theweekuk--2020-07-29--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 29 Jul 2020

Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are searching an allotment in Hanover .
Prosecutors in Germany say the search @ @ @ @ @ into Christian B , a sex offender in prison in Germany , who is the @ @ @ @ @ disappearance of McCann .
Christian B is believed to have been in the area where @ @ @ @ @ on holiday in the Algarve in Portugal .

Madeleine McCann police search German allotment
Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are searching an allotment in Hanover. Prosecutors in Germany say the search was related to the investigation into Christian B, a sex offender in prison in Germany, who is the main suspect in the 2007 disappearance of McCann. Christian B is believed to have been in the area where Madeleine was last seen while on holiday in the Algarve in Portugal.


theweekuk--2020-07-29--Australian pub bars emu regulars for defecating

An Australian pub has banned two local emus for anti-social acts , including stealing food and defecating on the floor .
The owners of the Yaraka Hotel in the outback of Queensland posted a sign at the entrance of the pub stating that the town ’ s popular local emus , Kevin and Carol , were no longer are allowed inside .
“ The main reason we ’ ve banned them is their droppings , ” said one of the owners .
“ They ’ re enormous , very large and very smelly , and they created great stains.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 100 shoes in Berlin .
Locals in the southwestern Zehlendorf neighborhood recently noticed the disappearance of footwear left outside their homes .
One resident says he caught a fox “ red-handed ” with a pair of blue flip-flops in its mouth .
After taking photos of the animal in the act , he later found its stash of stolen shoes .
A 99-year-old woman from California broke two world records when she piloted a plane and gave a flight lesson in the air .
Robina Asti was named the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after she gave her final flight lesson Sunday at NextGen Flight Academy at Riverside Municipal Airport .
“ I love getting people to experience what it ’ s like to lift off this Earth , ” she said .
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An Australian pub has banned two local emus for anti-social acts, including stealing food and defecating on the floor. The owners of the Yaraka Hotel in the outback of Queensland posted a sign at the entrance of the pub stating that the town’s popular local emus, Kevin and Carol, were no longer are allowed inside. “The main reason we’ve banned them is their droppings,” said one of the owners. “They’re enormous, very large and very smelly, and they created great stains.”
Fox named as shoe thief
A fox has been blamed for stealing more than 100 shoes in Berlin. Locals in the southwestern Zehlendorf neighborhood recently noticed the disappearance of footwear left outside their homes. One resident says he caught a fox “red-handed” with a pair of blue flip-flops in its mouth. After taking photos of the animal in the act, he later found its stash of stolen shoes.
Woman, 99, becomes world’s oldest flight instructor
A 99-year-old woman from California broke two world records when she piloted a plane and gave a flight lesson in the air. Robina Asti was named the world’s oldest flight instructor and active pilot after she gave her final flight lesson Sunday at NextGen Flight Academy at Riverside Municipal Airport. “I love getting people to experience what it’s like to lift off this Earth,” she said.
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theweekuk--2020-07-29--Instant Opinion: Boris Johnson hiring a ‘£100,000-a-year shield for his own incompetence’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
Boris Johnson is hiring a £100,000-a-year shield for his own incompetence “ So , Number 10 is looking for ‘ an experienced and confident media operator ’ to front daily televised press briefings .
Isn ’ t one of Boris Johnson ’ s few qualifications for his present job that he is ‘ an experienced and confident media operator ’ ?
Apparently the daily coronavirus press briefings were so successful that the government wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street scrapped them and the prime minister wasn ’ t involved in most of them anyway .
It is a mad idea and the media should boycott the press conferences .
They will be an utter waste of time .
Could it be that the tiresome business of facing the media is yet another chore that Johnson finds irksome and he ’ d really rather that someone else got on with that while he finds some other way to idle the days away ?
” 2 .
David Hunter , professor of epidemiology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neil Pearce , professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , in The Guardian If Britain ditches overseas travel , we can eliminate coronavirus “ With every arriving overseas visitor or returning holidaymaker , the risk of bringing Covid-19 into the country increases .
The government has so far justified allowing this travel because it believes community transmission of the virus in the UK is inevitable until a vaccine arrives .
It is not .
Great Britain and the island of Ireland are just that – islands .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Taiwan , have shown that the Covid-19 virus can be eliminated like the first Sars virus .
In these countries , life is going on largely as usual with families gathering , full stands at sporting events , and internal economies almost back to normal .
Shakespeare called England : ‘ This fortress built by nature for herself against infection.
’ And now the Independent Sage committee ( which shadows Britain ’ s official science advisory group ) and other experts have called for a goal of zero coronavirus – elimination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppression.
” on the death of the office Are we ready for the consequences of the working from home revolution ?
“ Two immediate problems can be foreseen given how skewed the economy is towards London , the scale of urbanisation ( which could reverse ) and the unwinding of the government ’ s furlough scheme .
The first is the exposure of professional services to sectors which their WFH staff could be inadvertently destroying .
The second is that proximity will no longer be the advantage for professionals it once was .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit us all .
But without leadership , chaos will ensue .
How many financiers , lawyers , accountants and consultants are exposed to leisure , hospitality , aviation , tourism and property ?
If the lack of commuter traffic into London and other big cities becomes permanent , there is potential for the losses inflicted on the aforementioned sectors to smack financiers , lawyers and accountants back in the face .
Given how many such professionals work in sectors like hospitality , newly-redundant professionals could find they have created even more competition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new jobs.
” Europe ’ s last tyrant is fighting for survival “ [ Alexander ] Lukashenko ’ s case for long-term survival was that only he had the statesmanlike talent to steer Belarus between Vladimir Putin ’ s Russia and an intrusive European Union .
But both Putin and the EU have become impatient with the president : the EU because he hasn ’ t attempted to improve his human rights record ; Putin because Lukashenko resists the idea of a union between Russia and Belarus .
Remarkably , instead of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opposition , he now accuses the Kremlin of meddling .
When and if Lukashenko wins the election on August 9 he will thus have limited options .
He won ’ t be able to count on Putin ’ s goodwill and may even be hoping the Russian leader leaves the Kremlin sooner than expected .
He can ’ t count on the EU , which should increase its support for the new opposition as it takes shape .
It may be that Lukashenko is betting on China.
” 5 .
Jennifer Weiner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radicalisation of American mothers “ In 1968 , a resident of nearby Vernon was applauded after she told the school board : ‘ Vernon is a nice , wonderful , middle-class town , and I do not wish to share this with anyone from Hartford .
What we have , we have earned and want to keep .
What is mine is mine.
’ Mr. Trump ’ s re-election depends , at least in part , on white suburban women still feeling that way .
But if recent protests and nonfiction best-seller lists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ housewives ” have arrived at a more nuanced understanding of racial dynamics and have harnessed the potent , symbolic power of white motherhood to advocate for change ...
The moms are organizing protests and reading groups , posting links to bail funds , discussing antidotes for tear gas .
They ’ re starting groups in their kids ’ schools to talk about white privilege and how to continue the fight once the current wave of protests is done .
Many feature some version of the sign ‘ When George Floyd Called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mamas .
’ ”

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 Downing Street’s search for a spokesperson
Boris Johnson is hiring a £100,000-a-year shield for his own incompetence
“So, Number 10 is looking for ‘an experienced and confident media operator’ to front daily televised press briefings. Isn’t one of Boris Johnson’s few qualifications for his present job that he is ‘an experienced and confident media operator’? Apparently the daily coronavirus press briefings were so successful that the government wants to emulate their reach, even though Downing Street scrapped them and the prime minister wasn’t involved in most of them anyway. It is a mad idea and the media should boycott the press conferences. They will be an utter waste of time. Could it be that the tiresome business of facing the media is yet another chore that Johnson finds irksome and he’d really rather that someone else got on with that while he finds some other way to idle the days away?”
2. David Hunter, professor of epidemiology at the University of Oxford, and Neil Pearce, professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in The Guardian
on the government’s Spain U-turn
If Britain ditches overseas travel, we can eliminate coronavirus
“With every arriving overseas visitor or returning holidaymaker, the risk of bringing Covid-19 into the country increases. The government has so far justified allowing this travel because it believes community transmission of the virus in the UK is inevitable until a vaccine arrives. It is not. Great Britain and the island of Ireland are just that – islands. Other islands, such as New Zealand and Taiwan, have shown that the Covid-19 virus can be eliminated like the first Sars virus. In these countries, life is going on largely as usual with families gathering, full stands at sporting events, and internal economies almost back to normal. Shakespeare called England: ‘This fortress built by nature for herself against infection.’ And now the Independent Sage committee (which shadows Britain’s official science advisory group) and other experts have called for a goal of zero coronavirus – elimination of the virus – rather than settling for suppression.”
3. Jonathan Saxty in The Daily Telegraph
on the death of the office
Are we ready for the consequences of the working from home revolution?
“Two immediate problems can be foreseen given how skewed the economy is towards London, the scale of urbanisation (which could reverse) and the unwinding of the government’s furlough scheme. The first is the exposure of professional services to sectors which their WFH staff could be inadvertently destroying. The second is that proximity will no longer be the advantage for professionals it once was. Changes eased in and managed well can benefit us all. But without leadership, chaos will ensue. How many financiers, lawyers, accountants and consultants are exposed to leisure, hospitality, aviation, tourism and property? If the lack of commuter traffic into London and other big cities becomes permanent, there is potential for the losses inflicted on the aforementioned sectors to smack financiers, lawyers and accountants back in the face. Given how many such professionals work in sectors like hospitality, newly-redundant professionals could find they have created even more competition for themselves when they are looking for new jobs.”
4. Roger Boyes in The Times
on coronavirus misrule in Belarus
Europe’s last tyrant is fighting for survival
“[Alexander] Lukashenko’s case for long-term survival was that only he had the statesmanlike talent to steer Belarus between Vladimir Putin’s Russia and an intrusive European Union. But both Putin and the EU have become impatient with the president: the EU because he hasn’t attempted to improve his human rights record; Putin because Lukashenko resists the idea of a union between Russia and Belarus. Remarkably, instead of his usual complaint of furtive western support for the opposition, he now accuses the Kremlin of meddling. When and if Lukashenko wins the election on August 9 he will thus have limited options. He won’t be able to count on Putin’s goodwill and may even be hoping the Russian leader leaves the Kremlin sooner than expected. He can’t count on the EU, which should increase its support for the new opposition as it takes shape. It may be that Lukashenko is betting on China.”
5. Jennifer Weiner in The New York Times
on the radicalisation of American mothers
Trump Is Dog-Whistling. Are ‘Suburban Housewives’ Listening?
“In 1968, a resident of nearby Vernon was applauded after she told the school board: ‘Vernon is a nice, wonderful, middle-class town, and I do not wish to share this with anyone from Hartford. What we have, we have earned and want to keep. What is mine is mine.’ Mr. Trump’s re-election depends, at least in part, on white suburban women still feeling that way. But if recent protests and nonfiction best-seller lists are any indication, at least some “housewives” have arrived at a more nuanced understanding of racial dynamics and have harnessed the potent, symbolic power of white motherhood to advocate for change... The moms are organizing protests and reading groups, posting links to bail funds, discussing antidotes for tear gas. They’re starting groups in their kids’ schools to talk about white privilege and how to continue the fight once the current wave of protests is done. Many feature some version of the sign ‘When George Floyd Called for His Mama, He Summoned All the Mamas.’”


