
By BY KELLEN BROWNING from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/3jVU4YD
Breaking: number of injuries not yet known but rail services are suspended in the area
Two trains have collided between Andover and Salisbury.
Wiltshire police are at the scene, which is close to London Road in Salisbury alongside fire and ambulance services.
Continue reading...First flights land as New South Wales allows fully vaccinated people to enter without quarantining, while more restrictions within the state lift. Follow all the day’s news
Wait, did you say you would like to watch that full exchange via uncomfortably close iPhone footage? I got you!
Here is the French president Emmanuel Macron accusing Scott Morrison of lying:
Continue reading...French president criticises Scott Morrison and expresses scepticism that Aukus pact will deliver on schedule
Emmanuel Macron has accused the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, of lying to him over an abandoned $90bn submarine contract, in a significant escalation of tensions between Paris and Canberra.
The French president levelled the accusation in impromptu comments to Australian journalists on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome. He said he had a lot of “respect and friendship” for Australia and Australians, but respect between nations needed to be reciprocated.
Continue reading...The FBI and other key law enforcement agencies failed to act on a host of tips and other information ahead of 6 January that signaled a potentially violent event might unfold that day at the US Capitol, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.
Among information that came officials’ way in the weeks before what turned into a riot as lawmakers met to certify the results of the presidential election was a 20 December tip to the FBI that supporters of Donald Trump were discussing online how to sneak guns into Washington to “overrun” police and arrest members of Congress, according to internal bureau documents obtained by the Post.
Continue reading...Pay row as leaders arrive for climate summit comes after previous action called off
Bin collection and street cleaner strikes are due to go ahead on Monday as Glasgow hosts world leaders, amid a row between a union and the city council that appeared to have been settled.
The GMB union told Glasgow city council’s chief executive, Annemarie O’Donnell, that members of the city’s cleansing service will strike for a week from a minute past midnight on Monday.
Continue reading...The Morrison government often claims that it 'meets and beats' its carbon emissions reduction targets. Those targets - first set during a major climate convention in Kyoto back in 1997 - actually tell a story of how Australia’s behaviour across decades has made it a climate change outcast. Guardian Australia's environment team, Graham Readfern and Adam Morton, take a look at how Australia's behaviour at the 1997 UN climate convention cast the dye for decades to come.
Continue reading...Conservative LDP along with coalition partner Komeito retain control of parliament but PM’s authority is reduced
Japan’s ruling conservative party held on to power in Sunday’s election, but gains by the opposition parties weakened prime minister Fumio Kishida’s authority as he attempts to steer the economy out of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kishida’s Liberal Democratic party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, together have won 274 seats as of late Sunday, with about 40 seats still undecided, in the 465-member lower house, the more powerful of Japan‘s two-chamber Diet, public broadcaster NHK reported. The LDP has also won a single majority at 247 seats, with Komeito taking 27 seats, according to NHK.
Continue reading...Vessel allowed to disembark almost 400 people in Aegean port of Kos in ‘unusual and special case’
After roaming the high seas for four days as Greece and Turkey haggled over its fate, a cargo ship packed with hundreds of Afghan refugees has been allowed to dock at an Aegean island, with passengers disembarking to apply for asylum.
In what Greece’s migration ministry called “an unusual and special case”, the Turkish-flagged vessel was towed into the port of Kos on Sunday. About 375 passengers, the biggest single influx of asylum seekers in years, were taken to a reception centre on the island. Six others were detained for questioning and one woman was admitted to hospital on the island of Karpathos.
Continue reading...Alcohol duty | Sleeper trains | Acronyms | Recycled rolling pins | Facebook
Sebastian Monblat (Letters, 28 October) needn’t worry about unhealthier livers. The chancellor has cut duty, not pump prices. Can you see anybody reducing a £4 pint by 3p? The reduction in tax will benefit brewers, not customers. More pork barrel than beer barrel.
