The Guardian |
- ‘Crisis into opportunity’: Biden lays out vision for sweeping change in speech to Congress
- Biden flanked by two women as he addresses Congress in historic first
- Biden’s speech to Congress is a once unthinkable call for transformation | David Smith's sketch
- Ahmaud Arbery killing: three men charged with federal hate crimes
- Rudy Giuliani’s apartment searched as part of Ukraine investigation
- Ivy League college apologizes for using bones of Black children in course
- Boris Johnson furious as inquiry launched into ‘cash for curtains’
- Facebook blocked hashtag calling for Narendra Modi to resign over pandemic
- California man dies after police pin him to ground for five minutes
- Electric vehicles on world’s roads expected to increase to 145m by 2030
- Apple sees record revenues of $90bn amid Covid buying surge
- Michael Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut, dies aged 90
- ‘Big-brained’ mammals may just have small bodies, study suggests
- Arundhati Roy on India’s Covid catastrophe: ‘We are witnessing a crime against humanity’
- Explainer: why is getting medical oxygen for Covid patients in some countries so difficult?
- Two weeks’ paid sick leave at Walmart could have prevented 7,500 Covid cases, report finds
- Fears of Covid ‘tsunami’ in Fiji after outbreak found to be Indian variant
- The big squeeze: welcome to the pelvic floor revolution
- End of the ice: New Zealand’s vanishing glaciers
- Killer farm robot dispatches weeds with electric bolts
- ‘It’s about self-love’: the black women busting beauty myths in west Africa
- The Mosquito Coast review – Apple’s thriller remake is a disappointing journey
- Life finds a way: in search of England’s lost, forgotten rainforests
- Like ‘Italy’s Robinson Crusoe’, many of us crave the idea of aloneness – even after lockdown
- Looking for a plastic-free way to discard dog poo? I have the answer | Adrian Chiles
- Arlene Foster has been thrown to the wolves by Johnson’s Brexit games | Martin Kettle
- De Bruyne and Mahrez put Manchester City in driving seat against PSG
- NFL draft 2021 predictions: the stars, the surprises and the lower-round gems
- Dončić’s Mavericks use historic 28-0 scoring run to bury Curry’s Warriors
- Janelly Farias: Mexican soccer’s most outspoken and fearless player
- Emery and Arteta, Arsenal’s past and present, to define club’s future | Nick Ames
- ‘I want the biggest prizes’: Harry Kane opens up on frustration at Tottenham
- Canadian F1 Grand Prix cancelled and replaced by Turkish GP in Istanbul
- Cash for curtains: how damaging are the allegations involving Boris Johnson? –podcast
- World’s most valuable stamp expected to sell for up $15m in New York
- Star Wars prequels ‘not very much liked’, admits Ewan McGregor
- Belarus was given boot from Eurovision over ‘no dissent’ songs
- DisneyMustPay: authors form task force to fight for missing payments
- Disney unapologetic over Mulan credit thanking Chinese Communist party
- 80-year-old review wrecks Citizen Kane’s 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
- Solange Knowles with her hair clips in: Carlota Guerrero’s best photograph
- Nomadland: is ‘structured reality’ cinema an exciting new trend, or simply fake news?
- Black Americans of all income levels exposed to more air pollution sources
- Facebook first quarter earnings up despite threat from Apple update
- Judge denies requests to release body-cam video of Andrew Brown shooting
- US officer beaten by rioters condemns effort to ‘whitewash’ Capitol attack
- Juror says video of George Floyd’s death was like attending a funeral every day
- Republicans’ climate credibility hit by make-believe ‘war on burgers’ claim
- Over 47 tons of plastic found at US marine reserve – and an entangled seal
- ‘Not sure where you hit it’: video shows NRA chief’s botched killing of elephant
- US automakers outline rules for auto-driving cars after fatal crashes
- Border dispute casts shadow over China’s offers of Covid help for India
- EU should ‘hang out welcome sign’ for an independent Scotland
- China launches first module of new space station
- Strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded for April hits Pacific
- ‘Covid is just an excuse’: the scandal of Rome’s saturated cemeteries
- Bulgarian prosecutors allege Russian links to arms depot explosions
- Amlo calls decision to disqualify candidates ‘a blow to democracy’
- Zimbabwe court quashes charges against journalist Hopewell Chin’ono
- France arrests seven Italians convicted of far-left terrorism
- Robot that can cook a paella is causing quite a stir in Spain
- ‘We wanted to scare them’: the brothers who fought back against Myanmar’s army
- How much trouble is Boris Johnson in? Maybe quite a lot
- My boyfriend needs Viagra – the lack of spontaneity is killing my sex drive
- Thousands of corellas take over suburban Australian street – video
- 'Not one iota lonely': Michael Collins on flying solo during Apollo 11 moon landing – video
- Huge sandstorm engulfs towns in China – video
- Goslings, a Navalny mural and a very valuable stamp: Wednesday’s best photos
| ‘Crisis into opportunity’: Biden lays out vision for sweeping change in speech to Congress Posted: 28 Apr 2021 08:58 PM PDT President pushes ambitious families and jobs plans, calling for a 'blue-collar blueprint' to rebuild America Joe Biden argued that "America is on the move again" in his first address to Congress, where he unveiled a sweeping $1.8tn package for families and education and pitched his "blue-collar blueprint" to re-build America. Flanked by two women – Vice-President Kamala Harris and House speaker Nancy Pelosi – for the first time in US history, the president gave his speech on the eve of his 100th day in office as the country continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading... |
| Biden flanked by two women as he addresses Congress in historic first Posted: 28 Apr 2021 06:17 PM PDT Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi sit behind the president, in a measure of progress for gender equality in the US When Joe Biden gave his first speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening, viewers were treated to a historic first – the sight of two women, Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi, seated behind the president. Biden began his speech by thanking "Madam speaker" and, in particular, "Madam vice-president". Continue reading... |
| Biden’s speech to Congress is a once unthinkable call for transformation | David Smith's sketch Posted: 28 Apr 2021 09:55 PM PDT Sketch: The president went big in an address that offered post-Trump healing and an image of a new era It has always been Washington's version of the Oscars: a primetime TV audience, an overlong speech and fierce disagreement among critics. On Wednesday, Joe Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress, on the eve of his first 100 days in office, followed the Academy Awards with a small, physically distanced gathering that, given the US president's love of trains, might have switched to a railway station too. Continue reading... |
