UK govt orders three-week lockdown to tackle virus

LONDON, United Kingdom — Britain on Monday ordered a three-week lockdown to tackle the spread of coronavirus, shutting "non-essential" shops and services, and banning gatherings of more than two people.

"Stay at home," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a televised address to the nation, as he unveiled unprecedented peacetime measures after the country's death toll climbed to 335.


The announcement came after outrage in government that recommendations about reducing social contact to minimise close-contact transmission of the virus were being ignored.

Crowds of people were seen enjoying weekend spring sunshine in parks and countryside across the country, prompting calls for tougher action to be imposed.

"From this evening (Monday) I must give the British people a very simple instruction — you must stay at home," Johnson said.

"Because the critical thing we must do is stop the disease spreading between households."

Under the new measures, Johnson said going out to shop for basic necessities was still allowed, as was exercise, medical needs, and travel to and from work.

But shops selling items such as clothes or electronics as well as libraries, playgrounds and places of worship would be shut, with the ban also extending to weddings and baptisms but not funerals.

Parks will remain open but Johnson warned: "If you don't follow the rules the police will have the powers to enforce them, including through fines and dispersing gatherings."

He called the pandemic "the biggest threat this country has faced for decades" and said the already overstretched state-run National Health Service (NHS) would be unable to cope if the pace of transmission continues.

"I urge you at this moment of national emergency to stay at home, protect our NHS and save lives," he said.

The restrictions will be "under constant review", he added.

"We will look again in three weeks, and relax them if the evidence shows we are able to," he said. 

"But at present there are just no easy options. The way ahead is hard, and it is still true that many lives will sadly be lost."

'War-footing'

Britain recorded its first death in the outbreak on March 5 but has been criticised for its light-touch approach to containing the spread compared to more stringent measures elsewhere.

Latest figures show Britain now has 6,650 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with warnings the virus is taking hold quicker than in Italy at the same point.

Italy has suffered the most coronavirus deaths worldwide, with 6,077 fatalities out of 63,927 declared infections.

Johnson had previously resisted mounting public concern that hand-washing was not enough to reduce the impact of COVID-19.

As the numbers of cases and deaths climbed, employees were laid off, and sporting and other events cancelled, he moved to try to limit the social and economic fall-out.

The Bank of England slashed interest rates to record lows, while finance minister Rishi Sunak unveiled a series of multi-billion-pound packages to help those affected.

Notably, the government has stepped in to back up employee wages up to 80 percent, give tax holidays to businesses and boost welfare payments.

But Johnson was forced to go further, and put the government on what he said was a war footing, after dire warnings from scientists that its social distancing strategy was not working.

The government's chief scientific adviser has said it was a "reasonable" estimate that 55,000 people now have the virus in Britain.

'Turn the tide'

The prime minister has promised to "turn the tide" of the outbreak within 12 weeks, urging individuals displaying symptoms to stay at home for seven days.

Schools have been closed, as have pubs, bars, nightclubs, theatres, cafes, and leisure centres, and mass gatherings have been banned.

Foreign minister Dominic Raab on Monday told British travellers overseas to return home "while you still can".

Last week, the elderly and people with underlying serious health conditions were told to self-isolate for 12 weeks.

Meanwhile, continued stockpiling that has stripped supermarket shelves prompted a fresh warning about panic-buying.

Agence France-Presse

Facebook to boost site safety with 1,000 more UK staff

Facebook on Tuesday said it plans to create 1,000 more London-based jobs this year to improve safety on the social network with the aid of artificial intelligence.

The announcement came as Facebook’s head of global affairs and communications Nick Clegg, a former United Kingdom deputy prime minister, again urged action on setting new rules for the internet.


“Last spring, Facebook’s chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg outlined four areas where he believes smart regulation can make a real difference: harmful content, election integrity, privacy and data portability,” Clegg said in a speech delivered in Rome.

“In these areas and others we are keen to engage constructively with policymakers. We have not only long accepted the need for new regulation, we are impatient to get going.”

And in a message directed at European policymakers, Clegg added: “Everyone agrees the internet needs new rules. We want them, just as you do. So let’s get to work.”

Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg meanwhile noted that increasing the company’s London workforce by around one third would help to “address the challenges of an open internet and develop artificial intelligence to find and remove harmful content more quickly.

“They will also help us build the tools that help small businesses grow, compete with larger companies and create new jobs,” she added.

Facebook said that it was increasing the number of staff at its largest engineering hub outside the United States to more than 4,000.

“The U.K. is a world leader in both innovation and creativity. That’s why I’m excited that we plan to hire an additional 1,000 people in London this year alone,” Sandberg said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the move, saying that “the U.K. is successfully creating both homegrown firms at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, whilst attracting established global tech giants like Facebook.” RGA

source: technology.inquirer.net

Demonstrators mock Donald Trump; protest his visit to the UK

LONDON — Thousands crammed the streets of central London on Friday to vent their anger over Donald Trump’s first official visit to Britain, blowing horns, waving banners and hoisting a bright orange effigy of the U.S. president on their shoulders

Filing past palaces of high-end commerce — Apple, Burberry, Brooks Brothers — marchers criticized Trump’s policies on immigration, climate change and torture, as well as his treatment of women. Some carried more than one sign, unable to choose which policy they hated the most.

The Rev. Nigel Sinclair, a 53-year-old Church of England preacher, came in what he called his Sunday vicar’s outfit, carrying a sign that showed how Trump’s ideas differ from those of Jesus Christ. Susie Mazur, 29, from Salisbury in southwestern England, crocheted a Donald Trump pin-cushion and wore it on her head, winning praise from fellow protesters.


