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Showing posts from August, 2020

Inner Mongolia protests at China's plans to bring in Mandarin-only lessons

Beijing plan to replace Mongolian language in some school subjects sparks fears of cultural assimilation Thousands of ethnic Mongolians have protested across northern China in opposition to Beijing plans to replace the Mongolian language with Chinese in some school subjects. Tuesday marked the first day of a policy revealed in June, to gradually transition the language of instruction in Inner Mongolian schools from Mongolian to Mandarin Chinese. The change affects three subjects over the next three years in the autonomous region. The education bureau said Mongolian and Korean language classes would remain. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3lxwBfL Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Scammers target UK music festivals forced online by coronavirus

Facebook phishing schemes charge fans to view events’ free live streams Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Festivals across the UK have been hit by internet scammers this season, who are taking advantage of the fact most have been forced to go online-only because of coronavirus restrictions. Facebook phishing scams with fake pages and events are charging individuals to view live streams – even though they are often free to view on official festival pages. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2QH4jB9 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'We’ve covered huge swathes of the UK in tarmac': how roads affect birds

Rarer birds suffer the most from the network that criss-crosses the country, finds study, but kerbside life appears to suit some In 1925, ecologist Dayton Stoner drove 632 miles through Iowa, making a note of all the dead animals he saw en route. There were 225 pieces of roadkill in total, including red-headed woodpeckers, painted terrapins and blue racer snakes – once-common species that are now rare. The paper, called The Toll of the Automobile , was the first study of “road ecology” – a growing area of research that looks at the many ways tarmac dissects habitats. In Britain, dead pheasants, foxes and badgers are common roadside sightings, but much of the environmental damage is hidden and hard to measure – roads fragment habitats and damage them through noise, chemical and light pollution. There are an estimated 28m miles (45m km) of paved roads on our planet, set to increase to about 43m miles by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency . Continue reading... from ht...

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review: the new king of Android smartwatches

Great design, screen, performance, battery and health-tracking, with long support and sustainability Samsung’s latest, the Galaxy Watch 3, is an all-round refinement of its previous excellent smartwatch efforts – slimmer, lighter and with a larger screen. The £399 Galaxy Watch 3 comes in two sizes (41mm or 45mm), two colours and with or without 4G, aiming to be the Apple Watch of Android, here reviewed in black with a 45mm case. It sits alongside the smaller, fitness-focused Galaxy Watch Active 2 and works with any brand of Android with access to the Google Play Store as well as an iPhone running iOS 9 or newer. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2QHWFX7 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Wanted: thick-skinned maverick to head up World Trade Organization

As Roberto Azevêdo steps down early, eight candidates step up for poisoned chalice of being WTO director general Wanted: someone to step in and turn around a big and failing multilateral organisation. The post involves relocation to Geneva where the successful candidate will require the cunning of a Machiavelli, the political skills of Nelson Mandela and the thick skin of a rhinoceros. Plus a good dollop of luck. The job description for director general of the World Trade Organization did not quite go like that, but none of the eight people who have put themselves forward to succeed Brazil’s Roberto Azev êdo are in any doubt as to the extent of the challenge. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/34PL4xB Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Tuesday briefing: Equality warning as schools return

Children from England’s poorer areas have lost weeks more learning during crisis … Trump accused of fomenting violence … knotty issue for Adele Morning everyone. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories to start September. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2QH6vbN Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Marcus Rashford takes aim at child food poverty with new taskforce

Manchester United forward outlines plans to build on free school meals victory in letter to MPs Three months after he forced a government U-turn on summer holiday school meal vouchers, Marcus Rashford has set his sights on a bigger target: the end of child food poverty in Britain. After MPs scrambled to line up behind the charismatic young Manchester United footballer and political activist, it is now the turn of the food industry. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2DmgL6o Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Hancock accused of favouring Tory areas with Covid lockdown changes in England

Labour MPs and councillors in north-west say health secretary overruled local health leaders Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Matt Hancock has been urged to publish the scientific advice behind his decision to lift coronavirus restrictions in some areas after critics accused him of “playing politics” with public health. The health secretary announced on Friday that more than 1 million people across north-west England would be allowed to visit friends and family for the first time in a month from Wednesday. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YSqybG Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Venice prepares to welcome guests to Covid-safe film festival

Face masks, distanced screenings and temperature scanners are part of measures Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Mandatory face masks, socially distanced screenings and temperature scanners are set to give the usually glamorous Venice film festival a very different feel this year as organisers attempt to make the event safe with Covid-19 cases ris ing in Europe . Attendees will be faced with strict measures meant to reduce the risk of infection, as nearly every European country experiences an increase in Covid-19 cases after lockdown restrictions were lifted across the continent in early summer . Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3lAOjij Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

New Zealand lockdown led to biggest spike in welfare claims in modern history

Demand for social welfare ‘unprecedented’ in April as coronavirus lockdown claimed tens of thousands of jobs Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The number of people claiming benefits grew by nearly 12% during New Zealand’s first month of lockdown, a new report has found, representing a demand for social welfare “unprecedented in modern history”, the government says. Analysis by the Ministry of Social Development showed the jump in April was the biggest monthly rise in 24 years, “noting that this period includes the global financial crisis and the Asian crisis”. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3jAf054 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'It tortures me to imagine her dying without us' – the life and lonely death of Doreen Chappell

In April, Doreen, who lived in an assisted living facility, contracted Covid-19. Her family are devastated by her death, and believe she would still be alive today had she not been disabled If Doreen Chappell’s first marriage was a disaster, her second one was a great success. She was born Doreen Brenda Ward in the East End of London, in 1936; her mother was a seamstress, her father, who had seen action at Gallipoli, later became a telecoms engineer. It was a working-class household: Doreen left school at 15 to look for a job. Like many young women of the era, she became a typist and secretary, even having elocution classes to improve her chances of getting work. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2EMHRDX Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

The butcher's shop that lasted 300 years (give or take)

Frank Fisher, now 90, was a traditional high street butcher his whole working life – as were three generations of his family before him. How does a man dedicated to serving his community decide when it’s time to hang up his white coat? By Tom Lamont Frank Fisher’s butcher’s shop had been in business, he liked to tell people, for more than 300 years. A while back, a signpainter was commissioned to advertise this fact on an outside wall, in case any strangers should pass through the market town of Dronfield in Derbyshire and feel compelled to stop and inspect a time capsule. When I first visited, in January 2018, I found a low, square-windowed room tiled in faded beige and blue. Most of the interior was taken up by a walk-in meat larder, with just enough room left over for a counter, a crimson-stained cutting block and Frank himself. Saws and cleavers dangled, ominously, at throat height; you had to be careful not to impale yourself on the hooks that curled down from a black-lacquered c...

