World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

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World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk


Deserted beaches, empty bars: Covid-19 devastates Thailand's tourist islands

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 08:53 PM PDT

Visitor numbers expected to plummet by tens of millions in crisis that eclipses the 2004 tsunami, bird flu and Sars

The streets of Koh Samui, one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations, are eerily quiet. Along Chaweng's Beach Road, a usually raucous party area, shuttered shops stretch into the distance.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, it was buzzing with traffic. Now, taxi drivers sit on the roadside, with little hope of finding customers. Where bikini-clad sunseekers once browsed souvenir shops and drank at neon-lit bars, a lone street dog stretches on the pavement.

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'It's chaotic': New York street partying fuels fears of coronavirus resurgence

Posted: 23 Jul 2020 12:00 AM PDT

Cases of Covid-19 among the young are on the rise as outdoor drinking draws crowds in neighbourhoods across the city

Motorcycles revved, waiters served drinks and food in busy outdoor street seating areas and, on the pavement, people gathered to sip to-go drinks. Crowds of largely younger people – many not wearing face masks – continued partying long after the bars and restaurants closed, with reports of loud music and fireworks.

On Saturday night in Astoria, in Queens, it was almost as if coronavirus had never hit New York City.

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UK failed to plan for economic impact of flu-like pandemic, says watchdog

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 04:01 PM PDT

Cross-party MPs conclude government schemes drawn up 'on the hoof' amid Covid-19 crisis

There was an "astonishing" failure by government to plan for the economic impact of a possible flu-like pandemic, parliament's financial watchdog has said.

MPs on the cross-party public accounts committee concluded that government schemes were drawn up "on the hoof" in mid-March by Rishi Sunak's Treasury, weeks after the first case of coronavirus was detected in the UK. The delay risked leaving sectors of the UK economy behind, according to a report published on Thursday.

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Trump announces 'surge' of federal officers into Democratic-run cities

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 05:50 PM PDT

Civil liberties watchdogs condemn plan to send hundreds of agents into cities including Chicago and Albuquerque

Donald Trump has announced a "surge" of hundreds of law enforcement officers into Democratic-run cities including Chicago, drawing condemnation from civil liberties watchdogs.

The US president's move came after a crackdown by federal agents on anti-racism protesters in Portland, Oregon, and was consistent with his emphasis on "law and order" as a key component of his reelection campaign.

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Coronavirus live news: Hong Kong and California see record daily cases; 'huge discrepancy' in South Africa death toll

Posted: 23 Jul 2020 02:45 AM PDT

California cases pass New York's; WHO emergencies chief says vaccinations unlikely before 2021; global infections top 15m

As the presidential motorcade pulled away from the main hospital in Peru's second city – fleeing an angry protest by medical staff and relatives of Covid-19 patients – one woman broke away from the crowd.

Celia Capira ran sobbing after the truck carrying the president, Martín Vizcarra, yelling for him to go and see for himself the grim conditions at the hospital, where her husband was fighting for his life.

Related: 'They killed him': widow confronts Peru's president over Covid-19 deaths

Everyone knew that reopening Greece to tourist markets would be a calculated risk, fraught with the danger of potentially importing coronavirus cases with the need to keep an economy overly dependent on tourism afloat.

As holidaymakers fly into the country, and trickle into the Greek capital, the extent to which the gambit has paid off is becoming ever clearer.

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Chinese researcher wanted by FBI flees to San Francisco consulate as US-China row deepens

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 07:12 PM PDT

Juan Tang is accused of lying about links to China military, amid tensions between Washington and Beijing after US orders Houston consulate to close

A Chinese researcher charged with lying to the FBI about her military affiliation has taken refuge in China's San Francisco consulate, according to court documents, further escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The standoff in San Francisco comes at the same time the US ordered the closure of China's Houston consulate, on grounds of involvement in theft of "American intellectual property and private information".

