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- Guilty verdict in first Hong Kong trial held under national security law
- Tunisia’s president imposes month-long curfew and bans gatherings
- Tokyo Olympics live updates: Team GB one-two in pool, Osaka exits and more!
- Sydney covid lockdown could last months as daily cases reach record high
- Democrats call for possible action against NSO over Pegasus revelations
- Spanish museum celebrates pioneer who took smallpox vaccine to colonies
- Jeff Bezos offers Nasa $2bn in exchange for moon mission contract
- House begins Capitol attack inquiry as Republicans set to boycott proceedings
- Britney Spears asks for accountant to replace father as conservator
- UK rejects EU’s Northern Ireland moves, saying Brexit deal must be renegotiated
- South and North Korea restore hotline after a year on hold
- Peru’s new president to take charge of divided country ravaged by Covid
- Coronavirus live news: Tokyo hits record daily cases; England’s NHS ‘under similar pressure to January’
- Who’s behind Australia’s anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches
- New Zealand pandemic policies pushed 18,000 children into poverty, study shows
- ‘A lesson in loss, humility and absurdity’: how rhythmic gymnastics took over my childhood
- ‘I felt violated by the demand to undress’: three Muslim women on France’s hostility to the hijab
- Laura Nyro: the phenomenal singers’ singer the 60s overlooked
- ‘I had to educate myself on gaslighting’: meet the cast of dark teen drama Cruel Summer
- ‘It was just such a maze’: the twisty story behind Enemies of the State
- ‘An eye mask transformed my life!’: 10 readers on how to get a perfect night’s sleep
- Home Office failing Windrush generation again, spending watchdog finds
- Egypt nationalises Suez canal – archive, 27 July 1956
- ‘Self-esteem was low. Look at them now’ : the scheme getting Kenya’s girls back to school
- Republicans poised to rig the next election by gerrymandering electoral maps
- Australia Covid live news update: Victoria lockdown eases after 10 new cases; NSW records 172 local cases as regional shutdowns lifted
- ‘We’re so proud of her’: Afghanistan’s gutsy female cyclists ready to cheer on Ali Zada
- How ‘super-detector’ dogs are helping free Iraq from the terror of Isis mines
- ‘Those children could be my relatives’: Canada’s first Indigenous forensic pathologist on unmarked graves
- Violent hailstorm smashes windscreens and halts traffic in northern Italy – video
- Cameroon with a view: portraits from the post-colonial era – in pictures
- Sandstorm swallows western Chinese city in dramatic footage – video
- Wildfires raging across south-west Sardinia force evacuations – video
- The last king of Eswatini? Reporting on protests in Africa's last absolute monarchy
- Cars swept away as Belgian town hit by worst floods in decades – video
- Celebrations after Tunisian president sacks prime minister, dissolves government – video
| Guilty verdict in first Hong Kong trial held under national security law Posted: 27 Jul 2021 12:29 AM PDT Tong Ying-kit case seen as a departure from Hong Kong's common law traditions, with accused denied bail and a jury trial The first person charged and tried under Hong Kong's national security law has been found guilty of terrorism and inciting secession by a panel of three judges. The landmark case before Hong Kong's high court came more than a year after the law – imposed by Beijing with the blessing of the city's leadership – was implemented, despite global condemnation of its content. Continue reading... |
| Tunisia’s president imposes month-long curfew and bans gatherings Posted: 26 Jul 2021 08:54 PM PDT Kais Saied tightens his hold on power with tough new restrictions after dismissing prime minister Tunisian president Kais Saied has announced a month-long curfew as he appeared to tighten his grip on power in the north African country one day after he dismissed the prime minister. Tunisians will wake on Tuesday to draconian restrictions including a nationwide curfew from 7pm to 6am, and a ban on gatherings of more than three people in public places. Continue reading... |
| Tokyo Olympics live updates: Team GB one-two in pool, Osaka exits and more! Posted: 27 Jul 2021 02:26 AM PDT
Related: Carissa Moore and Italo Ferreira claim surfing's first Olympic gold medals
Men's rugby sevens: Team GB overturn a 21 point half-time deficit to beat the USA and advance to the semi-finals on the back of a tremendous second-half performance. They rode their luck at times and benefitted from some questionable refereeing decisions but they'll take it. They'll face New Zealand next. Continue reading... |
| Sydney covid lockdown could last months as daily cases reach record high Posted: 26 Jul 2021 10:14 PM PDT More than 170 daily cases reported, with block of flats sealed off by police, outbreaks affecting two hospitals and further delays to Novavax vaccine New South Wales reported a record high number of covid cases on Tuesday despite more than four weeks of lockdown for the Sydney region, with signs tough measures could extend until September. "Vaccination is the key to our freedom. Getting jabs in arms is a key part of our strategy," said state premier Gladys Berejiklian. "I want August to be the month where everyone comes forward to get the jab. That is key to us being able to see what September looks like. I don't think anyone can deny that the vaccination rate is absolutely key to how we live life in NSW." Continue reading... |