How we made Faking It

‘I was studying at Oxford, auditioned and they said: “You’re going to be a bouncer.” I didn’t know what it entailed – and coming out on national TV wasn’t ideal’ My job was to find characters with charisma and interesting things to say. My boss at RDF Media at the time, Stephen Lambert, was experimenting by mixing entertainment formats with documentary production. Big Brother was already on the air, but it felt like we were leading the way in this new genre of television-making. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3gMrnsX Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

How to build a secondhand capsule wardrobe

As Oxfam’s Second Hand September campaign urges more of us to buy preloved clothes, here’s how to find modern classics without buying new Think of vintage or secondhand clothing and you are likely to picture wacky prints, T-shirts advertising long-ago band tours, and floral tea dresses. All of which are great, if retro is your thing, but what if you like a more understated look? With campaigns such as Oxfam’s Second Hand September urging us to buy only secondhand clothes for 30 days, is it possible to use such purchases as the building blocks for a capsule wardrobe? “People are driven to secondhand for many different reasons,” says Fanny Moizant, co-founder of the resale site Vestiaire Collective. “Building a unique wardrobe is one of them,” she says. “It’s exciting to hunt for stand-out pieces that you won’t find anywhere else.” Another reason, she says, is the wish to be more eco-friendly. “As we’re seeing a shift towards consuming more consciously, I think the concept of investin...

Snakes on a plate: Australian man shocked after massive serpents crash through kitchen ceiling

Snake catcher says two male snakes ‘some of the biggest and fattest’ he had seen, and appeared to be fighting over a female It’s every Australian’s worst nightmare – well, probably everyone’s worst: making a cup of tea in the kitchen, only to have two massive snakes fall through your kitchen ceiling. Retiree David Tait received a bit of a shock on Monday when he found two carpet snakes had tumbled on to the kitchen floor at his home north of Brisbane, before slithering away to the bedroom and living room. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2EWLk2H Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Hundreds in France stuck on TGV train overnight after power failures

Operator SNCF apologises after five-hour trip takes nearly an entire day, most of it without food Hundreds of travellers spent the night stranded and hungry on a French TGV train after an electrical failure saw it reach its destination almost a day late. The train left Hendaye on the Spanish border bound for Paris, carrying nearly 1,000 passengers despite a spike of Covid-19 infections in France, and had been due to arrive on Sunday afternoon after a five-hour journey. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3jynEAY Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Chilling out: cold-water surfers in Australia – in pictures

Victoria’s coronavirus travel restrictions have meant the surfing community on Phillip Island have had the local beaches to themselves this past winter. While temperatures will rise with the onset of spring, these surfers brave chilly waters that plummet to 11C to find their own piece of isolation in the water. Photographer Alexandra Nielsen captured the surfers over the colder months Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3blQdPe Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Facebook threatens to block Australians from sharing news in battle over landmark media law

Digital giant says it will stop users of Facebook and Instagram sharing local and international news if new law proposed by competition watchdog is approved Facebook will block Australians from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram if the news media code becomes law, the digital giant has warned of a landmark plan to make digital platforms pay for news content. The sharing of personal content between family and friends will not be affected and neither will the sharing of news by Facebook users outside of Australia, the social network said. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/34UkJyj Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Biden accuses Trump of 'fomenting violence' in US after Portland clashes

Former vice-president accuses Trump of encouraging a breakdown in law and order and declaring him a ‘toxic presence’ US politics – live coverage Joe Biden on Monday accused Donald Trump of fomenting violence in American cities as the president endorsed his supporters who fired paintballs at protesters in Portland, and ignored pleas to stay away from Kenosha despite high tension after police shot a Black man there. With accusations that Trump is encouraging a breakdown in law and order while labeling himself the law and order president, amid the ongoing reckoning over racism and police brutality nationwide, his Democratic rival declared Trump “a toxic presence”. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2QCWCvB Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

India mourns former president Pranab Mukherjee amid Covid crisis

Prime minister Narendra Modi praises ‘wise counsel’ of Congress party figure who tested positive for coronavirus during surgery for blood clot Former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee, a senior leader of the Congress party who served in multiple cabinets during five decades in politics, has died. He was 84. Mukherjee had emergency surgery for a blood clot in his brain on 10 August at Delhi’s Army Hospital Research and Referral after a fall. The hospital said he tested positive for Covid-19 after the surgery and his condition was critical. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YTU94B Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Ron Jeremy: adult film star charged with 20 new rape and sexual assault counts

Charges involving 12 women and a teenager bring total number of alleged victims to 17 over 16 years The adult film star Ron Jeremy was charged on Monday with 20 new counts of rape or sexual assault involving 12 women and a teenage girl, the Los Angeles district attorney’s office said. The charges come two months after the 67-year-old was charged with the rape of three women and the sexual assault of a fourth in incidents dating back to 2014. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/32LlGGD Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Welcome to my nightmare: researchers to investigate the strange world of Covid dreams

Vivid and more frequent dreams during the pandemic are not just a topic of idle chatter – cognitive neuroscientists, psychologists and philosophers are also interested How Covid-19 is impacting people’s dreams is the subject of a study being run by a cross-disciplinary team of academics from Australia, the UK and Finland. “Pandemic dreams” are already the subject of a book of essays from Harvard research Deirdre Barrett, alongside reams of popular audience articles and social media posts. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2ELUPCj Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Coronavirus live news: WHO says states can't 'pretend pandemic is over', French cases rise 50% in August

Hong Kong to launch mass testing; India’s economy shrinks nearly 24%; Spain cases jump 23,000 since Friday. Follow the latest US tops 6m cases as some states post record daily totals When will a coronavirus vaccine be ready? Portugal may go back on UK’s quarantine list as cases rise World map: which countries have most cases? See all our coronavirus coverage 1.14am BST India ’s economy growth suffered a historic 23.9% contraction in the April-June quarter, as the strict coronavirus lockdown hit businesses. It was the biggest fall since the country started publishing quarterly statistics 1996. On Monday the government warned the figures could be revised further since the pandemic had also affected the ability to collect accurate data on economic activity. 1.05am BST France ’s new Covid-19 infections surged by almost 50% in August, hitting 281,025 cases, versus 187,919 at the end of July. New cases in August increased on average by a record 3,003 every day, a figure four tim...

