theweekuk--2020-08-10--Instant Opinion: ‘Lebanon’s worst enemy is its own government’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
Lebanon 's worst enemy is its own government “ ... How ever one looks at it , the huge explosion on Tuesday is the result of the dire corruption within numerous Lebanese governments .
For years , politicians from all parties and factions have looted the country and driven it to ruin .
Even politicians on opposing sides have joined together in this corrupt system to enrich themselves — when it came to lining their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement .
This catastrophe is just the most recent and most horrifying example of how one Lebanese government after the other has failed to fulfill its most basic tasks : looking after the citizens ' welfare and well-being.
” on the legacy of nuclear devastation Surviving the nuclear bomb at Nagasaki 75 years ago showed me nuclear weapons should n't exist “ ... the idea of nuclear weapon-dependent international security is just a pandemic that has spread over many big and wealthy nations since the Cold War era ; the imaginations of politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which they constantly refuse treatment .
The danger that comes from this adherence to old ways of seeing the world could be catastrophic .
Were a nuclear war to take place , there would be an immediate , huge loss of human life , an ensuing nuclear winter , a succeeding devastating agricultural crisis causing a global famine for billions and , ultimately , possible human extinction.
” on how to keep food The art of storage is the next hip food trend we badly need “ This lack of poetic sensibility is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such terrible marks in all my English Lit exams .
But it brings us to the current hot topic of food waste .
When it comes to chucking out comestibles , the Covid lockdown concentrated our minds wonderfully .
Long queues , empty shelves and a fear of shortages fostered a national outbreak of culinary prudence .
But the easing of restrictions has seen a return to a throwaway food culture .
WRAP , the Government ’ s food waste watchdog , reports a 30pc rise in ‘ self-reported waste ’ – a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with its ‘ Let ’ s Keep Crushing It ’ campaign , which includes an alphabetical list of food storage advice.
” “ The new leader will be integral to setting the direction for targeting these seats – and the type of relationship the party can form with Starmer 's Labour .
Moran and Davey have different approaches to finding relevance again .
They are going after different types of potential liberals .
Moran is the outside bet .
She has declared that , if picked , she would make the party ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised to be ‘ unapologetic ’ about it .
Her supporters argue that the fact that she wasn ’ t an MP in the five years of coalition government means her untainted brand can win over young voters – with a particular focus on soft Labour voters .
Her allies say her approach will be similar to Charles Kennedy ’ s , taking the fight to Labour .
However , Moran allies also argue she is in the best position to try to form non aggression pacts with Labour as she does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Joe Biden just destroyed one of Trump 's biggest attack lines “ That exchange not only aired on Fox News , it went viral on social media .
And then almost on cue Saturday afternoon , around the same time Biden was on his bicycle , Trump tweeted out from the posh confines of his country club one of his go-to attack lines against the former VP , calling him ‘ Sleepy Joe Biden.
’ The irony was delicious .
There 's Biden briskly riding a bicycle while Trump is at his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercise he seems to get is getting in and out of his golf cart .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Diana Hodali in DW
on Beirut
Lebanon's worst enemy is its own government
“... How ever one looks at it, the huge explosion on Tuesday is the result of the dire corruption within numerous Lebanese governments. For years, politicians from all parties and factions have looted the country and driven it to ruin. Even politicians on opposing sides have joined together in this corrupt system to enrich themselves — when it came to lining their own pockets, they were always in agreement. This catastrophe is just the most recent and most horrifying example of how one Lebanese government after the other has failed to fulfill its most basic tasks: looking after the citizens' welfare and well-being.”
2. Dr Masao Tomonaga in NBC News
on the legacy of nuclear devastation
Surviving the nuclear bomb at Nagasaki 75 years ago showed me nuclear weapons shouldn't exist
“... the idea of nuclear weapon-dependent international security is just a pandemic that has spread over many big and wealthy nations since the Cold War era; the imaginations of politicians are infested with this political illness for which they constantly refuse treatment. The danger that comes from this adherence to old ways of seeing the world could be catastrophic. Were a nuclear war to take place, there would be an immediate, huge loss of human life, an ensuing nuclear winter, a succeeding devastating agricultural crisis causing a global famine for billions and, ultimately, possible human extinction.”
3. Jane Shilling in The Telegraph
on how to keep food
The art of storage is the next hip food trend we badly need
“This lack of poetic sensibility is no doubt the reason why I got such terrible marks in all my English Lit exams. But it brings us to the current hot topic of food waste. When it comes to chucking out comestibles, the Covid lockdown concentrated our minds wonderfully. Long queues, empty shelves and a fear of shortages fostered a national outbreak of culinary prudence. But the easing of restrictions has seen a return to a throwaway food culture. WRAP, the Government’s food waste watchdog, reports a 30pc rise in ‘self-reported waste’ – a tendency that it is trying to reverse with its ‘Let’s Keep Crushing It’ campaign, which includes an alphabetical list of food storage advice.”
4. Katy Balls in The Spectator
on a floundering party
The Lib Dem paradox
“The new leader will be integral to setting the direction for targeting these seats – and the type of relationship the party can form with Starmer's Labour. Moran and Davey have different approaches to finding relevance again. They are going after different types of potential liberals. Moran is the outside bet. She has declared that, if picked, she would make the party ‘more radical’ than Labour and has promised to be ‘unapologetic’ about it. Her supporters argue that the fact that she wasn’t an MP in the five years of coalition government means her untainted brand can win over young voters – with a particular focus on soft Labour voters. Her allies say her approach will be similar to Charles Kennedy’s, taking the fight to Labour. However, Moran allies also argue she is in the best position to try to form non aggression pacts with Labour as she does not carry the coalition baggage that Davey does.”
5. Dean Obeidallah in CNN
on Biden’s quick wit
Joe Biden just destroyed one of Trump's biggest attack lines
“That exchange not only aired on Fox News, it went viral on social media. And then almost on cue Saturday afternoon, around the same time Biden was on his bicycle, Trump tweeted out from the posh confines of his country club one of his go-to attack lines against the former VP, calling him ‘Sleepy Joe Biden.’ The irony was delicious. There's Biden briskly riding a bicycle while Trump is at his private country club, where the only exercise he seems to get is getting in and out of his golf cart.”


theweekuk--2020-08-11--Coronavirus: why England’s daily death toll is dropping so slowly

While Italy , France and Spain have reported just a handful of Covid-19 fatalities in recent weeks , an average of 50 people are still dying from the disease every day in the UK .
And the stubbornly high death toll afflicts England more than Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland , according to government data .
Here are the two main explanations for the alarming figures : The scale of the UK outbreak Although some parts of Europe have had more acute coronavirus outbreaks , no other country has seen the virus spread as extensively as it has in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the UK , with every local authority area reporting excess deaths during the peak of infections , ” says The Independent .
With outbreaks occuring all around the country , it has taken longer to bring infections - and deaths - under control .
The other reason for the UK ’ s high death toll also explains the divergence between England and Scotland .
While Scotland had the “ third-largest increase ” in deaths during the pandemic , according to the BBC , only six Covid-related deaths have been reported north of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same period , England recorded 2,614 coronavirus deaths .
However , the two countries calculate their statistic using very different methods , with Scotland favouring the method used in most of other nations .
In Scotland , “ deaths are only counted as from confirmed Covid-19 if they die within 28 days of being diagnosed ” , says Scottish television network STV .
If someone diagnosed with the disease dies outside that period , they will not appear in the Scottish government figures .
In England , by contrast , anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included in the figures , however long they live for and however they die .
“ Under these terms , a person who tested positive a few months ago but then gets hit by a bus this week would be recorded as a Covid death , ” says The Telegraph .
That may be an extreme case , but more than 300,000 people , many of them elderly , have now tested positive for the virus .
Over time , an increasing number of them will die of one cause or another and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

While Italy, France and Spain have reported just a handful of Covid-19 fatalities in recent weeks, an average of 50 people are still dying from the disease every day in the UK.
And the stubbornly high death toll afflicts England more than Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to government data. Here are the two main explanations for the alarming figures:
The scale of the UK outbreak
Although some parts of Europe have had more acute coronavirus outbreaks, no other country has seen the virus spread as extensively as it has in the UK.
“Covid-19 was prevalent throughout the UK, with every local authority area reporting excess deaths during the peak of infections,” says The Independent.
With outbreaks occuring all around the country, it has taken longer to bring infections - and deaths - under control.
Statistical methods
The other reason for the UK’s high death toll also explains the divergence between England and Scotland.
While Scotland had the “third-largest increase” in deaths during the pandemic, according to the BBC, only six Covid-related deaths have been reported north of the border since 1 July. In the same period, England recorded 2,614 coronavirus deaths.
However, the two countries calculate their statistic using very different methods, with Scotland favouring the method used in most of other nations.
In Scotland, “deaths are only counted as from confirmed Covid-19 if they die within 28 days of being diagnosed”, says Scottish television network STV. If someone diagnosed with the disease dies outside that period, they will not appear in the Scottish government figures.
In England, by contrast, anyone who dies after testing positive for Covid-19 is included in the figures, however long they live for and however they die.
“Under these terms, a person who tested positive a few months ago but then gets hit by a bus this week would be recorded as a Covid death,” says The Telegraph.
That may be an extreme case, but more than 300,000 people, many of them elderly, have now tested positive for the virus. Over time, an increasing number of them will die of one cause or another and appear in England’s daily statistics.


