World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- Coronavirus live news: US records highest daily increase in cases, Brisbane under lockdown as single case reported in Australia
- Google suspends Parler social network app over incitement to violence
- Pelosi spoke to top military leader to ensure Trump can’t launch nuclear attack
- Firms halt deliveries from UK to EU over Brexit border problems
- Capitol mob member who lounged at Nancy Pelosi's desk is arrested
- Kim Jong-un calls US 'biggest enemy' and says nuclear submarine plans 'complete'
- Ten babies killed after fire tears through hospital in India
- Canada: activists sue province over refusal to fund abortions in private clinics
- US charges three Sri Lankans over role in 2019 Isis Easter attacks
- Theft of two computers during Capitol attack raises information security concerns
- Why the delay? The nations waiting to see how Covid vaccinations unfold
- Fears of 'twindemic' recede as US influenza rates stay low
- 'We're bursting': a day inside a Covid intensive care unit
- Covid livid: Canadian fury at leaders' holidays amid other people's misery
- ‘It’s better than worrying about the state of the world’: how to get politically active this year
- Blind date: ‘I showed him my wedding dress’
- Twisted brilliance: Patricia Highsmith at 100
- 'I’ve tried to do this for my kids': families who took on unjust benefits decisions
- Epic fantasy to anarchic animation: the TV trends to look out for in 2021
- Billy Porter: ‘My church said I would never be blessed if I chose to be gay’
- 'It's about finding yourself': Cornish hedgers plan record-breaking labyrinth
- Army rescues motorists after Storm Filomena blankets Spain in snow
- Iran bans importation of Covid vaccines from the US and UK
- Papa Don's failed state: the US as seen from Kenya
- What can Biden do to reverse Trump's assault on labor rights?
- ¡Populista! review: Chávez, Castro and Latin America's 'pink wave' leaders
- Indigenous voice to parliament to have no veto power under interim plans
- Trump has lost Twitter, his biggest political megaphone. Now what?
- Covid in the UK: why is it so bad now and when will cases decline? | Nicola Davis and Linda Geddes
- WHO tells rich countries to stop cutting the Covid vaccine queue – video
- Biden agrees with Trump's decision not to attend inauguration – video
- Derrick Evans, lawmaker who filmed himself during US Capitol riot, faces charges – video
- Drone footage shows huge sinkhole in Naples hospital car park – video
- Covid-19 is 'out of control' in London, says Sadiq Khan – video
- 'We cannot take chances' with South African Covid variant, says Grant Shapps – video
| Posted: 09 Jan 2021 02:15 AM PST Shijiazhuang, Hebei's capital, on alert; US reports 290,000 cases and 3,676 deaths in 24 hours as Australia changes rules for hotel quarantine
Brigitte Macron, the wife of the French president, tested positive towards the end of December, but resumed normal activities after a second test came back negative, French media have reported. The Europe 1 radio station said she tested positive on 24 December. It reported that she presented no major symptoms and then had two further tests on 30 and 31 December that yielded negative results.
Iran's president has characterised a ban on vaccine imports from the US and Britain, imposed by the country's' supreme leader, as an effort to prevent foreign companies testing jabs on the Iranian people. Hassan Rouhani said: Foreign companies wanted to give us vaccines so they would be tested on the Iranian people but the health ministry prevented it. Our people will not be a testing device for vaccine manufacturing companies. We shall purchase safe foreign vaccines. Continue reading... |
| Google suspends Parler social network app over incitement to violence Posted: 08 Jan 2021 08:59 PM PST Apple follows by warning the platform popular with supporters of Donald Trump that it must have a better moderation system Google has suspended the Parler social networking app from its Play Store until the platform popular with many supporters of Donald Trump adds "robust" content moderation. As Twitter suspended the US president's account permanently over the risk of further incitement to violence", the search engine said it was blocking Parler and Apple gave the service 24 hours to submit a detailed moderation plan. Continue reading... |
| Pelosi spoke to top military leader to ensure Trump can’t launch nuclear attack Posted: 08 Jan 2021 11:26 AM PST House speaker called Gen Mark Milley, chairman of joint chiefs of staff, 'to discuss available precautions' Nancy Pelosi spoke to the head of the US military on Friday, seeking assurance that Donald Trump will not be able to launch a nuclear strike during his last days in office. Related: Effort to impeach Trump again gathers pace after 'attempted coup' at Capitol Continue reading... |
| Firms halt deliveries from UK to EU over Brexit border problems Posted: 08 Jan 2021 11:25 AM PST DPD pauses road service and retailers suspend sales or reduce lines amid concerns over paperwork and tariffs A growing number of retailers and courier firms are suspending or cutting back deliveries into the EU as companies grapple with new border controls as well as import taxes. On Friday DPD, the international delivery giant, said it was "pausing" its road service from the UK into Europe, including the Republic of Ireland. Separately, Marks & Spencer said it was concerned that a third of the products in its Irish food halls, including Percy Pig sweets, would now be subject to import tariffs. Such taxes could spell higher prices for shoppers. Continue reading... |
