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- Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline won’t open if Russia invades Ukraine, says US
- Prince Andrew denies being co-conspirator of Epstein and insists on jury trial
- Stephen Breyer to retire from supreme court, giving Biden chance to pick liberal judge
- Spotify removes Neil Young music in feud over Joe Rogan’s false Covid claims
- Polish state has ‘blood on its hands’ after death of woman refused an abortion
- New Zealand rower Hamish Bond retires after winning gold at three Olympics
- Drug used to treat cancer may also help fight HIV, Australian research finds
- Turkey: journalist ‘will not go unpunished’ for insult, says Erdoğan
- Saudi tourist trampled to death by elephant on safari in Uganda
- Amy Schneider’s historic 40-win Jeopardy! streak broken by new champ
- US donated over 400m Covid-19 vaccine doses to 112 countries, says White House
- Covid-stricken Australian aid ship makes contactless delivery to virus-free Tonga
- The new normal: New Zealand braces for shift from Covid zero to Covid acceptance
- Germany to crack down on Covid protesters in yellow star badges
- ‘I got 12 years and 74 lashes’: Confess, the band jailed for playing metal in Iran
- Russia-Ukraine crisis: where are Putin’s troops and what are his options?
- ‘Delightfully horrific’: wētā motels proliferate as New Zealand falls in love with the giant insect
- South review – startling filmed record of Shackleton’s gruelling Antarctic odyssey
- Honduran president’s fall from grace poised to end in US indictment
- ‘It’s Russian roulette’: migrants describe nightmarish route across Florida Straits
- From vaginal laser treatment to spa breaks – it’s the great menopause gold rush
- Two men taken to hospital after double shooting near Wigan
- Australia news live update: nation records at least 59 Covid deaths; national cabinet to discuss if ‘fully vaccinated’ means three doses
- Qatar in talks to supply gas to Europe if Russia cuts supplies
- Battered Biden gets opportunity to change political narrative as Breyer retires
- Planned change to Kenya’s forest act threatens vital habitats, say activists
- Cut the cussing: the Indian man on a mission to end sexist swearing
- Lives of LGBTQ+ Afghans ‘dramatically worse’ under Taliban rule, finds survey
- Why are Germany and France at odds with the Anglosphere over how to handle Russia?
- The 90-year-old Australian fish who likes belly rubs is likely oldest aquarium fish – video
- Antony Blinken says US will 'uphold principle of Nato’s open door' for Ukraine – video
- 'A resort of ghosts': on the Ukraine frontline waiting for war again - video
- Ukraine: Biden warns Putin of personal sanctions if Russia invades – video
- Smoke and ire: Invasion Day protests across Australia – in pictures
| Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline won’t open if Russia invades Ukraine, says US Posted: 26 Jan 2022 07:50 PM PST US and German officials signal hardening of position on controversial gas link The Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany will not move forward if Russia invades Ukraine, the US state department has said, in a significant strengthening of the west's previous position on the strategically vital gas supply. As tension ratcheted up over Russia's military buildup on its neighbour's eastern border, state department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday night that the Biden administration was "working with Germany" to ensure it could withstand the loss of the pipeline. Continue reading... |
| Prince Andrew denies being co-conspirator of Epstein and insists on jury trial Posted: 26 Jan 2022 12:33 PM PST Duke denies Jeffrey Epstein 'trafficked girls to him' and demands trial in Virginia Giuffre's sexual abuse lawsuit Prince Andrew has denied that he was a co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein, and insisted on a jury trial in Virginia Giuffre's sexual abuse lawsuit against him, his lawyers said in court papers filed on Wednesday. "Prince Andrew hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the complaint," his lawyers wrote. The Duke of York also denies that Epstein "trafficked girls to him", the attorneys said in their legal filings. Continue reading... |
| Stephen Breyer to retire from supreme court, giving Biden chance to pick liberal judge Posted: 26 Jan 2022 05:46 PM PST Breyer, 83, had been under pressure from progressives eager to fill a seat on the supreme court while the Democrats hold power Justice Stephen Breyer will retire from the supreme court, according to widespread media reporting on Wednesday, which, if confirmed by the court, will provide Joe Biden with the opportunity to fulfill a campaign pledge by nominating the first Black woman judge to the bench. Such a choice would be a milestone and bolster the liberal wing of the bench, even as it weathers a dominant conservative super-majority achieved under the Trump administration. Continue reading... |
