World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

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World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk


China's first local Covid case since February had been vaccinated – state media

Posted: 20 Mar 2021 12:27 AM PDT

The hospital worker had received two doses of an unspecified vaccine, report says, as much of France re-enters lockdown

China's first local coronavirus case since February was a staff worker at a hospital who had received two shots of a vaccine between end-January and early February, state media has reported.

The patient, identified by her surname Liu, had been working in the quarantine area of a hospital in Xian city since 4 March, and was mainly responsible for collecting samples from quarantined people for coronavirus testing, the Health Times reported on Saturday.

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Iceland volcano: eruption under way in Fagradalsfjall near Reykjavik

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 05:52 PM PDT

No-fly zone established and public advised to stay away from area as red cloud lights up night sky

A volcano has erupted in Iceland near the capital Reykjavik after thousands of small earthquakes in the area in recent weeks, the Icelandic meteorological office has said.

A red cloud lit up the night sky after the eruption began in Fagradalsfjall on Friday about 40km (25 miles) from the capital Reykjavik. A no-fly zone has been established in the area.

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NSW flooding: Sydney battered by rain and mid north coast evacuated amid wild weather

Posted: 20 Mar 2021 01:21 AM PDT

Suburbs on flood alert after Warragamba Dam spills over as storms across the state trigger a mini-tornado and hamper Covid vaccine deliveries

Swathes of suburban Sydney were on alert for dangerous flooding after the city's main dam spilled over on Saturday, with severe storms across New South Wales also triggering a mini-tornado, evacuations, and hampering coronavirus vaccine delivery.

Warragamba Dam spilled over at about 3pm on Saturday and daily rainfall records for parts of the mid north coast for March were broken by more than 100mm.

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Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort partially closed by Covid-19 outbreak

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 03:28 PM PDT

  • Receptionist says club closed until further notice
  • Trump moved to Florida property after leaving White House

Donald Trump's Palm Beach club, Mar-a-Lago, has been partially closed because of a Covid outbreak.

Several people familiar with the situation, including a club member who received a phone call about the closure on Friday, confirmed the partial closure to the Associated Press.

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'Our silence is complicity': Biden and Harris condemn anti-Asian violence during Atlanta visit

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 06:12 PM PDT

President and vice-president address nation reckoning with 'heinous act' that killed eight, including six women of Asian descent

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have condemned a "heinous act of violence" during a trip to Atlanta, hoping to console a city and Asian American communities rocked by the attack this week that left eight people dead and one injured.

Delivering remarks on Friday evening at Emory University after a day spent meeting with Asian American community leaders and politicians, the president and vice-president spoke out forcefully against the shooting, in which six of the victims were women of Asian descent, as well as the rise in anti-Asian violence.

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Bolsonaro uses Brazil's dictatorship-era law as protesters depict him as a Nazi

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 07:55 PM PDT

National security law dating from military rule has been used to detain or investigate critics of Brazil's president

Protesters against Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, have defied police in the capital after the latest round of arrests of the leader's critics under a dictatorship-era national security law.

Four demonstrators were detained in Brasilia on Thursday after calling Bolsonaro "genocidal" for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and displaying a cartoon depicting the president as a Nazi. But on Friday, police quietly watched an hour-long protest against Bolsonaro in the capital staged by about 40 people.

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Elon Musk denies Teslas used for spying after China's military bans cars from bases

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PDT

We would get shut down if we were spying, says boss of electric car maker, after reports about security concerns in Beijing

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk says his company would be shut down if its cars were used to spy, his first comments on news that China's military has banned Teslas from its facilities.

"There's a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information," Musk told a prominent Chinese forum during a virtual discussion on Saturday. "If Tesla used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we will get shut down."

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Election watchdog contacts Tory party over revamp of Downing Street flat

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 05:27 PM PDT

Electoral Commission wants to find out whether payment relating to renovation should have been declared

The official elections watchdog has contacted the Tory party over a reported payment made for the refurbishment of Boris Johnson's Downing Street flat, it has been disclosed.

