theweekuk--2020-07-27--Reaction: key revelations as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle biography rocks the Royals

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will “ never resume official roles ” after the publication of a tell-all book detailing their rift with the Royal family .
The pair have “ torpedoed ” any possibility of creating new positions in the family , after Finding Freedom : Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family outlined their “ soured relationship with the monarchy in excruciating detail ” , the Daily Mail says .
The book , described by the paper as the “ gospel according to the Sussexes ” , contains a “ string of incendiary claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Royals , as well as “ page after page of score-settling and vicious swipes at the Royal Family , courtiers and the media ” .
A royal household source told the paper that “ it ’ s hard to see how they can now salvage the new role ” , while another added that the book has seen “ very private family matters… aired in public , seemingly with their blessing .
That will be hurtful ” .
However , other sources told The Sun that the contents of the book “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that the couple “ have got whatever they want to get off their chests ” .
According to the authors of the book , Royal correspondents Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand , the tensions that ended in “ Megxit ” began when Prince William advised his brother to “ take as much time as you need to get to know this girl ” , The Guardian says .
The Duke of Sussex was allegedly angered by the words “ this girl ” , perceiving it as “ snobbish ” and “ condescending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was at first pleased that his brother was “ happy and content ” with Meghan but worried about the pace at which the relationship was developing , the authors write .
“ He just wanted to make sure that Harry wasn ’ t blindsided by lust.
” Extracts of the books , serialised in The Times and The Sunday Times , outline “ the early days of their courtship ” , describing how “ from their first date Harry ‘ was in a trance ’ ” .
After their second date , Harry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while every time anyone questioned their relationship , Harry would ask “ is this about race ?
Is it snobbery ?
” .
“ Ever sensitive to racism and snobbery , ” The Times adds , Harry “ cut off one of his friends when he gossiped about Meghan ” .
The authors also allege that one senior royal referred to Meghan as “ Harry ’ s showgirl ” , while another allegedly said : “ She comes with a lot of baggage ” .
A senior courtier is also alleged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something about her I don ’ t trust ” , while a palace staffer referred to her as “ the squeaky third wheel ” of the family .
The book also claims Prince Harry and Meghan came to feel that “ there were only a handful of people at the palace they could trust ” , The Guardian says , while friends of the couple referred to Royals as “ the vipers ” .
Scobie and Durand say the book was written with the “ participation of those closest to the couple ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prince Harry and Meghan ’ s “ inner circle ” .
The pair have publicly denied giving an interview to the authors , but their statement “ failed to address whether they had given permission for their closest friends , staff and associates from collaborating with it ” , the Daily Mail notes .

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will “never resume official roles” after the publication of a tell-all book detailing their rift with the Royal family.
The pair have “torpedoed” any possibility of creating new positions in the family, after Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family outlined their “soured relationship with the monarchy in excruciating detail”, the Daily Mail says.
The book, described by the paper as the “gospel according to the Sussexes”, contains a “string of incendiary claims about how they were shunned” by the Royals, as well as “page after page of score-settling and vicious swipes at the Royal Family, courtiers and the media”.
A royal household source told the paper that “it’s hard to see how they can now salvage the new role”, while another added that the book has seen “very private family matters… aired in public, seemingly with their blessing. That will be hurtful”.
However, other sources told The Sun that the contents of the book “was all to be expected”, adding that the couple “have got whatever they want to get off their chests”.
According to the authors of the book, Royal correspondents Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the tensions that ended in “Megxit” began when Prince William advised his brother to “take as much time as you need to get to know this girl”, The Guardian says.
The Duke of Sussex was allegedly angered by the words “this girl”, perceiving it as “snobbish” and “condescending”, the paper adds.
William was at first pleased that his brother was “happy and content” with Meghan but worried about the pace at which the relationship was developing, the authors write. “He just wanted to make sure that Harry wasn’t blindsided by lust.”
Extracts of the books, serialised in The Times and The Sunday Times, outline “the early days of their courtship”, describing how “from their first date Harry ‘was in a trance’”.
After their second date, Harry “knew they would be together”, while every time anyone questioned their relationship, Harry would ask “is this about race? Is it snobbery?”.
“Ever sensitive to racism and snobbery,” The Times adds, Harry “cut off one of his friends when he gossiped about Meghan”.
The authors also allege that one senior royal referred to Meghan as “Harry’s showgirl”, while another allegedly said: “She comes with a lot of baggage”. A senior courtier is also alleged to have said “there’s just something about her I don’t trust”, while a palace staffer referred to her as “the squeaky third wheel” of the family.
The book also claims Prince Harry and Meghan came to feel that “there were only a handful of people at the palace they could trust”, The Guardian says, while friends of the couple referred to Royals as “the vipers”.
Scobie and Durand say the book was written with the “participation of those closest to the couple”, adding that they had access to Prince Harry and Meghan’s “inner circle”.
The pair have publicly denied giving an interview to the authors, but their statement “failed to address whether they had given permission for their closest friends, staff and associates from collaborating with it”, the Daily Mail notes.


theweekuk--2020-07-27--The jacket: Chanel's eternal icon

The jacket: Chanel's eternal icon

Karl Lagerfeld once said : “ There are some things that never go out of fashion , jeans , a white shirt and a Chanel jacket.
” And , when one thinks of Chanel , if it ’ s not the quilted bags , the little tweed suiting or the No.5 fragrance , it ’ s the interior of 31 rue Cambon , the couturier ’ s famous maison : of mirrors and a winding staircase , an image as iconic as the fashions of Mademoiselle herself .
“ Because it ’ s such a welcoming space , ” confides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was appointed to the role following the passing of Karl Lagerfeld in 2019 ( she had been his right hand prior to that ) .
“ I love the huge sofa in beige suede .
Karl liked to surround himself with deep divans too .
In fact , Gabrielle ’ s apartment reminds me of Karl ’ s first apartment that I knew , where one would sit on four-poster beds disguised as sofas.
” It was with this dose of nostalgia , the story behind Chanel and its stylistic hallmarks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Métiers d'art offering , the annual collection dedicated to celebrating the specialist workshops and artisans with whom Chanel works ( Lemarie , for example , which makes its famed camellias ; and Lesage , the embroidery atelier ) .
“ They make our creations sublime , ” praises Viard .
“ This is the return to the codes and the very first Metiers d ’ art show in 2002 , which actually took place in the salons , at 31 rue Cambon .
That show was very dear to me .
So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I wanted it to revolve around Gabrielle ’ s apartment.
” Which is the stuff of legend .
Gabrielle herself would watch at the top of the stairs out of sight from her audience to glimpse their reaction as the models descended , Chanel-clad , into the salon .
The apartment ’ s leitmotifs – beige , black , gold and crystal - were transformed into a runway setting designed by the American film director Sofia Coppola for the collection ’ s unveiling back in December at the Grand Palais in Paris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows that were held at 31 rue Cambon , and how great it must have been to see the models walking by so close , ” explains Coppola , for whom personally there is a particular “ thrill ” in the iconic mirrored staircase .
“ The models smoked cigarettes while listening to Lou Reed .
It was more of an attitude than a theme , ” recalls Viard .
And it ’ s “ attitude ” , notably , that is a Chanel characteristic just as much as those quilted bags or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than by the Chanel jacket , renowned as it is rendered in tweed ; straight in cut and structure ; yet simultaneously casual and laidback but elegant in appeal .
Innovated by Chanel as a reaction to the constraints of 1950s dressing , it was reinvented countless times over by Lagerfeld when he joined the house in 1983 .
In 1985 , for example , he teamed it with jeans and a striped sporty top for a modern rebirth .
“ It is integral to the DNA of Chanel , ” says Marlene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store ( and industry insider favourite ) , noting its popularity today as both a worn and collected piece .
“ It didn ’ t start off as a ‘ jacket ’ by itself – it was part of a tailleur which had a matching skirt and silk blouse that went underneath .
But it was the jacket that stood out .
The silhouette is what was important here .
The cut , hitting above the hip , ” she explains .
The front of the jacket is mounted along the straight grain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increase suppleness without losing shape ; the same principle of which is applied to the back , separated by a seam down the middle .
There is of course the genius brass chain stitched into the hem on the lining to ensure a perfect drop .
“ This made it sit well on the body , ” says Wetherell .
“ As well as the high cut armhole , again creating a slimming effect .
We are speaking of engineering here .
She was brilliant at that .
As time passed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained , they remained because women liked the fit.
” It was that easy .
“ There is a sort of simplicity in going back to Chanel ’ s ABC .
We don ’ t need to do too much , ” says Viard of revisiting these foundational codes .
And , self-confessedly , she describes herself as being “ a child of Karl and Gabrielle ” .
She elaborates : “ I have completely absorbed the Chanel codes .
I saw Karl twist them so much .
I have grown up here… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ of Chanel and Karl ’ s work ] .
For me , it [ the designs ] has to be on the same level as in real life .
I always question the context , which has nothing to do with the way we lived decades ago : what would a woman like today ?
How would she wear it ?
” In 2020 , her proposal comes by way of another Chanel emblem : two-tone as well as the reinterpretation of a tie-dye jacket , inspired by a pink tweed suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ featured a multi-coloured lining .
This time that lining makes for the exterior tweed tones of the design .
Meanwhile , short styles of jacket are worn with low-waisted skirts and accessorised with jewelled belts and there is a showstopper of a style that is embroidered with over 23,000 sequins .
Wetherell perhaps sums it up best : “ In my opinion everyone should own a Chanel jacket .
”

