theweekuk--2020-07-02--Reaction: China warns Britain against ‘opening doors’ to Hongkongers

China has warned Britain against granting residency to Hongkongers fleeing harsh new security laws , in an escalation of tensions after Boris Johnson pledged to honour the offer .
The prime minister told MPs yesterday that the UK would open its doors to the three million residents of the former colony with British National Overseas ( BNO ) status , after Beijing passed “ draconian ” legislation aimed at cracking down on dissent .
But just “ hours after the Chinese ambassador to the UK was summoned to the Foreign Office ” , the Chinese embassy in London released a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong residents are Chinese nationals ” and vowing to take “ corresponding measures ” to prevent any from claiming UK residency , The Times reports .
The Chinese embassy also accused the British government of “ breaking its promise in a UK-China memo not to extend the right of abode to Hong Kong residents with BNO passports ” , the newspaper adds .
It is “ clear ... that all Chinese compatriots residing in Hong Kong are Chinese nationals , whether or not they are holders of the British Dependent Territories Citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , said China ’ s ambassador to the UK , Liu Xiaoming .
“ The UK has no sovereignty , jurisdiction or right of ‘ supervision ’ over Hong Kong.
” China ’ s harsh rebuke came after Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab admitted that the UK could not “ coercively force ” Beijing to allow Hongkongers to leave the territory .
However , Johnson described the new security legislation as a “ clear and serious breach ” of the Sino-British joint declaration , which as The Guardian explains , “ aimed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handed back to China in 1997 ” .
Speaking during Prime Minister ’ s Questions , Johnson added : “ It violates Hong Kong ’ s high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong basic law.
” The PM is taking a “ bold ” stance with his offer to Hongkongers , says Bloomberg ’ s Therese Raphael .
“ Hong Kong is a matter of historical obligation and pride , since China has ignored the terms on which Britain handed back the territory , ” he writes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson ’ s former liberal views on immigration than the poisonous rhetoric of the Brexit era ” , Raphael continues , although “ it won ’ t have been lost on this government that many of the potential newcomers have fairly deep pockets and are well educated ” .
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Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– BBC political editor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of citizenship was not offered , despite some calls to do so , at the time when Hong Kong was handed back to China ” .
“ That handover took place on the basis that its partial democracy and market economy would be respected , ” she continues , but those principles have “ been eroded so visibly in recent years ” .
“ The decision also reflects a souring of the atmosphere around relations between the UK and China , ” Kuenssberg adds .
Responding to a question in the Commons about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superpower , Johnson said : “ I ’ m not going to get drawn into Sinophobia because I ’ m not a Sinophobe.
” But challenging China over the rights of Hong Kong residents means “ the characteristics of the relationship between the two countries have definitely changed ” , Kuenssberg concludes .

China has warned Britain against granting residency to Hongkongers fleeing harsh new security laws, in an escalation of tensions after Boris Johnson pledged to honour the offer.
The prime minister told MPs yesterday that the UK would open its doors to the three million residents of the former colony with British National Overseas (BNO) status, after Beijing passed “draconian” legislation aimed at cracking down on dissent.
But just “hours after the Chinese ambassador to the UK was summoned to the Foreign Office”, the Chinese embassy in London released a statement “reasserting its view that all Hong Kong residents are Chinese nationals” and vowing to take “corresponding measures” to prevent any from claiming UK residency, The Times reports.
The Chinese embassy also accused the British government of “breaking its promise in a UK-China memo not to extend the right of abode to Hong Kong residents with BNO passports”, the newspaper adds.
It is “clear... that all Chinese compatriots residing in Hong Kong are Chinese nationals, whether or not they are holders of the British Dependent Territories Citizens passport or the British National Overseas passport”, said China’s ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming.
“The UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of ‘supervision’ over Hong Kong.”
China’s harsh rebuke came after Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab admitted that the UK could not “coercively force” Beijing to allow Hongkongers to leave the territory.
However, Johnson described the new security legislation as a “clear and serious breach” of the Sino-British joint declaration, which as The Guardian explains, “aimed to smooth the transition when the territory was handed back to China in 1997”.
Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, Johnson added: “It violates Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong basic law.”
The PM is taking a “bold” stance with his offer to Hongkongers, says Bloomberg’s Therese Raphael.
“Hong Kong is a matter of historical obligation and pride, since China has ignored the terms on which Britain handed back the territory,” he writes.
The residency offer “fits more with Johnson’s former liberal views on immigration than the poisonous rhetoric of the Brexit era”, Raphael continues, although “it won’t have been lost on this government that many of the potential newcomers have fairly deep pockets and are well educated”.
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BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg notes that “this kind of citizenship was not offered, despite some calls to do so, at the time when Hong Kong was handed back to China”.
“That handover took place on the basis that its partial democracy and market economy would be respected,” she continues, but those principles have “been eroded so visibly in recent years”.
“The decision also reflects a souring of the atmosphere around relations between the UK and China,” Kuenssberg adds.
Responding to a question in the Commons about economic and political ties with the Asian superpower, Johnson said: “I’m not going to get drawn into Sinophobia because I’m not a Sinophobe.”
But challenging China over the rights of Hong Kong residents means “the characteristics of the relationship between the two countries have definitely changed”, Kuenssberg concludes.


theweekuk--2020-07-02--Coronavirus: ‘significant’ number of Brits may have natural immunity

Immunity to Covid-19 may have been widespread among humans even before the pandemic swept across the world , according to Oxford University scientists leading the race for a coronavirus vaccine .
John Bell , the university ’ s regius professor of medicine , told MPs yesterday that white blood cells known as T cells could learn how to tackle the coronavirus from exposure to other , less dangerous infections - including the common cold .
Addressing the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee , Bell said : “ What seems clear is you do have cross-reaction from T cells that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I think they are present in quite a significant number of people.
” And that means “ large numbers of the population may have natural immunity against coronavirus even if they have never been infected ” , says The Telegraph .
Bell and his team are currently testing a potential vaccine in the UK , US , Brazil and South Africa .
His colleague Professor Sarah Gilbert “ said on Wednesday the team has seen the right sort of immune response in trials , but declined to give a firm timeframe for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters reports .
Separate studies published in recent days have also suggested that a large number of people who have no Covid-19 antibodies may instead be protected by T cells .
In some cases , those protective cells may have been activated by Covid-19 , but a similar response may be generated by other coronaviruses such as those that cause the common cold .
So “ people testing negative for coronavirus antibodies may still have some immunity ” , says the BBC .
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theweekuk--2020-07-02--How racist is Britain today?

How racist is Britain today?

