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- China unveils Hong Kong electoral changes as Beijing tightens grip
- Displaced Syrians face losing homes to new government fines
- Coronavirus live news: WHO 'to scrap' interim Wuhan report; women's rights ‘rolled back’ by pandemic, says EU
- Greece: thousands of migrants at risk of homelessness as EU scheme ends
- Brexit: EU to launch legal proceedings against UK 'very soon'
- Navalny aides to push for sanctions against Putin-linked oligarchs
- Spate of firecracker attacks on Taiwan's invasive iguanas sparks alarm
- India's top judge tells accused rapist to marry victim to avoid jail
- Airline data hack: hundreds of thousands of Star Alliance passengers' details stolen
- EU accused of ‘neocolonial’ plundering of tuna in Indian Ocean
- Wisdom the albatross, the world's oldest known wild bird, has another chick at age 70
- White House defends Biden’s ‘Neanderthal thinking’ comment on ending mask mandates
- Covid vaccine ads aim to influence without alienating people
- 'All I've wanted is to give mum a hug': four families kept apart by Covid
- Papua New Guinea hospitals run out of funding as Covid cases surge
- On the frontline of Myanmar's coup protests: ‘We don’t accept this dictatorship’ - video
- Marvel directors the Russo brothers: 'The Avengers films were a powerful political tool, at the right time'
- The Dissident review – inside track on grisly murder of Jamal Khashoggi
- The man who saves cats in Fukushima's nuclear zone – in pictures
- The Notorious BIG: his 20 greatest tracks – ranked!
- Prince Harry and Meghan v the Palace: timeline of a royal crisis
- Australia requests review of Italy's block of vaccine export
- Guedra Guedra: Vexillology review | Ammar Kalia's global album of the month
- Mine that produced Queen's diamond investigates claims of abuses by guards
- The Katrina survivors who fled devastation only to freeze in Texas
- 'Hong Kong is crumbling': seven days that crushed city's last resistance
- Two cabinet ministers attended event at which woman alleged Christian Porter raped her
- Refugee rescuers charged in Italy with complicity in people smuggling
- Farmers and rights groups boycott food summit over big business links
- ‘They track every move’: how US parole apps created digital prisoners
- Protests in Myanmar - in satellite pictures
- Major earthquake triggers tsunami warning and evacuations in New Zealand – video
- Joe Biden 'neanderthal' comment a reflection of frustration, says White House – video
| China unveils Hong Kong electoral changes as Beijing tightens grip Posted: 04 Mar 2021 09:28 PM PST Only 'patriots' will be allowed to stand for election and democratic representation will be reduced under plans laid out in Beijing China's top lawmaking body has unveiled plans to ensure only "patriots" can govern Hong Kong as Beijing tightens its grip on the city with electoral changes including a vetting process for all parliamentary candidates. In an annual "work report" delivered to Beijing's most important political meeting on Friday, Premier Li Keqiang also swore to "resolutely guard against and deter" interference by external forces, amid growing international alarm at Beijing's attacks on pro-democracy voices. Continue reading... |
| Displaced Syrians face losing homes to new government fines Posted: 04 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PST Amendment to conscription law means those who have not served must pay £5,700 or have assets seized A legal amendment in Syria has been greeted with anger and dismay by people displaced by the civil war who are now at risk of losing homes and property they left behind unless they pay exorbitant fines to the government in Damascus. Bashar al-Assad's sanctions-hit, cash-strapped government, looking to raise money in any way possible, announced a change to an article of the law concerning military conscription earlier this month. Under the amended law, those who did not do military service before the age of 43 must pay $8,000 (£5,700) or lose their property without notice or any right to appeal. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 05 Mar 2021 02:15 AM PST WHO reportedly to scrap findings amid calls for fresh inquiry; women 'particularly vulnerable in labour markets struck by Covid-19 crisis'
Women in European Union countries have been "disproportionately affected" by the coronavirus pandemic because they make up the vast majority of workers in health and other frontline jobs, according to the EU's annual report on gender equality. The pandemic has also brought a rise in domestic violence against women, the EU's annual report on gender equality said. Moreover, women have since had more difficulties finding new jobs. There is already ample evidence that the hard-won achievements of past years have been 'rolled back'...progress on women's rights is hard won but easily lost. Women's overrepresentation in lower paid sectors and occupations, such as hospitality, retail, or personal services, make them particularly vulnerable in the labour markets struck by the COVID-19 crisis.
