theweekuk--2020-08-04--Instant Opinion: ‘the final battle to keep our beloved NHS’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
on the fear of a US trade deal This is the final battle to keep our beloved NHS out of the grubby hands of profiteers “ Illness has become indulgence ; disease has become damnation .
An otherwise unassuming date , 20 July 2020 , may mark the final battle for our NHS if it ’ s to truly remain ours… or , remain at all .
For it was on this date that 340 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 ’ ; an amendment to the post-Brexit trade deal to protect our NHS from foreign interference .
In other words , for Donald Trump to keep his grubby little hands off our national pride and treasure .
I call this the ‘ final battle ’ for the simple reason that the NHS has been fighting for her life for 40 years now .
And she ’ s losing .
You may realise my personification of the NHS , referring to it as she and her .
Why ?
Well , the narrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of us .
How many of us were born in an NHS hospital ?
How many of our lives and our family ’ s lives has she saved ?
The NHS is more than a set of buildings or a mere organisation ; she is every one of us .
A living , breathing establishment made up of 1.5 million dedicated workers , 66.6m patients .
She is ours , and we are hers.
” on the battle for supremacy between superpowers China is winning this war of the worlds “ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the geopolitical rivalry is less an ideological clash between capitalism and communism than a power struggle with innovation at its heart .
‘ Great scientific and technological capacity is a must for China to be strong , ’ Xi Jinping told his people in 2016 and he has certainly acted on his words .
To begin with , China was seen as the underdog that was determined to catch up with the West ; now the roles have been reversed and it is the West that is being left behind on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 70 per cent of the global drone market , dominates 5G communication and is ploughing huge state resources into artificial intelligence , robotics and other emerging technologies .
During the Covid crisis , patients in Wuhan were treated by robots that delivered food and medicine around the wards .
Last year China became the first country to successfully land a discovery probe on the dark side of the moon .
A Chinese company has even used 3D printing to create a ten-house village in a day .
With no need to worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing has a huge inbuilt commercial advantage and none of the moral constraints of its liberal democratic rivals.
” on the passing of an Irish political heavyweight John Hume gave true meaning to the idea of ‘ sharing ’ in Irish power-sharing “ John Hume , the icon of moderate nationalism in Ireland , will be remembered as one of the key architects of the Irish peace process , and especially the 1998 Good Friday Agreement .
It was not a case of him taking gung-ho political risks which marked him out and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but his steadfast ability to put principle before party .
Coming from the Catholic part of Londonderry , Hume initially got involved with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s before Northern Ireland literally exploded into decades of sectarian violence .
Politically , he recognised that if change was to come to Northern Irish politics , that vehicle could no longer be either the Stormont-based Irish Nationalist Party or the soft-socialist Northern Ireland Labour Party .
Along with the late Republican Labour MP , Gerry Fitt - later Lord Fitt - he established @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic and Labour Party ( SDLP ) .
Within years , it was to become the majority voice within Northern nationalism.
” Trump Doesn ’ t Need the Most Votes .
What if He Doesn ’ t Even Want Them ?
“ Nearly everyone involved in reporting on , analyzing or forecasting the upcoming presidential election agrees that Donald Trump could win another term in office .
But no one save his most dedicated sycophants thinks he could do so with a majority of the public on his side .
We have accepted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump could be constitutionally re-elected through the Electoral College , but not democratically selected by the voting public .
That ’ s how he won in 2016 , and the reason is straightforward .
Enough of the president ’ s base is concentrated in swing states like Florida , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
Because of that fact , he can lose by as many as five million votes and still win an Electoral College majority.
” 5 .
Jonathan Portes , professor of economics and public policy at King ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on whether rightwing academics are being silenced “ Another day , another skirmish in Britain ’ s culture war .
Once again , universities have found themselves on the frontline .
According to a report from the thinktank Policy Exchange , Academic Freedom in the UK , pro-Brexit and rightwing academics are being “ forced to hide their views ” .
The report cites a YouGov poll of 820 academics , which found that 32 % of those who identify their political views as ‘ right ’ or ‘ fairly right ’ have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and research ’ .
On the surface , these numbers sound legitimate – but simple statistical detective work tells us that this equates to no more than about 10 academics currently employed at UK universities .
The survey has been padded out with a large proportion of retired academics , and the report itself is littered with basic statistical errors ... To be fair , it ’ s not just leavers who are persecuted ; one ‘ centrist remainer ’ was apparently removed from a programme after they failed to show sufficient deference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a manager ’ s desk .
That the authors were apparently gullible or lazy enough to print these responses , which seem to me like deliberate piss-takes , tells us all we need to know about the report ’ s credibility .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Jatinder Hayre in The Independent
on the fear of a US trade deal
This is the final battle to keep our beloved NHS out of the grubby hands of profiteers
“Illness has become indulgence; disease has become damnation. An otherwise unassuming date, 20 July 2020, may mark the final battle for our NHS if it’s to truly remain ours… or, remain at all. For it was on this date that 340 conservative MPs voted down ‘New Clause 17’; an amendment to the post-Brexit trade deal to protect our NHS from foreign interference. In other words, for Donald Trump to keep his grubby little hands off our national pride and treasure. I call this the ‘final battle’ for the simple reason that the NHS has been fighting for her life for 40 years now. And she’s losing. You may realise my personification of the NHS, referring to it as she and her. Why? Well, the narrative of the NHS is the narrative of all of us. How many of us were born in an NHS hospital? How many of our lives and our family’s lives has she saved? The NHS is more than a set of buildings or a mere organisation; she is every one of us. A living, breathing establishment made up of 1.5 million dedicated workers, 66.6m patients. She is ours, and we are hers.”
2. Rachel Sylvester in The Times
on the battle for supremacy between superpowers
China is winning this war of the worlds
“There is talk of a new Cold War, but the geopolitical rivalry is less an ideological clash between capitalism and communism than a power struggle with innovation at its heart. ‘Great scientific and technological capacity is a must for China to be strong,’ Xi Jinping told his people in 2016 and he has certainly acted on his words. To begin with, China was seen as the underdog that was determined to catch up with the West; now the roles have been reversed and it is the West that is being left behind on the silicon Silk Road. China has around 70 per cent of the global drone market, dominates 5G communication and is ploughing huge state resources into artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging technologies. During the Covid crisis, patients in Wuhan were treated by robots that delivered food and medicine around the wards. Last year China became the first country to successfully land a discovery probe on the dark side of the moon. A Chinese company has even used 3D printing to create a ten-house village in a day. With no need to worry about human rights or individual privacy, Beijing has a huge inbuilt commercial advantage and none of the moral constraints of its liberal democratic rivals.”
3. John Coulter in The Daily Telegraph
on the passing of an Irish political heavyweight
John Hume gave true meaning to the idea of ‘sharing’ in Irish power-sharing
“John Hume, the icon of moderate nationalism in Ireland, will be remembered as one of the key architects of the Irish peace process, and especially the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It was not a case of him taking gung-ho political risks which marked him out and earned him a Nobel Peace Prize, but his steadfast ability to put principle before party. Coming from the Catholic part of Londonderry, Hume initially got involved with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s before Northern Ireland literally exploded into decades of sectarian violence. Politically, he recognised that if change was to come to Northern Irish politics, that vehicle could no longer be either the Stormont-based Irish Nationalist Party or the soft-socialist Northern Ireland Labour Party. Along with the late Republican Labour MP, Gerry Fitt - later Lord Fitt - he established the moderate nationalist movement, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Within years, it was to become the majority voice within Northern nationalism.”
4. Jamelle Bouie in The New York Times
on government of the minority, chosen by a minority
Trump Doesn’t Need the Most Votes. What if He Doesn’t Even Want Them?
“Nearly everyone involved in reporting on, analyzing or forecasting the upcoming presidential election agrees that Donald Trump could win another term in office. But no one save his most dedicated sycophants thinks he could do so with a majority of the public on his side. We have accepted, as a matter of course, that Trump could be constitutionally re-elected through the Electoral College, but not democratically selected by the voting public. That’s how he won in 2016, and the reason is straightforward. Enough of the president’s base is concentrated in swing states like Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Because of that fact, he can lose by as many as five million votes and still win an Electoral College majority.”
5. Jonathan Portes, professor of economics and public policy at King’s College London, in The Guardian
on whether rightwing academics are being silenced
The rightwing defence of ‘academic freedom’ masks a McCarthyite agenda
“Another day, another skirmish in Britain’s culture war. Once again, universities have found themselves on the frontline. According to a report from the thinktank Policy Exchange, Academic Freedom in the UK, pro-Brexit and rightwing academics are being “forced to hide their views”. The report cites a YouGov poll of 820 academics, which found that 32% of those who identify their political views as ‘right’ or ‘fairly right’ have ‘stopped openly airing opinions in teaching and research’. On the surface, these numbers sound legitimate – but simple statistical detective work tells us that this equates to no more than about 10 academics currently employed at UK universities. The survey has been padded out with a large proportion of retired academics, and the report itself is littered with basic statistical errors... To be fair, it’s not just leavers who are persecuted; one ‘centrist remainer’ was apparently removed from a programme after they failed to show sufficient deference towards a photograph of Jeremy Corbyn on a manager’s desk. That the authors were apparently gullible or lazy enough to print these responses, which seem to me like deliberate piss-takes, tells us all we need to know about the report’s credibility.”


theweekuk--2020-08-04--Father of Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘secret’ UK girlfriend says he knew she dated the paedophile

