London set for tighter virus curbs as new variant emerges in England

LONDON - The British capital faces tougher COVID-19 measures within days, the UK government said on Monday, with a new coronavirus variant emerging as a possible cause for rapidly rising infection rates.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said London, and parts of three surrounding counties, would move into the highest of three levels of restrictions in force across England from Wednesday.

Pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues will have to close, except for takeaway food, as will theatres and other venues in the entertainment sector.

Members of different households can't mingle indoors, although people can still meet in groups of up to six in public places outside. Shops and schools can remain open.

"This action is absolutely essential, not just to keep people safe but because we have seen early action can prevent more damage and longer-term problems later," Hancock told parliament.

In some areas, cases are doubling every seven days, he said, warning: "It only takes a few doublings for the NHS (National Health Service) to be overwhelmed."

London had already seen a "sharp rise" in daily cases and hospital admissions, and there is concern about the "new variant" of the coronavirus initially detected in southeast England, where cases are now rising the fastest, officials said.

England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty stressed there was no evidence that the variant is more dangerous, infectious or able to evade testing.

He also cautioned against blaming it for the spike in cases across the country's southeast.

"The variant may or may not be contributing to that," Whitty said at a press conference, adding: "We don't know what's cause and effect."

'INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTING'

Andrew Davidson, reader in virology at Bristol University, said coronaviruses are known to mutate, have done elsewhere in Europe and North America, and were not always more virulent.

"However, if they spread more easily but cause the same disease severity, more people will end up becoming ill in a short period of time," he said.

Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said it was not yet clear how the variant would affect the first vaccines and treatments.

"The surveillance and research must continue and we must take the necessary steps to stay ahead of the virus," he added. 

Britain last week became the first country to offer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and is now rolling out the program to GP surgeries, and in care homes in Scotland.

The move comes two days before a national review of the tier system and just as the struggling hospitality and entertainment sector is trying to rebound from a torrid year of closures.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the decision as "incredibly disappointing" for businesses but added: "It's much better to act early, rather than too late."

'CATASTROPHIC YEAR'

Theater producer Cameron Mackintosh, though, said "the sudden volte-face by the government... is devastating for both the theatre and the economy".

Christmas is normally a money-spinner for theatres, with shows including pantomimes, and was this year seen as vital given hardships faced by actors, backstage and front of house staff.

Jon Morgan, director of the Theatres Trust, said the new closures would create more uncertainty and losses, and compounded a "catastrophic year for theatre". 

"My entire cast and company are now crying," added Michael Harrison, who is producing "Pantoland at the Palladium". 

Catherine McGuinness, of the City of London Corporation, urged the government to keep its decision "under close review" and urged "adequate support" for businesses most affected.

Shops and hairdressers can stay open in Tier 3, as can schools but several London districts are sending children home from Tuesday because of rising numbers of cases among older children.

Testing of 11 to 18-year-old students began in the worst-affected areas on Monday.

On Friday, the "R number" in London indicating how many other people someone with the virus will infect was between 0.9 and 1.1, according to the government's website.

London has seen more than 201,000 of the 1.8 million positive tests countrywide, and more than 7,000 of over 63,000 deaths.

Agence France-Presse

Last remaining multiple World Cup champions eliminated

KAZAN, Russia  — Only five countries have won the World Cup more than once. None of them have a chance to win another this year.

Five-time champion Brazil and two-time champion Uruguay were both eliminated Friday, losing in the quarterfinals. Argentina, another two-time winner, lost in the round of 16 while four-time champion Germany couldn’t make it out of the group stage.

Italy, which also has won four titles, didn’t even qualify, losing to Sweden in the playoffs.

This is the first time there will be a semifinals without at least one of Argentina, Brazil, Germany or Italy.

That only leaves France and England as former champions still with a chance to win another title in Russia.

BRAZIL

Brazil was one of the biggest favorites heading into the tournament in Russia, but it struggled early in the group stage and finally lost to Belgium 2-1 on Friday in Kazan.