Recognise DfID expertise and influence in FCO merger, Raab urged

Department for International Development gave ‘huge heft to global Britain’, says ex-secretary of state ahead of 2 September merger Dominic Raab must recognise the “extraordinary influence and expertise” of staff at the Department for International Development (DfID) to maintain Britain’s position as a world leader, according to former Conservative development secretary Andrew Mitchell. Mitchell, who was secretary of state from 2010 to 2012, said the DfID, which merges with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 2 September to become the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), had contributed “huge heft to global Britain” in terms of soft power. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/34MWbqR Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

India accuses China of 'provocative military movements' near border

Defence ministry claims it countered Chinese moves that ‘violated the consensus’ on the standoff in the Ladakh region India has said its soldiers thwarted China’s “provocative” military movements near a disputed border in Ladakh region amid a months-long standoff . A statement by India’s defence ministry said China’s Peoples Liberation Army “carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo” and “violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements” to settle the standoff in the cold-desert region. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3lxpgg3 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

How Britain's high streets are recovering after lockdown – visual analysis

Data reveals that three in 10 shops hadn’t reopened after coronavirus restrictions were lifted – with some areas lagging further behind than others Following the reopening of the UK’s retail and hospitality sectors through June and July, there were hopes that the economic damage of the coronavirus pandemic could be lessened. But research from the Local Data Company shows that, as of July, 29% of English high street shops hadn’t reopened in the weeks after lockdown relaxation – with that proportion increasing to as much as 54% in some areas. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/34Mi0qL Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

UK treasury minister calls for return to work to help economy recover from coronavirus

Steve Barclay issues plea to employers amid words of caution from unions and industry body Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Staff should start to return to offices where possible from next week to help the economy “get back to normal”, the UK’s Treasury secretary, Steve Barclay, has argued, saying businesses should liaise with employees to make them feel secure. But with the government hoping for a widespread influx of staff to workplaces after the bank holiday weekend, the TUC said workers had to feel secure about coronavirus and that “just wagging fingers at people” would not work. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3hIoTNs Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Independent shops enjoy business boost due to commuting drop

Independent retailers body says it will not be calling for workers to return to offices Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Independent shops are unlikely to join the government’s push to get workers back to the office, according to the body representing the sector, after enjoying a boost in sales thanks to a drop in commuting. Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA), said members in suburban areas and towns had reported positive sales throughout lockdown and beyond as they pick up business that would usually go to those working in the city centre. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3jt3eJE Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Yusef Salaam: 'Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park'

Wrongly jailed for gang rape – a case which inspired Trump to call for the death penalty – Salaam has poured his experiences into a novel about hope, justice and race If Donald Trump had got his way I wouldn’t be speaking to Yusef Salaam right now. “Had his ad taken full effect we would have been hanging from trees in Central Park,” Salaam says matter-of-factly. “People wanted our blood running in the streets.” You’ve probably seen the ad in question: it’s infamous. In 1989, a white investment banker was raped and left for dead in Central Park. Five black and brown teenagers, including 15-year-old Salaam, were charged with her rape. Two weeks after the attack, before any of the kids had faced trial, Trump took out a full-page advert in multiple New York papers calling for the death penalty. His inflammatory stunt is credited with prejudicing public opinion and contributing to the Central Park Five – now known as the Exonerated Five – going to prison for something they didn’t do. Th...

How helpful is the term 'climate refugee'?

Politicians warn the climate crisis will lead to more people migrating. But experts say this framing of the issue risks being misleading and dangerous “You think migration is a challenge to Europe today because of extremism,” John Kerry told a conference in Alaska in 2015, “wait until you see what happens when there’s an absence of water, an absence of food, or one tribe fighting against another for mere survival.” As warnings go, it seemed like the kind we’re used to hearing from politicians in the West. From indulging in inflammatory rhetoric to focusing on the need for ‘control’, alarmist claims about immigration are a regular fixture of political discourse in countries like the US and the UK. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/32EvB0H Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

My streaming gem: why you should watch Always a Bridesmaid

Continuing our series of writers unearthing underseen films is a a rare romantic comedy that allows a black woman the chance to be happy Historically, black women haven’t been allowed the luxury of fairytales. In the 90s and early 2000s, there was a modest sprinkling of romantic dramas and comedies like Love Jones, Jumping the Broom and Something New, but despite a more general resurgence of love stories in recent years, films that depict intimacy between brown-hued people remain scarce. Instead, black women have been hit over the head with sexist and nonsensical advice on why we’re still single and studies that suggest most of us will never get married . It’s only been in the last year or two that the narrative has begun to shift. Black women are reclaiming their romantic lives and telling their own stories. Related: My streaming gem: why you should watch Animal Factory Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2QGRc2V Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly...

Monday briefing: Mayor to Trump – this deadly violence is yours

‘Four years of your racist attacks on black people’ … England levy on plastic bags to double … school budgets stretched as classes resume Hello, Warren Murray opening the door to the week for you. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2QGjJWq Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Fairphone 3+ review: ethical smartphone gets camera upgrades

Dutch smartphone maker launches camera upgrade for older handsets, also available as new device The ethical smartphone maker Fairphone has released two camera upgrades for its Fairphone 3 that are available separately or as a whole new device: the Fairphone 3+. The Fairphone 3+ costs £425 and marks a new approach for the eponymous Dutch company. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3gEoeuV Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

International festival of photojournalism 2020 – in pictures

This year the 32nd international festival of photojournalism in Perpignan, France, organised by Visa pour l’Image , combines online industry talks with 20 exhibitions. Here is a selection of the provocative work on display at the event, which runs from 29 August to 13 September Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YLmaLt Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Tree of the week: the hornbeam that inspired one man’s lifelong obsession – and his tattoo

Tim Mosley has photographed this tree in south London more than 100 times. He goes there to think, hang out with friends – and even took his fiancee to see it on their first date Tim Mosley loves his favourite hornbeam, in Brockwell park, London, so much that he had it tattooed on his arm during a trip to India three years ago. It’s not the tree of life – as many people assume – but it does have a special significance for him. “It’s something that reminds you to deal with the earth beneath your feet,” he says. “It makes me feel more stable and calm.” The film publicist, 41, who also works part-time as a yoga teacher, has been photographing the hornbeam for nine years. It has been the backdrop to many happy afternoons in the park, catching up with friends and family while listening to music. Mosley even brought his fiancee, Emma, to the tree for their first date. “We had to break out of the park because we stayed there too late and the gates had closed.” Continue reading... from ht...