John Gately
Battle, East Sussex
• Timothy Garton Ash (Why we need a new golden age of European rail, 27 October) suggests reviving long-distance overnight trains. In fact, sleeper trains are already on the rise across the continent. For example, Nightjet trains run on more than 20 routes connecting major cities, and there are several Euronight services. Indeed, Mr Garton Ash could even discover this from the man in seat 61 he mentions.
Graham Feakins
Herne Hill, London
Actor tells reporter ‘this is a one-in-a-trillion episode’, in first remarks since fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on film set
In his first public comments since accidentally fatally shooting the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of a film, Rust, in New Mexico earlier this month, Alec Baldwin said on Saturday: “She was my friend.”
The actor spoke to BackGrid, a “global celebrity news agency”, in Vermont, where he was photographed having lunch with his wife.
Continue reading...After the worries over ‘wokeness’, hunting was the day’s big issue
Those who care deeply about the stately homes of Britain tuned in on Saturday from a dozen countries around the world to watch a peculiar spectator sport: the National Trust annual general meeting.
The stage was set for a tournament that promised one victor: either the reforming board of the National Trust, determined to move with the times, or a rebellious contingent calling for a return to first principles of preservation and established scholarship.
Continue reading...International border bans are set to end on Monday with Australians able to leave the country and return home; Scott Morrison defends the Aukus deal at G20 in Rome. Follow all the day’s news live
Speaking of Cop26, Scott Morrison has met French President Emmanuel Macron for the first time since for the first time since the AUKUS pact was announced, terminating Australia’s submarine deal with France.
Morrison described the moment to the press:
I said, “G’day”... he was having a chat to someone. I went up and put his arm on his shoulder and said, “G’day, Emmanuel. I look forward to catching up over the next couple of days.”
That’s the way these events work. He was happy to exchange those greetings. We’ve known each other for a while. It is part of the process of the way back.
Continue reading...Anonymous sources outline ambitious timetable for spending plan so far stymied by centrist senators
Democratic leaders are hoping for House votes as soon as Tuesday on the two pillars of Joe Biden’s domestic spending agenda, two Democrats said Saturday, as the party mounted its latest push to get the long-delayed legislation through Congress.
Top Democrats would like a final House-Senate compromise on Biden’s now $1.75tn, 10-year social and environment plan to be written by Sunday, the Democrats said.
Continue reading...Firms defend paying no corporation tax after government handed out billions to energy giants
Shell and BP, which together produce more than 1.7bn tonnes of greenhouse gases a year, have not paid any corporation tax on oil and gas production in the North Sea for the last three years, company filings reveal.
The oil giants, which have an annual global footprint of greenhouse gases more than five times bigger than Britain’s, are benefiting from billions of pounds of tax breaks and reliefs for oil and gas production.
Continue reading...As a doctor, I believe turning away from desperately ill kids – be they in Palestine or elsewhere – is a far greater crime
I have never walked away from a fight involving the wellbeing of children. I have never abandoned the right for Palestinian health workers to train in Israel for the benefit of those same children.
Why is this something I need to speak about publicly now?
Continue reading...Ex-president sued to stop the National Archives from transmitting documents to the House committee
Donald Trump is trying to block documents including call logs, drafts of speeches and notes from his chief of staff relating to the 6 January Capitol riot from being released to the investigating House committee, the National Archives revealed in a court filing on Saturday.
At the same time, the Washington Post reported the startling contents of an email sent by John Eastman, a conservative lawyer who advised Trump in his attempts to overturn his defeat, to an aide to Mike Pence, even as the vice-president hid from the Capitol mob, some members of which were calling for him to be hanged.
Continue reading...Tens of thousands of people are turning to the drug to treat a range of conditions – but the evidence is patchy and costs can be high
When Helen was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in her early 40s, her doctor prescribed her a range of opioids. She tried morphine, meperidine and a few others, but none helped ease the constant pain her chronic condition caused.
