Babak Belurs

Minggu, 16 Mei 2021

EU to back reopening of borders to British tourists, says Lisbon - Financial Times

Portugal expects the EU to follow its example this week by recommending that the other 26 member states reopen their borders to British tourists.

Rita Marques, Portugal’s secretary of state for tourism, said Lisbon was confident the EU would change its current advice that EU countries allow only essential travel from the UK, giving Europe the green light to welcome back British holidaymakers.

According to Marques, the Council of EU member states is expected to add the UK to the list of third countries approved for non-essential travel to the EU later this week.

“We know that the commission is going to reassess the concrete situation of the UK and, in principle, according to the information we have, this revision [of the EU’s travel recommendations] will be favourable to the UK,” Marques told the Financial Times.

The European Commission proposed on May 3 that member states ease the restrictions on non-essential travel from third countries to take into account the progress of vaccination campaigns and other epidemiological developments worldwide.

Portugal will welcome tourists from the UK and some EU countries from midnight on Sunday, provided Covid-19 infection rates in their countries are lower than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Passengers will also have to show a negative PCR test made within 72 hours before departure

Marques said the anticipated addition of the UK to the list of third countries greenlighted for non-essential travel to the EU, meant Portugal was only slightly ahead of the rest of the bloc in opening up to British visitors.

Portugal has used its rotating presidency of the EU Council, which ends next month, to push for the creation of a “green digital certificate”. This would enable people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or otherwise immune to travel freely within the bloc.

Marques is confident the certificate will be ready by June. “Our aim is to abandon country-to-country travel regulations and move to a system where the rules are based on the epidemiological situation of the individual person,” she said.

Lisbon’s announcement on UK visitors on Friday ended uncertainty for airlines and travel companies over whether Portugal would open its borders in time for British holidaymakers to take advantage of decisions by the governments in England, Wales and Scotland to allow international travel to resume from Monday.

Marques, however, said the uncertainty had resulted from a misconception. Portugal reviews its Covid-19 travel regulations every 15 days and was only scheduled to announce its decision on Sunday. “We decided to bring the announcement forward to avoid any misunderstanding, but there was never any uncertainty in Portugal,” she said.

Portugal is a popular destination for UK holidaymakers and the only EU country on England’s “green list” of 12 destinations for which a 10-day quarantine rule for returning visitors has been lifted.

Video: How the tourism industry can recover post pandemic

This has led to a surge in demand. Jet2, the online travel agency and airline, said bookings to Faro, the airport for Portugal’s southern Algarve coast, and Madeira increased 600 per cent in the 24 hours after the green list announcement.

Marques said 30 flights from the UK were scheduled to land in Portugal on Monday alone, most of them in Faro. Allowing in holidaymakers from the UK, Portugal’s biggest tourism market, she said, would help the sector recover from last year’s collapse, when the number of overnight tourist stays fell back to the level of 1994.

Portugal is among the EU economies most dependent on tourism, which accounts for about 17 per cent national output and 19 per cent of jobs. “We don’t expect to return to the tourism numbers of 2019, which was a record year, before 2023,” Marques said. “But we hope to do better this year than in 2020.”

Commission recommendations on Covid-19 travel regulations are largely followed by member states, but are not legally binding. Germany on Friday designated the UK a risk area for coronavirus, citing the emergence of the B.1.617 variant of the virus first detected in India. Anyone entering Germany from such areas must show a negative test result or go into quarantine.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiP2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZ0LmNvbS9jb250ZW50Lzk0OTkxNzA2LWMyNTItNGI3Ny05MDQ3LTk0MzI1MWZiZTcwMtIBP2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmZ0LmNvbS9jb250ZW50Lzk0OTkxNzA2LWMyNTItNGI3Ny05MDQ3LTk0MzI1MWZiZTcwMg?oc=5

2021-05-16 18:18:45Z
52781591178872

Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer condemn 'shameful' anti-Semitism in video - BBC News

A grab from the video filmed and shared on social media, it shows two cars parked at traffic lights with Palestinian flags

Boris Johnson has condemned the "shameful racism" aimed at British Jews, after a video appeared to show people shouting anti-Semitic abuse.

Police in London said they had identified the car seen in the video and were trying to find the occupants.

The person who filmed the video told the BBC they cried after witnessing the scene, adding: "I don't feel safe."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the incident was "utterly disgusting", adding: "There must be consequences".

It comes amid rising tension between Israel and Palestinians in the Middle East, culminating in the worst violence since 2014.

