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Walmart stops selling ‘All Lives Matter’ t-shirts after social media backlash Prior to this, they had put out another statement pledging their support in the ongoing racism debate. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) Amid the racism controversy sparked in different parts of the country, US retailer Walmart has decided to discontinue selling “All Lives Matter” merchandise on their website after it came in for social media backlash. According to a report in The Guardian, the giant retailer stirred up controversy when it came to notice that Old Glory, a third party, was selling a number of $20 T-shirts through the Walmart website. This included “Blue Lives Matter”, ““Police Lives Matter”, Irish Lives Matter”, “Homeless Lives Matter”, “Drunk Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter”. Walmart Canada faces backlash over sale of ‘All Lives Matter’ T-shirt https://t.co/5AFyvwjyoa pic.twitter.com/bDcf6HJs8W — CP24 (@CP24) June 23, 2020 Post the social media heat, the company had initially announced a through investigation. However, later taking into consideration everything that was unfolding, they announced they would discontinue sales of the items. “We fundamentally do believe that all lives do matter and every individual deserves respect. However, as we listened, we came to understand that the way some, but not all, people are using the phrase ‘All Lives Matter’ in the current environment intentionally minimised the focus on the painful reality of racial inequality,” the company informed in a statement. Prior to this, they had put out another statement pledging their support in the ongoing debate. “We know it takes more than talk. It takes action. We are taking steps to address racism head-on and accelerate change, including Walmart and the Walmart Foundation committing $100 million over five years so we can move forward, together,” they had written. We know it takes more than talk. It takes action. We are taking steps to address racism head-on and accelerate change, including Walmart and the Walmart Foundation committing $100 million over five years so we can move forward, together. pic.twitter.com/PKrPvkwnWP — Walmart (@Walmart) June 5, 2020

Hong Kong: US passes sanctions as nations condemn new law The US House of Representatives has approved new Hong Kong-related sanctions, after Beijing imposed a security law that was condemned by countries around the world. The measure, which was passed unanimously, penalises banks that do business with Chinese officials. It will have to be approved by the Senate before going to President Trump. Critics say China's law ends freedoms that were guaranteed for 50 years when British rule ended in 1997. "The law is a brutal, sweeping crackdown against the people of Hong Kong, intended to destroy the freedoms they were promised," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the passing of the law was a "clear and serious breach" of the 1985 Sino-British joint declaration. Why people are scared of Hong Kong's new law Under this declaration, Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997, with certain freedoms guaranteed for at least 50 years under the "one country, two systems" agreement. The UK has offered residency, and then citizenship, to up to three million Hong Kongers. But on Thursday China threatened "corresponding measures" to block the citizenship plan. "If the British side makes unilateral changes to the relevant practice, it will breach its own position and pledges, as well as international law and basic norms," said the Chinese Embassy in the UK. Meanwhile, a 24-year-old man from Hong Kong - suspected of stabbing a police officer during Wednesday's protests - has been arrested on a plane while trying to flee to London. The suspect, known only as Mr Wong, was detained on the plane moments before it set off. UK asylum for ex-consulate worker 'tortured in China' China said the security law was necessary to stop the type of protests seen in Hong Kong during much of 2019. And despite condemnation in the West, more than 50 countries, led by Cuba, supported China at the UN this week. What does the US law say? The Hong Kong Autonomy Act imposes sanctions on banks that do business with Chinese officials who are involved in cracking down on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. Ms Pelosi said the law was an "urgently needed response to [China's passing] of its so-called 'national security' law... which is purpose built to dismantle democratic freedoms in Hong Kong". What if the US removes Hong Kong's special status? US imposes visa restrictions on Chinese officials Before the bill was signed, the US had already begun eliminating Hong Kong's special status - halting defence exports and restricting the territory's access to high-technology products. Last year, the US also signed into law the Human Rights and Democracy Act, supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. What have other countries said? The UK said it would offer up to three million Hong Kong residents the chance to settle there and ultimately apply for full British citizenship. Australia is also "actively considering" offering safe haven to Hong Kong residents - with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying there were proposals that will "soon be considered by cabinet". Meanwhile a senior Taiwanese official said its citizens should now avoid unnecessary transits through or visits to Hong Kong. Chiu Chui-Cheng, deputy head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, said the new security law was "the most outrageous in history". Taiwan's de facto consulate in Hong Kong would continue to operate, he said. Japan was among the other countries that spoke out against the law, calling it "regrettable". "It will undermine trust for the principle of 'one country, two systems'," said Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. European Council President Charles Michel said it "deplored" the law, which he said had a "detrimental effect on the independence of the judiciary and rule of law". And Canada changed its travel advice to Hong Kong, saying the new law "increased the risk of arbitrary detention on national security grounds and possible extradition to mainland China". Yesterday, a senior Chinese official hit back at foreign critics, saying Hong Kong's affairs were "none of your business". Have all countries been critical? No. At the United Nations this week, Cuba - on behalf of 53 countries - welcomed the law. Speaking at the 44th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, it said: "Non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states is an essential principle enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. "We believe every country has the right to safeguard its national security through legislation, and commend relevant steps taken for this purpose." How has the new law been used so far? Just hours after the law was passed, Hong Kong police made their first arrests. Ten people were accused of violating the new law, including a man with a pro-independence flag. About 360 others were detained at a banned rally. Under the new law, inciting hatred of China's central government and Hong Kong's regional government are offences. Acts including damaging public transport facilities - which often happened during the 2019 protests - can be considered terrorism.

2021 Bentley Bentayga Debuts With New Exterior Look, Tweaked Interior The W12 and plug-in hybrid models follow later this year. Bentley introduced the Bentayga, the company’s first SUV, for the 2016 model year, and it quickly became the company’s best-selling model. However, that hasn’t enticed the British brand to build more high-riding vehicles. Instead, the company said it’d improve the Bentayga, and the first of those improvements are here with the 2021 model, the vehicle’s first significant refresh since it arrived. Bentley says every panel at the front and rear is new, adopting the brand’s latest design language it introduced on the new Continental GT and Flying Spur. At the front, changes include a larger, more upright grille and an elliptical headlight design – a first for Bentley. There are bigger changes at the rear with elliptical taillights and a new, full-width tailgate. Bentley also moved the license plate into the bumper while redesigning the tailpipes to mimic the new taillight shape. Inside, Bentley has made several improvements, installing a new steering wheel and door trim panels. The automaker redesigned the dashboard that now houses the 10.9-inch infotainment screen. Bentley even removed the “bullseye” center vents with a single one that incorporates the Breitling clock. The Bentayga can seat four or five passengers, or expand that to seven with the optional third row. Those who opt for the five-seat layout receive new seat frames and optional rear-seat ventilation. For all the updates Bentley is making, the V8 powertrain carries over unchanged. The 2021 Bentayga will launch with the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 making the same 542 horsepower (404 kilowatts) and 568 pound-feet (770 Newton-meters) of torque. The W12-powered Speed model, along with a plug-in hybrid model, follows later this year. While the 2021 Bentayga’s updated design is the most noticeable change, Bentley made several smaller tweaks throughout the SUV. There are two new exterior colors and a new 22-inch wheel design that's available in two finishes. Bentley updated the head-up display to show traffic information, street names, and more. Wireless Apple CarPlay is now offered, too. Source: Bentley