The Philippines has recorded 52 more cases of a highly contagious coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa, the health ministry said on Friday. Reuters reports: Out of the new cases of the variant, known as B.1.351, the health ministry said 41 were detected in Manila, while the origin of the others was still being verified. The Philippines first reported six cases of the variant on Tuesday. The Southeast Asian country started its inoculation drive on Monday, but health experts worry the discovery of new variants could complicate its effort. |
| Greece: thousands of migrants at risk of homelessness as EU scheme ends Posted: 04 Mar 2021 10:00 PM PST Temporary shelter funding for people granted asylum is winding up before many have found new homes Thousands of refugees are at risk of being left homeless by the abrupt termination of an EU-funded programme providing cash assistance and temporary shelter to people granted asylum in Greece. Appeals from aid groups have mounted, amid fears more than 2,000 men, women and children will face destitution if action isn't taken. Continue reading... |
| Brexit: EU to launch legal proceedings against UK 'very soon' Posted: 04 Mar 2021 04:33 PM PST Threat of action follows UK moves to unilaterally delay implementation of part of deal relating to Northern Ireland Brussels has warned it will launch legal action "very soon" following a move by the UK to unilaterally delay implementation of part of the Brexit deal relating to Northern Ireland. The European commission vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, said the announcement by the government on Wednesday had come as a "very negative surprise". Continue reading... |
| Navalny aides to push for sanctions against Putin-linked oligarchs Posted: 04 Mar 2021 09:00 PM PST EU and US sanctions this week targeted Russian security and political officials but not business figures Aides to Alexei Navalny have said they will continue to push for new western sanctions against Kremlin-linked businessmen and officials, as Moscow brushes off the west's response to the poisoning and jailing of the opposition politician. In interviews, senior advisers to Navalny said they welcomed this week's sanctions against Russian officials but they had hoped to see oligarchs and others who could influence Vladimir Putin's decision-making also included. Continue reading... |
| Spate of firecracker attacks on Taiwan's invasive iguanas sparks alarm Posted: 04 Mar 2021 04:16 PM PST Rights group calls for action after cash bounty schemes lead to reptiles being blown up and shot with a bow and arrow A spate of cruelty towards invasive iguanas in Taiwan including stuffing firecrackers in the reptiles' mouths or shooting them with bows and arrows has prompted animal rights groups to call for a government crackdown. The Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan (East) said local and provincial government campaigns to encourage community involvement in controlling the spread of introduced species lacked guidelines, resulting in "a chaotic free-for-all at the expense of the welfare of the targeted animals". Continue reading... |
| India's top judge tells accused rapist to marry victim to avoid jail Posted: 04 Mar 2021 11:01 AM PST Sharad Arvind Bobde faces calls to resign over remarks to government technician about schoolgirl India's top judge is facing calls to resign after telling an accused rapist to marry his schoolgirl victim to avoid jail. More than 5,000 people have signed a petition demanding that the chief justice Sharad Arvind Bobde quit after he told the government technician at a hearing: "If you want to marry [her] we can help you. If not, you lose your job and go to jail." Continue reading... |
| Airline data hack: hundreds of thousands of Star Alliance passengers' details stolen Posted: 04 Mar 2021 10:59 PM PST IT operator Sita, which serves airlines including Singapore, Lufthansa and United, reports systems breach revealing frequent flyer data Data on hundreds of thousands of airline passengers around the world has been hacked via a "highly sophisticated" attack on the IT systems operator that serves around 90% of the global aviation industry. Sita, which serves the Star Alliance of airlines including Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and United, said on Thursday it had been the victim of a cyber attack leading to a breach of passenger data held on its servers. Continue reading... |
| EU accused of ‘neocolonial’ plundering of tuna in Indian Ocean Posted: 04 Mar 2021 10:00 PM PST Indian Ocean states say EU pushing weakest conservation efforts for yellowfin tuna while EU 'distant fleet' hoovers up the most fish The EU has been accused of "hypocrisy and neocolonialism" for proposing insufficient measures to tackle overfishing of yellowfin tuna, while being the largest fisher of the prized species in the Indian Ocean. Smaller than its Atlantic and Pacific bluefin cousins, the yellowfin tuna is one of the ocean's fastest and strongest predators. Also called ahi tuna, this species is massively overfished in the Indian Ocean – so much so that supermarkets and brands including Tesco, Co-op and Princes recently took the surprising step of joining scientists and environmental groups to call for tough action to rebuild the $4bn population. Continue reading... |
