Donald Trump has urged his Republican supporters to be vaccinated against Covid-19, saying he would recommend it.
In a TV interview, the former president said the vaccine was “safe” and “something that works”.
Donald Trump’s conservative fan base has been one of the main groups resistant to the vaccine program.
The former president himself was criticized during his time in office for playing down the seriousness of the pandemic.
As the vaccination program has been rolled out across the United States, all other living ex-presidents have spoken out, urging Americans to get the jab.
However, Donald Trump has remained largely quiet on the subject.
The former president and his wife, Melania, were vaccinated at the White House in secret in January.
Donald Trump said during an interview on Fox News Primetime on March 16: “I would recommend it.
“I would recommend it to a lot of people that don’t want to get it and a lot of those people voted for me, frankly.”
He added: “It’s a great vaccine, it’s a safe vaccine and it’s something that works.”
A recent poll by CBS News suggested that a third of Republican supporters would not have the vaccine when it was available to them, compared to 10% of Democrats.
Donald Trump’s comments came a day after his successor, President Joe Biden, expressed frustration at the reluctance among some conservatives to get the shot.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on March 15: “If former President Trump woke up tomorrow and wanted to be more vocal about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, certainly we’d support that.”
She added: “Every other living president… has participated in public campaigns. They did not need an engraved invitation to do so.”
The Netherlands has become the latest country to halt use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine over concerns about possible side effects.
The WHO and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) say there is no indication of a link between the vaccine and reports of blood clots.
Eight countries have so far fully suspended the AstraZeneca vaccinations.
The WHO told Reuters it was important that vaccination campaigns continued.
About 17 million people in the EU and the UK have received a dose of the vaccine, with fewer than 40 cases of blood clots reported as of last week, AstraZeneca said.
Experts say the number of blood clots reported after the vaccine were no more than those typically reported within the general population.
However, the Dutch government said its suspension, which will last until at least March 29, was a precaution.
Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Bulgaria and Iceland have paused inoculations with AstraZeneca vaccine, while the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia have delayed the start of their AstraZeneca rollouts. Several European countries, including Italy and Austria, have suspended the use of certain batches of the drug as a precautionary measure.
Thailand announced that it would start using the vaccine on March 16, following a brief delay to the rollout over safety concerns.
The EMA – which is currently carrying out a review into incidents of blood clots – said the vaccine could continue to be administered.
In a statement, the Dutch government said it was acting out of precaution following reports from Denmark and Norway of possible serious side effects.
Dutch drug watchdog Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb later said that 10 cases of possible adverse side effects had been reported in the Netherlands, according to Reuters.
“We can’t allow any doubts about the vaccine,” Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said.
“We have to make sure everything is right, so it is wise to pause for now.”
Speaking on an early morning talk show on March 15, Hugo de Jonge said he hoped the suspension would last “no longer than a couple of weeks”, adding: “We need vaccines to be able to put this nasty period behind us.”
The government’s decision will now cause delays in the Dutch vaccination program.
The authorities had pre-ordered 12 million doses of AstraZeneca, with nearly 300,000 shots scheduled in the next two weeks.
AstraZeneca said there was no evidence of an increased risk of clotting due to the vaccine.
It said that across the EU and UK there had been 15 events of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) – a blood clot in a vein – and 22 events of pulmonary embolism – a blood clot that has entered the lungs – reported among those vaccinated.
AstraZeneca said these figures were “much lower than would be expected to occur naturally in a general population of this size and is similar across other licensed Covid-19 vaccines”.
Beijing was covered in thick dust on March 15 as it experienced what its weather bureau has called the worst sandstorm in a decade.
The storm in the Chinese capital caused an unprecedented spike in air pollution measurements – with pollution levels in some districts at 160 times the recommended limit.
Hundreds of flights were canceled or grounded as the sky was covered by an apocalyptic-looking orange haze.
The sand is being brought in by strong winds from Mongolia.
In Mongolia the severe sandstorms have reportedly caused six deaths and left dozens missing.
China’s Global Times media outlet reported that at least 12 provinces in the country, including the capital, had been affected, and the weather was likely to continue through the day on March 15 before improving at night.
The WHO currently sets safe levels of air quality based on the concentration of polluting particles called particulate matter (PM) found in the air.
According to AFP quoting the Global Times, the PM 10 pollution in six central districts reached “over 8,100 micrograms per cubic meter” on March 15. The WHO considers levels between 0-54 as “good” and 55-154″ as “moderate” levels of PM 10.
AFP added that schools had been told to cancel outdoor events, and those with respiratory diseases advised to stay indoors.
The Chinese capital was historically hit by sandstorms on a much more regular basis, but pollution reduction projects – including prohibitions on new coal-fired power plants, restrictions on the number of cars on the road and reforestation – have significantly improved air quality. Sandstorms like the one seen this week, caused by wind, are harder to control.
Beijing and surrounding regions have suffered from high levels of pollution in recent weeks, with one Greenpeace activist telling AFP that it was a result of “intense” industrial activities. These, he said, exacerbated sandstorm conditions, which were the “result of extreme weather conditions and desertification”.
US attempts to communicate with North Korea have included the “New York Channel” – through the North Korean mission at the United Nations.
A US official told Reuters there had been “multiple attempts” to engage with North Korea, but no meaningful contact for more than 12 months, which includes much of Donald Trump’s final year as president.
President Biden has already announced a policy review on North Korea, which is expected to be unveiled in April.
He has called Kim Jong-un a thug and stressed the need for North Korean nuclear disarmament before heavy US and UN economic sanctions can be eased.
Kim Jong-un has continued to emphasize North Korea’s military capability, claiming the development of more accurate long-range missiles, super large warheads, spy satellites and a nuclear-powered submarine.
At the same time the North Korean leader has called on the US to ditch its “hostile policies”.
North Korea’s nuclear ambitions are expected to feature prominently during this week’s visit to Japan and South Korea by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Relations between the US and North Korea plummeted in 2017 when North Korea tested long-range missiles capable of hitting American cities.
