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- Bezos hack: UN to address alleged Saudi hacking of Amazon boss's phone
- Coronavirus: China unveils measures to rein in spread of 'mutating' disease
- Trump impeachment trial: Democrats' bids for new evidence dashed in marathon first day
- Guantánamo: psychologist tells of 'abusive drift' in treatment of terror suspects
- Lisa Nandy clashes with Piers Morgan over Meghan racism claims
- Armed rebels impose brutal rules in Venezuela-Colombia border region
- 'A whole sheep for £18': how live exports are hurting farmers in Romania
- Man held in Denmark over London murder of Flamur Beqiri
- Millions at risk after toxins found in Harare water supply, study finds
- Davos 2020: Sajid Javid insists UK digital tax will happen despite US threats - business live
- Lamb of (oh my) God: disbelief at 'alarmingly humanoid' restoration of Ghent altarpiece
- The poo panacea: inside the strange, surprising world of faecal transplants
- Grant Shapps delays decision over HS2 rail line
- The Volunteer by Jack Fairweather review – the hero who infiltrated Auschwitz
- Planned Parenthood chief: we have to 'undo the damage' of abortion bans in the Trump era
- What is the threat to Australia from the Wuhan coronavirus?
- Scott Morrison refers Bridget McKenzie’s handling of sports grants program for investigation
- New Zealand has been a life-raft for unique species – now they must adapt or die | Erica Wilkinson
- As Trump goes on trial, so does the conscience of the Republican party
- Revealed: the Saudi heir and the alleged plot to undermine Jeff Bezos
- Should the world be worried about the coronavirus in China?
- Impeachment trial against Trump begins: the key moments of day one – video
- Scuffles erupt between migrants and troops at Guatemala-Mexico border – video report
- Trump decries climate 'prophets of doom' in Davos keynote speech - video
| Bezos hack: UN to address alleged Saudi hacking of Amazon boss's phone Posted: 22 Jan 2020 02:00 AM PST Special rapporteurs to announce further information on Guardian revelations UN investigators are poised to release a statement about the alleged hacking of Jeff Bezos's mobile phone after the Guardian revealed details of a forensic analysis that has implicated a WhatsApp account purportedly owned by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. The astonishing disclosure prompted a Democratic lawmaker in the US to urgently demand more information about the malware that was allegedly used to infiltrate Bezos's phone in the 2018 hack of the Amazon founder. Continue reading... |
| Coronavirus: China unveils measures to rein in spread of 'mutating' disease Posted: 21 Jan 2020 08:07 PM PST Wuhan, where the virus first emerged, put under tighter supervision as death toll climbs to nine China has said that 440 people have now contracted a mysterious Sars-like virus that has killed nine people, as the government unveiled measures to attempt to rein in the spread of the disease and advised residents of Wuhan not to leave the city. China's national health commission, in its first major press briefing since the outbreak was detected in late December, said the virus is mainly passed through the respiratory tract and the nation was now at the most critical stage of prevention and control. Continue reading... |
| Trump impeachment trial: Democrats' bids for new evidence dashed in marathon first day Posted: 21 Jan 2020 10:19 PM PST
Democratic hopes that a moderate bloc of Senate Republicans would join their demand for witnesses and testimony at Donald Trump's impeachment trial were temporarily disappointed, if not dashed, as arguments on the first proper day of the trial extended past midnight into Wednesday morning. In seven consecutive votes split precisely along party lines, the Senate voted down Democratic proposals to subpoena testimony from four potential witnesses and documents from multiple government agencies. Four additional votes defeated proposals to ease the admission of documents and testimony and to relax related time restrictions. Continue reading... |