Long before medicinal cannabis was legal in Australia, while Helen was travelling across North America, a doctor at a dispensary suggested she try cannabidiol oil. “He gave me this bottle of tincture and taught me to use one or two drops under my tongue,” Helen says. “My pain decreased dramatically. I was stunned.”
Continue reading...Attack in interim capital comes three weeks after car bomb targeted Aden’s governor
At least 12 civilians were killed Saturday in a blast near the airport of Aden, the Yemeni government’s interim capital, a senior security official told AFP.
There were also serious injuries, said the official, adding that the cause of the blast was unknown
Continue reading...Killers said they were Taliban but government denies responsibility and says two of them have been arrested
Gunmen presenting themselves as Taliban attacked a wedding in eastern Afghanistan to stop music being played and killed at least three people, the government has said.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Saturday that two of the three attackers had been arrested, and denied they were acting on behalf of the Islamist movement.
Continue reading...Annual memorial procession calls out names of growing number of people who died in prison or police custody
Hundreds of friends and relatives of people who died in prison or police custody have held a procession through central London in remembrance and calling for justice for their loved ones.
Supporters of the United Friends & Families Campaign gathered in Trafalgar Square just after midday on Saturday for the march, which has taken place every year in London since 1999.
Continue reading...Photo in listing for Virginia house appears to have edited out a plaque referencing the Confederate general
The house at 607-601 Oronoco Street in Alexandria, Virginia – a 226-year-old, six-bedroom, 8,145 sq ft mansion – appears by every measure a highly desirable place to live, if at an asking price of $5.9m.
But in a listing, the realtor selling the house fails to mention one thing.
Continue reading...Director of national intelligence report says highly unlikely to fully conclude if virus leaked from lab or was transmitted by animals
Barring an unforeseen breakthrough, US intelligence agencies will not be able to conclude whether Covid-19 spread by animal-to-human transmission or leaked from a lab, officials have said on the release of a fuller version of their review into the origins of the pandemic.
The paper issued by the director of national intelligence elaborates on findings released in August of a 90-day review ordered by Joe Biden. That review said that US intelligence agencies were divided on the origins of the virus but that analysts do not believe the virus was developed as a bioweapon and that most agencies believe the virus was not genetically engineered.
Continue reading...On Tuesday, CDC advisers will make more detailed recommendations on which children should get vaccinated
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday paved the way for children ages five to 11 to get Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine.
After the FDA cleared kid-size doses – a third of the amount given to teens and adults – for emergency use, up to 28 million more American children could be eligible for vaccinations as early as next week.
Continue reading...Club remain weirdly in thrall to a 79-year-old man who has not coached in almost a decade when a cultural reset is needed
It was a few months into David Moyes’s ill-fated reign at Manchester United, and with results in freefall and the dressing room in mutiny, Patrice Evra decided to go to see the only man he knew who could fix things.
“Boss, you have to help David,” he pleaded with Sir Alex Ferguson on a visit to his home in Cheshire.
Continue reading...Prince Harry and Meghan join WHO in urging leaders to honour promises to help low-income countries
Prince Harry and Meghan have joined the World Health Organization (WHO) and Save the Children in appealing to G20 leaders meeting this weekend to honour promises to send Covid-19 vaccines to low-income countries where just 3% of people have had a jab.
It is one of the most directly political initiatives at a high-profile political summit by the former royal couple since they left the British royal household.
Continue reading...The legal battle had waged for more than a decade and raised questions over satire and the need to protect vulnerable children
Canada’s supreme court has ruled that a comedian had the right to mock a disabled teen singer – including joking that he wanted to drown him – in a case that raised questions over satire and the need to protect vulnerable children.
The 5-4 decision from the country’s top court ended a legal battle of more than a decade that had probed the limits of artistic freedom.
Continue reading...The tiny town of Matatā provides a bleak preview of the challenges that could play out across the country in the decades to come
There’s a moment on the road from Auckland to the Bay of Plenty, after hours of farmland, when the view of the sea rears up in front of you. The fields retreat, the horizon expands, the road is lined by Pohutukawa trees clinging to the cliffs. The change in view is as stark as an etch-a-sketch being wiped clean.
