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- 'I just want 11,780 votes': Trump pressed Georgia to overturn Biden victory
- Syrian detainees' families forced to pay huge bribes to corrupt officials - report
- Coronavirus live news: Thai PM urges people to 'just stay home'; Singapore will let police access contact-tracing data
- Nora Quoirin's family 'disappointed' after coroner rules out others' involvement
- Spider-Man-style medical gun spins out 'skin substitute' for burns
- South Korea's population falls for first time in its history
- Bali's beaches buried in tide of plastic rubbish during monsoon season
- US aircraft carrier stays in Gulf after Pentagon claims Iranian 'threats' against Trump
- Public outrage grows after Indian army kills three in Kashmir
- Sir Brian Urquhart, who helped establish the United Nations, dies aged 101
- Geoff Stephens, chart-topping pop songwriter, dies aged 86
- Oxford man, 82, first in world to get Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine
- Fauci rebukes Trump Covid claims but offers 'no excuses' for vaccine delays
- Hancock: England could face tighter Covid lockdown rules within 24 hours
- Analysis: is it wise for England to mix and match Covid vaccines?
- Refreshingly modern dinosaurs and a cyberpunk cat: our games picks for 2021
- Taxi driver in Taiwan offers free rides in return for singing karaoke
- 'Not enough work, not enough money': can this Kyrgyz village survive without tourists? A picture essay
- 'I passed out with the lack of oxygen': truth of Heathrow stowaways' tragic journey
- Waste not, wontons: innovator recycled 32m restaurant chopsticks
- Inside the hyper-local world of Facebook’s ‘buy nothing’ groups
- Tier 4 Covid rules in England: latest restrictions explained
- US colleges grapple with Covid safety for impending spring semester
- Severe thunderstorm strikes Sydney as cyclone Imogen inundates far north Queensland
- How is the Oxford Covid vaccine being deployed in England?
- 'The numbers are real': Fauci hits back at Trump on US Covid deaths – video
| 'I just want 11,780 votes': Trump pressed Georgia to overturn Biden victory Posted: 03 Jan 2021 02:40 PM PST
In an hour-long phone call on Saturday, Donald Trump pressed Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn Joe Biden's victory there in the election the president refuses to concede. Related: Healthcare to the electoral college: seven ways 2020 left America exposed | Robert Reich Continue reading... |
| Syrian detainees' families forced to pay huge bribes to corrupt officials - report Posted: 03 Jan 2021 11:00 PM PST Report says arrest and extortion of Syrian population is major source of funding for Assad regime Families of detainees in Syrian prisons are routinely forced to bribe officials to be allowed to visit them or to win their release, according to a report that reveals the vast scale of extortion in the detention system. The sums involved – rising as high as £2m in one jail - are likely to be helping senior members of the Assad regime avoid sanctions, a survey of more than 1,200 former prisoners and family members suggests. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 04 Jan 2021 02:05 AM PST Thailand dealing with biggest coronavirus outbreak yet; Singapore will use contact-tracing technology for criminal investigations; South Korea expands ban on social gatherings nationwide
In Germany, the health ministry is seeking advice on whether to delay administering a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from BioNTech and Pfizer to make scarce supplies go further, according to a document seen by Reuters on Monday. The ministry is seeking the view of an independent vaccination commission on whether to delay a second shot beyond a 42-day maximum now foreseen, after a similar move by Britain, according to the one-page document.
