Thursday 31 December 2020

Ten African music stars to look out for in 2021

Elaine, Fik Fameica and Omah Lay are among the stars who have impressed BBC Africa's music experts.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3rMs4cb

Resolving to live a lot better than in 2020.


By BY CONCEPCIÓN DE LEÓN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2WWTRIZ

New Year’s Eve in Dakar, Senegal


By Unknown Author from NYT Home Page https://ift.tt/3o6iTRE

Grapes, yellow underwear and a scarecrow: Colombia preserves its traditions.


By BY JULIE TURKEWITZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/38UqkF8

Macron promises to speed up France’s vaccine rollout after frustration over sluggish start.


By BY AURELIEN BREEDEN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2KQ72c8

Minneapolis police release body-cam video of first killing since George Floyd

Shooting, which took place less than a mile from where Floyd died, has stirred anxiety about renewed protests in the city

Police in Minneapolis have released body-camera footage from a traffic stop that ended with a man shot and killed, the city’s first such death since George Floyd’s killing in May.

The quick move was aimed at stemming public anger over the killing, which has stirred anxiety about renewed protests seven months after the widespread unrest that followed Floyd’s death at the hands of police.

Related: Minneapolis switches $8m from police budget to violence prevention

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/34ZONYN

Key London hospital preparing for Covid-only care as cases surge

University College hospital scrambling to convert theatres, recovery areas and stroke wards into ICUs

One of London’s biggest hospitals has warned it is on track to become virtually Covid-only amid a surge in cases in the capital that has left it scrambling to convert operating theatres, surgical recovery areas and stroke wards into intensive care units for the very sick.

As the daily coronavirus case numbers in the UK continued an apparently inexorable rise, hitting a record 55,892, with 23,813 people in hospital and 964 reported deaths, the chief executive of University College London hospitals trust (UCLH), Prof Marcel Levi, said admissions were already spiralling beyond the first wave in the spring.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3n3fou3

Australia coronavirus news live: low-key new year celebrations as border closures cause chaos

Sydney and Melbourne city streets were largely deserted on New Year’s Eve, while Victoria prepares to close the border to NSW at midnight

Morrison was asked whether he was frustrated at the progress in the independent international inquiry into the handling of Covid-19 and whether he had any regrets about the way Australia led the calls for it.

No, we’re patient and we continue to monitor the progress of that inquiry closely and support its swift conclusion.”

Related: Australia insists WHO inquiry into Covid origin must be robust, despite China tensions

Scott Morrison said he would “love to” attend the Sydney cricket test next week, but noted ACT border rules requiring arrivals from Sydney to quarantine mean he is unlikely to be in Sydney.

The prime minister was asked if he would attend given chief medical officer Paul Kelly earlier this week said he wouldn’t take his family out of fear of coronavirus transmission.

I have great confidence in decisions the New South Wales government are making in relation to these matters and they’ll be following the medical advice. That’s how you manage those issues and what level of crowd they decide is appropriate for the public event, I am sure will be based on the health advice and so, on that basis, I’m comfortable with those decisions.

If I happen to be in Sydney, I think that would be unlikely, given I suspect where the ACT’s position will be over the course of the next week, if I was in Sydney, I would love to go there and sing the national anthem in the new form.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hzucQ8

New year, new uncertainty: the big events due in 2021

Joe Biden becomes US president, Britain fully leaves the EU and China will land a probe on Mars

It can’t be as bad as 2020, can it? A new year brings fresh promise and fresh uncertainty. Here are some of the principal events expected in 2021.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2L7Jlfk

Pat McGrath becomes first makeup artist to receive damehood from the Queen

The groundbreaking British artist honoured for services to fashion, beauty and diversity

British makeup artist Pat McGrath has been awarded a damehood in the Queen’s New Year 2021 honours list, becoming the first makeup artist ever to do so.

Related: Beauty queen: how Pat McGrath revolutionised makeup

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rK7ucI

'Keep the light on': joy for some, regret for others at Brexit endgame

Nicola Sturgeon says Scotland will be back soon, while Nigel Farage hails exit from EU

Some politicians in Britain and the EU have expressed triumph while others voiced bitter regret after the UK’s Brexit transition period ended on Thursday night.

