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Conservative US supreme court justices suggest Obamacare will be upheld
Johnson's Biden win tweet contains hidden Trump congratulations
US postal worker recants voter-fraud claims after Republicans call for inquiry – reports
Hong Kong opposition lawmakers all quit after four members ousted
Coronavirus live news: countries scramble to secure vaccine doses as Russia reports record daily deaths
Britney Spears will not perform again if her father is in charge of her career, lawyer argues
UK trade department faces race to get £80bn of trade agreements ratified
New species of primate identified in Myanmar – and is already endangered
Mads Mikkelsen lined up to replace Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts 3
Spanish statue bodge-up is a new rival to Borja's Monkey Christ
First murder hornet nest found to have 200 queens capable of spawning new nests
Treasure trove of Nasa photos including first selfie in space up for auction
Who's a clever dog? Canine 'genius challenge' to be livestreamed
Seventh straight day of 100,000 new US Covid cases as hospitalizations hit a high point
Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine poses global logistics challenge
6 key questions about the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine
Covid: Totnes concerns reflect UK-wide rise in conspiracy theories
Joan Armatrading: 'I want to make a heavy metal album – with lots of guitar shredding'
How 2020 transformed big tech: the story of Facebook, QAnon and the world’s slackening grip on reality
'She made music jump into 3D': Wendy Carlos, the reclusive synth genius
Guardian readers on the election result: 'The hopes of a nation rest in good hands'
Siena Castellon: 'Autistic people are really struggling with how uncertain things are'
Five post-Trump obstacles to a global green recovery
Austerity left north of England more vulnerable to Covid, report says
The life and death of White Helmets' founder James Le Mesurier
Gunmen shoot dead female Libyan dissident in busy Benghazi street
US election 2020: Biden says denying result 'will not help Trump's legacy' – live updates
'Everything buried in mud': Hurricane Eta's devastating blow to Honduras
Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case: ex-soldier ordered to hand over war crimes inquiry documents
UN warns of impact of smart borders on refugees: ‘Data collection isn't apolitical’
Lessons via loudspeaker: the students studying across India's digital divide
Mexico police open fire on femicide protest in Cancún
Inquiry launched into EU commission's protection of migrants at Croatia border
Nagorno-Karabakh peace deal reshapes regional geopolitics
One week on: how Trump handled losing the US election – video report
'An embarrassment': Biden responds to Trump's refusal to concede election – video
Biden calls Trump's behavior 'embarrassing' as Pompeo dismisses election result – video
'We are already beginning the transition': Biden and Harris defend Obamacare – video
Trump, McCain, Bush and Carter: different reactions to bad election results – video
Can Joe Biden and Kamala Harris unite America after Trump? – video explainer
Peruvians take to the streets to protest against president's ousting – video

Conservative US supreme court justices suggest Obamacare will be upheld

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:48 AM PST

Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts indicated law could be upheld even if court deems one part of it unconstitutional

Two conservative supreme court justices have suggested the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could be upheld, as oral arguments began in a suit backed by the Trump administration which threatens the healthcare of millions amid a global pandemic.

Johnson's Biden win tweet contains hidden Trump congratulations

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 05:19 AM PST

Overwritten image suggests No 10 was uncertain about US presidential election victor until late in the process

Downing Street's congratulatory message to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on winning the US presidential election contains a hidden message congratulating Donald Trump for winning a second term in office.

The message, posted on Twitter as an image a few hours after the US TV networks called the election for Biden, congratulates the president-elect on his election, and Harris "on her historic achievement".

US postal worker recants voter-fraud claims after Republicans call for inquiry – reports

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 07:26 PM PST

Democrats on House oversight committee say worker retracted allegations in interview with investigators

A postal worker whose allegations of ballot tampering are the basis of Republican calls for investigations has reportedly recanted his story.

Hong Kong opposition lawmakers all quit after four members ousted

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:43 AM PST

Outrage after Beijing imposes new law allowing disqualification of 'unpatriotic' legislators

Hong Kong plunged further into crisis on Wednesday as a new law imposed by Beijing allowing the disqualification of "unpatriotic" opposition members prompted the entire pro-democracy caucus to announce their resignation.

Four sitting legislators were disqualified with immediate effect, with the move heralded as the end of political opposition in the city and "the death knell of Hong Kong's democracy fight".