| Democrats call for possible action against NSO over Pegasus revelations Posted: 27 Jul 2021 12:55 AM PDT Four Democrats in Congress tell Biden administration that such firms 'should be sanctioned, and if necessary, shut down' Democratic lawmakers in Washington have called on the Biden administration to consider placing NSO Group on an export blacklist and said recent revelations of misuse reinforced their conviction that the "hacking-for-hire industry must be brought under control". The statement by four members of Congress followed reports by the Pegasus project, a collaboration of 17 media organisations including the Guardian, which investigated NSO, the Israeli company that sells its powerful surveillance software to government clients around the world. Continue reading... |
| Spanish museum celebrates pioneer who took smallpox vaccine to colonies Posted: 27 Jul 2021 02:10 AM PDT Exhibition details how Francisco Javier de Balmis used children to keep vaccine fresh on journey to Spain's colonies in 1803 When Francisco Javier de Balmis set off from Spain in 1803 to vaccinate the people in Spain's colonies against smallpox he had no means of keeping the vaccine fresh, so he used children as his refrigerators. An exhibition of documents relating to Balmis's voyage has opened at the Archivo General de Indias in Seville and will be on display until 15 September. Continue reading... |
| Jeff Bezos offers Nasa $2bn in exchange for moon mission contract Posted: 26 Jul 2021 05:41 PM PDT
Fresh off his trip to space, Jeff Bezos on Monday offered to cover up to $2bn in Nasa costs if the US space agency awards his company Blue Origin a contract to make a spacecraft designed to land astronauts back on the moon. Nasa in April awarded SpaceX, owned by rival billionaire Elon Musk, a $2.9bn contract to build a spacecraft to bring astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2024, rejecting bids from Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics. Blue Origin had partnered with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper in the bid. Continue reading... |
| House begins Capitol attack inquiry as Republicans set to boycott proceedings Posted: 27 Jul 2021 12:00 AM PDT Committee established by Pelosi features two Republicans, Cheney and Kinzinger, after McCarthy withdrew his nominees The much-anticipated House investigation into the January attack on the US Capitol begins on Tuesday, with Republicans set to boycott proceedings in an attempt to undermine any findings. A special committee established by the Democratic House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, will convene to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly insurrection in Washington DC, when hundreds of Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to interrupt the certification of Joe Biden as president. Continue reading... |
| Britney Spears asks for accountant to replace father as conservator Posted: 26 Jul 2021 03:25 PM PDT
An attorney for Britney Spears has asked that a new conservator be named to oversee the pop singer's finances following recent testimony that she wanted her father ousted from the role, the New York Times reported on Monday. In a Los Angeles court filing, lawyer Matthew Rosengart requested that accountant Jason Rubin be named the conservator of Spears' estate, a post currently held by her father, Jamie Spears, the Times reported. Continue reading... |
| UK rejects EU’s Northern Ireland moves, saying Brexit deal must be renegotiated Posted: 26 Jul 2021 12:39 PM PDT Downing Street says Brussels overtures are insufficient and 'comprehensive' solutions needed Boris Johnson has rejected Brussels' latest attempt to iron out problems with the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland, insisting that the withdrawal agreement signed last year must be renegotiated. Continue reading... |
| South and North Korea restore hotline after a year on hold Posted: 26 Jul 2021 07:56 PM PDT Communication channels have been restored after being severed when cross-border ties soured and Trump summits failed South and North Korea have restored their once-severed hotlines as part of efforts by the two countries' leaders to rebuild strained ties, Seoul's presidential Blue House said on Tuesday. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have exchanged multiple letters since April and agreed to reconnect the hotlines, said Moon's press secretary, Park Soo-hyun. Continue reading... |
