news--2020-05-12--Danny Rose hits out at Premier League return plan: 'I don't give a f*** about the nation's morale'

England footballer Danny Rose has criticised the government 's plan to bring the Premier League back as early as next month , saying : `` I do n't give a f*** about the nation 's morale . ''
The Tottenham defender , who has been on loan at Newcastle , said `` people 's lives are at risk '' and the return of football should only be considered when coronavirus cases have `` dropped massively '' .
Boris Johnson has outlined plans to ease the UK 's lockdown including having sporting events played behind closed doors from 1 June , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` much-needed boost to the national morale '' .
The Premier League 's plan , dubbed `` Project Restart '' , is to resume games by 12 June at the earliest , and in stadiums with no fans , pending government approval .
Speaking on Lock'Don Live on Instagram , Rose said : `` Government is saying 'bring football back ' because it is going to boost the nation 's morale .
`` I do n't give a f*** about the nation 's morale , bro , people 's lives are at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be spoken about coming back until the numbers have dropped massively .
It 's b******s. '' He added : `` Football should be the last of things that need to be sorted . ''
Rose , 29 , also revealed he believed he was being tested for coronavirus on Friday .
Last weekend it was confirmed that a third Brighton player had tested positive for COVID-19 .
Fellow England footballer Raheem Sterling has also voiced concerns about the timing of the Premier League 's return , saying it should not just be for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is safe for everyone in the game .
In a video posted to his YouTube channel , the Manchester City star said he was `` not scared , but reserved and thinking what the worst outcome could be '' .
He added : `` I 've had friends whose grandma has passed away , I 've had family members as well that have passed away .
`` You 've got to be wise and take care of yourself and those around you . ''
Almost three-quarters of people would not see the return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morale during the pandemic , according to a YouGov poll .
In a survey of more than 2,000 people , 73 % said the Premier League and English Football League ( EFL ) coming back would not lift their spirits .
Some 19 % said they would be pleased to see football return .
The Premier League was suspended on 13 March , with Liverpool sitting 25 points clear at the top , with nine games left to play .
Top flight clubs have been warned by the Football Association that the 2019-20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - ruling out the possibility of the season being declared null and void .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Whichever way Premier League clubs vote on how to proceed , the future must include promotion and relegation , clubs were told .
This means that runaway league leaders Liverpool will almost certainly claim their first top tier title in 30 years .

England footballer Danny Rose has criticised the government's plan to bring the Premier League back as early as next month, saying: "I don't give a f*** about the nation's morale."
The Tottenham defender, who has been on loan at Newcastle, said "people's lives are at risk" and the return of football should only be considered when coronavirus cases have "dropped massively".
Boris Johnson has outlined plans to ease the UK's lockdown including having sporting events played behind closed doors from 1 June, which the prime minister said would offer a "much-needed boost to the national morale".
Image: Rose challenges Arsenal's Nicolas Pepe in a match a month before the Premier League was suspended
The Premier League's plan, dubbed "Project Restart", is to resume games by 12 June at the earliest, and in stadiums with no fans, pending government approval.
Speaking on Lock'Don Live on Instagram, Rose said: "Government is saying 'bring football back' because it is going to boost the nation's morale.
"I don't give a f*** about the nation's morale, bro, people's lives are at risk.
"Football shouldn't even be spoken about coming back until the numbers have dropped massively. It's b******s."
He added: "Football should be the last of things that need to be sorted."
Rose, 29, also revealed he believed he was being tested for coronavirus on Friday. Last weekend it was confirmed that a third Brighton player had tested positive for COVID-19.
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Fellow England footballer Raheem Sterling has also voiced concerns about the timing of the Premier League's return, saying it should not just be for "footballing reasons" but when it is safe for everyone in the game.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, the Manchester City star said he was "not scared, but reserved and thinking what the worst outcome could be".
Image: Raheem Sterling said he was 'not scared, but reserved' about the planned return of football
He added: "I've had friends whose grandma has passed away, I've had family members as well that have passed away.
"You've got to be wise and take care of yourself and those around you."
Almost three-quarters of people would not see the return of football as a boost to their morale during the pandemic, according to a YouGov poll.
In a survey of more than 2,000 people, 73% said the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) coming back would not lift their spirits.
Some 19% said they would be pleased to see football return.
Image: Liverpool players celebrate in their final match before the Premier League was suspended
The Premier League was suspended on 13 March, with Liverpool sitting 25 points clear at the top, with nine games left to play.
Top flight clubs have been warned by the Football Association that the 2019-20 season must be decided on sporting merit - ruling out the possibility of the season being declared null and void.
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Whichever way Premier League clubs vote on how to proceed, the future must include promotion and relegation, clubs were told.
This means that runaway league leaders Liverpool will almost certainly claim their first top tier title in 30 years.


news--2020-05-12--Coronavirus: Commuters told to face away from each other when they can't maintain social distancing

People using public transport in England have been told they should avoid eating and drinking while travelling and to face away from others when they can not maintain social distancing .
The Department for Transport has issued new guidance on how to travel safely during the coronavirus pandemic .
It comes as the government begins to ease the COVID-19 lockdown , which was introduced at the end of March to slow the spread of the virus .
Those who can not work from home are being `` actively encouraged '' to return to work this week , raising the prospect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , trains , trams and the London Underground .
Commuters packed some Tube trains the morning after Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed his plan for easing the lockdown in England .
Footage showed platforms at Canning Town and Queensbury stations on the Jubilee Line filled with passengers early on Monday morning .
A Tube driver , who asked to remain anonymous , said there was `` no social distancing going on '' .
Unions have expressed concerns about people returning to work , warning both passengers and staff could be put at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union ( RMT ) has advised its members not to work if they felt unsafe .
The PM has downplayed suggestions there will be a `` sudden big flood '' of people heading back to work .
`` I think a lot of people will now start to think whether they fall into that category , whether they could think about going back to work , '' he told Monday 's COVID-19 briefing .
The DfT guidance urges people to consider driving , cycling or walking to work to make sure there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use public transport to do so safely .
Those who do travel should be `` thinking carefully about the times , routes and ways you travel '' .
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has warned that even as services begin to return to normal , the two-metre social distancing requirement will mean there is only capacity for one in ten passengers on parts of the network .
People who use public transport are recommended to : • Keep two metres apart from others wherever possible • Wear a face covering if they can • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where possible • Avoid travelling at rush hour if they can • Wash or sanitise their hands as soon as possible before and after travel • Follow advice from staff and be considerate to others When on public transport , passengers should minimise the time they spend near other people and avoid physical contact with them .
The DfT guidance recognises that `` there may be situations where you ca n't keep a suitable distance from people '' , like on busier services or at peak times .
`` In these cases you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face away from other people , '' the guidance says .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker It goes on : `` The risk of infection increases the closer you are to another person with the virus and the amount of time you spend in close contact . ''
Transport operators have been urged to rearrange , remove or limit seating on services to try and make sure that social distancing can be adhered to .
This could include blocking off seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rid of face-to-face seating .
Single users of black cabs and minicabs are advised to sit in the back left-hand seat of cars .
Other steps people are advised to take include : • Waiting for passengers to get off first before they board • Making sure they maintain social distancing , where possible , including at busy entrances , exits , under canopies , bus stops , platforms or outside of stations • Being prepared to queue or take a different entrance or exit at stations • Waiting for the next service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance on a train , bus or coach • Avoiding consuming food and drink on public transport , where possible • Being aware of pregnant , older and disabled people who may need a seat or extra space • Being aware that some individuals may have hidden disabilities The transport secretary said : `` Transport operators and staff have been working hard to ensure that people who need to get to work are able to do so , including crucial NHS workers and all those on the front line of the fight against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and walking revolution we are launching , and clear guidance to passengers and operators published today , we can all play our part by following the advice and reducing pressure on public transport .
`` If we take these steps , all those who need to use public transport should feel confident that they can do so safely , with the space to maintain social distancing as far as possible . ''
Labour 's shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said : `` This guidance fails to answer the fundamental question , how do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it 's currently running at a fraction of capacity ?
`` The scenes we saw on public transport services yesterday were unsurprising when you order a return to work with 12 hours ' notice with no official guidance on how workers can keep safe and fail to put in place suitable measures to deal with demand . ''

