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- FBI under pressure to tackle anti-Asian hate crime in wake of Atlanta shootings
- Oil firms knew decades ago fossil fuels posed grave health risks, files reveal
- Netherlands election: Mark Rutte claims fourth term with 'overwhelming' victory
- 'I'd call for a tow': Mars Perseverance rover sounds a bit scratchy in first recorded drive
- Tanzania's Covid-denying president, John Magufuli, dies aged 61
- Myanmar tycoon claims he gave Aung San Suu Kyi bribes as junta steps up attack
- UK considers sending asylum seekers abroad to be processed
- Tokyo Games: ceremonies chief to quit over sexist 'Olympig' comment
- Feeding cows seaweed could cut their methane emissions by 82%, scientists say
- Twitter told to delete Russian opposition's online news content
- Taiwan official urges people to stop changing their name to 'salmon'
- Coronavirus live news: India reports rising infections; EU regulator to report on AstraZeneca Covid vaccine safety
- Covid vaccine side-effects: what to know and why you shouldn't worry
- EU medicines regulator to report on AstraZeneca Covid vaccine safety
- Poorest countries will suffer most from Covid downturn, says UN
- The clown king: how Boris Johnson made it by playing the fool
- Faith Ringgold: 'I'm not going to see riots and not paint them'
- Nancy Campbell’s playlist: 10 songs from my travels
- Nergal: the extreme metal musician fighting Poland's blasphemy laws
- ‘We clap if none die’: Covid forces hard choices in Sierra Leone
- Will a British bioelectric hybrid plane really take off?
- The Israeli and Palestinian elections offend democracy – each in their own way | Salem Barahmeh
- Health experts warn the US should learn from Europe’s Covid mistakes
- Activists demand sexual violence against Argentina’s indigenous people be classified a hate crime
- Flood warning issued for Sydney and NSW coast as wet weather set to spread
- ‘The best cops’: Indian state recruits its first transgender police officers
- Two notorious Colombian warlords to face off in truth commission hearing
- Biden says Putin has 'no soul' and will pay a price for election interference – video
- 'Very troubling': Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Atlanta spa shootings – video
- Dominic Raab accuses EU of 'brinkmanship' over vaccine supply threat – video
- Vaccine supply shortage does not change UK Covid roadmap, says Matt Hancock – video
- Metro life in post-Soviet countries – in pictures
- Ursula von der Leyen says EU could halt vaccine exports to UK – video
- Parkour climate activists switch off Paris shop signs to fight light pollution – video
| FBI under pressure to tackle anti-Asian hate crime in wake of Atlanta shootings Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PDT Asian American leaders dismayed that discrimination and harassment continues to be downplayed by federal and local police Federal and local law enforcement agencies are under pressure to increase efforts to combat the rising tide of hate crimes against Asian Americans in the wake of the Atlanta, Georgia spa shootings that left eight people dead, six of them women of Asian descent. Related: Atlanta spa shootings: what we know so far Continue reading... |
| Oil firms knew decades ago fossil fuels posed grave health risks, files reveal Posted: 18 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PDT Exclusive: documents seen by Guardian show companies fought clean-air rules despite being aware of harm caused by air pollution The oil industry knew at least 50 years ago that air pollution from burning fossil fuels posed serious risks to human health, only to spend decades aggressively lobbying against clean air regulations, a trove of internal documents seen by the Guardian reveal. The documents, which include internal memos and reports, show the industry was long aware that it created large amounts of air pollution, that pollutants could lodge deep in the lungs and be "real villains in health effects", and even that its own workers may be experiencing birth defects among their children. Continue reading... |
| Netherlands election: Mark Rutte claims fourth term with 'overwhelming' victory Posted: 17 Mar 2021 10:24 PM PDT Exit polls suggest the prime minister's VVD party increased its share of seats as it won a national ballot seen as referendum on handling of Covid crisis Mark Rutte has claimed an "overwhelming" victory in national elections in the Netherlands, vowing to use a fourth term in office to rebuild the country after the coronavirus pandemic. Following a dull campaign fought during the pandemic and seen as a referendum on the government's performance during the crisis, exit polls suggested the VVD had won 35 of the Dutch parliaments 150 seats, two more than in the previous election. Continue reading... |
