theweekuk--2020-08-19--Eight castles in England you must visit this autumn

England is home to many striking castles with many acting as royal residences as well as being the stars of TV and the silver screen .
With autumn around the corner and the leaves beginning to fall these immense fortifications are sure to spark the imagination .
We pick out the best English castles to visit this autumn .
Just to the west of London lies the world ’ s oldest and largest inhabited castle , having been a royal residence for around 950 years .
First developed by William the Conqueror in the 11th century , Windsor Castle is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend retreat , as well as hosting state occasions and royal weddings .
The Round Tower dominates the skyline and sits atop the oldest part of the castle , while St George ’ s Chapel acts as the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter – an order of chivalry dating back to the reign of Edward III in 1348 .
A timed ticket entry system is in place .
See rct.uk An imposing fortress in the heart of the Midlands , Warwick Castle provides a taste of medieval English life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ portcullis , wander along its ramparts , take in archery exhibitions and explore 64 acres of landscaped gardens on the way to discovering 1,100 years of history .
Children can venture back through time in the Horrible Histories Maze , or book in to the Castle Dungeon to unravel some of Warwick ’ s darkest secrets with the help of live actors and spine-tingling special effects .
See warwick-castle.com Once a royal residence and notorious prison , the Tower of London is a World Heritage Site with 1,000 years of history at its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home to the Crown Jewels , a collection of more than 23,000 dazzling gemstones , while visitors can meet the guardians of the tower - its legendary ravens !
Learn more about this feast of Norman architecture from the Yeoman Warders , often known as Beefeaters , who have guarded the tower since Tudor times .
See hrp.org.uk One of the stars of TV smash hit Downton Abbey , Highclere Castle in Hampshire provided the backdrop for four series of the show and the hit movie .
Initially a medieval palace , Highclere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sir Charles Barry , the architectural mind behind the Houses of Parliament in London .
Alongside tours of its many rooms , including those used as the state rooms from the Downton Abbey movie , visitors can explore gardens dating back to the 13th century and 1,000 acres of stunning parkland , designed by the renowned landscape gardener , Capability Brown .
The castle is home to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon , whose family have lived there since 1679 , and also houses a unique display of Egyptian antiquities celebrating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun .
This year , the castle will also hosts special autumn and winter tours , including Real Lives and Film Sets and Christmas at Highclere .
See highclerecastle.co.uk With a history spanning more than 700 years , Hever Castle was the childhood home of Henry VIII ’ s second wife , Anne Boleyn .
Initially a moated defensive castle dating back to 1270 , this romantic setting is packed full of Tudor portraits and tapestries , and features fine views out over Hever Lake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a 100-year-old Yew Maze , as well as award-winning gardens , with startlingly beautiful dahlia displays and the warming sugary scent of the Katsura tree perfuming the frosty air .
Pre-booking to explore Hever Castle and its grounds is essential .
See hevercastle.co.uk As England ’ s second-largest inhabited castle behind Windsor , the impressive walls of Alnwick Castle have acted as a military outpost , a teaching college and a family home over the centuries .
Another castle with its origins in the Norman period , the fortress in Northumberland will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the wizarding hero was filmed learning to fly a broomstick within its walls for Harry Potter and the Philosopher ’ s Stone .
The castle is no stranger to the world of film , having also featured in Downton Abbey , Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and Elizabeth .
Pre-booking is required .
See alnwickcastle.com Perched on an outcrop overlooking the Northumberland Coast , Bamburgh Castle started life as an Anglo-Saxon citadel and has a rich and varied history .
The mighty keep dates back to just after the Norman invasion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ palace for numerous kings in the centuries that followed .
Bamburgh holds the distinguished title of being the first castle in the world to fall to gunpowder , having been attacked during the War of the Roses , while a delightful array of artefacts and heirlooms reveal more about its past .
Today it stands as the family home of the Armstrong family , descendants of Victorian engineer William Armstrong , who purchased the castle to return it to its former glory .
Purchasing pre-booked advance tickets online is recommended .
See bamburghcastle.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Kent countryside , Leeds Castle celebrated its 900th anniversary in 2019 .
Visitors can trace its journey from its Norman roots , through royal ownership and its time as a magnificent Tudor place for Henry VIII , to the country retreat that stands today .
The Gatehouse Exhibition explores this history , while the castle ’ s Bird of Prey Centre features displays from hawks , owls and eagles , among other majestic birds .
All visits must be reserved online .
See leeds-castle.com

England is home to many striking castles with many acting as royal residences as well as being the stars of TV and the silver screen.
With autumn around the corner and the leaves beginning to fall these immense fortifications are sure to spark the imagination.
We pick out the best English castles to visit this autumn.
Windsor Castle
Just to the west of London lies the world’s oldest and largest inhabited castle, having been a royal residence for around 950 years. First developed by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, Windsor Castle is regularly used by the Queen as a weekend retreat, as well as hosting state occasions and royal weddings. The Round Tower dominates the skyline and sits atop the oldest part of the castle, while St George’s Chapel acts as the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter – an order of chivalry dating back to the reign of Edward III in 1348. A timed ticket entry system is in place. See rct.uk
Warwick Castle
An imposing fortress in the heart of the Midlands, Warwick Castle provides a taste of medieval English life. Pass beneath the castle’s impressive portcullis, wander along its ramparts, take in archery exhibitions and explore 64 acres of landscaped gardens on the way to discovering 1,100 years of history. Children can venture back through time in the Horrible Histories Maze, or book in to the Castle Dungeon to unravel some of Warwick’s darkest secrets with the help of live actors and spine-tingling special effects. See warwick-castle.com
Tower of London
Once a royal residence and notorious prison, the Tower of London is a World Heritage Site with 1,000 years of history at its core. The imposing fortress is now home to the Crown Jewels, a collection of more than 23,000 dazzling gemstones, while visitors can meet the guardians of the tower - its legendary ravens! Learn more about this feast of Norman architecture from the Yeoman Warders, often known as Beefeaters, who have guarded the tower since Tudor times. See hrp.org.uk
Highclere Castle, Hampshire
One of the stars of TV smash hit Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle in Hampshire provided the backdrop for four series of the show and the hit movie. Initially a medieval palace, Highclere was transformed in the mid-19th century by Sir Charles Barry, the architectural mind behind the Houses of Parliament in London. Alongside tours of its many rooms, including those used as the state rooms from the Downton Abbey movie, visitors can explore gardens dating back to the 13th century and 1,000 acres of stunning parkland, designed by the renowned landscape gardener, Capability Brown. The castle is home to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, whose family have lived there since 1679, and also houses a unique display of Egyptian antiquities celebrating the 5th Earl of Carnarvon’s role in the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. This year, the castle will also hosts special autumn and winter tours, including Real Lives and Film Sets and Christmas at Highclere. See highclerecastle.co.uk
Hever Castle, Kent
With a history spanning more than 700 years, Hever Castle was the childhood home of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. Initially a moated defensive castle dating back to 1270, this romantic setting is packed full of Tudor portraits and tapestries, and features fine views out over Hever Lake. Set within the 125 acres of grounds is a 100-year-old Yew Maze, as well as award-winning gardens, with startlingly beautiful dahlia displays and the warming sugary scent of the Katsura tree perfuming the frosty air. Pre-booking to explore Hever Castle and its grounds is essential. See hevercastle.co.uk
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
As England’s second-largest inhabited castle behind Windsor, the impressive walls of Alnwick Castle have acted as a military outpost, a teaching college and a family home over the centuries. Another castle with its origins in the Norman period, the fortress in Northumberland will be recognisable to fans of Harry Potter, as the wizarding hero was filmed learning to fly a broomstick within its walls for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The castle is no stranger to the world of film, having also featured in Downton Abbey, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and Elizabeth. Pre-booking is required. See alnwickcastle.com
Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland
Perched on an outcrop overlooking the Northumberland Coast, Bamburgh Castle started life as an Anglo-Saxon citadel and has a rich and varied history. The mighty keep dates back to just after the Norman invasion, while it acted as a royal palace for numerous kings in the centuries that followed. Bamburgh holds the distinguished title of being the first castle in the world to fall to gunpowder, having been attacked during the War of the Roses, while a delightful array of artefacts and heirlooms reveal more about its past. Today it stands as the family home of the Armstrong family, descendants of Victorian engineer William Armstrong, who purchased the castle to return it to its former glory. Purchasing pre-booked advance tickets online is recommended. See bamburghcastle.com
Leeds Castle, Kent
Occupying 500 acres in the heart of the Kent countryside, Leeds Castle celebrated its 900th anniversary in 2019. Visitors can trace its journey from its Norman roots, through royal ownership and its time as a magnificent Tudor place for Henry VIII, to the country retreat that stands today. The Gatehouse Exhibition explores this history, while the castle’s Bird of Prey Centre features displays from hawks, owls and eagles, among other majestic birds. All visits must be reserved online. See leeds-castle.com


theweekuk--2020-08-19--UK Space Agency set to fight malaria from space

UK scientists are hoping to develop an out-of-this-world solution to the global scourge of malaria - by using space satellites to detect mosquitos ’ breeding locations .
In a newly released statement , the government has announced that the UK Space Agency ( UKSA ) is to pump £3.4m of new funding into ten “ leading-edge projects that back UK academics using space to tackle global development problems ” .
These problems including the spread of malaria , which caused 405,000 deaths in 2018 alone , with a total of 228 million cases reported worldwide , according to latest figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government says that “ using satellite , air-borne and ground-based sensing technology , academics at The Open University will detect where mosquitoes are most likely to breed ” .
Once these hot spots are identified , “ sprayer drones ” will then release biocontrol agents that will kill mosquito larvae “ without affecting other species ” .
The pioneering new projects also include the development of “ space-based solutions that will help protect wildlife habitats in Kenya , and another that will improve resilience to flooding in Bangladesh ” , says the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Partnership Programme ( IPP ) is funding the various schemes , which are intended to “ help developing countries while building effective partnerships that can lead to growth opportunities for the UK space sector ” .
Science Minister Amanda Solloway said that “ from flooding to climate change , around the world people continue to be affected by crises that are having a profound impact on their countries ’ economies and their lives .
“ These ten new projects have the potential to provide solutions to the world ’ s biggest development problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space technologies such as satellites , and help improve millions of people ’ s lives in developing countries.
” The IPP ’ s head of international relations Liz Cox added that the projects “ not only demonstrate the value of satellite solutions and improving the lives of people on the ground , but also facilitating effective alliances between the UK and international organisations ” .