“People coming here nowadays feel very hopeless about what is happening. They don’t like what is happening in the U.K., in America, across the world — there are so many problems,” Mazur said. “Everyone has the same goal. What they want is to stop hate, basically.”

As Trump met with Prime Minister Theresa May at her country retreat outside the city, the protesters gathered outside embassies, offices and homes carrying signs that read, “Human rights have no border,” and “Mother Earth unites us,” before marching past the shops of Regent’s Street on their way to Piccadilly Circus and finally Trafalgar Square, which the city calls a “center of national democracy and protest.”

Not everyone was protesting against Trump, however.

Augustine Chukwuma Obodo, who wore a “Make America Great Again!” hat and a “Trump for President in 2020” shirt, said he wanted to make clear that not everyone found the protests amusing. Obodo, a Nigerian living in London, said he wanted to add his voice to those who are quieter, but believe Trump is doing a good job on issues such as pushing NATO members to increase their defense spending.

“America is not a cash point,” he said.

The day began with a giant balloon that caricatured Trump as a screaming orange baby flying outside the Houses of Parliament. The diaper-clad infant, with a quiff of hair and a mobile phone for tweeting, was the centerpiece of demonstrations.

“Depicting Trump as a baby is a great way of targeting his fragile ego, and mocking him is our main motivation,” said Matthew Bonner, one of the organizers of the balloon flight. “He doesn’t seem to be affected by the moral outrage that comes from his behavior and his policies. You can’t reason with him, but you can ridicule him.”

Hundreds crammed Parliament Square to take in the spectacle. Deborah Burns, 43, of Newcastle in northern England, brought along her 10-year old daughter, Monica Siddique.

“I think it’s a good way to stop Trump from being mean to the rest of the world,” Monica said of the balloon. “He says, ‘Oh, this is a free world.’ But then he goes and builds walls. … He acts like a baby.”

Some Americans living in London came to see the balloon, wearing the Stars and Stripes draped over their shoulders. Other spectators just came to take pictures as the balloon floated overhead for two hours.

“It’s a very British way of protesting — we don’t like to throw stones,” said Phil Chapman, 59, of Hayfield, a village in Derbyshire. “It’s far easier to protest in a pleasant way. If you can do that with humor, you will get more attention.”

Trump criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who refused to prevent the balloon from flying, in an interview published Friday.

“I think he has not been hospitable to a government that is very important,” Trump told Britain’s Sun newspaper. “Now, he might not like the current president, but I represent the United States. I also represent a lot of people in Europe, because a lot of people from Europe are in the United States.”

Khan, who has been a target of Trump’s ire before, said his job was to make sure the protests were peaceful, not to be a censor or the “arbiter of good taste.”

“The idea that I would stop a blimp or a balloon flying over London because it may cause offense, and thereby curtail the rights people have to protest when it’s not unsafe, it’s not un-peaceful, I think people would find a bit astonishing,” Khan told the BBC.

Anger over Trump’s visit has been simmering ever since May invited the president for a state visit just a week after his inauguration last year. The event, which would normally include glittering horse-drawn carriages and a state dinner hosted by the monarch, morphed into a two-day “working visit” with much less pomp and circumstance amid concern about security and crowds in central London.


Trump avoided the protests by largely staying away from the capital. After a black-tie dinner 60 miles (100 kilometers) outside London, he spent Thursday night at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Regents Park, then flew by helicopter to May’s country retreat, Chequers, for his meeting with the prime minister, followed by another flight to Windsor Palace for tea with Queen Elizabeth II.

He then headed for Scotland, where he was to spend the weekend at one of his private golf clubs.

Ahead of Trump’s arrival, hundreds of people gathered in Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, to protest the U.S. president’s U.K. visit.

Among them was Emily Bryce, who proudly carried a homemade banner written in Gaelic, in recognition of Trump’s Highland roots. “Donald Trump, son of the devil,” it read.

“It’s a disgrace that Theresa May has allowed Trump to visit the U.K. and to meet the queen,” the 67-year-old Bryce said.

A march in support of Trump was planned for Saturday in London, starting at the U.S. Embassy on the south bank of the River Thames and ending near the prime minister’s residence at Downing Street. But on Friday, the crowds belonged to those who oppose his policies.

Placards reading “Dump Trump,” and “Can’t comb over sexism,” were raised high by the boisterous crowds in the capital.

Phil Bond, 65, a musician, said he knew it was unlikely that the demonstrations will make any difference to Trump, but he believes people in the United States will notice.

“If enough people come out, it might make a difference,” he said.  /muf

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Taylor Swift now dating British star Joe Alwyn—report

Amid reports of several breakups of Hollywood couples, Taylor Swift has found new love in a dashing British actor.

According to The Sun, the pop star and  26-year-old Joe Alwyn have been lovey-dovey for the past several months. To bypass unruly paparazzi spies, Swift, who has rented a place near her beau’s home in London, wears hats and wigs while walking with him.

“Taylor and Joe are the real deal, this is a very serious relationship,” one insider told the news site. “But after what happened with Tom Hiddleston (Swift’s ex-boyfriend), they were determined to keep it quiet.”

Aside from maintaining her romance with Alwyn under wraps, Swift flies on private jets whenever she travels, a lesson she learned with Tom Hiddleston last year. “Taylor has flown in via private jets and her security has made it a military-like mission to prevent her from being seen,” the source divulged.

Although not as famous as his new flame, Alwyn appeared in “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” and is in the forthcoming movie “The Favorite” alongside Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.

Despite mounting international stardom for her chart-topping songs, Swift, 27, has dated several men and broke up with them. Aside from Hiddleston, Swift shared a “love story” with Calvin Harris, Harry Styles, Joe Jonas and Conor Kennedy.