Counter-terror arrests at Stansted after fighter jets intercept airliner

Pair from Kuwait and Italy arrived on flight from Vienna on Sunday Counter-terrorism police have said they detained two men at Stansted airport. A 34-year-old from Kuwait and a 48-year-old from Italy were detained by counter-terrorism officers from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit soon after 7pm on Sunday, the unit said in a statement. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/32LJSsy Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Price of single-use plastic bags in England to double to 10p

Exemption for smaller shops to end, and campaigners say ‘bags for life’ are next target The government is to double the charge for single-use plastic carrier bags in England from 5p to 10p and end the exemption for smaller shops from April 2021, as it steps up efforts to tackle plastic pollution. Since the introduction of the charge in October 2015, shoppers have used billions fewer thin-gauge plastic shopping bags. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3bbonox Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Paloma Faith: ‘I did a whole tour with postnatal depression. I was devastated’

The singer and actor on her ‘extremely politically correct’ upbringing, the challenges of parenthood and how lockdown forced her to rewrite her new album There were choirs planned for Paloma Faith’s new album, a swell of voices to fill out the optimistic, celebratory songs. Then the pandemic struck. The album changed dramatically, in just a few weeks. Some of the more upbeat songs were dropped, she says, because in the midst of so much crisis and loss, “it felt like the lyrics could be perceived as a bit patronising”. New songs spilled out of Faith and the other writers, all four singles written in lockdown, then recorded in a studio set up in her basement. The songs sound more solitary now; more suited to the times. We speak over Zoom, Faith lying on a bed at home in London. Infinite Things is her fifth album; her first was released in 2009, and all have been hugely successful. There have also been big singles, such as Only Love Can Hurt Like This and Picking Up the Pieces. Her late...

Top 10 new restaurants and pop-ups on the Kent coast

Kent’s culinary revival is spilling on to the streets and beaches – with inventive seafood tapas and Asian street food Run by Ben and Sophie Crittenden, this most zeitgeisty of the Michelin-starred Kent coast restaurants has just moved down the road into quirkier premises. Now there’s a remodelled log-cabin style exterior and frosted windows (presumably to stop passersby peering in). The refurb includes an an open kitchen and a steam-punk blend of dark painted panelling, polished floors, green and burgundy 1950s diner seating. Six-course set menus are £65; sister restaurant Arya , upstairs in Ramsgate’s Ravensgate Arms, is run by Ben’s brother Luke and sister Jess, with small plates from £6-14. • starkfood.co.uk Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3hJJ6T0 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

In good health: meet the people who have quit their jobs to join the NHS

From the dinner lady retraining as a nurse, to the credit controller with her eyes on midwifery, coronavirus has encouraged many to follow their dreams of a caring career It wasn’t that Zeta Annear didn’t like being a dinner lady. The children were lovely and the school felt like a community. It was straightforward work – because her school was small, all Annear had to do was collect cooked food from a nearby, bigger school, dish it out, then wash up. But the 39-year-old mother of three from Cornwall always felt as if something was missing. “I felt like I wasn’t using my brain whatsoever,” Annear says. “As much as I loved the teachers, the children and the people, I needed more.” Annear has wanted to be a nurse since she was a child. Her desire to work in healthcare was reignited when she lost her daughter Sophie, who was stillborn, in 2010. “My midwife was absolutely phenomenal ... even though I was going through the most horrendous experience ever, she made me feel like everything ...

MTV VMAs 2020: Lady Gaga dominates during unusual pandemic broadcast

Singer reigns supreme in awards show filled with calls for social justice and recognition of Covid tragedy Lady Gaga dominated an unusual year for the MTV Video Music awards, winning five awards in a strange and disconcerting evening. The singer, who led the evening with nine nominations and wore a variety of masks through the night, accepted awards for artist of the year, song of the year, best cinematography and best collaboration for Rain on Me and the inaugural Tricon award, which recognizes an artist who is highly accomplished across three or more disciplines. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YO1Lp4 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Rishi Sunak urges diners to keep supporting eateries after Covid subsidy ends

As eat out to help out comes to an end, many restaurants will offer customers a similar deal The chancellor is urging UK consumers to continue eating out at restaurants, as he winds up the government’s subsidised dining scheme on Monday. The move comes after diners have claimed more than 64m meals – the equivalent of one for nearly every person in the country – since Rishi Sunak introduced his eat out to help out campaign to help preserve hospitality jobs in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/31F0wul Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Beirut blast: ambassador firms as Lebanon's next PM ahead of Macron visit

Mustapha Adib, the ambassador to Germany, is backed by four former prime ministers as French president flies in to press for new political pact Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany could become the crisis-stricken country’s next prime minister after getting the support of senior Sunni politicians. Mustapha Adib was named by four former prime ministers on the eve of binding consultations between the president and parliamentary blocs on their choice for the post. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3lAFoNE Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Coronavirus live news: US nears 6m cases, Australia records highest daily death toll

Midwestern states report record infections ; Colombia passes 600,000 Covid-19 cases; India sets global daily case record . Follow latest updates UK records 1,715 Covid cases in largest weekend figure since mid-May Australia – coronavirus live World map: which countries have most cases? See all our coronavirus coverage 2.34am BST Just back to Australia and there are 10 new cases of Covid in the most populous state of New South Wales. Somewhat reassuringly, six of those are in quarantine. All four locally acquired cases are linked to a cluster in the centre of Sydney. The premier of the state, Gladys Berejiklian, asks people to consider their movements as the weather warms up. Today is the last day of winter and I’m pleased we got through the winter months as well as we did, and now that the warmer weather is upon us can I please ask everybody to think about their activities when they’re out of doors ... just make sure you keep your social distance. Normally August-September...