The father of a British woman revealed to have been Jeffrey Epstein’s “secret” girlfriend has admitted that her family knew she had dated the late paedophile.
Shelley Anne Lewis, now 43, was identified in an email sent to Epstein by British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell that was made public along with hundreds of pages of other court documents last week, The Sun reports.
Lewis is said to have dated billionaire Epstein from 1999 to 2002 - the period when Prince Andrew is alleged to have had sex with trafficked teenager Virginia Roberts. The Royal has denied the claims.
A self-styled “spiritual entrepreneur”, Manchester-born Lewis is “believed to have taken scores on flights on Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ private jet”, says the Daily Mail. After being identified, she could now be approached by US prosecutors for help in the case against Maxwell, who is accused of procuring girls for Epstein to sexually abuse.
Asked by the newspaper whether Lewis’s family knew of her relationship with Epstein, her 71-year-old father Brian, a retired businessman, said: “As a young girl we knew she was seeing someone in New York.
“So yes, we did.”
“Now everything has gone mental,” he added. “It is just getting crazy.”
His daughter - who now runs a firm that hosts yoga retreats in the US and writes children’s books - was 22 when she started dating Epstein. The pair met “while she worked in the contemporary art department of Christie’s auction house in New York”, according to The New York Post.
Lewis has not commented on the disclosure of her identity. However, the Daily Mail reports that in previous interviews, she has said “she was helped by a ‘mentor’ in New York who ‘was so original in all his thought processes that he couldn't even see the box’”.
There is no suggestion that Lewis was aware of or took part in any criminality.


theweekuk--2020-08-04--Eat Out to Help Out: Monday to Wednesday is ‘new weekend’ this August

Thousands of diners filled up restaurants - and their plates - yesterday following the launch of the government ’ s Eat Out to Help Out scheme .
Unveiled last month by Chancellor Rishi Sunak , the initiative is designed to boost the UK hospitality industry in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic by enticing customers to eat in at restaurants , cafes and pubs .
The scheme runs every Monday to Wednesday throughout August and gives diners a 50 % discount , up to a maximum of £10 per person , on food and non-alcoholic drinks .
Ahead of yesterday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 72,000 restaurants had registered to take part .
And more than 3.3m searches had been recorded on the government ’ s online restaurant finder , he wrote .
A Treasury spokesperson said : “ Eat Out to Help Out is designed to help protect the jobs of 1.8 million people who work in hospitality - a sector which has been badly hit by the outbreak.
” The scheme has been welcomed by hospitality businesses battling for survival as a result of Covid-19 restrictions .
A survey by trade body UKHospitality found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were planning to take part , with more than 50 % were planning to roll out the scheme across all their venues .
UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said : “ The chancellor recognised that our sector has been hit the hardest of all and this scheme goes some way to delivering the support vulnerable hospitality businesses need .
It is encouraging to see our sector being recognised for its importance and the Treasury delivering decisive support quickly.
” “ Confidence is going to be key to securing the future of our sector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added , but businesses have also been “ quick to adopt the scheme ” .
Not everyone is convinced , however .
Russell Nathan , an adviser to restaurants at accountancy firm HW Fisher , told The Telegraph that smaller , independent businesses had not welcomed the scheme .
“ Restaurants fear that the discounting will actively encourage customers to spend less - to fit within the limits , ” he said .
“ Many are already down to as little as 50 % capacity due to social distancing , so the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the average customer spend .
“ Then on top of that is the admin of processing it and the deferred reimbursement at a time when cashflow is critical to their weekly survival.
” The sector is already reporting an uptick in bookings for early midweek days .
A spokesperson for Rick Stein Restaurants told The Telegraph that “ Monday to Wednesday looks like it will be the new weekend during August ” .
Fuller Smith & Turner , the parent company of Fuller ’ s pubs , added : “ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early part of the week.
” Although bookings have increased at participating outlets , many hospitality bosses fear that diners will stay away at weekends and spend less overall .
Lubeck Sredojevic , owner of Boulevard restaurant in south Croydon , told the BBC that while he has signed up for the scheme , he was “ not crazy ” about it .
“ I have more bookings than I normally have for Monday , Tuesday and Wednesday , ” he said .
“ But my Friday , Saturday and Sunday are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend and we won ’ t have as many people as we normally have.
” Will Hawkley , an analyst at KPMG , added : “ The question will be , if people have gone out on Monday to Wednesday and had their meal half price , will they still go out at the weekend ?
That ’ s something we will need to look out for.
” And with the scheme only taking place on 13 days during the month , the BBC questions if Eat Out to Help Out has come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save an industry already ravaged by a devastating wave of closures and job losses ?
” Summing up the general feeling , Marcello Distefano , boss of the San Carlo chain of restaurants , said : “ There are still a lot of difficulties facing our industry.
” What about the fight against fat ?
The government last week announced a new obesity strategy aimed at helping the country to lose weight in order to “ beat coronavirus and protect the NHS ” .
But health experts and commentators are warning that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
Under the front-page headline “ Rishi Two Snacks ” , Metro reports that many punters were “ scoffing ” double portions when the scheme launched yesterday .
Wired magazine predicts an “ appetiser bonanza ” and a “ surge in over-ordering ” .
Meanwhile , The Telegraph ’ s Rob Crossan describes Eat Out To Help Out as a “ catastrophe ” in the fight against fat .
“ This is the state-sponsored equivalent of a ‘ two for one ’ burger chain offer on cheeseburgers , most often found in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he writes .
“ This does little more than perpetuate the myth , long held beyond our borders , that the British relationship to food is akin to a starving dog being let loose in a butcher ’ s bin .
We don ’ t discriminate , we value price above quality and we don ’ t care who knows it .
“ It ’ s a catastrophe that will only make our already obese country even fatter , while doing little to solve the economic and psychological issues that lie behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Thousands of diners filled up restaurants - and their plates - yesterday following the launch of the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
Unveiled last month by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the initiative is designed to boost the UK hospitality industry in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic by enticing customers to eat in at restaurants, cafes and pubs.
The scheme runs every Monday to Wednesday throughout August and gives diners a 50% discount, up to a maximum of £10 per person, on food and non-alcoholic drinks.
Ahead of yesterday’s launch, Sunak tweeted that more than 72,000 restaurants had registered to take part. And more than 3.3m searches had been recorded on the government’s online restaurant finder, he wrote.
⬆ More than 72,000 individual restaurants registered 🔍 Over 3.3m searches on the restaurant finder 💷 50% off all day and night, £10 per person 😋 Unlimited Mon-Wed, no vouchers needed. Eat Out to Help Out starts today: https://t.co/kp4XPsPjmp — Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) August 3, 2020
A Treasury spokesperson said: “Eat Out to Help Out is designed to help protect the jobs of 1.8 million people who work in hospitality - a sector which has been badly hit by the outbreak.”
A welcome break?
The scheme has been welcomed by hospitality businesses battling for survival as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.
A survey by trade body UKHospitality found that 84% of the businesses quizzed were planning to take part, with more than 50% were planning to roll out the scheme across all their venues.
UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The chancellor recognised that our sector has been hit the hardest of all and this scheme goes some way to delivering the support vulnerable hospitality businesses need. It is encouraging to see our sector being recognised for its importance and the Treasury delivering decisive support quickly.”
“Confidence is going to be key to securing the future of our sector and keeping jobs safe”, she added, but businesses have also been “quick to adopt the scheme”.
Not everyone is convinced, however.
Russell Nathan, an adviser to restaurants at accountancy firm HW Fisher, told The Telegraph that smaller, independent businesses had not welcomed the scheme.
“Restaurants fear that the discounting will actively encourage customers to spend less - to fit within the limits,” he said. “Many are already down to as little as 50% capacity due to social distancing, so the last thing they can afford is significant reduction in the average customer spend.


theweekuk--2020-08-04--M25 quarantine: is a London coronavirus lockdown in the offing?

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a public attack on Boris Johnson after being excluded from government talks about a potential “ local lockdown ” in the capital .
Khan claims that plans to stop travel in and out of the city via the M25 motorway in a bid to prevent a fresh surge in coronavirus infections were drawn up without the knowledge of London City Hall .
The proposals to introduce restrictions like those imposed in Leicester at the end of June comes amid growing fears of a second nationwide spike in coronavirus cases .
Rises in infections were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time since April , according to the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) .
What is the current state of play in London ?
“ More than half of London ’ s boroughs saw coronavirus cases increase ” last week , with Covid cases up “ slightly ” in 18 boroughs , reports MyLondon .
According to Public Health England ( PHE ) , Hammersmith and Fulham saw the biggest increase , with cases rising from 3.8 per 100,000 people to 8.6 .
Other boroughs that reported rises include Barking and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , Brent ( 4.5 to 9.1 ) , Barnet ( 5.4 to 7.9 ) , Camden ( 1.5 to 4.2 ) and Greenwich ( 2.8 to 6.6 ) .
But on a positive note , 14 boroughs saw their infection rates fall during the same period .
What is the government proposing ?
The Sunday Times reported this weekend that the prime minister “ convened a war gaming exercise last Wednesday in No .
10 ” that could “ pave the way for draconian travel restrictions in and out of London ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital .
The proposals are said to include banning overnight stays , imposing stay-at-home orders and the closure of “ close-contact services such as hairdressers ” .
“ The challenge in London is how quickly people move around on the trains and Tube , ” a government source told the newspaper .
“ It would potentially spread much quicker than in other areas , so you ’ d have to be quicker on the regional hammer in London.
” Plans have also reportedly been mooted to advise Londoners to remain within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city , if a second outbreak occurs .
“ In practice , this would be almost impossible to police and highly disruptive for the nine million people living in the city , ” says The Guardian .
“ It would have to take the form of guidance rather than an edict and could lead to anger against any Londoners found elsewhere in the country.
” Khan has accused Johnson of “ riding roughshod ” over local leaders , and described the lockdown plans as “ totally unacceptable and an affront to London and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter to the PM , Khan and London Councils chair Peter John said they had read about the M25 idea in Sunday newspapers with “ great surprise ” .
“ Our surprise is that such far-reaching contingency plans have been discussed and tested without the involvement or awareness of London ’ s government , ” the letter continued .
Khan also noted that it had been 12 weeks since he was last invited to attend a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee “ on behalf of London and its nine million citizens ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to downplay the reports , telling the BBC ’ s Today programme that claims about a London lockdown were mere “ speculation ” and “ inaccurate ” .
But the minister “ refused to deny the shock plan ” , says the Daily Mirror .
“ We will follow how the virus is behaving and how it is being transmitted between people and then act accordingly , ” Zahawi said .