theweekuk--2020-08-11--Man City’s ‘World Cup’: Pep Guardiola’s team bid for Champions League glory

Pep Guardiola has won every trophy there is to win in England since becoming manager of Manchester City in 2016 .
The Spaniard has guided City to Premier League titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19 , the FA Cup in 2019 , League Cups in 2018 , 2019 and 2020 and FA Community Shields in 2018 and 2019 .
But despite his domestic successes , he has a major gap in his City CV : winning the Uefa Champions League .
As head coach of FC Barcelona , Guardiola led the Catalans to Champions League titles on two occasions - 2008-09 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he still awaits European glory .
Could 2020 be the year when Guardiola and Co finally lift the famous silver trophy ?
He will find out in the next 11 days .
With the coronavirus putting a halt to the football season , City had to wait five months to complete their round of 16 tie against 13-time European champions Real Madrid .
In February City won 2-1 in the first leg at the Bernabeu and in the return fixture at the Etihad last Friday they repeated the scoreline to secure a 4-2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last eight .
The post-lockdowon conclusion of the Champions League has a new look to it , with a mini-tournament taking place from 12-23 August in the Portuguese capital , Lisbon .
Instead of the usual two-legged affairs , the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be one-off knockout fixtures - similar to those seen at major international tournaments such as the Fifa World Cup or Euros .
The action starts on Wednesday with the first quarter-final between Atalanta and Paris St-Germain .
On Thursday RB Leipzig face Atletico Madrid and Friday sees Barcelona take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clash against French side Lyon on Saturday concludes the round .
Speaking ahead of the tie against Lyon at the Estadio Jose Alvalade , Guardiola has urged his players to embrace the sudden-death format .
The 49-year-old City boss said : “ It is quite similar to a World Cup .
Before it was last-16 , quarter-final and semi-final with two games and now every game is a final .
“ You are in , or you are out .
We will see a final against Lyon , there are no second chances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to it , we are going to prepare well and will try to go through.
” With a potential three games in eight days in Lisbon , Guardiola believes his squad are fully focussed on the task at hand .
Not just the knockout fixtures , but also preparing for the games in the right way .
However , it won ’ t be all work and no play for the City squad though .
“ We can not stay nine or ten days away in Portugal staying in the room just waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We have to try and make walks , make good lunches and dinner together , and of course training and prepare for the games as best as possible .
And after that , try to beat them .
“ When you arrive at this stage and you see the desire the players have to go through or win this competition , it is just to have fun .
Because I know in every single situation they will be focused , they are going to prepare incredibly well.
” Should City beat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would see Guardiola go up against one of the teams he formerly managed - Barcelona or Bayern Munich .
It ’ s a challenge that the serial winner will have to face if he wants to bring the Champions League trophy back to Manchester .
All one-leg ties are being held in Lisbon , Portugal , and are live on BT Sport .
- Wednesday 12 August : Atalanta vs. Paris St-Germain ( 8pm BST ; Estadio da Luz , Lisbon ) - Thursday 13 August : RB Leipzig vs. Atletico Madrid ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lisbon ) - Friday 14 August : Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich ( 8pm BST ; Estadio da Luz , Lisbon ) - Saturday 15 August : Manchester City vs. Lyon ( 8pm BST ; Estadio Jose Alvalade , Lisbon ) - Tuesday 18 August : RB Leipzig or Atlético Madrid vs. Atalanta or Paris Saint-Germain ( Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica ) - Wednesday 19 August : Manchester City or Lyon vs. Barcelona or Bayern Munich ( Estádio José Alvalade ) - When : Sunday 23 August - Where : Estádio do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oddschecker ( as of 11 August )

Pep Guardiola has won every trophy there is to win in England since becoming manager of Manchester City in 2016.
The Spaniard has guided City to Premier League titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19, the FA Cup in 2019, League Cups in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and FA Community Shields in 2018 and 2019.
But despite his domestic successes, he has a major gap in his City CV: winning the Uefa Champions League.
As head coach of FC Barcelona, Guardiola led the Catalans to Champions League titles on two occasions - 2008-09 and 2010-11. However, at City he still awaits European glory. Could 2020 be the year when Guardiola and Co finally lift the famous silver trophy? He will find out in the next 11 days.
It’s a knockout
With the coronavirus putting a halt to the football season, City had to wait five months to complete their round of 16 tie against 13-time European champions Real Madrid.
In February City won 2-1 in the first leg at the Bernabeu and in the return fixture at the Etihad last Friday they repeated the scoreline to secure a 4-2 aggregate victory and a place in the last eight.
The post-lockdowon conclusion of the Champions League has a new look to it, with a mini-tournament taking place from 12-23 August in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.
Instead of the usual two-legged affairs, the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be one-off knockout fixtures - similar to those seen at major international tournaments such as the Fifa World Cup or Euros.
The action starts on Wednesday with the first quarter-final between Atalanta and Paris St-Germain. On Thursday RB Leipzig face Atletico Madrid and Friday sees Barcelona take on Bayern Munich. City’s clash against French side Lyon on Saturday concludes the round.
‘Every game is a final’
Speaking ahead of the tie against Lyon at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, Guardiola has urged his players to embrace the sudden-death format.
The 49-year-old City boss said: “It is quite similar to a World Cup. Before it was last-16, quarter-final and semi-final with two games and now every game is a final.
“You are in, or you are out. We will see a final against Lyon, there are no second chances or mistakes. We are looking forward to it, we are going to prepare well and will try to go through.”


theweekuk--2020-08-11--Instant Opinion: ‘I still don't know why I was stopped’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
on systemic racism in the UK ‘ I still do n't know why I was stopped ’ : racial profiling has to end “ It was on Saturday that I publicly called for the Metropolitan police commissioner Cressida Dick to resign .
I know enough from her past statements to know that she does not recognise institutional racism , nor does she show any solidarity with those who suffer from it .
It took only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove my point once again .
Something really needs to change .
The incident on Sunday was upsetting ; I was being second-guessed and asked where I was going in the city that I ’ ve lived in all my life .
But I know that what happened to me is , sadly , a regular experience for people of colour.
” I ( still ) believe the president , and in the president “ I believe the ‘ books ’ and ‘ manuals ’ , if someone would just read them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ for Covid-19 .
I believe we now have 5 million cases because we test so much , and that the president was right to slow testing down , unless he was kidding — in which case he was right not to .
I believe that the president has done a tremendous job fighting the virus — and that he shouldn ’ t ‘ take responsibility at all ’ - even though about 160,000 Americans have died .
I believe the virus ‘ is what it is ’ .
I believe it isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ kung flu ’ or ‘ the China Virus ’ .
It isn ’ t racially divisive to say Black Lives Matter is a ‘ symbol of hate ’ , to celebrate Confederate generals as part of our ‘ Great American Heritage ’ , or to share video of someone shouting ‘ white power ’ , which , like displaying the Confederate flag , is ‘ freedom of speech ’ .
” on a Soviet Spring in the making “ Lukashenko 's attitude toward the coronavirus appears to have brought about this turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of the world to a standstill , Lukashenko — a former collective farm director who had always presented himself as an authoritarian-but-caring leader — no longer seemed to care about the people of his country .
He denied the significance of COVID-19 , his hubris got the better of him , and he contracted the virus himself .
People who had appreciated his paternalistic style lost their respect for their newly naked emperor ; those who had been scared of him lost their fear.
” on escaping the cycle of corruption Hezbollah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new Lebanon “ Lebanon is experiencing the same dynamics as other Arab countries have since 2010 : the irresistible force of an enraged and pauperised citizenry marching in the streets to bring down a power structure that refuses to budge .
Yet , like in Sudan , Algeria , Syria , Egypt , Iraq , and elsewhere , Lebanon 's exhausted and humiliated citizens have struggled against an entrenched militarised regime which is not easy to evict from power .
But Lebanon 's power structure is unlike any other Arab country 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge.
” Time is now for a Black woman vice president “ We should all be reminded that in 2016 , with 94 % of Black women voting for Hillary Clinton and 53 % of White women voting for Donald Trump , we were the Democrats ’ strongest voting bloc .
It is hard to imagine how Biden , without a Black woman on the ticket , will get over the finish line .
Know that the world , younger generations and women in general are watching to see if Joe Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black women from “ the help ” to second in command of this great nation .
A Biden ticket must include a Black woman as running mate .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Labour MP Dawn Butler in The Guardian
on systemic racism in the UK
‘I still don't know why I was stopped’: racial profiling has to end
“It was on Saturday that I publicly called for the Metropolitan police commissioner Cressida Dick to resign. I know enough from her past statements to know that she does not recognise institutional racism, nor does she show any solidarity with those who suffer from it. It took only one day for her police force to prove my point once again. Something really needs to change. The incident on Sunday was upsetting; I was being second-guessed and asked where I was going in the city that I’ve lived in all my life. But I know that what happened to me is, sadly, a regular experience for people of colour.”
2. George Conway in The Washington Post
on the dear leader
I (still) believe the president, and in the president
“I believe the ‘books’ and ‘manuals’, if someone would just read them, say ‘you can test too much’ for Covid-19. I believe we now have 5 million cases because we test so much, and that the president was right to slow testing down, unless he was kidding — in which case he was right not to. I believe that the president has done a tremendous job fighting the virus — and that he shouldn’t ‘take responsibility at all’ - even though about 160,000 Americans have died. I believe the virus ‘is what it is’. I believe it isn’t racist to call the coronavirus ‘kung flu’ or ‘the China Virus’. It isn’t racially divisive to say Black Lives Matter is a ‘symbol of hate’, to celebrate Confederate generals as part of our ‘Great American Heritage’, or to share video of someone shouting ‘white power’, which, like displaying the Confederate flag, is ‘freedom of speech’.”
3. Christian F Trippe in DW
on a Soviet Spring in the making
Belarus protests pose a real threat to Lukashenko
“Lukashenko's attitude toward the coronavirus appears to have brought about this turn of events. As the pandemic brought most of the world to a standstill, Lukashenko — a former collective farm director who had always presented himself as an authoritarian-but-caring leader — no longer seemed to care about the people of his country. He denied the significance of COVID-19, his hubris got the better of him, and he contracted the virus himself. People who had appreciated his paternalistic style lost their respect for their newly naked emperor; those who had been scared of him lost their fear.”
4. Rami G Khouri in Al Jazeera
on escaping the cycle of corruption
Hezbollah and the people will have to negotiate a new Lebanon
“Lebanon is experiencing the same dynamics as other Arab countries have since 2010: the irresistible force of an enraged and pauperised citizenry marching in the streets to bring down a power structure that refuses to budge. Yet, like in Sudan, Algeria, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and elsewhere, Lebanon's exhausted and humiliated citizens have struggled against an entrenched militarised regime which is not easy to evict from power. But Lebanon's power structure is unlike any other Arab country's and it is even more difficult to challenge.”
5. Pamela L Pugh in The Detroit News
on Biden’s choices
Time is now for a Black woman vice president
“We should all be reminded that in 2016, with 94% of Black women voting for Hillary Clinton and 53% of White women voting for Donald Trump, we were the Democrats’ strongest voting bloc. It is hard to imagine how Biden, without a Black woman on the ticket, will get over the finish line. Know that the world, younger generations and women in general are watching to see if Joe Biden and the Democratic Party are ready to move Black women from “the help” to second in command of this great nation. A Biden ticket must include a Black woman as running mate.”


