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Having trained in the gossip-rich world of YouTube, the London rapper is breaking up the boys club with hilarious and brazen lyrics Irish drill, jazz violin and supermarket musicals: 30 new artists for 2021 “I didn’t think I would get anywhere, I can’t lie to you,” Ivorian Doll tells me, somewhat unexpectedly. “I mean, I wouldn’t have taken me seriously if I was on the other end.” In reflecting on the success she’s recently found, the rapper isn’t as assured as you would expect from an artist of her standing. This has been a whirlwind year: after a string of million-streaming releases, plus features with fellow UK stars Headie One, Ray BLK, S1mba and more, the “queen of drill” – self-titled, but deserving of it – will release her much-anticipated debut EP Renaissance this month. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aT260O

Wiltshire voted to leave the EU but jubilation is in short supply as the UK finally exits As the UK’s departure from the EU loomed, Alex Joll, who runs the Free Range Cafe in Trowbridge’s grand old town hall, thought he had better stockpile one of his key products. “It’s quite random,” he said. “Our coffee comes from Peru, but is stored in a huge warehouse in Germany before coming to the UK, where it is roasted. I thought I’d better stock up just in case. I got in an extra month’s worth a little while ago to tide us over just in case.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34ZMMMe

Trump’s false claims about the election and coronavirus are taking a dangerous toll. Can the divide be healed? At the beginning of 2021, millions of Americans appear to disagree about one of the most basic facts of their democracy: that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. The consequences of Donald Trump’s repeated, baseless claims of voter fraud will come in several waves, researchers who study disinformation say , even if Trump ultimately hands over power and leaves the White House. And there is no quick or easy way to fix this crisis , they warn. Because when it comes to dealing with disinformation, simply repeating the facts doesn’t do much to change anyone’s mind. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KJeE0d

Recalling the delivery of the Streets and the music of James Blake, David Balfe’s project is a cathartic document in the wake his best friend’s death Irish drill, jazz violin and supermarket musicals: 30 new artists for 2021 When the Irish recession of 2008 shattered the country’s economy, communities from Dublin’s inner city neighbourhoods of Coolock and Donaghmede were struck hard. The frank lyrics of David Balfe, under the pseudonym For Those I Love, illuminate a generation who emerged from the wreckage. “I’ve been with people whose families had lost their livelihoods because of the recession,” says the 29-year-old. “At that younger age you don’t have the vocabulary, but you see that displacement, and you think: ‘Why are we suffering? Why has this happened to us?’” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3o4l9Jn

Raised between Accra and Atlanta, the genre-rejecting singer draws from her cosmopolitan upbringing – and a love of Kelis – to confront narrow definitions of womanhood Irish drill, jazz violin and supermarket musicals: 30 new artists for 2021 “You can’t box anyone in any more,” Amaarae says from her bedroom in Accra, Ghana. “As older cultures die out, things inevitably change.” The 26-year-old is describing the shift underway in West Africa embodied by alté, the eccentric musical style that has expanded into a non-conformist cultural movement. Amaarae is one of its pioneers, and her debut album The Angel You Don’t Know an instant classic in its canon. Euphoric in its risk-taking, it leaves no genre, sound or cadence off limits: Amaarae’s whispering vocals hopscotch between the Southern hip-hop rhythms on Celine and dance over the lilting soundscape created by Rvdical the Kid in 3AM. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/38UMXcy

Trial finds reduced lung function and heart changes in young people who exercised near Schiphol For seven months in 2018, a lorry trailer was parked near a runway at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. It housed exercise bikes and air pollution measurement equipment. Twenty-one healthy young people took turns to visit the trailer for pedalling sessions. Air was funnelled from the outside as the young people exercised, and researchers monitored their heart and lung functions. Related: Could Covid lockdown have helped save the planet? Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3o96tbN

The new year has been welcomed in parts of the world with mostly muted celebrations as coronavirus lockdowns and curfews quashed large gatherings. Sydney's famed fireworks display played out to a largely empty harbour, while Vietnam's success tackling Covid-19 saw large crowds meet in Hanoi. In Europe, Paris's famed streets were empty as the clock struck midnight, while Berlin's ban on fireworks was ignored by some. In London, Big Ben chimed at the start of 2021, just one hour after the same bells marked the UK's exit from the EU World takes in muted New Year's Eve under Covid shadow Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b6g3s6

Emergency services kept busy as people respond to public fireworks ban by letting them off at home instead See all our coronavirus coverage Banned from setting off fireworks in much of their city, some Berliners instead tried to launch them from their homes on New Year’s Eve, leading to dozens of fires across the German capital. By six minutes after midnight the Berlin fire service had been called to 18 fires, with more following afterwards. No one was initially reported seriously injured. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pFmZ3w

Medical textbooks are full of anatomical pictures of the penis, but the clitoris barely rates a mention and many medical professionals are uncomfortable even talking about it. Reporter Calla Wahlquist and associate news editor Gabrielle Jackson explain the history and science of the clitoris, and speak to the scientists and artists dedicated to demystifying it This week we are revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2020. This episode was first broadcast on The Full Story by Guardian Australia on 8 November 2020 You can read Calla Wahlquist’s piece on why the clitoris is ignored by medical science here. You can also read an edited extract of Gabrielle Jackson’s book Pain and Prejudice here. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hvUBhH

Major moment occupies most front pages – with takes varying from jubilant to sombre Britain’s eurosceptic newspapers, after decades of bashing Brussels, celebrate victory in their Friday editions after the Brexit transition period ended, but pro-EU outlets dwell on a “day of sadness”. The Guardian’s front page headline focuses on Britain finally quitting the EU in the midst of a “ crisis, without fanfare ”. The paper’s coverage also includes a story on Dover being “ eerily quiet ” after a “week of mayhem” and an editorial calling Brexit a “ tragic national error ”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/380l17X

