Category: World News

Atlanta Mayor Condemns Trump's Response to George Floyd Protests: 'He Speaks and He Makes It Worse'



Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, recently spoke with both Biden and Trump, and said the president "didn't give me the opportunity to even speak" during their phone call.

"It was so fast," Philonise said of his conversation with Trump, which took place on Friday. "He didn't give me the opportunity to even speak. It was hard. I was trying to talk to him but he just kept like pushing me off like 'I don’t want to hear what you’re talking about.' I just told him I want justice. I said that I can't believe that they committed a modern-day lynching in broad daylight."

Trump made remarks about his call with Floyd on Saturday, claiming that he "expressed the sorrow of our entire nation for their loss."

"I understand the pain that people are feeling," Trump said. "We support the right of peaceful protests and we hear their pleas, but what we are now seeing on the streets of our cities has nothing to do with the memory of George Floyd. The violence and vandalism is being led by Antifa and other radical left-wing groups who are terrorizing the innocent, destroying jobs, hurting businesses and burning down buildings."

"The main victims of this horrible, horrible situation are the citizens who live in these once-lovely communities … The mobs are devastating the life's work of good people and destroying their dreams. We support the overwhelming majority of police officers who are incredible in every way and devoted to public service."

Meanwhile, on Monday, Biden took part in a virtual call with Bottoms, as well as mayors from Los Angeles, Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota, to speak to them about their cities. During the chat, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti condemned the president and his response to the protests, telling Biden, "We need some morality and we need some leadership."

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Florida Police Officer Suspended After Shoving A Kneeling Black Woman Amid Protest

A Florida police officer has been suspended after he was seen shoving a kneeling protester at an anti-racism demonstration on Sunday.

Videos captured by bystanders show the man, identified by authorities as Fort Lauderdale police officer Steven Pohorence, confronting protesters outside a parking garage. As the officer, who appears to be white, is turning to walk away, he pushes to the ground a Black woman who is kneeling with her hands in the air.

A Black female police officer can be seen pulling Pohorence from the crowd and scolding him as other demonstrators scream in response to his actions. 

Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Rick Maglione said during a Monday news conference that Pohorence and several of his colleagues entered the crowd to rescue one of his fellow officers who was surrounded and felt endangered.

Pohorence pushed the female protester, who has not been publicly identified, during that rescue mission, Maglione said.

The suspended officer’s actions will be investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement before an internal investigation is conducted, the chief said.

“While it wasn’t resulting in injury, it obviously needs to be looked into,” Maglione said. “If disciplinary action needs to be taken, it will. And it will be swift and corrective in nature.”

He also commended the officer who grabbed Pohorence.

“She did what you are supposed to do,” Maglione said. “When you see either adrenaline or emotion or some kind of interaction going south … that is our job to do is intervene.”

Pohorence was hired in October 2016 and assigned to patrol duties, according to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Previously, he worked for the Florida Highway Patrol.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said he agreed with the department’s decision to suspend Pohorence.

“I thought it was offensive,” Trantalis said during the news conference. “I thought that never should have happened.”

Protests have erupted across the country since George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis on May 25. Floyd, who was unarmed, died after three police officers, including one who knelt on Floyd’s neck, held him down on the ground and ignored his repeated statements that he couldn’t breathe.

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Premium Bonds: Savings hit a 14-year high amid latest prize draw

Premium Bonds are a popular option amongst savers as any money put away is 100 percent guaranteed from any unexpected circumstances. This is because NS&I, the savings bank behind Premium Bonds, is backed by the Treasury. And while there are other safe options through alternative providers, recent research has revealed the NS&I method of saving could be more popular now, than ever before. 

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Analysis from MoneySavingExpert.com has shown £1.5 billion worth of Premium Bonds were purchased in April.

This is, as research showed savings rates began to tumble from the state-backed bank.

The savings have now hit a 14-year record high, as this is the highest number of bonds bought in one month since December 2006.

14 years ago, a special 50th anniversary draw from NS&I with a promise of five £1million winners captured a wide audience, and generated £2billion worth of bonds.