Singapore said on Monday its police will be able to use data obtained by its coronavirus contact-tracing technology for criminal investigations, a decision likely to increase privacy concerns around the system. The technology, deployed as both a phone app and a physical device, is being used by nearly 80% of the 5.7 million population, authorities said after announcing its use would become compulsory in places like shopping malls. Continue reading... |
| Nora Quoirin's family 'disappointed' after coroner rules out others' involvement Posted: 04 Jan 2021 01:37 AM PST Fifteen-year-old went missing overnight while on holiday with her family in Malaysia in 2019 The family of Nora Anne Quoirin, the London schoolgirl found dead during a holiday in a Malaysian jungle, said they were "utterly disappointed" after a coroner ruled that no third party was involved and that she probably died as a result of misadventure. The coroner, Maimoonah Aid, ruled out homicide, natural death and suicide on Monday and said the French-Irish 15-year-old probably got lost after leaving her family's cottage on her own. Continue reading... |
| Spider-Man-style medical gun spins out 'skin substitute' for burns Posted: 03 Jan 2021 11:57 PM PST Israeli firm claims device allows patients to move freely and does away with painful dressings Doctors in Europe, India and Israel have begun using a medical gun that spins out a protective web to cover burns and wounds, hoping the breathable "skin substitute" will help patients recover without the need for painful bandage changes. Nanomedic, the Israeli company that designed the Spincare system, claims its device gives patients increased mobility – often essential for burn rehabilitation – and the ability to shower, a process that can be difficult with traditional bandages. The translucent layer it produces allows medics to examine the wound without touching it, the firm says. Continue reading... |
| South Korea's population falls for first time in its history Posted: 03 Jan 2021 11:23 PM PST Ageing population and low birth rate create demographic tipping point in Asia's fourth-largest economy South Korea's population has fallen for the first time in the country's history, as it battles an ageing population and chronically low birth rate. The latest census figures, released at the weekend, show the population stood at 51,829,023 at the end of December, down from 20,838 from the previous year. Continue reading... |
| Bali's beaches buried in tide of plastic rubbish during monsoon season Posted: 03 Jan 2021 03:50 PM PST Tourist drawcards Kuta and Legian beaches are being overwhelmed by up to 60 tonnes of plastic rubbish every day Bali's famous beaches are being strewn by plastic rubbish in what experts say is becoming an annual event thanks to monsoon weather, poor waste management and a global marine pollution crisis. Authorities are struggling to keep up with the tide of rubbish washing up on beaches at Kuta, Legian and Seminyak, where about 90 tonnes of rubbish was collected on Friday and Saturday. Continue reading... |
| US aircraft carrier stays in Gulf after Pentagon claims Iranian 'threats' against Trump Posted: 03 Jan 2021 09:13 PM PST Pentagon reverses decision to pull USS Nimitz out of Persian Gulf after 'recent threats issued by Iranian leaders' The United States has reversed a decision to bring an aircraft carrier home from the Persian Gulf, with the Pentagon saying that due to "recent threats" by Iran the USS Nimitz would stay in position. The Nimitz has been patrolling Gulf waters since late November. In a statement issued on 31 December the acting US defence secretary, Christopher C Miller, had ordered the vessel to "transit directly home to complete a nearly 10-month deployment". Continue reading... |
| Public outrage grows after Indian army kills three in Kashmir Posted: 03 Jan 2021 09:00 PM PST Families rebut claims victims, aged 16 to 22, were militants while ex-chief minister calls for investigation Surrounded by mourners who gathered in his garden, Mushtaq Ahmad Wani fell to his knees with a grief-ridden scream. "They killed my only son and buried him far away in the mountains," he cried out. Wani, a 42-year-old fruit merchant living in Putrigam, a small village in the Indian region of Kashmir, had been driving home on Wednesday when he received a message from the police, requesting a photograph of his 16-year-old son, Athar Mushtaq. Mushtaq, a student, had left home the previous afternoon. Continue reading... |
| Sir Brian Urquhart, who helped establish the United Nations, dies aged 101 Posted: 03 Jan 2021 05:35 PM PST Former army major was UN's second staff member after its founding in 1945 and worked as principal adviser to five secretaries general Sir Brian Urquhart, the British diplomat who played a role in the establishment of the United Nations, has died aged 101. Urquhart was the second staff member hired by the UN following its founding in 1945 and worked as a principal adviser to five UN secretaries general in his 41-year career. Continue reading... |