| Spotify removes Neil Young music in feud over Joe Rogan’s false Covid claims Posted: 26 Jan 2022 02:41 PM PST Musician condemned spread of misinformation on platform's top podcast: 'They can have Rogan or Young' The music streaming platform Spotify is in the process of removing Neil Young's music after the company refused to take down Joe Rogan's podcast amid the musician's objections that it spread vaccine misinformation. Rogan has been described by the New York Times as "one of the most consumed media products on the planet". His podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, is Spotify's most popular. In 2020, Rogan signed a $100m deal that gave the streaming giant exclusive rights to his show. Continue reading... |
| Polish state has ‘blood on its hands’ after death of woman refused an abortion Posted: 26 Jan 2022 10:20 AM PST Family says young mother's health deteriorated rapidly after the twins she was carrying died a week apart in the womb The family of a Polish woman who died on Tuesday after doctors refused to perform an abortion when the foetus's heart stopped beating have accused the government of having "blood on their hands". The woman, identified only as Agnieszka T, was said to have been in the first trimester of a twin pregnancy when she was admitted to the Blessed Virgin Mary hospital in Częstochowa on 21 December. Her death comes a year after Poland introduced one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe. Continue reading... |
| New Zealand rower Hamish Bond retires after winning gold at three Olympics Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:38 PM PST Athlete says his drive waned in recent years but his wife encouraged him to keep going towards Tokyo Games and finish career the 'right way' Rower Hamish Bond has announced his retirement, bringing down the curtain on a glittering career during which he became the first New Zealand man to win gold at three consecutive Olympics. Bond, 35, who is also an eight-time world champion, said he had known for a while that it was the right time to hang up his oars. Continue reading... |
| Drug used to treat cancer may also help fight HIV, Australian research finds Posted: 26 Jan 2022 07:45 PM PST Pembrolizumab has revolutionised treatments of cancers, including melanoma, and makes HIV vulnerable to attack New research co-led by the director of the Doherty Institute, Prof Sharon Lewin, has found a medicine used to treat cancer can also draw HIV out of hibernation, exposing the virus to the immune system and making it more susceptible to attack. HIV's ability to "hide" in cells, even in people on antiretroviral therapy and with undetectable amounts of the virus in their blood, is one of the significant barriers to finding a cure for the disease. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading... |
| Turkey: journalist ‘will not go unpunished’ for insult, says Erdoğan Posted: 26 Jan 2022 01:53 PM PST Sedef Kabaş arrested for posting comment allegedly about Turkey's president to her 900,000 Twitter followers Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has promised that a well-known television journalist would not go "unpunished" after she was arrested for allegedly insulting him. Police detained Sedef Kabaş at her home at 2am on Saturday, just hours after she aired the comments and then posted them on Twitter to her 900,000 followers. Continue reading... |
| Saudi tourist trampled to death by elephant on safari in Uganda Posted: 26 Jan 2022 04:47 PM PST The animal charged at the man after he got out of a car in the country's largest safari park, authorities say A Saudi tourist has been trampled to death by an elephant during a game drive at a popular park in Uganda, a wildlife official says. The attack happened on Tuesday at the Murchison Falls national park when the man left the vehicle he was travelling in with friends, said Uganda wildlife authority spokesman Bashir Hangi. Continue reading... |
| Amy Schneider’s historic 40-win Jeopardy! streak broken by new champ Posted: 26 Jan 2022 05:53 PM PST Schneider said increasing trans visibility and taking the community's cause forward the best outcomes of the show
Earlier this week, Schneider became the second-longest running champion in the game's history. Her success put her in the ranks of Ken Jennings, who is serving as guest host, and the quiz show's other all-time greats. It also made Schneider, a trans woman, a visible symbol of achievement for often-marginalized people. Continue reading... |
