Global news every hour

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3jAf054

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2EMHRDX

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...

‘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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3gMrnsX

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...

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2EWLk2H

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3jynEAY

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3blQdPe

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/34UkJyj

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ELUPCj

Police arrest 29 after president tweets condolences for member of rightwing caravan shot dead in Oregon city on Saturday US politics – live coverage Joe Biden has accused Donald Trump of fomenting violence across the US, in a speech given a day after police in Portland, Oregon, arrested 29 people at a protest in the north-eastern part of the city. Related: Portland clashes: Trump accused of encouraging violence after shooting Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QCWCvB

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YTU94B

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/32LlGGD

Disadvantaged and BAME pupils lost more learning in lockdown and need urgent support, researchers say Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Urgent support must be targeted at disadvantaged pupils and schools in areas of high deprivation, researchers have said, as figures reveal the gap in England between some pupils and their wealthier peers widened by 46% in the school year severely disrupted by the coronavirus lockdown. As the school year begins for most pupils in England and Wales, the authoritative study by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), based on interviews with more than 3,000 teachers and heads at more than 2,000 schools, revealed that disadvantaged and black and minority ethnic (BAME) children had gone backwards compared with their better-off peers since March. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/32F9UO4

Historian talks of ‘hugely emotional moment’ statue of Bristol slave trader was toppled One of Britain’s most prominent historians, David Olusoga, has admitted he “desperately” wanted to join the protesters who tore down the statue of the slave owner Edward Colston in his home town of Bristol. The broadcaster and historian said the dumping of the statue in Bristol’s harbour in June, part of the Black Lives Matter protests, was the most remarkable event of the summer. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34Ta32W

David Lammy came to the singer’s defence while Naomi Campbell also showed support Adele has faced accusations of cultural appropriation after sharing an Instagram picture showing her wearing a traditional African hairstyle while marking what would have been Notting Hill Carnival. In the photograph, the 32-year-old chart-topping act wore a string bikini decorated with the Jamaican flag and had her hair in Bantu knots – small coiled buns typically associated with people of African descent. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/31PiSJr

After successful trials, weight-loss plan will be rolled out to 5,000 more patients Thousands of people will be offered a soup-and-shakes weight-loss plan on the NHS to tackle the rise of type 2 diabetes. A successful trial of the low-calorie diet and lifestyle plan has already taken place. The government said the programme will now be expanded to reach 5,000 more patients in 10 areas. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3lDxDXi

UK among the countries in spotlight after spending more than £2.5bn on outsourcing Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK has spent more than £2.5bn on services and equipment related to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to fresh analysis that raises concerns about “opaque” contracts around the world wasting money and putting lives at risk. A report by the Open Contracting Partnership and Spend Network found governments had spent $130bn (£97bn) on pandemic-related contracts, including on PPE (personal protective equipment) and other medical supplies, out of an annual procurement spend of nearly $13tn . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2EHGy9G

Marks & Spencer joins booming online food shopping sector with former Waitrose partner The first deliveries of Marks & Spencer’s groceries will reach customers on Tuesday as its online shopping venture with Ocado begins. The retailer is belatedly entering the online food shopping sector, which has enjoyed explosive growth during the coronavirus pandemic, by making more than 6,800 products exclusively available through Ocado. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QH1sYR

Pieces of bone were turned into ornaments, and may have been placed on display Bronze age Britons remembered the dead by keeping and curating bits of their bodies, and even turning them into instruments and ornaments, according to new research on the remains. Archaeologists found that pieces of bone buried with the dead were often from people who had died decades earlier, suggesting their remains had been kept for future generations, as keepsakes or perhaps for home display. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/31LXa8Z

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 12.53am BST The World Health Organization has urged governments to engage with people demonstrating against Covid-19 restrictions and listen to their concerns, but stressed protesters needed to understand the virus was dangerous. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus voiced understanding for the growing frustration felt as people continue to have to deal with restrictions eight months into the pandemic. 12.26am BST Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, with me, Alison Rourke. The World Health Organization’s boss, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says “no country can just pretend the...

Data also shows up to 75% of all deaths in care facilities globally were of people with dementia Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage People with dementia accounted for a quarter of all Covid-related deaths in England and Wales, and three-quarters of all deaths in care facilities globally, data shows. The London School of Economics and University College London are looking at the mortality rate of those with dementia in a regularly updated report. According to their research, up to 75% of Covid-19 deaths globally in care facilities are those with dementia as an underlying condition. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/32HGui3

Family and friends will support nearly one in four purchases in 2020, against one in five last year Nearly one in four home purchases this year will be backed by the “bank of mum and dad” – up from fewer than one in five in 2019 – as buyers struggle with the economic fallout from the Covid-19 crisis. Financial help provided by the bank of mum and dad, encompassing parents, grandparents, other family and friends, will be a driving force behind the recovery of Britain’s housing market . Those able to assist will lend an average of £20,000 towards a deposit on a home, said researchers from insurer Legal & General (L&G) and economics consultancy Cebr. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2EHGC9q

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/34MWbqR

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3lxpgg3

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3gEoeuV

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YLmaLt

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 Th...

