theweekuk--2020-09-29--Instant Opinion: ‘Vaccine chaos is looming’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
“ On the day that a COVID-19 vaccine is approved , a vast logistics operation will need to awaken .
Millions of doses must travel hundreds of miles from manufacturers to hospitals , doctor ’ s offices , and pharmacies , which in turn must store , track , and eventually get the vaccines to people all across the country .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , along with state and local health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies distributed flu vaccines during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic this way , and they manage childhood vaccines every day .
But the COVID-19 vaccine will be a whole new challenge.
” “ The voters know there is no such thing as a free lunch and most will ultimately favour hard-headed realism over moonshot fantasies as the country grapples with the long-term shock of the coronavirus crisis .
That means the real impact of the shift in emphasis may be political rather than personal , destabilising the delicate balance between No 10 and No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared to be mean when the economy needs him to be ; Mr Johnson is determined to keep on playing the part of the fat bearded guy in the red suit .
This is partly driven by an institutional tension between their offices .
The Treasury is the department that likes to say ‘ no ’ whereas Downing Street always wants to say ‘ yes ’ to popular public spending .
But the long-standing Whitehall clash is exacerbated by the differences in temperament and political outlook between the chancellor and the prime minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ famously likes to have his cake and eat it , the other is a former hedge fund manager whose success in the City depended on making difficult choices.
” 3 .
Former foreign secretary William Hague in The Telegraph The PM has a glorious chance to restore our green and pleasant land “ Dare we hope that the next decade will be any different from the appalling story of the last half-century ?
I think we can .
Slowly , the truth is sinking in and a tipping point in opinion and action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be a sufficient shock to billions of people to demonstrate that driving more roads into rainforests to grow palm oil and soya , and trading in scores of wild animals while allowing their blood and viruses to mix is not a good idea .
The rapid death of coral reefs and record fires across Australia and the western USA are becoming too obvious for even the most myopic of climate-change cynics to ignore .
The reality that humans need bees to pollinate our food , healthy soil for our crops to grow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work and woods to walk in for our psychological well-being is finally sinking in.
” “ We are living in confusing and uncertain times .
The world order seems to be disintegrating .
Europe and the US are growing apart .
China is striving for global domination .
Russia 's behavior is becoming increasingly outrageous .
Islamists are assaulting open society .
Populists are on the rise from London to Budapest .
Artificial intelligence could make humans servants of algorithms .
A virus has put the world in a state of emergency and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In such times , thoroughly researched , truthful information becomes more and more important — a historic opportunity for journalism .
During all this , our business model has been changing from an analog one to a digital one .
This transformation is great , but it confronts many publishers with existential challenges.
” 5 .
Joan C. Williams in the New York Times on abortion and the Supreme Court The case for accepting defeat on Roe “ Many women seeking abortions aren ’ t suburban teenagers without economic pressures or family responsibilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one child and nearly half live below the poverty level ; some fear they ’ ll be fired if they take time off , particularly if they need to make two trips , as they must in the 26 states with mandatory waiting periods .
The argument that the left has already lost the abortion fight reflects the fact that there ’ s no abortion clinic in 90 % of American counties .
This is the result of the highly successful death-by-a-thousand-cuts anti-abortion strategy , which has piled on restriction after restriction to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women as possible .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Sarah Zhang in The Atlantic
on contentious cures
Vaccine chaos is looming
“On the day that a COVID-19 vaccine is approved, a vast logistics operation will need to awaken. Millions of doses must travel hundreds of miles from manufacturers to hospitals, doctor’s offices, and pharmacies, which in turn must store, track, and eventually get the vaccines to people all across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with state and local health departments, coordinates this process. These agencies distributed flu vaccines during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic this way, and they manage childhood vaccines every day. But the COVID-19 vaccine will be a whole new challenge.”
2. Rachel Sylvester in The Times
on a very popular chancellor
Rishi Sunak’s rising star puts Boris Johnson in the shade
“The voters know there is no such thing as a free lunch and most will ultimately favour hard-headed realism over moonshot fantasies as the country grapples with the long-term shock of the coronavirus crisis. That means the real impact of the shift in emphasis may be political rather than personal, destabilising the delicate balance between No 10 and No 11 Downing Street. Mr Sunak is prepared to be mean when the economy needs him to be; Mr Johnson is determined to keep on playing the part of the fat bearded guy in the red suit. This is partly driven by an institutional tension between their offices. The Treasury is the department that likes to say ‘no’ whereas Downing Street always wants to say ‘yes’ to popular public spending. But the long-standing Whitehall clash is exacerbated by the differences in temperament and political outlook between the chancellor and the prime minister. One is a former journalist who famously likes to have his cake and eat it, the other is a former hedge fund manager whose success in the City depended on making difficult choices.”
3. Former foreign secretary William Hague in The Telegraph
on a UN pledge
The PM has a glorious chance to restore our green and pleasant land
“Dare we hope that the next decade will be any different from the appalling story of the last half-century? I think we can. Slowly, the truth is sinking in and a tipping point in opinion and action is being reached. The current pandemic may be a sufficient shock to billions of people to demonstrate that driving more roads into rainforests to grow palm oil and soya, and trading in scores of wild animals while allowing their blood and viruses to mix is not a good idea. The rapid death of coral reefs and record fires across Australia and the western USA are becoming too obvious for even the most myopic of climate-change cynics to ignore. The reality that humans need bees to pollinate our food, healthy soil for our crops to grow, insects for the food chain to work and woods to walk in for our psychological well-being is finally sinking in.”
4. Mathias Dopfner in Deutsche Welle
on the free press
Independent journalism is a pillar of open society
“We are living in confusing and uncertain times. The world order seems to be disintegrating. Europe and the US are growing apart. China is striving for global domination. Russia's behavior is becoming increasingly outrageous. Islamists are assaulting open society. Populists are on the rise from London to Budapest. Artificial intelligence could make humans servants of algorithms. A virus has put the world in a state of emergency and occasionally brought it to a standstill. In such times, thoroughly researched, truthful information becomes more and more important — a historic opportunity for journalism. During all this, our business model has been changing from an analog one to a digital one. This transformation is great, but it confronts many publishers with existential challenges.”
5. Joan C. Williams in the New York Times
on abortion and the Supreme Court
The case for accepting defeat on Roe
“Many women seeking abortions aren’t suburban teenagers without economic pressures or family responsibilities. Nearly 60% have already had one child and nearly half live below the poverty level; some fear they’ll be fired if they take time off, particularly if they need to make two trips, as they must in the 26 states with mandatory waiting periods. The argument that the left has already lost the abortion fight reflects the fact that there’s no abortion clinic in 90% of American counties. This is the result of the highly successful death-by-a-thousand-cuts anti-abortion strategy, which has piled on restriction after restriction to make abortion inaccessible to as many American women as possible.”


theweekuk--2020-09-29--‘Absolutely pathetic’: Andy Murray defended over French Open wildcard

Ex-players and coaches have defended Andy Murray after the British tennis star suffered a heavy defeat in the French Open first round on Sunday .
Former world No.1 Murray lost 6-1 , 6-3 , 6-2 against Stan Wawrinka in the opening round at Roland Garros , in what was his joint heaviest grand slam defeat ever , BBC Sport reports .
Following his career-threatening hip injury and surgery , 33-year-old Murray was making his first appearance on clay since June 2017 after being handed a wildcard to compete in Paris .
The decision to give the three-time grand slam winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ star Mats Wilander , who suggested that the Scot was wrong to take a spot when he ’ s nearing the end of his career , The Guardian reports .
Wilander , a seven-time grand slam champion , also made unsuccessful comebacks in his playing days .
Speaking on Eurosport , the Swede said : “ I worry about Andy Murray .
I would love to hear him say why he is out there , giving us a false sense of hope that he ’ s going to come back one day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappointed , is it his right to be out there doing that ?
Why ?
I did it and I shouldn ’ t have , it was the biggest mistake I did in my career .
“ I think Andy Murray needs to stop thinking of himself and start thinking about who he was .
Does he have a right to be out there taking wildcards from the young players ?
” Wilander ’ s criticism did not go down well with Daniel Vallverdu , the current coach of Wawrinka , who worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He wrote on Twitter : “ He ’ s entitled to his opinion .
Like I ’ m entitled to mine to think that ’ s absolutely PATHETIC from Mats.
” American Jim Courier , a four-time slam winner , is friends with Wilander , but he believes Murray has the right to take wildcards and continue playing the top tournaments if he can .
Courier said on ITV : “ Mats is a friend of mine and I respect his opinion greatly , [ but ] ... Andy has every right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tournaments have every right to give them to him if they want to .
It is up to Andy as to how long he wants to play .
“ This is all about him having the power to decide he will end his career on his terms rather than his hip deciding .
And it is a remarkable story , that the doctors have given him this chance to come back .
He is never going to move the way he did – he knows that.
” Murray ’ s former coach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given the chance to enjoy the rest of his career without the pressure of winning grand slams , Tennishead.net adds .
“ Each player has had his own experience and I respect what Mats says because that ’ s his experience and his own feeling , ” Corretja said .
“ I totally understand that Andy Murray is trying to get back to his best , I ’ m sure he knows it will be very difficult , but you need to give him the chance to see if he at least feels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he wins slams again or not , and try to enjoy the rest of his career.
” What next for Murray ?
His crushing defeat in Paris has left Murray with much to ponder , says The Times .
And the world No.111 admits that he needs a “ long , hard think ” about the performance .
“ I should be analysing that hard and trying to understand why the performance was like that , ” he said .
“ I need to have a long , hard think about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sort of match I would just brush aside and not give any thought to.
” Next month Murray will return to action at two indoor events in Cologne , Germany .
The tournaments - from 11-18 October and 18-25 October - will both be held at the Lanxess Arena .