For the meantime, Swifties (Swift’s fans) could only hope that her new affair will not lead to another breakup song soon.  Gianna Francesca Catolico /ra

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Quiet battle for the sound of silence in UK shops

LONDON, United Kingdom — Nigel Rodgers is in hell. A campaigner against piped music for decades, he stands in a shoe shop on London’s Oxford Street which is blaring out loud pop music, wincing visibly.

“It’s just as bad as passive smoking,” said the 63-year-old, sporting a blue blazer with a red handkerchief in the top pocket and eagerly eyeing the exit.

“It really is enough to drive most people bonkers if they have got any sensitivity at all.”

Rodgers has campaigned against the canned music which is common in British shops and other public spaces for 24 years but his group Pipedown recently scored its biggest success yet.

One of the country’s top department stores, Marks and Spencer, said it would stop playing music after a letter writing campaign by hundreds of Pipedown’s 2,000 members.

Now the group hopes to persuade other major retailers to follow suit as sister organisations take off around the world, including in Germany and the United States.

Rodgers is far more comfortable sipping a cup of tea in the relative calm of the Marks and Spencer cafe a few doors down on London’s busiest shopping street.

Masking other noise?

Here, he gently explained how he believes the mechanization of society has turned up the volume on the modern world, causing health problems like hearing damage and raised blood pressure.

“We live in a continuously noisy environment,” he said. “We’re being artificially stimulated all the time in a way we’re not designed to.”

Rodgers, who also writes books on art history and philosophy, founded Pipedown aged 38 after becoming frustrated by piped music in a restaurant where he was dining with a girlfriend.

The group kept growing and, as well as letter writing campaigns, many supporters now go shopping armed with cards complaining — politely of course — about piped music which they hand to shop workers.

“It’s not just a matter of one or two neurotics — it’s a much bigger problem,” Rodgers said.

“Attitudes can change very fast — I’m hoping the M and S decision may mark a tipping point,” he added, blinking slightly as plates clattered in the background.

By contrast, industry figures argue piped music can make shops a more, not less, pleasant environment to be in.

Adrian England of PEL Services, which provides music for a string of big name British retailers, said silence makes some people uncomfortable.

“If there’s no music, you’ll hear arguments, noisy children — all sorts of noise which is present but you don’t hear because music masks it,” he told AFP.

England said shops like to play a mix of two or three musical genres to appeal to their customers, varying the tempo throughout the day — mellow in the mornings, energetic in the evenings.

The biggest sign of success can be if shoppers do not even realize the music is there, he said.

“There certainly is a paradox. If you’re doing it well then the customers won’t notice — they won’t compliment you, they just won’t complain,” England added.

‘Helps me buy quicker’

Professor Adrian North of Australia’s Curtin University researches the impact of music on consumer behavior and believes few businesses are using it properly to communicate with customers.

Studies he has worked on suggest that playing the “right” kind of music in commercial environments could boost sales by as much as 20 percent.

The wrong music “would usually have effects that were worse than playing no music at all.”

Back on Oxford Street, thronged with tourists visiting London over the summer holiday period, shoppers were split on whether they loved or loathed loud music in shops.

“It takes a lot more energy walking into this kind of store — I tend to avoid them,” said Martin Persson, a 34-year-old visiting from Sweden, outside the shoe shop which Rodgers found so noisy.

But Zyad al-Shoeeb, a 22-year-old from Saudi Arabia, loved what for him was the novelty of thumping beats as he picked out his latest designer footwear.

“The music fits with the shoes — it helps me buy quicker,” he added./rga

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Britain’s EU workers gripped by fear, confusion, heartache

LONDON — A tsunami of uncertainty has engulfed Anna Woydyla, a Polish restaurant worker in London, since Britain voted to leave the European Union.

Would her two teenage children, who grew up in the United Kingdom, still qualify for loans to study at British universities? Would she and her husband, after 11 years of working here, have to sell the home they just bought? Leave their jobs? Leave their new country? Try to apply for citizenship?

The 41-year-old is among hundreds of thousands of European Union workers in Britain who are fearful and confused over what happens next as their adoptive country begins the long process of unwinding its many ties to continental Europe.

“If it were just me, I could even return to Poland,” a visibly tense Woydyla said as she stocked a bar in an Italian restaurant in London’s Camden district. “But my kids are more English than Polish. They don’t even want to go to Poland for their holidays anymore. They even speak to each other in English.”

An entire class of cosmopolitan entrepreneurs, workers, students and strivers who have made the U.K. their home since Britain opened its borders to its EU neighbors now see their futures in limbo. The immigrants changed the face of Britain, turning London’s Kensington neighborhood into a suburb of Paris, changing sleepy English towns like Boston into Baltic enclaves, filling supermarket shelves across the nation with Polish lager and Wiejska sausage.

“I personally cannot tell what’s going to change for me,” said Andrea Cordaro, a 21-year-old Italian student who compared the shock of hearing the referendum’s result to the punch-in-the-gut feeling of flunking an exam. “I’ll just have to keep my head up and hope for the best.”

Laurence Borel, a 36-year-old digital marketing consultant from France, isn’t waiting to find out what’s coming next. She asked for her British passport in May after more than 15 years living in the country.

“I’ll bet a lot of people are applying,” she said, explaining that she’d been mulling the idea of a passport for years but the referendum prompted her to act.

“I don’t want to go back to France,” she said. “My life is here.”

At workplaces and schools across the country, managers have sent out emails to worried foreign staffers and students, assuring them that — for now — nothing has changed.

“The formal process for leaving the European Union will take at least two years,” Oxford University said in one such statement. “Our staff and students can be assured that in the short term, we anticipate no disruption to employment or study.”