'I felt frightened'

On Sunday, a video was posted on social media appearing to show a convoy of cars with Palestinian flags driving down a street, with a man shouting anti-Semitic abuse from a megaphone.

The person who filmed the video - who wanted to remain anonymous - said they started filming when they heard "excessive hooting" outside their window in north London.

"They happened to stop at a set of traffic lights and I was able to capture what happened.

"I cried. How is this the world we live in today?"

They added: "I felt immediately frightened and appalled that this is happening in this country. What if I was walking alone wearing something that identified me as Jewish? What might have happened?

"I don't feel safe in my own home, and that's what terrifies me."

The Metropolitan Police said it had identified the vehicle and were making enquiries to locate the occupants.

It said the video appeared to be filmed in the St John's Wood area. St John's Wood is an area in north London home to a Jewish community.

"Officers are carrying out urgent enquiries to identify those responsible," said the police. "This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated."

'Inexcusable'

The prime minister was among many politicians to condemn the video on social media.

"There is no place for anti-Semitism in our society," Mr Johnson tweeted. "Ahead of Shavuot, I stand with Britain's Jews who should not have to endure the type of shameful racism we have seen today."

Shavuot is a Jewish festival beginning on Sunday that celebrates when the children of Israel received the Ten Commandments.

Sir Keir said: "Utterly disgusting. Anti-Semitism, misogyny and hate have no place on our streets or in our society. There must be consequences."

Mike Freer, the local MP for Finchley and Golders Green, said: "The scenes I've witnessed in my constituency today have left me sick to my stomach."

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the police had his "full backing" for their zero-tolerance approach, and Londoners could expect to see "high visibility police patrols".

"Hate crimes are inexcusable and have no place in our city," he said.

On Saturday, thousands of people protested through London in support of the Palestinians.

The organisers of the protest called on the UK government to step in and "stop allowing Israel's brutal violence against and oppression of the Palestinian people to go unpunished".

DESERT ISLAND DISCS: What music would Billie Piper take with her to a desert island?
EMILIA CLARKE'S LOCKDOWN DISCOVERY: The Mother of Dragons discusses the book that changed her life

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01NzEzNzE1MdIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01NzEzNzE1MS5hbXA?oc=5

2021-05-16 18:18:00Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01NzEzNzE1MdIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay01NzEzNzE1MS5hbXA

Covid in Scotland: Glasgow level 3 restrictions could be extended - BBC News

Glasgow may have to remain under level three Covid restrictions for longer than a week, Scotland's national clinical director has warned.

Prof Jason Leitch said the situation remained "fragile" as case rates continue to climb.

The latest seven-day average per 100,000 population in the city is 94.5 cases, well above the level two benchmark of 50 cases.

East Renfrewshire has seen its case rate jump to 75.4, overtaking Moray.

Glasgow and Moray are the only local authority areas due to remain in level three on Monday, as the rest of mainland Scotland, including East Renfrewshire, go down to level two, and some islands to level one.

The outbreak in Moray appears to have stabilised, with the case rate falling for the fourth consecutive day to 58.4 per 100,000 population in the latest published figures.

In East Renfrewshire, however, the rate is climbing steeply with 72 positive cases over the past seven days.

There is evidence the Glasgow surge is being driven by the so-called Indian variant, unlike in Moray where it is thought to be much less of a factor.

Why is the Indian variant causing so much concern?

Last Tuesday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said all mainland areas with the possible exception of Moray were expected to move to level two rules which allow different households to meet up indoors, and pubs and restaurants to serve alcohol indoors.

But on Friday she announced that the move to level two would be delayed by a week for both Moray and Glasgow after cases rose rapidly, particularly in the south of the city.

Prof Leitch told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show "it may well be" that Glasgow would have to remain in level three for longer than an extra week.

He added: "We'll give the best advice we can on this - we've met all weekend, we'll meet next week.

"Glasgow are doing an enormous amount of work. The leaders of the public health response in Glasgow are testing everywhere.

"If you haven't had a test and you're in Glasgow, you should do it."

Vaccination drive

Lateral flow test kits are available free on the NHS, and everyone in Scotland - but particularly in Glasgow - is being urged to take them twice a week regardless of whether they have symptoms, Prof Leitch said.

On vaccination, he said text messages were going out to younger age groups in the worst-affected Glasgow postcodes, inviting them to be vaccinated.

Prof Leitch said work was ongoing to identify those who did not previously come forward for their first dose, and he also urged people to take up offers of the second dose.

