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Not all chairs are created equal. Some are for dining, some are for children, some are on trains, planes and in cars, and some are just an extension of our wardrobes (read: chair-drobes). But chairs aren’t always just for sitting – some have a little more personality. They are created for very specific things we do in our homes, and no, on this occasion, I’m not talking about the humble barstool. Furniture designed with a very specific use in mind adds undeniable character, not to mention a talking point for your interior scheme. There is a distinct human essence to these pieces, a sense of identity that normal furniture does not often possess. My fascination with such characterful works started with the love seat, a piece that can be found in museums, antique emporiums and contemporary furniture retailers alike. Chairs like love seats command action by steering our body language through shape and style. These pieces are usually found in the Baroque style, upholstered in rich velvet damask fabrics and with ornate, acanthus carved wooden legs. For a contemporary update on the original 18th century styles, Rockett St George has created a sofa with moveable backing cushions that turn a rather innocent looking black leather, dimpled sofa into a love seat. Perfect for long nights of poetic whisperings and sipping good wine with that special someone, this industrial yet charming piece is a great choice for both a city home and a dark corner in a stately drawing room. Of course, 1stDibs is always a fantastic place to find antique originals or even quirkier pieces. Perhaps the only high street sofa and chair manufacturer to recognise the true potential for charm in their wares is Sofa Workshop. The brand’s wonky-armed Daydreamer model is the 21st century’s answer to the gossip chair, or telephone chair, styles which feature a built-in side table for a retro chord telephone, and subsequent gossiping. Sitters are encouraged by the Daydreamer's peculiar shape to take their chins into their hands, spending an afternoon lost in thought and fantasies. Shown here in Sanderson’s Capuchins fabric complete with delicate and inspiring botanical etchings, who could resist the temptation to daydream in such a chair? Finally, here's another one for all the lovers out there. The snuggler chair is to millennials what pattern matching your curtains and your sofa was to Generation X. In other words, snugglers are having a moment, and rightly so. Snugglers somehow boast both generous dimensions and space savviness in homes that might not be able to accommodate more than one sofa. Not only this, but their charm credentials qualify them for this very roundup. Complete with a cute name and available in a vast array of styles from almost every furniture manufacturer, the snuggler is at its core and by its name an invitation to curl up and spend time with your beaux (or your dog, obviously.) So why not keep your eyes peeled for a truly enchanting chair with charm for your home? Choose pieces that look as if they could spring to life from the corner of your eye, just as Guy de Maupassant describes in his 1890 short story, Who Knows?: “And behold, I perceived, all at once… an armchair, my large reading chair, which came waddling out. Right into the garden it went, followed by others, the chairs of my drawing room, then the comfortable settee, crawling like crocodiles on their short legs; next, all my chairs bounding like goats and the small footstools which followed like rabbits.”

The ultra-exclusive GT-R 50 by Italdesign - a collaboration between Nissan and the revered Italian styling house - has entered production in time for customer deliveries later this year. The radically styled GT-R 50, of which just 50 will be built, is based on the top-rung Nismo version of Nissan’s flagship supercar and priced from €990,000 (£883,000) before taxes and options. Italdesign says “a significant number of deposits” have already been taken. First shown in prototype form in 2018, the model has been designed to celebrate the 50th anniversaries of both the GT-R and Italdesign. It's available in a range of liveries inspired by the most iconic cars to bear the GT-R badge - making it likely that each of the 50 cars will be a bespoke creation. The new model is longer, wider and lower to the ground than the standard car, while its roofline has been lowered by 54mm. Elsewhere, Italdesign has exaggerated and aerodynamically improved some of the GT-R’s trademark features, with the GT-R 50 gaining a large, adjustable rear wing not found on Nissan’s mass-produced model. Power comes from an uprated version of the GT-R Nismo’s 3.8-litre V6, which has been tuned to produce 710bhp and 575lb ft - up from the 592bhp and 481lb ft of the standard car. Modifications include the addition of race-spec turbochargers and a larger intercooler, while the crankshaft, pistons, bearings, conrods and exhaust system have all been re-engineered to bring about the 118bhp boost. Italdesign had planned to show the production-spec car at the Geneva motor show earlier this year, but following that event’s cancellation, it was shown for the first time making its dynamic debut at the Tazio Nuvolari Circuit in Italy, where the firm conducts dynamic tests necessary for vehicle type approval. Italdesign CEO Jörg Astalosch said: “This is a very special day after extremely difficult weeks for everyone. After we had to renounce the world premiere at the Geneva motor show, and after the partial stop of our production activities due to Covid-19, in early May we returned 100% operative and can confirm the delivery of the first cars between the end of this year and early 2021, as planned."