| Peru’s new president to take charge of divided country ravaged by Covid Posted: 26 Jul 2021 11:00 PM PDT Pedro Castillo saw off an ugly, Trump-style revolt against his victory and must now try to unite the country After nearly two months of waiting, amid baseless claims of fraud and even rumblings of a military coup, Pedro Castillo will on Wednesday become Peru's president. The son of illiterate peasant farmers, Castillo's rise to the top on Peru's 200th anniversary of independence is hugely symbolic, but he will face huge challenges to unite the country. Castillo's razor-thin win has split the country between those who back his pledge to overhaul politics and the economic system to tackle poverty and inequality, and others who fear his presidency will upturn Peru's market-friendly economy and even threaten its democracy. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 27 Jul 2021 02:23 AM PDT Latest updates: Olympic host seeks more hospital beds; NHS Providers writes to Boris Johnson calling on government to make 'right decisions'
A week after "freedom day", a new pattern has given the UK good news on the coronavirus crisis: new cases fell for six consecutive days, the first time that's happened without a lockdown in place. But at the same time, hospitalisations and deaths – the result of a previous increase in cases – were still up week on week. And the "pingdemic", in which 600,000 people were asked by the NHS Covid-19 app to self-isolate in a week, has caused consternation in businesses and hasty exemptions for key workers in an attempt to keep crucial industries afloat. Related: The pandemic enters a new phase
Endangered loggerhead sea turtles, or Caretta Caretta, make their main nesting spot on the Mediterranean island of Zakynthos – one of the most visited islands in Greece, with roughly 1 million yearly visitors, including many British tourists. Mass tourism has long threatened the loggerheads: tourists frequently break rules designed to keep them away from nests. But new research suggests the Covid-19 pandemic has allowed these turtles to come up for air. Related: Pandemic gives breathing room to endangered sea turtles Continue reading... |
| Who’s behind Australia’s anti-lockdown protests? The German conspiracy group driving marches Posted: 26 Jul 2021 07:10 PM PDT German-based Worldwide Demonstration helped coordinate rallies across Australia, with their message amplified by local anti-vaxx and 'freedom' influencers A German-based conspiracy group helped to drive a series of anti-lockdown protests across Australia which saw dozens of people arrested and hundreds fined after violent clashes with police. Police arrested more than 60 people and fined 107 more after a crowd of about 3,000 gathered in Sydney on Saturday to protest against the city's lockdown. Continue reading... |
| New Zealand pandemic policies pushed 18,000 children into poverty, study shows Posted: 26 Jul 2021 07:13 PM PDT Report says 10% increase in child poverty hit Māori and Pasifika children hardest An additional 18,000 New Zealand children were pushed into poverty in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research, despite child welfare being one of prime minister Jacinda Ardern's main concerns. The Child Poverty Action Group – a group focused on eliminating poverty – put much of the increased poverty, inequity, homelessness and food insecurity down to government neglect as it created its policies during the pandemic. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| ‘A lesson in loss, humility and absurdity’: how rhythmic gymnastics took over my childhood Posted: 26 Jul 2021 10:00 PM PDT When I was six, a chance encounter with rhythmic gymnastics – all ribbons, sequins and smiles – opened up a sublime, sometimes cruel new world. By 12, I had quit. What had it all meant? Every four years, the same argument plays out. The Olympics reminds the public of the existence of rhythmic gymnastics and the public scoffs at this ridiculous spectacle, with its "ribbon dancing", its sequins, its extravagant bending and pirouetting. Where artistic gymnastics – the one with the beam and the bars, the one with triple backflips and the constant risk of broken bones – is dignified and athletic, rhythmic gymnastics is frilly and absurd. How is this even a sport? Why is it part of the Olympics? These are the usual criticisms. In return, embattled admirers will point out that rhythmic gymnastics is extremely difficult, actually. There is immense skill involved in those backbends and leaps; besides, have you tried throwing and catching a ball while holding your foot above your head? When I first caught sight of rhythmic gymnastics, I knew nothing of this. The reasons the sport is mocked – the sequins, the balletic dancing, the kilowatt-bright, beauty-pageant smiles of the gymnasts – were the reasons I found it delightful. I was six, sitting in my kitchen in Auckland, staring at the television. On screen, a gymnast at the 2000 Sydney Olympics tossed a bright red ribbon high into the air before catching it with astonishing ease. She was, to me, the height of womanly sophistication: beautiful, graceful, and covered in glitter. I dragged my mother into the room, pointed to the television and announced that this was the sort of lady I would like to become. Continue reading... |