Tories warn Rishi Sunak amid Covid tax hike rumours

Several Conservative backbenchers argue that focus must be on supporting a continued economic recovery The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has been urged not to introduce tax hikes in his November budget by Conservative backbenchers who argue they would damage economic recovery. The intervention followed speculation the Treasury could raise £20bn through extra levies to deal with the fallout from Covid-19. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YPuvOu Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'Imagine using liquid water': why people water their house plants with ice cubes

Often touted as an easy solution to overwatering, the practice of placing ice cubes in orchids has become a ‘comedy horticultural moment’ One piece of houseplant folklore resurfaces from time to time: that we should water our plants with ice cubes. For years everything from Reader’s Digest to Reddit offered up ice cubes as the trick to keeping potted friends alive. Recently the theory has returned thanks to a pair of meme pages. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3bf9u4D Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Rishi's dinners won't stop businesses feeling empty by autumn

Eat out to help out saw busy restaurants and extra spending generally, but looming job losses could mean the whole nation tightening its belt Britain loves a bargain – even, as it turns out, during a global health emergency. Dismissed as a gimmick at first, the government’s eat out to help out scheme has proved hugely popular, dishing up more than 64 million discounted meals so far – equivalent to almost one for every person in the UK – since its launch a month ago. When the scheme finishes on Monday, chancellor Rishi Sunak, will be able to say that his policy successfully encouraged people back into restaurants, pubs and cafes between Mondays and Wednesdays in August, serving up a much-needed boost to the economy, and to the embattled hospitality sector in particular. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YN5NOH Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Sandi Toksvig: 'Sheila Hancock and I once nearly starved to death in a London restaurant'

The comedian and activist on the invisibility of women in the public sphere, homophobia and why it was time to leave Bake Off Broadcaster, writer, comedian and activist Sandi Toksvig, 62, has worked on stage, screen and radio for 40 years. She was born in Denmark, moved to the UK aged 14 and studied at Cambridge University. She began her TV career on children’s show No.73 , chaired Radio 4’s News Quiz for a decade, has helmed the BBC panel show QI since 2016 and stepped down as co-host of The Great British Bake Off earlier this year. She also co-founded the Women’s Equality party in 2015. Her memoir Between the Stops is out now in paperback. Your memoir is based around a bus journey through London. How did you hit upon that format? I find some memoirs a bit boring, especially the chapters about their early lives. I didn’t want to write that kind of book. To be honest, I didn’t really want to write about myself at all – I’m too self-conscious and find it all rather narcissistic ...

Donald Trump v the United States review: how democracy came under assault

Michael Schmidt of the New York Times has written a masterful and alarming account of ‘the struggle to stop a president’ Now disgraced , Jerry Falwell Jr once announced that Donald Trump was entitled to an extra two years on the job as “reparations” for a “failed coup”, meaning the Mueller investigation. Joe Biden has gone so far as to predict the president will try to steal the election. Related: Melania & Me review: a friend spurned, a first lady burned and Donald Trump … unharmed Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/31HabQY Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Fatal shooting in Portland as Trump supporters clash with Black Lives Matter protesters

Police say it was not clear if shooting was linked to fights between protesters and caravan of Trump supporters One person was shot and killed late Saturday in Portland, Oregon, as a large caravan of Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed in the streets, police said. It wasn’t clear if the shooting was linked to fights that broke out as a caravan of about 600 vehicles was confronted by protesters in the city’s downtown. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3gIks3G Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

How the race for a Covid-19 vaccine is getting dirty

Scientists worldwide are working against the clock to find a viable coronavirus vaccine – but are corners being cut for the sake of political gain and profit? Global coronavirus updates - live To begin with, it felt like a sleek performance from a well-honed relay team. On 11 January, only 10 days after reporting a new respiratory disease, the Chinese published the genome sequence of the virus that causes it. Researchers around the world set to work building vaccines against Covid-19, as the disease became known, and the first candidate entered human trials on 16 March; it was joined, as the months passed, by dozens of others. Scientists were jubilant , and they had every right to be. They’d broken all vaccinology records to get to that point. But then tensions began to surface among the team members, and lately even the most distracted spectator will have noticed that they appear to be trying to nobble each other openly on the track. With accusations that the Russians and Chine...

No internships, no entry-level work: under-25s fear Covid jobs squeeze

Taking the first step up the employment ladder was always a struggle – and then the coronavirus struck Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage His bank balance was in the red, but Eóin Forker was determined to make it in the music industry. It was the summer of 2019, and Forker, who is 22 and from Armagh, secured an internship with a small record label. For £1,300 a month, he worked 30-40 hours a week meeting artists, running errands and attending studio sessions, all while living in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world. “I have no degree behind me,” Forker says, explaining his decision to take a job that paid so little, “so I thought, I would rather take this chance and get something better out of it.” Because he didn’t have the deposit for a house-share, Forker stayed in backpacker hostels, which afforded him no privacy. His youthful ebullience began to coarsen into something more jaded. “I would just think,” he remembers, “I have to make...

Truly, madly, deeply: meet the people turning their basements into secret fantasy worlds

It’s one thing turning your basement into a wine cellar, but some people are building replica streets, theme parks and even trains beneath their homes When Jason Shron and his wife, Sidura, were house hunting in 2007, the Canadian model-train-seller would always head to the basement before viewing any other room. In fact, Shron had only viewed the basement of his current family home when he told his estate agent he’d purchase the property: provided Sidura liked the upstairs, he was ready to go. Shron needed the perfect basement because, for nearly 30 years, he had dreamed of building a life-size replica of a 1970s Canadian VIA Rail railway carriage inside his house, the exact train that took him from Toronto to Montreal to visit his grandmother when he was a little boy. Step inside Shron’s basement today and you will be greeted by a 200lb blue-and-yellow train door. As you pass through it, an MP3 player will hiss the sounds of air circulation accompanied by the squeaking of gangway...

