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Showing posts from June, 2020

Upper Crust and Caffè Ritazza owner to cut 5,000 jobs

Travel decline hits SSP Group’s outlets based at railway stations and airports Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The owner of Upper Crust and Caffè Ritazza is to axe 5,000 jobs after suffering heavy losses in the coronavirus crisis lockdown. SSP Group said the cuts, which represent about half of its workforce, are part of a wide-sweeping restructuring aimed at keeping the catering company afloat. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2AhTT6j Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Muddled messaging over Leicester lockdown leaves locals baffled

Confusion over city boundaries and a lack of warning marked the return of coronavirus restrictions Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage By Tuesday morning, the fact that Leicester was facing a new lockdown was clear. The only question was: what, exactly, did that mean? On a day of confusion in the Midlands city, the council tried to set out the boundaries that would be in place on the outskirts of town, but some residents complained of a lack of communication and a lack of clarity over which side of the all-important red line they lived. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3ietbg1 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Worth the hype: are Dior's Air Jordans the most-wanted trainers of all time?

The fashion house’s update of Michael Jordan’s classic footwear is set to bring joy to sneakerheads and point the way forward for luxury shopping. Is this the restart of hype? Two months ago, it was modish to theorise that consumer desire for extravagant luxury fashion might never recover from the pandemic. But two months is a long time in fashion, and this week sees the blockbuster must-have come roaring back into style. On 1 July, an online prize draw will decide the lucky few who have won the privilege of spending £1,800 on the new Air Dior trainers. Even by the hype standards of the sneakerhead world, the buzz around the luxury take on basketball’s most iconic hi-top is breaking pre-pandemic decibel records. Next week’s pop-up Selfridges “collection point” for the first Air Jordan 1 OG Dior sneakers will be the first luxe iteration of the click-and-collect retail mode that is part of our contactless new normal. The hands-on elements of the pop-up had to be shelved to comply with ...

Wednesday briefing: Experts 'expect more Leicesters'

Rise in infections brings fear of more localised lockdowns … China says new Hong Kong laws will make extraditions easier … Pierce Brosnan on life, loss and 007 Morning everyone. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories this Wednesday morning. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2NMwNYN Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Rising coronavirus infections in pockets of UK raise fears of further local lockdowns

Leicester is unlikely to be the only place to return to tight restrictions, say scientists Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Parts of Kent, London, north Wales and Scotland are still battling significant Covid-19 outbreaks, sparking fears from scientists and public health directors that Leicester’s return to lockdown is set to be repeated. Bars and restaurants are preparing to reopen on Saturday in what the prime minister, Boris Johnson, has dubbed “Independence Day”. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/31z6AF4 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Global report: US reports another record increase in coronavirus cases

New cases jump by 80% in two weeks; South Korea using remdesivir; outbreak in Australia’s state of Victoria worsens Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The United States again reported a record one-day increase in coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with 44,358 new coronavirus cases confirmed in the country, according to coronavirus database the Covid Tracking Project , as infections surge across the country, which is the worst-affected worldwide in terms of cases and deaths. The US has more than 2.6m cases and accounts for approximately one in four known deaths worldwide, with the country’s toll currently at 127,410. There are close to 10.5m cases globally, with infections rising by around 150,000 in the last 24 hours alone to 10,450,628. The global death toll stand at 510,632. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3ge5frh Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Evictions could treble due to coronavirus rent debts, activists warn

Campaigners urge government to protect tenants in arrears and widen eligibility for housing benefits Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The number of households made homeless after being evicted for falling behind on the rent could treble if the government does not stop a mounting debt crisis, campaigners are warning. They are calling for the government to suspend evictions due to rent arrears arising from the pandemic, an increase in the amount of and eligibility for housing benefits, and a scheme to clear arrears not covered by the benefit system that would guarantee 80% of landlords’ incomes. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2NIOZm1 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

South Korea: incidents of Covid-19 'mask rage' flare as summer heats up

Hot weather is making mask wearing increasingly uncomfortable, prompting some people to refuse face coverings in defiance of government advice Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The onset of summer has sparked a rise in incidents of “mask rage” in South Korea , as more hot and bothered commuters either refuse to wear face coverings or leave parts of their faces exposed. In South Korea, Japan and other countries in east Asia, widespread mask wearing has been cited as one possible explanation for the region’s relative success in bringing the Covid-19 pandemic under control . Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/31wAIRB Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Coronavirus Victoria: 73 new Covid-19 cases reported as 36 Melbourne suburbs return to lockdown

Ten hotspot postcodes face restrictions from midnight, as surge in community transmission sees state ramp up containment measures Everything we know about Victoria’s clusters Follow the Australian coronavirus live blog Download the Guardian app to get the most important news notifications Victoria reported 73 new Covid-19 cases overnight, with 10 hotspot postcodes to enter lockdown from midnight as the state tries to bring the cases under control. While there were 14 new cases announced in New South Wales overnight, all of those were in returned international travellers now in quarantine hotels. Of Victoria’s cases, only three were from hotel quarantine, with community transmission becoming a growing concern in the state over the past fortnight. The source of 42 of Victoria’s newest cases remains under investigation. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Zn5lGt Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Madrid's Teatro Real reopens with socially distanced opera

Verdi’s La Traviata reimagined with cast and orchestra wearing face masks Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The opening scenes of merriment have taken on a sombre tone, with the chorus clad in black and white and spaced exactly 2 metres apart. Minutes into the staging of La Traviata, the surgical masks come off, timed with the rising notes of an orchestra led by a conductor standing behind a plastic screen. Spain’s Teatro Real will reopen its doors to the public on Wednesday, becoming one of the world’s first opera houses to return to the stage with a production that includes a chorus, orchestra and soloists after months of lockdown. On offer is Verdi’s La Traviata, tweaked to reflect life in the time of Covid-19. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/38h5SO5 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