Anthony Heath , director of the Centre for Social Investigation at the University of Oxford , and Lindsay Richards , lecturer in sociology at the University of Oxford , on what the data tells us about racism in Britain .
When seeking to get a picture of the inequality and social injustice faced by black and minority ethnic groups in the UK , a good place to start is the government ’ s own figures .
It ’ s starkly evident that major ethnic and racial inequalities persist in employment , housing and the justice system .
Black and Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their white British peers and are twice as likely to live in overcrowded housing .
They are also much more likely to be stopped and searched by the police .
We could also add to the list the alarming ethnic differences in deaths from Covid-19 .
The government ’ s pioneering ethnicity facts and figures website brings together in a single accessible format the hard evidence on ethnic disparities collected by government departments .
It is a world-first , established in 2016 by former prime minister Theresa May , who pledged to tackle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plausibly argue that disparities of the kind demonstrated by the website do not , in themselves , prove that racism and discrimination are the driving forces behind the inequalities .
But , when combined with other direct evidence , it ’ s hard to avoid concluding that they play a role .
There are two main sorts of direct evidence that show racism and racial injustice continue in Britain – surveys about British people ’ s beliefs and field experiments testing whether minorities receive equal treatment in practice .
Let ’ s look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Social Survey , we asked a representative sample of the British public two questions on “ biological racism ” – that is , the belief that there are innate differences between racial or ethnic groups .
A belief that innate differences make some groups inherently superior to others is generally taken to be the core idea of racism .
We asked whether interviewees agreed that “ some races or ethnic groups are born less intelligent than others ” and found that 18 % of the British public agreed with the statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ or ethnic groups are born harder working than others ” , to which a substantially larger percentage – 44 % – said yes .
Perhaps the difference between these two percentages is due to political correctness .
The claim that there are innate group differences in intelligence would widely be recognised as a racist statement , whereas innate differences in work ethic may not have the same blatant connotations .
But whether we go for the lower or the higher figure , on this evidence a substantial minority of the British public subscribe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We repeated these questions on biological racism in a more recent ( 2019 ) nationally representative online survey .
The findings were very similar – 19 % agreed that some groups were born less intelligent , and 38 % agreed that some groups were born less hard working .
We also found that people who subscribed to these racist beliefs were more likely to be opposed to immigration and to express other “ nativist ” views , such as that one needs to have English ancestry to be truly English .
People who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview may not necessarily act on them in practice .
But the finding is in line with minorities ’ own reports that they experience racial hostility and harassment in their daily lives .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Field experiments can provide more direct evidence about what happens in practice .
To investigate discrimination in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written applications from fictitious minority and majority-group applicants to advertised vacancies .
The applications are identical in all respects and differ only in the names of the applicants , which are selected to be typical British or minority names respectively .
Field experiments like these are generally recognised as the “ gold standard ” for determining whether minorities are at risk of discrimination .
In 2016 and 2017 we carried out a study along these lines .
We found that applicants with typically black or Muslim names were much less likely than those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive response from employers .
For every ten positive replies that the British applicant ( James or Emily ) received , a person with a recognisably African ( Akintunde or Adeola ) or Pakistani name ( Tariq or Yasmin ) received only six .
Minorities with a west European name ( Guillaume , for example ) were only slightly less likely than the British to obtain a positive callback .
In 2018 , The Guardian newspaper conducted a similar field experiment in the private flatshare market .
Expressions of interest were sent from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to almost 1,000 online advertisements for rooms across the UK .
The Guardian found that for every 10 positive replies that David received , Muhammad received only eight .
So , government data and field experiments provide pretty conclusive evidence that black and Muslim minorities are at risk of discrimination when looking for a job or home in the UK .
They only study the outcome rather than the motivations of the employer or landlord so we can ’ t be sure that they are acting on racist beliefs – but in law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unequal treatment of applicants is illegal , whatever the motivation .
Rigorous field experiments have not , to our knowledge , been conducted in the criminal justice system but we certainly can not rule out the possibility that racial stereotyping is behind the disparities in stop and search data recorded by the government .
Racial discrimination may be more widespread than the limited amount of testing carried out has so far proved – just as Covid-19 infections have almost certainly been a great deal more widespread than the testing indicated .
We need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ importantly , the testing that has already been carried out indicates a pressing need for real change .
Anthony Heath , director of the Centre for Social Investigation at the University of Oxford , and Lindsay Richards , lecturer in Sociology at the University of Oxford .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Anthony Heath, director of the Centre for Social Investigation at the University of Oxford, and Lindsay Richards, lecturer in sociology at the University of Oxford, on what the data tells us about racism in Britain. When seeking to get a picture of the inequality and social injustice faced by black and minority ethnic groups in the UK, a good place to start is the government’s own figures. It’s starkly evident that major ethnic and racial inequalities persist in employment, housing and the justice system. Black and Muslim minorities have twice the unemployment rate of their white British peers and are twice as likely to live in overcrowded housing. They are also much more likely to be stopped and searched by the police. We could also add to the list the alarming ethnic differences in deaths from Covid-19. The government’s pioneering ethnicity facts and figures website brings together in a single accessible format the hard evidence on ethnic disparities collected by government departments. It is a world-first, established in 2016 by former prime minister Theresa May, who pledged to tackle “burning injustices”. Critics could plausibly argue that disparities of the kind demonstrated by the website do not, in themselves, prove that racism and discrimination are the driving forces behind the inequalities. But, when combined with other direct evidence, it’s hard to avoid concluding that they play a role. There are two main sorts of direct evidence that show racism and racial injustice continue in Britain – surveys about British people’s beliefs and field experiments testing whether minorities receive equal treatment in practice. Racist beliefs Let’s look at racist beliefs first. Through the European Social Survey, we asked a representative sample of the British public two questions on “biological racism” – that is, the belief that there are innate differences between racial or ethnic groups. A belief that innate differences make some groups inherently superior to others is generally taken to be the core idea of racism. We asked whether interviewees agreed that “some races or ethnic groups are born less intelligent than others” and found that 18% of the British public agreed with the statement. We also asked whether “some races or ethnic groups are born harder working than others”, to which a substantially larger percentage – 44% – said yes. Skip advert
Perhaps the difference between these two percentages is due to political correctness. The claim that there are innate group differences in intelligence would widely be recognised as a racist statement, whereas innate differences in work ethic may not have the same blatant connotations. But whether we go for the lower or the higher figure, on this evidence a substantial minority of the British public subscribe to some form of racist belief. We repeated these questions on biological racism in a more recent (2019) nationally representative online survey. The findings were very similar – 19% agreed that some groups were born less intelligent, and 38% agreed that some groups were born less hard working. We also found that people who subscribed to these racist beliefs were more likely to be opposed to immigration and to express other “nativist” views, such as that one needs to have English ancestry to be truly English. People who express agreement with these racist statements in an interview may not necessarily act on them in practice. But the finding is in line with minorities’ own reports that they experience racial hostility and harassment in their daily lives. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Discriminatory practices Field experiments can provide more direct evidence about what happens in practice. To investigate discrimination in the job market, researchers typically send matched written applications from fictitious minority and majority-group applicants to advertised vacancies. The applications are identical in all respects and differ only in the names of the applicants, which are selected to be typical British or minority names respectively. Field experiments like these are generally recognised as the “gold standard” for determining whether minorities are at risk of discrimination. In 2016 and 2017 we carried out a study along these lines. We found that applicants with typically black or Muslim names were much less likely than those with standard British names to receive a positive response from employers. For every ten positive replies that the British applicant (James or Emily) received, a person with a recognisably African (Akintunde or Adeola) or Pakistani name (Tariq or Yasmin) received only six. Minorities with a west European name (Guillaume, for example) were only slightly less likely than the British to obtain a positive callback. Skip advert


theweekuk--2020-07-02--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 2 Jul 2020

More than 6,000 retail jobs were lost on the UK high street yesterday as the government furlough scheme began to @ @ @ @ @ will close up to 19 stores and axe one of its main offices .
The @ @ @ @ @ collapsed into administration in the first six months of 2020 is already more than the @ @ @ @ @ whole of 2019 .

Thousands of retail jobs lost as furlough winds down
More than 6,000 retail jobs were lost on the UK high street yesterday as the government furlough scheme began to wind down. John Lewis will close up to 19 stores and axe one of its main offices. The number of shops that have collapsed into administration in the first six months of 2020 is already more than the number that failed in the whole of 2019.


theweekuk--2020-07-02--What are the Covid-19 rules in Amsterdam’s red light district?

Amsterdam ’ s red light district has reopened after the coronavirus lockdown .
Most sex workers have banned kissing and they are cleaning the sheets between appointments .
They also ask clients if they are healthy .
“ But we don ’ t need to wear any face masks during the playdates , thank God , ” said one .
Kellogg ’ s has launched an onion-flavour breakfast cereal .
The peculiar move comes 16 years after the idea won a controversial poll in Korea .
Boxes of Chaka flakes sold out in 48 hours as cereal devotees hailed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long campaign for the company to honour the result of the 2004 referendum .
Allotment holders in Wales were surprised when they discovered a 6ft ( 1.8-metre ) boa constrictor .
The snake was found by a member of the public at a community allotment site in Newport .
“ We regularly respond to escaped snakes , and continue to highlight the importance of safe , secure and appropriate accommodation for these animals , who have such complex needs , ” said the RSPCA .
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Amsterdam’s red light district has reopened after the coronavirus lockdown. Most sex workers have banned kissing and they are cleaning the sheets between appointments. They also ask clients if they are healthy. “But we don’t need to wear any face masks during the playdates, thank God,” said one.
Kellogg's launches onion-flavoured cereal
Kellogg’s has launched an onion-flavour breakfast cereal. The peculiar move comes 16 years after the idea won a controversial poll in Korea. Boxes of Chaka flakes sold out in 48 hours as cereal devotees hailed a “win for democracy”, following a long campaign for the company to honour the result of the 2004 referendum.
Boa constrictor found at Welsh allotment
Allotment holders in Wales were surprised when they discovered a 6ft (1.8-metre) boa constrictor. The snake was found by a member of the public at a community allotment site in Newport. “We regularly respond to escaped snakes, and continue to highlight the importance of safe, secure and appropriate accommodation for these animals, who have such complex needs,” said the RSPCA.
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theweekuk--2020-07-02--Revealed: the areas that may face local Covid lockdowns ‘within days’

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Leicester this week became the UK’s first city to be put under a local lockdown by the government - but experts are warning that similar measures could be enforced in several other areas in a matter of days.
Downing Street sources told The Telegraph that Bradford, Barnsley, Rochdale, Bedford and Oldham were sitting just below Leicester on a “watch-list” of sites that may face new social distancing restrictions to curb surges in coronavirus infections.
The government’s top ten also includes Rotherham, Tameside, Blackburn and Kirklees, the last of which recently reported a mini-outbreak at a meat factory.
Sources at Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) say further local lockdowns could be implemented in “just days”, Sky News reported on Wednesday.
Newly published PHE data on the number of positive tests per 100,000 people for towns and cities shows that Leicester had 140.2 new confirmed cases in the week ending 21 June, followed by Bradford at 69.4 cases.
Announcing the Leicester lockdown on Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the city had accounted for around 10% of all positive cases in the country over the past week.
But while the rest of the UK is preparing for the next stage of easing lockdown measures, with bars and restaurants set to reopen on Saturday, infection rates are also creeping up in various areas.
“I am expecting there to be a number of Leicesters,” Professor Deenan Pillay, a virologist at UCL and member of the shadow government’s scientific advisory group, told The Guardian.
“The base level of infections going on in the UK is still much higher than it was in other countries in Europe when they started to release their lockdowns.”
In a speech on Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the virus was “circling like a shark in the water” and called for “collective discipline and resolve” to keep the threat at bay.
The PM’s intervention came amid an outcry from local health officials in Leicester, who claim they aren’t being given enough information to manage localised outbreaks.
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Meanwhile, Hancock caused panic and confusion after mixing up the Yorkshire town of Keighley with Kirklees, which is battling a local outbreak - leading Bradford council to tweet a clarification in order “to calm everyone down a bit...”
Misleading information about regional lockdowns is also circulating online, causing a headache for local councils, the BBC reports.
Local councillors have been attempting to quell fears that their communities could be forced into further weeks in isolation.
Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchliffe told Sky News that although the city had “a high number of infections along with a number of other northern authorities”, they were still “some way behind Leicester”.
Andrea Fallon, director of public health for Rochdale Borough Council, agreed that “residents should be reassured that the numbers we have seen recently are still well below those in Leicester, where lockdown measures are being reintroduced.
“In Leicester Matt Hancock said that there were 135 positive cases per 100,000, and we had 28.8, so the comparisons are misleading and unhelpful.”
The prospect of local lockdowns has also raised more questions about the disproportionate impact of the virus on ethnic minority groups.
A government report identifying the most at-risk areas of the UK “cited concerns” that several of the recorded local spikes were in areas with large BAME communities, according to Business Insider.


