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- US to cut $1bn of Afghanistan aid over failure to agree unity government
- Libya’s refugees face being cut off from aid due to coronavirus
- Salmond's acquittal could make him the SNP's biggest challenge
- US newspapers appeal to China not to expel their reporters
- 'Fright of her life': Gold Coast woman finds five-metre python on her doorstep
- Colombian death squads exploiting coronavirus lockdown to kill activists
- Russia may delay Putin vote as coronavirus threatens political agenda
- Electric cars produce less CO2 than petrol vehicles, study confirms
- UK has multiple social rights failings, finds Council of Europe
- Fossil hunters find evidence of 555m-year-old human relative
- Drag Race's Michelle Visage: ‘Once you stop caring what people think, you’ll be free'
- Britons stranded in Bali call for UK evacuation flights as coronavirus cuts routes
- Coronavirus live news: UK wakes up to lockdown as Trump insists US will 'reopen' in weeks
- Trump jokes with health official who mentions 'low grade fever' during coronavirus briefing — video
- How coronavirus stopped a 23,000km American odyssey
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should I see a doctor?
- Decades-old drug in two Australian trials related to Covid-19 but experts urge caution
- Why the 'ignored war' in Libya will come to haunt a blinkered west
- 'Everyone will be contaminated': prisons face strict coronavirus controls
- Can Trump be trusted not to abuse his coronavirus emergency powers?
- Trump's push to shorten the coronavirus shutdown proves the captain is flying blind | David Smith
- Stuart Robert’s incompetence on MyGov should accelerate his own social isolation | Katharine Murphy
- Australia's food supply relies on migrant workers, many of whom are facing coronavirus limbo | Victoria Stead
- Police clear Rio's Copacabana beach after coronavirus lockdown - video
- Donald Trump dismisses coronavirus as a 'purely medical problem' – video
- 'Go home!': Italian mayors rage at coronavirus lockdown dodgers — video
- Spanish police sing to families during coronavirus lockdown in Mallorca – video
- Coronavirus: doctors and nurses in Belfast post message urging public to stay at home – video
| US to cut $1bn of Afghanistan aid over failure to agree unity government Posted: 23 Mar 2020 06:10 PM PDT Mike Pompeo suggests funding could be restored if President Ashraf Ghani and political rival Abdullah Abdullah reach deal The US has said it will cut its aid to Afghanistan by $1bn, blaming the failure of President Ashraf Ghani and his main political rival, Abdullah Abdullah, to agree on a unity government for talks with the Taliban. A further $1bn could be cut in 2021, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said after a surprise visit to Kabul on Monday failed to persuade the two men to make a deal. Pompeo suggested the aid could be restored if they changed their minds. Continue reading... |
| Libya’s refugees face being cut off from aid due to coronavirus Posted: 23 Mar 2020 11:00 PM PDT Fear of being left without money or food following suspension of some NGO activities adds to already desperate situation Hundreds of refugees forced to leave a UN-run centre in Libya earlier this year, including survivors of the Tajoura detention centre bombing, are among those worried about being cut off from aid in the coronavirus outbreak. Last week, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced it would suspend some activities in Libya, including work at a Tripoli community day centre and a registration centre where new arrivals can sign up for help. UNHCR will also stop making visits to detention centres until staff are given personal protective equipment, though a spokesperson said the agency will increase phone counselling and outreach to refugee community leaders. Both UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration have halted resettlement flights for refugees and migrants globally. Continue reading... |
| Salmond's acquittal could make him the SNP's biggest challenge Posted: 23 Mar 2020 11:00 PM PDT Nicola Sturgeon's party is now in the sights of its vindicated and emboldened ex-leader When Nicola Sturgeon addressed a private gathering of Scottish National party politicians at Edinburgh Napier University towards the end of August 2018 and little more than a week after the original sexual harassment allegations against her predecessor Alex Salmond were made public, she spoke frankly: "How we deal with this and how we are seen to respond to this will say a lot about who we are as a party and also about the country we are today and want to build for the future." Speaking outside the high court in Edinburgh on Monday afternoon following his acquittal on 13 charges of sexual assault, Alex Salmond suggested that the verdicts would ultimately say something very different about the SNP. He referred to "certain evidence I would like to have seen led in this trial", which would now "see the light of day". Sources close to the former first minister were already briefing his belief that Nicola Sturgeon herself played a role. Continue reading... |
| US newspapers appeal to China not to expel their reporters Posted: 24 Mar 2020 01:51 AM PDT New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal write open letter urging Beijing to revese decision Publishers of the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal have pleaded with the Chinese government not to expel their reporters, in an open letter published on Tuesday. Earlier this month at least 13 journalists from the three major US news houses were ordered to leave China in an unprecedented retaliation against foreign media working in the country. Continue reading... |
| 'Fright of her life': Gold Coast woman finds five-metre python on her doorstep Posted: 23 Mar 2020 05:24 PM PDT Queensland snake catcher says 80kg albino Burmese python found in Oxenford is the largest he has come across in 27 years As a seasoned snake catcher, Tony Harrison is used to the people the claiming there is a five-metre snake on their doorstep. But for the first time on Monday, the caller wasn't exaggerating. "This was the largest snake I have come across in 27 years," Harrison said. "The poor old lady who opened the front door to see it there got the fright of her life" Continue reading... |
