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San Francisco targets May 18 for some businesses to resume

CNBC's Dominic Chu reports that San Francisco is targeting May 18 to reopen some businesses.




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Disney Springs to reopen on May 20th

CNBC's Julia Boorstin reports that Disney Springs will become the first Disney property to reopen, and it will happen on May 20.




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What isn't the jobs report telling us?

CNBC's Steve Liesman on what's missing from the jobs report. With CNBC's Melissa Lee and the Fast Money traders, Guy Adami, Tim Seymour, Brian Kelly and Jeff Mills.




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Is the magic back? Disney pops as park sets to reopen

Disney Shanghai sells out ahead of Monday's reopening. With CNBC's Melissa Lee and the Fast Money traders, Guy Adami, Tim Seymour, Brian Kelly and Jeff Mills.




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Red Arrows fly over London to mark 75th anniversary of VE Day - video

The RAF's display team colour the skies above London red, white and blue to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Nazi commanders surrendered to allied forces in a French schoolhouse 75 years ago on 8 May 1945, bringing the second world war in Europe to an end.

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Lockdown walks, miraculous recoveries and flypasts: the week’s most uplifting clips – video

As the lockdown days wear on, it can be hard to find hope amid the gloom. But people across the world are finding reasons to keep their spirits up – from lockdown charity walks and miraculous recoveries, to virtual graduation wishes from celebrities and socially distanced block parties


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'There is a path out': WHO's Dr Michael Ryan warns nations to stay vigilant – video

Dr Michael Ryan, the director of the WHO health emergencies programme, has said there is a way out of the Covid-19 pandemic for communities, adding that 'a careful and measured return' to workplaces and schools with the right precautions could work, but that concerts and other mass gatherings were much more difficult.

He predicted a significant change to lifestyles until a vaccine or effective treatments were found.

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'Mixed messages': UK government's strategy fuels fears of rule-breaking

Critics of No 10 warn U-turns undermining efforts to keep public safe from coronavirus

First people were meant to stay at home to save lives, and then government sources raised the prospect of picnics with pals and sunbathing in the park just before a sunny bank holiday weekend.

Boris Johnson told the nation that scientists thought face masks might help stop the spread of the disease, but no change was made to the government advice that they were not needed outside medical and care settings.

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US job losses have reached Great Depression levels. Did it have to be that way?

The US and Europe have taken different approaches to tackling pandemic-induced unemployment but which is best long term?

In two, terrible, months the coronavirus pandemic has driven unemployment in the US to levels unseen since the 1930s Great Depression. Did it have to be this way?

Covid-19 has cost more than 33 million Americans their jobs in the last seven weeks – 10% of the entire US population. The official unemployment rate had shot up from 4.4% to 14.7% on Friday – a figure that probably wildly underestimates the true scale of job losses.

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‘We are living in a catastrophe’: Peru's jungle capital choking for breath as Covid-19 hits

Iquitos, still reeling from a dengue fever outbreak and plagued by poverty, relies on air deliveries for medicine, equipment and oxygen

In the final hours before Covid-19 claimed her life, Cecilio Sangama watched helplessly as his eldest sister Edith gasped for breath.

Hospitals across Peru’s largest Amazon city had run out of oxygen, and the shortage had pushed the black market price of a cylinder well above $1,000 (£810).

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Trouble brewing for tea producers as coronavirus lockdown hits harvests

India’s ‘champagne of teas’ among those affected as country’s tea board estimates output could drop 9%, amid strain in China and Sri Lanka

Trouble is brewing for the world’s tea producers as the coronavirus lockdown shut down the harvest in several important regions, including the picking of India’s “champagne of teas”.

Despite forecasts of increased demand from drinkers stuck at home across the world, producers have become frustrated by the enforced quarantining of their workforce, with India’s output expected to drop by 9% in 2020.

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'There is no future': the refugees who became pawns in Erdoğan’s game

First the asylum seekers were used to further Turkey’s regional ambitions, now they are made to suffer in quarantine camps

At the beginning of March, thousands of refugees gathered in the shadow of the Pazarkule border gate in Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he would “open the gate” to Europe.

The move was a reaction to the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers in Idlib province on 28 February and designed to exert pressure on the EU and Nato to support its military operation in northern Syria.