People using public transport in England have been told they should avoid eating and drinking while travelling and to face away from others when they cannot maintain social distancing.
The Department for Transport has issued new guidance on how to travel safely during the coronavirus pandemic.
It comes as the government begins to ease the COVID-19 lockdown, which was introduced at the end of March to slow the spread of the virus.
Image: The DfT guidance urges people to consider driving, cycling or walking to work. File pic
Those who cannot work from home are being "actively encouraged" to return to work this week, raising the prospect of increased numbers of people on buses, trains, trams and the London Underground.
Commuters packed some Tube trains the morning after Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed his plan for easing the lockdown in England.
Footage showed platforms at Canning Town and Queensbury stations on the Jubilee Line filled with passengers early on Monday morning.
A Tube driver, who asked to remain anonymous, said there was "no social distancing going on".
Unions have expressed concerns about people returning to work, warning both passengers and staff could be put at risk.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has advised its members not to work if they felt unsafe.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:44 Tube packed day after PM's speech
The PM has downplayed suggestions there will be a "sudden big flood" of people heading back to work.
"I think a lot of people will now start to think whether they fall into that category, whether they could think about going back to work," he told Monday's COVID-19 briefing.
The DfT guidance urges people to consider driving, cycling or walking to work to make sure there is enough capacity for those who need to use public transport to do so safely.
Those who do travel should be "thinking carefully about the times, routes and ways you travel".
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has warned that even as services begin to return to normal, the two-metre social distancing requirement will mean there is only capacity for one in ten passengers on parts of the network.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:11 Hancock denies new rules are confusing
People who use public transport are recommended to:
Keep two metres apart from others wherever possible
Wear a face covering if they can
Use contactless payment to complete their trip where possible
Avoid travelling at rush hour if they can
Wash or sanitise their hands as soon as possible before and after travel
Follow advice from staff and be considerate to others
When on public transport, passengers should minimise the time they spend near other people and avoid physical contact with them.
The DfT guidance recognises that "there may be situations where you can't keep a suitable distance from people", like on busier services or at peak times.
"In these cases you should avoid physical contact, try to face away from other people," the guidance says.
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
It goes on: "The risk of infection increases the closer you are to another person with the virus and the amount of time you spend in close contact."
Transport operators have been urged to rearrange, remove or limit seating on services to try and make sure that social distancing can be adhered to.
This could include blocking off seats in close proximity to others and getting rid of face-to-face seating.
Single users of black cabs and minicabs are advised to sit in the back left-hand seat of cars.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:32 Coronavirus: PM announces new lockdown rules
Other steps people are advised to take include:
Waiting for passengers to get off first before they board
Making sure they maintain social distancing, where possible, including at busy entrances, exits, under canopies, bus stops, platforms or outside of stations
Being prepared to queue or take a different entrance or exit at stations
Waiting for the next service if they cannot safely keep your distance on a train, bus or coach
Respecting other people's space while travelling
Avoiding consuming food and drink on public transport, where possible
Being aware of pregnant, older and disabled people who may need a seat or extra space
Being aware that some individuals may have hidden disabilities
The transport secretary said: "Transport operators and staff have been working hard to ensure that people who need to get to work are able to do so, including crucial NHS workers and all those on the front line of the fight against the virus.
"Alongside the cycling and walking revolution we are launching, and clear guidance to passengers and operators published today, we can all play our part by following the advice and reducing pressure on public transport.
"If we take these steps, all those who need to use public transport should feel confident that they can do so safely, with the space to maintain social distancing as far as possible."
Labour's shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said: "This guidance fails to answer the fundamental question, how do you stop the transport network being overwhelmed when it's currently running at a fraction of capacity?
"The scenes we saw on public transport services yesterday were unsurprising when you order a return to work with 12 hours' notice with no official guidance on how workers can keep safe and fail to put in place suitable measures to deal with demand."


news--2020-05-12--Coronavirus: You can meet a new person in park every day, health secretary says - as he denies new r

Coronavirus: You can meet a new person in park every day, health secretary says - as he denies new rules are confusing

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has denied the government 's new coronavirus guidance is confusing as he urged Britons to apply the `` straightforward '' rules with `` common sense '' .
The government has relaxed some lockdown measures in England , which means people can now meet one member of a different household outside .
This is provided they stay two metres away from each other at all times .
Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland are yet to lift restrictions Mr Hancock explained how people in England could now meet a different person - individually - in a park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` being outside is safer than being inside '' , although he warned it is `` not zero risk '' .
`` We are making some baby steps , some relaxations but we 're doing it very , very carefully - because we do n't want the R rate to get above one and infections get out of control again '' , the health secretary told Sky News ' Kay Burley @ Breakfast show .
The government is not yet allowing people to see family members in their gardens or houses , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing - and carers can continue to be employed .
Challenged over whether it was confusing for people that they could n't welcome their grandchildren or other family members into their home , but could allow their cleaners or carers into their houses , Mr Hancock disagreed .
`` The principles are really clear and the public have been really sensible so far , '' he said .
`` This is why an appeal to people 's common sense is very , very sensible in and of itself .
`` The great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing means , why we need to do it - sadly , no one wants social distancing rules , but they are important .
`` The principles are : outside is better than inside , stay two metres away , wash your hands and clean the surfaces and see as few people as you can outside of your household , because that 's how the virus spreads .
`` But we do also , at the same time , need to get people back to work . ''
The health secretary added : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules with common sense , based on the facts about this disease which we do know - like that it spreads less outside , but still does . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Mr Hancock also explained why the government is now recommending people wear face coverings on public transport or some shops - although not in offices or schools .
`` There is some evidence - it 's weak - but there is some evidence that a face covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoor place where there are other people who you do n't see regularly , '' he said .
`` If you 're stuck in an office with them for a long time a face covering does n't help , or in a school , for instance .
`` That 's why we do n't recommend them for offices or schools .
`` But , for instance , if you 're on public transport you might be in the vicinity of somebody for a period of time - maybe 15 or 20 minutes - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has denied the government's new coronavirus guidance is confusing as he urged Britons to apply the "straightforward" rules with "common sense".
The government has relaxed some lockdown measures in England, which means people can now meet one member of a different household outside.
This is provided they stay two metres away from each other at all times.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are yet to lift restrictions
Image: People in England can now meet in a park, but not in each other's homes Pic: Ben Cawthra/Shutterstock
Mr Hancock explained how people in England could now meet a different person - individually - in a park every day, as he described how "being outside is safer than being inside", although he warned it is "not zero risk".
"We are making some baby steps, some relaxations but we're doing it very, very carefully - because we don't want the R rate to get above one and infections get out of control again", the health secretary told Sky News' Kay Burley @ Breakfast show.
The government is not yet allowing people to see family members in their gardens or houses, although cleaners - as long as they practise social distancing - and carers can continue to be employed.
Challenged over whether it was confusing for people that they couldn't welcome their grandchildren or other family members into their home, but could allow their cleaners or carers into their houses, Mr Hancock disagreed.
"The principles are really clear and the public have been really sensible so far," he said.
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"This is why an appeal to people's common sense is very, very sensible in and of itself.
"The great British public have really understood what social distancing means, why we need to do it - sadly, no one wants social distancing rules, but they are important.
"The principles are: outside is better than inside, stay two metres away, wash your hands and clean the surfaces and see as few people as you can outside of your household, because that's how the virus spreads.
"But we do also, at the same time, need to get people back to work."
The health secretary added: "This is all about applying straightforward rules with common sense, based on the facts about this disease which we do know - like that it spreads less outside, but still does."
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Mr Hancock also explained why the government is now recommending people wear face coverings on public transport or some shops - although not in offices or schools.
"There is some evidence - it's weak - but there is some evidence that a face covering can help if you're at an indoor place where there are other people who you don't see regularly," he said.
"If you're stuck in an office with them for a long time a face covering doesn't help, or in a school, for instance.
"That's why we don't recommend them for offices or schools.
"But, for instance, if you're on public transport you might be in the vicinity of somebody for a period of time - maybe 15 or 20 minutes - where a face covering can help."


