The Guardian |
- Fauci backs new masks guidance as Florida reports highest one-day Covid case total
- Texans march on capitol to protect voting rights – will Washington listen?
- Tokyo 2020 Olympics: athletics, track cycling, hockey quarter-finals, weightlifting and more – live!
- Fruit baskets from fourth century BC found in ruins of Thonis-Heracleion
- Sharks fleeing toxic red tide take refuge in Florida canal
- Kinzinger: McCarthy and Jordan should face Capitol attack panel – but maybe not Trump
- Old Democratic hostilities suppressed in Trump era resurface in primary fight
- Oregon firefighters make progress in battle against largest US wildfire
- Man who allegedly drove into cyclists in US charged with murder of Australian
- Resurgent Taliban escalates nationwide offensive in Afghanistan
- Lollapalooza drops DaBaby performance after homophobic comments
- Big tech’s big week raises fears of ‘Blade Runner future’ of mega-company rule
- The oldest tree in eastern US survived millennia – but rising seas could kill it
- ‘Grandmas buying shotguns’: US dealers see ammunition shortage as sales surge
- Raven Saunders throws up X on podium to represent where the ‘oppressed meet’
- ‘Just magical’: joy for Tamberi and Barshim as they opt to share gold in men’s high jump
- Belarus sprinter safe under Tokyo police protection after refusing to go home
- Men’s 100m final struggles to emerge from shadow of Usain Bolt | Barney Ronay
- Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade wins historic vault gold as USA’s Skinner takes silver
- Covid isolation, medals and strife: how US fencing became a nexus of controversy
- Belarusian sprinter who criticised coaches refuses to be sent home
- USA confident going into women’s soccer semi-final against rivals Canada
- Coronavirus live news: China battles to contain surging cases as soldiers deployed in Sydney
- The White Lotus is the best satire of wealth privilege on TV right now
- Doggerland: Lost ‘Atlantis’ of the North Sea gives up its ancient secrets
- Karaoke diehards returned to the spotlight – but is it time to reassess as Delta spreads?
- Anger as Poland plans law that will stop Jews reclaiming wartime homes
- ‘It’s feasible to start a war’: how dangerous are ransomware hackers?
- Shailene Woodley: ‘Authenticity is my love language’
- When moral pieties get in the way of doing the right thing, children suffer | Sonia Sodha
- Adapt or die. That is the stark challenge to living in the new world we have made | David Wallace-Wells
- Tunisia shows that democracy will struggle if it can’t deliver prosperity
- Boris Johnson’s crime strategy was another pile of mud | Stewart Lee
- Miles Robinson’s last-gasp header lifts USA over Mexico in Gold Cup final
- Lewis Hamilton fears he has long Covid after Hungarian GP exhaustion
- NHL’s Evander Kane denies wife’s allegations that he bet on games
- USA’s Xander Schauffele holds on to capture Olympic men’s golf title
- Chelsea beat Arsenal in game that shows Arteta revolution a long way off
- Why did Unesco drop Liverpool from its heritage list?