CARL REINER: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LEGENDARY ACTOR WHO HAS DIED AT 98 Rest in peace, Carl Reiner. The actor and comedian, who was best known for creating the ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ sadly passed away at the age of 98 on June 29. Carl Reiner has died, according to TMZ. The actor/director/writer, who was 98 years old, passed away at his Beverly Hills home on June 29, the site reports. He was reportedly surrounded by his family at the time of his death. Carl had a career in Hollywood that spanned nearly 70 years, and his most recently role was voicing a character in 2019’s Toy Story 4. Here’s more to know about Carl and his career: 1. He created ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’. Carl Reiner first developed the pilot for what eventually became The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1959. The show began airing two years later, and became an iconic series, which starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was on television from 1961 until 1966. In addition to creating the show, Carl also often appeared in episodes as a character named Alan Brady. He wrote and directed for the series, as well. 2. He won many accolades throughout his career. Throughout Carl’s illustrious career, he’s won nine Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award (for Best Comedy Album in 1999). His first two Emmys were for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role on Caesar’s Hour. For his work on The Dick Van Dyke Show, he received three Writing for a Comedy Series Emmys, one Outstanding Achievement in Writing Emmy and one Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy. In 1967, he won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety Series for The Sid Caeser, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner Special and in 1995, he took home the Emmy for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his appearance on Mad About You. 3. He was married for nearly 65 years. Carl married his wife, Eselle Lebost, on Christmas Eve in 1943 and they were together until she died in 2008. Together, the two had three children: Rob Reiner, Annie Reiner and Lucas Reiner, as well as six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. 4. He was in a comedy duo with Mel Brooks. Carl formed the comedy duo with Mel Brooks during the 1950s. Their sketch, 2000 Year Old Man debuted publicly in the 1960s, and featured Carl interviewing Mel, who portrayed a 2000-year-old man. Throughout their time as a duo, Mel and Carl released five comedy albums. Carl was photographed celebrating Mel’s 94th birthday on June 28, just two days before his death (see below). 5. He’s starred in many well-known shows and movies. Some of Carl’s other films include It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve, and Ocean’s Thirteen. He also had a recurring role on Two & A Half Men and Hot in Cleveland.

Hong Kong security law: Anger as China's Xi signs legislation The UK, EU and Nato have expressed concern and anger after China passed a controversial security law giving it new powers over Hong Kong. The law makes secession, subversion of the central government, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces punishable by up to life in prison. It took effect from 2300 local time (1500 GMT) on Tuesday. Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam defended the law, saying it filled a "gaping hole" in national security. One key pro-democracy group said it was now ceasing all operations. Demosisto announced the move on Facebook after Joshua Wong, one of Hong Kong's most prominent activists, said he was leaving the group, which he had spearheaded. Minutes after new law, pro-democracy voices quit The law has come into effect just a day before the 23rd anniversary of the return of sovereignty to China - a day that usually draws large pro-democracy protests. China says the law is needed to tackle unrest and instability linked to a broadening pro-democracy movement. China's new law: Why is Hong Kong worried? The city of two masks faces a new crisis Opponents say it undermines the autonomy set out in Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, which was agreed when the territory's sovereignty was returned by the UK in 1997. Civil liberties such as free speech, the right to protest and an independent and robust judiciary are at risk, they say. What's the reaction in Hong Kong? There has been a mixture of concern for personal safety and defiance at the news. Demosisto said several members had asked to be delisted and it had decided to "dissolve and stop all meetings". It said that the fight against "totalitarian oppression" would have to continue in a "more flexible manner". Joshua Wong said the law marked "the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before". Hong Kong's year in seven intense emotions The background you need on Hong Kong's protests But Democratic Party leader Wu Chi-wai said he would defy a ban on a "handover day" march scheduled for Wednesday, the South China Morning Post reports. He will be joined by Figo Chan, of the Civil Human Rights Front, who urged people to take to the streets, saying: "We are aware of the risks of being prosecuted. But we insist on taking the lead, as we want to tell Hongkongers not to fear." Police plan to have 4,000 riot officers on standby. And the international reaction? UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab urged China to "step back from the brink" and respect the rights of the people of Hong Kong. He said: "The success of Hong Kong, the entrepreneurial spirit, the vibrancy, the economic success, has been built on its autonomy in 'one country, two systems'... That clearly is at threat." What is the BNO and what does the UK move mean? The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, said: "It risks seriously undermining the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong and will have a detrimental impact on the judiciary and the rule of law and we deplore this decision." He will be joined by Figo Chan, of the Civil Human Rights Front, who urged people to take to the streets, saying: "We are aware of the risks of being prosecuted. But we insist on taking the lead, as we want to tell Hongkongers not to fear." Police plan to have 4,000 riot officers on standby. And the international reaction? UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab urged China to "step back from the brink" and respect the rights of the people of Hong Kong. He said: "The success of Hong Kong, the entrepreneurial spirit, the vibrancy, the economic success, has been built on its autonomy in 'one country, two systems'... That clearly is at threat." What is the BNO and what does the UK move mean? The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, said: "It risks seriously undermining the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong and will have a detrimental impact on the judiciary and the rule of law and we deplore this decision." The last UK governor of Hong Kong, Lord Patten, said the law marked the end of one-country, two-systems. Meanwhile, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: "It is clear that China does not share our values - democracy, freedom, and the rule of law." Japan called the law "regrettable" and Taiwan even warned its citizens of risks in visiting Hong Kong. The US has already begun taking steps to end Hong Kong's special status trade relationship, a move China on Tuesday said would be met with unspecified "countermeasures". 'A tool to suppress political agitation' Analysis by Stephen McDonell, BBC China correspondent Hong Kong's sweeping new security law is a frighteningly open-ended tool to suppress political agitation. Like similar laws on the Chinese mainland it appears that it can be mani[CENSORED]ted to meet the needs of the Communist Party as required to crush almost any action deemed threatening. Unlike elsewhere in China, Hong Kong has an independent judiciary. For this reason, the Party's leadership was not going to leave interpretation of this law in the hands of just any old judges. No. Those who'll be allowed to preside in these matters will be hand-picked by Carrie Lam, the city's leader who was effectively installed by Beijing. So, prior to the new security bill, which actions by activists - no matter how subversive - could not be dealt with under existing laws? What were "extremists" getting away with to warrant this new legislation? Bomb making? No. Smashing up buildings? No. Meeting with international NGOs to talk about the city's deteriorating freedoms? Ahhhh. Perhaps. Publicly advocating Hong Kong independence? Almost certainly. The more that Beijing, under Xi Jinping's leadership, has sought to control Hong Kong, the more it has driven residents into the pro-democracy camp. But he is playing a long game. Sure, handover promises to the UK were made but he was not going to let some Western attachment to liberty trump loyalty to the motherland. Not on his watch. Enter the security law. What does the new law do? The law, announced by Beijing in May, will make criminal any act of secession, subversion of the central government, terrorism or collusion with foreign or external forces. State news agency Xinhua said the six-chapter law had 66 articles, clearly setting out the terms of the four offences. Beijing to set up new security office in Hong Kong A new office in Hong Kong will deal with national security cases, but will also have other powers such as overseeing education about national security in Hong Kong schools. In addition, the city will have to establish its own national security commission to enforce the laws, with a Beijing-appointed adviser. Hong Kong's chief executive will have the power to appoint judges to hear national security cases, a move which has raised fears about judicial independence. Importantly, Beijing will have power over how the law should be interpreted. If the law conflicts with any Hong Kong law, the Beijing law takes priority. In a video address to the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said crimes under the new law would be clearly defined. She said the law would only target a "small minority" and would not undermine Hong Kong's autonomy, adding: "We respect differences in opinion." In recent years, Hong Kong has seen waves of protests demanding more rights. Last year, rallies over a now-scrapped bill permitting extraditions to the mainland turned violent and fuelled a broad pro-democracy movement.