UK scientists are hoping to develop an out-of-this-world solution to the global scourge of malaria - by using space satellites to detect mosquitos’ breeding locations.
In a newly released statement, the government has announced that the UK Space Agency (UKSA) is to pump £3.4m of new funding into ten “leading-edge projects that back UK academics using space to tackle global development problems”.
These problems including the spread of malaria, which caused 405,000 deaths in 2018 alone, with a total of 228 million cases reported worldwide, according to latest figures from the World Health Organization.
The government says that “using satellite, air-borne and ground-based sensing technology, academics at The Open University will detect where mosquitoes are most likely to breed”.
Once these hot spots are identified, “sprayer drones” will then release biocontrol agents that will kill mosquito larvae “without affecting other species”.
The pioneering new projects also include the development of “space-based solutions that will help protect wildlife habitats in Kenya, and another that will improve resilience to flooding in Bangladesh”, says the government statement.
The UKSA’s International Partnership Programme (IPP) is funding the various schemes, which are intended to “help developing countries while building effective partnerships that can lead to growth opportunities for the UK space sector”.
Science Minister Amanda Solloway said that “from flooding to climate change, around the world people continue to be affected by crises that are having a profound impact on their countries’ economies and their lives.
“These ten new projects have the potential to provide solutions to the world’s biggest development problems by using the latest and most high-tech space technologies such as satellites, and help improve millions of people’s lives in developing countries.”
The IPP’s head of international relations Liz Cox added that the projects “not only demonstrate the value of satellite solutions and improving the lives of people on the ground, but also facilitating effective alliances between the UK and international organisations”.


theweekuk--2020-08-19--British universities demand extra funding - but do they offer value for money?

UK universities are calling on the government to provide funding to help additional students secure places following the A-level grading fiasco .
The institutions have been flooded with calls from school leavers who now meet entry requirements following the government ’ s U-turn on the use of a controversial algorithm that downgraded almost 40 % of A-level results in England .
What are the numbers ?
In the wake of angry protests outside Whitehall , Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced on Monday that this year ’ s A-level results would be based on teachers ’ predictions rather than those churned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 55,000 pupils had already been rejected by their first-choice universities prior to the change in policy - which came just days after Williamson insisted there would be “ no U-turn , no change ” .
“ Roughly 30,000 students accepted a place at their second-choice university , while an additional 80,000 are holding out for appeals , ” according to the Daily Mail .
Many are now “ desperately scrambling ” to try to get into their preferred university , leaving the institutions facing a “ logistical nightmare trying to reallocate thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adds The Sun .
Williamson has also suspended a cap on student numbers for universities - effectively allowing institutions to accept unlimited numbers this year .
The Telegraph ’ s education editor Camilla Turner reports that vice-chancellors met universities minister Michelle Donelan last night in a bid to reach an agreement that will allow them to admit as many school leavers as possible .
According to a source , the universities have asked the government for extra financial help that would allow them to “ scale up ” places this year and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value for money ?
Amid the demand for university places and upscaling of admissions , the worth of having a university degree in the UK has been called into question .
With an upper limit of £9,250 a year , tuitions fees paid by students in Britain are the highest in the 37-member Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , an organisation of developed countries .
By contrast , Spain offers tuition for a bachelor ’ s degree for around €1,460 ( £1,320 ) a year , while the cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( £180 ) and €112 ( £100 ) respectively , The Telegraph reports .
In Norway , Denmark and Sweden , most students pay nothing .
However , a new analysis by student employer Stint of data from the OECD , World Bank and university league tables found that graduating in Britain does not boost subsequent earnings as much as in many other nations .
“ Recent graduates in Britain typically earned 33 % more than the national average , but those in America managed to boost their pay by 65 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ university leavers in Spain took home as much as 53 % more than the average salary ” .
But while this international pay gap may be “ pretty galling ” , most graduates in the UK “ will still be better off ” than their peers who do not get a degree , according to Sarah Coles of stock broker Hargreaves Lansdown .
“ The average male university leaver will make £130,000 more over their lifetime than a non-graduate , and average female university leaver £100,000 , ” she said .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universities rank well for increasing employment prospects , with just under 90 % of recent graduates in work , compared with 85 % in America .
Institutions in Britain also scored highly for quality of education , coming second after the US , with Germany in third place .
Overall , the analysis “ placed Britain eighth among the 37 countries for providing graduates with value for money ” , The Telegraph reports .

UK universities are calling on the government to provide funding to help additional students secure places following the A-level grading fiasco.
The institutions have been flooded with calls from school leavers who now meet entry requirements following the government’s U-turn on the use of a controversial algorithm that downgraded almost 40% of A-level results in England.
What are the numbers?
In the wake of angry protests outside Whitehall, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced on Monday that this year’s A-level results would be based on teachers’ predictions rather than those churned out by the automated system.
But around 55,000 pupils had already been rejected by their first-choice universities prior to the change in policy - which came just days after Williamson insisted there would be “no U-turn, no change”.
“Roughly 30,000 students accepted a place at their second-choice university, while an additional 80,000 are holding out for appeals,” according to the Daily Mail.
Many are now “desperately scrambling” to try to get into their preferred university, leaving the institutions facing a “logistical nightmare trying to reallocate thousands of places over the next week”, adds The Sun.
Williamson has also suspended a cap on student numbers for universities - effectively allowing institutions to accept unlimited numbers this year.
The Telegraph’s education editor Camilla Turner reports that vice-chancellors met universities minister Michelle Donelan last night in a bid to reach an agreement that will allow them to admit as many school leavers as possible.
According to a source, the universities have asked the government for extra financial help that would allow them to “scale up” places this year and next.
But do UK universities offer value for money?
Amid the demand for university places and upscaling of admissions, the worth of having a university degree in the UK has been called into question.
With an upper limit of £9,250 a year, tuitions fees paid by students in Britain are the highest in the 37-member Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an organisation of developed countries.
By contrast, Spain offers tuition for a bachelor’s degree for around €1,460 (£1,320) a year, while the cost in France and Germany is around €200 (£180) and €112 (£100) respectively, The Telegraph reports. In Norway, Denmark and Sweden, most students pay nothing.
However, a new analysis by student employer Stint of data from the OECD, World Bank and university league tables found that graduating in Britain does not boost subsequent earnings as much as in many other nations.
“Recent graduates in Britain typically earned 33% more than the national average, but those in America managed to boost their pay by 65%,” says the newspaper. And “university leavers in Spain took home as much as 53% more than the average salary”.
But while this international pay gap may be “pretty galling”, most graduates in the UK “will still be better off” than their peers who do not get a degree, according to Sarah Coles of stock broker Hargreaves Lansdown.
“The average male university leaver will make £130,000 more over their lifetime than a non-graduate, and average female university leaver £100,000,” she said.
In addition, the new analysis found that UK universities rank well for increasing employment prospects, with just under 90% of recent graduates in work, compared with 85% in America.
Institutions in Britain also scored highly for quality of education, coming second after the US, with Germany in third place.
Overall, the analysis “placed Britain eighth among the 37 countries for providing graduates with value for money”, The Telegraph reports.


theweekuk--2020-08-20--Ten things to do outdoors in London with social distancing