The Electoral Commission said it was in touch to establish whether any sums relating to the renovation works should have been declared under the law on party political donations.

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Chess: humiliated Magnus Carlsen eliminated from his own tournament

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 04:12 PM PDT

The world champion lost his semi-final against Russian champion Ian Nepomniachtchi in the $200,000 Carlsen Invitational

Magnus Carlsen, the world champion, has been having a hard time in the $1.5m online Meltwater Champions Tour, supported by his own company Play Magnus Group. There are 10 qualifying tournaments leading to a final in the autumn and Carlsen, 30, who won the 2020 Tour, has so far this year been knocked out four times.

The first three Tour events were won by the US champion Wesley So (twice) and the Azerbaijan grandmaster Teimour Radjabov, while on Saturday and tomorrow in the fourth event Carlsen will only compete for third place. The tournament's name is the Magnus Carlsen Invitational, which makes it still more humiliating for the world champion.

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Biden 'doing fine' after stumbling once, twice, thrice on steps of Air Force One

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 03:03 PM PDT

White House spokesperson blames windy weather after Biden loses his footing three times boarding presidential plane

Supporters of Joe Biden were tempting fate when they claimed he had not put a foot wrong during his first two months in office.

Related: US reaches 100m Covid vaccine milestone six weeks early as Fauci urges vigilance – live

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'This is what we feared': how a country that avoided the worst of Covid finally got hit

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 01:00 PM PDT

Papua New Guinea has seen coronavirus cases skyrocket, with fears it could push the health system to breaking point

When Papua New Guinea recorded its first Covid case in March 2020, the country held its breath.

There were acute fears about its on the country's already overwhelmed and under-resourced health system, which has roughly 500 doctors to serve a population of around nine million, and was already struggling to deal with outbreaks of measles, drug-resistant tuberculosis and polio.

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Thailand's empty beach resorts hope vaccines will put them back in the sun

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 11:47 PM PDT

Plans to reopen to vaccinated tourists include short quarantine in popular holiday spots like Phuket and Koh Samui

Thailand's Phuket island used to vibrate with life. Before the pandemic, March was part of peak season and the resort's long white beaches were packed with tourists from Europe, Australia, North America and China. At night, backpackers would flock to beach-front bars and on the hills stretching inland wealthy tourists would eat at five-star restaurants.

Today, Phuket is a ghost town. The shockwaves of Covid-19 have reduced daily visitor numbers from up to 50,000 down to just hundreds. But there is hope that plans to bring tourists back could change the fortunes of the beach town, and the country.

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Raab and Johnson show two faces of UK's vaccine diplomacy

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 09:36 AM PDT

Analysis: Foreign secretary's robust response to the EU contrasted with the PM's emollience towards India

Boris Johnson went out of his way this week not to blame Delhi for the later-than-expected arrival of 5m doses of the Oxford vaccine from India, which is contributing to a significant dip in supplies in April.

"No, no, no," he said, when asked by a reporter whether Delhi had blocked the export of the vaccines, as the country battles a resurgence in Covid cases.

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Michael Rosen backs calls for Covid UK public inquiry

Posted: 20 Mar 2021 12:00 AM PDT

Children's writer who nearly died from virus joins Joan Bakewell and other public figures in demanding investigation

Michael Rosen, the poet and children's writer who survived Covid after six weeks on a ventilator, has backed calls for a public inquiry into the UK's handling of the pandemic amid rising pressure on Boris Johnson to announce a timetable.

The author spoke out as several other prominent figures urged the government to launch a statutory investigation into the UK's Covid-19 experience, including the broadcaster Joan Bakewell, the film director Stephen Frears and the music producer and composer Talvin Singh.