| 'I'd call for a tow': Mars Perseverance rover sounds a bit scratchy in first recorded drive Posted: 17 Mar 2021 10:54 PM PDT Perseverance could perhaps do with a service as Nasa experts investigate unexpectedly high-pitched scratching noise Nasa's newest Mars rover has sent back the first-ever sounds of driving on the red planet – a grinding, clanking, banging affair that by Earth standards would be pretty worrisome. The noises made by Perseverance's six metal wheels and suspension on the first test drive two weeks ago are part of a 16-minute raw audio feed released on Wednesday by Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Continue reading... |
| Tanzania's Covid-denying president, John Magufuli, dies aged 61 Posted: 18 Mar 2021 12:48 AM PDT Leader's death follows two-week absence from public life that prompted rumours he had virus Tanzania's president, John Magufuli, one of Africa's most prominent Covid-19 deniers, has died after a two-week absence from public life that prompted speculation that he had contracted the disease. Related: Tanzania's missing president is in Kenya with Covid, says opposition leader Continue reading... |
| Myanmar tycoon claims he gave Aung San Suu Kyi bribes as junta steps up attack Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:10 PM PDT Maung Waik alleges on state TV that he gave ousted leader $500,000 in cash in what appears to be an attempt to discredit the civilian government A Myanmar construction magnate with links to the country's military rulers has claimed that he gave more than $500,000 in cash to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a broadcast on state television apparently aimed at discrediting the ousted civilian government. The statement by Maung Waik could pave the way for more serious charges against Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained since the 1 February military takeover while security forces increasingly use lethal force against a popular uprising demanding the restoration of democratically elected leaders. Continue reading... |
| UK considers sending asylum seekers abroad to be processed Posted: 18 Mar 2021 02:33 AM PDT Reports suggest using Gibraltar or the Isle of Man or copying Australian model and paying third countries The Home Office is considering plans to send asylum seekers who arrive in the UK overseas to be processed, an idea modelled on a controversial Australian system, it is understood. Priti Patel, the home secretary, is expected to publish details next week of a scheme in which people who arrive in the UK via unofficial means, such as crossing the Channel in small boats, would be removed to a third country to have any claim dealt with. Continue reading... |
| Tokyo Games: ceremonies chief to quit over sexist 'Olympig' comment Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:16 PM PDT Hiroshi Sasaki suggested a female entertainer should dress as a pig at the opening ceremony Preparations for the Tokyo Olympics have again been thrown into turmoil after the creative director for the opening and closing ceremonies said he would resign over a sexist comment about a female entertainer, whom he likened to a pig. Hiroshi Sasaki said he would step down after a weekly magazine revealed he had proposed to his creative team that Naomi Watanabe, a popular celebrity, should be lowered into the Olympic stadium dressed as a pig in an opening ceremony segment he called "Olympig". Continue reading... |
| Feeding cows seaweed could cut their methane emissions by 82%, scientists say Posted: 17 Mar 2021 10:00 PM PDT Researchers found cows belched out 82% less methane after putting small amount of seaweed in their feed for five months Feeding seaweed to cows is a viable long-term method to reduce the emission of planet-heating gases from their burps and flatulence, scientists have found. Researchers who put a small amount of seaweed into the feed of cattle over the course of five months found that the new diet caused the bovines to belch out 82% less methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Continue reading... |
| Twitter told to delete Russian opposition's online news content Posted: 17 Mar 2021 10:00 PM PDT Ban on Khodorkovsky-founded outlet follows Kremlin threat to block entire social network Russia's media watchdog has told Twitter to delete the account of an opposition news outlet following threats from Moscow to block the social network entirely if it did not remove "banned content" within a month. The moves are part of a wider crackdown on social media and the opposition after protests supporting the jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, which were organised via online platforms. Continue reading... |
