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- Biden faces pressure to end practice of rewarding allies with plum foreign posts
- Prince Philip funeral will be moment of anguish for Queen, says archbishop
- Pandemic made 2020 ‘the year of the quiet ocean’, say scientists
- ‘We love foie gras’: French outrage at UK plan to ban imports of ‘cruel’ delicacy
- Radical proposals to Church of England call for bishops to declare extra income
- Nasa picks Elon Musk’s SpaceX to build spacecraft to return humans to moon
- Raúl Castro confirms he is resigning as head of Cuba’s Communist party
- ‘It’s a day off’: wiretaps show Mediterranean migrants were left to die
- Roger Stone ‘funded lavish lifestyle’ despite owing $2m in taxes, US lawsuit says
- Philippines seizes illegally harvested giant clam shells worth $25m
- Coronavirus live news: global death toll tops 3m; concerns Indian Covid variant could ‘scupper’ UK roadmap
- What are the new Covid variants and what do they mean for the pandemic?
- Moderna struggling to supply promised doses of Covid vaccine
- Pregnant women in UK given green light to have Covid jab
- ‘I’m not ready for other people’s sweat to drip on me’: will clubbing survive the pandemic?
- Yotam Ottolenghi’s 15-minute lunches – recipes
- Blind date: ‘How did the call end? I needed to feed the cats’
- Malcolm Gladwell: ‘I deplore people who deny the extent of their privilege’
- ‘Her eyes stay shut. She doesn’t respond. But nothing feels real until I tell her’: visiting my mother’s care home after a year
- ‘Forests are not renewable’: the felling of Sweden’s ancient trees
- Prince Philip’s funeral: timeline of events at Windsor Castle
- An independent Scotland could turn to Denmark for inspiration | Ian Jack
- Yoga can leave you injured, psychotic and a Hindu, Christian groups claim
- Ontario gives police sweeping powers as Covid crisis spirals out of control
- Kangaroo Point hotel: 19 asylum seekers forcibly removed in Brisbane as police clash with protesters
- Adam Toledo shooting renews calls for Chicago police accountability yet again
- Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai and his media empire face uncertain future
- Holy rabbits and a dinosaur at the dentist: Friday’s best photos
- The Apache war against copper mining: 'this is an act of desecration' — video
- Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are handed suspended sentences – video
- How the UK government sidestepped the data on coronavirus – video explainer
- Chicago mayor urges calm as police release footage of Adam Toledo's killing – video
| Biden faces pressure to end practice of rewarding allies with plum foreign posts Posted: 17 Apr 2021 02:00 AM PDT Former state department career staff urge president to dismantle pay-for-play operations and to prioritize gender parity Joe Biden is coming under pressure from former state department career staff to match the diversity of his cabinet and senior administration positions in foreign postings – and to reform the longstanding practice in the US of rewarding political supporters with plum ambassadorial jobs. More than three months into his first term, Biden's foreign diplomatic slate remains open, with only one top ambassador – Linda Thomas-Greenfield, to the United Nations, nominated and confirmed. Continue reading... |
| Prince Philip funeral will be moment of anguish for Queen, says archbishop Posted: 16 Apr 2021 02:30 PM PDT Queen will behave with dignity and courage but will need the support of the nation, says Justin Welby The Queen may behave "with extraordinary dignity and extraordinary courage" but the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral at Windsor Castle on Saturday will be an "anguished moment" for her, the archbishop of Canterbury has said. Justin Welby spoke as Buckingham Palace revealed there will be no sermon and no eulogy to Prince Philip, who for seven decades played a prominent role in the nation's public life. Continue reading... |
| Pandemic made 2020 ‘the year of the quiet ocean’, say scientists Posted: 16 Apr 2021 11:00 PM PDT Human-generated sounds faded substantially at height of Covid lockdown, studies show The Covid-19 lockdown has produced the quietest year for the world's oceans in recent memory, according to a group of scientists working on a global map of underwater soundscapes. Noise pollution from ship engines, trawling activities, oil platforms, subsea mining and other human sources declined significantly last spring, say the researchers, who are part of a collaborative network of 231 non-military hydrophones. Continue reading... |