| Ahmaud Arbery killing: three men charged with federal hate crimes Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:10 PM PDT Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was shot and killed as he ran along the street in Brunswick, Georgia in February last year The US justice department has indicted three men on federal hate crime charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was jogging when he was shot and killed in Brunswick on 23 February last year. Arbery's family characterized his death as a modern-day lynching. Continue reading... |
| Rudy Giuliani’s apartment searched as part of Ukraine investigation Posted: 28 Apr 2021 12:26 PM PDT Giuliani's lawyer condemns 'legal thuggery' after investigators reportedly seize electronic devices from Manhattan residence Federal investigators have executed a search warrant at a New York office and private apartment belonging to Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of the city and personal lawyer to Donald Trump. Federal authorities have been examining whether Giuliani illegally lobbied the Trump administration in 2019 on behalf of Ukrainian officials and oligarchs, who at the same time were helping him search for dirt on Trump's political rivals. Continue reading... |
| Ivy League college apologizes for using bones of Black children in course Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:15 PM PDT Remains of one of the children killed in 1985 police bombing were used for research and teaching at University of Pennsylvania An Ivy League university which kept the bones of a Black child killed by police for use in its research and which were also later used as a "case study" in an online forensic anthropology course has apologized for its actions. The physical remains of one of the children who were killed in the bombing of the Move black liberation organization in Philadelphia in May 1985 have been in the anthropological collections of the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton for the past 36 years. Continue reading... |
| Boris Johnson furious as inquiry launched into ‘cash for curtains’ Posted: 28 Apr 2021 12:32 PM PDT Electoral Commission believes there are 'reasonable grounds' to suspect offences around renovation of 11 Downing Street The Electoral Commission has launched an inquiry that has the potential to imperil Boris Johnson's premiership as the "cash for curtains" row increasingly engulfed the prime minister. With sweeping powers to call witnesses and refer matters to the police, the watchdog said its probe was necessary because it already believed there were "reasonable grounds" to suspect that payments for expensive renovations to Johnson's Downing Street flat could constitute several offences. Continue reading... |
| Facebook blocked hashtag calling for Narendra Modi to resign over pandemic Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:52 PM PDT Users based in India noted on Twitter that the #ResignModi hashtag had been blocked from view on Facebook A hashtag calling for the resignation of the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, was briefly blocked on Facebook on Wednesday, hiding more than 12,000 posts critical of the Indian government as the coronavirus pandemic spirals out of control in the country. Facebook users based in India noted on Twitter that the hashtag #ResignModi had been blocked from view on Facebook. Continue reading... |
| California man dies after police pin him to ground for five minutes Posted: 28 Apr 2021 11:32 AM PDT
Police in California on Tuesday released body-cam footage showing officers pinning a man to the ground for more than five minutes during a fatal arrest that his family said should result in murder charges. Related: Andrew Brown autopsy shows he was shot five times by police, attorneys say Continue reading... |
| Electric vehicles on world’s roads expected to increase to 145m by 2030 Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:00 PM PDT Under existing climate policies, electric vehicles could wipe out use of 2m barrels a day of diesel and petrol The number of electric cars, vans, trucks and buses on the world's roads is on course to increase from 11m vehicles to 145m by the end of the decade, which could wipe out demand for millions of barrels of oil every day. A report by the International Energy Agency has found that there could be 230m electric vehicles worldwide by 2030 if governments agreed to encourage the production of enough low-carbon vehicles to stay within global climate targets. Continue reading... |
| Apple sees record revenues of $90bn amid Covid buying surge Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:53 PM PDT Company has thrived during the pandemic as consumers have purchased more products Apple executives announced record revenues on Wednesday, with earnings far surpassing analysts' expectations. Revenue was up 54% year-over-year to nearly $90bn. Sales in China doubled. Mac sales were a third higher than predicted and iPhone sales came in around $48bn – roughly $6.5bn higher than initial estimates. Continue reading... |
| Michael Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut, dies aged 90 Posted: 28 Apr 2021 01:03 PM PDT Collins, known as the 'forgotten astronaut', kept command module flying while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon American astronaut Michael Collins, who was part of the Apollo 11 original moon landing crew and kept the command module flying while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon, has died at the age of 90, his family said on Wednesday. Collins had cancer. He was sometimes known as the "forgotten astronaut" because he didn't get to land on the moon, while Armstrong and Aldrin became household names. Continue reading... |
| ‘Big-brained’ mammals may just have small bodies, study suggests Posted: 28 Apr 2021 11:00 AM PDT Examination of 1,400 living and extinct species finds evolutionary selection may not be reason for larger brains Big-brained mammals are typically considered intelligent – but a study has found that the body size of a species could have evolved smaller to adapt to environmental changes, making the brain appear proportionally bigger. In other words, relative brain size may have nothing to do with being clever after all. By examining data underpinning the brain and body size of 1,400 living and extinct mammal species over the last 150m years, a cohort of researchers set out to investigate whether it is possible to predict how big a mammal's brain will be based on its body size. Continue reading... |
