World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Global report: Covid cases pass 30m worldwide as Biden offers vaccine reality check
- Covid-19: UK test and trace 'barely functional' as 11 million face lockdown
- Jewish pilgrims blocked from entering Ukraine over Covid fears
- Israelis brace for unpopular second Covid lockdown
- Clues to scale of Xinjiang labour operation emerge as China defends camps
- 'Hail, gallant woman': Amy Dorris praised for coming forward with Trump assault allegation
- Coronavirus live news: UK health secretary won't rule out national lockdown; global cases pass 30m
- ‘Steady drumbeat of misinformation’: FBI chief warns of Russian interference in US elections
- Far right set to make gains as Italians vote in regional elections
- US moves to seize $330m of alleged 1MDB assets held by UK law firm
- Cheer star Jerry Harris arrested on charges of child sexual abuse images
- US accuses Hezbollah of stockpiling weapons and ammonium nitrate across Europe
- Lord of the Rings special effects company Weta Digital launches inquiry into toxic workplace claims
- Forrest Gump author Winston Groom dies aged 77
- Van Morrison criticises 'fascist bullies' in anti-lockdown Covid songs
- Alicia Keys: 'I was supposed to end up a prostitute or addicted to drugs'
- Aerial views of London: then and now – in pictures
- Burglars beware: tech pioneers aim to make south Africa's townships safer
- US election polls tracker: who is leading in the swing states?
- Silence reigns on the US-backed coup against Evo Morales in Bolivia
- Melbourne hotel quarantine failures could have been foreseen, inquiry hears
- Syrian teenage refugee homeless on Lesbos – despite having right to live in UK
- Staple food prices rise by 50% in Sudan amid economic strife, floods and Covid
- New Zealanders want small parties at the political table, but the system is stacked against them | Claire Robinson
- Which coronavirus measures are likely to work best in the UK?
- Why is Biden polling better than Clinton did?: Politics Weekly Extra podcast
- Trump signs order for 'patriotic education' as he rails against 'warped' American story – video
- Coronavirus: 'alarming rates of transmission' in Europe, says WHO – video
- 'The battle is not over': Hancock announces new Covid restrictions in north-east England – video
- Boris Johnson not considering second national lockdown, says health minister – video
- 'I feel sick, violated': former model alleges sexual assault by Donald Trump – video
| Global report: Covid cases pass 30m worldwide as Biden offers vaccine reality check Posted: 17 Sep 2020 10:12 PM PDT Global deaths nearing 1 million; Biden calls Trump virus response 'close to criminal; Europe infection rates 'alarming' The number of coronavirus cases worldwide passed 30 million on Friday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, as the World Health Organization said daily case numbers were growing at an "alarming rate" in Europe. The global death toll stands at 943,203 people and is expected to pass 1 million by 1 October. Continue reading... |
| Covid-19: UK test and trace 'barely functional' as 11 million face lockdown Posted: 18 Sep 2020 12:18 AM PDT With local lockdowns set to spread, report shows 90% of tests are failing to hit turnaround target The coronavirus test and trace system was condemned as "barely functional" today as its tsar admitted that demand was up to four times capacity, while 90% of tests were failing to hit the 24-hour turnaround target. The Guardian has seen documents showing tracers taking up to two weeks to contact friends, relatives and workmates of people diagnosed with Covid-19 – the entire length of the self-isolation period. Continue reading... |
| Jewish pilgrims blocked from entering Ukraine over Covid fears Posted: 17 Sep 2020 11:59 PM PDT Two thousand ultra-Orthodox Jews held at Belarus border after warnings not to travel Two thousand ultra-Orthodox Jews are being blocked by armed guards from entering Ukraine for an annual pilgrimage to a rabbi's grave, creating a makeshift camp at the country's border with Belarus. The men ignored warnings by the Ukrainian authorities not to travel after its borders closed at the end of last month in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. Continue reading... |
| Israelis brace for unpopular second Covid lockdown Posted: 17 Sep 2020 06:00 PM PDT President warns against 'finger-pointing' as country asks why virus containment efforts failed Israelis are preparing to enter a second national coronavirus lockdown on Friday, facing at least three weeks of tough restrictions that will upend a normally festive period filled with Jewish holidays. The cabinet released a full list of rules on Thursday, setting out a return to stringent measures Israelis had hoped were behind them when they endured a similar lockdown in spring. Continue reading... |
