Top story: Call to extend job retention scheme
Hello, Warren Murray with you once again this morning. Let’s set the controls for the heart of the news …
The UK government’s plan to subsidise workers’ wages should be extended until at least autumn, the trade body for the human resources sector has argued. Peter Cheese from the CIPD said extending the scheme until at least September would prevent the job retention scheme becoming a “waiting room” for eventual redundancy. The CIPD is calling on the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, for urgent changes including allowing furloughed staff to work reduced hours. There are early signs the furlough scheme is working, with more than 4m positions protected following the first week of its operation. Extending it could add £12bn a month to the cost to the exchequer, according to the Resolution Foundation.
British Airways has set out plans to make up to 12,000 of its staff redundant because of the global collapse in air travel. Its chief executive, Alex Cruz, has told the airline’s 42,000 staff that it “must act decisively now to ensure that British Airways has a strong future”. The UK’s flag carrier has placed 22,600 people on the government’s furlough scheme and the CEO wrote to staff that it “cannot expect the taxpayer to offset salaries indefinitely … Yesterday, British Airways flew just a handful of aircraft out of Heathrow. On a normal day we would fly more than 300.” Unions have reacted with shock and anger to the announcement.
The number of US cases has passed one million as Donald Trump predicted an economic rebound in the fall and claimed there would soon be 5m coronavirus diagnostic tests a day. An international row has erupted as the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, backed calls for an investigation of the origins and spread of the novel coronavirus. The Chinese government has responded by blasting out belittling messages about “panda bashing” and “victim blaming” by Australia. Keep following the latest coronavirus news at our live blog.
There’s more in our Coronavirus Extra section further down … and here’s where you can find all our coverage of the outbreak – from breaking news to factchecks and advice.
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Close encounter – An asteroid more than a mile wide is set to make a pass by Earth, although scientists insist it poses no danger. Known as (52768) 1998 OR2, the asteroid will come to about 3.9 million miles away on Wednesday, 16 times further than the distance to the Moon, when it makes its closest approach. The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico has been tracking the 1.2 mile-wide object after Nasa first spotted it in 1998.
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Midweek catch-up
> A gang of up to five males believed to be wearing medical-style masks and gloves stabbed an NHS worker to death days before his father’s funeral. David Gomoh, 24, was set upon after leaving his home close to the NHS Nightingale field hospital. Police say it was an unprovoked killing of a wholly innocent victim.
> WhatsApp is alleging in court that the Israeli spyware company NSO Group was “deeply involved” in hacking 1,400 of its users including senior government officials, journalists and human rights activists.
> Priti Patel is expected to be cleared this week of bullying senior civil servants in three government departments, Whitehall sources have said. The home secretary is still being taken to an administrative tribunal for constructive dismissal by her ex-permanent secretary at the Home Office, Sir Philip Rutnam.
> MPs are to try to outlaw the courtroom murder defence of “rough sex gone wrong” during parliamentary debates on the domestic abuse bill, which has come back before the House of Commons.
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Fear leader – Kim Jong-un is not ill and might just be sheltering from the coronavirus pandemic, according to South Korean and US officials, in the latest possible explanation for his absence from public life. North Korea insists it has yet to identify a single case of Covid-19, despite bordering China where the outbreak is believed to have started. Recent reports claimed Kim had undergone heart surgery but the South Korean unification minister, Kim Yeon-chul, has now said the Marshall may simply be taking precautions against Covid-19. Some US officials have said they believe Kim is sheltering from the virus in the east coast resort town of Wonsan.
Coronavirus Extra
Hannah Devlin speaks to Professor Sabra Klein for our science podcast, asking why women are much less likely to become seriously ill or die from Covid-19 and what the implications might be for future treatments.
Is a “greater depression” running through the 2020s inevitable? Ominous and risky trends were around long before Covid-19, making an L-shaped depression very likely, Nouriel Roubini argues.
Today in Focus podcast: Why is the NHS short of kit?
As medics and carers report widespread shortages of protective equipment, the government is facing pressure to explain why it appears the UK went into a pandemic under-resourced. Daniel Boffey and Rob Davies unpick the strategy and its failures.
Lunchtime read: Alan Cumming – me and my foreskin
The Hollywood star and bestselling author is becoming a podcaster. Talking to Chris Godfrey, he discusses his fight against circumcision, his fear of Harvey Weinstein – and why he is an optimist to the core.
Sport
Premier League clubs are concerned about supporters gathering outside stadiums if the season resumes and fear football will be blamed if breaches of physical distancing guidelines result in a rise in coronavirus cases. The fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi has called on the Premier League to stop the acquisition of Newcastle United by Saudi Arabia, saying that completion of the deal would tarnish English football and make it complicit in the “cover-up” of the journalist’s murder by the kingdom.
David Warner has poured cold water on the prospect of Australia touring the UK this summer, giving the England and Wales Cricket Board a fresh headache as it prepares to postpone the Hundred by 12 months. Coach Steve McNamara has said Catalans Dragons could relocate to England to fulfil their obligations in Super League after all sport in France was banned until September. Uefa could press ahead with plans to stage the final stages of the Champions League behind closed doors and at neutral venues after the French government confirmed there would be no professional football allowed in the country until at least 1 September. And the World Surf League has announced world titles will be decided by a new grand final surf-off starting next year.
Business
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has reported its weakest first quarter revenues for five years in an indicator of how the world’s biggest companies will be affected by coronavirus. Asian stock markets gained overnight after France and Spain joined governments that plan to ease anti-virus controls and allow businesses to reopen. Benchmarks in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sydney and south-east Asia advanced but Japanese markets were closed for a holiday. The FTSE100 is set to lift 0.6% this morning while the pound is buying $1.246 and €1.149 at the moment.
The papers
The Guardian carries health experts’ warning that the “Covid-19 crisis could lead to 18,000 more cancer deaths” – and we have the distressing story of one patient who, as coronavirus remains hospitals’ top priority, asks “What should I do in the meantime, go and die?”
“Worse death toll than the Blitz” – that’s the Metro, whose main front-page picture depicts the minute’s silence for NHS workers who have died from coronavirus. “Testing Testing Testing” – the Sun’s headline leaps out the most among papers reporting that the ramp-up seems to be happening at last. “Millions can now get virus tests” says the Express, while the Mirror and the Metro get into specifics: those eligible include over-65s, care home workers, and those who can’t work from home.
“Care home deaths set to overtake hospitals”, says the Times – while we report that the figures are to be included in daily tolls for all coronavirus fatalities. The Mail reports on its “Mail force” charitable airlift of PPE. “Key rule for lifting the lockdown is softened” says the Times – the government has tweaked wording to say that rather than avoiding a second wave altogether, any second wave must not overwhelm the NHS. The FT has the devastating news from the airline industry: “British Airways to slash 12,000 jobs as skies darken for aviation”.
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