Tensions eased as President Trump bet on developing a personal rapport with Kim Jong-un.
However, the much-trumpeted meetings, including summits in Singapore and Vietnam, failed to overcome differences over nuclear disarmament and sanctions. The US rebuffed North Korean demands for the lifting of sanctions in return for only a partial reduction in nuclear capabilities.
North Korea is currently more cut off from the outside world than ever before. Its borders have been closed for over a year to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Trade with North Korea’s main ally China has dwindled by more than 90% in the last few months.
Italy will close shops, restaurants and schools across most of the country on March 15, with PM Mario Draghi warning of a “new wave” of the coronavirus outbreak.
For three days over Easter, April 3-5, there will be a total lockdown.
Italy, which one year ago imposed one of the first national lockdowns, is once again struggling to contain the rapid spread of infections.
The country has reported more than 100,000 Covid-related deaths, Europe’s second-highest tally after the UK.
Its vaccination campaign has been hit by delays, as has been seen elsewhere in the EU.
AstraZeneca has announced a further shortfall in the amount of its vaccine it can supply to the EU, blaming export restrictions imposed by some countries. It did not elaborate.
In January, the pharmaceutical company announced a large cut in the 100 million doses it had originally expected to deliver to the EU by March, sparking a public spat with European Commission.
Last week, the Italian government blocked the export of 250,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia to address shortfalls of vaccines.
Elsewhere, Bulgaria, Denmark and Norway have all halted the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine over fears it causes blood clots.
On March 12, the WHO said there was no indication this was true, stressing that countries should not stop using the vaccine.
From March 15, schools, shops and restaurants will shut in more than half of Italy, including the two most populous regions containing Rome and Milan.
Residents will be required to stay at home except for work, health or other essential reasons.
The extra restrictions would last until Easter, PM Draghi’s office said, and over the Easter weekend the whole country would be turned into the high-risk “red zone”.
Cases have been rising across Italy for the past six weeks, exceeding 25,000 a day.
In a majority of Italy’s regions “hospitals and above all intensive care units are already overloaded”, the GIMBE health think-tank warned this week, the AFP reported.
The island of Sardinia is the only region where infection rates are low.
Italy has had nearly 3.2 million confirmed infections since the outbreak began last year.
Bolivia’s former interim president Jeanine Áñez and several ex-ministers have been arrested over a 2019 coup.
Prosecutors say Jeanine Áñez and the ministers took part in a coup against the then President Evo Morales in 2019.
Evo Morales resigned and fled Bolivia after protests and allegations of electoral fraud.
Jeanine Áñez has said she is the victim of a political vendetta by Evo Morales’s Mas Socialist party, which has since returned to power.
The party won a landslide victory in presidential and congressional elections in October 2020, paving the way for Evo Morales to return to Bolivia from Argentina and take over the leadership of the Mas party.
As the most senior senator, Jeanine Áñez became caretaker president after Evo Morales fled. But members of the Mas party accused her, in cahoots with police and military figures, of engineering his overthrow.
Jeanine Áñez was detained in the early hours of March 13 in the city of Trinidad, government minister, Eduardo Del Castillo Del Carpio, announced on Facebook. She was then taken by plane to the city of La Paz.
She earlier tweeted “the political persecution has begun” and said an arrest document listed charges of terrorism, sedition and conspiracy.
Bolivian TV also aired images of former energy minister Rodrigo Guzman and former justice minister Alvaro Coimbra being detained.
Evo Morales fled Bolivia in November 2019 after weeks of violent protests and after losing the backing of the military over his controversial re-election to a fourth term in office.
Several of his allies in senior posts also left the country.
We all dream of that moment. The man of our dreams gets down to one knee, pulls a small square box from the inside of his suit jacket and opens it up with nothing but those four magical words: will you marry me? No matter what is inside that box, we know that our love will last forever. It’s is one of the most emotional and magical days for both partners of the relationship, and nothing could change that. But wouldn’t it be nice if that ring inside the box is your dream ring too?
Buying an engagement ring is tough, so we cannot fault our partners if they don’t get it right, but maybe there’s something we can do to nudge them in the right direction. After all, if you’re going to wear this ring every day for the rest of your life, it should suit you, no?
Watch Matchmaking Show Together
This trick only works if your boyfriend is a good listener and observer, but it can be the most foolproof way to let him know what you like in a ring. Sit down and watch a show together like The Bachelor or The 12 Dates of Christmas. In the final episode when one partner gets to pick out the ring they are going to give their soon to be fiancé, start talking. “Oh I love that ring. A Princess cut is so beautiful and rose gold is so classy.” And “Eww, that other one is gross. Too many sidestones are taking away from such a lovely center stone.” Tell him exactly what you want by commenting on the show.
Have a Friend Slip Some Hints
Another great way to get the message to the man who is picking out your engagement ring is to get your friends or sibling involved. You can tell your best friends exactly what you want in an engagement ring and then trust them to get that message across to your boyfriend. In many cases, a boyfriend will ask for help from your closest confidants anyway, so it would be a win-win.
Tell Him…
This may be a bit less traditional, but you can always just talk about it. There’s no rule that says you need to leave this completely to surprise. In fact, you can even engagement ring shop together. It’s 2021 and that is becoming more popular than ever. If your ring is something that you really care about getting exact, why leave it to chance? Talk to your man before you end up hating what he puts on your finger.
These are just a few of our tips. What about you? How would you make sure you get the perfect ring?
The city of Minneapolis has reached a $27 million settlement with the family of George Floyd, the unarmed black man whose death in May 2020 sparked protests worldwide.
George Floyd’s death after being trapped under the knee of former police officer Derek Chauvin was captured on camera.
Lawyers for the Floyd family said the footage created “undeniable demand for justice and change”.
Jury selection for Derek Chauvin’s murder trial is currently under way.