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a public attack on Boris Johnson after being excluded from government talks about a potential “local lockdown” in the capital.
Khan claims that plans to stop travel in and out of the city via the M25 motorway in a bid to prevent a fresh surge in coronavirus infections were drawn up without the knowledge of London City Hall.
The proposals to introduce restrictions like those imposed in Leicester at the end of June comes amid growing fears of a second nationwide spike in coronavirus cases. Rises in infections were recorded each day last week for the first time since April, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
What is the current state of play in London?
“More than half of London’s boroughs saw coronavirus cases increase” last week, with Covid cases up “slightly” in 18 boroughs, reports MyLondon.
According to Public Health England (PHE), Hammersmith and Fulham saw the biggest increase, with cases rising from 3.8 per 100,000 people to 8.6. Other boroughs that reported rises include Barking and Dagenham (5.2 to 9.9 per 100,000), Brent (4.5 to 9.1), Barnet (5.4 to 7.9), Camden (1.5 to 4.2) and Greenwich (2.8 to 6.6).
But on a positive note, 14 boroughs saw their infection rates fall during the same period.
What is the government proposing?
The Sunday Times reported this weekend that the prime minister “convened a war gaming exercise last Wednesday in No. 10” that could “pave the way for draconian travel restrictions in and out of London” if Covid “flares up” in the capital.
The proposals are said to include banning overnight stays, imposing stay-at-home orders and the closure of “close-contact services such as hairdressers”.
“The challenge in London is how quickly people move around on the trains and Tube,” a government source told the newspaper. “It would potentially spread much quicker than in other areas, so you’d have to be quicker on the regional hammer in London.”
Plans have also reportedly been mooted to advise Londoners to remain within the M25, the ring-shaped motorway encompassing the city, if a second outbreak occurs.
“In practice, this would be almost impossible to police and highly disruptive for the nine million people living in the city,” says The Guardian. “It would have to take the form of guidance rather than an edict and could lead to anger against any Londoners found elsewhere in the country.”
And the reaction?
Khan has accused Johnson of “riding roughshod” over local leaders, and described the lockdown plans as “totally unacceptable and an affront to London and Londoners”.
In a joint open letter to the PM, Khan and London Councils chair Peter John said they had read about the M25 idea in Sunday newspapers with “great surprise”.
“Our surprise is that such far-reaching contingency plans have been discussed and tested without the involvement or awareness of London’s government,” the letter continued.
Khan also noted that it had been 12 weeks since he was last invited to attend a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee “on behalf of London and its nine million citizens”.
Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi yesterday attempted to downplay the reports, telling the BBC’s Today programme that claims about a London lockdown were mere “speculation” and “inaccurate”. But the minister “refused to deny the shock plan”, says the Daily Mirror.
“We will follow how the virus is behaving and how it is being transmitted between people and then act accordingly,” Zahawi said.


theweekuk--2020-08-04--Here today, Juan tomorrow: why Spain’s former king has fled into exile

Spain ’ s former king Juan Carlos has gone into exile following the launch an investigation into his finances by state prosecutors .
“ It is a humiliating exit for a king who had once seemed set to go down in history as the leader who skilfully guided Spain from dictatorship to democracy after the death of General Franco in 1975 , ” says the BBC .
The whereabouts of the 82-year-old are not known .
A royal source told CNN “ that the former monarch ‘ has left already ’ , but declined to reveal where he has gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was leaving , “ a decision I make with deep emotion but great serenity ” , in a letter to his son and successor , King Felipe VI .
Juan Carlos wrote that his departure would “ best serve the people of Spain , its institutions , and you as king ” .
The abrupt exit was prompted by “ the opening of a supreme court investigation into suspected payments related to a €7bn [ £6.3bn ] high-speed rail project in Saudi Arabia ” , the Financial Times reports .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mecca and Medina was awarded to a Spanish consortium in 2011 .
Prosecutors in Spain and Switzerland are investigating links between that deal and “ documents that allege Juan Carlos may have received $ 100m [ £77m ] from Saudi Arabia 's king in 2008 ” , says CNN .
In the meantime , life as an emigre may come easily to the former king .
“ He was born in exile as well , in Rome , ” says the Financial Times , “ and served as Spain ’ s king for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
” Although Juan Carlos was celebrated for his role in establishing democracy and thwarting a military coup in 1981 , his reign ended in ignominy .
He abdicated in 2014 “ following a corruption investigation involving his daughter 's husband and a controversial elephant hunting trip the monarch took during Spain ’ s financial crisis ” , the BBC reports .

Spain’s former king Juan Carlos has gone into exile following the launch an investigation into his finances by state prosecutors.
“It is a humiliating exit for a king who had once seemed set to go down in history as the leader who skilfully guided Spain from dictatorship to democracy after the death of General Franco in 1975,” says the BBC.
The whereabouts of the 82-year-old are not known. A royal source told CNN “that the former monarch ‘has left already’, but declined to reveal where he has gone”.
The former king announced yesterday that he was leaving, “a decision I make with deep emotion but great serenity”, in a letter to his son and successor, King Felipe VI. Juan Carlos wrote that his departure would “best serve the people of Spain, its institutions, and you as king”.
The abrupt exit was prompted by “the opening of a supreme court investigation into suspected payments related to a €7bn [£6.3bn] high-speed rail project in Saudi Arabia”, the Financial Times reports. The contract to build a rail link between Mecca and Medina was awarded to a Spanish consortium in 2011.
Prosecutors in Spain and Switzerland are investigating links between that deal and “documents that allege Juan Carlos may have received $100m [£77m] from Saudi Arabia's king in 2008”, says CNN.
In the meantime, life as an emigre may come easily to the former king. “He was born in exile as well, in Rome,” says the Financial Times, “and served as Spain’s king for almost 40 years, starting upon the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.”
Although Juan Carlos was celebrated for his role in establishing democracy and thwarting a military coup in 1981, his reign ended in ignominy. He abdicated in 2014 “following a corruption investigation involving his daughter's husband and a controversial elephant hunting trip the monarch took during Spain’s financial crisis”, the BBC reports.


theweekuk--2020-08-04--Who is set to make money from the Oxford coronavirus vaccine?

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theweekuk--2020-08-04--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 4 Aug 2020

Scientists have warned that current testing and contact tracing are insufficient to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 when schools @ @ @ @ @ Researchers at UCL and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine say transmission would @ @ @ @ @ longer stay at home with their children .
They predict the second wave would hit @ @ @ @ @ twice as large as the first wave .

School return could cause bigger second wave, experts say
Scientists have warned that current testing and contact tracing are insufficient to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 when schools in the UK reopen. Researchers at UCL and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine say transmission would increase as parents would no longer stay at home with their children. They predict the second wave would hit in December and could be twice as large as the first wave.


theweekuk--2020-08-04--Mum caught digging tunnel to free murderer son

A mother is facing jail after single-handedly digging her way towards a Ukrainian prison to free her son , who is serving a life sentence for murder .
The 51-year-old woman rented a house located near the jail in Zaporizhia , in south-east Ukraine .
Working at night , she used shovels and pickaxes to dig towards the jail but was eventually caught and arrested .
Kitten rescued from three cars in one day A kitten had to be rescued from three vehicles in one day after it kept climbing into engines .
Rescuers in the Norfolk town of King @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of the vehicles and the entire operation took several hours .
The RSCPA said : “ This kitten was proving a little Houdini - but there 's no way we could leave her in any of the vehicles or alone in the middle of a busy town centre , so we just had to try again !
” A metal detectorist made the discovery of his life behind his local pub .
Luke Mahoney , who runs his own metal detector shop , Joan Allen Electrics in Lindsey , Suffolk , picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ era coins in the field behind the Lindsey Rose pub .
“ That feeling of scraping the dirt away and seeing the coins is indescribable , ” Mahoney said .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A mother is facing jail after single-handedly digging her way towards a Ukrainian prison to free her son, who is serving a life sentence for murder. The 51-year-old woman rented a house located near the jail in Zaporizhia, in south-east Ukraine. Working at night, she used shovels and pickaxes to dig towards the jail but was eventually caught and arrested.
Kitten rescued from three cars in one day
A kitten had to be rescued from three vehicles in one day after it kept climbing into engines. Rescuers in the Norfolk town of King’s Lyyn had to partially dismantle each of the vehicles and the entire operation took several hours. The RSCPA said: “This kitten was proving a little Houdini - but there's no way we could leave her in any of the vehicles or alone in the middle of a busy town centre, so we just had to try again!”
Detectorist strikes silver at local pub
A metal detectorist made the discovery of his life behind his local pub. Luke Mahoney, who runs his own metal detector shop, Joan Allen Electrics in Lindsey, Suffolk, picked up £100,000 worth of silver civil war era coins in the field behind the Lindsey Rose pub. “That feeling of scraping the dirt away and seeing the coins is indescribable,” Mahoney said.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


theweekuk--2020-08-04--Faster than Concorde: fly from London to New York in just 90 minutes

