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'UK faces mobile blackouts if Huawei 5G ban imposed by 2023'

BT and Vodafone have said their UK customers would face mobile phone signal blackouts if they are given three years or less to strip Huawei's equipment out of their 5G networks.
Executives from the network providers told MPs that they wanted at least five years, and ideally seven, if such an order is made. The government is expected to announce new curbs on the use of the Chinese firm's kit within the next two weeks. Huawei has urged it to take more time. "There isn't a burning bridge," said Huawei's UK vice president Jeremy Thompson, adding that it was too soon to determine what impact new US sanctions would have. The company also denied claims it would ever act against its clients' interests, even if told to do so by the Chinese government.

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Xinjiang: US sanctions Chinese officials over 'abuse' of Muslims

The US has announced sanctions against Chinese politicians who it says are responsible for human rights violations against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
China is accused of mass detentions, religious persecution and forced sterilisation of Uighurs and others. The sanctions target US-based financial interests belonging to regional Communist Party boss Chen Quanguo and three other officials. China denies any mistreatment of Muslims in far-western Xinjiang. Authorities there are thought to have detained about a million people in re-education camps in recent years. They say "vocational training" is needed to counter radicalism and separatism. Mr Chen, who sits on the Chinese Communist Party's powerful Politburo, is the highest-ranking Chinese official ever to be hit by US sanctions, the Trump administration says. He is seen as the architect of Beijing's policies against minorities.

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Coronavirus: Brazil's President Bolsonaro tests positive

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has tested positive for coronavirus.
He took the test, his fourth, on Monday after developing symptoms, including a high temperature. Mr Bolsonaro has repeatedly played down the risks posed by the virus, calling it "a little flu" and saying that he would not be seriously affected by it. He has also urged regional governors to ease lockdowns, which he says hurt the economy, and on Monday he watered down regulations on wearing face masks. Mr Bolsonaro made the announcement in a TV interview on Tuesday. He said the fever he had been experiencing had gone down and that he felt "very well". The president said that he had started experiencing symptoms on Sunday. He said he had had a high temperature, a cough and had felt unwell.

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TikTok: Chinese app may be banned in US, says Pompeo

Would you recommend downloading TikTok? Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was asked that question on Monday night on Fox News.
"Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party," he replied. Asked if he would ban Chinese apps - including TikTok - he said: "I don't want to get out in front of the president, but it's something we're looking at". That is a very worrying statement for TikTok. The huge Chinese social media company has experienced phenomenal growth in the last three years. It's been downloaded more than two billion times. But around the world, and not just in the US, TikTok is facing a backlash. It's finding out the hard way that being international, a tech company, and Chinese isn't a great combination right now.

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Huawei: UK government weighs up ban of Chinese firm's telecoms kit

The government has received a report into Huawei that is likely to change its policy over the Chinese firm's role in the UK's telecoms networks.
Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre had delivered its findings. NCSC is believed to have said it can no longer assure the security of Huawei's products because of new US sanctions. "We're now examining it and understanding the implications of it," Mr Dowden told BBC Radio 4's Today. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has yet to deliver its conclusions to the prime minister, but Boris Johnson said on Monday afternoon that he did not want the country to be "vulnerable to a high-risk state vendor". Huawei has said it remains "open to discussions".

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Hong Kong: Chinese ambassador warns UK over 'interference'

China has warned the UK not to interfere with Hong Kong following the imposition of a new national security law, as one pro-democracy campaigner begged for international support.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming said the UK's offer of a path to citizenship for up to three million Hong Kongers amounted to "gross interference". The offer came after Beijing brought in the controversial and sweeping new law. Opponents say it erodes the territory's freedoms as a semi-autonomous region. Activist Joshua Wong had earlier called for more support, asking his fellow Hong Kongers and the wider world not to "kowtow" to Beijing.

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Reckful: Twitch and gamers pay tribute after star's death

Tributes have been paid to video games streamer Byron Bernstein, known as Reckful, who died on Thursday.
Mr Bernstein was a well-known and loved e-sports player and had 960,000 followers on streaming site Twitch. His brother Gary Bernstein confirmed that Reckful had taken his own life, aged 31. Twitch said Reckful was a "streaming pioneer" and that it was "devastated" to hear of his death. Mr Bernstein had built his following in part by playing World Of Warcraft. When his death was reported on Thursday evening, fans held virtual memorials inside the game.

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Mount Rushmore: Trump hosts 4 July celebration event amid criticism

US President Donald Trump is presiding over an event to mark 4 July celebrations at Mount Rushmore, despite concerns over coronavirus.
In a speech at the South Dakota landmark, he said it would "stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and to our freedom". "This monument will never be desecrated, these heroes will never be defaced," he told a cheering crowd. Mount Rushmore features the carved faces of four US presidents. Activists have long taken issue with the monument, which was created on land sacred to the Sioux tribe. Two of the former presidents depicted - George Washington and Thomas Jefferson - were slave-owners.

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Coronavirus: Texas governor mandates wearing of face masks

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued an executive order that all Texans don face coverings in public in counties with 20 or more Covid-19 cases.
Texas has seen a surge of hospital admissions in recent days, hitting a record high of more than 8,000 virus cases in a single day on Wednesday. "Wearing a face covering will help us to keep Texas open for business," Mr Abbott said, announcing the order. After an initial warning, those who refuse will face a fine up to $250. Texas was at the forefront of states loosening lockdown measures that were meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Mr Abbott allowed his initial stay home order to lapse on 30 April, with almost all businesses operating to at least 50% capacity by early June.

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Zuckerberg: Advertisers will be back to Facebook 'soon enough'

As the ads boycott grows, Mark Zuckerberg shows no sign of backing down.
"My guess is that all these advertisers will be back on the platform soon enough" the Facebook chief executive has said. Campaigners accuse the tech firm of being too slow and reluctant to remove some hateful content. But Zuckerberg added: "We're not going to change our policies or approach on anything because of a threat to a small percent of our revenue." The comments were made to Facebook staff at a private meeting last Friday, and were subsequently leaked to the Information news site. The social network has confirmed they are accurate and also announced a fresh development: its chief executive is to meet the organisers of the boycott - Stop Hate for Profit.