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office has reported South Africa,Algeria and Nigeria are countries with the highest COVID-19 cases in Africa as cases increased to about 86,000 on Tuesday. This disclosure was made via an update on its official Twitter account, @WHOAFRO. According to WHO Lesotho, Comoros and Seychelles were countries currently with the lowest confirmed cases in the region. It said that Lesotho had only one confirmed case with zero death; Comoros had 11 reported cases and one death while Seychelles recorded 11 confirmed cases with no death. READ ALSO: Africa on verge of being certified polio free – WHO “There are over 86,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent – with more than 33,000 recoveries and 2,700 deaths,” it said. According to the report, South Africa had 16,433 cases and 286 deaths followed by Algeria with 7,201 cases and 555 deaths, while Nigeria had 6,175 confirmed cases and 191 deaths. It added that Ghana had 5, 735 reported cases and 29 deaths, while Cameroon recorded 3, 529 confirmed cases, and 140 deaths.

A study of 2,000 adults found a fast pace of life combined with rising work pressures and a phone that never stops means few people "switch off". Other factors include the stress of being a parent, longer commuting times and financial pressures amid rising costs of living. Two thirds of those polled believe a lifestyle that leaves no time to decompress is taking its toll on health and emotional wellbeing. The research found those who do find the time, only do so for an average of 54 minutes a day. The research also found the difficulties we have switching off mean we’re left feeling "mentally frazzled" twice a week on average. The research found those who do find the time, only do so for an average of 54 minutes a day. The research also found the difficulties we have switching off mean we’re left feeling "mentally frazzled" twice a week on average. Four in 10 admit their difficulty in unwinding has had a negative impact on their home life. More than half are so busy they have no time to take a tea break. However, six in 10 feel said they feel apprehensive about straying from their daily routine. Despite this, the Twinings research carried out through OnePoll, found many of those polled have made changes to their daily routine to help them better relax. These include taking longer tea breaks during their working day, not looking at their mobile devices in the evening and reading a book before going to bed.

BMW is due to pull the covers off its facelifted 5 Series next week, a preview image posted on social media has confirmed. First posted on BMW's official Korean Instagram account, a darkened image shows a disguised 5 Series wearing the same redesigned front-end look as previously spotted prototypes, and reveals a world premiere date of May 27th. The unveiling will be streamed virtually, as has been the case for most similar events during the pandemic. Captioned 'the 5 and the 6', the image along with further social media posts reveals the 6 Series Gran Turismo will also be similarly updated and shown at the same time. Previous spy shots of test mules preview the updated model in both saloon and Touring variants. Like the saloon, the estate appears to gain only subtle tweaks to the front and rear, but we can see that hybrid versions will be told apart by a bespoke front bumper design, with a horizontal vane spanning the width of the lower air intake. Previous reports that BMW would significantly increase the size of the executive car's trademark kidney grille appear to be incorrect, as it looks to have grown more subtly than it did on the facelifted 7 Series. The move is part of a broader strategy at BMW that aims to give each model its own individual appearance, with the latest 3 Series sporting a different front-end look. Further design changes include redesigned headlights and a more heavily structured front bumper that incorporates newly designed air vents, including vertical air curtain ducts at the outer edges. Back to top Changes at the rear are likely to be less significant, although the plastic wrap adorning the spied prototypes hints at styling revisions to the tail-lights, rear bumper, tailpipes and area around the numberplate. Inside, the 5 Series is expected to receive new digital instrument graphics as well as a revised central display housing the infotainment functions. Today’s 5 Series will get BMW’s latest iDrive 7.0 operating system as part of a running change from this month onwards, suggesting the 2020 model will carry this on until the introduction of an iDrive 7.5 system in the eighth-generation 5 Series model due in 2023. The prototype displayed here is propelled by a plug-in hybrid powertrain, shown by the mandatory identification on its front doors as well as the flap for the charging port integrated into the front-left wing. The current G30 5 Series is already sold with a plug-in hybrid set-up in the 530e. This has a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor developing a combined 248bhp and providing an electric-only driving range of up to 40 miles. As part of a push to take its plug-in hybrid drivelines into the performance car class, BMW is said to be planning a new 545e model running the same set-up as the 745e. This would use a more powerful turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine and an electric motor making a combined 388bhp and yielding an electric-only range of up to 36 miles. In further developments, BMW plans to equip all petrol engines with a particulate filter, while the diesels will receive new selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, to allow them to meet incoming EU emissions regulations, according to Munich sources.