Move over Concorde , Virgin Galactic is aiming to shatter the icon ’ s transatlantic airline record for fastest flight time between London and New York .
The spaceflight company has revealed the first designs of a Mach 3 supersonic passenger jet and announced a collaboration with Rolls-Royce to develop engine propulsion technology for the high-speed commercial aircraft .
Although still in the early concept stages , the jet is intended to reach speeds of around 2,300mph ( Mach 3 ) - three times the speed of sound .
In February 1996 , a British Airways Concorde flew from New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 52 minutes , 59 seconds - averaging speeds of 1,250mph .
But as CNBC reports , the Virgin Galactic jet ’ s supersonic speed could see flights between London and New York take just 90 minutes , while trips from London to Sydney could be completed in five hours .
George Whitesides , chief space officer at Virgin Galactic , said : “ We are excited to complete the Mission Concept Review and unveil this initial design concept of a high speed aircraft , which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable , cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft , and we are pleased to be working with the FAA to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start .
We have made great progress so far , and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high-speed travel.
” Virgin Galactic says the Mach 3 certified delta-wing aircraft will fly at an altitude of more than 60,000ft .
It will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and custom cabin layouts will be incorporated , including business or first class seating .

Move over Concorde, Virgin Galactic is aiming to shatter the icon’s transatlantic airline record for fastest flight time between London and New York.
The spaceflight company has revealed the first designs of a Mach 3 supersonic passenger jet and announced a collaboration with Rolls-Royce to develop engine propulsion technology for the high-speed commercial aircraft.
Although still in the early concept stages, the jet is intended to reach speeds of around 2,300mph (Mach 3) - three times the speed of sound.
In February 1996, a British Airways Concorde flew from New York to London in two hours, 52 minutes, 59 seconds - averaging speeds of 1,250mph.
But as CNBC reports, the Virgin Galactic jet’s supersonic speed could see flights between London and New York take just 90 minutes, while trips from London to Sydney could be completed in five hours.
George Whitesides, chief space officer at Virgin Galactic, said: “We are excited to complete the Mission Concept Review and unveil this initial design concept of a high speed aircraft, which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial travel with an unrivalled customer experience.
“We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft, and we are pleased to be working with the FAA to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start. We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high-speed travel.”
Virgin Galactic says the Mach 3 certified delta-wing aircraft will fly at an altitude of more than 60,000ft.
It will have capacity for between nine and 19 passengers, and custom cabin layouts will be incorporated, including business or first class seating.


theweekuk--2020-08-04--Tory-linked PR firm handed £3m government contract without tender

A PR firm that masterminded two widely criticised Tory election campaign stunts has been handed a £3m contract by the government without a competitive tender , according to reports .
Topham Guerin , which specialise in producing images and videos for social media , was given the deal to work on coronavirus public health messaging shortly before the UK lockdown began in March , an investigation by The Guardian and openDemocracy has revealed .
” Under emergency Covid-19 regulations that allow the government to ditch usual competitive tendering practices , no tender was conducted to allow other companies to bid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports .
Founded in 2016 by young New Zealanders Sean Topham and Ben Guerin , Topham Guerin was at the centre of a political row last year after rebranding the Conservative Party ’ s official Twitter account as “ factcheckUK ” during a televised leaders ’ debate , and setting up a website presented as Labour ’ s manifesto .
A six-month contract for the PR firm ’ s current work for the government was formalised on 7 May , with a retrospective 17 March start date .
The £3m deal requires members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings at Downing Street or the Cabinet Office and lead the branding strategy and produce social media content ” , the London Economic reports .
“ And while the current contract runs until 16 September , it is understood that the Cabinet Office is already negotiating with them to send more work their way , ” the news site adds .
Labour ’ s shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves has criticised the decision to award the contract without a tender .
“ Given the huge importance of communications during a deadly pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be undertaken by long-standing , proven expertise in public health communications , ” she said .

A PR firm that masterminded two widely criticised Tory election campaign stunts has been handed a £3m contract by the government without a competitive tender, according to reports.
Topham Guerin, which specialise in producing images and videos for social media, was given the deal to work on coronavirus public health messaging shortly before the UK lockdown began in March, an investigation by The Guardian and openDemocracy has revealed.
”Under emergency Covid-19 regulations that allow the government to ditch usual competitive tendering practices, no tender was conducted to allow other companies to bid for that work,” the newspaper reports.
Founded in 2016 by young New Zealanders Sean Topham and Ben Guerin, Topham Guerin was at the centre of a political row last year after rebranding the Conservative Party’s official Twitter account as “factcheckUK” during a televised leaders’ debate, and setting up a website presented as Labour’s manifesto.
A six-month contract for the PR firm’s current work for the government was formalised on 7 May, with a retrospective 17 March start date.
The £3m deal requires members of the company “to attend daily meetings at Downing Street or the Cabinet Office and lead the branding strategy and produce social media content”, the London Economic reports.
“And while the current contract runs until 16 September, it is understood that the Cabinet Office is already negotiating with them to send more work their way,” the news site adds.
Labour’s shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves has criticised the decision to award the contract without a tender. “Given the huge importance of communications during a deadly pandemic, work of this magnitude must surely be undertaken by long-standing, proven expertise in public health communications,” she said.


theweekuk--2020-08-04--US election 2020: Washington insiders preparing for ‘counting chaos’ and ‘states seceding’

The upcoming US election may plunge the nation into a crisis in which military force is needed to help break a stalemate and states threaten to secede from the union , experts have predicted .
A series of “ war gaming ” exercises have been conducted in Washington to prepare for potential scenarios that could result from “ counting chaos ” in the wake of the vote , The Times reports .
“ Millions of Americans are expected to vote by post for the first time in November due to concerns over coronavirus , ” says the newspaper .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes will lead to voter fraud - fuelling fears that the result may be contested .
What did the war games involve ?
In “ what became a disturbing exercise in the fragility of American democracy ” , a group of political operatives , former government and military officials and academics dubbed the Transition Integrity Project “ quietly convened online ” in June to “ game out possible results of the November election ” , The Boston Globe reports .
The experts set about “ grappling with questions that seem less far-fetched by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including “ what if President Trump refuses to concede a loss ... How far could he go to preserve his power ?
And what if Democrats refuse to give in ?
” “ All of our scenarios ended in both street-level violence and political impasse , ” said Rosa Brooks , a Georgetown law professor and former Defense Department official who co-organised the group .
According to the Financial Times ( FT ) , two of the scenarios began with a “ narrow ” victory by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
“ In both cases , Mr Trump threatened to federalise the national guard to skew or shut down ballot recounts in contested states , ” the newspaper reports .
“ Bill Barr , the US attorney-general , helped Republican legislatures certify results that contradicted their Democratic governors.
” In a seperate scenario in which Biden won the popular vote and the electoral college , the group hypothesised that Trump would only agree to leave office after being promised a blanket pardon by the incoming administration .
The experts also considered was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election despite winning the popular vote , as happened to Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
They concluded that Biden ’ s party might “ not allow him to admit defeat in such circumstances ” , with the Democratic candidate instead claiming that “ voter suppression had swung the result ” , reports The Times .
In an exercise playing out this scenario , the Democrats ended up persuading the Democratic governors of Michigan and Wisconsin , two states which supported Trump in 2016 , to send Biden supporters to the electoral college .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Oregon and Washington state said they would secede from the US if Mr Trump was sworn in , ” The Times reports .
“ The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives asserted that Mr Biden was the true president ; the Republican-controlled Senate said it was Mr Trump.
” Are such role-playing exercises really necessary ?
The FT says that the Pentagon and White House has long found war games “ indispensable ” , while the Boston Globe reports that such role-playing exercises are a “ fixture of military and national security planning ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove especially helpful this year , as Trump continues to claim , without evidence , that the vote may be “ rigged ” in favour of Biden , The New York Times reports .
“ I think mail-in voting is going to rig the election , I really do , ” the incumbent told Fox News last month .
When asked if he would accept the election results , Trump replied : “ I ’ ll have to see.
” As political tensions continue to rise , the latest “ scenario exercises did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says war games project founder Brooks .
But she added that it is “ important to note that this does not mean that there is something inevitable about chaos and constitutional crisis in the coming months - just that these particular exercises suggest that these are real possibilities ” .