| Arundhati Roy on India’s Covid catastrophe: ‘We are witnessing a crime against humanity’ Posted: 28 Apr 2021 03:50 PM PDT It's hard to convey the full depth and range of the trauma, the chaos and the indignity that people are being subjected to. Meanwhile, Modi and his allies are telling us not to complain During a particularly polarising election campaign in the state of Uttar Pradesh in 2017, India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, waded into the fray to stir things up even further. From a public podium, he accused the state government – which was led by an opposition party – of pandering to the Muslim community by spending more on Muslim graveyards (kabristans) than on Hindu cremation grounds (shamshans). With his customary braying sneer, in which every taunt and barb rises to a high note mid-sentence before it falls away in a menacing echo, he stirred up the crowd. "If a kabristan is built in a village, a shamshan should also be constructed there," he said. "Shamshan! Shamshan!" the mesmerised, adoring crowd echoed back. Continue reading... |
| Explainer: why is getting medical oxygen for Covid patients in some countries so difficult? Posted: 28 Apr 2021 06:50 PM PDT As India's hospitals struggle to keep pace with demand, the pandemic has exposed global market failures, lack of knowledge and anticipation New waves of the Covid-19 pandemic in countries, such as India and Kenya have exposed the poor management of oxygen supplies. Prof Trevor Duke, editor of the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on oxygen therapy for children, answered questions on what countries with limited resources can do to secure better supplies. Continue reading... |
| Two weeks’ paid sick leave at Walmart could have prevented 7,500 Covid cases, report finds Posted: 28 Apr 2021 06:00 AM PDT Largest US employer could have saved 133 lives with policy as workers fear calling in sick could lead to firing, advocates say More than 7,500 Covid-19 infections and 133 deaths could have been prevented if Walmart offered employees two weeks of paid sick leave, according to a report released on Wednesday. The public health not-for-profit Human Impact Partners calculated the impact that better paid sick leave could have had for employees of Walmart, the largest employer in the US, using findings from the University of Wisconsin that universal sick leave could lead to a nearly 6% reduction in coronavirus infections and deaths for workers in Wisconsin. Continue reading... |
| Fears of Covid ‘tsunami’ in Fiji after outbreak found to be Indian variant Posted: 27 Apr 2021 08:00 PM PDT Covid-19 outbreak in Pacific nation has forced lockdowns across the country, after the island nation avoided transmission for a year Fijian health officials are bracing for a "tsunami" of Covid-19 cases, after the Indian variant was detected in the Pacific nation this week, with lockdowns announced in an attempt to stem the outbreak. The Pacific country had largely managed to avoid community transmission over the course of the pandemic, before a cluster emerged this month linked to a quarantine facility, and exacerbated after a woman with the virus attended a funeral with 500 people. Continue reading... |
| The big squeeze: welcome to the pelvic floor revolution Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:00 PM PDT There are books, podcasts, apps and devices devoted to it. But what's behind this new obsession with a strong pelvic floor? If you want to know about the wonders of a healthy pelvic floor, you could do worse than look to Coco Berlin, who styles herself "Germany's most famous belly dancer". Berlin started belly dancing in 2002, but it wasn't until a few years later, when she went to Egypt to study dancers there, that she wondered why they were so much better. She concluded they were seriously in touch with their pelvic floor, the internal muscular structure that supports the internal organs and prevents incontinence, among other important functions. "When I connected to my pelvic floor, for the first time in my life, I had this feeling of embodiment," Berlin says. It improved her dancing – before, she says, it had felt "like mimicry" – but also affected the rest of her life. She felt more confident, "I had the feeling that I own my body". Her enjoyment of sex was greatly improved, and she felt stronger and less stressed. She thinks it is a prime reason why people assume she is much younger than she is (she's 42 and, speaking over Zoom from her home in Germany, she looks like a woman in her 20s). Continue reading... |
| End of the ice: New Zealand’s vanishing glaciers Posted: 28 Apr 2021 11:09 PM PDT New Zealand's glaciers are retreating. After years of inaction, Covid could be a wake-up call for change – but is it already too late? Continue reading... |
| Killer farm robot dispatches weeds with electric bolts Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:00 PM PDT Makers say machine could be part of an agricultural revolution of automation and sustainability In a sunny field in Hampshire, a killer robot is on the prowl. Once its artificial intelligence engine has locked on to its target, a black electrode descends and delivers an 8,000-volt blast. A crackle, a puff of smoke, and the target is dead – a weed, boiled alive from the inside. It is part of a fourth agricultural revolution, its makers say, bringing automation and big data into farming to produce more while harming the environment less. Pressure to cut pesticide use and increasing resistance to the chemicals meant killing weeds was the top priority for the farmers advising the robot company. Continue reading... |
| ‘It’s about self-love’: the black women busting beauty myths in west Africa Posted: 28 Apr 2021 11:30 PM PDT From Senegal to Nigeria, a growing wave of salons and small cosmetic companies are challenging colonial notions about how to wear and care for hair Women kick the sand from their slippers, and ease into the cool comfort of a natural hair and skincare store in central Dakar. On the shelves are jars filled with handmade supplements of organic shea butter, coconut, castor and olive oils, sourced from across west Africa. In floral silk hijabs and abaya dresses, the women sit on sofas near the back of the store, discussing their hair beneath a mural of poised black women and men, wearing a mixture of classic natural black hairstyles. Continue reading... |
| The Mosquito Coast review – Apple’s thriller remake is a disappointing journey Posted: 28 Apr 2021 11:03 PM PDT A visually impressive yet narratively underwhelming new take on Paul Theroux's novel, starring his nephew Justin, isn't worth the effort In the new fugitive thriller series The Mosquito Coast, Justin Theroux stars as Allie Fox, an off-the-grid handyman who forbids his family from using phones, screens or anything that can ping Google Maps. Allie and his wife Margot (Melissa George) are in hiding, though from who and why is never clear; not even to their two homeschooled teen children Dina (Logan Polish) and Charlie (Gabriel Bateman). Related: Mare of Easttown review – Kate Winslet triumphs in a moreish murder mystery Continue reading... |