news--2020-04-27--Coronavirus diary: Jeremy Thompson on life under lockdown

Jeremy Thompson is a former Sky News presenter in his seventies .
He is documenting how the coronavirus lockdown is impacting his everyday life in a personal diary .
To catch up , read about what happened during week one , week two , week three , week four and week five .
It 's the hugs we really miss .
Do n't you ?
All the bonding and banter on video chats and social media is great .
But it 's no substitute for the human touch .
We have a birthday party for our pal Graham today - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organised by his daughters .
We sing Happy Birthday and raise glasses to toast another year - possibly the strangest yet in all our lives .
But it 's not the same as being together .
Lynn 's dad , Nevil , is living on his own in West Yorkshire .
He 's nearing 90 and has some health issues , so he really is in solitary isolation .
She rings him every day and he seems remarkably sanguine .
She 's just sad she ca n't reach out and hug him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's got a good deal going with his young neighbour , who 's a professional gardener .
He mows Nevil 's lawn in exchange for using his greenhouse and dropping off some freshly grown produce .
Just one small example of the local sharing and barter systems flourishing in these difficult days .
Niece Emma volunteered to order garden supplies on behalf of her street .
She ended up with two fully laden vans from a local garden centre dropping off dozens of bags of compost at her front gate .
Almost every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bags .
Distribution while social distancing took a bit of organising .
With similar tales of potting and planting from across the nation , Britain seems determined to recreate the wartime campaign `` Dig for Victory '' - 80 years on .
We should have been in Cambodia today touring the breathtaking Khmer Temples of Angkor Wat .
Instead we have to settle for a guided tour on YouTube - the nearest we 're likely to get in a long time .
Still , at least we are n't troubled by the heat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last time I was there as a working TV newsman with ITN 31 years ago , it was so humid that by the time I finished my piece to camera the sweat had turned my shirt from light to dark blue .
I produce a photo to prove it .
Another visual treat .
We get a live view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge lit up at night as we chat with our Aussie friends Pam and Andrew on the North Shore .
We learn that social distancing Down Under is only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than the UK .
Why ?
Andrew insists it 's because Aussies are more law-abiding .
Brits are space-invaders !
They found themselves in one of the more ironic isolation scenarios .
They 'd been to get a flu jab from their local GP only to receive a call soon after informing them their doctor had just tested positive for COVID-19 .
It cost them two weeks in quarantine .
They spent the time checking on their doctor 's health rather than him checking on theirs .
From South Africa , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions with no work struggling to feed themselves because of the lockdown .
My former Sky colleague Pearlie tells us she 's been helping to raise funds to take food parcels out to townships where families live in shacks with no breadwinners .
Her friend Mamma Afrika and her team of helpers deliver food that is literally keeping people alive .
But as Pearlie says , in the long term : `` It 's unsustainable .
It 's an endless hunger pit . ''
In the larger townships she says people are so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earth Day Walking round our local park , it strikes me it would make sense if we all went in the same direction .
Surely that would avoid risky corona crossings .
Lynn thinks such conformity would take the fun out of our walks .
Just in case there is a vote on it , I 'm a clockwise man myself .
I receive the spring edition of Money and Wealth Magazine .
More like the Lack of Money and Reduced Wealth Mag .
My financial adviser friend appeals to me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My new motto : Keep calm and carry on ignoring your investments - if you have any left .
Seriously the damage to the economy does n't bear thinking about .
Pundits are predicting the Great Lockdown could be as bad as the Great Depression of 90 years ago .
And that was possibly the world 's worst economic recession .
Financial analysts talk about long-term `` scarring '' .
I reckon my savings could end up permanently disfigured .
Lucky I have n't had to open my wallet for a month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mate in the airline industry tells me his company 's business model projects recovery in 12 to 18 months .
Even that sounds optimistic .
After all how do you manage social distancing on aircraft ?
Two metres separation on a plane could mean using only one in three seats .
Potentially that would treble ticket costs .
Who 'd fly at that price ?
Here 's a taste of our flying future .
A friend 's son flew Dubai to London recently and describes the service as more like Medivac than business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic experience delivered by staff in virtual full Hazmat suits '' , with temperature checks and health screening .
The passengers were placed in window seats only , with zero interaction .
It could certainly take the fun out of flying .
And cruising .
My pal in Australia reminds me that 30 % of all COVID-19 deaths in his country came from the cruise ship Ruby Princess after it docked in Sydney and passengers showing virus symptoms were allowed to freely disembark .
St George 's Day ... We 're all grateful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I was wondering how the supply chain is working .
Paul , a big player in food retail , explains that food factories are operating well with strong social distancing rules in place .
Two metre spacing , big Perspex barriers , upgraded hygiene , shortened shifts with no staff crossovers and zero tolerance of anyone showing symptoms .
Paul admits it has cut productivity and hit profits a bit .
But at least they 're still going and people are still employed .
He plans to share with the government so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up businesses again .
More golf tales .
Friends at our club in Spain say the course looks fabulous .
Suffering from `` lockdownitis '' , they 're almost climbing over manicured hedges to get at it .
In the meantime club members are making do exchanging crisis jokes , videos and giant jigsaw puzzles .
I wonder if they 'll invent a handicap system for jigsaw players .
The manager of Al 's golf club in west London has kindly emailed his members a set of photos `` so you can remind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How could he be so insensitive , taunting captive golfers with pictures of pristine , newly mown greens ?
Even worse , our Danish golfing chum Ulrik , known to us all as Pete the Trousers ( because of his lurid legwear ) is posting Facebook photos of him actually playing at his local course near Copenhagen .
No shutdown in Scandinavia it seems .
On his Cape Talk radio show , my old friend Kieno Kammies wants to know about my exercise and eating regime .
I tell him I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The result `` I 'm fitter and fatter than usual ! ''
Not helped by the fact that all our mates want to web chat over cocktails .
It 's a tough life under lockdown .
Hair is becoming a bit of an isolation issue .
Or in my case more of a flyaway problem .
My regular short cut has grown out into a wavy and fluffy thatch - not me at all .
Lynn tried to buy some hairdressing scissors at the local pharmacy .
But stocks had been snaffled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather reluctant to get stuck in with the garden shears .
Not surprising when we check out others on recent web chats .
: : Listen to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts , Google podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Son James has been scalped by his older daughter Bella , who dabbles in the hair beauty business - a possible sideline to help fund her university studies .
My other son Adam is sporting a freshly cropped semi-crew cut courtesy of his wife , Fi .
A decent effort .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trimming and ended up strimming himself into a patchy Punk-like pattern that left his wife falling about with laughter .
He has n't dared cut the sides yet .
But this week 's king of shaves is Derek , whose trim ended up more like a trench , leaving only one option - cut off the lot .
He 's now a shining example to all home hairdressers .
You could call it the lock-less lockdown .
Still no rugby to watch .
I check in with mate Mark Lambert , a stalwart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rugby Players ' Association .
He 's busy trying to keep the PRA 's 800 professional players informed about pay , play and prospects .
The domestic game does n't make money .
So they 're under no illusions .
Pro rugby may look very different post-Covid .
`` A lot of uncertainty and not a lot of clarity on the way forward , '' Lamby tells me .
`` Going to be an interesting six months ! ''
As if that is n't enough , his wife gave birth to Rosie , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tony and Lynne , calling us from Greater Manchester , reckon there 'll be a British baby boom after this cosy confinement .
They hear pregnancy kits round their way are selling almost as fast as face masks .
In fact , Tony admits he 's got a bun in the oven .
Well , actually it was his first go at baking bread .
How did it go Tony ?
I ask .
`` To be honest '' , he tells me `` My second loaf looked like something out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone who can remember that far back to TV 's first alien epic . )
You wo n't be seeing him on Bake Off anytime soon.Saturday As the debate grows louder about when it 'll be safe for children to start returning to school , I hear more about the plight of Generation C. This is the tag for those young people whose lives will be shaped by coronavirus .
Nigel and Paul , two mates whose charity helps teenagers transition from school to work and fulfil their potential , tell me they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future prospects .
Nigel explains that while some will be positively influenced by the crisis `` for many more , this will be a brutal experience of uncertainty and loss . ''
He thinks it could damage their education and work opportunities like nothing we 've seen before .
But here 's one positive note .
A panel of experts from the grandly-named Institute for the Future predict that 85 % of the jobs that will exist in 2030 have n't even been invented yet .
That suggests a very rapid pace of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday papers online , makes me ponder how the news business , in which I spent my working life , will be impacted by the crisis .
While most of us are glued to the TV , consuming news like crazy , fewer are picking up a hard copy of a newspaper .
Some free sheets have collapsed , local papers are under massive pressure , ad sales are falling and more of us are reading our papers online .
By the end of all this , physical newspapers may be a rare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrast , broadcast news seems to be thriving .
Yet a new Sky survey shows a very low level of trust in journalists on the coronavirus issue .
Just when we hoped the public 's thirst for knowledge might help to redress the balance between fake news and fair news .
After all , despite the conspiracists and scare-mongers out there , most people I talk to are looking for trustable facts - honest , accurate news , not mendacity .
Truth is a powerful tool .
Good news from son Adam in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed back to work at his office this week as Vietnam slowly opens up .
He and Fi have been out to food shops for the first time in a month .
They even had a cheeky game of darts and a few pints at a pal 's bar .
But only four of them were allowed in .
Adam tells us they 're checked for COVID-19 symptoms with thermal scanners every time they enter a shop , an office or an apartment block .
It seems that 's one reason Vietnam has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatality .
Friends Olive and Bruce go the extra mile - or maybe half mile - in social-distancing today .
Out cycling along the Thames towpath , they call us from the opposite bank to say hello .
Not even Covid can jump that far .
What 's surprising me most is just how well the majority of our friends are coping with lockdown .
A few are just resigned to it , but many tell me they 're really relishing this enforced break from normality , seeing it as a golden opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new and reassess life 's priorities .
Sadly I 'm sure the young do n't see it that way .

