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Italy

News Update: Stocks Fall on Stimulus, Coronavirus | Instant News


Vice President Mike Pence, featured here at the rally in Waukesha, Wis. On October 13, he will continue to campaign even though several of his aides tested positive for the corona virus.

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Brazil

Brazilians Turn to Botox to Erase Those Quarantine Wrinkles | Instant News


SÃO PAULO – With face masks that are mandatory in many Brazilian cities, the rich are increasingly relying on Botox for perfect, wrinkle-free foreheads. Beauty clinics say the demand for cosmetic treatments has doubled here since the pandemic started.

“People are looking at their eyes, eyes and forehead more often – right where their wrinkles are,” said Aline Medici, who owns a franchise of 21 beauty clinics across Brazil, Ad Clinic, with her husband. Over the past few months, they reached an agreement to open nine more clinics, even as the country plunged into recession.

While face masks have brought scrutiny to the forehead and around the eyes, the traditional areas for Botox injections, dermatologists have also linked the blasts to video conferencing. After months of staring at themselves during Zoom’s call, Brazilians – many only in their early 30s – have come out of lockdown believing they need cosmetic help.

“I can’t stand to see my face any longer,” said Deliza Costa, a 32-year-old sales executive, who had Botox injections in June. “Looks like I was frowning the whole time. I ended up paying more attention to my face than his calling. “

Ms. Costa says seeing herself at a video conference took her to Botox: ‘I seem to be frowning the whole time.’


Photo:

Deliza Costa

Brazil was the world leader in cosmetic care even before the pandemic. With a fraction of the per capita income of rich countries, Brazil performed more plastic surgery than any other country in the world in 2019, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. For nonsurgical procedures like Botox, it ranks third, behind the US and Japan.

Although data on this year’s Botox injections in Brazil are not yet available, dermatologists and aesthetic clinics in big cities such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro say they do about 20% to 100% more treatments a month than they did before. pandemic. Partly because of pent-up demand, they say, after many companies closed in March and April. However, they also saw the entry of Botox’s first timers. Many of them are male.

“I never did as much Botox as I did during the pandemic, and I’ve never seen so many men come,” said Eliandre Palermo, head of the São Paulo branch of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, which has its own clinic. in the city. The number of new clients increased by 60% during the pandemic, he said.

Many men are lured into getting Botox by their wives after spending months cooped up together during lockdowns, dermatologists say.

Márcia Rosita Garcia said many patients at her beauty clinic had sought Botox treatment after suffering painful breaks during the lockdown.


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Marcia Rosita Garcia

“I was afraid my friends would make fun of me,” said Luis Ferreira, a 32-year-old pharmacy representative, who received Botox treatment in July. She said she had never spent so much time with her boyfriend before the pandemic and had learned a lot about cosmetic treatments during their lockdown. She now recommended it to her male friends. “I tell them: ‘Do it, man! It’s important to look good! ” ‘

Men now account for about 20% of Botox Ad Clinic patients, compared to 5% before the pandemic, said Ms. Medici.

“When you take a photo, you pose to look your best,” said Ligia Kogos, a dermatologist in São Paulo who has been injecting Botox in the faces of Brazilians since the 1990s. But in video conferencing, “you see your face at the bottom of the screen, you see yourself talking, working, your facial muscles contracting.”

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With many beauty clinics closed during the height of the pandemic, Brazilians are turning to dentists. In Brazil, dentists are allowed to give Botox because it can be used to treat conditions such as tightening the jaw. In fact, many use it to treat their patients’ wrinkles – the subject of a long-running legal dispute with dermatologists who say dentists are unqualified.

“I was closed for three months and my patients would harass me every day, asking me to find a way to inject them or go to their house,” said Márcia Rosita Garcia, who owns a beauty clinic in São Paulo. Many of them ended up turning to orthodontists. She says many of her patients experience breakups during the lockdown and see Botox as a way to feel good about themselves again.

Pandemic stress itself also exacerbates patient wrinkles because high amounts of the stress hormone cortisol can affect skin collagen, said Kaliandra Cainelli, who has seen demand for Botox increase 20% at two of her clinics in Rio de Janeiro.

Luis Ferreira suffers from Botox after his girlfriend presses him.