Piotr’s Trimaran - Czyzewski Designs Has Done It Again, Setting the Bar Higher He’s known for his passionate and clean-cut futuristic designs that are tailored to the needs and capabilities of his investors. With a focus on functionality, aesthetics, and durability, his designs have caught the attention of many worldwide. This time, he throws at us his Trimaran design. Just the perfect yacht to accompany your Kokomo Ailand. The chosen colors for this work of art have been black and white. Wonderful shapes and lines of each of the colors are put together for a balance and sharp look. To accent the whole color scheme, a golden line, that runs the full outer edge of the craft, has been thrown into the mix. The line helps make the craft pop into view, especially if the sun hits it just right. Now, traditional single-hull designs aren’t the most stable at high speeds and or in high waves. Dual-hull or catamaran designs are more stable and a lot more appealing to the eye, but everyone’s got one these days. So, Piotr sought to change it up a bit, as he always has. The resulting design was this beautiful Trimaran. There is a main hull, as you can see in the photo gallery, and from that main hull, two smaller hulls extend to the left and to the right, which are there to offer a much higher stability. And let’s face it, it looks cooler than a catamaran. I can honestly say that I can sit and look at it and be thankful I’ve seen such a wonderful piece of human ingenuity and design in this lifetime. The thin and slim shape of the vessel offers a level of approachability that very few vessels of this standard offer, and almost seems to pull you into it naturally. The rear of the vehicle offers an inside look as to what you are about to step on as you near it for the first time. Two stairways lead you to either left of right arm of the trimaran where you’ll find padded exterior seats and lounge-pads. Sure, it’s not a super yacht with shark-feeding chambers or helicopter pads. And I’m sure there are no actual restaurants on this trinket, but I bet the chef is damn good. You could probably talk Gordon Ramsay or Salt Bae into cooking for you for a day. And after you guys enjoy your meal, have a glass of bubbly in one of the two hot-tubs and let the motion of the ocean settle your food. The lateral view of the yacht breaks the white and black color scheme and offers a window into the third material that dominates the surface of the vessel, wood. And I must ask, could you have thought of a more appealing material than wood to throw into the mix? Probably not. I know I couldn’t. And that’s why Piotr is busy designing these types of vessels and I’m busy giving you the news about it. All is right in the world. Eureka! There it is folks, the one word I’ve been searching for since the beginning of this story. The emotion this vessel offers me as I look at it, is harmony. Pure and simple harmony.

Post-pandemic vacation: 5 must-visit beaches in Goa for your post Covid-19 travel plans Goa has been the go-to travel destination for generations as it is within driving distance of Mumbai and only a two-and-a-half-hour flight away from Delhi.(Instagram/@goawow) No matter how many times you have dipped your toes in the sands of Goa beaches, it always calls you back to it. In India, to talk of a beach vacation is to talk of Goa. Goa has been the go-to travel destination for generations as it is within driving distance of Mumbai and only a two-and-a-half-hour flight away from Delhi. Whether you are looking to sip mojitos by the sea with you partner or indulge in clubbing, Goa offers options for all kinds of activities. You will be hard-pressed to find a more gorgeous variety of beaches anywhere else in the world. The perfect coastal weather allows you to bask in the sun no matter what time of the year. Though it may seem the pandemic has dampened your travel plans, it is never too early to hope, especially when you have a gorgeous sunset view waiting for you. ALSO READ: Explore these cycling routes around the country to satiate your wanderlust, and beat the blues According to Manmeet Ahluwalia, Marketing Head, Expedia in India, “Indians are dreaming of getting away to short-haul as well as far-flung destinations, however, as international travel resumes later in the year, exploring home soil and travelling domestically first will be the more feasible option. An important trend we are noticing with consumers worldwide is that post lifting of lockdown they are wanting to get away to beaches, hills, or countryside destinations. With the festive season coming up, beach destinations such as Maldives, Goa, Thailand, Indonesia as well as the hills for witnessing seasons first snowfall seem to be the po[CENSORED]r choice.” Goa is an ideal vacation spot, whether you are looking for bustling nightlife, water sports, parties or simply some tranquillity. To help you choose, here are our top picks for some of the must-visit beaches in Goa.

Trump retweets video of supporter shouting 'white power' US President Donald Trump retweeted a video showing one of his supporters loudly shouting "white power". The supporter was among a group of people taking part in a pro-Trump rally at a retirement complex in Florida. The footage showed supporters and opponents of the president hurling abuse and swearing at one another. Mr Trump has denied accusations that he is seeking to capitalise on racial tensions. His spokesman says he did not hear the "white power" comment. Twitter hides Trump tweet for 'glorifying violence' In the tweet, which was later deleted, the president thanked "the great people of The Villages" - referring to the retirement community north-west of Orlando where the rally took place. "The Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats will Fall in the Fall. Corrupt Joe is shot. See you soon!!!," he wrote. The video included in the tweet showed a Trump supporter in a golf cart raising a clenched fist and shouting "white power". He appeared to be responding to a protester calling him a racist and using profanities. Other anti-Trump protesters shouted "Nazi" and other accusations at the rally-goers. Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the US Senate, said in an interview with CNN on Sunday that the video was "offensive" and called on the president to remove his tweet. "There's no question that he should not have retweeted it and he should just take it down," Mr Scott told the network. White House spokesman Judd Deere said the president "did not hear the one statement made on the video" but saw "tremendous enthusiasm from his many supporters". The US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, told CNN that "neither the president, his administration nor I would do anything to be supportive of white supremacy". President Trump has previously faced accusations of sharing or promoting racist content. In 2017 he retweeted three inflammatory videos from a British far-right group, prompting a rebuke from then UK Prime Minister Theresa May. He was widely criticised in 2019 when he said in a tweet that four US congresswomen - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar - should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came". Three of the four congresswomen were born in the US and all four are US citizens. In response to protests in recent weeks over the death of George Floyd, Trump warned on Twitter that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" - a phrase used by Miami's confrontational police chief Walter Headley at the height of the civil rights movement in 1967. The line prompted Twitter to restrict the president's tweet on the basis that it broke the platform's rules on glorifying violence. And Mr Trump has faced accusations of racism in recent weeks for repeatedly using the phrase "kung-flu" to describe the coronavirus. The White House has denied the president's use of the term is racist. "What the president does is point to the fact that the origin of the virus is China," said White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. Meanwhile, a poll for CBS News suggests a majority of the US public agrees with the Black Lives Matter movement and believes protests will lead to police reforms. Six in 10 Americans disapprove of President Trump's handling of recent protests, according to the poll, while more than half say he has failed to show enough understanding about demonstrators' concerns.