Britain left the European bloc’s vast single market for goods, services and the movement of people at 11pm GMT on New Year’s Eve – midnight in Brussels – completing the biggest single economic change the country has experienced since the second world war.

For some, including the prime minister, it was moment of pride. Boris Johnson said the UK was now “free to do trade deals around the world, and free to turbocharge our ambition to be a science superpower”.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/381zCQr

Covid hotspots NSW: list of Sydney and regional coronavirus case locations

Here are the current coronavirus hotspots in New South Wales and what to do if you’ve visited them

New South Wales health authorities have updated a list of hotspots Covid-positive people have visited while infectious.

Those who attended some locations must isolate immediately for 14 days after you were last there, others must monitor for symptoms.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/38Nq2Qn

Moscow train carriage helps rehome stray pets

The Tails and Paws train features posters of dozens of animals in need of a new home.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3n3C90Q

In Montreal, at least there is still (takeout) poutine, a hangover antidote of choice.


By BY DAN BILEFSKY from NYT World https://ift.tt/3o6zIvJ

Minneapolis Police Release Body Camera Video of First Killing Since George Floyd


By BY NICHOLAS BOGEL-BURROUGHS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/38UEXZ6

Israel could become the first country to vaccinate all of its citizens.


By BY ISABEL KERSHNER from NYT World https://ift.tt/3o52xJ8

Things Will Get Better. Seriously.


By BY PAUL KRUGMAN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/3b5RSKm

For a grieving family, 2020 cannot end soon enough.


By BY JACK HEALY from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/381v10D

The Morning


By Unknown Author from NYT Briefing https://ift.tt/2Lf8Awk

Citing pandemic, prosecutors in case against officers in George Floyd’s death want trial delay.


By BY TIM ARANGO from NYT World https://ift.tt/381IFks

Georgia Republicans Deliver Persistent Message: Fear the Democrats


By BY ASTEAD W. HERNDON AND RICHARD FAUSSET from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2L7EZF0

Australia's road toll falls only slightly despite coronavirus lockdowns

Toll fell in Victoria and NSW, the states hardest hit by coronavirus

Almost 1,100 people were killed on Australia’s roads in 2020.

The preliminary figure is only slightly less than the previous year, despite much of the country being in Covid-19 lockdown for consecutive months of 2020.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aY0web

MF Doom: Hip-hop star dies aged 49

A number of artists have paid tribute to the artist, real name Daniel Dumile.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3o8wVm2

Wednesday 30 December 2020

Critics Say Nashville Police Could Have Done More With Tip About Bomber


By BY STEVE CAVENDISH, JAMIE MCGEE AND RICK ROJAS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3814mBd

The Small Colorado Town Shrugged Off the Pandemic. Then Came the Coronavirus Variant.


By BY DAVE PHILIPPS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2WX72cP

A Dallas-Fort Worth air traffic control center was closed for disinfection, and big flight delays soon followed.


By BY NEIL VIGDOR from NYT World https://ift.tt/3rEa181

Closing of Air Traffic Control Center for Virus Cleaning Halts Flights in Dallas


By BY NEIL VIGDOR from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2L94sO4

Boris Johnson's post-Brexit trade deal passes into UK law

Prime minister thanks MPs and peers after Queen gives royal assent to bill redrawing ties with EU

  • How did your MP vote?
  • Labour frontbenchers quit after defying Starmer on deal
  • Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit trade deal with Brussels has passed into law following a whirlwind 14-hour parliamentary process that has radically redrawn the UK’s ties with Europe.

    The prime minister thanked MPs and peers for passing the European Union (future relationship) bill in one day, in a statement urging the nation to “seize” the moment when the transition period with the bloc ends at 11pm on Thursday.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MnqaP9

    Syria attack: At least 28 killed in ambush on bus

    A human rights monitor blamed Islamic State for the attack, saying all those killed were soldiers.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3aW1cAD

    Penn Station: New train hall returns beauty to New York station

    The newly-designed hall opens on Thursday after the original landmark was demolished in 1963.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3o6H2Yo

    Republican senator to dispute certification of Biden victory

    The tactic is expected to change nothing, but will set the stage for what the Biden camp called "antics".