theweekuk--2020-07-29--Testing and trust: how Uruguay bucked South American trends to beat Covid

Latin America has become a front line in the global battle against coronavirus , yet one of the region ’ s countries has defied the odds to claim near victory over Covid-19 .
Described by The Guardian as “ a progressive enclave with the lowest poverty index in Latin America ” , Uruguay has reported just 1,218 infections and 35 related deaths , according to latest figures .
As neighbouring nations struggle to contain coronavirus outbreaks , how has Uruguay managed to buck the trend ?
Unlike Brazil , whose President Jair Bolsonaro dismissed the danger posed by Covid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enact social distancing , testing and community tracing ” , writes Jennifer Pribble , an associate professor of political science at the University of Richmond , in an article on The Conversation .
Uruguay ’ s President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou have never ordered a total lockdown , instead declaring a “ voluntary quarantine ” under which members of the public were asked to isolate if possible .
But “ Uruguayans can point to their long history of progressive social policies – including extensive public health coverage and almost 100 % access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in containing the virus ” , says The Guardian .
By late June , that public health coverage had seen Uruguay outstrip richer nations to achieve the fourth-highest number of tests conducted per new confirmed case , at 1,610 , compared with 52 in the US and 21 in the UK .
“ The key to our success has been a quick response detecting and isolating cases , ” said Rafael Radi , one of the government ’ s chief Covid-19 advisers .
Uruguay also employed teams to test “ random city blocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers ” , The Guardian reports .
This meant that the government could build a picture of where the virus was likely to spring up next , with this data used alongside “ a contact-tracing app from which home visits and tests can be requested ” , the New Scientist reports .
The government was not afraid to ask for help either , reaching out to the World Health Organization “ for lessons learned elsewhere ” and “ best practice on testing ” , according to Giovanni Escalante , WHO ’ s representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased its “ number of testing laboratories from one to 25 and sent scientists to Brazil for training ” , New Scientist adds .
This later allowed the country “ to bypass international supply bottlenecks for testing equipment ” , says the Financial Times .
As well as deploying a rapid testing response , Uruguay had a secret weapon in its coronavirus response : trust in the government .
Unlike Brazil , where corruption and authoritarianism have undermined faith in the central government , “ Uruguayans generally like their political system ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018-19 , 76.2 % of Uruguayans voiced support for democracy - the highest rate of any country in the region , according to Vanderbilt University ’ s Latin American Political Opinion Project .
“ You can not impose what you can not control .
We appealed to social responsibility , and this was respected on a mass scale , ” says Uruguay ’ s Health Hinister Daniel Salinas .
Or as Montevideo-based political scientist Adolfo Garce puts it , Uruguayans ’ trust in the system meant they “ were treated like adults , @ @ @ @ @

Latin America has become a front line in the global battle against coronavirus, yet one of the region’s countries has defied the odds to claim near victory over Covid-19.
Described by The Guardian as “a progressive enclave with the lowest poverty index in Latin America”, Uruguay has reported just 1,218 infections and 35 related deaths, according to latest figures.
As neighbouring nations struggle to contain coronavirus outbreaks, how has Uruguay managed to buck the trend?
Swift, decisive action
Unlike Brazil, whose President Jair Bolsonaro dismissed the danger posed by Covid, “Uruguay moved swiftly in March to enact social distancing, testing and community tracing”, writes Jennifer Pribble, an associate professor of political science at the University of Richmond, in an article on The Conversation.
Uruguay’s President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou have never ordered a total lockdown, instead declaring a “voluntary quarantine” under which members of the public were asked to isolate if possible.
But “Uruguayans can point to their long history of progressive social policies – including extensive public health coverage and almost 100% access to running water – as a key factor in containing the virus”, says The Guardian.
By late June, that public health coverage had seen Uruguay outstrip richer nations to achieve the fourth-highest number of tests conducted per new confirmed case, at 1,610, compared with 52 in the US and 21 in the UK.
“The key to our success has been a quick response detecting and isolating cases,” said Rafael Radi, one of the government’s chief Covid-19 advisers.
Uruguay also employed teams to test “random city blocks and critical job sectors such as construction workers”, The Guardian reports.
This meant that the government could build a picture of where the virus was likely to spring up next, with this data used alongside “a contact-tracing app from which home visits and tests can be requested”, the New Scientist reports.
The government was not afraid to ask for help either, reaching out to the World Health Organization “for lessons learned elsewhere” and “best practice on testing”, according to Giovanni Escalante, WHO’s representative to Uruguay.
In addition, Uruguay increased its “number of testing laboratories from one to 25 and sent scientists to Brazil for training”, New Scientist adds. This later allowed the country “to bypass international supply bottlenecks for testing equipment”, says the Financial Times.
Trust in the system
As well as deploying a rapid testing response, Uruguay had a secret weapon in its coronavirus response: trust in the government.
Unlike Brazil, where corruption and authoritarianism have undermined faith in the central government, “Uruguayans generally like their political system”, writes Pribble on The Conversation.
In 2018-19, 76.2% of Uruguayans voiced support for democracy - the highest rate of any country in the region, according to Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Political Opinion Project.
“You cannot impose what you cannot control. We appealed to social responsibility, and this was respected on a mass scale,” says Uruguay’s Health Hinister Daniel Salinas.
Or as Montevideo-based political scientist Adolfo Garce puts it, Uruguayans’ trust in the system meant they “were treated like adults, and… reacted accordingly”.


theweekuk--2020-07-30--Four things we learned from US Congress grilling of the Silicon Valley tech titans

The chiefs of the world ’ s biggest tech companies have faced a grilling about their business practises , during a video-conference hearing with the US Congress today .
Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg , Google ’ s Sundar Pichai , Apple ’ s Tim Cook and Amazon ’ s Jeff Bezos were questioned by both Democrat and Republican lawmakers , though the proceedings were hit by a series of technical glitches , The Washington Post reports .
At one point , a committee member was forced to inform the Amazon CEO and world ’ s richest man : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re on mute.
” Many of the questions posed by the House Judiciary Committee related to previously unseen internal documents and emails that appear to illuminate underhand tactics to extinguish competition and enhance the tech giants ’ power .
Here are four things we learned from the six-hour grilling : The Financial Times reports that the committee was keen to take Zuckerberg to task for comments he made in a 2012 email in which he acknowledged that his decision to acquire photo-sharing app Instagram was motivated by a desire to “ neutralise ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed that Instagram ’ s founder was worried that Zuckerberg would go into “ destroy mode ” if he declined his offer to buy his company .
Pichai faced similar allegations , with the committee pointing to documents that show Google ’ s executives warned that other search engines were getting “ too much traffic ” - a problem they attempted to rectify by turning it into “ walled garden that keeps users on Google sites , even if Google doesn ’ t have the most relevant information ” , said the antitrust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Cicilline .
Bezos faced a line of questioning relating to how Amazon uses data from its platform ’ s two million third-party sellers in order to develop its own products and how successful third-party sellers are alleged to have been treated poorly .
Apple ’ s Cook , who was asked the least questions across the hearing , was forced to deflect claims that Apple store data was being used to unfairly favour certain apps .
Republican lawmakers were keen to assail the tech chiefs for what they see as increased censorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports that when Ohio congressman Jim Jordan asked Cook about the topic , the Apple boss replied : “ If you are talking about where somebody with a different point of view talks and they are cancelled , I do not think that is good.
” Zuckerberg also took the opportunity to voice his concerns , stating that he “ very worried about some of the forces of illiberalism I see in this country that are pushing against freedom of expression ” .
Bezos , in the same vein , labelled social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats and Republicans have very different priorities One defining feature of the hearing was the stark contrast in the subject priorities of the Democrat and Republican questioners .
Republicans took up most of their time with the topic of censorship , The Washington Post says , whereas Democrats sought to hone in on Zuckerberg and co. ’ s past email exchanges to tease out anti-competitive sentiment .
It was at times “ like watching two parallel hearings happening at the same time ” , The Telegraph says of the hearing , which at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues of harboring a “ persecution complex ” .
“ The Democratic and Republican sides of the aisle operate in entirely different universes , with priorities and demands that often pull directly against each other ” the paper adds .
Politicians are worried that the pandemic has extended Big Tech ’ s power Panel chair Cicilline used his opening marks to describe in-depth the dominance of each company in their respective market sub-sectors .
“ As American families shift more of their work , shopping , and communication online , these giants stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressman said .
“ Locally owned businesses , meanwhile - Mom and Pop stores on Main Street - face an economic crisis unlike any in recent history.
” NPR reports that Cicilline was keen to draw comparisons with America ’ s other business monopolies : railroads and oil were mentioned , as was the telecommunications sector .
As a second surge of coronavirus casees threatens to sweep across America , putting thousands of vulnerable businesses at risk , making sure the biggest winners of the crisis step into line could be vital , @ @ @ @

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theweekuk--2020-07-30--Debate: are the Portland protests helping or hindering Trump’s re-election bid?

