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- Josiane Ekoli was a brilliant nurse and mother of five. Would the right PPE have saved her life?
- South Korea warns it is on brink of new Covid crisis as church linked to outbreak
- Hotel quarantine linked to 99% of Victoria's Covid cases, inquiry told
- Worker at New Zealand quarantine hotel tests positive for Covid-19
- China's Xi Jinping facing widespread opposition in his own party, insider claims
- 'It is what it is': Michelle Obama picks Trump apart in gripping DNC speech
- Coronavirus live news: Jacinda Ardern says Trump's 'patently wrong' on New Zealand's Covid cases
- Loo with a view: transparent public toilets installed in Tokyo parks
- Gavin Williamson refuses to back Ofqual head after exam results U-turn
- China unveils 'Sky Thunder' weapons system amid growing tensions with Taiwan
- Three top producers 'part ways' with Ellen show after internal investigation
- Canada finance minister resigns amid charity scandal and reports of tensions with Trudeau
- Black Met inspector stopped by police while driving home from work
- Boy thrown from Tate Modern returns home for a weekend
- Whole of Sri Lanka hit by power blackout
- Life after deportation: 'No one tells you how lonely you're going to be'
- UK coronavirus live: Gavin Williamson says he will remain in post despite exams fiasco
- Belarusians are speaking as one: Alexander Lukashenko's time is up | David Kurkovskiy
- 'We put our lives in danger for the British': the forgotten African soldiers – in pictures
- Michelle Obama's DNC speech – full transcript
- Dollar stores return to Cuba as pandemic destroys tourism revenue
- Photo of Chinese ambassador to Kiribati walking across backs of locals ‘misinterpreted’
- Cold weather, rain and damaging winds to slam south-eastern Australia
- By delaying the New Zealand election Jacinda Ardern appears magnanimous and conciliatory | Bryce Edwards
- Kasich among anti-Trump Republicans backing Joe Biden at DNC – video
- Michelle Obama: the former first lady's DNC speech in full – video
- 'Big surge': Trump angers New Zealand with coronavirus comments – video
- 'In over his head': Michelle Obama delivers rebuke of Trump in DNC speech – video
- Bernie Sanders slams Trump at DNC: 'Nero fiddled while Rome burned. The president golfs' – video
- Kristin Urquiza blames Trump for her father's coronavirus death in DNC speech – video
- Democratic national convention: Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders among speakers – watch in full
| Josiane Ekoli was a brilliant nurse and mother of five. Would the right PPE have saved her life? Posted: 17 Aug 2020 10:00 PM PDT As the government made excuses for not providing adequate equipment, Josiane refused to stop caring for the Covid-19 patients who needed her. Soon she was admitted to the ICU, too After a busy night shift at the hospital, there was nothing the nurse Josiane Ekoli liked to do more than come home and wake up her sleeping children. Her 22-year-old son, Kenan, a finance worker, got the worst of it, because his bedroom was the closest to the front door. "Oh my days," Kenan groans. "Every day, I'm hearing my name, without a doubt. She's screaming my name. Kenan! Kenan! She knew I hated being woken up." On Saturday mornings, when Josiane had not come off a night shift, she had a routine: at about 9am, she would blast gospel music through the house. If that did not get her children up – she had five, but two of her sons had moved out – she would go into their rooms and start talking to them. At them, really. "Sometimes, she woke me up just to talk," says Kenan. "I'd say: 'Mum, couldn't you wait until I was awake to have this conversation?'" Continue reading... |
| South Korea warns it is on brink of new Covid crisis as church linked to outbreak Posted: 18 Aug 2020 12:11 AM PDT More than 400 infections traced to Seoul church, whose leader has tested positive South Korea has warned that it is on the brink of a new coronavirus crisis and could introduce stricter controls after a resurgence in cases, including hundreds linked to a church in Seoul. The country reported 246 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, raising its total to 15,761, including 305 deaths, according to the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention [KCDC]. Continue reading... |
| Hotel quarantine linked to 99% of Victoria's Covid cases, inquiry told Posted: 17 Aug 2020 10:15 PM PDT Dr Charles Alpren confirms more than 90% of cases since the end of May are linked to Rydges and almost all the others to Stamford Plaza
The vast majority of the cases of Covid-19 in Victoria can be traced back to a single family that returned to Australia in mid-May who were kept in hotel quarantine at the Rydges Hotel, an inquiry has heard. The Australian Defence Force has also confirmed that an offer of personnel for hotel quarantine was specifically made to all states and territories. Continue reading... |