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a detrimental impact on the future for many Algerians. The official death toll, currently at over 500, continues to rise in a country where medical services are so ill-equipped and under-funded that there are only 400 beds in intensive care units for the sick. Alongside this tragic loss of lives, there is also a rapidly growing financial crisis brought on by plummeting oil prices, which have led in turn to the announcement by president Abdelmadjid Tebboune, that the national budget will be cut by a whopping 50 percent. Despite the deeply worrying future for millions of Algerians, who were already barely making ends meet Despite the deeply worrying future for millions of Algerians, who were already barely making ends meet and constantly facing unemployment, the Algerian regime is putting its time and energy into strengthening the repression of its people. Tebboune, who was elected in December following months of anti-regime protests and a mass boycott of the national elections is currently launching a process of constitutional reform. The president had previously promised that the amendments would reinforce a clampdown on corruption, guaranteeing a separation of powers, and protect the right to protest. The process has already raised concern for many, especially for the Hirak activists - many of whom do not recognise Tebboune's electoral victory. The timing of the constitutional changes is deeply suspicious given that the entire nation is faced with a deadly pandemic, lockdown, self-isolation, a state curfew and restricted freedom of movement. However, it should probably come as no surprise, because ultimately, the Algerian state - regardless of who is sitting in the presidential seat - is an opportunistic one that has only survived this long by capitalising on every possible crisis to strengthen its authoritarian grip. The timing of the constitutional changes is deeply suspicious given that the entire nation is faced with a deadly pandemic Since March, as the state-led quarantine measures were enforced due to the rising rate of Covid-19 related infections, Tebboune's government has been unashamedly locking up dissidents. In his so-called attempts to rid the country of "fake news" for the purpose of security, the Algerian president introduced new laws that activists and many working in media had opposed as a form of thinly-veiled censorship and the targeting of independent news outlets and journalists. Their fears were realised. Renowned TV5 correspondent Khaled Drareni, who founded Casbah Tribune and serves as a member of Reporters Without Borders has been in detention since the end of March. He was accused of undermining national unity for his frontline coverage and support of the Hirak protests since February 2019. Similar excuses have been given for the arrest of other journalists, including Abdessami Abdelhaï, Sofiane Merakchi and Said Boudour. The National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees (CNLD) also said that there have been dozens of activists arrested. More recently, those showing anti-regime sentiment over social media have been rounded up, including Hirak figure Malek Berdache. At a time of such severe isolation, halted protests and the prohibition of physical gatherings, accessing information is crucial. It is clear that the Algerian regime is all too aware of this. It is therefore targeting all the means of disseminating information, that allow people to access the truth about the severity of the pandemic, the state's handling of it and the regime's power grabs during the continued period of quarantine. Read more: Human rights groups demand release of Algerian journalist as crackdown on press continues Through the very public practice of double standards by the regime, as it both claims to want to protect democratic freedoms through constitutional reforms, and then blatantly disregard them through arrests and stifling legislation, they are getting to people. El Manchar, a satirical anti-government online paper announced over Twitter this week that it would be shutting down due to fears over growing assaults on civil liberties, including arrests over social media posts. The editors stated sarcastically, in their final website post, hoping to meet their readers again in "a better Algeria. Or not." It is unsurprising that amid all of this, many protesters have had enough. The Hirak had for weeks respected social-distancing rules, remained within their homes, and called off all mass protests whilst the regime has used every moment to further its assaults on the people's freedom. It is likely that the current period, and for the foreseeable future, the state will be on the front foot On 10 May people rallied on the streets of Tizi Gheniff demanding the release of political prisoners who had been arrested by local forces, as they chanted for a "free and democratic Algeria" through their face masks. This was followed by another anti-regime demonstration outside a court a few days later in Kabylie. The regime is likely to continue feeding off the Covid-19 hysteria, no doubt using these small protests to redirect the blame back to the Hirak. It is likely that the current period, and for the foreseeable future, the state will be on the front foot. Activists are isolated, unable to organise, or to enjoy the support of mobilised and confident masses. In a sense, this is the outcome of an uprising that was not prepared to force a more direct confrontation with the state in the name of maintaining peaceful protest. The other side never shares such concerns. However, the current setback will not be decisive either. The issues that brought Algerians out onto the street have not disappeared. In fact, with the dramatic fall in oil revenues they are only likely to intensify. And the solution now, tomorrow, and after the lockdown eases will remain what it has always been: "Yetnahaw ga3", "They all have to go."