theweekuk--2020-08-11--Flu jabs shortage ‘may scupper government’s new vaccine targets’

The NHS does not have sufficient flu vaccine stocks to fulfil the government ’ s pledge to offer free jabs to 30 million people in England this winter , officials have admitted .
Boris Johnson last month set out plans to double the reach of the annual flu vaccination campaign to include adults aged over 50 and children in the first year of secondary school .
The ambitious plan is intended to prevent what The Guardian describes as “ the nightmare scenario ” of a bad flu season alongside a resurgence of Covid-19 .
But according to The Times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough flu jabs to vaccinate 75 % of those eligible and “ would have to try to buy extra stock if more came forward ” .
In a letter sent to GPs and other NHS staff this week outlining plans to set up drive-through flu jab centres , England ’ s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said that healthy people aged between 50 and 64 would be vaccinated “ subject to supply ” .
The admission has triggered alarm in the health service , “ with family doctors demanding to know who should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the newspaper reports .
Martin Marshall , head of the Royal College of GPs , said that doctors “ need clear guidance who , outside of those patients most at risk , should be prioritised for a flu jab - and there needs to be clear public messaging that this is the case to manage patients ’ expectations ” .
The shortages admission comes amid reports that the Department of Health and Social Care has talked about using flu vaccines that have yet to be licensed in order to top up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GP news site Pulse , records from a meeting of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation say that officials “ considered products that were not currently licensed in the UK , but which may be gaining a licence in time for the 2020-21 ” season .

The NHS does not have sufficient flu vaccine stocks to fulfil the government’s pledge to offer free jabs to 30 million people in England this winter, officials have admitted.
Boris Johnson last month set out plans to double the reach of the annual flu vaccination campaign to include adults aged over 50 and children in the first year of secondary school. The ambitious plan is intended to prevent what The Guardian describes as “the nightmare scenario” of a bad flu season alongside a resurgence of Covid-19.
But according to The Times, officials say the government has only bought enough flu jabs to vaccinate 75% of those eligible and “would have to try to buy extra stock if more came forward”.
In a letter sent to GPs and other NHS staff this week outlining plans to set up drive-through flu jab centres, England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said that healthy people aged between 50 and 64 would be vaccinated “subject to supply”.
The admission has triggered alarm in the health service, “with family doctors demanding to know who should have priority if stocks run low”, the newspaper reports.
Martin Marshall, head of the Royal College of GPs, said that doctors “need clear guidance who, outside of those patients most at risk, should be prioritised for a flu jab - and there needs to be clear public messaging that this is the case to manage patients’ expectations”.
The shortages admission comes amid reports that the Department of Health and Social Care has talked about using flu vaccines that have yet to be licensed in order to top up the country’s stocks.
According to GP news site Pulse, records from a meeting of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation say that officials “considered products that were not currently licensed in the UK, but which may be gaining a licence in time for the 2020-21” season.


theweekuk--2020-08-11--Why Lebanon’s government resigned and who will rule now

The entire government of Lebanon has resigned following a week of widespread protests in the wake of the deadly chemical explosion in Beirut last week .
In a brief televised speech on Monday night , Prime Minister Hassan Diab said he was taking “ a step back ” so that he can stand with the people “ and fight the battle for change alongside them ” .
The massive blast that tore through the capital last Tuesday , killing at least 200 people , was a result of a “ corruption network ” that is “ bigger than the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resignation followed “ a weekend of angry , violent anti-establishment protests in which 728 people were wounded and one police officer killed amid a heavy crackdown by security forces ” , reports Al Jazeera .
Why has the government resigned ?
Even before last week ’ s explosion , Lebanon was gripped by a crippling political and economic crisis , which has been exacerbated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
As of the start of this year , the country ’ s public debt-to-gross domestic product was the third-highest in the world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a third of the population was living below the poverty line .
“ At the same time , people were getting increasingly angry and frustrated about the government 's failure to provide even basic services , ” the BBC reports .
“ They were having to deal with daily power cuts , a lack of safe drinking water , limited public healthcare , and some of the world 's worst internet connections.
” This anger bubbled over following the explosion , amid reports that the blast was the result of the improper storage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ammonium nitrate fertiliser that had been left in a warehouse in Beirut ’ s port area after being confiscated from a ship impounded in 2013 .
Lebanese security officials warned Prime Minister Diab and President Michel Aoun in July that the chemical stockpile “ could destroy the capital if it exploded ” , according to documents seen by Reuters .
Furious demonstrators who took to the streets this weekend “ blamed the disaster squarely on corruption and neglect from the country ’ s long-entrenched ruling class ” , Sky News reports .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with seven members of parliament , prompting Diab - who only took power in January this year - to follow suit .
What did Diab say ?
In what CNN calls an “ impassioned ” speech , Diab “ berated Lebanon 's ruling political elite ” for allegedly fostering corruption and neglect .
Diab said his government had “ gone to great lengths to lay out a road map to save the country ” from its economic woes , but claimed that “ a very thick and thorny wall separates us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a class that is resorting to all dirty methods in order to resist and preserve its gains ” .
“ They knew that we pose a threat to them , and that the success of this government means a real change in this long-ruling class whose corruption has asphyxiated the country , ” he added .
“ Today , we follow the will of the people in their demand to hold accountable those responsible for the disaster that has been in hiding for seven years , and their desire for real change.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed .
However , while foreign observers may see the impending change in leadership as a game-changing development for Lebanese society , “ the end of this government does not necessarily mean an end to the anger ” , says the BBC .
“ It is unlikely to be a smooth or quick process due to the country 's complex political system .
Power in Lebanon is shared between leaders representing the country ’ s different religious groups , ” explains the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ’ s protests led to the formation of the government which has now been forced to step down over the same accusations of corruption ” .
Rima Majed , a professor of sociology at the American University of Beirut , fears that Lebanon is facing a bleak future .
“ This is probably the most dangerous moment in the history of this country .
Unfortunately , the options we have today are very grim , ” he told Sky News ’ Beirut correspondent Alex Rossi .
“ If there isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to create serious structural change in this country , we are going towards civil war .
There is no alternative .
It ’ s very unfortunate to say that in this country , we don ’ t believe there is rock bottom any more .
”

The entire government of Lebanon has resigned following a week of widespread protests in the wake of the deadly chemical explosion in Beirut last week.
In a brief televised speech on Monday night, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said he was taking “a step back” so that he can stand with the people “and fight the battle for change alongside them”. The massive blast that tore through the capital last Tuesday, killing at least 200 people, was a result of a “corruption network” that is “bigger than the state”, he claimed.
The mass resignation followed “a weekend of angry, violent anti-establishment protests in which 728 people were wounded and one police officer killed amid a heavy crackdown by security forces”, reports Al Jazeera.
Why has the government resigned?
Even before last week’s explosion, Lebanon was gripped by a crippling political and economic crisis, which has been exacerbated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
As of the start of this year, the country’s public debt-to-gross domestic product was the third-highest in the world, unemployment stood at 25% and nearly a third of the population was living below the poverty line.
“At the same time, people were getting increasingly angry and frustrated about the government's failure to provide even basic services,” the BBC reports. “They were having to deal with daily power cuts, a lack of safe drinking water, limited public healthcare, and some of the world's worst internet connections.”
This anger bubbled over following the explosion, amid reports that the blast was the result of the improper storage of almost 3,000 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate fertiliser that had been left in a warehouse in Beirut’s port area after being confiscated from a ship impounded in 2013.
Lebanese security officials warned Prime Minister Diab and President Michel Aoun in July that the chemical stockpile “could destroy the capital if it exploded”, according to documents seen by Reuters.
Furious demonstrators who took to the streets this weekend “blamed the disaster squarely on corruption and neglect from the country’s long-entrenched ruling class”, Sky News reports.
By Monday, three cabinet ministers had quit, along with seven members of parliament, prompting Diab - who only took power in January this year - to follow suit.
What did Diab say?
In what CNN calls an “impassioned” speech, Diab “berated Lebanon's ruling political elite” for allegedly fostering corruption and neglect.


