Last minute meals

Pizza Express has said it is to recruit 1,000 new workers as its reopening gathers pace following a year of coronavirus disruption that forced it to permanently close dozens of restaurants. The casual dining chain, which cut 2,400 jobs last year, has already reopened 118 sites in line with the easing of COVID-19 lockdown measures that allow outdoor seating. It said those restaurants had been "busy" and 24 more would open for al-fresco dining next week in England. Retail jobs endure worst hit from COVID crisis Pizza Express said it was hiring in anticipation of restrictions on trade being removed completely in June, allowing meals to be eaten inside. It added that 300 of the new roles would be created under the government's Kickstart initiative to help young people find work. Advertisement Managing director Zoe Bowley said: "We're expecting millions of people to flock back to restaurants as restrictions are eased, so we are delighted … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Pizza Express moves to hire 1,000 staff (after cutting 2,400 jobs last year)

A British photographer has achieved his "Holy Grail" of capturing the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, over an erupting volcano in Iceland. Max Milligan, 56, braved boiling lava, noxious gases and temperatures of up to 1200C (2192F) but the travel book photographer's results are as spectacular as the story that goes with them. Mr Milligan had to attach himself to a search and rescue team and wait until everyone else had been cleared out of the area on the night in question and he was the only photographer left. Having been allowed back up to the mountain by the team, he managed to catch the picture he really wanted at 2.58am, just a couple of minutes before it became too light and the chance was gone. Mr Milligan said: "It was my holy grail and it was so dark, I didn't know I'd got it until about 24 hours later when I uploaded it to a laptop." Advertisement He waited, he said, "six years for an eruption and six weeks [after arriving in Iceland] … [Read more...] about Photographer captures his ‘Holy Grail’ of the Northern Lights over an erupting volcano

BORIS Johnson will today warn US President Joe Biden and other leaders they must slash emissions this decade or be remembered as the people who failed the planet. The PM will urge them to match the UK's target of net zero by 2050 at the President's major climate summit this afternoon. Speaking on Earth Day, he will say: "The UK has shown it's possible to slash emissions while growing the economy. If we want to stop climate change, then this must be the year." It comes as MPs from across the political spectrum have today come together to vow new green goals to help save the planet. To celebrate Earth Day with an international day of action, Britain's politicians have vowed to go even greener to combat the climate emergency. Later today the US President will host a huge international summit online to address world leaders and call on them to do more to save the world before it's too late. He and the PM will push others to match the UK's ambitious climate targets, … [Read more...] about Earth Day 2021: Boris Johnson leads climate calls as MPs come together to make pledges to save the planet

RUSSIA deployed a "decoy army" of inflatable tanks, missiles and fighter jets to "trick the West" amid Ukraine tensions. The superpower's blow-up army was used for nation-wide military exercises. Putin's decoys, which can inflate within minutes, were seen in woods close to the capital city Moscow this week. The army said: “The inflatable equipment is nearly identical to the original thanks to the use of special materials. "It also has the same radiation background so that an enemy does not notice the deception.” Rusbal, the company behind the blow-up forces, said the cost of fooling the enemy is a fraction of buying the real weaponry. Among the armoury is what looks like a MiG-31 and Su-27 fighters under the cover of an anti-aircraft missile system at a mock covert airfield in the forest. A report on the Russian Defence Ministry's TV channel Zvezda said: “Tanks, aviation and air defence systems were moved to Moscow region so that ‘an enemy’ had a chance not only … [Read more...] about Russia deploys ‘decoy army’ of inflatable tanks, missiles & fighter jets to ‘trick the West’ amid Ukraine tensions

ANAIS Bordier knew she’d been adopted as a baby. What she didn’t know - until she discovered her on YouTube - was that she had a secret twin sister.  Here she tells her incredible story... Standing outside the closed door, Anaïs’ heart was thumping. Just a few steps away was somebody who could complete her life. “It was like the biggest blind date,” the 33-year-old brand manager, who lives in London, remembers. “Except I wasn’t preparing to meet a guy. I was getting ready to see my twin sister after 25 years.” Anaïs had always known that she was adopted, born in South Korea to a single mum and brought to Paris when she was three months old. She says: “My parents were amazing, telling me they loved me and that I was meant to be their daughter. That helped me through the tricky moments, like when strangers would ask why I didn’t look like my mum. That’s a hard part of being adopted, you don’t have someone that physically looks like you.” Anaïs’ birth paperwork said … [Read more...] about I discovered I was an identical twin when I was tagged in a YouTube video – we grew up 4k miles apart but are SO alike