It will be news to many that art need not be confined to canvases, imprisoned in frames or suffocated behind panes of glass. Generally, when we think of an art collection, we think of framed paintings and drawings hung on the wall. But, according to interior designers and homewares manufacturers alike, we can incorporate art into our homes in surprising and innovative ways. While there will always be beauty in a gallery-style wall in a living room or bedroom, what’s to stop the design-savvy finding platforms for self-expression in unexpected places? Brintons, a carpet manufacturer founded in 1783, has become renowned not only for its quality and beautiful collections, but for its collaborations with contemporary design houses. In its most recent residential collaboration with the Scottish design duo Timorous Beasties, Brintons launched a collection inspired by John Ruskin’s watercolours featuring British flora and fauna. The delicate, sprawling patterns feature butterflies, flowers and branches, tangled artfully in a woven controlled chaos. The collection acts as a reminder that flooring should not be forgotten, but treated as an opportunity for a large scale design statement. Butterflies not obligatory, but certainly recommended. Speaking of artistic statements, Andrew Martin uses its permission under licence to reproduce paintings in the National Gallery’s permanent collection to create home accessories, wall coverings and even headboards, turning even the plainest of walls or cushions into works of art. Most striking is the brand’s recent collaboration with Savoir Beds to produce a collection of headboards which turn your bedroom into an artistic haven of maximalist design. Headboards are certainly not the be-all and end-all of filling your bedroom with art in new and exciting ways. Sheridan Australia is a homewares company with absolutely unrivalled bed linen designs, using real artists in the research and development phase of their production. Claudio Alcorso, Sheridan Australia’s Italian founder, always maintained that “art belongs everywhere, not just on gallery walls”, thus establishing the concept of bed linen as a piece of art in and of itself.

Ford has introduced the Ranger Thunder as a boldly styled and highly specified special edition of its flagship European pick-up. Based on the existing Wildtrak version of the Ranger, the new Thunder edition is finished in Sea Grey and features contrasting red trim accents around the front grille and rear roll bar. Distinctive three-dimensional Thunder logos appear along the bottom of the doors and on the tailgate. Ford has introduced the Ranger Thunder as a boldly styled and highly specified special edition of its flagship European pick-up. Based on the existing Wildtrak version of the Ranger, the new Thunder edition is finished in Sea Grey and features contrasting red trim accents around the front grille and rear roll bar. Distinctive three-dimensional Thunder logos appear along the bottom of the doors and on the tailgate. The Ranger Thunder also receives bespoke 18in black alloy wheels, as well as a black rear bumper, skid plates, foglight surrounds and door handles. Both the headlights and brake lights sit in darkened bezels. The colour scheme is carried over to the interior, which is finished primarily in black with red stitching to the seats, steering wheel and instrument panel, while the load bed can be specified with a black roller shutter and divider. Power comes from Ford’s 2.0-litre twin-turbocharged Ecoblue four-cylinder, which replaced the old 2.2-litre unit in January 2019. It sends power to all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic gearbox and delivers 31.0mpg and 239g/km on the WLTP combined cycle. Just 1400 of the 4500 Thunder editions built will come to the UK and they're available to order now from £32,965 for delivery in the late summer. Ford says the Ranger had its strongest sales year yet in 2019, with 52,500 units sold across Europe. More than 16,000 of those were in the UK.

