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Sadiq Declares New ‘Retrofit Revolution’ For London

The ‘retrofit revolution’ comes with a package of measures to create ultra-low carbon buildings, tackle the climate emergency and create green jobs, reports Asian Lite News.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has declared a ‘retrofit revolution’ in London, announcing a new package of measures that will make buildings more energy-efficient and tackle the climate emergency.

Led by the Mayor working with London Councils and social housing providers, the ambitious new plans aims to boost London’s Green New Deal mission and sustain and create new green jobs in the capital. 

According to a press release, London’s homes and workplaces are responsible for 78 per cent of the capital’s carbon emissions and virtually all will need some level of retrofitting over this decade.

The capital’s social housing urgently needs upgrading to be as energy efficient as possible with improvements including better insulation, low-carbon heat and clean power sources, such as solar energy, to deliver the Mayor’s climate targets and tackle growing fuel poverty, it said.

London has the third highest level of fuel poverty in the country, with Barking and Dagenham having the highest of any local authority in England, it added.

Mayor Khan said: “Creating jobs and tackling the climate emergency are two of my priorities for London and that’s why I am delighted London is leading the way on a retrofit revolution. With the COP26 summit taking place later this year, it’s vital that we show how London is leading the way with our Green New Deal.

“A strong economic recovery from COVID-19 and a green recovery are not mutually exclusive. This transformative approach to retrofit will directly help those living in ageing, energy-inefficient homes, and could play a vital role cutting energy bills and tackling fuel poverty. It will also support Londoners with the skills they need for jobs in the green economy, rebuilding our city post-COVID so that it’s cleaner, greener and fairer,” he added.

The Mayor’s new Innovation Partnership aims at making it easier for social landlords and UK building firms to work together to upgrade ageing homes in the capital. The scheme will link up housing providers and builders through all stages of home retrofitting, from planning through to large-scale delivery.

The partnership has the potential value of £10 billion in retrofit works, which would create around 150,000 jobs over the decade. The Innovation Partnership is open to social housing providers across the UK, with at least £5 billion estimated that could be spent in London.

The Mayor has also been backed by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for London to lead the country by creating a national retrofit centre of excellence to help assist social housing providers gain access to funding for major retrofit projects.                                                                                                        

As a key part of the target of reaching net zero by 2030, the Mayor is taking effort for more solar energy on London’s rooftops.

To lay these foundations, the Mayor is working with Solar Energy UK to invest in the solar workforce. A new programme – Solar Skills London – will focus on skills and training to enable Londoners to learn more about solar technologies and help to create more green jobs. Training and apprenticeships will focus on battery storage, electric vehicle charging and related smart technologies.

The programme will also include a placement programme to get trainees into solar businesses and targeted grant schemes to deliver quality training to staff at a 100 solar installation companies in London. 

The mayor on Wednesday visited West Acton Primary School in Ealing where a large solar PV array is being installed.

The project, which will supply clean energy to the school, was part funded through the Mayor’s London Community Energy Fund.

Around 200 schools have signed up to have solar panels and other energy efficiency work done with support and expertise from City Hall. 

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Sadiq calls for EU Settlement scheme extension

Mayor Khan has called on the government to change course and announce an extension to the 30th June deadline…reports Asian Lite News.

With only a month to go until the application deadline for the EU Settlement Scheme the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has warned that some European citizens face a loss of rights such as experienced by the Windrush Generation, as new figures show thousands of European citizens still without confirmed Settled or pre-Settled status in the UK.

From 1st July, European (EEA+) citizens will need to start relying on a digital immigration status to navigate life in the UK such as taking up employment, renting a flat and accessing public services.

But the latest Home Office data released last week shows there remains an application backlog of 101,500 in London, and 302,300 across the UK overall – risking the creation of a new group of undocumented migrants overnight unable to prove their status and access services in the capital, according to a press release from the Mayor’s Press Office.

The Home Office has recently issued the long-awaited guidance on late applications to its EU Settlement Scheme, but this still risks leaving eligible European citizens and their family members undocumented from next month, it said.

Evidence shows that it is the most vulnerable in society who are in greatest danger of slipping through the cracks, including children, older people and rough sleepers, it added.

It also said there are real concerns European citizens will be discriminated against by third parties such as employers or landlords who will require evidence of right to work and to rent.