Hatch match: 2020 Volkswagen Golf vs. Ford Focus If, like me, you started reading car magazines in the late 1990s, you will probably remember when ‘perceived quality’ became a thing. At least as far as volume car making is concerned, it was a Volkswagen invention, and it arrived with the fourth-generation Golf hatchback. This was the car that, they say, Volkswagen Group autocrat Ferdinand Piëch ordered back to the drawing board because he didn’t like being able to see the seat adjustment rails in the front footwell. Imagine living with him as your boss. Give me quiet mediocrity any day. For model generations thereafter, Volkswagen-brand quality became so much about the detail: the look and feel of a column stalk or the reassuring click of a heater knob. But now we’re fully four Golf generations and more than two decades later, it seems that a shift in thinking has finally occurred in Wolfsburg about how Europe’s best-selling family hatchback should distinguish itself. The new, Mk8 Golf has had a great many of the buttons and switches of its forebears simply designed out of it. It has gone all ‘reductionist’ – and as much as I understand why you might groan at that, it turns out that in this case you really needn’t. As you sit in the driving seat, discounting the small but relatively busily po[CENSORED]ted steering wheel spokes and door consoles, you’ll find around you discrete, physical, moving secondary controls for only the electronic handbrake, door locks and hazard warning lights. There’s an engine starter button, a gearlever and pedals, and a couple of column stalks too. Otherwise, that’s it. Welcome to Volkswagen cabin 2.0. It may be ironic, therefore, having done so much to turn the chrome-ringed, haptically satisfying volume knob into an art form, that Volkswagen is now joining the ranks of car firms that are putting moving cabin switchgear out to pasture. But moreover, isn’t it a bit of a risk? How will a Golf look and feel like a familiar, classy old Golf without air conditioning controls that you would guess must have been at least as expensively and painstakingly engineered as the gearshift quality? I pondered exactly the same questions before spending time in this car; now that I have, not so much. Despite its newly minimalist philosophy, the latest Golf’s interior works as well as any I can remember, once you’re used to operating it, and there are still ways in which it’s a cut above its opposition for solid, classy material look and feel. We’ll get to those. Introductions first. The particular Golf we picked for this first comparison exercise was chosen to represent the car at a pretty modest and broadly relevant level – and yet, even at that level, it’s anything but ordinary. Now that 48V mild-hybrid options have been added to a powertrain range that will eventually include at least one plug-in hybrid and several performance versions, you could say the Golf line-up is somewhat complicated. So we thought it best to keep things simple to begin with, hence the 129bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and six-speed manual gearbox of our entry-level Life-trim test car. It also has standard passive suspension, a torsion-beam axle at the rear, the boggo 16in alloy wheels and cloth seats. The car the Golf sits next to in this test is the modern version of what has undoubtedly been its notionally and formatively key rival: the Ford Focus. For within £40 of the price of the Golf and in our Focus as tested (with the 123bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine), you get mid-level Titanium X rather than base spec, meaning part-leather electric seats and 17in alloys as standard. To run either of these as a company car would cost near enough exactly the same in benefit-in-kind tax, and they’re within £11 per month of each other on a three-year manufacturer PCP deal (at advertised prices). Even so, the Focus does without a host of technology that the Golf gets at no extra cost even as a bottom-rung model. Fully digital instruments, adaptive cruise control, wireless smartphone charging, all-LED headlights… and the Golf has a bigger and better touchscreen infotainment system, too. To top it all, this is a sub-£25,000 car with a fully networked ‘802.11p’ wireless communication, which can communicate not just with other cars but, in theory, also street lights and dynamic road signs up to a mile away on the road to warn you of changing speed limits and potential hazards up ahead. As it may not surprise you to learn, the Focus can’t do that. As far as this tester is aware, nothing else in the class can either. Europe’s best-selling hatchback just got seriously clever. Get a feel for it Some things in the Golf remain recognisable: the nicely low, couched driving position (notably better than the one in the Focus), the general proportions of your surroundings (there’s still plenty of cabin width and room for adults to sit pretty comfortably in the back) and a few of the fittings. Yet the surprisingly clean-looking centre console and the eerily smooth, glossy-back, flight-console-like swathe of plastic that curves around behind the steering wheel and across the top of the centre stack are both new. The latter definitely owes plenty to the current Mercedes-Benz interior design playbook, but the way it’s shaped and angled towards the driver gives it a vibe all of its own. The 10in infotainment touchscreen is the first port of call to activate and adjust most of the Golf’s secondary systems, and there are a few capacitive shortcut ‘buttons’ underneath it to help you get to a particular function quickly, such as changing the air-con distribution or deactivating the parking sensors. But while it’s not actually a pain to navigate at all, you needn’t go through that central touch-sensitive monolith for absolutely everything. Most importantly, the buttons on the steering wheel spokes give you access to most of the systems and settings you’ll need while driving without taking your hands off the wheel, and you need only look at the instrument binnacle while you’re doing it. Volkswagen has also cleverly included good-sized heater controls just underneath the touchscreen, on which you can very simply swipe left and right to adjust the temperature of the cabin. There’s an audio volume control that works the same way. These are fixed in place, so you can learn to find them without taking your eyes off the road, and they’re simple enough to work well at arm’s length at the first time of asking. There you go: a genuinely simple and easy-to-use ‘touch-sensitive’ dashboard design has arrived. This is going to sound very much like I’ve drunk deep of the Volkswagen-brand Kool-Aid, but to get into the Focus and look around after using the Golf for a few days made me genuinely wonder why a car interior needed so many little knobs and switches just to rattle and squeak and gather dust. That was a first, I can tell you. I’ve always liked a button. Back to top The Focus’s interior isn’t that distantly separated from the Golf’s on perceived quality; it’s just that the latter car seems to deploy its richer materials better and make its cheaper ones slightly less shiny and conspicuous. And what about real build quality? Well, lean your left knee on the side of the transmission tunnel in the Focus and it deforms and creaks just a little; in the Golf, it does neither. That says it all, doesn’t it? Better and best Another sort of minimalism applies to what powers these two cars. Twenty years ago, we’d have needed a 1.8-litre or 2.0-litre petrol engine to produce around 130bhp; now we can get it from a 1.5-litre turbo four-pot in the Golf’s case and a 1.0-litre turbo three-pot in the Focus’s. What engines they are, by the way: very highly developed, lean-running operators. The Golf’s can run on the Miller cycle to boost efficiency, as well as deactivating half of its cylinders, while the Focus’s can run on just two cylinders under light loads. The upshot is that the Ecoboost engine can easily return 55mpg on a longer, 50-80mph variable-cruising-speed, UK-typical motorway run. The TSI (thanks to the Golf’s newly aerodynamic body design, I suspect) can top 60mpg. Ten years ago, the most frugal diesel engines in the predecessors of these two models would have struggled to better such figures. There’s still nothing like a potential death sentence to speed along the technical development process, clearly. Both engines have accessible torque and good drivability, but it’s the Golf’s that feels marginally the stronger through the mid-range and that has the better cruising manners and mechanical refinement. But while the Focus’s doesn’t pull the higher gears as easily, it’s much the sweeter to wring out – aided by a far slicker and more readily hurried manual gearbox. That’s the first route by which the Focus announces itself – still – as the natural choice for the keen driver. The second is the same way it always has: through a world-class chassis with which the Golf can’t really compete, even now that it has been slightly overhauled. This Golf’s ride is certainly firmer than that of any basic Golf I’ve driven previously. It has good, close, upright body control that doesn’t start to get soggy and floaty when you tackle a tougher country road with a bit of speed, plus steering with a clearer sense of off-centre responsiveness than it used to, making shorter work of roundabouts and junctions. Sure enough, it feels just a little bit sporty. And yet the Focus remains in another dimension for driver appeal. Firmer still around town and at low speed, it needs to be challenged with speed and surface change to show its hand – and when it does, the handling precision and the sophistication of its damping really do leave you stuck for words. All of that and the Focus’s ride is also somehow better isolated than the Golf’s. There remain very few mainstream, common-or-garden passenger cars like this Ford, so very plainly dynamically superior. A hint of elasticity blunts the edge of the steering for outright feel, but it’s so much quicker and more incisive than that of the Golf that you handle the Focus in a markedly different way. Whereas the Golf requires bigger physical inputs, you steer the Ford from your wrists, getting around most corners without needing to move your hands on the rim at all, or your elbows from their respective rests. That intuitive sense of agility, of such little energy wasted in body roll and of chassis composure way beyond what an ordinary family hatchback really needs, is what characterises the Focus driving experience – as vividly now, although perhaps not quite as impactfully, as it ever has. And so the humble Focus remains a deeply special, not-so-humble thing after all. But it’s the greater breadth of appeal of this latest Golf, and the sense that it’s a car of even greater significance, that our verdict must recognise. In a family hatchback market in which interested drivers aren’t so common but active safety, connectivity and technological sophistication and usability rise ever higher among what actually sells, the Golf has managed to break new ground from its familiar position right at the notional centre. If that weren’t remarkable enough, it now offers more to enthusiasts than it used to, while retaining most of its maturity and roundedness and making the kind of strides on efficiency that ought to keep it relevant and put some money in your pocket. This is a different Golf, true enough, slightly less comfortably pipe-and-slippers in its character, and just a touch more dialled in and switched on, but the truth is that it’s probably a stronger real-world operator than ever. Used alternatives If you don’t want to fork out for a factory-fresh family hatchback, the long-standing po[CENSORED]rity and dependable reputation of the Focus and Golf make previous-generation examples equally enticing propositions. To make things easier, both cars follow similar development cycles, so venturing back 10 years takes us back two generations to the comparable Mk6 Golf and Mk3 Focus. Think big. How about a 2010 Golf GTI, still an impressive hot hatch, for £7500? Or its lairy Focus ST contemporary for just £50 more? Both are exceedingly clean and wouldn’t embarrass themselves in a showdown with their modern descendants. Back to top More sensible versions of the Golf and Focus can be had for less money, even if you fancy a newer model. A frugal 2015 1.0-litre turbo petrol Focus can be snapped up for a hair under £6000, while a 1.6-litre diesel Golf from the year after is an absolute bargain at £5395. And let’s not forget: these aren’t old models, so they come fitted with most of the bells and whistles of our shiny new test cars. 2015 Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI GTE, £12,750: Not the cheapest Mk7 Golf in the classifieds, granted, but the GTE is often hailed as the sweet spot in the line-up. This one is five years old but appears to have aged well, with a full service history and niceties such as unmarked leather and a reversing camera. We’d expect it to still be capable of about 43mpg and more than 25 miles of electric driving in town. 2018 Ford Focus 1.5 TDCi ST-Line, £12,000: For roughly the same price, you can have a Focus with the frugality of a diesel and the kerb appeal of the revered ST. The rather gutless 1.5-litre TDCi engine won’t set your world on fire but is mighty cheap to run, and this car’s manual gearbox sweetens the deal for keen drivers needing a dependable daily driver.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle prep meals with ex-gang members during COVID-19 pandemic Coronavirus pandemic or not, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continue to give back to causes that are important to them. On Wednesday, the couple joined forces with Homeboy Industries, an organization that helps rehabilitate former gang members in Los Angeles. At Immaculate Heart, Markle’s former L.A. high school, the two helped bake and prepare meals for those in need. READ MORE: Meghan Markle delivers emotional speech about George Floyd — ‘His life mattered’ In photos shared to the organization’s social media feeds, Prince Harry and Markle can be seen packing up an endless array of reusable meal containers. In another photo, they appear to be learning how to bake from one of the team members. “Thank you to Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for their visit yesterday,” Homeboy Industries’ tweet reads. “Our Bakery & Café teams were thrilled to have them work alongside us to #FeedHOPE to Los Angeles.”

