The Standard

Home Secretary Priti Patel's visited the Reading park where three people were killed and three more injured in what's being investigated as a terror attack at the weekend. 25-year-old Khairi Saadallah, a Libyan refugee, is in custody. It's reported he was known to MI5, but the Evening Standard's Home Affairs editor Martin Bentham says coronavirus lockdown restrictions have made it harder to investigate potential threats in the UK. 

It's 72 years since the  HMT Empire Windrush arrived at Tilsbury docks in Essex, carrying the first people who would become what's known as the 'Windrush Generation'. In 2018, they were at the centre of an immigration row when, despite being given the lifelong right to remain in the UK, at least 83 people were wrongly deported. We speak to former shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott who tells us lessons are still to be learned. 

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The last big hurdle to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to switch to step two of the UK’s roadmap to recovery has cleared with the coronavirus alert level dropping. It means pubs and restaurants will open next month and there’s even suggestions the two metre rule could be reduced to one metre. London School for Hygiene and Tropical Medicine researcher and Director at March for Change Dr Mike Galsworthy tells us what it means for Britons as we ease out of lockdown. 

And, the creative industry has been one of the hardest hit by the global pandemic. In the UK, losses could reach £1.4 billion a week. In the Evening Standard, the boss of the Creative Industries Federation Caroline Norbury says artists are vital in times of darkness for

providing respite and resilience, and the delicate economy that supports them must be protected. She tells us what big thinking - and some imagination - could do to help prevent a cultural catastrophe.

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The ‘force’s sweetheart’, Dame Vera Lynn, has died aged 103. She became a symbol of hope and inspiration for those on the front line of World War Two, and again this year, when the Queen evoked the lyrics in her beloved song ‘we will meet again’ as she rallied the nation in the face of a global pandemic. The head of the Armed Forces charity SSAFA, Sir Andrew Gregory, tells us how Dame Vera’s charm spanned generations.

And, the Duchess of Cambridge has a message for the nation’s children as they prepare to return to school: your feelings of frustrations will pass, be kind to one another. She’s tapped in to a serious message from the Harris Federation, who have noticed children are withdrawn and even frightened of returning to the classroom. Director of secondary education Carolyn English tells us this only adds to the argument for schools to reopen quickly.

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Al-fresco dining is set to bring back the buzz to London’s famed West End. Pubs, cafes and restaurants will spill out onto the streets over the summer, reviving spending and lifting the city’s spirits. Soho Estate’s John James has led the charge to get the district back up and running, and says he’s delighted Westminster City has heard their calls. 

And, football’s back after 100 days, but now the world looks very different. The Premier League is grappling with how to keep players safe during a pandemic, and it is facing calls, sparked by the Black Lives Matters protests, to make deeper changes to the sport.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick tells us what fans can expect from kick off tonight.

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Boris Johnson's made a hasty u-turn on providing free school meals this Summer after a campaign by Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford sounded the death knell for the policy. Now, 1.3 million children will have access to meal vouchers over the school holidays, something the Government has never provided before. The Evening Standard’s Joe Murphy tells us how Rashford struck a chord even with those in the PM’s own party. 

And, Royal Ascot is racing behind closed doors this week for the first time in its 250 year history. Even the Queen will be watching from Windsor Castle - the first time she’s not attended since her coronation. But, can the event still be the same without royalty and the hundreds of thousands of spectators, dressed in their finest? Director of racing Nick Smith says there’s still plenty of ways to get involved in the fanfare from home.

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Shops are reopening across Britain but with a new look. Hand sanitizing stations have been installed, caps on the amount of people allowed through the doors have been imposed. During lockdown, the Office for National Statistics shows non-food shops have been losing £1.7 billion a week and now they’re trying to draw customers back in. But how will they innovate to survive post-pandemic? The Evening Standard’s Lizzie Edmonds was at Oxford Street this morning to witness the re-opening, and tells us what shopping’s "new normal" feels like.

And, in lockdown, London’s parks have become the capital’s replacement for pubs. While at first people were using the spaces to reconnect with nature, now with the sun out and eased restrictions, every weekend they’ve become the home of impromptu festivals. Hackney mayor Philip Glanville tells us council’s are doing what they can to make parks welcoming for all, but ultimately, it's up to visitors to do the right thing. 

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Britain’s crippled lockdown economy smashed all records in April when the nation’s output plummeted by more than a fifth. The remarkable 20.4 per cent dive in GDP — even deeper than most City forecasts — came in the month when Boris Johnson’s strict “stay at home” order was in force for all 30 days. But our consumer business editor Jonathan Prynn tells us there is some hope for a recovery as the number of covid cases in the country starts to fall. 

And, the Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council tells our digital fashion and beauty editor Chloe Street how London Fashion week is transforming itself into an online event because of the pandemic. How hard has the industry been hit by covid-19, and what's happening to help?

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After months of pleading from restaurants, bars, theatres and cinemas, the government could be about to reduce the two metre social distancing rule. Communities minister Simon Clarke's been giving interviews suggesting it's under review. Some other countries have set the distance to as little as one metre, so why can't the UK? Restaurateur Jack Stein, son of celebrity chef Rick Stein, tells us how cutting the gap by even just half a metre could make the difference between successfully re-opening and going bust. 

Also, as UK singles get ready for their "social bubble" time this weekend, we look at how Holland saved sex during the pandemic. Dutch writer Linda Duits talks to us about the way lockdown rules there encouraged people to find "sex buddies", and the difference that made to the country. 

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Coronavirus has never been so prevalent. Although cases are dropping in Europe, they're soaring in both north and South America, while Africa is struggling to control the infection. Data suggests the peak of the global pandemic is still to come. Among those battling Covid-19 across borders is Save the Children. Their executive director of global programmes Gwen Hines tells us about the challenges being faced in places like Yemen, where a civil war is hampering efforts to keep people safe. 

Prince Philip's turned 99 with a celebration at Windsor Castle with the Queen. A new photograph of the couple has been released to mark the occasion. We ask the Evening Standard's Insider editor Lucy Pavia what else the Duke of Edinburgh will be doing on his special day. We also ask if it's true, as one royal commentator has claimed, that lockdown's meant he's never spent this much time alone with his wife before.

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The government's announced all primary school children in England will not be sent back to classes before the summer break. It follows a backlash from teachers and unions who warned it would be impossible due capacity issues, staff shortages and social distancing requirements. In this episode of the Leader Podcast we look at an alternative to using classrooms for pupils with the launch of a new forest school in London, where children are taught outside. 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan's ordered a commission to review statues, street names and public buildings that may have a connection to slavery. It could lead to places like the Tate and Sloane Square getting a name change. But should we tear down our past? The Evening Standard's associate editor Julian Glover argues it's better to reset the balance by finding ways to remember the history people have forgotten.

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