British Prime Minister Boris Johnson overruled his own scientific advisers who called for a national “circuit-breaker” lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus.
And England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, cast doubt on whether the government's three-tier lockdown alert system would be enough to suppress the second wave sweeping through large areas of the country.
The scientific advisory group had recommended in a paper that Britain go into an immediate two or three-week lockdown.
Other options in a September 21 paper included more working from home, bans on contact with other households and the closure of all bars and restaurants.
“Not acting now to reduce cases will result in a very large epidemic, with catastrophic consequences in terms of direct Covid-19-related deaths and the ability of the health service to meet needs,” the paper said.
Prof Whitty, speaking alongside Mr Johnson at Downing Street on Tuesday, said he was not confident that the latest restrictions “would be enough to get on top of” the virus without further measures.
“It is the case we are going to have to do more; probably in some areas significantly more," he said.
“The idea that we can do this without causing harm is an illusion. It is a balancing act between two harms: a harm for society and the economy on the one hand and a harm for health on the other hand.”
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said that the government might need to impose tighter restrictions in high-risk areas than those announced on Monday.
“The message that we did deliver to those leaders in Merseyside was that we need to take these steps – we probably even need to go further – but that we want to design those steps jointly between ourselves and local government," Mr Jenrick told Sky News.
Defending Mr Johnson’s decision not to impose the scientist-backed circuit-breaking lockdown, he said: “The scientists advise and the prime minister has to make the difficult judgments.”
But Sage scientist Prof Dame Anne Johnson said the UK could have been successful if it acted sooner with tougher restrictions.
“Clearly, the earlier you act in suppressing infection, the greater the impact,” Prof Johnson told BBC’s Radio 4.
She said the UK also failed to “emphasise” social-distancing measures over the summer when infection rates were low.
“Many of the measures on social distancing were still in place but we didn’t go on emphasising them in order to suppress the virus,” Prof Johnson said.
“Public communication is incredibly important in taking the country with you.”
The latest version of the UK virus strategy shows again the perils Mr Johnson faces in balancing the protection of public health and preservation of jobs.
For now, the toughest measures will be brought into force from Wednesday in Liverpool, which has a “very high” alert level. Bars will only be able to open if they serve “substantial” meals.
“I take no pleasure whatsoever in placing restrictions on these businesses,” Mr Johnson said. “But we must act to save lives.”
Households in the Liverpool region will also be banned from mixing indoors and in private gardens. Gyms and casinos will also close.
Mr Johnson said he wanted similar restrictions to apply in Manchester, where cases are also soaring, but indicated local leaders had not yet agreed.
He did not mention new restrictions in London, but there are reports the capital could be moved to “high” alert in coming weeks.
Mr Johnson immediately ran into criticism on his own side, including from Andy Street, the usually loyal Mayor of the West Midlands, who said he was “very disappointed” his region was considered on “high” alert.
“This is not something regional leaders supported, nor what I believed would be happening following extensive conversations over recent days,” Mr Street said.
Other Conservatives raised doubts and objections to Mr Johnson’s strategy in Parliament.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the system of local lockdowns has not worked so far and clashed with the prime minister over the “serial failure” of the test-and-trace system.
“I’m now deeply sceptical the government has actually got a plan to control of this virus,” Mr Starmer said.
Earlier, senior medical officials painted a grim picture of the resurgent outbreak, with rising cases, hospital admissions and deaths, especially in northern England.
Three Nightingale overflow hospitals are on standby to cope with an expected surge in admissions.
In Europe, other nations are preparing more steps to contain the virus.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted a Cabinet-level meeting on the issue, while Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is expected to order restrictions targeting nightlife, social events and amateur sports.
The Czech Republic tightened social distancing rules and closed down schools, restaurants and bars to stem the EU’s fastest surge in the pandemic.
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khodar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cairo%20and%20Alexandria%2C%20in%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ayman%20Hamza%2C%20Yasser%20Eidrous%20and%20Amr%20El%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20agriculture%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Saudi%20Arabia%E2%80%99s%20Revival%20Lab%20and%20others%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmployees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
The%20specs%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SHAITTAN
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