After a lackluster start in qualifying, Brazil replaced 1994 World Cup-winning captain Dunga with Tite as coach. Tite oversaw an immediate improvement in results that led to Brazil’s qualification.

Although Brazil finished first in Group E, it failed to impress in attack. There were glimpses of pace and skill from Neymar and Philippe Coutinho, but the team was not as free-flowing going forward as many had hoped.

At least the defense was solid, conceding only one goal through the round of 16.

Brazil has now been eliminated by European opposition in the knockout stages at each of the four World Cups since it last won in 2002.
URUGUAY

Uruguay was the World Cup’s first winner back in 1930 and the country added a second title 20 years later when it defeated Brazil in the final match in Rio de Janeiro.

Although the Uruguayans haven’t made a final since, they have become a presence again in the final stages.

In 2010, Uruguay made the semifinals, losing to the Netherlands 3-2. The team came close again this year, but lost to France 2-0 on Friday in Nizhny Novgorod.

Uruguay came second in South American qualifying behind Brazil. Its strong all-around performances in Russia, particularly in the 2-1 victory over Portugal in the round of 16, raised hopes that the team could at least match its performance from 2010.

However, during the loss to France in the quarterfinals, Uruguay was forced to play without injured striker Edinson Cavani. And a bad mistake from goalkeeper Fernando Muslera gifted Antoine Griezmann a goal.

ARGENTINA

Argentina, the World Cup champion in 1978 and 1986, has arguably the best player of his generation in Lionel Messi. But few gave the team much of a chance of making a second straight final.

Qualifying for the tournament in Russia proved to be an ordeal, requiring a final day hat trick from Messi.

With coach Jorge Sampaoli struggling to build a team around Messi, Argentina labored during the group stage in Russia, notably in its opening 1-1 draw against Iceland.

A 3-0 loss to Croatia raised the prospect that it wouldn’t even make it out of the group, but the team scraped through with a late winner against Nigeria.

The reward, though, was tough — France in the round of 16. Kylian Mbappe exploited the lack of speed in Argentina’s defense and lead France to a 4-3 victory.

GERMANY

Germany won its fourth World Cup in Brazil four years ago. A chance for a fifth was expected in Russia, not least because the team hadn’t done much wrong in between.

Germany’s failure to make the second stage for the first time since 1938 is one of the World Cup’s great surprises. After all, Germany has made it to the semifinals in each major tournament it has contested since 2006.

Losing its opening group match against Mexico was seen as a blip. Normal service would surely resume, it was thought. However, the team struggled in its second match against Sweden, requiring a curling goal from Toni Kroos with virtually the last kick of the match to win 2-1.

In its final match against South Korea, the Germans lost 2-0.

ITALY

At least the others qualified for this year’s World Cup.

Italy, however, didn’t even make it to Russia after losing to Sweden in the playoffs. It’s the first time Italy has missed out on a World Cup in 60 years.

Italy’s national team has been in decline since winning its fourth World Cup title in 2006. At the World Cups of 2010 and 2014, the Italians failed to get out of their group.

source: philstar.com

British royal family thanks those who celebrated wedding

LONDON — The royal family has thanked people who attended or watched the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

"Thank you to everyone who came to Windsor and those who followed from around the UK, the Commonwealth, and the world," the royals said.

The family tweeted its thanks late Saturday night while Harry and his bride were attending a private soiree hosted by Harry's father, Prince Charles.

Kensington Palace did not release details, but photographs showed Markle, now known formally as the Duchess of Sussex, wearing an emerald-cut aquamarine ring that had belonged to Harry's mother, Princess Diana, to the reception.

The newlyweds spent their first night as a married couple at Windsor Castle. They are not immediately going on honeymoon.

source: philstar.com

For a prince's wedding, even the greenery has royal roots

WINDSOR, England — Even the foliage in the flower arrangements will have royal roots.

Philippa Craddock, the London florist selected by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to design the blooms for their wedding ceremony, said Wednesday that ferns and branches of silver birch, English oak and beech from Windsor Great Park will be part of the greenery adorning the scenery at nearby St. George's Chapel.