- Raves, musicals and a time-travelling diner: 20 must-listen indie podcast gems
- Bad genes, not rock’n’roll excess, killed Elvis Presley, claims biographer
- Old review – M Night Shyamalan’s beach thriller is all washed up
- Jungle Cruise review – theme park ride leaves the handbrake on
- Not all narcissists are grandiose – the ‘vulnerable’ type can be just as dangerous
- How to raise a boy: my mission to bring up a son fit for the 21st century
- Eimear McBride: ‘Women grapple with shame because we’re held to a higher standard’
- It’s too hot for sleep, or anything except restless thoughts… | Eva Wiseman
- Nigel Slater’s recipes for ice-cream sandwiches, and aubergines with coconut
- Evictions crisis: Ocasio-Cortez says Democrats cannot blame Republicans
- Sarah Palin hints at Alaska Senate run against Republican Lisa Murkowski
- Ex-SpaceX engineers in race to build first commercial electric speedboat
- TikTok star Anthony Barajas dies after California movie theater shooting
- Senate expects to move forward with infrastructure bill
- A ‘safe space for racists’: antisemitism report criticises social media giants
- JetBlue ready to launch low-cost New York to London flights
- Tourists evacuated from Pescara as Italy records more than 800 wildfires
- Jacinda Ardern apologises for New Zealand ‘dawn raids’ on Pasifika people in 1970s
- ‘Highly likely’ Iran was behind fatal oil tanker attack – Dominic Raab
- Scottish independence vote will happen if public wants it, says Michael Gove
- Israel supreme court decision expected on Sheikh Jarrah evictions
- Extreme heat cooks mussels in their shells on Canada coast – video
- Dawn Raids apology and an injured cat in Turkey: Weekend’s best photos
| Fauci backs new masks guidance as Florida reports highest one-day Covid case total Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:31 PM PDT
Florida's ban on mask mandates came under increasing scrutiny from public health officials on Sunday as the surging Delta variant pushed new daily cases of Covid-19 in the state to a record high. Related: US vaccinations rise but White House frustrated with media 'alarmism' Continue reading... |
| Texans march on capitol to protect voting rights – will Washington listen? Posted: 01 Aug 2021 11:00 PM PDT Beto O'Rourke and the Rev William Barber among speakers in Austin as fight to protect ballot access goes on When a legion of Texans descended on their state capitol on Saturday morning, the signs they carried conveyed raw terror about the erosion of their democracy. Related: Trump tries to defend 'just say the election was corrupt' demand Continue reading... |
| Tokyo 2020 Olympics: athletics, track cycling, hockey quarter-finals, weightlifting and more – live! Posted: 01 Aug 2021 11:43 PM PDT
Huge, huge semi-final for the Matildas tonight against Sweden in women's football. There are question marks over Sam Kerr's fitness and several more hanging over Australia's ability to turn around the 4-2 thumping handed to them by the Swedes in the group stage. The winner will take on either world champions USA or Canada, who will slug it out in the earlier semi-final at Ibaraki Kashima Stadium. Who knows, maybe the Matildas' "it factor" can take them all the way. Related: 'It factor' powering Australia before Olympic football semi against Sweden
Badminton: a couple of gold medal matches today and I'm delighted to report that Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu have broken new ground for Indonesia in the women's doubles. They beat the Chinese second seeds in straight sets to hand their country their first gold of Tokyo 2020. Well done. That is outstanding. A historical win!  |
| Fruit baskets from fourth century BC found in ruins of Thonis-Heracleion Posted: 01 Aug 2021 09:00 PM PDT 'Incredible' discoveries at submerged ancient city off coast of Egypt have lain untouched Wicker baskets filled with fruit that have survived from the 4th century BC and hundreds of ancient ceramic artefacts and bronze treasures have been discovered in the submerged ruins of the near-legendary city of Thonis-Heracleion off the coast of Egypt. They have lain untouched since the city disappeared beneath the waves in the second century BC, then sunk further in the eight century AD, following cataclysmic natural disasters, including an earthquake and tidal waves. Continue reading... |
| Sharks fleeing toxic red tide take refuge in Florida canal Posted: 01 Aug 2021 11:00 PM PDT Lemon, blacktip, bonnethead and nurse sharks retreat from sea as state struggles to contain pollution problem Hundreds of coastal sharks have taken refuge in a Florida canal, apparently to escape the effects of a toxic red tide outbreak killing hundreds of tons of marine animals. Related: Sexy secret life of basking sharks uncovered in Hebrides Continue reading... |
| Kinzinger: McCarthy and Jordan should face Capitol attack panel – but maybe not Trump Posted: 01 Aug 2021 01:28 PM PDT