Coronavirus live news: countries scramble to secure vaccine doses as Russia reports record daily deaths

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:49 AM PST

Russia reports record high of 432 new deaths; governments race to secure vaccine doses; US sees record hospitalisations

10.39am GMT

France is doubling the number of intensive care (ICU) beds to cope with the second wave of Covid-19 patients.

Before the first wave in March/April, France was estimated to have an intensive care capacity of around 5,000 ICU beds.

10.13am GMT

Ian Jones, professor of virology at the University of Reading, has cautiously welcomed news of the Russian Sputnik vaccine. He said:

The Sputnik data is yet more good news for Covid-19 vaccine development. Although based on fewer cases than the recent Pfizer data, the vaccine looks as efficient and, like the Pfizer data, confirms and extends the earlier phase 2 results. We still need to know about the longevity of the response and the efficiency in different age groups, but the result bodes well for the other trials currently in progress and for having enough vaccine in geographically diverse regions to enable a comprehensive vaccination program on a global scale."

Britney Spears will not perform again if her father is in charge of her career, lawyer argues

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 07:08 PM PST

LA judge Brenda Penny declines to suspend James Spears from his role in the court conservatorship that has controlled his daughter's life for 12 years

Britney Spears is afraid of her father and will not resume her career so long as he has power over it, her attorney said in court on Tuesday.

Los Angeles superior court judge Brenda Penny declined to suspend James Spears from his central role in the court conservatorship that has controlled his daughter's life and career for 12 years, as Britney Spears' attorney Samuel D Ingham III requested at the contentious hearing. But the judge said she would consider future petitions for his suspension or outright removal, which Ingham plans to file.

UK trade department faces race to get £80bn of trade agreements ratified

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 12:08 PM PST

Deals to ensure UK can go on trading with non-EU countries after Brexit transition must be laid before MPs by Wednesday

Liz Truss's Department for International Trade (DIT) is scrambling to meet a Wednesday deadline for tabling £80bn of trade agreements before parliament, in time for them to come into force in January under standard procedures.

Truss's department has signed a string of "continuity agreements" to ensure the UK can go on trading with non-EU countries on similar terms, when the Brexit transition period comes to an end on 31 December.

New species of primate identified in Myanmar – and is already endangered

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 01:38 AM PST

Popa Langur, numbering only 200-250 in the wild and at risk of extinction, was genetically identified from London museum sample

In a rare find, scientists have identified a new species of primate, a lithe tree-dweller living in the forests of central Myanmar with a mask-like face framed by a shock of unruly grey hair.

The Popa langur – named for an extinct volcano home to its largest population, some 100 individuals – has been around for at least a million years, according to a study detailing the find, published on Wednesday in Zoological Research.

Mads Mikkelsen lined up to replace Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts 3

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:00 AM PST

The Danish actor is reportedly first in line to play 'dark wizard' Gellert Grindelwald in the third Harry Potter prequel

Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen is set to replace Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3, it has been reported.

According to Deadline, Mikkelsen is in talks to join the cast of the third instalment of the JK Rowling-scripted fantasy series, which had been derailed by the failure of Depp's libel action against the Sun. Depp said he had been "asked to resign" by Warner Bros, the producing studio, and had left the project.

Spanish statue bodge-up is a new rival to Borja's Monkey Christ

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 09:26 AM PST

Trump-like visage grafted on to a carving in Palencia recalls earlier inept restoration

In the footsteps of the unintentionally iconic Monkey Christ, the Tintin St George, the near-fluorescent Virgin and Child– not to mention the less than sinlessly executed Immaculate Conception – comes … well, it's hard to say.

The latest Spanish restoration effort to provoke anguished headlines and much social media snarking is, or rather, was, a carved figure adorning an ornate, early 20th-century building in the north-western city of Palencia.

First murder hornet nest found to have 200 queens capable of spawning new nests

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 04:24 PM PST

Washington state scientists found about 500 live specimens in various stages of development inside the basketball-sized nest

When scientists in Washington state destroyed the first nest of so-called murder hornets found in the US, they discovered about 500 live specimens in various stages of development, officials said Tuesday.

Among them were nearly 200 queens that had the potential to start their own nests, said Sven-Erik Spichiger, an entomologist leading the fight to kill the hornets.

Treasure trove of Nasa photos including first selfie in space up for auction

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST

Sale by Christie's in London of 2,400 vintage images ranges from the dawn of space age to the last men on the moon

Neil Armstrong's giant leap for mankind is on sale to the highest bidder after a private collector released a treasure trove of Nasa images from spaceflight's golden era for auction, including the only photograph taken of the first human walking on the moon.