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3hventp

    The Morning


    By Unknown Author from NYT Briefing https://ift.tt/3o3qSiz

    The Bomb That Struck the Heart of Nashville


    By BY MARGARET RENKL from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/3o3y7H5

    Life went on as it always had in Simla, Colo., until the virus came to town. And then the variant.


    By BY DAVE PHILIPPS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/37YwNzQ

    ‘No Realistic Path’ for Quick Vote on $2,000 Stimulus Checks, McConnell Says


    By BY CATIE EDMONDSON from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3aX8ap0

    To get young students back in classrooms, California plans to offer a financial incentive to districts to reopen.


    By BY JILL COWAN from NYT World https://ift.tt/3pGKMjP

    This New Year’s Eve, Times Square Will Be Filled With Hope. But Not People.


    By BY DAN BARRY AND SARAH BLESENER from NYT New York https://ift.tt/38MGq3H

    Multiple cases raise fears UK variant is already widespread in US

    Cases in Colorado and California raise questions about how mutation entered the country and whether its too late to stop it

    The US has now reported multiple cases of the new and apparently more contagious variant of the coronavirus first detected in the UK, triggering concerns about how long the mutant version has been here and how widely it has spread.

    The first known case was reported in Colorado on Tuesday. The person infected was later identified as a National Guardsman who had been sent to help out at a nursing home struggling with an outbreak. Health officials have said a second Guard member may also have it.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/382pzdS

    Arise Sir Lewis: Hamilton given knighthood in new year honours list

    • Rob Burrow awarded MBE for work on MND awareness
    • Anne Keothavong among those also handed honours

    A stunning 12 months for Lewis Hamilton on and off the track, which included equalling Michael Schumacher’s record of seven Formula One titles and becoming an increasingly powerful voice for diversity in his sport, has ended with a knighthood in the new year honours list. The 35-year-old becomes the fourth F1 driver to be knighted after two fellow Britons, Sir Stirling Moss and Sir Jackie Stewart, and Australia’s Sir Jack Brabham.

    There had been a question mark over whether Hamilton, who also surpassed Schumacher’s record of grand prix victories in 2020, would be knighted given he lives in the tax haven of Monaco. But it was reported that the prime minister, Boris Johnson, had personally intervened to ensure Hamilton would be rewarded for his sporting achievements.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KG6mWV

    Dawn Wells, Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island, dies of Covid complications at 82

    Actor played the wholesome character in the goofy, good-natured show that became an unlikely but indelible part of pop culture

    Dawn Wells, who played the wholesome Mary Ann among a misfit band of shipwrecked castaways on the 1960s sitcom Gilligan’s Island, died Wednesday of causes related to Covid-19, her publicist said. She was 82.

    Wells died peacefully at a living facility in Los Angeles, publicist Harlan Boll said.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/380reRh

    'Everything tastes better': Guardian readers on their culinary discoveries of 2020

    From turning up the heat with exotic chillies to the ubiquitous and ultimately rewarding rise of sourdough, readers share their ingredients of the year

    Discovering – or rediscovering – the joy of cooking has been one of the few bright spots of a year spent largely at home. We asked 43 of Australia’s leading chefs, cookbook authors and bloggers to share their favourite ingredient of the year. Their answers ranged from the humble and comforting (flour, mince, red lentils) to ingeniously umami (kombu, chilli bean curd, prawn oil), with native Australian ingredients also making many a No 1 spot (wattleseed, karkalla, cunjim winyu).

    Now it’s our readers’ turn to share their finds.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/34XWAGq

    Texts, tweets and posts have replaced letters. Is our history becoming transitory?

    In this remarkable year, our stories are at risk of being locked away on phones and floating, forgotten, in the digital ether

    In the process of removing the final vestiges of my things from my parents’ house this year I find a letter from my nana – Big Nana (because she was tall), not Little Nana (who wasn’t) – written in her familiar curly script.