An integral part at that, according to Craddock.

"The base is the foliage, that's where the designs start from, and then the flowers are complementary on top of that, but actually it's very much the foliage and shapes of the branches that will give us the shape of the designs," she told Britain's Press Association.

Windsor Great Park is one of the public open spaces owned by Britain's monarch. Unsurprisingly, its 4,800 acres have quite the pedigree.

William the Conqueror hunted there in the 11th century when the park was a forest. King Charles II was the one who tamed the land in the late 17th century. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the husband she would forever mourn after his death at Windsor Castle, were devoted park patrons.

Harry's great-grandfather, King George VI, set in place the first of 60 oak trees that were planted in honor of his 1937 coronation. Another row of oaks honors Harry's grandfather, Prince Philip, who holds the title of park ranger. Still another celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday.

Kensington Palace previously revealed that roses, peonies and foxgloves also will be in the church arrangements at Saturday's wedding. Beyond that, Craddock and the garden keeper at Windsor Great Park, John Anderson, are staying respectfully discreet.

"There are moments where I've focused on it being another commission, so it's like working with any one of our couples, and of course you take a step back and you just realize the enormity of it," Craddock said. "It's a huge occasion and we're just hugely privileged."

source: philstar.com

WATCH | At least 19 killed in blast at Ariana Grande concert in UK arena

A blast on Monday night at a concert in the English city of Manchester where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing left at least 19 people dead and about 50 injured in what British police said was being treated as a terrorist incident.

Police said they were responding to reports of an explosion and that there were a number of confirmed fatalities and others injured at the arena, which has a capacity for 21,000 people.

A witness who attended the concert said she felt a huge blast as she was leaving the arena, followed by screaming and a rush as thousands of people trying to escape.

WATCH REUTERS TV REPORT ON THE INCIDENT:


“We were making our way out and when we were right by the door there was a massive explosion and everybody was screaming,” concert-goer Catherine Macfarlane told Reuters.

“It was a huge explosion — you could feel it in your chest. It was chaotic. Everybody was running and screaming and just trying to get out.”

Witnesses reported that many children were at the concert.

Manchester Arena, the largest indoor arena in Europe, opened in 1995 and has a capacity for 21,000 people, according to its website. It is a popular concert and sporting venue.

A spokesman for Ariana Grande’s record label said that the singer was “okay”. A video posted on Twitter showed fans screaming and running out of the venue.

Britain is on its second-highest alert level of “severe” meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

Following is a Reuters summary of what is known and not about the incident.

* Death toll: British police said 19 people were killed and 59 people had been treated in hospital. A total of 60 ambulances attended the incident.

Many of the fans at the concert were young people. The blast sparked panic as thousands of people rushed for the exits, witnesses told Reuters.

* US singer Ariana Grande had just finished a concert at the Manchester Arena, the largest indoor arena in Europe that can hold 21,000 people, when the blast occurred.

Grande, 23, later said on Twitter: “broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don’t have words.”

* Parents hunted for missing children after the blast. Many turned to social media to seek loved ones.

“Everyone pls share this, my little sister Emma was at the Ari concert tonight in #Manchester and she isn’t answering her phone, pls help me,” said one message posted alongside a picture of a blonde-haired girl with flowers in her hair.

* Police said they were called at 10:33 pm (2133 GMT) after reports of an explosion.

Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said police were treating the blast as a terrorist incident and were working with counter-terrorism police and intelligence agencies. They gave no further details on their investigation.

* It is unclear where exactly the blast occurred, but initial reports indicated it happened either just outside the Manchester Arena or near a foyer.

It is also unclear whether it was a bomb. Police have so far not said what caused the blast.

* US officials told Reuters that the timing and venue suggested a terror attack, possibly by a suicide bomber.

“This does not appear to have been a carefully planned attack involving multiple actors, extensive surveillance of the target or exotic materials,” said another US official.

“That is what is so worrisome about this kind of thing – how simple it is to indiscriminately kill, wound and terrorize innocent people. With our partners, the US has begun the process of combing through the available intelligence to see if anything was missed.”