“We thought about the original shows that were held at 31 rue Cambon, and how great it must have been to see the models walking by so close,” explains Coppola, for whom personally there is a particular “thrill” in the iconic mirrored staircase. “The models smoked cigarettes while listening to Lou Reed. It was more of an attitude than a theme,” recalls Viard.
Which is the stuff of legend. Gabrielle herself would watch at the top of the stairs out of sight from her audience to glimpse their reaction as the models descended, Chanel-clad, into the salon. The apartment’s leitmotifs – beige, black, gold and crystal - were transformed into a runway setting designed by the American film director Sofia Coppola for the collection’s unveiling back in December at the Grand Palais in Paris.
It was with this dose of nostalgia, the story behind Chanel and its stylistic hallmarks, that Viard went about approaching her latest Métiers d'art offering, the annual collection dedicated to celebrating the specialist workshops and artisans with whom Chanel works (Lemarie, for example, which makes its famed camellias; and Lesage, the embroidery atelier). “They make our creations sublime,” praises Viard. “This is the return to the codes and the very first Metiers d’art show in 2002, which actually took place in the salons, at 31 rue Cambon. That show was very dear to me. So, for this Metiers d’art collection, I wanted it to revolve around Gabrielle’s apartment.”
“Because it’s such a welcoming space,” confides Chanel creative director, Virginie Viard, who was appointed to the role following the passing of Karl Lagerfeld in 2019 (she had been his right hand prior to that). “I love the huge sofa in beige suede. Karl liked to surround himself with deep divans too. In fact, Gabrielle’s apartment reminds me of Karl’s first apartment that I knew, where one would sit on four-poster beds disguised as sofas.”
Karl Lagerfeld once said: “There are some things that never go out of fashion, jeans, a white shirt and a Chanel jacket.” And, when one thinks of Chanel, if it’s not the quilted bags, the little tweed suiting or the No.5 fragrance, it’s the interior of 31 rue Cambon, the couturier’s famous maison: of mirrors and a winding staircase, an image as iconic as the fashions of Mademoiselle herself.
And it’s “attitude”, notably, that is a Chanel characteristic just as much as those quilted bags or fragrance - and one embodied no better than by the Chanel jacket, renowned as it is rendered in tweed; straight in cut and structure; yet simultaneously casual and laidback but elegant in appeal. Innovated by Chanel as a reaction to the constraints of 1950s dressing, it was reinvented countless times over by Lagerfeld when he joined the house in 1983. In 1985, for example, he teamed it with jeans and a striped sporty top for a modern rebirth.
“It is integral to the DNA of Chanel,” says Marlene Wetherell of the eponymous New York vintage store (and industry insider favourite), noting its popularity today as both a worn and collected piece. “It didn’t start off as a ‘jacket’ by itself – it was part of a tailleur which had a matching skirt and silk blouse that went underneath. But it was the jacket that stood out. The silhouette is what was important here. The cut, hitting above the hip,” she explains.
The front of the jacket is mounted along the straight grain with no bust darts, done so to increase suppleness without losing shape; the same principle of which is applied to the back, separated by a seam down the middle. There is of course the genius brass chain stitched into the hem on the lining to ensure a perfect drop. “This made it sit well on the body,” says Wetherell. “As well as the high cut armhole, again creating a slimming effect. We are speaking of engineering here. She was brilliant at that. As time passed the skirt suit seemed less practical. Jackets remained, they remained because women liked the fit.” It was that easy.
“There is a sort of simplicity in going back to Chanel’s ABC. We don’t need to do too much,” says Viard of revisiting these foundational codes. And, self-confessedly, she describes herself as being “a child of Karl and Gabrielle”. She elaborates: “I have completely absorbed the Chanel codes. I saw Karl twist them so much. I have grown up here… I like the idea of a patchwork [of Chanel and Karl’s work]. For me, it [the designs] has to be on the same level as in real life. I always question the context, which has nothing to do with the way we lived decades ago: what would a woman like today? How would she wear it?”
In 2020, her proposal comes by way of another Chanel emblem: two-tone as well as the reinterpretation of a tie-dye jacket, inspired by a pink tweed suit originally made by Chanel in 1960 which featured a multi-coloured lining. This time that lining makes for the exterior tweed tones of the design. Meanwhile, short styles of jacket are worn with low-waisted skirts and accessorised with jewelled belts and there is a showstopper of a style that is embroidered with over 23,000 sequins.
Wetherell perhaps sums it up best: “In my opinion everyone should own a Chanel jacket.”


theweekuk--2020-07-27--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 27 Jul 2020

People over 40 would start contributing towards the cost of care in later life under plans being considered by ministers @ @ @ @ @ social care .
Over-40s would have to pay more in tax or national insurance , @ @ @ @ @ themselves against “ hefty bills ” for care when they are older , says The @ @ @ @ @ Boris Johnson vowed to “ fix the crisis in social care once and for all @ @

Over-40s may pay more tax to tackle social care crisis
People over 40 would start contributing towards the cost of care in later life under plans being considered by ministers to end the crisis in social care. Over-40s would have to pay more in tax or national insurance, or be compelled to insure themselves against “hefty bills” for care when they are older, says The Guardian. Last year, Boris Johnson vowed to “fix the crisis in social care once and for all”.


theweekuk--2020-07-27--Safari park visitors ‘arm baboons with chainsaw’

Baboons armed with knives , screwdrivers and a chainsaw have been spotted at Knowsley safari park .
Staff at the zoo believe that some visitors are trying to help increase the notorious damage caused to vehicles by the animals by supplying weapons “ for a laugh ” .
The safari park reopened its doors on 15 June .
How to get paid to drink wine Organic wine supplier Vintage Roots has announced that it is looking to pay one lucky person £250 to drink and review their vino .
To apply , you just need to post a picture of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media with relevant tags .
More details here .
Loose predator turns out to be cuddly toy Police investigating reports of a “ large apex predator ” on the loose in Steyning , West Sussex , discovered that it was in fact just a large stuffed toy .
Last year , the RSPCA were called out to a report of a tiger being kept in a cramped cage in Exeter that turned out to be a soft toy .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Baboons armed with knives, screwdrivers and a chainsaw have been spotted at Knowsley safari park. Staff at the zoo believe that some visitors are trying to help increase the notorious damage caused to vehicles by the animals by supplying weapons “for a laugh”. The safari park reopened its doors on 15 June.
How to get paid to drink wine
Organic wine supplier Vintage Roots has announced that it is looking to pay one lucky person £250 to drink and review their vino. To apply, you just need to post a picture of yourself with a glass of wine on social media with relevant tags. More details here.
Loose predator turns out to be cuddly toy
Police investigating reports of a “large apex predator” on the loose in Steyning, West Sussex, discovered that it was in fact just a large stuffed toy. Last year, the RSPCA were called out to a report of a tiger being kept in a cramped cage in Exeter that turned out to be a soft toy.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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--2020-07-26--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 26 Jul 2020

Labour is to be warned of a string of potentially costly new legal actions over antisemitism after the shadow cabinet @ @ @ @ @ financial toll the crisis is taking on the party .
A source said : “ @ @ @ @ @ settle this , which it will if it has any sense , it will cost @ @ @ @ @ pounds .
If it reaches court and Labour loses , it will cost the party @ @ @ @

Labour warned of financial toll of antisemitism cases
Labour is to be warned of a string of potentially costly new legal actions over antisemitism after the shadow cabinet was told about the devastating financial toll the crisis is taking on the party. A source said: “If the party agrees to settle this, which it will if it has any sense, it will cost Labour a few hundred thousand pounds. If it reaches court and Labour loses, it will cost the party many millions.”


theweekuk--2020-07-25--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 25 Jul 2020

Boris Johnson has admitted there were “ things we could have done differently ” over the coronavirus .
The prime @ @ @ @ @ did not understand the virus in the “ first few weeks and months ” .
@ @ @ @ @ it was not the moment to “ run a kind of inquiry into what happened @ @ @ @ @ he added that there were “ very open questions ” about whether the lockdown had @ @ @ @

PM admits ‘open questions’ on Covid-19 response
Boris Johnson has admitted there were “things we could have done differently” over the coronavirus. The prime minister also said the government did not understand the virus in the “first few weeks and months”. Although he told the BBC it was not the moment to “run a kind of inquiry into what happened in the past,” he added that there were “very open questions” about whether the lockdown had started too late.


theweekuk--2020-07-28--Coronavirus: are false positive Covid-19 tests skewing infection rate figures?