The groundbreaking British artist honoured for services to fashion, beauty and diversity British makeup artist Pat McGrath has been awarded a damehood in the Queen’s New Year 2021 honours list, becoming the first makeup artist ever to do so. Related: Beauty queen: how Pat McGrath revolutionised makeup Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rK7ucI

Shooting, which took place less than a mile from where Floyd died, has stirred anxiety about renewed protests in the city Police in Minneapolis have released body-camera footage from a traffic stop that ended with a man shot and killed, the city’s first such death since George Floyd’s killing in May. The quick move was aimed at stemming public anger over the killing, which has stirred anxiety about renewed protests seven months after the widespread unrest that followed Floyd’s death at the hands of police. Related: Minneapolis switches $8m from police budget to violence prevention Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34ZONYN

Hospital staff express frustration as they tell of reckless behaviour by some members of the public Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage “If people clapped for us now, excuse my language but I would probably just tell them to fuck off,” said the exhausted junior doctor facing January in Britain on an overcrowded intensive care unit. “The majority of people, even people I know who are supposed to be sensible, are all doing things they shouldn’t be and still bubbling with their 80-year-old mother. It feels like almost everyone is breaking the rules in a dangerous way.” The doctor, who asked not to be named, was training in a hospital in the West Midlands. Like many medics she said she felt increasingly frustrated at the behaviour of people who might have applauded the NHS on their doorsteps in the spring. It had been a hard year watching patients struggle for breath and, ultimately, life. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3o4CH89

Joe Biden becomes US president, Britain fully leaves the EU and China will land a probe on Mars It can’t be as bad as 2020, can it? A new year brings fresh promise and fresh uncertainty. Here are some of the principal events expected in 2021. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2L7Jlfk

Job losses expected to continue in new year with further 200,000 cuts The high street shed 177,000 jobs in 2020 according to a study that predicts an even more devastating toll on retail jobs this year, with a further 200,000 expected to be lost. The job losses in what is the UK’s biggest private employment sector – with particular importance for women – illustrate the dramatic and permanent impact the pandemic will have on the shopping landscape. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rGDVbL

Nicola Sturgeon says Scotland will be back soon, while Nigel Farage hails exit from EU Some politicians in Britain and the EU have expressed triumph while others voiced bitter regret after the UK’s Brexit transition period ended on Thursday night. Britain left the European bloc’s vast single market for goods, services and the movement of people at 11pm GMT on New Year’s Eve – midnight in Brussels – completing the biggest single economic change the country has experienced since the second world war. For some, including the prime minister, it was moment of pride. Boris Johnson said the UK was now “free to do trade deals around the world, and free to turbocharge our ambition to be a science superpower”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/381zCQr

Boris Johnson largely ignores Brexit in New Year message to focus on toll of Covid and ‘the grimness of 2020’ Four years, 27 weeks and two days after a referendum that split the country almost down the middle, the UK left the EU’s orbit on Thursday night in a departure that was notably low key, and marked by warnings of likely disruption to come. In a sometimes sombre new year message, Boris Johnson largely ignored Brexit, an outcome he arguably shaped more than any other politician, to focus instead on the toll of Covid-19 and what he called “the grimness of 2020”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3n1MzOr

Tehran says it will defend itself forcefully as tensions rise ahead of anniversary of Suleimani killing The Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, on Thursday accused Donald Trump of attempting to fabricate a pretext to attack Iran, and said Tehran would defend itself forcefully. Separately, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader warned Trump “not to turn the New Year into mourning for Americans”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2X1jN64

Rodin, Bacon and Eileen Agar will be big, but Abramovic’s art attack could eclipse them all. Plus Frank Gehry unleashes a tornado and Helen Levitt shows how street photography should be done Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2WUWY40

From the decimation of several industries amid the pandemic to the rise of Zoom, 2020 has been an unprecedented year Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage It was an unprecedented year that none of us will forget. The coronavirus pandemic shook the world of business and economics to its core and continues to have profound, often unpredictable effects, some of them permanent. It hasn’t all been about Covid-19 though. 2020 also witnessed the usual corporate chicanery, deal-making and scandal. There were world-changing cultural and political moments, landmark departures and arrivals as well as, of course, some pocket-stretching pay packets. Here is a review of the year in business. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pAAeT3

Scientists experiment with artificial and induced snowfall in effort to slow glacial retreat During the summer of 2019, tourists were stopped in their tracks by a haunting melody ringing out across the Swiss Alps. Performed by two glaciologists, Hans Oerlemans and Felix Keller, the Requiem for the Glaciers of Switzerland mourns the disappearance of glaciers around the world. Glaciers are retreating fast. A report by the European Geosciences Union suggests that 90% of the glacier volume in the Alps, an essential source of drinking and irrigation water, could be lost by the end of the century. But Oerlemans and Keller are not simply standing by and watching it happen. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3o4LWFf

Closing schools isn’t the only answer: with proper investment, teachers and pupils could be safe and supported As a teacher, I am used to doing the same thing over and over. I must have taught the four times table hundreds of times, and I can’t imagine how often I’ve asked who needs to go to the toilet. The government likes to repeat itself, too. Once again, we are debating the relative merits of closing schools . According to ministers, there is an impossible trade-off between educating children and keeping adults safe. But this is a sleight of hand. There is, of course, a genuine tension between these goals – but the stakes need not be so high. Schools could be safer, and home learning could be more effective. It’s the responsibility of the government to make this happen. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3naq0Yh

Minister from Hindu nationalist BJP says schools should be producing Muslim professional workers, rather than future imams An Indian state ruled by Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party has passed a law abolishing all Islamic schools, saying they provided sub-standard education. Opposition politicians criticised the move and said it reflected the government’s anti-Muslim attitude in the Hindu-majority country. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3htISA9