Six out of 12 jurors have been selected for hearings beginning on March 29.
The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to approve the pre-trial settlement, the largest ever awarded in the state of Minnesota.
“That the largest pre-trial settlement in a wrongful death case ever would be for the life of a black man sends a powerful message that black lives do matter and police brutality against people of color must end,” said Floyd family attorney Ben Crump.
In a video of George Floyd’s death that went viral on social media, four police officers confront the man for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill at a local shop.
They drag him to the ground and Derek Chauvin places his knee on George Floyd’s neck, even as he begs for his life and says “I can’t breathe”. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Lawyers for the Floyd family filed a civil suit one month later, in June 2020.
They argued the city of Minneapolis had been negligent for failing to train officers in proper restraint techniques and for not dismissing officers with a poor track record. Dozens of complaints had previously been filed against Derek Chauvin, who had been serving on the city police force for 19 years.
Speaking after the settlement was announced, Ben Crump said it was but “one step” on the journey to justice. George Floyd’s death was a catalyst for reckoning on race and bias, he said.
The civil settlement comes at the end of the first week in criminal court proceedings over Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.
Derek Chauvin is facing charges of second and third degree murder and second degree manslaughter. If found guilty on all counts, the former officer could face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty.
Six jurors have been selected for the trial so far.
The final bench will require 12 jurors and four alternates – or substitutes – but suitable jurors have been hard to find in this emotionally charged and high-profile case.
The three other officers involved in George Floyd’s death – J Alexander Keung, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane – were charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter, and will be tried separately later this year.
Landscapers need a varied skill set. As well as understanding the environment they work in and the plants which thrive there, they must also be able to communicate well with clients and garden designers to achieve the required results. It’s also a very manual role that calls for the laying of new paving, pruning trees and carefully maintaining finished areas. The work is challenging, but with the right planning, a landscaping business can encompass both private and commercial clients to become very lucrative. Here are some ideas for growing your company and increasing your turnover.
Produce a new business plan
The decision to expand is often made as a result of a business doing well. To maximize on your success, it’s important to create a plan that takes into account your new goals. Think strategically to establish a set of clear targets. These could include the number of new customers you hope to take on, the additional hours you plan to work and the percentage increase you would like to see in your revenue. As some aspects of your plan, such as marketing, are likely to be costly, a budget is also required. Next, add a timeline to manage your overall plan. A set of weekly or monthly deadlines will provide information on your progress, so you can adjust your initiatives as and when required.
Show off your insurance certification
Primarily, the right insurance policy will safeguard your business from accidents and claims, but it can also prove your reliability to new and existing clients. Even if you are currently working as a smaller company and it’s just you at the helm, arranging cover from trusted insurance provider Next Insurance, gives you protection from unexpected losses. They work to deliver policies that are aimed at individual businesses, providing cover that’s right for you at an affordable price.
Remember that first impressions count
How you present yourself to potential clients is of key importance. Of course, you will need to be a friendly, polite and approachable person with plenty of innovative gardening ideas, but you should also be responsive to their queries. Provide a phone number and an email address, as well as a website where they can read reviews from past customers and see examples of your work. Your appearance can also have an impact on how your service is perceived. If you don’t have a van logo, then consider getting one made up to give your vehicle a professional look. This lets the neighborhood know you are running an established business and provides you with free advertising. Similarly, you could wear a uniform or even a t-shirt featuring your company logo. As you take on new staff, be sure to get them the same type of shirt, so customers know they are on your team.
Understand who your customers are
One of the most important factors in business success and expansion is knowing your target audience. You can’t create a service that people require if you aren’t entirely sure of who they are and what they want. Under the landscaping umbrella, there are services aimed at the owners of residential properties and services which are more suited to commercial spaces. You may be keen to offer premium outdoor projects or prefer working on general lawn maintenance, either way you’ll need to identify your customers in order to create worthwhile promotions and marketing.
Improve your digital marketing
Digital marketing is a sophisticated and popular tool that can help your business reach its full potential quickly. Building and maintaining a website is important, but it’s no longer enough. Your customers spend lots of time browsing for new products or services online and this means their tastes are more refined than ever. A modern website with uniform branding and design features will impress them, as will responsiveness and mobile compatibility. Having a portfolio of your previous work is a bonus and can certainly be used to your advantage, but the images will need to be high-quality. Pick out a varied selection which demonstrates your strongest skills. Then add explanations and curate them together in several labelled albums. An ordered approach allows visitors to quickly find pictures and content that relates to a project they have in mind.
Ultimately, some strategies will be more effective than others and you’ll soon learn which to concentrate on as your landscape business grows. You’ll need to be patient, but with hard work and a consistent approach, your goals will soon be within reach.
Myanmar’s military rulers have accused the ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi of illegally accepting $600,000 and 11kg of gold.
The allegation is the strongest yet leveled by the military since it overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar’s democratic leadership on February 1.
No evidence was provided. A lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD party denied the allegation.
Meanwhile a UN human rights investigator accused the military of committing “crimes against humanity.”
Thomas Andrews told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that Myanmar was currently being “controlled by a murderous, illegal regime” which was likely perpetrating “widespread” and “systematic” killings, torture and persecution.
His claims were supported by the rights group Amnesty, which accused the military of going on a “killing spree”.
Thomas Andrew also called for sanctions on junta leaders and on the military-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, which is set to reach $1 billion in revenue this year.
The US has already announced 10 coup leaders including Myanmar’s acting president, and three companies.
At least seven more people were killed by security forces on March 11, taking the total death toll to more than 70. Witnesses said some protesters had been shot in the head.
Six of those deaths took place in the central town of Myaing.
Meanwhile, a senior official said the military had been “exercising utmost restraint” and accused the protesters of violent behavior.
The accusation that she accepted $600,000 in cash and 11kg of gold was made by a former chief minister of Yangon, Phyo Mien Thein, who said he had given her the payments, junta spokesman Brig. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said. The anti-corruption committee was investigating, he added.