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'Separation by sex': gendered lockdown fuelling hate crime on streets of Bogotá

While men and women can go out on alternate days, trans people in the Colombian capital face increasing risk of violent attacks

A policy of making men and women leave their homes on alternate days during lockdown in Bogotá is fuelling violence towards the transgender community by the police and the public, activists say.

The mayor of the Colombian capital, Claudia López, announced last month that women were permitted to go outdoors for essential tasks on even-numbered days and men on odd-numbered days, in an effort to limit numbers on the streets.

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Coronavirus news Australia: evacuation flights for stranded citizens in India as some states ease Covid-19 restrictions – as it happened

The Australian government has arranged four additional Qantas flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in the coming fortnight. This blog has now closed

To recap, this afternoon there were 6,929 Covid-19 cases in Australia, with the death toll at 97.

There had been 16 new cases in the last 24 hours, four of which were related to the Cedar Meats cluster in Victoria.

Related: Coronavirus Australia latest: at a glance

There are just two people in South Australia considered to be active cases of Covid-19.

No further cases were recorded when the state health department released updated statistics on Saturday, with South Australia’s total tally remaining at 439.

We want people to get out and explore our fabulous regions. It is safe for regional travel in South Australia.

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'A blessed initiative': secular Israel rejoices over Sabbath buses

Minibuses that run on Friday evenings and Saturdays buck state’s religious restrictions

Tel Aviv is one of Israel’s most dynamic cities, but the latest local craze could appear fairly humdrum to outsiders – a bus service that runs at weekends.

Packed 19-seat minibuses fill up fast with passengers, who excitedly gossip about the new routes. People patiently queue at bus stops, knowing they might have to wait for two or three buses to pass before there is a space. Still, they are upbeat. “It’s a pleasure,” said Ben Uzan, a 30-year-old electronic engineer. “It’s a blessed initiative.”

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India primed: what Amazon's vast new Hyderabad campus reveals about its plans

Amazon have arrived in force in rapidly expanding Hyderabad, with designs on the currently almost non-existent Indian e-commence market

The futuristic lobby of the new Amazon building in Hyderabad feels as though it should have a permanent orchestra blasting out Also Sprach Zarathustra. The scale is intended to awe. A large slogan on a wall suggests the company is “Delivering smiles”. The only sound that rises above the hush is a synthesised beep, coming from a giant screen playing a video of the campus at various stages of its construction.

Built on nine acres in this Indian city’s financial district, it is Amazon’s single largest building globally and the only Amazon-owned campus outside the US. It can house over 15,000 employees, but its size is its main architectural feature: it resembles the same cube of glass steel and chrome seen in corporate offices across Hyderabad, though a flash of magenta reflected in one of the top floor windows, from a billowing sari across the road, is a nice Indian touch.

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Could Assad row with cousin tear down Syrian regime?

Power struggle between Bashar al-Assad and first cousin sparks rare family fissure and leaves public aghast

A defiant tyrant and his ruthless wife square up against the family oligarch, with the spoils of a nation at stake. It could be standard Ramadan television fare, but not this year. Instead, all the intrigue of Syria’s ruling family has been laid out in a spectacular real-life drama that has gripped the country and the region.

Leading the cast is the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, and Syria’s first lady, Asma al-Assad, but star billing has so far been taken by the president’s first cousin, Rami Makhlouf, who last week took to Facebook to do the unthinkable: air the normally inscrutable family’s dirty laundry.

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'It happened all at once': Tara Reade details assault claim against Joe Biden in Megyn Kelly interview

Former staffer discusses allegation in in-depth interview with the former Fox News and NBC host

Tara Reade repeated her allegations of sexual assault against Joe Biden in an in-depth interview with Megyn Kelly released on Friday, answering questions on who she shared her story with and why she supported the former vice president publicly in the past.

Reade has accused Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993, when she worked as an aide in his Senate office. She told Kelly, a former Fox News and NBC host who memorably sparred with Trump during the 2016 campaign over his treatment of women, that Biden pushed her against the wall in a Senate hallway and digitally penetrated her against her will.

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The US recovery from the pandemic lags way behind Europe – even as states reopen

While countries such as Spain and Italy that are lifting restrictions have forced the trend of infections down, in the US cases are rising

The US may be moving to loosen social distancing restrictions around the same time as several European countries but it remains in a far different, and worse, stage of the coronavirus pandemic.

