Top story: ‘There are clearly still concerns’
Hello, Warren Murray here with the news you need this Monday morning.
The leader of Hong Kong’s government says she remains determined to pass a controversial extradition bill, despite up to a million people marching against the legislation. Largely peaceful scenes outside parliament and government headquarters changed dramatically on Monday morning as riot police moved in, using batons and pepper spray on protesters who hurled bottles and metal barricades.
Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, a key target of the rally, said this morning that the size of the rally showed there were “clearly still concerns” but refused to withdraw the bill, saying: “Hong Kong has to move on, nobody wants Hong Kong to be a fugitive offenders haven. We are doing it.”
Critics say the proposed extradition law will allow Beijing authorities to spirit away political opponents from Hong Kong and put them on trial in mainland China where the Communist party controls the judicial system.
* * *
Gove’s hopes gone up in coke? – The prospect of the UK having a prime minister who is unable to travel to the United States is being raised after Michael Gove, one of the contenders to replace Theresa May, admitted having used cocaine about 20 years ago. Gove insists he has never misled authorities about it and dismissed as “foolish” the idea of being barred from the US. Rival campaigns pounced – Sajid Javid, the home secretary, hit out at middle-class users of class A drugs who failed to think of the “countless lives destroyed” by the trade. Other leadership contenders have at various times admitted their dabbling with a joint, cannabis lassi or opium pipe but largely denied using class A drugs, apart from Boris Johnson who reckoned he might have been given cocaine once. In the leadership race, Johnson has become the latest candidate to promise tax cuts for the better off; while Sam Gyimah is arguing that more and more Tory MPs are recognising that a second referendum is the only way out of the Brexit mess.
* * *
Challenge over rape charge decline – The Crown Prosecution Service is accused of making covert policy changes that are blamed for a collapse in the number of rape cases going to court. A judicial review is being sought by the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) which has sent the CPS a dossier of 21 cases where decisions have been made not to charge, despite allegedly compelling evidence. While the number of rapes reported to the police nearly tripled between 2014 and 2018, EVAW points out that the number of cases charged and sent to court fell by 44%. It says fewer than 4% of women who report attacks can now expect their complaint to reach trial. A CPS spokesperson said: “Decisions to prosecute are based on whether our legal tests are met – no other reason – and we always seek to prosecute where there is sufficient evidence to do so.”
* * *
‘Fell straight through the building’ – A woman has died and at least six people were injured when a crane collapsed on to an apartment building in Dallas amid severe thunderstorms.
The crane fell on the Elan City Lights building. Witness Isaiah Allen told the Dallas Morning News he was in his apartment when he heard what sounded like a clap of thunder. “I saw that the crane had actually fell straight through the building and had destroyed a good eight to 10 apartments.” Two people were taken to hospital in critical condition and three in non-critical but serious condition, said authorities.
* * *
Next payday after PPI – Payday lenders have complained they are being bombarbed by dodgy complaints from claims management firms (CMCs). The window for payouts stemming from the payment protection insurance scandal (PPI) closes in August, and the lenders claim CMCs are now looking for their next big earner. Payday lenders have come under heavy fire from politicians, debt campaigners and regulators for high interest on short-term loans. CMCs portray themselves as consumer champions but many also charge high fees and have questionable business practices. The lenders’ body, the Consumer Finance Association, says“worrying tactics” are being used by the claims industry including poor quality complaints, data protection breaches and complaints made without the borrower’s permission.
* * *
Shout for help – On the digital frontline against youth suicide, Shout is making inroads by using text messages to offer troubled young people help and reassurance. Since it was launched last month, Shout’s operators have been handling 500 conversations a day, 70% from women and girls, sometimes from classrooms and playgrounds. The service caters to younger people who might not pick up the phone or talk to friends or family, but are comfortable texting their problems to a stranger who will try to guide them to professional help.