As concern grows about new outbreaks of Covid-19 across several European countries , scientists - and hopeful holidaymakers - are poring over coronavirus test data .
But even though the tests used by the NHS and other European health services are considered highly reliable by international standards , “ it ’ s surprisingly hard to determine how accurate a coronavirus test is ” , says Maureen Ferran , associate professor of biology at New York ’ s Rochester Institute of Technology , in an article on The Conversation .
When overall infection rates are low , as they are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of Europe , the risk of false positives - that is , people who don ’ t have the disease being told that they do - can be significant .
“ If only 5 % of a population have the coronavirus , a test with 95 % specificity would result in a 50 % chance of a false positive , ” Ferran says .
False negatives - when people are told they don ’ t have the disease but actually do - can be even more serious , since the people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine while still infectious .
However , “ the impact of false negatives is greatest when the absolute risk of infection is high ” , according to a government research paper published in June .
As the proportion of the population with the virus decreases , it becomes less likely that a faulty test will coincide with someone who should test positive .
As a precaution , though , someone showing Covid-19 symptoms is likely to be treated as infectious even if they test negative .
Why does the false positive rate rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test accuracy should be consistent over time , the probability that an individual test gives the correct answer will depend on the infection rate at the time .
Imagine , says The Spectator , a population in which 0.1 % of the population has Covid-19 , and a test which gives true positive results 80 % of the time and true negative results 99.9 % of the time .
“ In this scenario , 10,000 random people go for a Covid-19 test , ” the magazine explains .
“ With the infection level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have Sars-CoV-2 and 9,990 will not .
“ Of the ten who turn up with an infection , 80 % will test positive , meaning eight people will be correctly identified while two walk away with a false negative .
“ And of the 9,990 not infected , all but ten will be correctly diagnosed as negative : hence the success rate of 99.9 % .
But ten will be told they have Covid-19 , when in fact they don ’ t. ” The result is 18 positive tests , “ eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ten who did not ” - so fewer than half of the positive diagnoses are correct .
What are the numbers now ?
According to Ferran , a research centre in Geneva found that five Covid-19 tests widely used in Europe provided accurate results for 100 % of people who did have the virus and 96 % of people who did not .
That would mean 4 % of people who did not have Covid-19 would receive a false positive .
After reviewing data from British testing centres , the government research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK ’ s false positive rate has a 50 % chance of sitting somewhere between 0.8 % and 4 % .
However , the authors go on to say that , given the data from the end of May , the rate “ can not exceed 1.6 % ” and is “ likely to be much lower ” .
The researchers use 0.4 % as the false positive rate , which means that on a day when more than 100,000 tests were carried out , more than 400 false positives would be expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK has been carrying out , on average , about 130,000 tests per day , which have returned about 675 positive results per day .
What are the implications ?
False positive results have both personal and national consequences .
The example above would lead to “ 400 people being isolated when they are well , and much wasted effort in contact tracing ” , the government research explains .
It also has implications for how we interpret the data .
“ Going off current testing practices and results , Covid-19 might never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Spectator .
On the other hand , some people who are infected with the virus are never tested , so there are unknowns on both sides of the equation .

As concern grows about new outbreaks of Covid-19 across several European countries, scientists - and hopeful holidaymakers - are poring over coronavirus test data.
But even though the tests used by the NHS and other European health services are considered highly reliable by international standards, “it’s surprisingly hard to determine how accurate a coronavirus test is”, says Maureen Ferran, associate professor of biology at New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology, in an article on The Conversation.
When overall infection rates are low, as they are still in the UK and most of the rest of Europe, the risk of false positives - that is, people who don’t have the disease being told that they do - can be significant.
“If only 5% of a population have the coronavirus, a test with 95% specificity would result in a 50% chance of a false positive,” Ferran says.
What about false negative results?
False negatives - when people are told they don’t have the disease but actually do - can be even more serious, since the people in question may be released from hospital or quarantine while still infectious.
However, “the impact of false negatives is greatest when the absolute risk of infection is high”, according to a government research paper published in June. As the proportion of the population with the virus decreases, it becomes less likely that a faulty test will coincide with someone who should test positive.
As a precaution, though, someone showing Covid-19 symptoms is likely to be treated as infectious even if they test negative.
Why does the false positive rate rise as infections fall?
Even though overall test accuracy should be consistent over time, the probability that an individual test gives the correct answer will depend on the infection rate at the time.
Imagine, says The Spectator, a population in which 0.1% of the population has Covid-19, and a test which gives true positive results 80% of the time and true negative results 99.9% of the time.
“In this scenario, 10,000 random people go for a Covid-19 test,” the magazine explains. “With the infection level at 0.1%, just ten people will have Sars-CoV-2 and 9,990 will not.
“Of the ten who turn up with an infection, 80% will test positive, meaning eight people will be correctly identified while two walk away with a false negative.


theweekuk--2020-07-28--Should Boris Johnson ‘cull the cabinet’ to end Westminster rivalries?

Boris Johnson should urgently reform his government and cull half his cabinet , the departing head of the civil service has said .
In a valedictory speech on Monday , outgoing cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill said the current government is “ too rivalrous ” and is focused on the “ preoccupations of Westminster ” rather than the “ issues which matter to our citizens ” , reports The Times .
What else did Sedwill say ?
In his last public address as cabinet secretary , Sedwill criticised a number of government departments being led by cabinet ministers with competing political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a whole is unwieldly compared with those of Donald Trump in the US and Xi Jinping in China , argued the top civil servant , who is stepping down amid reports of tensions with “ senior members ” of the prime minister ’ s team .
“ The British cabinet is twice the size of President Trump ’ s and four times the size of President Xi ’ s , ” he told an audience at Oxford University ’ s Blavatnik School of Government .
“ Boundaries within Whitehall are largely happenstance but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Britain ’ s central government is “ too metropolitan , too short term , too siloed , too rivalrous and too focused on the preoccupations of Westminster and Whitehall rather on the issues on the front line , which matter to our citizens ” .
Sedwill claims that cutting the number of ministerial departments from 24 to around a dozen would help foster genuine debate in cabinet .
“ I personally think cabinet is too large and quite a cumbersome forum for genuine debate of the issues , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people around the table .
At best only a few of them can have a significant intervention.
” Some proponents of a cull by Johnson point to the small cabinet of German leader Angela Merkel , who has a team of just 15 around her .
“ In general the system works well , and there have been few calls for a larger cabinet or more government departments , ” says The Telegraph .
However , “ key differences in the German political system also help keep the cabinet small ” , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the 16 states each have their own fully empowered regional government , so there is no need for cabinet representation.
” And some commentators argue that the current UK cabinet is not as big and cumbersome as suggested .
Indeed , thanks to a reduced number of junior ministers , “ the cabinet is currently the smallest it has been for a number of years ” , says the Institute for Government .
The think tank concedes , however , that “ the size of the cabinet can also make in-depth discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s call for Whitehall reform chimes with those made previously by Johnson ’ s right-hand man .
Dominic Cummings and Sedwill have clashed in recent months over the top civil servant ’ s response to the coronavirus outbreak , but both men had always agreed on the need to streamline government .
All the same , Sedwill made a thinly veiled jibe yesterday at the senior advisor ’ s plans to bring in “ weirdos and misfits ” to improve policy-making , saying that “ much of the public debate about civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing that success is guaranteed by the injection of different kinds of clever people ” .
Sedwill also shrugged off the hostile briefings about him made to the media by anonymous government sources - reported to be linked to Cummings - joking that his former roles in national security had been far worse .
“ I ’ ve had a gun in my face from Saddam Hussein ’ s bodyguards [ and ] a bomb under my seat at a polo match in the foothills of the Himalayas , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mortared and had someone come after me with a suicide vest .
When people ask me how I handle the political sniping which is a regrettable feature of modern governance , I simply remind myself that it really isn ’ t as bad as the real thing .
”

Boris Johnson should urgently reform his government and cull half his cabinet, the departing head of the civil service has said.
In a valedictory speech on Monday, outgoing cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill said the current government is “too rivalrous” and is focused on the “preoccupations of Westminster” rather than the “issues which matter to our citizens”, reports The Times.
What else did Sedwill say?
In his last public address as cabinet secretary, Sedwill criticised a number of government departments being led by cabinet ministers with competing political priorities.
And the UK government as a whole is unwieldly compared with those of Donald Trump in the US and Xi Jinping in China, argued the top civil servant, who is stepping down amid reports of tensions with “senior members” of the prime minister’s team.
“The British cabinet is twice the size of President Trump’s and four times the size of President Xi’s,” he told an audience at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government. “Boundaries within Whitehall are largely happenstance but skew ministerial unofficial behaviour.”
Sedwill added that Britain’s central government is “too metropolitan, too short term, too siloed, too rivalrous and too focused on the preoccupations of Westminster and Whitehall rather on the issues on the front line, which matter to our citizens”.
What difference could a cull make?
Sedwill claims that cutting the number of ministerial departments from 24 to around a dozen would help foster genuine debate in cabinet.
“I personally think cabinet is too large and quite a cumbersome forum for genuine debate of the issues,” he said. “You can have 25 or 30 people around the table. At best only a few of them can have a significant intervention.”
Some proponents of a cull by Johnson point to the small cabinet of German leader Angela Merkel, who has a team of just 15 around her. “In general the system works well, and there have been few calls for a larger cabinet or more government departments,” says The Telegraph.
However, “key differences in the German political system also help keep the cabinet small”, the newspaper adds. “In federal Germany, the 16 states each have their own fully empowered regional government, so there is no need for cabinet representation.”


theweekuk--2020-07-28--Instant Opinion: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are ‘nothing without gossip’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , @ @ @ @ @ on the emptiness of royalty The Sussexes are nothing without gossip “ There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ This is royalty ’ s big problem .
There is a swirling maelstrom of duty @ @ @ @ @ and hats , and writs , and gossip , and more hats , and medals @ @ @ @ @ sure what , and awful friends , and dogs , and horses , and palace @ @ @ @ @ meaningful brooch but more often than not just another hat .