While infections and deaths from Covid-19 quickly raced to terrifying peaks in Italy and Spain, both countries have managed to arrest the increase and are now forcing the key trends downwards.

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As eurozone records 3.8% slump ECB chief warns of worse to come

Christine Lagarde says there could be a 15% collapse after record first quarter output fall

The head of the European Central Bank has warned that the eurozone could be on course for a 15% collapse in output in the second quarter as evidence of the economic toll caused by Covid-19 pandemic started to emerge, with France and Italy falling into recession.

After news that the 19-nation monetary union area had contracted a record 3.8% in the first three months of 2020, Christine Lagarde said much worse was possible in the April to June period, when the impact of lockdown restrictions would be most severe.

Related: Eurozone shrinking as Covid-19 lockdowns push Italy and France into recession - business live

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European schools get ready to reopen despite concern about pupils spreading Covid-19

Germany’s top coronavirus expert says children play as big a role as adults in spread

More countries across Europe are preparing to reopen schools in the coming weeks despite conflicting advice from scientists, some of whom caution against underestimating children’s potential to spread the coronavirus.

Some schools and nurseries in Denmark and Norway have already reopened, and grandparents in Switzerland are allowed to hug grandchildren under 10, following a ruling by the health ministry’s head of infectious diseases that it is safe to do so.

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Confusion over French quarantine rules for overseas visitors

London embassy contradicts health minister as visitors could face 14-day confinement even if asymptomatic

French officials have announced that Britons and those from European Union member states will not be placed in 14 days mandatory quarantine if they travel to France, as suggested by the country’s health minister.

In what appeared to be a direct contradiction of Olivier Véran’s statement on Saturday, the French embassy in London tweeted that the measure would not be imposed on those arriving in France from the UK or Schengen area.

Related: France to sell some of nation's antique furniture to support hospitals

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Trump 'very confident' of Covid-19 vaccine in 2020 and predicts up to 100,000 US deaths

US president again criticises Beijing as European countries prepare to ease lockdown

Donald Trump has said he is “very confident” there will be a vaccine for coronavirus by the end of the year, revising up his estimate of the final US death toll as several European countries prepare for a cautious easing of lockdowns.

The president used a Fox News “virtual town hall” on Sunday night to repeat his regular virus talking points, including that a vaccine was not far away, Covid-19 was China’s fault and the economy would not only recover but “grow like crazy”.

Related: Mike Pompeo: 'enormous evidence' coronavirus came from Chinese lab

Global coronavirus cases have surpassed 3.5 million with more than 247,000 deaths.

In New York, the centre of the US outbreak, an emergency field hospital erected in Central Park is set to close. Dozens of New Yorkers were fined for violating social distancing guidelines as they flocked to beaches and parks in balmy weekend weather.

China reported three new coronavirus cases, versus two the day before.

Japan’s state of emergency is expected to be extended until the end of the month.

France will not quarantine anyone arriving from the EU, the Schengen area or Britain due to the coronavirus.

New Zealand has reported no new coronavirus cases for the first time.

South Korea plans to ease a ban on some gatherings and events as long as they “follow disinfection measures”.

Brazil has become the first country in Latin America to report more than 100,000 cases.

The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, announced mosques will reopen across large parts of the Islamic republic after they were closed in early March.

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French hospital discovers Covid-19 case from December

Man found to have had virus a month before government confirmed first cases

A French hospital that retested old samples from pneumonia patients has discovered that it treated a man with the coronavirus as early as 27 December, nearly a month before the French government confirmed its first cases.

Dr Yves Cohen, head of resuscitation at the Avicenne and Jean Verdier hospitals in the northern suburbs of Paris, told BFM TV that scientists had retested samples from 24 patients treated in December and January who tested negative for flu.

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Eurostar backtracks over coronavirus refunds after complaints

Customers say they were denied cancellation repayments and pushed to accept unusable vouchers

Eurostar is to offer more generous cancellation terms and has promised cash refunds after facing a backlash from customers furious at its previous refunds stance.

With French borders still closed to all tourist traffic, Eurostar has been forced to cancel all but two trains a day out of London, leaving thousands of passengers with unusable tickets.