Threatened Beatles cinema needs a Lidl help from its friends

The supermarket chain now controls the fate of Liverpool’s Abbey picture house – one of John Lennon’s favourite places In the mid-1960s John Lennon wrote some lyrics that would eventually become the Beatles classic In My Life. He later described his rejected first draft, which name-checked places near his Liverpool home, as “the most boring sort of ‘what I did on my holidays bus trip’ song”. In the original version, among the “places I’ll remember all my life” was the Abbey cinema in Wavertree. “In the circle of the Abbey, I have seen some happy hours,” he wrote. Fellow Beatle George Harrison was also a regular. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/32CEszR Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Rampant destruction of forests ‘will unleash more pandemics’

Researchers to tell UN that loss of biodiversity enables rapid spread of new diseases from animals to humans Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Scientists are to warn world leaders that increasing numbers of deadly new pandemics will afflict the planet if levels of deforestation and biodiversity loss continue at their current catastrophic rates. A UN summit on biodiversity, scheduled to be held in New York next month, will be told by conservationists and biologists there is now clear evidence of a strong link between environmental destruction and the increased emergence of deadly new diseases such as Covid-19. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3baUcxU Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Under-25s bearing brunt of Covid mental-health toll – survey

Findings reveal anxiety, inability to concentrate and fears over employment at high levels among young people Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Young people have suffered more with mental health issues over the last few months than any other age group, according to a far-reaching study that has scrutinised the effects of the pandemic on the under-25s. A troubling picture of growing levels of anxiety and an inability to concentrate was reported by those aged between 18 and 24 as part of an extensive survey of more than 6,000 adults carried out by YouGov and designed by the Resolution Foundation, which was subsequently analysed by the independent charity the Health Foundation. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3juRwhk Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

How Angela Merkel’s great migrant gamble paid off

Five years ago, as more and more refugees crossed into Europe, Germany’s chancellor proclaimed, ‘We’ll manage this.’ Critics said it was her great mistake – but she has been proved right Mohammad Hallak found the key to unlock the mysteries of his new homeland when he realised you could switch the subtitles on your Netflix account to German. The 21-year-old Syrian from Aleppo jotted down words he didn’t know, increased his vocabulary and quickly became fluent. Last year, he passed his end of high school exams with a grade of 1.5, the top mark in his year group. Five years to the month after arriving in Germany as an unaccompanied minor, Hallak is now in his third term studying computer science at the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences and harbours an aspiration to become an IT entrepreneur. “Germany was always my goal”, he says, in the mumbled sing-song of the Ruhr valley dialect. “I’ve always had a funny feeling that I belong here.” Continue reading... from https://ift.tt...

Sheridan Smith: Little Shezzy's troubled journey to motherhood

She was known for playing, in her own words, ‘chavs and slappers’, with much drama along the way. Now a TV film puts the actress in a new light Sheridan Smith should be a monster. By showbiz rights, the actress who has bagged two Oliviers, a Bafta, an OBE and made Dustin Hoffman cry from sheer awe at her talent, should at least have a touch of bighead-itis. So many actors with fewer accolades become ludicrously grand given half the chance, but Smith seems immune to the luvvie side of the industry. For better or worse, her success never seems to sink in. “Given that level of acclaim, it’s puzzling that she’s so down-to-earth,” says director Tanya Stephan , only half joking. “She never has to take herself down a level to talk to people. She’s just there – she is naturally warm.” Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2Dao8O0 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Sunday with Stephen Jones: ‘Champagne, vodka and cheap crisps’

The milliner discusses his favourite things, from coffee in Soho to cowboy chow in the California desert Where do you wake up? I could be at home in London, working in Paris, visiting the USA or Tokyo. Regardless, I’ll step out the front door and run. I started when I lost a third of my body weight six years ago. Seeing daily life – people still up drinking and smoking, mothers with their children – is the perfect antidote to life in fashion’s ivory tower. Do you work? I sketch designs. On Sunday mornings the world is fresh and untainted. Half-asleep, I put pen to paper: ideas come out unsullied by consciousness. A week later I’ll find most are twaddle. Occasionally, one has magic. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2EH6NNn Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Rule, Britannia! row is ‘a laughable irrelevance’ says former Proms director

Sir Nicholas Kenyon, who directed the series for more then a decade, dismisses controversy as ‘kneejerk’ BBC bashing Politicians “meddling in concert programming” over the Last Night of the Proms are a “laughable irrelevance”, according to a former director of the BBC concert series. Sir Nicholas Kenyon, writing in the Observer , described the “synthetic row” that has erupted over how Land of Hope and Glory and Rule, Britannia! will be performed without an audience. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3lyUIKG Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Outcry as US intelligence stops in-person reports to Congress on election security

Decision to provide only updates in writing means oversight panels will not be quiz intelligence officials The United States’ top intelligence office has told lawmakers it will largely stop holding in-person briefings on election security, signalling that it does not trust lawmakers to keep the information secret. Donald Trump’s new director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, notified the House and Senate intelligence panels on Friday that it would send written reports instead, giving lawmakers less opportunity to press for details as the 3 November election approaches. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3gFNXmM Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Austria offers citizenship to the descendants of Jews who fled the Nazis

New law hailed as justice for families of refugees – and could benefit thousands of Britons Tens of thousands of British citizens are among the many descendants of Jewish refugees who can apply for Austrian citizenship from Tuesday under a new law that campaigners say finally delivers a measure of historic justice for their ancestors’ expulsions under Nazi rule. About 120,000 Jewish refugees fled persecution after the Nazis took power in Austria in March 1938. The second most common destination after the US was the UK, with up to 20,000 refugees registered in 1945. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/34Ky8Jf Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Fewer shots, more sanitiser: Manchester prepares for freshers week in the time of Covid

In Fallowfield, local shops depend on trade from students, but worry that their behaviour may get out of hand Enter 256, the popular student bar in Fallowfield, Manchester, and it’s usually the heat that hits you first. In ordinary times, and particularly during freshers’ week, the dimly-lit repurposed church building is packed with hundreds of sweaty youngsters dancing and enjoying booze-fuelled nights out. Covid-19 has rendered such gatherings unimaginable, and this year will be much quieter. Capacity has been slashed by more than half. The dancefloor has been replaced by tables and chairs. There will be no crowd surfing or drunken flirtations at the bar. You sit down at a table, or you’re out. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2GbMsjR Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Marseille’s maverick Covid scientist: why the city took doctor to its heart

Didier Raoult has touted many dubious treatments but is a hero in France’s second city, which has long railed against Paris The people of Provence in the south of France have a word for a particularly comic or bizarrely dramatic situation: pagnolesque . It is a tribute to one of the region’s most famous sons, the author Marcel Pagnol, who declared in his play Les Marchands de Gloire (The Glory Merchants): “In politics everything is a comedy.” Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/34HAsAR Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

I discovered my wife plans on divorce – and accuses me of abuse

Get a mediator involved, says Mariella Frostrup. There is clearly a huge difference between your understanding of your relationship and your wife’s The dilemma My wife recently left her iPad on our bed. When I picked it up to move it I saw a message on the screen saying that she is arranging a solicitor to help her divorce me. This was a shock in itself, but when I saw the reasons why I was devastated. She is claiming she is the victim of mental and emotional abuse – which is news to me. No one in my household has been getting on terribly well over lockdown – including our kids – but I put this down to the close proximity everyone found themselves in. As far as I know, me and my wife have got on well and talk to each other when we’re upset. We have had ups and downs – I suffered from severe depression at the turn of the year as I was drowning in debt – but we appeared to be over the bump. Sex has been infrequent, but still happened relatively regularly. I can somewhat get my head ar...