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theweekuk--2020-07-30--Instant Opinion: ‘QAnon - the online cult that is a danger in the real world’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
QAnon : This online cult is a danger in the real world “ A decade ago I published a book about modern conspiracy theories .
I had studied dozens of them , from the forged Protocols of the Elders of Zion ( guess who the infernal plotters were in that one ) , to ‘ 9/11 was an inside job ’ , via the hidden bloodline of Christ .
On the way I looked at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memes , baby sacrifice themes , beliefs in a secret world government , Manchurian candidates , Obama being an undercover Kenyan , accusations that the Clintons had taken to murdering their aides and that the Queen is actually running the world ’ s banks .
All were absurd but some were actually demented .
Now imagine one gigantic , compendium theory which puts all of these together — that ’ s QAnon ... Once a phenomenon on the fringes of the internet , the QAnon movement moved mainstream onto Twitter , Facebook and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the algorithm which recommended videos to users of the platform .
So in the same way that I get Marianne Faithfull recommended if I ’ ve asked for The Dubliners , so people looking at Princess Diana videos might end up with QAnon , and down the rabbit hole they went .
( Remember the rabbit ? )
” on the PM ’ s new communications strategy Piers Morgan vs Rylan Clark-Neal : the runners and riders to be Boris Johnson ’ s personal spokesperson “ You would struggle to find anyone even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clue what Boris Johnson is meant to be good at beyond being a ‘ good communicator ’ .
So it must be surprising for the party to find on its own website a £100,000-a-year job ad to be Boris Johnson ’ s official ‘ communicator ’ .
According to the advertisement , it will be the lucky candidate ’ s job to ‘ communicate with the nation on behalf of the prime minister ’ .
To take on , in other words , the very last bit of the job that hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fairness to the PM , it does state that the role will also involve ‘ communicating complex issues clearly and concisely to the public ’ , so it ’ s not merely that he can ’ t be bothered to do it himself – it ’ s actively beyond him .
If communicating things clearly and concisely is required , a man who simply can not resist describing his bike as his ‘ velocipede ’ is quite right to be bringing in external expertise.
” Who will hold the police to account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
“ I and so many others have written over the years about a litany of other cases in which black people have been treated with monstrous contempt .
Victims are unlikely to be able to identify who exactly within the broader criminal justice system is responsible for these further wrongs .
Take the family of Mzee Mohammed , only 18 when he died on the floor surrounded by police officers and security guards .
They were given a decomposing body to bury .
And what about Sarah Reed , whose story is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She was a vulnerable woman who was assaulted by police in 2012 .
A few years later she was imprisoned , and went on to take her own life behind bars ... Who will hold the police to account ?
Not the criminal justice system , which has never convicted a single officer for murder or manslaughter , in spite of numerous critical inquest verdicts , reports , reviews and inquiries.
” 4 .
Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times on the protests in Portland Help Me Find Trump ’ s ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been on the front lines of the protests here , searching for the ‘ radical-left anarchists ’ who President Trump says are on Portland streets each evening .
I thought I ’ d found one : a man who for weeks leapt into the fray and has been shot four times with impact munitions yet keeps coming back .
I figured he must be a crazed anarchist .
But no , he turned out to be Dr. Bryan Wolf , a radiologist who wears his white doctor ’ s jacket and carries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the words ‘ humanitarian aid.
’ He pleads with federal forces not to shoot or gas protesters .
‘ Put your gun barrels down !
’ he cries out .
‘ Why are you loading your grenade launchers ?
We ’ re just standing —— ’ And then they shoot.
” Rather than play quarantine roulette , why do n't we test people at airports ?
“ Am I missing something , or doesn ’ t it make perfect sense to test arrivals flying into this country for coronavirus ?
... Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a humble armchair epidemiologist .
But bigger fry than me have echoed the call for airport tests , not least Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye - who believes airports should be allowed to test for coronavirus .
Otherwise , he says , Britain is just playing a game of ‘ quarantine roulette.
’ Culture secretary Oliver Dowden immediately offered a sniffy and unhelpful rebuttal , telling the BBC that coronavirus testing at airports is not a ‘ silver bullet ’ to stop the virus .
Did anyone say it was ?
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s more chance of the virus spreading through breaking enforced ( and unnecessary ? )
quarantine .
In the current situation , quarantine will rely on the robust moral fibre and strong civic duty of those returning from Spain .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. David Aaronovitch in The Times
on the pro-Trump deep-state conspiracy theory
QAnon: This online cult is a danger in the real world
“A decade ago I published a book about modern conspiracy theories. I had studied dozens of them, from the forged Protocols of the Elders of Zion (guess who the infernal plotters were in that one), to ‘9/11 was an inside job’, via the hidden bloodline of Christ. On the way I looked at “the government is poisoning us” memes, baby sacrifice themes, beliefs in a secret world government, Manchurian candidates, Obama being an undercover Kenyan, accusations that the Clintons had taken to murdering their aides and that the Queen is actually running the world’s banks. All were absurd but some were actually demented. Now imagine one gigantic, compendium theory which puts all of these together — that’s QAnon... Once a phenomenon on the fringes of the internet, the QAnon movement moved mainstream onto Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The latter was facilitated by the algorithm which recommended videos to users of the platform. So in the same way that I get Marianne Faithfull recommended if I’ve asked for The Dubliners, so people looking at Princess Diana videos might end up with QAnon, and down the rabbit hole they went. (Remember the rabbit?)”
2. Tom Peck in The Independent
on the PM’s new communications strategy
Piers Morgan vs Rylan Clark-Neal: the runners and riders to be Boris Johnson’s personal spokesperson
“You would struggle to find anyone even within the Conservative Party with much of a clue what Boris Johnson is meant to be good at beyond being a ‘good communicator’. So it must be surprising for the party to find on its own website a £100,000-a-year job ad to be Boris Johnson’s official ‘communicator’. According to the advertisement, it will be the lucky candidate’s job to ‘communicate with the nation on behalf of the prime minister’. To take on, in other words, the very last bit of the job that hasn’t already been delegated elsewhere. In fairness to the PM, it does state that the role will also involve ‘communicating complex issues clearly and concisely to the public’, so it’s not merely that he can’t be bothered to do it himself – it’s actively beyond him. If communicating things clearly and concisely is required, a man who simply cannot resist describing his bike as his ‘velocipede’ is quite right to be bringing in external expertise.”
3. Afua Hirsch in The Guardian
on the UK police’s race problem
Who will hold the police to account for racist acts that criminalise a community?
“I and so many others have written over the years about a litany of other cases in which black people have been treated with monstrous contempt. Victims are unlikely to be able to identify who exactly within the broader criminal justice system is responsible for these further wrongs. Take the family of Mzee Mohammed, only 18 when he died on the floor surrounded by police officers and security guards. They were given a decomposing body to bury. And what about Sarah Reed, whose story is hauntingly told in 1500 & Counting? She was a vulnerable woman who was assaulted by police in 2012. A few years later she was imprisoned, and went on to take her own life behind bars... Who will hold the police to account? Not the criminal justice system, which has never convicted a single officer for murder or manslaughter, in spite of numerous critical inquest verdicts, reports, reviews and inquiries.”
4. Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times
on the protests in Portland
Help Me Find Trump’s ‘Anarchists’ in Portland
“I’ve been on the front lines of the protests here, searching for the ‘radical-left anarchists’ who President Trump says are on Portland streets each evening. I thought I’d found one: a man who for weeks leapt into the fray and has been shot four times with impact munitions yet keeps coming back. I figured he must be a crazed anarchist. But no, he turned out to be Dr. Bryan Wolf, a radiologist who wears his white doctor’s jacket and carries a sign with a red cross and the words ‘humanitarian aid.’ He pleads with federal forces not to shoot or gas protesters. ‘Put your gun barrels down!’ he cries out. ‘Why are you loading your grenade launchers? We’re just standing ——’ And then they shoot.”
5. Angela Epstein in The Daily Telegraph
on swabbing airport arrivals
Rather than play quarantine roulette, why don't we test people at airports?
“Am I missing something, or doesn’t it make perfect sense to test arrivals flying into this country for coronavirus?... Of course, I’m nothing more than a humble armchair epidemiologist. But bigger fry than me have echoed the call for airport tests, not least Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye - who believes airports should be allowed to test for coronavirus. Otherwise, he says, Britain is just playing a game of ‘quarantine roulette.’ Culture secretary Oliver Dowden immediately offered a sniffy and unhelpful rebuttal, telling the BBC that coronavirus testing at airports is not a ‘silver bullet’ to stop the virus. Did anyone say it was? This is all about comparative risk. And there’s more chance of the virus spreading through breaking enforced (and unnecessary?) quarantine. In the current situation, quarantine will rely on the robust moral fibre and strong civic duty of those returning from Spain.”


theweekuk--2020-07-30--Coronavirus: could Britain afford a second lockdown to avoid a second wave?