| Guantánamo: psychologist tells of 'abusive drift' in treatment of terror suspects Posted: 21 Jan 2020 06:40 PM PST James Mitchell gives pre-trial hearing a detailed account of the 2002 decision to use waterboarding and other techniques on al-Qaida leaders A CIA contract psychologist who helped draft the US programme of "enhanced interrogation" of suspected terrorists has told a military tribunal he was unable to stop cases of "abusive drift" by an unnamed senior agency official. Giving evidence at a military commission on Guantánamo Bay, James Mitchell gave a detailed account of the 2002 decision to interrogate suspected al-Qaida leaders using waterboarding and other techniques which the US later admitted constituted torture. Continue reading... |
| Lisa Nandy clashes with Piers Morgan over Meghan racism claims Posted: 22 Jan 2020 02:38 AM PST Labour leadership hopeful asks 'how on earth' presenter would know about suffering prejudice The Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy has defended the Duchess of Sussex against Piers Morgan's claims that she has not suffered racism, asking the TV presenter "how on earth" he would know about the prejudice experienced by people of colour. Nandy took Morgan to task as she appeared on his Good Morning Britain show for ITV, telling him that Meghan had received harsh treatment from some parts of the media. Continue reading... |
| Armed rebels impose brutal rules in Venezuela-Colombia border region Posted: 21 Jan 2020 11:30 PM PST Human Rights Watch report finds rape, murder and kidnappings on both sides of border, where people are unable to move freely Guerrilla groups have supplanted state rule on both sides of the lawless border between Venezuela and Colombia, where they impose their own brutal rules on civilians, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). In Colombia's eastern Arauca province and the neighbouring Apure state in Venezuela, civilians are unable to move freely, forced to obey a strict curfew and taxed on virtually all economic activity. HRW documented abuses including murder, kidnappings, disappearances, child recruitment and rape. Continue reading... |
| 'A whole sheep for £18': how live exports are hurting farmers in Romania Posted: 21 Jan 2020 11:00 PM PST Country's lack of meat processing facilities means livestock must be shipped to international markets – at a high cost to both shepherds and welfare Gheorghe Dănulețiu, also known as Ghiță Ciobanul (Ghiță the shepherd), has more than 500,000 followers on Facebook after he featured in an advertising campaign that went viral, but he leads the modest life of a traditional shepherd. Looking after 1,500 sheep in western Romania, Dănulețiu's life changes with the seasons. During lambing in spring, he barely sleeps four hours a night while in winter he leads his sheep in a three- to four-week journey from the mountains down to graze in the valleys. Continue reading... |
| Man held in Denmark over London murder of Flamur Beqiri Posted: 22 Jan 2020 01:47 AM PST Suspect in custody pending extradition proceedings to UK over Christmas Eve shooting A 22-year-old man has been arrested at Copenhagen airport on suspicion of murdering Flamur Beqiri, a Swedish record label executive, outside his home in London on Christmas Eve. The suspect was held by Danish police just before 7pm on Monday after flying in from Thailand, according to Kvällsposten, a Swedish newspaper. Danish authorities were acting on a European arrest warrant circulated by Scotland Yard. Continue reading... |
| Millions at risk after toxins found in Harare water supply, study finds Posted: 21 Jan 2020 11:00 PM PST Unpublished report claims water from contaminated reservoir leaves 3 million in Zimbabwe's capital at risk of disease Water being pumped to millions of residents in Zimbabwe's capital city came from reservoirs contaminated by dangerous toxins, according to a report seen by the Guardian. A study conducted by South African company Nanotech Water Solutions concluded that the health of 3 million Harare residents may be endangered by the provision of water containing toxins that can cause liver and central nervous system diseases. Continue reading... |
| Davos 2020: Sajid Javid insists UK digital tax will happen despite US threats - business live Posted: 22 Jan 2020 02:22 AM PST UK chancellor presses on with new levy on US tech giants, despite threat of retaliatory tariffs from Donald Trump
Earlier:
NEWSFLASH: Sajid Javid insists that the UK plans to introduce its digital sales tax in April. That's despite the rumblings of discontent from America, and the threat of painful new tariffs on UK exports. We plan to go ahead with our digital services tax in April. It is a proportionate tax, and a tax that is deliberately designed as a temporary tax.