‘I don’t let regret in’: Pierce Brosnan on love, loss and his life after Bond

He has worked with Tennessee Williams, Robin Williams – and, controversially, Roman Polanski. The former 007 discusses fatherhood, family and the lonely childhood that shaped him I am 10 minutes into my Zoom interview with Pierce Brosnan when his son Dylan arrives off-screen with his father’s coffee. “Did you put sugar in this?” he says to the 23-year-old. “Some more milk, please, I don’t take mine black.” Dylan is sent back to correct it. “He’s a wonderful musician and a great academic,” Brosnan says. “He just graduated from USC film school.” The graduation, like so many others, was cancelled. “We got him a cap and gown and sat here watching it [the online ceremony] on the sofa”. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/38iwxdC Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Ready for a roasting? Inside Belfast's standup scene

It’s the only place in the world where jokes about local councillors work. But is Belfast’s sharp-tongued comedy circuit becoming less hostile to outsiders? Patrick Kielty ’s first Belfast standup set won him a keg of beer. It was freshers’ week 1989 at Queen’s University and his housemates had nominated him for a talent competition. As well as the booze, he earned a termly gig on campus, but across Belfast comedy barely existed. Until, that is, BBC producer Jackie Hamilton approached him with an idea: The Empire Laughs Back, the city’s first dedicated comedy night. “There was no scene, so we decided to make it,” Kielty says. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/38iwjTO Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Danny Sapani: 'We must teach the truth about British history'

The actor, who stars in the National Theatre’s stream of Les Blancs, says schools must acknowledge the damage done by colonialism – to strengthen the bonds of a multicultural society Les Blancs was staged at the National Theatre in 2016 and is Lorraine Hansberry’s final play. It’s not as well known as her iconic A Raisin in the Sun . When did you first read it? When I was called by the National Theatre. I did my research afterwards and realised there had been two [UK] productions of the play, one at Theatre Royal in the 1980s and the other at the Royal Exchange in Manchester. It was first performed on Broadway in 1970, after Lorraine Hansberry had died. Robert Nemiroff [her former husband] controlled the output of her estate until it was handed over to her daughter. What’s interesting is that he collated the many notes and revisions she was writing for the play on her deathbed – she died in 1965 at the age of 34 from pancreatic cancer – and put them together for the 1970 production. ...

Oscars voting body invites 819 members in campaign to diversify the Academy

Eva Longoria, Zendaya and Awkwafina are among the new class of invitees which is 36% people of color and 45% women Eva Longoria, Zendaya and Awkwafina are among the Hollywood figures invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year, as the Oscars voting body continues its push to diversify. The Academy announced it had invited 819 new members on Tuesday, including Cynthia Erivo, John David Washington and Constance Wu. The new class of invitees is 36% people of color and 45% women. Those who accept will have voting privileges at this year’s Oscars. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/31wdxXr Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

High court set to rule on humanist wedding recognition in England and Wales

Legal recognition would bring nations in line with Scotland and Northern Ireland After 14 years together, Kate Harrison and Christopher Sanderson, both in their 60s, would like to get married. But first they are going to court. They are one of six couples going to the high court next week to try to force a legal recognition of humanist weddings in England and Wales, which would bring the nations in line with Scotland and Northern Ireland. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/31yuqRo Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Why are Nick Kyrgios and Boris Becker fighting? Who is the rat and who is the doughnut?

Could it be true that Australia’s outspoken tennis star is the voice of reason on coronavirus? Mike Hytner explains it to Gabrielle Jackson … quickly Mike, I’m hearing some vague murmurings about Nick Kyrgios and Boris Becker, rats and doughnuts. Sounds intriguing. What’s going on? It’s just another day in the bizarre world that is post-Covid tennis Twitter. Australia’s most outspoken and entertaining tennis star has attracted a strong rebuke on the socials from the German six-time grand slam champion after Kyrgios aired his views about how some in tennis have responded to the coronavirus crisis – recklessly and selfishly, in Nick’s view. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Zsfbqj Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

New York attorney general reaches $19m settlement in Harvey Weinstein lawsuits

Agreement would resolve two sexual misconduct lawsuits on behalf of multiple women against imprisoned former film producer The attorney general for New York said on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached to settle two sexual misconduct lawsuits on behalf of multiple women against Harvey Weinstein for nearly $19m. But attorneys representing six of the women who have made accusations against the imprisoned former film producer called the proposed deal a “sellout” that did not require Weinstein, 68, to accept responsibility or personally pay out any money. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3gft7ed Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Hong Kong activists call for protests over security law as city marks handover anniversary

Carrie Lam toasts ‘success and affluence of our motherland’ at flag-raising ceremony as city awakes under shadow of new security laws As Hong Kong awoke to the first day of life under new national security laws imposed by Beijing , activists have called on residents to defy a ban on protests and take to the streets. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2BtgoWD Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Gas explosion at Iran medical clinic kills 19

Gas leak at Sina At’har clinic in northern Tehran kills 15 women and four men, say fire officials An explosion from a gas leak in a medical clinic in northern Tehran has killed 19 people, Iranian state TV has reported. Video posted online appeared to show more than one explosion and thick black smoke rising from the Sina At’har clinic. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YL1sfa Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Physical play with fathers may help children control emotions, study finds

Research suggests father-child play at an early age could benefit children as they get older Children whose fathers spend time playing with them at a very early age may find it easier to control their behaviour and emotions, which has a beneficial impact as they get older and start school, according to a new study . Research carried out by Cambridge University’ s faculty of education and the LEGO Foundation looked at how mothers and fathers play with children aged 0 to 3 years and how it affects child development. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3g4VOue Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Criminal cases backlog could take a decade to clear, watchdog warns

Inspectorate says ‘radical solutions’ needed to deal with delays caused by coronavirus lockdown The backlog of untried cases in the criminal justice system – which has ballooned during lockdown – could take a decade to clear, an official watchdog has warned. The inspectorate that monitors the Crown Prosecution Service cautions that delays are likely to be “highly detrimental to justice”, will require “radical solutions” and that the problem could prove to be “more complex than dealing with the immediate crisis”. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/38akO0y Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Paintings showing first gay kiss in UK theatre acquired for the nation

Pallant House Gallery gets Leonard Rosoman’s paintings of John Osborne play Paintings that show the first gay kiss in British theatre history and an extravagant drag ball have been acquired for the nation in lieu of inheritance tax. Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, West Sussex has announced it is now the owner of five paintings by Leonard Rosoman from the 1960s. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3icHVMt Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'You have to take action': one hospital cleaner’s journey through the pandemic

After years of outsourcing, many essential staff work for the NHS without receiving its benefits. In one London hospital, the fight is on for a better deal. By Sophie Elmhirst On 9 February, a cold, damp Sunday, an Uber pulled up to University Hospital Lewisham in south-east London and dropped off a woman who had recently returned from China. The woman walked up to the reception desk and outlined her symptoms. She was given a mask, taken to a designated area outside the A&E building and tested for coronavirus. When, three days later, the test came back positive, it confirmed what medical authorities had already suspected: this was London’s first case . That day, Ernesta Nat Cote, a cleaner at Lewisham hospital, heard the news from a nurse in her department. The nurses, Ernesta told me, are always the best source of information: “They tell me everything.” Ernesta has been cleaning the hospital for 11 years, ever since she first came to London. She arrives just before the start of ...