    “Last Sunday I went to D’s 80th birthday luncheon – an exciting collection of old has-beens! One old lady said how dreadful she looked these days standing in front of the bathroom mirror (naked). Nearly all of us joined in with tales of horror – including some of the men! Surprising what a few sherrys [sic] can do.”

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3n2flia

    2020 through the lens of a photojournalist

    Photojournalist Leah Millis recaps the year with her favourite images from 2020.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2LbP57u

    Yemen war: Video shows moment Aden airport attacked

    Television cameras were positioned for the arrival of the new government when the attack happened.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Jx6dEx

    Four protests that triggered change - and one that didn't

    The BBC looks at a selection of history's powerful protests and why only some achieved their goals.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3hsiHtE

    Norway mudslide: Aerial footage shows devastation

    At least nine people are injured and houses have been buried in the Norwegian village of Gjerdrum.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3hxgugg

    Tuesday 29 December 2020

    Alaska Airlines Clamps Down on Emotional Support Animals on Flights


    By BY ALLYSON WALLER from NYT Business https://ift.tt/3mSklWw

    Howard J. Rubenstein, Public Relations Impresario, Dies at 88


    By BY ROBERT D. MCFADDEN from NYT Business https://ift.tt/2X0YIIR

    Moderna will give its Covid-19 vaccine to its workers, board members and some relatives.


    By BY REBECCA ROBBINS from NYT World https://ift.tt/2L2pRsv

    Nursing Home Patients Are Dying of Loneliness


    By BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/3htThf9

    More Contagious Coronavirus Variant Found in Colorado


    By BY CARL ZIMMER AND BRYAN PIETSCH from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3hs0ex7

    Treasury will begin sending the $600 stimulus checks.


    By BY DEBORAH B. SOLOMON from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2JsYNC6

    China Has All It Needs to Vaccinate Millions, Except Proof Its Vaccines Work


    By BY SUI-LEE WEE from NYT Business https://ift.tt/3hragyF

    Pompeo Weighs Plan to Place Cuba on U.S. Terrorism Sponsor List


    By BY MICHAEL CROWLEY, CHARLIE SAVAGE AND ERIC SCHMITT from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3px3pGB

    When Nashville Bombing Hit a Telecom Hub, the Ripples Reached Far Beyond


    By BY RICK ROJAS, JAMIE MCGEE, EDMUND LEE AND STEVE CAVENDISH from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3hsnw5Z

    Stimulus Checks, Virus Variant, Breonna Taylor: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing


    By BY DANI BLUM AND JEREMIAH M. BOGERT, JR. from NYT Briefing https://ift.tt/37XvG3i

    Scientists call for full lockdown in England as new Covid cases multiply

    Independent Sage group warns of ‘tens of thousands of avoidable deaths’ without immediate action

    Scientists and health bodies are calling for tighter coronavirus restrictions in England as cases continue to rise and hospitals report mounting pressure.

    Issuing a warning ahead of a government review of the tier system in England on Wednesday, the Independent Sage group of experts said that unless the whole country was immediately put under lockdown, there could be ‘tens of thousands’ of avoidable deaths.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2L8KCCw

    Mugabe's love of cricket and Thatcher's 70th: stories revealed in National Archives papers

    Proposed MCC membership for Mugabe and Thatcher’s birthday party plans among stories kept under wraps – until now

    John Major vetoed a Foreign Office idea to offer honorary membership of the MCC to Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, saying it was a “dodgy precedent”, records released by the National Archives reveal. The FCO proposed the offer for Mugabe’s 1994 state visit to the UK, stating he was “reportedly keen on cricket”.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rGOE5Z

    Louisville officer could face firing over Breonna Taylor raid

    Investigation finds officer violated procedures for preparation of search warrant that led detectives to Taylor’s apartment

    Louisville police have taken steps that could result in the firing of an officer who sought the no-knock search warrant that led detectives to the apartment where Breonna Taylor was fatally shot.