Summer in London doesn ’ t have to be a total write-off this year .
There ’ s a whole host of ways where you can enjoy yourself while socially distancing , from open air pop-up cinemas screening iconic movies to comedy nights with bottomless drinks .
To narrow it down , DesignMyNight has hand-picked its top ten ways to have fun outdoors in the capital , including renting a daybed on a sun-trapped beach near the river .
Constantly lauded as one of the best outdoor activities in London , Thames Rockets is certainly one for the bucket list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you down the River Thames at 35mph , whizzing you past iconic buildings and landmarks : think Big Ben and Tower Bridge .
Comedic guides will be on hand to provide entertaining commentary with some fun facts chucked in along the way before your 50-minute journey comes to an end .
Cocktails in the City is making a return to Bedford Square Gardens this September , bringing the best bars along for the ride .
Tickets are £15 , which includes a free cocktail , and all profits go to charity .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you sipping £7.50 cocktails from the likes of Heads + Tails , Callooh Callay and Nightjar .
Vauxhall Food and Beer Garden is one of the biggest beer gardens in London and it has a smashing line-up of socially-distant events to keep you entertained all summer long .
Think quizzes and drag shows , with every Friday host to a comedy night with some of the finest TV and circuit comics the UK has to offer .
Your evening will kick off with 90 minutes of free-flowing wine , beer and a selection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : G & T .
If you ’ ve had your fill of online events and are ready to explore some outdoor fun , you can ’ t go wrong with a trip to London Shuffle Club .
Said to be the favourite pastime of King Henry VIII , this unique venue in Shoreditch will see you shuffling down the lanes and come the weekend you can get involved in the bottomless brunch .
Consisting of a 55-minute slot on the indoor or outdoor spaces , you ’ ll have unlimited beer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you busy .
The Luna Cinema is one of London ’ s longest standing pop-ups and its got an impeccable line-up of movies to entice you away from your couch .
Out in the open air , this iconic travelling cinema will be pitching up in plenty of places across the capital , from the South Grounds of The Royal Hospital Chelsea to Dulwich Park .
Screening a bunch of favourites like Back To The Future , Pretty Woman and Joker , there ’ s guaranteed to be something for everyone .
Throwing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beach doesn ’ t have to be a complete write off in 2020 , not with Fulham Beach Club on the scene .
This sandy pop-up is bringing holiday antics to west London in a big way , with socially distanced day beds , pergolas , beach bubbles and pastel-coloured huts .
Feel the sand between your toes and order the Hawaiian spritz or a passion fruit martini before sitting back and catching some vitamin D. Century is a members ’ club with Soho ’ s largest roof terrace and it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer you can gain access to their rooftop supperclub .
The menu is a taste bud pleaser starting with the likes of whipped goat ’ s curd and apple sorbet , with spicy prawn arrabiata for mains .
The entertainment will be second to none during the evening too , with musicians , jaw-dropping live shows and drag artists followed by iconic DJs such as Fat Tony .
Sky Garden is located at the very top of the Walkie Talkie and it ’ s known as London ’ s largest rooftop garden ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for social distancing .
Alongside being located in one of the capital ’ s most well known buildings , it has views of the city ’ s other iconic landmarks such as St Paul ’ s , The Shard and Tower Bridge .
Keen to visit ?
You can grab a cocktail or a glass of champagne with your ticket to the summer music nights for as little as £11 .
If you were looking for a creative way to get out of the house and challenge your support bubble , mark three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Park is back open at Wandsworth , Acton and Battersea Park and have a 12-hole course for you to swing and bicker through .
Perfect for a big family day out or a date night , tickets start at £8 for a child and £10 for an adult .
Rooftops are two to a penny in the capital but very few , in fact none , are quite like Skylight .
Once an unused car park in Wapping , it ’ s been converted into a playground of activities with lawn games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
Boasting private tables and garden booths , it ’ s a no-brainer if you want to soak up the sun , drink cocktails or play a game of petanque or croquet .
For more information on the best restaurants in London and across the UK , see DesignMyNight.com or follow on Instagram and Facebook ; @ DesignMyNight .

Summer in London doesn’t have to be a total write-off this year.
There’s a whole host of ways where you can enjoy yourself while socially distancing, from open air pop-up cinemas screening iconic movies to comedy nights with bottomless drinks.
To narrow it down, DesignMyNight has hand-picked its top ten ways to have fun outdoors in the capital, including renting a daybed on a sun-trapped beach near the river.
Thames Rockets
Constantly lauded as one of the best outdoor activities in London, Thames Rockets is certainly one for the bucket list. This adrenaline-pumping boating experience will take you down the River Thames at 35mph, whizzing you past iconic buildings and landmarks: think Big Ben and Tower Bridge. Comedic guides will be on hand to provide entertaining commentary with some fun facts chucked in along the way before your 50-minute journey comes to an end.
Cocktails In The City
Cocktails in the City is making a return to Bedford Square Gardens this September, bringing the best bars along for the ride. Tickets are £15, which includes a free cocktail, and all profits go to charity. This weekend-long alfresco cocktail garden party will see you sipping £7.50 cocktails from the likes of Heads + Tails, Callooh Callay and Nightjar.
Bottomless Outdoor Comedy Night
Vauxhall Food and Beer Garden is one of the biggest beer gardens in London and it has a smashing line-up of socially-distant events to keep you entertained all summer long. Think quizzes and drag shows, with every Friday host to a comedy night with some of the finest TV and circuit comics the UK has to offer. Your evening will kick off with 90 minutes of free-flowing wine, beer and a selection of spirits, including the old reliable: G&T.
The Bottomless Shuffle Brunch
If you’ve had your fill of online events and are ready to explore some outdoor fun, you can’t go wrong with a trip to London Shuffle Club. Said to be the favourite pastime of King Henry VIII, this unique venue in Shoreditch will see you shuffling down the lanes and come the weekend you can get involved in the bottomless brunch. Consisting of a 55-minute slot on the indoor or outdoor spaces, you’ll have unlimited beer, prosecco and slices of pizza to keep you busy.
The Luna Cinema
The Luna Cinema is one of London’s longest standing pop-ups and its got an impeccable line-up of movies to entice you away from your couch. Out in the open air, this iconic travelling cinema will be pitching up in plenty of places across the capital, from the South Grounds of The Royal Hospital Chelsea to Dulwich Park. Screening a bunch of favourites like Back To The Future, Pretty Woman and Joker, there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone.
Neverland Fulham Beach Club
Throwing on your out-of-office to walk along the beach doesn’t have to be a complete write off in 2020, not with Fulham Beach Club on the scene. This sandy pop-up is bringing holiday antics to west London in a big way, with socially distanced day beds, pergolas, beach bubbles and pastel-coloured huts. Feel the sand between your toes and order the Hawaiian spritz or a passion fruit martini before sitting back and catching some vitamin D.
The Rooftop Supperclub
Century is a members’ club with Soho’s largest roof terrace and it’s usually reserved for its members but this summer you can gain access to their rooftop supperclub. The menu is a taste bud pleaser starting with the likes of whipped goat’s curd and apple sorbet, with spicy prawn arrabiata for mains. The entertainment will be second to none during the evening too, with musicians, jaw-dropping live shows and drag artists followed by iconic DJs such as Fat Tony.
Sky Garden Music Nights
Sky Garden is located at the very top of the Walkie Talkie and it’s known as London’s largest rooftop garden... meaning there’s plenty of space for social distancing. Alongside being located in one of the capital’s most well known buildings, it has views of the city’s other iconic landmarks such as St Paul’s, The Shard and Tower Bridge. Keen to visit? You can grab a cocktail or a glass of champagne with your ticket to the summer music nights for as little as £11.
Putt In The Park
If you were looking for a creative way to get out of the house and challenge your support bubble, mark three destinations in your diary. Putt In The Park is back open at Wandsworth, Acton and Battersea Park and have a 12-hole course for you to swing and bicker through. Perfect for a big family day out or a date night, tickets start at £8 for a child and £10 for an adult.
Skylight
Rooftops are two to a penny in the capital but very few, in fact none, are quite like Skylight. Once an unused car park in Wapping, it’s been converted into a playground of activities with lawn games and plenty of huge screens for match days. Boasting private tables and garden booths, it’s a no-brainer if you want to soak up the sun, drink cocktails or play a game of petanque or croquet.
For more information on the best restaurants in London and across the UK, see DesignMyNight.com or follow on Instagram and Facebook; @DesignMyNight.


theweekuk--2020-08-20--Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich: Alphonso Davies expects a ‘goalfest’

Who : Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich When : Sunday 23 August Where : Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica , Lisbon , Portugal Kick-off time : 8pm ( BST ) UK TV coverage : live on BT Sport 1 Football fans watching Sunday ’ s Uefa Champions League final between Paris-Saint Germain and Bayern Munich should expect to see a glut of goals according to Alphonso Davies .
Two of Europe ’ s most attacking sides go head-to-head in Lisbon and both teams can boast having a potent strikeforce .
PSG will hope their front three of Neymar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead them to a first-ever Champions League title , while Bayern will be confident of their chances with goal machine Robert Lewandowski leading their attack .
Polish striker Lewandowski has scored 55 goals in all competitions this season and will be supported by the likes of Thomas Muller , Serge Gnabry and Ivan Perišić .
The embarrassment of attacking riches should lead to an entertaining final , says Bayern star Davies .
Speaking after Bayern ’ s 3-0 win over Lyon in the semi-final , the 19-year-old Canadian left-back said : “ PSG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a good game .
There will be goals in that game.
” Former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Robin van Persie was asked to assess the talented attacking line-ups of the two teams and he picked out PSG ’ s Mbappe as the key player .
Speaking on BT Sport , Dutchman Van Persie said : “ Lewandowski is such a joy to watch .
For the last seven or eight years he ’ s been world class .
So consistent .
“ Neymar , everyone knows is a fantastic player .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no matter what even if he misses chances , he makes his dribbles .
Even in the last game , the last round he made 16 dribbles which is the most in like the last 10 years we ’ ve seen .
He ’ s unreal .
“ But Mbappe is something else in my opinion .
He plays at such a high level , such high speed as well but he still sees the through balls .
Every choice he makes , when to dribble , when to pass , when to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He gives a lot of assists as well .
“ For me I would go for Mbappe because he is playing on a different speed , a different level.
” Five-time European champions Bayern have won all ten of their Champions League matches this season and scored 42 goals in the process .
Lewandowski has scored 15 of their goals and notable results during the campaign include a 7-2 win at Tottenham in the group stage and an 8-2 hammering of Barcelona in the quarter-finals .
As well Neymar , Mbappe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also call upon strikers such as Mauro Icardi .
The Argentine forward has scored five goals during the run to the final , the same amount as Mbappe .
It ’ s not just the attack that ’ s strong for Thomas Tuchel ’ s team .
In their run to the final PSG only conceded five goals in ten games - fewer than any other team in the Champions League this season .
Did you know ?
This year ’ s Champions League final is the first since 1998 to feature two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their respective countries .
What time is kick-off and is it on TV ?
Sunday ’ s Champions League final in Lisbon kicks off at 8pm ( BST ) and the match is live on BT Sport 1 .