Photo:

Luis Ferreira

Dermatologists elsewhere in cities such as Los Angeles and London have also reported increasing interest in Botox, but this trend is particularly evident in Brazil. Demand for beauty treatments and products has grown even as the economy shrank by a record nearly 10% in the second quarter and the country became a global hot spot for the disease, recording more than 150,000 deaths from Covid-19.

Manufacturers of eye creams, which are used to reduce wrinkles and dark circles, sold 30% more in the first six months of this year compared to 2019, according to data compiled for the Journal by the Brazilian Association of Cosmetics, Bath and Fragrance Industries. Google searches for “skin care” jumped 66% between February and April, while online sales of beauty products between January and August doubled from the same period a year earlier, according to the Brazilian E-Commerce Association.

For some Brazilians who are obsessed with images, face masks and video conferencing have also provided the perfect way to hide bruises and bandages from more serious treatments. Google searches for nose jobs, or nose jobs, have skyrocketed in Brazil since March. Plastic surgeons say other patients have made the most of Zoom to perform liposuction and other jobs from the neck down.

“I did lipo on my stomach and legs and had breast implants,” said Zoe Gardini, a 45-year-old architect, adding that the lockdown meant she didn’t have to take time off to recover. “I’ve been wanting to get implants for a long time, but when else can I go three weeks without driving?”

Write to Samantha Pearson at [email protected]

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Germany

New COVID-19 restrictions take effect in Europe as German Merkel warns of difficult days | Instant News


Chancellor Angela Merkel urged German citizens to gather as they did in the spring to slow the spread of the coronavirus as the country posted another daily record of new cases on Saturday.

“Hard months are ahead of us,” he says in his weekly video podcast. “How winter will be, how will our Christmas be, it will all be determined in the days and weeks to come, and it will be determined by our behavior.”

Meanwhile, new restrictions have come into effect in several other European countries in an effort to stop the pandemic’s rise.

In Paris and eight other French cities, restaurants, bars, cinemas and other places were forced to close by 9 p.m. to try to reduce contact between people. The country has deployed an additional 12,000 police officers to enforce the new rules.

Many restaurant owners were angry at the order. Previous months of lockdown devastated this sector.

“I have the right to question the government’s approach, I think it’s a catastrophic move for the industry,” said Xavier Denamur, owner of Les Philosophes and several other bistros in Paris’s chic Le Marais district, saying that if nothing else, the curfew should be 11 nights

“At least it won’t destroy us,” he said. “There is no evidence that this difference of several hours will have any impact on circulating viruses.”

In the UK, the three tier regional approach to fighting the pandemic introduced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson is taking effect, with each tier imposing increasingly stringent restrictions.

On Saturday, tier 2 cities such as London and York were banned from socializing with people from other households indoors, while the Lancashire area joined Liverpool in tier 3 with the strictest restrictions.

Among other things, it means that pubs are forced to close and socializing with other people is prohibited even in many places outdoors.

In Northern Ireland, a four-week lockdown goes into effect Friday. All pubs and restaurants must be closed except for the take-out service, and schools will be closed for two weeks for an extended half semester holiday.

Data from Friday showed that another 136 people died in the UK in 28 days of testing positive for the coronavirus, bringing the official total to 43,429.

The World Health Organization has warned that intensive care units in several European cities could reach their maximum capacity in the coming weeks if the number of infections does not slow down.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg joins a list of top politicians who have tested positive for the virus, and are quarantined even though he is asymptomatic, his office told Austrian news agency APA.

The Vatican, meanwhile, said someone staying at the same hotel as Pope Francis tested positive for the virus, adding to the 11 COVID-19 cases among the Swiss Guards protecting him.

In Germany, which is widely praised for rapidly slowing the spread of the virus when the pandemic first emerged, the numbers have been increasing rapidly.

On Saturday, the country’s center for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute, reported 7,830 cases overnight, a new record.

Like most countries, Germany has grappled with how to keep schools and businesses open while trying to prevent people from making close contact with one another.

Germany has registered a total of 356,387 coronavirus cases and a relatively low number of 9,767 deaths.

Merkel urged Germans to avoid unnecessary travel, cancel parties and stay home if possible.