theweekuk--2020-07-02--Meghan Markle claims her wedding ‘made £1bn for Britain’

Meghan Markle has claimed her wedding to Prince Harry made £1bn in tourism revenue for the UK in legal proceedings against British tabloids .
And her lawyers claim that her wedding was “ not , in fact , publicly funded , but rather personally financed by HRH The Prince of Wales ” .
They say that “ any public costs incurred for the wedding were solely for security and crowd control to protect members of the public ” , reports celebrity news site Page Six .
And in legal papers filed at the High Court , the Duchess of Sussex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffered “ damage to her mental health ” because the palace failed to protect her .
Markle is suing the owners of The Mail on Sunday for a breach of privacy over its publication of a letter from her father , Thomas Markle .
She lost the first round of proceedings against Associated Newspapers last week , when a judge ruled part of the case should be struck out .
The new legal papers were issued in response to questions from Mail lawyers , who asked why she felt “ vulnerable ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was heavily pregnant , as well as suffering “ aggressive attacks ” by the media .
The duchess ’ s team said the royal household had failed to protect her from these attacks , and let her become the subject of “ a large number of false and damaging articles by the UK tabloid media… which caused tremendous emotional distress and damage to her mental health ” , reports the Daily Mirror .
They said : “ As her friends had never seen her in this state before , they were rightly concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was pregnant , unprotected by the institution , and prohibited from defending herself .
”

Meghan Markle has claimed her wedding to Prince Harry made £1bn in tourism revenue for the UK in legal proceedings against British tabloids.
And her lawyers claim that her wedding was “not, in fact, publicly funded, but rather personally financed by HRH The Prince of Wales”.
They say that “any public costs incurred for the wedding were solely for security and crowd control to protect members of the public”, reports celebrity news site Page Six.
And in legal papers filed at the High Court, the Duchess of Sussex’s legal team said Markle had suffered “damage to her mental health” because the palace failed to protect her.
Markle is suing the owners of The Mail on Sunday for a breach of privacy over its publication of a letter from her father, Thomas Markle.
She lost the first round of proceedings against Associated Newspapers last week, when a judge ruled part of the case should be struck out. The new legal papers were issued in response to questions from Mail lawyers, who asked why she felt “vulnerable” in early 2019.
At the time she was heavily pregnant, as well as suffering “aggressive attacks” by the media.
The duchess’s team said the royal household had failed to protect her from these attacks, and let her become the subject of “a large number of false and damaging articles by the UK tabloid media… which caused tremendous emotional distress and damage to her mental health”, reports the Daily Mirror.
They said: “As her friends had never seen her in this state before, they were rightly concerned for her welfare, specifically as she was pregnant, unprotected by the institution, and prohibited from defending herself.”


theweekuk--2020-07-02--At least 10,000 UK workers axed in two days as clock ticks down on Covid jobs scheme

At least 10,000 jobs have been slashed in the UK in just 48 hours as companies battle to stay afloat during the coronavirus crisis .
High-street retailers and the aviation sector are “ bearing the brunt of the losses ” as the economic impact of the pandemic continues to be felt , says The Times .
SSP , the parent company of Upper Crust , announced yesterday that 5,000 employees were being made redundant , while John Lewis , Harrods and Philip Green ’ s Arcadia , which owns Topshop , confirmed a total of around 1,200 job losses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ both social distancing measures and the “ devastation in international trade ” when explaining the company ’ s decision to cut around 14 % of its 4,800-strong workforce .
The news came less than 24 hours after plane-maker Airbus announced 1,700 staff cuts in the UK , and easyJet shared “ plans to pull out of Stansted , Southend and Newcastle Airports , possibly putting more than 700 jobs at risk ” , reports ITV News .
Aviation firms are in the midst of “ the gravest crisis the industry has ever experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Faury .
Meanwhile , menswear company TM Lewin collapsed into administration , costing 600 jobs , with furniture store Harveys also going under , resulting in 240 redundancies .
A further 900 cuts were announced at management consulting firm Accenture , while 300 redundancies are being made across Virgin Money , Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank , according to the BBC .
And many more job losses are expected as other companies seek to reduce costs ahead of the winding down of the government ’ s furlough scheme .
The Bank of England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % by the end of this year , reports the Financial Times .
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At least 10,000 jobs have been slashed in the UK in just 48 hours as companies battle to stay afloat during the coronavirus crisis.
High-street retailers and the aviation sector are “bearing the brunt of the losses” as the economic impact of the pandemic continues to be felt, says The Times.
SSP, the parent company of Upper Crust, announced yesterday that 5,000 employees were being made redundant, while John Lewis, Harrods and Philip Green’s Arcadia, which owns Topshop, confirmed a total of around 1,200 job losses.
Harrods managing director Michael Ward pointed to both social distancing measures and the “devastation in international trade” when explaining the company’s decision to cut around 14% of its 4,800-strong workforce.
The news came less than 24 hours after plane-maker Airbus announced 1,700 staff cuts in the UK, and easyJet shared “plans to pull out of Stansted, Southend and Newcastle Airports, possibly putting more than 700 jobs at risk”, reports ITV News.
Aviation firms are in the midst of “the gravest crisis the industry has ever experienced”, said Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury.
Meanwhile, menswear company TM Lewin collapsed into administration, costing 600 jobs, with furniture store Harveys also going under, resulting in 240 redundancies.
A further 900 cuts were announced at management consulting firm Accenture, while 300 redundancies are being made across Virgin Money, Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank, according to the BBC.
And many more job losses are expected as other companies seek to reduce costs ahead of the winding down of the government’s furlough scheme.
The Bank of England has predicted unemployment rates may hit 10% by the end of this year, reports the Financial Times.
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theweekuk--2020-07-02--Coronavirus: how face masks became a political symbol in the US