Scientists describe the moment they realised this was ‘the big one’, and the chances that were missed Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Pandemics, it has been said, are lived forwards but only understood backwards. At the end of a year in which Covid-19 has claimed 1.7 million lives since it was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December, experts are now wondering if, and when, there was a turning point when the spread of the disease became globally unstoppable. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Lcwd8r

This year, the Sars-CoV-2 virus has come to dominate both the headlines and our lives. In the second of two episodes reviewing the science of the pandemic so far, the Guardian’s health editor, Sarah Boseley , its science editor, Ian Sample , and producer Madeleine Finlay give their thoughts on what has happened over 2020, alongside professors Eleanor Riley, John Drury and Christina Pagel Review of the year: part one Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3n6ds3L

Rollout to begin ‘soon’ but about a million have already received injection under emergency approvals See all our coronavirus coverage China’s health authorities have approved a Covid vaccine from state-owned Sinopharm for general use on the population, the government has announced. At a press conference in Beijing a state taskforce announced the vaccine had exceeded World Health Organization standards and would help establish effective immunity in China. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/381iIBH

Stripped of tourism money, keepers in India and Thailand are struggling to keep their elephants alive Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage It has been a tough year for many, and for the elephants at Elefanjoy sanctuary in Jaipur, India, it has been no exception. As the pandemic hit in March, the country imposed a strict nationwide lockdown, and the sanctuary’s dozens of elephants could no longer take their 30-mile daily walks, vital for stretching their legs and aiding digestion. Health problems began to set in, worsened by a glum mood that beset human and other animal inhabitants of the sanctuary. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rGmKqW

Like a growing number of people, Simon Parkin suffered from insomnia for years. After dozens of failed techniques, he finally found one that worked This week we are revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2020. This episode was first broadcast on 16 March For years, journalist Simon Parkin had suffered sleepless nights in his running battle with insomnia. Tiny noises or distractions would rouse him and then sleep would be impossible. It was taking a toll on his health and his waking life, so he resolved to do something about it. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rKqjMW

Local travel making up for lack of overseas visitors but also causing problems See all our coronavirus coverage The head of New Zealand’s department of conservation (DOC) has called on Kiwis to show greater respect for their environment amid a boom in domestic tourism that has been accompanied by reports of littering, human waste and wildlife disturbance. Restrictions on international travel due to Covid-19 have forced New Zealanders to holiday at home, with government data showing some holiday spots are busier than they were before the pandemic despite the absence of tourists from overseas. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/38KUfQk

Figure is a 175% increase on previous 24 hours, and 50,023 new cases are recorded Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK recorded 981 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test on Wednesday, the highest daily death toll since April. The figure, which is likely to be partially attributable to a lag in reporting deaths over the Christmas period, is the highest since the 1,010 recorded on 24 April, and is an increase of 175% compared with the previous 24 hours. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3o1gxmZ

Education secretary says schools in areas with highest Covid rates will not reopen for much of January Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Schools in parts of England heavily affected by Covid-19 are to remain closed to most children for the first weeks of January – including primary schools in many parts of London and the south-east – the education secretary has announced. University students will also face further delays returning to campus, with Gavin Williamson confirming that only those with clinical or lab-based classes, or in teacher training, will be able to return initially. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3o1buTP

The Guardian catches up with some of those who shared their experiences of the first lockdown earlier in the year Coronavirus – latest updates See all our Covid coverage As 2020 draws to a close, the Guardian caught up with five people who shared their experiences at the beginning of the first lockdown, and how they have been affected by the pandemic since. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/38LpevA

As China’s leadership celebrates national triumph over virus, some residents want an investigation into the start of the pandemic See all our coronavirus coverage Jianghan Road in Wuhan throngs with shoppers and strollers bundled up against the late December freeze. Bells ring out on the hour from the landmark Hankou Customs House where the road terminates near the wide banks of the Yangtze River. Restaurants along the city’s main pedestrian thoroughfare are packed, even on an icy weekday night, and resound with loud conversation. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MnuCNR

Britons urged to stay home; France puts 100,000 police out on patrol; Merkel laments hardest year; Times Square closed to public See all our coronavirus coverage Millions of people around the world are preparing for a New Year’s Eve like no other – with lockdowns, restrictions and curfews in place in dozens of countries in an attempt to stem the spread of Covid-19 before vaccination drives start to take effect. New Year’s Eve marks one year since the World Health Organization first mentioned a mysterious pneumonia in China later identified as Covid-19, which went on in 2020 to kill more than 1.79 million people and devastate the global economy in unprecedented ways. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2X41WeF

New Year’s Eve front pages on the UK-EU trade deal passing into law, widened tier 4 restrictions and the Oxford coronavirus vaccine approval The Daily Mail jubilates in “a new dawn for Britain” today, saying the signing of the deal and approval of the Oxford Covid vaccine represent “Two giant leaps to freedom”. The point size then halves as a concession is made: “But 20m more in Tier 4.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2JCOR9m

Prime minister thanks MPs and peers after Queen gives royal assent to bill redrawing ties with EU How did your MP vote? Labour frontbenchers quit after defying Starmer on deal Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit trade deal with Brussels has passed into law following a whirlwind 14-hour parliamentary process that has radically redrawn the UK’s ties with Europe. The prime minister thanked MPs and peers for passing the European Union (future relationship) bill in one day, in a statement urging the nation to “seize” the moment when the transition period with the bloc ends at 11pm on Thursday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MnqaP9

Sales of no and low alcohol alternatives rise during lockdown year A record number of Britons are planning to forego booze during so-called dry January , after re-evaluating their home drinking habits during lockdown and as sales of “no and low” alcohol alternatives soar. The charity Alcohol Change UK said its polling shows more than 6.5 million adults intend to participate in dry January – up from 3.9 million last year. That is the equivalent of one in five of people who drink alcohol. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3n86GLe

