Top story: Westminster on edge for Gray report
Morning everyone. This is Martin Farrer bringing you the best stories of the day.
Boris Johnson is facing calls to launch an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Tory party after the former minister Nusrat Ghani claimed she was told her âMuslimnessâ was âmaking colleagues uncomfortableâ. The prime minister was dragged into the controversy as he awaits the findings of a make-or-break investigation into alleged lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street. No 10 conceded on Sunday that Ghani had raised her concerns personally with Johnson at a meeting in 2020, and said he had responded by encouraging her to make a formal complaint with the Conservative party. Ghani says that when she was sacked as a junior transport minister in a reshuffle in 2020, Tory whips told her that her âMuslim woman minister status was making colleagues feel uncomfortableâ. In a sign of the tensions with the party, chief whip Mark Spencer called the claims âcompletely falseâ.
Ghani, the first female Muslim Tory MP, has described the comment as like being âpunched in the stomachâ, and has reignited fears about racism in the party.
The case added to the febrile atmosphere at Westminster where the findings of Sue Grayâs investigation into alleged parties at Downing Street are expected this week. Doing the rounds of TV stations yesterday, Dominic Raab, deputy PM, refused to say whether the report would be published in full.
Ukraine order â The US government has ordered the families of all American personnel at the US embassy in Ukraine to leave the country amid heightened fears of a Russian invasion. The US also issued a statement last night noting the buildup of Russian troops on the border and that âsecurity conditions are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little noticeâ. Anthony Blinken, US secretary of state, said Nato would be united and respond âswiftlyâ if Russia crossed the border. It came as Ukraineâs government said it was reacting âseriouslyâ to UK allegations that Moscow has plans to invade the country and install a puppet government, adding that Kyiv is resisting Russian efforts to destabilise its government and economy.
Long Covid impact â NHS trusts in England lost nearly 2m days in staff absences due to long Covid in the first 18 months of the pandemic, according to an all-party group of MPs. The groupâs chair, Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, said the government had paid âalmost no attention to long Covid and the severe impact it was having on vital public servicesâ. In another study into the impact of Covid, nearly half of those who became ill in the first wave of infections may have long-term and even permanent changes to their sense of smell.
Peng âcapitulationâ â The tennis legend Martina Navratilova has condemned as âpatheticâ the Australian Openâs decision to stop fans wearing âWhere is Peng Shuai?â T-shirts, accusing Tennis Australia of âcapitulatingâ to China. Late last week spectators at Melbourne Park were asked to remove their T-shirts and security confiscated a banner emblazoned with the same words, on the grounds that TA prohibits âclothing, banners or signs that are commercial or politicalâ.
Exclusive â A committee of MPs has produced a report which says the gambling watchdog is âtoo harshâ on the industry and criticises the regulatorâs attempts to reduce addiction. The MPs accuse the Gambling Commission of a âbullying attitude that has caused mental harmâ within the industry and calls for it to be placed in special measures. The findings by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on betting and gaming have been described as âludicrousâ by a campaigner for regulatory reform and met with a frosty reception from the regulator. Several members of the committee have faced criticism for taking thousands of pounds worth of freebies from betting firms.
Truss accused â Paul Keating, the outspoken former Australian prime minister, has accused Liz Truss of making âdementedâ comments about Chinese military aggression and urged the foreign secretary to hurry âback to her collapsing, disreputable governmentâ. Keating also said Britain âsuffers delusions of grandeur and relevance deprivationâ after Truss visited Australia for meetings with counterparts last week.
Facebook Twitter Thierry Mugler with the actor Sharon Stone in 1992. Photograph: Bei/Rex/Shutterstock
Thierry Mugler dies â The French designer, Manfred Thierry Mugler, who was at the forefront of the 1980s power-dressing look, has died at the age of 73 of ânatural causesâ. A former ballet dancer, Muglerâs continued to dress the worldâs most famous women such as BeyoncĂŠ, Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian. âHe was timeless and ahead of his time,â supermodel Jerry Hall said of the designer.
Today in Focus podcast
Nipsey Hussle was one of LAâs most-loved rappers and a pillar of his community. But records disclosed after his death revealed that he was also the target of an extensive Los Angeles policing operation. Guardian tech reporter Johana Bhuiyan explains.
Today in Focus Predictive policing Sorry your browser does not support audio – but you can download here and listen https://audio.guim.co.uk/2022/01/21-78200-20220124tifnipseylapd.mp3 00:00:00 00:36:18
Lunchtime read: Jason Bateman on family, partying and Ozark
As the drama series Ozark returns to streaming screens for its fourth and final season, Jason Bateman â AKA Marty Byrde â discusses the ups and downs of his acting career and how fondness for having fun meant he âstayed at the party too longâ.
Sport
Antonio Conte bemoaned the âincredibleâ decision to disallow Harry Kaneâs first-half strike as his unbeaten league start as Tottenham manager came to an end against Chelsea, before admitting his former club are on âanother levelâ to his present squad. A livid Patrick Vieira was unsparing in his criticism of the referee, Kevin Friend, and VAR after his Crystal Palace side were beaten 3-1 by Liverpool. An injury-time strike from Tobin Heath salvaged a point against Manchester City at the Academy Stadium but there was controversy about the opening goal that led the Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall to call for greater support for WSL referees.
England won the second T20 international at Kensington Oval after Jason Roy provided the platform to survive a late surge from the West Indies, who finished with the highest-ever ninth-wicket stand. Tennis Australia maintains Peng Shuaiâs safety is its âprimary concernâ despite asking fans at Melbourne Park to remove T-shirts and a banner bearing the words âWhere is Peng Shuai?â The Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs advanced to the championship games after two thrilling NFL clashes on Sunday. On a weekend where complaining golfers were hardly difficult to come by, Thomas Pieters delivered a timely redemption tale with a one-stroke victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship. And Youssef Msakni scored with a long-range shot to hand Covid-hit Tunisia an improbable 1-0 win over 10-man Nigeria in Garoua to advance to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.
Business
Large cities have lost almost a yearâs worth of sales during the pandemic thanks to lockdowns, resulting in a âlevelling downâ of historically more prosperous high street destinations, a study by Centre for Cities says. London lost 47 weeksâ worth of sales between March 2020 and November 2021, while Birmingham, Edinburgh and Cardiff also lost nearly a yearâs worth of sales as people stayed away from big cities. The FTSE100 looks like dipping around 0.2% at the opening bell, while the pound is on $1.355 and âŹ1.196.
The papers
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The Guardian leads with âPM pulled into row over Tory party Islamophobiaâ as Boris Johnson also faces the findings into the partygate affair this week. Thatâs the lead in the Telegraph â âNo10 police questioned by Gray over âpartiesââ â while the Express has âBoris accepts âneed for changeâ at No10â. The Mail reports that âEntire cabinet would back a tax hike delayâ. The Mirror focuses on what it calls the âScandal of cold Britainâ with a headline âFreezingâ while the Daily Record in Scotland has âPower struggleâ. The Times looks further afield with âFears mount Russia will weaponise gas suppliesâ, and the FT says âUnilever faces pressure on new front as US activist builds stakeâ. The Scotsman leads with âAirline steps up flights ahead of rush for summer holidaysâ.
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