Boris Johnson has likened it to a “ nuclear deterrent ” while businesses have warned that the resulting cost could be unendurable - but few in government are willing to rule out another national lockdown .
Although Britain ’ s Covid-19 infection rate is currently low , new cases have been on the rise in recent weeks .
The average number of positive tests per day , which dipped to 546 in the week ending 5 July , now stands at 726 - triggering alarm at Downing Street .
Are we facing a second wave ?
Many European countries are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , which has a 25 % smaller population than the UK , confirmed more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases yesterday .
“ We can see , sadly , a second wave of coronavirus that ’ s started to roll across Europe , ” Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast .
“ We want to do everything we can to protect people here and to prevent that wave from reaching our shore.
” Not everyone is so sure that the new outbreaks amount to a second wave , however , with some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the first .
“ More usefully , ” says The Times ’ science editor Tom Whipple , “ you could view it as neither .
“ We are , instead , at the beginning of a long and depressing autumn and winter of uncountable ripple after ripple , each of them to be flattened at wearying and tedious expense.
” How much did the first lockdown cost ?
The total cost of the Covid-19 outbreak to the UK is “ likely to be more than £300bn ” , says the BBC .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” But not all of that cost can be blamed on lockdown , says Richard Holden , an economics professor at the University of New South Wales .
Quite apart from the increased cost of healthcare , “ having a highly contagious virus with a significant fatality rate running through the community is bad for the economy ” , Holden writes in an article on The Conversation .
“ Lockdowns add to that , but come with an important benefit - getting the virus under control.
” Even so , lockdowns carry health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of suicides is up .
Domestic violence has increased .
Mental health is suffering , ” says The Guardian ’ s economics editor Larry Elliott .
“ The jobless total is heading for three million this summer despite the fact that the government is currently paying a third of the workforce.
” A recent study compiled by the Office for National Statistics , the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care suggested that “ more than 200,000 people could die because of delays in healthcare and other economic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reports the Daily Mail .
That kind of damage is not to be taken lightly , says Elliott .
“ The likelihood that Covid-19 will resurface a second and perhaps a third or fourth time makes the case for a measured approach to future lockdowns even stronger , ” he argues .
Would the UK lock down again ?
The prime minister has spoken of introducing another national lockdown as a measure of last resort .
“ I can ’ t abandon that tool any more than I would abandon a nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Telegraph earlier this month .
“ But it is like a nuclear deterrent , I certainly don ’ t want to use it .
And nor do I think we will be in that position again.
” Johnson said that local control measures , including lockdowns where necessary , and “ enhanced shielding for particular groups ” , could reduce the spread of the virus without the need for nationwide restrictions .
A similar approach has been adopted elsewhere in Europe : local curfews and quarantines have been implemented in Spain and Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s main focus is on trying to prevent returning holidaymakers from bringing the disease back home with them .
“ Scientists ’ main concern is about imported infections rather than the emerging signs of a surge in this country , ” The Times reports .
“ It is hoped that contact tracing and local restrictions can keep hotspots under control.
” Could we afford a second lockdown ?
“ Some economists argue that all the costs of the crisis could be easily covered by borrowing alone , ” says the BBC , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unusually low at the moment , especially for governments - but the cost of borrowing would rise if lenders began to doubt the UK ’ s ability to pay back the debt .
Another lockdown , another round of job cuts and another blow to the economy might dent their confidence .
A report published today by the British Future think-tank suggests that the “ sense of togetherness ” that developed in the early days of the crisis “ is starting to fray ” .
The authors identify the row about Dominic Cummings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the turning point .
Another round of restrictions might be less widely observed , particularly by young people , according to The Guardian ’ s Elliott .
“ Many will simply not comply , deciding instead that Covid-19 is a risk they are prepared to accept , ” he says .

Boris Johnson has likened it to a “nuclear deterrent” while businesses have warned that the resulting cost could be unendurable - but few in government are willing to rule out another national lockdown.
Although Britain’s Covid-19 infection rate is currently low, new cases have been on the rise in recent weeks. The average number of positive tests per day, which dipped to 546 in the week ending 5 July, now stands at 726 - triggering alarm at Downing Street.
Are we facing a second wave?
Many European countries are reporting larger spikes. Spain, for example, which has a 25% smaller population than the UK, confirmed more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases yesterday.
“We can see, sadly, a second wave of coronavirus that’s started to roll across Europe,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast. “We want to do everything we can to protect people here and to prevent that wave from reaching our shore.”
Not everyone is so sure that the new outbreaks amount to a second wave, however, with some experts suggesting the hikes are simply more of the first.
“More usefully,” says The Times’ science editor Tom Whipple, “you could view it as neither.
“We are, instead, at the beginning of a long and depressing autumn and winter of uncountable ripple after ripple, each of them to be flattened at wearying and tedious expense.”
How much did the first lockdown cost?
The total cost of the Covid-19 outbreak to the UK is “likely to be more than £300bn”, says the BBC. “That's an absolutely enormous sum.”
But not all of that cost can be blamed on lockdown, says Richard Holden, an economics professor at the University of New South Wales.
Quite apart from the increased cost of healthcare, “having a highly contagious virus with a significant fatality rate running through the community is bad for the economy”, Holden writes in an article on The Conversation. “Lockdowns add to that, but come with an important benefit - getting the virus under control.”
Even so, lockdowns carry health and social costs too.
“The number of suicides is up. Domestic violence has increased. Mental health is suffering,” says The Guardian’s economics editor Larry Elliott. “The jobless total is heading for three million this summer despite the fact that the government is currently paying a third of the workforce.”


theweekuk--2020-07-30--Mystery of where Stonehenge stones came from finally solved

Archaeologist have solved the millennia-old puzzle of the origins of the giant sarsen stones used to build Stonehenge , thanks to the return of a piece taken from the site more than 60 years ago - plus a hefty dose of luck .
Until now , The Independent reports , all scientists knew “ with reasonable certainty ” was that the stones “ had been brought in around 2500BC by the great temple ’ s Neolithic builders from the Marlborough Downs or immediately adjacent areas ” – an area covering more than 75 square miles to the north of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only shown that the returned metre-long core is a match for the standing megaliths , but also enabled researchers to pinpoint the stones ’ origins to just a two-square-mile area .
The experts have concluded that “ 50 of the 52 sarsen stones at Stonehenge were probably sourced from West Woods ” , about 15 miles north on the edge of modern-day Marlborough , says The Guardian .
Brighton University professor David Nash , who led the study , told the newspaper : “ We weren ’ t really setting out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We picked 20 areas and our goal was to try to eliminate them , to find ones that didn ’ t match .
We didn ’ t think we ’ d get a direct match .
It was a real ‘ oh my goodness ’ moment.
” The piece of rock used to solve the mystery was removed during an excavation in 1958 , before being returned last year by the worker who took it , Robert Phillips , now 89 , according to the BBC .
But the question still remains of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which weighs up to 40 tons , were transported to their resting site .
“ To be able to pinpoint the area that Stonehenge ’ s builders used to source their materials around 2500BC is a real thrill , ” said English Heritage senior properties historian Susan Greaney .
“ Now we can start to understand the route they might have travelled and add another piece to the puzzle .
”

Archaeologist have solved the millennia-old puzzle of the origins of the giant sarsen stones used to build Stonehenge, thanks to the return of a piece taken from the site more than 60 years ago - plus a hefty dose of luck.
Until now, The Independent reports, all scientists knew “with reasonable certainty” was that the stones “had been brought in around 2500BC by the great temple’s Neolithic builders from the Marlborough Downs or immediately adjacent areas” – an area covering more than 75 square miles to the north of the Wiltshire monument.
But geochemical tests have not only shown that the returned metre-long core is a match for the standing megaliths, but also enabled researchers to pinpoint the stones’ origins to just a two-square-mile area.
The experts have concluded that “50 of the 52 sarsen stones at Stonehenge were probably sourced from West Woods”, about 15 miles north on the edge of modern-day Marlborough, says The Guardian.
Brighton University professor David Nash, who led the study, told the newspaper: “We weren’t really setting out to find the source of Stonehenge.
“We picked 20 areas and our goal was to try to eliminate them, to find ones that didn’t match. We didn’t think we’d get a direct match. It was a real ‘oh my goodness’ moment.”
The piece of rock used to solve the mystery was removed during an excavation in 1958, before being returned last year by the worker who took it, Robert Phillips, now 89, according to the BBC.
But the question still remains of how the giant stones, each of which weighs up to 40 tons, were transported to their resting site.
“To be able to pinpoint the area that Stonehenge’s builders used to source their materials around 2500BC is a real thrill,” said English Heritage senior properties historian Susan Greaney. “Now we can start to understand the route they might have travelled and add another piece to the puzzle.”


theweekuk--2020-07-30--Meghan Markle to pay £67,000 after losing first round of legal battle against Mail

Meghan Markle has agreed to pay £67,000 in legal costs after losing the first round of her court battle against the Mail on Sunday ’ s publisher .
The Duchess of Sussex is suing Associated Newspapers Limited ( ANL ) over a 2019 article that included parts of a handwritten letter that she sent to her estranged father , Thomas Markle .
But the High Court has “ struck out parts of Meghan ’ s claim , including allegations of ‘ deliberately stirring up ’ issues between her and her father ” , the Daily Mail reports .
A written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July has “ since shown that the Duchess has agreed to pay in full the publisher ’ s costs for the strike-out hearing of £67,888 ” , the newspaper adds .
As the legal battle enters the next phase , Markle is also fighting to keep secret the identities of friends named in legal documents .
“ The Duchess ‘ freely ’ and ‘ without being compelled ’ disclosed the identities of five friends whose privacy she now fears will be breached , ” The Telegraph reports .
But she “ has warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ is an unacceptable price to pay ’ in pursuit of her legal claim ” , the paper says .
At one stage in court proceedings yesterday , a lawyer representing Markle accidentally let slip the surname of one of the friends , but the judge immediately banned media from reporting the name .
In a statement , the Duchess claimed that ANL is “ threatening to publish the names of five women… who made a choice on their own to speak anonymously with a US media outlet more than a year ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavior of Britain ’ s tabloid media ” , Cosmopolitan reports .
“ These five women are not on trial , and nor am I , ” she added , before accusing the publisher of “ attempting to evade accountability , to create a circus and distract from the point of this case ” .