Jeyaraj and Fenix: Outrage mounts over India police custodial deaths Outrage is mounting over the custodial deaths of a father and son in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. P Jeyaraj, 58, and his son Fenix, 38, were arrested for allegedly keeping their stores open past permitted hours - Tamil Nadu is still observing a lockdown to curb the spread of Covid. Both men were kept in police custody an entire night and died within hours of each other two days later. Relatives of the two men say the men were subjected to brutal torture. What has happened since their deaths? As details of the alleged torture emerged, people began demanding action. State opposition lawmakers have taken to the streets in protest, a traders body has condemned the actions of police, and a local court has taken up the issue for hearing. The policemen who arrested the two men have been transferred, and the state government has awarded compensation of one million rupees (£10,716; $13,222) to their families. The incident has also found its way to social media, which has in turn brought it into the national spotlight. What has the reaction been like? Initially, many questioned why there is little to no outrage over the deaths of the two men, when so many Indians on social media have been vocal about the fate of George Floyd in the US, whose death at the hands of a white officer has triggered a huge movement against police brutality. Many Indian social media users have been supporting the protests against white police brutality against black Americans. However, this incident has been slower to pick up, partly because it took place in a smaller city - Thoothukudi, and it took some time to come to the attention of national media. But in recent days, the issue has begun gaining traction as furious discussion began on various social media platforms. In a video which has had more than a million views, one user said she was "sick of people not discussing what happens in south India because it is not in English" and then proceeded to give a graphic account of the alleged torture of the two men. There is also massive outrage that the policemen believed to be responsible for the men's deaths are not being charged with murder and have been merely transferred. The issue of police brutality in India Ayeshea Perera, BBC India online editor The numbers are startling. A report by a consortium of NGOs against custodial torture have released a report in which they say 1,731 people died in custody in India during 2019. This works out to around five custodial deaths a day. The report also describes several methods of torture. The fact remains that torture and beating up suspects to extract confessions have become very much part of policing in India. Policemen who engage in it are rarely punished - most times they are simply transferred to another district or state. The rare times that they are held accountable, judiciary have made stinging remarks about the need for reform. In one verdict last year, a judge noted that "they are confident that they will not be held accountable even if the victim dies in custody and even if the truth is revealed." In 2006, the Indian Supreme Court ruled that each state should set up a police complaints authority where any citizen can lodge a complaint against police officers for any misdemeanour. However, this has not been done in most states. Activists say much more far-reaching intervention is needed to change the system.