* Prime Minister Theresa May said authorities were working to establish the full details of what police were treating as “an appalling terrorist attack.” She said her thoughts were with the victims and the families of those who have been affected.

* What about the June 8 election? PM May’s ruling Conservative Party, which has a big lead in opinion polls, is preparing to suspend election campaigning due to the blast.

* No militant group has claimed responsibility so far but Islamic State supporters celebrated on social media. Twitter accounts affiliated to the militant Islamist group have used hashtags referring to the blast to post celebratory messages, with some users encouraging similar attacks elsewhere.

* The blast occurred on the anniversary of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby, who was hacked to death on a London street on May 22, 2013.

Rigby’s gruesome murder gained international notoriety when Michael Adebolajo was filmed by passers-by standing in the street with blood-soaked hands trying to justify the attack.

source: interaksyon.com

Third teen arrested over cyber attack on UK’s TalkTalk

LONDON — British police said Tuesday they had arrested a third teenager in connection with a cyber attack on Internet and telephone provider TalkTalk that put millions of customers’ data at risk.

The 16-year-old boy was arrested in the east England city of Norwich on Tuesday evening and taken to a police station while the property was searched, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Police.

It comes after the arrests last week of a 16-year-old boy from west London, a 15-year-old boy in Northern Ireland, and a 20-year-old man in Staffordshire in central England. All three have since been released on bail.

The personal data of some four million customers of TalkTalk are feared to have been breached in the hack, which was the third cyber attack on the firm in eight months in which customers’ data was stolen.

TalkTalk has said that it is not sure how many customers were affected but that data including names, bank details and addresses could be at risk.

The company has said that not all information on customers was encrypted, and described the attack as “significant and sustained”.

Police are working together with serious organised crime body the National Crime Agency and cyber crime detectives on the case.

Investigators are examining a ransom demand sent to TalkTalk and purporting to be from the hacker, though the company is not sure if the demand was genuine.

source: interaksyon.com

British Comic Actor Eric Sykes Dies Aged 89

LONDON (Reuters) - Eric Sykes, one of Britain's best-loved comedians who forged a career in entertainment by writing for others, has died, his manager said on Wednesday. He was 89.

In a career spanning over 50 years he was a regular collaborator on the popular 1950s radio comedy program "The Goon Show" and became a leading personality after starring in his own television series, "Sykes and a..." in the 1960s.

"Eric Sykes, 89, star of television, stage and film, died peacefully this morning after a short illness," his manager Norma Farnes told Reuters. "His family were with him."

Sykes was born in Oldham, northern England, in 1923, and was introduced to showbusiness while serving as a wireless operator in the Royal Air Force.

A chance meeting with wartime friend and actor Bill Fraser in 1940s London led to a breakthrough in comedy writing and his collaboration with comedian Frankie Howerd on the successful radio show "Variety Bandbox".

Further radio work followed for Sykes, including the groundbreaking 1950s Goon Show - partly to ease the workload of its co-creator Spike Milligan.

His early television projects included "The Howerd Crowd" and "The Tony Hancock Show", but his big breakthrough came in 1960 with the launch of "Sykes and a..." in which he starred alongside Hatti Jacques in a brother-sister act that struck a chord with viewers and attracted huge TV audiences.

Sykes took on a variety of supporting roles in feature films including "Heavens Above!" (1963), "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines" (1965) and "The Spy With A Cold Nose" (1966).

But he is best remembered by many for a virtually dialogue-free film called "The Plank" (1967) in which he and Tommy Cooper appeared as two workmen delivering planks to a building site.

Two years later he starred alongside Milligan in "Curry and Chips", a controversial sitcom that was criticised for being racist and taken off the air after only six episodes.

Co-creator Johnny Speight defended the series, saying it was specifically designed to highlight discrimination in society.

Sykes' television career subsequently faded, but he was still appearing on the stage well into his 70s, including in Alan Bennett's "Kafka's Dick".