In April, NS&I announced it would be dropping its plans to slash its interest rate and prize rate fund. 

It had originally planned to drop rates from 1.40 percent tax-free, to 1.30 percent. 

However it ditched this intention due to what the savings company described as an “unprecedented time”.

The odds of any £1 Bond number winning any prize will not reduce to 26,000/1 and remain at 24,500/1.

Helen Saxon, Banking Editor at MoneySavingExpert.com commented on the record high in this method of saving

She said: “With many savings rates plummeting in recent months, and NS&I bucking the trend by cancelling its planned rate cut, it’s no surprise that people are flocking to Premium Bonds.

“NS&I is also top of the table for easy-access savings rates at the moment with its 1.16% Income Bonds. This is unusual, as NS&I’s state-backed status means it’s not really meant to sit at the top of tables offering rates the commercially-owned competition can’t hope to match. 

“Yet these are not normal times, and with the state’s furlough and self-employed support schemes having paid out more than £20 billion so far, it’s likely NS&I has been told to raise more cash through its savings products and Premium Bonds to cover some of this borrowing.

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“If you do have money to save and you’re looking for a decent rate and thinking about Premium Bonds, it’s important to remember that the advertised 1.4 percent prize rate is just an indication, and it’s possible you could win absolutely nothing. But, with savings languishing at very low rates, if you’re happy to take a chance then Premium Bonds aren’t currently a bad place to put your money.”

Premium Bonds have been issued in the UK since 1956, meaning they predate the famous National Lottery draw.

They are a type of lottery bond which the government pays interest into, with a monthly prize draw providing select bondholders with a payout.

It is estimated approximately 21 million Britons own Premium Bonds, and because this is a lottery bond, the more you buy, the greater your chances of winning. 

The results of the June prize draw were revealed today, and lucky winners could be substantially richer.

The first millionaire winner for this month was a woman from Nottingham, with the winning number 292ME808065.

She had a holding of £50,000, but the specific bond that won it for her was valued at £25,000 and purchased in January 2017.

The second millionaire was a man from Stoke-on-Trent, with the bond number 384CP325978.

He had a total holding of £27,500, with the winning bond purchased recently in February 2020 and valued at £14,000. 

Of course, it is important to know there are other substantial prizes, and others can check if they have won by visiting the NS&I website to check their bond numbers. 

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Ariana Grande, Tessa Jackson, Halsey Join George Floyd Protests

As protests over the death of George Floyd continued around the country, celebrities ― including Ariana Grande, Halsey, Tessa Jackson, Nick Cannon and Timothée Chalamet ― took to the streets to protest police violence and call for justice.

In Los Angeles, where numerous celebrities joined demonstrations, some gatherings turned violent, prompting the activation of the National Guard and a state of emergency to be declared late on Saturday.

Grande, who had urged followers on Instagram to get involved, was seen Saturday with a Black Lives Matter sign at a Los Angeles protest.

She tweeted Sunday that there were “hours and miles of peaceful protesting yesterday that got little to no coverage.”

Singer Halsey streamed live on Instagram Saturday as police appeared to fire rubber bullets. On Twitter, she said protesters had not antagonized police or breached the line, but police fired tear gas and rubber bullets nonetheless. She attended another protest Sunday and urged that people “listen to the Black people speaking.”

She added: “If they are venting their pain and anguish out loud do not speak over them. Allies are there to help when help is needed. Not take control of the narrative. there’s enough of that already.”

“Insecure” actor Kendrick Sampson said he was struck seven times by rubber bullets and said he was beaten with batons at a Los Angeles protests. He later shared images of several injuries on Instagram.

Actor Tessa Thompson shared footage from a Los Angeles protest, which she said was “entirely peaceful” until the Los Angeles Police Department “arrived and escalated it.” Demonstrators are heard chanting “This is our America” in her video.

Singer-songwriter Kehlani also attended the Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles, and applauded her fellow protesters.

She urged followers to attend events “organized the right way by the right group of people” in an Instagram story on Sunday.