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Hugo Rifkind in The Times
on the emptiness of royalty
The Sussexes are nothing without gossip
“There’s just not enough there. This is royalty’s big problem. There is a swirling maelstrom of duty, and familial rifts, and hats, and writs, and gossip, and more hats, and medals for you’re not sure what, and awful friends, and dogs, and horses, and palace disasters, and occasionally a meaningful brooch but more often than not just another hat. And really not very much else... The fuss is the job and the job is the fuss. That’s it. That’s the whole royal deal. This is the context in which to read the past few days of extracts from Finding Freedom, the new book about the Sussexes’ brave decision to move to America because the Duchess of Cambridge made the wrong sort of eye contact with Meghan at a memorial service and also once didn’t offer her a lift to the shops in a Range Rover. And it is also why, despite their ceaseless desire to be known, and understood, but correctly, their efforts will only ever be a Mobius strip, turning inwards, forever, upon themselves.”
2. Giles Tremlett, author of Ghosts of Spain, in The Guardian
on the second wave in Europe
The conditions for a coronavirus spike in Spain were clear. Yet no one saw it coming
“Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, provided a reassuring contrast to the buffoonery of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. When he forced the country into a harsh mid-March lockdown, he freely admitted mistakes had been made. Spaniards were prepared to pardon. But, just as Americans cannot forgive Trump for leading the United States into a double-bump pandemic, so a sense of anger is building as Spain’s triumphant ‘defeat’ of coronavirus threatens to become merely a brief holiday. New daily cases here have jumped to three times the level in Britain and show a steep progression. In the worst-hit areas, partial lockdowns are being reinstated, with the Catalan regional premier, Quim Torra, talking of a ‘critical situation’ and threatening the harshest lockdown measures available to him within days. ‘I don’t want another 7,000 deaths,’ he said. Community contagion – when nobody knows who is infecting who – is reportedly back in some parts.”
3. Benedict Spence in The Daily Telegraph
on a life-saving opportunity for tourist towns
With the right attitude, Britain’s tourist industry can be the real winner of the quarantine row
“The reality is, plenty of the UK is in dire need of tourists. They are perhaps the one thing that will revive flagging businesses in many parts of the country in the short term. And much of our islands are areas of staggering natural beauty. Sure, there’s always the risk of a washout – but so far it hasn’t been an especially bad year, weather-wise. It would represent a far less risky option, in a difficult period when official advice and policy can shift in a matter of days, for many families to choose to holiday at home this year. For it to happen, it will require people to recognise that everyone is having to do things a little differently, and that going abroad to your regular, favourite retreat, though enticing, may simply not be practical. On the other hand, it will require a change in attitude from many people in the places of the country who stand to gain the most from increased domestic footfall. Right now, with potentially millions of livelihoods at stake, there just isn’t the capacity for hostility towards outsiders. By definition, the lockdown has forced us all to become insular. That doesn’t mean shutting ourselves off entirely from those around us.”
4. Dr Nisreen Alwan, associate professor in Public Health at the University of Southampton, on HuffPost
on the government’s Covid-19 weight loss plan
Blaming Obesity Is Not The Solution To Coronavirus
“Covid-19 is an infectious disease and the risk of getting it is determined by how much of the virus is circulating in the community more than anything else. Therefore, fighting it primarily means controlling the spread and transmission of the virus, and very quickly detecting and isolating cases. Obesity on the other hand is a structural problem in society. This basically means that it is largely determined by people’s environment and resources. If you are poor, it is much harder to maintain a healthy weight due to the many barriers imposed by your environment and available resources... Population-level action on obesity is very much needed, but it is a long haul of systems-wide change and must not be linked to the fight against Covid-19. This can potentially lead to further stigma of already disadvantaged people. This narrative of losing weight to beat coronavirus can easily turn into victim-blaming. If it is necessary to link it as a “wake-up call” then the same should apply for action on poverty right from the start of life, given the pre-pandemic status of almost one in three children in the UK living in poverty. Those who live with multiple disadvantage are most vulnerable to getting Covid-19 and getting it badly. These are the same groups vulnerable to many other health problems.”
5. Dr Emily Oster, author of Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, From Birth to Preschool, in The New York Times
on schools in need of a plan
What Will Schools Do When a Teacher Gets Covid-19?
“Bottom line: When schools open, there will be cases. It is necessary to have a concrete plan for what will happen when this occurs... Once you acknowledge the reality of cases in schools, it is clear that schools need a plan. The first part of this plan should recognize that schools should not open in person until cases of the virus in the surrounding areas are low. Putting a precise number on this is difficult, but at a minimum places that have locked down except for essential services should not open schools. But for areas with low incidence, you still need a plan. And this plan needs at least two parts. First, there needs to be what I’d call a micro plan: What happens when a single student or teacher in a classroom tests positive? Of course the affected person will need to remain home until cleared for a return to school. But what about the rest of the classroom, the rest of the floor, the rest of the school?”


theweekuk--2020-07-28--WhatsApp attack: who is hacking Catalonian politicians’ phones?

WhatsApp has confirmed that a leading pro-independence politician in Catalonia was the target of a phone hacking described by experts as a possible act of “ domestic espionage ” .
The Facebook-owned messaging service has sent a letter to Roger Torrent , the speaker of the Catalan parliament , confirming that his WhatsApp account was “ targeted in an attempt to gain unauthorised access to data and communications on the device ” , The Guardian reports .
The phones of at least two other pro-independence supporters are also believed to have been attacked .
“ By ‘ targeted ’ we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attackers attempted to inject malicious code into Mr Torrent ’ s WhatsApp application , ” said Niamh Sweeney , the company ’ director of public policy for Europe , the Middle East and Asia .
“ Based on the information available to us , we are not in a position to confirm whether Mr Torrent ’ s device was compromised as this could only be achieved through an exhaustive forensic analysis of the device.
” The letter to the politician said that the attempted hack took place during a targeted attack against a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including other political figures , journalists , diplomats and human rights activists - by operators of spyware made by NSO Group , an Israel-based technology firm .
NSO Group has declined to comment on the claims but is being sued by WhatsApp over its alleged role in the digital assault , which took place over a two-week period from April to May last year , according to The Guardian .
The confirmation of the attack on Torrent ’ s personal device comes two weeks after the newspaper and Madrid-based daily El Pais first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been “ targeted using spyware its makers say is only sold to governments to track criminals and terrorists ” .
At the time , Torrent said that the Spanish state would be complicit in a crime if the authorities had been aware of the suspected hacking , Reuters reports .
Experts suggested that allegation might prove to be correct .
“ This case is extremely troubling because it suggests that possible domestic political espionage was taking place , ” said John Scott-Railton , a researcher at the University of Toronto ’ s Citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempts .
Spain ’ s socialist-led coalition government has denied any knowledge of such spying .
Torrent is now planning to take legal action against Felix Sanz Roldan , who was the head of Spain ’ s National Intelligence Centre ( CNI ) at the time of the hacking assault .
Roldan has denied any wrongdoing , telling The Guardian that the CNI “ always acts with the most scrupulous regard for the law ” .

WhatsApp has confirmed that a leading pro-independence politician in Catalonia was the target of a phone hacking described by experts as a possible act of “domestic espionage”.
The Facebook-owned messaging service has sent a letter to Roger Torrent, the speaker of the Catalan parliament, confirming that his WhatsApp account was “targeted in an attempt to gain unauthorised access to data and communications on the device”, The Guardian reports.
The phones of at least two other pro-independence supporters are also believed to have been attacked.
“By ‘targeted’ we are referring to the fact that the attackers attempted to inject malicious code into Mr Torrent’s WhatsApp application,” said Niamh Sweeney, the company’ director of public policy for Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
“Based on the information available to us, we are not in a position to confirm whether Mr Torrent’s device was compromised as this could only be achieved through an exhaustive forensic analysis of the device.”
The letter to the politician said that the attempted hack took place during a targeted attack against a total of around 1,400 WhatsApp users - including other political figures, journalists, diplomats and human rights activists - by operators of spyware made by NSO Group, an Israel-based technology firm.
NSO Group has declined to comment on the claims but is being sued by WhatsApp over its alleged role in the digital assault, which took place over a two-week period from April to May last year, according to The Guardian.
The confirmation of the attack on Torrent’s personal device comes two weeks after the newspaper and Madrid-based daily El Pais first reported that he was believed to have been “targeted using spyware its makers say is only sold to governments to track criminals and terrorists”.
At the time, Torrent said that the Spanish state would be complicit in a crime if the authorities had been aware of the suspected hacking, Reuters reports.
Experts suggested that allegation might prove to be correct. “This case is extremely troubling because it suggests that possible domestic political espionage was taking place,” said John Scott-Railton, a researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab who has helped investigate the hacking attempts.
Spain’s socialist-led coalition government has denied any knowledge of such spying.
Torrent is now planning to take legal action against Felix Sanz Roldan, who was the head of Spain’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI) at the time of the hacking assault. Roldan has denied any wrongdoing, telling The Guardian that the CNI “always acts with the most scrupulous regard for the law”.


theweekuk--2020-07-28--Reaction: ‘all travel a risk’ holidaymakers told as European infection rates soar