Over the long term though, the lives of the estimated 3 million EU citizens living in Britain may change in ways big and small. A survey commissioned by the Financial Times found that if Britain’s current immigration rules were applied to EU nationals, the overwhelming majority would lose their jobs and be forced to leave the country — catastrophic news for Spanish barristas, Romanian strawberry pickers, German investment bankers and the industries that rely on them.

The biggest impact may be on the Poles, the largest group of foreign EU workers in the U.K. An estimated 850,000 people from Poland are now in the U.K., seeking wages and opportunities far beyond what they could ever expect in their ex-communist homeland, a flow so dramatic that Polish is now England’s second-most-spoken language.

The fate of the Poles in Britain is such an important domestic issue in Poland that President Andrzej Duda vowed after the British referendum that Polish leaders will “do everything to keep the rights unchanged” in upcoming negotiations with British leaders.

“I trust that the British government will appreciate the contribution the Poles are bringing into the development of the British Islands, into their social and cultural life,” Duda said.

Under British law, EU immigrants who have resided in the U.K. for more than five years can apply for permanent residency. In practice, however, few EU citizens have bothered as their passports already allow them to travel freely and easily access education, health care, pensions and other services in Britain.

The Polish Institute of International Affairs, a Warsaw-based think tank, has estimated that still leaves up to 400,000 Poles who arrived in Britain after 2012. Though the path forward is still unclear, it’s possible that they — along with hundreds of thousands more from elsewhere in Europe — may have to apply for work visas and, if rejected, have to leave the country.

Aware of the EU workers’ anxiety, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who had backed the failed “remain” side, issued a special message Friday to the nearly one million European citizens living in London alone.

“As a city, we are grateful for the enormous contribution you make, and that will not change as a result of this referendum,” he said. “You are very welcome here.”

To be sure, not all European workers in Britain are panicking or fearful.

“I feel good. Leaving the EU is a good idea,” said Gabriel Ionut, a 24-year-old from Bucharest, Romania, who works as a traffic marshal at a construction site in London. He has worked in the U.K. for four years and, with a residency permit, is confident about his chances of staying.

He says he fully understands native British concerns that their island has been forced to absorb too many immigrants in recent years, with too little control over who can come in due to the EU rules ensuring the free movement of people and labor.

“Now they will have more control over allowing in only the really good people,” he said. “And they will also be able stop more refugees from the Middle East. I am afraid there could be terrorists with them.”

Another Romanian construction worker said he was mostly confused. Iosif Achim, a 32-year-old from Satu Mare, Romania, has been in Britain for six years but never bothered to apply for a residency permit.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen now,” said Achim. “But in my opinion this is going to be bad.”

The concern was mirrored across the Channel by the estimated 1.2 million U.K. citizens living in Europe.

The referendum “shouldn’t affect me too much. But it could,” said Herman Martin, a British composer who has lived in Brussels for the past 24 years. Overall, he said, the British vote to leave the EU would be a disaster for both parties.

“I find it quite disturbing,” he said.

Everyone with foreign ties appears shaken.

“We’re all in shock and deeply saddened,” said Christine Ullmann, a German who works in digital marketing in London, including on the “Hug a Brit” campaign that pleaded with the British to remain in the EU. Ullmann said she cried on the train Friday morning.

Borel, the French consultant, agreed that emotions were still raw.

“I love London. I love the English. I’m heartbroken,” she said.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Diamond the size of a tennis ball could fetch $70 million

LONDON  — It’s a rock for the ages.

A 3-billion-year-old diamond the size of a tennis ball — the largest discovered in over a century — could sell for more than $70 million, auctioneer Sotheby’s said Wednesday.

The auction house plans to offer the Lesedi la Rona diamond in London on June 29.

The diamond was unearthed in November in Botswana at a mine owned by Canada’s Lucara Diamond Corporation. It measured 1,109 carats, the second-largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered. Its name means “our light” in the Tswana language of southern Africa.

The auctioneer said the rough gemstone “of exceptional transparency” could yield the largest top-quality diamond ever cut and polished.

David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s jewelry division, called the discovery “the find of a lifetime” and the auction unprecedented.

“Not only is the rough superlative in size and quality, but no rough even remotely of this scale has ever been offered before at public auction,” he said.

The largest diamond ever found was the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, unearthed in South Africa in 1905. It was cut into nine pieces that form part of the U.K. Crown Jewels.

The Lesedi la Rona could smash the record price for a diamond of $48.5 million, paid at a Geneva sale last year for the 12.03-carat polished “Blue Moon” diamond. Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau picked it up as a gift for his 7-year-old daughter. TVJ

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Mahrez named England’s Player of the Year

Leicester City’s Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez on Sunday became the first African player to be named English football’s Player of the Year, as voted for by his fellow professionals.

The 25-year-old French-born Algerian international, outstanding in Leicester’s incredible charge towards the Premier League title, received the trophy at a lavish awards ceremony in London.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli was named Young Player of the Year at the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) awards.

Paying tribute to his team-mates, Mahrez, who succeeds Chelsea’s Eden Hazard as the winner of the prize, told the ceremony: “All the credit is for them, seriously.

“And for my manager (Claudio Ranieri) and the staff. Without them I wouldn’t receive this award and I wouldn’t score. It’s the team spirit, and I want to dedicate it to them.

“I’m very grateful to receive this award, it’s a pleasure. It’s extra special because if the players vote for me it’s because they’ve seen I’ve been great this year so I’m happy.

“But it’s more team things. Without my team-mates I wouldn’t get this award.”

Mahrez is the first African to win the award and just the second non-European, after Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, then of Liverpool, in 2014.

A £400,000 ($580,000, 514,000 euro) signing from French Ligue 2 side Le Havre in January 2014, Mahrez has contributed 17 goals and 11 assists to help put Leicester on the brink of becoming English champions for the first time.