“The Masked Singer” host and rapper Nick Cannon shared numerous images and videos from a Minneapolis protest. He wore a shirt emblazoned with Floyd’s final words, “I can’t breathe.” He also shared a spoken-word video on Sunday which, using those words as a recurring theme, decries systemic racism and police brutality.

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And on Friday, actor Jamie Foxx, too, was seen in Minneapolis, where he spoke at a rally calling for the arrest of the four officers involved in Floyd’s death. He said “we are not afraid of this moment” and stood in solidarity with social justice advocates on the front lines. 

″To all of my friends who aren’t black, just try to put yourself in our position,” Foxx said.

Other celebrities seen at protests in various cities include Emily Ratajkowski, Michael B. Jordan, Timothée Chalamet, John Cusack, J. Cole, Paris Jackson, Lil Yachty and Machine Gun Kelly.

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Trump’s Options to Hit Hong Kong, From Tariffs to China’s Banks

If the markets are any judge, U.S. President Donald Trump’s vow of “meaningful” action to strip some of Hong Kong’s trade privileges has so far proved underwhelming.

Trump’s announcement in the White House’s Rose Garden on Friday didn’t provide any details or timeframe for what would come next, only that it would cover the full range of agreements between the U.S. and Hong Kong with “few exceptions.” U.S. stocks on Friday erased losses and traded little changed, with the S&P 500 Index rising 0.5% at the close in New York. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index on Monday saw gains of more than 3%, led by the finance sector.

The risk was more evident later in the day on Monday, after Bloomberg reported that a “phase one” trade deal between the countries may be at risk after Chinese government officials told major state-run agricultural companies to pause purchases of some American farm goods including soybeans as Beijing watches for any U.S. moves on Hong Kong. S&P 500 Index futures gave up gains to trade 0.6% lower, while U.S. 10-year bonds erased declines.

China Halts Some U.S. Farm Imports, Threatening Trade Deal

Under the U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, the president is empowered to suspend the territory’s special trading privileges at any time through an executive order. The law covers the whole facet of the relationship, from trade to recognizing passports to rules that affect air travel, shipping and investment. It even allows for U.S. dollars to be freely exchanged with Hong Kong dollars, which if revoked would amount to what some analysts have called the “nuclear option.”

Trump’s China Announcement Leaves Room to De-Escalate Tensions

“We’re not seeing a rush for the exits at all,” Tara Joseph, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg Television on Monday. “What we’re seeing generally is everyone first digesting the news. And second of all looking at their footprint in Hong Kong and thinking through whether that ought to change.”

While revoking the policy act completely would raise huge legal questions that could mark a major hit to global trade, here are some of the key measures affecting trade that analysts are watching for.

Tariffs

Trump could treat Hong Kong exports with the same tariffs as the mainland. Yet the effect of this may be minimal: The territory exported $4.8 billion last year to the U.S., about 1% of what China shipped over. While Hong Kong is a major transshipment hub for Chinese goods, most of these are already taxed at mainland rates.

Moreover, the U.S. enjoyed a $23 billion trade surplus with Hong Kong, the biggest in the world — meaning Trump would potentially be throwing away a win according to his favorite metric if the city takes any reciprocal action.

Stripping Hong Kong of its tariffs exemptions will damage the port, shipping services and logistic industries, Iris Pang, Chief Economist Greater China at ING Bank NV wrote in a note.

“But these industries have been hurt anyway since the start of the trade war between Mainland China and the U.S.,” she wrote.

Export Controls

The U.S. allows Hong Kong to import certain sensitive goods that are prohibited from China. This includes certain dual-use technology with consumer and military applications, like carbon fiber used to make both golf clubs and missile components.

Ending these privileges would make Hong Kong subject to the same export controls, including those placed on China following a deadly military assault on protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989. While total Hong Kong imports requiring a special license from the U.S. amounted to only 1.2% of all goods in 2018, American exporters could have more paperwork to fill out on certain items.

“Export bans could have a direct impact on the tech race that China and the U.S. seems to be engaged in,” according to economists at Natixis SA.