theweekuk--2020-07-03--Instant Opinion: hospitals preparing for pubs reopening ‘like it’s New Year’s Eve’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
Pub doors are reopening - and hospitals are preparing like it ’ s New Year ’ s Eve “ Barely a month has lapsed since we were clapping every Thursday evening showing how much we valued the NHS and its staff .
Demonstrating how fickle some of us are , that same NHS is now instructed to prepare for a huge surge in demand due to alcohol-related injuries and poisonings due to pubs and bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NHS trusts have been warned to expect levels of attendance usually seen during New Year celebrations , and have been asked to prepare their A & E departments and free up bed capacity in their hospitals to manage the increase .
A pattern is developing here , as with those of us too lazy to pick up our own litter , leaving beaches and parks strewn with rubbish for others to clear up .
This same mindset lies behind the lack of thought that will see pressure being placed on health services due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ binge drinking square with our apparent shared belief that those staffing the NHS are our ‘ heroes ’ ?
Believing we have a right to harm ourselves by drinking too much , and then expecting NHS staff and resources to rescue us , signifies a selfish and entitled culture.
” on ‘ virtue-signalling blather about the wicked right ’ Labour never understands how Tories think “ The ... problem with the depiction of Conservative politicians as clever , consistent tribunes of highly considered views is that it is not true .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Conservative Party who want to cut public spending as a matter of conviction but that is not the sole , or probably even the dominant , view .
If we want an insult which has at least a passing acquaintance with the truth , better to argue that the Conservative believes nothing at all , really .
At any given moment , the Conservative will always have something to say but that is never an expression of fixed belief .
Tories will tell you this themselves .
Conservatism is more of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thinking than it is a creed .
Being a member of the Labour Party is a doctrinal affair .
It ’ s not like that being a Tory ...
The best way to criticise this government is not to disparage it but to take it seriously .
Itemise all the promises in the Gove and Johnson speeches and count them as they fail .
By all means point out that the government is intellectually confused but then go straight towards the consequences of that confusion , which is incompetence .
The government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is not good enough.
” on reopening the places where the virus is nonexistent Forget local lockdowns , we should be lifting restrictions in the ‘ not spots ’ “ The pubs and restaurants that open tomorrow will do so wondering if they can make ends meet under this new system – or how long the new rules will go on for .
Others have given up already .
The Nuffield Theatre in Southampton said yesterday that it is closing for good .
Locally , there is no pandemic .
Of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city , just one tested positive for Covid last week .
The Prime Minister now has the power to speed up the recovery .
He can press ahead with partial reopening tomorrow , while being more cautious in places like Leicester and dealing with flare-ups as they arise .
But local lockdowns should work both ways : he also can drop restrictions in places where it ’ s safe to do so .
With much drama and great expense , he has built a huge testing tool that offers a faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs the courage to use it.
” on investing in education , not roads If Boris Johnson is really interested in ‘ levelling up ’ , he should start with nurseries “ Care and nurseries both need saving by taking them back into the public sector .
We boast of a fictional ‘ cradle to grave ’ welfare state , but both the cradle and the last stages towards the grave were long ago outsourced into a hotchpotch of disastrous provision , largely paid for by the taxpayer yet outside both the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crippled by state underfunding and private companies trying to make a profit out of crumbs .
The National Day Nurseries Association says 71 % of nurseries will be running at a loss until September : will they cut corners or collapse ?
... Real levelling up starts right here in infancy but its visible effects wouldn ’ t be felt for years , unlike new roads and bridges .
Rather than pushing money into the construction industry good , well-paid and well-qualified jobs can best be created by a national upgrading of nurseries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goldberg in The New York Times “ A lot of Republicans are acting puzzled about Donald Trump ’ s re-election pitch .
‘ He has no message , ’ one Republican source told Reuters .
‘ He needs to articulate why he wants a second term , ’ said another .
Some have expressed hope that Trump would find a way to become less polarizing , as if polarization were not the raison d ’ être of his presidency .
It ’ s hard to know if Republicans like this are truly naïve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they don ’ t have to admit what a foul enterprise they ’ re part of .
Because Trump does indeed have a re-election message , a stark and obvious one .
It is ‘ white power.
’ ... People voted for Trump for reasons besides racism .
There was also sexism .
Some voters were just partisan Republicans , or thought that reality TV is real and that Trump was as successful as ‘ The Apprentice ’ made him seem .
I once met a young man at a Trump rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was worried about the taxes he ’ d pay when he inherited his family ’ s car dealership .
Trump , however , seems to grasp that racism is what put him over the top .
It ’ s what made his campaign seem wild and transgressive and hard to look away from .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Ian Hamilton in The Independent
on how Covid safety measure won’t curb binge drinkers
Pub doors are reopening - and hospitals are preparing like it’s New Year’s Eve
“Barely a month has lapsed since we were clapping every Thursday evening showing how much we valued the NHS and its staff. Demonstrating how fickle some of us are, that same NHS is now instructed to prepare for a huge surge in demand due to alcohol-related injuries and poisonings due to pubs and bars opening after months of closure. All NHS trusts have been warned to expect levels of attendance usually seen during New Year celebrations, and have been asked to prepare their A&E departments and free up bed capacity in their hospitals to manage the increase. A pattern is developing here, as with those of us too lazy to pick up our own litter, leaving beaches and parks strewn with rubbish for others to clear up. This same mindset lies behind the lack of thought that will see pressure being placed on health services due to alcohol intoxication. How can our binge drinking square with our apparent shared belief that those staffing the NHS are our ‘heroes’? Believing we have a right to harm ourselves by drinking too much, and then expecting NHS staff and resources to rescue us, signifies a selfish and entitled culture.”
2. Philip Collins in The Times
on ‘virtue-signalling blather about the wicked right’
Labour never understands how Tories think
“The... problem with the depiction of Conservative politicians as clever, consistent tribunes of highly considered views is that it is not true. There are, of course, some members of the Conservative Party who want to cut public spending as a matter of conviction but that is not the sole, or probably even the dominant, view. If we want an insult which has at least a passing acquaintance with the truth, better to argue that the Conservative believes nothing at all, really. At any given moment, the Conservative will always have something to say but that is never an expression of fixed belief. Tories will tell you this themselves. Conservatism is more of a disposition, a mood, a manner of thinking than it is a creed. Being a member of the Labour Party is a doctrinal affair. It’s not like that being a Tory... The best way to criticise this government is not to disparage it but to take it seriously. Itemise all the promises in the Gove and Johnson speeches and count them as they fail. By all means point out that the government is intellectually confused but then go straight towards the consequences of that confusion, which is incompetence. The government cannot do what it says because it is not good enough.”
3. Fraser Nelson in The Daily Telegraph
on reopening the places where the virus is nonexistent
Forget local lockdowns, we should be lifting restrictions in the ‘not spots’
“The pubs and restaurants that open tomorrow will do so wondering if they can make ends meet under this new system – or how long the new rules will go on for. Others have given up already. The Nuffield Theatre in Southampton said yesterday that it is closing for good. Locally, there is no pandemic. Of the quarter of a million who people live in the city, just one tested positive for Covid last week. The Prime Minister now has the power to speed up the recovery. He can press ahead with partial reopening tomorrow, while being more cautious in places like Leicester and dealing with flare-ups as they arise. But local lockdowns should work both ways: he also can drop restrictions in places where it’s safe to do so. With much drama and great expense, he has built a huge testing tool that offers a faster route out of lockdown. He just needs the courage to use it.”
4. Polly Toynbee in The Guardian
on investing in education, not roads
If Boris Johnson is really interested in ‘levelling up’, he should start with nurseries
“Care and nurseries both need saving by taking them back into the public sector. We boast of a fictional ‘cradle to grave’ welfare state, but both the cradle and the last stages towards the grave were long ago outsourced into a hotchpotch of disastrous provision, largely paid for by the taxpayer yet outside both the health and education system. Both have been crippled by state underfunding and private companies trying to make a profit out of crumbs. The National Day Nurseries Association says 71% of nurseries will be running at a loss until September: will they cut corners or collapse?... Real levelling up starts right here in infancy but its visible effects wouldn’t be felt for years, unlike new roads and bridges. Rather than pushing money into the construction industry good, well-paid and well-qualified jobs can best be created by a national upgrading of nurseries and social care.”
5. Michelle Goldberg in The New York Times
on the Trump 2020 election message
Trump’s Re-election Message Is White Grievance
“A lot of Republicans are acting puzzled about Donald Trump’s re-election pitch. ‘He has no message,’ one Republican source told Reuters. ‘He needs to articulate why he wants a second term,’ said another. Some have expressed hope that Trump would find a way to become less polarizing, as if polarization were not the raison d’être of his presidency. It’s hard to know if Republicans like this are truly naïve or if they’re just pretending so they don’t have to admit what a foul enterprise they’re part of. Because Trump does indeed have a re-election message, a stark and obvious one. It is ‘white power.’... People voted for Trump for reasons besides racism. There was also sexism. Some voters were just partisan Republicans, or thought that reality TV is real and that Trump was as successful as ‘The Apprentice’ made him seem. I once met a young man at a Trump rally who’d voted for Obama but was worried about the taxes he’d pay when he inherited his family’s car dealership. Trump, however, seems to grasp that racism is what put him over the top. It’s what made his campaign seem wild and transgressive and hard to look away from.”


theweekuk--2020-07-03--Inside the hunt for Ghislaine Maxwell - and what next for Prince Andrew?

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has appeared in court after being charged with helping to procure underage girls to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein .
New York prosecutors claim that Maxwell played a “ critical role ” in helping the late paedophile “ identify , befriend and groom ” victims , and took part in some of the abuse .
Epstein died in an apparent suicide in a Manhattan jail last August while awaiting trial for sex trafficking .
The well-connected socialite was the “ favourite daughter ” of late media mogul Robert Maxwell .
“ Whip-smart , glamorous and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her impeccable contacts , often photographed with politicians , entrepreneurs and royalty , ” according to The Telegraph .
Those contacts included US financier Epstein .
The pair had a relationship in the early 1990s and remained close after splitting , with Epstein describing her as his “ best friend ” .
Maxwell is also alleged to have acted as “ madame ” for the billionaire paedophile and his friends - a claim that she has denied .
Legal papers filed in the US in 2014 named Maxwell as “ one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under-aged girls for sexual activities and a primary co-conspirator in his sexual abuse and sex trafficking scheme ” and said that “ Maxwell herself regularly participated in Epstein ’ s sexual exploitation of minors ” .
Epstein was arrested last year in New York following allegations that he was running a network of underage girls - some as young as 14 - for sex .
Following his death , Maxwell “ has kept a low profile ” , says Sky News , but the investigation into her alleged role in the abuse has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire on Thursday .
The BBC reports that “ five of the six charges brought against her each carry a sentence of five years with the sixth - transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity - punishable by up to ten years in prison ” .
Audrey Strauss , acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York , told a press conference that Maxwell had “ repeatedly lied ” about her involvement because the truth was “ almost unspeakable ” .
The socialite had “ enticed young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then delivered them into the trap that she and Epstein had set for them ” , Strauss said .
What does her arrest mean for Prince Andrew ?
Maxwell ’ s association with Prince Andrew is well established , with the Duke named in court papers relating to a defamation case filed against Maxwell by abuse victim Virginia Giuffre that were unsealed last year .
The documents include claims that “ one of the individuals Ms Giuffre was trafficked to was Prince Andrew ” .
The Royal has repeatedly denied the allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speak to FBI investigators .
Andrew has been involved in an “ acrimonious wrangle ” with US authorities over answering questions about his relationship with Epstein , says The Times .
Prosecutors claim that the Prince has ignored formal requests to help with their investigations .
“ We would welcome Prince Andrew coming in to talk with us , we would like to have the benefit of his statement , ” New York attorney Strauss said at this week ’ s press conference following Maxwell ’ s arrest .
“ I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , which is that our doors remain open , as we previously said , and we would welcome him coming in and giving us an opportunity to hear his statement.
” However , a source close to the Prince told The Sun that his lawyers had repeatedly “ reached out ” to lawyers on “ a senior level ” in the US in the past four weeks , but had received no reply .
“ The Duke ’ s team remains bewildered given that we have twice communicated with the DOJ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had no response , ” the source said .