| Life finds a way: in search of England’s lost, forgotten rainforests Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:00 PM PDT Much of Britain's temperate rainforest has been destroyed – but it can sometimes regenerate. The race is on to map what survives and restore what we can Few people realise that England has fragments of a globally rare habitat: temperate rainforest. I didn't really believe it until I moved to Devon last year and started visiting some of these incredible habitats. Temperate rainforests are exuberant with life. One of their defining characteristics is the presence of epiphytes, plants that grow on other plants, often in such damp and rainy places. In woods around the edge of Dartmoor, in lost valleys and steep-sided gorges, I've spotted branches dripping with mosses, festooned with lichens, liverworts and polypody ferns. You may have heard of England's most famous fragment of temperate rainforest: Wistman's Wood, in the middle of Dartmoor. With its gnarled and stunted oaks, its remote location marooned within a sheep-nibbled moorscape, and attendant tales of spectral hounds that inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, it has an outsize reputation for somewhere so tiny in size: eight acres – about four football pitches. Continue reading... |
| Like ‘Italy’s Robinson Crusoe’, many of us crave the idea of aloneness – even after lockdown Posted: 28 Apr 2021 07:06 AM PDT Mauro Morandi had to leave his solitary island life. Having been cooped up with others for months, it could be appealing It was poignant to read of 81-year-old Mauro Morandi's decision to leave Budelli, the island off Sardinia that had been his home for more than 30 years, following threats of eviction. He had been nicknamed "Italy's Robinson Crusoe", having ended up there simply by chance, after his catamaran broke down while attempting to sail to the South Pacific. The island's caretaker happened to be retiring, and Morandi loved the place so much that he decided to stay and assume the role; until now. There's something so sad about hearing of a person torn from their idyll, when they have sought out and built for themselves a life of solitude. Though we may not all be natural hermits, I think many of us understand that, for some people, constant social interaction can be draining and even painful, a source of anxiety rather than pleasure. Books such as Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, and a better understanding of neurodiversity, have led to a greater empathy over the past decade with those who need more of their own company, and feel stressed by constant socialising or overstimulating environments such as open-plan offices. Continue reading... |
| Looking for a plastic-free way to discard dog poo? I have the answer | Adrian Chiles Posted: 28 Apr 2021 07:30 AM PDT When it comes to cleaning up after your hound, some leaves work better than others – as I found out the hard way To leave your dog's defecation on a pavement or in a park is beneath contempt, but to bag it up only to leave the poo-filled plastic hanging around for eternity: that's just bizarre. You care enough to do the right thing, but then do something worse. Not me. Before my first country walk with my dog, I packed a small, empty ice-cream tub with a secure lid. When the dog did its business, I planned to bag it and, if no bin presented itself, pop it in the tub and take it home. This didn't work very well. It was a warm day, so I was concerned this tub of hell might detonate in my backpack. Also, the dreadful prospect of opening it at a later stage marred the whole walk. In the end, it remained unopened as I bunged the whole package into the bin. So, a little poo wrapped in a lot of plastic ended up in landfill. Continue reading... |
| Arlene Foster has been thrown to the wolves by Johnson’s Brexit games | Martin Kettle Posted: 28 Apr 2021 08:33 AM PDT Northern Ireland's first minister has paid the price for believing the promises of the hard Brexiteers If 23 out of your 27 devolved assembly members, plus four of your eight Westminster MPs, along with lots of your local councillors and party members, have all signed letters calling on you to resign, then politically speaking, you are already toast. This was Arlene Foster's unhappy fate, duly confirmed today. For the Democratic Unionist party leader and Northern Ireland first minister, it is the end of the road. Foster's ousting has many causes and it will have many consequences. It is also an event without local precedent. Remarkably, the DUP has never in its history had a leadership contest (nor, of course, has its rival, Sinn Féin). The DUP's no-surrender founder, Ian Paisley, led the party into a power-sharing government without being seriously challenged. His successor, Peter Robinson, survived a marital crisis without losing his grip over his socially conservative party. Foster also toughed out the "cash for ash" renewable energy scheme scandal, which shut down the Northern Ireland assembly for three years from January 2017. Continue reading... |
| De Bruyne and Mahrez put Manchester City in driving seat against PSG Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:01 PM PDT The crazy thing and the greatest tribute to how Manchester City reshaped this Champions League semi-final first-leg with a second-half performance that will live long in the memory was Paris Saint-Germain could be happy to lose by only one. Related: 'No cheering': Manchester City players were calm after PSG win, says Guardiola Continue reading... |
| NFL draft 2021 predictions: the stars, the surprises and the lower-round gems Posted: 28 Apr 2021 01:30 AM PDT Our writers take a look at the best prospects coming out of college, and which teams need to get it right in the coming days Andrew Luck. Both are/were smart, athletic quarterbacks able to play within the rhythm and flow of the system or create off-script. Luck was never quite able to hit his Elway-like potential. By the time the team around him was good enough to compete, his body gave out. But for six seasons (particularly the first three) he dragged a rotating cast of mediocrity into playoff contention. Lawrence has similar talent. OC Continue reading... |
| Dončić’s Mavericks use historic 28-0 scoring run to bury Curry’s Warriors Posted: 28 Apr 2021 08:40 AM PDT
To Steve Kerr, Dallas looked like a team in the playoffs while Golden State remained stuck in an exhibition game. Luka Dončić scored 39 points and the short-handed Mavericks jumped on Golden State from the start to thump the Warriors 133-103 on Tuesday night. Continue reading... |
| Janelly Farias: Mexican soccer’s most outspoken and fearless player Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:00 AM PDT The defender is not satisfied with stopping the world's best strikers. She is also using her platform to fight homophobia and change the game from within Battling sexism, giving a talk at Harvard University, running a podcast and stopping elite strikers – another day in the life of Janelly Farias. There's much more to the 31-year-old Mexican-American defender than just her abilities on the field. Aside from her roles with Mexico's women's national team and Club America in Liga MX Femenil (Mexico's top flight for women's soccer), she has gained attention for her activism and drive to make social change through the sport. It is an ongoing endeavor for Farias, and close to home, it's a fight she knows all too well. Continue reading... |