Sanctions on Individuals

An amendment to the policy act last year gives the president authority to sanction people who are responsible for undermining freedoms and autonomy in Hong Kong. The law specifically mentions blocking assets and revoking visas for people named by the president.

Those could include Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office chief Xia Baolong, the primary person in the mainland responsible for the territory; Luo Huining, who was appointed earlier this year to lead China’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong; and officials in the city possibly including Carrie Lam, the chief executive. Erick Tsang, who oversees mainland affairs in Hong Kong, said over the weekend that he wouldn’t fear any U.S. sanctions and would simply stay away from the country, the Standard reported.

Sanctions on Banks

U.S. lawmakers are quickly moving ahead with a bill that would penalize banks that do “significant transactions” with Chinese entities involved in suppressing Hong Kong’s freedoms. This could effectively cut those banks off from the U.S. financial system, with measures such as blocking foreign exchange transactions and dealings with American lenders or citizens.

Republican Senator Pat Toomey and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen plan to move the bill forward this week. Given the ease with which anti-China measures have passed recently in Congress, Trump may have little choice but to sign it.

Any action on this front could potentially do serious damage to China and Hong Kong’s role as an international finance center.

Broader Sanctions

Trump could use the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to implement much broader sanctions on China. This law, which is cited in the amendment to the U.S.-Hong Kong policy act that passed last year, gives the president wide powers to deal with any “unusual and extraordinary threat” that he deems a national emergency.

Trump has already threatened to use it on a number of occasions during his presidency. He mentioned them when he threatened last year to place levies on Mexican goods as a way to force curbs on the flow of undocumented immigrants across the U.S.-Mexican border. And his administration also said in August that the legislation would give the president the authority to force American companies to leave China if Trump declared an emergency.

Still, any move on this front would escalate tensions with China drastically and effectively mean the end of the “phase one” trade deal signed in January.

‘Kill’ the Dollar Peg

One key aspect of the U.S.-Hong Kong policy act is a provision allowing the U.S. dollar “to be freely exchanged” with the Hong Kong dollar.

If he wanted to, Trump “could kill the Hong Kong dollar peg in one fell swoop,” according to Enodo Economics. Although that’s unlikely, it said, even targeted curbs to block Chinese or Hong Kong banks from the U.S. dollar clearing system would have “significant implications.”

Oxford Economics is among those that think it’s unlikely the peg will fall victim to the political pressures and notes Hong Kong’s foreign exchange reserves are twice the size of the monetary base. In the event of material outflows, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority has various tools to release liquidity into the interbank system, they said.

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Flat-Earthers ridiculed on social media after SpaceX launch footage captures curvature of our planet

FLAT-EARTHERS have been mocked online by people pointing out that images from the recent SpaceX launch show the Earth as round.

The Nasa and SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket shot two US astronauts into space on Saturday and captured footage as it journeyed to the International Space Station.

Live images beamed back to Earth showed the Dragon crew capsule in orbit with the curvature of the Earth in the distance.

The launch was a historic event because it was the first time a private company has launched astronauts into space.

Almost as soon as the space rocket took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida the hashtag 'FlatEarth' was being thrown about online.

However, it wasn't coming from flat-earthers defending their theory but users mocking the idea with clips of children having tantrums and people in disbelief as they supposedly watched the launch footage.

Amazingly, some flat Earth Facebook groups were spotted trying to discredit the footage.

One user wrote: "Ok watched the launched live a moment ago…they keep switching cameras quickly when they go to the Earth being flat".

A Twitter user known as The Flat Earther wrote: "Why do you think earth is a globe? Because you see Photoshop images of it.

"Have you ever tried to prove the globe independently? If not, then you have no evidence of a globe."



As this debate continued online, astronauts  Bob Behnken, 49, and Doug Hurley, 53 reached the International Space Station on Sunday.

The US astronauts reached their intended destination after 19 hours.

They then boarded the ISS where they were met by current residents, NASA’s Chris Cassidy and Russians Anatoli Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.

What is the ISS?