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‘Until the law catches up, all we have is our stories’: my year-long fight to hold my attacker to account

Posted: 20 Mar 2021 01:00 AM PDT

When Caitlin McNamara launched a literary festival in Abu Dhabi, she found herself plunged into a busy, exciting world. Then, she alleges, she was raped by an Emirati royal

This time last year, the world watched as Harvey Weinstein was led out of a New York courtroom, having finally been convicted of sexual assault. For many of us, it signified a hopeful shift in the law's blemished record of allowing rich men to get away with treating women's bodies as a perk of power.

I watched this historic ruling on TV alone, at a beach resort in Oman. The sun had set over the Indian Ocean and I could hear honeymooning couples clinking glasses at the poolside bar below. As the coverage rolled, I scrolled through Instagram watching the man who had sexually assaulted me the week before, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, be applauded on to a platform I had worked hard to build.

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'His new business': Trump seeks personal political brand as he grips Republican base

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PDT

The ex-president has spent his time out of office attacking Republicans who dare to criticize him – and it could cause trouble for the party in the midterms

Days after being acquitted in his second impeachment trial last month, Donald Trump issued a statement lashing out against one of the very Republican senators who made that acquittal possible.

"The Republican party can never again be respected or strong with political 'leaders' like Senator Mitch McConnell at its helm," the former president said in a statement, after the Republican leader criticized him for inciting the 6 January insurrection at the Capitol. Trump added: "Mitch is a dour, sullen and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again."

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Blind date: ‘She definitely found me funny’

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PDT

Omena, 26, teacher, meets Felix, 28, administrator

What were you hoping for?
To meet someone cool, kind and on my vibe, to get to know and meet when I relocate to London.

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The stars of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: ‘We’re the Turner and Hooch of Marvel’

Posted: 20 Mar 2021 01:00 AM PDT

Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan discuss the new Disney+ series, patriotism and Chadwick Boseman's legacy

Sebastian Stan, AKA Bucky Barnes, AKA The Winter Soldier, is attempting to characterise his relationship with his on-screen partner Anthony Mackie, AKA Sam Wilson, AKA The Falcon: "I grew up with buddy comedies like 48 Hours, Coming to America, you know, Lethal Weapon, Turner and Hooch. All those movies I grew up with. So for me, it was like I was making an 80s film with Anthony Mackie."

Related: The Guide: Staying In – sign up for our home entertainment tips

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Victorian Alps disappearance: the friends who went into Australia's wilderness and never came back

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 08:19 PM PDT

Russell Hill and Carol Clay are thought to be dead. But technically they're still just missing

A year ago, two friends in their 70s went missing in some of the wildest terrain in Australia: Wonnangatta Valley. It's the sort of place where you might go days without seeing anyone, with only kangaroos and snakes for company. A place of snow-capped mountains – even in summer. A place of bushfires and danger.

The sort of place where it's easy to get lost.

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Thorntons departs the high street, leaving behind childhood memories

Posted: 20 Mar 2021 12:00 AM PDT

The chocolate retailer's closures shows businesses can't make money out of trips down memory lane

For many Britons the Thorntons name conjures up happy childhood memories of sucking on toffee and boxes of continental chocolates presented with a flourish on special occasions.

However, businesses do not make money out of trips down memory lane and this week the retailer said its 61 shops were to close permanently, affecting 600 jobs, blaming the "changing dynamics of the high street" and the impact of the coronavirus lockdowns on sales.

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Two women and a man found dead in Newtownabbey, Belfast

Posted: 20 Mar 2021 12:52 AM PDT

One victim found stabbed at a house on Friday night, while two other victims were discovered at another address nearby

Police have launched an investigation after the deaths of two women and a man in Newtownabbey north of Belfast.

The PSNI said officers were called to reports of a stabbing at a residence in the Derrycoole Way area at around 11pm on Friday, where a woman was pronounced dead.

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Tanzania's first female leader urges unity after Covid sceptic Magufuli dies

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 03:40 AM PDT

Samia Suluhu Hassan faces task of healing east African country polarised during predecessor's presidency

Tanzania's new president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has said the country should unite and avoid pointing fingers after the death of John Magufuli, her Covid-19 sceptic predecessor.