Who's a clever dog? Canine 'genius challenge' to be livestreamed

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:16 AM PST

Six border collies from around world to take part in series of live experiments

The search for the world's smartest dog kicks into gear on Wednesday, as contenders compete in a livestreamed event to be crowned top of the canine class.

Researchers in Hungary have spent more than two years searching for dogs who could recognise the names of their different toys, advertising for owners to come forward on social media.

Seventh straight day of 100,000 new US Covid cases as hospitalizations hit a high point

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 07:04 PM PST

Biden adviser Michael Osterholm says numbers could double
Death toll above 238,000 after 590 new deaths, data shows

The US hit a record number of coronavirus hospitalizations on Tuesday and surpassed 1 million new confirmed cases in just the first 10 days of November, as a nationwide surge of infections that shows no signs of slowing.

The country recorded a seventh consecutive day of more than 100,000 new cases, and one of the public health advisers recruited to president-elect Joe Biden's transition team warned that those case numbers could double in the coming weeks under the leadership of Donald Trump.

Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine poses global logistics challenge

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:45 AM PST

Europe and US create vast facilities for Covid-19 vaccine but poorer nations lack infrastructure, say experts

Two vast football-pitch-sized facilities equipped with hundreds of large freezers in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Puurs, Belgium, will be the centres of the huge effort to ship the coronavirus vaccine, developed by US drug giant Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech, around the world.

Governments are scrambling to prepare for the rollout of the vaccine, which must be stored at -70C (-94F), after the announcement from the two companies that it was more than 90% effective and had no serious side-effects. The news sparked hopes of a return to normal life and a stock market rally, but now minds are turning to the practicalities of getting the vaccine quickly to populations across the world, in particular to the vulnerable people who need it most.

6 key questions about the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 07:58 AM PST

There are grounds for optimism but also several unknowns around this coronavirus vaccine

Hopes that the end of the coronavirus pandemic has become nearer have soared after the news that a coronavirus vaccine was found to be 90% effective in global trials.

Although there is definite reason to be optimistic, experts have cautioned that the data from the trials conducted by Pfizer and BioNTech are not final, and there remain plenty of unknowns.

Covid: Totnes concerns reflect UK-wide rise in conspiracy theories

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 01:57 AM PST

Suspicion in Devon town of face masks and 5G means take-up of vaccine may face resistance

Like many people living in or around Totnes in Devon, David, who is in his 70s, has his own theories about coronavirus and its origins. Sitting in the armchair of his house, he says the pandemic is a secret plot to impose a totalitarian world government and a nefarious effort to crush freedom. He scrolls through Facebook, which he recently signed up to, to show many with similar beliefs.

David came to many of these ideas recently. When the pandemic hit, he started looking for answers. "I'm friends with a few people who are active in researching what is going on. I quickly made contact with others putting posts on the internet."

Joan Armatrading: 'I want to make a heavy metal album – with lots of guitar shredding'

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:00 PM PST

At the age of seven, she flew to Birmingham from Antigua on her own – and became the first globally successful British female singer-songwriter. As she wins the award she once gave to Margaret Thatcher, Joan Armatrading looks back

'It's very nice to be honoured," says Joan Armatrading, down the phone from her home in Surrey. The 69-year-old is talking about receiving this year's Women of the Year lifetime achievement award, which sees her honoured alongside the likes of child burns survivor Sylvia Mac and Adwoa Dickson, who set up a community choir for young women who survived trafficking. "Whether I measure up is another question."

She's joking, of course, but what does the continued existence of the award tell us about where the struggle for equality is in 2020? "It's maybe not as relevant as it was in 1955," she says, "when Tony Lothian set it up after being denied admission to a men-only meeting. But women are still doing incredible things in this society, so reward them."

How 2020 transformed big tech: the story of Facebook, QAnon and the world’s slackening grip on reality

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:00 PM PST

The coronavirus pandemic has left us living more and more of our lives online. But the place where we chat with friends, get our news and form our opinions is full of vile and dangerous conspiracy theories. Is the world's biggest social network doing enough to combat them?

As with many others in Britain, lockdown hit Rachel and her husband, Philip, hard. Almost overnight, the couple, both in their early 50s, found themselves cut off from friends, family and colleagues. Before the Covid-19 outbreak, they had both been working every day; now Philip found himself furloughed, while Rachel was put on rotation with other essential staff, working fewer shifts at odd hours. They were unable to meet up with their four adult sons and daughters. They had to attend a family funeral while remaining socially distanced.