| Taiwan official urges people to stop changing their name to 'salmon' Posted: 18 Mar 2021 01:49 AM PDT Dozens of people have changed names to include 'gui yu' to take advantage of sushi promotion A Taiwanese official has pleaded with people to stop changing their name to "salmon" after dozens made the unusual move to take advantage of a restaurant promotion. In a phenomenon that has been labelled "salmon chaos" by local media, about 150 mostly young people visited government offices in recent days to officially change their name. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 18 Mar 2021 02:32 AM PDT Coronavirus cases on the rise in India; EMA to announce findings of investigation into bleeding, blood clots and low platelet counts; Brazil sees record daily case rise
Optimism is spreading in the US as Covid-19 deaths plummet and states ease restrictions and open vaccinations to younger adults, but experts say that the third wave crashing in Europe should serve as a warning against dropping safeguards too early, Jessica Glenza reports. Related: Health experts warn the US should learn from Europe's Covid mistakes
Pakistan has reported a big jump in new coronavirus infections, driven by a resurgence in its richest state and the spread of the UK variant of the virus. Reuters reports: 3,495 people tested positive in the past 24 hours, the most daily infections since early December. Total cases rose past 615,000. Deaths rose by 61 to 13,717. Most of the new cases came from Pakistan's largest and richest province, Punjab. |
| Covid vaccine side-effects: what to know and why you shouldn't worry Posted: 18 Mar 2021 12:00 AM PDT Side-effects have been reported for all three vaccines approved for emergency use in the US but most are mild and short-lived As more people become eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine many are asking what side-effects they should expect, and if there are differences between the side-effects of the vaccines. The short answer to both questions is yes – the details are below – though any discomfort pales in comparison with contracting Covid-19. We used clinical trial data gathered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to explore the kinds of side-effects most commonly associated with the three vaccines currently authorized for emergency use in the US. Those vaccines were developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (Niaid) and most recently by Johnson & Johnson. Continue reading... |
| EU medicines regulator to report on AstraZeneca Covid vaccine safety Posted: 17 Mar 2021 10:00 PM PDT Medicines agency under pressure to clear up blood clot concerns and take brakes off Europe's vaccination drive Europe's medicines regulator is under mounting pressure to clear up safety concerns over the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine as experts warned that arguably political decisions to pause it in many countries risked seriously delaying the continent's already sluggish vaccination drive. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is due on Thursday to announce the findings of its investigation into cases of bleeding, blood clots and low platelet counts in 30 of the vaccine's recipients that have led many European countries to suspend it. Continue reading... |
| Poorest countries will suffer most from Covid downturn, says UN Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PDT Unctad agency says international cooperation has fallen well short of what is needed given scale of crisis The UN has said the poorest and most vulnerable countries will be the biggest losers from a pandemic downturn that will leave the global economy nursing $10tn (£7.2tn) of losses by the end of the year. Despite becoming the latest international body to revise its growth forecast for 2021 upwards, the UN's conference on trade and development (Unctad) said there were signs the pandemic would end with pre-crisis problems unresolved. Continue reading... |
| The clown king: how Boris Johnson made it by playing the fool Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PDT Boris Johnson is the archetypal clown, with his antic posturing and his refusal to take anything seriously. So how did he end up in charge? The long-running German satirical show Extra 3 recently featured a sketch with the following voiceover: "From the people who brought you The Crown – the epic saga of the Queen – now comes the ridiculous story of this guy, a notorious buffoon at the head of a country … The Clown." The word "clown" has often been used in a flippant or dismissive way with regard to Boris Johnson. But the underlying paradox is that it is only as a clown – a fool in the oldest and deepest sense of the word – that his character can truly be understood. What happens when you make the clown king is what we in the UK have been witnessing in real time. With the success of the vaccine, though, a new question emerges: can one archetype transform into the other? Can Johnson creep away from his clownish past altogether? Continue reading... |
