MPs vote overwhelmingly to hold snap General Election on June 8

Pic:MPs have voted for the election
Political reporter(wp/es):

MPs have given the go-ahead to a snap General Election on June 8 after a Commons vote.

Theresa May announced her intention to have an early election on Tuesday in a surprise move to boost backing for Brexit.

And, on Wednesday, MPs overwhelmingly backed the election by 522 voted to 13.

It meant Ms May easily got the support of two-thirds of MPs needed under the Fixed Term Parliament Act to bring the poll forward from the scheduled date of 2020.

Both Labour's Jeremy Corbyn and Liberal Democrat Tim Farron saying they welcomed the election - though Scottish National Party MPs abstained in the vote.

However, there was deep division over the issues which should decide the election's outcome, with Mrs May casting the poll as an opportunity to secure "strong and stable leadership" for Britain as it forges a new position outside the European Union.

Mr Corbyn, meanwhile, said voters should take the chance to make their judgement on the Conservative record on austerity and public service cuts.

Telling MPs it was time to "put our fate in the hands of the people and let the people decide", Mrs May told the House of Commons: "We are determined to bring stability to the United Kingdom for the long term and that's what this election will be about - leadership and stability.

"The decision facing the country will be clear. I will be campaigning for strong and stable leadership in the national interest with me as Prime Minister and I will be asking for the public's support to continue to deliver my plan for a stronger Britain, to lead the country for the next five years and to give the certainty and stability that we need."

A large majority for the Tories would strengthen the Government's hand in negotiating a good Brexit deal and provide "strong and stable leadership in the national interest", she said.

But Mr Corbyn dismissed her argument that she needs a fresh mandate to deliver Brexit, and said it was "extremely interesting" that she had chosen to call an election as the Crown Prosecution Service prepares to decide whether to press charges against a string of Tory MPs over allegations relating to 2015 general election expenses.

He said Mrs May's U-turn on her previous insistence that she would not call a snap election showed she could not be trusted.

And he told MPs: "We welcome the opportunity of a general election because it gives the British people the chance to vote for a Labour government that will put the interests of the majority first.

"The Prime Minister talks about a strong economy, but the truth is most people are worse off then they were when the Conservatives came to power seven years ago. The election gives the British people the chance to change direction.”

London ranked just 16th in global list of best places for millennials to live

Staff reporter(wp/es):

London has been ranked only 16th - below Lille, Zurich and Montreal - in a global league table of the best places for millennials to live in.

The capital scored particularly badly - coming 90th out of the 100 cities analysed - for the availability of affordable housing, and a lowly 81st for the number of music festivals compared with its population.

It failed to top any of the 16 categories but came second for “tourism” behind only Venice and equal third for “nightscene” after Berlin and Paris.

But bizarrely London ranked only 34th for “transport” - judged on scale of metro and tram networks, availability of Uber, and existence of a bike-sharing scheme - behind relatively tiny centres such as Auckland in New Zealand and Brno in the Czech Republic.

On immigration tolerance, London, one of the world’s most famously diverse conurbations, did even worse, and was ranked only 51st.

The capital also came only 47th for employment prospects behind economic “minnows” such as Graz in Austria and Canberra in Australia. 

Ömer Kücükdere, managing director of Nestpick, a website for finding furnished apartments, said ““Millennials travel more at a younger age than any of their preceding generations; this gives them the possibility to find the perfect city for their personal needs.

“With aging populations cities must cater to the Millennial demographic in order to sustain a thriving economy.” 

The overall winner was Amsterdam followed by Berlin and Munich.

Thousands of Britons to be hit by Australian visa clampdown

Pic:Malcolm Turnbull announced the policy this week /AP
Staff reporter(wp/es):

Australia is set to introduce stricter visa requirements for skilled overseas workers in a move which could affect thousands of Britons.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced this week plans to abolish the 457 visa programme, which is used to hire foreign workers in the restaurant, IT and medical industries.

The Australian PM hopes scrapping the visas will help prioritise its own nationals for jobs.

The visa programme is largely used by Indian, British and Chinese nationals, totaling about 170,000 people and their families.

About 20 per cent, 34,000, are British nationals living in Australia.

The scheme has been criticised by some for being too accessible to foreign nationals, having been originally designed to fill gaps in the skilled market.

Mr Turnbull, echoing the policy of US President Donald Trump, hailed the policy as “putting Australians first”.

He said: “We are an immigration nation, but the fact remains Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs.

“We'll no longer allow 457 visas to be passports to jobs that could and should go to Australians."

A new temporary visa will replace the programme and last between two or four years, which Mr Turnbull said will “better target” skilled workers.

More than 200 jobs will be removed from an existing list of about 650 eligible professions.

The measures will be introduced immediately, but those already holding 457 visas will be exempt from any changes.

Some businesses and workers have criticised scrapping the visas.

Benjamin Williams, who was about to be sponsored for a 457 visa, told the BBC: "I'm absolutely devastated and don't know what to do or where to go from here.

“How can the government make such massive changes in one afternoon?"

Woman sexually assaulted at Oxford Circus Tube station

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A woman was sexually assaulted while standing outside a shop at Oxford Circus Tube station.

Police are investigating the assault, during which a man approached a woman who was leaning against a closed shutter and touched her inappropriately, British Transport Police (BTP) said.

The attack happened on Tuesday, March 14.

Investigators have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the assault.

Investigating officer PC Ben Martin-Richmond said: “I am keen to speak to the man in the CCTV image. I believe he has vital information that could help with the investigation.

“I am also appealing for people who may have been in the area at the time and might have witnessed the incident. I urge you to get in touch with us.”