Jeremy Thompson is a former Sky News presenter in his seventies.
He is documenting how the coronavirus lockdown is impacting his everyday life in a personal diary.
To catch up, read about what happened during week one, week two, week three, week four and week five.
Monday 20 April
It's the hugs we really miss. Don't you? All the bonding and banter on video chats and social media is great. But it's no substitute for the human touch.
We have a birthday party for our pal Graham today - a Zoom gathering with family and friends organised by his daughters.
We sing Happy Birthday and raise glasses to toast another year - possibly the strangest yet in all our lives.
But it's not the same as being together. Lynn's dad, Nevil, is living on his own in West Yorkshire. He's nearing 90 and has some health issues, so he really is in solitary isolation.
She rings him every day and he seems remarkably sanguine. She's just sad she can't reach out and hug him. The comfort of contact.
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But Nevil's got a good deal going with his young neighbour, who's a professional gardener. He mows Nevil's lawn in exchange for using his greenhouse and dropping off some freshly grown produce. Just one small example of the local sharing and barter systems flourishing in these difficult days.
Niece Emma volunteered to order garden supplies on behalf of her street. She ended up with two fully laden vans from a local garden centre dropping off dozens of bags of compost at her front gate.
Almost every neighbour had ordered the maximum of five bags. Distribution while social distancing took a bit of organising.
With similar tales of potting and planting from across the nation, Britain seems determined to recreate the wartime campaign "Dig for Victory" - 80 years on.
Tuesday 21 April
We should have been in Cambodia today touring the breathtaking Khmer Temples of Angkor Wat.
Instead we have to settle for a guided tour on YouTube - the nearest we're likely to get in a long time. Still, at least we aren't troubled by the heat and the crowds.
Image: Former Sky News presenter Jeremy Thompson in Angkor Wat in 1989
I tell Lynn the last time I was there as a working TV newsman with ITN 31 years ago, it was so humid that by the time I finished my piece to camera the sweat had turned my shirt from light to dark blue.
I produce a photo to prove it. Another visual treat. We get a live view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge lit up at night as we chat with our Aussie friends Pam and Andrew on the North Shore.
We learn that social distancing Down Under is only 1.5 metres - a full half metre less than the UK. Why? Andrew insists it's because Aussies are more law-abiding.
Brits are space-invaders! They found themselves in one of the more ironic isolation scenarios. They'd been to get a flu jab from their local GP only to receive a call soon after informing them their doctor had just tested positive for COVID-19.
It cost them two weeks in quarantine. They spent the time checking on their doctor's health rather than him checking on theirs.
From South Africa, we hear more about the plight of the millions with no work struggling to feed themselves because of the lockdown. My former Sky colleague Pearlie tells us she's been helping to raise funds to take food parcels out to townships where families live in shacks with no breadwinners.
Image: A team from Mamma Afrika takes food parcels to shack-dwellers outside Cape Town
Her friend Mamma Afrika and her team of helpers deliver food that is literally keeping people alive. But as Pearlie says, in the long term: "It's unsustainable. It's an endless hunger pit."
In the larger townships she says people are so desperate there's looting and food riots.
Image: The food deliveries are helping keep people alive
Image: Food parcels lined up
Wednesday 22 April
Earth Day Walking round our local park, it strikes me it would make sense if we all went in the same direction.
Surely that would avoid risky corona crossings. Lynn thinks such conformity would take the fun out of our walks. Just in case there is a vote on it, I'm a clockwise man myself.
I receive the spring edition of Money and Wealth Magazine. More like the Lack of Money and Reduced Wealth Mag. My financial adviser friend appeals to me to add the word "temporarily".
My new motto: Keep calm and carry on ignoring your investments - if you have any left.
Seriously the damage to the economy doesn't bear thinking about. Pundits are predicting the Great Lockdown could be as bad as the Great Depression of 90 years ago.
And that was possibly the world's worst economic recession. Financial analysts talk about long-term "scarring". I reckon my savings could end up permanently disfigured.
Lucky I haven't had to open my wallet for a month. Even the moths have flown. A mate in the airline industry tells me his company's business model projects recovery in 12 to 18 months. Even that sounds optimistic. After all how do you manage social distancing on aircraft?
Two metres separation on a plane could mean using only one in three seats. Potentially that would treble ticket costs. Who'd fly at that price? Here's a taste of our flying future.
A friend's son flew Dubai to London recently and describes the service as more like Medivac than business class, "a worrying and very basic experience delivered by staff in virtual full Hazmat suits", with temperature checks and health screening.
The passengers were placed in window seats only, with zero interaction. It could certainly take the fun out of flying. And cruising.
My pal in Australia reminds me that 30% of all COVID-19 deaths in his country came from the cruise ship Ruby Princess after it docked in Sydney and passengers showing virus symptoms were allowed to freely disembark.
Thursday 23 April
St George's Day... We're all grateful food shops have stayed open throughout.
But I was wondering how the supply chain is working. Paul, a big player in food retail, explains that food factories are operating well with strong social distancing rules in place. Two metre spacing, big Perspex barriers, upgraded hygiene, shortened shifts with no staff crossovers and zero tolerance of anyone showing symptoms.
Paul admits it has cut productivity and hit profits a bit. But at least they're still going and people are still employed. He plans to share with the government so they can see how to safely open up businesses again.
More golf tales. Friends at our club in Spain say the course looks fabulous. Suffering from "lockdownitis", they're almost climbing over manicured hedges to get at it.
Image: Greenkeepers have been tending to Los Arqueros golf course but no golfers are allowed
In the meantime club members are making do exchanging crisis jokes, videos and giant jigsaw puzzles. I wonder if they'll invent a handicap system for jigsaw players.
The manager of Al's golf club in west London has kindly emailed his members a set of photos "so you can remind yourself how lovely our course looks". How could he be so insensitive, taunting captive golfers with pictures of pristine, newly mown greens?
Even worse, our Danish golfing chum Ulrik, known to us all as Pete the Trousers (because of his lurid legwear) is posting Facebook photos of him actually playing at his local course near Copenhagen.
No shutdown in Scandinavia it seems. On his Cape Talk radio show, my old friend Kieno Kammies wants to know about my exercise and eating regime. I tell him I'm working out and cooking more than ever.
The result "I'm fitter and fatter than usual!" Not helped by the fact that all our mates want to web chat over cocktails. It's a tough life under lockdown.
Friday 24 April
Hair is becoming a bit of an isolation issue. Or in my case more of a flyaway problem. My regular short cut has grown out into a wavy and fluffy thatch - not me at all.
Lynn tried to buy some hairdressing scissors at the local pharmacy. But stocks had been snaffled long ago. And she's still rather reluctant to get stuck in with the garden shears. Not surprising when we check out others on recent web chats.
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Son James has been scalped by his older daughter Bella, who dabbles in the hair beauty business - a possible sideline to help fund her university studies.
My other son Adam is sporting a freshly cropped semi-crew cut courtesy of his wife, Fi. A decent effort.
My pal Al had a first attempt at trimming and ended up strimming himself into a patchy Punk-like pattern that left his wife falling about with laughter. He hasn't dared cut the sides yet.
But this week's king of shaves is Derek, whose trim ended up more like a trench, leaving only one option - cut off the lot. He's now a shining example to all home hairdressers. You could call it the lock-less lockdown.
Still no rugby to watch. I check in with mate Mark Lambert, a stalwart Harlequins prop forward and chairman of the Rugby Players' Association. He's busy trying to keep the PRA's 800 professional players informed about pay, play and prospects. The domestic game doesn't make money. So they're under no illusions.
Pro rugby may look very different post-Covid. "A lot of uncertainty and not a lot of clarity on the way forward," Lamby tells me. "Going to be an interesting six months!"
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:10 Is lockdown frustration setting in?
As if that isn't enough, his wife gave birth to Rosie, their third child, only last week. Tony and Lynne, calling us from Greater Manchester, reckon there'll be a British baby boom after this cosy confinement. They hear pregnancy kits round their way are selling almost as fast as face masks.
In fact, Tony admits he's got a bun in the oven. Well, actually it was his first go at baking bread. How did it go Tony? I ask. "To be honest", he tells me "My second loaf looked like something out of Quatermass". (That's for anyone who can remember that far back to TV's first alien epic.)
You won't be seeing him on Bake Off anytime soon.Saturday
Saturday 25 April
As the debate grows louder about when it'll be safe for children to start returning to school, I hear more about the plight of Generation C. This is the tag for those young people whose lives will be shaped by coronavirus.
Nigel and Paul, two mates whose charity helps teenagers transition from school to work and fulfil their potential, tell me they're seriously worried about Gen C's future prospects.
Nigel explains that while some will be positively influenced by the crisis "for many more, this will be a brutal experience of uncertainty and loss." He thinks it could damage their education and work opportunities like nothing we've seen before.
But here's one positive note. A panel of experts from the grandly-named Institute for the Future predict that 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven't even been invented yet. That suggests a very rapid pace of change and huge opportunities.
Sunday 26 April
Reading the Sunday papers online, makes me ponder how the news business, in which I spent my working life, will be impacted by the crisis.
While most of us are glued to the TV, consuming news like crazy, fewer are picking up a hard copy of a newspaper.
Some free sheets have collapsed, local papers are under massive pressure, ad sales are falling and more of us are reading our papers online.
By the end of all this, physical newspapers may be a rare commodity, like paper money. In contrast, broadcast news seems to be thriving.
Yet a new Sky survey shows a very low level of trust in journalists on the coronavirus issue. Just when we hoped the public's thirst for knowledge might help to redress the balance between fake news and fair news.
After all, despite the conspiracists and scare-mongers out there, most people I talk to are looking for trustable facts - honest, accurate news, not mendacity. Truth is a powerful tool.
Good news from son Adam in Ho Chi Minh City. He's allowed back to work at his office this week as Vietnam slowly opens up. He and Fi have been out to food shops for the first time in a month.
They even had a cheeky game of darts and a few pints at a pal's bar. But only four of them were allowed in. Adam tells us they're checked for COVID-19 symptoms with thermal scanners every time they enter a shop, an office or an apartment block.
It seems that's one reason Vietnam has kept control, with not a single fatality.
Friends Olive and Bruce go the extra mile - or maybe half mile - in social-distancing today. Out cycling along the Thames towpath, they call us from the opposite bank to say hello. Not even Covid can jump that far.
What's surprising me most is just how well the majority of our friends are coping with lockdown. A few are just resigned to it, but many tell me they're really relishing this enforced break from normality, seeing it as a golden opportunity to take a breather, learn something new and reassess life's priorities.
Sadly I'm sure the young don't see it that way.


