theweekuk--2020-06-17--Dexamethasone: how a 50p steroid saves one in three coronavirus patients

In the past few months , doctors have experimented with countless drugs in a desperate attempt to save the lives @ @ @ @ @ Until now , there was little evidence that any of them made much difference .
@ @ @ @ @ drugs for people with HIV are among the treatments that have been pressed into service @ @ @ @ @ has found that the most effective by far is a cheap 60-year-old steroid used to @ @ @ @ @ is the first drug anywhere in the world that ’ s been found to reduce @ @ @ @ @ reports New Scientist .
Boris Johnson has hailed the discovery as “ a remarkable British @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described it as a “ lifesaving scientific breakthrough @ @


theweekuk--2020-06-17--Could a second wave of coronavirus bankrupt your local council?

The coronavirus pandemic has triggered the closures of some of the UK ’ s biggest institutions , from historic football clubs to world-leading universities .
And the threat of financial ruin is also looming over a growing number of local councils , with many warning that a second wave of Covid-19 could leave them bankrupt and unable to deliver basic services .
The County Councils Network ( CCN ) , which acts for 39 of England ’ s biggest local authorities , has warned the government that the impact of the coronavirus outbreak could leave its members with a multibillion-pound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a second wave of infections may trigger a spate of insolvencies and force a fresh round of emergency cuts to local services .
The financial impact of the health crisis “ may lead to a significant number of councils being forced to consider whether a S114 notice [ a statement of effective bankruptcy ] is required ” , a CCN-commissioned report has concluded .
Even without a resurgence of the virus , council face “ large-scale reductions in services this year ” unless central government provides a long-term bailout plan , reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all over the country are on the brink of effective bankruptcy ( local authorities can not technically go bankrupt , and must keep providing certain mandated services that are their statutory duty ) ” , says the New Statesman ’ s Anoosh Chakelian .
The government handed an additional £3.2bn of pandemic emergency funding to local authorities in across March and April , but councils say that the money has now run out and that many are running on “ fresh air ” .
North Devon Council ’ s head of resources , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless we get some certainty around income levels recovering or certainty of any additional help from the government in terms of this year ’ s budget or future years ’ budgets ” , the authority may be among those “ faced with having to look a Section 114 notice ” .
Asked when cuts would be necessary , Triggs added : “ We ’ re probably talking a few months.
” What do local authorities want ?
The CNN has called for urgent short-term funding to help councils cope with the impacts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax income .
In the long term , councils wants a government-backed “ income guarantee ” to underpin their budgets over the next five years .
Councillor Carl Les , a CNN spokesperson and the leader of North Yorkshire County Council , told the BBC that local authorities were “ grappling with increased cost pressures ” .
“ We want to work with government to develop a comprehensive plan to support councils over the coming months and years , ” he said .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– At least 18 local authorities are already considering issuing a 114 notice , which would result in severe spending restrictions and cuts to services such as parks , libraries and museums , according to The Times .
But council bosses are hoping that an emergency funding deal can be secured by the CCN , which “ is said to carry weight in Whitehall because its members provide local council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constituencies , including in home counties heartlands such as Kent , Surrey , Buckinghamshire and Hampshire ” , The Guardian reports .
Housing and local government minister Simon Clarke told MPs this week that he was “ working closely with cabinet colleagues on a comprehensive plan to ensure councils ’ financial sustainability over the financial year ahead ” .
Asked by Labour MP Kate Osamor whether councils should prepare for a second wave of austerity cuts in order to balance their budgets , Clarke replied : “ The answer to that question is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite such reassurances , some councils have begun planning for emergency cuts to avoid bankruptcy .
Wiltshire County Council said last week that a £50m shortfall caused by extra pandemic costs had put it at “ significant risk and threat ” of collapse , while Luton Borough Council may have to make of £22m of cuts .
Warning of similar scenarios across the country , Richard Watts , chair of the LGA ’ s resources board , said : “ The secretary of state promised that councils will get all the resources they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This must include the full cost to councils of meeting Covid-19 pressures and of keeping services running normally , and compensation for all lost income .
Without this , councils face an existential crisis .
”

The coronavirus pandemic has triggered the closures of some of the UK’s biggest institutions, from historic football clubs to world-leading universities.
And the threat of financial ruin is also looming over a growing number of local councils, with many warning that a second wave of Covid-19 could leave them bankrupt and unable to deliver basic services.
Why are councils struggling?
The County Councils Network (CCN), which acts for 39 of England’s biggest local authorities, has warned the government that the impact of the coronavirus outbreak could leave its members with a multibillion-pound budget shortfall.
The cross-party organisation says that a second wave of infections may trigger a spate of insolvencies and force a fresh round of emergency cuts to local services.
The financial impact of the health crisis “may lead to a significant number of councils being forced to consider whether a S114 notice [a statement of effective bankruptcy] is required”, a CCN-commissioned report has concluded.
Even without a resurgence of the virus, council face “large-scale reductions in services this year” unless central government provides a long-term bailout plan, reports The Guardian.
Indeed, “councils all over the country are on the brink of effective bankruptcy (local authorities cannot technically go bankrupt, and must keep providing certain mandated services that are their statutory duty)”, says the New Statesman’s Anoosh Chakelian.
The government handed an additional £3.2bn of pandemic emergency funding to local authorities in across March and April, but councils say that the money has now run out and that many are running on “fresh air”.
North Devon Council’s head of resources, Jon Triggs, told Chakelian that “unless we get some certainty around income levels recovering or certainty of any additional help from the government in terms of this year’s budget or future years’ budgets”, the authority may be among those “faced with having to look a Section 114 notice”.
Asked when cuts would be necessary, Triggs added: “We’re probably talking a few months.”
What do local authorities want?
The CNN has called for urgent short-term funding to help councils cope with the impacts of rising social care costs and falling council tax income.
In the long term, councils wants a government-backed “income guarantee” to underpin their budgets over the next five years.


theweekuk--2020-06-17--Who is Mary Trump? President’s niece set to publish ‘damning’ tell-all book

Donald Trump ’ s niece is to release an unflattering tell-all memoir about the US president next month , her publisher has announced .
Titled Too Much And Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man , the book is packed with what inside sources describe as “ harrowing and salacious ” stories about the US leader , The Daily Beast reports .
Mary Trump , daughter of the president ’ s late brother Fred Trump Jr , also reveals in her memoir that she leaked confidential documents used in a newspaper expose of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just who is the woman behind the claims ?
What does her book reveal ?
According to Amazon ’ s blurb for the forthcoming title , Mary Trump details how her uncle rose to the presidency and “ became the man who now threatens the world ’ s health , economic security and social fabric ” .
“ She explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who currently occupies the Oval Office , including the strange and harmful relationship between Fred Trump and his two oldest sons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blurb continues .
The 240-page book is said to present an “ authoritative portrait of Donald J. Trump and the toxic family that made him ” , including “ a nightmare of traumas , destructive relationships , and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse ” , as well as first-hand recollections of “ countless holiday meals and family interactions ” .
The Daily Beast reports that one of the most “ explosive revelations ” is how Mary “ played a critical role ” in an investigation by The New York Times into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper ’ s expose included allegations that the now president “ was involved in ‘ fraudulent ’ tax schemes and had received more than $ 400m in today ’ s dollars from his father ’ s real estate empire ” .
Although further details of the book are “ being closely guarded by its publisher ” , Simon & Schuster , the new release is also expected to recount “ conversations with Trump ’ s sister , retired federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry , that contain intimate and damning thoughts about her brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The memoir is due to hit shelves on 28 July - “ just weeks before the Republican National Convention , when [ Trump ] will accept the party ’ s nomination for his re-election bid in November , ” notes the BBC .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The eldest grandchild of real-estate tycoon and patriarch Fred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born in May 1965 and lives on Long Island in New York , public records show .
She received a bachelor ’ s degree in English Literature from Tufts University in Massachusetts and a master ’ s in the same subject from Columbia University in New York , before doing a PhD in clinical psychology at the city ’ s Adelphi University , reports The Guardian .
According to a now-deleted LinkedIn profile , she is also a certified professional life coach , the BBC adds .
In 2012 , she reportedly started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York-based company with a website that said : “ Are you depressed and feeling low ?
Finding the true meaning of your life ?
If yes then our life coaches can bring you out from such dwindling situations.
” Further information about her life is scarce , due to her success in maintaining “ an exceedingly low profile ” , says Vanity Fair .
Prior to the announcement of her publishing plans , “ she was virtually un-Googleable , and aside from the coverage 20 years ago of a court battle and family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s been very little about her in the press ” , the magazine adds .
However , her Twitter account offers some clues as to her political persuasions .
“ In her bio she has written # blacklivesmatter , a gay pride flag and says she uses the pronouns ‘ she/her/hers ’ , ” the Daily Mail reports .
The newspaper says that on the night of her uncle ’ s election in 2016 , she launched a “ 3am tweet storm ” in which she described his rise to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night of my life ” .
The victory was a “ horrific wrong ” , Mary wrote , adding : “ I grieve for our country.
” “ Worst .
Year .
Ever , ” she said in another tweet , before suggesting that her uncle had won because “ most Americans are hateful , selfish people who care about nothing outside of their own narrow interests ” .
She is now reported to be expecting significant blowback after her book comes out , and “ has steeled herself for the likely severance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Vanity Fair .
“ Given her uncle ’ s scorched-earth approach to negative writings about him ... it also seems inevitable that she will incur the wrath of @ realDonaldTrump , ” the magazine concludes .

