developing symptoms of Covid-19.

Interim data suggests 70% protection, but the researchers say the figure may be as high as 90% by tweaking the dose.

The PM said said it was "incredibly exciting news" and that while there were still safety checks to come, "these are fantastic results".

He told a Downing Street briefing on Monday that the majority of people most in need of a vaccination in the UK might be able to get one by Easter.

Mr Johnson also warned that the virus would not grant a "Christmas truce" and urged families to make a "careful judgement about the risks of visiting elderly relatives" ahead of a UK-wide approach to Christmas being announced later this week.

Meanwhile, a further 15,450 positive coronavirus cases were recorded across the UK on Monday. There have also been a further 206 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. Figures can be lower on a Monday, due to a lag in reporting.

• PANORAMA 'LIVERPOOL: FIGHTING COVID': "Living under tier three rules just isn't possible"
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2020-11-24 01:51:00Z
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SNP's Blackford forced to delete tweet as he's accused of 'stoking anti-English sentiment' - Express

The SNP Westminster leader had to issue an apology and delete a tweet after sparking outrage with his unsubstantiated allegations. Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie accused Mr Blackford of stoking anti-English sentiment in Scotland with his ill-judged remarks and there was a ferocious backlash on Twitter.

The extraordinary row broke out when Mr Blackford took to social media to criticise photographer Ollie Taylor who had posted a stunning image of the northern lights he had taken from Caithness in the far north of Scotland.

Commenting on the picture, Mr Blackford said: "As you live in the south of England and travel to Scotland is only for permitted reasons I am sure there will be a valid reason as to why you are posting a photo from the north of Scotland last night?"

But he was forced to remove the tweet and issue an apology when it emerged Mr Taylor actually lived in Scotland after moving there to work on locations for a new photography book.

Mr Blackford said: "I will continue to stand up for my constituents who frequently raise these concerns with me but I recognise that it was wrong to query an individual on Twitter and I apologise to @OllieTPhoto for my earlier post, which I have deleted.

"As the local MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber I know my constituents feel very strongly about the breaking of travel restrictions that we see across the highlands and islands, which puts people's lives and our public services at risk."

But the original tweet was seized up by critics of Mr Blackford and the SNP.

READ MORE: SNP's Blackford sparks backlash for 'right-wingers' ignoring science

Mr Rennie said: “Ian Blackford should apologise immediately for this blundering tweet which accused a private citizen of breaking the travel restrictions when he had no evidence of him doing so.

“Blackford, a senior politician, has picked on him and bullied him because he thinks he's English.

“Other people on Twitter have shown that Blackford is wrong to accuse this private citizen.

“Ian Blackford has form for his remarks about people from England who happen to be in Scotland.

"This behaviour could only add to the problems of anti-English sentiment in Scotland.

"I have warned that this must be condemned but Ian Blackford is only making it worse."

Another said: "Would Mr Blackford fall foul of Humza Yusaf's hate Bill? A public figure creating hostility towards someone for political gain?"

And another tweeted: "Oh dear, Ian Blackford has chosen to delete his malevolent and aggressive threat to a normal law abiding bloke living his life.

"2020 sees our elected representatives totally overstep the mark!"

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2020-11-24 00:00:00Z
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England lockdown to end but with strict new rules for more areas - BBC News - BBC News

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1. England lockdown to end but with strict new rules for more areas - BBC News  BBC News
2. Covid-19: PM sets out 'tougher' post-lockdown tiers for England  BBC News
3. Boris Johnson says Christmas is season 'to be jolly' but we must 'be jolly careful'  The Sun
4. The Tory lockdown revolt shows Boris Johnson’s struggles will not end easily  The Independent
5. Hard-pressed businesses deserve better than the continued punishment of Covid restrictions  Telegraph.co.uk
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-11-23 22:26:47Z
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COVID-19: Boris Johnson suggests 'vast majority' of vulnerable people could get COVID vaccine by Easter - Sky News

Boris Johnson has suggested the "vast majority" of people most vulnerable to coronavirus could be vaccinated against the disease by Easter.

The prime minister, speaking at a Downing Street news conference, said this "would make a very substantial change" to how the UK is able to manage COVID-19.

With Oxford University's vaccine shown to be up to 90% effective, Mr Johnson said the roll-out of the jab "at a good lick" - perhaps in combination with two other vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna - should see the UK inoculate "the vast majority of people who need the most protection by Easter".

Image: Boris Johnson hailed the news of the Oxford vaccine's up to 90% efficacy

"That would make a very substantial change to where we are at the moment," he added.

"I don't want to give any more hostages to fortune than that, but that's the best information we have."

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Mr Johnson said there would be "no compulsory vaccination", but branded the "propaganda" of anti-vaccination campaigners as "wrong" and urged everyone to get a vaccine "as soon as it is available".

He also said the UK is "not out of the woods yet" and warned the coming months "will be hard, they will be cold, they include January and February when the NHS is under its greatest pressure".

More from Covid-19

The prime minister vowed to "continue to bear down hard" on COVID and said now was "not the moment to let the virus rip for the sake of Christmas parties".

"'Tis the season to be jolly, but 'tis also the season to be jolly careful," Mr Johnson added.

The prime minister, following talks with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is expected to set out how families might be able to gather over the festive period later this week.

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'Tis the season to be jolly careful,' PM says

Earlier on Monday, Mr Johnson had told the House of Commons how a new "tougher" three-tiered system of restrictions - to be put in place until the end of March - would replace England's current national lockdown from 2 December.

At the news conference, the prime minister said the new tiering system - in combination with testing and the roll-out of vaccines - would "squeeze the virus in the weeks and months ahead".

"I really am now assured things really will look and feel very different indeed after Easter," he added.

England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, also offered hope of more normality in people's lives after the winter months.

"Science and also the seasons, when we get through to spring, will help to de-risk this infection steadily, step-by-step," he told the news conference.

"And we'll be able to pull back from these really oppressive things we have to do socially and economically to keep it under control at the moment.

"The virus will not disappear, but it will become less and less risky for society."

Prof Whitty added coronavirus "may still cause problems, particularly in the winter months" but suggested there would no longer be a need for the strictest measures from next spring.

Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said there was a "hint" in the data that his group's vaccine could help reduce the amount of asymptomatic infection.

"That may mean that there could be fewer people in the population who are spreaders," he said.

"And that starts to stop the virus in its tracks, if we can get there."

Prof Pollard admitted there was a "possibility" the virus could mutate, with surveillance in place around the world to monitor such a development.

He said it could be "relatively quick" to adapt vaccines to combat a mutation, but added it would be up to regulators to decide whether updated jabs would have to go through a full trial process once more.

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2020-11-23 20:48:45Z
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Pubs and bars in tough Tier 3 measures can only open for delivery and takeaway, says Boris Johnson - Evening Standard

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1. Pubs and bars in tough Tier 3 measures can only open for delivery and takeaway, says Boris Johnson  Evening Standard
2. Boris Johnson sets out new three-tier system of Covid restrictions for England  The Guardian
3. Boris Johnson announces new rules for each lockdown tier  The Telegraph
4. The Tory lockdown revolt shows Boris Johnson’s struggles will not end easily  The Independent
5. Editorial: Boris Johnson can't afford to repeat previous lockdown mistakes  The Independent
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2020-11-23 18:12:52Z
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