Here's what you need to know about the International Space Station…

  • The International Space Station, often abbreviated to ISS, is a large space craft that orbits Earth and houses astronauts who go up there to complete scientific missions
  • Many countries worked together to build it and they work together to use it
  • It is made up of many pieces, which astronauts had to send up individually on rockets and put together from 1998 to 2000
  • Ever since the year 2000, people have lived on the ISS
  • Nasa uses the station to learn about living and working in space
  • It is approximately 250 miles above Earth and orbits around the planet just like a satellite
  • Living inside the ISS is said to be like living inside a big house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gym, lots of science labs and a big bay window for viewing Earth

In other space news, the Virgin Orbit rocket flopped on its maiden voyage.

China has outlined plans to build an orbiting science lab by 2023.

And, the heart of our Milky Way galaxy is blinking at us, according to scientists.

What are your thoughts on the flat Earth theory? Let us know in the comments…

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]

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Goldman Rolls Back Its Pessimistic Outlook for American Stocks

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has effectively bowed to pressure from the continuing rally in U.S. stocks and abandoned its call for another steep sell-off.

Strategists led by David Kostin have rolled back their prediction that the S&P 500 would slump to the 2,400 level — over 20% below Friday’s 3,044 close — and now see downside risks capped at 2,750. The U.S. equity benchmark could even rally further to 3,200, they wrote in a May 29 note.

“The powerful rebound means our previous three-month target of 2,400 is unlikely to be realized,” the strategists wrote. “Monetary and fiscal policy support limit likely downside to roughly 10%. Investor positioning has oscillated between neutral and low and is a possible 5% upside catalyst.”

The shift came just after JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s strategists shifted in the other direction — reining in their bullish outlook. JPMorgan’s Marko Kolanovic warned about rising U.S.-China tensions in a note May 28.

JPMorgan’s Kolanovic Dials Back Bullish Stance on Equities

Goldman’s strategists maintained their year-end target of 3,000 for the benchmark U.S. stock gauge.

Goldman continues to argue that short-term returns are skewed to the downside — “or neutral at best” — thanks to the risk of an economic, earnings, trade or political “hiccup” to the normalization trend. A broader participation in the rally would be needed for the S&P 500 to move meaningfully higher.

The S&P 500 has climbed 36% from its March 23 low, helped by massive fiscal and monetary support, mega-cap outperformance and optimism about the economy restarting, according to Goldman. Last month it argued fear of missing out was a key driver of the rebound in stocks.

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Trump Vows to Stop ‘Mob Violence’ Protesting Floyd Death

President Donald Trump vowed his administration would end what he called “mob violence” in U.S. cities following the death of an unarmed black man at the hands of Minnesota police, blaming leftist groups for clashes with police and property damage around the nation.

“The mobs are devastating the life’s work of good people and destroying their dreams,” Trump said at Cape Canaveral, Florida, in remarks following the first launch of U.S. astronauts into orbit from U.S. soil since 2011.

“There will be no anarchy,” Trump said. “Civilization must be cherished, defended and protected. The voices of law-abiding citizens must be heard, and heard very loudly.”

Saturday’s successful rocket launch by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which will carry two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, had served as a chance for Trump to take a victory lap for an electoral promise to reestablish American dominance in space.

It’s also a symbolic step; the U.S. is resuming manned spaceflight just as most of the country begins to emerge from lockdowns from the coronavirus pandemic and is in a deep economic downturn. Trump touted the launch as part of his “America First” agenda.

Demonstrations All Over

Instead, the day was overshadowed by demonstrations in Minneapolis, Louisville, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and other cities, continuing the political strife and racial division that have accompanied Trump’s presidency. Protesters demanded justice for George Floyd, who died this week after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.

The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter. He is white.

“Radical left criminals, thugs and others, all throughout our country and throughout the world, will not be allowed to set communities ablaze,” Trump said. “We won’t let it happen.”

Trump didn’t specify how his administration would act against violent protesters.

“The leadership of the National Guard and the Department of Justice are now in close communication with state and city officials in Minnesota,” he said, “and we are coordinating our efforts with local law enforcement all across the nation.”