Initially, Rachel coped in the way many others did. She played more video games than normal, and felt stressed at work, but as far as possible she managed. Her husband didn't. For him, it seemed there must be more to it than the authorities struggling to cope with a novel virus and evolving expert advice. "The regularly changing and conflicting information that was coming from the government added to the feeling in him that they were making things up or covering something up," Rachel says now.

'She made music jump into 3D': Wendy Carlos, the reclusive synth genius

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 12:13 AM PST

She went platinum by plugging Bach into 20th-century machines, and was soon working with Stanley Kubrick. But prejudice around her gender transition pushed Wendy Carlos out of sight

This summer, an 80-year-old synthesiser pioneer suddenly appeared online. She had been silent for 11 years, but now something had appeared that she just wouldn't tolerate. "Please be aware there's a purported 'biography' on me just released," wrote Wendy Carlos on the homepage of her 16-bit-friendly website, a Siamese cat and a synthesiser behind her portrait. "No one ever interviewed me [for it], nor anyone I know," she went on. "Aren't there new, more interesting targets?"

Given that Carlos is arguably the most important living figure in the history of electronic music, it's remarkable that Amanda Sewell's Wendy Carlos: A Biography is the first book about her. This is the musician who pushed Robert Moog to perfect his first analogue synthesiser, from which pop, prog, electronica and film music flourished. Her smash-hit 1968 album Switched-On Bach made the Moog internationally famous and became the second classical album ever to go platinum in the US. Then came her extraordinary soundtracks for A Clockwork Orange, The Shining and Tron. She made an ambient album five years before Brian Eno did, and jumped from analogue machines to do leading work in digital synthesis, but worried that her status as one of the first visible transgender artists in the US would overshadow it.

Guardian readers on the election result: 'The hopes of a nation rest in good hands'

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:00 AM PST

We asked readers how they felt about Joe Biden's victory over Trump – and this is what eight of them told us

We asked Guardian readers to share their reactions to the election results and tell us about the issues that decided their vote and their hopes and concerns for the future.

Siena Castellon: 'Autistic people are really struggling with how uncertain things are'

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 11:00 PM PST

The 18-year-old autism campaigner and international children's peace prize finalist on why diagnosis of the condition for girls urgently needs improving

Each morning Siena Castellon synchronises her morning routine to music with the same 30-minute playlist. Different songs act as time markers. "The trick is to choose music you love and to listen to the same playlist every day," explains the teenager.

When Wonderwall by Oasis comes on she knows she should be brushing her teeth. By the time Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey is playing she is walking out the door.

Five post-Trump obstacles to a global green recovery

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:00 PM PST

Joe Biden's win gives the globe a better chance of averting climate catastrophe, but major obstacles remain

Environmentalists have been heartened by Joe Biden's victory as, if the US rejoins the Paris agreement as expected, it will give the world a much better chance of averting climate catastrophe. However, there are still hurdles to overcome to rein in emissions and keep warming to within 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Austerity left north of England more vulnerable to Covid, report says

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 01:42 AM PST

Scientists say pandemic has exacerbated inequalities between north and south

A decade of public spending cuts meant the north of England was hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than the rest of England, scientists have said.

A report by the Northern Health Science Alliance, made up of academics from several leading universities, says the economic cost to the region of excess mortality from Covid-19 was at least £6.89bn.

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The life and death of White Helmets' founder James Le Mesurier

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 07:00 PM PST

James Le Mesurier died a year ago today. The Guardian's Martin Chulov describes the immense pressure the co-founder of the White Helmets was under, as he saw the organisation he built appear to be slipping away from him

In November 2019, James Le Mesurier, the British co-founder of the Syrian rescue group known as the White Helmets, fell to his death in Istanbul.

The Guardian's Middle East correspondent, Martin Chulov, knew James well and had spoken to him the week before his death. He tells Anushka Asthana how he began investigating one of the most difficult stories of his career: what led his friend, an internationally celebrated humanitarian, to take his own life?

Gunmen shoot dead female Libyan dissident in busy Benghazi street

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 12:27 PM PST

Hanan al-Barassi was an outspoken critic of abuses in areas controlled by the Libyan National Army

Gunmen have shot dead a prominent female dissident on a busy street in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, in the latest killing of a critic of military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Hanan al-Barassi, an outspoken critic of abuses in the eastern areas controlled by Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), was shot dead in her car in broad daylight on 20th Street, a busy artery in Benghazi's city centre, rights groups and security officials said.

