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French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed his contraction of the Covid-19 virus on a combination of negligence and bad luck on Friday. The 42-year-old head of state urged his compatriots to stay safe in a self-shot video from the presidential retreat in Versailles where he is in self-isolation, as critics called out slip-ups in his behavior to prevent infection. Macron said he was experiencing symptoms that included headaches, fatigue and a dry cough and promised to give daily updates and be 'totally transparent' about the evolution of his illness.  French President Emmanuel Macron is seen on a screen wearing a face mask and giving the thumbs up to the camera after he tested for Covid-19 on Thursday and is now self-isolating 'I am doing well,' the 42-year-old French leader said, speaking softly and dressed casually in a turtleneck top. 'Normally, there is no reason for it to evolve in a bad way.' Macron said his infection 'shows that the virus really can

A man and woman who allegedly abducted a neighbour's eight-year-old daughter have been charged with a child abduction offence.  Avon and Somerset Police said Ismail Qurba, 25, and Annmarie Lawton, 29, both of Bristol, have been charged with detaining a child so as to keep her from a person having lawful control of her, which is an offence under the Child Abduction Act of 1984. The pair will appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court virtual hearing on Saturday, the force said. Police said the girl was 'safe and well' and in the care of specialist officers following the incident in Bristol. Ismail Qurba, 25, and Annmarie Lawton, 29, who allegedly abducted a neighbour's eight-year-old daughter have been charged with a child abduction offence. The pair will appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court virtual hearing on Saturday, Avon and Somerset police said The girl is thought to have vanished with Lawton and a man called Adam after the pair allegedly offered to take her to M

The Obamas had a guest during the early days of the pandemic: daughter Malia's boyfriend, Rory Farquharson. Like most families across the United States, the Obamas quarantined as the coronavirus pandemic began to rage in mid-March. In comments made on The Bill Simmons Podcast on Thursday, Barack Obama noted that Farquharson was part of the family's early quarantining. 'There was this whole visa thing, he had a job set up, and so we took him in,' Obama said on the podcast. 'And I didn’t want to like him, but he’s a good kid.' Rory Farquharson and Malia Obama spent the early days of the pandemic with the Obamas It's not clear when they began dating, but they've been spotted together as early as 2017 Rory Farquharson attended Harvard, where Malia Obama also attended for a few years The former president had some nice anecdotes about quarantining together, including teaching card games to Farquharson and his daughters, Malia and Sasha. 'Maybe teaching Ma

A popular kids TV host turned comedian has shared hilarious videos depicting different reactions to  Australia's current Covid-19 dramas. Jimmy Rees, also known as Jimmy Giggle, has developed a cult following on TikTok following a decade behind the screens on treasured  ABC Kids program Giggle and Hoot. The 33-year-old comedian regularly posts clips poking fun at Australia's reaction to the coronavirus crisis and the constant squabbling between state premiers. Pictured: Comedian Jimmy Rees' depiction of a rattled lady from Sydney's Northern Beaches Victoria's reaction (pictured above) to news of a lockdown on Sydney's Northern Beaches was met with smugness His latest creation - Meanwhile in Australia *Part 6* - was uploaded to Facebook on Friday and portrays a female 'panic drinker' on Sydney's Northern Beaches as well as a typical laid-back surfer from iconic local suburb Narrabeen. Residents in the Northern Beaches were plunged into lockdown at 5

The Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been cancelled for the first time in 76 years due to a coronavirus outbreak on the Northern Beaches. The event organisers on Saturday night announced it was with 'great sadness' the 76th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race would not go ahead in 2020. They said the coronavirus pandemic has distrupted sporting events across the world throughout the year and the 'Great Race' is another victim of the health crisis.  CYCA Commodore, Noel Cornish AM said: 'We are bitterly disappointed to cancel the race this year especially considering the plans and preparations we had put in place to have a COVID Safe race.' The Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been cancelled for the first time in the event's history 'We were so well prepared to run the race and we're only six days from the start. This is the first time in 76 years that the race will not be conducted.' The safety of competitors and the health and welfare of residents in N

Fairytale Of New York has been named Britain's top ten favourite Christmas song - despite controversy surrounding a homophobic slur in its lyrics. The festive hit, performed by The Pogues and featuring Kirsty MacColl, was released in 1987, but never managed to reach the No.1 spot in the charts. However, it has now beaten Mariah Carey and Wham! to be crowned top Xmas choice for Britons, according to a YouGov survey, where respondents were asked to write their own answer rather than choose from a list.  It comes after a censorship row in November which saw the BBC change some of the Pogues' lyrics - including the word 'fag**t'.  As a result, Radio 1 is broadcasting an alternative version of the song in the run-up to this Christmas to avoid offending younger audiences who are 'particularly sensitive' to the original's 'stark' language. The word 'sl*t' will be muted, and MacColl will sing 'haggard' rather than 'fag**t' Fairytale O

Western Australia has banned anyone from New South Wales entering the state as COVID-19 infections linked to an outbreak in Sydney skyrocketed to 41 cases. All NSW residents are banned from entering WA from 12am on Sunday, regardless if they already booked flights, due to the reintroduction of a hard border.  WA Premier Mark McGowan said NSW residents arriving in his state from Sunday would be 'put on a plane and sent back'.   'If they (NSW residents) come in before midnight, they need to go into self-quarantine and be tested - that's a given,' Mr McGowan said.  'If they come after midnight, if they're coming tomorrow, my advice to people from NSW would be not to come. 'You could very easily, unless you're exempt, be put on a plane and sent back.'   WA Premier Mark McGowan (pictured left) announced on Saturday that all NSW residents will be banned from entering his state from 12am on Sunday, dashing all hopes of family reunions for Christmas, N

A BBC presenter who said British gardening has 'racism baked into its DNA' has received a torrent of abuse, including death threats. James Wong, 39, is a botanist, garden designer and has presented Countryfile on BBC One. He caused a stir last week when he responded to someone on Twitter who shared an article the presenter wrote for The Guardian which asked why horticulture was not more political. Mr Wong replied: 'Absolutely UK gardening culture has racism baked into its DNA. 'It's so integral that when you point out its existence, people assume you are against gardening, not racism. 'Epitomised, for example, by the fetishisation (and wild misuse) of words like 'heritage' and 'native'.' James Wong claims he has reported hundreds of 'overtly racist and homophobic' messages to the police, including death threats The presenter immediately faced a backlash online forhis tweet with many mocking his ideas He also claimed that wildflowers

Covid lockdowns have saved Britain's motor insurers a fortune with reports of 41 per cent fewer accidents and and 26 per cent fewer deaths than compared to 2019.  Some insurance companies are even offering motorists a rebate if they have been using their car significantly less due to Covid-19.  A survey by insurance comparison website Hello Safe has found that car insurance companies could save an estimated £4.4bn during 2020 due to a dramatic fall in the number of accidents when compared with 2019.  All areas have reported significant reductions in the level of car insurance claims in 2020 Insurance companies have noticed a dramatic fall in the number of payouts for car insurance claims in 2020. They believe this is linked to the ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns In Greater London, the reduction is £693.3 million, while in rural areas the fall in accident numbers is not as great.  During 2020 there have been 59.9 per cent fewer road traffic accidents in London resulting in claims compare