| Wisdom the albatross, the world's oldest known wild bird, has another chick at age 70 Posted: 04 Mar 2021 10:27 PM PST The remarkable bird has outlived mating partners, and even the biologist who first placed a band on her in 1956 At 70 years of age, Wisdom the Laysan albatross has hatched another chick. Regarded as "oldest known wild bird in history", Wisdom has outlived previous mating partners as well as the biologist Chandler Robbins, who first banded her in 1956. Continue reading... |
| White House defends Biden’s ‘Neanderthal thinking’ comment on ending mask mandates Posted: 04 Mar 2021 01:58 PM PST Texas governor Greg Abbott, who lifted face covering requirement, said it was 'not the type of word a president should be using' The White House has defended Joe Biden's criticism of the Republican governors of Texas and Mississippi, after the president called their decisions to end mask mandates "Neanderthal thinking". Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, emphasized that the president was comparing the governors' actions to "the behavior of a Neanderthal, just to be very clear, the behavior". She also said Biden's comments were "a reflection of his frustration" about Americans not following public health guidance to limit their risk of contracting coronavirus. Continue reading... |
| Covid vaccine ads aim to influence without alienating people Posted: 04 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PST Countries are taking different approaches to driving up vaccine acceptance while trying not to be seen as forcing the issue In England, the NHS signed up Elton John and Michael Caine for a lighthearted social media campaign aiming to convince the public that Covid vaccines are safe and effective. In Germany, a more sober public information campaign has been led by a virologist and health workers. And in France and elsewhere there have been no mass campaigns aimed at driving up vaccine acceptance. Related: Fear of missing out boosting global acceptance of Covid jab, survey suggests Continue reading... |
| 'All I've wanted is to give mum a hug': four families kept apart by Covid Posted: 05 Mar 2021 01:32 AM PST People tell how they have been affected by travel rules stopping them from meeting loved ones Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, various global restrictions on travel and socialising have kept many families apart – some for more than a year. Four people who have not seen loved ones for months at a time have spoken about how such separations have affected them. Continue reading... |
| Papua New Guinea hospitals run out of funding as Covid cases surge Posted: 04 Mar 2021 07:26 PM PST Services are being forced to close because of lack of money and staff as coronavirus threatens to take hold Read all our coronavirus coverage Papua New Guinea is battling to control a surge in coronavirus cases across the archipelago, just as hospitals are shutting their doors because they have run out of money. The country's crowded capital, Port Moresby, is the epicentre of the latest outbreak. Continue reading... |
| On the frontline of Myanmar's coup protests: ‘We don’t accept this dictatorship’ - video Posted: 05 Mar 2021 01:37 AM PST Wai Yan Phyo Mo is one of the leaders of the protest movement in Myanmar who have taken to the streets to oppose the military coup which removed the ruling NLD party from power. The coup has exploded simmering resentments across the country about low standards of living and discrimination against ethnic groups. Against a backdrop of military forces threatening protesters with worsening violence, Wai Yan pledges that civil disobedience will mean the end of the regime, and we follow him on the streets and in his safe house Continue reading... |
| Posted: 05 Mar 2021 12:00 AM PST The men behind the highest-grossing films of all time on how superheroes can instruct world leaders, and changing direction to make a bleak experimental opioid drama – starring Spider-Man Where do you go after you have just directed the highest grossing movie in history and your past three movies brought in a combined haul of $6bn? Only two people have had to grapple with this question. Joe and Anthony Russo have spent nearly a decade immersed in the Marvel universe, weaving together a tangle of plot strands, marshalling an enormous cast, staging ever more spectacular action scenes, and bringing the whole saga in to land against gale-force headwinds of expectation. As well as the concluding Avengers Endgame and Infinity War, the Russos directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016), the latter of which introduced Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther and Tom Holland's Spider-Man. On the one hand, you could say they have won Hollywood, but now they face the challenge of life after Marvel, which could be even tougher. Continue reading... |