Related: Confusion over French quarantine rules for overseas visitors

Related: UK watchdog flooded with complaints over holiday refunds

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Greta Thunberg and children's group hit back at attempt to throw out climate case

Brazil, France and Germany say UN can’t hear complaint against five countries of flouting child rights to clean air

Greta Thunberg and a group of other children have pushed forward their legal complaint at the UN against countries they accuse of endangering children’s wellbeing through the climate crisis, despite attempts to have it thrown out.

The 16 children, including the Swedish environmental activist, lodged a legal case with the UN committee on the rights of the child against Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Turkey last September.

Related: Sign up to the Green Light email to get the planet's most important stories

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VE Day: Churchill feared De Gaulle would declare victory early

War cabinet papers reveal PM’s concern French ally would pre-empt joint announcement

Winston Churchill believed a disgruntled general Charles de Gaulle intended to pre-empt the allies’ announcement of victory in Europe by 24 hours but felt unable to pressure him to change his plans, according to British war cabinet documents released free online by the National Archives during the lockdown.

The 75th anniversary of VE Day will be celebrated on Friday 8 May but Gen Dwight Eisenhower, the supreme allied commander in north-west Europe, and the Soviet high command had actually received the German surrender in the French city of Reims on 7 May 1945 at 2.41am.

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French government takes down coronavirus 'fake news' web page

Journalists’ union argued page was ‘clear interference in press freedom’

The French government has taken down a Covid-19 “fake news” page after accusations that it had overstepped its constitutional role and infringed press freedoms.

A page called Desinfox – a play on the word desintox (detox) – appeared on the government’s website last week. It claimed to be busting disinformation about coronavirus in the French media.

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Global report: Iranian infections rise as France plans for resurgence

Spain extends state of emergency; Danish agency warns of risk of second wave

New coronavirus infections in Iran have risen sharply since the country relaxed its restrictions on movement, while France has said it will reimpose strict lockdowns if cases surge when it begins to emerge from confinement next week.

Tehran on Wednesday reported 1,680 new infections, nearly double the figure four days ago and the highest daily figure since 11 April when it allowed a phased return to work amid fears of economic collapse. A ban on travel between cities and business at shopping malls has since also been lifted.

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia will open their borders to each others’ citizens from 15 May, creating a Baltic “travel bubble” within the EU.

Hundreds of Indian police have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days, raising alarm among an over-stretched force as it attempts to enforce the world’s largest lockdown.

At least 90,000 healthcare workers worldwide – and possibly twice that – are believed to have been infected with Covid-19, and more than 260 nurses have died, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) said.

Professor Salim Abdool Karim, the South African government’s chief adviser, said the country’s strict lockdown and proactive screening and testing programme had helped limit its death toll to 148.

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Global report: Russia becomes Europe's coronavirus hotspot

France confirms lockdown-easing from Monday as WHO warns on domestic violence

Another record rise in coronavirus infections has propelled Russia past Germany and France to the fifth highest tally in the world, as the French government confirmed the country would start gradually lifting its strict eight-week lockdown from Monday.

With much of Europe now easing itself out of confinement, Russia has become the continent’s new Covid-19 hotspot. More than half of the country’s 177,160 cases are in Moscow and the capital’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said research suggested the actual number was nearer 300,000, more than triple the official figure.

Related: Covid-19 puts Putin's power plans on hold and economy in peril

Coronavirus cases in India have risen past 50,000, according to the country’s health ministry, with the pace of infection showing no sign of abating.

A new report suggested January’s Sundance film festival, the annual gathering of cinephiles in Park City, Utah, may have been a key early coronavirus hub in the US.

Iran said on Thursday its coronavirus outbreak was “relatively stable” as it announced more than 1,000 infections for a fourth straight day.

Poland has postponed Sunday’s presidential election. The postal-only ballot will now take place as soon as possible, but probably not before June.

Mayors in many of the world’s leading cities have said there can be no return to business as usual in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis if humanity is to escape catastrophic climate breakdown.

Italy’s government and Roman Catholic bishops signed an agreement to allow the faithful to attend mass again from later this month.

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Ex-French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing accused of sexual harassment

German journalist alleges VGE repeatedly touched her bottom during interview

The former French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing has been accused of sexual harassment in a legal complaint lodged by a German journalist.