theweekuk--2020-08-11--More than 730,000 jobs axed during lockdown

The number of employees on UK payrolls fell by more than 730,000 between March and July as the coronavirus pandemic wreaked economic havoc , newly released figures show .
And despite the government ’ s Job Retention Scheme and business loan programmes , overall employment fell by a total of 220,000 , according to the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) .
The drop marks “ the largest quarterly decrease since May to July 2009 , the depths of the financial crisis ” , says the BBC .
Salaries have also fallen , with pay levels including bonuses down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and regular pay by 0.2 % - “ the first negative reading since records began in 2001 ” , reports The Guardian .
The number of people in work who are aged 65 years and above fell by a record 161,000 to 1.26 million over the three months to June .
But workers aged 18 to 24 “ were the worst affected by the loss of employment and most likely to be hit by a loss of hours ” , according to The Guardian .
The ONS data shows that number of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or 17.4 % , to a new all-time high of 1.05 million .
ONS deputy national statistician Jonathan Athow said : “ The groups of people most affected are younger workers , 24 and under , or older workers and those in more routine or less skilled jobs .
This is concerning , as it ’ s harder for these groups to find a new job or get into a job as easily as other workers .
“ Figures from our main survey show there has been a rise in people without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though wanting to work .
In addition , there are still a large number of people who say they are working no hours and getting zero pay.
” Redundancies have increased by 30,000 on the year , and 27,000 on the quarter , to 134,000 .
The newly published ONS report says that “ while this is the highest level since February to April 2013 , the level remains well below that seen during the 2008 downturn ” .
But KPMG economist Yael Selfin believes the current unemployment rate will soar when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A.M. reports .
“ As the job retention scheme unwinds , we expect unemployment to rise quickly in the fourth quarter ” , she said .
“ That could see unemployment average over 6 % this year , compared to only 3.9 % at present.
” Trades Union Congress ( TUC ) general secretary Frances O ’ Grady is calling on the government to extend the furlough scheme , arguing that “ the more people in work , the faster our economy will recover from this crisis ” .
“ The alarm bells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ Ministers must act now to protect and create jobs .
That means extending the job retention scheme for businesses with a viable future who can ’ t operate because of virus restrictions .
“ It means investing in the jobs we need for the future in green industries , social care and across the public sector .
And it means ensuring a decent safety net is in place to help those who lose their jobs get back on their feet .
”

The number of employees on UK payrolls fell by more than 730,000 between March and July as the coronavirus pandemic wreaked economic havoc, newly released figures show.
And despite the government’s Job Retention Scheme and business loan programmes, overall employment fell by a total of 220,000, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The drop marks “the largest quarterly decrease since May to July 2009, the depths of the financial crisis”, says the BBC.
Salaries have also fallen, with pay levels including bonuses down by 1.2%, on average, and regular pay by 0.2% - “the first negative reading since records began in 2001”, reports The Guardian.
Youngest and oldest worst affected
The number of people in work who are aged 65 years and above fell by a record 161,000 to 1.26 million over the three months to June.
But workers aged 18 to 24 “were the worst affected by the loss of employment and most likely to be hit by a loss of hours”, according to The Guardian. The ONS data shows that number of people on zero-hours contracts increased by 156,000, or 17.4%, to a new all-time high of 1.05 million.
ONS deputy national statistician Jonathan Athow said: “The groups of people most affected are younger workers, 24 and under, or older workers and those in more routine or less skilled jobs. This is concerning, as it’s harder for these groups to find a new job or get into a job as easily as other workers.
“Figures from our main survey show there has been a rise in people without a job and not looking for one, though wanting to work. In addition, there are still a large number of people who say they are working no hours and getting zero pay.”
Further unemployment hike fears
Redundancies have increased by 30,000 on the year, and 27,000 on the quarter, to 134,000.
The newly published ONS report says that “while this is the highest level since February to April 2013, the level remains well below that seen during the 2008 downturn”.
But KPMG economist Yael Selfin believes the current unemployment rate will soar when the furlough scheme ends of October, City A.M. reports.
“As the job retention scheme unwinds, we expect unemployment to rise quickly in the fourth quarter”, she said. “That could see unemployment average over 6% this year, compared to only 3.9% at present.”
Calls for furlough extension
Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Frances O’Grady is calling on the government to extend the furlough scheme, arguing that “the more people in work, the faster our economy will recover from this crisis”.
“The alarm bells couldn’t be ringing any louder,” she said. “Ministers must act now to protect and create jobs. That means extending the job retention scheme for businesses with a viable future who can’t operate because of virus restrictions.
“It means investing in the jobs we need for the future in green industries, social care and across the public sector. And it means ensuring a decent safety net is in place to help those who lose their jobs get back on their feet.”


theweekuk--2020-08-11--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 11 Aug 2020

A new report has found that NHS Test and Trace staff are successfully reaching only one contact each a month @ @ @ @ @ of scientists says the new centralised system has thousands of operatives “ sitting at home @ @ @ @ @ for weeks on end ” .
As a result , says the Daily Mail , @ @ @ @ @ calls from the service may now face a knock on the door .

Test-and-trace staff may knock on your door
A new report has found that NHS Test and Trace staff are successfully reaching only one contact each a month. The Independent Sage group of scientists says the new centralised system has thousands of operatives “sitting at home, many doing almost nothing for weeks on end”. As a result, says the Daily Mail, those who fail to answer calls from the service may now face a knock on the door.


theweekuk--2020-08-11--Preacher says apocalyptic fireball could destroy Earth next month

A doomsday preacher is warning that an asteroid due to come closer to Earth than the moon could be an “ apocalyptic fireball ” prophesied in the Bible .
Experts say that the asteroid is expected to skim past our planet on 1 September .
Pastor Paul Begley said : “ I 've been talking about this for a decade because we knew , according to the Bible , we knew it was coming - even without scientific proof.
” Feeling peckish ?
A restaurant in India is offering diners a ‘ Covid curry ’ with a paratha in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at Multi-Cuisine in Jodhpur , Rajastha , has a Kofta in the shape of pointed crown to resemble the appearance of the coronavirus , accompanied by the mask bread .
Customers who can prove they have recovered from Covid are given a special discount .
A Church of England vicar is using chopsticks to give bread to parishioners during Holy Communion to stick to social distancing rules .
Reverend Eileen Harrop , the vicar of St Mary ’ s in Gainford and St Andrew ’ s in Winston , County Durham , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why can ’ t I use a long pair of chopsticks , real bread rather than wafers , and drop it into the communicants ’ hands ?
’ ” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 doomsday preacher is warning that an asteroid due to come closer to Earth than the moon could be an “apocalyptic fireball” prophesied in the Bible. Experts say that the asteroid is expected to skim past our planet on 1 September. Pastor Paul Begley said: “I've been talking about this for a decade because we knew, according to the Bible, we knew it was coming - even without scientific proof.”
Restaurant serves up ‘Covid curry’
Feeling peckish? A restaurant in India is offering diners a ‘Covid curry’ with a paratha in the shape of a mask. The dish, at Multi-Cuisine in Jodhpur, Rajastha, has a Kofta in the shape of pointed crown to resemble the appearance of the coronavirus, accompanied by the mask bread. Customers who can prove they have recovered from Covid are given a special discount.
Vicar serves communion bread with chopsticks
A Church of England vicar is using chopsticks to give bread to parishioners during Holy Communion to stick to social distancing rules. Reverend Eileen Harrop, the vicar of St Mary’s in Gainford and St Andrew’s in Winston, County Durham, said: “I thought, ‘Why can’t I use a long pair of chopsticks, real bread rather than wafers, and drop it into the communicants’ hands?’”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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--2020-08-10--Tried and tested: best laptops to buy in 2020