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theweekuk--2020-06-18--Gwyneth Paltrow releases ‘This Smells Like My Orgasm’ scented candle

US actor and lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow has a new smelly treat in store for fans of her “ unique ” range of scented candles .
The founder of so-called wellness company Goop made headlines in January when she launched her “ This Smells Like My Vagina ” candle , which quickly sold out .
Now , Paltrow is launching a follow-up “ This Smells Like My Orgasm ” candle , which is being sold for $ 75 ( £60 ) on her online Goop shop - though sadly for UK fans , the new product is currently only available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the site , the candle is “ made with tart grapefruit , neroli , and ripe cassis berries blended with gunpowder tea and Turkish rose ” and has a scent that is “ sexy , surprising and wildly addictive ” .
Whether the candle is tailored to smell specificially like Paltrow ’ s orgasm is not specified , however .
The Hollywood star announced the new launch during an appearance this week on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , telling the host it “ might be more for you , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– But not everyone is a fan of Goop and its products .
The brand “ is often criticised by health professionals for making unsubstantiated claims such as the importance of vaginal steaming and the use of vaginal eggs ” , says Sky News .
In 2018 , the company was forced to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over products including these vaginal eggs , described by the The Times as “ egg-shaped pieces of jade to be placed into the vagina to improve health ” .
Prosecutors in eight California counties announced the settlement after an investigation found that some of the health claims made on the Goop website were “ unfounded ” .


theweekuk--2020-06-18--Britain to seek membership of Pacific trade bloc - but what is it?

The UK is pressing ahead with a bid to join a major trade tie-up between countries including Canada , Australia and New Zealand after quitting the EU , the government has confirmed .
International Trade secretary Liz Truss said that partnership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership ( CPTPP ) was the “ next logical step ” for post-Brexit Britain , The Times reports .
“ I say to our old friends , Britain is back , ” Truss added .
Who is in the trading bloc ?
The CPTPP is a trading agreement between 11 countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chile , Japan , Malaysia , Mexico , New Zealand , Peru , Singapore and Vietnam .
The CPTPP is the third largest free-trade area in the world by GDP , after the North American Free Trade Agreement and the European single market .
Truss announced in Parliament on Wednesday that trade negotiations with signatories Australia and New Zealand are already under way , amid hopes that deals with the two nations will act as a springboard for joining the wider bloc , PoliticsHome reports .
When was it formed ?
The first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in February 2016 .
The US was among the signatories , but Donald Trump backed out of the agreement following his subsequent election victory .
All other signatories agreed to revive the deal the year later and reached a new agreement in 2018 .
What is the bloc worth ?
The trading bloc represents almost 500 million consumers and the combined economies of the member states are worth more than £10tn .
With 99 % of tariffs between member states slashed , the partnership ’ s current economic output accounts for around 13.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK joins the partnership , this share of global GDP is expected to rise to about 16 % , Reuters reports .

One year after officially leaving the EU, the UK has confirmed it will request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The Pacific free trade bloc, which was established in 2018, covers a market of around 500 million people and member nations include Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.
Formal negotiations are set to start this year and if successful the UK would be its second biggest economy after Japan.
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said: “Joining CPTPP will create enormous opportunities for UK businesses that simply weren’t there as part of the EU. It will mean lower tariffs for car manufacturers and whisky producers, and better access for our brilliant services providers, delivering quality jobs and greater prosperity for people here at home. We’re at the front of the queue and look forward to starting formal negotiations in the coming months.”
What would it mean for the UK?
The Department for International Trade says becoming a member of the £9tn bloc would “deepen the UK’s access to fast-growing markets and major economies”, including Mexico, Malaysia and Vietnam. UK trade with the group was worth £111bn in 2019, growing by 8% a year since 2016.
“It sounds a win-win,” says the BBC’s Dharshini David. However, in practice, the “short-terms gains for households and business would be limited”. David adds: “The UK already has trade deals with seven of the 11 nations - and is pursuing two more. In total, CPTPP nations account for less than 10% of UK exports, a fraction of what goes to the EU.”
Who is in the trading bloc?
The CPTPP is a trading agreement between 11 Pacific Rim nations: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. It is the third largest free-trade area in the world by GDP, after the North American Free Trade Agreement and the European single market.
When was it formed?
The first trans-pacific partnership (TPP) was signed in February 2016. The United States was among the signatories, but former president Donald Trump backed out of the agreement following his subsequent election victory. All other signatories agreed to revive the deal the year later and reached a new agreement in 2018.
What is the bloc worth?
The trading bloc’s 11 countries are home to around 500 million people and generate more than 13% of the world’s income. The combined economies of the member states are worth more than £9tn.


theweekuk--2020-06-18--‘Stunningly uninformed’: five things we learn about Donald Trump from John Bolton’s memoir

The US Justice Department has launched a last-ditch bid to prevent Donald Trump ’ s former national security adviser from publishing an embarrassingly frank memoir about his time in the White House .
The administration last night sought an emergency order from a judge to block the release of John Bolton ’ s book The Room Where It Happened , citing the inclusion of “ classified information ” that could “ damage the national security of the United States ” , The New York Times reports .
The move came a day after the government filed a civil suit against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last September .
But with details already leaking about the claims made in the memoir , due out on 23 June , the US president appears to be fighting a losing battle .
Here are five of the most damaging allegations about Trump that have emerged .
Sought China ’ s help in the 2020 election According to an excerpt from the book that has been published by The Washington Post , Trump directly asked China to use its economic power to aid him in this year ’ s election .
Bolton writes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jinping at the June 2019 Group of 20 summit in Japan , Trump “ stunningly , turned the conversation to the coming US presidential election , alluding to China ’ s economic capability and pleading with Xi to ensure he ’ d win ” .
The ex-adviser alleges that Trump began stressing “ the importance of farmers and increased Chinese purchases of soybeans and wheat in the electoral outcome ” .
“ I would print Trump ’ s exact words , ” Bolton adds , “ but the government ’ s prepublication review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has triggered anger among Democrats behind the attempted impeachment of Trump , who point out that Bolton refused to stand as a witness against the president .
The chair of the House Intelligence Committee , Adam Schiff , tweeted : “ Bolton ’ s staff were asked to testify before the House to Trump ’ s abuses , and did .
They had a lot to lose and showed real courage .
“ When Bolton was asked , he refused , and said he ’ d sue if subpoenaed .
Instead , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be an author , but he ’ s no patriot.
” Suggested running for more than two terms US presidents are barred from running for the White House more than twice , but Bolton suggests that Trump openly considered breaking the rule , The Wall Street Journal reports .
During another conversation with the Chinese president , at a December 2018 dinner in Buenos Aires , Trump allegedly voiced approval for his counterpart ’ s decision to abolish presidential terms .
Xi then “ said he wanted to work with Trump for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people were saying that the two-term constitutional limit on presidents should be repealed for him ” , writes Bolton .
“ Xi said the US had too many elections , because he didn ’ t want to switch away from Trump , who nodded approvingly.
” At talks in May 2018 , Bolton says , Turkey ’ s President Recep Erdogan handed Trump a memo proclaiming the innocence of a Turkish firm under investigation by the US attorney for the Southern District of New York for allegedly violating Iranian sanctions .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care of things , explaining that the southern district prosecutors were not his people , but were [ his predecessor Barack ] Obama people , a problem that would be fixed when they were replaced by his people , ” the book says .
One of the most controversial acts of Trump ’ s presidency has been the building of detention centres for holding immigrants caught attempting to cross the US-Mexico border .
The Independent reported last June that at least 24 people , including six children , had died at these centres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concentration camps ” .
Despite widespread outrage , Trump has refused to back down over the camps - and according to Bolton , the president also praised China ’ s internment of the Uigher Muslims in the Asian nation ’ s Xinjiang province , during his meeting with Xi at the G20 summit in Japan last summer .
“ According to our interpreter , Trump said that Xi should go ahead with building the camps , which Trump thought was exactly the right thing to do , ” Bolton writes .
Documents leaked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show that hundreds of thousands of ethnic Uighurs have been detained in China ’ s camps , where officials are instructed to “ show absolutely no mercy ” to the ethnic minority prisoners .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The leaked extracts of Bolton ’ s book are smattered with references to the president ’ s lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affairs .
In one example , Bolton claims that during a meeting with the UK ’ s then prime minister Theresa May in May 2018 , Trump asked : “ Are you a nuclear power ?
” Bolton also recalls the president asking his then chief of staff John F. Kelly if Finland was part of Russia .
And according to extracts from the book reported by The Washington Post , Trump said that invading invading Venezuela would be “ cool ” and that the South American nation was “ really part of @ @ @ @ @


theweekuk--2020-06-18--Coronavirus: why we shouldn’t be talking about a second wave of Covid

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theweekuk--2020-06-18--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 18 Jun 2020

Campaigners have welcomed the news that Oxford University ’ s Oriel College has voted in favour of removing its statue @ @ @ @ @ Rhodes .
However , they say protests will continue while the controversial statue remains in @ @ @ @ @ there will be consultations over planning regulations before it can be taken down .
Campaigners @ @ @ @ @ symbol of racism and imperialism .