Ann-Kathrin Stracke claims VGE, as he is known, repeatedly touched her bottom during an interview at his office on Boulevard Saint-Germain, in Paris, at the end of 2018. She lodged a complaint on 10 March with the Paris public prosecutor’s office.

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'This is so wrong': Hollande highlights domestic violence in French lockdown

Ex-president backs new app for victims as WHO reports 60% rise in domestic abuse calls

The former French president François Hollande has spoken of his concern for women suffering domestic abuse during the lockdown.

In an interview with the Guardian, Hollande called for schoolchildren to be taught that violence at home was unacceptable but that it affected every social group.

Related: Protecting domestic violence victims in lockdown

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 review: still sleek, just no longer unique

USB-C, faster processors and new design options continue to keep Microsoft’s Windows 10 laptop near the top of the pile

Microsoft’s top-quality laptop is now in its third generation, with new ports, new processors and a slight redesign, with the option to ditch the unique Alcantara for plain old aluminium.

The £999 and up Surface Laptop 3 is Microsoft’s vision of what a traditional laptop should be. For the most part that’s the same as everyone else, with traditional aluminium body, glass-covered screen and hinge that does not rotate all the way round to the back.

Screen: 13.5in LCD 2256 x 1504 (201 PPI)

Processor: quad-core Intel Core i5 or i7 (10th generation)

RAM: 8 or 16GB

Storage: 128, 256, 512GB or 1TB

Graphics: Intel Iris Plus

Operating system: Windows 10 Home

Camera: 720P front-facing, Windows Hello

Connectivity: wifi 6 (ax), Bluetooth 5, USB-A, USB-C, headphones, Surface Connect TPM

Dimensions: 308.1 x 223.3 x 14.5mm

Weight: 1,265 or 1,288g

Due to the angle of the side of the machine it can be difficult to plug the magnetic power cable in without lifting the side up for more leverage.

The black paint can be scratched revealing the silver aluminium underneath.

The screen supports 10-point touch and Microsoft’s Surface Pen stylus.

Pros: great keyboard, good trackpad, Alcantara or aluminium, sleek design, USB-A and USB-C port, great screen, good battery life, Windows Hello, powerful processor.

Cons: no SD card reader, limited configuration options, no Thunderbolt 3, only one USB-C port.

Surface Laptop 2 review: Microsoft’s sleeker answer to the MacBook Air

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 review: a fantastic tablet PC you shouldn’t buy

Microsoft Surface Go review: tablet that’s better for work than play

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review: in a class of its own

16in MacBook Pro review: bigger battery, new keyboard, new Apple

Apple MacBook Air review: the new default Mac

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Pentagon ordered to halt work on $10bn 'war cloud' project after Amazon protest

Amazon requested the injunction after alleging that bias from Donald Trump caused the contract to be awarded to Microsoft

A federal court has ordered a temporary halt in Microsoft’s work on a $10bn military cloud contract that Amazon was initially expected to win. Amazon sued in December to revisit that decision, alleging that Donald Trump’s bias against the company hurt its chances to win the project.

Amazon requested the court injunction last month. The documents requesting the block and the judge’s decision to issue the temporary injunction are sealed by the court.

Related: From books to bullets: inside Amazon's push to 'defend' America

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Xbox Series X console features 12 teraflops graphics processor

Microsoft confirms key specs of games console plus new ‘Smart Delivery’ feature allowing one-size-fits-all game purchases

Microsoft has confirmed that its next games console, the Xbox Series X, will feature a 12 teraflops graphics processor, eight times more powerful than the Xbox One graphics chipset.

The announcement, made by the Xbox chief, Phil Spencer, via Microsoft’s Wire news site, confirmed recent rumours about the machine, which is launching this winter.

Related: Follow your Dreams: how the future of playing video games is making them

Related: Xbox chief: 'We discussed whether we should even do another console'

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Microsoft Surface Pro X review: not yet ready for prime time

Long battery life, 4G and beautiful design can’t stop it being held back by a lack of apps for its ARM chip

The Surface Pro X is a glimpse of an ARM-powered Windows future, combining the best bits of phones and computers, but while that future is closer than ever, it isn’t quite ready yet.

The new £999 Surface Pro X might look like the rest of Microsoft’s Surface tablets on the outside, but it is fundamentally a different beast on the inside.