Hotel group controlled by multi-billionaire tax exile Sir James Ratcliffe joins Tesco and Pizza Hut on low-payer list A hotel group controlled by the multi-billionaire tax exile Sir James Ratcliffe has been fined by the government along with 138 other “rogue employers” who failed to pay their staff the national minimum wage. Ratcliffe, who has an estimated £12bn fortune, owns 55% of Home Grown Hotels, a boutique group he co-founded with Robin Hutson, a hotelier who built and sold the Hotel du Vin chain and is a former chairman of the members’ club Soho House . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KRupCb

Cases in Colorado and California raise questions about how mutation entered the country and whether its too late to stop it The US has now reported multiple cases of the new and apparently more contagious variant of the coronavirus first detected in the UK, triggering concerns about how long the mutant version has been here and how widely it has spread. The first known case was reported in Colorado on Tuesday. The person infected was later identified as a National Guardsman who had been sent to help out at a nursing home struggling with an outbreak. Health officials have said a second Guard member may also have it. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/382pzdS

Travel curbs and homeworking prompt people to shop locally instead of in city centres Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Britain’s independent shops had a sales boost in 2020 despite an overall drop in retail spending, as Covid travel restrictions and working from home prompted consumers to shop on local high streets instead of city centres. Data from Barclaycard shows spending at independent food and drink shops, including off-licences, butchers and bakeries, jumped 28.6% in 2020 compared with a year earlier. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Mg8PYd

Scientists say virus rampant in UK and advise people to avoid meeting up with family and friends Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Scientists, police and the prime minister are urging people to welcome in the new year in their own home, with an NHS chief warning it is “absolutely vital” to avoid meeting family and friends because “Covid loves a crowd”. Prof Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, told Wednesday’s No 10 press conference that the new UK coronavirus variant was fuelling a steep rise in infections, and said any plans to meet with those from other households should be postponed. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2L0Uuyl

Initially refused asylum, a judge on appeal ruled that Arthur Britney Joestar would suffer persecution if sent back to El Salvador Refugee status has been granted over a person’s non-binary status for the first time in a UK court, following a landmark ruling . The judgment, in the upper tribunal , was decided in the case of Arthur Britney Joestar from El Salvador after concluding that they would face persecution for their identity if they returned to their home country. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MiRzlk

Spectacular discovery of monkey in Myanmar among new species described this year by Natural History Museum scientists Scarab beetles from New Guinea, seaweed from the Falklands and a new species of monkey found on an extinct volcano in Myanmar are among 503 species newly identified by scientists at the Natural History Museum . The museum’s work in 2020 describing species previously unknown to science includes naming new lichens, wasps, barnacles, miniature tarantulas and a lungless worm salamander. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pz5rpJ

Latest updates: new vaccine can be easily transported so rollout could be swift ; person who returned to Taiwan tests positive for new variant ; Norway extends UK flight ban Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine approved by UK regulator See all our coronavirus coverage 8.51am GMT European stocks edged higher on Wednesday as the UK approved the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine , while bets of more US fiscal aid and massive vaccination efforts spurred hopes of a strong global economic recovery next year. The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.1% by 0810 GMT, hovering near a 10-month high hit in the previous session. It is truly fantastic news - and a triumph for British science - that the @UniofOxford / @AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use. We will now move to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible. pic.twitter.com/cR4pRdZJlT 8.44am GMT Authorities restricted movement and tightened curbs on gatherings in Sydney, Australia on Wednesday, hoping to avoid a coro...

While Covid has dominated the news, the world has also felt the effects of human-driven global heating This year has broken a series of unwelcome weather records. Last month was the warmest November in history. This followed the hottest January, May and September. All-time temperature peaks were registered from the Antarctic to the Arctic. Since the start of the year, Australia, Siberia and California have suffered record fires. The Atlantic has generated record storms . Ice in the Laptev Sea has started forming later than ever . The coronavirus pandemic may have dominated the news and temporarily reduced emissions . But 2020 has also demonstrated the increasingly evident impact of human-driven global heating. The six hottest years in human history have all occurred since 2014. That sequence will certainly continue for a seventh year. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) will soon know whether 2020 will take first, second or third place in the all-time ranking. Continue readi...

After a miserable 2014, I knew I had to make more time for myself – and my beloved boat I don’t make resolutions. But one year I made an exception. It was 1 January 2015. It was the only nod to self-improvement I have ever made – and it changed the course of my life. Very seriously, I resolved to have more fun. I had been inspired by the American folk legend Woody Guthrie, whose 1943 resolutions had come to light , a list full of such gems as “dream good” and “dance better”. Yes, I thought. Focus on what brings you joy – if that isn’t improvement, I don’t know what is. (I would humbly suggest this is even more pertinent as the cruel joke that is 2020 comes to a close.) I had had a tough year, having taken on a difficult project on top of a demanding full-time job and spent the months leading up to Christmas working so hard I barely slept. When I did sleep, I dreamed of the ocean (unsurprisingly, given I was writing a book about sea nomads in my spare time). Continue reading... fro...