| ‘We love foie gras’: French outrage at UK plan to ban imports of ‘cruel’ delicacy Posted: 16 Apr 2021 11:00 PM PDT UK officials are exploring restrictions on product after minister described it as 'unbearably barbaric' The head of France's foie gras producers' association has said she is "shocked and outraged" that the British government is considering banning imports of the product. And she has invited MPs to visit French farms producing foie gras to see the force feeding of ducks and geese and judge for themselves whether it is "cruel and torturous", as animal rights campaigners claim. Continue reading... |
| Radical proposals to Church of England call for bishops to declare extra income Posted: 16 Apr 2021 11:00 PM PDT Lay member of synod says bishops should be 'moved out of palaces' and their salaries cut to match priests Church of England bishops should be forced to declare extra earnings and outside interests, according to radical proposals submitted to the church's general assembly. The call for bishops to state any income on top of their salaries and membership of clubs, organisations and political parties on a register of interests comes amid growing concern over cronyism and conflicts of interest at the heart of government. Continue reading... |
| Nasa picks Elon Musk’s SpaceX to build spacecraft to return humans to moon Posted: 16 Apr 2021 11:00 PM PDT Space agency breaks with tradition by awarding $2.9bn contract to single company in 'big step' for moon-to-Mars strategy Nasa has chosen SpaceX to build the next-generation spacecraft that will return humans to the moon, further strengthening Elon Musk's grip on the burgeoning public-private space industry. The $2.9bn contract to build the lunar lander that will spearhead the Artemis program, Nasa's ambitious project to return to the moon for the first time since the final Apollo mission in 1972, was announced on Friday. Continue reading... |
| Raúl Castro confirms he is resigning as head of Cuba’s Communist party Posted: 16 Apr 2021 01:13 PM PDT His retirement means that Cubans will not have a Castro formally guiding their affairs for the first time in over six decades Raúl Castro has confirmed that he is resigning as head of Cuba's Communist party, ending an era of formal leadership by him and his brother Fidel Castro that began with the 1959 revolution. The 89-year-old Castro made the announcement on Friday in a speech at the opening of the eighth congress of the ruling party – the only one allowed on the island. Continue reading... |
| ‘It’s a day off’: wiretaps show Mediterranean migrants were left to die Posted: 16 Apr 2021 12:30 PM PDT Exclusive: Transcripts of conversations between Italian officials and Libyan coastguard contained in leaked file At 8.18am on Friday 16 June 2017, the Libyan coastguard Col Massoud Abdalsamad received a long-distance phone call from an Italian coastguard official who told him that 10 migrant dinghies were in distress, many in Libyan territorial waters. "It's a day off. It's a holiday here. But I can try to help," Abdalsamad told the official. "Perhaps we can be there tomorrow." Continue reading... |
| Roger Stone ‘funded lavish lifestyle’ despite owing $2m in taxes, US lawsuit says Posted: 16 Apr 2021 06:37 PM PDT US justice department accuses Trump ally and Republican operative of using a commercial entity to hide income The US Department of Justice has sued Roger Stone, saying the close ally of former president Donald Trump owes about $2m in unpaid federal income taxes, according to a court document. The civil lawsuit, filed in federal court in Florida on Friday, alleged that Stone and his wife, Nydia, used a commercial entity to "shield their personal income from enforced collection and fund a lavish lifestyle despite owing nearly $2m in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties". Continue reading... |
| Philippines seizes illegally harvested giant clam shells worth $25m Posted: 16 Apr 2021 10:55 PM PDT The 200-tonne haul dwarfs previous record as poachers turn to ivory substitute amid crackdown on elephant tusk trade Around 200 tonnes of illegally harvested giant clam shells worth nearly $25m have been seized in the Philippines in one of the biggest known operations of its kind in the country. Conservationists have expressed alarm over the surging illicit trade in the endangered creatures, which are used as a substitute for ivory following a global crackdown in the trade of elephant tusks. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 17 Apr 2021 02:15 AM PDT India has another daily record rise in cases; pandemic made 2020 'the year of the quiet ocean', say scientists
Imported coronavirus variants are unlikely to set lockdown easing back to "square one" because immunity from vaccines "won't just disappear", according to a key figure on the UK's immunisation committee.