| Colombian death squads exploiting coronavirus lockdown to kill activists Posted: 23 Mar 2020 04:26 PM PDT Three social leaders were killed last week after quarantine measures were introduced Death squads in Colombia are taking advantage of coronavirus lockdowns to murder rural activists, local NGOs have warned. Related: 'Staggering number' of human rights activists killed in Colombia, UN reports Continue reading... |
| Russia may delay Putin vote as coronavirus threatens political agenda Posted: 23 Mar 2020 05:48 AM PDT Vote allowing president to run for fifth or even sixth term likely to be rescheduled Russia may be forced to put off a public vote on amendments allowing Vladimir Putin to hold office potentially until 2036 as the coronavirus threatens to upend a busy political season in Russia. The Kremlin so far has not rescheduled the 22 April vote that was intended as a public endorsement for Putin's surprise plan to "reset" his term limits, allowing him to run for a fifth or even sixth term as president under a revised constitution. Continue reading... |
| Electric cars produce less CO2 than petrol vehicles, study confirms Posted: 23 Mar 2020 09:08 AM PDT Finding will come as boost to governments seeking to move to net zero carbon emissions Electric vehicles produce less carbon dioxide than petrol cars across the vast majority of the globe – contrary to the claims of some detractors, who have alleged that the CO2 emitted in the production of electricity and their manufacture outweighs the benefits. The finding is a boost to governments, including the UK, seeking to move to net zero carbon emissions, which will require a massive expansion of the electric car fleet. A similar benefit was found for electric heat pumps. Continue reading... |
| UK has multiple social rights failings, finds Council of Europe Posted: 23 Mar 2020 05:01 PM PDT Report points to breaches over age of criminal responsibility, migrants' rights and low pay The UK's low age of criminal responsibility, minimum pay rates for young teenagers and the failure to outlaw all forms of corporal punishment breach Council of Europe standards for social rights, according to its latest report. The body's annual review of each state's adherence to its social charter found that the UK was out of step with rights in six areas. Continue reading... |
| Fossil hunters find evidence of 555m-year-old human relative Posted: 23 Mar 2020 12:00 PM PDT Ikaria wariootia is half the size of a grain of rice and an early example of a bilateral organism It might not show much of a family resemblance but fossil hunters say a newly discovered creature, that looks like a teardrop-shaped jellybean and is about half the size of a grain of rice, is an early relative of humans and a vast array of other animals. The team discovered the fossils in rocks in the outback of South Australia that are thought to be at least 555m years old. Continue reading... |
| Drag Race's Michelle Visage: ‘Once you stop caring what people think, you’ll be free' Posted: 23 Mar 2020 11:00 PM PDT The reality show judge hustled for 30 years before RuPaul's show made her a star. She talks about the 80s New York club scene, why she won't call herself bisexual – and how Madonna stole her look Michelle Visage is, she says, a born hustler. Were you or I part of the 80s New York nightclub scene, we might have been swept away by the thrill of it all. But even at 17 – her mother had sent her a fake ID – Visage was there to work. "Fun was always involved," she says. "But I was there to show my wares." She wanted to get a record deal, and if that didn't happen, she says, "I'll be on Broadway. And if I can't be on Broadway, well, I'll get a movie. My dreams were ridiculous." She laughs. "But the beauty of being a child is being able to dream big." It paid off – for a while at least. At 19, Visage was in a girl band with a hit single. It only lasted a year, and for the next couple of decades she built a career as a host on US radio. It wasn't until her 40s (she's 51), that Visage became the star she had always planned to be, as a judge on the reality show that has become a phenomenon – RuPaul's Drag Race. In the UK, a stint on Celebrity Big Brother was followed last year by Strictly Come Dancing, the show that brought Visage to an even bigger mainstream audience. When we met, in a hotel suite, she was in London to start filming her own show for BBC Three, Get Off Your Ass, in which her no-nonsense advice is given to people who need a bit of a jolt. She was going to be hosting Drag Race's Werq the World tour, starring nine of the show's faces, but the dates have been pushed to later in the year. Continue reading... |
| Britons stranded in Bali call for UK evacuation flights as coronavirus cuts routes Posted: 23 Mar 2020 11:03 PM PDT Some travellers told they could be stuck for months because transit countries will not accept passengers from Indonesia British nationals stuck on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali are calling on the government to bring them home, saying they face the prospect of being trapped for months due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Two travellers told the Guardian they had tried to follow Foreign Office advice to return home immediately due to the escalating seriousness of the Covid-19 outbreak, only to arrive at Bali's Denpasar airport and be told they would not be able to board flights due to travel restrictions in countries through which they transit. Continue reading... |
| Coronavirus live news: UK wakes up to lockdown as Trump insists US will 'reopen' in weeks Posted: 24 Mar 2020 02:06 AM PDT Police to enforce UK lockdown; US president tells country not to blame Asian Americans; UN calls for global ceasefire; WHO says virus accelerating. Follow the latest updates
Vietnam closes Ho Chi Minh City restaurants to curb virus outbreak https://t.co/J8ll7LdSBW Restaurants in Vietnam's business hub, Ho Chi Minh City, must close until March 31 to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, the city's ruling body said on Tuesday, Reuters reports: Ho Chi Minh City has recorded 39 cases of the virus, most of which were imported from Europe, and has already closed cinemas, clubs, bars, massage parlours and karaoke lounges since the virus outbreak began. "All restaurants with a capacity of over 30 people across the 24 districts of the city must cease operations from 18:00 March 24, until the end of March 31," the city's ruling body said in a statement.