    Detective Joshua Jaynes has received a pre-termination letter, media outlets reported Tuesday. It came after a professional standards unit investigation found he had violated department procedures for preparation of a search warrant and truthfulness, his attorney said.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/37ZhNBH

    From witchy rituals to sobbing on the floor: how will you spend New Year's Eve? – open thread

    A terrible year is finally over but are we really in the mood to party? The Guardia Australian team reflect on how they’ll be marking 2020’s demise – please join us in the comments with your own plans and suggestions

    In many ways, the end of this terrible year deserves the biggest, loudest and most cathartic party of all time. In a pandemic, of course, that was never going to happen – but it seems to be the last thing many want to do anyway.

    When asked how they’d be marking New Year’s Eve – amid Covid restrictions, bad weather and general 2020 exhaustion – many people on Twitter shared the same sentiment: they would not be doing much. One is looking forward to “a quiet night with my dogs”; another a “rousing boardgame”; a third replied: “glass of wine, bed early.”

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hrQpzm

    Quarantine meals: The 2020 food trend no-one predicted

    Across the world, people in quarantine facilities were treated to some weird and wonderful combinations.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2KOthPJ

    Fashion lookahead: Eight major 2021 looks from tie-dye to pastels

    The patterns, prints, materials and accessories we're likely to be wearing this year.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/34Qh5ok

    What my grandfather's life taught me about China and America

    Vincent Ni reflects on the long life of his grandfather and a crucial choice he made as a young man.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/37UEyql

    Notable African deaths of 2020: From jazz legends to football heroes

    A look back at some of the iconic figures on the African continent who we said farewell to this year.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2KBDcYX

    Iraqi interpreters 'stalked by death squads' for helping the British

    Ali and Ahmed helped British forces but now they live in fear of being killed by death squads.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/34WfxZZ

    Boris Johnson decried purchase of Churchill's private papers

    His criticism in 1995 chimed with No 10 misgivings over ownership of PM records, National Archives show

    Boris Johnson, who has sought comparison with Winston Churchill, denounced spending national lottery money to save the wartime leader’s personal papers for the nation.

    Confidential files released to the National Archives reveal that a vituperative attack on the initiative by Johnson, then a Daily Telegraph columnist, coincided with Downing Street suspicions over ownership of past prime ministers’ private records.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pzTCzC

    Covid-19: Biden says Trump vaccine roll-out is 'falling behind'

    The US president-elect calls for vaccinations to be ramped up as he warns of a "tough period" ahead.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3rCXamt

    Belarus protests: The demonstrators speaking out in new and creative ways

    Faced by a government crackdown, demonstrations over the disputed August election have been forced to evolve.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/38Ir68h

    2020 and me: 'We need to learn life lessons from this'

    Mahnaz Rehman lost her husband during lockdown in Karachi, Pakistan.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3rB0fU9

    Monday 28 December 2020

    A Tornado, a Pandemic and Now a Bombing: ‘Nashville Strong’ Is Tested


    By BY RICK ROJAS, STEVE CAVENDISH AND JAMIE MCGEE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/34Q2ppm

    Storm Bella helps Great Britain set new record for wind power generation

    On Boxing Day more than half of country’s daily electricity came from wind turbines

    More than half of Great Britain’s daily electricity came from wind turbines for the first time on Boxing Day, as the country headed for its “greenest year on record”, due in part to the coronavirus.

    As Storm Bella arrived, bringing gusts of up to 100mph, wind provided 50.7% of Great Britain’s electricity according to data charting the power generation mix.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aLwgCX

    Australia insists WHO inquiry into Covid origin must be robust, despite China tensions

    Australia, whose early call for inquiry sparked furious Chinese response, says it expects ‘robust, independent and comprehensive’ report

    Australia is pushing to ensure the global inquiry it helped trigger into the early handling of the Covid-19 pandemic doesn’t pull any punches – a move that has the potential to risk further recriminations from China.