| Worker at New Zealand quarantine hotel tests positive for Covid-19 Posted: 17 Aug 2020 07:26 PM PDT New case is not linked to main outbreak in Auckland, which has so far infected 69 people A new case of Covid-19 separate from the main cluster has been confirmed in New Zealand, with the infected person identified as a maintenance worker in a quarantine hotel in Auckland. On Tuesday, 13 new cases were confirmed, with 12 relating to the Auckland cluster, which now numbers 69 in total. Continue reading... |
| China's Xi Jinping facing widespread opposition in his own party, insider claims Posted: 18 Aug 2020 12:31 AM PDT Exclusive: Cai Xia, who has been expelled from the elite Central Party School, says president's 'unchecked power' has made China 'the enemy of the world' A former professor at China's elite Central Party School has issued an unprecedented rebuke of the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, accusing him of "killing a country" and claiming that many more want out of the ruling Chinese Communist party. Cai Xia, a prominent professor who taught at the school for top officials, was expelled from the party on Monday after an audio recording of remarks she made that were critical of Xi was leaked online in June. The school said in a notice that Cai, a professor at the party school since 1992, had made comments that "damaged the country's reputation" and were full of "serious political problems". Continue reading... |
| 'It is what it is': Michelle Obama picks Trump apart in gripping DNC speech Posted: 17 Aug 2020 05:10 PM PDT The former first lady sharply contrasted Joe Biden's competency and character with that of the president Michelle Obama eviscerated Donald Trump during her keynote speech at the opening night of the virtual Democratic convention, accusing him of being the "wrong president for our country" and "clearly in over his head". In her most political address and her most pointed criticism of Trump to date, the former first lady called on Americans to "vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it" in the November election. Continue reading... |
| Coronavirus live news: Jacinda Ardern says Trump's 'patently wrong' on New Zealand's Covid cases Posted: 18 Aug 2020 02:13 AM PDT Trump described NZ's 'terrible' surge, despite 90 active cases in country; Ibiza to ban pool parties, as Spain infections surge. Follow the latest
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that Covid-19 is now being spread mainly by people in their 20s, 30s and 40s who may be unaware they are infected, potentially transmitting the disease to more vulnerable groups. In a virtual briefing, WHO's Western Pacific regional director Takeshi Kasai said: The epidemic is changing... People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are increasingly driving the spread. Many are unaware they are infected. This increases the risk of spillovers to the more vulnerable.
Indonesia has reported 1,673 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian nation to 143,043, data from the country's health ministry showed. The data recorded an additional 70 deaths, taking the total to 6,277. Continue reading... |
| Loo with a view: transparent public toilets installed in Tokyo parks Posted: 17 Aug 2020 09:14 PM PDT Amenities designed so prospective users can inspect their cleanliness from the outside It sounds like the worst kind of anxiety dream – a public toilet cubicle that appears to offer the promise of blessed relief, but which on closer inspection turns out to be entirely see-through. That, though, is the design feature behind several toilets that recently opened in public parks in Tokyo. Continue reading... |
| Gavin Williamson refuses to back Ofqual head after exam results U-turn Posted: 18 Aug 2020 01:52 AM PDT Education secretary says only that Sally Collier has 'worked hard in her position' Gavin Williamson has refused to personally back the head of Ofqual, Sally Collier, after the A-level grades fiasco led to a humiliating government U-turn. In a morning round of interviews, the education secretary said Collier – who has not spoken publicly since students' results were published last Thursday – had worked hard in her position as head of the exams regulator. Continue reading... |
| China unveils 'Sky Thunder' weapons system amid growing tensions with Taiwan Posted: 17 Aug 2020 11:51 PM PDT The 500kg missile system was revealed days after the highest-level US visit to Taiwan in four decades A new Chinese weapons system has been unveiled on state media amid growing tensions with Taiwan and the US. Chinese state TV ran reports over the weekend about the Tianlei 500, which translates as Sky Thunder, a 500kg precision-guided munitions dispenser and air-to surface missile. The Tianlei can carry six types of submunitions and attack different targets, a senior engineer said in the report. Continue reading... |
| Three top producers 'part ways' with Ellen show after internal investigation Posted: 17 Aug 2020 06:50 PM PDT Departures come amid backstage turmoil and complaints of bullying, racism and sexual misconduct against three producers Three top producers on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show have exited the popular television talkshow, Warner Bros said on Monday, after an internal investigation into complaints of bullying, racism and sexual misconduct against them. A spokesperson for Warner Bros, which produces the show, on Monday said that three senior producers had "parted ways" with the show. Continue reading... |