| Capitol mob member who lounged at Nancy Pelosi's desk is arrested Posted: 08 Jan 2021 01:44 PM PST Richard Barnett will face federal charges, as will the West Virginia lawmaker Derrick Evans A man photographed lounging with his foot on the desk in House speaker Nancy Pelosi's office in Washington as part of a pro-Trump mob that breached security and rampaged through the US Capitol was arrested on Friday. Richard Barnett, 60, of Gravette, Arkansas, was taken into custody in that state and, along with the West Virginia state representative Derrick Evans, who was also arrested, faces federal charges stemming from the siege of the Capitol on Wednesday, federal prosecutors said. Continue reading... |
| Kim Jong-un calls US 'biggest enemy' and says nuclear submarine plans 'complete' Posted: 08 Jan 2021 05:25 PM PST North Korea should 'further advance nuclear technology' and develop more flexible attack capability, leader tells party congress North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, has called the United States his nuclear-armed nation's "biggest enemy" and revealed that plans for a nuclear-powered submarine are complete, state media said. Kim's declaration on Saturday also included a call to develop smaller, more adapatable nyuclear warheads, comes less than two weeks before the inauguration of Joe Biden as US president, and after a tumultuous relationship between Kim and the outgoing Donald Trump. Continue reading... |
| Ten babies killed after fire tears through hospital in India Posted: 08 Jan 2021 09:14 PM PST Staff rescued seven infants in Bhandara, Maharashtra state but were beaten back before they could reach 10 others Ten babies were killed in a maternity unit in the Indian state of Maharashtra early on Saturday when fire tore through a major hospital. Staff rescued seven of the newborn infants at the Bhandara district hospital but were beaten back before they could reach 10 others, Pramod Khandate, a senior doctor, said. Continue reading... |
| Canada: activists sue province over refusal to fund abortions in private clinics Posted: 08 Jan 2021 10:00 AM PST Lawsuit argues that New Brunswick's refusal violates both the law and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms Human rights activists in Canada have filed a lawsuit against the province of New Brunswick for its refusal to fund abortion services in private clinics – as they are in the rest of the country. The lawsuit suit filed by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) argues that the refusal violates both the law and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms – Canada's constitution. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| US charges three Sri Lankans over role in 2019 Isis Easter attacks Posted: 08 Jan 2021 06:51 PM PST Men accused of recruiting for Isis, killing a police officer and helping to make bombs used in the attacks The US justice department has charged three Sri Lankans with supporting terrorism for their participation in the Islamic State-claimed Easter attacks on churches and hotels in 2019 that killed 268 people. The department said the three were part of the "Isis in Sri Lanka" group behind the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels in three cities on the Christian holiday on 21 April 2019. Five Americans were among the dead. Continue reading... |
| Theft of two computers during Capitol attack raises information security concerns Posted: 08 Jan 2021 02:36 PM PST Nancy Pelosi's office confirms laptop was stolen when Trump supporters, incited by the president, invaded the building At least two computers were stolen from the Capitol when a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the building on Wednesday – including one from the office of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi – raising grave information security concerns. Continue reading... |
| Why the delay? The nations waiting to see how Covid vaccinations unfold Posted: 08 Jan 2021 06:30 AM PST Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Japan are among those that won't start vaccinating for months, in part to see how other populations react to the jab They are the nations that have been held up as shining examples of coronavirus management. In Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan, daily Covid infections are in the single digits and outbreaks are quickly suppressed. But there is one area where these nations lag well behind the pack in vaccination. Countries with some of the most enviable healthcare systems in the world – including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea – will not begin to inoculate until the end of February or later. Continue reading... |