news--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Investors warn boards over windfall pay risks

Britain 's biggest companies risk `` significant reputational ramifications '' if they do not reduce executive pay after taking advantage of taxpayer support during the coronavirus pandemic , the City 's most influential shareholder body will warn on Monday .
Sky News has learnt that the Investment Association ( IA ) will unveil remuneration guidelines to blue-chip boards outlining how its members expect them to make pay decisions during what threatens to be an acutely contentious AGM season .
Although many companies have already announced substantial pay cuts and deferred share awards for senior executives , some - including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press ahead with pay rises in 2020 .
Multimillion pound pay awards are expected to provide a lightning rod for political anger over inequality as the UK economy struggles to find a way through the COVID-19 crisis .
`` Remuneration committees need to be proactive in determining the appropriate LTIP [ long-term incentive plan ] award size in the current market environment given sustained share price falls , '' the IA will say .
`` Making awards at maximum opportunity in cases where share prices have fallen substantially is to be discouraged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reflect the shareholder experience . ''
Last week , Sky News revealed research from the High Pay Centre thinktank showing that 18 members of the FTSE-100 which have disclosed their use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme have handed their bosses £321m during the last five years .
In its guidelines to be published later on Monday , the IA will say that where companies have suspended or cancelled dividends because of the pandemic , their remuneration committees should `` consider the use of discretion or malus provisions to correspondingly reduce any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bonus '' .
The lobbying group will also apply pressure to boards to ensure that executives do not land huge payouts in three years ' time because of share grants awarded at stock prices hammered by the coronavirus outbreak .
`` It is important for the remuneration committee to confirm that they will look at the general market and share price response over the performance period to ensure that windfall gains will not be received on vesting , '' a copy of its guidelines will say .
`` Shareholders will expect the committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcomes where windfall gains have been received . ''
It called on remuneration committees to set out in their next pay report `` the approach they will take and factors they will consider when judging if there has been a windfall gain from the LTIP grant '' .
`` Shareholders would expect any longer-term individual share price underperformance to be accounted for .
`` If , for instance , the share price was down 30 % in the year prior to the COVID-19 market reaction , an appropriate scaling back should be applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investors of a repeat of massive awards to bosses at companies such as Persimmon , the housebuilder , if share prices rebound strongly in the coming years .
The IA also raised questions about whether boards should be setting targets for three-year performance during the pandemic , suggesting that a six-month postponement might be appropriate .
Companies which have furloughed staff under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme should ensure that boardroom pay is `` aligned with the experience of the company , its employees and its other stakeholders , '' the IA guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has sought to raise additional capital from shareholders , or has required Government support such as furloughing employees , shareholders would expect this to be reflected in the executives ' remuneration outcomes .
`` Remuneration committees and management teams should be even more mindful of the wider employee context through this period .
`` Failure to do so may have significant reputational ramifications . ''
Many of the IA 's members , including Legal & General Investment Management and Schroders , have written separately to boards to set out their expectations on pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are planning to increase variable pay after votes on three-year pay policies should consider delaying them if their business is significantly impacted by COVID-19 .
`` For these companies , it may be more appropriate to wait until there is greater clarity on the future market environment before proposing significant changes to their policies , '' it will say .

Britain's biggest companies risk "significant reputational ramifications" if they do not reduce executive pay after taking advantage of taxpayer support during the coronavirus pandemic, the City's most influential shareholder body will warn on Monday.
Sky News has learnt that the Investment Association (IA) will unveil remuneration guidelines to blue-chip boards outlining how its members expect them to make pay decisions during what threatens to be an acutely contentious AGM season.
Although many companies have already announced substantial pay cuts and deferred share awards for senior executives, some - including the pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca - are proposing to press ahead with pay rises in 2020.
Multimillion pound pay awards are expected to provide a lightning rod for political anger over inequality as the UK economy struggles to find a way through the COVID-19 crisis.
"Remuneration committees need to be proactive in determining the appropriate LTIP [long-term incentive plan] award size in the current market environment given sustained share price falls," the IA will say.
"Making awards at maximum opportunity in cases where share prices have fallen substantially is to be discouraged.
"Committees should consider reducing LTIP grants to reflect the shareholder experience."
Last week, Sky News revealed research from the High Pay Centre thinktank showing that 18 members of the FTSE-100 which have disclosed their use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme have handed their bosses £321m during the last five years.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:35 Workers laid off despite furlough scheme
In its guidelines to be published later on Monday, the IA will say that where companies have suspended or cancelled dividends because of the pandemic, their remuneration committees should "consider the use of discretion or malus provisions to correspondingly reduce any deferred shares related to the 2019 annual bonus".
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The lobbying group will also apply pressure to boards to ensure that executives do not land huge payouts in three years' time because of share grants awarded at stock prices hammered by the coronavirus outbreak.
"It is important for the remuneration committee to confirm that they will look at the general market and share price response over the performance period to ensure that windfall gains will not be received on vesting," a copy of its guidelines will say.
"Shareholders will expect the committee to use their discretion to reduce vesting outcomes where windfall gains have been received."
It called on remuneration committees to set out in their next pay report "the approach they will take and factors they will consider when judging if there has been a windfall gain from the LTIP grant".
"Shareholders would expect any longer-term individual share price underperformance to be accounted for.
"If, for instance, the share price was down 30% in the year prior to the COVID-19 market reaction, an appropriate scaling back should be applied."
The warning highlights concerns among investors of a repeat of massive awards to bosses at companies such as Persimmon, the housebuilder, if share prices rebound strongly in the coming years.
The IA also raised questions about whether boards should be setting targets for three-year performance during the pandemic, suggesting that a six-month postponement might be appropriate.
Companies which have furloughed staff under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme should ensure that boardroom pay is "aligned with the experience of the company, its employees and its other stakeholders," the IA guidelines will say.
"Where a company has sought to raise additional capital from shareholders, or has required Government support such as furloughing employees, shareholders would expect this to be reflected in the executives' remuneration outcomes.
"Remuneration committees and management teams should be even more mindful of the wider employee context through this period.
"Failure to do so may have significant reputational ramifications."
Many of the IA's members, including Legal & General Investment Management and Schroders, have written separately to boards to set out their expectations on pay.
The IA added that companies that are planning to increase variable pay after votes on three-year pay policies should consider delaying them if their business is significantly impacted by COVID-19.
"For these companies, it may be more appropriate to wait until there is greater clarity on the future market environment before proposing significant changes to their policies," it will say.