2020 Uefa Champions League final
Who: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich When: Sunday 23 August Where: Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Lisbon, Portugal Kick-off time: 8pm (BST) UK TV coverage: live on BT Sport 1
Football fans watching Sunday’s Uefa Champions League final between Paris-Saint Germain and Bayern Munich should expect to see a glut of goals according to Alphonso Davies.
Two of Europe’s most attacking sides go head-to-head in Lisbon and both teams can boast having a potent strikeforce.
PSG will hope their front three of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Ángel Di María can lead them to a first-ever Champions League title, while Bayern will be confident of their chances with goal machine Robert Lewandowski leading their attack.
Polish striker Lewandowski has scored 55 goals in all competitions this season and will be supported by the likes of Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry and Ivan Perišić.
The embarrassment of attacking riches should lead to an entertaining final, says Bayern star Davies. Speaking after Bayern’s 3-0 win over Lyon in the semi-final, the 19-year-old Canadian left-back said: “PSG are a good team. It will be a good game. There will be goals in that game.”
Van Persie: ‘Mbappe is something else’
Former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Robin van Persie was asked to assess the talented attacking line-ups of the two teams and he picked out PSG’s Mbappe as the key player.
Speaking on BT Sport, Dutchman Van Persie said: “Lewandowski is such a joy to watch. For the last seven or eight years he’s been world class. So consistent.
“Neymar, everyone knows is a fantastic player. What I really like about him is no matter what even if he misses chances, he makes his dribbles. Even in the last game, the last round he made 16 dribbles which is the most in like the last 10 years we’ve seen. He’s unreal.
“But Mbappe is something else in my opinion. He plays at such a high level, such high speed as well but he still sees the through balls. Every choice he makes, when to dribble, when to pass, when to shoot, when to give an assist. He gives a lot of assists as well.
“For me I would go for Mbappe because he is playing on a different speed, a different level.”
Key talking points
Ten out of ten
Five-time European champions Bayern have won all ten of their Champions League matches this season and scored 42 goals in the process.
Lewandowski has scored 15 of their goals and notable results during the campaign include a 7-2 win at Tottenham in the group stage and an 8-2 hammering of Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
Defence is also strong
As well Neymar, Mbappe and Di María, French champions PSG can also call upon strikers such as Mauro Icardi. The Argentine forward has scored five goals during the run to the final, the same amount as Mbappe.
It’s not just the attack that’s strong for Thomas Tuchel’s team. In their run to the final PSG only conceded five goals in ten games - fewer than any other team in the Champions League this season.
Did you know?
This year’s Champions League final is the first since 1998 to feature two teams who are the reigning champions of their respective countries.
What time is kick-off and is it on TV?
Sunday’s Champions League final in Lisbon kicks off at 8pm (BST) and the match is live on BT Sport 1.


theweekuk--2020-08-20--China dismisses anger at ‘huge Wuhan pool party’

China has shrugged off criticism of a densely packed pool party that took place in Wuhan last Thursday .
Images showing thousands of people at a music festival , which took place at a water park in the city where the coronavirus outbreak began , drew criticism from news outlets around the world .
“ Life ’ s a beach in Wuhan as world pays virus price , ” said the Australian Daily Telegraph , while the Agence France Press news agency posted video of what it called the “ Wuhan Wave ” .
The footage sparked outrage on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commentator described the festival as “ a slap in the face to the rest of the world ” , while another said : “ The world still suffers while Wuhan parties.
” In China , however , the reaction was defiant .
The state-controlled Global Times dismissed foreign complaints as “ sour grapes ” and said “ signs of a reviving society are everywhere ” .
The event “ should not only be seen as a sign of the city ’ s return to normalcy , but also a reminder to countries grappling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a payback ” , the paper added .
After imposing a 76-day lockdown in January , the Chinese authorities started easing Wuhan ’ s restrictions in March , just as Europe began to bear the brunt of the virus .
“ There have been no domestically transmitted cases in Wuhan or Hubei province since mid-May , ” the BBC reports .
In all , 9.9 million of the city ’ s 11 million-strong population have reportedly been tested for the virus .

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theweekuk--2020-08-20--How the super rich got a whole lot richer during the coronavirus pandemic

Elon Musk has become the fourth richest person in the world after shares in his company , Tesla , rocketed @ @ @ @ @ His total net worth now stands at $ 90.3bn , three times its value in @ @ @ @ @ stock jumped by 11 % on Monday alone , adding $ 13.3bn to Musk ’ @ @ @ @ @ him above Bernard Arnault , chief executive of the luxury brand Louis Vuitton , in @ @ @ @ @ .
Who has gained the most during the pandemic ?
Musk ’ s case may @ @ @ @ @ says The Telegraph , but he ’ s far from the only plutocrat to grow @ @ @ @ @ midst of a pandemic that has seen world economies battered ” .

Elon Musk has become the fourth richest person in the world after shares in his company, Tesla, rocketed during the coronavirus pandemic. His total net worth now stands at $90.3bn, three times its value in January.
Tesla’s stock jumped by 11% on Monday alone, adding $13.3bn to Musk’s balance sheet and lifting him above Bernard Arnault, chief executive of the luxury brand Louis Vuitton, in the league table of billionaires.
Who has gained the most during the pandemic?
Musk’s case may be “eye-catching”, says The Telegraph, but he’s far from the only plutocrat to grow significantly richer “in the midst of a pandemic that has seen world economies battered”.
On 16 March, “the Dow Jones suffered the worst single-day points drop in its history", says Business Insider. “But by 4 June, seven of the world’s richest people had seen their fortunes increase by over 50%.”
They include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who amassed $48bn between March and June, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, now worth $21bn more than he was before the pandemic.
While not yet in the same league, Zoom founder Eric Yuan has also made healthy gains. His wealth has almost quadrupled to $13bn.
Why are the rich getting richer?
Musk’s gains result from his 20% share of Tesla, a stake that’s now worth more than $50bn.
The company “occupies a market-leading position in the electric car industry and is pioneering much of the road towards self-driving vehicles”, says The Guardian. It has benefited from politicians’ willingness to back “a green recovery after the coronavirus pandemic”.
Amazon, meanwhile, “became a crutch for much of Western society during lockdown,” says The Telegraph, enriching Bezos in the process.
And as working from home became the norm, Yuan’s Zoom software was widely adopted for corporate video conferences and online social gatherings.
Beyond the realm of the billionaires, many people with more modest wealth invested in stock markets have also made gains. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index set a new record high yesterday, having recovered the sharp losses it suffered in March.


theweekuk--2020-08-20--Instant Opinion: Britain faces a ‘catastrophic economic doom loop’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
Britain is about to be sucked into a catastrophic economic doom loop “ For the first time in years , I ’ m turning bearish on Britain .
Our economy , trashed by Covid and the lockdown , is about to be sucked into a catastrophic doom loop , with no escape hatch .
Forget about a V-shaped recovery : the future is a truncated square root , with years of stagnant growth to follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are leaving the EU , but are set for Eurozone-style semi-stagnation .
It ’ s a tragedy .
Why such negativity ?
Savage tax increases of a kind ordinarily associated with Left-wing governments now seem almost inevitable , and I fear that one entire plank of what should have been the Johnsonian renewal agenda – supply-side , pro-growth tax relief – will never materialise .
Remember how Boris Johnson talked about raising the threshold for the higher income tax rate to £80,000 during his leadership campaign ( though it was omitted from his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which he cited Ibn Khaldun , the true father of supply-side economics ?
.. All of this now sounds like ancient history , pledges from a world that has disappeared forever.
” This summer of U-turns has exposed the Tories ’ lack of direction “ The current Conservative government seems to have hoisted itself by its own petard .
It has defined itself as majoritarian and populist in order to win power , and is now imprisoned by the whims of the British public and obliged to drop anything that voters take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represented places such as Blyth Valley or Ashfield for decades ( if ever ) , and they seem to find their new voting coalition somewhat bewildering .
In attempting to understand this new terrain while coping with an ideological vacuum , the party has become susceptible to backtracking when the going gets tough .
Many of these current U-turns have been preceded by brand new Tory MPs in red-wall seats warning that constituents are getting angry .
These are unchartered waters for the Conservatives , and an opportunity for campaigners ... Perhaps the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U-turns is that the usual progressive strategy of waiting for a Labour government can be abandoned .
With the right circumstances and the right strategy , even this reactionary government can be forced to acquiesce to progressive demands.
” Boris Johnson can not hide behind experts forever – this shameful blame game has to stop “ Ministers rightly admit that easing the lockdown involves fine political judgements that scientists can not make .
Scapegoating advisers might work for a while but with diminishing returns .
Many people will barely have heard of Ofqual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might judge that the buck stops with the government .
The exam grades fiasco is a real world story that has touched millions , advertising the incompetence of the government , not its advisers .
Johnson ’ s team might think it is good at the blame game .
True , it can grab a good headline from its cheerleaders in the press ( though Williamson has few friends left , even there ) .
This shouldn ’ t mask the abject failure of ministers to stand up to their experts , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have tested any administration to the limit.
” 4 .
The editorial board of The New York Times The Trump Campaign Accepted Russian Help to Win in 2016 .
Case Closed .
“ Mr .
Trump and his allies will parse and prevaricate forever .
Ignore them .
If it wasn ’ t already overwhelmingly clear what was going on , it is now .
As the Democrats on the committee put it in an appendix to the report : ‘ This is what collusion looks like.
’ Alas , the Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessment , stating in their own appendix that ‘ we can now say with no doubt , there was no collusion.
’ That is to insist that up is down .
But call it whatever you like : The Intelligence Committee report shows clear coordination between Russians and the Trump campaign , though there is no evidence of an explicit agreement .
The evidence the report lays out suggests Mr. Trump knew this at the time .
Whether or not it can be proved that he ordered this interference or violated the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that neither he nor anyone else in his campaign alerted federal law-enforcement authorities , as any loyal American should have.
” Our exam obsession is a blight on society “ The social fissures caused by exam meritocracy are visible everywhere .
In Britain and the US , your level of education is a key predictor of how you will vote and education itself is a political issue .
The association between a successful education and wealthy liberalism drove many working-class Brexit voters to reject the authority of experts and educated elites .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confusing their good educations with intellectual and even moral superiority .
An A or an E on an official-looking piece of paper from a government-sponsored exam board offers a misleading sense of certainty .
For most of us it is one of the few times in our lives that anyone will make an official judgment on our personality ... An exam result , which is a measure of a particular aspect of intelligence on a particular day , comes to seem a judgment on our whole intellectual character or even our worth as @ @ @ @