Gen. Zaw Min Tun also accused President Win Myint and several cabinet ministers of corruption.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD won a landslide victory in the polls last year, but the military now claims the election was fraudulent.
Independent international observers have disputed the military’s claim – saying no irregularities were observed.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been held for the past five weeks at an undisclosed location and faces several charges including causing “fear and alarm”, illegally possessing radio equipment, and breaking Covid-19 restrictions.
Prince William has said the royals are “very much not a racist family” in his first comments after accusations by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in a TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The Duke of Cambridge also said he had not yet spoken to his brother but would do so.
Meghan and Prince Harry said a royal had expressed concern over “how dark” their son Archie’s skin might be.
Buckingham Palace previously said the claim was “concerning” but it would be addressed privately.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said “recollections may vary” but that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would “always be much loved family members”.
During a visit to a school in Stratford, east London, on March 11, Prince William was asked by a reporter: “Is the Royal Family a racist family, sir?”
The prince replied: “We’re very much not a racist family.”
Asked whether he had spoken to Prince Harry since the Oprah interview, the Duke of Cambridge said: “No, I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do.”
Prince William’s visit is not the first appearance by a senior royal since the interview aired – Prince Charles carried out an engagement earlier this week.
In the TV interview, Meghan told Oprah there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he was born”.
Both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle refused to say who made the comment – but Harry later clarified to Oprah that it was not the Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh.
During the interview Prince Harry also said it hurt him that his family never spoke out about the “colonial undertones” of news headlines and articles.
Asked by Oprah if the couple left the UK because of racism from the tabloid media, Prince Harry replied: “It was a large part of it.”
In the interview, Prince Harry also spoke about his relationship with his family – especially with his father, the Prince of Wales, and brother Prince William.
At one point after stepping back as senior royals, Prince Harry said Prince Charles “stopped taking my calls”.
And of William, Prince Harry said: “The relationship is ‘space’ at the moment. And time heals all things, hopefully.”
Buckingham Palace issued a response to the interview earlier this week following crisis meetings involving senior royals.
Figures from CBS suggest that nearly 50 million people around the world have watched Oprah’s interview with the couple.
The fallout from the interview has also seen broadcaster Piers Morgan leave his role as host of Good Morning Britain, after his comments about Meghan Markle attracted 41,000 complaints.
Denmark has temporarily suspended use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine as a precaution, after reports of a small number of blood clots and one death.
According to the Danish health authority, it was too early to say whether there was a link to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Austria earlier stopped using a batch of the drug, prompting the EU medicines agency (EMA) to say there was no indication the vaccine caused blood clots.
AstraZeneca says its safety has been studied extensively in clinical trials.
A spokesperson said: “Patient Safety is the highest priority for AstraZeneca.
“Regulators have clear and stringent efficacy and safety standards for the approval of any new medicine, and that includes Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.”
Peer-reviewed data confirmed it had been “generally well tolerated”, the statement added.
Denmark’s decision came days after Austria suspended use of a particular batch of the drug because a woman died 10 days after taking it. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxemburg have also stopped using the batch.
Danish authorities said they were pausing use of the vaccine for 14 days in what Health Minister Magnus Heunicke called a “precautionary measure”.
Although no link had been established, he said “we must respond in a timely and careful manner” until a conclusion was reached.
The decision to put the vaccine on hold in Denmark and Austria is a setback for a European vaccination campaign that has stuttered into life, partly due to delays in delivery of the AstraZeneca drug.
The Danish authority said it was not an easy decision as it was during the biggest and most important rollout in the country’s history.
The EMA said its safety committee was reviewing the Austrian case, but made clear that “there is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine”.
The number of “thromboembolic events in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population”, it added.
A lot can happen in a year. From finding out you’re expecting a new bundle of joy to eventually welcoming your little one, to getting engaged and then married, to adopting pets or buying a house, these milestone occasions are worth celebrating — and not just with those you see on a daily or weekly basis.
When it comes to sharing this important news with more distant friends and family members, though, never underestimate the power of a traditional paper card.
Looking for a thoughtful way to announce news of important milestones? Here are three great ideas you’ll love.
1. Add the News to Your Christmas Card
Sending Christmas cards to family and friends is a warm and welcoming holiday tradition. For many, receiving such wishes is one of the highlights of the season, and perhaps a chance to send and receive a little love from those you can’t be physically close to during the festive season.
Christmas cards are also a great way to update those friends and family members about major changes in your life that have happened in the past year.
When your loved ones are already anticipating a card, they’ll be even more excited to learn about the exciting news that you’re looking to announce. Whether you bought a new house or adopted a pet, adding a note and a photo to your custom Christmas cards is a great way to let everyone on your list know.
2. Send an Engagement Announcement or Save-the-Date
While weddings seem to become more extravagant year after year, the average length of an engagement is surprisingly short. In fact, most couples are only engaged for just 12 to 18 months before they tie the knot.
When you know you’ll only be engaged for a short time, it might be tempting to skip over formal traditions in favor of something quick and easy. But before you text or post to social media about the news, you might want to reconsider.
Sending an engagement announcement or even a save-the-date is a special gesture befitting of the occasion. Not only is it exciting mail for your friends and loved ones to receive, but it also acts as a special moment of your all-too-short engagement period.
3. Mail a Birth Announcement
In a time when social media reigns supreme, it’s no surprise that many parents choose to announce the arrival of their new little bundle of joy via a carefully worded, perfectly photographed Instagram or Facebook post. When you’re excited to share the news and want to show off your little one’s already adorable looks, it’s understandable that you’d opt for social media to get the word out as quickly as possible.
Regardless if you decide to post to social media, mailing a birth announcement is still an important tradition to keep. For grandparents, distant aunts and uncles, and even close friends, a beautiful paper birth announcement — especially one featuring a photo of your little one — is a great keepsake. Whether they display it on their refrigerator until they get to meet your newborn in-person or tuck it away in a scrapbook, it’s a small, simple token that can mean a lot to your friends and family members.