| ‘I felt violated by the demand to undress’: three Muslim women on France’s hostility to the hijab Posted: 27 Jul 2021 02:00 AM PDT In France, a new law could seriously restrict women's rights to wear headscarves in public, and there are fears that it will entrench Islamophobia Last October, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, laid out the vision behind a new, deeply controversial bill. The government claimed a minority of France's estimated 6 million Muslims were at risk of forming a "counter-society" and the bill was designed to tackle the dangers of this "Islamist separatism". It is meant to safeguard republican values, but critics, including Amnesty International, have raised serious concerns that it may inhibit freedom of association and expression, and increase discrimination. The new law, say critics, will severely affect the construction of mosques, and give more discretion to local authorities to close local associations deemed in conflict with "Republican principles", a term often wielded against Muslims specifically. But one of the most controversial points is extending the ban on women wearing headscarves in public sector roles, to private organisations that provide a public service. Further amendments were tabled prohibiting full-length swimsuits ("burkinis"), girls under 18 from wearing the hijab in public, and mothers from wearing hijabs on their children's school trips. These were subsequently overturned, but the stigma they legitimise lives on. Continue reading... |
| Laura Nyro: the phenomenal singers’ singer the 60s overlooked Posted: 26 Jul 2021 10:00 PM PDT Elton John idolised her and she wrote hits for the likes of Barbra Streisand, but her musical ambitions were out of sync with the times. Now a new collection reveals her intense originality in full Whatever role Laura Nyro chose to play – earth mother, soul sister, angel of the Bronx subways – she committed to it. With a soaring, open-hearted voice and ingeniously crafted compositions, Nyro transformed a range of influences into her own kind of art song. She made vertiginous shifts from hushed reveries to ecstatic gospel-driven shout-ups with an intensity and a courage that, as Elton John would point out, left its mark on many contemporaries who achieved greater commercial success. As the music of the 1960s reached a climax, no one else merged the new songwriting freedoms pioneered by Bob Dylan with the pop sensibility of the Brill Building tunesmiths to such intriguing effect. As a teenager, she wrote And When I Die and Stoney End, songs that became hits for other artists. Her own enigmatically titled albums – Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, New York Tendaberry, Christmas and the Beads of Sweat – showed a precociously sophisticated sensibility. Continue reading... |
| ‘I had to educate myself on gaslighting’: meet the cast of dark teen drama Cruel Summer Posted: 27 Jul 2021 01:00 AM PDT A high-schooler is abducted in a series that is as provocative as it is soapy. Could this be the next Euphoria? "Sometimes I would be like: where are we? What's happening? What's going on? I'm confused. Someone talk to me!" Chiara Aurelia is describing her first major TV role. If it sounds stressful, that's probably because it was: in Amazon's new psychological thriller Cruel Summer, the 18-year-old newcomer navigates life – first as a chronically awkward teenager, then as the latest addition to the "popular set" – before being dubbed "the most hated girl in America." Related: The Guide: Staying In – sign up for our home entertainment tips Continue reading... |
| ‘It was just such a maze’: the twisty story behind Enemies of the State Posted: 26 Jul 2021 11:47 PM PDT In an Errol Morris-produced documentary, the strange story of a 'hacktivist' whose life gets turned upside down is brought to life with more questions than answers remaining "The truth is rarely pure and never simple." Oscar Wilde's arch observation raises the curtain on Sonia Kennebeck's new documentary film Enemies of the State, exec-produced by Errol Morris. Winston Churchill's summary of Russia – "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma" – would be no less apt. Viewers are invited to join Kennebeck's investigation into the bizarre case of Matt DeHart, a former member of the US air national guard who worked on the drone programme. He played online games, joined the "hactivist" group Anonymous and was an alleged courier for the whistleblower site WikiLeaks. Continue reading... |
| ‘An eye mask transformed my life!’: 10 readers on how to get a perfect night’s sleep Posted: 26 Jul 2021 10:00 PM PDT From weighted blankets to white noise, here are the strategies that can take you from wide awake to well rested I stop drinking caffeine at 2pm every day. If I feel work is worrying me I do some deep breathing and I pray. I rub lavender oil on my wrists and temples before I go to bed, and I use a sunrise alarm clock to help me get up at the same time each day. This has helped me immensely, as I have a more gentle wake-up that means I am not tempted to hit snooze. I also keep a puzzle book by my bed so that if I can't sleep I don't toss and turn, I get up and puzzle until I feel drowsy before getting back into bed. Beth Lunn, fundraiser, Port Glasgow Continue reading... |