His enduring success was all the more remarkable because he was almost totally deaf since his early 30s and blind from the early 1990s.

He is widely credited with introducing an offbeat tone to mainstream British comedy, and recalls a gentler age of humor that has been overshadowed by more aggressive, controversial performers.

"I'm proud of being a vaudevillian, the last of my line," he once said. "A lot of people think my entertainment is candy-floss. Well, entertainment is too aggressive these days, all in your face."

Actor Bernard Cribbins, who starred in a remake of The Plank, said Sykes would be sadly missed.

"I just wish him a lot of rest up there with all the other comics, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe," he added in remarks to British media. "They will all be up there, having a laugh together."

article source: nytimes.com

Records of 50,000 British Royal family household staff made public

Once upon a time a teenager from the 17th century American colonies came to England where he rose from being a humble apprentice to the dizzying height of jeweller to the royal courts of Britain, earning himself a knighthood.

The record of Sir Steven Evance, who served William III and Queen Anne in the late 1600s and early 1700s, is one of 50,000 now available online to allow the public to scour for details of any past family connections to the British royal household.

The household staff lists, previously only accessible at Windsor Castle by appointment, are being made available by findmypast.com in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

Diamond Jubilee celebrations will take place across Britain this weekend and the household lists, which run between 1660 and 1924, offer an insight into how Queen Victoria celebrated her own Jubilee, more than 115 years ago.

"People across the globe continue to be fascinated by the British Royal Family, as well as the relationship between 'upstairs' and 'downstairs' life," said Debra Chatfield, family historian at the website.

"In the year of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, this is the perfect opportunity to explore your family history and discover whether you have an ancestor who worked for the Royal Household."

Records reveal that at the last Diamond jubilee celebrations, Parisian chefs were brought over to help with the cooking, encouraging younger apprentices in the kitchens to grow their moustaches to resemble those of their French superiors.

With details such as name, occupation, age, length of service and salary, the records reveal the youngest to serve was a three-year-old child while a 96-year-old page spanned the reign of four Kings and Queens.

They also show that jeweller Evance suffered an unfortunate fate, amassing huge debts in trying to set himself up as an insurance broker and finally hanging himself.

"(He) eventually went broke, as many royal creditors did," said Professor Robert Bucholz, an expert on officials of the Royal Household and Professor of History at Loyola University of Chicago.

"His full story is an iconic but sad one. He is a colonial boy, who makes his way to London à la Dick Whittington, rises to the financial and social heights - a knighthood and position at court - but he then descends into bankruptcy."

Other notables include John Stuart who served in the royal household before becoming Prime Minister between 1762-63 while the uncle of poet Lord Byron served as Master of the Staghounds in Sherwood Forest.

Some occupations were better-paid than others.

Kitchen maids for example received 25 pounds a year while the head chef bagged 400 pounds per annum plus allowances.

Some of the more unusual jobs in the Royal Household included Chocolate Maker to the Queen Yeoman of the Mouth, Necessary Woman to the Corridor and Entrance Hall, Keeper of the Lions in the Tower, Moletaker, Master of the Game of Cock Fighting, Groom of the Removing Wardrobe, Groom of the Stole (an early form of washroom attendant), Strewer of Herbs and Laundress of the Body Linen. - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Australia billionaire to launch 'unsinkable' Titanic

CANBERRA - An Australian billionaire announced plans on Monday to build an "unsinkable" version of the Titanic, 100 years after the original sank after hitting an iceberg.

Titanic II is expected to make its maiden voyage from England to North America, the old Titanic route, in late 2016.

"It is going to be designed so it won't sink," mining and tourism tycoon Clive Palmer told reporters. "It will be designed as a modern ship with all the technology to ensure that doesn't happen."

The original Titanic, the largest liner in world when it was launched and dubbed "virtually unsinkable" at the time, sank after hitting an iceberg on April 15, 1912, killing 1,517 passengers and crew.

Palmer said his new shipping company, Blue Star Line Pty Ltd, had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese state-owned company CSC Jinling Shipyard to build Titanic II. The original ship was operated by the White Star Line.