Oxford college backs removal of Cecil Rhodes statue
Campaigners have welcomed the news that Oxford University’s Oriel College has voted in favour of removing its statue of the Victorian imperialist Cecil Rhodes. However, they say protests will continue while the controversial statue remains in place. The college says there will be consultations over planning regulations before it can be taken down. Campaigners say the statue is a symbol of racism and imperialism.


theweekuk--2020-06-18--Police fine man for ‘massive intestinal wind’

A man in Austria has been fined nearly £500 for farting loudly in front of police officers .
Police in Vienna said the uncooperative man pushed out a “ massive intestinal wind apparently with full intent ” .
They added : “ Of course no one is reported for accidentally letting one go.
” A hotel and restaurant temporarily closed due to Covid-19 has been overrun by a herd of cows .
The Motat House in Acton Trussell , near Stafford , England , said a dozen cows were discovered wandering through the outside seating area as preparations for re-opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought they had herd immunity , ” said a spokesman .
Godzilla ?
Is that you ?
A balloon-like object in the skies over Japan has prompted online speculation of UFOs and Godzilla .
Footage shot in the northeastern city of Sendai showed the object above a cross , on which propellers seemed to be turning .
One tweeter said it could be spreading Covid-19 , adding , “ This gives me a very bad feeling , as if Godzilla might suddenly appear.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A man in Austria has been fined nearly £500 for farting loudly in front of police officers. Police in Vienna said the uncooperative man pushed out a “massive intestinal wind apparently with full intent”. They added: “Of course no one is reported for accidentally letting one go.”
UK hotel overrun by cows during lockdown
A hotel and restaurant temporarily closed due to Covid-19 has been overrun by a herd of cows. The Motat House in Acton Trussell, near Stafford, England, said a dozen cows were discovered wandering through the outside seating area as preparations for re-opening began. “We wondered if they thought they had herd immunity,” said a spokesman.
Godzilla? Is that you?
A balloon-like object in the skies over Japan has prompted online speculation of UFOs and Godzilla. Footage shot in the northeastern city of Sendai showed the object above a cross, on which propellers seemed to be turning. One tweeter said it could be spreading Covid-19, adding, “This gives me a very bad feeling, as if Godzilla might suddenly appear.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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--2020-06-18--Nationwide triples minimum deposit for UK first-time buyers

The UK ’ s biggest building society has tripled the minimum deposit on house purchases for first-time buyers .
Nationwide has increased the minimum they will have to stump up from 5 % to 15 % , reports the BBC .
It said the change , starting today , was due to “ these unprecedented times and an uncertain mortgage market ” .
According to Nationwide ’ s price index , the average UK house now costs £218,902 , meaning a new buyer will need a minimum deposit of at least £32,835 compared with £10,945 before , says The Guardian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that rising unemployment resulting from the coronavirus pandemic could cause house prices to fall , trapping some people in homes worth less than their mortgage , says The Independent .
Henry Jordan , the director of mortgages at Nationwide , said that “ as a responsible lender , Nationwide needs to ensure borrowers can afford mortgage payments and are , as much as possible , protected against the potential for negative equity , should house prices decrease .
“ Our priority at this time must be to help members keep their homes.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and May , according to Halifax , though they are 2.6 % higher than the same time last year .
“ Looking ahead , we expect market activity to increase progressively as restrictions are eased further across the whole of the UK , ” says Halifax ’ s managing director , Russell Galley .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 @ @

The UK’s biggest building society has tripled the minimum deposit on house purchases for first-time buyers.
Nationwide has increased the minimum they will have to stump up from 5% to 15%, reports the BBC.
It said the change, starting today, was due to “these unprecedented times and an uncertain mortgage market”.
According to Nationwide’s price index, the average UK house now costs £218,902, meaning a new buyer will need a minimum deposit of at least £32,835 compared with £10,945 before, says The Guardian.
Banks and building societies are concerned that rising unemployment resulting from the coronavirus pandemic could cause house prices to fall, trapping some people in homes worth less than their mortgage, says The Independent.
Henry Jordan, the director of mortgages at Nationwide, said that “as a responsible lender, Nationwide needs to ensure borrowers can afford mortgage payments and are, as much as possible, protected against the potential for negative equity, should house prices decrease.
“Our priority at this time must be to help members keep their homes.”
House prices fell in March, April and May, according to Halifax, though they are 2.6% higher than the same time last year.
“Looking ahead, we expect market activity to increase progressively as restrictions are eased further across the whole of the UK,” says Halifax’s managing director, Russell Galley.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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--2020-06-18--Instant Opinion: the world is ‘laughing’ at Boris Johnson and Britain