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'Virtually entire' fashion industry complicit in Uighur forced labour, say rights groups

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 09:00 PM PDT

Human rights coalition says cotton produced in camps in Xinjiang region finds its way into one in five cotton products worldwide

Many of the world's biggest fashion brands and retailers are complicit in the forced labour and human rights violations being perpetrated on millions of Uighur people in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, says a coalition of more than 180 human rights groups.

There is mounting global outrage over the atrocities being committed against the Uighur population in the region, including torture, forced separation and the compulsory sterilisation of Uighur women.

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China launches space rocket in ambitious Mars landing mission

Posted: 23 Jul 2020 01:21 AM PDT

Tianwen-1 mission attempts to put China in 'elite' club of countries conquering red planet

China has launched its most ambitious Mars mission yet in a bold attempt to join the US in successfully landing a spacecraft on the red planet.

With engines blazing orange, a Long March 5 carrier rocket took off on Thursday at about 12.40 pm local time (0540 BST) from Hainan Island, south of the Chinese mainland. Hundreds of space enthusiasts watched from a beach across the bay.

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Church of Sweden's female priests outnumber men – but are paid less

Posted: 23 Jul 2020 02:09 AM PDT

Pay gap in largest Lutheran denomination in Europe attributed to men occupying more senior positions

Sixty years after the first female priests were ordained in the Church of Sweden, they now outnumber men – but only just.

"From a historical perspective, this parity happened faster than we earlier imagined," said Cristina Grenholm, the secretary for the Church of Sweden, as the former state church announced that 50.1% of its priests are female.

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France apartment fire: crowd catches two children in three-storey fall

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 05:30 PM PDT

Mayor of Grenoble hails rescue after brothers aged three and 10 are saved by people in street below

Two young brothers have been saved from an apartment fire in the French city of Grenoble after dropping about 10 metres (33ft) from a window before being caught by people in the street below.

The pair, aged 10 and three, were unharmed by the fall on Tuesday but might have suffered from smoke inhalation, French media reported.

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Israeli firm says micro-pancreas to 'cure' diabetes ready for UK trials

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 10:00 PM PDT

Exclusive: hopes testing can begin in 2021 on product intended to free people of need for insulin injections

An Israeli company claiming to have created a tiny micro-pancreas that can "cure" diabetes for millions of people has said it will submit a request next month for human clinical trials in the UK.

Betalin Therapeutics said its "bio-artificial" pancreas aims to free patients of the need for insulin injections and blood sugar monitoring. It is designed for people with type 1 diabetes, and those with type 2 diabetes who require insulin.

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Murder in Turkey sparks outrage over rising violence against women

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 09:00 PM PDT

High femicide rate and efforts to roll back legislation designed to protect women are under spotlight

The murder of a 27-year-old woman by an ex-boyfriend has sparked outrage in Turkey, shining a light on the country's shockingly high femicide rate and government efforts to roll back legislation designed to protect women from gender-based violence.

The remains of student Pınar Gültekin were discovered in woodland in the Aegean province of Muğla on Tuesday. According to Turkish media, she was beaten and then strangled to death by her former partner, Cemal Metin Avci, who then burned her body in a garbage bin and covered it in concrete. The 32-year-old has been detained on homicide charges.

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Roman amphoras discovered in frozen seafood shop in Spain

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 09:00 PM PDT

Shop-owner's son had apparently come across ancient artefacts while out fishing

Police conducting a routine inspection of a frozen seafood shop in eastern Spain have netted 13 Roman amphoras and an 18th-century metal anchor, all of which were apparently found by the owner's son on fishing trips and used to decorate the premises.

After stopping in at the shop in the coastal town of Santa Pola, in Alicante province, officers from the Guardia Civil's environmental department noticed rather more than squid, hake and cod on display.

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'A hell of a year': Tories reflect on 12 months led by Boris Johnson

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 10:00 PM PDT

MPs divided over whether a good-time PM is up to tasks of Brexit and the economic fallout from coronavirus

When Boris Johnson sailed into a meeting of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers on the wave of a seismic election victory, he joked that he was looking forward to seeing how long it would take for letters of no confidence to start pouring in from his parliamentary colleagues.