Our tipsters have seen in the new year stargazing in the Atacama desert, partying hard in New Orleans and jiving in Cape Town Our all-girls group’s plans to celebrate New Year’s Eve while camping and stargazing in Chile ’s eerie Atacama Desert almost went wrong. Thanks to Jesus, it all worked out. Our tight budget led us to rent a Jeep from a backstreet car-hire firm in San Pedro. Result – a breakdown in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, a friendly group of locals led by the aptly named Jesus, who had some mechanical knowledge, were also heading out to the desert and stopped to help us. Result: a shared trip, wine, food, campfires and songs in English and Spanish under the mystical Atacama skies to see out and welcome in the year in a stunning setting and with great company. Yasmin Cox Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rF1Mc4

From Beyonce’s many catsuits to the supermodel scion who walked in her first digital show, test your fashion nerd knowledge of this very strange year Which designer spent lockdown at the Mercer Hotel in New York? Marc Jacobs Michael Kors Ralph Lauren Telfar Clemens Donna Karan Who was the first man to appear solo on the cover of American Vogue in December 2020? Louis Tomlinson Kerby Jean Raymond Harry Styles Timothee Chalamet Kanye West Which designer brand took to the Seine on a boat to show their haute couture collection in July? Saint Laurent Chanel Dior Balmain Valentino Which Netflix series had its red carpet premiere at home? Emily in Paris The Crown The Queen's Gambit Schitt's Creek Ratched Which brand are these two designers connected to? Givenchy Burberry Gabriela Hearst Prada Chloe What is one of the stars of the V&A's latest blockbuster exhibition? Naomi Campbell's hazmat suit Margaret Thatcher's handbag Bjork's k...

From Beyonce’s many catsuits to the supermodel scion who walked in her first digital show, test your fashion nerd knowledge of this very strange year Which designer spent lockdown at the Mercer Hotel in New York? Marc Jacobs Michael Kors Ralph Lauren Telfar Clemens Donna Karan Who was the first man to appear solo on the cover of American Vogue in December 2020? Louis Tomlinson Kerby Jean Raymond Harry Styles Timothee Chalamet Kanye West Which designer brand took to the Seine on a boat to show their haute couture collection in July? Saint Laurent Chanel Dior Balmain Valentino Which Netflix series had its red carpet premiere at home? Emily in Paris The Crown The Queen's Gambit Schitt's Creek Ratched Which brand are these two designers connected to? Givenchy Burberry Gabriela Hearst Prada Chloe What is one of the stars of the V&A's latest blockbuster exhibition? Naomi Campbell's hazmat suit Margaret Thatcher's handbag Bjork's k...

Adviser felt compelled to complain about security at PM’s country residence after incident, files reveal Security at Chequers during Edward Heath’s time as prime minister was so lax one government adviser accidentally stumbled into a room and saw him getting into the bath, newly released National Archives documents reveal. Victor Rothschild fired off a complaint to the cabinet secretary, Sir Burke Trend, complaining he was allowed inside the prime minister’s country manor house without anyone bothering to check his identity or vehicle. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rAVE4q

End of stamp duty holiday and Covid job furlough scheme expected to reverse price rises The property market could cool rapidly in 2021, according to forecasters, as the stamp duty holiday ends and unemployment rises. Mortgage lender Halifax is expecting a fall in house prices of between 2% and 5% next year , after a 7.6% rise over the past 12 months fuelled partly by a post-lockdown surge in sales. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3mUE73v

Navy analyst served 30 years in prison in US for spying but was able to travel after justice department declined to renew ban last year Jonathan Pollard, a former US Navy analyst who served 30 years in prison for spying for Israel, has arrived in Tel Aviv after parole restrictions on his travel expired. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Pollard and his wife Esther as they disembarked in Tel Aviv, video distributed by the Israeli prime minister’s office showed. The couple, both Orthodox Jews, kissed the tarmac. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34Vvvn5

More than half of users will walk or cycle instead of taking buses and trains, Co-op survey finds Over half of public transport users in the UK say they will continue to avoid buses and trains after the pandemic is over in favour of cycling or walking, a study of consumer spending reveals. The Co-op’s annual ethical consumerism report, which has monitored ethical spending habits for over 20 years, this year singles out public transport as “the biggest loser” of changed spending priorities due to Covid-19, with users reluctant to jump back onto buses and trains because of the threat to their personal space. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34WULcC

Official tests for antibody prevalence suggest an infection rate 10 times higher than official number See all our coronavirus coverage A Chinese study of coronavirus antibodies has found almost half a million people may have had Covid-19 in Wuhan, a number that is 10 times the official figure. According to the study of antibody prevalence, the infection rate was also far higher in Wuhan than surrounding areas, suggesting the virus had been well contained in the city where the outbreak first began. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34TAchn

Scientists say with that B117 has a transmission advantage making it 56% more transmissable than previous variant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The hypothesis that the fast-spreading UK variant of the Covid-19 virus has a transmission advantage has been bolstered by an analysis that suggests it is linked to higher loads of the virus in the blood. The variant, named B117, was discovered during an investigation into why coronavirus cases in Kent continued to rise during the November lockdown. Scientists found it continued to spread during the restrictions while older variants declined. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3o3bUJa

Ministers thrash out new plans including staff being given high priority for Covid vaccinations Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Secondary schools in England are unlikely to fully reopen until after mid-January at the earliest, according to new plans being thrashed out within government that would also see school staff be given high priority for Covid vaccinations. According to government sources, ministers are torn between heeding its scientific advisers over the rapid spread of the new Covid variant, and warnings from the Department for Education that switching to remote learning for the whole of January would make it hard for schools and colleges to reopen again before Easter, jeopardising summer exams. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/38LwBmy

Succession and Line of Duty are back, there’s a sex worker musical, a new take on Lord of the Rings – and Kate Winslet returns to the small screen (ITV) The first series of The Bay existed to fill the hole Broadchurch left in your life; a scenic whodunnit set in a town full of the most suspicious people imaginable. The second begins in January and has the potential to be a simple do-over. However, with Morvern Christie’s spectacularly flawed DS Lisa Armstrong at the centre, and the addition of the splendidly gruff James Cosmo to the cast, it will hopefully avoid that trap. • 13 January Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KPx8vL