Ex-players and coaches have defended Andy Murray after the British tennis star suffered a heavy defeat in the French Open first round on Sunday.
Former world No.1 Murray lost 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 against Stan Wawrinka in the opening round at Roland Garros, in what was his joint heaviest grand slam defeat ever, BBC Sport reports.
Following his career-threatening hip injury and surgery, 33-year-old Murray was making his first appearance on clay since June 2017 after being handed a wildcard to compete in Paris.
The decision to give the three-time grand slam winner a wildcard was criticised by former tennis star Mats Wilander, who suggested that the Scot was wrong to take a spot when he’s nearing the end of his career, The Guardian reports.
Wilander, a seven-time grand slam champion, also made unsuccessful comebacks in his playing days. Speaking on Eurosport, the Swede said: “I worry about Andy Murray. I would love to hear him say why he is out there, giving us a false sense of hope that he’s going to come back one day.
“I keep getting a little bit disappointed, is it his right to be out there doing that? Why? I did it and I shouldn’t have, it was the biggest mistake I did in my career.
“I think Andy Murray needs to stop thinking of himself and start thinking about who he was. Does he have a right to be out there taking wildcards from the young players?”
Murray defended
Wilander’s criticism did not go down well with Daniel Vallverdu, the current coach of Wawrinka, who worked with Murray earlier in his career. He wrote on Twitter: “He’s entitled to his opinion. Like I’m entitled to mine to think that’s absolutely PATHETIC from Mats.”
American Jim Courier, a four-time slam winner, is friends with Wilander, but he believes Murray has the right to take wildcards and continue playing the top tournaments if he can.
Courier said on ITV: “Mats is a friend of mine and I respect his opinion greatly, [but]... Andy has every right to take wildcards if they are offered, and tournaments have every right to give them to him if they want to. It is up to Andy as to how long he wants to play.


theweekuk--2020-09-29--Could breast milk help stop the spread of coronavirus?

Human breast milk may help to prevent or treat the novel coronavirus , according to a new study .
The researchers , from the Beijing University of Chemical Technology , say that whey proteins in breast milk can inhibit Sars-CoV-2 , which causes Covid-19 , by “ blocking viral attachment , entry and even post-entry viral replication ” .
And whey proteins in cow and goat milk may offer a similar , though less effective , protection .
The Chinese team found that “ cow and goat whey proteins could suppress the coronavirus by about 70 % , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impressive at 98 % ” , The Times reports .
The findings , published on pre-print specialist site biorxiv.org , have not yet been peer-reviewed .
But the results appear to support the recommendation by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) that mothers infected with the coronavirus should continue breastfeeding their babies .
For the study , the researchers exposed cells from the human gut and lungs to Sars-CoV-2 .
They then looked at what effect breast milk that had been collected in 2017 - prior to the pandemic - had on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost no viral binding or entry to these healthy cells , as well as the halting of viral replication in already-infected cells ” , The Times reports .
“ Human milk was able to eliminate the virus in a broader range of cell types ” than animal milk , “ but the researchers said it was unclear what had caused the difference ” , adds the South China Morning Post .
In a further note of reassurance for mothers , a recent US study outlined in a paper in the Journal of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not spread the coronavirus and “ may not be a source of infection for the infant ” .
Researchers are now investigating whether breast milk could be used as a treatment for Covid-19 .

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theweekuk--2020-09-29--World reacts to one million Covid deaths as WHO warns ‘not impossible’ virus could kill a million mo

World reacts to one million Covid deaths as WHO warns ‘not impossible’ virus could kill a million more

The global coronavirus death toll has passed one million in a bleak milestone that has prompted sombre reflection on an extraordinary year .
The worldwide tally of deaths from the coronavirus now amounts to double the number of people who die annually from malaria , and surpassed one million on Monday according to the latest data .
Covid-19 has now killed “ four times as many people who died in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami , 16 times as many people killed by the common flu in the US last winter , and more than 335 times the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9/11 attacks ” , CNN says .
The grim figure came as Mike Ryan , the executive director of the World Health Organization ’ s ( WHO ) Health Emergencies Programme , told reporters that this figure could double without international action .
“ It ’ s certainly unimaginable , ” Ryan said of the prospect of two million deaths .
“ But it ’ s not impossible , because if we look at losing a million people in nine months and then we just look at the realities of getting a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s a big task for everyone involved.
” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the tally of one million death as a “ mind-numbing ” and “ agonizing milestone ” in a statement .
Despite scale of the death toll being “ inevitable ” , its “ arrival is still breathtaking ” , The Guardian says .
“ The figure can only hint at the immeasurable grief of the friends , partners , parents and children of those who have died , many isolated in hospital wards , and buried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the paper continues .
“ In a year defined by loss , these one million people and their loved ones have lost the most , ” it adds .
Noting that the virus has “ forced trade-offs between safety and economic well-being ” , the South China Morning Post says decision taken to control its spread “ have left millions of people vulnerable , especially the poor , minorities and the elderly ” .
Adding that it “ rivals some of the gravest threats to public health , past and present ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now “ greater than the population of Jerusalem or Austin , Texas ” .
Sanjaya Senanayake , associate professor of infectious diseases at the Australian National University , told Al Jazeera that the response to Covid has triggered “ protests and anger about government policies with regards to lockdowns and wearing masks ” .
This is echoed by The Times of India , which highlights how efforts to stem the virus have prompted global “ protests and anger ... as businesses worry about their survival and individuals grow frustrated about their jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has ravaged the world 's economy , inflamed geopolitical tensions and upended lives , from Indian slums and Brazil ’ s jungles to America ’ s biggest city New York ” , the paper says .
The WHO declared the coronavirus a pandemic just 202 days ago and “ European nations have not been spared by the coronavirus surges and were long considered the pandemic 's epicentre ” , EuroNews reports .
Four European states are among the top ten of worst-hit countries with the UK topping the European table ( 42,001 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , France ( 31,808 ) and Spain ( 31,411 ) .
Peru , where more than 30,000 have died , is thought to have the highest mortality rate per population , with more than 98 deaths per 100,000 people .
The US , Brazil and India make up almost half of the global death toll .
Striking a more optimistic tone , Senanayake told Al Jazzera that “ if you look at the success stories - places like Vietnam which in its first wave only had about 300 cases and zero deaths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - there has been lot of public engagement and cooperation ” .
However , experts have also warned that there will be further deaths and disruption .
Dr Soumya Swaminathan , chief science officer at the WHO , told CNN “ that it could be 2022 before people can begin thinking about returning to ‘ pre-Covid ’ life ” .

The global coronavirus death toll has passed one million in a bleak milestone that has prompted sombre reflection on an extraordinary year.
The worldwide tally of deaths from the coronavirus now amounts to double the number of people who die annually from malaria, and surpassed one million on Monday according to the latest data.
Covid-19 has now killed “four times as many people who died in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, 16 times as many people killed by the common flu in the US last winter, and more than 335 times the number of people who perished in the 9/11 attacks”, CNN says.
The grim figure came as Mike Ryan, the executive director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme, told reporters that this figure could double without international action.
“It’s certainly unimaginable,” Ryan said of the prospect of two million deaths. “But it’s not impossible, because if we look at losing a million people in nine months and then we just look at the realities of getting a vaccine out there in the next nine months, it’s a big task for everyone involved.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the tally of one million death as a “mind-numbing” and “agonizing milestone” in a statement.
Despite scale of the death toll being “inevitable”, its “arrival is still breathtaking”, The Guardian says. “The figure can only hint at the immeasurable grief of the friends, partners, parents and children of those who have died, many isolated in hospital wards, and buried or cremated without traditional funerals,” the paper continues.
“In a year defined by loss, these one million people and their loved ones have lost the most,” it adds.
Noting that the virus has “forced trade-offs between safety and economic well-being”, the South China Morning Post says decision taken to control its spread “have left millions of people vulnerable, especially the poor, minorities and the elderly”.
Adding that it “rivals some of the gravest threats to public health, past and present”, the paper notes that the death toll is now “greater than the population of Jerusalem or Austin, Texas”.


theweekuk--2020-09-29--Big hit for investors: BTS label valued at £3.2bn in IPO

BTS have been trailblazers in the rise of K-pop music across the globe - and now the South Korean superstars are making a noise in the business world too .
The seven-member group made history last month when their first English-language song , Dynamite , topped the US Billboard Hot 100 .
And the music video for the single smashed records with more than 100 million views on YouTube in just 24 hours .
It ’ s not just music fans who are keen on BTS either : the K-pop sensations ’ management label , Big Hit Entertainment , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial public offering ( IPO ) next month .
“ The offer saw demand 1,000 times higher than the number of shares available - in what is South Korea ’ s biggest IPO in three years , ” Sky News reports .
A regulatory filing shows that shares in the label have been priced at 135,000 won ( £90 ) each , with a total of 7.13 million new shares up for grabs .
These new shares will start trading on 15 October and will raise a total of 963 billion won ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a whole valued at 4.8 trillion won ( £3.2bn ) .
The BTS boys have also seen their personal wealth boosted by the stock market listing .
All seven band members - who go by the nicknames Jung Kook , Jin , Jimin , Suga , V , J-Hope and RM - are now multimillionaires thanks to what CBS News describes as the “ chart-topping ” IPO .
Big Hit CEO Bang Si-Hyuk gave each of them 68,385 shares in August and these holdings are now worth the equivalent of more than £6.1m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bang , who is credited with creating BTS , owns about 43 % of the label and the IPO has made him a billionaire .
In August , Big Hit reported a £33m profit for the first half of 2020 , “ as online concert and merchandise sales more than offset the impact of event cancellations in the US , Europe and Asia during the pandemic ” , says Sky News .
And another big earner is in the pipeline , with the label this week announcing that BTS will release their second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 20 November .
As CNN notes , “ BTS is one of the few K-Pop bands to break into Western markets ” , with the group ’ s global success compared to that of The Beatles .
And now the Big Hit IPO is giving “ retail investors a chance to get in on the action ” surrounding the BTS phenomenon , the broadcaster adds .