A year after he became leader, the Conservative backbenches are already restless. One former cabinet minister said they thought the "clouds had gathered" – and not just because of the pandemic, but owing to a feeling that a "good-time" prime minister was not what was needed for the massive economic challenges ahead.

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Boris Johnson praises 'sheer might' of UK as he heads to Scotland

Posted: 23 Jul 2020 12:30 AM PDT

PM's first visit since coronavirus outbreak comes amid growing support for independence

The experience of the pandemic has underlined the "sheer might" of the union, Boris Johnson has said as he prepares to visit Scotland for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking ahead of his trip on Thursday, the prime minister said: "The last six months have shown exactly why the historic and heartfelt bond that ties the four nations of our country together is so important and the sheer might of our union has been proven once again."

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‘Clear the rubble’: Malawi's new president on making way for change

Posted: 23 Jul 2020 12:30 AM PDT

After an historic election victory, Lazarus Chakwera explains his desire to give Malawians 'dignity and development'

Promising to "clear the rubble" of corruption within the government, Malawi's new president is beginning his term by raising the country's minimum wage in an attempt to win over both doubters and international donors.

In an interview with the Guardian, Lazarus Chakwera, who won a historic victory over Peter Mutharika in June, urged Malawians to trust that he will deliver on his promises.

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‘They killed him’: widow confronts Peru's president over Covid-19 deaths

Posted: 23 Jul 2020 02:30 AM PDT

Martín Vizcarra announced emergency decree putting health ministry in charge of system after Celia Capira chased his truck

As the presidential motorcade pulled away from the main hospital in Peru's second city – fleeing an angry protest by medical staff and relatives of Covid-19 patients – one woman broke away from the crowd.

Celia Capira ran sobbing after the truck carrying the president, Martín Vizcarra, yelling for him to go and see for himself the grim conditions at the hospital, where her husband was fighting for his life.

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NSW police chief undermined legal challenge to BLM protest planned for Sydney, organisers say

Posted: 23 Jul 2020 02:32 AM PDT

Commissioner may have 'thwarted the statutory process' by stating on commercial radio he was heading to court before police held a scheduled meeting with organisers

NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller may have undermined his own effort to stop a Black Lives Matters rally planned for Sydney by speaking to media about the issue before consulting the rally organiser, a court has been told.

The demonstration, which will demand justice for David Dungay Jr, is scheduled for Tuesday despite NSW coronavirus health orders banning large gatherings of people.

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Donald Trump's assault on the WHO is deeply worrying for global health | Peter Beaumont

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 11:15 PM PDT

A diplomacy shaped around self-serving tittle-tattle now risks lives and undermines America's standing in the world

The campaign by the Trump administration against the World Health Organization has often seemed faintly preposterous.

Over the months of the coronavirus pandemic its untruths and hyperbole have been dismissed by many as iterations of Trumpspeak, whose main purpose has been to distract from the US's catastrophic response to Covid-19, which has claimed almost 140,000 lives and devastated the economy.

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'Open your eyes': Yemen on brink of famine again, UN agencies warn

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 08:52 AM PDT

Millions face devastating hunger if relief efforts are not stepped up in a country ravaged by war, locusts and now Covid-19

Yemen is in danger of an imminent return to devastating levels of hunger and food insecurity, according to new analysis released by UN agencies.

The World Food Programme (WFP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Unicef say that the percentage of the population predicted to face acute food insecurity in southern areas of the country will rise from 25% to 40% by the end of the year.

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'We were beaten': 20 LGBTQ+ Ugandans file lawsuit over alleged torture

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 04:08 AM PDT

Group arrested during Kampala lockdown and later released allege horrific abuse during the 50 days they were on remand in prison

Twenty LGBTQ+ men and women have filed lawsuits against the Ugandan authorities over alleged torture after they were arrested and imprisoned on charges related to the coronavirus lockdown.