| Clues to scale of Xinjiang labour operation emerge as China defends camps Posted: 17 Sep 2020 11:14 PM PDT Beijing white paper says an average of 1.29 million workers a year have gone through 'vocational training' between 2014 and 2019 The Chinese Communist party government has defended its system of internment camps for Uighur and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, in a white paper that also revealed some details of the breadth of its labour program. In the document published on Thursday, Beijing called them "vocational training centres" , saying: "Through its proactive labor and employment policies, Xinjiang has continuously improved the people's material and cultural lives, and guaranteed and developed their human rights in every field." Continue reading... |
| 'Hail, gallant woman': Amy Dorris praised for coming forward with Trump assault allegation Posted: 18 Sep 2020 12:00 AM PDT Fellow accuser E Jean Carroll leads chorus of voices supporting former model A prominent American former magazine columnist who accused Donald Trump of raping her in the 1990s has joined a chorus of voices supporting the latest woman to accuse Trump of sexually assaulting her, Amy Dorris. Dorris, a former model and actor, said in a Guardian interview published on Thursday that Trump had forced his tongue down her throat and groped her at the 1997 US Open. Continue reading... |
| Coronavirus live news: UK health secretary won't rule out national lockdown; global cases pass 30m Posted: 18 Sep 2020 01:17 AM PDT Matt Hancock says country needs to recognise 'there is a serious challenge'; 'I don't trust the president on vaccines,' Joe Biden tells US voters
The Philippines' health ministry has reported 3,257 additional infections, marking the 11th straight day the country has recorded more than 3,000 daily cases, Reuters reports. In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases have increased to 279,526, most of which are in the capital, while deaths rose 47 to reach 4,830. The total number of reported COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has reached 279,526 on September 18, 2020.
Restaurants, pubs and other hospitality businesses could could be shut or asked to close early for a few weeks to stop a surge in coronavirus cases in England from getting out of control as part of a national "circuit break". The measures are being considered, according to the BBC's political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, as the number of cases of the virus is doubling every seven to eight days, with more than 3,300 new cases reported on Thursday. Related: 'Circuit break' plans for England to prevent new Covid lockdown Continue reading... |
| ‘Steady drumbeat of misinformation’: FBI chief warns of Russian interference in US elections Posted: 17 Sep 2020 11:54 AM PDT
Christopher Wray, the FBI director, on Thursday warned that Russia is interfering in the 2020 US presidential elections with a steady stream of misinformation aimed at undermining Democrat Joe Biden as well as sapping Americans' confidence in the election process. Moscow is also attempting to undercut what it sees as an anti-Russian US establishment, Wray told the Democratic-led House of Representatives' homeland security committee in a hearing on Capitol Hill. Continue reading... |
| Far right set to make gains as Italians vote in regional elections Posted: 17 Sep 2020 09:00 PM PDT Italian PM's popularity has dipped as national coalition faces its first test since the coronavirus outbreak Italians will vote in seven regional elections on Sunday and Monday – the first major electoral test for the fragile national coalition since the coronavirus outbreak – with the far right poised to make significant gains. While voters have mostly approved of prime minister Giuseppe Conte's handling of the pandemic, his popularity has waned in recent weeks as the government grappled with the reopening of schools and economic challenges. At the same time, the government's allies, the Five Star Movement (M5S) and Democratic party (PD), are weak at regional level compared with the tight-knit coalition led by the far-right former interior minister Matteo Salvini. Continue reading... |
| US moves to seize $330m of alleged 1MDB assets held by UK law firm Posted: 17 Sep 2020 10:00 PM PDT Department of Justice says money in Clyde & Co's account allegedly linked to Malaysian fraud scandal The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has moved to seize $330m (£256m) held in the bank account of a major London law firm which prosecutors allege is derived from the proceeds of one of the world's largest financial frauds. The DoJ has filed civil forfeiture proceedings against funds held by City firm Clyde & Co, which prosecutors said they have traced to an "international conspiracy" that allegedly laundered money stolen from the Malaysian state investment fund 1MDB. Continue reading... |
| Cheer star Jerry Harris arrested on charges of child sexual abuse images Posted: 17 Sep 2020 01:06 PM PDT Harris admitted during interview after FBI agents raided his home that he had asked teen to send him photos and videos Jerry Harris, the star of the Netflix documentary series Cheer, was arrested on Thursday on felony charges of production of child sexual abuse images. The arrest comes three days after twin boys filed a lawsuit alleging he sent them sexually explicit photos of himself and cornered one of them in a bathroom and begged for oral sex. Continue reading... |