Friday’s Skirmishes

Even as Trump spoke in Florida, protesters were gathering again outside the White House. Demonstrators in Lafayette Park across from the White House skirmished with the Secret Service on Friday, leading to six arrests and “multiple” injuries among the agency’s personnel, it said in a statement.

Earlier Saturday, the president encouraged his supporters to rally outside his residence as well, inviting a potentially dangerous confrontation.

On his way to Florida, Trump threatened to unleash the “unlimited power” of the U.S. military on demonstrators, ignoring legal barriers to deploying the military within the nation’s borders for law-enforcement purposes. He has also repeatedly needled the Democratic mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, expressing outrage that protesters in the city were able to enter and burn a police precinct station.

“Those making excuses or justifications for violence are not helping the downtrodden but delivering new anguish and pain,” Trump said at Cape Canaveral.

Bad Apples

Despite the outpouring of anger from protesters, who argue that Floyd’s death was the result of systemic police brutality and racism, Trump defended the “overwhelming majority” of police whom he said are “incredible in every way.”

“No one is more upset than fellow law enforcement officers by the small handful who fail to abide by their oath to serve and protect,” the president said.

In a series of tweets Saturday morning, Trump appeared to revel in the potential for violence outside the White House, warning that Friday’s protesters would have been met by “vicious dogs” and “most ominous weapons” had they dared to breach the fence around the property.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Saturday that the reference to attack dogs was “no subtle reminder to African-Americans of segregationists that let dogs out on women, children and innocent people in the South.” She called the comments “an attack on humanity.”

Trump depicted Secret Services agents as eager to battle the demonstrators, and later issued an appeal to his supporters to assemble: “Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???”

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State Pension UK: Boris Johnson makes new Triple Lock commitment but will you miss out?

State Pension is provided by the government for Britons who have worked for decades within the UK, and is a sum to help them during retirement. The full State Pension amount increases every year under the Triple Lock Guarantee. This means it rises depending on which is the greatest of 2.5 percent, the percentage growth in prices in the UK, or the average increase in wages.

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This year, the State Pension rose by 3.9 percent, in line with average earnings. 

When recently asked about his Triple Lock manifesto commitments, Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated he would “meet all of our manifesto commitments, unless I specifically tell you otherwise.”

He added: “It’s an important point, and we won’t be blown off. Of course, we are on track to delivering these things.”

This statement provided buoyancy and reassurance to pensioners looking to secure a comfortable retirement. 

However, it is important to note a certain group may not be entitled to the Triple Lock commitment.

Those who have chosen to retire abroad in specific countries have faced the prospect of their State Pension entitlement being frozen at the rate it was when they left the UK.

While it is possible to claim the new State Pension overseas in most countries, the annual increase is only available to pensioners living in certain places.

Those who live abroad only receive a rise if they live in the European Economic Area (EEA), Gibraltar, Switzerland, and certain countries which have a social security agreement with the UK.

The majority of those affected by a freeze to their pension amount live in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. 

The government website states that although the UK has social security agreements with Canada and New Zealand, “you cannot get a yearly increase in your UK State Pension if you live in either of those countries”.

It is estimated some 550,000 British pensioners who live overseas could miss out on annual State Pension hikes.

However, there is good news for Britons who have retired to European Union countries.

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These people are set to see their pension increase in line with Triple Lock, thanks to the UK government’s withdrawal agreement which has negotiated reciprocal rights for State Pension increases. 

This is after concern rose that British retirees living in EU or EEA countries could lose out on pension rises in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

However, it is important to note those moving abroad to these countries after 2020 could see their pension payments frozen.

This is because these rises are conditional to a withdrawal agreement and whether arrangements with the EU are in place on January 31, 2020. 

Those who move to countries which do not have an agreement with the UK will be affected by the freeze unless they return to the country.

Recently, there have been calls to scrap the Triple Lock system in the UK to cover the increasing cost of the COVID-19 crisis.

A document viewed by the Telegraph suggested the Treasury could look to scrap the protection.