He had scored the opener in the Foxes’ 4-0 thrashing of Swansea City earlier in the day at the King Power Stadium, which left Claudio Ranieri’s side eight points clear of second-placed Tottenham with three games left to play.

– Giggs award -Mahrez was then flown by helicopter to the ceremony as he pipped club colleagues Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante as well as West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet, Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil to the award.

Alli, 20, held off competition from Kane, Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland, Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho and Everton duo Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley to take the young player gong.

Alli, who won Football League Young Player of the Year 12 months ago, joined Tottenham from third-tier Milton Keyes Dons in 2015 and was expected to be used sparingly in his first season at White Hart Lane.

However, he has been outstanding in midfield for Spurs and has already won six caps for England, scoring once.

He was not there to pick up his award in person as Tottenham play West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Monday, but recorded a video message.

“Sorry I can’t be there tonight, but we have a big game tomorrow. Thank you for to everyone who voted for me,” Alli said.

“I feel honoured to win such a prestigious award and thank you to my friends, family and all the staff at Tottenham.”

Manchester United great Ryan Giggs, now the assistant to manager Louis van Gaal, followed in the footsteps of his former manager Alex Ferguson by winning the PFA Merit Award.

Manchester City midfielder Izzy Christiansen won the PFA Women’s Player of the Year award, with Sunderland forward Beth Mead taking home the young player equivalent.

source: sports.inquirer.net

HSBC bank stays in London, snubbing Hong Kong

LONDON — Europe’s largest bank HSBC said Sunday it would remain headquartered in Britain, rejecting a move to Hong Kong, despite concerns about increased regulation in the UK and a possible split from the EU.

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation said London’s many advantages meant it was “ideally positioned” to provide a home base.

It made no reference to growing fears in Hong Kong that the city’s freedoms are being eroded by an increasingly influential Beijing, a trend observers say could damage its status as a freewheeling finance hub.

The bank began its review of where to put its headquarters in April last year, two weeks before a British general election, amid growing calls for a crackdown on a banking sector seen by many voters as feckless.

But after almost a year, during which it reportedly sought advice from former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, amongst others, the board unanimously decided to stay put.

“London is one of the world’s leading international financial centers and home to a large pool of highly skilled, international talent,” the bank said in a statement.

“It remains therefore ideally positioned to be the home base for a global financial institution such as HSBC.”

Investors cheered the decision, with the bank’s Hong Kong-listed stock rising more than three percent by the lunch break.

Bank chief executive Stuart Gulliver said the final choice had been between Britain and Hong Kong, although the review had also reportedly considered Germany and the United States.

The British government has pledged to hold a referendum on membership of the European Union, which supporters say is vital if London is to continue to thrive as a financial center for the continent.

In the run-up to HSBC’s decision, some had argued that a Britain outside the EU would be less attractive to big business.

Hong Kong ‘pivotal’
While the uncertainty may have counted against London, slowing growth in China — for which Hong Kong acts as an important gateway — has made the former British colony less attractive in recent months.

Hong Kong is semi-autonomous, with an agreement that its way of life — and freedoms unseen on the mainland — must be protected for 50 years.

But the recent disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers known for titles critical of Beijing has exacerbated worries that those freedoms are being eroded.

HSBC said that “Asia remains at the heart of the group’s strategy,” and that the bank would put particular emphasis on investing further in China’s Pearl River Delta and Southeast Asia, with Hong Kong playing a “pivotal” role.

A UK finance ministry spokeswoman said the decision was “a vote of confidence in the government’s economic plan and a boost to our goal of making the UK a great place to do more business with China and the rest of Asia”.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), a big business lobby, also welcomed the decision.

“We want to have truly global companies, major employers like HSBC, headquartered here,” she said.

The review “emphasizes the need for the UK to continuously stay competitive on regulation, tax and talent,” she added.

The Asia-focused bank’s review of its headquarters highlighted concern about government policy to ring fence British banks’ retail operations to protect them from their investment divisions.

The board had “asked management to commence work to look at where the best place is for HSBC to be headquartered” amid “regulatory and structural reforms”, HSBC chairman Douglas Flint had said in a statement.

HSBC has been based in Britain since 1992 when it took over Midland Bank and shifted its headquarters from Hong Kong to London.

It was founded in Hong Kong and Shanghai in 1865 and 48,000 of its 257,000 global staff are in Britain.

source: business.inquirer.net

LOOK: List of winners at the 2016 British Academy Film Awards

LONDON, United Kingdom — Winners of the 2016 British Academy Film Awards, presented Sunday:

Film — “The Revenant”

British Film — “Brooklyn”

Director — Alejando G. Inarritu, “The Revenant”

Actor — Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”

Actress — Brie Larson, “Room”

Supporting Actor — Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies”

Supporting Actress — Kate Winslet, “Steve Jobs”

Rising Star — John Boyega

British Debut — Director/producer Naji Abu Nowar and producer Rupert Lloyd, “Theeb”

Original Screenplay — “Spotlight”

Adapted Screenplay — “The Big Short”

Film Not in the English Language — “Wild Tales”

Music — Ennio Morricone, “The Hateful Eight”

Cinematography — Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Revenant”

Editing — “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Production Design — “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Costume Design — “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Sound — “The Revenant”

Visual Effects — “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

Makeup and Hair — “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Animated Feature — “Inside Out”

Short Film — “Operator”

Short Animation — “Edmond”

Documentary — “Amy”

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema — Angels Costumes

Academy Fellowship — Sidney Poitier

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Seconds out, and legs out, as London Fashion Week enters the ring

LONDON - Proving that manliness can come wrapped in a skirt, design duo Sibling on Saturday stamped their style on London Fashion Week with a bold collection inspired by boxing and 1980s pop culture.

Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" opened the show, held in the basement of the neo-Gothic Victoria House in the heart of the British capital, a fitting soundtrack to the British pair's punchy but light-hearted designs.

The catwalk became a ringwalk as male models paraded in thick woollen hoodies decorated with medals, inspired by boxers' robes.

Punchbags were fashioned into fabric travel bags while the hand-strapping worn by fighters and martial artists provided the inspiration for a set of mittens.



But pop stars as well as pugilists were a driving force behind the collection, with the dominant royal blue palette a tribute to an album cover by 1980s pop diva Grace Jones, Sibling designer Cozette McCreery told AFP.

"The other person that was a huge influence was [Jean-Michel] Basquiat," one of contemporary art's leading stars and graffiti pioneer who died in 1988, she added.

The designers encouraged men to shun fashion conventions, showcasing a range of skirts also embellished with medals.

"We like legs," said McCreery. "As a girl, I'd be very happy if lots of guys showed more leg."

Earlier in the day, Astrid Andersen presented a comfortable and modern wardrobe inspired by urban street-wear, using a variety of materials including quilted nylon, denim and tweed in a collection she said was "focussed on fabric."

The palette ranged from  grey to turquoise through to orange, and the young designer offered her own take on the male mitten, stretching all the way to the elbow.

Shows for the autumn-winter 2016 season began on Friday and will continue until Monday.

Men's Fashion Week will then up sticks and head for Milan and Paris before ending in New York.

Sales in men's fashion leapt by 22 percent in Britain to £13.5 billion ($19.6 billion, €18 billion) between 2009 to 2014, according to market researcher Mintel. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Nicole Kidman returns to London in tale of overlooked DNA scientist

Nicole Kidman, whose last appearance on stage in London was described by one reviewer as "pure theatrical Viagra", has captivated audiences again with her performance as the sidelined scientist who helped unlock the secret of DNA.

The Oscar-winning actor's portrait of Rosalind Franklin, who battles sexism in male-dominated 1950s Britain in Anna Ziegler's play "Photograph 51", opened to glowing reviews on Monday.

Kidman's return to the London stage had been eagerly awaited following her debut here 17 years ago in David Hare's "The Blue Room", a play about a chain of sexual encounters.

This time she is a very different character: the super-smart but prickly Rosalind Franklin, a chemist whose work in X-ray crystallography was crucial to understanding the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Her role in the landmark discovery of its double-helix structure never received the same recognition as Francis Crick, James Watson and Maurice Wilkins.

Franklin, whose X-ray image known as photograph 51 was pivotal to the breakthrough, died of ovarian cancer in 1958 at the age of 37. Ziegler's play helps move her from the margins of science history to center stage.

But it also confronts her demons, including an unwillingness to collaborate and a reluctance to entertain scientific theories, which meant she missed the significance of her own work. Her photograph provided the vital clue, but the theoreticians Crick and Watson had the imagination to solve the puzzle by building a hypothetical model of DNA.

Franklin comes across as a satisfyingly complex character, simultaneously a cold and unyielding colleague but also someone with real passion for her work who toils into the night in a basement laboratory at a bombed-out King's College London.

Kidman, 48, said she was apprehensive about returning to the stage, but the play resonated for her personally. Her father, Antony Kidman, was a biochemist who died almost exactly a year ago.

"That's very much a part of my desire to pay tribute to scientists of the world with this play," she said. "My memory as a child is science labs."

The play has been staged before in the United States, including in an off Broadway production in New York in 2010, but it is now being thrust into the limelight in the production directed by Michael Grandage, former artistic director of London's acclaimed Donmar Warehouse. -- Reuters

Ed Sheeran wins best British record at top UK music awards

LONDON - Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran took home the coveted best album prize at Britain's top music honours on Wednesday for "X" at a star-studded Brit Awards show in London.

The singer looked genuinely surprised as he climbed on the stage to pick up the trophy, a pale pink statuette designed by British artist Tracey Emin.

"I didn't expect it... It's been a very good year for British music", he said.

Other winners of the night included Paloma Faith for British female artist and Royal Blood, who defeated popular boy band One Direction to be named the best British band.

Award for the best international female artist went to Taylor Swift, who opened the show. The pop-heavy ceremony also saw performances from Take That, Sam Smith and Madonna.

This year, the awards will be shown in over 100 territories across the world in addition to the usual live broadcast on Britain's commercial ITV network.  — Reuters

London's fashion pack turns focus to business for online sales

LONDON - Britain's emerging talent kicked off the first day of London Fashion Week with designs featuring oversized coats, geometric shapes and voluminous skirts, amid hopes online demand for luxury goods is growing stronger.

Delicate embroidered dresses paired with cropped jackets highlighted Turkish designer Bora Aksu's show on Friday, in colors of gold, dusty pinks and pale blue inspired by Irish writer Oscar Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose.

Earlier, Korean-born designer Eudon Choi sent models down the runway in boxy leather jackets decorated with colorful geometric shapes, oversized scarves and floral printed flares.

More than 5,000 buyers, journalists and bloggers have flocked to London to see emerging talent like Aksu and Choi showcase their designs alongside leading designers Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood and Burberry's Christopher Bailey.

This season sees the British Fashion Council (BFC) focus on how designers can grow their businesses into successful brands and boost growth in Britain's 26 billion pound ($39.98 billion) fashion industry.

"It is fantastic that we are seeing these young businesses going from strength to strength," Chief Executive Caroline Rush told Reuters.

"The next stage of course is thinking about e-commerce and online businesses and again as part of our business pillar, I'm working closely with the tech sector looking at some quick wins and some really strong guys to help in e-commerce," Rush added.

With online fashion sales expected to reach 19 billion pounds in the next four years, according to research firm Mintel, designers are turning to social media like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to help drive more online purchases.

