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- Air pollution significantly raises risk of infertility, study finds
- Crew of oil tanker beached off UAE to go home after four years at sea
- Coronavirus live news: WHO expects first Covax deliveries late February; New Zealand confirms third new case
- Millions without power and 21 dead as ferocious winter weather sweeps US
- Fresh protests in Myanmar as Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court
- Europe launches recruitment drive for female and disabled astronauts
- Dominic Raab calls for ceasefires to enable Covid vaccinations
- Oil firms should disclose carbon output, says BlackRock
- Nepal proposes 'ridiculous' ban on women travelling without permission
- Steve Bannon believed Trump had early stage dementia, TV producer claims
- Russian lab to research prehistoric viruses in animals dug from melted permafrost
- What Australia has learned from a year of Covid hotel quarantine
- UK to infect up to 90 healthy volunteers with Covid in world first trial
- Threat to Olympic torch relay as Japan starts vaccination rollout
- Biden vows to make 600m vaccine doses available by end of July
- 'He's beaten her black and blue for years': a month in the life of a women's refuge manager
- Her name is Rio: Aunt Ciata, the guardian of samba who created Carnival culture
- How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates review – why science isn't enough
- Ruth E Carter: 'Nothing is set in stone until the camera starts rolling'
- After rocket attack, Biden faces first real test on Iran
- Tights! Spatulas! Action! The madcap world of chain reaction videos
- Harry Dunn family's damages claim can go ahead in US, judge rules
- Italians want Mario Draghi to deliver 'normality' – and therein lies the danger | Lorenzo Marsili
- Israel allows 1,000 Covid vaccines into blockaded Gaza after hold up
- Mozambique expels British journalist covering insurgency
- 'It's just exhausting': rural Louisiana hospital workers tell of Covid burnout
- Brittany Higgins: who knew what, and when, about the alleged rape at Parliament House
- Malawi sacks heads of Covid-19 taskforce amid audit of use of funds
- Frigid temperatures grip Texas – in pictures
- Princess Latifa: daughter of ruler of Dubai says she is a hostage in secret message – video
- Police discover 150 revellers in raid on makeshift nightclub in Birmingham – video
- Power outages as deadly winter storm brings snow and ice across southern US – video
| Air pollution significantly raises risk of infertility, study finds Posted: 17 Feb 2021 01:48 AM PST Exclusive: With 30% of infertility unexplained, pollution could be an 'unignorable' risk factor, scientists say Exposure to air pollution significantly increases the risk of infertility, according to the first study to examine the danger to the general population. The analysis of 18,000 couples in China found that those living with moderately higher levels of small-particle pollution had a 20% greater risk of infertility, defined as not becoming pregnant within a year of trying. Continue reading... |
| Crew of oil tanker beached off UAE to go home after four years at sea Posted: 16 Feb 2021 10:00 PM PST Five men abandoned without wages on ship that ran aground have received settlements and will be repatriated to their families The crew of an oil tanker who have not set foot on dry land for nearly four years after being abandoned on board their ship, which later ran aground off the United Arab Emirates, are finally going home to see their families. The seafarers, who said they experienced "living hell" on board the 5,000-ton MT Iba after the tanker's owner hit financial problems and stopped paying salaries almost three years ago, have been given a settlement for wages owed to them. They hope to be repatriated in March. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 17 Feb 2021 02:23 AM PST South Africa to administer 80,000 doses in large-scale trial; WHO expects first Covax deliveries late February; New Zealand confirms third new case
Bahrain has become one of the first countries in the world to launch a digital Covid vaccine passport. In a statement Bahrain said its BeAware app will enable individuals to show their immunity status two weeks after receiving both doses of the jab.