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
on plans to paint the PM ’ s plane As Boris Johnson steps aboard the newly decorated Clown Force One , the world is laughing at Britain “ There was a time not so long ago when British diplomacy was an understated , dignified affair .
The country had a reputation as a sensible place , run by sensible politicians ; a nation that stood for tolerance and the shrewd pursuit of the national interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to the planet ’ s largest single market .
A country with a generous , internationalist disposition and one that took it ’ s obligations in the world seriously – including to international development .
We enjoy tradition , but it does not define us .
All that .
Now we ’ re a floating , flying museum piece , trying to sustain the trappings of global power and prestige but without the economic strength or diplomatic influence to back it up .
It ’ s like when ‘ Emperor ’ Bokassa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a third of his country ’ s GDP in an absurd coronation ceremony .
In our case ... we ’ ve just got an old Etonian buffoon leading us into the second childhood of the British Empire , making meaningless speeches about putting a tiger in the tank and giving us back our mojo – and hoping that we can ’ t hear the rest of the world as it laughs at us.
” Joanna Williams , author of Academic Freedom in an Age of Conformity , in The Times on the fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tying itself in knots over racism “ The word trauma does a lot of work in universities today .
Rhodes Must Fall campaigners tell us that walking past a statue is traumatic .
Students in Bristol say that sitting in Colston Hall or the Wills Memorial Building is traumatic , even if the seats are plush and the lectures engaging .
It is perilous to challenge this narrative of emotional breakdown .
Back at Oxford , [ vice-chancellor Louise ] Richardson ’ s offer of marks for distress has not saved her from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her university ’ s academics .
She has been taken to task for ‘ ventriloquising ’ Nelson Mandela after claiming that he would not have wanted the statue of Cecil Rhodes to be taken down .
Increasingly , it is knowledge that is considered trauma-inducing .
Decolonising the curriculum has been all the rage for several years .
For subjects like literature , politics and philosophy this initially meant little more than checking course content to ensure greater diversity ...
But decolonisers need to be honest : unless teaching time is increased , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is dropped .
Most important of all , the basis for inclusion in the curriculum needs to be merit , irrespective of the skin colour of the thinker.
” 3 .
Ian Cobain , author of The History Thieves : Secrets , Lies and the Shaping of a Modern Nation , in The Guardian on the destruction of Britain ’ s dark history Lying about our history ?
Now that ’ s something Britain excels at “ It was inevitable that some would insist that ripping the statue of slave trader Edward Colston @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a harbour in Bristol was an act of historical revisionism ; that others would argue that its removal was long overdue , and that the act itself was history in the making .
After more statues were removed across the United States and Europe , Boris Johnson weighed in , arguing that ‘ to tear [ these statues ] down would be to lie about our history ’ .
But lying about our history - and particularly about our late-colonial history - has been a habit of the British state for decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign and Commonwealth Office had been unlawfully concealing 1.2m historical files at a highly secure government compound at Hanslope Park , north of London ...
The operation - and its attempts to conceal and manipulate history in an attempt to sculpt an official narrative – speaks of a certain jitteriness on the part of the British state , as if it feared that interpretations of the past that were based upon its own records would find it difficult to celebrate the ‘ greatness ’ of British history.
” on the panic around ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t work ourselves into a frenzy about the threat of any ‘ second wave ’ “ Look around the countries and places most affected by the virus , on the other hand , and there is not the faintest sign of a second spike – in spite of lockdowns being eased .
Britain , Spain , Italy , France , Belgium , New York : in each case new cases continue to tail off , even though shops , schools and in many cases bars and restaurants have reopened .
It adds credence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sweden ’ s chief epidemiologist , and our own government ’ s scientific advisers who argued initially that it is futile trying to stop this virus altogether : somehow or other it will eventually manage to infect everyone who is susceptible to it , up to a point where a country or community has gained herd immunity .
You can suppress for a time by closing down the economy and forcing everyone to stay at home , but you will forever be left fire-fighting as outbreaks occur.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 5 .
Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times “ I ’ ve occasionally encountered mass hysteria in other countries .
In rural Indonesia , I once reported on a mob that was beheading people believed to be sorcerers , then carrying their heads on pikes .
But I never imagined that the United States could plunge into such delirium .
Antifa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed anyone and appears to have been only a marginal presence in Black Lives Matter protests .
None of those arrested on serious federal charges related to the unrest have been linked to antifa .
Still , the movement has a mythic status in some right-wing narratives , and Trump and Fox News have hyped the threat .
( The Seattle Times caught Fox faking photos to exaggerate unrest in Seattle. )
...
These antifa panics are where racism and hysteria intersect , in a nation that has more guns than people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ every opportunity not to heal our national divisions but to stoke them , when people live in a news ecosystem that provides no reality check but inflames prejudices and feeds fears .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Sean O’Grady in The Independent
on plans to paint the PM’s plane
As Boris Johnson steps aboard the newly decorated Clown Force One, the world is laughing at Britain
“There was a time not so long ago when British diplomacy was an understated, dignified affair. The country had a reputation as a sensible place, run by sensible politicians; a nation that stood for tolerance and the shrewd pursuit of the national interest, its modern world-class industries enjoying easy access to the planet’s largest single market. A country with a generous, internationalist disposition and one that took it’s obligations in the world seriously – including to international development. We enjoy tradition, but it does not define us. All that. Now we’re a floating, flying museum piece, trying to sustain the trappings of global power and prestige but without the economic strength or diplomatic influence to back it up. It’s like when ‘Emperor’ Bokassa of the poverty-stricken Central African Republic spent a third of his country’s GDP in an absurd coronation ceremony. In our case... we’ve just got an old Etonian buffoon leading us into the second childhood of the British Empire, making meaningless speeches about putting a tiger in the tank and giving us back our mojo – and hoping that we can’t hear the rest of the world as it laughs at us.”
2. Joanna Williams, author of Academic Freedom in an Age of Conformity, in The Times
on the fall of Rhodes and its aftershock
Oxford is tying itself in knots over racism
“The word trauma does a lot of work in universities today. Rhodes Must Fall campaigners tell us that walking past a statue is traumatic. Students in Bristol say that sitting in Colston Hall or the Wills Memorial Building is traumatic, even if the seats are plush and the lectures engaging. It is perilous to challenge this narrative of emotional breakdown. Back at Oxford, [vice-chancellor Louise] Richardson’s offer of marks for distress has not saved her from criticism at the hands of 14 of her university’s academics. She has been taken to task for ‘ventriloquising’ Nelson Mandela after claiming that he would not have wanted the statue of Cecil Rhodes to be taken down. Increasingly, it is knowledge that is considered trauma-inducing. Decolonising the curriculum has been all the rage for several years. For subjects like literature, politics and philosophy this initially meant little more than checking course content to ensure greater diversity... But decolonisers need to be honest: unless teaching time is increased, every new addition means an existing work is dropped. Most important of all, the basis for inclusion in the curriculum needs to be merit, irrespective of the skin colour of the thinker.”
3. Ian Cobain, author of The History Thieves: Secrets, Lies and the Shaping of a Modern Nation, in The Guardian
on the destruction of Britain’s dark history
Lying about our history? Now that’s something Britain excels at
“It was inevitable that some would insist that ripping the statue of slave trader Edward Colston from its plinth and disposing of it in a harbour in Bristol was an act of historical revisionism; that others would argue that its removal was long overdue, and that the act itself was history in the making. After more statues were removed across the United States and Europe, Boris Johnson weighed in, arguing that ‘to tear [these statues] down would be to lie about our history’. But lying about our history - and particularly about our late-colonial history - has been a habit of the British state for decades. In 2013 I discovered that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had been unlawfully concealing 1.2m historical files at a highly secure government compound at Hanslope Park, north of London... The operation - and its attempts to conceal and manipulate history in an attempt to sculpt an official narrative – speaks of a certain jitteriness on the part of the British state, as if it feared that interpretations of the past that were based upon its own records would find it difficult to celebrate the ‘greatness’ of British history.”
4. Ross Clark in The Daily Telegraph
on the panic around ‘so-called’ infection spikes
We shouldn’t work ourselves into a frenzy about the threat of any ‘second wave’
“Look around the countries and places most affected by the virus, on the other hand, and there is not the faintest sign of a second spike – in spite of lockdowns being eased. Britain, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, New York: in each case new cases continue to tail off, even though shops, schools and in many cases bars and restaurants have reopened. It adds credence to the case made by Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s chief epidemiologist, and our own government’s scientific advisers who argued initially that it is futile trying to stop this virus altogether: somehow or other it will eventually manage to infect everyone who is susceptible to it, up to a point where a country or community has gained herd immunity. You can suppress for a time by closing down the economy and forcing everyone to stay at home, but you will forever be left fire-fighting as outbreaks occur.”
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5. Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times
on a panic triggered by delusion
When Antifa Hysteria Sweeps America
“I’ve occasionally encountered mass hysteria in other countries. In rural Indonesia, I once reported on a mob that was beheading people believed to be sorcerers, then carrying their heads on pikes. But I never imagined that the United States could plunge into such delirium. Antifa, short for anti-fascists, hasn’t killed anyone and appears to have been only a marginal presence in Black Lives Matter protests. None of those arrested on serious federal charges related to the unrest have been linked to antifa. Still, the movement has a mythic status in some right-wing narratives, and Trump and Fox News have hyped the threat. (The Seattle Times caught Fox faking photos to exaggerate unrest in Seattle.)... These antifa panics are where racism and hysteria intersect, in a nation that has more guns than people. They arise when a lying president takes every opportunity not to heal our national divisions but to stoke them, when people live in a news ecosystem that provides no reality check but inflames prejudices and feeds fears.”


theweekuk--2020-06-18--US election 2020: how Facebook is set to ‘curb foreign interference’

Facebook has pledged to combat foreign meddling in US elections by introducing new policies aimed at stopping the spread of fake news on the social media platform .
Foreign states and state-controlled organisations will be banned from placing political adverts , and paid-for content will be labelled with the identity of its source .
The California-based company says that users will also be able to turn off all social issue , electoral and political ads “ so that they don ’ t see them in their feed – not just in the US but globally from the autumn ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook “ for allowing Russian interference in the 2016 election and doing too little to stop the dissemination of misinformation by its users ” , says The Times .
The move is also believed to be aimed at pre-empting a directive from the Department of Justice that could force social media companies to police content on their platforms more effectively .
However , Facebook has resisted calls to follow Twitter ’ s lead in fact-checking posts by high-profile political figures including Donald Trump , even though many experts say the US president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ constitutes a form of voter suppression ” , according to The Guardian .
The company ’ s new strategy is outlined in an article by founder Mark Zuckerberg ( pictured top ) in USA Today and by Nick Clegg , Facebook ’ s head of global affairs and communication , in a comment piece for The Telegraph .
Speaking to the BBC ’ s Today programme , former deputy prime minister Clegg said that while Trump ’ s posts had at times been “ abhorrent ” , the social media giant would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The “ best way to hold politicians to account…is to make sure people can hear what they say ” , Clegg said .
But many commentators in both the US and the UK insist that Facebook should be doing more .
“ There is a lot more it should be doing , and its policies remain much weaker than those adopted by Google and Twitter , ” writes Damian Collins MP , former chair of the Digital , Culture , Media and Sport Select Committee ( DCMS ) , in The Telegraph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifics of the new policies that Facebook has announced , there are some positive changes , but they fall short of addressing the fundamental problems.
” Civil rights organisations are calling for a boycott of advertising on Facebook , saying the platform has done little to stop the promotion of “ hate , bigotry , racism , antisemitism and violence ” , reports The Times .
And former US vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has written an open letter to Facebook calling for the company to “ proactively stem the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amplifying untrustworthy content and promptly fact-checking election-related material that goes viral ” .
“ Fundamentally not enough has changed , but other companies are now starting to take steps to act against harmful disinformation that they won ’ t , ” concludes Collins in The Telegraph .
“ If you were a bad actor wishing sow division and confusion with campaigns of fear and lies , Facebook would be your social media platform of choice.
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theweekuk--2020-06-18--Coronavirus: what has it cost to house the homeless during the pandemic?