| US accuses Hezbollah of stockpiling weapons and ammonium nitrate across Europe Posted: 17 Sep 2020 11:53 AM PDT State department's Nathan Sales says group 'represents clear and present danger to the US' and urges Europe to take tougher line The US has accused Hezbollah of storing caches of weapons and ammonium nitrate for use in explosives across Europe in recent years, with the alleged aim of preparing for future attacks ordered by Iran. The allegation was made by the state department's counterterrorism coordinator, Nathan Sales, who called on European countries to take a tougher line on the Tehran-backed Lebanese Shia political movement and militia. Continue reading... |
| Lord of the Rings special effects company Weta Digital launches inquiry into toxic workplace claims Posted: 18 Sep 2020 12:16 AM PDT Former staff allege Weta Digital's workplace culture included bullying, sexism and sharing of pornography Weta Digital, the special effects company behind the orcs, dragons and battle scenes of the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, has launched an independent investigation into allegations of a toxic work culture including sexism, bullying and pornography being shared on its intranet. The investigation was ordered by the company's majority owners, who include the director Peter Jackson, his wife, Fran Welsh, and screenwriter Phillipa Boyens. It followed a months-long investigation by local television station TVNZ that found complaints had been ignored by senior management at Weta Digital, and long-standing issues raised by staff had been covered up. Continue reading... |
| Forrest Gump author Winston Groom dies aged 77 Posted: 17 Sep 2020 10:41 PM PDT Tributes have been paid to the writer whose work was adapted into the film starring Tom Hanks that won six Oscars Tributes have been paid to Winston Groom, the author of the novel Forrest Gump, who has died aged 77. His work was adapted into a 1994 blockbuster film starring Tom Hanks. Forrest Gump was a cultural sensation and grossed more than $683m (£527m) at the global box office on its way to winning six Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor for Hanks. Continue reading... |
| Van Morrison criticises 'fascist bullies' in anti-lockdown Covid songs Posted: 18 Sep 2020 01:19 AM PDT Songwriter uses new material to condemn UK government, scientists and celebrities Van Morrison has described the British government as "fascist bullies disturbing our peace" in one of three new tracks he has written to protest against safety measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. On No More Lockdown, Morrison sings: Continue reading... |
| Alicia Keys: 'I was supposed to end up a prostitute or addicted to drugs' Posted: 17 Sep 2020 10:00 PM PDT With the release of a new album, the singer picks favourite tracks from her back catalogue and talks about the magic of working with Kanye West, surviving the tough streets of New York and her struggles with self-worth Musicians can be prone to false modesty or putting their achievements down to whatever spiritual energy is currently in fashion. There is none of that with Alicia Keys. "If you put me in a room, I will close the deal," she says, filling her hotel room with infectious CEO energy, all emphatic statements and eye contact. "But at the time I was bringing my music into the world, it was not on trend, at all. All the radio stations thought I was a 40-year-old jazz crooner. Meanwhile I was 19 with cornrows from Harlem." Nevertheless, in 2001 Keys closed the deal in living rooms across America with a career-making performance of her song Fallin on Oprah, a song that "was nothing like anything ever, not yesterday, today or tomorrow", says Keys. She has since won 15 Grammys across six albums, with a seventh, Alicia, out this week, having been postponed (like the publication of this interview) from a spring release by coronavirus. Almost 20 years ago, she risked upsetting purists by bringing modern drum programming into classic soul and jazz; by embracing a relatively demure image, she risked seeming old-fashioned. "None of my songs should have ever worked, to be honest," she says. These are some of her favourites that did anyway. Continue reading... |
| Aerial views of London: then and now – in pictures Posted: 18 Sep 2020 01:00 AM PDT Marking the 15-year anniversary of the New London Architecture galleries, the Changing Face of London revisits its 2005 exhibition to capture the transformation of the city's famous landmarks. Aerial photographer Jason Hawkes talks us through his images I have been photographing aerial views over London from helicopters for more than 25 years. I first flew in the capital when I was 22, and looking at images from then it is incredible how much some areas have changed. Battersea power station, River Thames, Battersea and Pimlico, 2005 and 2020 Continue reading... |