(DUBAI, United Arab Emirates) — New labor rules in the energy-rich nation of Qatar “effectively dismantles” the country’s long-criticized “kafala” employment system, a U.N. labor body said Sunday. The International Labor Organization said as of now, migrant workers can change jobs before the end of their contracts without obtaining the permission of their current employers. Qatar also has adopted a minimum monthly wage of 1,000 Qatari riyals ($275) for workers, which will take effect some six months after the law is published in the country’s official gazette, the ILO said. The minimum wage rule requires employers to pay allowances for housing and food as well if they don’t provide those for their workers. Amnesty International praised the move as “an encouraging sign that Qatar may finally be heading in the right direction,” although employers still can file criminal charges against “absconding” employees, meaning those who left their jobs without permission. “We call ...

‘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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QGjJWq

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/32LJSsy

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3bbonox

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...

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hJJ6T0

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 ...

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YO1Lp4

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/31F0wul

New Zealand’s largest city has exited lockdown after the government said a Covid-19 outbreak there has been brought under control and it remains on track to again eliminate the virus from the community. Auckland schools and customer-facing businesses re-opened on Monday and a ban on traveling out of the city was lifted, almost three weeks after the outbreak prompted the reintroduction of restrictions. Social distancing requirements remain in place for the whole country under level 2 restrictions and everyone from the age of 12 is now required to wear a mask on public transport. “Our testing shows that it is highly unlikely there is Covid anywhere else in the country and we want to keep it that way,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday. “The last thing we want from re-opening Auckland is to spread the virus around the country, and that is one of the reasons we continue to have level 2 settings across New Zealand,” she said. The government expects to further review al...

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 3.47am BST Chinese state media, the Global Times, has reported that millions of college students in Wuhan have returned to campus for the first time in six months. Millions of college students start their new term and return to #Wuhan , previously the hardest-hit city in China by coronavirus, after being stranded at home for over half a year. pic.twitter.com/FxzWNE5r69 3.46am BST Here’s some more on New Zealand ’s nine new cases from our reporter Charles Anderson: There are nine new cases of Covid-19 in Auckland as the city moves out of lockdown and allows travel throughout the country. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34Mg2q9

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3lAFoNE

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YPuvOu

Disabled people and parents are particularly affected by parked cars blocking their way Parking on pavements could be banned across England under government plans to ease journeys for disabled people and parents pushing prams. The practice is banned in London but elsewhere in the country it is only prohibited for lorries. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hJk4n2

Electricity demand fell by 13% in second quarter which helped renewables grow to 40% of energy mix Carbon emissions from Britain’s electricity system plunged by more than a third during the coronavirus lockdown after renewable energy played its largest ever role helping to keep the lights on, according to a report. During the spring bank holiday weekend in May, the energy grid’s carbon intensity reached a record low of 21 grams of CO 2 per kilowatt-hour due to a slump in energy demand triggered by Britain’s lockdown measures and a surge in renewable energy. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2EFiKDn

Study finds growing number of families forced to spend benefit on household bills during coronavirus crisis A charity has called for the government to significantly increase child benefit after research found increasing number of families now use the payments to cover household necessities such as bills and day-to-day expenses. The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said the benefit was worth 23% less in real terms than in 2010, and extra assistance was particularly necessary as parents prepare to send children back to school after lockdown. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34LKyAx

Shadow education secretary Kate Green says exams should be pushed back to June 2021 Next year’s GCSE and A-level exams should be sat later in the summer to give pupils valuable time to catch up, according to a proposal by Labour that is likely to be backed by influential Tory MPs and school leaders. Before the new academic year begins for most schools this week, the shadow education secretary, Kate Green, said the two sets of exams should be pushed back by at least a month and begin in June rather than May. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3jweAMG

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3bf9u4D

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...

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...

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...

The police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, was followed by the killing of two protesters, allegedly by a white vigilante Early in the week, events in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in America’s midwest, might have been remembered mostly as yet another shooting of an African American man by the police after a white officer fired at least seven bullets at Jacob Blake’s back, in front of his three young children. By the end of the week, a different but no less disturbing image was also stamped on the national consciousness. Of the police allowing a white agitator carrying a semi-automatic rifle to walk away having allegedly killed two people and gravely wounding a third, after individuals presenting themselves as vigilantes swaggered close to those chanting support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2EF16zt

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3baUcxU

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3juRwhk

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 The Guardian h...

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Dao8O0

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2EH6NNn

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/32CEszR

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3lyUIKG

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3gFNXmM

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/34Ky8Jf

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...

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 ...