Malaysia has announced a further 2,998 Covid cases and 22 new deaths from the virus. The average number of new cases has been coming down since the end of January when a daily cases almost hit 6,000. Pecahan kes baharu (2,998) pic.twitter.com/iNzsMIb5yY Continue reading... |
| Millions without power and 21 dead as ferocious winter weather sweeps US Posted: 16 Feb 2021 05:37 PM PST Officials warn of treacherous travel conditions as icy winter storm heads to America's north-east Ferocious winter weather sweeping across large parts of the central and southern US has brought record-breaking cold temperatures, left millions without power and killed at least 21 people across multiple states. Continue reading... |
| Fresh protests in Myanmar as Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court Posted: 16 Feb 2021 11:19 PM PST Protesters march in Yangon, a day after Aung San Suu Kyi makes videolink appearance to face fresh charge Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Myanmar's main city Yangon on Wednesday morning to voice their anger against the coup, after a fresh charge was announced against ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The deposed state counsellor, who has not been seen in public since the coup on 1 February, appeared in court by video link on Tuesday, her lawyer said. Continue reading... |
| Europe launches recruitment drive for female and disabled astronauts Posted: 16 Feb 2021 04:16 PM PST European Space Agency aims to take on 26 people for missions to the Moon and eventually to Mars European space chiefs have launched their first recruitment drive for new astronauts in 11 years, with particular emphasis on encouraging women and people with disabilities to join missions to the Moon and, eventually, Mars. The European Space Agency (ESA) said on Tuesday that it was looking to boost the diversity of its crews as it cavassed for up to 26 permanent and reserve astronauts. Continue reading... |
| Dominic Raab calls for ceasefires to enable Covid vaccinations Posted: 16 Feb 2021 04:01 PM PST UK foreign secretary tells UN there is a moral duty to protect people in conflict zones Dominic Raab, the UK foreign secretary, is to ask for ceasefires to be implemented in conflict zones so local populations can be vaccinated against coronavirus, arguing that the world has "a moral duty to act". The British minister is to chair a meeting of the UN's security council in an effort to persuade members to agree a resolution calling for locally negotiated ceasefires in areas such as Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. Continue reading... |
| Oil firms should disclose carbon output, says BlackRock Posted: 16 Feb 2021 09:01 PM PST World's biggest investor wants polluting industries to set targets to cut emissions and reach net zero BlackRock, the world's biggest investor, has said that oil companies and other polluting industries should disclose their carbon emissions and set targets to cut them, in the latest sign of the rapid reassessment of climate risks by asset managers. All companies in which BlackRock invests will be expected to disclose direct emissions from operations and from energy they buy, known respectively as scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, the investment firm said in a letter outlining its plans. Continue reading... |
| Nepal proposes 'ridiculous' ban on women travelling without permission Posted: 16 Feb 2021 10:30 PM PST Activists warn new anti-trafficking law requiring permission from families to travel is evidence of 'deep-rooted patriarchal mindset' A proposed law in Nepal that would ban women from travelling abroad without permission from their families and local government officials has been called unconstitutional and "ridiculous". The proposals, introduced by the Department of Immigration last week in an attempt to prevent women being trafficked, would require all women under 40 to seek permission before they visit Africa or the Middle East for the first time. Continue reading... |
| Steve Bannon believed Trump had early stage dementia, TV producer claims Posted: 16 Feb 2021 01:11 PM PST
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon thought Donald Trump was suffering from early-stage dementia and campaigned covertly to remove him from office via the 25th amendment, according to a veteran TV producer. Related: Sounds about right: why podcasting works for Pence, Bannon and Giuliani Continue reading... |
| Russian lab to research prehistoric viruses in animals dug from melted permafrost Posted: 16 Feb 2021 11:16 AM PST Project aims to identify paleoviruses and study virus evolution using the remains, Siberian lab says A Russian state laboratory has announced that it is launching research into prehistoric viruses by analysing the remains of animals recovered from melted permafrost. The Siberia-based Vektor lab said in a statement on Tuesday that the aim of the project was to identify paleoviruses and conduct advanced research into virus evolution. Continue reading... |