| US donated over 400m Covid-19 vaccine doses to 112 countries, says White House Posted: 26 Jan 2022 12:28 PM PST The donation is largest in the world and marks a major milestone for the White House's goal of donating 1.2bn vaccine doses worldwide The United States has donated more than 400m vaccine doses to 112 countries, marking a major milestone in the White House's goal of donating 1.2bn vaccine doses under Joe Biden's direction. In a press briefing on Wednesday, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, Jeff Zients, said the donation is four times larger than that of any other country. Continue reading... |
| Covid-stricken Australian aid ship makes contactless delivery to virus-free Tonga Posted: 26 Jan 2022 05:05 PM PST Fears that aid missions could spark a Covid outbreak were highlighted when two dozen crew members were diagnosed with the virus British and Australian navy ships have arrived in Tonga and attempted to deliver aid without making contact with anybody ashore to avoid spreading the coronavirus in a nation that has never had an outbreak. The danger of spreading the disease was underscored when nearly two dozen sailors aboard the Australian ship HMAS Adelaide were reported infected on Tuesday, raising fears they could bring Covid-19 to the small Pacific archipelago devastated by an undersea volcanic eruption and a tsunami on 15 January. Continue reading... |
| The new normal: New Zealand braces for shift from Covid zero to Covid acceptance Posted: 26 Jan 2022 03:33 PM PST The nation accepts a big psychological change, one expert says, as people prepare for more cases than they have ever seen before See all our coronavirus coverage In New Zealand's biggest city, the streets were calm. At an Auckland supermarket, shelves of toilet paper, wine, chocolate and flour – metrics of a population hunkering down for a marathon of self-soothing and banana bread – had been quietly restocked from any panic-buying flurries. In an uptown cafe, a barista said things had been a little quieter since the announcement. Then again, she shrugged: "It might just be a Tuesday." At Unity Books, a bookstore at the heart of the city, people were quietly browsing. "There's always an element of eerie calm before the storm," said bookseller Briary Lawry. Continue reading... |
| Germany to crack down on Covid protesters in yellow star badges Posted: 26 Jan 2022 09:38 AM PST Police told to detain activists trivialising the Holocaust in acts to be classified as 'secondary antisemitism' Police in Berlin have been authorised to crack down on protesters wearing badges resembling the yellow "Judenstern" (Jews' star) and other symbols associated with the Nazi era at demonstrations against vaccine mandates or other pandemic restrictions. According to an internal update by the Berlin police antisemitism commissioner, first reported by the newspaper BZ Berlin, "the use of adapted 'Jewish stars' at gatherings can now be assumed to be a fundamental disturbance of public peace". Continue reading... |
| ‘I got 12 years and 74 lashes’: Confess, the band jailed for playing metal in Iran Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:00 AM PST After their songs were deemed blasphemous propaganda, the duo were forced to flee to Norway and claim asylum. Now a band, they are writing angrily about what they faced For almost as long as it's existed, heavy metal has been used as protest music. On Black Sabbath's Paranoid, the first thing you're barraged with is War Pigs: a seven-minute savaging of the politicians who instigated the Vietnam war. Iron Maiden once had their mascot, Eddie, murder Margaret Thatcher on a single's artwork; Metallica and Megadeth spent the 1980s lambasting cold war superpowers that didn't know whether to shake hands or nuke each other. Nikan Khosravi, singer and guitarist of Iranian/Norwegian thrashers Confess, views his band as another protest act in the metal lineage. "I'm the kid who told the emperor: 'You're naked!'" he exclaims with pride and excitement on a call from Norway. However, the five-piece don't write their brutish tracks about some faraway conflict, or satirise a government certain to ignore them. Continue reading... |
| Russia-Ukraine crisis: where are Putin’s troops and what are his options? Posted: 26 Jan 2022 09:50 AM PST A visual guide to recent troop deployments as tensions soar Russia has forward-deployed hundreds of tanks, self-propelled artillery and even short-range ballistic missiles from as far away as Siberia to within striking range of Ukraine's borders. Continue reading... |