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/31HabQY

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2GbMsjR

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/34HAsAR

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YMGwnG

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/32FxgTp

Demonstrations in Germany and UK against coronavirus restrictions; Australian opposition calls for wider care home inquiry; Turkey sees two-month high in cases. Follow all the developments live UK care homes still denied Covid test despite minister’s pledge New York: pandemic lays bare city’s problems Germany: far-right extremists try to storm Reichstag World map: which countries have most cases? 12.29am BST And in Victoria , Australia’s worst-affected state. #COVID19VicData for 30 August, 2020. There were 114 new cases detected in Victoria yesterday. Sadly we report 11 lives lost - condolences to all affected. More information will be available later today via our media release. pic.twitter.com/4voh37S3oM 12.24am BST Staying in Australia, the government in the northern state of Queensland has added more locations to a public health alert in the south-east. The ABC, Australia’s public broadcaster, is reporting there are are now 120 locations under the alert, as identifie...

Achuar people blame illegal logging for spread and are asking international community for aid Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Climate change and multinational corporations have long posed a threat to the people of the Amazon rainforest. Now, however, the region’s indigenous tribes face an even more immediate danger: coronavirus. Despite living deep in the heartland of Ecuadorian rainforest, the indigenous Achuar tribal people have fallen victim to the pandemic. Over the last several weeks, Covid-19 has struck at the heart of the Achuar community in Ecuador, which is made up of 13,000 people living in 88 groups over 800,000 hectares (3,000 sq miles) along the Pastaza River basin. A further 15,000 Achuar are based in neighbouring Peru. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/31Ki3BD

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YN5NOH

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hEFAJJ

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/34KNjCm

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QvgT6v

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 The Guardian https:...

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/32EYppT

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/34N3UoX

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hHjsy9

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b5kUbf

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QANNmk

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b6ZbPY

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QAmEQd

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/32PT1An

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3jhK5Ky

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 The Guardian https://ift.tt/3gFbNio

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...

US president denounces Kenosha-inspired boycott of playoffs and warns NFL football season could also suffer Donald Trump has claimed that what he viewed as political activity by the National Basketball Association would destroy the sport. After star players such as Lebron James refused to take the court for playoff games this week in protest at the Kenosha police shooting, the US president expanded his attack on the boycott . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3joQhQP

Police will allege in court that the child was assaulted with a wooden stick A five-year-old boy is in a critical condition after allegedly being beaten with a wooden stick in a domestic violence assault at a home in Sydney’s south-west. When officers from Fairfield city police area command arrived at the Cabramatta home on Friday night, they found the boy with serious injuries. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QxspOv

The actor died at his home in Los Angeles after being diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago Actor Chadwick Boseman, who played black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before finding fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe, has died of cancer, his representative said. He was 43. Boseman died at his home in the Los Angeles area with his wife and family by his side, his publicist Nicki Fioravante said on Friday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/31CGi4i

Shorter days, bubbles, alfresco meals and staggered arrivals among measures introduced Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage It has been a summer of painstaking preparations for headteachers charged with drawing up plans covering everything from new behavioural rules to “Covid-secure” measures before millions of pupils in England return to the classroom full-time next week. Many schools will look different, with spray-painted stencils marking out 2-metre distancing outside, duct tape arrows signalling one-way systems in corridors, forward-facing furniture and desks with clip-on screens so teachers can get closer to younger pupils. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3lowG5c

Flexport is hiring employees all over the world by thedogeye | on Hacker News .

Billionare entrepreneur presented animal during a livestream event to recruit workers for his neuroscience startup The tech entrepreneur Elon Musk on Friday showed off a pig whose brain he says has been implanted with a small computer. “We have a healthy and happy pig, initially shy but obviously high energy and, you know, kind of loving life, and she’s had the implant for two months,” Musk said of Gertrude, the pig. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YEMA1F

Rise in campus infections from Missouri to Utah, and Alabama to Iowa forces local authorities to close bars and mandate masks Europe: locals rediscover streets and beaches amid tourist absence Coronavirus live updates College towns across the United States have reimposed shutdowns after a spike in campus cases of coronavirus caused by students partying in large numbers on their return for the new academic year. Despite waves of schools and businesses around the country being cleared to reopen, Columbia, Missouri joined cities in Alabama, Utah and Iwoa in reimposing restrictions to deal with a surge of infections. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hEquUd

France racks up post-lockdown high in new infections; Australian state sees 18 deaths and 94 cases; India sets new daily record with more than 77,000 cases. Follow all the updates live Global report: India sets new daily case record Repatriating 100,000 stranded Australians could take six months Locals rediscover streets and beaches absent of foreign tourists UK businesses offer incentives to lure back office workers 12.51am BST Queenslanders are waking up today to the reality of extended restrictions after two new cases were diagnosed yesterday in Pimpama. As of 8am today, restrictions in the Australian state will be extended to the Gold Coast. 12.38am BST Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman has just been on ABC News, where he addressed the sad story from yesterday where a woman’s unborn child died after she waited 16 hours before she could be flown from NSW into Queensland for surgery. Zimmerman said it was a “tragic human story” due to “decision-making that’s occurred” under Qu...