Thousands of homeless people who have been put up in hotels during the coronavirus pandemic will be turned out onto @ @ @ @ @ the government takes urgent action , charities are warning .
Around 100 homelessness organisations have @ @ @ @ @ Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick to request a meeting “ to discuss how we can work @ @ @ @ @ ” for rehousing the at-risk residents .
The plea comes as two of the hotels @ @ @ @ @ over the past three months “ have ceased doing so in preparation for returning to @ @ @ @ @ Guardian reports .
The letter , coordinated by campaign group Citizens UK , says that @ @ @ @ @ on foreign nationals with a limited immigration status known as “ no recourse to public @ @ @ @ @ those currently housed could end up back on the streets .

Thousands of homeless people who have been put up in hotels during the coronavirus pandemic will be turned out onto the streets within weeks unless the government takes urgent action, charities are warning.
Around 100 homelessness organisations have signed an open letter to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick to request a meeting “to discuss how we can work together to develop better solutions” for rehousing the at-risk residents.
The plea comes as two of the hotels used to house homeless people over the past three months “have ceased doing so in preparation for returning to regular business”, The Guardian reports.
The letter, coordinated by campaign group Citizens UK, says that unless officials waive a restriction on foreign nationals with a limited immigration status known as “no recourse to public funds”, about half those currently housed could end up back on the streets.
“We are dismayed that extended housing support will only be available to those who qualify for welfare benefits,” say the charities, which describe the situation as “a national catastrophe in the making”.
Days before Britain entered lockdown, the government pledged to give councils across England a total of £3.2m as part of an emergency scheme called “Everyone In”, which was aimed at stopping the spread of the virus, the BBC reports.
Since then, more than 14,500 people who were on the streets or at risk of sleeping rough have been given emergency accommodation.
Housing Secretary Jenrick said in March that “public safety and protecting the most vulnerable people in society” was the government’s “top priority”.
But in mid-May, a leaked report from Greater Manchester’s combined authority claimed that the government had “drawn a line” under the Everyone In scheme and would no longer stump up the money to house rough sleepers.
However, the claims were described as “misleading” by a Ministry of Housing spokesperson, who said that since March, the government had given local councils £3.2bn to tackle the “immediate pressures they are facing, including housing rough sleepers”.
According to the government’s website, the Covid-19 package was pledged as an addition to the £492m already promised to fight homelessness in 2020 to 2021. This sum makes up part of a total £643m put aside to tackle rough sleeping during this parliament.
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theweekuk--2020-06-18--Reaction: doctors say school closures risk ‘scarring life chances’ of a generation

More than 1,500 paediatricians have signed an open letter to Boris Johnson urging him to reopen schools or risk “scarring the life chances of a generation of young people”.
While Covid-19 does not directly threaten most young people, the “health and social impact will be severe”, according to the letter from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
The brunt of the impact will “be borne by children and families who have the fewest resources and need the most support”, the doctors say. These vulnerable children will go without “mental health support, vaccinations, special therapies, free school meals, physical activity and early years services”.
They are also “missing out on aspects of their education that they will never get back”, says a leading article in The Times.
“The sense that the government is not in control of events in the pandemic is nowhere more palpable than in education,” the newspaper claims. To recover some semblance of authority, Downing Street must build a case “for scrapping or at least reducing the long holiday and getting children into school to catch up some of what they have lost”.
But Johnson does appear to be trying, says The Spectator. At Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, he “managed to cheer his MPs up a bit by pointing some of the blame at Labour and the unions for the delay”.
“Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has been unconvincing on the issue”, concedes The Times, and “most of the teaching unions, the head teachers being a notable exception, have been obstructive”.
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Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis, a former teacher, told an Education Select Committee hearing this week that the unions have been running a campaign to “breathe fear into parents about the idea of sending their kids back to school”, reports The Telegraph.
Union leaders rejected the claim, telling MPs they wanted pupils to return as soon as possible, “but they raised concerns about schools leaders’ ability to do so in the autumn term under the current social distancing rules”, says the BBC.


theweekuk--2020-06-18--Should the UK pay slavery reparations and which institutions could owe money?

Two of the UK ’ s biggest firms have pledged to pay compensation to black , Asian and minority ethnic ( BAME ) communities for their founders ’ roles in the slave trade .
Under the terms of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 , the UK government agreed to pay a total of £20m - about £300bn in today ’ s money - to 46,000 slave owners in compensation for the loss of their “ property in men ” .
The amount borrowed to fund these payments was so great that the debt wasn ’ t fully paid off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners were compensated for their so-called losses , the UK has never paid reparations to the communities affected by the inhumane trade .
However , The Telegraph reports that pub chain Greene King and insurers Lloyd ’ s of London have promised to pay “ large sums ” to BAME communities after researchers at University College London discovered the companies were among nine still-operating UK businesses that benefited from the compensation payments to slave owners .
With calls growing for all the named-and-shamed companies to make similar pledges , the row has stirred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK institutions should offer slavery reparations .
The call for rich countries that benefited financially from slavery to pay compensation has gained momentum in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests against racism .
The UK , US , France and Switzerland are among the nations with a colonial and slave trade history that has yet to be fully atoned for , according to campaigners .
“ To those who accept the notion that the ripples of centuries of forced , unpaid , back-breaking labour ( not to mention the psychological , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of enslaved African people were subjected to ) can still be felt , the argument in favour of reparations makes a simple , moral sense , ” says The Independent ’ s Kuba Shand-Baptiste .
“ Some might insist that what his long dead relatives did 200 years ago is no longer relevant , but it ’ s naive to think that the past has nothing to do with the shape of today , ” agrees Reni Eddo-Lodge , author of Why I ’ m No Longer Talking to White People About Race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights chief Michelle Bachelet this week urged rich nations to make amends for “ centuries of violence and discrimination ” by paying reparations , the Daily Mail reports .
“ Behind today ’ s racial violence , systemic racism and discriminatory policing lies the failure to acknowledge and confront the legacy of the slave trade and colonialism , ” she said .
But some people believe the money that might be spent on reparations could be put to better uses .
Former international development secretary Rory Steward told Time magazine last year he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the poorest people in the world ” , rather than paying reparations in “ some weird belief that we ’ re going to somehow undo 300 , 400 years of colonial history by writing cheques to people ” .
“ I think atoning for the sins of your ancestors is a bit weird .
As time goes on , that gets a bit weirder , ” he added .
“ There are many , many countries that are very poor that were never part of empires.
” Others argue that paying reparations for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of is unjust and unnecessary .
“ The push for reparations also assumes that every minority has a stake in this , ” writes Christian Watson in Spiked .
“ It creates a victim class .
For the notion of reparations even to be entertained , the subjects must accept that they are victims .
“ Reparations would only further enshrine a mentality of defeatism and beggary into our discourse.
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Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Which institutions could have to pay ?
Academics at UCL have created a database that contains information about everybody who was compensated for their loss of “ human property ” in 1833 .
The database was set up in the belief “ that research and analysis of this group are key to understanding the extent and the limits of slavery ’ s role in shaping British history and leaving lasting legacies that reach into the present ” , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership .
Researcher Keith McClelland told Wired that between 40 % and 50 % of the money paid out in 1833 stayed in the UK .
“ The Royal Bank of Scotland had its foundations in part in the slavery business , but there are many companies that are connected in some way , ” McClelland said .
“ A lot of City companies , a lot of people who put their money where we can see where it ’ s going aren ’ t putting it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but in insurance and shipping , things like that.
” The Lloyds Banking Group , Barclays , RSA Insurance and Shipping company P & O are among the other UK businesses that also have links to slavery , the database reveals .