The design work had started for the new Titanic, which will have the same dimension as its old version with 840 rooms and nine decks. –Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Man’s bloody suicide witnessed by girlfriend via video call

A woman from Berkshire, England could only watch in horror as his 53-year-old boyfriend who was on a business trip in India slashed his wrists, throat and stomach while on a video call with her through Skype.

According to a report by the UK-based newspaper Mirror, Julie Zalinski was on the call with Adrian Rowland when the incident happened. Rowland was reportedly in a “complete state” during the call, “was sweating profusely” with eyes staring.

“He said there were people in the room that weren’t there. I just kept reassuring him that nobody was there. I told him I’d get help,” Zalinski told the Mirror.

“He walked into the kitchen, grabbed a glass and smashed it on the table then stuck it straight into his neck. He was holding his bloodied wrist out to the screen,” she added.

“He kept saying, ‘they are going to get me, they are going to get me’.”

The woman immediately called help from the UK police to contact authorities in India, but even as Indian emergency services managed to reach Rowland’s apartment, Indian law prevented them from breaking down his door.

“Agonizingly, [Rowland] slowly bled to death as [Zalinski] continued to beg him to accept help,” the report said, adding that he was found dead 10 hours after the first Skype call.

The coroner in the UK said Rowland was “going through a mental crisis,” as Zalinski shared how he had been acting strangely just a day before, saying he had been entertaining guests at dinner even as the Skype video didn’t show anyone with the 53-year-old in the room.

Rowland had reportedly gone to India as a consultant in the automotive industry, and had been emotional before he left.

“He didn’t like being away from the UK and me,” she said,” Zalinski told the inquest that followed.

source: interaksyon.com

Cruise Ship Retraces Titanic Voyage

LONDON (AP) – A cruise carrying relatives of some of the more than 1,500 people who died aboard the Titanic nearly 100 years ago set sail from England on Sunday to retrace the ship's voyage, including a visit to the location where it sank.

The Titanic Memorial Cruise, carrying the same number of passengers – not including crew, as the Titanic did, cast off from Southampton, where the doomed vessel left on its maiden voyage. The 12-night cruise will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the White Star liner. Waving passengers crowded the decks as the ship prepared to set sail, many dressed in period costumes as first-class passengers, crew members, steerage passenger and stewards.

Graham Free was dressed as an Edwardian gentleman and described his excitement for the cruise as he waited to board. “I have been a fan of the Titanic since I was nine years old and this cruise is the closest you are going to get to it,” said the 37 year old. “The trip has cost a considerable amount, but I wanted to do it.”

Fellow cruiser Carmel Bradburn, 55, who lives in Australia, described herself as “fanatical” about the Titanic and struck back at accusations that retracing the doomed voyage is in poor taste.

source: mb.com.ph

My Financial debt story - England

The government are planning many different possibilities to solve the problem of debt in England. One idea that they have would be to compel credit card firms to double the amount that their customers have to pay back. Minimum repayments that are now at 2% may be increased to 5% according to an announcement recently made by the Consumer Minister on behalf of the Government.

An example given was based on a customer borrowing only £1400 - paying this back at a rate of 2% would take about 40 years to repay, the customer would also be paying a huge amount of interest which would increase the total amount repayable to £4800 - about 3 times the amount originally borrowed.

In addition the government want businesses to use customer repayments to clear higher rates of debt before those at 0%. Also it is planned to stop the large credit card companies from raising credit limits without permission, which at the moment they are at liberty to do. Some companies re-price existing credit limits as well and the government want to act so that they can no longer do that.

Finally it has been seen that the marketing plans and procedures of some companies are designed so that they can attract customers into borrowing more money than they can afford. At present it is estimated that people in England owe £56 billion on credit and store cards.

A representative from the organization 'Moneyset' has said that these new proposed plans by the government will be a great help to customers who are borrowing, or are thinking about borrowing money, because at the moment many are having serious financial problems as they struggle to keep up the current repayments.