The Royal, St Leonards: ‘Extremely encouraging’ – restaurant review

An old boozer on the south coast is the latest branch of a thriving family tree of gastropubs The Royal, 1 St Johns Road, St Leonards-on-Sea TN37 6HP (01424 547 797). Starters £5-£9, mains £12-£17, desserts £5, wines from £18. From September, The Royal is going to be open from Tuesday-Saturday for dinner and Wednesday-Sunday for lunch Imagine you could DNA test the recently reopened Royal in St Leonards on the East Sussex coast. Perhaps you’d start by taking a sliver off the dark polished bar and mix that with a dollop of their sweet, lubricious pork rillette. Add a few of the borlotti beans off the monkfish dish. Blitz it with some of the mirabelle tart with crème fraîche. Dissolve the sample in a solution, ideally a mixture of crémant and Italian merlot, before spinning it through a centrifuge until the unique gastronomic genome revealed itself. I can tell you exactly what you’d find: that this venture is but the latest branch in a delicious restaurant family tree stretching back ...

Donald Trump v the United States review: how democracy came under assault

Michael Schmidt of the New York Times has written a masterful and alarming account of ‘the struggle to stop a president’ Now disgraced , Jerry Falwell Jr once announced that Donald Trump was entitled to an extra two years on the job as “reparations” for a “failed coup”, meaning the Mueller investigation. Joe Biden has gone so far as to predict the president will try to steal the election. Related: Melania & Me review: a friend spurned, a first lady burned and Donald Trump … unharmed Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/31HabQY Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

New Zealand coronavirus: two new cases as Auckland lockdown due to lift

Masks will be compulsory on public transport and strongly encouraged elsewhere, says prime minister, as restrictions wind back on Monday New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has thanked Aucklanders who come out of lockdown after Sunday night for their commitment to suppressing the latest coronavirus flare-up. Two new cases of Covid-19 have been reported on Sunday, both in the community and linked to the latest Auckland cluster. Ardern thanked the residents of New Zealand’s largest city for their adherence to the stringent lockdown requirements. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2YMGwnG Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'Not going to stop': family of Jacob Blake lead peaceful Kenosha march

Marchers chanted ‘seven bullets, seven days’ as they protested over the shooting by white police officer Family members of Jacob Blake, the Black man shot and gravely wounded by a white police officer in Kenosha last Sunday, led a large rally in the small Wisconsin city on Saturday afternoon, with chants of “Seven bullets, seven days” ringing out to mark the number of shots the young father reportedly took to his back. A crowd of around 1,000 heard Wisconsin Democratic congresswoman Gwen Moore address the rally, saying “I am mad as hell” about the injury that left Blake fighting for his life in the local hospital. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/32FxgTp Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Salad, starter or side: Yotam Ottolenghi's courgette recipes

Use up the annual courgette glut in an Italian-style antipasti with tomatoes and ricotta, grilled and smothered in saffron butter, or simply raw in a salad with a zippy lemon dressing Courgettes seem to go in and out of fashion. One day, they’re on every recipe platform going, the next they disappear again as quietly and as subtly as they appeared. Retro courgette boats were definitely a thing once upon a time, but a few years back they were replaced by spiralised courgette “spaghetti” as a low-carb alternative to pasta. Regardless of where they land on the popularity meter, however, courgettes are always on my mind at this time of year; their versatility gives in to a light saute, a deep char or simply left to absorb whatever’s thrown at them in their truest, raw form. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3hEFAJJ Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Boris Johnson urged to set out credible back-to-office plan

Unions and industry bodies call for focus on test and trace, transport and childcare issues Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Boris Johnson has been urged to produce a “credible plan” for persuading more workers to return to the office instead of relying on what unions have condemned as a “scare campaign”. The prime minister, and the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, have become increasingly concerned about the impact on city centre economies of the shift towards home-working during the pandemic. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2QvgT6v Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

How TV advertising's 'perfect storm' has given smaller firms a bite at the cherry

The coronavirus lockdown led big advertisers to slash their spend, dragging down the cost of airtime With the public told to stay at home, high streets shut and travel halted, many of the UK’s biggest advertisers from McDonald’s to Sky froze their marketing budgets during the coronavirus lockdown. TV advertising bookings were reduced to a trickle, forcing broadcasters to slash the price of airtime to levels not seen in three decades, opening the door for dozens of small firms to make their first ever TV commercials. TV advertising in pre-Covid times was generally too expensive for companies with modest marketing budgets. A 30-second ad during primetime shows such as Coronation Street or The X Factor would have cost between £50,000 and £100,000 . To run a decent national TV ad campaign an annual budget of £2m is usually a minimum. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/32EYppT Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Adam Buxton: ‘I used to think, "Why isn't Dad more proud of me?" But he was’

The podcaster, comic and radio host has made a career out of his insecurities. But uncovering a family secret has helped him find peace Read an extract from Ramble Book This is the third time I’ve met Adam Buxton , but the first time I’ve met him on his own. Our first encounter was in 2001, alongside his childhood best friend and frequent comedy partner, Joe Cornish . Back then, they were making the Channel 4 comedy series The Adam And Joe Show, in which the two of them brilliantly, and with often astonishing prescience, satirised pop culture: in a segment titled The 1980s House , they sent up a then-nascent obsession with nostalgia TV (“Early mornings on television in the 80s were very different from today: there were only three and a half channels, all showing popular comedy rodents”); they recreated revered films and sitcoms with stuffed animals ( Toy tanic ! Furends! ). It was silly, smart and superbly of its time, and for a certain demographic – ie mine – The Adam And Joe Show...