Steven Mnuchin is asked whether the US would impose tariffs on UK car firms, if Boris Johnson introduces a digital tax on American tech firms. We are going to have some private conversations, Mnuchin replies, adding: This is an important issue that we'll deal with. Continue reading... |
| Lamb of (oh my) God: disbelief at 'alarmingly humanoid' restoration of Ghent altarpiece Posted: 21 Jan 2020 09:24 PM PST Painstaking operation to return Adoration of the Lamb to its former glory has left many speechless A restoration of one of the world's most famous paintings has been described as "a shock for everybody" after it revealed a depiction of a sheep with extremely human-like eyes. The Ghent Altarpiece, completed by Hubert and Jan van Eyck in 1432, is a 15th-century masterpiece in St Bavo's Cathedral in Belgium, widely considered to be the first major artwork to use oil paint. Continue reading... |
| The poo panacea: inside the strange, surprising world of faecal transplants Posted: 22 Jan 2020 02:00 AM PST When treating antibiotic-resistant infections, injecting patients with other people's excrement can be highly effective. Could it be the answer to dementia, anorexia and obesity too? The man and woman are wearing blue hospital gowns and clear face shields. Dr James Sones and Dr Indu Srinivasan are in a room in the Division of Digestive Diseases at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. They are about to create something that has spread through medicine like, well, a shitstorm. Sones takes a brown gloopy material and spoons it into what looks like a regular kitchen blender. The camera zooms in to a label on it: faecal blender. The brown gloopy stuff is, depending on your profession and level of politeness, faecal matter, stool, excrement or poo. It has been donated by a generous volunteer and it is almost certainly going to transform the life of the person who is going to receive it. Continue reading... |
| Grant Shapps delays decision over HS2 rail line Posted: 22 Jan 2020 02:17 AM PST Tory MPs urge prime minister to deliver HS2 as Shapps asks for more data Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has cast further doubt on whether the government will go ahead with the HS2 rail line by stressing the problem was about capacity rather than speed and making clear he was examining alternatives. Confirming a final decision would be made in February, Shapps said it was essential to get the facts right before embarking on "maybe the biggest infrastructure project, certainly in Europe, and the biggest this country's ever taken, certainly in peacetime". Continue reading... |
| The Volunteer by Jack Fairweather review – the hero who infiltrated Auschwitz Posted: 21 Jan 2020 11:30 PM PST This astonishing account of Witold Pilecki, a member of the Warsaw resistance who tried to incite rebellion in the camps, won the Costa biography award Just after Witold Pilecki's arrival at Auschwitz concentration camp in September 1940, Deputy Commandant SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Fritzsch addressed the 5,000 prisoners: "Your Poland is dead forever and now you are going to pay for your crimes through work," he declared. "Look there, at the chimney. Look!" he shouted. "This is the crematory. Three thousand degrees of heat. The chimney is your only way to freedom." In case anyone had not got the message, guards then beat a man senseless with clubs in front of them all. A former cavalry officer in the Polish army, Pilecki was a member of the resistance in Warsaw. When news reached them in July 1940 that a concentration camp had been opened in a former Polish army barracks near the town of Oświęcim, Pilecki volunteered to be captured and taken to the camp – which the Germans called Auschwitz – in order to gain intelligence about what was happening there and to organise a break out. Few men had returned alive from Auschwitz and it was an incredibly brave decision. When a prisoner learned that Pilecki had volunteered to be there he was astonished: "If what you say is true you're either the greatest hero or the biggest fool." Continue reading... |
| Planned Parenthood chief: we have to 'undo the damage' of abortion bans in the Trump era Posted: 22 Jan 2020 01:00 AM PST Alexis McGill Johnson is focusing on systemic issues in her fight against the wave of abortion bans sweeping across the US The Planned Parenthood president, Alexis McGill Johnson, was stuck on the tarmac in Washington DC, and not happy about it. She'd raced to catch a flight and now she was sitting in the stale air of a plane grounded by stormy weather. Then, the woman next to her asked a question common among strangers: "What do you do?" "I work for Planned Parenthood," Johnson said, and the woman asked, "Did they ever find a president?" Well, actually, they did, Johnson replied. Continue reading... |
| What is the threat to Australia from the Wuhan coronavirus? Posted: 21 Jan 2020 11:24 PM PST Health authorities say Australia is ready to respond and isolate any travellers suspected of carrying the virus Nine people are confirmed to have died and at least 440 have been infected in the outbreak of a new Sars-like virus that was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan less than a month ago. The World Health Organisation met on Wednesday to determine whether to declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, after authorities in China confirmed the death toll had risen from six overnight. Continue reading... |