Headteachers out of pocket and children hungry in England's school meals chaos

Call for food commission as government accused of failing to repay schools’ costs and caterers criticised for underfeeding pupils Headteachers in England are accusing the government of breaking its promise to reimburse them for food costs, and parents are complaining that some caterers are letting down the poorest children, while nutrition experts have called for a children’s food commission. Chris Dyson, head of Parklands primary, in Leeds, has approached food wholesalers and joined forces with the logistics company Dennis Distribution, to ensure “no one in our school would go hungry ”. Families are getting two hampers worth £70 a week with essentials such as bread, cheese and ham. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2BR4tBT Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

UK's mental health has deteriorated during lockdown, says Mind

Government must take urgent action to prevent even bigger crisis in future, charity warns Lockdown has been devastating for mental health and the worst could be yet to come, a leading charity has said. The mental health charity Mind says a survey has revealed that lockdown has had a dramatic impact on the nation’s mental health, warning that unless action is taken now, the problem could grow. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3iizrDM Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Covid-19 intensifies elder abuse globally as hospitals prioritise young

Older patients turned away or left untreated, while domestic abuse is also rising, leading charity reports Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage When Souzi Bondeko’s grandfather started showing symptoms of Covid-19 and was struggling to breathe, she took him to a hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, where he was put on a ventilator. She dashed home to get some food and returned to be told by a member of staff that he had been taken off the machine as it it was needed elsewhere. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3igMq8I Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Scat feels better: digestive health of Japan deer improves as tourist snacks dwindle

Absence of tourists during coronavirus pandemic has led Nara’s revered deer back to traditional diets and better health Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage While the absence of tourists during the coronavirus pandemic may have deprived Nara’s famous deer of their favourite snack, it has worked wonders for their digestive health. Before the outbreak, millions of tourists descended on the western Japanese city – once the country’s capital – to view its shrines and temples, and feed the estimated 1,300 free-roaming deer in the its main park Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3igyHPq Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Off their heads: the shocking return of the rave

With clubs shut, thousands of young people are breaking the Covid-19 rules to attend parties organised on social media – and more are being set up every day Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage When Daisy Nook started trending on Twitter on the evening of 13 June, many users of the site thought it was a reference to the popular video game Animal Crossing , which features characters called Daisy and Nook. But Paul Carroll knew better. The 59-year-old police trainer had seen the saucer-eyed teenage girls and lads swigging from cans of beer flooding into Daisy Nook country park, in Greater Manchester, as he took his dogs for a walk that evening. Carroll stared at the revellers in astonishment. Illegal raves simply do not happen in Daisy Nook. It was not a restful evening. The traffic outside Carroll’s house was relentless, as was the whoosh of the nitrous oxide balloons the young people were huffing as they marched through the country park to the rave site, ...

Paddy McAloon and Thomas Dolby: how we made Prefab Sprout's Steve McQueen

‘People think Bonny is about my father’s death, but he wasn’t dead then – I imagined grief’ I grew up in Witton Gilbert in County Durham and started Prefab Sprout with my brother [Martin, bass] and Michael Salmon, who lived down the street. Michael borrowed a drum kit and Martin and I shared an amplifier. We rehearsed in my dad’s run-down wooden-framed petrol station. We were as rough as can be, but we sounded like a band, at least to ourselves. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/38bH89S Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

About bloody time: is cinema finally going with the flow of period sex?

Hollywood has a horror of the twin taboos of intercourse and menstruation. But female writers and directors are starting to change the way women’s bodies are portrayed on screen When it comes to taboo subjects on screen, period sex serves up a double whammy. Intercourse and menstruation – who wants to see that, right? Certainly not Hollywood. In the history of cinema, the vanishingly rare instances of sexual flow-down are portrayed with more focus on the horror of women “ surfing the crimson wave ”, as Cher from Clueless puts it, rather than reducing the stigma. Who can forget the moment, in both the original 1976 Carrie and 2013 remake , when the titular heroine is terrified when she discovers blood coming out of her vagina in the school showers? A similar scene of fright occurs when Brooke Shields’s young castaway Emmeline gets her period for the first time in The Blue Lagoon (1980) , while Ginger Snaps (2000) wraps a teen’s transformation into womanhood with becoming a werewolf. ...

How do you deal with 9m tonnes of suffocating seaweed?

Across the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, scientists are developing alternative sustainable solutions to the golden tide of Sargassum The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, first detected by Nasa observation satellites in 2011 and now known to be the world’s largest bloom of seaweed, stretches for 5,500 miles (8,850km) from the Gulf of Mexico to the western coast of Africa. Millions of tonnes of floating Sargassum seaweed in coastal waters smother fragile seagrass habitats, suffocate coral reefs and harm fisheries. And once washed ashore on Mexican and Caribbean beaches, this foul-smelling, rotting seaweed goes on to devastate the tourist industry, prevent turtles from nesting and damage coastal ecosystems, while releasing hydrogen sulphide and other toxic gases as it decomposes. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/38f7tnO Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Jacinda Ardern decries 'dangerous' calls to reopen New Zealand borders

The prime minister appeared to be responding to the opposition leader, who has said keeping the borders closed for months or years is ‘untenable’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Jacinda Ardern has decried as “dangerous” her detractors’ calls to open New Zealand’s borders – or present a plan for how she will do so – as the country remains largely free of Covid-19 while the virus spreads abroad. Telling reporters on Tuesday that she had heard “calls for our borders to be opened to the world”, the New Zealand prime minister referred to “a world where the virus is escalating not slowing and not even peaking in some countries yet, where cases exceed 10 million globally and deaths half a million, where countries are extending and returning to lockdown”. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2ZkIknA Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Covid-19: why R is a lot more complicated than you think – podcast