BTS have been trailblazers in the rise of K-pop music across the globe - and now the South Korean superstars are making a noise in the business world too.
The seven-member group made history last month when their first English-language song, Dynamite, topped the US Billboard Hot 100. And the music video for the single smashed records with more than 100 million views on YouTube in just 24 hours.
It’s not just music fans who are keen on BTS either: the K-pop sensations’ management label, Big Hit Entertainment, has been valued at £3.2bn ahead of an initial public offering (IPO) next month.
“The offer saw demand 1,000 times higher than the number of shares available - in what is South Korea’s biggest IPO in three years,” Sky News reports.
Millionaires and billionaires
A regulatory filing shows that shares in the label have been priced at 135,000 won (£90) each, with a total of 7.13 million new shares up for grabs. These new shares will start trading on 15 October and will raise a total of 963 billion won (£638m), with Big Hit as a whole valued at 4.8 trillion won (£3.2bn).
The BTS boys have also seen their personal wealth boosted by the stock market listing.
All seven band members - who go by the nicknames Jung Kook, Jin, Jimin, Suga, V, J-Hope and RM - are now multimillionaires thanks to what CBS News describes as the “chart-topping” IPO.
Big Hit CEO Bang Si-Hyuk gave each of them 68,385 shares in August and these holdings are now worth the equivalent of more than £6.1m at the issue price.
Music producer Bang, who is credited with creating BTS, owns about 43% of the label and the IPO has made him a billionaire.
Music and retail
In August, Big Hit reported a £33m profit for the first half of 2020, “as online concert and merchandise sales more than offset the impact of event cancellations in the US, Europe and Asia during the pandemic”, says Sky News.
And another big earner is in the pipeline, with the label this week announcing that BTS will release their second album of the year, BE, on 20 November.
As CNN notes, “BTS is one of the few K-Pop bands to break into Western markets”, with the group’s global success compared to that of The Beatles.
And now the Big Hit IPO is giving “retail investors a chance to get in on the action” surrounding the BTS phenomenon, the broadcaster adds.


theweekuk--2020-09-29--Universities must consider refunding students hit by Covid disruption, regulator warns

Investigations have been launched into the quality of education provided by universities in England during the coronavirus crisis , amid growing calls for partial refunds of tuition fees .
The Office for Students ( OfS ) is reportedly probing several institutions suspected of failing to uphold standards - and will investigate any others if the watchdog believes “ quality is slipping for groups of students ” there , a spokesperson said .
OfS chief executive Nicola Dandridge said that “ students have a right to good-quality higher education - whether that is taught online , in-person or a mixture of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a significant investment in their higher education and have rights as consumers , ” she added .
Across England and Scotland , thousands of students are self-isolating in their halls as up to 40 universities report coronavirus cases .
Aberystwyth yesterday became the latest university to cancel face-to-face classes , “ prompting students to question why they have been told to leave home only to be forced to study remotely ” , The Telegraph says .
“ Students and their families are justifiably angry , ” adds The Guardian in an editorial this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many find it hard to adjust .
“ Now , universities , as well as ministers , stand accused of recruiting students on a false prospectus , because of their reliance on the income from rents.
” Although many universities have introduced a combination of online and face-to-face teaching , OfS chief Dandridge said that the regulator would not accept a solution that amounted to simply “ bunging lectures online ” .
And in a fresh warning of more investigations to come , she insisted that “ where students need to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear about how courses will continue to operate in these circumstances and what welfare , resources and support are available ” .
“ We will be following up with individual universities and colleges where we have concerns about the arrangements they are making for teaching and academic support , ” Dandridge added .

Investigations have been launched into the quality of education provided by universities in England during the coronavirus crisis, amid growing calls for partial refunds of tuition fees.
The Office for Students (OfS) is reportedly probing several institutions suspected of failing to uphold standards - and will investigate any others if the watchdog believes “quality is slipping for groups of students” there, a spokesperson said.
OfS chief executive Nicola Dandridge said that “students have a right to good-quality higher education - whether that is taught online, in-person or a mixture of the two”.
“Students make a significant investment in their higher education and have rights as consumers,” she added.
Across England and Scotland, thousands of students are self-isolating in their halls as up to 40 universities report coronavirus cases.
Aberystwyth yesterday became the latest university to cancel face-to-face classes, “prompting students to question why they have been told to leave home only to be forced to study remotely”, The Telegraph says.
“Students and their families are justifiably angry,” adds The Guardian in an editorial this morning. “Even in normal times, many find it hard to adjust.
“Now, universities, as well as ministers, stand accused of recruiting students on a false prospectus, because of their reliance on the income from rents.”
Although many universities have introduced a combination of online and face-to-face teaching, OfS chief Dandridge said that the regulator would not accept a solution that amounted to simply “bunging lectures online”.
And in a fresh warning of more investigations to come, she insisted that “where students need to go into isolation, universities have to be clear about how courses will continue to operate in these circumstances and what welfare, resources and support are available”.
“We will be following up with individual universities and colleges where we have concerns about the arrangements they are making for teaching and academic support,” Dandridge added.


theweekuk--2020-09-29--Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign ‘deliberately deterred black Americans from voting’

Donald Trump ’ s 2016 election campaign secretly targeted millions of Democrat-supporting black voters with adverts designed to convince them not to go to the polls , newly unearthed data suggests .
The covert effort reportedly focused on 16 key swing states and triggered a collapse in turnout among black voters that saw Trump claiming narrow victories in several of the battleground regions .
According to a “ vast cache of data ” obtained by Channel 4 , black voters identified by the Trump team as being likely to back his rival Hillary Clinton were marked as “ deterrence ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adverts about the Democrat candidate on Facebook and other social media platforms .
The unearthed data “ contains details on almost 200 million Americans , among more than 5,000 files , which together amass almost five terabytes of data – making it one of the biggest leaks in history ” , the broadcaster reports .
The alleged push to keep voters away from the polls was designed in conjunction with election consultancy Cambridge Analytica , which “ ceased trading last year following revelations that it used dirty tricks to help win elections around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tens of millions of Facebook profiles ” , says The Guardian .
In the swing state of Michigan , which Trump won by 10,000 votes , black people account for 15 % of eligible voters but represented 33 % of the deterrence category in the Trump database .
And in Wisconsin , 5.4 % of voters are black yet they made up 17 % of the deterrence group .
The Rupublican won the state by a margin of 30,000 .
As The Telegraph notes , 2016 election saw the first fall in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slump that helped “ Trump snatch victory in pivotal states ” .
Jamal Watkins , vice president of the US National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , told Channel 4 that the campaign amounted to voter “ supression ” , adding : “ We don ’ t use data to say who can we deter and keep at home .
That just seems , fundamentally , it ’ s a shift from the notion of democracy.
” The allegations have been dismissed as `` fake news '' by Tim Murtaugh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-election campaign .
But civil rights campaigners are calling on Facebook to disclose ads and targeting information from the 2016 election that have never been made public .
The Trump campaign spent £44m on Facebook posts alone during that election cycle .


theweekuk--2020-09-29--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 29 Sep 2020

James Bulger ’ s father said he can “ rest easy ” as one of his son ’ s killers @ @ @ @ @ Venables and Robert Thompson killed James , then aged two , after taking him from @ @ @ @ @ .
They served eight years before being freed on licence with lifelong anonymity .
Venables @ @ @ @ @ possessing child abuse images , has been told it will be two years before he @ @ @ @ @ .

James Bulger killer Venables refused parole
James Bulger’s father said he can “rest easy” as one of his son’s killers was refused parole. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson killed James, then aged two, after taking him from Bootle, Merseyside in 1993. They served eight years before being freed on licence with lifelong anonymity. Venables, now in jail for possessing child abuse images, has been told it will be two years before he can apply for parole again.


theweekuk--2020-09-29--Tourist faces jail in Thailand over Tripadvisor reviews

A tourist in Thailand faces up to two years in prison after posting negative reviews of a hotel on Tripadvisor .
The Sea View Resort claims that Wesley Barnes , an American who was visiting the Southeast Asian country , wrote a string of damning reviews .
The hotel has responded with legal action , a serious move as there are sentences of up to two years imprisonment for those convicted of “ defamation by publication ” .
A group of parrots have been removed from a UK wildlife park after they started swearing at customers .
The five African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park last month , taught each other a string of obscenities that amused staff , but caused an issue when they began hurling obscenities at guests .
Greggs fan gets logo tattooed on her bum A sausage roll lover has missed Greggs bakery so much during the Covid-19 pandemic she has got the chain ’ s logo tattooed on her bottom .
Caitlin Jones , 20 , from Paisley , Scotland , said : “ I ’ m obsessed with Greggs and I ’ ve always loved their sausage rolls .
I decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was going to get something to share my love for them.
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A tourist in Thailand faces up to two years in prison after posting negative reviews of a hotel on Tripadvisor. The Sea View Resort claims that Wesley Barnes, an American who was visiting the Southeast Asian country, wrote a string of damning reviews. The hotel has responded with legal action, a serious move as there are sentences of up to two years imprisonment for those convicted of “defamation by publication”.
Swearing parrots removed from wildlife park
A group of parrots have been removed from a UK wildlife park after they started swearing at customers. The five African grey parrots, adopted by Lincolnshire Wildlife Park last month, taught each other a string of obscenities that amused staff, but caused an issue when they began hurling obscenities at guests.
Greggs fan gets logo tattooed on her bum
A sausage roll lover has missed Greggs bakery so much during the Covid-19 pandemic she has got the chain’s logo tattooed on her bottom. Caitlin Jones, 20, from Paisley, Scotland, said: “I’m obsessed with Greggs and I’ve always loved their sausage rolls. I decided when the tattoo parlours re-opened that I was going to get something to share my love for them.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


theweekuk--2020-09-28--Ten award-winning bars to visit during London Cocktail Week