The upcoming US election may plunge the nation into a crisis in which military force is needed to help break a stalemate and states threaten to secede from the union, experts have predicted.
A series of “war gaming” exercises have been conducted in Washington to prepare for potential scenarios that could result from “counting chaos” in the wake of the vote, The Times reports.
“Millions of Americans are expected to vote by post for the first time in November due to concerns over coronavirus,” says the newspaper. But Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that postal votes will lead to voter fraud - fuelling fears that the result may be contested.
What did the war games involve?
In “what became a disturbing exercise in the fragility of American democracy”, a group of political operatives, former government and military officials and academics dubbed the Transition Integrity Project “quietly convened online” in June to “game out possible results of the November election”, The Boston Globe reports.
The experts set about “grappling with questions that seem less far-fetched by the day”, the newspaper continues, including “what if President Trump refuses to concede a loss... How far could he go to preserve his power? And what if Democrats refuse to give in?”
“All of our scenarios ended in both street-level violence and political impasse,” said Rosa Brooks, a Georgetown law professor and former Defense Department official who co-organised the group.
Disunited states
According to the Financial Times (FT), two of the scenarios began with a “narrow” victory by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden “and an inconclusive electoral college result”.
“In both cases, Mr Trump threatened to federalise the national guard to skew or shut down ballot recounts in contested states,” the newspaper reports. “Bill Barr, the US attorney-general, helped Republican legislatures certify results that contradicted their Democratic governors.”
In a seperate scenario in which Biden won the popular vote and the electoral college, the group hypothesised that Trump would only agree to leave office after being promised a blanket pardon by the incoming administration.
The experts also considered was what would happen if Biden lost the election despite winning the popular vote, as happened to Hillary Clinton in 2016.


theweekuk--2020-08-05--Coronavirus: Russia set for mass vaccination campaign - but why is WHO urging caution?

International health experts are calling for caution as Russia prepares to launch a mass vaccination campaign to combat Covid-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ this week that the Gamaleya Institute , a state-run research facility in Moscow , had @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus vaccine and is on course to secure regulatory approval .
“ We plan wider @ @ @ @ @ Murashko said , adding that doctors and teachers would be the first to be immunised @ @ @ @ @ concerned about what the BBC describes as Russia ’ s “ fast-track approach ” , @ @ @ @ @ ( WHO ) stressing that a blanket cure for coronavirus is extremely unlikely at this @ @ @ @ @ has Russia devised and why are experts sceptical ?
What exactly is Russia saying ?
@ @ @ @ @ to have stolen a march on dozens of global rivals – including the US and @ @ @ @ @ to produce a viable coronavirus vaccine ” , says The Guardian .


theweekuk--2020-08-05--Instant Opinion: he called Donald Trump’s 2016 win and ‘now he’s ready to call 2020’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
1 .
Allan Lichtman in The New York Times on the outcome of the 2020 US election He Predicted Trump ’ s Win in 2016 .
Now He ’ s Ready to Call 2020 “ Right now , polls say Joe Biden has a healthy lead over President Trump .
But we ’ ve been here before ( cue 2016 ) , and the polls were , frankly , wrong .
One man , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lichtman was the lonely forecaster who predicted Mr. Trump ’ s victory in 2016 — and also prophesied the president would be impeached .
That ’ s two for two .
But Professor Lichtman ’ s record goes much deeper .
In 1980 , he developed a presidential prediction model that retrospectively accounted for 120 years of U.S. election history .
Over the past four decades , his system has accurately called presidential victors , from Ronald Reagan in ’ 84 to , well , Mr. Trump in 2016.
” on the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeremy Corbyn are making the lives of Britain ’ s enemies easier “ Given the questionable company Jeremy Corbyn has kept throughout his political career , it is no surprise that he should find himself at the centre of a Russian email-hacking scandal ... [ And ] the recent political controversy over the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has exposed an array of senior political and business figures who appear quite comfortable defending the interests of Beijing ’ s communist rulers .
Indeed , it is entirely feasible that Britain ’ s sizeable pro-Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huawei ’ s stake in the country ’ s 5G network , with all the implications that would have had for our national security , had it not been for the intense pressure Downing Street came under from Washington to end the company ’ s involvement .
It is crucial , therefore , that we do not underestimate the importance of useful idiots like Mr Corbyn in helping hostile states like Russia and China to achieve their nefarious objectives.
” on the explosion in Lebanon Beirut has suffered a catastrophe that will live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeated betrayal of its citizens is a travesty “ There are some moments in a nation ’ s history which are frozen forever .
They may not be the worst catastrophes that have overwhelmed its people .
Nor the most political .
But they capture a society ’ s endless tragedy .
Pompeii comes to mind , its Roman confidence and imperial corruption suddenly overwhelmed by an act of God – so calamitous that for ever afterwards we can see its citizens ’ ruin , even their bodies .
It needs an image @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a mere second on the folly which lies behind a human calamity .
Lebanon has just provided that moment .
It ’ s not the numbers that matter in that context .
Beirut ’ s suffering on Tuesday does not come close to a casual bloodbath in its civil war – nor the often daily savagery of death in Syria for that matter ...
It ’ s the iconography that will be remembered – and what we all know this represents – and what we all know this represents .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , exists under the shadow of conflict , faces starvation and awaits extinction .
The twin clouds over Beirut , the one obscenely giving birth to the monstrous other , will never be erased.
” 4 .
Ravindra Gupta , professor of clinical microbiology at University of Cambridge , and Dami Collier , infectious diseases clinician at University College London , in The Guardian on the UK ’ s new 90-minute tests Why is the government buying Covid tests without evidence they work ?
“ Many of us working in NHS hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government had purchased 90-minute Covid-19 tests .
Rapid swab tests , called LamPORE , and 5,000 machines , supplied by DnaNudge , will soon be available in adult care settings and laboratories .
If they ’ re effective , they could allow for rapid , on-the-spot testing .
But there ’ s no publicly available data about the accuracy of these tests or how they perform , raising concerns about why the government has endorsed – and purchased - them ... Public funds have been used to purchase these tests , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Recent experience where the government purchased millions of sub-optimal antibody tests before they had been robustly evaluated shows the danger of purchasing equipment on the basis of manufacturers ’ claims alone .
We may be entering an era of trade-offs , where the accuracy of tests is balanced against the number of tests we can achieve.
” “ There is a pressing need to establish basic codes of conduct in outer space .
What happens up there has an immediate impact down here .
It is too crowded a place for Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s an extension of the Wild East .
There are talks in Vienna and Russia has put forward the idea of a treaty on “ the prevention of placement of weapons in outer space ” .
And it wants a ban on the ‘ first placement ’ of weapons .
That has been couched to sound reasonable .
But it overlooks that Vladimir Putin ’ s regime has been developing ground-based anti-satellite technology .
It has mobile lasers that can dazzle the satellites of other states .
The fact is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creating new norms if they serve to bind and contain the US , which remains the dominant force in space .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Allan Lichtman in The New York Times
on the outcome of the 2020 US election
He Predicted Trump’s Win in 2016. Now He’s Ready to Call 2020
“Right now, polls say Joe Biden has a healthy lead over President Trump. But we’ve been here before (cue 2016), and the polls were, frankly, wrong. One man, however, was not. The historian Allan Lichtman was the lonely forecaster who predicted Mr. Trump’s victory in 2016 — and also prophesied the president would be impeached. That’s two for two. But Professor Lichtman’s record goes much deeper. In 1980, he developed a presidential prediction model that retrospectively accounted for 120 years of U.S. election history. Over the past four decades, his system has accurately called presidential victors, from Ronald Reagan in ’84 to, well, Mr. Trump in 2016.”
Follow the link to watch Lichtman’s video op-ed.
2. Con Coughlin in The Daily Telegraph
on the new ‘cold war’
Useful idiots like Jeremy Corbyn are making the lives of Britain’s enemies easier
“Given the questionable company Jeremy Corbyn has kept throughout his political career, it is no surprise that he should find himself at the centre of a Russian email-hacking scandal... [And] the recent political controversy over the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has exposed an array of senior political and business figures who appear quite comfortable defending the interests of Beijing’s communist rulers. Indeed, it is entirely feasible that Britain’s sizeable pro-Beijing lobbying community would have succeeded in protecting Huawei’s stake in the country’s 5G network, with all the implications that would have had for our national security, had it not been for the intense pressure Downing Street came under from Washington to end the company’s involvement. It is crucial, therefore, that we do not underestimate the importance of useful idiots like Mr Corbyn in helping hostile states like Russia and China to achieve their nefarious objectives.”
3. Robert Fisk in The Independent
on the explosion in Lebanon
Beirut has suffered a catastrophe that will live long in the memory – and the repeated betrayal of its citizens is a travesty
“There are some moments in a nation’s history which are frozen forever. They may not be the worst catastrophes that have overwhelmed its people. Nor the most political. But they capture a society’s endless tragedy. Pompeii comes to mind, its Roman confidence and imperial corruption suddenly overwhelmed by an act of God – so calamitous that for ever afterwards we can see its citizens’ ruin, even their bodies. It needs an image, something which can focus our attention in a mere second on the folly which lies behind a human calamity. Lebanon has just provided that moment. It’s not the numbers that matter in that context. Beirut’s suffering on Tuesday does not come close to a casual bloodbath in its civil war – nor the often daily savagery of death in Syria for that matter... It’s the iconography that will be remembered – and what we all know this represents – and what we all know this represents. In a land which can scarcely cope with a pandemic, exists under the shadow of conflict, faces starvation and awaits extinction. The twin clouds over Beirut, the one obscenely giving birth to the monstrous other, will never be erased.”
4. Ravindra Gupta, professor of clinical microbiology at University of Cambridge, and Dami Collier, infectious diseases clinician at University College London, in The Guardian
on the UK’s new 90-minute tests
Why is the government buying Covid tests without evidence they work?
“Many of us working in NHS hospitals welcomed the news earlier this week that the government had purchased 90-minute Covid-19 tests. Rapid swab tests, called LamPORE, and 5,000 machines, supplied by DnaNudge, will soon be available in adult care settings and laboratories. If they’re effective, they could allow for rapid, on-the-spot testing. But there’s no publicly available data about the accuracy of these tests or how they perform, raising concerns about why the government has endorsed – and purchased - them... Public funds have been used to purchase these tests, so transparency about their effectiveness is really important. Recent experience where the government purchased millions of sub-optimal antibody tests before they had been robustly evaluated shows the danger of purchasing equipment on the basis of manufacturers’ claims alone. We may be entering an era of trade-offs, where the accuracy of tests is balanced against the number of tests we can achieve.”
5. Roger Boyes in The Times
on weapon tests in orbit
The world risks sleepwalking into a space war
“There is a pressing need to establish basic codes of conduct in outer space. What happens up there has an immediate impact down here. It is too crowded a place for Russia and China to charge around as if it’s an extension of the Wild East. There are talks in Vienna and Russia has put forward the idea of a treaty on “the prevention of placement of weapons in outer space”. And it wants a ban on the ‘first placement’ of weapons. That has been couched to sound reasonable. But it overlooks that Vladimir Putin’s regime has been developing ground-based anti-satellite technology. It has mobile lasers that can dazzle the satellites of other states. The fact is that Russia and China are only interested in creating new norms if they serve to bind and contain the US, which remains the dominant force in space.”