Adam Kinzinger, one of two Republicans on the House select committee investigating the US Capitol assault, will support subpoenas for testimony from Kevin McCarthy, the Republican minority leader, and senior members of the congressional GOP including Jim Jordan, a prominent Trump ally from Ohio. Related: Trump tries to defend 'just say the election was corrupt' demand Continue reading... |
| Old Democratic hostilities suppressed in Trump era resurface in primary fight Posted: 01 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT Nina Turner and Shontel Brown will square off Tuesday in Ohio race that has turned nasty and could foreshadow midterm risks A hip-hop rendition of I Gotta Feeling on electric violin got the crowd jumping. The first glimpse of a 79-year-old democratic socialist got them whistling and whooping. But this time Bernie Sanders was not running for president. Related: Republicans will defend their Caesar but new revelations show Trump's true threat | Lloyd Green Continue reading... |
| Oregon firefighters make progress in battle against largest US wildfire Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:34 PM PDT
Firefighters in Oregon have reported good progress in the battle against the nation's largest wildfire, while authorities canceled evacuation orders near a major blaze in northern California. Related: In the shadow of Paradise, nearby residents make uneasy peace with fire Continue reading... |
| Man who allegedly drove into cyclists in US charged with murder of Australian Posted: 01 Aug 2021 05:36 PM PDT Shawn Michael Chock charged with murdering 58-year-old Jeremy Barrett after allegedly driving his truck into bike race participants in Arizona An Arizona man already facing assault charges for allegedly driving his pickup truck into people participating in a bike race nearly six weeks ago has been charged with murder. An indictment made public Wednesday adds a murder charge against Shawn Michael Chock in the death of 58-year-old Australian Jeremy Barrett. Continue reading... |
| Resurgent Taliban escalates nationwide offensive in Afghanistan Posted: 01 Aug 2021 05:47 AM PDT Afghan forces defend western city of Herat and Lashkar Gah in south as Kandahar airport hit by rockets The Taliban escalated its nationwide offensive in Afghanistan on Sunday, renewing assaults on three major cities and rocketing a major airport in the south amid warnings that the conflict was rapidly worsening. As Afghan government forces struggled with a resurgent Taliban after the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces, hundreds of commandos were deployed to the economically important western city of Herat, while authorities in the southern city of Lashkar Gah called for more troops to rein in the assaults amid fierce fighting. Continue reading... |
| Lollapalooza drops DaBaby performance after homophobic comments Posted: 01 Aug 2021 09:28 AM PDT
Lollapalooza cancelled a Chicago performance by the rapper DaBaby on Sunday because, the music festival said, it was "founded on diversity, inclusivity, respect and love". "With that in mind, DaBaby will no longer be performing at Grant Park tonight." Continue reading... |
| Big tech’s big week raises fears of ‘Blade Runner future’ of mega-company rule Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:00 AM PDT Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft all reported record-breaking profits amid a pandemic bonanza but recent Biden administration moves suggest US tech's easy ride is over Big tech provided the world with some startling numbers this week. In the last three months Amazon's sales have averaged over $1.2bn a day. It took the company less than four seconds to earn the $52,000 the average American makes in a year. Apple is now sitting on nearly $200bn in cash, more than this year's expected sales of Covid 19 vaccines. The coronavirus shook the world economy to its core but for the US tech giants it has proven a bonanza of historic proportions. Continue reading... |
| The oldest tree in eastern US survived millennia – but rising seas could kill it Posted: 01 Aug 2021 03:00 AM PDT A 2,624-year-old bald cypress could teach us how to fight climate change – if it doesn't get destroyed first A wizened eastern bald cypress dwells in an expanse of North Carolina's wetlands. It lives among a cluster of eastern bald cypress trees in the state's Black River, some with origins dating back a millennium. But this singular tree has witnessed more than its comrades; a 2019 study found it's been alive since at least 605BCE. It's the oldest-known living tree in eastern North America and the fifth-oldest living non-clonal tree species in the world. Continue reading... |
| ‘Grandmas buying shotguns’: US dealers see ammunition shortage as sales surge Posted: 01 Aug 2021 05:12 AM PDT Gun store owners say bullets are selling out as pandemic fuels public fears around safety and crime The coronavirus pandemic in the US has been accompanied by soaring gun sales attributed to fears around social unrest and crime and, in some cases, people having more time for hunting. Related: 'We have to break through that wall': inside America's battle for gun control Continue reading... |