| Emery and Arteta, Arsenal’s past and present, to define club’s future | Nick Ames Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:30 PM PDT Unai Emery, the Villarreal manager, stands between his former club and them saving their season in the Europa League It came as a surprise to Mikel Arteta when, soon after his appointment at Arsenal, he heard his predecessor would like a word. Handover chats are not unknown in football but Unai Emery's tenure had ended in some frustration and, besides, the two men had rarely met properly. A mutual friend set up the call and Arteta appreciated the gesture."He was very honest, very open and I was very grateful because it's not something that is very common," he said. "It came from him as well, which is unusual." Related: Daniel Ek says he has funds for Arsenal takeover and wants return of glory days Continue reading... |
| ‘I want the biggest prizes’: Harry Kane opens up on frustration at Tottenham Posted: 28 Apr 2021 07:56 AM PDT
Harry Kane has expressed frustration at a continued inability to achieve his ambition of winning major trophies at Tottenham in comments that will raise alarm about his happiness at the club. The striker's future has been the subject of intense discussion after he remained uncharacteristically silent in the media for several months and before saying on England duty last month that he would concentrate on the remainder of the season "and then we'll see where we go from there". Continue reading... |
| Canadian F1 Grand Prix cancelled and replaced by Turkish GP in Istanbul Posted: 28 Apr 2021 08:51 AM PDT
The Canadian Grand Prix has been officially cancelled for the 2021 season. Formula One formally announced the decision on Wednesday and confirmed it will be replaced on the calendar over the weekend of 12-13 June by the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul. In an official statement said F1 said: "We are grateful for the efforts of the promoter and the authorities in Canada in the past few weeks to try and make the race happen and we are pleased to announce a two-year extension to our partnership with the Canadian Grand Prix. Continue reading... |
| Cash for curtains: how damaging are the allegations involving Boris Johnson? –podcast Posted: 28 Apr 2021 07:00 PM PDT For months, information has been leaked to the press from inside Downing Street, including allegations Boris Johnson was given the cash – which has not yet been published in any declarations – to do up his official residence. The Guardian columnist Rafael Behr discusses how damaging this could be for the prime minister The Guardian columnist Rafael Behr talks to Rachel Humphreys about the latest allegations surrounding Boris Johnson. There has been a series of damaging leaks over the past few months. They include text messages sent by Sir James Dyson asking Johnson for help so that his employees would not have to pay extra tax if they came to the UK to make ventilators during the pandemic, to which Johnson replied: "I will fix it tomo!"; a text to the prime minister from the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman; leaked emails about donations solicited to cover the renovations of the prime minister's flat; and claims Johnson said last October he would rather see bodies pile up than order another lockdown. Behr discusses the suggestion that the former No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings is behind the leaks, which he denies. On Thursday, the Electoral Commission announced it would investigate the funding of the PM's flat refurbishment. Behr examines how damaging these stories are for Johnson and the Conservative party, coming a week before local elections. Continue reading... |
| World’s most valuable stamp expected to sell for up $15m in New York Posted: 28 Apr 2021 05:59 AM PDT British Guiana One-Cent Magenta was created in 1856 and is currently on display in London At first glance it could be an old scrap of paper that has had blackcurrant juice knocked over it. In reality it is, in terms of size, weight and material, arguably the most valuable object in the world. When it goes to auction in June it is expected to sell for between $10m and $15m – more than a billion times its original value. The scrap of paper is the British Guiana One-Cent Magenta, which was created in 1856 and is the most famous and valuable stamp in the world. "It is the Mona Lisa of philately," said David Beech, a philatelic expert. "It is the one stamp that every philatelist and every collector would have heard about and seen an illustration of." Continue reading... |
| Star Wars prequels ‘not very much liked’, admits Ewan McGregor Posted: 28 Apr 2021 03:52 PM PDT Actor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in little-loved trilogy, says negative reaction was 'quite difficult' While he may have been one of the biggest names in three of the highest grossing movies of all time, Ewan McGregor has said he found it "hard" when the Star Wars prequels were panned by critics and audiences. The actor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the little-loved episodes I, II and III from 1999 to 2005, told the Hollywood Reporter it was "hard they didn't get well received". He added: "That was quite difficult. They were universally not very much liked." Continue reading... |
| Belarus was given boot from Eurovision over ‘no dissent’ songs Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:00 PM PDT Decision taken despite the risk of politicising music competition, head of European Broadcasting Union says Belarus had to be banned from this year's Eurovision after it repeatedly submitted songs calling for "no dissent" despite the risk of the decision politicising the music competition, the head of the event's organising body has said. Noel Curran, director general of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the industry body that produces the annual international competition, said a stand needed to be taken with Belarus cracking down on anti-government protests, while also conceding the danger of stoking controversy over future country submissions. Continue reading... |
| DisneyMustPay: authors form task force to fight for missing payments Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:07 AM PDT Coalition of author groups call for Disney to pay outstanding royalties owed to writers of novels and comics including Star Wars, Alien and Buffy the Vampire Slayer series it now owns A task force made up of science fiction and fantasy, romance, crime and horror authors has been formed in an attempt to persuade Disney into paying authors outstanding royalties for novelisations and comics relating to their properties, including Star Wars, Alien and Indiana Jones. The so-called DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force includes major writers Neil Gaiman, Tess Gerritsen, Mary Robinette Kowal and Chuck Wendig among its members. It has been formed by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in partnership with the Author's Guild, Horror Writers Association, National Writers Union, Novelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. Continue reading... |