Over the last few months, we’ve all had to come to terms with R, the ‘effective reproduction number’ , as a measure of how well we are dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. But, as Nicola Davis finds out from Dr Adam Kucharski, R is a complicated statistical concept that relies on many factors and, under some conditions, can be misleading Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YHc2ns Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Ayasofya: the mosque-turned-museum at the heart of an ideological battle

Turkey’s decision to secularise the building was symbolic – so is Erdoğan’s support for reversing it For 900 years, Muslim caliphs and sultans took it upon themselves to fulfil the Prophet Mohammed’s prophecy that a great conqueror would one day bring the holy city of Constantinople into Islam’s embrace. In 1453, when Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II finally succeeded in breaking through the Byzantine city’s walls, he immediately made his way to the largest cathedral in Christendom. As sunlight glittered off gold mosaics of the Virgin Mary and incense smoke drifted up into the building’s vast dome, he fell on his knees and prayed. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2ZlaI94 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

China passes controversial Hong Kong national security law – reports

Critics say the measure, which criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, erodes Hong Kong’s autonomy Beijing has reportedly passed a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong that critics fear will crush political freedoms and pave the way for China to cement its control over the semi-autonomous territory. Less than 40 days after Chinese lawmakers first proposed imposing an anti-sedition law on Hong Kong, the standing committee of the National People’s Congress, on Tuesday approved the measure, criminalising secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Several Hong Kong media organisations, citing unnamed sources, reported the law was passed unanimously by the committee. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YIUtTY Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Cape Cod issues great white shark warning ahead of 4 July holiday

Sharks found in nearly every part of the cape, and are gathering there in summer in increasing numbers Cape Cod’s beaches and towns may be quieter because of the coronavirus pandemic, but officials are reminding visitors ahead of the 4 July holiday that the famous Massachusetts destination remains a popular getaway for other summertime travellers: great white sharks. Great whites have been coming to the Cape in greater numbers each summer to prey on the region’s large seal colonies. Most tend to favour the Atlantic ocean-facing beaches where seals tend to congregate, but researchers have found them off nearly every part of the Cape. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2BkBwy4 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Sturgeon refuses to rule out Scotland screening visitors from England

First minister’s comments come after public health expert said people arriving from England could also be asked to self-isolate Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Nicola Sturgeon has said she cannot rule out introducing quarantining or screening for travellers coming from England if infection rates rise south of the border. The first minister said her government intended to eliminate coronavirus from Scotland after disclosing there had been no deaths in Scottish hospitals from confirmed Covid-19 for four days, with only 10 people now in intensive care. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3ikcd03 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Broadway shows to stay shut for rest of 2020 as coronavirus keeps curtain closed

Show won’t go on for 41 venues in New York’s world-famous theatrical centre, in a devastating blow for the industry Broadway shows will not return this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the industry’s trade association. All 41 venues in New York’s world-famous theatrical centre have been closed since March as the city entered lockdown to halt the spread of Covid-19. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/31zVu2R Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

New swine flu with pandemic potential identified by China researchers

G4 strain has already infected 10% of industry’s workers in China but no evidence yet that it can be passed from human to human Researchers in China have discovered a new type of swine flu that is capable of triggering a pandemic, according to a study in the US science journal PNAS. Named G4, it is genetically descended from the H1N1 strain that caused a pandemic in 2009. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2BmdGlG Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Golden State Killer: former police officer pleads guilty to string of murders

Joseph James DeAngelo admits to 13 murders, 13 kidnapping-related charges and dozens of sexual assaults Forty years after a suburban rapist terrorized California in a series of assaults and killings, a 74-year-old former police officer has pleaded guilty to being the elusive Golden State Killer. Joseph James DeAngelo, 74, pleaded guilty on Monday to a wave of crimes stretching back to the 1970s, including 13 murders and 13 kidnapping-related charges throughout California, and admitted to dozens of sexual assaults that he could not be criminally charged with. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2NETez1 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Arizona orders bars and gyms to close, joining other states in reversing reopening

Move comes on the heels of state reporting nearly 4,000 new Covid-19 cases Sunday, its largest one-day caseload so far The governor of Arizona has ordered bars, movie theaters, gyms and water parks to shut down, in a dramatic move that echoed similar efforts by states around the country to roll back plans for reopening. The order from the Republican governor, Doug Ducey, came on Monday and went into effect immediately, and will last for at least 30 days. Ducey also also ordered public schools to delay the start of the classes at least until 17 August. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2CUyaT5 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Coronavirus live updates: WHO team to search for Covid-19 origin in China as chief says he fears 'worst to come'

UK locks down city of Leicester ; wearing masks to be mandatory in Kansas ; Iran reports record daily deaths . Follow the latest news Global report: Covid-19 deaths pass half a million WHO team to search for coronavirus origin in China as chief says ‘worst to come’ Battleground states becoming Covid-19 hotspots as Trump trails Biden See all our coronavirus coverage 1.09am BST Iran recorded its highest number of deaths from Covid-19 within a 24-hour period, official health ministry figures showed on Monday. The 162 deaths reported on Monday exceed the previous record on 4 April, when the health ministry reported 158 deaths in a day. The Islamic Republic has recorded a total of 10,670 deaths and 225,205 infections from the coronavirus, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in a statement on state TV. There have been 186,180 recoveries, she said. 12.59am BST Kansas governor Laura Kelly on Monday said that she will sign an executive order requiring that most state ...