| Fears of 'twindemic' recede as US influenza rates stay low Posted: 09 Jan 2021 01:30 AM PST Mask-wearing, social distancing, closed schools and high vaccine take-up may be factors but peak of flu season is usually February As Covid-19 continues to surge in the US, with a record number of more than 4,000 virus deaths on Friday, some good news has come from data about the flu. During a typical flu season, the number of people getting the flu would just be starting to rise, with the peak typically coming in February. Yet so far, only 0.2% of 400,000 swabs for the flu have been positive, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the same time last year, the positivity rate was 13%. Continue reading... |
| 'We're bursting': a day inside a Covid intensive care unit Posted: 08 Jan 2021 09:23 AM PST The Guardian spends a day with Covid patients and staff at Milton Keynes University hospital In a private room by the locked entrance of the intensive care unit, Dilip Sharan is sitting up in bed, a plate of stew in front of him. He navigates his spoon around the breathing tube keeping him alive, every mouthful soundtracked by a discordant symphony of beeps and bongs from multiple monitors keeping tabs on his vital organs. It is his fifth day in the last chance saloon of Covid care. He gasps for air, barely able to speak. Continue reading... |
| Covid livid: Canadian fury at leaders' holidays amid other people's misery Posted: 08 Jan 2021 03:00 AM PST More than a dozen politicians, political aides and public health figures have flouted their own advice to avoid foreign travel Across Canada, December was a month of cancelled gatherings with friends and family and holidays spent alone. Vacations to escape snow and frozen rain were put on hold as Covid-19 cases surged again. The message across the country had been clear: a shared sense of solidarity and sacrifice was necessary to fight the coronavirus. Continue reading... |
| ‘It’s better than worrying about the state of the world’: how to get politically active this year Posted: 09 Jan 2021 02:00 AM PST From grassroots campaigns to momentous movements, there are multiple ways to help bring meaningful change There has been a lot of research on the "double-benefit" of civic activism, the economic rewards it can store up for the people who do it as much as those it's done for. But I'm not really interested in the economy; I'm interested in what makes a person feel alive. And getting involved with a campaign, no matter how big, can make you feel much better, much more engaged – even energised – than just sitting and worrying about the state of the world. How does an effective campaigner get started? I asked Alena Ivanova, 33, because I think she embodies the activist life well lived. She came to the UK eight years ago from Bulgaria, where there are very few entry points to activism: no developed student movement, little spontaneous campaigning. "It was living in London that radicalised me. I thought things would be different, but better. Actually they were different, but the same: people were just as devoid of real power to make decisions about their lives, and it was so expensive that everyone was too busy working to think about it. You either have to make a retreat into yourself, or you have to commit to trying to make it better for everyone." Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Blind date: ‘I showed him my wedding dress’ Posted: 08 Jan 2021 10:00 PM PST Lynda, 63, forensic social worker, and Roy, 61, artist/teacher What were you hoping for? |
| Twisted brilliance: Patricia Highsmith at 100 Posted: 09 Jan 2021 01:00 AM PST Forbidden desires, strange obsessions and a singular talent for suspense... Carmen Maria Machado on the dark allure of the writer behind Ripley There has always been something fundamentally difficult about Patricia Highsmith. And not difficult in the way that most people mean it: ironic, quirky, feminist ("Well-behaved women rarely make history", and so on). I mean truly, legitimately difficult; a well of darkness with no discernible bottom. Which is not to say that she wasn't, in her own way, endearing. She was, after all, a genius, a bona fide eccentric. She loved animals, particularly snails, which she kept by the hundred as pets and took to parties clinging to a leaf of lettuce in her handbag. Writer and critic Terry Castle describes how she once "smuggled her cherished pet snails through French customs by hiding six or eight of them under each bosom". She was famous for her wit and wicked sense of humour, and she wrote compellingly of loneliness and empathetically about disempowered housewives and children. Continue reading... |
| 'I’ve tried to do this for my kids': families who took on unjust benefits decisions Posted: 09 Jan 2021 12:30 AM PST In our latest report for the 2020 Guardian and Observer appeal, we talk to Child Poverty Action Group and those it has helped • Please donate to our appeal here When Trudi and Gavin Scott moved back to the UK from New Zealand with their severely disabled son, Theo, in December 2016, it was the start of a "horrendous" few years of financial struggle triggered by the family being refused disability living allowance. At one point, when Gavin had to give up work to look after Theo while Trudi was recovering from a major operation, they had to scrape by on child benefit, tax credit cash and food bank vouchers, causing them to fall behind with bills. Continue reading... |