| Canada finance minister resigns amid charity scandal and reports of tensions with Trudeau Posted: 17 Aug 2020 08:11 PM PDT Opposition parties have called for Bill Morneau's resignation over allegations he had a conflict of interest Canada's finance minister has announced his resignation amid reports of differences with prime minister Justin Trudeau over spending to protect the economy during the coronavirus pandemic and allegations of conflict of interest. Bill Morneau said he is leaving politics and has put his name forward as a candidate to lead the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Continue reading... |
| Black Met inspector stopped by police while driving home from work Posted: 18 Aug 2020 12:44 AM PDT Charles Ehikioya, who has served for 22 years, says he was racially profiled A black police inspector has complained to the Metropolitan police about racial harassment after two white officers stopped him while he was driving. Insp Charles Ehikioya recorded the incident, which happened as he returned from work in south London on 23 May, the BBC reported. Continue reading... |
| Boy thrown from Tate Modern returns home for a weekend Posted: 17 Aug 2020 11:33 PM PDT French child, aged six when attacked in London, is able to walk a little and has started trying to sing A French boy who was thrown from the Tate Modern viewing platform in London while on holiday has been able to enjoy a weekend at home away from medical care, his parents have said. The boy was aged six when Jonty Bravery threw him from the visitor attraction gantry last August. Continue reading... |
| Whole of Sri Lanka hit by power blackout Posted: 17 Aug 2020 05:00 PM PDT Water supply and road traffic disrupted for seven hours after main power station suffers 'technical issue' The entire nation of Sri Lanka was left without power on Monday for seven hours after a failure at a key electricity facility. Power minister Dullas Alahapperuma said an unspecified "technical issue" at the Kerawalapitiya power complex just outside the capital Colombo was the cause of the blackout, which hit the entire nation of 21 million people at about midday. Continue reading... |
| Life after deportation: 'No one tells you how lonely you're going to be' Posted: 17 Aug 2020 10:00 PM PDT The Windrush scandal brought the cruelty of Britain's deportation policies to light, but the practice continues to this day – and shockingly, it is made possible by UK aid money. By Luke de Noronha Sitting in the computer room of Open Arms drop-in centre, a homeless shelter in Kingston, Jamaica, I turned on my recorder and asked Jason to tell me about his life there. In his distinct east London accent, he described arguments and fights with other residents – about chores, use of the showers, missing possessions. Then, checking no one was around, he complained about the management, claiming that they spoke to him like a child and had threatened to kick him out. Nor did he feel safe when he left the shelter. "People are trying to kill me down here. I need to get back to England," he said. But having been deported from the UK, and finding himself destitute in Jamaica, he had few options. Jason had been exiled home. Jason was born in 1984 in Kingston. When he was about five, his mother and grandmother moved to the UK, and so for most of his childhood he was raised by his aunties in Kingston. He had a good childhood in Jamaica. For his wider family, though, the option to move to the UK was viewed as "the dream ticket", and so, in August 2000, when he was 15, Jason and his 13-year-old brother were put on a flight to London to join their mother. (The official story was that they were just planning to visit their grandmother for a few weeks.) This was the first time Jason had ever been on a plane, and it remains the only commercial flight he has taken. Continue reading... |
| UK coronavirus live: Gavin Williamson says he will remain in post despite exams fiasco Posted: 18 Aug 2020 02:31 AM PDT Education secretary plans to keep role 'for coming year' and tries to blame Ofqual as students scramble for university places
New data released by consultancy firm Kantar suggests that while shoppers are returning to supermarkets, they are spending less on each trip than before. There is an upside, though, for healthy options like vitamins and herbal tea, and, er, booze. PA reports: Morrisons was the biggest winner among the Big Four - alongside Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda - in the 12 weeks to August 9. Asda saw the biggest fall in share of customers, according to Kantar. Customers spent 9.7 billion over the past four weeks, the lowest level since February, although this is higher than pre-pandemic levels with restaurants and the hospitality sector remaining significantly subdued.