In the UK, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) was asked whether India should be placed on the "red list" of hotel quarantine countries following the discovery of a new variant there. Professor Adam Finn said there was a need to be cautious about international travel still. "I think we're going to go on seeing restrictions on travel for some time to come, with the pandemic raging in so many countries around the world," he told Times Radio. |
| What are the new Covid variants and what do they mean for the pandemic? Posted: 16 Apr 2021 02:34 PM PDT From Doug to Nelly and Eeek, we look at how mutations are affecting the battle against the virus From the moment public health officials started to track new variants of coronavirus, it became clear that the same mutations were cropping up time and again and making the virus more troublesome. What are these mutations, what do they do, and what do they mean for the pandemic? Continue reading... |
| Moderna struggling to supply promised doses of Covid vaccine Posted: 16 Apr 2021 10:59 AM PDT US firm suggests issues with increasing production at its European plant could affect delivery to UK The US pharmaceutical company Moderna, which produces the newest vaccine to be rolled out in the UK, is struggling to supply promised shots because of issues with increasing production at its European plant, in the latest problem to hit global vaccination plans. In a statement on Friday, the company suggested supply of the vaccine would be reduced this month, with doses earmarked for the UK, Canada and other countries expected to be affected. Continue reading... |
| Pregnant women in UK given green light to have Covid jab Posted: 16 Apr 2021 10:01 AM PDT Bereaved families welcome decision to offer Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, based on age and clinical risk Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women in the UK have been given the green light to receive a Covid vaccine in a move welcomed by bereaved families and campaigners. All pregnant women would be offered the Pfizer or Moderna jab based on their age and clinical risk group after real-world data from the US showed about 90,000 pregnant women had been vaccinated without any safety concerns, the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said on Friday. Continue reading... |
| ‘I’m not ready for other people’s sweat to drip on me’: will clubbing survive the pandemic? Posted: 17 Apr 2021 12:00 AM PDT With mass events on the horizon, nightclubs are getting ready to welcome ravers again. But is there such a thing as a Covid-safe crowd – and will it be as fun? Robert remembers the first time he went to Fabric nightclub in London. "It was a few months after it opened, in 1999. I remember looking down from a balcony at the crowd below and being mesmerised by it all." As the mass of people throbbed, he found "the darkness and that damp-earth smell of sweating bodies, skanking and grinding" completely intoxicating. The particular joy of big clubs, Robert argues, is that despite their size (Fabric can hold 1,600 people), they are made for close contact. "They are about as far from social distancing as we can get with our clothes on," he says. Now 48, Robert used to go to Flesh, one of the UK's first gay club nights, at the Haçienda in Manchester. "As a gay man in that period, you were hard pressed to find space and acceptance. I felt I could be myself on that dancefloor. Clubbing became a form of self-expression. It was about being close – physically and ideologically – to others who were having the same experience. I've missed that a lot," he says. In recent years, clubbing has become a less frequent occurrence for him: "But before the pandemic I'd go out at least once a month." Continue reading... |
| Yotam Ottolenghi’s 15-minute lunches – recipes Posted: 17 Apr 2021 01:30 AM PDT Two 15-minute meals that are perfect for WFH lunches: a quick-cook pasta with a zippy fusion sauce, and an all-day brunch of buttery asparagus and eggs on toast The days are getting longer and our freedom to roam outside is getting greater. As a result, the amount of time we want to spend indoors cooking is perhaps getting smaller. But lunch hour continues, every day, for those still working from home. Eat we must, happily, so cook we must, too – we might just want to spend a bit less time doing it. So here are two 15-minute meals to help you cook, eat and then get outside. Continue reading... |
| Blind date: ‘How did the call end? I needed to feed the cats’ Posted: 16 Apr 2021 10:00 PM PDT Claire, 33, global regulatory affairs, meets Chris, 33, senior statistician What were you hoping for? |
| Malcolm Gladwell: ‘I deplore people who deny the extent of their privilege’ Posted: 17 Apr 2021 01:30 AM PDT The author and journalist on the cold war, his Adam's apple, and nearly being deported Born in England and raised in Canada, Malcolm Gladwell, 57, has written for the New Yorker since 1996. In 2000 he published The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference, the first of six bestsellers. His new book, The Bomber Mafia, is out on 27 April. He lives in New York with his partner. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? |