    Amid scepticism among several government backbenchers that the inquiry will fully address Chinese authorities’ early missteps and reporting delays, Australia is using its final months on a top World Health Organization board to press for the investigation to remain robust and independent.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3ryEunU

    Andre Hill: white officer involved in fatal shooting fired amid investigation

    Authorities call killing ‘a tragedy’ after Hill, 47, was shot while holding a cellphone and then denied aid

    A white Ohio police officer was fired Monday after bodycam footage showed him fatally shooting Andre Hill, a Black man who was holding a cellphone, then refusing to aid him for several minutes.

    Columbus police officer Adam Coy was fired hours after a hearing. His firing was announced in a statement from Ned Pettus Jr, the director of Columbus public safety.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aQL6Zc

    Australian man and child saved after friends walk 12 hours for help

    Their friends walked for 12 hours through the Australian desert to seek help after their car got stuck.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3pnQuH8

    India migrants: The tragedy of the tuk-tuk driver who fled Covid

    Rajan Yadav is one of millions of migrant workers whose lives were destroyed by India's lockdown.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2KH5ukE

    Will concerts come back in 2021? And other music stories to look out for

    How will live shows look when they resume in 2021, and other music stories to look out for.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3mTx37d

    China Covid-19: How state media and censorship took on coronavirus

    We look back at how China's propaganda and censorship machine responded during a particularly dramatic year.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2WRkyi3

    Seeking justice for Lion Sleeps Tonight composer

    A music producer remixes an old classic to correct some injustices of the past.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3hmCFGa

    Biden Admonishes Trump Administration Over ‘Obstruction’


    By BY THOMAS KAPLAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3htqg35

    Green Beret Charged in Shooting Spree Was Visiting Family, Prosecutor Says


    By BY MARIE FAZIO AND CONCEPCIÓN DE LEÓN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3aTiuhJ

    House Votes to Override Trump’s Veto of Military Bill


    By BY CATIE EDMONDSON from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2MgThnh

    2020 Was the Year Reaganism Died


    By BY PAUL KRUGMAN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/3hrmA24

    Coronavirus


    By Unknown Author from NYT World https://ift.tt/3o0bWSm

    Relief Package Grows as Campaign Issue in Georgia Senate Races


    By BY STEPHANIE SAUL from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2MiWUsZ

    The Morning


    By Unknown Author from NYT Briefing https://ift.tt/3pIe81l

    California’s governor says it’s ‘self-evident’ that stay-at-home orders will be extended.


    By BY JILL COWAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Jq4f8O

    Biden accuses Trump administration of obstructing his national security team

    President-elect says his advisers encountered roadblocks from the defence department and the office of management and budget

    Joe Biden, the US president-elect, complained on Monday that his national security team has run into “obstruction” and “roadblocks” from political leadership at the Pentagon.

    The criticism came after the defence department earlier this month suddenly suspended briefings with the Biden transition team, and with Donald Trump still seeking to overturn his election defeat.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pwofWJ

    Coronavirus: Spain to keep registry of those who refuse Covid vaccine

    Vaccination will not be mandatory, officials say, and the register will not be made public.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3mV7lj0

    Covid in prison: 'We should be treated like humans'

    Reports suggest one-in-five prisoners have tested positive for Covid in the US, and 1,700 have died.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3ryEFQj

    Zoom: All the times virtual meetings didn't go as planned this year

    From animal interruptions to catching fire, here's a look back at the year we spent (badly) online.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3aPE3ja

    When Greta Thunberg met Margaret Atwood... on Zoom

    The teenage climate activist and veteran author and environmentalist were brought together by Radio 4's Today Programme.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3mTqPVa

    The big tech questions for 2021

    After a year that saw tech companies prosper, we look ahead to what the coming 12 months could bring.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/34Qgcfk

    Sunday 27 December 2020

    Trump Signs Pandemic Relief Bill After Unemployment Aid Lapses


    By BY EMILY COCHRANE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3aN6sq0

    A Quiet Life, a Thunderous Death, and a Nightmare That Shook Nashville


    By BY RICK ROJAS, ADAM GOLDMAN AND JAMIE MCGEE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3hmhSSS

    ¿Cuánta inmunidad de rebaño es necesaria?