British holidaymakers have been told that “ no travel is risk-free ” as the government considers extending mandatory quarantine on return to cover arrivals from a host of European countries .
Spain has already seen its “ safe ” status taken away , with holidaymakers visiting the mainland or Spanish islands now forced to spend 14-days in isolation on their return to the UK .
The Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said last night that Britain had made an “ error ” , claiming that most regions of Spain had a lower infection rate than the UK .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cover return from the Spanish islands was branded an “ absolute shambles ” by travel agents , reports The Times .
Chris Rowles , chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators , said : “ We in travel very much don ’ t wish to put our customers , or anyone else , including host destinations , at risk , quite the contrary .
But looking at the figures , it could certainly be more dangerous to stay in the UK than to travel.
” The Association of British Travel Agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK have all called for a regional approach to quarantine , as has the Spanish government , reports The Guardian .
“ There have been conversations since the weekend with the British authorities about dropping quarantine for those visiting the islands as soon as possible , ” Spain ’ s tourism minister , Reyes Maroto , said .
“ We ’ ll be talking to all the Spanish regions to see what they propose , and any proposals will be brought to the British authorities.
” Boris Johnson ’ s spokesperson said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic and disruption is possible .
So anyone travelling abroad should be aware that our travel advice is under constant review ” .
At least 11 European countries where quarantine-free travel is possible have seen a rise in coronavirus cases in recent days , with infections rising in Croatia , Belgium , France , Germany and Austria .
The surge of cases in France and Germany has prompted many countries dependent on British tourists to worry they could be next to fall foul of the mandatory quarantine for arrivals rule , says ITV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week that anybody arriving to the country from 16 countries where the virus is widely circulating will be subject to on-the-spot coronavirus tests .
And Germany has also announced the rollout of mass testing for people from high-risk countries , including the US but not Britain .
Jerome Marty , the president of a French general practitioner ’ s union , said the summer break would be an important moment in the coronavirus pandemic .
“ There ’ s everything at risk in the next three weeks because we ’ re entering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe 1 .
Most European nations are seeing increases in their number of cases and outbreaks , but are hoping any second wave will be regionally limited , says the BBC .
But Belgium is one country warning of second “ complete lockdown ” following a significant spike in infections , according to Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes .
“ Experts say it is possible to avoid another lockdown .
But it must be remembered that the world ’ s leading scientists are incapable of knowing how the situation will develop , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frighten people , but neither should we abuse them by pretending to know everything.
” Belgium saw a 71 % increase in the seven-day average number of infections in Belgium between 17 July and 23 July , reports The Guardian , up from 163 new cases a day to 279 .
But the European rise is nothing compared to the rest of the world .
The global rise “ is driven by high transmission in large and populous countries in the Americas and South Asia ” , the World Health Organization said in @ @ @ @ @

British holidaymakers have been told that “no travel is risk-free” as the government considers extending mandatory quarantine on return to cover arrivals from a host of European countries.
Spain has already seen its “safe” status taken away, with holidaymakers visiting the mainland or Spanish islands now forced to spend 14-days in isolation on their return to the UK.
The Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said last night that Britain had made an “error”, claiming that most regions of Spain had a lower infection rate than the UK.
Meanwhile, the government’s extension of quarantine to cover return from the Spanish islands was branded an “absolute shambles” by travel agents, reports The Times.
Chris Rowles, chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators, said: “We in travel very much don’t wish to put our customers, or anyone else, including host destinations, at risk, quite the contrary. But looking at the figures, it could certainly be more dangerous to stay in the UK than to travel.”
The Association of British Travel Agents, easyJet and the lobby group Airlines UK have all called for a regional approach to quarantine, as has the Spanish government, reports The Guardian.
“There have been conversations since the weekend with the British authorities about dropping quarantine for those visiting the islands as soon as possible,” Spain’s tourism minister, Reyes Maroto, said. “We’ll be talking to all the Spanish regions to see what they propose, and any proposals will be brought to the British authorities.”
Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said that “no travel is risk-free during this pandemic and disruption is possible. So anyone travelling abroad should be aware that our travel advice is under constant review”.
Where are infection rates rising?
At least 11 European countries where quarantine-free travel is possible have seen a rise in coronavirus cases in recent days, with infections rising in Croatia, Belgium, France, Germany and Austria.
The surge of cases in France and Germany has prompted many countries dependent on British tourists to worry they could be next to fall foul of the mandatory quarantine for arrivals rule, says ITV.
French prime minister Jean Castex announced last week that anybody arriving to the country from 16 countries where the virus is widely circulating will be subject to on-the-spot coronavirus tests. And Germany has also announced the rollout of mass testing for people from high-risk countries, including the US but not Britain.
Jerome Marty, the president of a French general practitioner’s union, said the summer break would be an important moment in the coronavirus pandemic. “There’s everything at risk in the next three weeks because we’re entering the dangerous period,” he told Europe 1.
Most European nations are seeing increases in their number of cases and outbreaks, but are hoping any second wave will be regionally limited, says the BBC. But Belgium is one country warning of second “complete lockdown” following a significant spike in infections, according to Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes.
“Experts say it is possible to avoid another lockdown. But it must be remembered that the world’s leading scientists are incapable of knowing how the situation will develop,” said Wilmes. “We must not frighten people, but neither should we abuse them by pretending to know everything.”
Belgium saw a 71% increase in the seven-day average number of infections in Belgium between 17 July and 23 July, reports The Guardian, up from 163 new cases a day to 279.
But the European rise is nothing compared to the rest of the world.
The global rise “is driven by high transmission in large and populous countries in the Americas and South Asia”, the World Health Organization said in a statement on Saturday.


theweekuk--2020-07-28--Americans warned not to plant mystery seeds being sent to homes nationwide from China

The US authorities are warning against planting mysterious seeds that have been arriving in the mail at homes in 27 states .
Members of the public are being urged to report the delivery of the unsolicited pouches , which “ appear to have mostly originated from China ” , The Wall Street Journal reports .
State officials and the United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) are investigating claims that “ hundreds of residents have received seeds in the mail they didn ’ t order ” , the newspaper adds .
The packages “ typically have Chinese characters on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the contents are jewellery , says CNN .
However , the packages actually “ contain a sealed packet of unknown seeds that some state agriculture departments say could be invasive plant species ” , according to the broadcaster , which adds that it is “ unclear who exactly is sending these packages ” , or why .
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has issued a statement warning that “ invasive species wreak havoc on the environment , displace or destroy native plants and insects and severely damage crops .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the most effective method of reducing both the risk of invasive species infestations and the cost to control and mitigate those infestations.
” Police in Ohio , where at least one resident has reported receiving seeds , say the packages could be a part of a “ brushing ” fraud , reports The New York Times .
As the department explains on its Facebook page , a brushing scam “ is an exploit by a vendor used to bolster product ratings and increase visibility online by shipping an inexpensive product to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the receiver ’ s behalf under the guise of a verified owner ” .
Although the seeds did not appear to be “ directly dangerous ” , the department adds , “ we would still prefer that people contact us to properly dispose of the seeds ” .
The import of plants and seeds is “ heavily regulated ” by the Plant Protection and Quarantine Program , which is managed by the US Department of Agriculture 's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service , says CNN .
Seeds being shipped into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certificate that ensures the product is free of pests and diseases ” , the broadcaster reports .

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theweekuk--2020-07-28--MI6 agents tried to stop judge seeing secret documents in ‘licence to kill’ case

MI6 was forced to apologise after its agents tried to interfere with a court case about whether sister agency MI5 gave intelligence operatives an effective “ licence to kill ” , it has emerged .
High Court documents show that MI6 officials were rebuked by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal ( IPT ) after two agents attempted to prevent secret files from being provided to one of the country ’ s top judges .
Although the agency apologised “ for any misunderstanding ” after being criticised by the surveillance watchdog , critics have claimed that the intervention was “ an attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his team ” , says the BBC .
The files in question were originally released in a case brought last year by “ four human rights organisations over alleged ‘ licence to kill ’ crimes linked to intelligence operatives at sister agency MI5 ” , the Daily Mail reports .
The coalition , which includes Reprieve and Privacy International , alleged that MI5 “ may have unlawfully allowed spies and informants to participate in crime under the policy which could be used to authorise offences as serious as killing on British soil ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was rejected , but the High Court heard this week that Susan Cobb , the secretary of the IPT , was contacted by the two agents during the investigation .
Cobb was told that the “ tribunal should not have been provided with copies of secret documents which were potentially relevant to the case ” and that “ the documents should not be passed to Lord Justice Singh , other members of the tribunal or the senior lawyer who advises them ” , the BBC says .
In response , she wrote to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ inappropriate interference ” , adding that the tribunal was an “ independent judicial body ” .
Days later , a senior MI6 manager replied offering the agency ’ s “ apologies for any misunderstanding that may have arisen as a result of the approach made to the tribunal ” , the broadcaster adds .
However , lawyers for the campaign groups returned to court on Monday to call for an investigation into whether MI6 ’ s intentions , with Privacy International arguing that “ interference with judicial proceedings has absolutely no place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lord Justice Singh rejected the application to further “ investigate or ask MI6 to disclose the details of the incident - including who had asked the officers to contact the secretary ” , The Telegraph reports .

MI6 was forced to apologise after its agents tried to interfere with a court case about whether sister agency MI5 gave intelligence operatives an effective “licence to kill”, it has emerged.
High Court documents show that MI6 officials were rebuked by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) after two agents attempted to prevent secret files from being provided to one of the country’s top judges.
Although the agency apologised “for any misunderstanding” after being criticised by the surveillance watchdog, critics have claimed that the intervention was “an attempt to put pressure on the judge and his team”, says the BBC.
The files in question were originally released in a case brought last year by “four human rights organisations over alleged ‘licence to kill’ crimes linked to intelligence operatives at sister agency MI5”, the Daily Mail reports.
The coalition, which includes Reprieve and Privacy International, alleged that MI5 “may have unlawfully allowed spies and informants to participate in crime under the policy which could be used to authorise offences as serious as killing on British soil”, The Telegraph adds.
The case was rejected, but the High Court heard this week that Susan Cobb, the secretary of the IPT, was contacted by the two agents during the investigation.
Cobb was told that the “tribunal should not have been provided with copies of secret documents which were potentially relevant to the case” and that “the documents should not be passed to Lord Justice Singh, other members of the tribunal or the senior lawyer who advises them”, the BBC says.
In response, she wrote to MI6 saying the phone conversations amounted to “inappropriate interference”, adding that the tribunal was an “independent judicial body”.
Days later, a senior MI6 manager replied offering the agency’s “apologies for any misunderstanding that may have arisen as a result of the approach made to the tribunal”, the broadcaster adds.
However, lawyers for the campaign groups returned to court on Monday to call for an investigation into whether MI6’s intentions, with Privacy International arguing that “interference with judicial proceedings has absolutely no place in any mature democracy”.
But Lord Justice Singh rejected the application to further “investigate or ask MI6 to disclose the details of the incident - including who had asked the officers to contact the secretary”, The Telegraph reports.


theweekuk--2020-07-28--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 28 Jul 2020

The UK ’ s Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed that Covid-19 has been detected in a pet cat .
The @ @ @ @ @ available evidence ” suggests that the cat contracted it from its owners who had previously @ @ @ @ @ The cat and its owners have since made a full recovery and there was no @ @ @ @ @ people in the household .