| Raven Saunders throws up X on podium to represent where the ‘oppressed meet’ Posted: 01 Aug 2021 11:37 AM PDT
Raven Saunders took silver in the shot put on Sunday and later made the first podium protest of the Tokyo Olympic Games. Saunders, who is black and gay, formed an "X" with her wrists as she held her arms above her head – to represent "the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet". Continue reading... |
| ‘Just magical’: joy for Tamberi and Barshim as they opt to share gold in men’s high jump Posted: 01 Aug 2021 08:36 PM PDT Impressive display of sportsmanship from the Italian and Qatari rivals hailed as one of Tokyo 2020's most memorable moments Two athletes who agreed to share gold medals in the Olympics men's high jump competition, in what is likely to be remembered as one of the most heartwarming moments of the Tokyo Games, have been flooded with praise. Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Barshim of Qatar were locked in first place after a tough few hours of competing on Sunday. The two athletes, who are also good friends, were then given the option to settle matters with a jump-off. Continue reading... |
| Belarus sprinter safe under Tokyo police protection after refusing to go home Posted: 01 Aug 2021 10:21 PM PDT
The Belarus athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who alleges she was taken against her will by team officials to Tokyo airport, is being protected by police and the UN Human Rights Commission are also involved, the IOC confirmed on Monday. Tsimanouskaya, who was due to compete in the women's 200m on Monday, sought the protection of Japanese police at Haneda airport on Sunday so that she would not have to board a flight back to Belarus after criticising team officials. Continue reading... |
| Men’s 100m final struggles to emerge from shadow of Usain Bolt | Barney Ronay Posted: 01 Aug 2021 09:40 AM PDT The current crop of 100m runners produced a fine final, but the Jamaican legend and world record holder has left big shoes to fill Welcome, once again, to the greatest show on earth. As first steps into the post-Bolt Olympic universe go, this men's 100m final was a strange affair, an occasion that seemed somehow a little less vivid than those images of the recent past. So this is what it feels like when the future stops happening. There are always details in sport that get lost once we know the final outcome. Let the record show that for two and a half hours there was a genuine possibility the heir to Usain Bolt's 13-year residency as the fastest human on the planet would turn out to be a 5ft 8in Chinese man who turns 32 this month. Continue reading... |
| Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade wins historic vault gold as USA’s Skinner takes silver Posted: 01 Aug 2021 03:05 AM PDT
Rebeca Andrade was 13 years old when she first debuted her Amanar, one of the hardest vaults in women's gymnastics. Between her age and background from a non-traditional gymnastics country, it was immediately striking. But even more notable was just how good it was. Andrade soared high above the vaulting table, her legs were squeezed tightly together and she seemed to have endless time to complete its 2½ twists. Those early vaults proved a small glimpse into one of the most talented gymnasts of her generation. It has taken eight years for the Brazilian to finally reach a status in the sport that so many hoped she would one day attain, but one of the most uplifting stories of the Tokyo Olympics has been the sight of her finally doing so. After winning a silver medal in the women's all-around final, on Sunday Andrade became an Olympic champion in her own right by winning the vault competition. Continue reading... |
| Covid isolation, medals and strife: how US fencing became a nexus of controversy Posted: 01 Aug 2021 08:16 AM PDT USA's fencers have found themselves in the news over protests, coronavirus and reports of an unwanted teammate. They still performed on the piste Though soccer and rugby teams have taken a knee before matches at the Tokyo Olympics to protest racial injustice, how the authorities would react to a demonstration during a medal ceremony remains to be seen. But the US shot-putter Raven Saunders formed an X with her wrists on the podium after winning silver to represent "the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet," the US fencer Race Imboden wrote an X on his right hand that was visible as he accepted a bronze, and should the American hammer thrower Gwen Berry finish in the top three later this week, it seems likely the question will arise again. Continue reading... |