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has appeared in court after being charged with helping to procure underage girls to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein.
New York prosecutors claim that Maxwell played a “critical role” in helping the late paedophile “identify, befriend and groom” victims, and took part in some of the abuse. Epstein died in an apparent suicide in a Manhattan jail last August while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?
The well-connected socialite was the “favourite daughter” of late media mogul Robert Maxwell. “Whip-smart, glamorous and charming, she spent years trading on her impeccable contacts, often photographed with politicians, entrepreneurs and royalty,” according to The Telegraph.
Those contacts included US financier Epstein. The pair had a relationship in the early 1990s and remained close after splitting, with Epstein describing her as his “best friend”. Maxwell is also alleged to have acted as “madame” for the billionaire paedophile and his friends - a claim that she has denied.
Legal papers filed in the US in 2014 named Maxwell as “one of the main women whom Epstein used to procure under-aged girls for sexual activities and a primary co-conspirator in his sexual abuse and sex trafficking scheme” and said that “Maxwell herself regularly participated in Epstein’s sexual exploitation of minors”.
Epstein was arrested last year in New York following allegations that he was running a network of underage girls - some as young as 14 - for sex. Following his death, Maxwell “has kept a low profile”, says Sky News, but the investigation into her alleged role in the abuse has continued.
She was arrested in New Hampshire on Thursday. The BBC reports that “five of the six charges brought against her each carry a sentence of five years with the sixth - transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity - punishable by up to ten years in prison”.
Audrey Strauss, acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York, told a press conference that Maxwell had “repeatedly lied” about her involvement because the truth was “almost unspeakable”.
The socialite had “enticed young girls, got them to trust her, then delivered them into the trap that she and Epstein had set for them”, Strauss said.
What does her arrest mean for Prince Andrew?
Maxwell’s association with Prince Andrew is well established, with the Duke named in court papers relating to a defamation case filed against Maxwell by abuse victim Virginia Giuffre that were unsealed last year. The documents include claims that “one of the individuals Ms Giuffre was trafficked to was Prince Andrew”.
The Royal has repeatedly denied the allegations, but pressure is growing for him to speak to FBI investigators.
Andrew has been involved in an “acrimonious wrangle” with US authorities over answering questions about his relationship with Epstein, says The Times. Prosecutors claim that the Prince has ignored formal requests to help with their investigations.
“We would welcome Prince Andrew coming in to talk with us, we would like to have the benefit of his statement,” New York attorney Strauss said at this week’s press conference following Maxwell’s arrest.
“I have no further comment beyond what I just said, which is that our doors remain open, as we previously said, and we would welcome him coming in and giving us an opportunity to hear his statement.”
However, a source close to the Prince told The Sun that his lawyers had repeatedly “reached out” to lawyers on “a senior level” in the US in the past four weeks, but had received no reply.
“The Duke’s team remains bewildered given that we have twice communicated with the DOJ in the last month and to date we have had no response,” the source said.
.


theweekuk--2020-07-03--Meghan Markle ‘furious’ over Palace’s failure to defend her ‘against true stories’

The Duchess of Sussex felt “ unprotected ” by the Palace because the royal press team could not defend her against true stories , according to insiders .
Papers filed at the High Court say that Meghan Markle suffered “ tremendous emotional distress and damage to her mental health ” as a result of UK media scrutiny during her pregnancy .
The former working royal was “ unprotected by the institution , and prohibited from defending herself ” , her lawyers say in documents relating to her lawsuit against The Mail on Sunday for alleged breach of privacy .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kensington Palace and unable to defend her ” , adds The Sun .
The Times reports that the “ silence from Kensington Palace left the duchess frustrated ” and that her “ anger grew over two strands of stories dominating the news agenda about her : her relations with staff , especially the number who had quit , and the criticism of her by her family , especially Samantha Grant , her half-sister ” .
But sources told the newspaper that the press team were unable to deny the reports because they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a drop in the ocean compared to what was going on , ” the source said .
“ No one thinks this is going to end well , ” another source adds .
“ For anyone.
” Although a judge at a hearing earlier this year threw out Markle ’ s claim that she was the victim of a malicious press campaign , “ aides say that the Duchess is relieved that the true extent of what she believes she has suffered at the hands of the British press is now being revealed @ @ @ @ @ @

The Duchess of Sussex felt “unprotected” by the Palace because the royal press team could not defend her against true stories, according to insiders.
Papers filed at the High Court say that Meghan Markle suffered “tremendous emotional distress and damage to her mental health” as a result of UK media scrutiny during her pregnancy. The former working royal was “unprotected by the institution, and prohibited from defending herself”, her lawyers say in documents relating to her lawsuit against The Mail on Sunday for alleged breach of privacy.
Her friends also felt ‘silenced’ by Kensington Palace and unable to defend her”, adds The Sun.
The Times reports that the “silence from Kensington Palace left the duchess frustrated” and that her “anger grew over two strands of stories dominating the news agenda about her: her relations with staff, especially the number who had quit, and the criticism of her by her family, especially Samantha Grant, her half-sister”.
But sources told the newspaper that the press team were unable to deny the reports because they were largely true.
“The stories were a drop in the ocean compared to what was going on,” the source said.
“No one thinks this is going to end well,” another source adds. “For anyone.”
Although a judge at a hearing earlier this year threw out Markle’s claim that she was the victim of a malicious press campaign, “aides say that the Duchess is relieved that the true extent of what she believes she has suffered at the hands of the British press is now being revealed”, reports Vanity Fair.


theweekuk--2020-07-03--Dominic Cummings handed £100m to save planet by ‘sucking’ CO2 from air

The Treasury is pumping £100m into developing a little-known technology championed by Dominic Cummings that “ sucks ” carbon dioxide out of the air in order to combat global warming .
Boris Johnson ’ s most senior adviser is leading a push to help the UK achieve net zero carbon emissions through “ direct air capture ” ( DAC ) .
During the process , “ a stack of metal ‘ air scrubbers ’ use a chemical solution to remove the CO2 ” , which is then stored underground , according to the Daily Mail .
But Cumming ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitehall ” , The Times reports .
Government sources told the newspaper that the influential Downing Street aide believes “ that with early investment , Britain could become a world leader in the technology , which is only being developed by two firms ” .
“ Dom had become obsessed by this , ” a Whitehall source said .
“ He ’ s the one who has been pushing it despite huge scepticism from officials .
But he ’ s got his way.
” The officials are not alone in voicing doubts about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ tool that could potentially help in several places where current clean energy technologies are lacking ” , says Vox , “ the ability to pull carbon out of the air is not a silver bullet ” .
“ It is not the cheapest or most effective way to fight climate change .
It won ’ t allow us to bypass any of the hard work of reducing our emissions , ” the news site adds .
Yet “ some in Whitehall fear that it could distract from more conventional and proven projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government ’ s pledge to spend £9m insulating Britain ’ s homes , says The Times .
And while two companies have built functioning DAC plants , the process is expensive .
“ At the moment , it costs nearly £500 to remove a single tonne of CO2 , ” the paper reports .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 @ @ @

The Treasury is pumping £100m into developing a little-known technology championed by Dominic Cummings that “sucks” carbon dioxide out of the air in order to combat global warming.
Boris Johnson’s most senior adviser is leading a push to help the UK achieve net zero carbon emissions through “direct air capture” (DAC). During the process, “a stack of metal ‘air scrubbers’ use a chemical solution to remove the CO2”, which is then stored underground, according to the Daily Mail.
But Cumming’s pet project “has attracted scepticism in Whitehall”, The Times reports.
Government sources told the newspaper that the influential Downing Street aide believes “that with early investment, Britain could become a world leader in the technology, which is only being developed by two firms”.
“Dom had become obsessed by this,” a Whitehall source said. “He’s the one who has been pushing it despite huge scepticism from officials. But he’s got his way.”
The officials are not alone in voicing doubts about the plan.
Although DAC is a “tool that could potentially help in several places where current clean energy technologies are lacking”, says Vox, “the ability to pull carbon out of the air is not a silver bullet”.
“It is not the cheapest or most effective way to fight climate change. It won’t allow us to bypass any of the hard work of reducing our emissions,” the news site adds.
Yet “some in Whitehall fear that it could distract from more conventional and proven projects to cut emissions”, such as the government’s pledge to spend £9m insulating Britain’s homes, says The Times.
And while two companies have built functioning DAC plants, the process is expensive. “At the moment, it costs nearly £500 to remove a single tonne of CO2,” the paper reports.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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--2020-07-03--Quiz of The Week: 27 June - 3 July