| The Dissident review – inside track on grisly murder of Jamal Khashoggi Posted: 04 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PST Turkey's president blew the gaff on how the dissident Saudi author was killed, providing plentiful material for this gripping documentary It's not shown in this documentary, but there is a gruesome TV news clip of Vladimir Putin high-fiving Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G20 summit in November 2018. This was two months after the Saudi author and dissident Jamal Khashoggi had been murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, into whose diplomatically protected precincts he had been lured to get documentation for his planned wedding to the Turkish journalist Hatice Cengiz. Some of the arms-trading western nations duly raised their plaintive and transient objections. Putin himself had no such scruples. The high-five sent a gleeful signal. But the damage was done. The one world leader who was outraged was Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, livid that his turf had been encroached on, and his security services duly released the surveillance-tape transcripts, thus casually revealing the open secret that they bug foreign embassies. These documents show in minute-by-minute detail how Khashoggi was overpowered and killed. Continue reading... |
| The man who saves cats in Fukushima's nuclear zone – in pictures Posted: 04 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PST Sakae Kato stayed behind a decade ago to rescue abandoned cats whose owners fled radiation clouds from the Fukushima nuclear plant Continue reading... |
| The Notorious BIG: his 20 greatest tracks – ranked! Posted: 04 Mar 2021 11:00 PM PST As Netflix airs an intimate documentary about the late hip-hop legend, we pick his finest moments, from sublime braggadocio to gripping storytelling In its original version a nasty sex rhyme – "I got the cleanest, meanest penis" etc – the remix tones down the lyrics and smooths the music by way of DeBarge's 1983 hit Stay With Me, drafting in a vocal from Biggie's wife, Faith Evans, to spectacular effect. End result: a beautifully languid slow jam. Continue reading... |
| Prince Harry and Meghan v the Palace: timeline of a royal crisis Posted: 05 Mar 2021 12:12 AM PST The summits and rival statements since the Sussexes stood back as senior royals Prince Harry and Meghan married in May 2018 and within months the tensions between them and the rest of royal family began to emerge: Continue reading... |
| Australia requests review of Italy's block of vaccine export Posted: 05 Mar 2021 02:30 AM PST Italian government said the 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine must be kept in EU Australia has asked for a review of Italy's decision to block the export of 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to its shores. In the first such intervention under the EU's controversial export authorisation scheme, the Italian government said the doses must remain in the bloc with the backing of the European commission. Continue reading... |
| Guedra Guedra: Vexillology review | Ammar Kalia's global album of the month Posted: 05 Mar 2021 12:30 AM PST (On the Corner)
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| Mine that produced Queen's diamond investigates claims of abuses by guards Posted: 04 Mar 2021 11:15 PM PST Petra Diamonds already faces court action on similar grounds, as its contractors are accused of continued assaults on illegal miners A Tanzanian mine that produced a flawless pink diamond for one of the Queen's favourite brooches is investigating claims that security personnel have shot and assaulted illegal miners. New allegations come months after a lawsuit alleging "serious" human rights abuses was filed against Petra Diamonds, the mine's British owner, in the high court in London. Continue reading... |
| The Katrina survivors who fled devastation only to freeze in Texas Posted: 05 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PST In the wake of the 2005 hurricane, many New Orleanians settled in Houston – and nearly two decades later they feel let down by infrastructure failures Terrence Veal spent the better part of last week without water. After the pipes in his Houston home froze during the winter storm, he and his family quickly ran out of bottled water. Then the pipes burst, collapsing the ceiling and flooding the living room of the apartment he shares with his wife and two children and causing several thousand dollars' worth of damage. Related: Long road to recovery: effects of devastating winter freeze to haunt Texas for years Continue reading... |
| 'Hong Kong is crumbling': seven days that crushed city's last resistance Posted: 05 Mar 2021 02:30 AM PST Dozens of pro-democracy politicians and activists have been rounded up, charged and denied bail in fresh crackdown on opposition to China The phones rang on Friday, one month earlier than expected. More than 50 pro-democracy politicians and activists across Hong Kong received a call from the authorities: they were to report to police on Sunday. Expecting to be charged and held for lengthy jail terms, many spent the weekend making last-minute preparations. They picked out books to take into custody, arranged for pets to be taken care of, said goodbye to their loved ones. Tiffany Yuen, 27, spent the day at home, where she was photographed cuddling a Buzz Lightyear toy, before visiting constituents in Tin Wan. Continue reading... |