| Faith Ringgold: 'I'm not going to see riots and not paint them' Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PDT In a 70-year career, Ringgold has shown the US its bloody, brutal side. And yet the artist started out wanting to paint landscapes … She talks about growing up during the Harlem Renaissance, her battles with the establishment and her latest Trump the Chump series It looks a long way down from the window of Faith Ringgold's attic studio to her snow-covered garden in Englewood, New Jersey. Her friend and longtime gallerist Dorian Bergen is holding the phone aloft, giving me a video tour of an impressively ordered room. There is a long work table in the middle, with paints of every kind and colour at one end, and canvasses piled high, ready for use, at the other. Hung on one wall are two framed quilt editions from Ringgold's Coming to Jones Road series, inspired by her move to this very house 28 years ago, when the neighbours' hostile reception ended in a court case. Ringgold herself – now aged 90, and regal with it – sits by that window with its vertiginous view, as if on a throne backlit by the sun. In a 70-year career spanning the US's 20th-century social revolutions, the artist, activist and children's author has infused the US art establishment with traditions that had previously been systematically excluded: west African; African American; the work of women; and the perspectives of children. But while her famous fans include Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton, it is only in the past five years that the art world has come to appreciate the full scope of her legacy. Continue reading... |
| Nancy Campbell’s playlist: 10 songs from my travels Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:30 PM PDT The poet recalls trips to the Arctic, Switzerland and the US via musical memories that add to the intensity of those life-changing trips I never travel without a necklace that has a tiny bronze figure from the Finnish epic Kalevala. This talisman was given me by Anna-Kaisa, a teenage music prodigy, on a summer exchange when I was 15, which launched my love of all things Nordic. That summer I had my first sip of cloudberry vodka, took my first sauna, and learned to row a boat: all revolutionary for a kid from a family that had never taken holidays abroad. Anna-Kaisa and I became close friends, and I often returned to Helsinki for more saunas and vodka, and to hear her accompany the beguiling soprano Karita Mattila at the opera house. Continue reading... |
| Nergal: the extreme metal musician fighting Poland's blasphemy laws Posted: 18 Mar 2021 02:30 AM PDT The acclaimed and controversial Behemoth frontman faces possible prison time for a photo of his foot on a religious icon. He argues that Poland must become secular to evolve Blasphemy rather comes with the territory in the world of extreme metal. Since Venom proclaimed themselves In League With Satan in 1981, antagonising Christianity has been more or less compulsory to any extreme band worth its brimstone, though this has historically tended not to result in anything more than fulmination from a pulpit. But not in Poland, where last month, Nergal, the leader of the successful quartet Behemoth – whose album The Satanist cracked the US Top 40 in 2014 – was convicted of blasphemy after posting a photo on social media of him treading on an image of the Virgin Mary. He's appealing, but if the conviction is upheld he faces a fine at least, possible imprisonment, and a criminal record that will make international touring difficult. Continue reading... |
| ‘We clap if none die’: Covid forces hard choices in Sierra Leone Posted: 18 Mar 2021 12:15 AM PDT With medical resources diverted to the pandemic, years of progress in children's healthcare are under threat Nurse Magdalene Fornah was on duty at Freetown's Connaught hospital when she heard that Sierra Leone had its first confirmed coronavirus case. It was five years after Ebola had killed about 4,000 people in the small country, ravaging the fragile health system. Soon after that initial case was announced last March, the UN estimated that 3.3 million people across Africa could die of Covid-19. Like the rest of her medical colleagues, Fornah had no idea this nightmare scenario would not come to pass. "When I saw the first patients, I was scared," she says. Continue reading... |