Follow that road and you come to a tiny settlement, slipped between the sea and a steep spine of hills running down New Zealand’s Toi-te-Huatahi coastline. Gradually, the once-orderly and plush beachfront homes are disappearing. Houses are replaced with grassed lots, weeds push up through the cul de sac pavements. Soon, the view will be transformed further still, the last remnants of the neighbourhood replaced with a reserve stretching from the road to the sea. On one of the few remaining fences is a sign: “Leave our homes alone! Watch out the rest of New Zealand – you’re next!”
Continue reading...Teaching was once her career backup plan, but now the innovative and inclusive Rebecca West is shortlisted for a major award
Everyone remembers their favourite teacher. Rebecca West still can’t bring herself to call hers by his first name, even though, 20 years on, she’s friends with Paul on Facebook. But she’ll never forget the example that her geography and legal studies teacher Mr Fields set her as a student, before teaching was even on her radar as a career.
“He let kids have honest opinions,” West says. “We felt comfortable to air a conflicting argument in the classroom because he would let us have those conversations. It was very inspirational to have someone treat us like young adults.”
Continue reading...Species was direct ancestor of early humans in Africa and discovery has led to reassessment of epoch
Researchers have announced the naming of a newly discovered species of human ancestor, Homo bodoensis.
The species lived in Africa about 500,000 years ago, during the Middle Pleistocene age, and was the direct ancestor of modern humans, according to scientists. The name bodoensis derives from a skull found in Bodo D’ar in the Awash River valley of Ethiopia.
Continue reading...Full text of the deputy Labour leader’s words after a man was sentenced for sending a threatening email
I have been off work over the last couple of weeks after losing a
close loved one. Grief is the burden we bear for love and losing
someone close is something that we all experience at some point in our
lives, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any easier when it happens
to you. So I can’t imagine what the family of Sir David Amess are
going through, but I know they will be hurting. I send my heartfelt
condolences to them. Sir David was a fine parliamentarian, a proud
advocate for his constituents and above all such a kind, generous and
warm-hearted man. He will be missed on all sides of the house.
As a society we need to offer better support to people who are going
through bereavement, loss and other traumatic or difficult experiences
in their personal lives. I hope that the fact that I took time to deal
with a bereavement will encourage other people to do the same when
they are going through grief or trauma.
While I have been away from the cut and thrust of parliament I have
reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now
seem to feature all too often.
I have also reflected on what I said at an event at Labour party
conference. I was angry about where our country is headed and policies
that have made life harder for so many people I represent. But I would
like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would
not use it again.
I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold
the government to account. But in the future I will be more careful
about how I do that and in the language that I choose.
All of us in positions of leadership have a responsibility for our
language and rhetoric, whether towards political opponents or anyone
else in society, especially those already most vulnerable. As deputy
leader of the Labour party I take this responsibility with the utmost
seriousness and I am sure that politicians from all parties, the media
and others with a prominent role in our public life will also reflect
on this shared responsibility.
I want to address the threats I have received recently. In the past I
have been reluctant to speak out about the abuse that I receive
because I fear that doing so will only make the situation worse.
However, in recent weeks the threats that I have received against my
life and the lives of close family have been so terrifying and
explicit that I could not stay silent and simply continue to take it
as “part of the job”. They have had a devastating impact on me, my
children and others close to me.
It shakes you when you get these threats. You worry about the safety
of your home, your office and everything in your life. And it takes
its toll on the people who work for me too.
My staff come to work and do their jobs with dedication and
professionalism. They bear the brunt of much of this abuse and then
get on with their working day. Dealing with death threats and liaising
with the police about their safety should not be a standard part of
the day-to-day working life of a member of parliament or their staff.
So I want to thank the police officers from Greater Manchester, South
Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire police who have arrested a number of
people in recent days and demonstrated the utmost professionalism,
courtesy and kindness both in carrying out their investigations and in
supporting me, my family and my staff during what has been a very
difficult time. I and my team will continue work with them to ensure
that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice.