Mayor Khan has called on the government to change course and announce an extension to the 30th June deadline.

“While many of those eligible have now secured their status in the UK, I remain deeply concerned about those whose status is still not yet confirmed. Many are now at risk of discrimination, whether from an employer, landlord or accessing public services,” Khan said.

“So today I’m appealing directly to ministers. Those eligible deserve a cast-iron guarantee that any delays in processing their application won’t lead to them or their families losing their status or being discriminated against from next month.”

A recent survey from the Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements found a significant lack of trust in UK public bodies by European citizens living in the UK. The survey of 3,000 European respondents released in May found that a third are not confident that their citizens’ rights will be upheld by public bodies and 1 in 10 are considering leaving the UK after 30 June.

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Boris marries Symonds in intimate ceremony

According to the Daily Mail report, the development came six days after Johnson and Symonds “sent out save-the-date cards to guests telling them to keep Saturday, July 30, 2022 free for a marriage celebration”…reports Asian Lite News.

By giving a sunday surprise to the whole UK and media PM Boris Johnson got married today. Johnson has married his fiance Carrie Symonds in a secret ceremony at the Westminster Cathedral in front of about 30 close friends and family members, a media report said.

In its report, Daily Mail said that the 56-year-old Johnson exchanged vows with Symonds, 33, on Saturday morning, becoming the first Prime Minister to marry in office since Lord Liverpool wed Mary Chester in 1822.

But the Downing Street has not confirmed the development yet.

The couple were engaged on the Caribbean island of Mustique in December 2019 and have one-year-old son, Wilfred.

A Westminster Cathedral spokesperson told the Sunday Times: “On Saturday May 29, the wedding of Carrie Symonds and Boris Johnson took place in Westminster Cathedral.

“The bride and groom are both parishioners of the Westminster Cathedral parish and baptised Catholics. All necessary steps were taken, in both church and civil law, and all formalities completed before the wedding.”

According to the Daily Mail report, the development came six days after Johnson and Symonds “sent out save-the-date cards to guests telling them to keep Saturday, July 30, 2022 free for a marriage celebration”.

A small number of church officials were involved in preparations for the Catholic ceremony, which was officiated by Father Daniel Humphreys, the Daily Mail added.

Under the UK’s current Covid restrictions, there is a limit of 30 guests at weddings.

“Wilfred attended the wedding, as did two official witnesses,” said the report, adding that Johnson’s siblings and his father were also present at the ceremony.

Members of the public were asked to leave Westminster Cathedral just after 1.30 p.m., it added.

Although there was no official confirmation of the wedding, congratulatory messages were posted on social media, the BBC reported.

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey tweeted: “Congratulations @BorisJohnson and @carriesymonds on your marriage today.”

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster also wished them a “huge congratulations” on the micro-blogging site.

Symonds was first romantically linked to Johnson by the media in early 2019.

She had worked for the Conservative Party since 2009 and worked on Johnson’s 2012 campaign to be re-elected as Mayor of London.

This is Johnson’s third marriage.

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Garden to remember London’s Covid victims

“This new public garden is a lasting living memorial in recognition of the impact that COVID has had, and continues to have, on our city,” Mayor Khan said…reports Asian Lite News.

London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has opened the London Blossom Garden as a lasting living memorial to the impact of COVID-19 on the capital, as he also announced the first phase of a new bereavement support programme to help grieving Londoners.

The Mayor was joined by Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust, and key workers and their representatives from the NHS, TfL and other frontline roles in a ceremony to open the new public garden at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

“This new public garden is a lasting living memorial in recognition of the impact that COVID has had, and continues to have, on our city,” Mayor Khan said. “It is a place to join together to remember the more than 19,000 Londoners who have tragically died, to reflect on our own experiences of the pandemic, to highlight how this virus has disproportionately impacted many of our communities, and to pay tribute to the ongoing efforts of our key workers.”

In partnership with the National Trust and with support from Bloomberg, a total of 33 blossoming trees have been planted to create the new garden. It has been designed to be a place to contemplate and reflect on the impact of the pandemic, honour the vital efforts of key workers and remember those who have died.