“What helped us get through the first half of the pandemic?” she asked. “That’s because we stand together and obey the rules with reason and common sense. This is the most effective treatment we have today against the pandemic and is more needed now than ever. “

In neighboring Czech Republic, the number of new infections surpassed 10,000 for the first time, jumping to 11,105 on Friday, the Health Ministry said. The country has now recorded a total of 160,112 cases, including 1,283 deaths.

Despite limiting new measures to slow the surge, Health Minister Roman Prymula said he still expects an increase in those who have tested positive for about two weeks.

Next door, Slovakia said it was obtaining 13 million rapid antigen tests – enough to test each member of the population twice – and would set up 6,000 test sites.

Prime Minister Igor Matovic said testing would take place over the next two weekends, starting with the three or four hardest-hit districts. It’s not clear whether the tests will be mandatory.

Italy’s northern Lombardy region, where the European outbreak began in late February, has taken new steps to contain rising infections, restricted bar services and alcohol sales, banned contact sports and closed bingo halls.

The local government late Friday asked middle schools to adopt a mixed schedule, with students taking turns studying online in person.

Action comes after Lombardy, Italy’s most populous region, has once again been the most affected, adding more than 2,000 infections every day. The hospital is under stress and the intensive care unit is full.

The new measures only allow table service for bars from 6 p.m., prohibit the sale of takeout alcohol from then on, and prohibit all alcohol consumption in public spaces.

Italy’s other worst-hit region, southern Campania, has taken similar strict measures, including two weeks of school closings. After the parents protested, the regional governor stepped down on Friday and allowed the childcare center to remain open.

In the capital, Rome, residents grumble as cases escalate, fearing a return to strict countrywide measures imposed when the virus spreads out of control.

“The situation is critical thanks to stupid people, because I call them stupid, who don’t respect the rules,” said resident Mario Massenzi. “And if we return to the same situation as in March, we’re done.”

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New Zealand

‘Obviously Getting an Education in America’ | Instant News


This is not a very good advertisement for American education. During a campaign event on Wednesday, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters presented his version of the Corona Covid-19 denier of “goodbye, Felicia.” A man with an American accent had stood up and asked Peters, “where is your evidence that a virus causes disease?”

The following video is from 1 News shows how Peters responded:

Ouch. If you can’t hear clearly, the Deputy Prime Minister’s initial answer is, “sit down, sit down, sit down.”

Then Peters continued, “We have someone who’s clearly educated in America. 220,000 people have died in the United States, there have been eight million cases to date, we had 79,000 recent cases, maybe in India, and here is someone who got up and said ‘The earth is flat.’ Sorry sunshine, wrong place. ”

With that, Peters seemed to be telling the man where the sun wasn’t shining and trying to move on to the next question. Nevertheless, the man didn’t sit down and instead tried to continue, prompting the following from Peters: “Calm down, we’ve got our manners at our meeting too.” Ouch two times or maybe three.

“Sorry sunshine, misplaced,” may be a useful phrase for the next Presidential debate. That is, if such an argument finally occurs and the cone of silence has not yet been installed. Peters does show a way to deal with those who insist on intruding or who claim that the Covid-19 corona virus does not exist, is no big deal, or is part of some sort of giant conspiracy that has no real supporting evidence. . Peters provides a set of clear facts, estimates of the number of cases and deaths in two different parts of the world that have not handled the pandemic well, to show that he is not just stopping the discussion. But because there was so much clear evidence that the pandemic was real and serious, it didn’t spend (or maybe “waste” is a better word) than it would take to engage science deniers.

It is imperative for political leaders to rely on and support true science and scientists. Otherwise, people could spread all kinds of unsupported and potentially dangerous theories like the Covid-19 coronavirus is no big deal, the world is flat, climate change doesn’t exist, morning people are better than night owls, and mac- and cheese doesn’t taste good. This is dangerous because it can waste time, distract, and detract from reaching real solutions, and lead to meetings that are too early in the morning. Heck anyone can come up with and spread all kinds of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Just try starting the conspiracy theory that your state Senator is a real giant penguin and see how far you can get.