Indonesia on Tuesday confirmed 107 new coronavirus cases, the biggest daily increase to date in the South-east Asian country, bringing the total number of cases to 686, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said. Seven more people had died of the disease as of Tuesday, bringing the total number of deaths to 55, he said, adding 30 people had recovered from the virus. Continue reading... |
| Trump jokes with health official who mentions 'low grade fever' during coronavirus briefing — video Posted: 24 Mar 2020 12:34 AM PDT The US President, Donald Trump, jokingly moved away from the White House's coronavirus task force response coordinator, Dr Deborah Birx, after she mentioned her 'low grade fever'. Birx revealed she was tested for Covid-19, emphasising the need for personal responsibility to battle the coronavirus outbreak Continue reading... |
| How coronavirus stopped a 23,000km American odyssey Posted: 23 Mar 2020 11:00 PM PDT Martín Echegaray Davies was about to cross into Canada when Covid-19 stopped him in his tracks Nothing on his 23,000km (14,000-mile) walk across desert, jungle and mountains was going to stop Martín Echegaray Davies, 62, in his determination to walk from the southernmost tip of South America to Alaska. Nothing, that is, except for the closure of the US border with Canada amid efforts to contain the coronavirus. Since last Wednesday, the Argentinian adventurer has been holed up in a hotel room in Fargo North Dakota, after braving temperatures of -31C (-24F) as he headed up US Route 81 to Pembina, the last American city before the Canadian border – only to be turned back by the announcement that the crossing would be closed to "non-essential traffic". Continue reading... |
| Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should I see a doctor? Posted: 24 Mar 2020 01:48 AM PDT What are the symptoms caused by the Covid-19 virus, how does it spread, and should you call a doctor?
It is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has transferred to humans from animals. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared it a pandemic. Continue reading... |
| Decades-old drug in two Australian trials related to Covid-19 but experts urge caution Posted: 24 Mar 2020 02:05 AM PDT Health minister Greg Hunt has asked for an urgent briefing on hydroxychloroquine but it has been known to cause heart damage and toxicity The health minister Greg Hunt has asked for an urgent briefing about the clinical trial of a decades-old drug in the prevention of Covid-19, as countries race to find a way to prevent serious cases and slow the spread. But infectious disease experts have warned the drug, hydroxychloroquine, is far from proven as effective in treating Covid-19 and that it could take several months for results to be conclusive. In previous studies for other conditions, hydroxychloroquine has been shown to cause heart damage and toxicity. Continue reading... |
| Why the 'ignored war' in Libya will come to haunt a blinkered west Posted: 24 Mar 2020 12:00 AM PDT Europe seems unconcerned by the chaos smouldering on its doorstep, as the five-year-old conflict becomes world's main theatre of drone combat The most recent ally of Khalifa Haftar, the general who has been attacking the Libyan capital Tripoli since April last year, is Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. This union was formalised last week with the opening of a "Libyan embassy" in Damascus. The alarming partnership has been forged almost completely without comment. What happens with Libya no longer seems to concern anyone. It's as though the whole conflict has ceased to exist. Continue reading... |
| 'Everyone will be contaminated': prisons face strict coronavirus controls Posted: 23 Mar 2020 06:35 AM PDT New WHO guidelines are aimed at protecting one of the most vulnerable sectors of society from the spread of Covid-19 Prisons around the world can expect "huge mortality rates" from Covid-19 unless they take immediate action including screening for the disease, the World Health Organization has warned. All visitors to prisons along with staff and new admissions should be subject to airport-style temperature testing and health assessments at point of entry, the agency has recommended under new guidelines published today. Continue reading... |
| Can Trump be trusted not to abuse his coronavirus emergency powers? Posted: 23 Mar 2020 11:00 PM PDT Even the president's critics have urged him to use the full power of the federal government to tackle the pandemic but experts warn of potential dangers Standing in the Brady briefing room at the White House last week Donald Trump said that despite new restrictions on the number of journalists allowed in the room, there were still too many reporters around. "You're actually sitting too close," the president told the journalists. "We should probably get rid of about another 75, 80% of you. I have just two or three that I like in this room." Continue reading... |