Guardian columnist Frances Ryan argues that the exams fiasco "is simply a blown-up version of the reality we've long known: working-class kids work hard and too often get tossed away, while private-school families buy their way in". She goes on: Just look at how the exam crisis is being discussed. The focus in much of the media has been on A* students missing out on a place at Oxbridge (perhaps in part because much of the media followed this route themselves) with barely any attention on working-class teenagers who hoped to go straight into employment or on the fact that the proportion of people awarded grade C and above fell most in deprived areas. Even the supposedly comforting claim that "exams don't matter" is steeped in privilege. It is easy to say grades are irrelevant if you have parents with connections and a flat in London, but considerably harder if you're at your local comp in a low-income town. Related: The real problem is that England's education system rewards the rich | Frances Ryan Continue reading... |
| Belarusians are speaking as one: Alexander Lukashenko's time is up | David Kurkovskiy Posted: 18 Aug 2020 12:00 AM PDT More than a week after a sham election, public rage has not died down "And what is it, what is it that they want / Centuries despised: those deaf, blind ones? / To be called people." These words by Janka Kupala, Belarus's national poet, published in the early 1900s, have come to mind in recent days as protests have rippled through the nation. Twenty-six years after Alexander Lukashenko came to power in the Republic of Belarus' first and last democratic elections – almost immediately stripping the country of any ambitions to recover its national language, democratic process or historic myths and symbols after more than 70 years under the Soviet yoke – Belarus and Belarusians are seeing for the first time a fighting chance at meaningful politics and civic rights. Make no mistake, a people once described as the "dark, despised ones" (ciomny, pahardžany narod) have crossed a point of no return. Olga Shparaga, a leading Belarusian political philosopher (whom I work alongside at the European College of Liberal Arts), described the emotions of fellow protesters in a phone conversation last Wednesday morning: "People are completely infuriated, ready to go wherever they need. This is not the time to think, but to act." The protests followed the sham election on 9 August: the election commission gave Lukashenko approximately 80% of the vote when in all likelihood the main opposition actually won by a landslide. Unable to take these lies any longer, Belarusians took to the polling stations and streets in peaceful protest, only to be brutally attacked, gassed and shot at by riot police. Continue reading... |
| 'We put our lives in danger for the British': the forgotten African soldiers – in pictures Posted: 17 Aug 2020 04:59 AM PDT 90,000 Africans fought the Japanese in Myanmar on behalf of Britain in the second world war. Feelings are mixed in the few remaining survivors about being sent by a colonial power to fight a battle that wasn't theirs Continue reading... |
| Michelle Obama's DNC speech – full transcript Posted: 18 Aug 2020 02:27 AM PDT The former first lady's remarks as prepared for delivery from the opening night of the Democratic national convention Good evening, everyone. It's a hard time, and everyone's feeling it in different ways. And I know a lot of folks are reluctant to tune in to a political convention right now or to politics in general. Believe me, I get that. But I am here tonight because I love this country with all my heart, and it pains me to see so many people hurting. I've met so many of you. I've heard your stories. And through you, I have seen this country's promise. And thanks to so many who came before me, thanks to their toil and sweat and blood, I've been able to live that promise myself. Continue reading... |
| Dollar stores return to Cuba as pandemic destroys tourism revenue Posted: 18 Aug 2020 02:00 AM PDT The communist government has been forced to allow citizens to spend US currency at special shops, formalising a split between haves and have-nots On Paseo del Prado, a boulevard in Havana's colonial district, dozens of people waited expectantly as the staff raised the shutters to open a tatty but revamped shop. Soon after, Alejandro Domínguez, 23, emerged, brandishing meatballs and a giant tin of chopped tomatoes he had just bought with US currency left as tourist tips at his family's restaurant. "This is a way to get products you can't find elsewhere," he said. Continue reading... |
| Photo of Chinese ambassador to Kiribati walking across backs of locals ‘misinterpreted’ Posted: 18 Aug 2020 01:25 AM PDT Image criticised as emblematic of China's rising influence in Pacific, but i-Kiribati say practice is part of traditional welcoming ceremony A photo reportedly showing the Chinese ambassador to Kiribati walking on peoples' backs as part of an island welcoming ceremony has ignited debate about outsider interpretation of local custom, as well as geopolitical argument about China's rising influence across the Pacific. The Chinese ambassador Tang Songgen visited the island of Marakei earlier this month. Continue reading... |