Sharing Your Big Moments
From birth and engagement announcements to sharing smaller milestones on your Christmas card, these are all great ways to celebrate life’s moments, both big and small, with your friends and loved ones near and far!
Despite expectations that, as a result of the Covid pandemic, Portuguese house prices would fall during 2020, there has been an average 1.1% increase across the country. In January 2020, the average house price in Portugal stood at 344,417 euros by December that price had risen to 348,223 euros. There has, however, been considerable regional variation in the sale price of property: Portalegre and Guada saw falls of 16.9% and 14% respectively, whilst Evora and Beja saw property prices rise by 16.9% and 7.7%.
Across Europe there has been a trend pandemic trend for increased sales outside of urban areas and in particular a move away from property purchases in capital cities. This trend does not seem to have made an impact on property prices in Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, where average prices increased from 551,607 euros in December 2019 to 557,595 euros in December 2020. Lisbon has experienced a property boom in recent years but 2019 saw a slowdown in the number properties being bought by foreigners. Estate agents report that purchasers have been choosing cheaper properties but also that there has been an increase in enquiries and clients from America.
One of the key factors driving Portugal’s property boom in recent years has been the ‘Golden Visa’ scheme, by which foreign purchasers of property valued in excess of 350,000 euros are entitled to residency rights and unhindered travel within the Schengen territories. The scheduled ending of this scheme in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve may well create a last-minute surge of foreign purchases before the deadline.
The Portuguese government was widely commended for its handling of the first wave of the Coronavirus pandemic and the comparative low impact of the virus during most of 2020 may well have helped sustain the country’s buoyant property market. Unfortunately, the second and third waves of the virus which hit the country at the end of 2020 and the start of 2021 have proved much more serious and currently, Portugal is in a state of emergency until at least March 11th.
The Portuguese economy, so dependent on tourism, has been devastated by the pandemic. During the first nine months of 2020, the overall turnover in terms of taxable income, declined by 14.8%. Over 37,000 businesses in the hospitality sector face bankruptcy. The extent to which this catastrophic economic situation will impact on property prices which largely depend on whether Portugal is able to quash the virus in time for the resumption of a tourist summer season in 2021.
Even without the incentive of a ‘Golden Visa’ Portugal remains a very attractive location for foreign property purchasers. Year-round sunshine, some of the best beaches in Europe, outstanding cuisine, a rich cultural and architectural heritage, one of the lowest costs of living in Europe and an impressively low crime rate are all powerful incentives for foreign investors. The coming year is undoubtedly going to be one of extreme challenge, but it seems likely that demand for Portuguese real estate will continue to increase.
Meghan Markle has said she found life within the British Royal Family so difficult that at times she “didn’t want to be alive any more”.
In a deeply personal TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess of Sussex said that she did not get help when she asked for it.
She also said a low point was when Prince Harry was asked by an unnamed family member “how dark” their son Archie’s skin might be.
Harry also revealed that his father, Prince Charles, stopped taking his calls when he wanted to step back.
The highly-anticipated interview with Oprah, which Meghan and Harry were not paid for, aired overnight in the US.
During the two-hour CBS special, to be screened in the UK on ITV at 21:00 GMT on March 8 and on ITV Hub, Courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS, the couple covered a range of topics, including racism, mental health, their relationship with the media and Royal Family dynamics.
The couple announced their second child, which is due in the summer, is a girl.
They also revealed that they exchanged vows in a ceremony led by the Archbishop of Canterbury in their “backyard” three days before they were legally married at their public wedding in May 2018.
Prince Harry said his brother and father were “trapped within the system” of the Royal Family
He said his family cut him off financially at the beginning of last year.
However, Harry said he loved his brother “to bits” and wanted to heal his relationship with both him and his father.
Meghan revealed that she phoned the Queen after Prince Philip went into hospital last month.
The couple moved to California after formally stepping down from royal duties in March 2020, and it was announced last month that they would not be returning as working members of the Royal Family.
Meghan Markle said that she started to feel lonely when limits were placed on what she could do, revealing that at one point she did not leave the house for months.
At one point the Duchess of Sussex thought she “could not feel lonelier”, she told Oprah Winfrey.
Asked by Oprah if she was thinking of self-harm and having suicidal thoughts at some stage, Meghan Markle, 39, replied: “Yes. This was very, very clear. Very clear and very scary. I didn’t know who to turn to in that.”
The duchess said that she felt “haunted” by a photograph from an official event she attended with Prince Harry at the Royal Albert Hall while she was pregnant.
She said that she attended the event with Harry that night because she felt she could not be “left alone” and recalled Harry gripping her hand tightly while in attendance at the Royal Albert Hall.
Oprah also asked Meghan why she thought the Royal Family did not make her son Archie a prince – which Meghan said she wanted so that he would get police protection.
The couple’s children do not automatically become princes or princesses because of a rule that has been in place since 1917 – unless the Queen steps in.
She said the remarks about skin color were made to Prince Harry and he relayed them to her.
Asked by Oprah whether there were concerns that her child would be “too brown” and that would be a problem, Meghan said: “If that is the assumption you are making, that is a pretty safe one.”
When pressed, the duchess refused to reveal who the individual was, saying: “I think that would be very damaging to them.”
Prince Harry also refused to give further details, saying: “That conversation, I am never going to share.”
“At the time it was awkward, I was a bit shocked,” he added.
Prince Harry, 36, said that none of his relatives spoke out in support of Meghan following the racism he said his wife faced from the media.
“No-one from my family ever said anything over those three years. That hurts,” Harry said.
During the interview, the Royal Family were also accused of failing to protect the duke and duchess, with Meghan saying the situation “started to really worsen” after the couple married in May 2018.
Meghan was referencing rumors that she had made Kate Middleton cry during a disagreement about flower girl dresses – a story that prompted a flurry of tabloid stories.