| Disney unapologetic over Mulan credit thanking Chinese Communist party Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:58 AM PDT US film company says local contractors made credit decisions and complied with Chinese laws Disney has claimed it was not responsible for thanking the Chinese Communist party in the credits at the end of the film Mulan, saying the decision was taken by local contractors. In a letter to the Commons business select committee, the film company is unapologetic about its refusal to accept a request to give evidence in person to the committee. Continue reading... |
| 80-year-old review wrecks Citizen Kane’s 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes Posted: 28 Apr 2021 03:40 AM PDT The reviews aggregator site has recently added a demurring 1941 write-up that wishes the Orson Welles film 'let a little sunshine in' An 80-year-old pseudonymous review appears to have wrecked Citizen Kane's 100% rating on reviews aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. A Twitter user pointed out the change in Citizen Kane's rating, due to the addition of a negative review from 1941. It is not clear exactly when the change happened, but website Boing Boing suggested it must have been between 25 February and 15 April, after comparing archived screenshots. Continue reading... |
| Solange Knowles with her hair clips in: Carlota Guerrero’s best photograph Posted: 28 Apr 2021 07:57 AM PDT 'This was used as the cover of A Seat at the Table. We left her clips in to show vulnerability – but she still wanted to have a strong gaze, to look people in the eye' In 2016, Solange Knowles's manager contacted me on Instagram, asking if I wanted to art direct her new album, A Seat at the Table. I was working in Barcelona at the time, and had no idea I had that type of reach. It was my first big international commission. Related: The style-setting photography of Carlota Guerrero – in pictures Continue reading... |
| Nomadland: is ‘structured reality’ cinema an exciting new trend, or simply fake news? Posted: 28 Apr 2021 01:00 AM PDT The Oscar-nominated movie – along with Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets – is the latest film to play with the truth Awards frontrunner Nomadland has been widely praised for its mix of poetry and realism. It is as much documentary as it is drama: adapted from a nonfiction book, cast with non-actors playing themselves (apart from Frances McDormand and David Strathairn), filmed in real landscapes and workplaces. It reveals truths purely fictionalised stories could not. This is not a brand new idea but it's one that is energising American cinema. Related: The Guide: Staying In – sign up for our home entertainment tips Continue reading... |
| Black Americans of all income levels exposed to more air pollution sources Posted: 28 Apr 2021 12:37 PM PDT People of color disproportionately affected by PM 2.5 in pretty much all states and all urban areas, study finds Whether they're breathing factory fumes and truck exhaust in urban centers or choking on dust on rural farm roads, people of color face exposure to more sources of harmful fine particle air pollution than white people, a new, comprehensive national study shows. A team of environmental researchers from universities across the US sought to find the air pollution sources that contribute the most to racial disparities. Their hope was that the information could help shape policy to reign in those sources of pollution. Continue reading... |
| Facebook first quarter earnings up despite threat from Apple update Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:27 PM PDT The company's revenue rose to $26.17bn as it continues to blast Apple for a policy that will make it more difficult to target ads to users Facebook earnings beat analyst expectations Wednesday, but the company warned growth later this year could "significantly" decline as new Apple privacy policies will make it more difficult for the social media giant to target ads to its users. The positive earnings report for Facebook was bolstered by pandemic-driven traffic and ad sales and comes despite a number of roadblocks for the company in previous months. Those include the Apple operating system update that threatens its advertising revenue, a slew of antitrust hearings in the US Congress, and reports of a 2019 data leak that had affected millions of users. Continue reading... |
| Judge denies requests to release body-cam video of Andrew Brown shooting Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:44 AM PDT Judge said he believed videos contained information that could harm the investigation or threaten safety of people in the footage A judge on Wednesday denied requests to release body-camera video in the case of a Black man who was shot to death by North Carolina deputies as they tried to arrest him on drug-related warrants. Judge Jeffery Foster said he believed the videos contained information that could harm the investigation or threaten the safety of people seen in the footage. He said the video must remain out of public view for at least 30 days. Continue reading... |
| US officer beaten by rioters condemns effort to ‘whitewash’ Capitol attack Posted: 28 Apr 2021 08:11 AM PDT
A Washington police officer who was attacked by Trump-supporting rioters during the Capitol attack on 6 January has decried the efforts of some politicians and other public figures to "whitewash" and downplay the insurrection. Related: Joe Biden to set out plans to reshape America in first address to Congress – live Continue reading... |
| Juror says video of George Floyd’s death was like attending a funeral every day Posted: 28 Apr 2021 06:20 AM PDT
The first of the 12 jurors who convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin of murder in the killing of George Floyd has broken his silence, likening the ordeal of having to watch and rewatch the video of the Black man's death during the trial to attending a funeral every day. Related: Texas officials seek posthumous pardon for George Floyd over drug conviction Continue reading... |
| Republicans’ climate credibility hit by make-believe ‘war on burgers’ claim Posted: 28 Apr 2021 07:46 AM PDT Unfounded claims do not reflect president's proposals to tackle global heating, which make no mention of meat consumption At a major summit hosted by Joe Biden last week, a procession of world leaders fretted over the spiraling dangers of the climate crisis, with some pledging further cuts to planet-heating emissions, others touting their embrace of electric cars and a few vowing the end of coal. In the US, however, Biden's political opponents were focused on one pressing matter – meat. Continue reading... |