The UK ’ s hospitality industry hasn ’ t had much to celebrate of late , with the coronavirus pandemic forcing the long shutdown of restaurants and pubs .
Eat Out To Help Out encouraged diners to head out post-lockdown to tuck into a total of more than 100 million meals in August , but now a new 10pm curfew has brought more restrictions to the sector .
But there is reason for cheer , with the return in October of London Cocktail Week - which this year is running for the whole month .
Hundreds of the best bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a £15 wristband will give festival-goers exclusive access to £6 cocktails throughout October .
With so many venues to choose from , the team at DesignMyNight have shared their top ten recommendations .
Since first welcoming patrons in March 2016 , Black Rock has won a reputation as a leading destination for whisky fans .
The centrepiece of the famous bar is a 18ft oak tree table top that dispenses liquid gold - including a £6 Johnnie Walker Afternoon Tea Punch exclusively for London Cocktail Week .
Located in Smithfield Market , Oriole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead down a set of stairs to a candle-lit basement decored in a dramatic explorer ’ s theme , with palm-patterned wallpaper and other thematic gestures .
For London Cocktail Week , the bar has concocted an exclusive highball featuring Laphroaig whisky , amaretto , muscovado tonic and pleated barley syrup .
Callooh Callay has been in the business of making cocktails for the past 12 years and has won a series of awards in the process .
The Alice in Wonderland-inspired bar has released a new menu since reopening post-lockdown , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week in October .
The bar will also host exclusive events , masterclasses and tastings .
For cocktail connoisseurs , Ryan Chetiyawardana needs no introduction .
But for those who aren ’ t in the know , Chetiyawardana is one of the world ’ s top mixologists and also the owner of London ’ s Lyanness .
Situated at the Sea Containers London hotel overlooking the River Thames , this bar is widely regarded as one of the world ’ s best .
A brick-lined , 19th century cellar bar in Marylebone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ setting that evokes a 1920s underground speakeasy .
With vintage mirrors , a grand piano and private alcoves perfect for groups of six , the prohibition-themed bar offers some of the city ’ s most experimental concoctions , and has dreamed up a Roku gin-based wasabi collins for this year ’ s festival .
Heading off abroad for a holiday hasn ’ t been an option for most people in 2020 , but Trailer Happiness provides a great alternative in the form of its tropical tiki bar .
Situated in a basement on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has bachelor pad vibes that may leave you feeling like you ’ re in California for the night .
For London Cocktail Week , Trailer Happiness has created a limited-edition Playa Vida that combines rum , vermouth , cherry liqueur , grapefruit and guava juice .
The team at Artesian at The Langdon , one of London ’ s best hotel bars , were hard at work during lockdown crafting a totally new cocktail menu .
The selection features 12 of the most popular cocktails from the 1970s , but with an Artesian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard at work for London Cocktail Week , creating a Grey Goose vodka number .
Swift Soho is spread across two floors , each of which offers a different menu , to suit every palette .
The art-deco style surroundings and PPE-equipped staff will make you feel right at home this October , and will be serving up an iconic sgroppino cocktail , a refreshing blend of elderflower liqueur , prosecco and lemon sorbet .
A members ’ club with a colourful history , Disrepute is situated at the former site of 1960s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister John Profumo first met call girl Christine Keeler , triggering the biggest scandal of the decade .
Hidden in a basement under Kingly Court between Carnaby Street and Beak Street , the retro-style venue is opening up bookings to non-members for the festival - which means anyone can enjoy the bar ’ s limited-edition El Jimador-laced tequila sour with Amaro Montenegro , banana liqueur , fresh lime juice , egg white and orange bitters .
Positioned at No.16 in the list of the world ’ s best bars list , Three Sheets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cocktails split into three sections according to the strength and flavour of each creation .
In October , the bar will be introducing a Pocari-infused Suntory Toki , a mix of green tea vodka , sugar cordial and mandarin zest , topped with soda .
To purchase £15 tickets for London Cocktail Week , which has been extended for the entire month of October , see designmynight.com Or if you can ’ t get to the capital for London Cocktail Week , why not try making your own cocktails at home ?
Check @ @ @ @

London Cocktail Week – a celebration of the capital’s creative and game-changing cocktail scene – is back. The event runs from 13 to 23 October (so calling it a “cocktail week” is slightly misleading), with hundreds of the city’s best-loved bars taking part.
The boozetastic bonanza features immersive experiences and exclusive drinks offerings. For £15, drinks devotees can purchase a special wristband to enjoy £7 cocktails in hundreds of London bars, as well as four “cocktail villages” across town.
More than 350 bars are taking part in the event – making it hard to choose which ones to visit. Here, we’ve selected just seven which are worthy of your time and money.
Black Rock Since first welcoming patrons in March 2016, Black Rock has won a reputation as a leading destination for whisky fans. The centrepiece of the famous bar is an 18ft oak tree table top that dispenses liquid gold – including a £7 Cherry Beamer, made from Yellowstone Select bourbon whiskey, pineapple juice and berry tepache, topped with soda and garnished with a pineapple leaf (an exclusive for London Cocktail Week). 9 Christopher Street, EC2A 2BS; londoncocktailweek.com
Oriole Located in Smithfield Market, Oriole is hidden behind an unassuming entrance that leads down a set of stairs to a candle-lit basement decored in a dramatic “explorers” theme, with palm-patterned wallpaper and other thematic gestures. For London Cocktail Week, the bar has concocted a £7 Colombo Sour featuring Hennessy VS Cognac, mango yoghurt, roasted coconut juice, kaffir lime cordial and pink lemon foam. East Poultry Avenue, EC1A 9LH; londoncocktailweek.com
Callooh Callay Callooh Callay has been in the business of making cocktails for the past 12 years and has won a series of awards in the process. The Alice in Wonderland-inspired bar features a secret door which leads to a back-room bar featuring metal palm trees, which will “make you feel like you walked into a 70’s shagpad after a few pills”, said The Infatuation. During London Cocktail Week, the bar will be serving £7 Whistle Pig cocktails (featuring six-year-old rye whiskey, passionfruit and mango demerara, cardamom and grapefruit bitters and angostura bitters) and £10 Summer Nights (the same but topped with Moët & Chandon champagne). 65 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY; londoncocktailweek.com
Trailer Happiness Mourning the holiday vibes now summer is officially over? Trailer Happiness provides a great alternative to real-world travel in the form of its tropical tiki bar. Situated in a basement on Portobello Road, this spacious drinking den may leave you feeling like you’re in California for the night. For London Cocktail Week, Trailer Happiness has created a limited-edition £7 Coco Club featuring La Hechicera banana-infused Columbian rum, buttered coconut shrub, lime juice, grapefruit and falernum. 177 Portobello Road, W11 2DY; londoncocktailweek.com
Swift Soho Swift Soho is spread across two floors, each of which offers a different menu, providing something for every palette. The art-deco style surroundings and friendly staff will make you feel right at home this October, with Swift’s bartenders serving up two limited-edition cocktails: the £7 Raconteur (Appleton Estate signature rum, passionfruit, honey, ginger, lemon juice and angostura bitters) and the £7 Ruffian (WhistlePig Piggyback rye whiskey, fig, maple syrup and Brazilian bitters). 12 Old Compton Street, W1D 4TQ; londoncocktailweek.com
Three Sheets Three Sheets is a forward-thinking east London bar with nine signature cocktails split into three sections according to the strength and flavour of each creation. For London Cocktail Week, the bar will be introducing an innovative twist on a whisky soda, featuring a mix of milk-washed Glenmorangie X single malt Scotch whisky, clear lemon, vanilla, benzoin and soda. 510b Kingsland Road,, E8 4AE; londoncocktailweek.com


theweekuk--2020-09-29--Best portable speakers: tried and tested

When watching films on a laptop or listening to music on a phone , sound quality is often less than perfect .
If you find yourself tiring of tinny sound , it may be time to invest in a portable speaker that won ’ t just enhance your watching and listening experience but will also not take up loads of room .
The Week and Expert Reviews have tried and tested a number of Bluetooth-enabled portable speakers which can be used indoors , outdoors and for parties .
Here ’ s our pick of the best devices ...
Rugged , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ StormBox Micro is ideal for outdoor activities such as camping and cycling - and also packs a punch when used indoors .
The Week has tested this speaker for phone , laptop and record player use and also connected for video meetings and calls .
It has a decent battery life , eight hours on one full charge , and its Bluetooth can keep connected while walking around the house or the garden .
Even though the StormBox Micro is small in size , the quality of its sound is big .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tone and you can even connect two speakers together for stereo or party mode .
CNET.com says this speaker is “ one of the best-sounding pocket-size portable Bluetooth models ” , and we agree .
The Bose SoundLink Mini 2 is a great choice overall .
It sounds excellent and provided you ’ re not looking for a ruggedised speaker to take out with you day-to-day , it ticks all the right boxes .
Inside is a two speaker array with a passive bass radiator to flesh out the low range .
Altogether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bass , in particular , is some of the most emphatic we ’ ve heard for a speaker of this size .
With two separate units that work together to reproduce a stereo sound , no other budget Bluetooth speakers offer a true stereo experience .
These even work more than 10m apart from each other , which is brilliant .
The speakers are also IPX4-rated , which means they ’ ll survive a splash of water .
The Tronsmart Force is a corker of a speaker and is one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little unit manages to output up to 40W of power through its dual-driver setup .
The speaker might not have the best control in the bass or clarity in the mid-range frequencies , but relative to its price , it ’ s sensational .
An excellent all-rounder , the Charge 4 is one of JBL ’ s best-selling Bluetooth speakers and for good reason .
It ’ s affordable , rugged and puts out sound belying its size .
It also possesses the ability to double up as a power bank thanks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect for occasions when your phone is liable to run out of battery .
A delightful combination of style and sonic substance , the Marshall Emberton logo emblazoned on the speaker ’ s front grille immediately conjures up images of the guitar amps the company is famous for .
But don ’ t be fooled : this a speaker you can take anywhere .
Build quality is not only eye-catching but rugged , too .
With its stylish looks , various colours and most importantly , fantastic sound quality , the Ultimate Ears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a speaker that can float , the Wonderboom ’ s IPX7 rating means that it can survive at least 30 minutes of submersion in a metre of water , but is effectively waterproof if you leave it bobbing around on the surface .
If you ’ re looking for the perfect Bluetooth speaker for the beach , or your bathroom , then this could be it .
The second generation Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A1 model might look identical to its predecessor but a number of tweaks have been made under the hood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bluetooth speaker is now better than ever .