She said the opposite happened. She added that Kate later apologized, bringing flowers and a note to make amends.
Joining Meghan and Oprah for the second half of the interview, Prince Harry talked about his relationship with the rest of his family.
He said his relationship with his grandmother, the Queen, was “really good” and that the two of them speak often.
However, his relationship with his father, Prince Charles, has suffered.
Prince Harry said that he feels “really let down” by his father. He added that he will always love him, but “there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened”.
He described his father and his brother as “trapped within the system” of the Royal Family.
“They don’t get to leave,” he added.
Of Prince William, he said they were on “different paths”.
Prince Harry also revealed that his family had cut him off financially at the beginning of last year, after the couple announced their intention to step back as senior royals.
The prince said deals with Netflix and Spotify were “never part of the plan” but they needed them to pay for security staff.
If you own a truck, you know that it has different maintenance needs than a regular car. Not only are trucks designed differently than, say, a minivan, but they’re driven differently, too. You might drive a minivan around your neighborhood or city, but you could easily drive a truck through the countryside or take it on an off-roading adventure! As a result, you may need certain upgrades and features on your truck that can help you get the most out of your vehicle. So, let’s take a closer look at 4 upgrades every truck owner should know about!
Interior and Exterior Light Kits
Even if you don’t travel at night very often, you should always be prepared. Oftentimes, the standard lights that come with vehicles can be subpar. To rectify this problem, you can easily purchase an interior or exterior light kit. This will allow you to see everything inside and outside of your vehicle — regardless of the time of day or night.
There are dozens of high-quality light kits on the market. For better or worse, most people focus on exterior lights and largely forget about the inside of their truck. Fortunately, LED lights for Ford F150 interior setups are a great solution.
Suspension
Your truck’s suspension helps your vehicle absorb the impact of bumps in the road and generally ensures a smooth ride. This is why you can almost always tell when there’s an issue with your suspension system. If your truck’s suspension is not working properly, each and every bump will feel amplified, making it uncomfortable and even dangerous to drive.
Unless you’ve got superior mechanic skills, you’ll probably need an expert to install a new suspension system. This means that you’ll need to factor the cost of labor and the price of the new system into your budget. Thankfully, you can easily find aftermarket suspension systems through various online retailers.
Lift Kit
It’s important to note that lift kits are not the best choice for every truck owner. Some drivers don’t want the hassle of climbing in and out of their truck every time they need to go somewhere. However, if you frequently drive on rough terrain, a lift kit will help you avoid obstacles that would otherwise cause damage to your truck’s undercarriage.
A lift kit does exactly what the name implies; it lifts the frame of your truck higher off the ground. Some people make this upgrade purely for aesthetics, while others do it for more practical reasons (namely avoiding short barriers). In any case, it’s a necessity for truck owners who frequently drive off-road.
Bull Guard
The bull guard is another upgrade that is geared toward off-roaders. That said, it can offer enhanced front-end protection for regular drivers as well. For example, if you accidentally hit a deer while driving, a bull guard could end up protecting the front of your truck from costly damage.
One great thing about bull guards is their low price point. Bull guards are relatively inexpensive and can even be installed without professional help. However, the price and complexity of your bull guard will depend on both the design and materials.
The Dalai Lama has received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine while urging others eligible to “take this injection”.
“This is very very helpful, very good,” he said as he was given the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at a facility in the Indian city of Dharamsala on March 6.
The Tibetan spiritual leader had enrolled himself to be vaccinated, officials said.
India launched its vaccination drive on January 16, but it was limited to healthcare workers and frontline staff.
Since March 1, however, the scheme has been extended to people aged over 60 and those between the ages of 45 and 59 with underlying illnesses.
Receiving his first shot in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, the Dalai Lama said people needed to be vaccinated to “prevent some serious problems”.
The chief medical officer of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, Dr. Gurdarshan Gupta, said the Dalai Lama had offered to visit the vaccination centre “like a common man”, Reuters reported.
“We arranged the session in the morning, considering the security concern,” he added.
India aims to cover 300 million “priority people” with its vaccination drive by the end of July.
Its drugs regulator has given the green light to two vaccines – one developed by AstraZeneca with Oxford University (Covishield) and one by Indian firm Bharat Biotech (Covaxin).
Indian PM Narendra Modi, 70, was among the first to get his vaccine shot.
Since the pandemic began, India has confirmed more than 11 million cases and over 157,000 deaths.
Much of the country has reported a sharp fall in cases recently – with daily infections for the county falling to less than 20,000 from a peak of over 90,000 in September.
However, a handful of states have recently reported a sharp increase in the number of cases.
President Joe Biden’s $1.9tn Covid-19 relief plan was approved in the Senate on March 6 despite every Republican senator voting against.
This is President Biden’s third major relief bill aimed at helping Americans deal with the impact of the coronavirus.
The House of Representatives – controlled by Democrats – is expected to approve it on March 9.
President Biden described the Senate vote as “one more giant step forward” in delivering the promise to help people.
America’s worst public health crisis in a century has left nearly 523,000 people dead and 29 million infected, with a current unemployment rate of 6.2%.
The package envisages one-off payments worth $1,400 to be sent to most Americans.
Republicans, who have criticized President Biden’s plan as too costly, forced a number of compromises, notably the lowering of federal unemployment benefit from $400 to $300 a week. The benefit would be extended until September 6 under the plan.
The president said: “It obviously wasn’t easy. It wasn’t always pretty. But it was so desperately needed, urgently needed.”
He added he hoped for a quick passage of the bill in the House so that he could sign it into law.
The so-called American Rescue Plan allocates $350 billion to state and local governments, and some $130 billion to schools.
It would also provide $49 billion for expanded Covid-19 testing and research, as well as $14 billion for vaccine distribution.
The $1,400 stimulus cheques will be quickly phased out for those with higher incomes – at $75,000 for a single person and for couples making more than $150,000.