Meghan Markle has agreed to pay £67,000 in legal costs after losing the first round of her court battle against the Mail on Sunday’s publisher.
The Duchess of Sussex is suing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over a 2019 article that included parts of a handwritten letter that she sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.
But the High Court has “struck out parts of Meghan’s claim, including allegations of ‘deliberately stirring up’ issues between her and her father”, the Daily Mail reports.
A written submission to the London court dated 22 July has “since shown that the Duchess has agreed to pay in full the publisher’s costs for the strike-out hearing of £67,888”, the newspaper adds.
As the legal battle enters the next phase, Markle is also fighting to keep secret the identities of friends named in legal documents. “The Duchess ‘freely’ and ‘without being compelled’ disclosed the identities of five friends whose privacy she now fears will be breached,” The Telegraph reports.
But she “has warned that being forced to identify the friends ‘is an unacceptable price to pay’ in pursuit of her legal claim”, the paper says.
At one stage in court proceedings yesterday, a lawyer representing Markle accidentally let slip the surname of one of the friends, but the judge immediately banned media from reporting the name.
In a statement, the Duchess claimed that ANL is “threatening to publish the names of five women… who made a choice on their own to speak anonymously with a US media outlet more than a year ago, to defend me from the bullying behavior of Britain’s tabloid media”, Cosmopolitan reports.
“These five women are not on trial, and nor am I,” she added, before accusing the publisher of “attempting to evade accountability, to create a circus and distract from the point of this case”.


theweekuk--2020-07-30--Boris Johnson accused of repeatedly citing ‘inaccurate’ child poverty figures

Boris Johnson has repeatedly made misleading claims about the Conservative Party ’ s record on child poverty since taking office last year , the UK ’ s statistics watchdog has said .
Both during an interview with Andrew Marr in December and at Prime Minister ’ s Questions in June , Johnson claimed that the number of families and children in poverty had declined by 400,000 since 2010 , the BBC reports .
He has also said more recently that there were “ 100,000 fewer children in absolute poverty ” .
The claims led the End Child Poverty Coalition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( OSR ) , which has accused Johnson of using the data “ selectively , inaccurately and , ultimately , misleadingly ” .
The OSR told the coalition that their “ team investigated the statements which you highlight and has reached the same conclusion that these statements are incorrect ” .
Four official measurements are used to assess levels of poverty in the UK , as The Guardian reports : “ relative poverty , which records households which have less than 60 % of contemporary median income , before and after housing costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers in poverty against a 2010/11 baseline , also before and after housing costs.
“ But the OSR has warned in a blog post that “ there is a wrong way of using the available measures – and that is to pick and choose which statistics to use based on what best suits the argument you happen to be making ” .
Labour is urging the PM Boris Johnson to “ correct the record ” on the issue .
“ It is shameful the prime minister is unable to tell the truth about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling to make ends meet , ” said shadow education secretary Kate Green .
Responding to the criticism , a Downing Street spokesperson referred back to Johnson ’ s claim last month that as of December , “ 740,000 fewer children [ were ] living in a household where no one works ” , but did not mention the figures that sparked the complaint .

Boris Johnson has repeatedly made misleading claims about the Conservative Party’s record on child poverty since taking office last year, the UK’s statistics watchdog has said.
Both during an interview with Andrew Marr in December and at Prime Minister’s Questions in June, Johnson claimed that the number of families and children in poverty had declined by 400,000 since 2010, the BBC reports. He has also said more recently that there were “100,000 fewer children in absolute poverty”.
The claims led the End Child Poverty Coalition to complain to the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), which has accused Johnson of using the data “selectively, inaccurately and, ultimately, misleadingly”.
The OSR told the coalition that their “team investigated the statements which you highlight and has reached the same conclusion that these statements are incorrect”.
Four official measurements are used to assess levels of poverty in the UK, as The Guardian reports: “relative poverty, which records households which have less than 60% of contemporary median income, before and after housing costs; and absolute poverty, which tracks numbers in poverty against a 2010/11 baseline, also before and after housing costs.“
But the OSR has warned in a blog post that “there is a wrong way of using the available measures – and that is to pick and choose which statistics to use based on what best suits the argument you happen to be making”.
Labour is urging the PM Boris Johnson to “correct the record” on the issue.
“It is shameful the prime minister is unable to tell the truth about the hardship faced by so many families struggling to make ends meet,” said shadow education secretary Kate Green.
Responding to the criticism, a Downing Street spokesperson referred back to Johnson’s claim last month that as of December, “740,000 fewer children [were] living in a household where no one works”, but did not mention the figures that sparked the complaint.


theweekuk--2020-07-30--The countries facing a ‘second wave’ of coronavirus - and how we can tell

Nations across the globe are considering reimposing travel bans and lockdown regulations amid a surge in coronavirus outbreaks .
The three largest US states , California , Florida and Texas , all set single-day records for Covid-related fatalities yesterday , according to a Reuters tally .
And on the other side of the world , Australia had its highest ever daily rise in confirmed cases , The Guardian notes .
With global infections now totalling more than 17 million , which countries are on the front line of the so-called “ second wave ” ?
MPs have been told that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus wave in the UK is “ very high ” among NHS managers .
The warning came as the UK recorded 83 coronavirus deaths yesterday , ending a decline in fatalities .
The coronavirus infection rate in Oldham has overtaken Leicester after cases more than quadrupled in a week .
Residents in the town “ are being asked not to invite people into their homes while care homes will maintain restrictions on visiting ” , The Times says .
Officials in Germany have said they are “ very concerned ” about a sudden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , head of the Robert Koch Institute ( RKI ) , telling reporters : “ We are in the middle of a rapidly developing pandemic.
” Wieler warned that Germans had become “ negligent ” in recent weeks , reiterating the need for “ people to wear masks and respect social distancing and hygiene rules ” , the BBC reports .
In the past week the country has recorded 3,611 new infections , including a major outbreak in the southern state of Bavaria where 480 employees and managers at a farm were forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus cases , the highest daily tally in a month .
The rise continues a week-long trend of increased infection figures .
The Health Minister Olivier Veran said France “ was not in the throes of a second wave ” , but acknowledged “ warning signs ” .
Veran attributed the rise to ramped-up testing , The Local adds .
Ministers in Spain have rejected the UK ’ s decision to suddenly remove it from the quarantine-free travel list , with Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez describing the move as an “ error @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Spain hit almost 1,000 last week , in part driven by local spikes in areas such as Aragon and Catalonia .
In both areas “ nightclubs are now being closed and curfews applied on bars ” to curb the spread , Bloomberg reports .
Poland has so far handled the coronavirus outbreak well , with fewer than 1,700 deaths so far out of a total population of 38m .
However , the country ’ s health ministry has said that it is preparing for a resurgence following a number of high profile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of new infections rose by 584 , its second-highest daily tally since the beginning of the pandemic .
This was followed by another 780 on Sunday and Monday combined , bringing the total figure to 43,402 .
“ We have big outbreaks in Silesia , mainly in three coal mines .
This week we ’ ll test 2,000 mine workers , then the number of new infections should fall to 300 daily next week , ” a health ministry spokesperson said .
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave , but we hope that it will pass us by ” .
So far , his government has handled the pandemic fairly well , with 1,673 deaths in a population of almost 42m .
But this month , incidence rates increased to 58 people per 100,000 population , above the European Union ’ s metric for “ safe countries ” of 18 per 100,000 .
On the brink of being removed from the UK ’ s safe travel list , according to the Daily Express , the infection rate in Belgium this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Belgian foreign ministry has said that it is currently “ not aware of any plans or measures ” from the British government , but Marc Van Ranst , Belgium ’ s government virologist , said the country would take the same actions if other countries had similar infection rates , the paper adds .
Sophie Wilmes , the Belgian prime minister , said that as of yesterday a family or those living together can meet only the same five people from outside their household over the next four weeks .
Luxembourg ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per 100,000 , four times higher than Spain ’ s rate .
Bordered by Belgium to the north and west , the number of weekly cases has shot up from 286 to 716 , The Telegraph says .
A popular tourist destination for Britons heading abroad , Croatia has seen cases rise by around 42 per day and now has an incidence rate of 26.88 per 100,000 people .
British ministers are “ “ keeping a close eye ” on Croatia “ but restrictions are not expected imminently ” , The Times reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing a second wave of the virus , because “ the first wave never stopped ” , writes Alex Lee in Wired .
The US is reporting a seven-day average of more than 65,000 cases , according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , and Americans are barred from entering the European Union .
Like the US , Brazil is yet to control the original outbreak of coronavirus and yesterday set a national daily record with 69,074 new confirmed cases and 1,595 related deaths .
The country has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the hands of the virus , with over 2.5m confirmed cases in a population of 205m .
Another country that is yet to suppress its first peak , according to the New Scientist , South Africa recorded almost 60 % more natural deaths than expected in recent weeks , prompting questions over whether the country has a much higher coronavirus-related death toll than officially reported .
South Africa is now the worst-affected country in Africa and in the top five in the world for confirmed cases , with around 400,000 infections reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian says .
Hong Kongers are currently facing down the imposition of China ’ s new draconian security law .
But the city 's leader Carrie Lam has now warned that it is also “ on the verge of a large-scale community outbreak ” , urging people to stay indoors .
Hong Kong - which less than a month ago was reporting less than 10 cases per day - is now regularly reporting more than 100 new daily cases , the BBC says .
Lam has warned that a second spike “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital system and cost lives , especially of the elderly ” .
Reported new cases in Japan are below 1,000 per day for the entire nation compared with over 70,000 in the United States .
“ But the recent rise in number from a seven-day moving average low of 36 cases on May 27 is alarming , ” the Asia Times says .
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said that he does not see a need to return to a national state of emergency , the paper adds , while Tokyo Governor Yuriko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tokyo is experiencing a “ second wave.
” China recorded 61 new coronavirus cases earlier this week , the highest daily figure since April .
The fresh outbreak was “ propelled by clusters in three separate regions that have sparked fears of a fresh wave ” , The Telegraph says .
And “ Beijing is targeting medical staff and Covid-19 victims ” who are attempting to blow the whistle , according to Tracy Wen Liu on Foreign Policy .
“ China ’ s second wave of coronavirus censorship is here , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media profiles reporting from the ground disappeared .
After successfully suppressing the first wave of the virus , Vietnam this week reported its first local infections after some three months of having no cases .
Vietnam has locked down the popular tourist city of Da Nang and is currently evacuating about 80,000 people , the South China Morning Post reports .
“ The government has been on high alert after recently recording its first local cases in three months , all in or around Da Nang , which has a population of about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds .
North Korea is currently disinfecting the capital Pyongyang after a suspected coronavirus outbeak , Sky News reports .
Reporting what it claims is the “ country 's first suspected case of coronavirus ” , state media said a person who defected to South Korea three years ago last week returned with Covid-19 symptoms .
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has hailed his country 's “ shining success ” in dealing with Covid-19 , according to state news agency KCNA .
“ Has coronavirus spread through North Korea ?
No-one really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laura Bickert .
“ The country has been closed off since 30 January .
Very few people have made it in or out.
” Australia has this week reported a record rise in coronavirus infections and deaths , with the state of Victoria announcing more than 700 new cases and 13 deaths .
The state is currently battling “ significant outbreaks in the aged care sector and among healthcare workers ” , The Guardian reports .
Melbourne was put back into lockdown more than two weeks ago , however , “ almost three-quarters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have occurred since the restrictions were reinforced ” , according to Bloomberg analysis .