| ‘Delightfully horrific’: wētā motels proliferate as New Zealand falls in love with the giant insect Posted: 26 Jan 2022 10:00 AM PST Small man-made homes for the endangered wētā, which can weigh as much as a sparrow, are popping up in gardens across the country In a tiny motel at the back of a Wellington garden, a group of lodgers with shiny cigar-shaped bodies and spiny legs are making themselves at home. A male is bunking in with his harem of females, their bodies huddled together, a wiry mashup of legs and antennae. Once a fortnight the motel's owner, Holly Neill, briefly opens the door to peer into the perspex window and check on her tenants, each time experiencing the thrill of being able to spy on the shy, strange creatures inside. They are not paying guests and nor are these ordinary motels, but rather human-made houses for one of New Zealand's most beloved insects – the wētā. Increasingly, wētā motels are popping up in gardens as New Zealanders begin to embrace the bugs in their backyards – something that may also give the endangered species a chance at survival. Continue reading... |
| South review – startling filmed record of Shackleton’s gruelling Antarctic odyssey Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:00 AM PST Frank Hurley's 1919 silent footage turns Sir Ernest Shackleton's gruelling expedition into a travelogue with cute penguins Pioneering Australian photographer and film-maker Frank Hurley was the official witness to Sir Ernest Shackleton's gruelling expedition attempting to cross the Antarctic landmass, which lasted three years from 1914 to 1917. For most of the time the crew were utterly cut off from news of the outside world and the expedition became an epic ordeal when, on the way there, their ship (aptly named Endurance) was crushed and sunk by pack ice. Shackleton and his men were forced to journey onwards in a lifeboat in the desolate cold, finally to South Georgia, then rescued and brought by a Chilean vessel to the harbour in Valparaíso where they were accorded a hero's welcome. This 1919 silent movie is Hurley's filmed record of Shackleton's voyage and what is startling about it is its weird tonal obtuseness: so often it feels like a home-movie travelogue in which the mood is bafflingly jaunty. Towards the end of the film, just at the point when their lives have been saved and disaster averted, the film spends about 10 minutes on the adorable behaviour of the penguins. This is at the moment when Shackleton's victory was said to consist simply in his heroic survival, the expedition itself having, of course, been a failure, but the film simply sets aside the obvious poignant or tragic dimension. Continue reading... |
| Honduran president’s fall from grace poised to end in US indictment Posted: 26 Jan 2022 02:30 AM PST As his term ends, Juan Orlando Hernández could be extradited on drug charges to the country that once saw him as a key ally Along a paved road that climbs the hillside to Celaque Mountain national park in south-western Honduras, one-room shacks are overshadowed by high-walled mansions – including the homes of President Juan Orlando Hernández and his political allies. Local people say the results of Hernández's eight years as president are on full display. Continue reading... |
| ‘It’s Russian roulette’: migrants describe nightmarish route across Florida Straits Posted: 26 Jan 2022 12:48 PM PST Despite the dangers, migrants use the islands as a springboard into the US – sometimes with devastating consequences Those who survive the perilous sea crossing between the Bahamas and the US describe a nightmarish odyssey of vomit, sweat and fear. "It's suicide – Russian roulette," one Brazilian migrant recalled in a 2017 interview after at least a dozen fellow countrymen vanished while attempting the same illegal voyage across the Florida Straits. Continue reading... |
| From vaginal laser treatment to spa breaks – it’s the great menopause gold rush Posted: 26 Jan 2022 02:00 AM PST Women have never had more products and services designed to help with the menopause. But does the new-found choice improve lives or is it just companies in search of the next profit? From menopause calendars to menopause scented candles, and menopause supplements to menopause spa breaks, there is no shortage of products to help ease a woman's transition into her post-reproductive years. If you're after something stronger, how about vaginal rejuvenation laser treatment or bioidentical oestrogen? You could even try to postpone menopause for a decade or so – provided you are willing to freeze a slice of your ovary in your 20s and then have it grafted back on in later life. Menopause is enjoying a moment. After centuries of enduring the rollercoaster of physical and emotional symptoms that often accompany it, middle-aged women have never been so well-catered for with products purporting to help. But is this sudden choice empowering, or just exploitative? Continue reading... |
