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Britain’s finance minister Sajid Javid quits as PM Johnson reshuffles cabinet - world news

Britain’s finance minister, Sajid Javid, resigned on Thursday, just weeks after Brexit and a month before he was due to deliver the government’s annual budget.Javid’s spokesman confirmed he would be leaving just as Prime Minister Boris Johnson carried out the first reshuffle of his cabinet since winning a parliamentary majority in December’s election.The domestic Press Association news agency quoted an unnamed source close to Javid as saying Johnson wanted him to sack his team of aides but he refused.“He has turned down the job of Chancellor of the Exchequer,” the source said.“The prime minister said he had to fire all his special advisers and replace them with Number 10 special advisers to make it one team.“The chancellor said no self-respecting minister would accept those terms.”Javid’s resignation came after Johnson replaced Northern Ireland minister Julian Smith, in a surprise move just weeks after he brokered the restoration of power-sharing government in Belfast.It follows weeks of rumours about tensions between the Treasury and the premier’s closest adviser, Dominic Cummings, who has promised a shake-up of government operations.Javid, 50, is a former high-flying banker who moved into politics, serving as interior minister before replacing Philip Hammond as chancellor of the exchequer in July last year.Hammond locked horns with Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May over her Brexit strategy. Read the full article

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Coronavirus outbreak causes Airbnb to freeze Beijing check-ins until March - world news

Airbnb Inc. is suspending check-ins at all of its Beijing listings until March to comply with local regulations intended to curb the coronavirus outbreak that’s spreading across China.The San Francisco-based company said in a statement that it will offer refunds to all those affected or that cancel their bookings. It’s unclear whether Airbnb’s local rivals, including Tujia and Trip.com Group Ltd., are similarly suspending all bookings in the capital. In its mobile app, Ctrip said “some” apartment bookings in Beijing have been suspended and recommended users turn to hotels instead.“In light of the novel coronavirus outbreak and guidance from local authorities for the short-term rental industry during this public health emergency, bookings of all listings in Beijing with check-in from 7 February 2020 to 29 February 2020 have been suspended,” Airbnb said in its statement. The company “appreciates that disease control efforts are causing overall travel disruptions that also affect our community of guests and hosts.”Health authorities in China and around the world are trying to gauge whether the world’s largest known quarantine effort has been effective in containing the pneumonia-causing virus in central Hubei province, a landlocked region of 60 million people. Infections are rising elsewhere in the country and Beijing is one of its most popular tourist destinations. As of Sunday, Beijing’s health authorities have confirmed 337 cases, including two deaths. Read the full article

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Dozens of monkeys die in German zoo fire by New Year’s Eve lanterns - world news

Flames from flying New Year’s Eve lanterns might have sparked a blaze that killed dozens of monkeys at a zoo in northwestern Germany, management and security services said Wednesday.The blaze tore through the monkey enclosure shortly before midnight, killing at least 30 animals, police said. The enclosure housed gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and marmosets. Only two chimpanzees survived, as well as a family of gorillas in a nearby building. “Our worst fears have been realised,” Krefeld zoo, which specialises in primates, announced on its Facebook page.Tearful visitors lit candles and left flowers and soft toys at the entrance of the zoo on Wednesday. One of the tributes asked simply “Why?”. Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to other buildings at the zoo in North Rhine-Westphalia.- Focus on fireworks -Preliminary findings suggest the fire might have been caused by flying paper lanterns, which float into the air when lit.Three lanterns bearing hand-written New Year’s wishes were discovered in the smouldering debris.These types of devices have been banned in the region since 2009.Police, who have launched an investigation for “arson through negligence”, were contacted late Wednesday by a number of people who may have used these lanterns. Krefeld police said investigators were verifying their statements. The German animal protection association quickly called for all kinds of fireworks to be banned near zoos, farms and kennels.The deadly blaze was “terrible proof of the dramatic consequences for animals” from “uncontrolled” celebrations, the group said.Germans often use powerful fireworks to celebrate the New Year and in Berlin, rescue services on Wednesday recorded 22 injuries, some of which required amputations, from the holiday.That was roughly comparable to levels seen in previous years.The effect of fireworks on air quality has also begun to spark debate and the federal environment agency UBA estimated that the amount of fine particles released in one night was comparable to two months of highway traffic.Several major German supermarket and hardware chains have decided to stop selling fireworks.Demand remains strong for now however, with the people spending around 113 million euros ($127 million) for New Year fireworks, the same amount as last year, according to sector federation VPI.Around 57 percent of the county’s inhabitants would support a ban on firework sales but 84 percent of those questioned also said they looked forward to displays next year.Krefeld zoo planned to remain closed Wednesday with employees “in shock” owing to the “terrible tragedy”, management said.The zoo has around 1,000 animals and attracts some 400,000 visitors a year. Read the full article