The extension of jobless benefits until September, meanwhile, would mark a key reprieve for millions of long-term unemployed Americans whose eligibility for benefits is currently due to expire in mid-March.
The bill also includes grants for small businesses as well as more targeted funds: $25 billion for restaurants and bars; $15 billion for airlines and another $8 billion for airports; $30 billion for transit; $1.5 billion for Amtrak rail and $3 billion for aerospace manufacturing.
While Republicans broadly backed two previous stimulus plans, passed when they controlled both the White House and the Senate under President Donald Trump, they have criticized the cost of President Biden’s bill.
There was a marathon 27-hour session before the final vote on March 6, and the 50-49 tally along party lines was indicative of the widespread Republican opposition.
The even split between the parties in the Senate meant that every Democratic senator needed to support the party’s plans.
Pope Francis is making a historic visit to Iraq where he discussed the plight of the Christian minority.
He has condemned extremism in the name of religion an inter-faith prayer service.
Hostility, extremism and violence are “betrayals of religion”, the Pope said.
Iraq has been wracked by religious and sectarian violence, both against minorities and between Shia and Sunni Muslims too.
Pope Francis also visited one of Shia Islam’s most powerful figures.
Receiving the head of the Roman Catholic Church at his home in the holy city of Najaf, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said Christians should be able to live in peace and security like all other Iraqis.
The meeting was seen as a highly symbolic moment in the Pope’s visit, which is his first international trip since the start of the coronavirus pandemic more than a year ago, and the first ever papal visit to Iraq.
Covid-19 and security fears have made this his riskiest trip yet.
Pope Francis, 84, earlier told reporters that he had felt “duty-bound” to make the “emblematic” journey, which will see him visit several sites over four days in Iraq.
He delivered his message at the site of the ancient city of Ur, held to be the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham, who is revered in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
An inter-faith service brought together representatives of Iraq’s religions, including Shia, Sunni, Christian and Yazidi clerics.
He singled out the suffering of the Yazidi community which had “mourned the deaths of many men and witnessed thousands of women, girls and children kidnapped, sold as slaves, subjected to physical violence and forced conversions”.
Later on March 6, Pope Francis delivered Mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral in central Baghdad. Security was tight with special forces deployed in the area and concrete barriers erected outside the church.
Grand Ayatollah Sistani is spiritual leader of millions of Shia Muslims, the dominant religious community in Iraq.
Audiences with the reclusive 90-year-old are rare but he received the Pope for around 50 minutes, the pair talking without face masks.
He “affirmed his concern that Christian citizens should live like all Iraqis in peace and security, and with their full constitutional rights”, his office said.
Pope Francis thanked the ayatollah for speaking up “in defense of those most vulnerable and persecuted” amid the violence and hardships of Iraq’s recent history, the Holy See press spokesman said.
The ayatollah’s message of peace, he said, affirmed “the sacredness of human life and the importance of the unity of the Iraqi people”.
Italy has blocked the export of an Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine shipment to Australia.
The decision affects 250,000 doses of the vaccine produced at an AstraZeneca facility in Italy.
Italy is the first EU country to use the bloc’s new regulations allowing exports to be stopped if the company providing the vaccines has failed to meet its obligations to the EU.
Australia said losing “one shipment” would not badly affect its rollout.
However, it has asked the European Commission, which reportedly backs Italy’s move, to review the decision.
AstraZeneca is on track to provide only 40% of the agreed supply to member states in the first quarter of the year. The company has cited production problems for the shortfall.
In January, then Italian PM Giuseppe Conte described delays in vaccine supplies by both AstraZeneca and Pfizer as “unacceptable” and accused the companies of violating their contracts.
The EU has been widely criticized for the slow pace of its vaccination program.
Under the EU vaccine scheme, which was established in June 2020, the bloc has negotiated the purchase of vaccines on behalf of member states.
There has been no official comment on the Italian move by the EU or AstraZeneca.
Australia began its vaccination program last week using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. It was due to start inoculations with the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 5.
Italy approached the European Commission last week to say that it was its intention to block the shipment.
In a statement on March 4, the foreign ministry explained the move, saying it had received the request for authorization on February 24.
It said that previous requests had been given the green light as they included limited numbers of samples for scientific research, but the latest one – being much larger, for more than 250,000 doses – was rejected.
It explained the move by saying that Australia was not on a list of “vulnerable” countries, that there was a permanent shortage of vaccines in the EU and Italy, and that the number of doses was high compared with the amount given to Italy and to the EU as a whole.
Australia’s Health Minister Greg Hunt said: “Australia has raised the issue with the European Commission through multiple channels, and in particular we have asked the European Commission to review this decision.”
Australia had already received a shipment of 300,000 doses and planned to begin local production next month.
Susan Wojcicki said during an interview with the Atlantic Council on March 4: “It’s pretty clear that right now where we stand, that there still is that elevated risk of violence.”
She clarified that Donald Trump’s conduct had not led to a full ban on the platform.
YouTube operates under a three strike system and an account must receive all three strikes within 90 days to be permanently removed.
The suspension in January was Donald Trump’s first strike.
Rudy Giuliani, the former personal attorney to Donald Tump, received his second strike earlier this week for claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Typically, a first strike results in a seven day suspension of an account, but Donald Trump’s has been prolonged due to a continued risk of violence.
After a large group of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building on January 6, the former president was banned across many social media outlets.
Donald Trump was banned from Twitter and suspended from Facebook.
Facebook’s Oversight Committee is currently looking at whether that suspension should be made permanent – however it’s not yet clear when they will rule.
Criminal charges have been filed for a reported 221 people involved in the Capitol riot.
In a teaser clip of Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex had been asked how she felt about the palace hearing her “speak your truth today”.
She has said Buckingham Palace could not expect her and Prince Harry to be silent if it was “perpetuating falsehoods about us”.
Meghan also said: “If that comes with risk of losing things, I mean… there is a lot that has been lost already.”