Nations across the globe are considering reimposing travel bans and lockdown regulations amid a surge in coronavirus outbreaks. The three largest US states, California, Florida and Texas, all set single-day records for Covid-related fatalities yesterday, according to a Reuters tally. And on the other side of the world, Australia had its highest ever daily rise in confirmed cases, The Guardian notes. With global infections now totalling more than 17 million, which countries are on the front line of the so-called “second wave”? Europe UK MPs have been told that concern about the threat of a second coronavirus wave in the UK is “very high” among NHS managers. The warning came as the UK recorded 83 coronavirus deaths yesterday, ending a decline in fatalities. The coronavirus infection rate in Oldham has overtaken Leicester after cases more than quadrupled in a week. Residents in the town “are being asked not to invite people into their homes while care homes will maintain restrictions on visiting”, The Times says. Germany Officials in Germany have said they are “very concerned” about a sudden spike in cases, with Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), telling reporters: “We are in the middle of a rapidly developing pandemic.” Wieler warned that Germans had become “negligent” in recent weeks, reiterating the need for “people to wear masks and respect social distancing and hygiene rules”, the BBC reports. In the past week the country has recorded 3,611 new infections, including a major outbreak in the southern state of Bavaria where 480 employees and managers at a farm were forced into quarantine. France France yesterday reported 1,392 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily tally in a month. The rise continues a week-long trend of increased infection figures. The Health Minister Olivier Veran said France “was not in the throes of a second wave”, but acknowledged “warning signs”. Veran attributed the rise to ramped-up testing, The Local adds. Spain Ministers in Spain have rejected the UK’s decision to suddenly remove it from the quarantine-free travel list, with Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez describing the move as an “error”. Skip advert However, new daily cases in Spain hit almost 1,000 last week, in part driven by local spikes in areas such as Aragon and Catalonia. In both areas “nightclubs are now being closed and curfews applied on bars” to curb the spread, Bloomberg reports. Poland Poland has so far handled the coronavirus outbreak well, with fewer than 1,700 deaths so far out of a total population of 38m. However, the country’s health ministry has said that it is preparing for a resurgence following a number of high profile outbreaks, Reuters says.
On Saturday the number of new infections rose by 584, its second-highest daily tally since the beginning of the pandemic. This was followed by another 780 on Sunday and Monday combined, bringing the total figure to 43,402. “We have big outbreaks in Silesia, mainly in three coal mines. This week we’ll test 2,000 mine workers, then the number of new infections should fall to 300 daily next week,” a health ministry spokesperson said. Ukraine President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the country is “ready for the second wave, but we hope that it will pass us by”. So far, his government has handled the pandemic fairly well, with 1,673 deaths in a population of almost 42m. But this month, incidence rates increased to 58 people per 100,000 population, above the European Union’s metric for “safe countries” of 18 per 100,000. Belgium On the brink of being removed from the UK’s safe travel list, according to the Daily Express, the infection rate in Belgium this week hit 31.7 per 100,000 people. The Belgian foreign ministry has said that it is currently “not aware of any plans or measures” from the British government, but Marc Van Ranst, Belgium’s government virologist, said the country would take the same actions if other countries had similar infection rates, the paper adds. Sophie Wilmes, the Belgian prime minister, said that as of yesterday a family or those living together can meet only the same five people from outside their household over the next four weeks. Luxembourg Luxembourg’s infection rate is currently 214.9 cases per 100,000, four times higher than Spain’s rate. Bordered by Belgium to the north and west, the number of weekly cases has shot up from 286 to 716, The Telegraph says. Croatia A popular tourist destination for Britons heading abroad, Croatia has seen cases rise by around 42 per day and now has an incidence rate of 26.88 per 100,000 people. British ministers are ““keeping a close eye” on Croatia “but restrictions are not expected imminently”, The Times reports. Americas US Debatably, the US is not seeing a second wave of the virus, because “the first wave never stopped”, writes Alex Lee in Wired. The US is reporting a seven-day average of more than 65,000 cases, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Americans are barred from entering the European Union. Brazil Like the US, Brazil is yet to control the original outbreak of coronavirus and yesterday set a national daily record with 69,074 new confirmed cases and 1,595 related deaths. The country has so far suffered more than 90,000 fatalities at the hands of the virus, with over 2.5m confirmed cases in a population of 205m. Africa South Africa Another country that is yet to suppress its first peak, according to the New Scientist, South Africa recorded almost 60% more natural deaths than expected in recent weeks, prompting questions over whether the country has a much higher coronavirus-related death toll than officially reported. Skip advert


theweekuk--2020-07-30--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 30 Jul 2020

A third of children have concentrations of lead in their blood at levels likely to cause significant long-term health damage @ @ @ @ @ study from the World Health Organization .
About 800 million children and young people under @ @ @ @ @ likely to have blood levels of lead at or above 5 micrograms per decilitre , @ @ @ @ @

One in three children has dangerous pollution blood level
A third of children have concentrations of lead in their blood at levels likely to cause significant long-term health damage, according to a new study from the World Health Organization. About 800 million children and young people under the age of 19 are likely to have blood levels of lead at or above 5 micrograms per decilitre, according to the report.


theweekuk--2020-07-30--Farmer finds prosthetic leg lost during skydive

A skydiver who lost his prosthetic leg during a jump has it back after a farmer spotted it in a soybean field .
Double amputee Chris Marckres , of Vermont , said of his lost limb : “ I think my adrenaline was so high and I was just so excited , I didn ’ t realize I had lost it.
” Farmer Joe Marszalkowski said he was glad he hadn ’ t accidentally “ sucked up ” the limb in his combine harvester .
Man wins lottery and becomes dad on same day An Australian man won a lottery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £39,000 ) and became a father on the same day .
The man from St Leonards , New South Wales , said he decided to buy a ticket for Monday 's Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot draw because that was his wife ’ s due date .
“ I ca n't wait to use this prize to look after our baby and his beautiful mother , ” he said .
“ We would love to put this prize towards getting a nice apartment.
” Do n't date men in their thirties , says expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid dating men in their thirties .
Pointing out that men in their thirties are often “ off the market ” , Jana Hocking wrote : “ Steer clear of anyone within the 30 to 40 year old bracket.
” Hocking suggests dating men who are either younger than 30 as they 're likely to be looking for romance or those older than 40 , who tend to be looking for love after a divorce .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A skydiver who lost his prosthetic leg during a jump has it back after a farmer spotted it in a soybean field. Double amputee Chris Marckres, of Vermont, said of his lost limb: “I think my adrenaline was so high and I was just so excited, I didn’t realize I had lost it.” Farmer Joe Marszalkowski said he was glad he hadn’t accidentally “sucked up” the limb in his combine harvester.
Man wins lottery and becomes dad on same day
An Australian man won a lottery jackpot of more than $70,000 (£39,000) and became a father on the same day. The man from St Leonards, New South Wales, said he decided to buy a ticket for Monday's Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot draw because that was his wife’s due date. “I can't wait to use this prize to look after our baby and his beautiful mother,” he said. “We would love to put this prize towards getting a nice apartment.”
Don't date men in their thirties, says expert
A dating expert claims that women should avoid dating men in their thirties. Pointing out that men in their thirties are often “off the market”, Jana Hocking wrote: “Steer clear of anyone within the 30 to 40 year old bracket.” Hocking suggests dating men who are either younger than 30 as they're likely to be looking for romance or those older than 40, who tend to be looking for love after a divorce.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


theweekuk--2020-07-31--‘Squid teeth’ could be used by US army for ‘self-repairing’ robots