The 33 trees represent all London boroughs and the City of London, with eight spring blossoming tree species chosen as the blossom season coincided with the first national lockdown last year. The garden is the first and flagship site in a series of National Trust blossom plantings in towns and cities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Mayor also announced the first phase of a new bereavement support programme to help those experiencing loss and grief in London. The Recovery Bereavement Programme is aimed at developeing a range of support for Londoners with partners, and begins with a public awareness campaign led by Thrive LDN. ‘In loving memory of Londoners lost’ will help direct Londoners to information, advice and support to cope with their grief.

The ceremony was hosted by Gardeners’ World presenter Arit Anderson, and featured poetry by Jay Bernard and a performance by the London International Gospel Choir as they remembered the more than 19,000 Londoners who have died from COVID-19.

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William, Harry slam BBC over ‘deceitful’ Diana interview

His remarks came after the BBC offered an apology over the controversial 1995 interview, in which Diana detailed the breakdown of her relationship with Prince Charles, CNN reported.

Prince William has accused the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of contributing significantly “to the fear, paranoia and isolation” felt by his late mother, Princess Diana, in the years prior to her death.

Prince William spoke after a 127-page inquiry report concluded that BBC journalist Martin Bashir used “deceitful behaviour” to secure his controversial interview with Diana in 1995.

“But what saddens me most, is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived. She was failed not just by a rogue reporter, but by leaders at the BBC who looked the other way rather than asking the tough questions,” he said.

His remarks came after the BBC offered an apology over the controversial 1995 interview, in which Diana detailed the breakdown of her relationship with Prince Charles, CNN reported.

Prince William also accused the BBC of commercialising a “false narrative” about his mother. “It is my firm view that this Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again. It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialized by the BBC and others.”

According to CNN, the original interview was featured on Panorama, which is still on-air and showed a documentary about the controversy on Thursday.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

Prince Harry also issued a statement after the report and said “The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life.”

“To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it. That is the first step towards justice and truth. Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these– and even worse–are still widespread today. Then, and now, it’s bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication,” he said.

On Thursday, BBC Director-General Tim Davie had said the interview “fell far short of what audiences have a right to expect.” “While the BBC cannot turn back the clock after a quarter of a century, we can make a full and unconditional apology. The BBC offers that today,” Davie said. (ANI)

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Vaccines effective against all variants: PM

Almost 3,000 cases of the coronavirus variant first detected in India have been reported in Britain, Hancock said…reports Asian Lite News.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told lawmakers earlier Wednesday that there is “increasing confidence” that the current vaccines will be effective against all variants of the virus, including the double-mutant strain first detected in India.

Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock had also said that UK is confident that existing vaccines will provide protection from the new variants.

Almost 3,000 cases of the coronavirus variant first detected in India have been reported in Britain, Hancock said.

In a statement on Wednesday at the House of Commons, the lower house of Parliament, Hancock said 2,967 cases of the variant have now been recorded, 28 per cent up from more than 2,300 on Monday.

UK health Secy Matt Hancock

Surge testing and vaccinations will be deployed in the affected areas including Bedford, Burnley, Hounslow, Kirklees, Leicester and North Tyneside, according to the Health Secretary.

The Scottish government is also taking similar steps in Glasgow and Moray, he added.

“What this means in practice is we are putting in place more testing and more testing sites. We are making more vaccinations available to everyone who is eligible.”

The spread of the Indian variant has raised concerns that England’s final step of the roadmap out of Covid-19 restrictions scheduled for June 21 might be delayed.

From Monday, pubs, bars and restaurants in England were permitted to open indoors, while indoor entertainment resumed, including cinemas, museums and children’s play areas.

Millions in England were allowed to meet outdoors in groups of up to 30 people, and meet indoors in groups of up to six or as two households.

Meanwhile, all remaining accommodation including hotels, hostels and B&Bs can reopen from May 24.

People were also allowed to travel abroad to a number of green-list countries without having to quarantine upon return as the ban on foreign travel has also been lifted.

The UK has so far reported 4,468,355 Covid-19 cases and 127,956 deaths.

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Sadiq launches ‘London Eats’ campaign

London Eats campaign was launched with an aim to attract domestic tourists back into the capital to enjoy all the culinary delights it has to offer, reports Asian Lite News

London Mayor’s year-long Let’s Do London campaign to bring people back to the capital kicked off its focus on the city’s diverse food and drink offering on Monday with London Eats.