| What Australia has learned from a year of Covid hotel quarantine Posted: 16 Feb 2021 07:07 PM PST The strict 14-day hotel quarantine system has been key to keeping the nation's coronavirus cases low, but major leaks and controversies have forced constant rethinks Australia's strict 14-day hotel quarantine system, and simultaneous stifling of its citizens' ability to travel freely overseas, are widely acknowledged as a major factor in the nation's successful containment of Covid-19, low death rate and ability to resume a semblance of pre-pandemic life. However the nation's quarantine regime has been progressively tightened in response to instances of the virus leaking out of hotels since the mandatory order was introduced for international arrivals from all countries in March last year. Continue reading... |
| UK to infect up to 90 healthy volunteers with Covid in world first trial Posted: 17 Feb 2021 02:03 AM PST Covid human challenge study will start within weeks and see adults exposed in a controlled environment The world's first coronavirus human challenge study will begin in the UK within a month, following approval from the UK's clinical trials ethics body, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) has announced. It will involve up to 90 carefully selected, healthy adult volunteers being exposed to Covid-19 in a safe and controlled environment. Continue reading... |
| Threat to Olympic torch relay as Japan starts vaccination rollout Posted: 16 Feb 2021 09:52 PM PST The Games are due to begin in July but Shimane prefecture says it might pull out of the prestigious pre-Games event The head of a prefecture in Japan has said the area is considering pulling out of the Olympic torch relay, as the nation became the latest major economy to begin its vaccine rollout. Tatsuya Maruyama, the governor of Shimane prefecture, said on Wednesday that it could withdraw from the key Olympic event and has called for the Tokyo 2020 Games to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading... |
| Biden vows to make 600m vaccine doses available by end of July Posted: 16 Feb 2021 08:01 PM PST President calls for teachers to be vaccinated sooner as he describes plans for tackling Covid-19 in televised town hall Joe Biden laid out his plans for fighting the next stage of the coronavirus pandemic in a primetime town hall on Tuesday, pledging to make 600m doses of the Covid-19 vaccine available by the end of July, saying teachers should be moved "up the hierarchy" of the vaccine queue, and predicting most elementary schools would reopen by the end of his first 100 days in office. Seeking to move beyond his predecessor's impeachment trial and reassure the American people that more aid was on the way, Biden addressed a small crowd in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After landing on a slick, snow-covered tarmac in below-freezing weather, he took questions from a small audience of Democrats, Republicans and independents invited for a small, socially distant gathering at the historic Pabst Theater. Continue reading... |
| 'He's beaten her black and blue for years': a month in the life of a women's refuge manager Posted: 16 Feb 2021 10:00 PM PST Over the past year, reports of domestic violence have risen enormously – while refuge places are scarce. One woman explains what it is like trying to help those who have fled for their lives The pandemic has had a devastating impact on women in abusive relationships, trapping them in their homes with violent, manipulative or controlling men. The UN described the global increase in domestic abuse as a "shadow pandemic", and in the first seven weeks of lockdown there was a domestic abuse call to UK police every 30 seconds. The Centre for Women's Justice noted the number of domestic-abuse-related deaths trebled in the UK in 2020, compared with 2019. At the heart of this storm are women's refuges, places of sanctuary that have seen their funding slashed in recent years. How are refuges coping? Here, we follow one manager over the course of a month. Continue reading... |
| Her name is Rio: Aunt Ciata, the guardian of samba who created Carnival culture Posted: 17 Feb 2021 12:44 AM PST Hiding musicians in yards and back rooms, this fearless community leader protected Afro-Brazilian music and traditions that live on a century later This week, Rio de Janeiro should have been celebrating, its streets alive with local people and tourists honouring the city's Carnival, a tradition dating back to the 17th century. But for the first time outside the two world wars, the city's flagship event is cancelled. It's the only reasonable decision given how out of control the pandemic is in Brazil – yet locals and tourists are still mourning the loss of the world's most prestigious pre-Lent festival, one rooted in the sound of samba. A century ago, samba becoming synonymous with Brazil's cultural identity would have seemed impossible. In the early 20th century, Rio's ruling elite were ashamed and afraid of the rhythm, which was linked to African-Brazilian cults. Samba faced police persecution: musicians were frequently arrested, their instruments confiscated or destroyed; gatherings were abruptly shut down. It might not have lasted were it not for the intelligence and diplomacy of the entrepreneur, artist, spiritual guide and community leader known as Aunt Ciata. Continue reading... |