| Burglars beware: tech pioneers aim to make south Africa's townships safer Posted: 18 Sep 2020 12:30 AM PDT Innovative community alarm system provides solution in places where violent crime and theft have become endemic Ntsako Mgiba was sleeping at his aunt's place in eMalahleni (previously known as Witbank) in Mpumalanga province when thieves broke in and stole hundreds of pounds worth of laptops, smartphones and other tech. The next morning Mgiba followed the burglars' footprints – theirs was not the only home to be targeted. The police filed a report that afternoon, but any hope of tracking them down had gone. Crime is a fact of life across South Africa. But while richer residents have access to one of the world's largest private security industries – there are 2.57 security personnel for every police officer – poorer communities like that in eMalahleni, a town that leads the country in house break-ins, are left to fend for themselves. "In the townships you have burglar bars, dogs and lapsed alarm contracts," says Mgiba, explaining that a couple of big security firms have tried and failed to enter the market. Continue reading... |
| US election polls tracker: who is leading in the swing states? Posted: 18 Sep 2020 01:21 AM PDT As the presidential campaign heats up, the Guardian is tracking the latest polling in eight states that could decide the election Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump in the national polls for the presidential election. But that doesn't guarantee the Democratic candidate victory. Hillary Clinton also had a clear lead over Trump in the polls for almost the entire 2016 campaign. She ended up losing in the electoral college. Continue reading... |
| Silence reigns on the US-backed coup against Evo Morales in Bolivia Posted: 18 Sep 2020 01:00 AM PDT The Organization of American States had a key role in the destruction of the country's democracy last November Bolivia has descended into a nightmare of political repression and racist state violence since the democratically elected government of Evo Morales was overthrown by the military on 10 November last year. That month was the second-deadliest in terms of civilian deaths caused by state forces since Bolivia became a democracy nearly 40 years ago, according to a study by Harvard Law School's (HLS) International Human Rights Clinic and the University Network for Human Rights (UNHR) released a month ago. Morales was the first indigenous president of Bolivia, which has the largest percentage of indigenous population of any country in the Americas. His government was able to reduce poverty by 42% and extreme poverty by 60%, which disproportionately benefited indigenous Bolivians. The November coup was led by a white and mestizo elite with a history of racism, seeking to revert state power to the people who had monopolised it before Morales' election in 2005. The racist nature of the state violence is emphasised in the HLS/UNHR report, including eyewitness accounts of security forces using "racist and anti-indigenous language" as they attacked protesters; it is also clear from the fact that all of the victims of the two biggest massacres committed by state forces after the coup were indigenous. Continue reading... |
| Melbourne hotel quarantine failures could have been foreseen, inquiry hears Posted: 18 Sep 2020 01:38 AM PDT Counsel assisting inquiry into bungled program says risks could have been foreseen with 'appropriate' focus on health
The infection-control issues at two Melbourne quarantine hotels that ultimately led to Victoria's second wave of Covid-19 cases could have been foreseen with an "appropriate" focus on health, an inquiry has heard. Ahead of the final week of hearings for the quarantine hotel inquiry, where it is expected Victorian government ministers, heads of department and the premier, Daniel Andrews, will be grilled about their involvement with the bungled program, counsel assisting the inquiry, Rachel Ellyard laid out some of the potential findings the inquiry could make. Continue reading... |
| Syrian teenage refugee homeless on Lesbos – despite having right to live in UK Posted: 17 Sep 2020 05:30 AM PDT Labour urges Home Office to 'right this wrong' as Syrian teenager remains stranded in Greece despite legal right to join family "When I saw the smoke coming I didn't have the chance to get my backpack, I just ran. The fire was very close, I couldn't save anything, I lost all my documents. I just escaped through the forest." Ahmed looks nervously around as he talks about the catastrophe he has just lived through: the fire that destroyed the Moria refugee camp in Lesbos. Around him people are going about their daily lives in the island capital Mytilene, drinking coffee and chatting in the sunshine. But today the Syrian teenager is focused on the basics of survival. "Do you know where I can buy clothes?" he asks. It has been a week since the fire and he only has what he is wearing. Continue reading... |
| Staple food prices rise by 50% in Sudan amid economic strife, floods and Covid Posted: 17 Sep 2020 02:43 AM PDT Cost of sugar, bread and transport soar, while promised World Bank aid is yet to arrive Millions of people in Sudan are facing hardship as the cost of food and transport soars amid economic turmoil in the country. The cost of some staple foods like bread and sugar has increased by 50% over the past few weeks, driving inflation to a record high of 167%, up from 144% in July. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 17 Sep 2020 06:01 PM PDT In an election that sorely needs alternative voices, small parties face an impossibly steep climb to be seen or heard If you are a follower of New Zealand politics, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the 2020 general election is fundamentally a contest between New Zealand's two major parties, Labour and National. This is the 28th election they have been in the main ring together, and every government formed since 1935 has been led by one of them. Outside these two, there are 16 other political parties registered with the New Zealand Electoral Commission. Most, though not all, will be standing candidates and/or a list in this year's MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) election. The three "minor" parties will also context the vote – the Greens, New Zealand First and ACT – and those which have been in parliament before, like the Māori Party. But even in New Zealand, most voters would be hard pressed to name many, if any, of those remaining. Continue reading... |