Screen: 13in LCD 2880x1920 (267 PPI)

Processor: Microsoft SQ1 (ARM)

RAM: 8 or 16GB

Storage: 128, 256 and 512GB

Graphics: Adreno 685

Operating system: Windows 10 Home

Camera: 10MP rear, 5MP front-facing, Windows Hello

Connectivity: Wifi ac, Bluetooth 5, 2x USB-C, Surface Connect, LTE, nano sim, esim

Dimensions: 287 x 208 x 7.3mm

Weight: 774g

The screen is far too dim on resuming from sleep until you hit the brightness button, at which point it returns to normal

The machine ran cool throughout, barely getting warmer than room temperature even when pushed hard

There’s no real mis-touch rejection at the edges of the screen, which means you have to be careful where you put your fingers when holding the tablet

Pros: slim, great 13in screen, 4G, kickstand, nine-hour battery, 2x USB-C, quick charging, Windows Hello, brilliant keyboard (essential additional purchase), smart stylus holder, Windows 10

Cons: not much ARM-native software, no good photo editors, no SD card reader, no headphone socket, no Thunderbolt 3, keyboard not included

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 review: still sleek, just no longer unique

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 review: a fantastic tablet PC you shouldn’t buy

Microsoft Surface Go review: tablet that’s better for work than play

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review: in a class of its own

16in MacBook Pro review: bigger battery, new keyboard, new Apple

Apple MacBook Air review: the new default Mac

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Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review: the best Windows 10 tablet PC you can buy

USB-C completes top Windows 10 tablet with great screen, design and kickstand, plus latest Intel chips

The Surface Pro 7 is an update of the excellent Surface Pro 6 with new processors and, finally, a USB-C port.

That means the design of the new Surface Pro 7 hasn’t changed since the 2017 Surface Pro 5, with Microsoft taking an “if it ain’t broke” approach. It’s competitively priced at £699 and up – but you have to pay at least £125 for the keyboard if you want one – which annoyingly is not included in the standard price.

Screen: 12.3in LCD 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)

Processor: Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 (10th generation)

RAM: 4, 8 or 16GB

Storage: 128, 256, 512GB or 1TB

Graphics: Intel UHD (i3) or Intel Iris Plus (i5/i7)

Operating system: Windows 10 Home

Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front-facing, Windows Hello

Connectivity: Wifi 6, Bluetooth 5, USB 3.0, USB-C, headphones, TPM, microSD

Dimensions: 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm

Weight: 775 or 790g (i7 version)

The Surface Pro 7 ships with a standard version of Windows 10 Home with device encryption

The tablet no longer supports on-screen interaction with Microsoft’s Surface Dial accessory

Pros: great screen, good battery life, brilliant keyboard (essential additional purchase), microSD card reader, excellent kickstand, Windows Hello, solid build, easy to carry, USB-A and USB-C

Cons: no Thunderbolt 3, fairly expensive, keyboard should be included, Core i7 version fans are more audible

Microsoft Surface Pro X review: not yet ready for prime time

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 review: still sleek, just no longer unique

Microsoft Surface Go review: tablet that’s better for work than play

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review: in a class of its own

16in MacBook Pro review: bigger battery, new keyboard, new Apple

Apple MacBook Air review: the new default Mac

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Worried about Zoom's privacy problems? A guide to your video-conferencing options

From FaceTime to Houseparty, there is no shortage of platforms for work and play as you shelter in place

With offices and schools around the world temporarily shut amid the coronavirus crisis, the video platform Zoom has seen overnight success. But growing concerns over security across the platform have many consumers wondering about tech alternatives.

Privacy-minded consumers should consider video chat options carefully, said Arvind Narayanan, an associate computer science professor at Princeton University who has been outspoken about the security concerns surrounding Zoom.