| Belarusian sprinter who criticised coaches refuses to be sent home Posted: 01 Aug 2021 11:39 AM PDT IOC says Krystsina Tsimanouskaya now with a Tokyo 2020 staff member at airport and 'feels safe' The Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya has called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to intercede after claiming her criticisms of the national team's coaches have led to her being dropped from the team and taken, against her wishes, to Tokyo airport. Tsimanouskaya, who was due to compete in the women's 200m on Monday, told Reuters she did not plan to return to her country, adding that she had sought the protection of Japanese police at Haneda airport on Sunday so that she would not have to board the flight. Continue reading... |
| USA confident going into women’s soccer semi-final against rivals Canada Posted: 01 Aug 2021 06:06 AM PDT
Vlatko Andonovski, the USA manager, said his side are "focused and confident" going into their Olympic women's soccer semi-final on Monday with old foes Canada. When both North America sides finished second in their respective groups to put them in the same side of the draw for the knockout stage it felt somewhat inevitable – despite tricky quarter-finals – that the teams would face off in a rerun of the 2012 semi-final at the London Olympics. Continue reading... |
| Coronavirus live news: China battles to contain surging cases as soldiers deployed in Sydney Posted: 01 Aug 2021 11:40 PM PDT China has rolled out mass testing as the country faces its most widespread outbreak in months while soldiers have been deployed to the streets of Sydney as the city struggles to contain its own surge in cases
Lewis Hamilton believes he may still have not fully recovered from contracting Covid-19 after he experienced fatigue and dizziness at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The British driver finished third in a monumental effort to come back from last place in Hungary – a position later raised to second when Sebastian Vettel was disqualified on a technicality – but admitted he fears he may be suffering from long Covid. Related: Lewis Hamilton fears he has long Covid after Hungarian GP exhaustion
Great reporting from Amrit Dhillon in New Delhi: Middle class India has pulled up the drawbridge on domestic workers, as the part-time cleaners, cooks and childminders who used to work in their homes every day are no longer welcome due to Covid-19 fears. Domestic workers are desperate to get their jobs back, despite the low pay and poor working conditions, but are being blamed as carriers of the virus. Related: Indian domestic workers lose their jobs to Covid fears Continue reading... |
| The White Lotus is the best satire of wealth privilege on TV right now Posted: 01 Aug 2021 11:26 PM PDT The spiky six-part HBO mini-series by Mike White captures the self-delusion and defensiveness of the wealthy white one-percenters in the US There's a moment in the fourth episode of The White Lotus, the spiky six-part HBO limited series about a sour week between staff and guests at a Hawaiian resort, that epitomizes the show's deft grip on the language of privileged self-delusion. Nicole Mossbacher (an unparalleled Connie Britton), the chief financial officer of a Facebook-esque tech company, asks her daughter Olivia (Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney) and friend Paula (Little Voice's Brittany O'Grady), both bratty college sophomores, for a favor – could they include Olivia's brother, Quinn (Fred Hechinger) more? "I don't think you appreciate how tough things are for kids like Quinn right now," she explains, rubbing sunscreen on her tanned arms. "He is a straight, white, young man, and nobody has any sympathy for them right now." Continue reading... |
| Doggerland: Lost ‘Atlantis’ of the North Sea gives up its ancient secrets Posted: 01 Aug 2021 01:45 AM PDT The land mass that linked Britain to continental Europe was rich in early human life until it flooded The idea of a "lost Atlantis" under the North Sea connecting Britain by land to continental Europe had been imagined by HG Wells in the late 19th century, with evidence of human inhabitation of the forgotten world following in 1931 when the trawler Colinda dredged up a lump of peat containing a spear point. But it is only now, after a decade of pioneering research and the extraordinary finds of an army of amateur archaeologists scouring the Dutch coastline for artefacts and fossils, that a major exhibition is able to offer a window into Doggerland, a vast expanse of territory submerged following a tsunami 8,000 years ago, cutting the British Isles off from modern Belgium, the Netherlands and southern Scandinavia. Continue reading... |
| Karaoke diehards returned to the spotlight – but is it time to reassess as Delta spreads? Posted: 01 Aug 2021 11:25 AM PDT Early this summer, we seemed ready to get back on the mic – but now the Delta variant is complicating matters When New Orleans lifted Covid-19 restrictions for bars, restaurants, and music venues this past May, Ruston Henry Jr, 30, went to Kajun's Pub. He had a mission: to sing at a karaoke night for the first time since the pandemic started. His comeback song was the '90s ballad Kiss from a Rose by Seal. "Normally I'm very reserved, but when I do karaoke I feel like I can show a different side of me," he says. "I missed it so much." Continue reading... |