New electric BMW 3 Series spied testing BMW is understood to be developing an electric version of the 3 Series to sit alongside the 523bhp i4 EV by 2023 - and an early prototype has been spied testing. A camouflaged prototype spotted by our photographers is almost identical to the current G20-generation 3 Series, although the addition of mandatory ‘electric test vehicle’ stickers and subtly reshaped front and rear ends reveals that it's an early test version for a zero-emissions model. The forthcoming i4 will be BMW's first electric saloon, and the firm is yet to officially confirm plans for an electric 3 Series. A BMW spokesperson declined to comment on the test pictures but in a statement said: "By 2023, the BMW Group portfolio will include 25 electrified models, and half of those will be fully electric.” Munich will officially launch its new iX3 electric SUV later this year, with the 4 Series Gran Coupé-based i4 arriving in dealerships in mid-2021. BMW design chief Domagoj Dukec recently told Autocar that the decision to launch an i4 rather than an electric 3 Series was because "electrification is still at the point where some people doubt if they should go for it or not, and it’s still a little more expensive. So electric cars need more emotion, and we believe an electrified i4 makes more sense than an electric 3 Series." But with sales of electric cars rising rapidly – and costs likely to drop as manufacturers achieve greater economies of scale – it's likely there could be suffient demand for an electric 3 Series by 2023. It’s not yet known what powertrain an electric 3 Series would use, but it’s unlikely to share the performance-oriented i4’s 523bhp, four-wheel drive set-up, given the 3 Series’ practical, executive billing. More likely is a variation of the as-yet unrevealed powertrain used by the iX3. Although BMW has yet to offer performance and range data for the production variant, the 2018 iX3 concept was said to offer a battery capacity of more than 70kWh, a range of around 250 miles and an electric motor rated at 270bhp. As with the i4, however, the electric 3 Series would be a likely candidate for a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive range-topper in the vein of the Tesla Model 3 Performance. The i4 sits atop a modified version of Munich’s CLAR architecture, which underpins the standard 3 Series and new 4 Series and is designed for both combustion engine and electric powertrains, so an electric 3 Series would be much cheaper to develop than an all-new, bespoke EV saloon. There’s no indication, either, as to what the new model could be called. An obvious choice would be i3, but it’s unlikely BMW would link its mainstream flagship saloon with the radically styled hatchback EV that has been on sale since 2013. The 3 Series has been available in petrol-electric plug-in hybrid guise since 2016. The current 330e packs a combined 249bhp, offers an electric-only range of 37 miles and can now be specified with four-wheel drive.

Long distance relationships are hard. They’re harder in a pandemic. Carrie and Joe Harshberger are in a long-distance relationship. They haven't seen each other for six months because of coronavirus travel restrictions. Supplied by Carrie Harshberger Even though he’s thousands of kilometres away from Saskatoon, Carrie Harshberger wakes up to her husband Joe every day. He calls her on his way to work in Delaware, a long-distance substitute for early morning small talk over a cup of coffee. The couple haven’t seen each other since New Year’s day. With borders shut tight because of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s unlikely that’ll change anytime soon. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Long-distance couple make masks to stop COVID-19 Harshberger said she’d been planning a springtime trip to Delaware when global travel restrictions were announced. “It was horrible,” she said, noting they normally see each other three times a year. “We thought it would only be a couple of months.” But now it’s been six. Like many long-distance couples, she said the pandemic has made an already challenging situation more difficult. “(It’s hard) trying to maintain a proper relationship, basically just trying to make it work and be normal,” Harshberger said. Carrie and Joe Harshberger met on Facebook and have been in a long-distance relationship ever since. Supplied by Carrie Harshberger Her application to immigrate to the U.S. is moving along slowly, she said, adding it’s tough to provide evidence that her marriage is legitimate when she can’t take photos with her partner. [ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ] With their one-year marriage anniversary coming up this fall, Harshberger said the uncertainty of whether they’ll be able to spend it together has been difficult. A Saskatoon counsellor said uncertainty creates fear. “Uncertainty can be really, really hard for people,” said Marcie Dupuis, a counsellor at Penney Murphy and Associates. “(Have) patience with yourself (and) patience with your partner because both of you might be exhibiting behaviours that are not normal for you because we’re in a not normal situation.” People may be more anxious, jealous, and quick to anger or judgement because of the distance, Dupuis said. The keys to powering through the pandemic are communication and boundaries, she said. Having a conversation about expectations, like how often you’ll talk on the phone, can prevent a lot of headaches. “If you don’t have that communication to have those conversations about expectations, then it will cause a lot of arguments,” Dupuis said. “Everyone is in a whole different … headspace than normal, so it’s navigating a new system together.” Harshberger said she and her husband talk multiple times a day, and go shopping or watch movies “together.” It works for now, but she can’t wait until long distance and the pandemic are in her rearview mirror.

Obamacare: Trump asks Supreme Court to invalidate Affordable Care Act The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to invalidate Obamacare, which has provided health insurance to millions of Americans. Government lawyers said the act became invalid when the previous Republican-led Congress axed parts of it. Democratic challenger Joe Biden attacked the move, saying Mr Trump had put millions of lives at risk during the coronavirus pandemic. Health care will be a key battleground in the November presidential election. Some 20 million Americans could lose their health coverage if the court overturns the Affordable Care Act, which was introduced by Donald Trump's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama. Mr Trump says the scheme costs too much and has promised a different plan to replace it, preserving some po[CENSORED]r elements of the existing law but covering fewer people. Under the act, millions of people in the United States must purchase health insurance or face a tax penalty. But in 2017, Congress removed a key plank of the policy, eliminating the federal fine for those who did not sign up, known as the "individual mandate". In its filing to the Supreme Court late on Thursday, the justice department argued "the individual mandate is not severable from the rest of the act". As a result, it said, "the mandate is now unconstitutional as a result of Congress's elimination... of the penalty for non-compliance". Has Trump managed to kill off Obamacare? •The people battling America's worst coronavirus Why Americans don't take sick days Mr Biden, who wants to rally the public behind an expanded Affordable Care Act, said some coronavirus survivors could lose their comprehensive healthcare coverage if the act was overturned. "They would live their lives caught in a vice between Donald Trump's twin legacies: his failure to protect the American people from the coronavirus, and his heartless crusade to take healthcare protections away from American families," Mr Biden said. The US has been badly hit by the pandemic, recording 2.4m confirmed coronavirus infections and 122,370 deaths - more than any other country. But the true number of infections is likely to be 10 times higher than the reported figure, according to the latest estimate by health officials. The Supreme Court is unlikely to hear the case before voters go to the polls in November, US media report.

2020 Audi S3: hot hatch and saloon spotted undisguised Following the unveiling of the overhauled A3 in March, Audi is gearing up to launch the hot S3 variant – and our snappers have caught it undisguised in saloon and hatchback forms. Prototypes spotted testing at the Nürburgring appear to be production-ready and bear a similar evolutionary look to the standard car. We've driven a heavily camouflaged S3 prototype, but these new images show off the model's subtle, performance-oriented styling tweaks. As with the outgoing car, the S3 will adopt a set of quad exhaust pipes housed in a diffuser-style rear bumper, bespoke performance alloy wheels, larger brake discs and slightly extended wheel arches for a sportier stance. Bespoke badging at the front and rear, not featured on these prototypes, will also likely feature. The S3, which is set to get more power and a significant technology upgrade, will be part of an 11-strong A3 model line-up due before 2022. Revealed in five-door hatchback form, using the current car's MQB platform, the A3 will also offer four-door saloon and, eventually, five-door liftback variants. The liftback is expected to take the Sportback name as the three-door A3 was discontinued in 2017. The other variants will also gain S3- and RS3-badged models. With competition from the new BMW M135i and Mercedes-AMG A35 in the 300-335bhp bracket, the S3 will pack 306bhp and 295lb ft by using the Volkswagen Golf R's 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Performance figures are likely to improve over the current car's but remain under wraps for now. The outgoing car's quattro four-wheel drive and progressive steering are carried over, but a new damper system and central dynamic control function bring subtle changes to the S3's dynamic character. The RS3, meanwhile, will increase in power in the face of 400bhp-plus opposition from the Mercedes-AMG A45. It'll keep the 2.5-litre five-cylinder unit from the current car, updated to meet the latest emissions regulations, but should share its 394bhp output with the recently launched RS Q3. This 11-car line-up will span all the bases covered by the Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback and saloon and CLA coupé ranges, including the 35- and 45-badged AMG variants. The styling of the new A3 follows the rest of the Audi range with a more geometric front-end treatment and sharper tail-lights. Audi's Virtual Cockpit features as standard, with a choice of two infotainment screen sizes, advanced voice control and a migration away from physical switchgear.