| Two cabinet ministers attended event at which woman alleged Christian Porter raped her Posted: 05 Mar 2021 12:56 AM PST Exclusive: Greg Hunt and Paul Fletcher were at the 1988 debating competition attended by the attorney general who has strenuously denied wrongdoing Two cabinet ministers attended the 1988 university debating competition at which a woman has alleged she was sexually assaulted by Christian Porter, although members of the Morrison government insist they had no ongoing association with her. Guardian Australia can reveal that the health minister, Greg Hunt, and communications minister, Paul Fletcher, attended the tournament – two of the numerous alumni of the tightknit world of university debating that graduated to high-profile careers in politics and law, including the attorney general who has strenuously denied wrongdoing. Continue reading... |
| Refugee rescuers charged in Italy with complicity in people smuggling Posted: 04 Mar 2021 05:13 AM PST Staff of charities including Save the Children and MSF among dozens facing sentences of up to 20 years over humanitarian work After an investigation lasting almost four years, Italian prosecutors have charged dozens of rescuers, from charities including Save the Children and Médecins Sans Frontières, who were accused of collaborating with people smugglers after saving thousands of people from drowning in the Mediterranean. Investigators in Trapani, Sicily, formally closed the inquiry on Monday and charged more than 20 people, including boat captains, heads of mission and legal representatives, with crimes carrying sentences of up to 20 years. Continue reading... |
| Farmers and rights groups boycott food summit over big business links Posted: 04 Mar 2021 04:32 AM PST Focus on agro-business rather than ecology has split groups invited to planned UN conference on hunger An international food summit to address growing hunger and diet-related disease is in disarray as hundreds of farmers' and human rights groups are planning a boycott. Related: 'A shame for the world': Uganda's fragile forest ecosystem destroyed for sugar Continue reading... |
| ‘They track every move’: how US parole apps created digital prisoners Posted: 04 Mar 2021 03:00 AM PST Is smartphone tracking a less intrusive reward for good behaviour or just a way to enrich the incarceration industry? In 2018, William Frederick Keck III pleaded guilty in a court in Manassas, Virginia, to possession with intent to distribute cannabis. He served three months in prison, then began a three-year probation. He was required to wear a GPS ankle monitor before his trial and then to report for random drug tests after his release. Eventually, the state reduced his level of monitoring to scheduled meetings with his parole officer. Finally, after continued good behaviour, Keck's parole officer moved him to Virginia's lowest level of monitoring: an app on his smartphone. Once a month, Keck would open up the Shadowtrack app and speak his answers to a series of questions so that a voice-recognition algorithm could confirm it was really him. He would then type out answers to several more questions – such as whether he had taken drugs – and the app would send his responses and location to his parole officer. Unless there was a problem, Keck would not have to interact with a human and the process could be completed during a TV ad break. Continue reading... |
| Protests in Myanmar - in satellite pictures Posted: 05 Mar 2021 12:15 AM PST Satellite photographs of protesters, demonstrations, troops, and street art show the extent of the resistance to the military coup Continue reading... |
| Major earthquake triggers tsunami warning and evacuations in New Zealand – video Posted: 04 Mar 2021 07:06 PM PST Thousands of people have been evacuated in coastal areas of New Zealand's North Island after a powerful 8.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast prompting a tsunami warning. The quake was one of three to strike New Zealand in a day, with emergency orders in coastal regions urging people to head away from the water and onto high ground. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties before the warning was downgraded
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| Joe Biden 'neanderthal' comment a reflection of frustration, says White House – video Posted: 04 Mar 2021 12:54 PM PST White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended Joe Biden's comments comparing Republican governors to Nearnderthals for lifting mask mandates in Mississippi and Texas. Biden's remarks were 'a reflection of his frustration' about Americans not following public health guidance during the pandemic, Psaki said. Continue reading... |
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