However, he said the success of the vaccination programme meant there was no evidence yet that the upturn in cases would lead to significant increases in deaths or pressures on the NHS.

"We're keeping Glasgow at three. We're not locking Glasgow down. The beer gardens can still open, you can still meet outdoors," he said.

While a case rate of 50 cases per 100,000 population is a key benchmark for deciding if an area can move to level two, other factors such as the ability of the local health service to cope are also considered.

On Sunday another 292 cases of Covid-19 reported across the whole of Scotland, with 2% of tests coming back positive, the highest percentage since 19 April.

Earlier, the Westminster health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the experience of Bolton, which has also seen a surge in the Indian variant, was that it was mainly spreading among younger people who had not had a vaccine jab.

He said that while this variant appeared to me more transmissible and was likely to become the dominant UK strain, he was "confident" that existing vaccines offered protection.

In Bolton, he said he was aware of five people in hospital despite having had one dose of the vaccine and one "frail" person who had received two doses - but he said the "vast majority" were people who had not received any vaccine.

Banner image reading 'more about coronavirus'

RULES: What are the restrictions in your area?
LOCKDOWN: Six months that changed our lives
CASES: Where are the latest cases in Scotland?
VACCINE: When will Scots be vaccinated against Covid?
WHO? The people who have died with Covid-19

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiPGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLXNjb3RsYW5kLWdsYXNnb3ctd2VzdC01NzEzNDIzMtIBQGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLXNjb3RsYW5kLWdsYXNnb3ctd2VzdC01NzEzNDIzMi5hbXA?oc=5

2021-05-16 15:51:11Z
52781595752870

PM condemns 'shameful racism' as police probe video of 'antisemitic abuse' shouted from convoy in north London - Sky News

Boris Johnson has condemned "shameful racism" as police investigate footage appearing to show antisemitic abuse being shouted from a convoy of cars in north London.

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are carrying out urgent inquiries after the posting of a video on social media.

Officers have identified the vehicle involved and are trying locate the occupants, police said on Sunday evening.

"We are aware of a video appearing to show antisemitic language being shouted from a convoy of cars in the St John's Wood area this afternoon," the force said.

"Officers are carrying out urgent enquiries to identify those responsible. This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated."

The prime minister has also criticised the abuse of Jewish people ahead of a two-day religious holiday.

"There is no place for antisemitism in our society," Mr Johnson posted on Twitter.

"Ahead of Shavuot, I stand with Britain's Jews who should not have to endure the type of shameful racism we have seen today."

A video posted on social media shows a group of cars decorated with the Palestinian flag pulling up at traffic lights.

As the group of cars arrive in the video, one person with a megaphone appears to be shouting abuse.

The events in the footage are described as having taken place on north London's Finchley Road.

Commenting on the video, Labour's Naz Shah - shadow minister for community cohesion - said: "This is appalling vile antisemitic & misogynistic abuse, they need to be found, arrested and charged, they do not represent those campaigning for the rights of the Palestinians."

The Met Police investigation into the footage comes amid continuing violence in Gaza, which has seen 181 people killed including 52 children and 31 women.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: "Whatever your view of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, there is no justification for inciting anti-Jewish or anti-Muslim hatred.

"The incidents of antisemitism we have seen in recent days have been shameful.

"Some of the language used on marches this weekend and in posts on social media is intimidating, criminal and racist.

"We must not tolerate this vile, shameful hate in our country. These actions must stop."

Listen and follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the antisemitic video as "utterly disgusting".

He tweeted: "Antisemitism, misogyny and hate have no place on our streets or in our society. There must be consequences."

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMijgFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9wbS1jb25kZW1ucy1zaGFtZWZ1bC1yYWNpc20tYXMtcG9saWNlLXByb2JlLXZpZGVvLW9mLWFudGlzZW1pdGljLWFidXNlLXNob3V0ZWQtZnJvbS1jb252b3ktaW4tbm9ydGgtbG9uZG9uLTEyMzA4MzUz0gGSAWh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2FtcC9wbS1jb25kZW1ucy1zaGFtZWZ1bC1yYWNpc20tYXMtcG9saWNlLXByb2JlLXZpZGVvLW9mLWFudGlzZW1pdGljLWFidXNlLXNob3V0ZWQtZnJvbS1jb252b3ktaW4tbm9ydGgtbG9uZG9uLTEyMzA4MzUz?oc=5

2021-05-16 15:45:00Z
52781600118951

PM condemns 'shameful racism' as police probe video of 'antisemitic abuse' shouted from convoy in north London - Sky News