Wearing a red hijab, she took her oath of office on the Qur'an in a ceremony at State House in the east African country's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. She is the first female head of state in the country of 58 million.

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Atlanta shootings: why US hate crime data is so lacking | Mona Chalabi

Posted: 20 Mar 2021 12:00 AM PDT

Statistics gathered by the FBI are often categorized by a single motivation – and no data is collected on sex worker violence

Of the eight people killed in Atlanta spas on Wednesday, six of them were Asian women. The police claim it is too soon to know if the suspect was motivated by racial hatred, focusing instead on the idea that the massage parlors were a "temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate".

This, of course, ignores the possibility that someone might be motivated by racial hatred and sexism.

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'Blindsided': Biden faces tough test in reversing Trump's cruel border legacy

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PDT

As unaccompanied children reach the US, Republicans seek political gain. The White House has a fight on its hands

Lauded for his human touch, Joe Biden is facing an early political and moral test over how his government treats thousands of migrant children who make the dangerous journey to America alone.

Related: Is there a crisis at the border? Advocates in Texas say it's 'political manipulation'

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Warragamba Dam overflowing as 'mini tornado' rips through western Sydney suburb – as it happened

Posted: 20 Mar 2021 01:23 AM PDT

Floods to delay Covid vaccine deliveries as more than 400mm of rain falls on parts of mid north coast. This blog is paused

Here's a quick recap of what's happened today. We'll be pausing this blog for a short while, ahead of further developments later today.

It's a sad time in parts of the NSW north coast.

Port Macquarie after flooding today. Picture: Steve Drew @GuardianAus pic.twitter.com/EBCPyqJdTy

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'We were left in the sea': asylum seekers forced off Lesbos

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 10:11 AM PDT

One refugee's terrifying story illustrates how 'pushbacks' are creating a crisis for the right to asylum at Europe's borders

"We were all forced on to the boat. If we looked up they shouted at us and hit us in the head. Then they stopped at a place in the sea where there were no other boats, they left us."

Mustafa, his wife and two young children had only been on the Greek island of Lesbos a few hours when, they say, they were driven in a van to the coast, beaten by masked men and then taken out to sea on a raft and abandoned there.

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Will a chilly meeting in Anchorage set the tone for US-Chinese relations? | Emma Graham-Harrison

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 12:08 PM PDT

Openings of summits are often dull affairs, but the tense exchanges in Alaska hint at turbulent times ahead

In a protracted, unplanned public spat in Anchorage late on Thursday, China and America's top diplomats traded barbs for over an hour in front of astonished journalists.

The openings to diplomatic summits are usually dull and carefully choreographed, a showcase for the world's cameras before the doors close and the real talks begin.

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Joe Biden stumbles on steps of Air Force One – video

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 09:30 AM PDT

The US president stumbled while boarding Air Force One on his way to visit to Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with Asian American community leaders. Biden tripped on the steps up to the plane, before recovering and carrying on unaided, turning to salute at the top. The 78-year-old fractured his right foot in November 2020 while playing with his dog Major

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FBI releases new video in hunt for dangerous suspects from Capitol attack – video

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 08:03 AM PDT

Warning: some viewers may find the following footage distressing

The FBI has released new footage of the deadly 6 January US Capitol insurrection as it seeks to identify 10 suspects involved in what the agency says were 'some of the most violent attacks on officers'. Law enforcement are still pursuing more than 100 suspects from the attack, and the 10 suspects highlighted this week are considered among the most dangerous still at large

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'We are in pain': Asian American lawmaker Grace Meng makes powerful speech – video

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 05:02 AM PDT

The Asian American lawmaker Grace Meng called out the violence and discrimination against her community at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday. 'Our community is bleeding. We are in pain. And for the last year, we've been screaming out for help,' she  said. She told a panel the rising tide of anti-Asian bigotry was fuelled in part by rhetoric from Donald Trump and his allies, who have referred to Covid-19 as the 'China virus' and 'kung flu' 

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