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Allister Heath in The Daily Telegraph
on a vicious circle of higher taxes
Britain is about to be sucked into a catastrophic economic doom loop
“For the first time in years, I’m turning bearish on Britain. Our economy, trashed by Covid and the lockdown, is about to be sucked into a catastrophic doom loop, with no escape hatch. Forget about a V-shaped recovery: the future is a truncated square root, with years of stagnant growth to follow a partial rebound next year. We are leaving the EU, but are set for Eurozone-style semi-stagnation. It’s a tragedy. Why such negativity? Savage tax increases of a kind ordinarily associated with Left-wing governments now seem almost inevitable, and I fear that one entire plank of what should have been the Johnsonian renewal agenda – supply-side, pro-growth tax relief – will never materialise. Remember how Boris Johnson talked about raising the threshold for the higher income tax rate to £80,000 during his leadership campaign (though it was omitted from his manifesto)? Or the inspirational way in which he cited Ibn Khaldun, the true father of supply-side economics?.. All of this now sounds like ancient history, pledges from a world that has disappeared forever.”
2. Ellie Mae O’Hagan in The Guardian
on a rudderless government
This summer of U-turns has exposed the Tories’ lack of direction
“The current Conservative government seems to have hoisted itself by its own petard. It has defined itself as majoritarian and populist in order to win power, and is now imprisoned by the whims of the British public and obliged to drop anything that voters take against. The Tories haven’t represented places such as Blyth Valley or Ashfield for decades (if ever), and they seem to find their new voting coalition somewhat bewildering. In attempting to understand this new terrain while coping with an ideological vacuum, the party has become susceptible to backtracking when the going gets tough. Many of these current U-turns have been preceded by brand new Tory MPs in red-wall seats warning that constituents are getting angry. These are unchartered waters for the Conservatives, and an opportunity for campaigners... Perhaps the lesson from this summer’s many U-turns is that the usual progressive strategy of waiting for a Labour government can be abandoned. With the right circumstances and the right strategy, even this reactionary government can be forced to acquiesce to progressive demands.”
3. Andrew Grice in The Independent
on Britain’s arms-length prime minister
Boris Johnson cannot hide behind experts forever – this shameful blame game has to stop
“Ministers rightly admit that easing the lockdown involves fine political judgements that scientists cannot make. Scapegoating advisers might work for a while but with diminishing returns. Many people will barely have heard of Ofqual or PHE until this week; they might judge that the buck stops with the government. The exam grades fiasco is a real world story that has touched millions, advertising the incompetence of the government, not its advisers. Johnson’s team might think it is good at the blame game. True, it can grab a good headline from its cheerleaders in the press (though Williamson has few friends left, even there). This shouldn’t mask the abject failure of ministers to stand up to their experts, even more important in an unprecedented crisis that would have tested any administration to the limit.”
4. The editorial board of The New York Times
on a plot against American democracy
The Trump Campaign Accepted Russian Help to Win in 2016. Case Closed.
“Mr. Trump and his allies will parse and prevaricate forever. Ignore them. If it wasn’t already overwhelmingly clear what was going on, it is now. As the Democrats on the committee put it in an appendix to the report: ‘This is what collusion looks like.’ Alas, the Republicans refused to join in on this straightforward assessment, stating in their own appendix that ‘we can now say with no doubt, there was no collusion.’ That is to insist that up is down. But call it whatever you like: The Intelligence Committee report shows clear coordination between Russians and the Trump campaign, though there is no evidence of an explicit agreement. The evidence the report lays out suggests Mr. Trump knew this at the time. Whether or not it can be proved that he ordered this interference or violated the law in doing so, the fact remains that neither he nor anyone else in his campaign alerted federal law-enforcement authorities, as any loyal American should have.”
5. James Marriott in The Times
on making education unbearable
Our exam obsession is a blight on society
“The social fissures caused by exam meritocracy are visible everywhere. In Britain and the US, your level of education is a key predictor of how you will vote and education itself is a political issue. The association between a successful education and wealthy liberalism drove many working-class Brexit voters to reject the authority of experts and educated elites. Meanwhile, wealthy metropolitan Remainers are prone to confusing their good educations with intellectual and even moral superiority. An A or an E on an official-looking piece of paper from a government-sponsored exam board offers a misleading sense of certainty. For most of us it is one of the few times in our lives that anyone will make an official judgment on our personality... An exam result, which is a measure of a particular aspect of intelligence on a particular day, comes to seem a judgment on our whole intellectual character or even our worth as a person.”


theweekuk--2020-08-20--Has Alexei Navalny fallen foul of a ‘Putin poisoning’?

Alexei Navalny , an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin , is unconscious in intensive care today after a suspected poisoning .
“ We assume that Alexei was poisoned with something mixed into his tea , ” said his spokeswoman , Kira Yarmysh .
“ It was the only thing that he drank in the morning .
Doctors say the toxin was absorbed faster through the hot liquid.
” Navalny “ started feeling unwell while on a return flight to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk ” , CNN reports .
The plane made an emergency landing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coma .
Navalny , 44 , is “ the face of grassroots opposition to the Kremlin and no stranger to threats ” , says the Financial Times .
As “ Putin ’ s most popular challenger ” , he has organised street protests and political campaigns against the governing party .
“ He made a name for himself by exposing official corruption , ” says the BBC , “ labelling Mr Putin ’ s United Russia as ‘ the party of crooks and thieves ’ , and has served several jail terms.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes than his Putin-backed rival in Moscow ’ s 2013 mayoral elections , although the official results showed him a distant second .
In 2018 , as leader of the Russia of the Future party , he was prevented from running against Putin for the presidency “ because of previous fraud convictions in a case he said was politically motivated ” , the BBC reports .
Has he really been poisoned ?
While the cause is unclear , there is no doubt that Navalny is seriously ill. “ At the start of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t come back , ” according to one fellow passenger quoted by Reuters .
“ He started feeling really sick .
They struggled to bring him round and he was screaming in pain.
” The BBC says a “ disturbing video ” posted on social media “ appears to show a stricken Mr Navalny in pain on the flight ” .
In another clip , he is being taken by stretcher into an ambulance on arrival in Omsk .
“ However , ” says Reuters , “ one of the doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had been poisoned.
” If foul play was confirmed , it would come as no surprise .
“ Other prominent Russian opposition activists have also been hospitalised after apparent poisonings in recent years , ” says the Financial Times .
Two years ago , Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury , allegedly by Russian military agents .
And last year Navalny himself suffered an “ acute allergic reaction ” while in police custody .

Alexei Navalny, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is unconscious in intensive care today after a suspected poisoning.
“We assume that Alexei was poisoned with something mixed into his tea,” said his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh. “It was the only thing that he drank in the morning. Doctors say the toxin was absorbed faster through the hot liquid.”
Navalny “started feeling unwell while on a return flight to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk”, CNN reports. The plane made an emergency landing in nearby Omsk, where he fell into a coma.
Who is Alexei Navalny?
Navalny, 44, is “the face of grassroots opposition to the Kremlin and no stranger to threats”, says the Financial Times. As “Putin’s most popular challenger”, he has organised street protests and political campaigns against the governing party.
“He made a name for himself by exposing official corruption,” says the BBC, “labelling Mr Putin’s United Russia as ‘the party of crooks and thieves’, and has served several jail terms.”
He claims to have won more votes than his Putin-backed rival in Moscow’s 2013 mayoral elections, although the official results showed him a distant second.
In 2018, as leader of the Russia of the Future party, he was prevented from running against Putin for the presidency “because of previous fraud convictions in a case he said was politically motivated”, the BBC reports.
Has he really been poisoned?
While the cause is unclear, there is no doubt that Navalny is seriously ill.
“At the start of the flight he went to the toilet and didn’t come back,” according to one fellow passenger quoted by Reuters. “He started feeling really sick. They struggled to bring him round and he was screaming in pain.”
The BBC says a “disturbing video” posted on social media “appears to show a stricken Mr Navalny in pain on the flight”. In another clip, he is being taken by stretcher into an ambulance on arrival in Omsk.
“However,” says Reuters, “one of the doctors there said it was not certain that he had been poisoned.”
If foul play was confirmed, it would come as no surprise. “Other prominent Russian opposition activists have also been hospitalised after apparent poisonings in recent years,” says the Financial Times.
Two years ago, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury, allegedly by Russian military agents. And last year Navalny himself suffered an “acute allergic reaction” while in police custody.


theweekuk--2020-08-20--Is Germany on the verge of a second wave - and what could the UK learn from its response?