A delightful combination of style and sonic substance, the Marshall Emberton logo emblazoned on the speaker’s front grille immediately conjures up images of the guitar amps the company is famous for. But don’t be fooled: this is a speaker you can take anywhere. Build quality is not only eye-catching but rugged, too.


theweekuk--2020-09-29--US election 2020: how the electoral college works


theweekuk--2020-09-29--Debate: have Boris Johnson’s ‘Big Brother’ coronavirus rules gone too far?

Boris Johnson is facing a backbench revolt as his own MPs turn on the prime minister for introducing an array of coronavirus offences without consulting Parliament .
The new restrictions including penalties of £4,000 for “ reckless ” refusal to self-isolate , and a ban on pubs playing music too loudly - “ prompting comparisons with George Orwell ’ s 1984 from leading Tory rebels ” , The Times says .
Graham Brady , chair of the influential 1922 Committee , has the backing of up to 80 Tories for an amendment that would “ give Parliament the final say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper reports .
So has Johnson gone too far with his Covid rules ?
Locked down and out : the case against restrictions Brady and his band of Tory rebels argue that Johnson sidestepped parliament with the introduction of new coronavirus restrictions .
That allegation has been echoed “ by leading constitutional experts , who said that elected representatives had been ‘ sidelined ’ ” , according to The Times .
Mark Harper , a former chief whip , yesterday accused the government of ruling “ by decree ” , while Desmond Swayne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told BBC Radio 4 ’ s Today programme that backbenchers would decline to renew the Coronavirus Act if they were not given a vote .
Steve Baker , former chair of the European Research Group , likened Johnson to King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings , telling Times Radio that “ the king is under the spell of his advisers .
And he has to be woken up from that spell.
” The Conservative agitators are not alone in questioning the new offences .
The Telegraph ’ s editorial board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governed by fiat for the last few months ” and calling for the country to “ regain its checks and balances ” .
“ Britons have already been asked to surrender too many civil liberties , ” the newspaper says .
“ At the very least , these sacrifices should be debated by the elected representatives of the people.
” Meanwhile , Opinium polling that puts Labour ahead of the Tories for the first time since Keir Starmer became leader in April “ will sow more doubts among Conservative MPs about Johnson and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cabinet ” , says The Guardian .
Labour , the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats have all suggested they will back Brady ’ s amendment to “ rein in Johnson and No .
10 ” , the paper continues .
If all of the opposition parties support Brady , he would need just 43 Tories to defeat the government .
The new 1984 : the case for restrictions Although claims that Johnson is ruling by diktat are fuelling discontent , much of the anger is over “ how coronavirus rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian - not whether they should be imposed at all .
While MPs such as Baker have argued for a reduction in the number of coronavirus restrictions , others including London Mayor Sadiq Khan have argued the government is not going far enough .
And coronavirus case numbers are rising .
Although the number of new cases fell for the second day in a row on Sunday , the tally still marked “ a significant increase on last weekend ’ s figures ” , Sky News reports .
A total of 5,693 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September , up from 3,899 a week earlier .
On 18 September , Khan said that he was “ extremely concerned ” by the latest evidence he had seen and was of the “ firm view ” that action should be taken to control the virus .
He added that it looked “ increasingly likely that , in London , additional measures will soon be required to slow the spread of the virus ” .
Johnson has so far resisted calls for a so-called “ circuit breaker ” lockdown in either the capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social lockdown are understood to have been presented to the cabinet ’ s Covid-19 Strategy Committee .
And further restrictions have this week been announced for the Northeast , with the similar measure expected to follow for the Northwest .

Boris Johnson is facing a backbench revolt as his own MPs turn on the prime minister for introducing an array of coronavirus offences without consulting Parliament.
The new restrictions including penalties of £4,000 for “reckless” refusal to self-isolate, and a ban on pubs playing music too loudly - “prompting comparisons with George Orwell’s 1984 from leading Tory rebels”, The Times says.
Graham Brady, chair of the influential 1922 Committee, has the backing of up to 80 Tories for an amendment that would “give Parliament the final say on new coronavirus restrictions”, the newspaper reports. So has Johnson gone too far with his Covid rules?
Locked down and out: the case against restrictions
Brady and his band of Tory rebels argue that Johnson sidestepped parliament with the introduction of new coronavirus restrictions. That allegation has been echoed “by leading constitutional experts, who said that elected representatives had been ‘sidelined’”, according to The Times.
Mark Harper, a former chief whip, yesterday accused the government of ruling “by decree”, while Desmond Swayne, Tory MP for New Forest West, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that backbenchers would decline to renew the Coronavirus Act if they were not given a vote.
Steve Baker, former chair of the European Research Group, likened Johnson to King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings, telling Times Radio that “the king is under the spell of his advisers. And he has to be woken up from that spell.”
The Conservative agitators are not alone in questioning the new offences. The Telegraph’s editorial board argues that Britain has “essentially been governed by fiat for the last few months” and calling for the country to “regain its checks and balances”.
“Britons have already been asked to surrender too many civil liberties,” the newspaper says. “At the very least, these sacrifices should be debated by the elected representatives of the people.”
Meanwhile, Opinium polling that puts Labour ahead of the Tories for the first time since Keir Starmer became leader in April “will sow more doubts among Conservative MPs about Johnson and his teams in No. 10 and the cabinet”, says The Guardian.


theweekuk--2020-09-30--Instant Opinion: Labour ‘needs to be braver’ to win back Britain

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The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Frances Ryan in The Guardian
on Keir Starmer’s cautious approach
If Labour wants to win back Britain, it will need to be braver than this
“After Corbyn’s landslide defeat last December, Starmer’s Labour is clearly tentative about lifting its head above the parapet. This is understandable – the psychological impact of such a loss shouldn’t be underestimated – but caution soon has its dangers. An unspoken consequence of Labour’s election annihilation is convincing large sections of the party that any support for human rights or display of basic compassion has to be traded off or muted to win back the phantom bigoted red wall voter... [And] neither can it sacrifice or dilute its social and economic values. They are, after all, its purpose: the only parliamentary political force with a chance at challenging the structural inequalities that are leaving millions without decent housing, secure, well-paid jobs, or even enough food for their children. This has only become more pressing with coronavirus. In an era of soaring joblessness and crumbling living standards, few families are crying out for the status quo in a good suit.”
2. Holly Baxter in The Independent
on the first US presidential debate
Trump skewered himself at the first presidential debate while Biden watched and smiled
“The moment when Trump knew it really wasn’t going his way must have been when he started producing such weak comebacks as, ‘I bet you play more than me, Joe,’ as Biden described how the president had gone on golfing vacations rather than address issues of mounting political urgency. Without a group of supporters, he bounced from one familiar topic to the next — socialism, Antifa, fake news, Hunter Biden, law and order — with an increasing look of panic in his eyes. ‘You used the word smart? Graduated almost the lowest in your class. Don’t ever use the word smart with me,’ he said, but nobody in the audience (who had been told to stay silence) or onstage reacted. He cancelled mandatory racial sensitivity training for public servants because the training was ‘radical,’ spread ‘very bad ideas and frankly very sick ideas’ and was ‘teaching people to hate our country,’ he claimed, and again, no one waved an American flag and cheered. Biden kept on smiling, smiling, smiling through it all.”
3. Frank Bruni in The New York Times
on why there shouldn’t be a second debate
After That Fiasco, Biden Should Refuse to Debate Trump Again
“No matter how Wallace pleaded with Trump or admonished him, he couldn’t make him behave. But then why should Wallace have an experience any different from that of Trump’s chiefs of staff, of all the other former administration officials who have fled for the hills, of the Republican lawmakers who just threw up their hands and threw away any scruples they had? Trump runs roughshod over everyone and everything, and on Tuesday night in Cleveland he ran roughshod over the idea that two presidential candidates presenting rival visions for America should do so with at least a small measure of dignity and an iota of decorum. Almost from the start, he talked over Biden, taunting him, demeaning him, trying to provoke him. He interrupted him and interrupted him and then interrupted him some more, all the while complaining that he, Trump, ever the martyr, was being persecuted once again.”
4. Daniel Finkelstein in The Times
on socialist school teachers
Enemies of capitalism have no place in school
“It’s eighty years since Stalin attempted to starve my father to death in Siberia. Perhaps that’s why I think as I do about the latest controversy over capitalism. A row has broken out over new guidance from the Department for Education. Teachers in England developing their school’s relationships, health and sex curriculum are told that they ‘should not under any circumstances use resources produced by organisations that take extreme political stances on matters’. The guidance says that such stances include a desire to abolish democracy and free elections, using racist language and opposing free speech. These examples have been relatively uncontroversial though it isn’t hard to imagine individual cases causing controversy in the future. There is, however, already a row about another example. ‘A publicly stated desire to abolish or overthrow... capitalism’... Now, it’s easy to dismiss this as overheated. Teachers are not being banned from teaching about the history and deficiencies of capitalism, nor from making students aware of the activists and dreamers who wish to abolish it.”
5. Mark Brolin in The Daily Telegraph
on the case for looser restrictions
The Scandinavian coronavirus story really does suggest it is time to ease restrictions
“As fatality numbers shot up, Boris Johnson deserves credit for overriding his non-interventionist instincts (even though it is easy to argue, especially afterwards, that it would have been even better if lockdown had been orchestrated more quickly). Yes, life in the Nordics has over recent months been more free and pleasant than in the UK, but unfortunately the UK natural disadvantages have merited a stricter approach. As always, the silent majority appears to understand the complexity of the situation much better than the angry dogmatics. There is still reason to think that the positive effects of the fast learning curve are now vastly underestimated. Those of us who suspect that the time is ripe to ease rather than tighten UK restrictions should do so not by pretending - like the Swedish Public Health Agency - that the fatality risk is and always has been largely static. The case for easing restrictions is much stronger if arguing - like in much more successful Denmark, Norway and Finland - that the coronavirus fatality risk really has diminished considerably. That case is stronger simply because it is true.”