| Epic fantasy to anarchic animation: the TV trends to look out for in 2021 Posted: 09 Jan 2021 02:00 AM PST This year we'll see the return of old favourites such as Succession, as well as a staggering number of superheroes For the second year in a row there is a Game of Thrones-shaped chasm in the calendar: prequel House of the Dragon won't launch until 2022. That presents an opening for deep-pocketed rivals. Netflix's own medieval-tinged gorefest The Witcher is back for a second season, joined on the platform by sorcery saga Shadow and Bone (April). And Amazon Prime Video is set to launch two formidable fantasy franchises: The Wheel of Time adapts Robert Jordan's hefty series of novels, with Rosamund Pike starring, while we might finally see its long-awaited The Lord of the Rings adaptation, set to be the most expensive TV show of all time at a cool $1bn. Continue reading... |
| Billy Porter: ‘My church said I would never be blessed if I chose to be gay’ Posted: 09 Jan 2021 01:30 AM PST The actor and singer on RuPaul's Drag Race, learning how to be loved, and why no actor could play him in the film of his life Born in Pennsylvania, Billy Porter, 51, studied drama and moved to New York in 1991 to appear in Miss Saigon. He went on to star in Kinky Boots, winning the 2013 Tony award for best actor in a musical, and a Grammy for the soundtrack. In 2018, he was cast in Netflix's Pose, which will return for a third series. He is married and lives in New York state. What is your greatest fear? |
| 'It's about finding yourself': Cornish hedgers plan record-breaking labyrinth Posted: 09 Jan 2021 01:00 AM PST Local volunteers and schoolchildren will help build Kerdroya, thought to be largest classical labyrinth in world High on a Cornish moor, a living, breathing piece of artwork that is designed to last thousands of years is taking shape. Called Kerdroya, the piece is a labyrinth – billed as the largest of its kind in the world and constructed out of Cornish hedges, which are a unique combination of stone and vegetation. Continue reading... |
| Army rescues motorists after Storm Filomena blankets Spain in snow Posted: 09 Jan 2021 02:04 AM PST Heavy snowfall causes travel chaos with Madrid airport closed and people told to stay at home Troops rescued trapped drivers from their vehicles on Saturday as heavy snowfall from Storm Filomena caused travel chaos across Spain. "Owing to the forecast of snow and for security, Madrid Barajas airport will remain closed throughout Saturday," Aena, which controls the country's airports, said in a tweet. Continue reading... |
| Iran bans importation of Covid vaccines from the US and UK Posted: 08 Jan 2021 05:49 AM PST Despite virus spread, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei forbids what he calls 'untrustworthy' jabs Vaccines produced by the US and UK will be banned from entering Iran, its supreme leader has said, even though his country has suffered the worst virus outbreak in the Middle East. "Imports of US and British vaccines into the country are forbidden ... They're completely untrustworthy," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a live televised speech. "It's not unlikely they would want to contaminate other nations. Continue reading... |
| Papa Don's failed state: the US as seen from Kenya Posted: 09 Jan 2021 02:00 AM PST For months, satirist Patrick Gathara has painted the US as a 'third world' country. Then came the storming of the Capitol For more than two months now, I have been regularly posting quasi-satirical tweets on the US elections and their aftermath from my home in Kenya, in the style of foreign correspondents reporting on events in the "third world". My aim has been to puncture that widely accepted idea that the globe is divided between those who have achieved democratic nirvana and those of us still seeking enlightenment at the feet of western gurus, chanting their mantras of electoral reform and accountability. This week – for a moment – I worried whether the truth was now beyond satire. Continue reading... |
| What can Biden do to reverse Trump's assault on labor rights? Posted: 09 Jan 2021 02:00 AM PST With Covid-19 still raging across the US, job safety experts say the president-elect must issue nationwide regulations directing businesses to protect their workers Soon after Joe Biden is inaugurated as the next US president, he is expected to take several strong steps on the labor front aimed at reversing or remedying the policies of Donald Trump – who promised workers a lot and delivered little. But Biden's number one priority will be to tackle the issues left in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading... |
| ¡Populista! review: Chávez, Castro and Latin America's 'pink wave' leaders Posted: 08 Jan 2021 10:00 PM PST BBC reporter Will Grant has produced an excellent look at the group of strongmen who came from left field If there was ever a surreal start to a trip to Cuba, it was the one that coincided with the news Fidel Castro had died. That was what I woke up to on 26 November 2016, hours before my husband and I were due to fly to Havana. A day later, we found ourselves in what seemed like an endless queue under a blazing autumn sun, waiting to enter Castro's memorial at the Jose Martí monument in the Plaza de la Revolución. Related: Sisters in Hate review: tough but vital read on the rise of racist America Continue reading... |