Covid-19 detected in pet cat in Surrey
The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed that Covid-19 has been detected in a pet cat. The government says that all “available evidence” suggests that the cat contracted it from its owners who had previously tested positive for coronavirus. The cat and its owners have since made a full recovery and there was no transmission to other animals or people in the household.


theweekuk--2020-07-28--Philippines president tells public to wash Covid-19 masks in petrol

Health officials in the Philippines had to issue a swift correction after President Rodrigo Duterte advised the public to disinfect face masks with petrol .
During a speech , Duterte said : “ Drench it in gasoline or diesel , and that son of a bitch Covid won ’ t stand a chance .
Just find some gasoline [ and ] dip your hand [ with the mask ] in it.
” A health official said : “ It ’ s probably one of his jokes.
” An Elvis Presley impersonator has set a new Guinness World Record by performing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 hours , 50 minutes and 50 seconds .
Kjell Henning Bjornstad , also known as Kjell Elvis , sang at a bar in Oslo , Norway .
In a hoarse voice afterwards , he said it was the last time he will attempt a singing marathon world record .
Twins to get pregnant at same time with same man Two women widely regarded as the world 's most identical twins are planning to get pregnant at the same time with the same man .
Anna and Lucy DeCinque , from Perth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together we make up together we go to bed at the same time , we eat together , we 're hungry together , everything is just the same.
” They also share the same boyfriend , who will impregnate them both .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Health officials in the Philippines had to issue a swift correction after President Rodrigo Duterte advised the public to disinfect face masks with petrol. During a speech, Duterte said: “Drench it in gasoline or diesel, and that son of a bitch Covid won’t stand a chance. Just find some gasoline [and] dip your hand [with the mask] in it.” A health official said: “It’s probably one of his jokes.”
Elvis impersonator breaks record
An Elvis Presley impersonator has set a new Guinness World Record by performing the rock legend’s songs for 50 hours, 50 minutes and 50 seconds. Kjell Henning Bjornstad, also known as Kjell Elvis, sang at a bar in Oslo, Norway. In a hoarse voice afterwards, he said it was the last time he will attempt a singing marathon world record.
Twins to get pregnant at same time with same man
Two women widely regarded as the world's most identical twins are planning to get pregnant at the same time with the same man. Anna and Lucy DeCinque, from Perth, Australia told ITV: "We shower together we make up together we go to bed at the same time, we eat together, we're hungry together, everything is just the same.” They also share the same boyfriend, who will impregnate them both.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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--2020-07-28--Who will be Joe Biden’s vice president pick - and could they extend his lead?

Until this year , Joe Biden was best known as the former vice president to Barack Obama .
Now , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee must select his own vice presidential running mate for the battle to beat Donald Trump in the upcoming election .
With the clock ticking down until Biden ’ s self-imposed deadline of early August to announce his pick , here are the runners and riders : Ranked by most political pundits as Biden ’ s likeliest choice , Harris proved herself to be a force to be reckoned with during the Democratic primaries .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represent the “ safest pick ” for Biden , says The Washington Post .
And given his polling lead over Trump , “ safe might be what the doctor orders ” for this election cycle , the newspaper adds .
Harris is “ in the pole position for the post ” , agrees Politico .
“ Interviews with more than four dozen elected officials , strategists , former Biden advisers and plugged-in donors said they think Harris is the closest Biden has to a ‘ do no harm ’ option.
” She is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her attacks on Biden ’ s record on race during the primaries , when Harris all but accused her then-rival of giving segregationist congresspeople a pass during his time as a senator .
Many commentators argue that “ the bad blood between the campaigns in the wake of the incident should not be underestimated ” , says Los Angeles Magazine .
But former Senate majority leader Harry Reid disputes that verdict , insisting that Biden is “ too much of a gentleman ” to hold a grudge against Harris .
If the Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning over the Bernie Sanders wing of his party , Warren is “ the most obvious pick ” , says The Washington Post .
During the primaries , the Massachusetts senator and leading progressive warned Democratic Party members against picking a “ Washington insider ” and pointedly did not endorse Biden until weeks after she had quit the race .
Yet today , “ those bitter primary clashes are a distant memory ” , and Warren has become “ an unlikely confidant and adviser to Biden ” , says the Associated Press .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can she be VP in the age of Black Lives Matter ?
“ Pressure is mounting on Biden - who had already committed to picking a female running mate - to choose a woman of colour for the role , ” the paper says .
“ Someone who has first-hand experience as a person of colour , I think that ’ s really , really critical , ” said Massachusetts House of Representatives member Nika Elugardo .
“ Being sensitive is not a sufficient replacement for lived experience.
” Illinois Senator Duckworth “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says National Public Radio ( NPR ) .
“ She was the first female soldier to lose both her legs in the Iraq War .
She was the first Thai-American woman elected to Congress .
And she was the first US senator to give birth while in office , ” the news site reports .
Duckworth has also attracted the ire of Conservative pundits and been in the sights of the Trump campaign after calling for “ a dialogue about potentially removing statues of George Washington ” , says The Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her as popular with many progressives as she is unpopular with Trump supporters .
Obama ’ s former White House national security adviser has an unassailable pedigree : she was a Rhodes scholar at 21 , an assistant secretary of state at 32 and ambassador to the United Nations by 44 .
Yet while Rice has grown in political stature over the past few months , her electoral inexperience could count against her , says The New York Times .
And “ in an election dominated by a public-health disaster and economic recession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate best known for her foreign policy credentials would improve Mr Biden ’ s chances.
” Demings ’ career path from police chief to vice presidential candidate may seem “ unlikely ” , but as a “ charismatic ” black congresswoman “ who hails from America ’ s premier battleground state ” of Florida , she has a lot to offer the Biden campaign , says the Associated Press .
Her background in the justice system “ could blunt President Donald Trump ’ s argument that a Biden administration would lead to lawlessness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But equally , it could “ spur unease among progressives who are leery of law enforcement , especially at a time of reckoning over systemic racism and policing ” .
Stephanie Porta of community group Organize Florida voices the concerns of many in asking , when protesters are “ marching against cops , why would you put a cop on the ticket ?
” Other hopefuls for the role include California congresswoman Karen Bass , who serves as head of the Congressional Black Caucus , and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had tested positive for Covid-19 .
New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is the only Latina candidate thought to have a shot at the post .
The possibles list also features Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and Wisconsin senator Tammy Baldwin , who would be the first LGBTQ candidate to run for VP .


theweekuk--2020-07-29--Ending UK furlough scheme may cost ‘1.2m jobs’, think tank predicts

The government ’ s decision to end the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a “ mistake ” that could trigger the loss of 1.2 million jobs by the end of this year , a leading think tank has warned .
Amid faltering hopes of a V-shaped economic recovery , the National Institute for Economic and Social Research ( Nieser ) says that continuing the wage subsidy programme “ might have paid for itself ” by saving jobs and protecting skills .
By contrast , ending the scheme in October may help push unemployment “ from 1.35 million to three million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who also predicted that “ the economy would not return to pre-pandemic levels until the second half of 2023 ” , The Times reports .
Continuing the government subsidies - which currently cover 80 % of pay up to £2,500 a month - “ would have been relatively inexpensive , and by preventing a rise in long-term unemployment might have paid for itself ” , said Nieser deputy director Garry Young .
“ The planned closure of furlough seems to be a mistake , motivated by an understandable desire to limit spending .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an end prematurely and this increases the probability of economic scarring , ” he added .
The furlough scheme has supported around 9.5 million workers in a total of about 1.2 million companies to date , and has cost £31.7bn , according to latest Treasury figures .
The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that by the time the scheme is wrapped up , it will have cost a total of £52bn .
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said earlier this month that the scheme “ can not and should not go on forever ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be replaced with a Jobs Retention Bonus of £1,000 to be paid to businesses for every furloughed employee kept on as staff until at least January 2021 .
However , Young argues that the bonus is “ too small to be effective - a one-off payment of £1,000 per employee compared to an average wage of £530 per week ” .
The Bank of England ’ s chief economist , Andy Haldane , claimed last week that Britain is heading for a V-shaped recovery , but rival central bank policymakers fear that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts gather pace , The Guardian says .
Nieser shares these gloomier expectations .
The think tank expects the UK economy to “ shrink 10 % this year and recover just 6 % in 2021 ” , while the national debt is projected to “ hit 105 % of GDP as borrowing jumps from 2.4 % to 17 % of GDP to pay for the crisis ” , reports The Times .