US election 2020: Biden says denying result 'will not help Trump's legacy' – live updates

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:48 AM PST

10.47am GMT

We asked readers how they felt about Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump – and today we've published what eight of them told us. Here's what Matthew, a teacher in Minnesota, said:

Though I was aggrieved that Biden emerged above more progressive candidates, I nonetheless have always admired his empathy and forthright approach to politics. As the months passed between March and November, I realized that he was precisely the sort of person who is needed at this point in the nation's history, who can speak plainly and warmly, without self-aggrandizement or deliberate obfuscation.

I am extremely concerned with the lingering resentment and sense of isolation felt by supporters of the current president, a sentiment which has erupted into violence before and may do again, as people appear to believe that anything other than laissez-faire policies and total dedication to the police is sufficient cause for revolution. I worry also that the Democratic party, as currently led by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, will dive further rightwards in an attempt to appeal to the rightwing elements of this country, a move that will assuredly lead to fewer Democratic senators and members of Congress as well as a weakening of the current drive for broader progressive policies such as the Green New Deal and Medicare for all.

10.29am GMT

From making baseless claims of voter fraud to false declarations of victory, Donald Trump has been criticised for undermining democracy through his refusal to concede the US election. He is still yet to speak out publicly or call Joe Biden to acknowledge the result. Here's our video recap of Trump's week of denial.

'Everything buried in mud': Hurricane Eta's devastating blow to Honduras

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:00 AM PST

Flooding left thousands trapped for days without food or water and death toll may never be known

Across a sea of putrid mud a metre or so deep, Marvin Argueta pointed to the remnants of what a week ago was his home on the banks of the Chamelecón River. He had lost everything – but he still considers himself lucky.

"If we hadn't got out in time, we all would have died," said Argueta, 22, who along with his wife and four children abandoned their house when the flood waters reached waist height in the middle of the night. "A friend of mine lost his entire family."

Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case: ex-soldier ordered to hand over war crimes inquiry documents

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:11 AM PST

The Victoria Cross recipient must provide newspapers' lawyers with documents that will reveal if the inquiry proposes to make adverse findings against him

The Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith has been ordered to hand over crucial documents that will reveal whether a war crimes inquiry proposes to make adverse findings against him.

Roberts-Smith, the country's most decorated living soldier, is currently suing the Age and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers for defamation in the federal court over a series of articles he says wrongly characterised him as a war criminal.

UN warns of impact of smart borders on refugees: ‘Data collection isn't apolitical’

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 11:15 PM PST

Special rapporteur on racism and xenophobia believes there is a misconception that biosurveillance technology is without bias

Robotic lie detector tests at European airports, eye scans for refugees and voice-imprinting software for use in asylum applications are among new technologies flagged as "troubling" in a UN report.

The UN's special rapporteur on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Prof Tendayi Achiume, said digital technologies can be unfair and regularly breach human rights. In her new report, she has called for a moratorium on the use of certain surveillance technologies.

Lessons via loudspeaker: the students studying across India's digital divide

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:00 PM PST

How do you learn from home without a laptop? Teachers are getting creative, but the pandemic remains a vast challenge

Vemula Deena lives in one of the tin huts strung along a narrow lane in the heart of Vijayawada, the business capital of Andhra Pradesh, in the south-east of India. Her parents are construction labourers. Vemula is 13 and wants to be a politician, enamoured of the spotless white kurta-pyjamas they wear and their public speaking.

But her school has closed its doors in the face of the Covid pandemic and gone online, effectively shutting her out. Vemula continues to practise her oration as she does her household chores.

Mexico police open fire on femicide protest in Cancún

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:33 AM PST

Four journalists injured in clashes in Caribbean city
Murder of 20-year-old woman was latest gender-based killing

Human rights activists in Mexico have expressed indignation after police opened fire on protesters who tried to force their way into Cancún city hall during a demonstration against the country's femicide crisis.

Four journalists were injured in the incident late on Monday, including two who suffered bullet wounds. Eight protesters were reportedly detained after the shooting.

Inquiry launched into EU commission's protection of migrants at Croatia border

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 03:22 AM PST

Investigation follows allegations of brutal pushbacks of refugees into Bosnia and lack of monitoring of border police

An official inquiry has been launched into the European commission's alleged failure to protect the rights of migrants and refugees said to have been robbed and abused by police at Croatia's borders.

The EU ombudsman is investigating the potential complicity of the EU's executive branch in the maladministration of funds that should have been spent on supervising the behaviour of border officers working at the scene of some of the violence.