| Two men taken to hospital after double shooting near Wigan Posted: 26 Jan 2022 04:30 PM PST Shots fired at property in Hawthorn Grove, Leigh at about 5.45pm on Wednesday shortly before second shooting in Shadwell Grove Two men have been taken to hospital after a double shooting near Wigan. Gunshots were fired at a property in Hawthorn Grove, Leigh at about 5.45pm on Wednesday evening before a second shooting shortly after in Shadwell Grove. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 26 Jan 2022 08:03 PM PST Nation records at least 59 Covid deaths; China's new ambassador vows to get relationship 'back on track'; Central Land Council calls for central NT lockdown. Follow all the day's news live
Back to the EU ambassador, and he has confirmed the European Union would respond if Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border. Nurses and midwives at Sydney's Liverpool hospital are striking today, demanding the government take action to address the staffing crisis impacting health care across the state. Some of them are in tears here this morning, just come off a night shift. They are caring for, sometimes, one nurse for eight to 10 people and Covid has made their situation so harrowing. Our hospital system really is at a breaking point and they are asking for ... fair, safe staffing levels here in our hospitals. Here in south-western Sydney, these nurses saw the brunt of the Delta outbreak, a failure of national quarantine, a failure of the vaccine rollout, and now they are seeing with Omicron the failure of the rapid antigen testing. Continue reading... |
| Qatar in talks to supply gas to Europe if Russia cuts supplies Posted: 26 Jan 2022 11:51 AM PST Emir expected to tell US president Qatar can provide short-term emergency liquid gas to help replace any loss of supplies The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, is expected to tell the US president, Joe Biden, that his country will provide some short-term emergency liquid gas to help replace any shortages if Russia cuts off supplies to Germany. Qatar is looking to supply Europe through transferring excess gas in storage in east Asia. It is also hoping to return to the European market on a bigger scale as its own production levels rise, but wants to see an end to a European Commission anti-trust investigation. Continue reading... |
| Battered Biden gets opportunity to change political narrative as Breyer retires Posted: 26 Jan 2022 05:45 PM PST Analysis: president faces high expectations as he prepares make one of his most consequential decisions In his spare time, Justice Stephen Breyer enjoyed taking the bench at humorous "mock trials" of characters such as Macbeth and Richard III for Washington's Shakespeare Theatre Company. The case usually turned on epic battles over succession. Now Washington is about to be consumed by the question of who will inherit Breyer's crown following his reported decision to retire from the US supreme court. At 83, he is its oldest member, one of three liberals outnumbered by six conservatives. Continue reading... |
| Planned change to Kenya’s forest act threatens vital habitats, say activists Posted: 26 Jan 2022 12:30 AM PST Environmentalists fear a proposal to allow boundary changes to protected areas will open the door to deforestation Environmentalists are deeply concerned by the Kenyan government's move to allow boundary changes to protected forests, watering down the powers of conservation authorities. The forest conservation and management (amendment) bill 2021 seeks to delete clause 34(2) from the 2016 act, which makes it mandatory for authorities to veto anyone trying to alter forest boundaries. The same clause protects forests from actions that put rare, threatened or endangered species at risk. Continue reading...This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cut the cussing: the Indian man on a mission to end sexist swearing Posted: 25 Jan 2022 11:30 PM PST Many swear words in India, as elsewhere, have one thing in common – they target and shame women. Sunil Jaglan wants to empower women and end the culture of profanities On a cold January afternoon, women gather on the veranda of a government-run nursery in Sarmathla village in the north Indian state of Haryana. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, they are eager to hear the visiting speaker. The men and boys of the village mill about, reluctant to join the women, until Satyaprakash, a social worker, encourages them to sit on the chairs provided. "Please, join us tauji [uncle], today's programme is about gaali [swear words]," he says. Continue reading... |