Royal Family releases new photos to mark Father’s Day, Prince William’s birthday The Royal Family is marking Father’s Day, and the Duke of Cambridge’s birthday by releasing a handful of new photos. A new picture posted to social media on Saturday evening shows the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, on a swing, surrounded by his children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share a new picture of The Duke with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis ahead of The Duke’s birthday tomorrow. The picture was taken earlier this month by The Duchess. pic.twitter.com/maFAGS4bTe — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 20, 2020

Coronavirus: Human trial of new vaccine begins in UK Volunteers have begun being immunised with a new UK coronavirus vaccine. About 300 people will have the vaccine over the coming weeks, as part of a trial led by Prof Robin Shattock and his colleagues, at Imperial College London. Tests in animals suggest the vaccine is safe and triggers an effective immune response. Experts at Oxford University have already started human trials. The trials are among many across the world - there are around 120 vaccine programmes under way. Kathy, 39, who works in finance, is one of the first volunteers taking part in the Imperial trial. She said she volunteered because she wanted to play a part in fighting the virus. "I think it came from not really knowing what I could do to help, and this turned out to be something that I could do. "And understanding that it's not likely that things will get back to normal until there is a vaccine, so wanting to be part of that progress as well." After this first phase, another trial is being planned for October, involving 6,000 people. The Imperial team hopes the vaccine could be distributed in the UK and overseas from early 2021. Meanwhile the Duke of Cambridge met volunteers taking part in Oxford University's trial, at the city's Churchill Hospital. Prince William told the volunteers: "It's the most incredibly exciting and very welcome project that you're all doing which is why it's fascinating." A new approach Many traditional vaccines are based on a weakened or modified form of virus, or parts of it, but the Imperial vaccine is based on a new approach, using synthetic strands of genetic code, called RNA, which mimic the virus. Once injected into muscle, the RNA self-amplifies - generating copies of itself - and instructs the body's own cells to make copies of a spike protein found on the outside of the virus. This should train the immune system to recognise and fight coronavirus without having to develop Covid-19. Because only a tiny amount of genetic code is used in the Imperial vaccine, a little goes a very long way. The Imperial team says one litre of its synthetic material will be enough to produce two million doses. Those doses have been produced in the US, but later this year manufacturing is switching to the UK, so that if and when it needs to be mass produced, it can be done here. All clinical trials begin carefully and slowly to reduce safety risks. When the Oxford vaccine began in April, only two volunteers were immunised on the first day. Within a week, 100 were being jabbed every day. The unique nature of the Imperial vaccine means that only one volunteer will be immunised on the first day, followed by three more every 48 hours. After a week or so, numbers will slowly ramp up. Unlike the Oxford vaccine, which uses one dose, volunteers on the Imperial trial will get two shots, four weeks apart. Prof Shattock and his team say there are no particular safety concerns with their jab - it's simply the newness of the approach which is making them proceed with caution. There are more than 120 coronavirus vaccines in early development across the world. Most of these will never get beyond the laboratory. A further 13 are now in clinical trials: five in China, three in the United States, two in the UK, one in Australia, Germany and Russia. All the vaccine teams are keen to stress that they are not in a race against each other, but against the virus. If there are to be enough doses to protect the world, several vaccine approaches will need to be successful. Prof Shattock said: "We've been able to produce a vaccine from scratch and take it to human trials in just a few months. "If our approach works and the vaccine provides effective protection against disease, it could revolutionise how we respond to disease outbreaks in future." Chief investigator for the study, Dr Katrina Pollock, added: "I wouldn't be working on this trial if I didn't feel cautiously optimistic that we will see a great immune response in our participants. "The pre-clinical data looked very promising. We're getting a neutralising antibody response which is the immune response you would want to protect from infection. But there's still a long way to go to evaluate this vaccine." The research has been funded by £41m from the UK government, as well as £5m of other donations.

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Tesla pitches 5,000 ‘middle-skill’ factory jobs to Texas county CEO Elon Musk first announced plans in March to build Tesla’s second U.S. auto assembly plant that will produce the still-in-development Cybertruck (pictured) and Model Y crossovers for customers on the East Coast. Executives from Tesla Inc. will use an unassuming job-type description in their pitch to a Texas county on the merits of the carmaker’s Cybertruck plant project. The factory would bring 5,000 “middle-skill” jobs to Travis County, according to the presentation Tesla officials will deliver during an online meeting Tuesday. The company says it will create positions that pay solid wages without requiring substantial levels of higher education. The pitch is an early indication of how companies may tout economic-development projects to localities that have sustained significant job losses following the coronavirus outbreak. The unemployment rate for Travis County, which is home to Texas’s capital city of Austin, soared to 12.4 percent in April from 2.2 percent a year earlier, according to Federal Reserve data Tesla cites in its presentation. CEO Elon Musk first announced plans in March to build Tesla’s second U.S. auto assembly plant that will produce the still-in-development Cybertruck and Model Y crossovers for customers on the East Coast. The carmaker’s only car factory in the country is in Fremont, Calif. Tesla envisions spending $1 billion on the facility, which will span as much as 5 million square feet of space once it’s fully constructed. The company says the project would “make immediate and long-lasting impacts” on the local economy, where almost half of leisure and hospitality jobs were lost from February to April. The average annual salary of permanent employees at the proposed plant would be $47,147. “Tesla could be a source of re-employment for many,” the company says in its presentation. Many middle-skill workers “may lose their existing jobs on a permanent basis.” Tesla disclosed in a tax abatement application filing earlier this month that Oklahoma remains in contention for the Cybertruck and Model Y factory. Rohan Patel, the carmaker’s director of public policy and business development, and Valerie Capers Workman, vice president of human resources, are among the executives who are scheduled to present to Travis County officials.