Long gone are the days when our use of laptops was limited to creating work documents and spreadsheets .
The latest models are now built for watching TV , streaming movies , picture and video editing , coding , gaming and podcasting .
Here , The Week ’ s sister titles ITPro and Expert Reviews give their verdicts on some of the best laptops now on the market .
Review by Adam Shepherd , ITPro We weren ’ t expecting terribly much from the Samsung Galaxy Book S ; a sleek and shiny package , maybe , but with little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intel-based laptops .
Instead , what we got was a laptop that not only looks amazing and goes toe-to-toe with rivals on performance , but also delivers one of the most staggeringly long-lived batteries we ’ ve seen - and all for less than £1,000 after tax .
That ’ s some seriously impressive stuff , and well worth overlooking some lingering compatibility issues for .
If this is the future of Windows on ARM then it can ’ t come soon enough .
Review by Carly Page , ITPro Battery life disappointment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearer as to why the MacBook Air remains Apple ’ s most popular laptop .
The 2020 model is the one we ’ ve been longing for too , particularly in this newfound era of working from home where a comfortable keyboard , desk-to-sofa portability and a clear , crisp screen are at the top of our feature wish-list .
Let ’ s just pray this penchant for endless Zoom calls soon comes to an end , otherwise we ’ re going to be forced to buy a stand-alone webcam .
Review by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ only ” be a Chromebook but the Pixelbook Go is one of our favourite laptops , full stop .
Not only is it light and amazingly slim it ’ s also an absolute pleasure to work on , with one of the best keyboards we ’ ve come across on any laptop anywhere .
Couple that with a solid 13.3in 1080p touchscreen and better battery life than on most Windows 10 or MacOS based machines and you have a simply superb machine .
Review by Jonathan Bray , Expert Reviews The 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year but it ’ s the best ultraportable laptop money can buy .
This is a laptop that gets everything right , from the brilliant build quality and colour accurate display to the fabulous keyboard and a generous specification for the money .
New features for the 2020 refresh include a Windows Hello-compatible webcam and a taller more work-friendly aspect ratio of 16:10 .
As ever , there ’ s an XPS 13 for every budget .
It ’ s better value for money than the MacBook Pro 13 , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bray , Expert Reviews We loved the previous two Surface Laptops but Microsoft ’ s third-generation is the best of the lot ... .
It really is one of the best laptops you can buy at the price .
Microsoft has added USB-C at last , refined the design and the latest tenth-gen Intel Core i5 and i7 chips to ensure tip-top performance and decent battery life .
The big change this year , however , is that there ’ s now a 15in model available for those who want a little more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our favourite , however , balancing portability and power with perfect poise .
This is one fabulous machine .
Review by Tim Danton , Expert Reviews In a sea of luxurious , convertible 13.3in laptops , this 15in machine is a welcome relief .
It ’ s unpretentious – there ’ s no cutting-edge processor , touchscreen or backlit keyboard – but it sets out to be a good-quality laptop for a low price .
And does so exceptionally well .
Review by Tom Bruce , Expert Reviews If you ’ re after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gigabyte Aorus 15G is it .
With its 10th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia ’ s GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card , the Aorus 15G is able to handle even the most demanding of titles with relative ease : it excelled in all of our performance tests and left the likes of the Razer Blade 15 ( 2019 ) in its wake .
You ’ d expect such power to come at the expense of battery life , but the Aorus 15G managed a very respectable 6h25m during testing .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is how noisy the fans are , but they do a top job of keeping the laptop cool so the extra noise is forgivable .
Review by Jonathan Bray , Expert Reviews There are loads of dirt-cheap Chinese laptops around but a lot of them aren ’ t as good as they look .
The Bmax X14 bucks that trend : it ’ s a genuinely good laptop for not much more than you ’ d pay for an iPad .
In fact , we can ’ t fault the Bmax X14 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this sort of money .
It ’ s the best cheap Chinese laptop we ’ ve come across ; indeed , it ’ s the best budget laptop around right now , full stop .

Long gone are the days when our use of laptops was limited to creating work documents and spreadsheets.
The latest models are now built for watching TV, streaming movies, picture and video editing, coding, gaming and podcasting.
Here, The Week’s sister titles ITPro and Expert Reviews give their verdicts on some of the best laptops now on the market.
Samsung Galaxy Book S (£999)
Review by Adam Shepherd, ITPro We weren’t expecting terribly much from the Samsung Galaxy Book S; a sleek and shiny package, maybe, but with little to recommend it above and beyond similarly-priced Intel-based laptops. Instead, what we got was a laptop that not only looks amazing and goes toe-to-toe with rivals on performance, but also delivers one of the most staggeringly long-lived batteries we’ve seen - and all for less than £1,000 after tax. That’s some seriously impressive stuff, and well worth overlooking some lingering compatibility issues for. If this is the future of Windows on ARM then it can’t come soon enough.
Apple MacBook Air 2020 (from £999)
Review by Carly Page, ITPro Battery life disappointment aside, it’s never been clearer as to why the MacBook Air remains Apple’s most popular laptop. The 2020 model is the one we’ve been longing for too, particularly in this newfound era of working from home where a comfortable keyboard, desk-to-sofa portability and a clear, crisp screen are at the top of our feature wish-list. Let’s just pray this penchant for endless Zoom calls soon comes to an end, otherwise we’re going to be forced to buy a stand-alone webcam.
Google Pixelbook Go (from £629)
Review by Jonathan Bray, Expert Reviews It might “only” be a Chromebook but the Pixelbook Go is one of our favourite laptops, full stop. Not only is it light and amazingly slim it’s also an absolute pleasure to work on, with one of the best keyboards we’ve come across on any laptop anywhere. Couple that with a solid 13.3in 1080p touchscreen and better battery life than on most Windows 10 or MacOS based machines and you have a simply superb machine.
Dell XPS 13 (from £1,399)
Review by Jonathan Bray, Expert Reviews The 2020 Dell XPS has had a price hike this year but it’s the best ultraportable laptop money can buy. This is a laptop that gets everything right, from the brilliant build quality and colour accurate display to the fabulous keyboard and a generous specification for the money. New features for the 2020 refresh include a Windows Hello-compatible webcam and a taller more work-friendly aspect ratio of 16:10. As ever, there’s an XPS 13 for every budget. It’s better value for money than the MacBook Pro 13, that’s for sure.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (from £999)
Review by Jonathan Bray, Expert Reviews We loved the previous two Surface Laptops but Microsoft’s third-generation is the best of the lot.... It really is one of the best laptops you can buy at the price. Microsoft has added USB-C at last, refined the design and the latest tenth-gen Intel Core i5 and i7 chips to ensure tip-top performance and decent battery life. The big change this year, however, is that there’s now a 15in model available for those who want a little more screen real estate. The 13.5in remains our favourite, however, balancing portability and power with perfect poise. This is one fabulous machine.
Huawei MateBook D 15 (£529)
Review by Tim Danton, Expert Reviews In a sea of luxurious, convertible 13.3in laptops, this 15in machine is a welcome relief. It’s unpretentious – there’s no cutting-edge processor, touchscreen or backlit keyboard – but it sets out to be a good-quality laptop for a low price. And does so exceptionally well.
Gigabyte Aorus 15G (from £1,899)
Review by Tom Bruce, Expert Reviews If you’re after a gaming laptop with mind-boggling performance, the Gigabyte Aorus 15G is it. With its 10th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card, the Aorus 15G is able to handle even the most demanding of titles with relative ease: it excelled in all of our performance tests and left the likes of the Razer Blade 15 (2019) in its wake. You’d expect such power to come at the expense of battery life, but the Aorus 15G managed a very respectable 6h25m during testing. The only real drawback to its extreme power is how noisy the fans are, but they do a top job of keeping the laptop cool so the extra noise is forgivable.
Bmax X14 (£399)
Review by Jonathan Bray, Expert Reviews There are loads of dirt-cheap Chinese laptops around but a lot of them aren’t as good as they look. The Bmax X14 bucks that trend: it’s a genuinely good laptop for not much more than you’d pay for an iPad. In fact, we can’t fault the Bmax X14 for performance, build quality or value for this sort of money. It’s the best cheap Chinese laptop we’ve come across; indeed, it’s the best budget laptop around right now, full stop.


theweekuk--2020-08-11--Stilton causes a stink in Japan trade deal talks

Ongoing post-Brexit trade talks between the UK and Japan have reportedly reached a stalemate after International Trade Secretary Liz Truss insisted on wedging a clause relating to Stilton cheese into the deal .
The two countries had hoped to finalise a wide-ranging trade agreement by the end of August , “ having apparently reached ‘ consensus ’ in all major areas of a prospective deal last week ” , The Independent reports .
But Truss is said to be holding out for preferential treatment for British blue cheese makers , “ amid pressure on Boris Johnson from British farmers concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , says The Guardian .
As the newspaper notes , Truss is an outspoken champion of British food manufacturing , and “ famously ” condemned Britain ’ s huge appetite for foreign cheese as a “ disgrace ” during the 2014 Conservative Party conference .
According to the Financial Times , Japan is prepared to phase out tariffs on hard cheeses such as Cheddar by 2033 , but is refusing to go soft on fresh and blue-veined varieties , which would have duty-free access on an agreed quota by the same date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a symbolic “ win ” on Stilton that will demonstrate that the UK is able to forge better deals than those obtained by the EU .
A 2018 agreement between the bloc and Japan saw Tokyo scrap tariffs on European products such as cheese and wine , while the EU removed duties on Japanese cars .
But The Guardian claims that Japan is reportedly “ reluctant to offer Britain better terms ” than it gave the EU , which has a combined population nearly seven times greater than that of Britain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mention the Stilton issue , Truss said : “ We have reached consensus on the major elements of a deal , including ambitious provisions in areas like digital , data and financial services that go significantly beyond the EU-Japan deal .
”