| Lives of LGBTQ+ Afghans ‘dramatically worse’ under Taliban rule, finds survey Posted: 25 Jan 2022 10:30 PM PST Human Rights Watch reports cases of mob attacks, gang-rape and death threats, with LGBTQ+ people living in fear and unable to flee The lives of LGBTQ+ people in Afghanistan have "dramatically worsened" under Taliban rule, according to a new survey, which highlights cases of violence, gang-rape and death threats since the group seized power last year. The report, by Human Rights Watch (HRW), recorded nearly 60 cases of targeted violence against LGBTQ+ people since August 2021, many of whom described how Taliban rule has destroyed their lives. Continue reading... |
| Why are Germany and France at odds with the Anglosphere over how to handle Russia? Posted: 25 Jan 2022 09:00 PM PST Analysis: Differing views over Russia within Nato alliance resurface in Ukraine crisis Can the western alliance against Russia over its buildup of troops on the Ukrainian border hold together? It is a question that politicians and diplomats are increasingly grappling with amid fears that Germany and, to a lesser extent, France are in danger of dividing from the US and the UK, not only over how to respond to any future Russian act of aggression in Ukraine, but also in their assessment of the imminence of the threat. Every effort is being made to minimise the differences within the Nato alliance, including through regular calls such as the one led by Joe Biden on Monday, but they may be impossible to avoid since they reflect not just different short-term assessments on intelligence, but a deep fissure going back decades about what Germany and France, as opposed to the Anglosphere, regard as the best way to handle Russia. Continue reading... |
| The 90-year-old Australian fish who likes belly rubs is likely oldest aquarium fish – video Posted: 26 Jan 2022 05:34 PM PST A primitive Australian fish living in a San Francisco museum is believed to be the oldest living aquarium fish in the world. Methuselah is a four-foot-long (1.2-meter) Australian lungfish, weighing around 40lb (18.1kg). The species has both lungs and gills and is believed to be the evolutionary link between fish and amphibians. The lungfish was brought to the San Francisco museum in 1938 from Australia and now lives at the California Academy of Sciences. The species is threatened and can no longer be exported from Australian waters so biologists at the academy say it's unlikely they'll get a replacement once Methuselah passes away Continue reading... |
| Antony Blinken says US will 'uphold principle of Nato’s open door' for Ukraine – video Posted: 26 Jan 2022 01:21 PM PST US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said 'there will be no change 'to Washington's support for Ukraine's right to pursue Nato membership, the most contentious issue in relations with Moscow. The US has presented its written response to Russian demands on Ukraine, offering to negotiate with Russia over some aspects of European security, but not the issue of eventual Ukrainian membership to the Nato alliance. Blinken was speaking hours after his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, threatened 'retaliatory measures' if the US response did not satisfy the Kremlin
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| 'A resort of ghosts': on the Ukraine frontline waiting for war again - video Posted: 26 Jan 2022 02:56 AM PST The Guardian's Luke Harding travels to the eastern Ukraine coastal city of Mariupol to see how preparations are being made for a potential Russian attack. With tensions in the region high and Russian troops gathering on the border, Ukrainian soldiers remain defiant, despite their depleted firepower. And while the world's attention has returned to the region for the first time since Russia took Crimea in 2014, for Ukrainians the war has been ongoing Continue reading... |
| Ukraine: Biden warns Putin of personal sanctions if Russia invades – video Posted: 26 Jan 2022 12:32 AM PST Speaking to reporters in Washington, Joe Biden said he would consider personal sanctions against Vladimir Putin if Russia invaded Ukraine, citing 'severe consequences'. The threat of sanctions came as the US helped prepare for the diversion of natural gas supplies from around the world to Europe in the event that the flow from Russia is cut Continue reading... |
| Smoke and ire: Invasion Day protests across Australia – in pictures Posted: 25 Jan 2022 10:15 PM PST Thousands of people across Australia came together on Australia Day for smoke ceremonies, dance and marches in the streets to protest at Invasion Day rallies. In Canberra, people gathered to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Tent Embassy
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