Seven Stories 27/05/2020

Anger swells over Cummings lockdown-breach

Boris Johnson’s chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, refused to apologise for taking his wife and son 264 miles from London to Durham and visiting Barnard Castle, breaching the Government’s coronavirus “stay at home” instructions. Ever abrasive, he told reporters, “I don’t regret what I did. I’ve not offered to resign. I’ve not considered it.” Cumming’s unconvincing excuse for driving – to test his eyesight, which he suspected may have been impaired by Covid-19, was met with disapproval across Britain. Calls from Tory ministers to sack Cummings are escalating, with Scottish MP Douglas Ross resigning on Tuesday over Johnson’s lacklustre handling of the situation. The prime minister’s net personal rating dropped by 20 points over the weekend to minus 2, while the government’s approval rating fell 16 points in a day.

UK authorises anti-viral drug ‘remdesivir’ in push back against coronavirus

A drug treatment called remdesivir is being rolled out on the NHS. The drug is also used against Ebola and estimated to shorten covid-19 recovery time by about 4 days. Experts warn that remdesivir shouldn't be seen as a "magic bullet”, as there is no evidence yet that it will save more lives. Nevertheless, it is the ‘biggest step forward’ in the treatment of coronavirus so far, said Health Secretary Matt Hancock. It is not clear how much stock pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences has available for the UK, so the limited supplies will go to patients most likely to benefit. The US and Japan have already made similar urgent arrangements to provide early access to the medicine before they have a marketing agreement.

SpaceX becomes first private company to send astronauts into space

On May, 27th, Elon Musk’s brainchild SpaceX will become the first private company to take humans into orbit and to the international space station, in collaboration with NASA. The launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule, from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, is the NASA’s first crewed space mission since 2011, when they retired their Space Shuttle Fleet. The Private – Public partnership in American space exploration is extremely exciting. Having already launched satellites into orbit and created evolutionary reusable rocket launch systems, SpaceX look to benefit NASA’s programmes and pursue their own ultimate goal of making humans a ‘space-faring civilisation’, who live on multiple planets among the stars.

U.S. military accuses Russia of sending fighter jets to mercenaries in Libya

Amidst Russia’s steadfast denial of their involvement in the ongoing Libyan conflict, Putin’s forces have been called out for sending camouflaged aircrafts to support Gen Haftar’s eastern rebel army (Libyan National Army). The not-so-mysterious aircrafts aided an evacuation of 1000 of Russian ‘Wagner’ troops, who are on the ground alongside the LNA, away from their opponents, the UN-recognised Tripoli Government, in the North. The international community is growing more aware that Russia is trying to tip the scales in its favour in Libya, to gain access to the country’s vast oil and natural gas reserves.

Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill introduced in Parliament

In response to the coronavirus pandemic to mitigate an expected influx of related insolvencies, the government have introduced the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill to Parliament, ‘to lay the foundations for economic recovery in the UK’. The Bill introduces a number of temporary and permanent changes, including one significant addition, a new company moratorium which gives companies in financial hardship up to 40 days breathing space to create a rescue plan, against creditor action. Measures within the Bill aim to support businesses, and if applicable, charities and mutual societies.

German courts rule in latest case relating to dieselgate scandal

The highest civil court in Germany has ruled that Volkswagen must buy back the plaintiff’s car, equipped with software that evaded emissions testing, in a landmark case in the ‘dieselgate scandal’. The ruling will lead to compensation being paid to another 60,000 car owners. Although the case is not binding in the UK, courts may draw influence from the German courts, leading to a potential £10.2 billion being paid out to customers in the UK. A ruling in the UK can be expected before the end of 2021.

What will be the legal consequences for George Floyd’s killers?

Although four police officers have been fired for the killing of George Floyd, the long-term legal repercussions have been called into question by civil rights activists. Floyd, an unarmed and uncuffed black man, was choked to death by an officer who knelt on his neck despite Floyd’s pleads that he could not breathe. The killing has sparked worldwide condemnation as well as protests in cities across the US. Under US law, the four police officers may ultimately avoid legal and financial consequences and may be able to get their jobs back. One prosecutor investigating George Floy’ death has stated that the officers may not face criminal charges.