theweekuk--2020-08-05--On the prowl for No.16: Tiger Woods is geared up for PGA Championship challenge

Despite a lack of playing time and the absence of his fans , Tiger Woods is ready to challenge at this week ’ s PGA Championship .
Bidding to win a career 16th major and 83rd PGA Tour title , Woods is grouped with Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas in Thursday ’ s opening round at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco .
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the world No.15 has played only four PGA Tour rounds since February , but speaking to the media the four-time champion said : “ I feel good .
Obviously I haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been playing a lot at home .
“ The results that I ’ ve seen at home , [ I ’ m ] very enthusiastic about some of the changes I ’ ve made and so that ’ s been positive .
Keep building , keep getting ready and be ready come Thursday .
“ This is what I ’ ve been gearing up for .
We ’ ve got a lot of big events starting from here , so looking forward to it .
This is going to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rough is up .
Fairways are much narrower than they were here in 2009.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Postponed from May because of the coronavirus , the PGA Championship is the first major of the season and will take place behind closed doors .
When asked if a lack of fans will play a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 44-year-old said : “ As far as the focus part of it , I haven ’ t had a problem with that .
Those four rounds [ at the Memorial ] , I was pretty into it .
It ’ s different than most of the times when you go from green-to-tee , people yelling or trying to touch you .
That part is different .
“ As far as energy while I ’ m competing and playing , no that ’ s the same .
I ’ m pretty intense when I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m doing .
“ I don ’ t know if anyone in our generation has ever played without fans in a major championship .
It ’ s going to be very different .
But it ’ s still a major championship .
“ It ’ s still the best players in the world .
We all understand that going into it , so there ’ s going to be plenty of energy from the competitive side.
” World No.1 Justin Thomas goes into the championship as the bookies ’ favourite , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka .
Teeing off in the first round with Shane Lowry and Gary Woodland , American Koepka believes if he plays to the best of his ability he can take home the Wanamaker Trophy for a third successive year .
“ I feel very confident in myself , ” said the 30-year-old .
“ I don ’ t put any expectations on myself .
Just go out and play golf exactly like I know how and , if I do that , then yeah I probably should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list see oddschecker.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

2020 PGA Championship
When: 6-9 August 2020
Where: TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, California
TV: daily live coverage on Sky Sports Golf from 6pm BST
Despite a lack of playing time and the absence of his fans, Tiger Woods is ready to challenge at this week’s PGA Championship.
Bidding to win a career 16th major and 83rd PGA Tour title, Woods is grouped with Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas in Thursday’s opening round at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the world No.15 has played only four PGA Tour rounds since February, but speaking to the media the four-time champion said: “I feel good. Obviously I haven’t played much competitively, but I’ve been playing a lot at home.
“The results that I’ve seen at home, [I’m] very enthusiastic about some of the changes I’ve made and so that’s been positive. Keep building, keep getting ready and be ready come Thursday.
“This is what I’ve been gearing up for. We’ve got a lot of big events starting from here, so looking forward to it. This is going to be a fun test for all of us. The rough is up. Fairways are much narrower than they were here in 2009.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
‘It’s still a major’
Postponed from May because of the coronavirus, the PGA Championship is the first major of the season and will take place behind closed doors.
When asked if a lack of fans will play a big part throughout the weekend, the 44-year-old said: “As far as the focus part of it, I haven’t had a problem with that. Those four rounds [at the Memorial], I was pretty into it. It’s different than most of the times when you go from green-to-tee, people yelling or trying to touch you. That part is different.
“As far as energy while I’m competing and playing, no that’s the same. I’m pretty intense when I play and pretty into what I’m doing.


theweekuk--2020-08-05--‘Crisis after crisis’: everything we know about the Lebanon chemical explosion

Rescue workers are digging through rubble in search of survivors of a huge explosion that killed at least 100 people and left more than 4,000 injured in Beirut on Tuesday .
The blast ripped through the port area of the Lebanese capital shortly after 6pm local time ( 4pm BST ) on Tuesday , causing widespread damage to buildings and sending a huge mushroom-shaped cloud into the sky above .
President Michel Aoun has declared three days of mourning , while Prime Minister Hassan Diab warned in a televised speech that the explosion “ will not pass without accountability .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the price.
” Video footage of the incident appears to show two separate explosions .
The first and smaller of the two generated a plume of grey smoke and white sparks , with some eyewitnesses reporting that it sounded “ like fireworks ” , The Guardian says .
“ The first plume of smoke was then suddenly consumed by a massive fireball and white cloud , sending a shockwave scudding across the city , ” according to the newspaper , which reports that the blast was felt as far away as Cyprus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials say that the exact cause of the explosion is unclear and that an investigation has been launched .
However , the BBC reports that President Aoun has pointed to “ 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in a warehouse ” in the Port of Beirut for a number of years .
The broadcaster says that the chemical - a highly volatile fertiliser that was behind a deadly explosion in the Chinese city of Tianjin in 2015 - had reportedly been “ unloaded from a ship impounded at the port in 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
The destruction from the explosion was widespread , with streets “ littered with upturned cars and the ruins of shattered buildings ” on Wednesday morning , The Guardian says .
Windows in buildings up to six miles from the blast site were reportedly blown out .
The government is considering enacting a two-week state of emergency as the authorities try to tackle the devastation , which has potentially left thousands of homes uninhabitable .
The human cost is also predicted to climb as rescue workers comb through the wreckage of buildings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Our teams are still conducting search and rescue operations in the surrounding areas , '' the Lebanese Red Cross said in a statement on Wednesday .
“ What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe , ” the organisation ’ s head George Kettani told local media .
“ There are victims and casualties everywhere.
” Health Minister Hamad Hasan added : “ There are many people missing .
People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones and it is difficult to search at night because there is no electricity.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aoun has pledged to release 100bn lira ( £50.5m ) of emergency funds to help deal with the damage .
Meanwhile , health officials have recommended that people in Beirut should leave the city if possible , amid warnings that hazardous materials in the air after the explosion may have long-term deadly effects .
Ammonium nitrate detonations release large amounts of nitrogen dioxide , a dark red-coloured gas that can cause eye irritation and greatly exacerbate respiratory conditions .
The disaster comes as Lebanon faces a major economic crisis that has resulted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the coronavirus pandemic causing further misery .
Reports suggest that the blast destroyed a number of vital grain silos and damaged medical facilities already pushed to breaking point by the Covid-19 outbreak .
Today , “ as Beirut ’ s four million residents wake to the full horror and scale of the damage to their city , lives , and livelihoods , questions will be asked about why such large quantities of the dangerous chemical were allowed to be stored in the middle of the city without adequate safety measures , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prime Minister Diab has promised that while he that he “ will not pre-empt the investigations ” , “ facts about this dangerous warehouse ” will be made public .