theweekuk--2020-09-30--What is European Union state aid - and why it is threatening to derail Brexit negotiations?

The European Union has rejected a pitch by Boris Johnson to end the Brexit deadlock with a set of proposals limiting state aid to British companies .
The UK made a last-minute decision to hand over five new proposals “ in a bid end months of stalemate ” , but were “ rebuffed ” by EU negotiator Michel Barnier , the Daily Express says .
A Brussels source told The Guardian that Johnson offered to lay out a series of “ principles ” on controlling state subsidies as part of an effort to end the logjam over what has become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues ” in the negotiations .
State aid rules are set of laws dictating how governments can subsidise businesses .
State aid takes the form of state-backed financial assistance given to private companies , either in the form of direct cash grants or indirect aid such as tax credits , in a manner which could distort market competition .
The EU enforces rules which state that member countries of the bloc are allowed to provide state aid only with approval from the European Commission .
But EU rules do not allow governments to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example companies that made recurrent losses in recent years .
Why is it a Brexit sticking point ?
Throughout negotiations , the EU has “ pushed for the UK to accept the bloc ’ s state aid rules ” , which “ do not allow unfair subsidies to be granted ” , The Guardian says .
But Brussels eventually “ made a major concession during the summer , dropping its demand that Britain should continue to follow ” its rules directly , The Irish Times adds .
Instead , the EU is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what its state aid rules will look like after 31 December , when the Brexit transition period officially comes to an end .
The bloc also wants London to “ outline the terms on which an independent , domestic regulator would operate , and to agree a robust dispute-resolution mechanism with the EU ” in the case of allegations of unfair market competition , the paper adds .
This has become a major point of contention , with EU officials warning that any agreement on managing state aid would need to be taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it clashes with the bloc ’ s original trade proposals , The Guardian reports .
Will there be a breakthrough ?
UK ministers last week told The Times that they “ believe that a deal can be reached on state aid ” in which Britain would agree to meet some “ baseline rules ” over its use .
Chancellor Rishi Sunak also thinks that Britain is “ likely to get a deal and has been working on proposals for Britain ’ s post-Brexit state aid regime ” , the paper adds .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intense talks to seal a deal by the 15 October EU summit , the EU has warned that this will only happen if there is significant movement on the part of the UK .
If Britain does not move towards the EU ’ s position on state aid , there will be “ no deal and the end of the transition period will bring serious disruption to the British economy ” , The Irish Times says .
“ It will hurt EU member states too , including Ireland , but the biggest cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a no-deal outcome would hurt the parts of the economy which have been least affected by coronavirus , ” the paper adds .

The European Union has rejected a pitch by Boris Johnson to end the Brexit deadlock with a set of proposals limiting state aid to British companies.
The UK made a last-minute decision to hand over five new proposals “in a bid end months of stalemate”, but were “rebuffed” by EU negotiator Michel Barnier, the Daily Express says.
A Brussels source told The Guardian that Johnson offered to lay out a series of “principles” on controlling state subsidies as part of an effort to end the logjam over what has become the “most contentious of the outstanding issues” in the negotiations.
What are EU state aid rules?
State aid rules are set of laws dictating how governments can subsidise businesses.
State aid takes the form of state-backed financial assistance given to private companies, either in the form of direct cash grants or indirect aid such as tax credits, in a manner which could distort market competition.
The EU enforces rules which state that member countries of the bloc are allowed to provide state aid only with approval from the European Commission. But EU rules do not allow governments to give money to save failing companies, for example companies that made recurrent losses in recent years.
Why is it a Brexit sticking point?
Throughout negotiations, the EU has “pushed for the UK to accept the bloc’s state aid rules”, which “do not allow unfair subsidies to be granted”, The Guardian says. But Brussels eventually “made a major concession during the summer, dropping its demand that Britain should continue to follow” its rules directly, The Irish Times adds.
Instead, the EU is now asking the UK to lay out what its state aid rules will look like after 31 December, when the Brexit transition period officially comes to an end.
The bloc also wants London to “outline the terms on which an independent, domestic regulator would operate, and to agree a robust dispute-resolution mechanism with the EU” in the case of allegations of unfair market competition, the paper adds.
This has become a major point of contention, with EU officials warning that any agreement on managing state aid would need to be taken “at the highest level” because it clashes with the bloc’s original trade proposals, The Guardian reports.
Will there be a breakthrough?
UK ministers last week told The Times that they “believe that a deal can be reached on state aid” in which Britain would agree to meet some “baseline rules” over its use. Chancellor Rishi Sunak also thinks that Britain is “likely to get a deal and has been working on proposals for Britain’s post-Brexit state aid regime”, the paper adds.
But while the UK is looking to enter intense talks to seal a deal by the 15 October EU summit, the EU has warned that this will only happen if there is significant movement on the part of the UK.
If Britain does not move towards the EU’s position on state aid, there will be “no deal and the end of the transition period will bring serious disruption to the British economy”, The Irish Times says.
“It will hurt EU member states too, including Ireland, but the biggest cost will be borne by Britain, where a no-deal outcome would hurt the parts of the economy which have been least affected by coronavirus,” the paper adds.


theweekuk--2020-09-30--Man City: can £65m Ruben Dias solve Pep Guardiola’s defensive woes?

After watching his side concede five goals at home against Leicester on Sunday, it was inevitable that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola would dip into the transfer market to seek more defensive reinforcements.
Going into the new season City had already completed the transfer of Dutch defender Nathan Ake in a £41m deal from Bournemouth.
It was hoped that the 25-year-old, who signed a five-year contract, would help shore up a frail City defence which has been overly reliant on Aymeric Laporte in recent years, says FourFourTwo.
However, the defensive display against Leicester showed that the cracks are still there.
With Laporte’s pre-season disrupted after testing positive for Covid-19, the Frenchman was only fit enough to take his place on the bench at the weekend.
Ake lined up alongside Spanish 19-year-old Eric Garcia in the centre of City’s defence, but they were torn to shreds by Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, who scored a hat-trick in what The Guardian described as a “scintillating exhibition”.
“City are a top club and for me to have the opportunity to be in a club like this, in this league, is everything I could ever have wanted." 🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/D8d4BRcKqN — Manchester City (@ManCity) September 29, 2020
City seal deal for Dias
Sunday’s heavy loss against Leicester was the first time in 438 home games that City have shipped five goals. It was also “unchartered territory” for boss Guardiola, says the BBC, as it was the first time in his 686-game managerial career that one of his sides had conceded five goals.
Just two days after the humbling defeat by Leicester, City have gone out and made a major defensive signing. It was confirmed last night that Portuguese international Ruben Dias had completed a £65m move from Benfica, with Nicolas Otamendi moving the other way.
The 23-year-old centre-back, who has signed a six-year contract, has been capped 19 times by Portugal. Dias said moving to City was an opportunity that he “couldn’t turn down”.
Speaking to mancity.com, he added: “I believe I can improve here, at a club whose ambitions match my own and I will give everything to be successful and win titles.”
A new leader to replace Kompany?
Since Vincent Kompany’s departure in May 2019, there’s been a “significant void” in City’s defence, says the BBC. Kompany was not just City’s defensive lynchpin but also the dressing room leader as club captain.


theweekuk--2020-09-30--WHO aid workers offered ‘jobs for sex’ during DRC Ebola outbreak

Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) were exploited by World Health Organization ( WHO ) workers running a “ sex for jobs racket ” during the 2018 to 2020 Ebola outbreak , an investigation has found .
Staff in the DRC , including doctors , are accussed of demanding sex in exchange for short-term positions as cooks , cleaners and outreach workers , an investigation by the New Humanitarian and the Thomson Reuters Foundation has revealed .
The accounts of more than 50 women , many of which “ were backed up by aid agency drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ multiple incidents of abuse , mainly by men who said they were international workers ” , The Guardian says .
“ The number and similarity of many of the accounts from women in the eastern city of Beni suggests the practice was widespread ” , the paper continues , with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres calling for the allegations to be “ investigated fully ” .
The WHO said in a statement that the allegations would be “ robustly investigated ” , and that “ anyone identified as being involved will be held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including immediate dismissal ” .
“ The betrayal of people in the communities we serve is reprehensible , ” the WHO added .
Thirty of the women described sexual exploitation by men who said they were working for the WHO , while others said their abusers claimed to work for the Congolese health ministry .
Many of the men refused to use condoms for sex that was described as a “ passport to employment ” , the women said .
Imogen Foulkes , a BBC journalist based in Geneva , writes that criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic , however , “ up until now criticism… has been mainly from the US , and the organisation has been comforted by support , both moral and financial , from many other countries .
“ That support may now be shaken , just at the moment the world needs a global public health body beyond reproach , ” she adds .
The UK last week increased its contribution to the organisation to £340m , becoming its third-largest donor in the process .

Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were exploited by World Health Organization (WHO) workers running a “sex for jobs racket” during the 2018 to 2020 Ebola outbreak, an investigation has found.
Staff in the DRC, including doctors, are accussed of demanding sex in exchange for short-term positions as cooks, cleaners and outreach workers, an investigation by the New Humanitarian and the Thomson Reuters Foundation has revealed.
The accounts of more than 50 women, many of which “were backed up by aid agency drivers and local NGO workers”, describe “multiple incidents of abuse, mainly by men who said they were international workers”, The Guardian says.
“The number and similarity of many of the accounts from women in the eastern city of Beni suggests the practice was widespread”, the paper continues, with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres calling for the allegations to be “investigated fully”.
The WHO said in a statement that the allegations would be “robustly investigated”, and that “anyone identified as being involved will be held to account and face serious consequences, including immediate dismissal”.
“The betrayal of people in the communities we serve is reprehensible,” the WHO added.
Thirty of the women described sexual exploitation by men who said they were working for the WHO, while others said their abusers claimed to work for the Congolese health ministry. Many of the men refused to use condoms for sex that was described as a “passport to employment”, the women said.
Imogen Foulkes, a BBC journalist based in Geneva, writes that criticism of the WHO has mounted during the coronavirus pandemic, however, “up until now criticism… has been mainly from the US, and the organisation has been comforted by support, both moral and financial, from many other countries.
“That support may now be shaken, just at the moment the world needs a global public health body beyond reproach,” she adds. The UK last week increased its contribution to the organisation to £340m, becoming its third-largest donor in the process.


theweekuk--2020-09-30--Covid-19 rebels emboldened by Boris Johnson’s lockdown confusion

Boris Johnson ’ s admission that he “ misspoke ” when wrongly describing new regional rules has quickened the growing Conservative revolt over coronavirus restrictions .
The prime minister issued a public correction after he wrongly said people in the North East could mix with other households in a pub , but rebel MPs said the gaffe had “ strengthened the argument ” for greater parliamentary oversight of new rules , The Telegraph says .
Tory rebels leapt on Johnson ’ s confusion “ to press home their demand for votes in Parliament on future national lockdown measures ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the North-East said that “ what happened with Boris only strengthened the argument for greater Parliamentary scrutiny of new rules ” .
“ He can ’ t work out what the rules are because there is no logic to them .
It ’ s creating confusion and it ’ s causing the public to lose faith in the government ’ s handling of the pandemic , ” they added .
Former chair of the influential 1922 Committee , Graham Brady , has tabled an amendment that would give parliament the final say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after backbenchers complained Johnson was ruling by “ diktat ” .
Brady “ held discussions last night with Jacob Rees-Mogg , leader of the Commons , over a compromise [ that ] would give MPs a vote before or immediately after rules came in ” , The Times reports .
More talks are expected today , but The Telegraph says that the rebels are confident “ they had secured major concessions ” .
Ex-chief whip and Brady ally , Tory MP Mark Harper , said that “ if there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on [ Brady ’ s ] amendment , the government will lose , I think that is certain , which is why I ’ m hopeful that there will be a compromise ” .
And in an interview on BBC Radio 4 ’ s Today programme , former chair of the European Research Group , Steve Baker , this morning “ gave a clue as to the possible basis of a deal between ministers and backbenchers ” , The Guardian says .
Baker said there is a “ common understanding ” that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capacity for swift and effective action ” and that “ we shouldn ’ t be creating opportunities for vexatious opportunism from the opposition parties ” .
But he suggested that ministers have acknowledged the need for “ prior approval of measures , major measures on a national scale , and indeed I think on a regional scale , which take away people ’ s liberties ” .

Boris Johnson’s admission that he “misspoke” when wrongly describing new regional rules has quickened the growing Conservative revolt over coronavirus restrictions.
The prime minister issued a public correction after he wrongly said people in the North East could mix with other households in a pub, but rebel MPs said the gaffe had “strengthened the argument” for greater parliamentary oversight of new rules, The Telegraph says.
Tory rebels leapt on Johnson’s confusion “to press home their demand for votes in Parliament on future national lockdown measures”, the paper continues.
One Tory MP in the North-East said that “what happened with Boris only strengthened the argument for greater Parliamentary scrutiny of new rules”.
“He can’t work out what the rules are because there is no logic to them. It’s creating confusion and it’s causing the public to lose faith in the government’s handling of the pandemic,” they added.
Former chair of the influential 1922 Committee, Graham Brady, has tabled an amendment that would give parliament the final say over the imposition of further Covid regulations, after backbenchers complained Johnson was ruling by “diktat”.
Brady “held discussions last night with Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the Commons, over a compromise [that] would give MPs a vote before or immediately after rules came in”, The Times reports. More talks are expected today, but The Telegraph says that the rebels are confident “they had secured major concessions”.
Ex-chief whip and Brady ally, Tory MP Mark Harper, said that “if there’s no compromise… and there’s a vote on [Brady’s] amendment, the government will lose, I think that is certain, which is why I’m hopeful that there will be a compromise”.
And in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, former chair of the European Research Group, Steve Baker, this morning “gave a clue as to the possible basis of a deal between ministers and backbenchers”, The Guardian says.
Baker said there is a “common understanding” that the government must be able to “retain the capacity for swift and effective action” and that “we shouldn’t be creating opportunities for vexatious opportunism from the opposition parties”.
But he suggested that ministers have acknowledged the need for “prior approval of measures, major measures on a national scale, and indeed I think on a regional scale, which take away people’s liberties”.


theweekuk--2020-09-30--Disney makes ‘heartbreaking’ decision to cut 28,000 jobs

Dreams usually come true when you live at the “ Happiest Place on Earth ” , but for Minnie and Mickey Mouse the coronavirus pandemic has created a nightmare .
The Walt Disney Company ’ s parks , experiences and products division has been “ crushed ” by Covid-19 , says Reuters , and the impact has resulted in 28,000 employees losing their jobs .
Most of the lay-offs are at the company ’ s theme parks in the United States , BBC News reports .
Disney cited limited visitor capacity and future uncertainty over the virus as reasons for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris , Shanghai , Japan and Hong Kong have been able to reopen with limited capacity , but Disney ’ s two locations in California - Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park - remain closed .
In a memo sent to employees yesterday , and obtained by CNBC , Disney parks chairman Josh D ’ Amaro explained the “ difficult decisions ” that had to be made .
D ’ Amaro wrote : “ As you can imagine , a decision of this magnitude is not easy .
For the last several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tirelessly to avoid having to separate anyone from the company .
“ We ’ ve cut expenses , suspended capital projects , furloughed our cast members while still paying benefits , and modified our operations to run as efficiently as possible , however , we simply can not responsibly stay fully staffed while operating at such limited capacity .
“ As heartbreaking as it is to take this action , this is the only feasible option we have in light of the prolonged impact of Covid-19 on our business , including limited capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic.
” According to a statement by D ’ Amaro , around 67 % of the 28,000 laid-off workers were part-time employees .
Disney declined to break down the layoffs by individual locations , but the parks in Shanghai , Hong Kong , Tokyo and Paris are not affected by the announcement , says the BBC .
In the three months to 27 June , Disney reported its financial results with net quarterly losses totalling $ 4.72bn ( £3.6bn ) as a result of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month that it was The Walt Disney Company ’ s first quarterly loss since 2001 .

Dreams usually come true when you live at the “Happiest Place on Earth”, but for Minnie and Mickey Mouse the coronavirus pandemic has created a nightmare.
The Walt Disney Company’s parks, experiences and products division has been “crushed” by Covid-19, says Reuters, and the impact has resulted in 28,000 employees losing their jobs.
Most of the lay-offs are at the company’s theme parks in the United States, BBC News reports. Disney cited limited visitor capacity and future uncertainty over the virus as reasons for the cuts.
Parks in Florida, Paris, Shanghai, Japan and Hong Kong have been able to reopen with limited capacity, but Disney’s two locations in California - Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park - remain closed.
‘Only feasible option’
In a memo sent to employees yesterday, and obtained by CNBC, Disney parks chairman Josh D’Amaro explained the “difficult decisions” that had to be made.
D’Amaro wrote: “As you can imagine, a decision of this magnitude is not easy. For the last several months, our management team has worked tirelessly to avoid having to separate anyone from the company.
“We’ve cut expenses, suspended capital projects, furloughed our cast members while still paying benefits, and modified our operations to run as efficiently as possible, however, we simply cannot responsibly stay fully staffed while operating at such limited capacity.
“As heartbreaking as it is to take this action, this is the only feasible option we have in light of the prolonged impact of Covid-19 on our business, including limited capacity due to physical distancing requirements and the continued uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic.”
Massive financial losses
According to a statement by D’Amaro, around 67% of the 28,000 laid-off workers were part-time employees.
Disney declined to break down the layoffs by individual locations, but the parks in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Paris are not affected by the announcement, says the BBC.
In the three months to 27 June, Disney reported its financial results with net quarterly losses totalling $4.72bn (£3.6bn) as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that it was The Walt Disney Company’s first quarterly loss since 2001.