| Over 47 tons of plastic found at US marine reserve – and an entangled seal Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:30 AM PDT Expedition spent 24 days clearing 10 miles of shoreline in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, collecting 94,472lb marine debris In a span of just over three weeks, more than 47 tons of plastic waste were removed from America's largest protected marine reserve, sometimes directly off animals, a stark reminder of the scourge of plastic pollution in the world's oceans. Related: Idaho bill seeks to kill more than 1,000 wolves Continue reading... |
| ‘Not sure where you hit it’: video shows NRA chief’s botched killing of elephant Posted: 28 Apr 2021 09:12 AM PDT Gruesome 2013 video shows Wayne LaPierre repeatedly failing to finish off the endangered animal from barely five yards away In his National Rifle Association biography, Wayne LaPierre boasts of his prowess as "a skilled hunter". But a newly surfaced video of the gruesome 2013 killing of an endangered savanna elephant in Botswana has revealed a different truth: the gun group's longtime leader and self-styled role model for big-game hunters is a lousy shot. Continue reading... |
| US automakers outline rules for auto-driving cars after fatal crashes Posted: 28 Apr 2021 09:49 AM PDT Proposals come days after two men using Tesla's Autopilot driver-assist system were killed in a crash near Houston US automakers have outlined principles designed to encourage drivers to pay attention to the road while driving partially automated vehicles as political scrutiny of the technology intensifies following a series of fatal crashes. The proposals, published yesterday before a Senate subcommittee hearing on the future of automotive safety and technology, come days after two men using Tesla's Autopilot driver-assist system were killed in a crash near Houston. Continue reading... |
| Border dispute casts shadow over China’s offers of Covid help for India Posted: 28 Apr 2021 09:00 PM PDT Analysis: some in China see India's crisis as a diplomatic opportunity but tensions from last summer remain high As coronavirus rages across India, its neighbour China has made repeated offers of help. Some are asking whether this could be an occasion to ease the tense relations between the world's two most populous countries following last year's border skirmishes. China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, said this week that Beijing was "ready to provide support and assistance to the Indian people at any time according to the needs of India". A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Delhi said it would "encourage and instruct Chinese companies to actively cooperate". Continue reading... |
| EU should ‘hang out welcome sign’ for an independent Scotland Posted: 28 Apr 2021 04:01 PM PDT Letter signed by 170 cultural figures seeks a 'unilateral and open offer' to rejoin EU ahead of Holyrood elections European leaders are being urged to make an "unilateral and open offer" to Scotland to rejoin the EU should it vote for independence in a future referendum, in a letter signed by more than 170 prominent cultural figures from across the union. Ahead of next week's Holyrood elections, for which polling suggests a pro-independence majority of MSPs is a near certainty, the Italian novelist Elena Ferrante, the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, the English director Richard Eyre and the Greek political scientist Kalypso Nicolaïdis are among those asking heads of EU nations and institutions to show solidarity with the Scots. Continue reading... |
| China launches first module of new space station Posted: 28 Apr 2021 09:46 PM PDT The space station is expected to become fully operational in 2022 after about 10 missions to bring up more parts and assemble them in orbit China has launched the first module of its new space station, a milestone in Beijing's ambitious plan to place a permanent human presence in space. The Tianhe or "Heavenly Harmony" unmanned core module, containing living quarters for three crew, was launched from Wenchang in China's Hainan province on a Long-March 5B rocket on Thursday. Continue reading... |
| Strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded for April hits Pacific Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:00 PM PDT Super Typhoon Surigae brings winds of 190mph, but remains over open waters to east of Philippines In the west Pacific, Super Typhoon Surigae became the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the month of April on the 17th. Surigae brought peak sustained winds of 190mph, more than two months earlier than any other tropical cyclone recorded. Fortunately, the storm remained over open waters to the east of the Philippines, although it did affect eastern parts of the Visayas region. Meanwhile, parts of the Middle East have endured a harsh heatwave over the past few weeks. On 23 April, temperatures in Kuwait rose to 45.3C, only 0.3C below the national April record. Damascus, the Syrian capital, tied its April high temperature of 38.4C, while temperatures exceeded 44C in the Libyan desert on the 17 April, close to record values for the time of year. The intense heat looks to continue into early May as well. Continue reading... |
| ‘Covid is just an excuse’: the scandal of Rome’s saturated cemeteries Posted: 28 Apr 2021 09:00 PM PDT Funeral directors say up to 2,000 bodies await burial or cremation in warehouses at Prima Porta cemetery Steps away from a warehouse containing row upon row of coffins at Prima Porta cemetery in Rome, anger simmered among a group of about 12 funeral workers queueing up outside the administrative office. Some were there to deliver bodies for burial or cremation, others to collect the ashes of the deceased cremated months ago. "It's a tragic, shameful situation," said Maurizio, a funeral company worker. "Just look around you – we're all waiting. They blame it on coronavirus, but that's just an excuse. This is how it is every day." Continue reading... |
| Bulgarian prosecutors allege Russian links to arms depot explosions Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:24 PM PDT Foreign ministry claims it has established a connection between six Russian nationals and the explosions Bulgarian prosecutors have established links between six Russian nationals who spent time in Bulgaria and four explosions at arms depots in the EU country between 2011 and 2020. Moscow accused Bulgarian officials of trying to outdo authorities in Prague who allege that Russian secret services were behind an explosion in the Czech Republic in 2014. Continue reading... |
| Amlo calls decision to disqualify candidates ‘a blow to democracy’ Posted: 28 Apr 2021 11:26 AM PDT Mexico's electoral tribunal upheld ruling barring two candidates, including one accused of rape, for failing to file expense reports Mexico's president has blasted a decision to disqualify two of his party's gubernatorial candidates – including one accused of rape – describing the decision by Mexico's electoral tribunal as "a blow to democracy". "Democracy is respecting the will of the people," said Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as Amlo, at his morning press conference on Wednesday. "In a democracy, it's the people who decide. It's the people who give orders." Continue reading... |