Rescue workers are digging through rubble in search of survivors of a huge explosion that killed at least 100 people and left more than 4,000 injured in Beirut on Tuesday.
The blast ripped through the port area of the Lebanese capital shortly after 6pm local time (4pm BST) on Tuesday, causing widespread damage to buildings and sending a huge mushroom-shaped cloud into the sky above.
President Michel Aoun has declared three days of mourning, while Prime Minister Hassan Diab warned in a televised speech that the explosion “will not pass without accountability. Those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price.”
What caused the blast?
Video footage of the incident appears to show two separate explosions.
The first and smaller of the two generated a plume of grey smoke and white sparks, with some eyewitnesses reporting that it sounded “like fireworks”, The Guardian says.
“The first plume of smoke was then suddenly consumed by a massive fireball and white cloud, sending a shockwave scudding across the city,” according to the newspaper, which reports that the blast was felt as far away as Cyprus, a distance of some 120 miles.
A video I received on WhatsApp of the scalr of explosion in #Beirut, confirming it was at the port. pic.twitter.com/bIkcyfsi0o — Bissan بيسان #SaveAlaa (@Bissan_Fakih) August 4, 2020
Officials say that the exact cause of the explosion is unclear and that an investigation has been launched.
However, the BBC reports that President Aoun has pointed to “2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in a warehouse” in the Port of Beirut for a number of years.
The broadcaster says that the chemical - a highly volatile fertiliser that was behind a deadly explosion in the Chinese city of Tianjin in 2015 - had reportedly been “unloaded from a ship impounded at the port in 2013”.
How great is the damage?
The destruction from the explosion was widespread, with streets “littered with upturned cars and the ruins of shattered buildings” on Wednesday morning, The Guardian says. Windows in buildings up to six miles from the blast site were reportedly blown out.
The government is considering enacting a two-week state of emergency as the authorities try to tackle the devastation, which has potentially left thousands of homes uninhabitable.
Fireworks explosion?! I felt like I’m dying, I still can’t believe it #Lebanon #Beirut pic.twitter.com/EMTS470FOH — Ahmad M. Yassine | أحمد م. ياسين (@Lobnene_Blog) August 4, 2020
The human cost is also predicted to climb as rescue workers comb through the wreckage of buildings.


theweekuk--2020-08-05--Lockdown and chill: 12m Brits sign up for streaming services

Millions of bored Britons signed up for video streaming services such as Netflix , Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ during the UK ’ s nationwide Covid-19 lockdown , newly released figures show .
And viewers spent an average 40 % of their waking hours watching television at the peak of the coronavirus outbreak , in April , according to Ofcom ’ s Media Nations 2020 report .
The media watchdog says that Brits “ kept themselves informed and entertained by spending an average of six hours and 25 minutes each day watching TV and online video content – a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a rise of almost a third on last year ” .
A total of 12 million people signed up to a new subscription streaming service during the lockdown , including three million who were new to streaming .
After launching on 24 March , a day after the nation was ordered to stay at home , Disney+ had “ attracted 16 % of online adults by early July ” , says Ofcom .
That successful start saw Disney+ move ahead of NOW TV ( 10 % ) to become the third-most popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was claimed by Netflix ( 45 % ) - maker of hit shows including The Crown ( pictured ) - followed by Amazon Prime Video ( 39 % ) .
Streaming viewers tuned into the various services for on average of one hour 11 minutes per day during April - 37 minutes more than in 2019 .
Among the 16-34 age group , screen time increased to two hours per day .
Richard Broughton , an analyst at market research firm Ampere Analysis , told The Guardian that “ it has been almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services ” .
“ Under lockdown , there has been a lack of alternative entertainment options , where you couldn ’ t see friends and cinemas , restaurants , pubs and clubs were closed , ” he said .
“ And with traditional TV , there has been a relatively limited variety of shows , people were rapidly running out of things to watch.
” As the full extent of the coronavirus crisis became apparent in March , the UK ’ s public service broadcasters - the BBC , ITV , STV , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their highest combined monthly share of viewers in more than six years , at 59 % .
The BBC was the most popular source of news and information about Covid-19 , with eight in ten adults turning to Auntie for updates during the first week of lockdown .
The lockdown also saw growth for the various broadcasters ’ separate video on-demand services .
BBC iPlayer recorded 570 million programme requests in May 2020 - a 72 % increase from May last year .
Channel 4 ’ s on-demand service , All 4 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the first two weeks of lockdown ; and viewers spent 82 % more time on ITV Hub .
Yih-Choung Teh , Ofcom ’ s strategy and research group director , said : “ Lockdown led to a huge rise in TV viewing and video streaming .
The pandemic showed public service broadcasting at its best , delivering trusted news and UK content that viewers really value .
“ But UK broadcasters face a tough advertising market , production challenges and financial uncertainty .
So they need to keep demonstrating that value in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services.
” As of the end of June , viewer numbers for video streaming services and other non-broadcast content were 71 % higher year-on-year .
By contrast , viewing numbers for the traditional TV broadcasters fell by 44 minutes , to three hours two minutes per day .
In more good news for streaming services , Ofcom reports that adults who are signed up for Netflix ( 96 % ) , Amazon Prime ( 91 % ) and Disney+ ( 84 % ) say that they plan to keep their subscriptions in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ more than half say they will continue to spend the same amount of time watching streamed content in future as they did during lockdown .
”

Millions of bored Britons signed up for video streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ during the UK’s nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, newly released figures show.
And viewers spent an average 40% of their waking hours watching television at the peak of the coronavirus outbreak, in April, according to Ofcom’s Media Nations 2020 report.
The media watchdog says that Brits “kept themselves informed and entertained by spending an average of six hours and 25 minutes each day watching TV and online video content – a total of almost 45 hours a week, and a rise of almost a third on last year”.
Streaming surge
A total of 12 million people signed up to a new subscription streaming service during the lockdown, including three million who were new to streaming.
After launching on 24 March, a day after the nation was ordered to stay at home, Disney+ had “attracted 16% of online adults by early July”, says Ofcom. That successful start saw Disney+ move ahead of NOW TV (10%) to become the third-most popular subscription streaming service.
The top spot was claimed by Netflix (45%) - maker of hit shows including The Crown (pictured) - followed by Amazon Prime Video (39%).
Streaming viewers tuned into the various services for on average of one hour 11 minutes per day during April - 37 minutes more than in 2019. Among the 16-34 age group, screen time increased to two hours per day.
Richard Broughton, an analyst at market research firm Ampere Analysis, told The Guardian that “it has been almost perfect conditions for all the major streaming services”.
“Under lockdown, there has been a lack of alternative entertainment options, where you couldn’t see friends and cinemas, restaurants, pubs and clubs were closed,” he said. “And with traditional TV, there has been a relatively limited variety of shows, people were rapidly running out of things to watch.”
Demand for news
As the full extent of the coronavirus crisis became apparent in March, the UK’s public service broadcasters - the BBC, ITV, STV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - achieved their highest combined monthly share of viewers in more than six years, at 59%.


theweekuk--2020-08-05--Dubai Airport deploys sniffer dogs to detect coronavirus carriers

Specially trained dogs are attempting to sniff out coronavirus infections among travellers arriving at Dubai Airport, in a world first.
K9 sniffer dogs have been stationed at Dubai International Airport and other airports across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where they are “working to track possible infections using swabs gathered from arriving passengers”, Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National reports.
According to Major Salah Al Mazrooei of Dubai Police, the samples are taken from passengers’ armpits for the tests, being conducted “in collaboration with partners from Dubai Health Authority”, and “the results are out in less than one minute”.
“Travellers who have a fear of dogs do not need to worry as there is no direct contact between dogs and passengers,” adds The National. “Instead, the animals are exposed to samples collected from travellers in an isolated room.”
Debate over whether dogs can sniff out the virus has been raging for months. But “the UAE has chosen to believe that sniffer dogs are efficient in detecting Covid-19 in the passengers”, says The Times of India.
In a statement, Dubai’s Ministry of Interior said: “Data and studies showed that detection of presumed Covid-19 cases achieved approximately 92% in overall accuracy.
“Figures indicate that dogs can quickly detect infected cases, help protect key sites, effectively deal with huge crowds and secure large events, airports, etc.”
Although it may sound barking mad, “this method has been used to detect several other diseases that can affect body odor such as cancer and malaria”, The Sun reports.
A recent study revealed that researchers in Germany have trained army sniffer dogs to distinguish between samples of fluids from patients infected with Covid and healthy donors.
“The animals were able to positively detect SARS-CoV-2 infected secretions with an 83% success rate, and control secretions at a rate of 96%,” according to Deutsche Welle.


theweekuk--2020-08-05--Prince Andrew ‘used Spitting Image puppet of himself’ to assault Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Prince Andrew used a puppet of himself from ITV satire show Spitting Image to grope two of Jeffrey Epstein ’ s “ sex slaves ” , according to an unpublished manuscript of a book written by one of the alleged victims .
Newly released court documents seen by the Daily Mirror reveal that Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims the Duke of York assaulted her with the latex likeness when she was trafficked to have sex with the Royal at the age of 17 .
Giuffre alleges that the Prince had been given the puppet in April 2001 by convicted paedophile Epstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by US prosecutors of procuring girls for the late financier to sexually abuse .
Andrew is then said to have used the puppet to grope Giuffre and Epstein ’ s former PA and victim Johanna Sjoberg in the “ opulent first-floor study ” of the billionaire ’ s New York home , the Daily Mail reports .
According to the court documents , Giuffre “ wrote in her unpublished book that she was summoned to the property by Maxwell ” , the newspaper adds .
“ Prince Andrew had that notorious cheesy grin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looked me up and down like a shiny new car on display and he was about to take it for a test drive , ” she wrote , before describing how the Duke “ cupped ” her breast using the puppet .
Sjoberg has also previously described the alleged encounter with the Duke and his Spitting Image likeness .
In a 2016 deposition , during Giuffre ’ s civil defamation case against Maxwell , Sjoberg said under oath : “ I sat on Andrew ’ s lap ... they took the puppet ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s breast , and so Andrew put his on mine.
” Giuffre claims that after being groped , she was told to take the Duke “ to the dungeon ” for an erotic massage , adding that Andrew “ disrobed ” and showed signs of “ arousal ” .
The Duke has repeatedly denied having sex with Giuffre .
The puppet allegation coincides with the return of Spitting Image , which will relaunch later this year on BritBox , the streaming service launched by the BBC and ITV .
The show will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ dressed in a tartan coat complete with paisley neckerchief ” , Sky News reports .