“London Eats celebrates the very best culinary delights central London has to offer. From cheap street food eats to fine dining, food markets to drinks festivals, exclusive interviews, food trails, surprise announcements on the Tube and the unveiling of new restaurant and street food market openings – there is something for everyone,” Mayor’s Press Office said in a statement.

As Covid restrictions ease, and as more restaurants open up, the Mayor Sadiq Khan joined by celebrity chefs and successful restaurateurs, Monica Galetti and Angela Hartnett MBE at Geoff Leong’s Chinatown restaurant Dumplings’ Legend, launched this food-focused part of his Let’s Do London campaign to promote central London and protect jobs in the capital.

Mayor Khan said he was “proud to be launching London Eats as part of my Let’s Do London campaign – the biggest domestic tourism campaign the capital has ever seen.”

“The hospitality sector has been one of the hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic with too many jobs lost and under threat. As the government continues with a roadmap and more businesses are able to open up, we are joining with famous chefs, foodies and hospitality venues to celebrate our city’s world-renowned industry. Together we will be sharing our favourite places to eat and drink in London and highlighting the huge range of exciting events and openings that will be taking place this summer.

“There is no doubt that our capital has the greatest food and drink offer in the world, and I’m proud to be getting the message out to Londoners and people across the country that the capital is ready and waiting to welcome you SAFELY once again,” he added.

London Eats sees the coming together of some of London’s most famous chefs, hospitality venues and foodies to share their hidden gems, foodie trails and the must-try bars and restaurants they’re excited to get back to as London comes alive again over the summer.

The series of insider tips features Indian-born British chef Asma Khan, French maître d’hôtel and star of Channel 4’s First Dates Fred Sirieix and Masterchef judge Monica Galetti as they highlight the huge variety of food on offer in the capital.

A collection of passionate Londoners including an NHS worker and a city busker, alongside famous faces such as singer Jessie Ware, King of The Jungle and football legend Harry Redknapp, star of Drag Race UK Bimini Bon Boulash and restaurateur and Masterchef judge Monica Galetti, are sharing their favourite food hotspots with surprise tannoy announcements across central London’s Tube network – heard at stations including London Bridge, Covent Garden, Westminster and Euston. 

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Britain reopens for business

PM Johnson advises people to cuddle cautiously and served notice that the spread of the coronavirus variant first identified in India meant that the final UK reopening in June could be delayed, reports Asian Lite News

Large swathes of the British economy will reopen on Monday giving 65 million people a measure of freedom after the gloom of a four-month Covid-19 lockdown.

Most of the British will be free once again to hug, albeit cautiously, drink a pint in their pub, sit down to an indoor meal or visit the cinema after a series of lockdowns that imposed the strictest restrictions in peacetime history.

The biggest public health crisis in a century was accompanied by a drastic extension of state power; during England’s lockdowns police broke up parties and protests alike, shut down religious services and handed out fines of up to 10,000 pounds ($14,000) to youngsters for partying.

As freedom beckons once more, there is excitement.

“I shall be hugging literally everyone I can get my hands on,” British actress Joanna Lumley told The Telegraph newspaper. “I shall snatch babies from their mothers, and lean over zimmer frames.”

“I shall hug girls at the till, the picture framer, and lads playing footie in the park. Much later obviously I shall be hugging police personnel as I am charged at the station. Hugger-mugger, that’s me.”

Beside the euphoria, though, there is also anxiety.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who before he imposed three national lockdowns had railed against the “nanny” tendencies of the British state, advised people to cuddle cautiously and served notice that the spread of the coronavirus variant first identified in India meant that the final UK reopening in June could be delayed.

“Together we have reached another milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but we must take this next step with a heavy dose of caution,” Johnson said in a statement.

A man wearing a face mask cycles past the Francis Crick Institute Vaccination Centre in London, UK, Britain. (Xinhua/Han Yan/IANS)

There is growing concern about variant B.1.617.2 which British scientific advisers say will become the dominant variant in the United Kingdom and which is more transmissible than B.1.1.7 (the variant first identified in Kent, England).

Broadly, from Monday in England gatherings of up to 30 people will be allowed outdoors, two families will be allowed to meet indoors; cafes, bars and restaurants will reopen for indoor service; care home residents will be allowed to have five visitors; and face coverings will no longer be compulsory in schools.

Though the rules are slightly different in the United Kingdom’s four constituent parts, restrictions are being eased in England, Scotland and Wales from Monday while they will be eased slightly later in Northern Ireland.