The German government has ruled out the further easing of coronavirus lockdown measures after recording 1,707 new cases on Wednesday , the highest number of new daily infections since 18 April .
The sudden spike in cases takes the total number of infections in the country to 228,621 , according to data from public health agency the Robert Koch Institute ( RKI ) , which said the situation is “ very concerning ” .
However , with a death toll of just 9,253 , Germany has been praised for its overall response to the pandemic , and has fared better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus so far .
So what is happening in Germany and what can the UK learn from its second wave planning ?
What is the situation ?
Germany announced on Thursday that it had recorded 1,707 new cases over the previous 24 hours , marking the highest increase in cases since the virus was at its peak in late April .
The nation has “ widely been seen as a model for containing the virus in Europe , due in part to an early , aggressive , test and trace policy ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most countries across the European Union , an uptick in infections has been observed in recent weeks.
” Around 40 % of the new cases in Germany are “ being attributed to holidaymakers returning from breaks abroad ” , which was also blamed for the original spike in March , The Guardian reports .
Most of the remaining 60 % are being traced back to parties and family gatherings , the paper adds .
How did Germany handle the first wave ?
Germany has received a “ great deal of attention for having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most comparable European countries ” , writes Jeremy Rossman , honorary senior lecturer in virology and president of Research-Aid Networks at the University of Kent , on The Conversation .
“ The core of the German response matches very well with recommendations from the World Health Organization : prepare , test ( isolate and treat ) and mitigate the spread of the virus , ” he adds .
Since mid-July , Germany has reported 21,000 cases compared to the UK ’ s 26,500 .
But it has reported less than a third of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What is Germany doing to prepare for a second wave ?
Increases in cases over the past few weeks have “ caused alarm among some virologists and politicians ” , but German Chancellor Angela Merkel appears to be striking a more optimistic tone , the Independent says .
“ The good news is if we stick to the rules , a lot of public life is possible , ” she said on a trip to the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia , where a local lockdown was introduced last month .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can open up more .
If they don ’ t , or rise , we must ask what is needed and in any case a further easing of measures can not take place now.
” On Wednesday , it was reported Germany ’ s carnival season is expected to be cancelled “ owing to fears that the revelry and mass gatherings could contribute to the spread ” , The Guardian reports .
The ban comes despite “ carnival season [ being ] the most significant cultural tradition of the year ” for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to extend its furlough scheme to 24 months following the recent spike .
“ The corona-crisis won ’ t suddenly disappear in the next few weeks , ” said Olaf Scholz , the recently announced Social Democrat candidate for chancellor in next year ’ s elections .
“ Businesses and employees need a clear signal from the government : we ’ ve got your back for the long haul in this crisis , so that no one is being let go without need , ” Scholz added .

The German government has ruled out the further easing of coronavirus lockdown measures after recording 1,707 new cases on Wednesday, the highest number of new daily infections since 18 April.
The sudden spike in cases takes the total number of infections in the country to 228,621, according to data from public health agency the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which said the situation is “very concerning”.
However, with a death toll of just 9,253, Germany has been praised for its overall response to the pandemic, and has fared better than many European neighbours in suppressing the virus so far.
What is the situation?
Germany announced on Thursday that it had recorded 1,707 new cases over the previous 24 hours, marking the highest increase in cases since the virus was at its peak in late April.
The nation has “widely been seen as a model for containing the virus in Europe, due in part to an early, aggressive, test and trace policy”, EuroNews says. “But like in most countries across the European Union, an uptick in infections has been observed in recent weeks.”
Around 40% of the new cases in Germany are “being attributed to holidaymakers returning from breaks abroad”, which was also blamed for the original spike in March, The Guardian reports. Most of the remaining 60% are being traced back to parties and family gatherings, the paper adds.
How did Germany handle the first wave?
Germany has received a “great deal of attention for having a lower death rate for Covid-19 than most comparable European countries”, writes Jeremy Rossman, honorary senior lecturer in virology and president of Research-Aid Networks at the University of Kent, on The Conversation.
“The core of the German response matches very well with recommendations from the World Health Organization: prepare, test (isolate and treat) and mitigate the spread of the virus,” he adds.
Since mid-July, Germany has reported 21,000 cases compared to the UK’s 26,500. But it has reported less than a third of the deaths, 129 versus 472.
What is Germany doing to prepare for a second wave?
Increases in cases over the past few weeks have “caused alarm among some virologists and politicians”, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel appears to be striking a more optimistic tone, the Independent says.
“The good news is if we stick to the rules, a lot of public life is possible,” she said on a trip to the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where a local lockdown was introduced last month.
“If the numbers go back down, we can open up more. If they don’t, or rise, we must ask what is needed and in any case a further easing of measures cannot take place now.”
On Wednesday, it was reported Germany’s carnival season is expected to be cancelled “owing to fears that the revelry and mass gatherings could contribute to the spread”, The Guardian reports. The ban comes despite “carnival season [being] the most significant cultural tradition of the year” for many Germans.
The country is also expected to extend its furlough scheme to 24 months following the recent spike. “The corona-crisis won’t suddenly disappear in the next few weeks,” said Olaf Scholz, the recently announced Social Democrat candidate for chancellor in next year’s elections.
“Businesses and employees need a clear signal from the government: we’ve got your back for the long haul in this crisis, so that no one is being let go without need,” Scholz added.


theweekuk--2020-08-20--Firm with links to Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings handed Ofqual A-level contract

A communications company run by long-term associates of Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings was handed a contract to work on the disastrous A-level results announcement without a competitive tender .
Public First , which is run by James Frayne and Rachel Wolf , has been working with exams regulator Ofqual since June , The Guardian says .
Both formerly worked for Gove in the Department for Education ( DfE ) , where Cummings was a senior political advisor .
Wolf co-wrote the Conservative Party ’ s 2019 election manifesto , while Frayne ’ s work alongside Cummings “ dates back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the paper adds .
The firm is understood to have been employed “ to assist Ofqual with communicating its A-level and GSCE results plan to help secure public confidence in the strategy ” .
Exact details of the contract have not been disclosed , while Ofqual declined to tell the paper how much public money was spent hiring Public First .
A spokesperson for the firm said that the company was contracted to work on “ insight on public opinion for this year ’ s exam arrangements ” , adding that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s small communications team with an unprecedented amount of media interest in a complex policy area ” .
A Cabinet Office spokesperson added that Gove and the Cabinet Office had “ no involvement in the contract and did not discuss it with Ofqual ” .
The disclosure comes as it was revealed that Education Secretary Gavin Williamson was warned six weeks ago that the exam grading plan “ could lead to hundreds of thousands of students being given the wrong results but decided to push ahead ” , The Times reports .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the paper that Sir Jon Coles , a former director-general in the Whitehall department , “ wrote to Mr Williamson early last month to express concerns about the algorithm used by Ofqual ” , according to deputy political editor Steven Swinford .
Williamson held a video conference with Coles in mid-July , but “ decided to push ahead with the algorithm amid worries about grade inflation and the risk that results could be significantly delayed ” , the Times adds .

A communications company run by long-term associates of Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings was handed a contract to work on the disastrous A-level results announcement without a competitive tender.
Public First, which is run by James Frayne and Rachel Wolf, has been working with exams regulator Ofqual since June, The Guardian says. Both formerly worked for Gove in the Department for Education (DfE), where Cummings was a senior political advisor.
Wolf co-wrote the Conservative Party’s 2019 election manifesto, while Frayne’s work alongside Cummings “dates back to Eurosceptic campaigning 20 years ago”, the paper adds.
The firm is understood to have been employed “to assist Ofqual with communicating its A-level and GSCE results plan to help secure public confidence in the strategy”. Exact details of the contract have not been disclosed, while Ofqual declined to tell the paper how much public money was spent hiring Public First.
A spokesperson for the firm said that the company was contracted to work on “insight on public opinion for this year’s exam arrangements”, adding that “Public First is currently assisting Ofqual’s small communications team with an unprecedented amount of media interest in a complex policy area”.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson added that Gove and the Cabinet Office had “no involvement in the contract and did not discuss it with Ofqual”.
The disclosure comes as it was revealed that Education Secretary Gavin Williamson was warned six weeks ago that the exam grading plan “could lead to hundreds of thousands of students being given the wrong results but decided to push ahead”, The Times reports.
“A senior source” in the DfE told the paper that Sir Jon Coles, a former director-general in the Whitehall department, “wrote to Mr Williamson early last month to express concerns about the algorithm used by Ofqual”, according to deputy political editor Steven Swinford.
Williamson held a video conference with Coles in mid-July, but “decided to push ahead with the algorithm amid worries about grade inflation and the risk that results could be significantly delayed”, the Times adds.


theweekuk--2020-08-20--Nation of online shoppers: Covid-19 sparks permanent change

