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Advance UK News Diary

July 25-31: Rail strikes, Euro finals, and the Pope visits Canada

A sign at a train station reading RMT National Strikes
July 22, 2022
  • Slice 1

A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News.

Leading the week 

Commuters and holidaymakers face the prospect of more chaos on the railways in the wake of the disruption caused by this week’s record-breaking temperatures as unions stage two major strikes on Wednesday (July 27) and Saturday (July 30). Around 40,000 staff working for Network Rail and other major operators will walk out in the latest round of industrial action organised by the RMT and Aslef unions in disputes over pay, jobs and conditions, with services set to be drastically reduced during the first national walkout for over 25 years. 

Network Rail chief Andrew Haines escalated the bitter war of words between the unions, operators and politicians that has played out since the strikes began in June by suggesting the RMT leadership is operating a political campaign, while Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston accused the unions of deliberately targeting next week’s Commonwealth Games. The action will also affect fans travelling to the Women’s EURO 2022 semi-final on Wednesday evening. 

RMT leader Mick Lynch continues to insist that Network Rail’s pay offer is unacceptable and will result in further strikes over the summer without an improved proposal, while his counterpart at Aslef, Mick Whelan, says that the dispute is set to rumble on due to a lack of negotiation by the operators. Public support for the strikes was reasonably strong after last month’s walkouts (and Mick Lynch’s round of talkshow diplomacy), though it’s sure to be tested over the coming weeks with more action scheduled for August. 

Sign outdoors reading Are You Game? with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games logo

An action-packed week of sport begins on Tuesday (July 26) with the first semi-final of the 2022 European Championships. England’s Lionesses face Sweden or Belgium for a place in the final at Wembley against the winner of Wednesday’s semi-final between Germany and either France or the Netherlands. 

Thursday (July 28) sees the opening ceremony of the 22nd Commonwealth Games as Birmingham plays host for the first time. The first day’s action on Friday (July 29) sees medals awarded in events including the triathlon, para triathlon, and the team sprint cycling. Across the pond, the controversial LIV Golf series holds its latest event at Trump National in Bedminster. The PGA Tour pulled no punches in pushing back against the breakaway competition this week, stripping Henrik Stenson of Europe’s Ryder Cup captaincy after the Swede confirmed his participation. 

The traditional curtain-raiser to the Premier League season is then played on Saturday (July 30) as Liverpool and Manchester City meet in the FA Community Shield. The match offers the perfect warm-up for Sunday’s Euro 2022 final, where Sarina Wiegman’s charges will hope to be competing for their first European crown. The action concludes in Budapest with the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton comes to the Hungaroring gunning for his fourth straight podium finish as his Mercedes team continue their mid-season revival.


Looking abroad 

Pope Francis embarks on a ‘penitential pilgrimage’ to Canada this week aimed at healing the Church’s relationship with indigenous peoples who were victims of the country’s residential schools system. The visit was announced last year as part of reconciliation efforts after over 1,100 bodies were discovered in three months in unmarked graves at former schools, many run by the Catholic Church. Ahead of the trip, Pope Francis told crowds in St. Peter’s Square last week that some Christians and members of religious orders had ‘contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation that in the past gravely damaged native populations’. Over 150,000 children were forced into residential schools between 1831 and 1996; many faced physical or sexual abuse, and thousands are believed to have died in what the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission called a ‘cultural genocide’. 

Pope Francis stands with his eyes closed against a blue sky

The Pontiff spends Monday and Tuesday (July 25-26) in Edmonton, where he meets with First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples and holds a Holy Mass at the Commonwealth Stadium, before travelling on to Quebec on Wednesday (July 27) to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. On Friday (July 29), the Pope heads to the northern city of Iqaluit for ‘a particularly significant moment’ in the trip, holding a private meeting with former residential school students. 

But the Vatican’s hopes for a ‘healing’ visit that will help survivors move on may be premature: indigenous activists pointed out that the Pope’s formal apology in April fell short of acknowledging the Church’s institutional role in the abuses, focusing instead on individual actions. As Pope Francis continues his tour this week, he’ll come under increasing pressure to acknowledge the outstanding demands from victims, including the return of land, documents and artefacts and a large-scale investigation into Church abuses past and present.


 

Also look out for...

July 25

BBC hosts ‘Our Next Prime Minister’ debate 

Sentencing in Agnes Akom murder case 

Constitutional referendum in Tunisia 

New Filipino President delivers State of the Nation address 

July 26

World Economic Outlook update 

Northern Ireland Assembly sitting to attempt to elect Speaker 

BEIS committee report on future of the energy market 

EU energy ministers meet on gas reduction plans 

Lambeth Conference opens 

July 27

US interest rate decision 

England v South Africa in first IT20 match 

July 28

Conservative membership hustings begin 

Dr Jenny Harries in conversation at IfG event 

Preliminary hearing for Highland Park shooting suspect 

Copenhagen shooting suspect detention expires 

Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers’ meeting 

July 29

Strike action by BT Group staff and easyJet Spanish cabin crew 

New Beyoncé album released

International AIDS Conference 

July 30

English Football League seasons begin 

Boris and Carrie Johnson reportedly celebrate wedding 

July 31

Vladimir Putin expected to attend Russian Navy Day parade 

Parliamentary elections in Senegal 

Statistics, reports and results

July 25

Health and Social Care Committee report on NHS staffing 

Results from: Ryanair 

July 26

Results from: Alphabet, Reach, Heathrow, General Motors, Mondelez International and McDonald’s 

July 27

HMICFRS report on fire and rescue services 

Police workforce statistics (England and Wales) 

Results from: Meta, Spotify, Airbus, Boeing, Ford, GlaxoSmithKline 

July 28

US GDP Q2 

Drug-related deaths in Scotland 

Housing purchase affordability in Great Britain (ONS) 

Energy trends and prices  

Results from: Apple, Shell, Barclays, Centrica, EDF, BAE, Pfizer, Volkswagen 

July 29

EU and Euro area GDP Q2 

Euro area inflation 

COVID-19 infection survey 

UK government debt and deficit 

Results: IAG, Exxon Mobil , AstraZeneca, BNP Paribas  

July 31

CBI Monthly Growth Indicator 

Anniversaries and Awareness Days

July 26

Dia de la Rebeldia Nacional (Cuba)

Liberian Independence Day; protests planned 

July 27

10 Years Ago: London Olympics opened 

North Korea Victory Day 

July 28

Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) turns 70 

Earth Overshoot Day 

World Hepatitis Day 

July 30

World Day against Trafficking in Persons 

Friendship Day 

July 31

100 days to go: US midterm elections 

World Ranger Day 

World Orgasm Day 


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