Kristen Stewart to play Princess Diana in upcoming royal film ‘Spencer’ Kristen Stewart is getting her crown. The Twilight star has been tapped to play Princess Diana in the upcoming film Spencer, described as a “fairy tale upside-down” about the late royal. Pablo Larraín (Jackie, Neruda) is set to direct Stewart, 30, who will portray the late royal during a critical weekend in the early 1990s when Diana decided her marriage to Prince Charles wasn’t working out, Deadline reports. The drama, promising to be a juicy contender for the virtual Cannes Market, takes place over three days, one of them being Diana’s final Christmas at the Royal Family‘s Sandringham estate in Norfolk in 1992. READ MORE: From dating to royal departure — a timeline of Meghan Markle, Prince Harry’s relationship “We all grew up, at least I did in my generation, reading and understanding what a fairy tale is,” Larraín told Deadline. “Usually, the prince comes and finds the princess, invites her to become his wife and eventually she becomes queen. That is the fairy tale. When someone decides not to be the queen, and says, I’d rather go and be myself, it’s a big, big decision, a fairy tale upside-down. “I’ve always been very surprised by that and thought it must have been very hard to do. That is the heart of the movie.” Diana’s tragic death in 1997 won’t be covered in the movie because “we all know her fate, what happened to her and we don’t need to go there,” he said. It will, however, look into her fraying relationship with Charles and her love for her sons, Princes William and Harry. “I’ve seen movies from Kristen that are so diverse it’s incredible, showing different layers and her diversity and strength as an actress,” Larraín told Deadline. “We’re very happy to have her, she’s very committed. As a filmmaker, when you have someone who can hold such a weight, dramatic and narrative weight, just with her eyes, then you have the strong lead who can deliver what we are looking for.” While Larraín hails Stewart as “one of the great actors around today,” many believe she was the wrong choice to play Diana and Larraín should’ve gone with a British actor instead. “Not sure how I feel about Kristen Stewart portraying Princess Di,” one Twitter user wrote, to which someone responded: “I feel like when you think of Princess Di, you think a warm, loving, kind woman. Literally opposite of what you think of with Kristen.” Others recommended a choice like British-American star Emily Blunt, who recently played Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns, saying she would’ve been a better fit. However, many on Twitter came to the defence of Stewart’s fruitful career, which includes box office hit Twilight and indie dramas like Personal Shopper and Seberg. READ MORE: From Nazi uniforms to topless photos, the Royal Family’s biggest scandals “Am I the only person that isn’t at all mad about Kristen Stewart cast as Princess Di?” one Twitter user wrote. Another person chimed in: “I just heard Kristen Stewart is to play Princess Diana in a movie … Y’all might not like that, but I love it.” Spencer is expected to begin filming in 2021.

Beach destinations in Albania face an unusual summer tourist season Most years, reservations at the iconic “Adriatik Hotel” in the Albanian port city of Durrës are at a premium. But 2020, the year of the coronavirus pandemic, is not “most years”. The hotel reopened its doors on May 18, as the country emerged from a lockdown that saw its beaches as well as its borders with neighbouring countries closed until the beginning of June. Despite the relaxations, reservations are down 85%, according to general manager Nevila Dudaj. “We had many reservations for the summer season 2020 from the fall of 2019 and they stopped during the first week of March,” she said. “A few guests with valid reservations postponed their stay for the next year, but most of our guests asked for refunds, bringing financial difficulties to us,” said Dudaj, who also runs the U.S. based Adriatik Tours agency. “The recovery of the tourism sector will take time one to two years at least,” Dudaj predicted grimly. Not everyone has as much to complain about. Dhërmi, in southern Albania, is a small coastal town located between Himarë and Vlorë. It is famous among Albanians and foreigners for its incredibly beautiful beaches and laid-back atmosphere. 2 Lips, a bar, restaurant and hotel located on Dhërmi's beach, typically welcomes tourists from the UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Austria, France and Italy. Chinese tourists rocked up there for the first time last year. Ernis Osmanaj, the owner of 2 Lips said that reservations this year are roughly equal with last year. “The only difference is that for this season our customers are from Tirana, and not from the UK as last year,” said Osmanaj. For Osmanaj, persuading customers to follow anti-COVID-19 protocols is the hardest thing. Customers have to submit to temperature checks and disinfection as they enter and exit the premises, he said. Protocols put in place by Albania's government mandate that hotels and resorts employ an anti-COVID-19 “coordinator” to oversee such measures. Staff must wear masks and gloves at all times. Moving further south, the coastal city of Saranda, has also been preparing for a difficult summer. This is where tourists can see ancient ruins of Butrint National Park and enjoy a stroll on a charming promenade as well as the luscious beaches. In February Saranda gatecrashed Tripadvisor’s annual ranking of up-and-coming travel destinations, coming second, after Kaliningrad in Russia. At the Seaside Artist, a family-run restaurant and hotel in Saranda, reservations are down by 60% in comparison with last year. August reservations include tourists from Italy, while September promises to bring tourists from Bulgaria, Germany and Greece. “This season we have had many cancellations due to the uncertainty of the pandemic situation. We will work last minute this season. Saranda hasn't had a single case of coronavirus and is ready to welcome tourists,” Rudina Toska from Seaside Artist hotel and restaurant said. Adapting for the locals Ejiris Shoshi helps hotels in Ksamil, close to Saranda, deal with bookings coming from online travel agencies. She is in direct contact with tourists who are spending their holidays on the Albanian Ionian sea coast. This year 72% of the reservations have been cancelled. In Ksamil there has been a significant decrease in the number of Scandinavian tourists over the last two years — the destination is becoming po[CENSORED]r with visitors from Poland, Ukraine, Romania and Russia instead. “The very few reservations that we received are for August and September. It's an unpredictable season, due to the fact that local tourists book last minute and foreign tourists — limited to those who will have the financial means to travel this year — are unclear on how they can come, ” Shoshi said. “The main concern of foreign tourists has been the travel — the border closures not only by Albania, but also by all the transit countries.” Shoshi's agency, in cooperation with hotels in the area, have poured money into advertising campaigns on social media, setting their sights firmly on the domestic market. Patriotic tourism Nevila Dudaj from Adriatik Hotel and Adriatik Tours agency said that the contribution of the ethnic Albanian diaspora is very important for the recovery of the tourism industry. “Even at the New York Times Travel Show in January 2020, where I participated, I appealed to all Albanians, wherever they are, to visit and spend their holidays in Albania, as Albanian tourism should be supported by them. And now, more than ever, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we need their support”, Dudaj says. So far, tourists from Kosovo and the Western Balkans region have joined domestic tourists holidaying at Albania's beaches. There are presently 2,047 registered coronavirus infections in Albania, which have resulted in 45 deaths.

2021 VW Arteon Shows Off Its Sheet Metal In New Teaser Video The Volkswagen Arteon is due for a refresh that’ll make its debut this week on June 24. A new teaser video, which forgoes the swooping, exaggerated sketches published earlier this month for the real thing, shows off a bit of the model’s new design, but keeps much of it hidden from view. However, the updated look isn’t a well-kept secret thanks to a VW reveal last week that shows off the Arteon wagon with a raised suspension for China. Like most refreshes, there won’t be expansive updates over the outgoing model. Instead, the Arteon will receive updated lighting elements, which borrow from the Golf’s LED light bar on the grille to connect the headlights. Inside, VW says it’ll receive its MIB3 infotainment system along with an advanced semi-autonomous driving system that can control several driving aspects – steering, accelerating, and braking – up to speeds of 130 miles per hour (210 kilometers per hour). There’ll be a performance R variant, but it’s not clear if both the sedan and wagon will receive the coveted badge. We also don’t know what’ll power the Arteon R. Rumors suggest VW will slip its turbocharged 2.0-liter from the Golf R under the hood, which makes 330 horsepower (246 kilowatts) in the hot hatch. Other engines likely include a pair of turbocharged four-cylinder engines producing 184 hp (137 kW) and 220 hp (164 kW). We only have a few days until VW pulls the cover off both the Arteon sedan and wagon. It’s unclear if we’ll see the full range of Arteon trims – VW may keep the hotter R models under wraps until later. It wouldn’t be the first time an automaker reveals the standard model before showing off the hotter performance version. There could also be a GTE-badged plug-in hybrid model that’s revealed, too, which VW announced in April would arrive this year. Check back later this week for all the details from the reveal.