Ongoing post-Brexit trade talks between the UK and Japan have reportedly reached a stalemate after International Trade Secretary Liz Truss insisted on wedging a clause relating to Stilton cheese into the deal.
The two countries had hoped to finalise a wide-ranging trade agreement by the end of August, “having apparently reached ‘consensus’ in all major areas of a prospective deal last week”, The Independent reports.
But Truss is said to be holding out for preferential treatment for British blue cheese makers, “amid pressure on Boris Johnson from British farmers concerned about the imminent loss of EU subsidies”, says The Guardian.
As the newspaper notes, Truss is an outspoken champion of British food manufacturing, and “famously” condemned Britain’s huge appetite for foreign cheese as a “disgrace” during the 2014 Conservative Party conference.
According to the Financial Times, Japan is prepared to phase out tariffs on hard cheeses such as Cheddar by 2033, but is refusing to go soft on fresh and blue-veined varieties, which would have duty-free access on an agreed quota by the same date.
However, Truss is reportedly hoping for a symbolic “win” on Stilton that will demonstrate that the UK is able to forge better deals than those obtained by the EU. A 2018 agreement between the bloc and Japan saw Tokyo scrap tariffs on European products such as cheese and wine, while the EU removed duties on Japanese cars.
But The Guardian claims that Japan is reportedly “reluctant to offer Britain better terms” than it gave the EU, which has a combined population nearly seven times greater than that of Britain.
In a statement on Monday that failed to mention the Stilton issue, Truss said: “We have reached consensus on the major elements of a deal, including ambitious provisions in areas like digital, data and financial services that go significantly beyond the EU-Japan deal.”


theweekuk--2020-08-11--Test and trace: how the system is changing

Thousands of staff at “ test-and-trace ” call centres are to be axed and replaced with local tracking teams , the government has announced .
The “ major overhaul ” of the “ failing ” system will see “ council staff knocking on doors ” in a bid to reach more contacts of people who have tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus , The Telegraph reports .
Health minister Edward Argar told the BBC that the new approach would combine the “ scalability ” of a national scheme with the expertise and local knowledge of local public health officials .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this system would evolve , and what it ’ s doing here is exactly that : evolving and flexing , ” he said .
What are the current issues with the test and trace system ?
The NHS test-and-trace system relies on call centre-based contact tracers who attempt to reach people who have been in close contact with confirmed coronavirus carriers , usually by text , email or up to ten times by phone call .
However , reports surfaced in July that the £10bn scheme was failing to reach thousands of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest infection rates in England .
The Telegraph reports that on average , tracers in call centres are reaching just one case a month .
A number of issues have been blamed for these low success rates .
Councils have warned that many so-called contacts are rejecting attempts to contact them because they assume the unfamiliar “ 0300 ” number is a cold caller .
Experts have also pointed to language barriers and missed emails as major stumbling blocks in many of the worst-affected towns , where “ in some cases the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heritage ” , The Guardian reports .
So what exactly is planned ?
The overhaul of what Boris Johnson promised would be a “ world-beating ” test-and-trace system follows widespread criticism of the costly programme .
Around 6,000 of the current 18,000 call handlers will be axed in favour of a “ boots on the ground ” approach that will see council workers going to the homes of people who fail to respond to calls warning that they may have been exposed to the virus .
The remaining contact tracers will work alongside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harding , chair of NHS Test and Trace , said on Monday that the plan followed “ successful trials in a small number of local areas ” .

Thousands of staff at “test-and-trace” call centres are to be axed and replaced with local tracking teams, the government has announced.
The “major overhaul” of the “failing” system will see “council staff knocking on doors” in a bid to reach more contacts of people who have tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus, The Telegraph reports.
Health minister Edward Argar told the BBC that the new approach would combine the “scalability” of a national scheme with the expertise and local knowledge of local public health officials.
“We’ve always said that this system would evolve, and what it’s doing here is exactly that: evolving and flexing,” he said.
What are the current issues with the test and trace system?
The NHS test-and-trace system relies on call centre-based contact tracers who attempt to reach people who have been in close contact with confirmed coronavirus carriers, usually by text, email or up to ten times by phone call.
However, reports surfaced in July that the £10bn scheme was failing to reach thousands of people, including many in areas with the highest infection rates in England. The Telegraph reports that on average, tracers in call centres are reaching just one case a month.
A number of issues have been blamed for these low success rates. Councils have warned that many so-called contacts are rejecting attempts to contact them because they assume the unfamiliar “0300” number is a cold caller.
Experts have also pointed to language barriers and missed emails as major stumbling blocks in many of the worst-affected towns, where “in some cases the virus is disproportionately affecting people of south Asian heritage”, The Guardian reports.
So what exactly is planned?
The overhaul of what Boris Johnson promised would be a “world-beating” test-and-trace system follows widespread criticism of the costly programme.
Around 6,000 of the current 18,000 call handlers will be axed in favour of a “boots on the ground” approach that will see council workers going to the homes of people who fail to respond to calls warning that they may have been exposed to the virus.
The remaining contact tracers will work alongside the local public health teams.
Dido Harding, chair of NHS Test and Trace, said on Monday that the plan followed “successful trials in a small number of local areas”.


theweekuk--2020-08-12--Sharing the pain: Hong Kong protesters invest in arrested mogul’s pro-democracy newspaper

Pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong are flexing their economic muscles to strike back at Beijing following the arrest of media mogul and activist activist Jimmy Lai .
“ Mr Lai , whose Apple Daily tabloid is known for its vocal criticism of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments , has been accused of crimes including colluding with foreign forces , ” the Financial Times reports .
He was released on bail this morning after being detained under draconian new security laws on Monday .
Shares in his company , Next Digital , initially dropped on news of his arrest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rocketed as online pro-democracy activists called on investors to snap up the shares ” , the newspaper continues .
“ At its highest point , the stock had surged nearly 2,200 % , ” Quartz reports .
“ The rally has boosted the company ’ s market value from around HK $ 238m [ £24m ] to $ 2.9bn [ £2.2bn ] .
” The exponential growth ran out of steam earlier today , however , when Hong Kong ’ s financial regulator said it would investigate the stock ’ s performance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Futures Commission might halt trading prompted the sell-off , ” Reuters reports .
Lai ’ s supporters have also been expressing their support in more traditional ways , “ lining up at news stands across the city ” to buy a copy of his newspaper “ in a bid to help the publication - and press freedom - survive ” , says Press Gazette .
The paper reported losses of more than £40m last financial year , adds Quartz , in part due to “ a years-long boycott by advertisers wary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lai is the most prominent victim yet of Hong Kong ’ s new national security laws , which came into force in June .
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong said at the time that the legislation marked “ the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before ” .

Pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong are flexing their economic muscles to strike back at Beijing following the arrest of media mogul and activist activist Jimmy Lai.
“Mr Lai, whose Apple Daily tabloid is known for its vocal criticism of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, has been accused of crimes including colluding with foreign forces,” the Financial Times reports. He was released on bail this morning after being detained under draconian new security laws on Monday.
Shares in his company, Next Digital, initially dropped on news of his arrest. But just hours later, they “rocketed as online pro-democracy activists called on investors to snap up the shares”, the newspaper continues.
“At its highest point, the stock had surged nearly 2,200%,” Quartz reports. “The rally has boosted the company’s market value from around HK$238m [£24m] to $2.9bn [£2.2bn].”
The exponential growth ran out of steam earlier today, however, when Hong Kong’s financial regulator said it would investigate the stock’s performance.
“Brokers said concerns that the Securities and Futures Commission might halt trading prompted the sell-off,” Reuters reports.
Lai’s supporters have also been expressing their support in more traditional ways, “lining up at news stands across the city” to buy a copy of his newspaper “in a bid to help the publication - and press freedom - survive”, says Press Gazette.
The paper reported losses of more than £40m last financial year, adds Quartz, in part due to “a years-long boycott by advertisers wary of the paper’s politics”.
Lai is the most prominent victim yet of Hong Kong’s new national security laws, which came into force in June. Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong said at the time that the legislation marked “the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before”.


theweekuk--2020-08-12--Instant Opinion: The Germans don’t worship their health service – that’s why it’s better than ours

To keep reading The Week ’ s concise , refreshing and balanced take on the world , please register your @ @ @ @ @ use the details you have shared to manage your registration.You agree to the processing , @ @ @ @ @ of this information for the purpose of managing your registration as described in our Privacy @ @ @ @ @ the details you have shared to manage your newsletter subscription.You agree to the processing , @ @ @ @ @ of this information for the purpose of managing your subscription as described in our Privacy @ @ @ @ @ the information you have shared for carefully considered and specific purposes , where we believe @ @ @ @ @ to do so , for example to send you communications about similar products and services @ @ @ @ @ more about our legitimate interest activity in our privacy policy .
‘ We ’ includes @ @ @ @ @ Publishing ( UK ) Ltd brands as detailed here