    By BY DONALD G. MCNEIL JR. from NYT en Español https://ift.tt/2MdG1Qf

    Black Teenager Falsely Accused of Cellphone Theft in SoHo Hotel


    By BY THE NEW YORK TIMES from NYT New York https://ift.tt/3hmhgg2

    Video Shows Black 14-Year-Old Falsely Accused of Theft in a SoHo Hotel


    By BY MIHIR ZAVERI from NYT New York https://ift.tt/3ryMcP6

    Heather Cox Richardson Offers a Break From the Media Maelstrom. It’s Working.


    By BY BEN SMITH from NYT Business https://ift.tt/2Jp1PYb

    South Africa hits 1 million coronavirus cases as new variant spreads rapidly

    President Cyril Ramaphosa expected to announce new restrictions in attempt to slow the surge

    South Africa’s Covid-19 surge has taken the country to more than 1 million confirmed cases as president Cyril Ramaphosa called an emergency meeting of the national coronavirus command council.

    The country’s new variant of the coronavirus, 501.V2, is more contagious and has quickly become dominant in many areas of the resurgence, according to experts.

    Continue reading...

    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2JsiiuG

    Bobi Wine says bodyguard killed amid clashes in Uganda

    Popular musician and prominent opposition leader claims member of security team was run over by the military police, which the authorities deny

    Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has said his bodyguard has been killed and two journalists injured amid violent confrontations between security forces and his followers.

    A tearful Wine, a popular singer and politician who is challenging the country’s long-time leader, said his bodyguard had died of his injuries after allegedly being run over by a truck belonging to the military police. The victim, Francis Senteza, was attacked while helping to transport a journalist injured in an earlier confrontation between police and a group of Wine’s supporters, he said.

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    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3ruy3Cl

    Cramped housing has helped fuel spread of Covid in England – study

    Overcrowding, which makes it harder to self-isolate, may have increased death rate in poorer areas

    Overcrowded housing has helped to spread Covid-19 in England and may have increased the number of deaths, according to research by the Health Foundation.

    People living in cramped conditions have been more exposed to the coronavirus and were less able to reduce their risk of infection because their homes were so small, the thinktank found. Overcrowding was a key reason why poorer people and those from ethnic minority backgrounds in particular had been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, it said.

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    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/34OstB3

    Novels are terrible and you'll never convince me otherwise | Prove me wrong

    We don’t need fiction – the real world is strange enough. Plus, fancy writing is incomprehensible, argues Ben Butler. Lucy Clark tries to prove him wrong

    Ben Butler: Lucy, novels are terrible and you’ll never convince me otherwise.

    Genre fiction can be OK, provided it doesn’t go on for too long. I haven’t finished the Game of Thrones books, but as I recall they increasingly resemble a building material in shape, dimensions and weight as the series wears on.

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    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/38BfeVz

    Georgia Senate runoff elections: a guide for non-Americans on how they work and why they matter

    The two runoffs on 5 January will decide whether the Republicans continue to control the Senate, with profound implications for Joe Biden’s presidency

    On 5 January the US state of Georgia will vote, again, on who to send to the Senate.

    The control of the Senate is up for grabs, and thus the prospects for the Biden administration – at least for the next two years.

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    from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/37PIvfR

    Covid-19: China's painful year fighting the coronavirus

    From fear to freedom, we trace China's tumultuous year battling the coronavirus.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2L0sfja

    Maestro Dudamel takes virtual reality Symphony on tour

    Conductor Gustavo Dudamel believes music can lead the way and wants to inspire young people.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3rvzXCT

    Tigray crisis: Eritrea's role in Ethiopian conflict

    Ethiopia's leader says Eritrea armed his troops when they first came under attack in Tigray region.

    from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3rqNtHM

    The Morning


    By Unknown Author from NYT Briefing https://ift.tt/2KwP2Ud

    What We Learned From Week 16 of the N.F.L. Season


    By BY BENJAMIN HOFFMAN from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/38ID8P7

    Ravens Snatch Back Giants’ Playoff Hopes


    By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/38BCfI1

    Vance doubles down on false 'pet-eating' claims

    The baseless claims targeting Haitian immigrants have led to several security threats in the town of Springfield, Ohio. from BBC News http...