Britain has turned into a nation of online shoppers since the coronavirus lockdown and the significant shift in behaviour is set to be a permanent one .
A study published by supermarket chain Waitrose has revealed that 77 % of people now do at least some of their grocery shopping online , compared to 61 % a year ago .
In its report , How Britain Shops Online , Waitrose polled 2,000 people and 60 % said they shop for groceries online more frequently since the pandemic .
Meanwhile , 41 % cited convenience as the reason and one in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered it before Covid-19 .
The big change is within the over-55 age group , with numbers nearly trebling from 8 % in 2019 to 23 % in 2020 .
Last year , less than half of over-55s ( 47 % ) did some of their food shopping online and this has since increased to 74 % .
In the 35-44 age group 32 % now do at least one online shop a week compared to 16 % in 2019 .
James Bailey , Waitrose & Partners executive director , said : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are few retailers that wouldn ’ t have predicted the continued growth of e-commerce relative to physical shops .
“ But what would have previously been a gradual upward climb in demand has - with the outbreak of Covid-19 - turned into a trajectory more reminiscent of scaling Everest .
“ One in four of us now do a grocery shop online at least once a week - double the amount in 2019 .
Because online shopping quickly becomes habitual - these changes are irreversible.
” BBC News reported in July that online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopping has led to a “ permanent redrawing ” of the retail landscape .
Another report published this week by O2 Business and Retail Economics has backed up that statement with 44 % of customers saying the pandemic will have a permanent impact on the way they shop .
Meanwhile , 47 % said they will increase the number of times they shop online and 34 % sourced essential and non-essential items from online retailers during lockdown .
Richard Lim , CEO of Retail Economics , said : “ The impact of Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many retailers scrambling to assess the impact as they attempt to realign their proposition to meet a new normal .
“ We ’ ve already witnessed a significant shift towards online and it ’ s inevitable that some of these behaviours will become permanent , with digital playing a much more important role .
Many of these consumers are shopping for goods online for the first time , overcoming the barriers of setting up online accounts , entering payment details and gaining trust .
“ The new normal will involve a step-change in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are assessing what this means for the number of stores , where they should invest and the potential partnerships that could be formed .
”

Britain has turned into a nation of online shoppers since the coronavirus lockdown and the significant shift in behaviour is set to be a permanent one.
A study published by supermarket chain Waitrose has revealed that 77% of people now do at least some of their grocery shopping online, compared to 61% a year ago.
In its report, How Britain Shops Online, Waitrose polled 2,000 people and 60% said they shop for groceries online more frequently since the pandemic. Meanwhile, 41% cited convenience as the reason and one in five people said they hadn’t considered it before Covid-19.
The big change is within the over-55 age group, with numbers nearly trebling from 8% in 2019 to 23% in 2020. Last year, less than half of over-55s (47%) did some of their food shopping online and this has since increased to 74%.
In the 35-44 age group 32% now do at least one online shop a week compared to 16% in 2019.
James Bailey, Waitrose & Partners executive director, said: “Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, there are few retailers that wouldn’t have predicted the continued growth of e-commerce relative to physical shops.
“But what would have previously been a gradual upward climb in demand has - with the outbreak of Covid-19 - turned into a trajectory more reminiscent of scaling Everest.
“One in four of us now do a grocery shop online at least once a week - double the amount in 2019. Because online shopping quickly becomes habitual - these changes are irreversible.”
Permanent change
BBC News reported in July that online grocer Ocado predicted the switch to internet shopping has led to a “permanent redrawing” of the retail landscape.
Another report published this week by O2 Business and Retail Economics has backed up that statement with 44% of customers saying the pandemic will have a permanent impact on the way they shop.
Meanwhile, 47% said they will increase the number of times they shop online and 34% sourced essential and non-essential items from online retailers during lockdown.
Richard Lim, CEO of Retail Economics, said: “The impact of Covid-19 has re-wired the customer journey, leaving many retailers scrambling to assess the impact as they attempt to realign their proposition to meet a new normal.
“We’ve already witnessed a significant shift towards online and it’s inevitable that some of these behaviours will become permanent, with digital playing a much more important role. Many of these consumers are shopping for goods online for the first time, overcoming the barriers of setting up online accounts, entering payment details and gaining trust.
“The new normal will involve a step-change in the integration of digital technologies and retailers are assessing what this means for the number of stores, where they should invest and the potential partnerships that could be formed.”


theweekuk--2020-08-20--Coronavirus: five ways the pandemic is increasing global inequality

Kunal Sen , professor and director at the World Institute for Development Economics Research , on how the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ Before coronavirus , inequality was already increasing in many parts of the developing world .
@ @ @ @ @ to greatly heighten existing economic and social inequalities .
Here are five of the main @ @ @ @ @ the world .
The pandemic has increased inequality between workers .
Lockdown policies enacted by @ @ @ @ @ spread of the virus have particularly hurt the working poor in developing countries .
For @ @ @ @ @ on a daily wage and casual work , the inability to travel to their places @ @ @ @ @ a significant loss of earnings , with no protection and high levels of insecurity about @ @ @ @ @ .

Kunal Sen, professor and director at the World Institute for Development Economics Research, on how the coronavirus pandemic has increased preexisting injustices.
Before coronavirus, inequality was already increasing in many parts of the developing world. But the pandemic is going to greatly heighten existing economic and social inequalities.
Here are five of the main ways inequality is heightening around the world.
1. Jobs
The pandemic has increased inequality between workers. Lockdown policies enacted by many governments to suppress the spread of the virus have particularly hurt the working poor in developing countries.
For these workers, who depend on a daily wage and casual work, the inability to travel to their places of work has led to a significant loss of earnings, with no protection and high levels of insecurity about the future of their livelihoods.
Consider a street vendor selling vegetables in the streets of Delhi. As the pandemic hit India and the government issued stay at home orders, the street vendor suddenly found herself out of a living. In contrast, for the professionals who are able to work from home, the pandemic has had a more limited effect on their earnings.
The vast majority of workers in developing countries are in informal jobs, without access to the types of support that workers in rich countries get from their governments, such as furloughing schemes.
While many developing countries have increased the scale of social protection measures in response to the pandemic, this is clearly not enough. Nor do these measures reach the majority of the poor.
2. Digital divide
The pandemic is contributing to an acceleration in technological change, helping certain businesses stay open digitally and enabling many people work from home who were previously unable to.
Those countries whose citizens have access to the internet and are well educated will gain from the move to online technologies such as Zoom for virtual meetings.
So for workers in Singapore and Taiwan, the shift to online technologies will be a boon. But countries that are still lagging in the digital race, including many in Sub-Saharan Africa, will fall further behind.
3. Gender gap
While both men and women must stay at home due to lockdown policies, women are more likely to take care of children and domestic chores, leading to an unequal distribution of household duties within the family.


theweekuk--2020-08-20--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 20 Aug 2020

The US says that two Islamic State suspects dubbed “ The Beatles ” will not face the death penalty if @ @ @ @ @ and convicted of the killings of Western hostages in Iraq and Syria .
In a @ @ @ @ @ Patel , US Attorney General William Barr said the US authorities would not seek the @ @ @ @ @ and El Shafee Elsheikh and “ if imposed , it will not be carried out @ @

US says Isis Beatles will not face death penalty
The US says that two Islamic State suspects dubbed “The Beatles” will not face the death penalty if they are sent to America and convicted of the killings of Western hostages in Iraq and Syria. In a letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel, US Attorney General William Barr said the US authorities would not seek the death penalty against Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh and “if imposed, it will not be carried out”.


theweekuk--2020-08-20--What is the UK’s favourite ‘no face-to-face contact’ sex position?

Britain ’ s favourite ‘ no face-to-face contact ’ sex position has been revealed .
As the nation adjusts to the risks of coronavirus transmission in the bedroom , sexual health charity the Terence Higgins Trust says the most googled sex position that doesn ’ t require face-to-face contact is “ doggy ” with over 741,000 monthly searches .
In second place comes “ reverse cow girl ” with 381,300 monthly searches , followed by “ 69 ” with 244,400 .
Singer songwriter James Blunt says he got scurvy after going on a meat-only diet to spite his vegan friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he dined on mince and chicken for eight weeks but ended up being told by a doctor he was showing symptoms of scurvy .
To fix the vitamin deficiency , he starting dranking orange juice every night for its vitamin C and “ nearly developed acid reflux ” .
Sob in the corner to get a husband In 1958 , a women 's magazine published a list of the 129 tips to finding a husband .
The tips include “ sobbing quietly in a corner ” and “ learning to paint and setting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
Another piece of advice in McCall ’ s magazine is to “ volunteer for jury duty ” , though what kind of men you might meet is not explained .
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Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Britain’s favourite ‘no face-to-face contact’ sex position has been revealed. As the nation adjusts to the risks of coronavirus transmission in the bedroom, sexual health charity the Terence Higgins Trust says the most googled sex position that doesn’t require face-to-face contact is “doggy” with over 741,000 monthly searches. In second place comes “reverse cow girl” with 381,300 monthly searches, followed by “69” with 244,400.
James Blunt gets scurvy from meat-only diet
Singer songwriter James Blunt says he got scurvy after going on a meat-only diet to spite his vegan friends. The 46-year-old crooner says he says he dined on mince and chicken for eight weeks but ended up being told by a doctor he was showing symptoms of scurvy. To fix the vitamin deficiency, he starting dranking orange juice every night for its vitamin C and “nearly developed acid reflux”.
Sob in the corner to get a husband
In 1958, a women's magazine published a list of the 129 tips to finding a husband. The tips include “sobbing quietly in a corner” and “learning to paint and setting up an easel outside an engineering school”. Another piece of advice in McCall’s magazine is to “volunteer for jury duty”, though what kind of men you might meet is not explained.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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--2020-08-20--Government spent £56m on consultants during pandemic

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theweekuk--2020-08-20--How Germany is preparing for a second wave