National Trust sacking education officers 'will hit worst-off children'

Volunteers accuse charity of excluding deprived and minority ethnic schoolchildren Volunteers are accusing the National Trust of excluding deprived and minority ethnic schoolchildren from enjoying nature and visiting its properties with the planned sacking of the charity’s education officers. The number of protests and petitions are growing over the trust’s controversial “reset” involving the proposed loss of 1,200 jobs, including its learning staff, as the charity plans to stop providing any curriculum-based content or learning activities for schools. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/34KNjCm Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

'I'm going round in circles': parents in England still undecided about return to school

As government guidance continues to change over mask-wearing in schools, many are anxious about the risk to families Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Eva Harratt, 13, would love to go to the park to meet her friends but it is forbidden because she lives in Oldham, the town in Greater Manchester facing restrictions due to a rise in Covid-19 cases. And yet, in five days, she is expected to return to her 1,370-pupil school and sit in classes of 30. She likes school, misses her friends and wants to go back, but her mother is in the most vulnerable category because of an autoimmune disease. “Returning to school, I feel, is just not an option for me. They don’t appear to have given much thought to families with shielding members, or how that may affect them. Personally, I would prefer for things to go back to normal as soon as possible, but in the current situation, it is just not plausible for me,” says Eva. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy...

Student finance: everything you need to be ready for university

Guardian Money provides a range of information and advice to get you through So you’ve made it through the coronavirus crisis (so far), you’ve survived the chaotic U-turn on A-level grades and the mad scramble for university places, and you’ve ruled out deferring for a year. You have secured a place for this autumn and you are going to uni. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/34N3UoX Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Grumpy Virgin bows out as drag becomes a political act in Turkey

Death of entertainer Huysuz Virjin, 87, highlights hardening of attitudes towards queer or trans people For decades in Turkey, there was no higher honour than being made fun of by Huysuz Virjin (Grumpy Virgin), the country’s first drag queen, beloved for her glamorous outfits and outrageous sense of humour. Two days after the then Turkish president, Turgut Özal, appeared as a guest at her Istanbul show in the early 1990s, she was joined by Rauf Denktaş, the leader at the time of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3hHjsy9 Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

A tale of two videos: Jacob Blake, Kyle Rittenhouse and two types of policing

Cellphone images showed officers shooting a black man in the back but a white boy with an assault rifle who had allegedly just killed two was ignored A lawyer for the family of Jacob Blake Jr called it “a tale of two videos”. In one video, a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shoots Blake, a black man, repeatedly in the back. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2QANNmk Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Rivals plan Fox News-style opinionated TV station in UK

Groups pitching to perceived desire for alternative output as trust in BBC falls Rival efforts are under way to launch a Fox News-style opinionated current affairs TV station in Britain to counter the BBC. One group is promising a news channel “distinctly different from the out-of-touch incumbents” and has already been awarded a licence to broadcast by the media regulator, Ofcom, under the name “GB News”. Its founder has said the BBC is a “disgrace” that “is bad for Britain on so many levels” and “needs to be broken up”. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3b5kUbf Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Caitlin Moran: 'Every few years, I reread How To Be A Woman and marvel at what I got wrong'

When the author wrote her 2011 bestseller, she assumed she was through the hard bit. Ten years later, she’s still learning One day, back in 2011, I was on the train going into central London, when a big group of 14-year-old girls ran up to me, like a gang of giggling meerkats, shouting, “Are you – are you CAITLIN MORAN? You wrote How To Be A Woman ? Oh, my God ! We learned about masturbation from that! Dude, it’s amazing! We’ve all started doing it now! We’ve formed a gang ! At school ! It’s called wank club ! And we come in every morning and say how many times we did it last night – and then high five each other! In the playground ! Shouting Wank Club! Can we shake your hand?” “Well, if your wrists aren’t already too tired – then, yes,” I said. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3b6ZbPY Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

The 30 shows to look forward to this autumn 2020

Top telly to get stuck into as the nights draw in, featuring Steve McQueen, Nicole Kidman and a late start for Bake Off Fall back: how the networks ensured there would be TV this autumn Modern Toss on post-lockdown filming ... Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/2QAmEQd Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Blind date: ‘A kiss would definitely have been a possibility’

Will, 36, actor, meets Lauren, 32, project director What were you hoping for? A great dinner with a charming stranger. The dearth of opportunities to meet people in lockdown made this prospect very appealing. Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/32PT1An Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Melania & Me review: a friend spurned, a first lady burned and Donald Trump … unharmed

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff has reason to seek revenge but her book does not contain much to concern the first family Stephanie Winston Wolkoff knew Melania Trump for more than 15 years but as an aide to the first lady she lasted less than 14 months. Like other scarred veterans of the Trump administration, she now airs her grievances on paper . Related: Melania & Me: Ivanka Trump sought to undermine first lady, new book says Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3jhK5Ky Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Tim Dowling: we’re at the airport. Do I care if they won’t let me fly?

I pull down my mask so my face can be compared to my photo. The woman is puzzling over the lack of resemblance I am standing in front of the bathroom mirror, shaving my lockdown beard off. This is partly because it had become straggly and hard to maintain, and partly because of what my wife said. She said: “Are you going to have a beard on holiday?” Continue reading... from https://ift.tt/1Zwy43B https://ift.tt/3gFbNio Check out https://ronaldstoner.weebly.com

Elena Ferrante: ‘We don’t have to fear change, what is other shouldn’t frighten us'

In a rare interview, the author answers questions from booksellers and translators around the world, about everything from the coronavirus to writing as therapy Neapolitan dialect plays an important role in your novels . Could one say that you are doing a work of translation, hearing the voices of these characters in dialect and turning them into Italian? Marcello Lino, translator, Brazil Of course, but it’s a vexed, I would say unhappy, translation. To explain this I have to talk about the nature of the narrators I’ve constructed up to now. In my books, the narrator is the “voice” of a woman with Neapolitan origins, who knows dialect well, who is well educated, who has lived far from Naples for a long time, and who has serious reasons for hearing Neapolitan as the language of violence and obscenity. I’ve put “voice” in quotation marks here because it’s not at all about voice but about writing. Delia, Olga, Leda, Elena, explicitly or implicitly, are writing their story and in doin...