Related: ‘Zoom is malware’: why experts worry about the video conferencing platform

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From Fortnite to Fifa: 100 great video games to play in lockdown

From being a goose on the loose to controlling whole galaxies, here’s a world of experiences for all the family

The cinemas may be shut, the gig venues closed, but there is one place you can still meet your friends and be entertained without leaving your house: the world of gaming. For many of us, it has been years since we could really justify spending all day in our pyjamas slaying virtual dragons – now that way of life, for some at least, is a little less frowned-upon. But if you’re returning to serious gaming after a few years away, where exactly should you be spending your valuable money and time? Here are no less than 100 highly recommended titles, from family favourites to epic sci-fi sagas – all available on current platforms, be it PC, smartphones or consoles. Whether you want to be moved, terrified, relaxed or intellectually challenged, alone or with pals, we’ve got more than enough here to keep you occupied until you’re out and about again …

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America's billionaires are giving to charity – but much of it is self-serving rubbish | Robert Reich

Well-publicized philanthropy shows how afraid the super-rich are of a larger social safety net – and higher taxes

As millions of jobless Americans line up for food or risk their lives delivering essential services, the nation’s billionaires are making conspicuous donations – $100m from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos for food banks, billions from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for a coronavirus vaccine, thousands of ventilators and N95 masks from Elon Musk, $25m from the Walton family and its Walmart foundation. The list goes on.

Related: Call for super-rich to donate more to tackle coronavirus pandemic

Why should we believe that Gates or any other billionaire’s 'boldness' necessarily reflects society’s values and needs?

Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and the author of Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few and The Common Good. His new book, The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, is out now. He is a columnist for Guardian US

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Could Microsoft’s climate crisis ‘moonshot’ plan really work?

The tech giant’s pledge to go carbon negative by 2030 leans heavily on nascent technology such as machines that suck carbon out of the air

Microsoft drew widespread praise in January this year after Brad Smith, the company’s president, announced their climate “moonshot”.

While other corporate giants, such as Amazon and Walmart, were pledging to go carbon neutral, Microsoft vowed to go carbon negative by 2030, meaning they would be removing more carbon from the atmosphere than they produced.

It will cost them money, but it will allow the technologies to come online and for the next company to follow their footsteps

It’s extremely hard to lead if there’s no one there to follow

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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla among 13 games announced for Xbox Series X

Xbox livestream showcases new titles designed to support the advanced features of the forthcoming console

Microsoft has revealed 13 games coming to its Xbox Series X console when the machine launches this winter. In an hour-long presentation, streamed live on Thursday, the company announced that well-known titles such as the recently announced Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, as well as Madden NFL 21 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, will all be on Xbox Series X.

Also featured was Paradox Interactive’s vampire adventure, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Codemasters presented its racer DiRT 5 complete with impressive lighting and mud splatter effects, and an option to run it in 4K at 60 frames-per-second or in a lower resolution at 120fps. Namco Bandai showed a new anime-style sci-fi thriller named Scarlet Nexus, about a group of psychic law enforcers.

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US Nasdaq index recovers all of 2020's losses triggered by Covid-19

Gains from the likes of Amazon, Netflix and Microsoft boosted the index as it turned positive

The technology-heavy Nasdaq index turned positive for 2020 on Thursday, boosted by gains in the share prices of companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Netflix, which have fared well during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The US index caught up all this year’s losses, taking it back to its level at the beginning of January, after rising 1.4% on Thursday to 8,979.66. It ended last year at 8,972.

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Market reflects living with virus for 12-18 months: BNY Mellon's Levine

Alicia Levine, BNY Mellon chief investment strategist, and David Rolfe, Wedgewood Partners CIO, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss the state of the markets as stocks continue to rally on optimism the economy will open.




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Household debt hit $14.3T in the first quarter, here's what it means

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, American Action Forum president, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss the rise of corporate and household debt surging amid the Covid-19 pandemic.




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Government and corporate debt are set to surge, here's why

CNBC's Steve Liesman reports on why debt will rise across the board.




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States expanding liability protections to business as economies reopen

As businesses start to reopen, many are wondering if they can be legally responsible if someone gets sick. CNBC's Ylan Mui reports on liability protection efforts.




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Trading Nation: Norwegian Cruise Lines says it expects Q1 loss. Here's what investors are seeing

Norweigan Cruise is down 20 percent. Matt Maley of Miller Tabak, and Danielle Shay of Simpler Trading, discuss their forecast for the stock with Seema Mody.




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Adam Neumann lawsuit will have long-term effects: WSJ's Maurren Farrell

WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann is now suing his ontime ally SoftBank. Maureen Farrell, WSJ, and CNBC's Deirdre Bosa join 'Power Lunch' to discuss if WeWork can withstand this and how it will impact the company.




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More details on the Paycheck Protection Program

The Department of the U.S Treasury updated its guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program. CNBC's Kate Rogers reports the details.