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Charles Moore in The Daily Telegraph
on ideology and health policy
The Germans don’t worship their health service – that’s why it’s better than ours
“Why is Germany free of what Mr Hunt calls ‘the political poison’ of our system? It is because they have never bought the doctrine that a particular health care system is sacred... Employer and employee both contribute. An unemployed person has his health care paid for in his unemployment insurance. Almost no German citizen falls through the net. The providers are also various. Government-run hospitals are outnumbered by privately run ones and others run by charities (many, for instance by the Order of St John). Because the money follows the patient, the providers have good incentives to provide. Indeed, the problem in Germany is too many hospital beds.”
2. Marina Hyde in The Guardian
on the return of Brexit’s favourite son
Nigel Farage’s ‘crisis’ in the Channel is a second wave of nonsense
“One can only imagine the quickening in the Farage journalistic loins when, after several hours of fruitless sea perving, he finally spots a small craft full of desperate people coming into his sights. Yes! I’ve got a bite! The dog has seen the rabbit! Perhaps Nigel imagines himself to be a sort of lone special forces operative – special farces would be more accurate – a Mittyish pose that allows him to deploy expressions like ‘oh-five-hundred hours46 and ‘I’ve got eyes on a target’. And doubtless various other quasi-military phrases he would have been able to use for real during the second world war that he so pantingly fetishises. Or rather, he would have, had he not been born nearly two decades after it ended, chosen to pursue an extremely indifferent City career in commodities trading instead of military service, and not been given to appearing at far-right German rallies. I don’t want to go out on a limb here, but I suspect the latter in particular would have been a bit of a dealbreaker for British military recruiting sergeants in 1939.”
3. Civil War historian Manisha Sinha in CNN
on adding insult to history
Are you ready for Trump's Gettysburg Address?
Trump's potential choice of Gettysburg for his acceptance speech is even more offensive given his fondness for Confederate leaders and generals like Robert E. Lee. He has defended the Confederate battle flag and "beautiful" Confederate statues and has included neo-Confederates and White supremacists among "very fine people." So much so that a few political commentators have called him the last Confederate president. Gettysburg, site of one of the biggest Confederate debacles of the war, is a standing monument to the defeat of a despicable cause. If Lincoln consecrated Gettysburg with one of the most famous speeches in American history, Trump would just as surely desecrate it by his proposed Republican convention address.
4. Martha Gill in The Times
on British hipocrisy
Museums’ grip on stolen goods is loosening
“Voma, the world’s first ‘fully interactive virtual museum’ opens on Friday. It will cherry-pick the best exhibits from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, Moma in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago. All without the bore of having to dust them. With that in mind, let’s turn for a minute to the restitution debate, which in recent months has grown to become the biggest issue facing the world’s museums. That’s the argument over whether artefacts taken through violence or colonial rule should be returned to their original countries. Last month the boss of an arts charity pointed out that it was rather hypocritical of the British Museum to make statements about being ‘aligned with the spirit and soul of Black Lives Matter everywhere’ whilst displaying the Benin Bronzes, looted by British soldiers in 1897 and repeatedly requested back by Nigeria.”
5. Alex Lee in Wired
on a scorching summer
Why is this heatwave lasting so long? Blame climate change
“Intense thunderstorms, one of which is expected to strike the UK after the current heatwave subsides, are also likely amplified by the climate crisis. Warmer atmospheres absorb more moisture, which creates the perfect condition for severe storms to form, allowing potentially dangerous quantities of rain to fall in just a few days or even hours. Linking extreme weather events to the climate crisis is important. Not only does it help us more easily see trends and patterns in the climate, but also to make better plans for a hotter future.”


theweekuk--2020-08-12--Celtic’s Bolingoli and the Aberdeen eight ‘a disgrace’ to Scottish football

Scottish football’s 2020-21 season is only a few weeks old, but there are already fears the new campaign could be suspended after Aberdeen and Celtic players were caught breaching coronavirus lockdown and self-isolation rules.
Three matches involving the clubs have been postponed after Celtic defender Boli Bolingoli flew to Spain, failed to quarantine, then played in a match, the BBC reports. This came after eight Aberdeen players broke lockdown regulations by visiting a bar together and two contracted the coronavirus.
Tonight’s Aberdeen vs. Hamilton Academical and St Mirren vs. Celtic games are off as well as Saturday’s clash between Aberdeen and Celtic.
In a statement, Joint Response Group chair and Scottish FA president Rod Petrie said: “While the decision to postpone these games is deeply regrettable nevertheless in the circumstances it is unavoidable and uncontestable.
“The JRG members were astounded to learn of the recklessness demonstrated by Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo in his breach of government public health guidance and football protocols.
“That this comes on the back of eight Aberdeen players showing similar disregard for public health is disrespectful not just to every football team-mate, fellow player and colleague but also to every fan in this country. It is also hugely damaging to the image, reputation and sustainability of the game.”
🎥 Nicola Sturgeon hands Scottish football a yellow card 🟨 and warns next time it will be a red 🟥 #Bolingoli #nicolasturgeon 🎥 pic.twitter.com/DUhDPpTYpu — The Daily Record (@Daily_Record) August 11, 2020
‘Next time, it’s the red’
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned that the season could be shut down, says The Guardian. She issued a “yellow card” to Scottish football and said “next time it will be the red”.
Speaking at her daily media briefing yesterday, Sturgeon said: “Some football players seem incapable of living up to their responsibilities. I very much regret that. This is just not acceptable.
“Every day I stand here asking members of the public to make huge sacrifices in how they live their lives and the vast majority are doing that, and it’s not easy. We can’t have privileged football players just decide they’re not going to bother. So this can’t go on.
“Let me put this as clearly as I can in language that the football world will understand: consider today to be the yellow card. The next time it will be the red card, because you will leave us with absolutely no choice.”
Bolingoli ‘betrayed’ Celtic
Celtic manager Neil Lennon admits he is livid with Bolingoli and says the Belgian has betrayed the club.


theweekuk--2020-08-12--Kamala Harris: will she help or hinder Joe Biden’s campaign?

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has named California senator Kamala Harris as his running mate for the forthcoming election - the first woman of colour ever to appear on a presidential ticket .
Announcing his choice on Twitter on Tuesday evening , Biden said : “ I have the great honour to announce that I ’ ve picked @ KamalaHarris – a fearless fighter for the little guy , and one of the country ’ s finest public servants – as my running mate.
” In response , Harris ( pictured above ) pledged to “ do what it takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the first black woman and first person of Indian descent to run for vice president in the US , Harris is a historical choice for Biden .
But while her wealth of experience in the Senate and moderate stances on many issues makes her a “ safe pick ” , as The Telegraph puts it , her record as a public prosecutor and her thorny exchanges with Biden during the Democratic primaries may put off some voters .
So will Harris ultimately help or hinder her party ’ s battle to beat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Harris was born in the California city of Oakland in 1964 to an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father , and was raised “ primarily by her Hindu single mother , Shyamala Gopalan Harris , a cancer researcher and civil rights activist ” , the BBC reports .
In her autobiography , The Truths We Told , Harris says that her mother “ understood very well that she was raising two black daughters ” and was “ determined to make sure we would grow into confident , proud black women ” by closely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
The future VP candidate served six years as the attorney general of California before arriving in the Senate in 2016 , with The Guardian describing her as “ among the most prominent black women in American politics , with appeal across the party ’ s ideological spectrum ” .
How will she help Biden ?
Harris has already made history as the first woman of colour to serve as attorney general , the top lawyer and law enforcement official , in America ’ s most populous state .
Her performance in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her intense questioning of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 cementing her place as a major force in the Democratic Party .
Now , amid ongoing protests against racial injustice in the US , the hope is that “ the senator will help mobilise African-Americans to vote ” , particularly since Hillary Clinton ’ s defeat at the 2016 election was “ in part down to the Democrat Party ’ s first drop in black voter turnout in 20 years ” , says Sky News .
Applauding Harris ’ s nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign group She the People , said : “ Today is a spark of hope and a watershed moment for black women and women of colour .
“ This is one step in a much larger fight for representation towards the multiracial democracy women of color have dreamed of , fought for and bled for , for generations.
” Harris is only the third woman in history to have been nominated for the vice presidency of a major political party .
In 2008 , then-governor of Alaska Sarah Palin ran alongside the late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barack Obama , while in 1984 congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro was picked by Democrat Walter Mondale to take on Ronald Reagan .
Both Palin and Ferraro were defeated in their bids for office .
But Democrats hope Harris will have more success , despite her series of scathing attacks on Biden ’ s policy record while angling for the top job during the televised primary debates last year .
The feud saw her popularity surge while Biden ’ s faltered , but as The Guardian reports , the two Democrats “ indicated they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the race in December and endorsed Biden ’ s presidential bid in March .
Why might she hinder Biden ?
Biden is currently holding an unprecedented lead in many statewide and national opinion polls , and appears to be odds-on to secure the presidency .
Given this strong position , bringing Harris on board seems unlikely to derail his campaign - but Biden ’ s VP pick does come with some undeniable baggage that may not sit well with everyone .
Harris has been opposed by some progressives for her record in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less liberal positions on other issues .
Her campaign for the Democratic nomination brought back into focus a highly controversial truancy law that Harris personally championed while serving as California ’ s attorney general .
HuffPost reports that the law , enacted in January 2011 , “ made it a criminal misdemeanour for parents to allow kids in kindergarten through eighth grade to miss more than 10 % of school days without a valid excuse ” .
Critics claim that a number of innocent parents “ wound up paying the price ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the news site .
She has also been accused of flip-flopping by the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party .
In a joint statement issued following her VP nomination , political groups RootsAction.org and Progressive Democrats of America said : “ As we saw during her own presidential campaign , Kamala Harris is a political weather vane .
First she was for Medicare for All , then she wasn ’ t .
“ She failed for years to hold police accountable for gross misconduct in California , then touted her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd ’ s murder.
” These alleged ideological inconsistencies have also provoked attacks from the political right , with President Trump responding to Biden ’ s pick with a rambling , aggressive press conference in the White House on Tuesday night .
“ She ’ s a person that ’ s told many , many stories that weren ’ t true , ” the incumbent said .
“ She did very , very poorly in the primaries , as you know , she was expected to do well and she ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was a little surprised that he picked her.
” Trump also said Harris was “ very , very nasty ” and “ horrible ” to Biden during the Democratic primary debates .
Katrina Pierson , a senior adviser to the Trump campaign , added : “ Not long ago , Kamala Harris called Joe Biden a racist and asked for an apology she never received .
“ Clearly , Phony Kamala will abandon her own morals , as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor , in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party .
”