news--2020-04-27--UK weather: Temperatures to fall after the lockdown's fifth sunny weekend

Stay-at-home restrictions have been harder to endure with the fine weather outside but the sunshine is forecast to fade this week .
Temperatures are expected to fall across the country , returning to average for this time of the year during a `` cooler , more unsettled week '' .
Some rain is also forecast , starting with Wales , the Midlands and towards Yorkshire on Monday , the Met Office has said .
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said northern England , Northern Ireland and Scotland will have only a scattering of showers during an otherwise bright day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south of the M4 corridor .
`` In that southern zone , we 're going to hang on to the warmer air for one more day , so we could see 20C ( 68F ) around the London area [ on Monday ] , '' he said .
In the rest of the UK temperatures could fall to 11C or 12C ( 53.6F ) , following the high of 22.4C ( 72.3F ) seen at Holbeach in Lincolnshire on Sunday .
It comes after the fifth weekend in lockdown , with people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a few exceptions in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 .
Many parts of the country saw temperatures above 20C , prompting fears that people would defy the rules to enjoy the sunshine .
At the time , director of NHS England Stephen Powis , said : `` The sun is out around the country , the days are getting longer , and I 'm sure it 's tempting for people to feel that they should go out . ''
But he added : `` I ca n't emphasis enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... it wo n't take much for this virus to start increasing its transmission again and spread more widely . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Rain is forecast to become more persistent on Tuesday , although Northern Ireland and Scotland will see showers mixed with brighter spells .
The Met Office said a further band of rain would also move northeastwards on Wednesday with scattered showers on Thursday - some heavy and thundery .
Mr Snell said that the following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country will also see some rain .

Stay-at-home restrictions have been harder to endure with the fine weather outside but the sunshine is forecast to fade this week.
Temperatures are expected to fall across the country, returning to average for this time of the year during a "cooler, more unsettled week".
Some rain is also forecast, starting with Wales, the Midlands and towards Yorkshire on Monday, the Met Office has said.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland will have only a scattering of showers during an otherwise bright day, while there could be the odd shower south of the M4 corridor.
"In that southern zone, we're going to hang on to the warmer air for one more day, so we could see 20C (68F) around the London area [on Monday]," he said.
In the rest of the UK temperatures could fall to 11C or 12C (53.6F), following the high of 22.4C (72.3F) seen at Holbeach in Lincolnshire on Sunday.
It comes after the fifth weekend in lockdown, with people in the UK ordered to stay home apart from a few exceptions in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Many parts of the country saw temperatures above 20C, prompting fears that people would defy the rules to enjoy the sunshine.
At the time, director of NHS England Stephen Powis, said: "The sun is out around the country, the days are getting longer, and I'm sure it's tempting for people to feel that they should go out."
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But he added: "I can't emphasis enough that we are far from there yet... it won't take much for this virus to start increasing its transmission again and spread more widely."
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Rain is forecast to become more persistent on Tuesday, although Northern Ireland and Scotland will see showers mixed with brighter spells.
The Met Office said a further band of rain would also move northeastwards on Wednesday with scattered showers on Thursday - some heavy and thundery.
Mr Snell said that the following week would be cloudy and many parts of the country will also see some rain.


news--2020-04-12--Julian Assange secretly fathered two children in Ecuadorian embassy

Julian Assange secretly fathered two children while living inside the Ecuadorian embassy , his partner has revealed , as she pleaded for his release from prison over fears he could die from coronavirus .
Stella Morris said she has been engaged to the WikiLeaks founder since 2017 and has been raising their sons , two-year-old Gabriel and one-year-old Max , on her own .
The South African-born lawyer told The Mail on Sunday she was speaking out for the first time because Assange 's `` life is on the brink '' and she does not believe he would `` survive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease .
Since being dragged out of the embassy in London a year ago , Assange has been held in the capital 's high-security Belmarsh prison , where an inmate with COVID-19 recently died .
He is awaiting an extradition hearing on behalf of the US , where he is wanted for 18 charges of conspiring to hack government computers and espionage .
Ms Morris said her 48-year-old fiance was `` effectively in solitary confinement '' as he is in isolation in prison for 23 hours a day and all visits have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday : `` I have lived quietly and privately , raising Gabriel and Max on my own and longing for the day we could be together as a family .
`` Now I have to speak out because I can see that his life is on the brink .
`` Julian 's poor physical health puts him at serious risk , like many other vulnerable people , and I do n't believe he will survive infection with coronavirus . ''
In a statement supporting an application for bail , Ms Morris said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a legal researcher .
`` Over time Julian and I developed a strong intellectual and emotional bond .
He became my best friend and I become his , '' she wrote .
Their friendship developed and despite the `` extraordinary circumstances '' , a close relationship began in 2015 , she said .
It is understood the couple managed to keep their relationship and the birth of their children secret from Ecuadorian diplomats and officials , according to The Mail on Sunday .
The newspaper reported that Assange watched both children being born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he met Gabriel when he was smuggled into the embassy .
Both boys , who are British citizens , have visited their father in prison , The Mail on Sunday said .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Assange 's extradition hearing is fixed for 18 May after a court rejected calls for an adjournment until September .
His legal team had said there were `` insuperable '' difficulties preparing his case because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Assange claimed political asylum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 2012 and was arrested after nearly seven years inside the building in April 2019 .

Julian Assange secretly fathered two children while living inside the Ecuadorian embassy, his partner has revealed, as she pleaded for his release from prison over fears he could die from coronavirus.
Stella Morris said she has been engaged to the WikiLeaks founder since 2017 and has been raising their sons, two-year-old Gabriel and one-year-old Max, on her own.
The South African-born lawyer told The Mail on Sunday she was speaking out for the first time because Assange's "life is on the brink" and she does not believe he would "survive infection with coronavirus" should he contract the disease.
Image: The couple reportedly kept the birth of their children secret from embassy officials
Since being dragged out of the embassy in London a year ago, Assange has been held in the capital's high-security Belmarsh prison, where an inmate with COVID-19 recently died.
He is awaiting an extradition hearing on behalf of the US, where he is wanted for 18 charges of conspiring to hack government computers and espionage.
Ms Morris said her 48-year-old fiance was "effectively in solitary confinement" as he is in isolation in prison for 23 hours a day and all visits have stopped.
She told The Mail on Sunday: "I have lived quietly and privately, raising Gabriel and Max on my own and longing for the day we could be together as a family.
"Now I have to speak out because I can see that his life is on the brink.
"Julian's poor physical health puts him at serious risk, like many other vulnerable people, and I don't believe he will survive infection with coronavirus."
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:08 Julian Assange: A timeline of Wikileaks founder's case
In a statement supporting an application for bail, Ms Morris said she met Assange in 2011 when she was a legal researcher.
"Over time Julian and I developed a strong intellectual and emotional bond. He became my best friend and I become his," she wrote.
Their friendship developed and despite the "extraordinary circumstances", a close relationship began in 2015, she said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:28 Assange skateboards in Ecuadorean embassy
It is understood the couple managed to keep their relationship and the birth of their children secret from Ecuadorian diplomats and officials, according to The Mail on Sunday.
The newspaper reported that Assange watched both children being born in London hospitals via video link and he met Gabriel when he was smuggled into the embassy.
Both boys, who are British citizens, have visited their father in prison, The Mail on Sunday said.
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Assange's extradition hearing is fixed for 18 May after a court rejected calls for an adjournment until September.
His legal team had said there were "insuperable" difficulties preparing his case because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Assange claimed political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June 2012 and was arrested after nearly seven years inside the building in April 2019.


news--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Death in service payments for NHS staff announced by government