The government’s decision to end the furlough scheme is a “mistake” that could trigger the loss of 1.2 million jobs by the end of this year, a leading think tank has warned.
Amid faltering hopes of a V-shaped economic recovery, the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (Nieser) says that continuing the wage subsidy programme “might have paid for itself” by saving jobs and protecting skills.
By contrast, ending the scheme in October may help push unemployment “from 1.35 million to three million”, according to the experts, who also predicted that “the economy would not return to pre-pandemic levels until the second half of 2023”, The Times reports.
Continuing the government subsidies - which currently cover 80% of pay up to £2,500 a month - “would have been relatively inexpensive, and by preventing a rise in long-term unemployment might have paid for itself”, said Nieser deputy director Garry Young.
“The planned closure of furlough seems to be a mistake, motivated by an understandable desire to limit spending. There is a risk it is coming to an end prematurely and this increases the probability of economic scarring,” he added.
The furlough scheme has supported around 9.5 million workers in a total of about 1.2 million companies to date, and has cost £31.7bn, according to latest Treasury figures.
The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that by the time the scheme is wrapped up, it will have cost a total of £52bn.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said earlier this month that the scheme “cannot and should not go on forever”. Instead, the support programme will be replaced with a Jobs Retention Bonus of £1,000 to be paid to businesses for every furloughed employee kept on as staff until at least January 2021.
However, Young argues that the bonus is “too small to be effective - a one-off payment of £1,000 per employee compared to an average wage of £530 per week”.
The Bank of England’s chief economist, Andy Haldane, claimed last week that Britain is heading for a V-shaped recovery, but rival central bank policymakers fear that the economy is “struggling” as job cuts gather pace, The Guardian says.
Nieser shares these gloomier expectations. The think tank expects the UK economy to “shrink 10% this year and recover just 6% in 2021”, while the national debt is projected to “hit 105% of GDP as borrowing jumps from 2.4% to 17% of GDP to pay for the crisis”, reports The Times.


theweekuk--2020-07-29--Coronavirus: should tests be done at UK airports or after a week of quarantine?

As coronavirus rule changes play havoc with holidaymakers ’ plans , travel industry leaders are calling for Covid-19 testing at @ @ @ @ @ quarantines .
Heathrow ’ s chief executive says the airport could have a testing system @ @ @ @ @ fortnight - but officials and scientists are divided about how and when to test incoming @ @ @ @ @ to find a way of getting ‘ red countries ’ opened up again , ” @ @ @ @ @ , referring to destinations on the UK government ’ s mandatory quarantine list .
“ @ @ @ @ @ way of doing that in the absence of a vaccine , ” he told The @ @


theweekuk--2020-07-29--Police struggle with two decade-long rise in ‘confrontational protests’

Policing in England and Wales must undergo “ radical reform ” to deal with the rise of protests involving confrontational tactics over the past two decades , an independent policing review has said .
Led by Michael Barber , a former adviser to Tony Blair , the first phase of the review found that protests involving tactics such as blockades or occupations have increased 20-fold in 20 years , from seven in 2000 to 126 in 2019 .
The sharp increase signals “ heightened social tensions ” and comes alongside a 144 % rise in hate crime over six years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is also the chair of higher education regulator the Office for Students , said that while “ we welcome the promised 20,000 extra police officers and the early recruitment of them… we also know that policing will need to be provided differently to tackle the new landscape of crime and harm that we have identified in this report .
“ For some time now policing has been wrestling with a tension between the rise of more complex crimes and social challenges and an operating model that was built for a different time.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd , found that police are now being “ presented with a variety of problems , many of which require a social rather than a criminal justice solution , ” Barber added .
Extinction Rebellion protests last year “ shut down London ” during what the BBC described as “ ten days of protests , blockades and disruption ” across the capital , embodying the new challenges faced by police officers .
As well as a sharp rise in dealing with protests , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime such as burglary and car theft had fallen since the turn of the millennium… there had been a huge rise in online crime and in sexual offences ” , The Guardian says .
Since 1995 , crime , excluding fraud and cybercrime , had fallen by 70 % .
However , cybercrime and fraud had rapidly risen , making up 44 % of all crime in 2019 .
Cyber Resilience Centres , regional hubs supported by police forces which first started in Scotland , are set to expand across the country amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The risk to smaller firms is even greater during the coronavirus outbreak , ” Metro reports , “ as bad actors turn their attention to lucrative multibillion-pound online crime ” .

Policing in England and Wales must undergo “radical reform” to deal with the rise of protests involving confrontational tactics over the past two decades, an independent policing review has said.
Led by Michael Barber, a former adviser to Tony Blair, the first phase of the review found that protests involving tactics such as blockades or occupations have increased 20-fold in 20 years, from seven in 2000 to 126 in 2019.
The sharp increase signals “heightened social tensions” and comes alongside a 144% rise in hate crime over six years, The Guardian says.
Barber, who is also the chair of higher education regulator the Office for Students, said that while “we welcome the promised 20,000 extra police officers and the early recruitment of them… we also know that policing will need to be provided differently to tackle the new landscape of crime and harm that we have identified in this report.
“For some time now policing has been wrestling with a tension between the rise of more complex crimes and social challenges and an operating model that was built for a different time.”
The report, which follows widespread Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd, found that police are now being “presented with a variety of problems, many of which require a social rather than a criminal justice solution,” Barber added.
Extinction Rebellion protests last year “shut down London” during what the BBC described as “ten days of protests, blockades and disruption” across the capital, embodying the new challenges faced by police officers.
As well as a sharp rise in dealing with protests, the report also found that “although traditional crime such as burglary and car theft had fallen since the turn of the millennium… there had been a huge rise in online crime and in sexual offences”, The Guardian says.
Since 1995, crime, excluding fraud and cybercrime, had fallen by 70%. However, cybercrime and fraud had rapidly risen, making up 44% of all crime in 2019.
Cyber Resilience Centres, regional hubs supported by police forces which first started in Scotland, are set to expand across the country amid the growing cyber threat to vulnerable businesses.
“The risk to smaller firms is even greater during the coronavirus outbreak,” Metro reports, “as bad actors turn their attention to lucrative multibillion-pound online crime”.


theweekuk--2020-07-29--Reaction: Boris Johnson fears UK second wave in two weeks - but is he right?

Boris Johnson has warned that new restrictions may be placed on arrivals to the UK from other countries , in response to a “ second wave ” of coronavirus infections sweeping across Europe .
But even as Covid-19 cases climb in nations continent-wide , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) has cautioned against talking about “ waves ” of Covid-19 , which experts say functions very differently from the seasonal flu .
Where did the UK ’ s coronavirus arrive from originally ?
Although the global pandemic began in China , most of the initial cases of the novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from other European countries , according to a major analysis released last month .
The study found that the UK outbreak had at least 1,356 origins , with less than 0.1 % of the imported cases coming from China .
Instead , the majority came “ from travel from Italy in late February , Spain in early-to-mid-March and then France in mid-to-late-March ” , according to the BBC .
Is Johnson right about how to tackle the potential threat ?
Spain ’ s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez yesterday denounced the UK ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his country as “ unjust ” .
Urging Britain to rethink the move , Sanchez said that tourists in most Spanish regions would be safer from coronavirus than in the UK .
Johnson defended Downing Street ’ s decision , which follows a rise in coronavirus cases in parts of Spain .
“ What we have to do is take swift and decisive action where we think that the risks are starting to bubble up again , ” the prime minister told reporters yesterday during a visit to Nottingham .
“ Let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s happening in Europe , amongst some of our European friends , I ’ m afraid you are starting to see in some places the signs of a second wave of the pandemic.
” Johnson fears the spike may start within two weeks , the Daily Mail reports .
A Downing Street source told the newspaper that the PM “ is extremely concerned by what he ’ s seeing abroad and fears we could be seeing the same thing here in a fortnight ” .
However , some scientists are questioning Johnson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an infectious diseases expert from the University of Edinburgh , says that while introducing controls on people travelling back from high-risk areas may appear to be a “ sensible ” thing to do , the possibility that viral outbreaks may be highly localised should be considered .
“ Restriction to people ’ s movements , and specifically on travel to high-incidence areas , is a priori a sensible measure , ” Vazquez-Boland said in a statement on the Science Media Centre website .
“ But such decisions must be carefully balanced and based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant implications .
“ Spain has been singled out due to the recent increase in reported cases - 8,207 in the last week vs. 5,292 the previous one - without taking into account that these are mostly due to localised spikes in the northeastern part of the country , particularly Catalonia.
” Is Europe on the cusp of a new spike ?
European governments are “ urging their citizens to be more vigilant amid the lure of summer gatherings and vacations , while health officials warn that lax public attitudes are putting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Washington Post reports .
Although life in most of these countries is returning to something resembling normalcy , some virologists have warned that “ openings would inevitably be followed by new infections ” , the newspaper continues .
“ Others stressed that successful reopening was dependent on citizens wearing masks and maintaining social distance .
And there are signs adherence has been slipping.
” Lothar Wieler , the head of Germany ’ s disease-prevention agency the Robert Koch Institute , has blamed a surge in cases in his country on just such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports Deutsche Welle .
“ The new developments in Germany make me very worried , ” Wieler said during a press conference on Tuesday .
“ The rise has to do with the fact that we have become negligent.
” Why has the WHO objected to talk of coronavirus “ waves ” ?
The UN health agency is urging governments to stop looking at the Covid pandemic through a “ flu lens ” and has warned against discussing the virus in terms of waves .
“ Season does not seem to be affecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said spokesperson Margaret Harris at a virtual press briefing in Geneva yesterday .
She added : “ What we all need to get our heads around is this is a new virus… and even though it is a respiratory virus and even though respiratory viruses in the past did tend to do these different seasonal waves , this one is behaving differently.
” Rather than a first and then subsequent waves , “ it ’ s going to be one big wave ” , Harris concluded .
“ The best thing is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something lapping at your feet .
”