The group were held on remand for more than 50 days and according to a statement from the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), the legal organisation defending them, endured "taunting, flogging, scalding … as well as denial of access to food, sanitary facilities and medication".

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Two sex scandals in a week: New Zealand faces reckoning over MPs' behaviour

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 10:58 AM PDT

Exits of an MP and a minister might signal a new attitude in a nation where politicians' private lives have traditionally been off-limits

After a New Zealand MP quit and a minister was fired in successive days over allegations of sexual misconduct or inappropriate relationships, New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, was asked by a reporter whether it was "open season" on any member of parliament who had "ever had an affair".

"I don't want to get drawn into hypotheticals," Ardern replied as she faced questions about the sacking of Iain Lees-Galloway, her minister of workplace relations and safety, over his workplace relationship with a former staffer in his office.

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As Covid-19 moves into swing states, is Trump’s campaign in trouble?

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 08:21 AM PDT

Latest data shows virus hitting Republican heartlands as well as key battleground states

"I said it's going away – and it is going away," a defiant Donald Trump claimed about Covid-19 on 3 April, when about 300,000 cases of the virus had been reported across the country.

At the time, Trump was enjoying a brief surge in approval ratings. But the virus obviously did not go away – more than 3.8m cases have now been reported, and latest polls show that Trump may pay the price for his handling of the crisis in the November elections.

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Trump on cognitive test: 'For me it was easy' – video

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 10:29 PM PDT

The US president tells Fox news medical analyst Marc K Siegel of the rigours of the cognitive test he went through, which involved repeating five words in the same order. Trump told the New York University professor: 'They said nobody gets it in order, it's actually not that easy. But for me it was easy.' He added: 'They say, "That's amazing. How did you do that?" I do it because I have like a good memory? Because I'm cognitively there.' The president then went on to suggest that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden should take the test.

 

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France apartment fire: crowd catch children escaping blaze on third-storey – video

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 06:43 PM PDT

Two brothers aged 10 and three escaped a blaze at an apartment in the south-eastern French city of Grenoble on Tuesday after they jumped into the arms of people watching below. The youngest boy was hanging from a window 10 metres above the ground, as flames and black smoke engulfed the apartment. The older boy followed. Both were uninjured in the fall, local media reported

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Trump announces 'surge of federal law enforcement' into cities including Chicago – video

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 02:23 PM PDT

Donald Trump announced at a White House event on Wednesday he will send 'a surge of federal law enforcement' into US cities that are 'plagued by violent crime'.

Trump's administration has been criticised for sending federal agents to crack down on protests against racism in Portland, Oregon

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Ukrainian president endorses animal rights documentary to end hostage siege – video

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 12:15 PM PDT

A gunman in Ukraine has released 13 hostages after the country's president agreed to post a video on Facebook recommending a 2005 animal rights documentary.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy promoted Earthlings, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, to help end an hours-long standoff in the western Ukrainian city of Lutsk, where 44-year-old Maksym Kryvosh had seized a bus with the people onboard.

The video has since been taken down from Facebook and Kryvosh arrested.

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'Wall of Moms' protect Portland's BLM protesters – video

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 11:26 AM PDT

A group of hundreds of mothers have attended demonstrations and stood as a human barricade between Black Lives Matter protesters and federal officers in Portland after seeing videos circulating online of federal agents in camouflage snatching demonstrators off the streets.

The Portland protests have occurred every night in the nearly two months since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May, after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Outrage at Donald Trump deploying federal agents to end what he called 'anarchy' reinvigorated protests in Portland In July

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Jacinda Ardern sacks New Zealand minister following his affair with staffer – video

Posted: 22 Jul 2020 01:49 AM PDT

New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has fired her immigration minister after being told he had engaged in a 12-month-affair with a staffer in his office.

Iain Lees-Galloway's affair took place over a 12-month period and Ardern was concerned that an abuse of power may have taken place. 

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