| Zimbabwe court quashes charges against journalist Hopewell Chin’ono Posted: 28 Apr 2021 11:22 AM PDT High court judge says law used by police to arrest government critic no longer exists Zimbabwe's high court has quashed charges of communicating false information levelled against the journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin'ono, saying the law used by police to arrest him in January no longer exists. Chin'ono, 50, has been detained three times since he backed banned anti-government protests on social media in July, when he was first arrested and charged with inciting public violence. Continue reading... |
| France arrests seven Italians convicted of far-left terrorism Posted: 28 Apr 2021 05:15 AM PDT Rome had long urged Paris to detain 10 people found guilty of terrorist acts from late 1960s to early 80s Seven Italian far-left guerrilla fighters, who hid in France for decades after escaping terrorism convictions that left "an open wound" in Italy, have been arrested. French authorities are also searching for three other Italians convicted on terrorism charges linked to bombings and assassinations between the late 1960s and early 1980s. Continue reading... |
| Robot that can cook a paella is causing quite a stir in Spain Posted: 28 Apr 2021 06:20 AM PDT While paella purists may blanch at prospect, creator of robotic arm insists it's just another labour-saving device Leaving aside self-aware computer networks that send cyborgs back through time to terminate humanity's saviour before birth, few technological developments are quite as terrifying – to Spanish palates, at least – as the prospect of a paella cooked not by a trusty Valencian hand but by a cold steel one. Since it was unveiled at a hospitality industry fair last month, the world's first robotic paellero has been causing a bit of a stir. Set the programme, load the sofrito, rice, stock and seafood, leave it alone and the robotic arm, which is hooked up to a computerised stove, will do the rest. Continue reading... |
| ‘We wanted to scare them’: the brothers who fought back against Myanmar’s army Posted: 28 Apr 2021 07:23 PM PDT Three months after the coup, four brothers tell how they joined protesters fighting the junta before fleeing for the border The young men only had a moment to study the river before rushing into the waist-deep water. The brothers – ranging in age from 15 to 21 – were unfamiliar with the border area and afraid of being seen. On the run from Myanmar's military, they pushed on into the Thaunggin River. After just a few minutes of wading, they stumbled into no man's land. Moments after crossing the river, three smugglers dressed in military fatigues met them. After handing over 6,000 Thai baht (US$200) and exchanging a few words, the smugglers led them deeper into the woods and then to safety in Thailand. Continue reading... |
| How much trouble is Boris Johnson in? Maybe quite a lot Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:21 AM PDT Analysis: A 'Kevin Keegan' moment, long inquiries and ill-advised comments about furnishings could be a dangerous cocktail Inside Keir Starmer's office, jubilant aides described Boris Johnson's rant at prime minister's questions as his "Kevin Keegan moment" – when the drip-drip of sleaze stories seemed to have finally rattled him. The timing could not have been better for the Labour leader. The Electoral Commission opened its formal investigation, into whether the Conservative party broke electoral law over plans for donations to refurbish Johnson's flat, just an hour before the pair faced off in the House of Commons. Continue reading... |
| My boyfriend needs Viagra – the lack of spontaneity is killing my sex drive Posted: 28 Apr 2021 03:00 AM PDT He couldn't maintain an erection, so he got some medication. But the fact that sex has to be agreed in advance is a turn-off for me I started dating my boyfriend seven months ago, and it has been amazing. I love him, he makes me laugh, he is so kind to me – but we still haven't mastered the bedroom. When we first got together, he couldn't maintain an erection to have penetrative sex. This upset him, and I stopped trying to initiate sex because it just wasn't a pleasant experience. He has since ordered Viagra, and we have been able to have sex, but for a while it felt as if he was calling the shots. He wouldn't tell me when he was taking one, and would just spring the erection on me. I told him how I felt, and now he asks me if he should take one – or I ask him to take one. But I still struggle with the fact I can't just have sex with him – it has to be planned. We're young and healthy, so it is definitely a mental thing. I'm the first girl he has slept with where there's an actual emotional connection. Continue reading... |
| Thousands of corellas take over suburban Australian street – video Posted: 28 Apr 2021 10:14 PM PDT Thousands of corellas have been filmed flocking to the suburban streets of Nowra on the NSW south coast. The native Australian birds have been known to gather in urban areas in their search for food. Though the noisy birds are considered a pest in some parts of the country, certain species remain protected under law. It is not the first time high numbers of corellas have descended upon the suburbs with large flocks also filmed in South Australia and Victoria. Continue reading... |
| 'Not one iota lonely': Michael Collins on flying solo during Apollo 11 moon landing – video Posted: 28 Apr 2021 12:44 PM PDT Michael Collins, who was part of the Apollo 11 moon landing crew and kept the command module flying while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon, has died at the age of 90, his family said on Wednesday. He was sometimes known as the 'forgotten astronaut' because he did not get to land on the moon, while Armstrong and Aldrin became household names. But his role in the mission in 1969 was just as crucial and his task to keep the module in lunar orbit as his crewmates departed in the Eagle lander and then returned safely was just as crucial, nerve-racking and exciting for the mission as a whole. Continue reading... |
| Huge sandstorm engulfs towns in China – video Posted: 28 Apr 2021 09:44 AM PDT Huge sandstorms swept across areas of Alxa Right Banner in China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Sunday. The sand clouds enveloped buildings in many cities, turning the sky an apocalyptic yellow. The local authorities issued a yellow alert for poor air quality, noting that the conditions could persist Continue reading... |
| Goslings, a Navalny mural and a very valuable stamp: Wednesday’s best photos Posted: 28 Apr 2021 06:15 AM PDT |
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