"We have been very focused on the past year or so, helping designers to understand how they can best use social media," Rush said.

Aksu said the networks were the perfect tool to help his label grow internationally and gain recognition.

Camille Juras, who three weeks ago launched what she called a vegan shoe company making footwear with micro fibers rather than animal leather, said she had already generated sales from using social media websites.

"Social media is key. It all starts with online presence and then you grow," said Juras. "On Instagram, it was instant. You would launch your page, people would start to like you, like your products and that started the sales process."

London Fashion Week, which generates more than 100 million pounds in orders each season from buyers around the world, will run until Feb. 24. — Reuters

Britain posts 41 million wills, including Princess Diana’s

LONDON - Some 41 million British wills dating back to 1858, including those of Winston Churchill and Princess Diana, were made available in an online database Saturday.

The government's full archive of wills from England and Wales, stretching back more than 150 years, has been put on the probatesearch.service.gov.uk website.

It includes the wills of World War II prime minister Churchill; novelist Charles Dickens; Diana, princess of Wales; children's writer A. A. Milne; code-breaker Alan Turing; writer George Orwell and author Beatrix Potter.

The digital copies of the wills cost £10 ($15.50, €12.75) but basic details for some of them are available online.

"This fascinating project provides us with insights into the ordinary and extraordinary people who helped shape this country, and the rest of the world," said Courts Minister Shailesh Vara.

"It is a fantastic resource not only for family historians but also for anyone with an interest in social history or famous figures."

Previously the archives had only been publicly available to search in person.

In Churchill's will he gave £304,044—worth more than £5.1 million nowadays—to his family.

When Dickens died in 1870 he left a will written in cursive script that laid out highly specific directions for his funeral.

"I emphatically direct that I be buried in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he wrote, adding that mourners must not wear scarves, cloaks, long hatbands, "or other such revolting absurdity."

Orwell, who died in 1950, insisted that his archive of papers be preserved, while economist John Maynard Keynes, who died four years earlier, wanted most of his papers destroyed.

Milne, who wrote "Winnie The Pooh", gave shares of his future royalties and copyright to his favourite London club and Westminster School when he died in 1956.

"Peter Rabbit" creator Potter left a lengthy and generous will reflecting her love for conservation and nature.

Though the archive has been converted into digital format, the original paper records will still be kept in a temperature-controlled environment. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Moyes concedes Liverpool are favorites in 'biggest game'

LONDON - Manchester United manager David Moyes conceded that Liverpool probably start as favorites to win what he described as "the biggest club game in England" when they meet at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Liverpool is second in the Premier League, seven points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand, but 11 points clear of United, who are sixth with no realistic chance of retaining their title.

Former Liverpool striker Ian Rush said earlier on Friday that Liverpool go into the match as the clear favorites and Moyes did not disagree.

"Their league position suggests they are ahead of us and they possibly do come here as favorites. Liverpool are having a very good season and we will have to do everything we possibly can to beat them."

Liverpool, which has won its last four league matches, has not finished above United since 2002 and although the team looks like doing so this season, Moyes told reporters at his pre-match news conference that United still had plenty to play for.

"It would be a big boost for us to win on Sunday," he said. "I think everyone knows the importance of Manchester United v Liverpool games.

"I think it is the biggest game in the country. There is great history between the two clubs going back years and I think this is the biggest club game in the Premier League."

Liverpool (18) and United (20) have won 38 league titles between them.

United, who finished champions five times and runners-up three times in Alex Ferguson's last eight seasons in charge at Old Trafford, have not finished outside the top three since 1991, but they will almost certainly do so this season.

Moyes, who has had a difficult introduction since succeeding Ferguson at the start of the season, said there was plenty of positives to take from their recent form, having kept clean sheets in their last three league matches.

"We are not in as strong a position as we'd like, but we are normally very good coming into the final furlong and we have big games coming up this month. Our motivation is to make sure we keep progressing," he said

Only defeat

Their only defeat in the last six weeks was a 2-0 reverse at Olympiakos in a Champions League last 16 first leg last month.

Moyes added: "With the exception of Olympiakos we have been progressing and improving. I see signs of it in training, the players are looking well and sharp and I am looking forward to it."

Striker Robin van Persie appeared on Thursday to allay fears that he was looking to move away from Manchester United by saying he wanted to stay beyond the end of his current contract and that he had learnt a lot from Moyes' training sessions.

"It's nice of Robin. Robin is happy here and we are very pleased about that," a naturally delighted Moyes said.

"He has a couple of years left on his contract and I am sure that's something the board will look at. I have always said we have two outstanding forwards in Wayne Rooney and Robin.

"Both of them are capable of winning games on their own and both are pivotal international players for Holland and England and are the sort of players any side in Europe or the world would want in their team.

"I am delighted to have them here and that both of them want to be Manchester United players is even better."

Winger Nani has returned to the United squad ahead of Sunday's match at Old Trafford, while Rafael, Javier Hernandez and Jonny Evans all have a chance of being involved, Moyes said. - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Bitcoin ATMs expand to London, Singapore

The digital currency bitcoin may be expanding its reach in the physical world, as automated teller machines (ATMs) dispensing it are being eyed for more countries.

A Canadian firm behind the world's first bitcoin ATM plans to install such machines in London and Singapore by mid-March, Coindesk.com reported.

“We’re currently looking for a location. We’ve got a gentleman on the ground in Singapore that we’ve been working with. We’re likely going to do a similar set-up to what we have here in Vancouver,”  Coindesk.com quoted Bitcoiniacs founder Mitchell Demeter as saying.


The report said the ATMs bound for London and Singapore are Robocoin models.

Demeter added the ATMs would likely be located inside a cafe or coffee shop, with a brokerage office attached.