Wild west replica 'town' for sale in New Zealand attracts interest in US – and Hong Kong

Attractions include a lack of coronavirus cases and the chance to avoid foreign investment restrictions It’s a common refrain for inhabitants of the northern hemisphere fed up with their own countries and longing for escape: “That’s it, I’m moving to New Zealand.” But the Covid-19 pandemic and strict rules about who can buy property there would currently prevent most hopefuls from doing so – unless they have $11.6m and fancy becoming the sheriff of a wild west replica “town”. Mellonsfolly Ranch is a meticulous reproduction of an 1860s Wyoming frontier town – established 2006 – that’s even off the radar of most locals. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2VrW8LA Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Can I go clubbing? Only in New Zealand! Your guide to easing and the arts

Are seatless, stroll-through shows the future of theatre? Can one-way dancing save nightclubs? Could budding indie bands storm Wembley stadium? Scientists imagine the arts after Covid-19 The day before museums began closing in Britain, I saw Aubrey Beardsley at the Tate and Titian at the National Gallery. It was a strange experience, the power of the art undercut by the unsettling feeling that something deadly could be among us. “Don’t come too close to me,” I found myself thinking, or: “I can’t believe you’re coughing in public.” I wondered if it was wrong of me to even be there. With the words “global health emergency” ringing in my ears, I resolved not to leave the house again for pleasure. Soon, there was no choice anyway. Those thoughts have resurfaced now that lockdown is easing and arts institutions face enormous pressure to reopen – and keep visitors safe. “The virus has produced a great deal of anxiety,” says Gabriel Scally, honorary professor of public health at the Univers...

Park staff in England tell of litter chaos as 'Super Saturday' looms

Forums speak of hundreds of tonnes of plastic and other waste discarded by public Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Hundreds of tonnes of additional rubbish, including mountains of single-use plastic, is being discarded by the public in English parks each day as park managers warn of their fears for “Super Saturday” this week. Officials in Bournemouth said they collected 50 tonnes of litter left by revellers and beachgoers on the beach on one day alone last week, compared with five tonnes on an average June day. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Vra1ty Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Make Covid-19 support for vulnerable energy customers permanent, Ofgem tells suppliers

Regulator plans to make current voluntary measures standard practice across the industry Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The energy regulator plans to make some of the rules designed to protect customers struggling financially during the Covid-19 crisis a permanent part of its oversight from this winter. Ofgem plans to call on energy suppliers to offer customers having difficulty in topping up their energy meters or paying their gas and electricity bills emergency top-up vouchers or breathing space on bill payments. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2AbBb08 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Balcony churches: Kenyans find new ways to worship in lockdown

With no date set for religious buildings to reopen, an innovative priest brings his own brand of musical service to apartment complexes The children hang over the balcony railings on Sunday morning, parents clutching on to their coat collars to keep them from tumbling over. In the parking lot below, a four-person band test microphones and practise harmonies. A moment later, the group break into an upbeat chorus, filling the Mirema apartment complex in Nairobi with music: “I’m happy today, so happy. In Jesus’s name, I’m happy.” Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3g1zRw6 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Summer of the cannibal rats! Hungry, aggressive, highly fertile – and coming to our homes

With restaurants closed and less food discarded on UK streets, rats have had to find new places to feed. Luckily for them, people are eating more in their houses, flats and gardens … Lockdown has been hard for rodents whose fortunes are tied to those of humans. When restaurants closed, and city streets and back alleys emptied of people and their waste, rats lost a plentiful supply of food. So they followed us home, foraging and breeding in our gardens, drains and household voids. They became more brazen and aggressive. And, when that wasn’t enough, they began to eat each other. Cannibal rats are among the grimmest consequences of the upending of urban life. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned of “unusual or aggressive” behaviour in rats, including the eating of rat pups. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Zht2zP Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

I started the 'gender reveal party' trend. And I regret it

Jenna Karvunidis accidentally created a monster. Now she argues that the concept of gender is limiting In 2008, while pregnant with her eldest child, Bianca, Jenna Karvunidis threw a party at which she announced the baby’s sex by cutting into a cake filled with pink icing. She wrote about the event on her blog, and her post went viral. Soon “gender-reveal parties” became a massive trend, one that has come to involve increasingly extravagant choreographed “reveals” and sometimes even deadly stunts. One such party led to a 47,000-acre wildfire in Arizona; another involved explosives that killed a soon-to-be grandmother . Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2VITZvx Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Monday briefing: Uproar as UK's top civil servant quits

Sir Mark Sedwill has been blamed by No 10 aides for failure to control the pandemic … worldwide deaths hit 500,000 … the plot to kill Edward VIII Morning everyone. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories to help you start your week. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2ZhLoki Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Beyoncé urges Black community to 'vote like our life depends on it' in BET awards speech

The singer was awarded the humanitarian award by Michelle Obama, who said ‘her activism demands justice for Black lives’ Beyoncé has been awarded the humanitarian award at the BET Awards, using her speech to encourage viewers to vote “like our life depends on it” in the upcoming US election. Michelle Obama highlighted Beyonce’s commitment to the Black community before presenting her with the award, saying: “You can see it in everything she does, from her music that gives voice to Black joy and Black pain, to her activism that demands justice for Black lives.” Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/31phf5a Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Boost NHS mental health youth services to tackle radicalisation, say psychiatrists

Specialists argue that spending on NHS is as important as counter-terrorism measures Leading psychiatrists have urged the government to boost public resources for youth mental health to tackle an association between depression or anxiety and sympathies with violent protest and terrorism. Edgar Jones and Kamaldeep Bhui, professors of psychiatry at King’s College London and the University of Oxford, warned that the underfunding of mental health services has left young people with PTSD, anxiety and depression susceptible to a range of poor outcomes, including radicalisation, which can culminate in violent extremism. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2VoU9aT Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

China 'seals off' more than 400,000 in Anxin county to tackle small Covid-19 cluster

Authorities prevent people leaving their homes in province surrounding Beijing in measures reminiscent of Wuhan restrictions Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Authorities have put almost half a million people in Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing, under lockdown as a fresh outbreak in the capital continues to fan fears of a second wave of the coronavirus. Anxin county, about 145km (90 miles) from Beijing, has “sealed off” residential areas and restricted people from leaving their homes. Only one person from each household can leave once a day with a special pass to get necessities such as food or medicine, according to the measures announced and put into immediate effect on Sunday. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2BmxPIn Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'They are the new poor': Covid-19 fuels rising poverty in Italy