| Scott Morrison refers Bridget McKenzie’s handling of sports grants program for investigation Posted: 22 Jan 2020 12:04 AM PST PM's department to investigate whether McKenzie's allocation of $100m in sports grants breached ministerial standards Scott Morrison has referred former sports minister Bridget McKenzie's handling of the $100m sports grants program to his department to investigate whether ministerial standards were breached. In a statement on Wednesday, Morrison revealed that last Friday he referred the auditor general's scathing report into the $100m community sport infrastructure grant program to the department of the prime minister and cabinet "for advice in relation to any actions in the application of the statement of ministerial standard". Continue reading... |
| New Zealand has been a life-raft for unique species – now they must adapt or die | Erica Wilkinson Posted: 21 Jan 2020 08:24 PM PST Our nation has been in a biodiversity crisis for more than 100 years, but the climate crisis could push our at-risk animals to the brink As world leaders debate how to curb emissions to shape a better tomorrow, for New Zealand's iconic wildlife the reality is clear – the environment they once thrived in has rapidly changed and species must adapt to survive. New Zealand is home to species found nowhere else in the world – a flightless parrot, a reptile as old as the dinosaurs, a bat that uses folded wings as "limbs" to scramble around on the forest floor. The unique wildlife thrived on a landmass that was essentially a life-raft separated from predators such as rats and stoats for 80m years. Continue reading... |
| As Trump goes on trial, so does the conscience of the Republican party Posted: 21 Jan 2020 05:19 PM PST Can Republicans divorce themselves from a demagogue? The impeachment trial's first day offers little hope A lone figure in a blue suit slipped quietly into the front row of the US Senate public gallery just before 3.30pm on Tuesday and gazed down at his former colleagues. Jeff Flake, the former Republican senator from Arizona, had returned to Washington to witness two trials. One was that of an impeached American president accused of strong-arming a foreign government for his own political ends. The other was a trial of the conscience of the Republican party. Continue reading... |
| Revealed: the Saudi heir and the alleged plot to undermine Jeff Bezos Posted: 21 Jan 2020 01:03 PM PST Apparent targeting of Amazon billionaire's phone fits into broader pattern of behaviour by Saudi Arabia Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of the Washington Post, had no reason to be suspicious when he received a WhatsApp message from the account of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia in May 2018. Bezos and Mohammed bin Salman had attended a dinner together in Hollywood a few weeks earlier hosted by Brian Grazer, the Oscar-winning producer, and Ari Emanuel, the powerful talent agent, as part of the young crown prince's tour of America, which was hailed by some observers as an effort to rebrand the kingdom and set it on a new course. Continue reading... |
| Should the world be worried about the coronavirus in China? Posted: 21 Jan 2020 05:07 AM PST Experts fear latest strain of virus may spread across planet from person to person It is a novel coronavirus – that is to say, a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals, or possibly seafood. Many of those infected either worked or frequently shopped in the Huanan seafood wholesale market in the centre of the Chinese city. New and troubling viruses usually originate in animal hosts. Ebola and flu are examples. Continue reading... |
| Impeachment trial against Trump begins: the key moments of day one – video Posted: 21 Jan 2020 10:32 PM PST Donald Trump's impeachment trial began in the US Senate, with Democrats pushing back against the rules set out by the Republican-held senate. Democrats accused Republicans of covering up for the president as their amendments to trial proceedings were voted down repeatedly Continue reading... |
| Scuffles erupt between migrants and troops at Guatemala-Mexico border – video report Posted: 21 Jan 2020 01:33 PM PST Scuffles have broken out between hundreds of Central American migrants and National Guard agents at the border between Guatemala and Mexico. The troops formed a barrier to stop the migrants from entering deeper into Mexico as they attempted to cross into the US Continue reading... |
| Trump decries climate 'prophets of doom' in Davos keynote speech - video Posted: 21 Jan 2020 06:44 AM PST Donald Trump took centre stage at Davos to tout the success of the US economy on Tuesday. At the conference, in which the main theme is the environment and where the climate activist Greta Thunberg is a star guest, the US president spoke about the economic importance of oil and gas. Trump also said the US would join the 1 trillion tree initiative being launched at the World Economic Forum annual meeting, but called activists 'prophets of doom'
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