Buckingham Palace is investigating claims Meghan Markle bullied royal staff.
The allegations of bullying leveled at Meghan were published after the interview with Oprah was recorded.
The interview with Oprah, which will air in the US on March 7 and in the UK on March 8, is expected to detail Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s short period as working royals together before they stepped down for a life in the US.
In the 30-second teaser clip released by CBS, Oprah Winfrey asks Meghan: “How do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today?”
The duchess replies: “I don’t know how they could expect that, after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quit their roles as senior working royals in March 2020, and now live in California.
A report in the Times on March 3 claimed the duchess faced a complaint made in October 2018, while the duke and duchess were living at Kensington Palace after their marriage in May of that year.
A leaked email sent from a staff member, which was published by the newspaper, alleges that Meghan Markle drove two personal assistants out of the household. The report claims the duchess undermined the confidence of a third member of staff.
In a statement later, Buckingham Palace – which is responsible for the hiring of royal staff – said it was “clearly very concerned about allegations in the Times” and its HR team would look into the circumstances outlined in the article.
The statement said: “The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy in place for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace.”
Past and present royal employees are to be invited to speak in confidence about their experiences of working for Meghan Markle as part of the investigation.
The bullying allegations are denied by Meghan and Prince Harry.
A statement issued by Meghan Markle’s spokesman in response to the newspaper’s story said: “The duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma.
“She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.”
Meghan and Prince Harry’s TV interview with Oprah will be aired on CBS in the US on the evening of Sunday, March 7.
CBS has said Meghan will be interviewed about “stepping into life as a royal, marriage, motherhood” and “how she is handling life under intense public pressure”.
Prince Philip has undergone a successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Buckingham Palace said he would remain in hospital for treatment, rest and recuperation for a number of days.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 99, has already spent 16 nights in hospital.
The duke was being treated for an infection and moved to St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London on March 1 for tests and observation on his heart condition.
Buckingham Palace said the procedure took place on March 3.
In 2011, Prince Philip was taken to hospital by helicopter from Sandringham after suffering chest pains as the royal family was preparing for Christmas.
The prince was treated for a blocked coronary artery at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire and had a stent fitted.
Queen Elizabeth’s husband, who turns 100 in June, travelled by car from Windsor to King Edward VII’s hospital in Marylebone, central London, on February 16 as a precaution after feeling unwell.
The exact reason for his initial admission was not disclosed, but it was not related to coronavirus.
On March 1, Buckingham Palace announced the prince had been transferred to Barts by ambulance.
St Bartholomew’s Hospital in the City of London is an NHS hospital and home to Europe’s largest specialized cardiovascular unit.
Prince Charles visited his father at King Edward VII’s Hospital, the weekend after his admission.
Members of the Royal Family, including the Queen, have continued with their official duties during Prince Philip’s hospital stay.
Camilla Parker gave an update on Prince Philip’s condition when she visited a Covid vaccination centre in Croydon on March 3.
When a volunteer asked about the duke, she said: “We heard today that he’s slightly improving. So, that’s very good news. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.”
Prince Philip has received treatment for other health conditions over the years, including a bladder infection in 2012 and exploratory surgery on his abdomen in June 2013.
Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced by a French court to three years in jail, two of them suspended, for corruption.
The former French president was convicted of trying to bribe a judge in 2014 – after he had left office – by suggesting he could secure a prestigious job for him in return for information about a separate case.
Nicolas Sarkozy is the first former French president to get a custodial sentence.
His lawyer says he will appeal.
The 66-year-old conservative politician will remain free during that process which could take years.
In the ruling, Judge Christine Mée said Nicolas Sarkozy “knew what [he] was doing was wrong”, adding that his actions and those of his lawyer had given the public “a very bad image of justice”.
The crimes were specified as influence-peddling and violation of professional secrecy.
It is a legal landmark for post-war France. The only precedent was the trial of Nicolas Sarkozy’s predecessor Jacques Chirac, who got a two-year suspended sentence in 2011 for having arranged bogus jobs at Paris City Hall for allies when he was Paris mayor. Chirac died in 2019.
If Nicolas Sarkozy’s appeal is unsuccessful, he could serve a year at home with an electronic tag, rather than go to prison.
The former president’s wife, supermodel and singer Carla Bruni, reacted by describing the case as “senseless persecution”, adding that “the fight continued, and truth would come out”.
Nicolas Sarkozy served one five-year term as president from 2007. He adopted tough anti-immigration policies and sought to reform France’s economy during a presidency overshadowed by the global financial crisis.
Critics nicknamed him “bling-bling”, seeing his leadership style as too brash, celebrity-driven and hyperactive for a role steeped in tradition and grandeur.
Nicolas Sarkozy’s celebrity image was reinforced by his marriage to Carla Bruni in 2008. In 2012, he lost his re-election bid to Socialist François Hollande.
Since then he has been targeted by several criminal investigations.
In 2017, Nicolas Sarkozy tried to make a political comeback, but failed as his centre-right Les Républicains party chose another presidential candidate instead.
He was on trial with two co-defendants, his lawyer Thierry Herzog and Gilbert Azibert, a senior judge.
The case centered on phone conversations between Nicolas Sarkozy and Thierry Herzog that were taped by police in 2014.
Investigators were looking into claims that the former president had accepted illicit payments from the L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt for his 2007 presidential campaign.
The prosecution convinced the court that Nicolas Sarkozy and Thierry Herzog had sought to bribe Gilbert Azibert with a prestigious job in Monaco in return for information about that investigation.
French media reported that Nicolas Sarkozy was heard telling Thierry Herzog: “I’ll get him promoted, I’ll help him.”
The phone line police tapped was a secret number set up in a fictional name, Paul Bismuth, through which Nicolas Sarkozy communicated with his lawyer.
On March 1, Thierry Herzog and Gilbert Azibert were also sentenced to three years in jail, two of them suspended.