The UK’s official death count is 127,679 – Europe’s highest figure and the world’s fifth highest, after the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The British economy last year had its worst decline in three centuries while the government spent hundreds of billions of pounds to save jobs and companies and the Bank of England doubled its bond buying programme.

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Govt publishes Online Safety Bill draft

The draft Bill includes changes to put an end to harmful practices, while ushering in a new era of accountability and protections for democratic debate…reports Asian Lite News.

UK government on Wednesday published new internet laws in the draft Online Safety Bill with an aim to protect children online and tackle some of the worst abuses on social media, including racist hate crimes.

Ministers have added landmark new measures to the Bill to safeguard freedom of expression and democracy, ensuring necessary online protections do not lead to unnecessary censorship.

“The draft Bill marks a milestone in the Government’s fight to make the internet safe. Despite the fact that we are now using the internet more than ever, over three quarters of UK adults are concerned about going online, and fewer parents feel the benefits outweigh the risks of their children being online – falling from 65 per cent in 2015 to 50 per cent in 2019,” the government said in a statement.

The draft Bill includes changes to put an end to harmful practices, while ushering in a new era of accountability and protections for democratic debate.

This include new additions to strengthen people’s rights to express themselves freely online, while protecting journalism and democratic political debate in the UK.

Further provisions will be included to tackle prolific online scams such as romance fraud, which have seen people manipulated into sending money to fake identities on dating apps.

Social media sites, websites, apps and other services hosting user-generated content or allowing people to talk to others online must remove and limit the spread of illegal and harmful content such as child sexual abuse, terrorist material and suicide content.

A new criminal offence for senior managers has been included as a deferred power. This could be introduced at a later date if tech firms don’t step up their efforts to improve safety.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said the recent sports social media protest against racist abuse of footballers underscored the need to crack down on harmful content online and hold tech companies to account.

Iain Stewart (Wikipedia)

“From protecting children from online dangers to tackling abuse on social media, this UK Government bill represents an important step forwards in making the web a safer place for everyone in Scotland and across the whole UK,” the minister said.

UK Government Minister Oliver Dowden said UK shows global leadership with our groundbreaking laws to usher in a new age of accountability for tech and bring fairness and accountability to the online world.

“We will protect children on the internet, crack down on racist abuse on social media and through new measures to safeguard our liberties, create a truly democratic digital age,” he said.

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#LetsDoLondon: Sadiq launches campaign for domestic tourism

The 50-year-old politician from Britain’s main opposition Labour Party has allocated 6 million pounds ($8 million) to directly support the new campaign…reports Asian Lite News.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched a domestic tourism campaign to kick-start the British capital’s economy as restrictions on international travel will likely continue this year, local media reported.

In his signing-in speech for a second term as Mayor, Khan on Monday announced the new “Let’s Do London” campaign to attract domestic visitors to the city and bring its economy back to life, reports Xinhua news agency.

A pedestrian walks by a pub, The Hope, shuttered in London due to coronavirus regulations. Thousands of British pubs have not survived the pandemic, according to an industry association, and the ones that have will need financial support “for years if they are to recover.” Photo: Yui Mok/PA

The 50-year-old politician from Britain’s main opposition Labour Party has allocated 6 million pounds ($8 million) to directly support the new campaign.

The campaign and events program will bring together London’s world-leading hospitality, culture, night-life and retail venues to promote all that the city has to offer.

“With restrictions on international travel likely to continue this year, Londoners and visitors from the UK have a unique opportunity to experience all the capital has to offer without the queues.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan

“In doing so you’ll be providing vital support for our world-leading venues as they start to re-open and need our help more than ever.

“My mission over the next three years is to put the dark days of the pandemic behind us and to deliver a better and brighter future for London, creating a fairer, greener and more prosperous city, where everyone gets the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential,” he added.

Khan confirmed that a top priority for his second term will be jobs, standing up for the Londoners who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic and helping to skill up the city’s residents to get back into work.

He also confirmed he will continue to prioritize the long-standing issues that matter most to Londoners, including safer streets, more affordable housing and action to tackle air pollution and the climate emergency.

During the May 6 local elections, more than 5,000 seats were up for grabs in city hall and town hall elections, with the Mayor of London and 12 provincial mayors along with police and crime commissioners also being elected.

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