| Home Office failing Windrush generation again, spending watchdog finds Posted: 27 Jul 2021 12:30 AM PDT Despite 'promise to learn lessons', Priti Patel's department set up process that is too complex for victims, with inadequate capacity The Windrush generation is being failed by the Home Office "all over again" because of fundamental problems in the compensation scheme for UK citizens misclassified as illegal immigrants, parliament's spending watchdog has concluded. Despite a "promise to learn lessons", Priti Patel's department has set up a process that is too complex and difficult for victims to engage with, and with inadequate capacity since it was launched two years ago, the public accounts committee said in a report published on Tuesday. Continue reading... |
| Egypt nationalises Suez canal – archive, 27 July 1956 Posted: 26 Jul 2021 09:30 PM PDT 27 July 1956: President Nasser plans to use income from the canal to build the Aswan Dam President Nasser announced last night that the Egyptian Government had decided to nationalise the Suez Canal company and to use the income from the canal of $100m a year to build the Aswan high dam. Last week the United States and Britain withdrew their offers of money for the dam. Britain is the largest single shareholder in the Suez Canal company, owning seven-sixteenths of the total. The company's 99-year concession was due to expire in thirteen years, after which the canal would have reverted to Egypt. President Nasser said shareholders would be paid in accordance with the last closing prices on the Paris bourse. Continue reading... |
| ‘Self-esteem was low. Look at them now’ : the scheme getting Kenya’s girls back to school Posted: 27 Jul 2021 12:44 AM PDT Over a thousand girls in rural Isiolo county, many of them young mothers, are catching up in the classroom. But entrenched cultural barriers remain a challenge for educators For much of her girlhood, Lucy Koriang* would spend her days taking the family's goat herd out, walking for several kilometres a day, looking for the best grazing spots. Being a goat herder was not a job she enjoyed or chose, especially in the unbearably high temperatures of Isiolo county, northern Kenya, where she lives. Her father, like most parents in Ngaremara village, saw little point in taking his children to school. Moving from the shelter of one thorny acacia tree to another, the 13-year-old would get lost in her thoughts, dreaming of a different life. Continue reading... |
| Republicans poised to rig the next election by gerrymandering electoral maps Posted: 27 Jul 2021 02:00 AM PDT A supreme court justice described the last round of gerrymandering as 'dishonoring US democracy'. Another round is about to start – will this be another 'political heist'? Ten years ago, Republicans pulled off what would later be described as "the most audacious political heist of modern times". It wasn't particularly complicated. Every 10 years, the US constitution requires states to redraw the maps for both congressional and state legislative seats. The constitution entrusts state lawmakers with the power to draw those districts. Looking at the political map in 2010, Republicans realized that by winning just a few state legislative seats in places like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, they could draw maps that would be in place for the next decade, distorting them to guarantee Republican control for years to come. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 27 Jul 2021 02:23 AM PDT SA to exit lockdown at midnight; NSW records 172 local Covid-19 cases overnight; Victoria lockdown to ease from midnight after state records 10 cases; Queensland records no new cases overnight. Follow all the day's news
The SMH is also reporting that rapid antigen testing of year 12 students will be implemented so they can return to face-to-face learning in school. There are no plans for other school years.
The NSW lockdown will be extended by four weeks, according to reports. Both the Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald are reporting that premier Gladys Berejiklian will announce this tomorrow. NSW Govt officials confirming there will be a four-week lockdown extension announced tomorrow. Not sure why @GladysB hoards these critical details for a press event at 11am. She has a media team of almost 10 ppl, any one of whom can draft a press release with the key decisions. Continue reading... |
| ‘We’re so proud of her’: Afghanistan’s gutsy female cyclists ready to cheer on Ali Zada Posted: 26 Jul 2021 10:30 PM PDT Watching an Afghan refugee in the Olympics is a source of inspiration to many women in a country where riding a bike is seen as a political statement and the Taliban are gaining ground When Masomah Ali Zada makes her Olympic debut at the women's cycling time trial this week, speeding her way around the 22km route with Mount Fuji in the background, it won't just be her teammates in Japan cheering her on. In Kabul, where the 25-year-old joined the national squad as a teenager, a small but gutsy group of female cyclists will be glued to the television, willing her to do the best she can. "I'm really, really proud of her and so are all of the team members, and we are really looking forward to watching her race and seeing her do great," says Zahla Sarmat, assistant development director of the Afghan cycling federation's women's division. For her and her fellow riders, Ali Zada is a source of huge inspiration, even if her sporting success eventually led her to leave Afghanistan and claim asylum in France. She is competing in Tokyo as part of the Refugee Olympic Team. Continue reading... |