| Which coronavirus measures are likely to work best in the UK? Posted: 17 Sep 2020 09:58 AM PDT We look at the strategies available to authorities and how effective they appear to be As Covid cases in the UK continue to rise, we take a look at measures that could be on the cards, and which might have the greatest effect. Continue reading... |
| Why is Biden polling better than Clinton did?: Politics Weekly Extra podcast Posted: 17 Sep 2020 09:00 PM PDT This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks with the Guardian's Washington DC bureau chief David Smith about why Joe Biden is seemingly doing better than Hillary Clinton did in the polls in 2016 This week, the question is: "Why is Biden polling better than Clinton did in 2016?" Polls don't necessarily determine who will win an election, as anyone who lived through the 2016 election knows – Democrats especially. However, it is noticeable that Joe Biden has had a consistent lead over Donald Trump for the last 12 months and that when polls are averaged out, he is 6.2% ahead. Around the same time in 2016, Hillary Clinton's lead over Trump was just 1%. So, what is causing this bump in numbers for Biden? Continue reading... |
| Trump signs order for 'patriotic education' as he rails against 'warped' American story – video Posted: 17 Sep 2020 07:54 PM PDT Donald Trump has signed an executive order to promote "patriotic education" as he railed against what he called "left-wing" ideology taught in schools that is "ripping apart" friends and families. Speaking at the National Archives, Trump said "The left has warped, distorted, and defiled the American story," and children should know "they are citizens of the most exceptional nation in the history of the world". The president was quickly condemned for attempts to restrict the telling of American history in schools to erase a legacy of racism, genocide and imperialism Continue reading... |
| Coronavirus: 'alarming rates of transmission' in Europe, says WHO – video Posted: 17 Sep 2020 11:36 AM PDT The World Health Organization has warned of 'alarming' transmission rates of Covid-19 in Europe, an increase on June, when the curve had been flattened. More than half of European countries reported increases of 10% or more during the past two weeks, while infections more than doubled over the same 14-day period in seven countries
|
| 'The battle is not over': Hancock announces new Covid restrictions in north-east England – video Posted: 17 Sep 2020 05:26 AM PDT Nearly 2 million people in north-east England will be banned from mixing with other families, under the strictest measures imposed since the country eased out of nationwide lockdown. The restrictions include a 10pm curfew on nightlife. The health secretary, Matt Hancock, announced the measures following a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the north-east and amid growing concern about a UK-wide rise in cases. 'With winter on the horizon, we must prepare, bolster our defences and come together once again against this common foe,' he said. The rules will apply to people in Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead, County Durham and Sunderland Continue reading... |
| Boris Johnson not considering second national lockdown, says health minister – video Posted: 17 Sep 2020 03:59 AM PDT Edward Argar denied the government is considering a two-week national lockdown, after a London-based former World Health Organization expert said the coronavirus infection rate could be nearing 38,000 a day. Argar said there was 'speculation in the press' that a new lockdown would be necessary to contain a rapid rise in infections, but said the prime minister did not want such tough measures to be reimposed nationally Continue reading... |
| 'I feel sick, violated': former model alleges sexual assault by Donald Trump – video Posted: 17 Sep 2020 02:45 AM PDT Amy Dorris alleges she was sexually assaulted by Donald Trump in 1997, when she was 24. Speaking publicly about the alleged incident for the first time, the former model claims Trump grabbed her as she came out of the bathroom of his VIP box at the US Open tennis event, forced his tongue down her throat and held her in a grip from which she could not escape. Trump's lawyers said he denied in the strongest possible terms having ever harassed, abused or behaved improperly toward Dorris Continue reading... |
| You are subscribed to email updates from World news | The Guardian. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Posting Komentar