| Posted: 16 Apr 2021 10:00 PM PDT For the past year, the pandemic stopped novelist Katherine Heiny from seeing her mother. Now that she can, where will she start? In Boolean logic, a syllogism is a valid deductive argument having two premises and a conclusion. (I know this because logic is the only even vaguely mathematical class I ever understood.) For example, apples are fruit; all fruit is delicious. Conclusion: apples are delicious. Or in my case: I am eager to visit my mother; my mother has advanced dementia. Conclusion: I am eager to visit someone who won't even know I am there. Is it a logical conclusion? Maybe not. Is it a valid one? Yes. Continue reading... |
| ‘Forests are not renewable’: the felling of Sweden’s ancient trees Posted: 16 Apr 2021 12:00 AM PDT Forests cover 70% of the country, but many argue the Swedish model of replacing old-growth forests with monoculture plantations is bad for biodiversity. By Marcus Westberg Continue reading... |
| Prince Philip’s funeral: timeline of events at Windsor Castle Posted: 17 Apr 2021 12:53 AM PDT The ceremony will reflect the duke's military affiliations and personal elements of his life Prince Philip's funeral will take place on Saturday afternoon within the grounds of Windsor Castle, to avoid crowds gathering during the coronavirus pandemic, but will be televised to the nation. The congregation will wear masks and members of the royal family will be wearing morning coats with medals or day dress. Continue reading... |
| An independent Scotland could turn to Denmark for inspiration | Ian Jack Posted: 17 Apr 2021 12:00 AM PDT Instead of looking south, campaigners are looking north, to the egalitarian models of small Nordic nations What kind of country should Scotland be and how can it prosper? Surprisingly, given the swell of Scottish opinion in favour of independence, these questions aren't much discussed. A swirling mist obscures the road beyond the referendum, occasionally lit up by neon signs reading "green" and "fair" and "free". Independence, like Brexit, is predicted by its supporters to have a galvanising effect. Few are as gung-ho as Alex Salmond, who estimates that Scotland is one of the world's richest countries, the "Saudi Arabia of renewables". Nonetheless, despite the contrary evidence of a recent economic forecast by the London School of Economics, a view prevails that any damage will be easily overcome. In the words of the scientist and engineer Hillary Sillitto, there has always been "lots of talk about a better, fairer society [and] none about where the wealth was going to come from to pay for it". Last month Sillitto and two other Edinburgh-based writers – another reputable scientist, Ian Godden, and a nurse-turned-entrepreneur, Dorothy Godden – published an online edition of their book, Scotland 2070, which aims to rectify what the writers identify as "the poor quality and short-term perspective of Scotland's political debate". Avowedly detached from political parties, they warn against conventional solutions such as inward investment and low corporate taxes: the first is a poor substitute for the development of local industry, and the second is already well-catered for by Ireland. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Yoga can leave you injured, psychotic and a Hindu, Christian groups claim Posted: 17 Apr 2021 02:00 AM PDT Alabama lawmaker's bid to overturn a 28-year yoga ban in public schools faces backlash from conservative Christian groups Jeremy Gray, a state lawmaker in Alabama, has been practicing yoga for years, initially as a workout after college football matches and later as a means of instilling in himself the virtues of focus and patience. Now the Democrat from Opelika needs all the patience he can get as he seeks to overturn a 28-year yoga ban in Alabama public schools. The ban, believed to be the only statewide prohibition of its sort in America, is proving to be tougher to scrub from the statute books than might be expected. Continue reading... |
| Ontario gives police sweeping powers as Covid crisis spirals out of control Posted: 16 Apr 2021 02:49 PM PDT New measures to enforce stay-at-home order with hospitals 'bursting at the seams' but civil liberties campaigners cry foul Ontario has announced sweeping new police powers to enforce an extended stay-at-home order, in the latest sign that officials in Canada's most populous province have lost control of the rapidly spreading coronavirus. With a record number of new cases, there is growing worry among experts that the already-strained healthcare system is being further pushed to the brink. Continue reading... |
| Kangaroo Point hotel: 19 asylum seekers forcibly removed in Brisbane as police clash with protesters Posted: 16 Apr 2021 09:38 PM PDT Men brought to Australia for medical care removed as Kangaroo Point hotel owners reclaim possession Nineteen asylum seekers brought to Australia from Nauru and Manus Island for medical care have been forcibly removed from the the Kangaroo Point Central Hotel and Apartments in Brisbane, which was used for their long-term detention, supporters say. It is understood they have been taken to the Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation Centre on the outskirts of the city, but it is unclear if the men will be held there long term or be moved to another centre or another state. Continue reading... |