Two of the UK’s biggest firms have pledged to pay compensation to black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities for their founders’ roles in the slave trade.
Under the terms of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, the UK government agreed to pay a total of £20m - about £300bn in today’s money - to 46,000 slave owners in compensation for the loss of their “property in men”. The amount borrowed to fund these payments was so great that the debt wasn’t fully paid off until 2015.
Yet while wealthy slave owners were compensated for their so-called losses, the UK has never paid reparations to the communities affected by the inhumane trade.
However, The Telegraph reports that pub chain Greene King and insurers Lloyd’s of London have promised to pay “large sums” to BAME communities after researchers at University College London discovered the companies were among nine still-operating UK businesses that benefited from the compensation payments to slave owners.
With calls growing for all the named-and-shamed companies to make similar pledges, the row has stirred up a long-running debate about which other UK institutions should offer slavery reparations.
Should the UK pay reparations?
The call for rich countries that benefited financially from slavery to pay compensation has gained momentum in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests against racism.
The UK, US, France and Switzerland are among the nations with a colonial and slave trade history that has yet to be fully atoned for, according to campaigners.
“To those who accept the notion that the ripples of centuries of forced, unpaid, back-breaking labour (not to mention the psychological, sexual and physical torture that the majority of enslaved African people were subjected to) can still be felt, the argument in favour of reparations makes a simple, moral sense,” says The Independent’s Kuba Shand-Baptiste.
“Some might insist that what his long dead relatives did 200 years ago is no longer relevant, but it’s naive to think that the past has nothing to do with the shape of today,” agrees Reni Eddo-Lodge, author of Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, in The Guardian.


theweekuk--2020-06-19--Five things we learned from Labour’s election defeat inquest

A review of the Labour ’ s 2019 general election campaign has found that a “ toxic culture ” inside the party ’ s election-fighting machine contributed to its defeat .
Negative perceptions about the leadership , concerns about the party ’ s incoherent Brexit stance and doubts about the manifesto culminated in Labour ’ s worst result since 1935 .
The 154-page report was produced by a group of MPs , union leaders , officials and activists operating under the name Labour Together .
The left-wing Labour leader was deeply unpopular , and his support had plummeted between 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , says the report , 67 % of voters disliked Corbyn - most of them strongly - and only 12 % liked him .
The authors put Corbyn ’ s unpopularity down to his handling of complaints about antisemitism in the Labour party , his ambiguous position on Brexit and party disunity under his leadership .
The report says research suggests an “ intense ” dislike of Corbyn was a key factor among voters who switched from Labour to the Tories , The Guardian reports .
The views of one 52-year-old woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the report as : “ Frightened at the possibility of a Marxist government .
Disgusted at Corbyn being a terrorist sympathiser .
Most disturbed about plan to nationalise BT as I fear it would allow a Labour government to spy on internet users.
” Labour struggled to put forward a coherent Brexit strategy , having attempted to appeal to left-wing Eurosceptics and more “ New Labour ” remainers .
In a poll of Labour members carried out for the report , 57 % said the Brexit policy of promising a second referendum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most unpopular and challenging idea to sell to voters , citing views such as “ dithering ” , “ dire ” and “ reflecting division ” .
The policy alienated both remain and leave voters .
Of those who voted for Corbyn ’ s Labour in 2017 , 1.9m remainers and 1.8m leave voters abandoned the party in 2019 .
Many of those who did vote Labour in 2019 did so despite the party ’ s Brexit stance rather than because of it , with remain voters preferring to stop Brexit entirely and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done ” .
The report found that while many of Labour ’ s individual policies had support , as a package they seemed unrealistic and voters did not believe they could or should be delivered , reports the Daily Mirror .
While policies like free broadband for all were popular , Labour supporters worried about the financial viability of enacting the policy .
“ The resistance came mostly as people evaluated the overall package of proposals , ” say the report ’ s authors .
Activists quoted in the report said the seemingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calendar feel to it , with each new day opening a door promising more stuff ” .
Labour also suffered because of policies that it had backed in some way , but not formally adopted in its manifesto , the report says .
Its autumn conference vote to abolish private schools went down badly on the doorstep , even though this was never official policy .
A Datapraxis analysis of YouGov data found that “ many came to the conclusion that the manifesto as a whole was unrealistic , risky and unlikely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to individual policies , making them seem less credible.
” The party suffered from perceptions of being plagued with disunity and infighting , without clear leadership , says the London Evening Standard .
“ It was unclear who was in charge ” of the election campaign , the report found , and relationships within the party were soured by years of infighting which had created a “ toxic culture ” and “ significant strategic and operational dysfunction ” .
This confusion and lack of coherence was “ a central problem afflicting Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy and prepare to implement it ” according to the report ’ s authors .
The result was policy delays , including confusion over Brexit , and a disjointed national campaign .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 .
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“ Despite now representing fewer constituencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour can not afford to be complacent about the seats it currently holds , ” the report says .
Getting rid of Corbyn may not be enough to change the party ’ s fortunes for the better , according to the authors , who say it would “ be a mistake to believe that a different leader , with Brexit no longer the defining issue , would in itself be sufficient to change Labour 's electoral fortunes ” .
This assessment is “ perhaps the true value of the report for the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s political correspondent Iain Watson .
“ It serves as both a reality check for activists and an opportunity for the new regime to argue that a break for the past is necessary .
”


theweekuk--2020-06-19--Instant Opinion: Tories won’t ‘take the knee’ for Black Lives Matter - but will voters care?