The German government has ruled out the further easing of coronavirus lockdown measures after recording 1,707 new cases on Wednesday , the highest number of new daily infections since 18 April .
The sudden spike in cases takes the total number of infections in the country to 228,621 , according to data from public health agency the Robert Koch Institute ( RKI ) , which said the situation is “ very concerning ” .
However , with a death toll of just 9,253 , Germany has been praised for its overall response to the pandemic , and has fared better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus so far .
What is the situation ?
Germany announced on Thursday that it had recorded 1,707 new cases over the previous 24 hours , marking the highest increase in cases since the virus was at its peak in late April .
The nation has “ widely been seen as a model for containing the virus in Europe , due in part to an early , aggressive , test and trace policy ” , EuroNews says .
“ But like in most countries across the European Union , an uptick in infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Around 40 % of the new cases in Germany are “ being attributed to holidaymakers returning from breaks abroad ” , which was also blamed for the original spike in March , The Guardian reports .
Most of the remaining 60 % are being traced back to parties and family gatherings , the paper adds .
How did Germany handle the first wave ?
Germany has received a “ great deal of attention for having a lower death rate for Covid-19 than most comparable European countries ” , writes Jeremy Rossman , honorary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Research-Aid Networks at the University of Kent , on The Conversation .
“ The core of the German response matches very well with recommendations from the World Health Organization : prepare , test ( isolate and treat ) and mitigate the spread of the virus , ” he adds .
Since mid-July , Germany has reported 21,000 cases compared to the UK ’ s 26,500 .
But it has reported less than a third of the deaths , 129 versus 472 .
What is Germany doing to prepare for a second wave ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks have “ caused alarm among some virologists and politicians ” , but German Chancellor Angela Merkel appears to be striking a more optimistic tone , the Independent says .
“ The good news is if we stick to the rules , a lot of public life is possible , ” she said on a trip to the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia , where a local lockdown was introduced last month .
“ If the numbers go back down , we can open up more .
If they don ’ t , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is needed and in any case a further easing of measures can not take place now.
” On Wednesday , it was reported Germany ’ s carnival season is expected to be cancelled “ owing to fears that the revelry and mass gatherings could contribute to the spread ” , The Guardian reports .
The ban comes despite “ carnival season [ being ] the most significant cultural tradition of the year ” for many Germans .
The country is also expected to extend its furlough scheme to 24 months following the recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t suddenly disappear in the next few weeks , ” said Olaf Scholz , the recently announced Social Democrat candidate for chancellor in next year ’ s elections .
“ Businesses and employees need a clear signal from the government : we ’ ve got your back for the long haul in this crisis , so that no one is being let go without need , ” Scholz added .


theweekuk--2020-08-20--Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pitch mystery project idea to Hollywood

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have quietly been pitching a mystery project to top Hollywood studios , it has been revealed .
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle began floating the idea to executives in June as part of their plan to “ gain a foothold in Hollywood ” following their step back from royal duties in March , Variety says .
Although very few details of their pitch are known , sources told the magazine that the couple would like to serve as joint producers on the project .
Meghan , who found fame as an actress in legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to act [ and ] will not be acting in the project that was pitched ” the magazine adds .
NBCUniversal Content Studios chair Bonnie Hammer , who previously cast Meghan in her breakout role , is reportedly one of the top industry bosses to have heard the pitch .
Meetings to discuss the project were held as the pair were in the process of purchasing a $ 14.6m ( £11.1m ) property in celebrity-packed Santa Barbara , a city that also plays host to a number of philanthropists and charitable organisations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project is by no means the pair ’ s first media venture .
Last year , Meghan was chosen to narrate Disney+ film Elephant after showcasing her voiceover skills to Disney chairman Bob Iger .
Prince Harry , on the other hand , has put himself down to contribute to a Netflix series on the Paralympics and an Apple TV documentary about mental health .
Both Sussexes have also recently joined the list of public figures on Harry Walker Agency ’ s books , a speaking agency that represents the Obamas and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-profit Archewell published in March include the “ creation , development , production and distribution of music , motion picture films , podcasts , audio-visual entertainment ... and animated television shows ” , The Telegraph says .
The paper speculates that the move suggests the couple are preparing for a number of imminent media projects .

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have quietly been pitching a mystery project to top Hollywood studios, it has been revealed.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle began floating the idea to executives in June as part of their plan to “gain a foothold in Hollywood” following their step back from royal duties in March, Variety says.
Although very few details of their pitch are known, sources told the magazine that the couple would like to serve as joint producers on the project.
Meghan, who found fame as an actress in legal drama Suits, has “absolutely no plans to act [and] will not be acting in the project that was pitched” the magazine adds.
NBCUniversal Content Studios chair Bonnie Hammer, who previously cast Meghan in her breakout role, is reportedly one of the top industry bosses to have heard the pitch.
Meetings to discuss the project were held as the pair were in the process of purchasing a $14.6m (£11.1m) property in celebrity-packed Santa Barbara, a city that also plays host to a number of philanthropists and charitable organisations, The Times reports.
And the project is by no means the pair’s first media venture.
Last year, Meghan was chosen to narrate Disney+ film Elephant after showcasing her voiceover skills to Disney chairman Bob Iger. Prince Harry, on the other hand, has put himself down to contribute to a Netflix series on the Paralympics and an Apple TV documentary about mental health.
Both Sussexes have also recently joined the list of public figures on Harry Walker Agency’s books, a speaking agency that represents the Obamas and the Clintons.
Trade Mark filings for their non-profit Archewell published in March include the “creation, development, production and distribution of music, motion picture films, podcasts, audio-visual entertainment... and animated television shows”, The Telegraph says.
The paper speculates that the move suggests the couple are preparing for a number of imminent media projects.


theweekuk--2020-08-21--The A-level and GCSE results ‘most often inflated’ by teacher’s grades

A-level and GCSE grades have hit record highs this year , after a government U-turn prioritised teacher predictions over the controversial Qfqual-designed algorithm .
The about-turn on grading resulted in a raft of young people winning places at their first choice universities , days after downgrading had led them to believe they would miss out .
But “ not all subjects have reaped the benefits to the same extent ” , The Telegraph says .
According to retrospective data for A-level results released last Thursday - before the government U-turn on Monday this week - “ history , english literature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardest by downgrades ” , The Telegraph reports .
“ The algorithm lowered the share of A and above grades at A-level for History down from 36.7 % to 24.1 % - a drop of 12.6 ” percentage points ( pp ) , the paper says .
Meanwhile , “ English literature saw top marks downgraded from 37.7 % to 25.4 % ” .
At the opposite end of the spectrum , “ subjects such as German , music and design technology came out relatively unscathed ” , with downgrades of just 4.6pp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper adds .
The details will come as little comfort to one half-German student , whose mother last week called into LBC to explain how her German grade , “ which we thought was a definite A , [ was graded as a ] C ” .
The girl ’ s mother told a bemused Iain Dale that her daughter had lived in Germany for five years and is “ fluent in German ” .
GCSE results broke records with 78.8 % of papers rated grade 4 or above , compared with 69.9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most disrupted academic year in UK history ” , there was a 25 percentage point rise in grades 7 or above , the equivalent of an A , the BBC says .
Some grades improved more than others following the scrapping of algorithmic grading , with subjects “ with a lower number of students sitting exams ” seeing the largest year-on-year improvements , The Telegraph says .
Smaller entries , such as astronomy , performing and expressive arts , engineering and drama , had larger increases than core subjects such as maths and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw the share of top grades increase by 17 percentage points ( pp ) this year - the most of any subject - while performing and expressive arts and engineering both saw rises of 15.1pp this year , ” the paper says .
Economics , music and drama also saw some of the biggest gains , reporting rises of 15.0pp , 14.2pp and 13.3pp respectively .

A-level and GCSE grades have hit record highs this year, after a government U-turn prioritised teacher predictions over the controversial Qfqual-designed algorithm.
The about-turn on grading resulted in a raft of young people winning places at their first choice universities, days after downgrading had led them to believe they would miss out.
But “not all subjects have reaped the benefits to the same extent”, The Telegraph says.
A-levels
According to retrospective data for A-level results released last Thursday - before the government U-turn on Monday this week - “history, english literature and biology were the three subjects hit hardest by downgrades”, The Telegraph reports.
“The algorithm lowered the share of A and above grades at A-level for History down from 36.7% to 24.1% - a drop of 12.6” percentage points (pp), the paper says. Meanwhile, “English literature saw top marks downgraded from 37.7% to 25.4%”.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, “subjects such as German, music and design technology came out relatively unscathed”, with downgrades of just 4.6pp, 5.6pp and 6.0pp respectively, the paper adds.
The details will come as little comfort to one half-German student, whose mother last week called into LBC to explain how her German grade, “which we thought was a definite A, [was graded as a] C”. The girl’s mother told a bemused Iain Dale that her daughter had lived in Germany for five years and is “fluent in German”.
GCSEs
GCSE results broke records with 78.8% of papers rated grade 4 or above, compared with 69.9% in 2019. Despite “the most disrupted academic year in UK history”, there was a 25 percentage point rise in grades 7 or above, the equivalent of an A, the BBC says.
Some grades improved more than others following the scrapping of algorithmic grading, with subjects “with a lower number of students sitting exams” seeing the largest year-on-year improvements, The Telegraph says.
Smaller entries, such as astronomy, performing and expressive arts, engineering and drama, had larger increases than core subjects such as maths and English.
“Astronomy and geology, saw the share of top grades increase by 17 percentage points (pp) this year - the most of any subject - while performing and expressive arts and engineering both saw rises of 15.1pp this year,” the paper says.
Economics, music and drama also saw some of the biggest gains, reporting rises of 15.0pp, 14.2pp and 13.3pp respectively.