Scientists working with the US military believe that the natural healing qualities of so-called “ squid teeth ” could be used to develop self-fixing clothing and robots .
The suckers at the end of a squid ’ s tentacles allow the creature to hold fish and shrimp , but also “ have an inbuilt repair system that allows them to regenerate when broken ” , The Times reports .
That system is “ now at the centre of a project funded by the US Army Research Institute to develop self-repairing materials ” , the paper adds .
Researchers at Penn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ components from a polymer that both self-heals and is biodegradable ” , The i says .
As well as making self-repairing clothing , “ robotic machines… ventilators , personal protective equipment and prosthetic legs could be manufactured using the polymer ” , allowing them to self-heal damage stemming from constant use , the paper says .
Abdon Pena-Francesch , who worked on the research at the Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart , said : “ We were able to reduce a typical 24-hour healing period to one second , so our protein-based soft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In nature , self-healing takes a long time .
In this sense , our technology outsmarts nature.
” The findings were published in Nature Materials and could see “ prototyping [ of self-repairing materials ] in five to eight years ” and military application in “ 10 to 15 years ” , Stephanie McElhinny , a biochemistry programme manager at the US Army Research Office , told the Army Times .
“ With a self-healing bio-based synthetic material , any sites of damage that emerge can be repaired , extending the lifetime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McElhinny said .


theweekuk--2020-07-31--Why has Nasa launched a mission to Mars?

A six-wheeled exploration buggy called Perseverance is 24-hours into a seven-month voyage to Mars , where it will scour the surface for evidence of alien life .
It blasted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida yesterday aboard an Atlas V rocket .
“ Nasa made this mission one of its absolute priorities when the coronavirus crisis struck , establishing special work practices to ensure Perseverance met its launch deadline , ” the BBC reports .
Why is it so important ?
When the rover lands on Mars in February next year , “ it will use a sophisticated suite of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the planet ’ s climate and geology ” , says New Scientist .
Although the mission is unmanned , Nasa says it will be the next best thing .
“ Perseverance will bring all human senses to Mars , ” astrophysicist Thomas Zurbuchen said at a recent press conference .
“ It will sense the air around it , see and scan the horizon , hear the planet with microphones on the surface for the first time , feel it as it picks up samples to cache.
” Its ability to carry out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the surface will mean it can “ even taste it , in a sense ” , he added .
The rover will also carry an experimental space helicopter , which will make a 15-minute flight above the surface of the planet .
Where is it going ?
After its 60-million mile journey , Perseverance is intended to “ touch down in an ancient river delta and former lake on the Martian surface known as the Jezero Crater ” , says Sky News .
Covered in rocks and strewn with “ sand dunes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the easiest landing site .
But Nasa has good reason to take its chances .
“ The deposits in the crater are rich in clay minerals which form in the presence of water , meaning life may have once existed there - and such sediments on Earth have been known to store microscopic fossils.
” Is there life on Mars ?
The Victorians certainly thought so , but David Bowie seemed less sure .
Most scientists would put Bowie ’ s question into the past tense , asking not whether there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether there might have been in the distant past .
“ Perseverance will hunt for ‘ biosignatures ’ of past microbial life , ” explains the Daily Mail , seeking out promising rocks and drilling samples from their cores .
“ We know that Mars has the ingredients for life , ” says New Scientist , “ and that long ago it was probably far warmer and wetter than today.
” It may yet be some time before we know for certain , however .
Even if we find clues that there might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we probably won ’ t be sure until we can bring those clues back to Earth and examine them in the lab , says Johnson .
“ The rock samples will be picked up by another mission in 2026 , ” says the Daily Mail , and only then will scientists see definitive results .


theweekuk--2020-07-31--‘Confusion and infection’: behind the government’s late-night northern lockdown

Parts of the north of England awoke to tighter lockdown restrictions this morning as the government introduced new controls to stem a resurgence of Covid-19 cases .
The measures were announced last night via Twitter , just two-and-a-half hours before they came into effect , prompting “ fierce political backlash ” , says the Daily Mail .
Where do the restrictions apply ?
The new rules will apply to Greater Manchester and parts of Lancashire .
“ Greater Manchester , including the City of Manchester , Trafford , Stockport , Oldham , Bury , Wigan , Bolton , Tameside , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be covered by the restrictions , The Guardian explains .
In Lancashire , affected areas include “ Blackburn with Darwen , Burnley , Hyndburn , Pendle and Rossendale .
Bradford , Calderdale and Kirkless , in West Yorkshire ” .
What are the new rules ?
The main rule that has been introduced is that people are no longer allowed to meet other people they do not live with inside a private home or garden .
There are some exceptions applied to those who have formed support bubbles or for “ other limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the government says .
Restaurants , bars , cafes , gyms , and pubs remain open , but people are being discouraged from socialising in such places with anyone outside their household .
What is the infection rate in the areas affected ?
The Telegraph has rounded up the latest rolling seven-day rate of new coronavirus cases for some of the areas which are included in the new rules .
The paper notes that these figures exclude the most recent three days ( July 28-30 ) because those data are incomplete and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blackburn with Darwen , the rate of infection is up from 83.3 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to July 20 to 89.3 in the seven days to July 27 .
A total of 133 new cases have been recorded .
• Leicester sits in second place , where the seven-day rate has in fact declined from 67.8 to 60.2 , with 214 new cases .
• Oldham is up from 23.3 to 54.3 , with 128 new cases .
• Pendle is up from 27.4 to 42.7 , with 39 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 15.2 to 41.0 , with 97 new cases .
• Calderdale is up from 20.9 to 33.8 , with 71 new cases .
Why was it announced in the evening on Twitter ?
The way Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the shift was met with “ fury ” says the Daily Mail , with Keir Starmer “ leading the criticism ” .
The Labour leader said announcing new lockdown measures “ late at night on Twitter ” was “ a new low for the government ’ s communications during this crisis ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar sentiment , saying that the government has a “ habit of saying something and then it being a few hours until the detail emerges ” .
And Lisa Nandy , the shadow foreign secretary , called the announcement “ an absolute shambles [ that ] made it harder to follow advice ” .
The government has also been criticised for initiating the new crackdown just as the Muslim festival of Eid al Adha was set to begin , which people on social media likened to announcing people could not see their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In follow-up interviews , Hancock defended both the measures themselves and the manner of their announcement , but was accused of “ floundering ” again when pressed for more detail on BBC Breakfast this morning , Metro says .
Do people understand the new rules ?
Hancock has insisted that the new measures are “ crystal clear ” .
However , a new study has found that less than half of the English public fully understand lockdown rules .
Researchers from University College London found that about 45 % of respondents said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current rules in England , but just 14 % say they understand the rules completely .


theweekuk--2020-07-31--British trafficking victim suing Priti Patel over alleged ‘abuse of personal data’

A British victim of of sex abuse and drug trafficking is bringing a case against Home Secretary Priti Patel , arguing that her department “ unlawfully accessed personal information including details of her intimate thoughts ” .
The woman can not be identified , but “ is currently living in a safe house , assisted round the clock by support workers ” due to a combination of learning difficulties and mental health problems , The Guardian reports .
The paper reports that she was the victim of drugging , abuse and was “ trafficked on a number of occasions for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trafficking ” , the paper adds .
She has “ suffered extensive sexual and physical abuse ” , and has been said by the Home Office to be a “ serial victim of modern-day slavery ” .
Lawyers for the woman claim that “ sensitive information ” about her , collected and stored on a database operated by the Salvation Army , was accessed by the Home Office , despite being “ considered irrelevant to her trafficking case ” .
The Home Office says that while it is unable to directly access the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Salvation Army .
The charity told The Guardian that “ the Home Office owns the information and so it is obliged to disclose it under the terms of its contract ” .
Patel last week promised “ sweeping reforms ” to Home Office culture , following condemnation over the Windrush scandal which saw people wrongly deported , the BBC says .
The new legal action also comes a year after the Salvation Army was revealed to have allowed immigration officers to “ infiltrate refugee centres for the homeless in order to gather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Speaking to political news site Left Foot Forward , director of advocacy at the Refugee Council Dr Lisa Doyle said at the time that “ homelessness charities and shelters must remain the safe places for vulnerable people they are designed to be ” .
“ Home Office processes should remain entirely separate from this , ” Doyle added .