Families of frontline NHS and social care staff who die from coronavirus will each receive a £60,000 payment , Matt Hancock has announced .
The health secretary told the daily Downing Street briefing on COVID-19 that 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff had died after contracting coronavirus so far .
He said he felt a `` deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones '' as he confirmed the government was setting up a life assurance scheme .
Mr Hancock said : `` Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a £60,000 payment .
`` Of course , nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief . ''
The health secretary said the government was also looking at other frontline professions who do not have access to a life assurance scheme `` to see where this may be required '' .
He also revealed that some NHS services which had been paused due to the coronavirus outbreak will be restored from Tuesday , starting with urgent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health support .
Another 360 coronavirus deaths in UK hospitals were announced on Monday - the lowest daily increase in four weeks .
A total of 21,092 hospital patients have now died in the UK after testing positive for COVID-19 , the Department of Health said .
It is the smallest daily rise in coronavirus deaths in UK hospitals since 30 March , when 180 deaths were confirmed .
Monday 's figure is also the smallest percentage increase on the previous day to date at 1.7 % .
Earlier , Prime Minister Boris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to turn the tide '' in the fight against COVID-19 , but he insisted it was not the time to relax the nationwide lockdown .
England 's chief medical officer , Professor Chris Whitty , said the country was `` definitely not consistently past the peak '' of coronavirus deaths .
He told the Downing Street briefing there was still a `` very long way to run '' as he was asked about the UK 's expected death total .
The government 's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance had suggested that keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good outcome - but that total has been surpassed in hospitals alone .
`` We need to view this epidemic over the long run and this has got a very long way to run , '' Prof Whitty said .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Mr Hancock admitted the government has a `` lot of work '' to do to hit its target to carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests a day from Thursday .
Some 29,058 tests had been carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 24 hours up to 9am on Saturday .
The health secretary said the government was `` broadly where we expected to be '' in terms of testing capacity , saying the UK had gone past the number of tests carried out in South Korea .
Monday 's Downing Street briefing was the first in which members of the public were invited to send in questions , with 15,000 submitted .
The polling company YouGov selects one issue to be put to ministers every day and the person chosen to ask a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be read out on their behalf .
The first chosen question was from Lynn in Skipton who asked whether being able to hug close family members will be one of the first things to be allowed when the lockdown is eased .
Prof Whitty said it will depend on `` individuals ' circumstances '' in terms of their age and health conditions .
Meanwhile , Mr Hancock said quarantine measures for people arriving in the UK will become more important when infection levels fall .
His remarks follow reports that anyone entering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine for two weeks under plans being discussed in government .
Mr Hancock said that as the number of coronavirus cases in the UK reduces , `` judgement on the measures you need at the border changes '' .
He added : `` We will have more to say about it in due course . ''
The health secretary also said he was `` very worried '' about reports of a serious coronavirus-related syndrome developing in a small number of children and he is `` looking into it closely '' .
Prof Whitty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation '' but admitted it is `` entirely plausible '' it is caused by coronavirus .

Families of frontline NHS and social care staff who die from coronavirus will each receive a £60,000 payment, Matt Hancock has announced.
The health secretary told the daily Downing Street briefing on COVID-19 that 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff had died after contracting coronavirus so far.
He said he felt a "deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones" as he confirmed the government was setting up a life assurance scheme.
Image: The health secretary said he felt 'a deep personal sense of duty'. Pic: Guy Bell/Shutterstock
Mr Hancock said: "Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline work will receive a £60,000 payment.
"Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief."
The health secretary said the government was also looking at other frontline professions who do not have access to a life assurance scheme "to see where this may be required".
He also revealed that some NHS services which had been paused due to the coronavirus outbreak will be restored from Tuesday, starting with urgent services such as cancer care and mental health support.
Another 360 coronavirus deaths in UK hospitals were announced on Monday - the lowest daily increase in four weeks.
A total of 21,092 hospital patients have now died in the UK after testing positive for COVID-19, the Department of Health said.
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It is the smallest daily rise in coronavirus deaths in UK hospitals since 30 March, when 180 deaths were confirmed.
Monday's figure is also the smallest percentage increase on the previous day to date at 1.7%.
Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK is "beginning to turn the tide" in the fight against COVID-19, but he insisted it was not the time to relax the nationwide lockdown.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:00 'If you keep going, we will beat this'
England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said the country was "definitely not consistently past the peak" of coronavirus deaths.
He told the Downing Street briefing there was still a "very long way to run" as he was asked about the UK's expected death total.
The government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance had suggested that keeping the death toll below 20,000 would be a good outcome - but that total has been surpassed in hospitals alone.
"We need to view this epidemic over the long run and this has got a very long way to run," Prof Whitty said.
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:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Mr Hancock admitted the government has a "lot of work" to do to hit its target to carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests a day from Thursday.
Some 29,058 tests had been carried out in England, Scotland and Wales in the 24 hours up to 9am on Saturday.
The health secretary said the government was "broadly where we expected to be" in terms of testing capacity, saying the UK had gone past the number of tests carried out in South Korea.
Monday's Downing Street briefing was the first in which members of the public were invited to send in questions, with 15,000 submitted.
The polling company YouGov selects one issue to be put to ministers every day and the person chosen to ask a question records a video or it will be read out on their behalf.
The first chosen question was from Lynn in Skipton who asked whether being able to hug close family members will be one of the first things to be allowed when the lockdown is eased.
Prof Whitty said it will depend on "individuals' circumstances" in terms of their age and health conditions.
Meanwhile, Mr Hancock said quarantine measures for people arriving in the UK will become more important when infection levels fall.
His remarks follow reports that anyone entering the UK could be forced to go into quarantine for two weeks under plans being discussed in government.
Mr Hancock said that as the number of coronavirus cases in the UK reduces, "judgement on the measures you need at the border changes".
He added: "We will have more to say about it in due course."
The health secretary also said he was "very worried" about reports of a serious coronavirus-related syndrome developing in a small number of children and he is "looking into it closely".
Prof Whitty says it was a "very rare situation" but admitted it is "entirely plausible" it is caused by coronavirus.


news--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Top scientist calls for greater transparency over SAGE meetings

The public is unable to judge the government 's response to the coronavirus pandemic because of secrecy on a key advisory committee , according to a former senior official .
The prime minister has repeatedly said the strategy is based on `` the science '' .
But the government has withheld the names of experts on the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies ( SAGE ) .
The minutes have also yet to be published , even though the committee has been meeting twice a week since January .
Professor David Salisbury , who oversaw vaccination policy during the swine flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings , exclusively told Sky News that people should have the right to know .
Professor Salisbury said : `` Why should we not know ?
`` The answer that we are protecting their privacy is no longer a realistic one .
`` My name is in the phone book .
Why do we want such secrecy that we do n't know who is helping to shape these decisions that are affecting our lives so intrusively ? ''
The professor shared his views as Sir Patrick Vallance , the government 's chief scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SAGE members will be published `` shortly '' after concerns about a lack of transparency .
He added that only the experts who are `` happy to have their names published '' will be made public .
It was revealed over the weekend that the prime minister 's adviser Dominic Cummings sat in on the SAGE committee 's discussions , raising questions about his influence on the advice to government .
`` The chair has the responsibility on whether he or she will accept interventions and how those will be handled .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is not a member of the committee to take part then they have to be prepared to answer afterwards what influence that intervention had on the process . ''
Professor Salisbury said the government should be seen to be taking advice from a broad range of scientists before deciding on policy .
The prominence of pandemic modellers from Imperial College London has been criticised by other teams of scientists .
But there is no certainty with computer simulations , Professor Salisbury warned .
`` One should be really cautious when the assumptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` That diversity is important because it says this ( issue ) is really difficult .
`` It 's the responsibility of the politicians to translate the advice into the political recommendations that affect our lives . ''
Professor Salisbury also told Sky News that there are no guarantees that experimental vaccines now in clinical trials will work and can be produced in the scale needed .
`` We have this fundamental problem of supply and demand .
`` I fear that countries will say : 'We have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow export . '
`` We have to worry about equity , access to vaccine and nationalistic behaviour .
`` If you have a philosophy that says 'America first ' and you have a lot of production in America I can anticipate the temptation will be to vaccinate America first .
`` Europe has large vaccine manufacturing capacity and I hope that does not prevail in Europe . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Sir Patrick told a briefing for science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the experts are usually revealed after an emergency is over .
However , he added : `` But I believe that we should be more prepared to publish names sooner , and intend to do so shortly .
`` So we will be publishing names of those that are happy to have their names published . ''
He added that the group would also be releasing a list of the documents , and eventually the documents themselves , that have fed into SAGE meetings .