| How ‘super-detector’ dogs are helping free Iraq from the terror of Isis mines Posted: 26 Jul 2021 04:04 AM PDT Branco and X-Lang are part of an elite team – four canines and their Yazidi handlers – leading a groundbreaking sniff-search for the homemade devices that litter the land On the wide, flat plain of the Sinjar district of northern Iraq, Naif Khalaf Qassim lets his dog, an eight-year-old Belgian shepherd, range across the dry earth on a 30-metre leash until Branco stops and sits, tail wagging, looking towards his handler with enthusiasm. Branco has detected something underground and, when the mine-clearing team is brought in to investigate, they find an improvised explosive device (IED), known locally as a VS500. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 26 Jul 2021 03:10 AM PDT Kona Williams says many unanswered questions remain about how to investigate remains found at the sites of residential schools In her job as a forensic pathologist, Kona Williams investigates hundreds of deaths a year. But when she heard that unmarked graves had been found at the site of a residential school in late May, she was seized by a grim realization. Continue reading... |
| Violent hailstorm smashes windscreens and halts traffic in northern Italy – video Posted: 27 Jul 2021 01:50 AM PDT A violent hailstorm in northern Italy brought part of the highway between Milan and Naples to a brief standstill on Monday. Hundreds of cars were damaged as the hail battered their windscreens, forcing drivers to pull up by the roadside, and causing authorities to close some of the route for a short time. A number of people were hurt, mainly by glass shards from cracked windscreens. No one is believed to have been seriously injured. Continue reading... |
| Cameroon with a view: portraits from the post-colonial era – in pictures Posted: 26 Jul 2021 11:00 PM PDT A new exhibition showcases three innovative Cameroonian photographers whose images embody the 'golden age' of studio portraiture in west Africa |
| Sandstorm swallows western Chinese city in dramatic footage – video Posted: 26 Jul 2021 09:09 PM PDT A sandstorm has swept across Dunhuang City in China's Gansu Province, reducing visibility to just five metres, according to the regional meteorological department. Videos show the wall-like sandstorm covering urban areas and highways. It is believed to have reached over one hundred meters high. Continue reading... |
| Wildfires raging across south-west Sardinia force evacuations – video Posted: 26 Jul 2021 06:30 AM PDT Firefighters are working to put out wildfires that have spread quickly across parts of south-western Sardinia, destroying 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of forest and forcing 1,500 people to be evacuated from their homes. On Sunday the EU sent four firefighting planes, including two Canadair planes provided by France, to support 11 aircraft working to extinguish the fires raging close to 13 towns. Efforts have been hampered by strong and hot winds Continue reading... |
| The last king of Eswatini? Reporting on protests in Africa's last absolute monarchy Posted: 26 Jul 2021 05:01 AM PDT Cebelihle Mbuyisa is a freelance journalist who was beaten for covering pro-democracy protests in the kingdom of Eswatini. Formerly known as Swaziland, the country has been rocked in recent weeks by anti-monarchy protests calling for King Mswati III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to have his powers diluted. Protests turned violent, with reports suggesting there have been more than 50 deaths and countless casualties so far at the hands of state security forces. The Guardian spoke to Mbuyisa, who described his experience of being beaten by the police after they accused him of reporting illegally, and explained why protesters are calling for more democracy in Eswatini. In his first comments since the unrest began, the king called the protests 'satanic' and said they had taken the country backwards. Continue reading... |
| Cars swept away as Belgian town hit by worst floods in decades – video Posted: 26 Jul 2021 01:34 AM PDT The southern Belgian town of Dinant was hit by the heaviest floods in decades on Saturday after a two-hour thunderstorm turned streets into torrential streams that washed away cars and pavements. It was the second time in just over a week that downpours have affected the region – more than 200 people died in flooding across Belgium and Germany last week. Although the latest flooding has been described as worse than previous weeks, no deaths or injuries have been reported |
| Celebrations after Tunisian president sacks prime minister, dissolves government – video Posted: 25 Jul 2021 10:52 PM PDT Crowds of people flooded Tunis on Sunday to celebrate the news that Tunisia's president dismissed the government and froze parliament, in a move that dramatically escalated a political crisis and which his opponents called a coup. President Kais Saied said he would assume executive authority with the assistance of a new prime minister, in the biggest challenge yet to the democratic system Tunisia introduced following its 2011 revolution. Continue reading... |
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