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
on mocking the BLM movement as an electoral tactic The Tories may not take the knee , but voters may not care “ Dominic Cummings doesn ’ t have time to conduct all his focus groups personally these days , but Downing Street is continually - some Tory MPs would say obsessively - testing itself against public opinion nonetheless .
No 10 barely breathes without calculating the electoral impact , particularly on those ‘ red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned Tory in order to get Brexit done .
Will they be infuriated by Raab ’ s ignorance of the gesture ’ s history , his description of it as symbolising ‘ subjugation ’ ?
Or might they just agree , as many longstanding Tories will , with the dogwhistle message that it ’ s time to get up off their knees and stop apologising ?
... No wonder Downing Street would rather pick a fight over Winston Churchill - or anything else that puts Labour ’ s young , liberal urban supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towns - than dwell on subjects that make its own side embarrassed and uncomfortable .
We are seeing a concerted effort to shift the government back on to safer ground , by which it means anything that divides its opponents.
” 2 .
Anders Fogh Rasmussen , Nato Secretary General 2009-2014 and Danish prime minister 2001-2009 , in The Independent on the pandemic providing fertile ground for autocracy Coronavirus has accelerated the breakdown of democracy right across the world “ Before Covid-19 , the multilateral global system that we built after World War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia tore up the rulebook , while revisionists like China have sought to rewrite it and stack the deck of multilateralism in their favour .
And America has been retreating from the world that it created , favouring isolationism in trade and foreign policy .
Covid-19 has accelerated that pace .
It has been likened to a war , bringing profound social and political change in its wake .
These divisions between Western nations , and the cracks within them , as well as our fragile global economy , provide fertile ground for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from direct attacks such as those against Ukraine , to pressuring frontline democracies like Taiwan , spreading divisive fake news , hacking our servers or funding extremists ...
If this sounds like hyperbole , look at Greece .
Shortly after China bought its port , Athens began blocking EU reprimands of Chinese human rights .
After Covid-19 the need to prevent a Chinese shopping spree will be palpable.
” 3 .
Stephen Miller , former diplomat and Ambassador to Spain 2003-07 in Prospect Magazine After the crisis : an agenda for Britain ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , things should look rather different .
The Covid-19 infection rate should have dropped well away in the summer of 2020 and even with a resurgence in the autumn and winter should be falling again by , say , May of 2021 .
The economy should be coming back to life .
And we shall finally have left the EU single market and customs union .
We may have reached a future agreement on trade and other relations with the EU or we may not , but for better or for worse we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Conservatives do then ?
...
The trouble with this is that , long before Brexit and coronavirus , the voters , especially in the midlands and the north , were already angry and frustrated by their lack of opportunity , lack of control over their own lives , the declining public services around them and their despair about leaving a better life for their children .
Being able to go on a package holiday or see their friends in the pub again will be a pleasant relief but won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will leaving the European Union , but the people have been led to believe that it will , and now the government is expected to deliver on their expectation.
” on whether Boris Johnson will turn on his chancellor “ Mr Sunak is , at heart , a fiscal conservative , one of the last of that breed .
Mr Johnson is a spendthrift with an eye for grands projets .
The need for a shock stimulus to combat Covid-19 obscured the fact that Mr Sunak delivered a budget in May that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dim and distant Britain that existed before the virus , No 10 was keen to spend large sums on infrastructure projects .
While Mr Sunak went along with it as the price for getting his job there is no reason to think those are his natural inclinations ...
I witnessed the Blair and Brown feud at close quarters and can testify that the tension was not creative .
It rarely is .
But the conflict between Nos 10 and 11 is the hardy perennial of British politics .
It happens when times are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) when times are bad .
Mr Johnson is going to find his tenure in Downing Street a constant grind and he is going to need someone to blame .
The best candidate is close at hand.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The threat has passed , so why are our civil liberties still suspended ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to confront a terrifying threat to the country – was a reasonable request .
But as we approach the fourth month of lockdown , the case should be made considered anew .
Instead , we see new restrictions churned out and rubber-stamped by parliament .
Charles Walker , a Tory MP , pointed out that politicians can talk about the restriction of civil liberties but are not voting on it .
What , now , is the case for such emergency government powers ?
How to justify the two-week quarantine imposed on those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is odd to have to justify the case for civil liberty - but it ’ s about being safe , as well as being free .
People can be trusted to behave responsibly in pandemics , as well as life in general - so minimising damage inflicted by crude mandatory lockdowns .
Damage that the government has not begun to calculate , let alone work out how to repair .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Gaby Hinsliff in The Guardian
on mocking the BLM movement as an electoral tactic
The Tories may not take the knee, but voters may not care
“Dominic Cummings doesn’t have time to conduct all his focus groups personally these days, but Downing Street is continually - some Tory MPs would say obsessively - testing itself against public opinion nonetheless. No 10 barely breathes without calculating the electoral impact, particularly on those ‘red wall’ seats where lifelong Labour supporters turned Tory in order to get Brexit done. Will they be infuriated by Raab’s ignorance of the gesture’s history, his description of it as symbolising ‘subjugation’? Or might they just agree, as many longstanding Tories will, with the dogwhistle message that it’s time to get up off their knees and stop apologising?... No wonder Downing Street would rather pick a fight over Winston Churchill - or anything else that puts Labour’s young, liberal urban supporters at odds with its base in northern towns - than dwell on subjects that make its own side embarrassed and uncomfortable. We are seeing a concerted effort to shift the government back on to safer ground, by which it means anything that divides its opponents.”
2. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato Secretary General 2009-2014 and Danish prime minister 2001-2009, in The Independent
on the pandemic providing fertile ground for autocracy
Coronavirus has accelerated the breakdown of democracy right across the world
“Before Covid-19, the multilateral global system that we built after World War Two was under strain. Countries like Russia tore up the rulebook, while revisionists like China have sought to rewrite it and stack the deck of multilateralism in their favour. And America has been retreating from the world that it created, favouring isolationism in trade and foreign policy. Covid-19 has accelerated that pace. It has been likened to a war, bringing profound social and political change in its wake. These divisions between Western nations, and the cracks within them, as well as our fragile global economy, provide fertile ground for autocratic states. Autocratic tactics vary, from direct attacks such as those against Ukraine, to pressuring frontline democracies like Taiwan, spreading divisive fake news, hacking our servers or funding extremists... If this sounds like hyperbole, look at Greece. Shortly after China bought its port, Athens began blocking EU reprimands of Chinese human rights. After Covid-19 the need to prevent a Chinese shopping spree will be palpable.”
3. Stephen Miller, former diplomat and Ambassador to Spain 2003-07 in Prospect Magazine
on building a post-pandemic society
After the crisis: an agenda for Britain?
“Come the spring of next year, things should look rather different. The Covid-19 infection rate should have dropped well away in the summer of 2020 and even with a resurgence in the autumn and winter should be falling again by, say, May of 2021. The economy should be coming back to life. And we shall finally have left the EU single market and customs union. We may have reached a future agreement on trade and other relations with the EU or we may not, but for better or for worse we shall be out. What do Johnson’s Conservatives do then?... The trouble with this is that, long before Brexit and coronavirus, the voters, especially in the midlands and the north, were already angry and frustrated by their lack of opportunity, lack of control over their own lives, the declining public services around them and their despair about leaving a better life for their children. Being able to go on a package holiday or see their friends in the pub again will be a pleasant relief but won’t change those problems. Nor in fact will leaving the European Union, but the people have been led to believe that it will, and now the government is expected to deliver on their expectation.”
4. Philip Collins in The Times
on whether Boris Johnson will turn on his chancellor
When Downing Street neighbours fall out
“Mr Sunak is, at heart, a fiscal conservative, one of the last of that breed. Mr Johnson is a spendthrift with an eye for grands projets. The need for a shock stimulus to combat Covid-19 obscured the fact that Mr Sunak delivered a budget in May that he barely believed in. Back in the dim and distant Britain that existed before the virus, No 10 was keen to spend large sums on infrastructure projects. While Mr Sunak went along with it as the price for getting his job there is no reason to think those are his natural inclinations... I witnessed the Blair and Brown feud at close quarters and can testify that the tension was not creative. It rarely is. But the conflict between Nos 10 and 11 is the hardy perennial of British politics. It happens when times are good and it happens (even more) when times are bad. Mr Johnson is going to find his tenure in Downing Street a constant grind and he is going to need someone to blame. The best candidate is close at hand.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
5. Fraser Nelson in The Daily Telegraph
on the reduced Covid alert level
The threat has passed, so why are our civil liberties still suspended?
“To suspend our liberties temporarily – to confront a terrifying threat to the country – was a reasonable request. But as we approach the fourth month of lockdown, the case should be made considered anew. Instead, we see new restrictions churned out and rubber-stamped by parliament. Charles Walker, a Tory MP, pointed out that politicians can talk about the restriction of civil liberties but are not voting on it. What, now, is the case for such emergency government powers? How to justify the two-week quarantine imposed on those who arrive from overseas?... It is odd to have to justify the case for civil liberty - but it’s about being safe, as well as being free. People can be trusted to behave responsibly in pandemics, as well as life in general - so minimising damage inflicted by crude mandatory lockdowns. Damage that the government has not begun to calculate, let alone work out how to repair.”


theweekuk--2020-06-19--Zelimkhan Khangoshvili: Germany accuses Russia of ordering the Chechen rebel’s killing

German prosecutors have blamed “ government agencies of the central government of the Russian Federation ” for the murder of a man killed in a Berlin park last summer .
Georgian national Zelimkhan Khangoshvili , a former Chechen rebel commander , was shot in the head from behind by an assassin on a bike in the German capital ’ s Kleiner Tiergarten in August .
After a months-long investigation , a Russian man identified only as Vadim K was charged yesterday with murder and illegal possession of a weapon , Deutsche Welle ( DW ) reports .
Meanwhile , German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kremlin may face sanctions over the daylight killing .
Berlin “ expressly reserves the right to take further action in this case ” , Maas said .
According to the Federal Prosecutor ’ s Office , “ the motivation behind the assassination order was the victim ’ s opposition to the Russian central state ” .
Prosecutors added that the killer “ hoped for a financial reward or he shared the motive of his clients to kill a political opponent in retaliation for his involvement in previous conflicts with Russia ” .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ambassador in Berlin , Sergei Nechayev , who said the claims were “ not supported by any facts or evidence ” , the BBC reports .
Moscow considers “ allegations issued against Russian state structures as groundless and unfounded ” , he added in a post on the embassy ’ s Facebook page .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly denied any connection between the murder and the Russian state , Vladimir Putin has claimed that Chechen separatist Khangoshvili carried out killings “ on Russian soil ” , according to The Guardian .
In December , Putin described Khangoshvili as “ a cruel and bloodthirsty person ” and said Russian authorities had sought to have him extradited from Germany .

German prosecutors have blamed “government agencies of the central government of the Russian Federation” for the murder of a man killed in a Berlin park last summer.
Georgian national Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen rebel commander, was shot in the head from behind by an assassin on a bike in the German capital’s Kleiner Tiergarten in August.
After a months-long investigation, a Russian man identified only as Vadim K was charged yesterday with murder and illegal possession of a weapon, Deutsche Welle (DW) reports.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned that the Kremlin may face sanctions over the daylight killing. Berlin “expressly reserves the right to take further action in this case”, Maas said.
According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, “the motivation behind the assassination order was the victim’s opposition to the Russian central state”.
Prosecutors added that the killer “hoped for a financial reward or he shared the motive of his clients to kill a political opponent in retaliation for his involvement in previous conflicts with Russia”.
The allegations have been denied by Russia’s ambassador in Berlin, Sergei Nechayev, who said the claims were “not supported by any facts or evidence”, the BBC reports.
Moscow considers “allegations issued against Russian state structures as groundless and unfounded”, he added in a post on the embassy’s Facebook page.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Although the Kremlin has repeatedly denied any connection between the murder and the Russian state, Vladimir Putin has claimed that Chechen separatist Khangoshvili carried out killings “on Russian soil”, according to The Guardian.
In December, Putin described Khangoshvili as “a cruel and bloodthirsty person” and said Russian authorities had sought to have him extradited from Germany.


theweekuk--2020-06-19--Harry Dunn family lose bid to see ‘secret pact’ between US and UK

The parents of a UK teenager whose killer used diplomatic immunity to flee to the US have lost their battle to see a “ secret agreement ” between the two country ’ s governments .
Harry Dunn , 19 , died last August after his motorbike collided with a car driven on the wrong side of the road by Anne Sacoolas , 42 , the wife of a US intelligence officer based at RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire .
In December , Sacoolas was charged in absentia with causing death by dangerous driving , but a subsequent extradition request was refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents , Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn , are now bringing a legal action against Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley , claiming they acted unlawfully in allowing Sacoolas to leave the UK .
But at an inital High Court hearing yesterday , the family were denied access to “ additional documents relating to the agreement ” about personnel at the RAF base , The Times says .
The pact that “ the Dunns wanted disclosed was made between the UK and the US ” 25 years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and technical staff ” , the Daily Mail reports .
Their barrister , Geoffrey Robertson QC , had told the court that the Foreign Office had “ through its actions obstructed a criminal investigation , under pressure from the United States ” .
Robertson argued that the case “ turns on the interpretation of a secret agreement made in 1995 and updated in 2001 between the US and UK as a result of a US request to add up to 200 technical officers as diplomatic agents at RAF Croughton ” .
When the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ deeply concerned ” about possible media interest “ if crimes ( in particular , road traffic-related crimes ) were committed by agents and/ or their dependants ” , he added .
Dunns ’ parents claim that the Foreign Office “ acted unlawfully by proceeding as if Anne Sacoolas conclusively had immunity and/or advising other state bodies that she did ” .
Rejecting their request for the Foreign Office to disclose further evidence before a full hearing , Lord Justice Flaux said : “ We do not consider that any of the documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just determination of the issues in the case.
” The family ’ s case will be heard in October or November .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