| Geoff Stephens, chart-topping pop songwriter, dies aged 86 Posted: 04 Jan 2021 01:56 AM PST Musician who had UK and US No 1s with the New Vaudeville Band, David Soul and more died from pneumonia after surviving Covid-19 last year Geoff Stephens, the prolific Grammy-winning British songwriter behind hits such as Winchester Cathedral and The Crying Game, has died aged 86. In a message confirming the news to Variety, his family wrote: "Dad survived Covid-19 in the spring but passed away with my Mum, his wife of 63 years, by his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia." Continue reading... |
| Oxford man, 82, first in world to get Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine Posted: 04 Jan 2021 01:14 AM PST Dialysis patient Brian Pinker received jab at Oxford's Churchill hospital on Monday morning An 82-year-old retired maintenance manager has become the first person in the world outside clinical trials to receive the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. Brian Pinker, a dialysis patient, received the jab at 7.30am on Monday from Sam Foster, a nurse at Oxford University hospitals NHS foundation trust's Churchill hospital. Continue reading... |
| Fauci rebukes Trump Covid claims but offers 'no excuses' for vaccine delays Posted: 03 Jan 2021 10:58 AM PST
The pedestrian pace of Covid-19 vaccinations in the US came under new scrutiny on Sunday, as the pandemic death toll passed 350,000 and experts warned of another surge in infections and deaths arising from gatherings at Christmas and New Year. Related: Larry King, TV chatshow veteran, in hospital with coronavirus – reports Continue reading... |
| Hancock: England could face tighter Covid lockdown rules within 24 hours Posted: 04 Jan 2021 01:44 AM PST Health secretary says NHS is under pressure but defends decision to keep open many schools The government could bring in even tighter coronavirus measures for England within 24 hours, Matt Hancock has indicated, saying the NHS is "under significant pressure" from fast-rising case numbers across the country. The health secretary defended the government's decision to keep open many schools in England, which is being defied by many councils and parents, saying closing schools was "an absolute last resort due to all the negative impacts of that decision". Continue reading... |
| Analysis: is it wise for England to mix and match Covid vaccines? Posted: 03 Jan 2021 09:39 AM PST US experts warn against plan to give different second jab if supplies run low The UK is setting the pace around the world in the approval and use of Covid vaccines but, while other countries watch intently, not all are yet prepared to embrace what looks like public health pragmatism rather than strict adherence to evidence. Britain is the first country in the world to approve and use the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, just as it was first with Pfizer/BioNTech's. In a further trailblazing decision, it is giving everyone a first shot of either of those vaccines, with the second shot delayed to 12 weeks afterwards instead of the three- or four-week interval in the trials. Continue reading... |
| Refreshingly modern dinosaurs and a cyberpunk cat: our games picks for 2021 Posted: 03 Jan 2021 10:00 PM PST An ultra-stylish trip to Gotham, a new Hogwarts adventure and a long-awaited sequel to Psychonauts lead our preview of this year's most anticipated releases Last year's ensemble Avengers game was a bit of a disappointment, so DC fans will be hoping for better from this action game set in the Batman universe. As Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and Red Hood, you push back against the ever-encroaching criminal forces of Gotham. It looks moody and ultra-stylish. |
| Taxi driver in Taiwan offers free rides in return for singing karaoke Posted: 03 Jan 2021 07:00 PM PST Tu Ching Liang's videos of warbling passengers have been viewed millions of times Tu Ching Liang adjusts his yellow novelty hat, as disco lights bounce off the medical mask across his face, and speeds up his taxi. "No one is as lucky as me, walking out the door every day rushing to go to work and not make any money," he says, laughing. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 03 Jan 2021 11:45 PM PST Life was hard in this remote area of central Asia, until tourism offered new hope. Then Covid-19 struck and the visitors stopped coming
It has been over a decade since Umar Tashbekov saw his opportunity. His village, Sary-Mogol in Kyrgyzstan, at an altitude of 3,600 metres, is close to Lenin's Peak, a popular mountain destination for tourists. If they were already hiking there, why not attract them to visit his village too? Sary-Mogol is a three-hour drive from the nearest city of Osh, in the country's south-east. Life here is not easy – short summers and unfavourable growing conditions make it hard to grow much more than potatoes and barley. The main source of work is the large livestock market in town. Others find employment as teachers or in the nearby coal mine. Out of its 5,200-strong population, about 500 people have left for Russia where companies welcome factory workers. Continue reading... |