Quiz of The Week: 27 June - 3 July

Tensions have risen between Beijing and London this week , after Boris Johnson pledged to open the UK ’ s doors to the three million residents of Hong Kong who have British National Overseas ( BNO ) status .
The prime minister extended the offer of residency after China passed “ draconian ” legislation aimed at cracking down on dissent in the former British colony .
In response , Beijing warned that China would take “ corresponding measures ” to prevent Hongkongers from leaving .
The Asian superpower is also facing scrutiny over claims made in a new book that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of British business and political leaders with strong ties to China .
To find out how closely you ’ ve been paying attention to other global events , put your knowledge to the test with our Quiz of The Week : Need a reminder of some of the other big stories from the past seven days ?
UK firms cut at least 10,000 jobs in just two days , with employees of high-street retailers and the aviation sector hit the hardest .
And as the government prepares to begin winding down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning that many more redundancies are likely to follow .
Meanwhile , the US bought the global stock of a key coronavirus drug , leaving little for the rest of the world .
The Donald Trump administration has snapped up more than 500,000 doses of remdesivir - all of the stocks of the drug produced in July , and 90 % of those manufactured in August and September .
Trump is also facing accusations that he regularly “ bullied and humiliated ” Theresa May on phone calls when she was prime minister , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ spineless ” on Brexit .
The claims were made by Carl Bernstein , one of the journalists who broke the Watergate Scandal , who says Trump would “ get nasty with [ May ] on the phone call ” .
In other events over in the US , British socialist Ghislaine Maxwell has appeared in court accused of facilitating her friend Jeffrey Epstein ’ s sexual exploitation of underage girls .
Maxwell played a “ critical role ” in helping the late paedophile “ identify , befriend and groom ” victims , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse , New York attorneys claim .

Tensions have risen between Beijing and London this week, after Boris Johnson pledged to open the UK’s doors to the three million residents of Hong Kong who have British National Overseas (BNO) status.
The prime minister extended the offer of residency after China passed “draconian” legislation aimed at cracking down on dissent in the former British colony. In response, Beijing warned that China would take “corresponding measures” to prevent Hongkongers from leaving.
The Asian superpower is also facing scrutiny over claims made in a new book that Beijing is “grooming” an elite group of British business and political leaders with strong ties to China.
To find out how closely you’ve been paying attention to other global events, put your knowledge to the test with our Quiz of The Week:
Need a reminder of some of the other big stories from the past seven days?
UK firms cut at least 10,000 jobs in just two days, with employees of high-street retailers and the aviation sector hit the hardest. And as the government prepares to begin winding down the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, experts are warning that many more redundancies are likely to follow.
Meanwhile, the US bought the global stock of a key coronavirus drug, leaving little for the rest of the world. The Donald Trump administration has snapped up more than 500,000 doses of remdesivir - all of the stocks of the drug produced in July, and 90% of those manufactured in August and September.
Trump is also facing accusations that he regularly “bullied and humiliated” Theresa May on phone calls when she was prime minister, calling her a “fool” and “spineless” on Brexit. The claims were made by Carl Bernstein, one of the journalists who broke the Watergate Scandal, who says Trump would “get nasty with [May] on the phone call”.
In other events over in the US, British socialist Ghislaine Maxwell has appeared in court accused of facilitating her friend Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual exploitation of underage girls.
Maxwell played a “critical role” in helping the late paedophile “identify, befriend and groom” victims, and took part in some of the abuse, New York attorneys claim.


theweekuk--2020-07-03--The Week Unwrapped: Kosovo, Isis drugs and the second wave of rave

Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days .
Will the indictment of Kosovo ’ s President lead to new Balkan tensions ?
Why is Isis sending amphetamines to Europe ?
And why might Covid-19 lead to a new round of raves ?
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 : Peace in the Balkans has been delicately balanced since a series of conflicts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , that fragile truce could be disrupted after Kosovo President Hashim Thaci was indicted by The Hague on war crimes dating back to his country ’ s conflict with Serbia in the late 90s .
The indictment has collapsed peace talks with his Serbian counterpart - and could have catastrophic consequences for the region .
Police in Italy have intercepted the world ’ s biggest ever amphetamine haul , which they claim was produced by Isis .
The 84 million pills were destined for European cities , with the money flowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Syria .
So could European drug use be fuelling terrorism at home and abroad ?
Over the past few weeks there have been a series of unlicensed street parties across Europe - but also illegal raves of all sizes , from a few dozen people gathering in a field to a 4,000-strong event in Daisy Nook Country Park near Oldham .
These have been heavily criticised as a coronavirus risk , but given that pubs will be reopening this weekend and most lockdown restrictions have already been lifted , perhaps this kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bad idea .
You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped on the Global Player , 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. Will the indictment of Kosovo’s President lead to new Balkan tensions? Why is Isis sending amphetamines to Europe? And why might Covid-19 lead to a new round of raves?
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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:
Kosovo
Peace in the Balkans has been delicately balanced since a series of conflicts following the fall of the Soviet Union. Now, that fragile truce could be disrupted after Kosovo President Hashim Thaci was indicted by The Hague on war crimes dating back to his country’s conflict with Serbia in the late 90s. The indictment has collapsed peace talks with his Serbian counterpart - and could have catastrophic consequences for the region.
Isis drugs
Police in Italy have intercepted the world’s biggest ever amphetamine haul, which they claim was produced by Isis. The 84 million pills were destined for European cities, with the money flowing back to Islamic State’s coffers in Syria. So could European drug use be fuelling terrorism at home and abroad?
Second wave of rave
Over the past few weeks there have been a series of unlicensed street parties across Europe - but also illegal raves of all sizes, from a few dozen people gathering in a field to a 4,000-strong event in Daisy Nook Country Park near Oldham. These have been heavily criticised as a coronavirus risk, but given that pubs will be reopening this weekend and most lockdown restrictions have already been lifted, perhaps this kind of outdoor event might not be such a bad idea.
You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped on the Global Player, Apple podcasts, SoundCloud or wherever you get you get your podcasts.


theweekuk--2020-07-03--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 3 Jul 2020

Boris Johnson will tell the public to “ act responsibly ” when lockdown is eased in England tomorrow .
Restaurants @ @ @ @ @ cinemas will be allowed to open their doors for the first time since March but @ @ @ @ @ warn “ we are not out of the woods yet ” .
He will add @ @ @ @ @ we first locked down , we will only succeed in reopening if everyone works together @ @

Johnson to warn public as England prepares for ‘Super Saturday’
Boris Johnson will tell the public to “act responsibly” when lockdown is eased in England tomorrow. Restaurants, pubs, hairdressers and cinemas will be allowed to open their doors for the first time since March but the PM is set to warn “we are not out of the woods yet”. He will add: “Just as when we first locked down, we will only succeed in reopening if everyone works together.”


theweekuk--2020-07-03--Covid-19 patient gives birth while in a coma

A coronavirus patient has given birth while fighting for her own life in a coma .
Colombian Diana Angola had been put into a coma after the novel coronavirus left her lungs barely able to function .
Doctors performed a caesarian section due to the condition of her lungs and her son Jefferson was born at least 14 weeks prematurely .
Angola has now reportedly recovered from the virus .
A motorway in Virginia was congested for nearly an hour after pigs wandered onto the road .
After the animals were spotted on the southbound Interstate 95 lanes in Spotsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies closed the lane shoulder two junctions south of where the pigs were strolling around .
A wife cut off her husband ’ s penis while he slept after she discovered he had cheated on her .
Although doctors in Nigeria battled to save the man ’ s appendage , local media says he will never have sex again and will have to pee using a catheter .
The woman , who is believed to be eight-months pregnant , has been arrested .
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Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A coronavirus patient has given birth while fighting for her own life in a coma. Colombian Diana Angola had been put into a coma after the novel coronavirus left her lungs barely able to function. Doctors performed a caesarian section due to the condition of her lungs and her son Jefferson was born at least 14 weeks prematurely. Angola has now reportedly recovered from the virus.
Pigs hold up traffic on Virgina highway
A motorway in Virginia was congested for nearly an hour after pigs wandered onto the road. After the animals were spotted on the southbound Interstate 95 lanes in Spotsylvania and Carolina counties, state police and deputies closed the lane shoulder two junctions south of where the pigs were strolling around.
Wife cuts off cheating husband’s penis
A wife cut off her husband’s penis while he slept after she discovered he had cheated on her. Although doctors in Nigeria battled to save the man’s appendage, local media says he will never have sex again and will have to pee using a catheter. The woman, who is believed to be eight-months pregnant, has been arrested.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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--2020-07-02--A brief guide to the dominant investment “styles”