theweekuk--2020-09-30--Trump vs. Biden: all the key moments from the first US presidential debate

After months of build-up , last night saw Donald Trump and Joe Biden take to the stage for what will likely go down as one of the most chaotic debates in US political history .
Described as a “ hot mess , inside a dumpster fire , inside a trainwreck ” by CNN ’ s Jake Tapper , the event saw Trump unleash a string of attacks on the Democratic candidate , who eventually asked the president to “ shut up , man ” after repeated interruptions .
Biden , meanwhile , landed a few blows on Trump , labelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America has ever had ” and telling him to “ get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap in your golf course ” .
So what - if anything - did we learn from what Tapper called “ the worst debate I ’ ve ever seen ” ?
“ We ’ ll talk about who won the debate or who lost the debate , ” Jake Tapper said in the immediate aftermath .
“ One thing is for sure : the American people lost.
” The debate was roundly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pundits alike condemning both participants for what Reuters calls an “ unpresidential ” display .
The Sydney Morning Herald describes it as a “ horrible , disastrous , useless session that left viewers utterly disappointed ” , adding that it “ disappointed and reinforced the terribly sad state of American democracy ” .
“ Hope was mugged on the debate stage in Ohio , ” the paper adds .
Debate moderator , Chris Wallace of Fox News , did “ not cover himself in glory either ” , The Guardian says , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school supply teacher , hopelessly out of his depth as unruly children run riot .
He did not enforce the rules or cut the president ’ s mic.
” Just minutes into the broadcast , the debate had already devolved into a slanging match between Trump and Biden , with both candidates trading personal attacks .
During a segment on healthcare , Biden called the president a “ clown ” , while Trump struck below the belt with a jab at Biden ’ s son Hunter ’ s struggles with drugs .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s academic performance at the University of Delaware .
“ Don ’ t ever use the word smart with me , ” Trump said .
“ Because you know what , there ’ s nothing smart about you , Joe.
” With man-made climate change thought to be the root cause of some of the worst US forest fires in decades this year , Biden used the debate to push his $ 2tr ( £1.5tr ) climate plan .
Biden is proposing to “ accelerate investment in renewable energy to spur economic growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 ” , The Boston Globe reports .
Trump , meanwhile , “ strained to respond ” to questions on the issue , The Washington Post says .
In a meandering response , he claimed he believed only “ to an extent ” that human activity contributes to the warming of the planet , adding that his aim was to have “ crystal-clean water and air ” .
“ I want beautiful , clean air , ” he said , claiming that the fires in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of poor “ forest management ” .
Trump also expressed surprised that Biden openly stated during the debate that he does not support the Green New Deal , claiming that Biden “ just lost the radical left ” .
Biden has never expressed his support for the deal .
A discussion on the coronavirus pandemic towards the end of the night saw Biden question Trump ’ s leadership , suggesting he had “ panicked ” or “ looked at the stock market ” when deciding not to introduce many measures aimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people died and a lot more are going to die unless he gets a lot smarter , a lot quicker , ” Biden said .
Trump hit back with another personal attack , telling Biden : “ We ’ ve done a great job .
But I tell you , Joe , you could never have done the job we ’ ve done .
You don ’ t have it in your blood.
” The US has so far reported 206,005 deaths and just over seven million cases , according to latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the night came when the president was asked if he was prepared to condemn white supremacists and the Proud Boys , a Trump-supporting organisation created by Canadian political commentator Gavin McIness , co-founder of Vice .
After first dodging the question , Trump said '' “ Proud Boys , stand back and stand by.
” He then attempted to derail the conversation by claiming that “ somebody 's got to do something about antifa and the left ” .
Proud Boys on social media immediately celebrated the remark , with one Proud Boys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Stand By ” to their logo , The Guardian reports .
An in an even more ominous comment , Trump later suggested that his supporters should go and “ watch ” voters in polling stations in order to stamp out incidents of voter fraud .


theweekuk--2020-09-30--Explained: Priti Patel’s shelved plan to ship asylum seekers to south Atlantic

Priti Patel asked officials to explore sending asylum seekers to isolated islands 4,000 miles from the UK in the south Atlantic , it has emerged .
The home secretary made the suggestion of transferring migrants to Ascension , an isolated volcanic British territory , and St Helena , which is part of the same island group but 800 miles away .
The Foreign Office was “ consulted on the plan and provided an assessment of the practicality of shipping asylum seekers to the remote locations ” , the Financial Times reports .
Several Whitehall officials told the paper that Patel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries dealt with what Home Office ministers have called ‘ illegal ’ migration ” , drawing inspiration from Australia , which runs a number of offshore asylum centres .
Allies of the home secretary said that the idea was not going ahead , however , individuals close to her department said an offshore asylum centre had been on the table .
A Home Office source made no mention of the plan , but told Sky News that ministers “ are developing plans to reform policies and laws around illegal migration and asylum to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those who need it , while preventing abuse of the system and the criminality associated with it ” .
Responding to the news , Labour shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds , tweeted : “ This ludicrous idea is inhumane , completely impractical and wildly expensive .
So it seems entirely plausible this Tory government came up with it.
” Ascension Island , which has a population of less than 1,000 , houses a Royal Air Force airfield and was used to launch aerial attacks during the Falklands conflict .
St Helena “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ islands in the world , lying 1,210 miles off the west coast of Africa ” , The Guardian adds .

Priti Patel asked officials to explore sending asylum seekers to isolated islands 4,000 miles from the UK in the south Atlantic, it has emerged.
The home secretary made the suggestion of transferring migrants to Ascension, an isolated volcanic British territory, and St Helena, which is part of the same island group but 800 miles away.
The Foreign Office was “consulted on the plan and provided an assessment of the practicality of shipping asylum seekers to the remote locations”, the Financial Times reports.
Several Whitehall officials told the paper that Patel “had ordered work on how other countries dealt with what Home Office ministers have called ‘illegal’ migration”, drawing inspiration from Australia, which runs a number of offshore asylum centres.
Allies of the home secretary said that the idea was not going ahead, however, individuals close to her department said an offshore asylum centre had been on the table.
A Home Office source made no mention of the plan, but told Sky News that ministers “are developing plans to reform policies and laws around illegal migration and asylum to ensure we are able to provide protection to those who need it, while preventing abuse of the system and the criminality associated with it”.
Responding to the news, Labour shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds, tweeted: “This ludicrous idea is inhumane, completely impractical and wildly expensive. So it seems entirely plausible this Tory government came up with it.”
Ascension Island, which has a population of less than 1,000, houses a Royal Air Force airfield and was used to launch aerial attacks during the Falklands conflict. St Helena “is also one of the most isolated islands in the world, lying 1,210 miles off the west coast of Africa”, The Guardian adds.


theweekuk--2020-09-30--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 30 Sep 2020

A backlog of nearly one million women have missed out on breast cancer screening as a result of lockdown , @ @ @ @ @ gone undetected in around 8,600 of them .
The charity Breast Cancer Now says 986,000 @ @ @ @ @ mammograms because screenings went on hold when the pandemic began .
Campaigners say that cancer @ @ @ @ @ to be paused again ” .

Nearly one million missed breast screening during pandemic
A backlog of nearly one million women have missed out on breast cancer screening as a result of lockdown, meaning the disease may have gone undetected in around 8,600 of them. The charity Breast Cancer Now says 986,000 patients are waiting for life-saving mammograms because screenings went on hold when the pandemic began. Campaigners say that cancer care “cannot afford to be paused again”.


theweekuk--2020-09-30--Man cycles from Poo Poo to Pee Pee for charity

A man has cycled more than 2,500 miles from Poo Poo Point , Washington to Pee Pee Creek , Ohio , to raise money for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen .
Ruben Lopez says he travelled exactly 69 miles each day of his journey – “ not a mile more , not a mile less ” .
He remembers passing Sharts Road during his journey , which raised more than $ 7,000 for the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation .
A man in Pakistan broke a Guinness World Record by cracking hundreds of walnuts with his head in a showdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Pakistan and S. Navin Kumar of India went head to head in the nutty showdown on television .
Rashid won , cracking 254 walnuts in one minute , compared to Kumar ’ s 239 .
Fly for free to Orlando if you are named Orlando A US airline is offering free flights in the month of October to Orlando for people called Orlando .
Announcing the gimmick , Frontier Airlines said : “ Our LOVE for Orlando , Florida - one of our most frequently traveled destinations - is HUGE .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone with the FIRST or LAST name 'Orlando ' a free flight to Orlando.
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Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A man has cycled more than 2,500 miles from Poo Poo Point, Washington to Pee Pee Creek, Ohio, to raise money for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Ruben Lopez says he travelled exactly 69 miles each day of his journey – “not a mile more, not a mile less”. He remembers passing Sharts Road during his journey, which raised more than $7,000 for the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation.
Pakistani man beats Indian in nutty challenge
A man in Pakistan broke a Guinness World Record by cracking hundreds of walnuts with his head in a showdown with his Indian rival. Muhammad Rashid of Pakistan and S. Navin Kumar of India went head to head in the nutty showdown on television. Rashid won, cracking 254 walnuts in one minute, compared to Kumar’s 239.
Fly for free to Orlando if you are named Orlando
A US airline is offering free flights in the month of October to Orlando for people called Orlando. Announcing the gimmick, Frontier Airlines said: “Our LOVE for Orlando, Florida - one of our most frequently traveled destinations - is HUGE. To spread the love, we're offering anyone with the FIRST or LAST name 'Orlando' a free flight to Orlando.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––