| Trump's push to shorten the coronavirus shutdown proves the captain is flying blind | David Smith Posted: 23 Mar 2020 08:46 PM PDT To watch Trump is to witness the awesome and terrifying power of the American president over life and death – a burden he is unqualified to bear Due to social distancing, there were only two dozen or so reporters in the White House press briefing room on Monday, making it feel like a flight with numerous empty seats and lots of legroom. But when Donald Trump let rip for nearly two hours, it was as if the captain had announced a sudden whim to land the plane on water while wearing a blindfold. We sat tight for an unnerving journey. Continue reading... |
| Stuart Robert’s incompetence on MyGov should accelerate his own social isolation | Katharine Murphy Posted: 23 Mar 2020 07:55 PM PDT From fanning national anxiety with claims of a cyber-attack on MyGov, to a lack of empathy for the jobless, the government services minister has no grasp of the gravity of our times "It was heartbreaking stuff yesterday Alan." "Alan", naturally, is Alan Jones and our heartbreak town crier is Stuart Robert – the minister charged with rolling out government support to Australians knocked sideways courtesy of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 23 Mar 2020 02:45 PM PDT As borders close and social distancing increases, what are our responsibilities to the people who keep working? Amid coronavirus-induced stockpiling and empty supermarket shelves, politicians have been quick to assure us of the reliability of Australia's food supply systems. Writing for the Guardian last week, agriculture minister David Littleproud slammed "ridiculous" panic-buying, saying: "It is important to understand that Australian farmers produce enough food for 75 million people: three times what we need". Farmers, he continued, are "calmly going about the business of food production", "preparing to sow and pick their crops and making sure their produce makes it to market". Continue reading... |
| Police clear Rio's Copacabana beach after coronavirus lockdown - video Posted: 24 Mar 2020 01:37 AM PDT Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach has been left empty after it was closed by Brazilian authorities to halt the spread of coronavirus. Police have been asking people to leave the beach, while making loudspeaker announcements in English, Spanish and Portuguese asking people to remain indoors Continue reading... |
| Donald Trump dismisses coronavirus as a 'purely medical problem' – video Posted: 23 Mar 2020 08:44 PM PDT Despite a rising death toll, US president Donald Trump vows to 'open up our country' in a matter of weeks, not months, as the coronavirus crisis hits the economy. Trump raised concerns the 'cure' to the pandemic could be 'worse than the problem itself' as cities across the US go into lockdown. "It started out as a purely medical problem and it's not going to go beyond that,' he said. He also urged people not to blame Asian Americans for the outbreak, saying 'they are working closely with us to get rid of it'
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| 'Go home!': Italian mayors rage at coronavirus lockdown dodgers — video Posted: 23 Mar 2020 07:50 AM PDT Town, city and regional mayors across Italy are pleading with residents to stay indoors after witnessing people flouting the lockdown by going jogging, playing ping-pong and taking 'exhausted dogs' for long walks. The Italian government has banned any travel inside the country and closed all non-essential businesses as it desperately tries to stem the spread of coronavirus. This is what the mayors of Bari, Messina, Lucera, Gualdo Tadino, the governor of Campania, and the mayor of Reggio Calabria had to say Continue reading... |
| Spanish police sing to families during coronavirus lockdown in Mallorca – video Posted: 23 Mar 2020 06:45 AM PDT Police in Mallorca were seen playing guitar and singing to entertain families as they remain in a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The Spanish island will remain on lockdown after the government sought to extend the restrictions on movement until 11 April. One resident of the town of Algaida, Heidi Friedenberger, filmed the officers emerging from their car, singing a song and then leaving again, as neighbours watched on Continue reading... |
| Coronavirus: doctors and nurses in Belfast post message urging public to stay at home – video Posted: 23 Mar 2020 05:23 AM PDT Healthcare workers on the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak in Northern Ireland have made an appeal to the public. In a video, doctors and nurses from the Belfast trust respiratory team urge people to stay at home in order to save lives Continue reading... |
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