| Will a British bioelectric hybrid plane really take off? Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PDT Boris Johnson set the goal, but the developers of the Beha had to get private investment for their unique craft In the shadows of the old Spitfires and Hurricanes that helped win the Battle of Britain, Faradair, a UK startup operating from the historic Duxford airfield, is hoping to help Britain fight the new war against climate change by developing a revolutionary 18-seat bioelectric hybrid plane which will eventually, hopes its designer, be carbon neutral. The plane, currently in development, will use electric motors to power take-off and landing, the part of any flight with the highest noise and carbon emissions. Once cruising, at a speed of about 230mph, the plane will switch to its turbogenerator, powered by biofuel, which will also recharge the motors with assistance from solar panels, ready for the aircraft's descent. Continue reading... |
| The Israeli and Palestinian elections offend democracy – each in their own way | Salem Barahmeh Posted: 17 Mar 2021 10:20 AM PDT Polls taking place months apart simply highlight the two-tier system that denies Palestinians any real voice or freedom For the first time in decades, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel will hold legislative elections a few months apart. Many in the international community and media will see this as a joint exercise in democracy but it is, in fact, a window into the reality of a two-tiered system that denies Palestinians the basic freedom and rights that many across the world take for granted. Drive across the winding roads of the West Bank this spring and you will see election posters interrupting the beautiful landscape of olive and almond trees. Upon further inspection, you may soon realise that the candidate advertised is not an eager Palestinian campaigning for a parliamentary seat. It is likely to be an Israeli candidate running for the Israeli parliament. Continue reading... |
| Health experts warn the US should learn from Europe’s Covid mistakes Posted: 18 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PDT Countries are declaring another lockdown and closing schools and restaurants as cases spike in Poland, Italy and France Optimism is spreading in the US as Covid-19 deaths plummet and states ease restrictions and open vaccinations to younger adults. But across Europe, dread is setting in with another wave of infections, which are closing schools and cafes and bringing new lockdowns. The pandemic's diverging paths on the two continents can be linked in part to a much faster vaccine rollout in the US and greater spread of contagious variants in Europe. Continue reading... |
| Activists demand sexual violence against Argentina’s indigenous people be classified a hate crime Posted: 18 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PDT The attacks are common in northern Argentina against women and children – including one victim who was just four years old Ana* was on her way home from school with her young cousin when it happened. "She managed to run away, but I didn't," she said, her voice trembling. "They put me in a car. They were white men. And they raped me." Ana's ordeal wasn't an isolated incident, but part of a horrific pattern of brutal sexual violence inflicted on indigenous children and women in northern Argentina by non-indigenous men, often in groups. Continue reading... |
| Flood warning issued for Sydney and NSW coast as wet weather set to spread Posted: 18 Mar 2021 02:17 AM PDT State Emergency Service respond to hundreds of callouts on mid-north coast, with heavy rain expected in Sydney and Illawarra by the weekend Residents in Sydney and along the New South Wales coast have been urged to prepare for the chance of flooding with torrential downpours expected to continue and spread over the coming days. Between midnight and midday on Thursday, NSW State Emergency Service had already responded to 254 callouts for the mid-north coast where a severe weather warning was issued from Gosford stretching up to Yamba. Continue reading... |
| ‘The best cops’: Indian state recruits its first transgender police officers Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PDT The 13 new constables have overcome society's prejudice to win a place at Chhattisgarh's training academy The top police officer in Chhattisgarh state, Durgesh Awasthi, has nothing but praise for his new recruits. He suspects, he says, some of them will prove to be "the best cops" the force has ever enlisted. "They are sensitive, have a high emotional quotient and know not just how the other half lives but what it's like being on the other side of the law," said Awasthi. Continue reading... |