Patience wears thin over slow pace of economic help for businesses and individuals hit by hardship Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The queue at a soup kitchen in the Trastevere district of Rome moves at a much slower pace than it did before Italy’s coronavirus outbreak, owing to physical distancing rules. But it is also much longer. “We have gone from serving around 300 meals at a time to 500,” said Lucia Lucchini, who manages the kitchen run by the Catholic charity Sant’Egidio. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2AfQEMQ Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'It’s how I feel. It’s not how you feel': four teens explain why they reject the gender binary

A growing number of US kids are rejecting traditional gender identities in favor of being non-binary, but many feel misunderstood and face prejudice Who decides your gender? A growing number of American kids say it is up to them – and are rejecting the traditional markers of “male” or “female” in favor of identifying as “genderqueer”, which refers to people who don’t fall squarely within the gender binary. Stars like Indya Moore have come out as non-binary and use they/them pronouns, and non-binary characters are increasingly featured in breakout TV shows, such as Asia Kate Dillon’s role in Billions. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2BNwTMW Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Italian fashion needs to confront its racism, say industry insiders

Scandals including Gucci’s blackface jumper point to colonialist ideas about identity How culpable is Italy in fashion’s current race crisis? Very, according to black members of the Italian fashion industry. When the media cites examples of fashion houses co-opting centuries-old racist imagery and making it new (Gucci’s blackface jumper , Prada’s golliwog trinket , Dolce and Gabbana’s pizza advert ) one commonality is often overlooked: Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana are Italian companies. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3gc1mTX Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Dozens arrested during Hong Kong peaceful protest against national security laws

Silent protest ends in scuffles with police as Beijing prepares to approve controversial legislation Hong Kong police have arrested at least 53 people after scuffles erupted during a relatively peaceful protest against planned national security legislation to be implemented by the mainland Chinese government. Armed riot police were present as a crowd of several hundred moved from Jordan to Mong Kok in the Kowloon district on Sunday, staging what was intended as a “silent protest” against the planned law. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3dHBOfB Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Labour MP apologises to JK Rowling for sexual assault remark

Lloyd Russell-Moyle accused author of using her experience against trans people Labour frontbencher Lloyd Russell-Moyle has apologised to Harry Potter author JK Rowling after accusing her of using her own sexual assault as “justification” for discriminating against trans people. Russell-Moyle, a shadow environment minister, made a public apology to Rowling after he wrote a piece in the Tribune saying he felt she had used her past experience to pass comment on a group of people who were not responsible for it. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2CQKgN1 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Coronavirus Victoria: 74 locally acquired cases recorded in highest daily increase

Health authorities expect numbers to get worse in coming days and are considering further lockdowns Follow our Australian coronavirus liveblog Download the free Guardian app to get the most important news notifications Victoria has recorded its highest daily jump in locally acquired Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began, with 75 people testing positive and only one confirmed to be a returned international traveller. “I think it will get worse before it gets better,” the state’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, said. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Bj5KSe Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Quarter of businesses in Pacific fear they will not survive Covid-19 pandemic

Region that has so far avoided worst of outbreak still suffering economic fallout, with reports of theft and need for food handouts soaring A quarter of businesses in the Pacific are not confident they will survive the coronavirus pandemic despite the region largely avoiding the pandemic health crises seen elsewhere, a survey of businesses across the region shows. Ninety per cent of businesses have lost money, and many are already struggling with the effects of recent natural disasters. Sixty-five per cent have been “negatively impacted” by weather, including extreme rainfall or temperatures, flooding, drought or rising sea levels over the past year, a further survey by Pacific Trade Invest Australia found. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2BP7hiC Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Understanding white privilege with Reni Eddo-Lodge – podcast

Reni Eddo-Lodge has become the first black British author to top the UK bestseller list with her 2017 book Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race. In an exclusive interview with the Observer’s Nosheen Iqbal she talks about global discussions on racism following the death of George Floyd The death of George Floyd in the US last month has ignited conversations around the globe about race, racism and white privilege. On social media, people have been sharing reading lists, offering suggestions of books to help others understand how structural racism infects our society. The book that comes up time and again is Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge . The resurgence of interest in it has made her the first black British author to top the UK bestseller chart. The Observer’s Nosheen Iqbal spoke to Reni about her response to the recent surge in interest in talking about race and whether this new impetus will result in decisive change. She tell...

Chesapeake Energy, fracking pioneer, files for bankruptcy owing $9bn

The Oklahoma City-based company helped turn the US into a global energy powerhouse but ran up huge debts in the process Chesapeake Energy, the shale gas drilling pioneer that helped to turn the United States into a global energy powerhouse, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The Oklahoma City-based company said on Sunday that it had been forced to enter chapter 11 protection because its debts of $9bn were unmanageable. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3871PnB Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Coronavirus live news: global deaths pass 500,000 as 'window closing' in US on chance to curb Covid-19

California governor closes bars in several counties ; half a million confined in Beijing ; cases worldwide top 10m; Follow the latest updates Global deaths pass 500,000 Global report: Covid-19 cases exceed 10m US health secretary says ‘window is closing’ to stop virus New Zealand’s isolation facilities under ‘extreme stress’ See all our coronavirus coverage 1.19am BST Mexico’s health ministry reported on Sunday 4,050 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 267 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 216,852 cases and 26,648 deaths. The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases. 1.11am BST More than quarter of a million cancer sufferers have been struggling with panic and anxiety attacks during lockdown and are now facing new fears about the loosening of restrictions , research has revealed. The study, by Macmillan Cancer Support, found fear levels among UK cancer sufferers ...

Before and after the drought: how one Australian family farm sprang back to life - in pictures

Photographer Benjamin Wild has documented his family’s property during the harshest times – and then the relief of the rains Somewhere in Benjamin Wild’s photographs of Gradgery Cemetery, there’s a metaphor of loss, despair and then hope that’s bursting to escape. Wild, 40, is the youngest of four to have grown up on the farm that’s been in the family for six generations and which sits across the road from those gravestones. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Bf7KL5 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Hottest front-room seats: the best theatre and dance to watch online

From live-streams of new plays to classics from the archive, here are some of the top shows online now or coming soon – this page is updated daily Lockdown laughs: where to watch online comedy The National Theatre at Home initiative has reached a huge global audience, with productions streamed for free online on Thursdays at 7pm and then available for seven days. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, staged at the Bridge theatre by Nicholas Hytner with a cast including Gwendoline Christie, Oliver Chris and Hammed Animashaun, is online until 2 July. Then there’s Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry, directed by Yaël Farber and starring Sheila Atim and Gary Beadle (2-9 July); The Deep Blue Sea, Terence Rattigan’s portrait of emotional turmoil in postwar Britain, staged by Carrie Cracknell and starring Helen McCrory (9-16 July); and Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, directed by Michael Longhurst, with Lucian Msamati as Salieri and on-stage orchestral accompaniment by Southbank Sinfonia (16-23 July). Continu...