Angus Fowler, one of its volunteers, says being on the system was like seeing “a tidal wave of mental health problems coming at us”. Dr Fiona Pienaar, the chief clinical officer at Mental Health Innovations, the charity that runs Shout, says: “We hear from hundreds of people across the UK each day who are vulnerable and isolated and don’t feel they have anyone they can reach out to. The anonymity of texting means that often they are telling us something they haven’t told anyone else.” The service can be reached by texting SHOUT to 85258.
Today in Focus podcast: Are peers asleep on the job?
Investigative journalist David Pegg and data journalist Pamela Duncan have spent the last four months examining the House of Lords. They discuss why the upper house is under such pressure to reform. Plus: Iman Amrani on her modern masculinity series.
Lunchtime read: Cable leaves a rejuvenated Lib Dem party
“Bollocks” is toned down to “Horlicks” as Jonathan Freedland interviews Vince Cable, the soon-to-be Lib Dem leader emeritus. Cable will step down this summer, and what a way for him to go out. A few months ago the party was down to 11 MPs, its brand still tarnished by five years in coalition with David Cameron’s Tories. That changed last month with the Lib Dems making big gains in the local elections, then beating Labour into third place in the European elections.
Now the talk is of the Lib Dems as the obvious repository of the remain vote, the potential home for millions of one-time disaffected Tory and Labour supporters. So what about a remain electoral alliance between the Greens, Lib Dems and the nascent Change UK? “Yes, if [Brexit] is the dominant issue of the day, it would be absolutely sensible to do it. And I would hope that we would have quite a lot of Labour and Tory [MPs] who would, at an individual level, go along with this as well.”
Sport
Lyon fans will have something to look forward to next season as Lucy Bronze and Nikita Parris gave a stunning preview of their connection in England’s win over Scotland at the Women’s World Cup. “We have a connection that I haven’t had with any other full-back. She made my time at Manchester City special and hopefully will make my time at Lyon special. She’s a great player, even more so for England. We have a great relationship,” said Parris of her teammate.
Optimistic that finally he might claim Ferrari’s first victory this season, Sebastian Vettel’s hopes turned to bitter ashes as he was denied by a controversial penalty at the Canadian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton took the win for Mercedes but only after an incident that left Vettel fuming, disappointed and confused as to how the decision against him was made.
Business
Asian financial markets have advanced after China released better-than-expected trade data for May. The Hang Seng picked up 2.2% and Shanghai was 1% higher. The Nikkei 225 advanced 1.1% while the Kospi in South Korea rose 0.9%. Shares rose in Taiwan and throughout south-east Asia, while Australian markets were closed. The pound is worth $1.271 and €1.123 while the FTSE is tracking to open higher by half a per cent or so.
The papers
Michael Gove’s cocaine past leads many of the front pages. The Guardian’s splash is: “Gove’s bid for No 10 on the brink after drugs admission”. The i reports: “Gove fights back as drug row threatens leadership bid” and the Times says: “Gove pleads for second chance over cocaine use”.
The Mail (which employs Gove’s wife as a columnist) has a sympathetic take: “Gove: I fight on undaunted”, whereas the Mirror is feeling less friendly toward him, leading on Baroness Warsi’s demands he pull out of the race: “Gove the cocaine hypocrite must quit”. And though we don’t often cover it here, a special mention today goes to the Metro for its Gove splash, which focuses on how eight out of the 11 contenders for the Tory leadership have admitted using drugs: “Form a line here”.
Other papers have focused on Gove’s rival, Boris Johnson. The Telegraph reports plans of its former correspondent and current columnist to lift the top tax threshold: “Johnson to cut income tax bills for millions”. The Express also focuses on one of Johnson’s promises: “Boris vow not to pay £39 billion stuns EU”. The Sun is interested in what Premier League referees have been up to on holiday: “Fool time!” and the FT reports: “Renault pledge to block Nissan shake-up rocks uneasy alliance”.
Sign up
The Guardian Morning Briefing is delivered to thousands of inboxes bright and early every weekday. If you are not already receiving it by email, you can sign up here.
For more news: www.theguardian.com