From worst crash in a generation to record highs on news of a Covid vaccine, experts review the rollercoaster that was 2020 Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage 2020 has been the most remarkable year for the global financial markets. After the Covid-19 pandemic triggered the worst crash in a generation, unprecedented stimulus measures and vaccine breakthroughs have sent stocks roaring back to record highs. In a year in which at least 1.7 million people died from coronavirus and unemployment soared in a global recession, world stock markets are ending 2020 up 13% – despite the latest surge in cases forcing further lockdowns this winter. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rEilEP

‘You might get one chance in a decade,’ says Ralf Petgen, who has adapted his Mosel vineyard owing to global heating On a recent frosty night, Ralf Petgen made use of the light of a full moon to check every hour on the state of his riesling grapes. The weather forecast over the two previous days had given the winemaker hope that for the first time in years he would fulfil his dream of harvesting his grapes in a frozen state and turn them into Eiswein . “The temperature needs to be -7C, no warmer than that,” he said. “And we hadn’t had it as low as that while the grapes were still in a healthy state, since 2012.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37YoLHb

Group’s trial on the mainland lasted just one day and was held with few public witnesses Ten people who tried to flee Hong Kong for Taiwan have been sentenced in a Chinese court to up to three years in jail, while two minors will be returned home without charge. On Wednesday the Yantian people’s court ordered the group to serve varying sentences of between seven months and three years in jail. Of the two people charged with organising the illegal border crossing, one was sentenced to three years and fined RMB20,000 (£2,260), and the other to two years and fined RMB15,000. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3nYDWFX

Salvator Mundi was sold for a record $450m at auction in 2017 to an anonymous bidder. But the painting’s provenance as the work of Leonardo has been called into question This week we are revisiting some of our favourite episodes from throughout 2020. This episode was first released on 22 May 2020 A long-lost painting authenticated as the work of Leonardo da Vinci was sold for a world record price of $450m in a dramatic auction in New York in 2017. The price stunned the art world and created a storm of attention for a painting that had only been rediscovered in 2005. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2WVUSks

TV impressionist pretended to be John Major in call to Eurosceptic rebel MP, National Archives show The TV impressionist Rory Bremner may have inadvertently saved John Major’s bacon and averted a Conservative party revolt after he prank-called a rebel MP pretending to be the prime minister, records released by the National Archives show. Sir Richard Body, the MP for Holland with Boston, and one of the Eurosceptic Maastricht rebels Major nicknamed the “bastards”, was utterly convinced the then prime minister had rung him asking for his support in October 1993. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hqrY5k

Judges including the Guardian’s Martin Rowson praised Meikle, just 11, in the under-18s category and 29-year-old Boylan, who picked up the under-30 prize If a cartoonist’s job is to raise a smile in the bleakest of times and to provoke a laugh in adversity, then 2020 has certainly provided rich material. Two young cartoonists have captured the spirit of this annus horribilis by doing just that, sharing the title of Young Cartoonist of the Year. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pzGUAZ

European Union (future relationship) bill is expected to go through both the Commons and Lords in just a day It is a time of year when MPs might typically still be at home chomping through Christmas leftovers. But, instead of devouring turkey sandwiches during the festive break, they will probably be leafing through pages of draft legislation in preparation for Wednesday’s vote on the historic Brexit trade deal with the EU. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37VUmcj

We asked our photographers to pick an image that best highlighted an aspect of the coronavirus pandemic We asked the Guardian and Observer’s team of photographers to pick an image that represented something interesting about covering the pandemic in 2020. From heatwave swims to anti-racism demonstrations in the summer to lockdown imagery and individual tragedy, these images and the thoughts of the photographers form a very personal take on the experience of covering the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34TCJIl

Low-cost products from the 1960s to the 1990s can be worth thousands of pounds Don’t chuck out your old flatpack furniture just yet – you could be sitting on a fortune. Since Ikea launched a scheme to buy back and resell unwanted furniture in November, classic designs once sold at bargain prices by the retailer have become expensive must-have items. Some collectors are willing to pay thousands of pounds for vintage pieces designed for the Swedish chain, including some that were common in stores as recently as the 1990s. A set of four Vilbert chairs, a multicoloured MDF and melamine product sold by Ikea in the early 1990s for about £60, are on sale at Pamono, a vintage and contemporary furniture website, for more than £4,500 . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pvKDPX

Experts fear misinformation and development worries could undermine efforts to control pandemic Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine has been high among those offered it, doctors say, despite fears that vaccine hesitancy could undermine efforts to control the pandemic . Experts have feared mass uptake of the jab could be jeopardised by widespread misinformation, concerns among the public about the speed at which the vaccine has been developed and approved , and lack of trust in vaccines and the pharmaceutical companies and governments calling for it. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3n4yvnH

Boss of Runnymede Trust says white working class being prioritised at expense of BAME people to win votes The head of a race equality thinktank has accused the government of pursuing a divisive “white nationalist” agenda, prioritising the white working class at the expense of ethnic minorities in an attempt to win votes. In her first interview since being appointed director of the Runnymede Trust, Halima Begum said ministers had failed to respond meaningfully to the “seismic shifts” represented by Black Lives Matters (BLM) protests and the disproportionate effect of Covid-19 on black and minority ethnic (BAME) Britons. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hxrRFi

Ankara has long welcomed Uighur and Turkic Muslims fleeing China but human rights groups fear the treaty will endanger them Beijing has ratified an extradition treaty with Turkey that human rights groups warn could endanger Uighur families and activists fleeing persecution by Chinese authorities if it is adopted by Ankara. The treaty, first signed in 2017, was formalised on the weekend at the national people’s congress, with state media saying it would be used for counter-terrorism purposes. Facing strong opposition within its parliament, Turkey’s government has not yet ratified the deal, and critics have urged the government to abandon it and prevent the treaty from “becoming an instrument of persecution”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rDVn0v