| How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates review – why science isn't enough Posted: 17 Feb 2021 01:00 AM PST The co-founder of Microsoft looks to science and tech to end climate crisis ... but can nations cooperate? Bill Gates has changed our lives through his Microsoft software; he has improved countless lives through his foundation's work to eliminate polio, TB and malaria; and now he proposes to help save our lives by combating climate change. How to Avoid a Climate Disaster details the transformation necessary to reverse the effects of decades of catastrophic practices. We need, Gates calculates, to remove 51bn tonnes of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere every year. Failing to do so would cost more than the 1.5 million lives already lost to Covid-19 and could cause, he calculates, five times more deaths than the Spanish flu a century ago. Continue reading... |
| Ruth E Carter: 'Nothing is set in stone until the camera starts rolling' Posted: 16 Feb 2021 11:03 PM PST The Oscar-winning costume designer of Black Panther talks her illustrious career as well as her future, including what to expect from the Marvel sequel There were a number of historic breakthroughs as a result of Marvel's blockbusting adventure Black Panther: the highest-grossing film from a black director, the highest-grossing film with a black lead and the first ever black winner for the best costume design Oscar. The winner was Ruth E Carter, whose major moment of recognition came after a career filled with trailblazing work which is being celebrated in Ruth E Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design, a 40-year retrospective at the Scad Fash Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta. Continue reading... |
| After rocket attack, Biden faces first real test on Iran Posted: 16 Feb 2021 10:31 AM PST Analysis: Fiery rhetoric of Trump era is gone, but flare-up in northern Iraq is a microcosm of tension to come Joe Biden faces his first real test with Iran. A barrage of 15 rockets in northern Iraq that struck a US base, killing a military contractor and wounding a soldier, were likely aimed as much at testing the new president's mettle as they were at causing damage. In the hours after the attack on Erbil airport, where much of the remaining US presence in Iraq is based, a Shia group loyal to Iran felt emboldened enough to claim it. Although the boast was from a hitherto unknown group, it left no doubt who was behind the first such barrage since Biden's inauguration. Continue reading... |
| Tights! Spatulas! Action! The madcap world of chain reaction videos Posted: 16 Feb 2021 10:00 PM PST Need your hair cut? Cake served? No problem! Lockdown has led millions to discover the work of Joseph Herscher and friends, whose absurdly complicated 'labour-saving' machines reveal the potential for magic in the everyday "It's one thing to maim myself," says Joseph Herscher. "But maiming someone else? I'm not sure I could live with that. At least I'd have it on tape, but it'd still suck to be killed by one of my machines." Herscher, 36, is a chain reaction artist who works out of his bedroom in a Brooklyn flatshare. He builds elaborate contraptions using everyday items in the style of Rube Goldberg, the madcap American cartoonist and inventor. Continue reading... |
| Harry Dunn family's damages claim can go ahead in US, judge rules Posted: 16 Feb 2021 10:53 AM PST Alleged killer Anne Sacoolas had applied for the civil proceedings against her to be dismissed A judge has ruled that Harry Dunn's family will be allowed to pursue a civil claim in the US against Anne Sacoolas, who fled the UK after allegedly killing the 19-year-old motorcyclist. The family will be able to sue Sacoolas for damages after a judge in the eastern district of Virginia dismissed her argument that holding the proceedings in the UK would be "more convenient". Continue reading... |
| Italians want Mario Draghi to deliver 'normality' – and therein lies the danger | Lorenzo Marsili Posted: 17 Feb 2021 02:00 AM PST The problems Europe faces will not be solved by a return to the status quo – complete overhaul of a bankrupt system is needed "Would it not be simpler for the government to dissolve the people and elect another?" Bertolt Brecht's line is often quoted after dubious upsets in the democratic process – such as the imposition of Mario Monti's austerity administration in Italy in 2011, or the crushing of Syriza's aspirations in Greece in 2015. And yet, Mario Draghi's top-down appointment as Italy's new prime minister tells a different story, one that doubles as a cautionary tale for the rest of Europe. A recent survey shows that 85% of Italians approve of the former European Central Bank chief and establishment prodigy running the government following the collapse of Giuseppe Conte's administration. This is an astonishing result for a country where combined support for populist parties represented an absolute majority at the last elections. How can such a glaring contradiction be explained? Continue reading... |