German far right infiltrates green groups with call to protect the land

Extremists exploit rural nostalgia and farmers’ anger at globalisation to smuggle in ideology The poster advertising the evening of debate and organic canapés in Halle’s university district looked familiar to environmentally conscious Germans: a rugged pair of hands, cupping fertile brown soil, underneath the slogan “Farms instead of agricultural factories”, written in a font mimicking that of a popular biodynamic food brand. The only hint the event wasn’t organised by sandal-wearing good-lifers but a local group of far-right nationalists was in the subtitle: “Let’s chase the globalists off our acres!” Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2VpWfHT Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

It'll take four years for NHS to recover from Covid-19, health chiefs warn

Patients will face much longer waits for procedures as hospitals operate at a predicted 40% of capacity Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The NHS will not be able to get back to providing its full range of services for as long as four years because of the huge disruption caused by Covid-19, hospital bosses warned on Saturday. Patients will face much longer waits than usual for operations and diagnostic tests because hospitals’ drive to remain infection-free means they are closing beds, and surgeons’ need to wear protective clothing means they are carrying out fewer procedures than before the pandemic. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Zdb0Pm Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Ian McKellen's Hamlet, aged 81: it's madness but there's method in it

Eyebrows were raised over the casting for the young Prince of Denmark, but it could give the play new life At first it seems preposterous. Aged 81, Ian McKellen has announced he is to play Hamlet . Who knows what age he will be when Sean Mathias’ production is finally able to open at the Theatre Royal Windsor? We think we know how old Hamlet is at the end of Shakespeare’s play. The not altogether reliable gravedigger says that the prince is 30. Which makes him a year younger than McKellen was when he opened in the part at Nottingham Playhouse, wearing a fringed leather jerkin, alongside a psychedelic ghost. Of the twin Shakespearean peaks, he is now much nearer the summit approached by an actor late in life: he has played King Lear three times. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3eGMEnp Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Movie magic: ‘The cinema is my solace in times of crisis’

The writer Simon Stephenson looks forward to the days when he can eat popcorn in the dark again As a writer who works from home, my lockdown life has not been so different from my previous existence. Perhaps the biggest change is that I have not gone three months without visiting a cinema since I was a child. It seems a shameful thing to admit when others have been suffering so profoundly, but I have missed those movies on the big screen. They have been my lifelong companions, and I have lamented them like vanished friends. The relationship began for me in the long-ago Easter of 1981 with the release of Superman II . My yearning to see it was elemental: my dad was taking my older brother and I wanted everything he got. When it was broken to me that at three years old I was too young to go to the cinema, I screamed for days, thus confirming that I indeed could not yet be trusted anywhere near one. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2VqYWIX Check out htt...

Far-right thugs exploit Black Lives Matter movement, warns UK anti-extremism chief

Home Office commissioner Sara Khan reveals surge in online hate material since death of George Floyd The Black Lives Matter movement has been aggressively exploited by the UK’s far right, which has recruited and radicalised people on the back of its success, the government’s chief adviser on extremism has warned. Sara Khan, Britain’s first counter-extremism commissioner, said far-right activists had used the death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter (BLM) to propagate white supremacist narratives online. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Zg82th Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Black teenager on family cycle ride injured during ‘aggressive’ police arrest

Calls for investigation after 13-year-old and his father are wrongly detained by officers investigating stabbing Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2B6XS6l Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'We've had to rein in our spending': how coronavirus has hit household incomes

The finances of a full spectrum of people in the UK are being affected. We ask how they have fared The pandemic has hit many people hard: jobs have been lost, freelancers have had work cancelled, and many small businesses are struggling. For everyone, even those who carried on working, habits have changed and the credit and debit columns in banks statements look very different to before the lockdown started. “A full spectrum of people are being affected,” says Guy Anker, deputy editor of MoneySavingExpert.com. “We’re hearing from people who have lost their income completely, while the self-employed are being particularly hit, with people such as those earning £50,000 and those at an early stage of their business and not making a profit, not eligible for government support.” Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3iblfvV Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'I've been dreaming of this day': happy campers return to Northern Ireland

Under canvas or in their caravans, enthusiasts head for the beauty spots in the first part of the UK to lift coronavirus restrictions Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Under the mountains of Mourne close to Castlewellan Forest Park’s lake, a young family were celebrating the liberation of campsites from lockdown in Northern Ireland. Before the lifting of restrictions on caravan and camping parks in the rest of the UK, the Kon family had driven for an hour from their Newtonabbey home on the northern outskirts of Belfast to this County Down beauty spot. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/38bXBLw Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Poetic justice: black lives and the power of poetry

Leading black British poets including Linton Kwesi Johnson, Grace Nichols and Raymond Antrobus share their thoughts on protest, change and the trailblazers who inspired them. Introduction by Kadish Morris Performance poetry revolutionised me. When I was 13, my mother invited me to a group called Leeds Young Authors, which she co-ran with founder and poet Khadijah Ibrahiim. Together, along with visiting poets, they ran writing workshops for teenagers. The selling point was that I would get the chance to travel to the US to compete in a poetry slam festival, but the excitement of getting on an aeroplane was soon overshadowed by what I can only describe as enlightenment. Poems performed at the festival taught me about police brutality, gentrification and climate change before I even owned a computer. Performance poetry immersed me in a world of critical thinking, but also, a community of black poets. I shared stages, shook hands and was taught by some of the greatest black British and Af...