The parents of a UK teenager whose killer used diplomatic immunity to flee to the US have lost their battle to see a “secret agreement” between the two country’s governments.
Harry Dunn, 19, died last August after his motorbike collided with a car driven on the wrong side of the road by Anne Sacoolas, 42, the wife of a US intelligence officer based at RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire.
In December, Sacoolas was charged in absentia with causing death by dangerous driving, but a subsequent extradition request was refused by the US.
Dunn’s parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, are now bringing a legal action against Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley, claiming they acted unlawfully in allowing Sacoolas to leave the UK.
But at an inital High Court hearing yesterday, the family were denied access to “additional documents relating to the agreement” about personnel at the RAF base, The Times says.
The pact that “the Dunns wanted disclosed was made between the UK and the US” 25 years ago and relates to “immunity for administrative and technical staff” , the Daily Mail reports.
Their barrister, Geoffrey Robertson QC, had told the court that the Foreign Office had “through its actions obstructed a criminal investigation, under pressure from the United States”.
Robertson argued that the case “turns on the interpretation of a secret agreement made in 1995 and updated in 2001 between the US and UK as a result of a US request to add up to 200 technical officers as diplomatic agents at RAF Croughton”.
When the deal was updated, British officials were “deeply concerned” about possible media interest “if crimes (in particular, road traffic-related crimes) were committed by agents and/ or their dependants”, he added.
Dunns’ parents claim that the Foreign Office “acted unlawfully by proceeding as if Anne Sacoolas conclusively had immunity and/or advising other state bodies that she did”.
Rejecting their request for the Foreign Office to disclose further evidence before a full hearing, Lord Justice Flaux said: “We do not consider that any of the documents sought is necessary for the fair and just determination of the issues in the case.”
The family’s case will be heard in October or November.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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--2020-06-19--52 ideas that changed the world - 52. Zero

In this series , The Week looks at the ideas and innovations that permanently changed the way we see the world .
In this final instalment , the spotlight is on zero : Zero is a number .
But unlike other numbers , zero represents not a thing , but an absence of a thing , or nothing .
So understanding zero requires us to recognise the absence of something .
In mathematics , zero can also be used as a placeholder in place value systems ( or positional notation ) , in which the position of the digit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be multiplied by some other value .
For example , in the number 234 , the 4 is multiplied by 1 , because it is in the 1x position .
The 3 is multiplied by 10 , because it is in the 10x position .
And the 2 is multiplied by 100 , because it is in the 100x position .
Adding these together gives the value of 234 .
In the number 204 , the 4 and 2 are still multiple by 1x and 100x respectively , but the 0 is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only there as a placeholder .
How did it develop ?
The first evidence of zero dates back around 5,000 years tot the Sumerian culture in Mesopotamia , where it was used to indicate the absence of a digit in a string of numbers - the same as its placeholder function in modern place value systems .
But the first description of the arithmetic use of zero did not come until the seventh century , when the Indian mathematician Brahmagupta wrote : “ When zero is added to a number or subtracted from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and a number multiplied by zero becomes zero.
” Brahmagupta ’ s text Brahmasphutasiddhanta , written in AD628 , was the first written description of zero as a number in its own right , as opposed to just a placeholder , says National Geographic .
The concept of zero then made its way to and across the Middle East , where it reached mathematician Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khowarizmi around in 773 .
“ It was al-Khowarizmi who first synthesised Indian arithmetic and showed how the zero could function in algebraic equations , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entered the Arabic numeral system in a form resembling the oval shape we use today , ” says the Sky History channel website .
Zero reached Europe in the 1100s through the Moorish conquest of Spain , with thinkers such as the Italian mathematician Fibonacci helping to introduce zero to the mainstream by popularising the Arabic numeral system that we use today .
The Italian government was initially suspicious of Arabic numbers and outlawed the use of zero , but merchants - seeing its usefulness - continued to use it illegally and secretively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ sifr ” , brought about the word “ cipher ” , which means a numeric character , but also came to mean “ code ” , says Live Science .
The use of zero as a mathematical function became increasingly widespread , and was first employed in the common method of graphing in the 17th century .
“ That century also saw a whole new field of mathematics that depends on zero : calculus , ” adds Vox .
Calculus was the foundation on which physics , engineering , computers and much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and also our understanding of the universe .
“ The concept of emptiness is now central to modern physics : the entire known universe is seen as ‘ zero sum game ’ by among others , such as Stephen Hawking , ” says Peter Gobets , secretary of the Netherlands-based ZerOrigIndia Foundation , also known as the Zero Project , which researches the origins of the zero digit .
How did it change the world ?
Many of the world ’ s most important inventions now seem so obvious that it can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long to come about .
Zero is a prime example of this - and its importance is hard to overstate .
“ So commonplace has zero become that few , if any , realise its astounding role in the lives of every single person in the world , ” says the ZerOrigIndia Foundation ’ s Gobets .
The uses of zero have gone well beyond simple mathematics .
“ The computer you ’ re reading this article on right now runs on a binary - a strings of zeros and ones , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern electronics wouldn ’ t exist .
Without zero , there ’ s no calculus , which means no modern engineering or automation .
Without zero , much of our modern world literally falls apart.
” The strings of zeros and ones is known as “ binary code ” , the system on which modern-day computers operate , on the principle of two possible states , “ on ” and “ off ” .
The ‘ on ’ state is assigned the value ‘ 1 ’ , while the ‘ off ’ state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - that is , zero .
“ It is perhaps not surprising that binary number system was also invented in India , in the second or third centuries BCE , by a musicologist named Pingala , although this use was for prosody [ rhythm in language ] , ” Subhash Kak , historian of science and astronomy and Regents Professor at Oklahoma State University , told the BBC .
Humans ’ discovery of zero was “ a total game changer… equivalent to us learning language ” , adds Andreas Nieder , a cognitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany .
Zero is “ ubiquitous , ubiquitous , dominating the lives of practically all seven billion of us on the globe from birth to death , literally and figuratively ” , write Annette van der Hoek , coordinator of the Zero Project , and Robinder Sachdev , the project ’ s India-based trustee , in an article on The American Bazaar .
This assessment of the importance of zero is echoed by Indologist Johannes Bronkhorst , an emeritus professor at Switzerland ’ s University of Lausanne .
“ Understanding how and why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern science and technology possible , concerns all mankind .
And the invention of zero certainly ranks among the greatest , ” he said .

In this series, The Week looks at the ideas and innovations that permanently changed the way we see the world. In this final instalment, the spotlight is on zero:
Zero in 60 seconds
Zero is a number. But unlike other numbers, zero represents not a thing, but an absence of a thing, or nothing. So understanding zero requires us to recognise the absence of something.
In mathematics, zero can also be used as a placeholder in place value systems (or positional notation), in which the position of the digit in a number means that its value must be multiplied by some other value.
For example, in the number 234, the 4 is multiplied by 1, because it is in the 1x position. The 3 is multiplied by 10, because it is in the 10x position. And the 2 is multiplied by 100, because it is in the 100x position. Adding these together gives the value of 234.
In the number 204, the 4 and 2 are still multiple by 1x and 100x respectively, but the 0 is not multiplied by 10x, as it is only there as a placeholder.
How did it develop?
The first evidence of zero dates back around 5,000 years tot the Sumerian culture in Mesopotamia, where it was used to indicate the absence of a digit in a string of numbers - the same as its placeholder function in modern place value systems.
But the first description of the arithmetic use of zero did not come until the seventh century, when the Indian mathematician Brahmagupta wrote: “When zero is added to a number or subtracted from a number, the number remains unchanged; and a number multiplied by zero becomes zero.”
Brahmagupta’s text Brahmasphutasiddhanta, written in AD628, was the first written description of zero as a number in its own right, as opposed to just a placeholder, says National Geographic.
The concept of zero then made its way to and across the Middle East, where it reached mathematician Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khowarizmi around in 773.
“It was al-Khowarizmi who first synthesised Indian arithmetic and showed how the zero could function in algebraic equations, and by the ninth century the zero had entered the Arabic numeral system in a form resembling the oval shape we use today,” says the Sky History channel website.