| Anger as Poland plans law that will stop Jews reclaiming wartime homes Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:45 AM PDT Daughter of Holocaust survivor pledges to continue her fight for family property seized by Nazi occupiers A few years ago, Shoshana Greenberg stood outside a building in Lodz, Poland, once owned by her family, with an old photograph in her hands and tears running down her face. Greenberg, now 74 and living in Tel Aviv, was on a quest to reclaim property lost during the Holocaust. Her father was head of a prominent, wealthy Jewish family in Lodz that owned industrial buildings, residential homes and holiday properties. Continue reading... |
| ‘It’s feasible to start a war’: how dangerous are ransomware hackers? Posted: 01 Aug 2021 02:00 AM PDT Secretive gangs are hacking the computers of governments, firms, even hospitals, and demanding huge sums. But if we pay these ransoms, are we creating a ticking time bomb? They have the sort of names that only teenage boys or aspiring Bond villains would dream up (REvil, Grief, Wizard Spider, Ragnar), they base themselves in countries that do not cooperate with international law enforcement and they don't care whether they attack a hospital or a multinational corporation. Ransomware gangs are suddenly everywhere, seemingly unstoppable – and very successful. In June, meat producer JBS, which supplies over a fifth of all the beef in the US, paid a £7.8m ransom to regain access to its computer systems. The same month, the US's largest national fuel pipeline, Colonial Pipeline, paid £3.1m to ransomware hackers after they locked the company's systems, causing days of fuel shortages and paralysing the east coast. "It was the hardest decision I've made in my 39 years in the energy industry," said a deflated-looking Colonial CEO Joseph Blount in an evidence session before Congress. In July, hackers attacked software firm Kaseya, demanding £50m. As a result, hundreds of supermarkets had to close in Sweden, because their cash registers didn't work. Continue reading... |
| Shailene Woodley: ‘Authenticity is my love language’ Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:00 AM PDT Despite being only 29, Shailene Woodley already has 25 years' acting experience under her belt. Here, the star of Big Little Lies and Divergent talks about being free-willed, her hippy passions and her late-night calls with Kate Winslet The one and only time Shailene Woodley beams during our time together – a long conversation over Zoom, on a bright weekday morning – is when my young son sneaks into the room in which I'm bent over a laptop, points at the stranger appearing on-screen, and asks, not quietly, "Who's that?" There is nothing to do but introduce them. Continue reading... |
| When moral pieties get in the way of doing the right thing, children suffer | Sonia Sodha Posted: 01 Aug 2021 01:00 AM PDT The 1980s child abuse scandal reminds us that now, as then, being 'on the side of the angels' has to be backed with action A council's most important job is not emptying the bins or filling in potholes, the stuff most people see day to day. It has by far and away one of the most important jobs anyone could have: to be a parent. Local authorities, between them, have parental responsibility for more than 100,000 children in care in the UK. These are some of society's most vulnerable children, removed from their parents' care because they have experienced or are at risk of abuse and neglect. Anybody disinclined to take that responsibility seriously should come nowhere near elected office or senior management at a local council. How, then, did Lambeth council in south London get itself into a position where members and senior managers, at best, looked the other way while children in its care were subject to the most depraved sexual, physical and emotional abuse and, at worst, were complicit? The report of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) into Lambeth, published last week, sets out the horrific scale and nature of what went on over several decades from the 1960s. More than 705 former residents of Lambeth children's homes have come forward with complaints of sexual abuse; the inquiry says the true scale will be significantly higher. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:00 AM PDT We need to decarbonise and fast. But 'adaptation', the ways in which we protect people from the crisis, is not a dirty word It won't be enough. It can't be. From here, even an astonishing pace of decarbonisation will still deliver us a warmer world than we have today, full of more eye-opening extremes and more deeply disruptive disasters of the kind, we are learning this summer, that even the wealthiest and most climate-conscious countries are unprepared for. No one is. That is what Sadiq Khan, London's mayor, meant when he wrote, with the capital inundated, that the city was now on the frontline of the climate emergency and it is the central lesson of the Met Office's annual report on the state of the UK climate, which found that mild British weather was already a relic of a bygone era. The Climate Crisis Advisory Group, led by Sir David King, recently declared that greenhouse gas levels were already so high that they foreclosed a "manageable future for humanity". "Nowhere is safe," King said, provoking a host of headlines. Continue reading... |