Experts tell end of year media briefing that virus is likely to become endemic and the world will have to learn to live with it See all our coronavirus coverage World Health Organization experts have warned that even though the coronavirus pandemic has been very severe it is “not necessarily the big one” and that the world will have to learn to live with Covid-19. The “destiny” of the virus is to become endemic, even as vaccines begin to be rolled out in the US and UK, Professor David Heymann, the chair of the WHO’s strategic and technical advisory group for infectious hazards said. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2WOV7hf

Photojournalist Jonny Weeks returns to University hospital in Coventry in the week the jab starts being rolled out As Margaret Keenan, 90, was being discharged from University hospital in Coventry this month, hand-in-hand with her daughter and grandson, she carried a newspaper with the headline: “One small jab for Maggie, one giant leap for all of us.” “You’re so famous they’re comparing you to the astronauts who walked on the moon!” one nurse quipped. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hq04pZ

California was the first state to lock down and avoided overwhelming its hospitals. Nine months later, its leaders are struggling as conditions worsen At the San Joaquin hospital in California’s Central Valley, nurses cover infectious Covid-19 patients with clear, tent-like barriers – or, when those aren’t available, white sheets – as they’re wheeled through the ICU. “It’s for everybody’s protection,” said Jessica Vasquez, an ICU nurse at the hospital – the sheets ensure that infection doesn’t spread to other patients and medical staff. But like so many of the protocols that the hospital has implemented since the coronavirus pandemic struck, it feels uncanny. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2L3pVrE

Daniel Craig hands in his licence to kill, Frances McDormand delivers her best ever performance, Carey Mulligan unsettles in a rape-revenge drama and Tom Cruise reaches for the skies … this year’s must-see films Paul Greengrass’s latest film is based on the western novel by Paulette Jiles, about a girl returning to her family in 1860s Texas after being kidnapped by the Kiowa tribe. Helena Zengel plays the girl, Johanna, and Tom Hanks plays the man who must look after her: Captain Kidd, an ex-army veteran who makes a living reading aloud from newspapers to illiterate townsfolk, and who is now in the middle of a very big news story. • Released in the UK on 1 January Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aNr8OH

With passing trade hit hard by the pandemic, the booksellers on the banks of the Seine are struggling Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Usually, Sundays are good days for the bouquinistes . Legions of strollers – tourists, out-of-towners, Parisians – throng the banks of the Seine, and the open-air booksellers whose green boxes have lined the quays for 400-odd years do good business. One recent Sunday, though, Jérôme Callais made €32. And there was a day that week when he made €4: a single paperback, he can’t even recall which. It has not, Callais said, sheltering from driving rain on an all but deserted Quai de Conti, been easy. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KMd5ON

The 77-year-old Republican former House speaker says Trump will ‘remain a dominant figure for a fairly long period of time’ Some blame Donald Trump. Others blame social media. And those with longer memories blame Newt Gingrich for carving up America into blue states and red states racked by mutual fear, suspicion and alienation. As speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999, the Republican arguably did more anyone else to sow the seeds of division in Washington. “Newt Gingrich turned partisan battles into bloodsport, wrecked Congress, and paved the way for Trump’s rise,” reflected the Atlantic magazine in 2018. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3mWQRH9

The internet has been perplexed by a video in which Baldwin appeared to discard her Spanish accent What is going on with Hilaria Baldwin supposedly being fake Spanish? Glad you asked – but there is a lot to cover. Starved of celebrity gossip and, well, all human interest all year, the internet has seized on the suggestion that Alec Baldwin’s wife has – at the very least – habitually over-stated her connection to Spain. I appreciate it doesn’t sound like much but, look, in 2020 we take what we can get. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/38HfjXF

Met Office issues snow and ice warning after a day of heavy snowfall, with mercury set to plunge furthest in western Scotland A cold snap will continue to spread across Britain on Tuesday and temperatures could plunge as low as -10C in parts of the country. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of snow and ice for much of England and Wales and parts of Scotland after a day of heavy snowfall in some regions , with more wintry weather expected on Wednesday and Thursday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KZVGCf

New York attorney investigates incident in which black teenager was accused of trying to steal a white woman’s phone in a hotel lobby A confrontation in which the jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold said a woman tackled his 14-year-old son in a New York hotel lobby as she falsely accused the teen of stealing her phone is under investigation, prosecutors said. Harrold posted a widely viewed video of the confrontation that took place at the Arlo hotel on Saturday. He alleged the unidentified woman scratched him and tackled and grabbed his son, Keyon Harrold Jr, who is black, at the lower Manhattan hotel where the pair were staying. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rubEVM

German care home workers accidentally injected with five vaccine doses; South Korea reports record deaths See all our coronavirus coverage South Africa’s president has reimposed a ban on alcohol sales and ordered the closure of all bars as part of new restrictions to help the country battle a resurgence of the coronavirus, including a new variant . In a nationwide address on Monday, Cyril Ramaphosa also announced the closure of all beaches and public swimming pools in the country’s infection hotspots, which include Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and several coastal areas. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3nRliQ9

Cases in Wollongong, the inner west and north of Sydney yet to be linked to Avalon cluster, chief health officer says New South Wales has recorded three locally acquired cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday, but the chief health officer has warned additional cases were recorded overnight outside the Avalon cluster. While the three cases identified on Monday were all in people already in isolation on the northern beaches, Dr Kerry Chant said she had been alerted to three more cases by Tuesday morning, which will be included in Wednesday’s update. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hqiWFF