Such a setup already exists in Bitcoinacs' base in Vancouver, where the ATM is located in Waves Coffee House.

Bitcoiniacs, which is based in Vancouver, also plans to set up physical brokerage offices for retail customers and may push to increase use of its own bitcoin exchange.

Prime target

Demeter was quoted in the report as saying Singapore is a prime target for expansion due to its clear rules on the taxation of bitcoin.

"It’s an attractive location for business overall, so it was the perfect location,” he added.

Also, Bitcoiniacs is promoting its own exchange Cointrader, with all Bitcoiniacs machines connected to Cointrader, which is billed as an exchange for ATM operators.

Competition

Coindesk said Bitcoiniacs will have competition in the ATM space in London and Singapore.

Another firm, Bitcoin Exchange, plans to set up a Lamassu ATM that performs fiat-to-bitcoin conversions, in Singapore by April.

In London, three startups are planning to install the first bitcoin ATM in the city. — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Paul McCartney plays surprise London gig from a truck

LONDON -- Rocker Paul McCartney played a surprise gig at London's Covent Garden on Friday, drawing a crowd of hundreds as he and his band performed half a dozen songs from the back of a truck.

The 71-year-old former Beatle played a colourful piano and strummed the guitar in the plaza in the centre of the capital in a stunt to promote "New", his first album of solo material in six years.

The performance was announced on Twitter only minutes before it took place and many in the crowd were passers-by or office workers who popped out for a sandwich.

"Thank you, @PaulMcCartney. I can safely say that's the best lunch break I've ever had," tweeted fan James Gill. -- Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Edgy London attracts more fashion buyers from US, Asia

LONDON - British designers are drawing increasing interest from buyers in the United States and Asia, experts say, as fashion followers turn to edgy London to keep their wardrobes fresh.

Having produced names like Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, the British capital traditionally champions designers prepared to take risks.

Buyers from big department stores around the world travel to the four fashion hubs each season - New York, Paris, Milan and London - and, while smaller than its rivals, the latter still enjoys a reputation for breaking new ground.

The Sept. 13-17 London Fashion Week for spring/summer 2014 has drawn a strong U.S. presence, including from luxury department stores Saks, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, said Caroline Rush, British Fashion Council (BFC) chief executive.

"There is a very strong attendance from the U.S.," she said.

"(Young) designers are seeing growth in American markets, various different Asian territories; they're seeing growth in mainland Europe but (mainly) a lot of opportunity through America and Asia."

Well-known British luxury goods brands such as Burberry and Mulberry are staples in many stores around the world, but newer names such as Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou and Peter Pilotto are also proving popular across the pond.

"I am a huge fan of London Fashion Week because we have so many great designers that we sell at Neiman Marcus," said Ken Downing, fashion director at the U.S. store.

"The excitement over pattern and print has really happened here in London ... (Customers) love our designers from London."

Luxury spending in the United States collapsed after the 2008 financial crisis but returned to pre-crisis levels by 2012. Increased confidence among affluent spenders have boosted sales and encouraged luxury brands to step up investments there.

More foreign shoppers are also visiting stores as the U.S. government eases visa restrictions to attract more tourists.

Designer-hungry Asia

Showing a collection of bright printed dresses and skirts in shades of tangerine, watermelon and pale blue, Scottish designer Holly Fulton said she was keen to expand her brand in America after receiving positive press reviews there.

"We're quite interested in doing more in the States at the moment ... We're keen to expand on that in the coming year," she told Reuters, adding that Asia was also an important market.

"Asia has been by far the strongest for us. Hong Kong is getting really strong growth for the label over there."

With economic uncertainty still hanging over Europe, the BFC is seeking to promote British fashion in Asia.

BFC chairman Natalie Massenet said Princess Beatrice, Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter, hosted a special event for Asian buyers and press, who were seen in large numbers at shows including DAKS, Mulberry and Paul Smith.

"Going forward for 2014, there is strong push in terms of the Great campaign (promoting Britain abroad) with Hong Kong and Shanghai. And so it is very likely that we are going to probably have an Asia-dominated showroom plan for next year," Rush said.

"Tokyo is of interest to us. We were talking to some of the Japanese and Toyko-based businesses ... about how we can build partnerships and what the opportunities might be there."

Designer Paul Smith, who showed off loose shirts tucked into wide-legged trousers and 1970s-inspired loose dresses, said he planned to open some 20 stores in China in the next five years.

"(Chinese buying) is not going down," said Amy Yu, editor of luxury Great Britain Magazine aimed at Chinese residents and tourists in London. "Lots of people are still buying."

And the Chinese are not just buying at home, having pushed out Americans as the top spenders at luxury London department store Harrods. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Britain opens world's second-largest offshore wind farm

LONDON - The world's second-largest offshore wind farm, capable of generating enough electricity to power over half a million homes, was opened officially off England's east coast on Wednesday.

Energy and Business Minister Michael Fallon opened the 500 megawatt Greater Gabbard wind farm off the Suffolk coast, a 1.3 billion pound ($2 billion) project that is a 50-50 joint venture between SSE Plc and RWE Innogy.

Britain is banking on offshore wind technology to help it reach legally binding targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions. It aims to develop 18 gigawatts of power from wind by 2020. The addition of Greater Gabbard pushes the total so far to about 3.6 GW, according to RenewableUK.

Greater Gabbard has 140 turbines, which were manufactured by Siemens, and it is expected to double in size when an extension, called Galloper, is completed in 2017.

It was launched just a month after Prime Minister David Cameron opened the world's largest wind farm, the 630 MW London Array project, also off the south-east coast.

The UK government says offshore wind could provide enough power for 11 million homes by the end of this decade. — VC, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com