| Two notorious Colombian warlords to face off in truth commission hearing Posted: 17 Mar 2021 09:25 AM PDT Rodrigo Londoño led the leftwing Farc guerrillas, while Salvatore Mancuso was head of a rightwing death squad during the civil war Two of Colombia's most notorious warlords will appear together before a truth commission on Thursday, in the latest move to shed light on crimes committed during decades of bloody civil war. Rodrigo Londoño, better known by his wartime alias Timochenko, once led the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), in a bloody struggle against the Colombian state that left 260,000 dead. Continue reading... |
| Biden says Putin has 'no soul' and will pay a price for election interference – video Posted: 17 Mar 2021 05:36 PM PDT Joe Biden has condemned Vladimir Putin, saying he thinks the Russian leader is a killer and that he told him he did not have a soul. Biden's remarks were made on ABC News in an interview with George Stephanopoulos. The interview coincided with the release of a declassified US intelligence report that bolstered allegations Putin was behind Moscow's interference in the 2020 election. When pressed on the allegations against Russia, Biden said Putin 'will pay a price' for the attempts to swing the vote in Donald Trump's favor Continue reading... |
| 'Very troubling': Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Atlanta spa shootings – video Posted: 17 Mar 2021 03:37 PM PDT Kamala Harris said the Atlanta massage parlour shootings were 'tragic' and spoke to the larger issue of violence in American society. 'We must ... never tolerate it and always speak out against it,' Harris said. Joe Biden said violence against Asian Americans was 'very, very troubling', but said was making 'no connection at this moment of the motivation of the killer'.
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| Dominic Raab accuses EU of 'brinkmanship' over vaccine supply threat – video Posted: 17 Mar 2021 12:31 PM PDT The UK's foreign secretary said the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, needed to explain herself after she threatened to ban exports of Covid-19 vaccines to the UK. Raab said such a move would cut across previous assurances. 'Frankly, I'm surprised we're having this conversation,' Raab said. 'It's normally the UK and the EU [who] team up to object when other countries with less democratic regimes than our own engage in that kind of brinkmanship' Continue reading... |
| Vaccine supply shortage does not change UK Covid roadmap, says Matt Hancock – video Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:32 AM PDT The health secretary is not concerned about an NHS warning that a 'significant reduction' of vaccine supplies could leave people under the age of 50 waiting an extra month for their first shot. Playing down the importance of what he described as a 'normal operational letter', Matt Hancock said the government's plan to offer every adult a vaccine by the end of July had not changed. 'Vaccine supply is always lumpy,' he said. 'These supply schedules have moved up and down throughout this whole rollout –it's absolutely par for the course.'
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| Metro life in post-Soviet countries – in pictures Posted: 17 Mar 2021 11:28 AM PDT Photographer Tomer Ifrah travelled between six post-Soviet countries, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Russia, Belarus, Georgia and Armenia, documenting city life on the metro, beginning in Moscow in 2012 and continuing until 2019. The images reveal personal stories of everyday life, intimate portraits, and a background of grandiose architecture Continue reading... |
| Ursula von der Leyen says EU could halt vaccine exports to UK – video Posted: 17 Mar 2021 09:11 AM PDT The EU commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has hinted that the bloc could withhold vaccine exports to the UK, reopening a dispute with the British government over supply delays affecting the European inoculation campaign. 'We want reciprocity,' she said. 'This is an invitation to show us that there are also doses coming to us from the UK'
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| Parkour climate activists switch off Paris shop signs to fight light pollution – video Posted: 17 Mar 2021 07:36 AM PDT With France under nationwide curfew from 6pm to 6am, the usually crowded Champs-Élysées in the centre of Paris is all but empty these days. But that has not stopped businesses along the avenue continuing to keep their signs and advertisements turned on. Now a group of parkour climate activists have begun climbing buildings to turn off the signs as part of the Lights Off movement, which seeks to take a stand against light pollution. Since going viral on TikTok, similar actions have started taking place in other French cities Continue reading... |
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