It ’ s not unfair to suggest that until recently , pretty much every aspiring young fund manager was told to go away and read the bible of “ traditional ” investing – The Intelligent Investor by legendary US investor Ben Graham .
This eminently readable book is as close as you can get to the holy scripture of investing , and it describes what most of us would view as a common-sense idea .
When you buy a share , you buy a stake in a business .
To have any hope of making a profit , you need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and whether or not its shares are overpriced or underpriced , relative to certain “ fundamental ” measures such as cashflows , the state of the balance sheet , and earnings .
But scrub away all the technical language , and you end up with a contrarian philosophy which says buy low ( cheap ) and sell high ( expensive ) .
This is what most people are referring to when they use the term “ value ” investing .
The evolution of value investing One of Graham ’ s most famous acolytes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren Buffett , one of the world ’ s richest men – who took Graham ’ s ideas and used them in building his giant investment portfolio , Berkshire Hathaway .
But along the way , Buffett discovered that finding really cheap , Graham-style value stocks was becoming increasingly difficult .
Valuations kept increasing as US stocks boomed in price , and it turned out that too many of the apparently “ cheap ” businesses being left behind were actually deeply flawed , with perhaps too much debt , or more importantly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profits .
So over time , Buffett developed a new mantra , which one could describe as “ growth at a reasonable price ( GARP ) ” .
This involves looking for businesses and shares with growth potential that isn ’ t quite recognised by the market as yet .
In other words , the shares aren ’ t necessarily cheap in the classic value sense ( i.e .
relative to current fundamentals ) , but they are cheap relative to their likely future fundamentals .
Over time this approach has paid off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be unfair to say that the single largest group of equity fund managers in existence today probably follow some form of GARP style .
A modern variation is to target “ quality ” businesses – those with strong balance sheets , high profit margins , some form of advantageous intellectual property or brand protection ( a “ moat ” in the parlance ) .
But in recent decades , even this way of thinking has been critiqued by those who think that Buffett has lost his touch ( often citing underwhelming share price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Forget value , they say – instead , look at what the share price is telling you , and pick businesses in fast-growing sectors ( usually , though not always , in technology ) .
These growth-oriented investors are less worried about whether a stock is cheap or expensive , but whether its business franchise is growing quickly and dragging along a share price that is also rising faster than the wider stock market .
This group of growth enthusiasts have scored huge gains in recent decades as more money has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US and to a lesser degree Europe , where the quoted tech sector is now worth more than the entire market capitalisation of all Europe ’ s banks .
Different styles for different environments In the long term , historical data suggests that value has won out , though in more recent decades , both quality and growth styles have produced far superior numbers .
But these studies also point to other historically successful strategies .
For example , investing in smaller companies comes with extra risk , but evidence clearly shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK smaller cap equities over many decades , has beaten the wider market by a decent margin .
There is also a more curious anomaly .
Stocks with the lowest day-to-day volatility – simply put , share price ups and downs – have also tended to beat the wider market .
This has been called the “ low ” or “ minimum volatility ” premium , and seems to suggest that investors can succeed by avoiding the most turbulent sectors .
Unsurprisingly , many funds based on this strategy have emerged , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ quality ” style have incorporated it .
Step back from these debates around investment styles and a key point emerges – different styles work best at different times , and within different markets .
In recent months growth and especially tech-based growth equities have massively outperformed , and value underperformed .
But in recent weeks , cheap , contrarian stocks have bounced back .
What ’ s the lesson for investors ?
Many fund managers say they use multiple strategies , but in reality , many are best at one particular style @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and how they then implement that thinking , is critical for investors .
So look for a manager who is transparent about their strategy , competent at communicating what they are doing , and who knows their own strengths .
Discover more of the latest investment views and ideas from Liontrust ’ s experienced fund managers

It’s not unfair to suggest that until recently, pretty much every aspiring young fund manager was told to go away and read the bible of “traditional” investing – The Intelligent Investor by legendary US investor Ben Graham. This eminently readable book is as close as you can get to the holy scripture of investing, and it describes what most of us would view as a common-sense idea.
When you buy a share, you buy a stake in a business. To have any hope of making a profit, you need to understand how that business works; and whether or not its shares are overpriced or underpriced, relative to certain “fundamental” measures such as cashflows, the state of the balance sheet, and earnings. But scrub away all the technical language, and you end up with a contrarian philosophy which says buy low (cheap) and sell high (expensive). This is what most people are referring to when they use the term “value” investing.
The evolution of value investing
One of Graham’s most famous acolytes is a certain Sage of Omaha – Warren Buffett, one of the world’s richest men – who took Graham’s ideas and used them in building his giant investment portfolio, Berkshire Hathaway. But along the way, Buffett discovered that finding really cheap, Graham-style value stocks was becoming increasingly difficult. Valuations kept increasing as US stocks boomed in price, and it turned out that too many of the apparently “cheap” businesses being left behind were actually deeply flawed, with perhaps too much debt, or more importantly, no real prospects for long-term growth in profits.
So over time, Buffett developed a new mantra, which one could describe as “growth at a reasonable price (GARP)”. This involves looking for businesses and shares with growth potential that isn’t quite recognised by the market as yet. In other words, the shares aren’t necessarily cheap in the classic value sense (i.e. relative to current fundamentals), but they are cheap relative to their likely future fundamentals.
Over time this approach has paid off handsomely, and it wouldn’t be unfair to say that the single largest group of equity fund managers in existence today probably follow some form of GARP style. A modern variation is to target “quality” businesses – those with strong balance sheets, high profit margins, some form of advantageous intellectual property or brand protection (a “moat” in the parlance).
Growth or bust
But in recent decades, even this way of thinking has been critiqued by those who think that Buffett has lost his touch (often citing underwhelming share price returns for Berkshire Hathaway in recent years). Forget value, they say – instead, look at what the share price is telling you, and pick businesses in fast-growing sectors (usually, though not always, in technology).


theweekuk--2020-07-03--Coronavirus: full list of safe-to-travel countries revealed

The government has published its long-awaited list of countries to which English residents can travel this summer .
The 59 @ @ @ @ @ favourites including France , Spain and Italy , but leave off some big names , @ @ @ @ @ the USA .
Travellers from England will be allowed to travel to the named countries @ @ @ @ @ will be exempt from quarantine on arrival back to England after 10 July .
Scotland @ @ @ @ @ will announce their own quarantine plans in due course .
The countries and overseas territories @ @ @ @ @ rates of coronavirus that returning visitors will not need to self-isolate , reports Sky News @ @ @ @ @ “ We will keep the conditions in these countries and territories under review .
If @ @ @ @ @ hesitate to reintroduce self-isolation requirements .
The full list is as follows : • France @ @ @ @ @ are listed separately , where included in the exemption ) • Portugal ( only The @ @ @ @

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued its latest update to England’s travel corridor list.
The following countries, territories and regions have been added to the safe list: Aruba, Bhutan, Mongolia, Pacific Islands (Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu), and Timor-Leste.
Arrivals into England from these destinations after 4am on Saturday 28 November may not need to self-isolate.
Meanwhile, Estonia and Latvia have been removed from the exempt list. This means that travellers arriving into England from the two countries after 4am on Saturday 28 November will need to self-isolate.
Destinations on the quarantine list include Germany, Cyprus, Italy, Turkey, France, Spain, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Greece (except the islands of Corfu, Crete, Kos, Rhodes and Zakynthos).
Arrivals into England from all destinations are still required to complete the passenger locator form and show proof at the UK border. This applies for UK residents and visitors.
The full list of quarantine-free travel countries is as follows:
Europe
Azores and Madeira (rest of Portugal is not exempt)
the Canary Islands (rest of Spain is not exempt)
the Channel Islands
Faroe Islands
Finland
Gibraltar
Greek islands: Corfu, Crete, Kos, Rhodes and Zakynthos
Iceland
Ireland
the Isle of Man
Norway
Americas
Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Aruba
Barbados
Bermuda
Bonaire/St Eustatius/Saba
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Chile
Cuba
Dominica
Falkland Islands
Greenland
Grenada
Montserrat
South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands
St Barthelemy
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Pierre and Miquelon
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Turks and Caicos Islands
Uruguay
US Virgin Islands
Asia-Pacific
Australia
Bhutan
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei
Cambodia
Fiji
Hong Kong
Japan
Laos
Macao
Malaysia
the Maldives
Mongolia
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Northern Mariana Islands
Pacific Islands (Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu)
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Vietnam
Africa
Mauritius
Namibia
Rwanda
Seychelles
St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Antarctica
British Antarctic Territory
Middle East and Gulf


theweekuk--2020-07-03--Why Vladimir Putin’s ‘presidency for life’ may prove more short-lived