Ironically, this man raised a question in New Zealand, which has become one of the world’s examples of responding to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). New Zealand is using its “work hard and go early” response to the pandemic. This includes implementing clear warning systems, closing businesses quickly to prevent the spread of the virus and using aggressive testing, contact tracing, isolation and other measures to quickly contain the virus. As the latest publication on Lancet Public Health described, “The New Zealand response resulted in a relatively low disease burden, a low rate of population disease disparity, and an early achievement of COVID-19 elimination.”

And it has allowed New Zealand to “return to normal” more than the US has. For example, while the NFL has had to broadcast fake crowd voices (including the admittedly realistic voice of Philadelphia Eagles fans booing their own players), New Zealand has been able to package sporting events with real fans. Just look at the following tweets:

And this tweet with the accompanying video:

Earth is not flat. The Corona Covid-19 virus exists and can be deadly. Cheese is delicious. This is a fact. Denying such facts and science only keeps everyone from reaching the right solutions and results in terrible mac-and-cheese.

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Australia

Australia’s Prestige Lifestyle Property Boom | Instant News


Many wealthy Australians leave the city and head for the hills, or the coast, desperate to find a luxurious hideaway where they can work and play.

Relocation to some of the country’s most desirable regional locations was an unexpected silver lining for the prestige property market after the pandemic resulted in tight lockdowns, country-wide social distancing measures, and a ban on in-person inspections and on-site auctions.

That hasn’t stopped shoppers from hunting for homes online, however, and it has translated into a very active year for many regional real estate agents on Sydney’s north coast, Byron Bay New South Wales North, Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, Southeast. Queensland and the east coast of Tasmania.

“We were very busy and we didn’t expect it to be in March,” said McGrath Estate Agents Avalon senior sales consultant James Baker of Northern Beaches, 50 kilometers north of Sydney.

“We expect this to be a difficult time here. The last time there was a recession and decline [after the global financial crisis] “Avalon Beach, Palm Beach, Newport markets are very slow,” he said.

More than a decade on, it’s a different story. People have started working from home and change is happening, Baker said, and the pandemic is only accelerating that trend.

Meanwhile, the introduction of more reliable and faster internet services, coupled with acceptance from businesses to enable their staff to work remotely, also helped facilitate the trend.

More: In Australia, Inner Cities Are Reaching New Heights in Luxury Living

“Some people are still looking into whether this will be a long-term thing and there is a bit of uncertainty among our clients. But for the many people who have a vacation home in New York, Greece or closer to home on Hamilton Island in Queensland, they just can’t get it, “says Baker.

“They are very rich and they want to know that they have a place to vacation,” he added. “Everyone is looking for a lifestyle and security.”

North Beach

Increased demand depressed prices in the North Coast region, particularly for properties valued at A $ 3 million (US $ 2.14 million) or more.

Luxury homes such as five bedrooms, five bathrooms are on property Pittwater Road, Bayview, with 180 degree views of Pittwater and Lion Island, was sold in September 2015 for A $ 4.4 million.

Five years later, it is hitting the market again, this time amidst the pandemic. It attracts three offers, and although the sale price is kept secret, Mr. Baker confirmed it sold over the A $ 5.5 million guide price.

Byron Bay

An hour’s flight north of Sydney, or 750 kilometers by car, the southeastern coastal city of Byron Bay is also experiencing some of the most intense buyer action in the country.

Once a sleepy surf town, Byron Bay has changed in recent years and has become a trendy destination for those fleeing the city, and the onset of Covid-19 has only increased the city’s appeal.

Its relaxed atmosphere and beautiful coastline have long been a sought-after destination.

Beachside house on Sea Parade at Wategos Beach entered the market in the last week of September selling in five days for a suburban record of between A $ 20 million to A $ 22 million via LJ Hooker Avnu managing director Michael Coombs.

More: In Melbourne, Tony Suburb of Toorak in Australia, New Two Floor Penthouse

This beachfront house at the Marine Parade on Wategos Beach hit the market in the last week of September and sold out in five days.

LJ Hooker Avnu

The seller, co-founder of recruiting firm Morgan & Banks, Geoff Morgan and his wife, Ros, purchased the 664-square-foot beachside site for A $ 1.2 million in 1994, according to sales records, and built four individually designed bedrooms. architectural, four bedrooms. – resort style bathroom vacation homes.