| Cold weather, rain and damaging winds to slam south-eastern Australia Posted: 18 Aug 2020 02:26 AM PDT Wintry blast pushing through South Australia expected to reach Victoria, Tasmania and NSW on Wednesday, with possible snow flurries in Queensland on Saturday Wintry weather is forecast to return to much of south-eastern Australia as a series of cold fronts move across the country. The Bureau of Meteorology issued severe weather warnings for South Australia on Tuesday and warnings were in place for damaging winds in Victoria and New South Wales on Wednesday. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 17 Aug 2020 04:10 AM PDT Keeping the date while her own party's polling was sky-high would have looked like self-interest; instead she has been praised for her leadership At its heart, democracy is about participation. And yet, there have been serious questions about the quality and quantity of public engagement expected in this year's general election, given the Covid-19 crisis overshadowing everything at the moment in New Zealand. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern has therefore made the right decision to delay the election by a month. Voter turnout has been trending downwards in recent decades, hitting a low point in 2011 of only 69.6% of eligible voters. It's plausible that in 2020 it could drop below even this. If the election were still to be held in just a few weeks, as originally scheduled, this would have been especially possible. Continue reading... |
| Kasich among anti-Trump Republicans backing Joe Biden at DNC – video Posted: 18 Aug 2020 02:04 AM PDT Prominent Republican John Kasich stepped across party lines for Joe Biden on Monday, the opening night of a Democratic national convention showcasing the broad coalition arrayed against Donald Trump. 'I'm a lifelong Republican, but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country,' he said. 'We're being taken down the wrong road by a president who has pitted one against the other.' Other Republicans on the speakers list included the former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman and the Quibi chief executive, Meg Whitman. They spoke in favour of Biden on various issues including women's rights and the economy Continue reading... |
| Michelle Obama: the former first lady's DNC speech in full – video Posted: 18 Aug 2020 01:55 AM PDT The former first lady Michelle Obama launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump and urged US citizens to elect Democrat Joe Biden in November to end what she said had been chaos during the last four years. In an impassioned speech capping the first night of the Democratic national convention, Obama said Trump 'has had enough time to prove that he can do the job' but that he had failed to meet the moment in a country reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, economic turmoil and racial injustice. Continue reading... |
| 'Big surge': Trump angers New Zealand with coronavirus comments – video Posted: 18 Aug 2020 12:30 AM PDT Donald Trump has called out New Zealand for its recent Covid-19 outbreak, saying places once hailed as a success story in the pandemic are now facing a 'big surge' in cases. However, New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said there was 'no comparison' between the situation in her country and that in in the US
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| 'In over his head': Michelle Obama delivers rebuke of Trump in DNC speech – video Posted: 17 Aug 2020 11:01 PM PDT The former first lady Michelle Obama has delivered a searing rebuke of Donald Trump, arguing the president is incapable of leading the country during this moment of crisis. "If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it," Obama said. The pre-taped speech attracted widespread praise, with many Democrats saying Obama offered an eloquent and urgent call to action. Continue reading... |
| Bernie Sanders slams Trump at DNC: 'Nero fiddled while Rome burned. The president golfs' – video Posted: 17 Aug 2020 10:59 PM PDT In his convention remarks, the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders strongly urged his supporters to vote for Joe Biden in the November election, warning that Trump represents a severe threat to US democracy. "Our great nation is now living in an unprecedented moment," Sanders said, describing this election as the "most important in the modern history of this country" Continue reading... |
| Kristin Urquiza blames Trump for her father's coronavirus death in DNC speech – video Posted: 17 Aug 2020 09:06 PM PDT Urquiza, whose father died from coronavirus, addressed the Democratic convention to condemn Trump's efforts to downplay the threat posed by the virus. Urquiza said her father, Mark Anthony Urquiza, voted for Trump in 2016, and he listened to the president when it came to coronavirus Continue reading... |
| Democratic national convention: Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders among speakers – watch in full Posted: 17 Aug 2020 06:44 PM PDT Democrats kick off a four-day virtual convention with a display of party unity for Joe Biden and the broad coalition aiming to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November. Biden's top primary rival, Bernie Sanders, and the former first lady Michelle Obama will headline a parade of speakers appearing from around the US to make a virtual case for a Biden presidency, organizers said Continue reading... |
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