| Indigenous voice to parliament to have no veto power under interim plans Posted: 08 Jan 2021 10:58 PM PST Labor says the current proposal fails to enable the voice to provide full and frank advice and to be secure The federal government will be obliged to consult the Indigenous voice to parliament when crafting laws on race, native title and racial discrimination that impact upon Aboriginal Australians. But the body will have no power to overturn policy or prevent laws coming into force, according to interim proposals. Continue reading... |
| Trump has lost Twitter, his biggest political megaphone. Now what? Posted: 08 Jan 2021 08:18 PM PST Trump's banishment is likely to further enrage an already volatile president, but many hailed the move as a long overdue milestone From his first executive tweet on the morning of inauguration day 2017 to his final tweet on Friday, announcing that he would not attend his successor's inauguration, Donald Trump's personal Twitter account has served as the president's official platform. For four years, the @realDonaldTrump Twitter feed was both public square and personal dialogue, a place where he made policy announcements and taunted political enemies; threatened military reprisal and boasted about his TV ratings. But perhaps most dangerous of all, it was a place where he unleashed a combustible stream of misinformation, lies and outrage to his more than 88 million followers. Continue reading... |
| Covid in the UK: why is it so bad now and when will cases decline? | Nicola Davis and Linda Geddes Posted: 08 Jan 2021 07:46 AM PST With a major incident declared in London and positive test results surging, experts answer key questions The UK is seeing record numbers of people testing positive for coronavirus, with more than 60,000 positive tests reported on three days this week. Continue reading... |
| WHO tells rich countries to stop cutting the Covid vaccine queue – video Posted: 08 Jan 2021 02:41 PM PST World Health Organization chiefs urged rich countries to stop striking bilateral deals with vaccine manufacturers as low and middle-income countries are not yet receiving supplies of Covid inoculation. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries that have ordered excess doses to immediately hand them over to the COVAX vaccine-sharing facility |
| Biden agrees with Trump's decision not to attend inauguration – video Posted: 08 Jan 2021 01:06 PM PST Joe Biden said Donald Trump's decision not to attend his inauguration was 'one of the few things he and I have ever agreed on' and that it would be a 'good thing'. Biden, who is due to be inaugurated as president of the United States in just under two weeks, said impeachment would be a decision for Congress as he and Vice-president-elect Kamala Harris concentrated on Covid and the economy Continue reading... |
| Derrick Evans, lawmaker who filmed himself during US Capitol riot, faces charges – video Posted: 08 Jan 2021 10:34 AM PST Derrick Evans, a newly-elected lawmaker in West Virginia house of delegates, filmed himself during the pro-Trump riot on the US Capitol on Wednesday that left five people dead. On Friday, the justice department announced he had been charged with entering a restricted area. Evans, a Republican and Trump supporter, was seen on a Facebook Live video in which he was heard shouting "We're in! We're in baby!" while moving among a crowd of rioters as he walked through a doorway of the Capitol Rotunda. The video has since been deleted. John H Bryan, a civil rights lawyer who is representing Evans, said the delegate traveled to Washington DC to "engage in peaceful protest, activism and amateur journalism" and that he engaged in "no illegal behavior". In a statement released Thursday, Bryan added: "Given the sheer size of the group walking in, Mr Evans had no choice but to enter ...". The lawyer added that Evans has no plans to resign. Continue reading... |
| Drone footage shows huge sinkhole in Naples hospital car park – video Posted: 08 Jan 2021 07:57 AM PST A sinkhole measuring 2,000 sq metres has opened up in the visitors' car park of a hospital in Naples, forcing the temporary closure of a nearby residence for recovering coronavirus patients because of a power cut. A number vehicles fell into the sinkhole in the otherwise empty car park, but the hospital remained operational and no injuries were reported Continue reading... |
| Covid-19 is 'out of control' in London, says Sadiq Khan – video Posted: 08 Jan 2021 07:25 AM PST 'I'm afraid this virus is out of control,' the mayor of London has said after declaring a major incident as the capital's hospitals struggle to cope with coronavirus patients. 'The NHS in London is at risk of being overwhelmed ... we could run out of beds,' Sadiq Khan said. The mayor told BBC News that as many as one in 20 people had the virus in some parts of the city. 'The best way you can help the NHS is by staying at home,' he said Continue reading... |
| 'We cannot take chances' with South African Covid variant, says Grant Shapps – video Posted: 08 Jan 2021 03:04 AM PST The transport secretary said fears that vaccines would not work against the new South African coronavirus strain prompted the introduction of testing for new arrivals into England and Scotland. 'There are concerns ... about how effective the vaccine would be against it, so we simply cannot take chances,' Shapps said
|
| 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