SQM Research data shows Byron Bay property listing inventory is at its lowest point in the past decade with only 128 properties for sale as of August 30. The number of rental properties in the area has also plummeted, with vacancy rates falling to 0.5% in August. from a high of 7.5% in July.

Queensland

Across the border in Queensland, prestigious homes and apartments at popular holiday destinations like Noosa Heads have achieved higher-than-expected prices, plenty of offers and significant interstate interest.

Century 21 managing director David Conolly stressed strong foreign, interstate and local interest.

“We don’t have everyone here [due to border restrictions], but we’re still selling everything we can get, ”he said.

The Queensland border remains closed to anyone who has been at the Covid-19 hotspot in the past 14 days. Today, all of New South Wales and Victoria are hotspots.

“Noosa has been put on the map as a place to live and raise your family,” said Mr. Conolly “Covid has pushed our premium market forward significantly.”

In the last week of September, two apartments were sold for about A $ 3.5 million without entering the open market, and the waterfront house on Mossman Court at Noosa Heads sold for A $ 6.4 million at the end of August after 150 inquiries.

Victoria Mornington Peninsula

Online traffic shows that the most viewed Australian properties in 2020 are lifestyle homes with a wow factor in highly desirable locations whether on the coast or mountains.

Search activity data from realestate.com.au has confirmed that the trend among home buyers is for luxury homes in aspiring lifestyle locations.

REA Chief Economist Nerida Conisbee said those who are not attached to a central lifestyle for work prioritize lifestyle.

That means areas like the Central Coast and Southern Highlands in NSW – a 90-minute drive north and south of Sydney each – regularly appear at the top of this year’s search activity, alongside properties on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

More: Australian Entrepreneur John Symond Sells ‘Hasna’ Superyacht

RT agent Edgar Flinders Peter Kennett has worked in the industry for more than three decades and five years ago bought a house on the Mornington Peninsula for himself.

“Even 10 years ago, this area caught my eye for all the right reasons,” said Kennett. “I come from the ground, and I do a lot of horse competitions. I also love wine, good restaurants and golf. “

Melbourne

Melbourne has experienced a tighter lockdown than any other city in Australia, with two periods of particularly strict movement, curfews and social distancing measures imposed in March and July when cases spiked a second time.

There isn’t much that can be done to stop wealthy shoppers seeking refuge in the area, which Mr Kennett describes as “Victoria Byron Bay” with its coastline, world-class wineries, restaurants and a myriad of golf courses.

“You talk to people who have vacation homes here, and they are now thinking about making this permanent, how they can work remotely,” he said.

More: Pumpkin Island, A Remote Property Outside Australia, Gets Market For The Second Time

“We have a mix of age groups, couples and families in their 30s and 40s who decide that there is a good education here and a lifestyle that allows them to easily go to Melbourne to work or see family,” said Kennett.

As the number of Covid-19 cases has decreased and restrictions on movement have begun to be lifted, Kennett predicts October and November will be busy. Within a week of relaunching a marketing campaign to sell his 28-acre private boutique vineyard and mansion on Rogers Road in Boneo, it is offered.

Mr Kennett said the sales campaign had been temporarily suspended after outright inspections were banned but within four days of resuming marketing on October 1, three offers had been made and the property sold well above the A $ 6.5 million to A $ 7.15 million guide price.

The mansions on Rogers Road in Boneo sell for well above the price guide.

RT Edgar Flinders

Tasmania

The closure of the border to Tasmania has been both a blessing and a curse for the real estate industry.

The border has been closed to all non-essential travelers since March, with buyers from the mainland turning to online viewing via digital means.

The state government’s handling of the pandemic, along with its natural beauty, makes Tasmania more attractive than ever to city-shakers looking for a regional lifestyle escape.

Knight Frank’s agent Rodney Rawlings has seen tremendous online interest in the luxury properties atop the cliffs Tasman Highway, Four Mile Creek, 150 kilometers east of Launceston, with an estimated price of A $ 2 million.

He fielded inquiries from mainland Australia as well as the local population and hoped for a border opening, which could potentially occur in December, to lead to an investigation, if it had not been sold by then.

“Tasmania is a safe haven, and because we have performed so well during the pandemic, it will become a real draw when the borders open,” said Rawlings.

This article was originally published on Mansion Global.

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