| Adam Toledo shooting renews calls for Chicago police accountability yet again Posted: 16 Apr 2021 12:22 PM PDT Hundreds have attended protests, demanding transparency and justice in a city with a long history of racist policing Chicago has repeatedly grappled with cases of police misconduct and police-involved shootings, and the fatal shooting of 13 year-old Adam Toledo by Chicago police has renewed demands for justice and accountability yet again. Eric Stillman, a Chicago police officer, shot and killed Adam following a foot pursuit by officers on 29 March. When the shooting happened, Adam was with Ruben Roman, 21, who has since been charged with several felonies in connection to that night including reckless discharge of a firearm and child endangerment. Continue reading... |
| Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai and his media empire face uncertain future Posted: 16 Apr 2021 09:11 AM PDT Analysis: Tycoon and pro-democracy activist's 14-month jail sentence is only the start of his problems The sentencing of the high-profile Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai may offer a foretaste both of his own future and of the media empire he built. For the 73-year-old tycoon, the 14-month prison sentence handed down on Friday is only the start. He faces six remaining charges, two of which relate to the new national security law, which is deemed draconian by pro-democracy activists but which Beijing argues is necessary. Continue reading... |
| Holy rabbits and a dinosaur at the dentist: Friday’s best photos Posted: 16 Apr 2021 07:03 AM PDT The Guardian's picture editors select photo highlights from around the world Continue reading... |
| The Apache war against copper mining: 'this is an act of desecration' — video Posted: 16 Apr 2021 05:55 AM PDT Chí'chil Biłdagoteel - otherwise known as Oak Flat, Arizona – is regarded as sacred ancestral land by the Apache people. With the territory at risk of being sold for copper mining to a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, resident Wendsler Nosie has set up a protest movement from his tipi, alongside his daughter and granddaughter. With no support from the courts, Wendsler and the community are anxiously hoping the Biden administration will pause the land transfer. With religious freedom and environmental protection at risk, they await the call with further news |
| Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are handed suspended sentences – video Posted: 16 Apr 2021 05:27 AM PDT A group of high-profile activists including the media mogul Jimmy Lai have been sentenced to jail terms of up to 18 months for organising or attending 'unauthorised assemblies'. In the latest blow to Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, Lai and the veteran activist Lee Cheuk Yan were each sentenced to 12 months in jail
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| How the UK government sidestepped the data on coronavirus – video explainer Posted: 16 Apr 2021 04:37 AM PDT This time last year, NHS bosses asked doctors and nurses to 'wear aprons' and work without protective full-length gowns when treating Covid-19 patients, as hospitals were within hours of running out of supplies. This is just one example of how the UK government has been slammed for its handling of the pandemic, through a series of missteps, U-turns, lockdowns, denials – and more than 150,000 deaths. Twelve months on, the Guardian's Pamela Duncan looks at three major areas where officials were out of line with the data on coronavirus infections and deaths available at the time. A government spokesperson responded, saying: 'Throughout the pandemic, our approach has been guided by data and the advice of scientific and medical experts … As new evidence emerged, we acted quickly and decisively to implement life-saving measures, including restrictions and lockdowns, to protect lives, livelihoods and our economy. We are doing everything we can to ensure care home residents and staff are protected, including providing more than 9.9 billion items of PPE to the frontline.' Continue reading... |
| Chicago mayor urges calm as police release footage of Adam Toledo's killing – video Posted: 16 Apr 2021 03:51 AM PDT At a press conference before the release of footage – which appears to show a Chicago police officer fatally shooting 13-year-old Adam Toledo last month as he raises his hands to the air – the city's mayor, Lori Lightfoot, describes the video as 'incredibly difficult to watch, particularly at the end'. She says it is understandable why residents feel an 'all-too-familiar surge of outrage and pain' but urges each resident to wait till they hear all the facts Continue reading... |
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