A British victim of of sex abuse and drug trafficking is bringing a case against Home Secretary Priti Patel, arguing that her department “unlawfully accessed personal information including details of her intimate thoughts”.
The woman cannot be identified, but “is currently living in a safe house, assisted round the clock by support workers” due to a combination of learning difficulties and mental health problems, The Guardian reports.
The paper reports that she was the victim of drugging, abuse and was “trafficked on a number of occasions for the purposes of sexual exploitation and drug trafficking”, the paper adds. She has “suffered extensive sexual and physical abuse”, and has been said by the Home Office to be a “serial victim of modern-day slavery”.
Lawyers for the woman claim that “sensitive information” about her, collected and stored on a database operated by the Salvation Army, was accessed by the Home Office, despite being “considered irrelevant to her trafficking case”.
The Home Office says that while it is unable to directly access the database, it can get data via the Salvation Army. The charity told The Guardian that “the Home Office owns the information and so it is obliged to disclose it under the terms of its contract”.
Patel last week promised “sweeping reforms” to Home Office culture, following condemnation over the Windrush scandal which saw people wrongly deported, the BBC says.
The new legal action also comes a year after the Salvation Army was revealed to have allowed immigration officers to “infiltrate refugee centres for the homeless in order to gather information used by immigration enforcement”.
Speaking to political news site Left Foot Forward, director of advocacy at the Refugee Council Dr Lisa Doyle said at the time that “homelessness charities and shelters must remain the safe places for vulnerable people they are designed to be”.
“Home Office processes should remain entirely separate from this,” Doyle added.


theweekuk--2020-07-31--Ghislaine Maxwell had ‘continuous orgies with girls as young as 15’, court documents claim

Ghislaine Maxwell was previously accused of having sex with groups of girls as young as 15 , according to newly unsealed court documents .
The “ shocking claim ” is contained in testimony given by Jeffrey Epstein ’ s primary accuser , Virginia Giuffre , to investigators during a 2015 libel case against Maxwell , the Daily Mail reports .
Giuffre , who claims she was “ trafficked to famous men ” by Maxwell and Epstein , alleged that Maxwell took part in “ continuous orgies ” with underage girls who were flown in to the late billionaire paedophile ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the paper adds .
In the deposition , released by a judge yesterday , Guiffre was asked to describe girls she had seen “ with your own two eyes ” having sexual contact with Maxwell .
“ There ’ s so many I do n't know where you want me to start .
There were blondes , there were brunettes , there were red heads , ” Guiffre said .
“ They were all beautiful girls .
I would say the ages ranged between 15 and 21 .
Some of them looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she added that she was “ 100 % ” sure that Maxwell had sex with girls at “ Jeffrey 's island… in cabanas , in Jeffrey 's room ” .
Giuffre claimed “ the island was a place where orgies were a constant thing that took place ” , describing having sexual contact with Maxwell herself during an orgy “ with lots of girls ” who “ did n't even speak English ” .
The documents were “ subject to an intense legal battle ” , with “ Maxwell ’ s attorneys… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ records under seal ” , The Guardian reports .
They said that releasing the sealed testimony would “ compel Maxwell to answer intrusive questions about her sex life ” and that the documents were “ extremely personal , confidential and subject to considerable abuse by the media ” .
Also included in the documents are “ flight logs from Epstein ’ s private jets , police logs from Palm Beach , Florida , where Epstein had a home , and email exchanges between Maxwell and Epstein himself ” , the Daily Mail says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Epstein wrote to Maxwell telling her : “ You have done nothing wrong and i woudl [ sic ] urge you to start acting like it .
Go outside , head high , not as an esacping [ sic ] convict .
go to parties .
deal with it.
” The email exchange “ appears to confirm that Maxwell lied during a bail hearing , in which she claimed she had n't spoken to Epstein in over a decade ” , the paper adds .


theweekuk--2020-07-31--Revealed: half of English public ‘don’t understand lockdown rules’

Half of the English public do not understand the current UK lockdown rules , a study has found .
As restrictions have gradually eased due to a falling infection rate , “ many people are more confused about the rules than before ” , The Telegraph says .
University College , London ( UCL ) researchers found “ the slump in levels of understanding about what is and is not permitted was particularly acute among younger adults ” , the paper adds .
Only 45 % of people in England now have a “ broad understanding ” of the rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 61 % in Wales , where rules have been changed at a different speed , the Daily Mail reports .
Just 14 % of respondents in England claim to “ understand the rules completely now lockdown has eased ” , the paper adds , compared to 18 % in Wales and 27 % in Scotland .
Dr Daisy Fancourt , one of the study ’ s lead authors , said the findings “ could possibly reflect difficulties in applying the rules to more complex life scenarios amongst younger adults ” , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the different amounts of time spent following the news ... amongst different age groups ” .
“ The general drop-off in understanding could be due to unclear messaging from the government , or a reduction in interest and engagement from people , especially with the cessation of the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing in late June , ” Fancourt added .
The study was funded by the Nuffield Foundation and is the largest so far into how adults in the UK are handling the pandemic .
Cheryl Lloyd , education programme head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as fears rise over a second wave of the virus , “ it is concerning that many people in England report not understanding the current Government guidance ” .
“ With the rules changing regularly , this may be a factor in the public not understanding the Government guidance.
” It also found that access to healthcare has declined , “ with one in 10 people across the UK reporting being unable to see or speak with a GP about their physical health ” , The Telegraph says .

Half of the English public do not understand the current UK lockdown rules, a study has found.
As restrictions have gradually eased due to a falling infection rate, “many people are more confused about the rules than before”, The Telegraph says.
University College, London (UCL) researchers found “the slump in levels of understanding about what is and is not permitted was particularly acute among younger adults”, the paper adds.
Only 45% of people in England now have a “broad understanding” of the rules, compared with 75% in Scotland and 61% in Wales, where rules have been changed at a different speed, the Daily Mail reports.
Just 14% of respondents in England claim to “understand the rules completely now lockdown has eased”, the paper adds, compared to 18% in Wales and 27% in Scotland.
Dr Daisy Fancourt, one of the study’s lead authors, said the findings “could possibly reflect difficulties in applying the rules to more complex life scenarios amongst younger adults”, adding that it also “may be reflective of the different amounts of time spent following the news... amongst different age groups”.
“The general drop-off in understanding could be due to unclear messaging from the government, or a reduction in interest and engagement from people, especially with the cessation of the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing in late June,” Fancourt added.
The study was funded by the Nuffield Foundation and is the largest so far into how adults in the UK are handling the pandemic.
Cheryl Lloyd, education programme head at the Nuffield Foundation, said that as fears rise over a second wave of the virus, “it is concerning that many people in England report not understanding the current Government guidance”.
“With the rules changing regularly, this may be a factor in the public not understanding the Government guidance.”
It also found that access to healthcare has declined, “with one in 10 people across the UK reporting being unable to see or speak with a GP about their physical health”, The Telegraph says.


theweekuk--2020-07-31--The Week Unwrapped podcast: UFOs, boycotts and emojis

Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– To get six free issues of The Week magazine and a moleskine notebook visit theweek.co.uk/offer and enter promo code : pod25 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– In this week ’ s episode , we discuss : Despite the Pentagon claiming some time ago that it had disbanded a program to investigate unidentified flying objects , the investigation is still continuing , according to the New York Times , with officials covertly studying seemingly inexplicable encounters with unidentified aerial vehicles .
So why the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on ?
Reports of the oppression of the Uighur Muslims in China have circulated around the globe , but the role of western companies in supply chains linked to forced labour in Xinjiang has been less well reported .
Are high street brands contributing to the genocide ?
And if so , what can be done to stop their involvement ?
New research from business communication hub Slack shows that use of emojis on the platform has almost doubled during the coronavirus pandemic .
So just how is our ❤ of these digital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our work and personal lives - and should we be or about this linguistic shift ?
You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped on the Global Player , Spotify , Apple podcasts , SoundCloud or wherever you get you get your podcasts .

Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––To get six free issues of The Week magazine and a moleskine notebook visit theweek.co.uk/offer and enter promo code: pod25–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
UFOs
Despite the Pentagon claiming some time ago that it had disbanded a program to investigate unidentified flying objects, the investigation is still continuing, according to the New York Times, with officials covertly studying seemingly inexplicable encounters with unidentified aerial vehicles. So why the secrecy – and what's really going on?
Boycotts
Reports of the oppression of the Uighur Muslims in China have circulated around the globe, but the role of western companies in supply chains linked to forced labour in Xinjiang has been less well reported. Are high street brands contributing to the genocide? And if so, what can be done to stop their involvement?
Emojis
New research from business communication hub Slack shows that use of emojis on the platform has almost doubled during the coronavirus pandemic. So just how is our ❤ of these digital icons changing how we communicate in both our work and personal lives - and should we be or about this linguistic shift?
You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped on the Global Player, Spotify, Apple podcasts, SoundCloud or wherever you get you get your podcasts.


theweekuk--2020-07-31--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 31 Jul 2020

The new leader of the Scottish Tories is set to be a critic of Dominic Cummings .
Jackson Carlaw was @ @ @ @ @ yesterday , less than six months since he took charge .
It is believed he @ @ @ @ @ senior figures who are backing Douglas Ross , 37 , the former Scotland Office minister @ @ @ @ @ in May over Cummings ’ s 260-mile drive to Durham during the lockdown .

Scotland’s next Tory leader could be Cummings critic
The new leader of the Scottish Tories is set to be a critic of Dominic Cummings. Jackson Carlaw was forced out as party leader yesterday, less than six months since he took charge. It is believed he was forced to quit by senior figures who are backing Douglas Ross, 37, the former Scotland Office minister, who left the government in May over Cummings’s 260-mile drive to Durham during the lockdown.