Boris Johnson has warned that new restrictions may be placed on arrivals to the UK from other countries, in response to a “second wave” of coronavirus infections sweeping across Europe.
But even as Covid-19 cases climb in nations continent-wide, the World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned against talking about “waves” of Covid-19, which experts say functions very differently from the seasonal flu.
Where did the UK’s coronavirus arrive from originally?
Although the global pandemic began in China, most of the initial cases of the novel coronavirus in the UK were brought in from other European countries, according to a major analysis released last month.
The study found that the UK outbreak had at least 1,356 origins, with less than 0.1% of the imported cases coming from China. Instead, the majority came “from travel from Italy in late February, Spain in early-to-mid-March and then France in mid-to-late-March”, according to the BBC.
Is Johnson right about how to tackle the potential threat?
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez yesterday denounced the UK’s controversial 14-day quarantine on holiday-makers returning from his country as “unjust”. Urging Britain to rethink the move, Sanchez said that tourists in most Spanish regions would be safer from coronavirus than in the UK.
Johnson defended Downing Street’s decision, which follows a rise in coronavirus cases in parts of Spain. “What we have to do is take swift and decisive action where we think that the risks are starting to bubble up again,” the prime minister told reporters yesterday during a visit to Nottingham.
“Let’s be absolutely clear about what’s happening in Europe, amongst some of our European friends, I’m afraid you are starting to see in some places the signs of a second wave of the pandemic.”
Johnson fears the spike may start within two weeks, the Daily Mail reports.
A Downing Street source told the newspaper that the PM “is extremely concerned by what he’s seeing abroad and fears we could be seeing the same thing here in a fortnight”.
However, some scientists are questioning Johnson’s tactics.
Professor Jose Vazquez-Boland, an infectious diseases expert from the University of Edinburgh, says that while introducing controls on people travelling back from high-risk areas may appear to be a “sensible” thing to do, the possibility that viral outbreaks may be highly localised should be considered.


theweekuk--2020-07-29--Coronavirus: over-55s main victims of employment crisis, watchdog finds

Workers over the age of 50 have suffered larger cuts to their earnings than any other age group during the @ @ @ @ @ , a new report reveals .
Britain ’ s oldest workers have seen their pay @ @ @ @ @ 23 % , while millennials and middle-aged workers have been hit by salary cuts of @ @ @ @ @ respectively , according to the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA ) .
The watchdog also @ @ @ @ @ that millennials have faced the worst job losses ” , so-called baby boomers - people @ @ @ @ @ - are just as likely as 20- to 39-year-olds to have been made redundant during @ @ @ @ @ Telegraph .

Workers over the age of 50 have suffered larger cuts to their earnings than any other age group during the economic downturn triggered by coronavirus, a new report reveals.
Britain’s oldest workers have seen their pay fall by an average of 23%, while millennials and middle-aged workers have been hit by salary cuts of 19% and 17% respectively, according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The watchdog also found that despite “reports that millennials have faced the worst job losses”, so-called baby boomers - people born between 1946 and 1964 - are just as likely as 20- to 39-year-olds to have been made redundant during the pandemic, says The Telegraph.
The FCA says that 6% of both groups have lost their jobs during the pandemic - three times the percentage of employees aged between 40 to 54 who have faced redundancies.
Meanwhile, 5% of over-55s are working fewer hours or are on reduced pay, compared with 3% of millennial and middle-aged workers.
The new report warns that older workers who are yet to retire were “now confronting real financial hardship and challenges ahead”, and notes that older people who are made redundant may get fewer opportunities to retrain.
Job losses have come thick and fast in recent weeks, as companies begin planning for life after the government’s furlough scheme comes to an end. As of 27 July, 150,301 people in the UK had been made redundant, and the wages of more than 9.3 million staff were being paid by the government, according to The Guardian.
On Tuesday, Selfridges announced plans to cut 450 jobs across its department stores - 14% of the company’s overall workforce, Sky News says.
High-street bakery Greggs is also mulling redundancies, as the firm enters talks over funding to make it through a potential second lockdown, adds the Financial Times.


theweekuk--2020-07-29--Coronavirus: does your homemade mask work?

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theweekuk--2020-07-29--Why everybody’s talking about the Twitter boycott over anti-Semitic posts

A 48-hour boycott of Twitter in under way amid widespread anger over the social media giant ’ s alleged failure to tackle anti-Semitism on the platform .
The “ walkout ” was triggered by a series of anti-Jewish messages posted by grime music artist Wiley ( pictured above ) on both Twitter and Instagram on Friday .
“ Some of the tweets were deleted , but Twitter was criticised for taking time to act and leaving some tweets up , ” the BBC reports .
Boris Johnson was among those who spoke out against the company , with the prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter needs to do better ” .
Wiley ’ s posts “ should not have been able to remain on Twitter and Instagram for so long ” , and “ social media companies need to go further and faster to remove content like this ” , the spokesperson added .
Who is Wiley and what happened ?
East Londoner Wiley - real name Richard Kylea Cowie Jr - has been dubbed the “ Godfather of Grime ” and was awarded an MBE for services to music in 2018 .
But the MC left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a stream of messages on social media about Jewish power and Israel – including a comparison between Jews and the Ku Klux Klan ” , The Jewish Chronicle says .
During a ten-hour Twitter tirade , Wiley claimed that “ there are 2 sets of people who nobody has really wanted to challenge # Jewish & # KKK but being in business for 20 years you start to undestand [ sic ] why ” .
He also wrote that “ you will get fired ” if you work “ for a company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge the Jewish community in anyway [ sic ] ” , before adding : “ Listen to me Jewish community Israel is not your country I ’ m sorry.
” On Saturday , Wiley ’ s manager John Woolf , who is Jewish , announced that his company , A-List Management , had “ cut all ties ” with the musician .
Wiley was also handed a temporary ban from Twitter on Saturday , but posted a screenshot on Instagram showing that his account on the rival platform had been blocked for just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , Twitter announced that Wiley ’ s account had been locked for seven days .
Facebook , which owns Instagram , said on Sunday that the platform had also blocked the rapper from his account for seven days , and that there was “ no place for hate speech on Instagram ” .
Why are the social media platforms being criticised ?
Twitter has been accused of “ ignoring anti-Semitism ” because “ his tweets are still visible 12 hours after they were first posted ” , HuffPost reports .
Home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full explanation ” from Twitter and Instagram as to why the anti-Semitic posts were not removed more quickly .
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also written to the firms about their responses , which he condemned as “ particularly disheartening ” after social media played a “ positive role in amplifying the vital voices ” of the Black Lives Matter movement .
On Monday , the UK ’ s chief rabbi , Ephraim Mirvis , wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg , saying : “ Your inaction amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take swift action to challenge the hatred that currently thrives on your platform.
” The Metropolitan Police is also investigating Wiley ’ s tweets .
In a statement , the force said : “ The Met takes all reports of anti-Semitism extremely seriously .
The relevant material is being assessed.
” Who is taking part in the walkout ?
Twitter users taking part in the 48-hour boycott include high-profile figures from the worlds of television , business , music and politics .
Actor and writer Tracy-Ann Oberman tweeted that Twitter founder Dorsey “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ] remit of anti-racism ” , adding : “ Silence is complicity .
Please walk out with us.
” Oberman ’ s “ rallying cry ” was echoed by television presenter Rachel Riley , comedian Robert Webb , singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor , actor Jason Isaacs , radio presenter Maajid Nawaz and businessman Lord Sugar , says the BBC .
A number of MPs have also pledged to take part in the boycott , including Labour ’ s Rosena Allin-Khan and David Lammy , ex-Green Party leader Caroline Lucas , acting Lib Dem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Music Producers Guild , the National Children ’ s Bureau charity , London ’ s Southbank Centre and the American Jewish Committee are among the organisations backing the action .

A 48-hour boycott of Twitter in under way amid widespread anger over the social media giant’s alleged failure to tackle anti-Semitism on the platform.
The “walkout” was triggered by a series of anti-Jewish messages posted by grime music artist Wiley (pictured above) on both Twitter and Instagram on Friday.
“Some of the tweets were deleted, but Twitter was criticised for taking time to act and leaving some tweets up,” the BBC reports. Boris Johnson was among those who spoke out against the company, with the prime minister’s spokesperson warning that “Twitter needs to do better”.
Wiley’s posts “should not have been able to remain on Twitter and Instagram for so long”, and “social media companies need to go further and faster to remove content like this”, the spokesperson added.
Who is Wiley and what happened?
East Londoner Wiley - real name Richard Kylea Cowie Jr - has been dubbed the “Godfather of Grime” and was awarded an MBE for services to music in 2018.
But the MC left fans shocked last week when he posted “a stream of messages on social media about Jewish power and Israel – including a comparison between Jews and the Ku Klux Klan”, The Jewish Chronicle says.
During a ten-hour Twitter tirade, Wiley claimed that “there are 2 sets of people who nobody has really wanted to challenge #Jewish & #KKK but being in business for 20 years you start to undestand [sic] why”.
He also wrote that “you will get fired” if you work “for a company owned by 2 Jewish men and you challenge the Jewish community in anyway [sic]”, before adding: “Listen to me Jewish community Israel is not your country I’m sorry.”
On Saturday, Wiley’s manager John Woolf, who is Jewish, announced that his company, A-List Management, had “cut all ties” with the musician.
Following Wileys anti semitic tweets today we at @A_ListMGMT have cut all ties with him. There is no place in society for antisemitism. — John Woolf (@Jrwoolfw) July 24, 2020
Wiley was also handed a temporary ban from Twitter on Saturday, but posted a screenshot on Instagram showing that his account on the rival platform had been blocked for just a few hours.
Following an outcry, however, Twitter announced that Wiley’s account had been locked for seven days.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, said on Sunday that the platform had also blocked the rapper from his account for seven days, and that there was “no place for hate speech on Instagram”.
Why are the social media platforms being criticised?
Twitter has been accused of “ignoring anti-Semitism” because “his tweets are still visible 12 hours after they were first posted”, HuffPost reports.