Treasury officials appear to have advised the Chancellor Rishi Sunak that it is “better to break the tax lock to achieve revenue of this scale than attempt to raise this level of revenue with this constraint”.

The officials argued stopping the cost of the pension triple lock could produce savings of circa £8billion per annum “when compared to the base case”. 

Pensioners who retired before April 6, 2016, are entitled to the ‘old’ State Pension system which could see them receive up to £134.25 per week.

Those who retired after this date will fall under the New State Pension system, and could gain a maximum of £175.25.

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Protests Continue Nationwide Over George Floyd Killing In Minneapolis

Nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd — the Black man who died Monday after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck — continued Friday evening as Americans demanded that those involved face justice. 

On Friday, protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis; Washington; Louisville, Kentucky; New York City; Atlanta; Denver; Houston; San Jose and Bakersfield, California; Chicago; Detroit; and other cities. 

After three nights of protests, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced a mandatory curfew going into effect at 8 p.m. But in the hours before that, hundreds of protesters marched across the Hennepin Avenue Bridge chanting Floyd’s name and holding signs emblazoned with three of his final words: “I can’t breathe.” As the curfew time approached, law enforcement appeared to deploy tear gas against protesters, according to multiple reports. 

At the protest in New York, police were filmed hitting demonstrators with batons and spraying what appeared to be pepper spray, according to reporters on the scene. 

Police in several cities, including Boston and Fort Wayne, Indiana, reportedly fired tear gas to disperse protesters. 

In Atlanta, police also reportedly used tear gas on protesters outside CNN headquarters, where police were barricaded in the entry after some demonstrators shattered glass walls.  

The White House went on lockdown as protesters neared Pennsylvania Avenue and kicked down barricades guarded by the Secret Service, CNN reported. No one is allowed to leave the grounds, including members of the press.

In California, a black Toyota captured on video appeared to deliberately drive into protesters in Bakersfield. It was spotted later speeding down a road where demonstrators were gathered. It couldn’t immediately be determined if anyone was seriously injured, 

In downtown Los Angeles, protesters shut down the 110 Freeway as they chanted, “I can’t breathe” and “No justice, no peace.” Some clashed with police after a squad car was attacked.

In Louisville, Kentucky, law enforcement shot rubber bullets at a local news crew filming the protest, according to a local newscaster who was hit while reporting live. 

Minneapolis police over previous nights had responded to protests by wearing riot gear and firing tear gas and rubber bullets on demonstrators. Amid some of the civil unrest on Thursday night, a local police precinct in Minneapolis was burned and a Target and other stores were damaged. 

The nationwide civil unrest follows a days-long wait for the Friday arrest of Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin. The white cop pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck as he repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd, who was handcuffed and unarmed, was being arrested after he was accused of fraud involving a possibly counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, according to the complaint filed against him, with Floyd reportedly unresponsive for nearly three of those minutes. 

Chauvin is facing charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter. Floyd’s family issued a statement Friday saying they were disappointed authorities didn’t seek first-degree murder charges. The family, calling Chauvin’s arrest “welcome but overdue,” also demanded that the other three officers present Monday — Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng — be arrested. 

“The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and is spilling out onto streets across America,” the family’s attorney Ben Crump wrote in a statement.

The local NAACP chapter echoed the family’s demands for the arrest of the other officers. “All humanity should be outraged,” Leslie Redmond, president of the Minneapolis NAACP, said Friday. 

President Donald Trump tweeted early Friday about the previous nights’ protests in Minneapolis, calling the largely Black demonstrators “thugs” and threatening them with state-sanctioned violence, adding, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” 

Later in the day, Trump claimed to clarify his tweet, saying “looting leads to shooting” and noting a shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday and seven shots fired in Louisville on Thursday during the demonstrations. At a Friday event, he also expressed “deepest condolences” to Floyd’s family and lamented the “horrible, horrible situation,” but he also condemned the civil unrest, saying “we can’t allow” protests “to turn into anarchy and chaos” and “looters should not be allowed to drown out the voices of peaceful protesters.”

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