Sound recordist Chris Watson shares the birdsong from his English garden, while environmentalist George Monbiot looks at how the pandemic might be an opportunity for rewilding This week we are revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2020. This episode was first broadcast on 22 May 2020 For Chris Watson , a wildlife sound recordist who usually travels all over the world for his work, the pandemic has created time to listen closely to the natural world on his doorstep instead. He shares with Rachel Humphreys some of the birdsong recordings he has captured in his garden over the past few weeks. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Jrn0IZ

If, as expected, the Senate follows suit later this week, it will be Congress’s first such rebuke of his presidency Donald Trump suffered fresh humiliation on Monday when more than a hundred Republicans joined Democrats in the House of Representatives to override his veto of a $741bn defence bill. If, as expected, the Senate follows suit later this week, it will be Congress’s first such rebuke of his presidency, which has only three weeks left to run. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37WrcKh

Mental health practitioners call for improved access to treatment services Hospital admissions for children with eating disorders have risen by almost a fifth in two years and a third among all age groups, figures show, as mental health practitioners call for improved access to treatment services. According to the latest NHS Digital data for England, there were 21,794 admissions for eating disorders among all age groups in 2019-20, up by 32% from 16,547 in 2017-18. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34RGUEC

Arts, radio and libraries to help ease the strain of Covid restrictions on isolated people Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage A volunteer phone call service for older and vulnerable social housing residents and a homemade Christmas food delivery service are among a number of initiatives being singled out for praise as the government announces a £7.5m fund to tackle the epidemic of loneliness in England. With millions now living under tier 4 restrictions in England, ministers said on Tuesday that the package would help counter loneliness over the winter period, and support sectors well known for bringing people and communities together, such as the arts, libraries, charities and radio. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3ptGLiv

Plant-based campaign sets target of 500,000 signatories worldwide Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Organisers of Veganuary are gearing up for their biggest ever year next month since the meat-free pledge was launched seven years ago, thanks to a surge in consumers tucking into more plant-based foods during lockdown and greater concern about health and the environment. The UK-based campaign, which since 2014 has asked people to pledge to follow a diet free of animal products in January, has set a target of 500,000 signatories worldwide and expects to reach 350,000 by Tuesday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37VaStd

Gladys Berejiklian gives coronavirus update; three shops in Sydney’s CBD and two supermarkets in eastern suburbs were visited by people who have tested positive. Follow all the latest news and updates, live NSW records three new coronavirus cases Sydney New Year’s Eve restrictions explainer Covid hotspots NSW Australia border restrictions Follow our global coronavirus live blog 12.49am GMT To recap that press conference: We appreciate frustration levels may be increasing (on the northern beaches) but please know there is light at the end of the tunnel. Ironically, as we see time move on the threat of greater Sydney is almost becoming as equal to parts of the northern beaches and that’s where we’ll be adjusting potentially some of our restrictions. 12.31am GMT Gladys Berejiklian believes Cricket Australia should consider moving Brisbane’s cricket test, as opposed to moving Sydney’s test, if the Queensland government does not allow players to travel there after a test in Syd...

President-elect says his advisers encountered roadblocks from the defence department and the office of management and budget Joe Biden, the US president-elect, complained on Monday that his national security team has run into “obstruction” and “roadblocks” from political leadership at the Pentagon. The criticism came after the defence department earlier this month suddenly suspended briefings with the Biden transition team, and with Donald Trump still seeking to overturn his election defeat. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pwofWJ

Mounted City of London police receive a surprise order: to help trample in wildflower seeds at the Barbican ‘Nature survives in the tiniest corners’: the City of London’s wild heart Read more in our series Biodiversity: what happened next? It’s not often that the City of London’s police horses are asked to trample on someone’s garden. But when the request came, it wasn’t made by a spiteful neighbour but a group of community wildlife gardeners who wanted divots in their grass. “Normally, we get terribly told off for going anywhere near grass,” says PC Ben Ballard, who rode Clyde around Barbican Wildlife Garden at the beginning of December, with his colleague Jo Brown riding Iris. “This assignment today is a particularly unusual one – unfortunately we did some offloading of manure on the way because they might actually have appreciated that.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2M1TKtd

The Italian detective’s horror comic book adventures have sold 60m copies worldwide. So why is he not well-known in his fictional home? There is a breakfast cafe called Dylan Dog at 7 Craven Road, near Paddington station in west London. To most customers, it is simply another venue for coffee and eggs, wedged into a busy street among the area’s more elegant stucco-fronted terraces and squares. But to Italians the address is no less magical than Harry Potter’s Platform 9 and 3/4, or Sherlock Holmes’s 221b Baker Street. For No 7 Craven Road is the home of Dylan Dog himself, a fictional investigator of the paranormal, the protagonist of an Italian horror comic book series with more than 60m copies sold worldwide. And yet perhaps Dylan Dog’s biggest uncracked mystery is that, to his neighbours in London, he is almost unknown. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aLkV5T

Kerala villagers are reaping the benefits of a scheme that pays them to leave their trees rooted, reducing risk of deforestation In the misty, hilly terrain of Wayanad, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, the people with any access to land in the quiet town of Meenangadi have been out counting their trees. Sheeja CG, a 46-year-old farmer, has lived among coffee, coconut and pepper plantations all her life but last month she increased her income dramatically by mortgaging 53 of her trees at the local bank, in return for a sum of 2,650 rupees (£26.96), or 50 rupees each. She was one of the first beneficiaries of the state-sponsored scheme. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2L2ummx

Resolution Foundation says lockdowns and tier 4 restrictions will lead to depressed growth in 2021 The fresh wave of coronavirus restrictions could lead to the economy being 6% smaller by Easter than official forecasters had predicted just last month, one of the UK’s major economic thinktanks has warned. The Resolution Foundation said the national lockdowns in Scotland and Wales and the tier 4 restrictions imposed in much of England would lead to depressed growth until Easter, and lead to 4.3% growth in 2021 compared with the 5.5% forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/34LlkBK