| 'I passed out with the lack of oxygen': truth of Heathrow stowaways' tragic journey Posted: 04 Jan 2021 01:17 AM PST A man who died falling from an aircraft while attempting to reach the UK had a friend on the same flight who survived and speaks in a new Channel 4 film, The Man Who Fell from the Sky An almost unbearably painful moment comes halfway through a new Channel 4 documentary about the extraordinary story of a man who survived stowing away on a flight from Johannesburg to London – and his friend who didn't make it. It happens when the daughter of the man who died is presented with the first photo of him she has ever seen by the makers of The Man Who Fell from the Sky. The film-makers had travelled to his native Mozambque, attempting to piece together the desperate bid for a new life he made in 2015. "She doesn't recognise him," says her mother, Anna, as 11-year-old Chemilla looks at a picture of Carlito Vale on a mobile phone. As tears flow, Anna adds: "I am very grateful to all the people who continue to recognise that he's a human being." Continue reading... |
| Waste not, wontons: innovator recycled 32m restaurant chopsticks Posted: 03 Jan 2021 09:00 PM PST Felix Böck started small but has built up a business that transforms the utensils into everything from new dining tables to staircases The idea was born over trays of sushi. Felix Böck, then a PhD student at Canada's University of British Columbia, was venting his frustration over the scant interest in his proposal to use waste wood from demolition and construction sites. How, he wondered, could he convince people that there's no such thing as waste, but rather just wasted resources? Chopsticks in hand, Thalia Otamendi, the woman who is now his fiancée, looked at him. "She said: 'Felix, maybe you just have to start with something small,'" said Böck. "And maybe it's the chopstick." Continue reading... |
| Inside the hyper-local world of Facebook’s ‘buy nothing’ groups Posted: 03 Jan 2021 03:57 PM PST In an age when people rarely know their neighbours, a 'buy nothing' group is one way to acquaint yourself with those living on your street We all have things we don't need. For Canberra resident Zoe Bowman, it is melon ballers. "Someone asked for a melon baller to make some melon balls for a kid's party, and I looked in the drawer and I had three," she says. "I don't need three melon ballers!" Continue reading... |
| Tier 4 Covid rules in England: latest restrictions explained Posted: 04 Jan 2021 01:44 AM PST People in tier 4 areas must stay at home and not meet up with other households Almost eight in 10 people in England are now in tier 4, amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and alarm about a new strain of coronavirus spreading rapidly. Continue reading... |
| US colleges grapple with Covid safety for impending spring semester Posted: 04 Jan 2021 02:00 AM PST Tens of thousands of students contracted coronavirus during a tumultuous fall semester and return to campus in new year looks equally challenging Though the virus is surging across the US, the majority of its colleges will be opening to students in-person in January and February after a tumultuous fall semester when tens of thousands of students contracted Covid-19. Continue reading... |
| Severe thunderstorm strikes Sydney as cyclone Imogen inundates far north Queensland Posted: 04 Jan 2021 12:18 AM PST Flash flooding leaves some rural NSW communities isolated as 1,400 houses left without power in Queensland Fast-moving thunderstorms have lashed much of eastern NSW including Sydney, felling trees and causing flash flooding that has left some rural communities isolated. By 6.15pm on Monday the State Emergency Service had responded to 281 call-outs across the state, the majority for trees down, leaking roofs and requests for sandbags to prevent property inundations. Continue reading... |
| How is the Oxford Covid vaccine being deployed in England? Posted: 03 Jan 2021 06:10 AM PST With jab to be administered to public for first time, we look at key questions about its rollout The biggest vaccination programme in the UK's history will receive a major boost on Monday, with the first use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. Here we look at some key questions about how it will be deployed in England. Continue reading... |
| 'The numbers are real': Fauci hits back at Trump on US Covid deaths – video Posted: 03 Jan 2021 11:36 AM PST Dr Anthony Fauci has called out Donald Trump, who claimed on Twitter on Sunday morning that case numbers were being exaggerated. 'Go into the trenches,' Fauci told NBC's Meet the Press. 'Go into the hospitals, go into the intensive care units and see what is happening. Those are real numbers, real people and real deaths.' Continue reading... |
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