We will use the details you have shared to manage your registration. You agree to the processing, storage, sharing and use of this information for the purpose of managing your registration as described in our Privacy Policy.
Would you like to receive The WeekDay newsletter ?
The WeekDay newsletter provides you with a daily digest of news and analysis.
We will use the details you have shared to manage your newsletter subscription. You agree to the processing, storage, sharing and use of this information for the purpose of managing your subscription as described in our Privacy Policy.
We will use the information you have shared for carefully considered and specific purposes, where we believe we have a legitimate case to do so, for example to send you communications about similar products and services we offer. You can find out more about our legitimate interest activity in our Privacy Policy.
If you wish to object to the use of your data in this way, please tick here.
'We' includes The Week and other Future Publishing Limited brands as detailed here.


theweekuk--2020-08-12--Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and Tui ‘breaching flight refund promises’

Three major airlines are breaching pledges to the Civil Aviation Authority ( CAA ) to refund passengers for flights cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic , according to a Which ?
investigation .
In a report in July , the industry regulator named and shamed Ryanair , Virgin Atlantic and Tui for “ not processing refund requests sufficiently quickly ” and “ having a sizeable backlog of refund requests ” .
But after “ brazenly breaking the law by forcing passengers to wait up to four months for their money back ” , the three carriers have failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the return of “ hundreds of thousands of pounds in refunds ” , says the Daily Mail .
The airlines promised the CAA that refunds would be issued within agreed timeframes , but Which ?
found that claims are still taking months to process .
The consumer group ’ s travel editor , Rory Boland , is now calling on the government to give the industry watchdog “ the tools it needs to hold airlines to account , or risk consumer trust in the travel industry being damaged beyond repair ” .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposed airlines breaking the law on refunds for cancelled flights due to the pandemic and treating their passengers unfairly , and we ’ re concerned that they now feel empowered to do as they please without fear of punishment , ” Boland said .
Responding to the Which ?
probe findings , CAA spokesperson Andrew McConnell said : “ We will review any supplementary evidence that Which ?
wish to provide to us beyond the 12,000 cases previously submitted during our review of airline refund policies and performance during the Covid-19 pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we have been clear that we will continue to monitor performance closely and should any airline fall short of the commitments they have made to us , we will take further action as required.
” What have the airlines said ?
Ryanair told the BBC that it had issued £670m in refunds and had cleared more than 90 % of its claims backlog .
Meanwhile , Virgin said it was “ very sorry ” that a “ small number ” of customers had to wait more than 120 days for a refund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued refunds automatically and normally processed cash refunds within two weeks ” , the broadcaster reports .

Three major airlines are breaching pledges to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to refund passengers for flights cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Which? investigation.
In a report in July, the industry regulator named and shamed Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and Tui for “not processing refund requests sufficiently quickly” and “having a sizeable backlog of refund requests”.
But after “brazenly breaking the law by forcing passengers to wait up to four months for their money back”, the three carriers have failed to keep their promises to speed up the return of “hundreds of thousands of pounds in refunds”, says the Daily Mail.
CAA ‘needs more powers’
The airlines promised the CAA that refunds would be issued within agreed timeframes, but Which? found that claims are still taking months to process.
The consumer group’s travel editor, Rory Boland, is now calling on the government to give the industry watchdog “the tools it needs to hold airlines to account, or risk consumer trust in the travel industry being damaged beyond repair”.
“Time after time, Which? has exposed airlines breaking the law on refunds for cancelled flights due to the pandemic and treating their passengers unfairly, and we’re concerned that they now feel empowered to do as they please without fear of punishment,” Boland said.
Responding to the Which? probe findings, CAA spokesperson Andrew McConnell said: “We will review any supplementary evidence that Which? wish to provide to us beyond the 12,000 cases previously submitted during our review of airline refund policies and performance during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“While our initial review has concluded, we have been clear that we will continue to monitor performance closely and should any airline fall short of the commitments they have made to us, we will take further action as required.”
What have the airlines said?
Ryanair told the BBC that it had issued £670m in refunds and had cleared more than 90% of its claims backlog. Meanwhile, Virgin said it was “very sorry” that a “small number” of customers had to wait more than 120 days for a refund.
And “Tui said it now issued refunds automatically and normally processed cash refunds within two weeks” , the broadcaster reports.


theweekuk--2020-08-12--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 12 Aug 2020

George W. Bush is to publish a book of his paintings as part of a campaign to promote the value @ @ @ @ @ , Out of Many , One , features portraits of 43 people who migrated to @ @ @ @ @ has been interpreted as a thinly-veiled critique of Donald Trump ’ s approach to immigration @ @ @ @ @ the book will highlight “ the positive impacts that immigrants are making on our country @ @

Bush’s pro-immigration paintings ‘a swipe at Trump’
George W. Bush is to publish a book of his paintings as part of a campaign to promote the value of immigration. The book, Out of Many, One, features portraits of 43 people who migrated to the US. Its release has been interpreted as a thinly-veiled critique of Donald Trump’s approach to immigration. Bush says he hopes the book will highlight “the positive impacts that immigrants are making on our country”.


theweekuk--2020-08-11--Black Bowmore DB5 1964: forget martinis, Mr Bond, try this £50,000 whisky

Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Aston Martin have created a bottle of whisky so unique that even James Bond might consider changing his preferred tipple .
Indeed , the martini-loving spy would surely be shaken and stirred by the sleek styling of the Black Bowmore DB5 1964 bottle - and its contents .
Featuring an exceptionally rare whisky in a bottle encased in a genuine Aston Martin DB5 piston , only 25 are to be released for sale , with a recommended price tag of £50,000 each .
The significance of 1964 is paramount to the new creation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ era for both brands .
For Scottish distillery Bowmore , 1964 is arguably one of the most significant points in its 240-year history .
The arrival of a new boiler saw the distillery enter the modern age of distilling as coal fires made way for steam in heating the stills .
It was the first distillation from this new boiler that produced the spirit which was to become the Black Bowmore - one of the rarest and most sought-after single malt whiskies ever created .
Since 1993 , only 6,000 bottles of Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aston Martin , this was the era of what many fans regard as the brand ’ s most iconic creation .
Launched in 1963 , the Aston Martin DB5 is now widely agreed to be the “ most famous car in the world ” , thanks to its links with fictional British agent 007 .
A year after launching , the DB5 made its on-screen debut as the car of choice for Sean Connery ’ s Bond in Goldfinger .
The bottle is handcrafted by Glasstorm , a bespoke contemporary glass studio based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 years of design , sculpting and creative expertise .
Each bottle took up to a week to complete .
Black Bowmore DB5 1964 is presented in a handmade presentation box inspired by the distillery ’ s coastal home .
Wrapped in the finest string-grain calfskin , each box features a solid-brass latch and hinges , plated with nickel , for a polished final product that even Bond could not beat .
The limited-edition creations go on sale this autumn .

Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Aston Martin have created a bottle of whisky so unique that even James Bond might consider changing his preferred tipple.
Indeed, the martini-loving spy would surely be shaken and stirred by the sleek styling of the Black Bowmore DB5 1964 bottle - and its contents. Featuring an exceptionally rare whisky in a bottle encased in a genuine Aston Martin DB5 piston, only 25 are to be released for sale, with a recommended price tag of £50,000 each.
1964: a great year
The significance of 1964 is paramount to the new creation, as the year represents a defining era for both brands.
For Scottish distillery Bowmore, 1964 is arguably one of the most significant points in its 240-year history. The arrival of a new boiler saw the distillery enter the modern age of distilling as coal fires made way for steam in heating the stills.
It was the first distillation from this new boiler that produced the spirit which was to become the Black Bowmore - one of the rarest and most sought-after single malt whiskies ever created.
Since 1993, only 6,000 bottles of Black Bowmore have been made available.
For Aston Martin, this was the era of what many fans regard as the brand’s most iconic creation. Launched in 1963, the Aston Martin DB5 is now widely agreed to be the “most famous car in the world”, thanks to its links with fictional British agent 007.
A year after launching, the DB5 made its on-screen debut as the car of choice for Sean Connery’s Bond in Goldfinger.
About the bottle
The bottle is handcrafted by Glasstorm, a bespoke contemporary glass studio based in northeast Scotland that has more than 50 years of design, sculpting and creative expertise. Each bottle took up to a week to complete.
Black Bowmore DB5 1964 is presented in a handmade presentation box inspired by the distillery’s coastal home. Wrapped in the finest string-grain calfskin, each box features a solid-brass latch and hinges, plated with nickel, for a polished final product that even Bond could not beat.
The limited-edition creations go on sale this autumn.