Prince Andrew used a puppet of himself from ITV satire show Spitting Image to grope two of Jeffrey Epstein’s “sex slaves”, according to an unpublished manuscript of a book written by one of the alleged victims.
Newly released court documents seen by the Daily Mirror reveal that Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims the Duke of York assaulted her with the latex likeness when she was trafficked to have sex with the Royal at the age of 17.
Giuffre alleges that the Prince had been given the puppet in April 2001 by convicted paedophile Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is accused by US prosecutors of procuring girls for the late financier to sexually abuse.
Andrew is then said to have used the puppet to grope Giuffre and Epstein’s former PA and victim Johanna Sjoberg in the “opulent first-floor study” of the billionaire’s New York home, the Daily Mail reports.
According to the court documents, Giuffre “wrote in her unpublished book that she was summoned to the property by Maxwell”, the newspaper adds.
“Prince Andrew had that notorious cheesy grin slapped over his face, as he looked me up and down like a shiny new car on display and he was about to take it for a test drive,” she wrote, before describing how the Duke “cupped” her breast using the puppet.
Sjoberg has also previously described the alleged encounter with the Duke and his Spitting Image likeness.
In a 2016 deposition, during Giuffre’s civil defamation case against Maxwell, Sjoberg said under oath: “I sat on Andrew’s lap... they took the puppet’s hands and put it on Virginia’s breast, and so Andrew put his on mine.”
Giuffre claims that after being groped, she was told to take the Duke “to the dungeon” for an erotic massage, adding that Andrew “disrobed” and showed signs of “arousal”.
The Duke has repeatedly denied having sex with Giuffre.
The puppet allegation coincides with the return of Spitting Image, which will relaunch later this year on BritBox, the streaming service launched by the BBC and ITV. The show will include a “glum-looking” Andrew puppet, “dressed in a tartan coat complete with paisley neckerchief”, Sky News reports.


theweekuk--2020-08-05--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 5 Aug 2020

The Children ’ s Commissioner has told the government that pubs and shops should be shut in order to reopen @ @ @ @ @ ministers treated children ’ s education as an “ afterthought ” during the first lockdown @ @ @ @ @ be put at the heart of planning for a second wave .
“ That means @ @ @ @ @ to reopen and the last to close during any local lockdowns , ” she said @

Children’s Commissioner: prioritise schools over pubs
The Children’s Commissioner has told the government that pubs and shops should be shut in order to reopen schools. Anne Longfield said ministers treated children’s education as an “afterthought” during the first lockdown and argued that they must be put at the heart of planning for a second wave. “That means schools must be the first to reopen and the last to close during any local lockdowns,” she said.


theweekuk--2020-08-05--Marriage proposal goes wrong as man sets flat on fire

A man who was preparing to propose to his girlfriend set his flat on fire with hundreds of tealight candles .
The Sheffield man lit them all before leaving to pick up his girlfriend , but when they returned the flat was on fire .
A South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said no one was injured and “ she still said yes ” .
Police at a German airport searching a 74-year-old passenger ’ s wooden box found that it contained the bones of her dead husband .
However , after customs officials , a doctor and prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no crime had been committed , according to local media .
A 25-year-old teacher in India set a new Guinness World Record when he solved six Rubik ’ s cubes in 2min 17sec , while completely underwater .
Illayaram Sekar broke the record for most Rubik ’ s cubes solved underwater in a single breath , previously held by an American .
“ I want to inspire my students to do more , ” said Sekar .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A man who was preparing to propose to his girlfriend set his flat on fire with hundreds of tealight candles. The Sheffield man lit them all before leaving to pick up his girlfriend, but when they returned the flat was on fire. A South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said no one was injured and “she still said yes”.
Police find dead husband's bones in pensioner's luggage
Police at a German airport searching a 74-year-old passenger’s wooden box found that it contained the bones of her dead husband. However, after customs officials, a doctor and prosecutors were consulted, the authorities concluded that no crime had been committed, according to local media.
Man breaks underwater Rubik's record to inspire students
A 25-year-old teacher in India set a new Guinness World Record when he solved six Rubik’s cubes in 2min 17sec, while completely underwater. Illayaram Sekar broke the record for most Rubik’s cubes solved underwater in a single breath, previously held by an American. “I want to inspire my students to do more,” said Sekar.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


theweekuk--2020-08-05--Debate: should councils ‘go it alone’ amid government track-and-trace failures

Councils across the north of England are setting up local track-and-trace systems in an effort to sidestep the government ’ s £10bn scheme .
Officials in Greater Manchester are believed to be preparing to roll out a “ door to door ” scheme , while Blackburn with Darwen Council launched a “ bespoke service yesterday with the agreement of Public Health England ” ( PHE ) , The Times reports .
Following the recent sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the North , Bradford is also understood to be considering a “ local track-and-trace team ” , who would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if NHS Test and Trace staff had been unable to contact the potentially infected people within 48 hours .
The growing push to “ go it alone ” comes as Labour leader Keir Starmer warns that the country faces a devastating second wave and a “ long and bleak winter ” if the government does not quickly improve the central track-and-trace system .
The case for keeping it local The government ’ s highly expensive track-and-trace system has got off to an inauspicious start .
Plans for a tracking app have been scrapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system “ is still not good enough to prevent a second wave of coronavirus ” , The Times says .
Contact tracers working for the scheme claim they are making just “ a handful of calls every month ” and are instead “ occupying their time with barbecues and quizzes ” , The Guardian reports .
One agent said that “ they had made just a few calls in two months of work , two of which had been fake numbers ” , according to the paper .
“ I ’ ve heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the garden having a barbecue so that they can stay logged in and clock up the hours , ” the insider said .
An analysis of data obtained by The Guardian from a contact tracer hired through outsourcing company Serco found that 471 agents had made “ just 135 calls in two days – around 0.14 calls per agent per day ” .
“ This figure includes calls to incorrect numbers , voicemails , or multiple calls made to the same individual ” , with one person reported to have been called 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said that in the eight weeks since the scheme launched , 27,000 contact tracers have “ contacted more than 218,000 people who have tested positive for the virus , or recently been in contact with someone who has tested positive ” .
However , based on those figures , each of the 27,000 tracers would only have to make just over one successful call per week to have reached a total of 218,000 over that period .
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told the newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with these problems is a more local approach – door knocking and support for all employees to self-isolate ” .
The region ’ s director of public health , Kate Ardern , says their local team has managed to reach 98 % -100 % of the cases referred through the national scheme .
And in Leicester , the first area in the UK to be placed under local lockdown , the council ’ s system contacted 122 of a total 136 people referred - a success rate of 89 % .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is reaching 81 % of infected people per week , and 75 % of their contacts .
But according to an analysis of government data by researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , the true number of contacts being traced could be as low as 50 % .
While local schemes appear to be succeeding in tracking down the small number of cases referred by the national team , Burnham admits that Greater Manchester does not have “ world-beating ” system - a reference to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central tracing programme .
Greater Manchester ’ s system “ is able to do really straightforward cases , but the minute they get more complicated it struggles ” , Burnham said .
As it stands , local track-and-trace systems are still reliant on the centralised scheme to refer individuals , and are only mopping up cases that the government tracers can not contact .
And although such schemes might be improved with greater funding at local level , the government has already pledged £300m in additional investment for councils to support the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local government minister , this week said that the central system was “ a massive national undertaking and it is working ” .
Speaking to Sky News , he added : “ It ’ s obviously vital that we always continue to keep up the progress that we ’ re making with test and trace .
”

Councils across the north of England are setting up local track-and-trace systems in an effort to sidestep the government’s £10bn scheme.
Officials in Greater Manchester are believed to be preparing to roll out a “door to door” scheme, while Blackburn with Darwen Council launched a “bespoke service yesterday with the agreement of Public Health England” (PHE), The Times reports.
Following the recent sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the North, Bradford is also understood to be considering a “local track-and-trace team”, who would be forwarded details of confirmed or possible infections if NHS Test and Trace staff had been unable to contact the potentially infected people within 48 hours.
The growing push to “go it alone” comes as Labour leader Keir Starmer warns that the country faces a devastating second wave and a “long and bleak winter” if the government does not quickly improve the central track-and-trace system.
The case for keeping it local
The government’s highly expensive track-and-trace system has got off to an inauspicious start. Plans for a tracking app have been scrapped, and scientists are warning that the system “is still not good enough to prevent a second wave of coronavirus”, The Times says.
Contact tracers working for the scheme claim they are making just “a handful of calls every month” and are instead “occupying their time with barbecues and quizzes”, The Guardian reports.
One agent said that “they had made just a few calls in two months of work, two of which had been fake numbers”, according to the paper.
“I’ve heard of tracers claiming to be sitting in the garden having a barbecue so that they can stay logged in and clock up the hours,” the insider said.
An analysis of data obtained by The Guardian from a contact tracer hired through outsourcing company Serco found that 471 agents had made “just 135 calls in two days – around 0.14 calls per agent per day”.
“This figure includes calls to incorrect numbers, voicemails, or multiple calls made to the same individual”, with one person reported to have been called 20 times.
Responding to the claims, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said that in the eight weeks since the scheme launched, 27,000 contact tracers have “contacted more than 218,000 people who have tested positive for the virus, or recently been in contact with someone who has tested positive”.