Vladimir Putin appears set to remain in power until 2036 after winning a controversial vote to amend Russia ’ s Constitution and reset presidential term limits .
But with both oil prices and his approval ratings falling , the Russian leader ’ s “ job for life ” may not be as safe as it seems .
The president thanked Russian voters for their “ support and trust ” on Thursday after election officials confirmed that almost 78 % of voters had backed a raft of constitutional amendments - including one that will reset presidential term limits , allowing Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Turnout for the vote exceeded 64 % , according to the authorities .
“ The result of the vote shows that the vast majority of citizens believe that we can work better .
And the so-called expanded government - from municipalities to the president - is obliged to do everything it can to justify the high confidence placed in it by the people , ” Putin said in an address on state-run TV channel Rossiya 1 .
But Kremlin critics have challenged both the turnout figure and the final result , arguing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are false , with an unrealistic approval rating for the Russian leader amid wide frustration in the country over declining living standards ” , says fact-checking website Snopes .
“ A record in falsifying votes has been set in Russia , ” opposition politician Alexei Navalny said in a Facebook post .
“ The announced result has nothing whatsoever to do with the people ’ s opinion.
” So is Putin ’ s job now safe ?
Despite the outcome of the vote , analysts say that Putin ’ s position is far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an issue for the Russian president , especially since “ the base of support for Putinism is concentrated among financially hard-pressed Russians living in cities , towns and rural areas far less glamorous than Moscow and St Petersburg ” , the Financial Times says .
“ Millions have fallen into hardship since the decline of sky-high oil prices that raised living standards in the president ’ s first decade in office , ” the newspaper adds .
The Kremlin attempted to mollify these voters by drawing attention to provisions within the constitutional amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But according to the BBC , “ the continuing Covid-19 crisis is unlikely to improve things ” for Putin .
The president “ has rarely shone in crisis management ” , agrees The Guardian , “ and this one appears no different ” .
Part of the problem for Putin is that his support base relies heavily on older people - the demographic who are likely to be hardest hit by Covid-19 .
And people who “ gain experience of the deficiencies of Russia ’ s medical system fundamentally revise their view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward Putin ” , says Foreign Policy .
Amid growing dissatisfaction over his response to the pandemic , the president is facing challenges from both sides of the political divide .
“ One comes from forward-thinking and liberal residents of large cities , the other from depressive and impoverished provinces , ” political commentator Kirill Rogov wrote on Facebook .
Although Putin won this week ’ s vote by a comfortable margin , “ there are signs of cracks in the solid backing he once enjoyed ” , adds The Washington Post .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for another two terms , Putin would be the longest-serving Russian leader since Peter the Great , the czar who led the Russian empire for 43 years until his death in 1725 .
But such an outcome is far from assured .
Some analysts have compared the extension of Putin ’ s presidency to the 1977 signing of Article Six of the Soviet Constitution , which enshrined the Communist Party ’ s status as the ruling and only political party , but also triggered mass demonstrations against the regime .
“ We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political analyst Rogov .
“ There are countries like Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan where societies have accepted a limitless presidency .
Russian society is unlikely to react the same way .
”

Vladimir Putin appears set to remain in power until 2036 after winning a controversial vote to amend Russia’s Constitution and reset presidential term limits.
But with both oil prices and his approval ratings falling, the Russian leader’s “job for life” may not be as safe as it seems.
What has happened?
The president thanked Russian voters for their “support and trust” on Thursday after election officials confirmed that almost 78% of voters had backed a raft of constitutional amendments - including one that will reset presidential term limits, allowing Putin to run again in 2024 and 2030.
Turnout for the vote exceeded 64%, according to the authorities.
“The result of the vote shows that the vast majority of citizens believe that we can work better. And the so-called expanded government - from municipalities to the president - is obliged to do everything it can to justify the high confidence placed in it by the people,” Putin said in an address on state-run TV channel Rossiya 1.
But Kremlin critics have challenged both the turnout figure and the final result, arguing that “the numbers alone show they are false, with an unrealistic approval rating for the Russian leader amid wide frustration in the country over declining living standards”, says fact-checking website Snopes.
“A record in falsifying votes has been set in Russia,” opposition politician Alexei Navalny said in a Facebook post. “The announced result has nothing whatsoever to do with the people’s opinion.”
So is Putin’s job now safe?
Despite the outcome of the vote, analysts say that Putin’s position is far from secure.
Falling living standards are an issue for the Russian president, especially since “the base of support for Putinism is concentrated among financially hard-pressed Russians living in cities, towns and rural areas far less glamorous than Moscow and St Petersburg”, the Financial Times says.
“Millions have fallen into hardship since the decline of sky-high oil prices that raised living standards in the president’s first decade in office,” the newspaper adds.
The Kremlin attempted to mollify these voters by drawing attention to provisions within the constitutional amendment that would expand the social security net.
But according to the BBC, “the continuing Covid-19 crisis is unlikely to improve things” for Putin. The president “has rarely shone in crisis management”, agrees The Guardian, “and this one appears no different”.
Part of the problem for Putin is that his support base relies heavily on older people - the demographic who are likely to be hardest hit by Covid-19. And people who “gain experience of the deficiencies of Russia’s medical system fundamentally revise their view of the political system - and attitudes toward Putin”, says Foreign Policy.
Amid growing dissatisfaction over his response to the pandemic, the president is facing challenges from both sides of the political divide. “One comes from forward-thinking and liberal residents of large cities, the other from depressive and impoverished provinces,” political commentator Kirill Rogov wrote on Facebook.
Although Putin won this week’s vote by a comfortable margin, “there are signs of cracks in the solid backing he once enjoyed”, adds The Washington Post.
If he did remain in the Kremlin for another two terms, Putin would be the longest-serving Russian leader since Peter the Great, the czar who led the Russian empire for 43 years until his death in 1725.
But such an outcome is far from assured. Some analysts have compared the extension of Putin’s presidency to the 1977 signing of Article Six of the Soviet Constitution, which enshrined the Communist Party’s status as the ruling and only political party, but also triggered mass demonstrations against the regime.
“We are now at a crossroads,” says political analyst Rogov. “There are countries like Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan where societies have accepted a limitless presidency. Russian society is unlikely to react the same way.”


theweekuk--2020-07-03--Botswana investigating mysterious sudden deaths of 350 elephants

Scientists are struggling to explain the sudden deaths of more than 350 elephants in northern Botswana , in what has been described as a “ conservation disaster ” .
The spate of elephant deaths in the southern African nation ’ s Okavango Delta was first reported in early May , with 169 confirmed to have died by the end of the month .
“ By mid June , the number had more than doubled , ” The Guardian reports .
Some carcasses were found clustered around waterholes , while others appear to have fallen “ flat on their faces ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservation at UK charity National Park Rescue .
Witnesses say that live elephants seen nearby have appeared physically weak , with at least one animal “ walking in circles , unable to change direction ” , reports CNN .
The Botswana government says that laboratories in Canada , South Africa and Zimbabwe have been asked to “ process the samples taken from the dead elephants ” , in a bid to explain the mass die-off .
In a report prepared for the authorities , conservation organisation Elephants Without Borders ( EWB ) said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ages appeared to be dying , according to Reuters .
The deaths come a year after an elephant hunting ban was repealed in Botswana , which is home to around 130,000 of the animals - almost a third of the total on the continent .
However , investigators say the carcasses were found with the tusks intact .
And while cyanide poisoning is sometimes used by poachers , “ it is only elephants that are dying and nothing else ” , says McCann said .
“ If it was cyanide used by poachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths.
” Instead , the cause of the death could be a parasite - or even coronavirus .
“ There is no precedent for this being a natural phenomenon but without proper testing , it will never be known , ” said McCann .
Until test results are available , “ it is impossible to rule out the possibility of a disease crossing into the human population - especially if the cause is in either the water sources or the soil ” , says the BBC .
McCann warns : “ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has the potential to be a public health crisis .
”

Scientists are struggling to explain the sudden deaths of more than 350 elephants in northern Botswana, in what has been described as a “conservation disaster”.
The spate of elephant deaths in the southern African nation’s Okavango Delta was first reported in early May, with 169 confirmed to have died by the end of the month. “By mid June, the number had more than doubled,” The Guardian reports.
Some carcasses were found clustered around waterholes, while others appear to have fallen “flat on their faces”, says Niall McCann, director of conservation at UK charity National Park Rescue.
Witnesses say that live elephants seen nearby have appeared physically weak, with at least one animal “walking in circles, unable to change direction”, reports CNN.
The Botswana government says that laboratories in Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe have been asked to “process the samples taken from the dead elephants”, in a bid to explain the mass die-off.
In a report prepared for the authorities, conservation organisation Elephants Without Borders (EWB) said aerial surveys showed that elephants of all ages appeared to be dying, according to Reuters.
The deaths come a year after an elephant hunting ban was repealed in Botswana, which is home to around 130,000 of the animals - almost a third of the total on the continent.
However, investigators say the carcasses were found with the tusks intact. And while cyanide poisoning is sometimes used by poachers, “it is only elephants that are dying and nothing else”, says McCann said. “If it was cyanide used by poachers, you would expect to see other deaths.”
Instead, the cause of the death could be a parasite - or even coronavirus.
“There is no precedent for this being a natural phenomenon but without proper testing, it will never be known,” said McCann.
Until test results are available, “it is impossible to rule out the possibility of a disease crossing into the human population - especially if the cause is in either the water sources or the soil”, says the BBC.
McCann warns: “It is a conservation disaster - but it also has the potential to be a public health crisis.”