£450k for trainers: why vintage fashion is the new smart investment

In a booming market for Birkins, Baguettes and ‘Lux Anaconda’ shoes, the traditional auction houses are getting in on the act If you’ve ever complained about the cost of new trainers, consider this. On Friday night, a pair of running shoes sold $162,500 (£132,000) at auction at Sotheby’s in New York. Though these unique spike shoes were handmade in the early 1970s by Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike, they’re not even the most expensive trainers in the world. Those were sold at Sotheby’s last month: a pair of Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan 1s from 1985 fetched $560,000 . These sales are part of a growing trend for traditional auction houses to sell fashion and streetwear. Many now sell skateboards as well as Picassos, and are setting up handbag departments alongside those for antiquities and old masters. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3i8rvVf Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Michael Rosen: ‘The incredible NHS saved my life’

The children’s author and poet, 74, talks about surviving coronavirus, enjoying getting older and moping all weekend when Arsenal lose I’m only alive because my wife and our friend who is a GP had a sense that I was on a downward spiral with coronavirus and got me to A&E. But I’ve got no recall of being critically ill it because I was in an induced coma. I’m only finding out now how the NHS saved my life while I was in intensive care for nearly seven weeks. The NHS is an incredible feat of the imagination – complete strangers care for you and this means that it is social medicine and social health at its best. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3dGtyfK Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Growing hostility may force Israel to pause annexation plan

Calls for sanctions are intensifying as the cabinet meets and Netanyahu awaits US approval The Israeli cabinet will meet on Sunday to finalise plans to annex parts of the West Bank amid growing international opposition and calls for sanctions to be imposed if the proposal is implemented. Related: Lisa Nandy urges ban on imports of West Bank goods Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3dz4doc Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Calls for national care service as crisis leaves homes in critical state

Government urged to seize chance of reform, amid closure fears and claims NHS left some homes to fend for themselves Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Senior care leaders are calling for urgent reform of the way Britain’s elderly population is looked after with the creation of a new national service. As care homes emerge from the worst of the first wave of the pandemic, bodies representing owners, staff, residents and their relatives have all urged Boris Johnson to deliver on the pledge to fix social care that he made on the steps of Downing Street after becoming prime minister 11 months ago. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/388sSyI Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Global report: worldwide Covid-19 cases near 10m as US again hits record daily rise

Global milestone expected on Sunday; lockdowns reintroduced in some countries; NZ quarantine system ‘under stress’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Global coronavirus cases are expected to tip over 10 million on Sunday, marking a major milestone in the spread of the disease that has so far killed almost 500,000 people in seven months. The figure is roughly double the number of severe influenza illnesses recorded annually, according to the World Health Organisation. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2VppryB Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'Like leaning into a left hook': coronavirus calamity unfolds across divided US

In a week that saw the worst day on record for new cases, Trump shrugs as experts warn Americans not to follow his lead A disaster is unfolding in Montgomery, Alabama, where Martin Luther King preached and where Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus. Hospitals are running short of drugs to treat Covid-19, intensive care units are close to capacity, and ventilators are running short. Related: Rashida Tlaib pushes to free US inmates from coronavirus 'death sentence’ Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YClUyR Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

My daughter wants to quit college, but still have us pay her rent

I’m not too impressed with her assumption that the bank of Mum and Dad should continue to pay out, says Mariella The dilemma After a gap year, my daughter is in her first year at university. She really doesn’t find her course interesting and wants to quit. However, she wants to carry on living with her friends and has committed to renting a house with them. She thinks we should continue to pay her rent, which we would do if she was attending the course. It’s a financial struggle for us , and my husband is totally against it. I understand her reasoning – if we would fund her to do a degree she is not interested in and have a miserable year, why wouldn’t we pay her to live with her friends and do her own thing? We said she needs to work and figure out a way to pay her own way, but we’re wondering realistically what jobs will be available by September. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Zjo9Gi Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

The meal kits from restaurants you can plate up at home

Getting a little tired of your own cooking? There are new ways round it, says Jay Rayner The bleakest of crises can also gift us the most impressive of innovations. The Second World War gave us radar and rocket propulsion. This pandemic has given us… evolved restaurant food delivery. Oh, what a time to be alive and hankering after a bit of dinner. OK, it doesn’t enable airliners to avoid colliding and falling to earth in a devastating fireball. Nor does it empower us to reach the moon. But it does allow us to have a nice time. In the current circumstances, we should take it where we can get it. Another review of takeaways? Not quite. I’m intrigued by the way restaurants that would never before have imagined their food being available to eat outside their premises have started to innovate. Consider it an act of business rehabilitation, a kind of economic physio to get the body moving again. Clearly it requires thought and care. Ravinder Bhogal of Jikoni in London’s Marylebone has put...

Sunday with Alan Cumming: ‘You will sing whether you like it or not’

The actor and podcaster reveals the secrets of his laid-back lockdown life in the Catskill Mountains An early riser? I’m up by 8am to make a pot of tea and read with the dog while my husband is sleeping. Even locked-down in the isolated Catskill Mountains I’ve found I need to make time to be alone. Living in the middle of nowhere also means I can pee outside, which I love. I’ll take the dog out and we both have one together. Do you cook? I hate ‘brunch’; it’s a weird, lazy word that makes me think of white privilege. I like to make vegan sausages and baked beans on a Sunday – it’s my concession to the b-word. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Bfhyoo Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

May I have a word about the sudden arrival of legions of cohorts? | Jonathan Bouquet

As the pubs reopen, this might be something to contemplate over a pint I admit that Roman history is not my strong suit – Romulus and Remus, the Rubicon, Julius Caesar being done to death, Horatius at the bridge, straight roads and that’s about it. But I’ve always treasured the word cohort – one of the 10 units of a Roman legion. But that affection is fast being soured. Consider the following: “ Alberta Health releases more detailed guidance on cohorts, how to form them”; “ Nurseries to keep children in ‘cohorts’ of eight amid social distancing reopening plans”, “ Start Codon showcases the first cohort of companies from its life science business acceleration programme”. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3idtojQ Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

China criticises Canada for 'irresponsible remarks' over two men charged with spying

Beijing denounces ‘megaphone diplomacy’ over jailed Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and arrest of Huawei executive China has sharply criticised Canada over its comments about two Canadians charged with spying, blaming its leaders for “irresponsible” statements and calling on Ottawa to end its “megaphone iplomacy”. Chinese prosecutors this month charged Canadians Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a businessman, over allegations of espionage and providing state secrets. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Zds9Iw Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com