The public is unable to judge the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic because of secrecy on a key advisory committee, according to a former senior official.
The prime minister has repeatedly said the strategy is based on "the science".
But the government has withheld the names of experts on the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE).
The minutes have also yet to be published, even though the committee has been meeting twice a week since January.
Professor David Salisbury, who oversaw vaccination policy during the swine flu pandemic a decade ago and attended SAGE meetings, exclusively told Sky News that people should have the right to know.
Professor Salisbury said: "Why should we not know?
"The answer that we are protecting their privacy is no longer a realistic one.
"My name is in the phone book. Why do we want such secrecy that we don't know who is helping to shape these decisions that are affecting our lives so intrusively?"
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:53 Hancock announces NHS life assurance scheme
The professor shared his views as Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, said a partial list of SAGE members will be published "shortly" after concerns about a lack of transparency.
He added that only the experts who are "happy to have their names published" will be made public.
It was revealed over the weekend that the prime minister's adviser Dominic Cummings sat in on the SAGE committee's discussions, raising questions about his influence on the advice to government.
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Image: Sir Patrick Vallance has said a partial list of SAGE members will be released
Professor Salisbury said transparency is crucial.
"The chair has the responsibility on whether he or she will accept interventions and how those will be handled.
"If the chair has allowed a person who is not a member of the committee to take part then they have to be prepared to answer afterwards what influence that intervention had on the process."
Professor Salisbury said the government should be seen to be taking advice from a broad range of scientists before deciding on policy.
The prominence of pandemic modellers from Imperial College London has been criticised by other teams of scientists.
But there is no certainty with computer simulations, Professor Salisbury warned.
"One should be really cautious when the assumptions are more powerful than the data," he said.
"Respected scientists have different views.
"That diversity is important because it says this (issue) is really difficult.
"It's the responsibility of the politicians to translate the advice into the political recommendations that affect our lives."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:00 'If you keep going, we will beat this'
Professor Salisbury also told Sky News that there are no guarantees that experimental vaccines now in clinical trials will work and can be produced in the scale needed.
"We have this fundamental problem of supply and demand.
"I fear that countries will say: 'We have to protect our own population first and not allow export.'
"We have to worry about equity, access to vaccine and nationalistic behaviour.
"If you have a philosophy that says 'America first' and you have a lot of production in America I can anticipate the temptation will be to vaccinate America first.
"Europe has large vaccine manufacturing capacity and I hope that does not prevail in Europe."
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Sir Patrick told a briefing for science journalists on Monday that the identities of the experts are usually revealed after an emergency is over.
However, he added: "But I believe that we should be more prepared to publish names sooner, and intend to do so shortly.
"So we will be publishing names of those that are happy to have their names published."
He added that the group would also be releasing a list of the documents, and eventually the documents themselves, that have fed into SAGE meetings.


news--2020-04-27--Coronavirus was widespread in UK at very start of pandemic, says genetics expert

One of the world 's leading human genetics experts has told Sky News that coronavirus was widespread in the UK at the very start of the pandemic and a lack of vigilance allowed the virus to take hold .
Dr Kari Stefansson is overseeing a massive project in Iceland to genetically sequence every positive case of COVID-19 in the country to find out how it mutates and spreads .
He spoke to Sky News at the headquarters of his company deCODE Genetics in Reykjavik , which houses a massive database of more than half the Icelandic population 's genetic material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ century ago , the samples are used to look into the genetic components of diseases .
Now he 's looking into COVID-19 .
He says sequencing tells them where the cases come from .
`` So the virus now has basically a barcode for every part of the world , '' he said .
`` There is a collection of mutation that is relatively characteristic for Austria , another for Italy as well as Great Britain and for the west coast of the United States etc . ''
Prof Stefansson said that in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases came into Iceland from the Alps , from people who had been skiing in Austria and Italy .
The authorities responded by trying to contain the spread of infection from those high risk countries .
He added : `` But as they were doing this , the virus was actually sneaking into the country with people from all kinds of other countries .
`` And the most notable there is Great Britain .
So it looks like the virus had a fairly wide spread in Great Britain very , very early in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Prof Stefansson said the UK - and the USA - were n't vigilant enough from the start , pointing to Iceland 's policy of mass testing .
Iceland has now tested a higher percentage of the population than any other nation .
45,000 tests have been carried out in a population of 360,000. deCODE is working alongside the health service to take samples from as many people as possible - the sick as well as the seemingly healthy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to discover the true spread of the disease in the community .
The policy has allowed Iceland to identify cases quickly and isolate carriers .
After it was suggested that it is easier for a small nation to test and bring the virus under control , he replied : `` Yes , there may be fewer of us but countries like the United Kingdom and the United States have much , much more resources than we do .
`` It is all just a question of using what you have .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't react to this early enough .
`` You know , the countries that taught us the methods that we are using , in doing this in a place like Iceland , they did n't use it themselves .
And that is tragic . ''
As well as testing for COVID-19 , deCODE is also taking blood from volunteers to test for antibodies to fight the virus .
And the company is examining whether there is a genetic component to coronavirus .
Dr Stefansson says it is curious how different people respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who describe this as a mild cold , '' he said .
`` There are those who end up in the intensive care unit on a respirator .
And there is everything in between .
`` We know that women have less tendency to get infected than men .
And if they get infected , they do n't get as sick as men .
What is it that generates this clinical diversity ? ''
That is the big question that needs answering , he says , and deCODE has already begun sharing its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer .

One of the world's leading human genetics experts has told Sky News that coronavirus was widespread in the UK at the very start of the pandemic and a lack of vigilance allowed the virus to take hold.
Dr Kari Stefansson is overseeing a massive project in Iceland to genetically sequence every positive case of COVID-19 in the country to find out how it mutates and spreads.
He spoke to Sky News at the headquarters of his company deCODE Genetics in Reykjavik, which houses a massive database of more than half the Icelandic population's genetic material.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:15 Lessons from Iceland in tackling COVID-19
Founded almost a quarter of a century ago, the samples are used to look into the genetic components of diseases. Now he's looking into COVID-19.
He says sequencing tells them where the cases come from.
"So the virus now has basically a barcode for every part of the world," he said.
"There is a collection of mutation that is relatively characteristic for Austria, another for Italy as well as Great Britain and for the west coast of the United States etc."
Image: deCODE Genetics houses a massive database of more than half the Icelandic population's genetic material
Prof Stefansson said that in the beginning, almost all of the cases came into Iceland from the Alps, from people who had been skiing in Austria and Italy.
The authorities responded by trying to contain the spread of infection from those high risk countries.
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He added: "But as they were doing this, the virus was actually sneaking into the country with people from all kinds of other countries.
"And the most notable there is Great Britain. So it looks like the virus had a fairly wide spread in Great Britain very, very early in this epidemic."
Podcast Podcast , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Podcast cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Podcast cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Podcast cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Prof Stefansson said the UK - and the USA - weren't vigilant enough from the start, pointing to Iceland's policy of mass testing.
Iceland has now tested a higher percentage of the population than any other nation. 45,000 tests have been carried out in a population of 360,000.
Image: Iceland has now tested a higher percentage of the population than any other nation
deCODE is working alongside the health service to take samples from as many people as possible - the sick as well as the seemingly healthy.
Dr Stefansson says that is the only way to discover the true spread of the disease in the community.
The policy has allowed Iceland to identify cases quickly and isolate carriers.
After it was suggested that it is easier for a small nation to test and bring the virus under control, he replied: "Yes, there may be fewer of us but countries like the United Kingdom and the United States have much, much more resources than we do.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:33 Iceland claims to have COVID-19 under control
"It is all just a question of using what you have. They weren't vigilant enough. They didn't react to this early enough.
"You know, the countries that taught us the methods that we are using, in doing this in a place like Iceland, they didn't use it themselves. And that is tragic."
As well as testing for COVID-19, deCODE is also taking blood from volunteers to test for antibodies to fight the virus.
And the company is examining whether there is a genetic component to coronavirus.
Dr Stefansson says it is curious how different people respond to the virus.
"There are those who describe this as a mild cold," he said.
"There are those who end up in the intensive care unit on a respirator. And there is everything in between.
"We know that women have less tendency to get infected than men. And if they get infected, they don't get as sick as men. What is it that generates this clinical diversity?"
That is the big question that needs answering, he says, and deCODE has already begun sharing its findings in the hope of finding an answer.