A leading figure in Algeria's "Hirak" anti-government protest movement has been released from jail after a court late Sunday cut his prison sentence, one of his lawyers told AFP. Abdelouahab Fersaoui, who heads the civic group Youth Action Rally (RAJ), was arrested in October during a demonstration and in April was sentenced to one year in jail for an "attack on the integrity of the national territory". Lawyer Hocine Benissad, speaking after the appeal, said Fersaoui's sentence was reduced to six months, adding: "He will therefore be released from prison since he has already served his sentence." The 39-year-old academic was released overnight, according to Said Salhi, vice president of the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LADDH). "We are really relieved. We are delighted with this release because Fersaoui has endured a long detention. This is only the reparation for a serious injustice," Salhi said. The prosecution had asked for a tougher sentence at the appeal hearing, which was organised by videoconference and held behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic. Fersaoui was arrested on October 10 last year during a demonstration in support of "Hirak" detainees in front of the capital's main court. During his trial in March, Fersaoui denied the charges, which he said were based on his Facebook posts that had contained no incitement to violence. Another "Hirak" activist, Ibrahim Daouadji, who in April was sentenced to six months in prison, also appeared before the Algiers court on Sunday for "incitement to unarmed assembly". "Mr. Daouadji was given a six-month suspended prison sentence. He too will be released," Benissad told AFP. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak that has forced the po[CENSORED]r movement to suspend its protests since mid-March, a crackdown has continued against regime opponents and independent media. Vast demonstrations broke out in Algeria in February last year after then-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced a bid for a fifth term after 20 years in power. He stepped down in April after losing the support of the army, but protesters had continued to hold mass rallies demanding a sweeping overhaul of the ruling system.

seems that when asked how they feel about natural light in the home, interior designers grow verklempt with passion for the subject which seeps out into a lyrical poeticism worth scribbling down. The benefits of natural light reach beyond its positive physical and psychological effects and into the aesthetic value we place on the areas of our homes that receive it. This week, I speak to six interior designers about the privilege of natural light, the lengths their clients have gone to channel it into their homes and how to enhance the amount of it in your home without punching a hole in the ceiling. I hope you’ll be able to abstract from their comments even the slightest hint of the fervour with which they discuss the ephemeral nature, the power and the beauty of natural light. Charu Ghandi, the founder and director of Elicyon, a London-based design studio, tells me she “loves the shifting luminosity that the rising and setting sun brings to a space,” warning that, “obstructing any source of natural light is a bad idea.” Irene Gunter, the co-founder and creative director of Gunter & Co, an interior design studio, agrees, explaining that “the attraction to natural light is part of human nature”. Ben Johnson, the director of Albion Nord, a Fitzrovia-based design studio, draws on the architectural adage of Le Corbusier when beginning to describe to me the sheer necessity of natural light in the creation of a beautiful home. He quotes: “The history of architecture is the history of the struggle for light,” adding, “it’s a big subject.” There is something fundamental about the way Johnson discusses the importance of natural light in the home, suggesting that understanding the sun’s path will allow you to make decisions not only about the attribution of rooms to a layout but about how you position your furniture. He says: “We produce a ‘light study’ on the sun’s path and its effect on a building before starting all new projects. “Knowing simple rules like that enables us to channel light into the right rooms at the right time. The presence of a ‘light study’ attaches the design process to something quite primal, essential and human. Just as we navigated by the stars, now we live in the path of the sun, absorbing its rays from inside our homes. “Only by understanding the effects of light and the way it travels through space can we develop design ideas to control and enhance the light we have,” he adds. This notion of controlling natural light as a human exploit is nothing new, according to Martin Waller, the founder of homewares brand Andrew Martin. Waller says: “You don’t light for the light. You light for the shadows. This is what the ancient Egyptians, the druids of Stonehenge and the Mayans building temples in Central America did centuries ago and is still true to this day. As much as with electrical light, natural light can create drama, illusion and art. Consider the way the rising sun will hit a piece of artwork or decorative furniture. It is fascinating to understand how you can illuminate your home naturally before you add additional floor, ceiling and side lights.” To begin naturally illuminating your home, Laura Marino – founder of interior design practice, Studio L, and co-founder of Alchemi Group, a development manager – suggests using mirrors to help bounce light around your room, but “not in an obvious way,” she explains. “A little trick with mirrors is to line the inside of your window surround architrave if you have a reveal deep enough. Or even better, if you have shutters, inset them into the recessed rectangle on the shutters.” Gandhi is also of the school of thought that reflective materials are the best option when you are looking to increase the amount of perceived natural light in the home. She suggests using “a cleverly placed mirror to reflect the light back into the room, and high gloss paint finishes, especially on ceilings. Because texture and reflectivity play a role in how we experience light in a room, mixing sheens and textures can add depth and brightness into an otherwise dull space.”