| Israel allows 1,000 Covid vaccines into blockaded Gaza after hold up Posted: 17 Feb 2021 01:42 AM PST Sputnik vaccines being sent to frontline medical workers after previous shipment was blocked Israel has permitted Palestinian officials to send the first shipment of 1,000 coronavirus vaccines to the blockaded Gaza Strip, after the Palestinian Authority accused it of holding up vital shipments intended for frontline medical workers. "This morning, an amount of 1,000 Sputnik vaccines donated by Russia, is being transferred from the Palestinian Authority to the Gaza Strip," an Israeli security official said. The shipment is expected to arrive later on Wednesday. Continue reading... |
| Mozambique expels British journalist covering insurgency Posted: 16 Feb 2021 12:31 PM PST Tom Bowker tweets that he has been banned from country for 10 years over alleged irregularities A British journalist covering an insurgency in northern Mozambique has been expelled from the country, he tweeted on Tuesday, days after his accreditation was revoked over alleged irregularities. Tom Bowker, the co-founder of the anglophone Mozambican news website Zitamar News, had his foreign correspondent card withdrawn on 29 January – a move he has said was politically motivated. Continue reading... |
| 'It's just exhausting': rural Louisiana hospital workers tell of Covid burnout Posted: 17 Feb 2021 02:00 AM PST Staff at St James parish hospital have struggled to handle the surge of Covid patients – and despite the arrival of vaccines, problems persist The "heroes work here" sign in front of St James parish hospital is long gone, along with open intensive care unit beds in the state of Louisiana. Staffers at the rural hospital spent hours each day in January calling larger hospitals in search of the elusive beds for Covid-19 patients. They leveraged personal connections and begged nurses elsewhere to take patients they know are beyond their hospital's care level. Continue reading... |
| Brittany Higgins: who knew what, and when, about the alleged rape at Parliament House Posted: 17 Feb 2021 01:35 AM PST There are inconsistencies in the government account and the ex-staffer who says she was attacked has accused the PM of 'victim-blaming'
Disturbing allegations that a young political staffer, Brittany Higgins, was raped on a couch in Parliament House have dominated this week's parliamentary sitting. Here we set out the key facts and timeline. Continue reading... |
| Malawi sacks heads of Covid-19 taskforce amid audit of use of funds Posted: 16 Feb 2021 03:54 AM PST President Lazarus Chakwera fires several officials and warns 'no penny meant for saving lives will be stolen, abused or wasted' Malawi's president Lazarus Chakwera has fired the heads of his government's Covid-19 taskforce, in what is being seen as his first decisive move during the pandemic. The president fired the head of the disaster management department and the taskforce's co-chair, and suspended further officials, some "for failing to maintain proper records of how such critical funds were used and others for defying my directive to submit reports weekly to my office". He said the pandemic called for "strong leadership". Continue reading... |
| Frigid temperatures grip Texas – in pictures Posted: 16 Feb 2021 09:41 PM PST Millions of people are without power in Texas as one of the worst storms in history plunges Texas into chaos Continue reading... |
| Princess Latifa: daughter of ruler of Dubai says she is a hostage in secret message – video Posted: 16 Feb 2021 10:23 AM PST The daughter of the ruler of Dubai, who tried to flee the emirate in 2018 but was forcibly returned, has used a smuggled phone to send a series of secret video messages taken over the past two years claiming she was being held hostage in a locked villa surrounded by police. The new videos were obtained by BBC Panorama and will be aired in more detail on Tuesday evening in the UK Continue reading... |
| Police discover 150 revellers in raid on makeshift nightclub in Birmingham – video Posted: 16 Feb 2021 08:55 AM PST Police have fined 70 people £200 each after discovering 150 revellers packed into makeshift nightclub in Birmingham. The lockdown-defying event featured a bar, VIP area and DJ. On the same night, officers shut down a bar named the Covid Arms inside a mechanic's garage Continue reading... |
| Power outages as deadly winter storm brings snow and ice across southern US – video Posted: 16 Feb 2021 04:41 AM PST Two people have died in Texas, likely due to sub-zero temperatures and power outages, officials say, as winter storms hit large parts of the southern US. Authorities reported two men were found dead along Houston-area roads Continue reading... |
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