After attending a funeral on Monday I will be back to work, rolling my
sleeves up and standing up for my brilliant constituents in
Ashton-under-Lyne, Droylsden and Failsworth – along with everyone who
needs a Labour government.
Newborns include leopards, bengal tigers, zebras, giraffes, antelopes and oxen, ‘more than 10 births of high-value species’
Zookeepers at Cuba’s National Zoo say several species of exotic and endangered animals took advantage of the peace and quiet brought on by the coronavirus pandemic for romantic encounters that resulted in a bumper crop of baby animals.
The newborns include leopards, bengal tigers, zebras, giraffes, antelopes and oxen, a rarity officials attribute to the many months the zoo was closed during the pandemic, said zoo veterinarian Rachel Ortiz.
Continue reading...World’s biggest carbon emitter makes little advance on targets set out in 2015 in announcement days before vital UN talks
China has published its long-awaited national plan on greenhouse gas emissions, just days before the opening of the Cop26 UN climate summit.
However, the plan revealed on Thursday represents little progress on the previously announced ambitions of the world’s biggest carbon emitter, disappointing observers of the vital climate talks.
Continue reading...Derek de Vreught runs the last video store in Melbourne. He’s sticking around as streaming takes over television and browsing for DVDs becomes a ‘decidedly niche experience’. Culture editor Steph Harmon recommends this story about a stalwart
You can read the original article here: ‘You can’t close’: Melbourne’s last video store determined to stay open in streaming era
Two Royal Navy vessels put in ‘high readiness’ to tackle potential port blockades
France’s ambassador in London was summoned and two Royal Navy patrol vessels were put on a state of “high readiness” to tackle potential port blockades by French fishing boats as the row over post-Brexit access to British waters escalated.
The dramatic moves followed French threats to clog British exports in red tape over a lack of fishing licences for their fishing vessels and inflammatory claims that Downing Street had made a “political choice” to damage the country’s coastal communities.
Continue reading...Holding company will encompass Facebook as well as its apps, such as Instagram and WhatsApp, and the virtual reality brand Oculus
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the social media giant will change the name of its holding company to Meta, in a rebrand that comes as the company faces an ongoing series of public relations crises.
Zuckerberg made the announcement at the Facebook’s annual conference Thursday, where he outlined his vision for the metaverse – a digital world built over our own, comprising virtual reality headsets and augmented reality. “We believe the metaverse will be the successor of the mobile internet,” Zuckerberg said.
Continue reading...Appeal court hearing for woman sentenced four years ago could change legal understanding of coercive control
A mother imprisoned for causing serious harm to her baby has told the court of appeal she lied at her trial because of the control her former boyfriend had over her.
The woman, known as Jenny, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the appeal court it was her partner at the time who caused their son’s skull fractures and bleeding on the brain in June 2017.
Continue reading...Restoration effort on Hisham’s Palace in occupied West Bank was launched five years ago
Palestinian authorities have unveiled one of the largest floor mosaics in the world in the occupied West Bank city of Jericho after years of restoration.
Resembling a fine carpet, the vast mosaic covers 836 sq metres (8,998 sq feet) at the Hisham’s Palace, an Umayyad Islamic desert castle dating from the eighth century.
Continue reading...Melinda Pavey delivers more water to agriculture while ramping up campaign to change Murray-Darling Basin plan
The New South Wales Nationals have announced a plan to triple water capture for farmers on the north coast in a move it is claimed will strip billions of litres from coastal rivers and increase the risk of communities running dry in future droughts.
The water minister, Melinda Pavey, has changed regulations which will now allow farmers on the north coast to take 30% of the water falling on their land instead of 10%. The water is usually stored in dams, but affects the amount of water reaching rivers.
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Continue reading...Alexander Stubb – who played golf with Trump this weekend – suggested deadline and US sanctions package Donald Trump is losing patience wit...