Nagorno-Karabakh peace deal reshapes regional geopolitics

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 08:08 AM PST

Western powers sidelined as Russia and Turkey use sway on local players to boost influence

The Russian-brokered ceasefire deal in Nagorno-Karabakh will empower both Moscow and Ankara as the new kingmakers in the South Caucasus, analysts said, redrawing security guarantees between Armenia and Azerbaijan with the conspicuous absence of the west.

As in the conflicts in Libya and Syria, Russia and Turkey have once again found themselves backing opposing sides, and used their sway on local players to negotiate for peace deals that guarantee their own influence.

One week on: how Trump handled losing the US election – video report

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:01 AM PST

From making baseless claims of voter fraud to false declarations of victory, Donald Trump has been criticised for undermining democracy through his refusal to concede the US election. Joe Biden became the president-elect after several days of vote counting, and when the race was called for the former vice-president, Trump sent out several angry tweets – without any evidence – alleging vote count irregularities and is still yet to speak out publicly or call Biden to acknowledge the result

'An embarrassment': Biden responds to Trump's refusal to concede election – video

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 03:53 PM PST

President-elect Joe Biden says Donald Trump's refusal to concede the presidential election is 'an embarrassment'. Biden was outlining plans for the transition period before he takes office in January 2020 when he was asked what he would say to Americans anxious over Trump's refusal to concede and what it would mean for the country. "Well, I just think it's an embarrassment, quite frankly," Biden said. "I think it will not help the president's legacy." Biden has promised to "get right to work" despite alarm over whether there would be a smooth transition of power

Biden calls Trump's behavior 'embarrassing' as Pompeo dismisses election result – video

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 02:25 PM PST

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has predicted 'there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration' while US allies offered their congratulations to the president-elect, Joe Biden.

Pompeo focused on the various legal challenges being pursued by the Trump administration, while Biden, who said he has not spoken to Donald Trump since the election was called in Biden's favor on Saturday, said Trump's refusal to concede defeat was 'an embarrassment'

'We are already beginning the transition': Biden and Harris defend Obamacare – video

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 01:09 PM PST

Joe Biden said he and vice-president elect Kamala Harris had already begun a transition before his swearing in as US president on 20 January and called Donald Trump's refusal to concede defeat 'an embarrassment'.

Biden said he believed he could 'get a lot done' as he and Harris defended the Affordable Care Act, which was brought before the supreme court in a legal challenge by Texas and other Republican-governed states that was backed by Donald Trump's administration

Trump, McCain, Bush and Carter: different reactions to bad election results – video

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 10:02 AM PST

Speeches from candidates conceding defeat in past US elections have been resurfacing after Donald Trump refusal to speak out since losing to Joe Biden. Speaking from the White House on 5 November, before the result was officially confirmed, Trump falsely referred to legally cast mail-in ballots as illegitimate, made unsubstantiated claims that pollsters got results 'knowingly wrong' and that the election was being stolen.

Trump's campaign insist the president has no intention of admitting defeat or offering Joe Biden his concession, and instead of speaking publicly Trump has only voiced his ire through Twitter and by launching an array of lawsuits to press claims of electoral fraud and corruption for which he has produced no evidence. State officials say they are not aware of any significant irregularities

How Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the fight for America's soul – video

Can Joe Biden and Kamala Harris unite America after Trump? – video explainer

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 09:25 AM PST

When Joe Biden formally takes over the presidency in January he will face some of the greatest crises to hit the US in recent history: a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans, a devastated economy, a rapidly overheating climate and a deeply fractured nation.

The Guardian's Lauren Gambino looks at how Biden and the vice-president-elect, Kamala Harris, plan to 'heal' the country after four years of Trumpism – and the challenges they will face with the prospect of having to navigate these times without a majority in the Senate

How Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the fight for America's soul – video

Peruvians take to the streets to protest against president's ousting – video

Posted: 10 Nov 2020 03:28 AM PST

Protests erupted in the Peruvian capital, Lima, following the surprise ousting of President Martín Vizcarra, who lost an impeachment vote he had been expected to survive. Allegations of corruption marred Vizcarra's presidency in the last few months, culminating in the vote. Vizcarra said he would not challenge the decision, but Peruvians took to the streets to voice their anger. Despite the accusations of corruption against Vizacarra, which analysts have deemed minor, the public supported his efforts to fight corruption in the government's highest levels

Impeachment kicks out president Martín Vizcarra of Peru

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