| Tunisia shows that democracy will struggle if it can’t deliver prosperity Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:30 AM PDT Political liberty has been overturned – with majority support. That will delight authoritarians everywhere Implicit in US and western support for pro-democracy movements and transitions around the world is an assumption that, given a free choice, a system of elected, representative government is what people will always naturally prefer. But what if this assumption is wrong? What if a majority believes democracy doesn't work for them? Emerging testimony from Tunisia, the latest country to face a crisis over how it is run, suggests many citizens welcomed the forceful suspension of a democratically elected parliament that had failed to address people's problems and was widely reviled as a self-serving oligarchy.  |
| Boris Johnson’s crime strategy was another pile of mud | Stewart Lee Posted: 01 Aug 2021 02:00 AM PDT The PM's talk of 'fluorescent-jacketed chain gangs' had a similar effect to that of a misfiring new Oxford Street attraction Earlier this week a pile of mud was dumped at the west end of Oxford Street. Then some squares of grass were stuck on the mud. Then people were charged £8 to go up it. Visitor Emma Wright tweeted that going up the mud was "the worst thing I have ever done in London". But I believe it was Dr Johnson who wrote: "A woman who thinks going up some mud is the worst thing she has ever done in London has not visited the ladies' toilets in Crystal Palace park. And neither have I." The mud's purpose is to promote Oxford Street, where 17% of shops have closed since March 2020. But in the long term, the best way to save shops is to force Amazon to pay proper tax, so it cannot undercut them. Making people pay £8 to go up mud will not do this. Though British Amazon goods are delivered from British Amazon warehouses to British Amazon customers on British roads by British drivers, the sales of those goods are processed in lightly regulated Luxembourg. Can it be a coincidence that as the net tightens on Amazon, its founder, Jeff Bezos, is lobbying Nasa to put Amazon in charge of outer space? Continue reading... |
| Miles Robinson’s last-gasp header lifts USA over Mexico in Gold Cup final Posted: 01 Aug 2021 08:58 PM PDT
Miles Robinson scored on a header in the 117th minute, and a reduced-strength United States lineup upset a mostly front-line Mexico team 1-0 on Sunday night to win the Concacaf Gold Cup. Kellyn Acosta, the only player in the US lineup who gets playing time when the first-choice roster is together, took a free kick, and Robinson outjumped Edson Alvarez and headed the ball in on one hop to the right of goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera. Continue reading... |
| Lewis Hamilton fears he has long Covid after Hungarian GP exhaustion Posted: 01 Aug 2021 04:30 PM PDT
Lewis Hamilton believes he may still have not fully recovered from contracting Covid-19 after he experienced fatigue and dizziness at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The British driver finished third in a monumental effort to come back from last place at the Hungaroring – a position later raised to second when Sebastian Vettel was disqualified on a technicality – but admitted he fears he may be suffering from long Covid. After his immense recovery drive Hamilton missed the start of the post-race press conferences as he was being attended to by his Mercedes team doctor for fatigue. He said later he did not feel he had fully recovered from the effects of the virus he contracted in December last year. "I have been fighting all year with my health after what happened at the end of last year and it is still a battle," he said. "I had really big dizziness and everything got a bit blurry on the podium." Continue reading... |
| NHL’s Evander Kane denies wife’s allegations that he bet on games Posted: 01 Aug 2021 06:51 AM PDT NHL plans to conduct a full investigation after Anna Kane posts: 'How does the NHL let a compulsive gambling addict still play?' The San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane has denied allegations his wife made on social media that he bet on NHL games, including against his own team. Kane responded on Sunday morning to allegations made the previous day from the Instagram account of his wife, Anna. Continue reading... |
| USA’s Xander Schauffele holds on to capture Olympic men’s golf title Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:44 AM PDT
Xander Schauffele won an Olympic gold medal he badly wanted by overcoming more pressure than he could have imagined on Sunday. Right when Schauffele appeared to lose his firm grip on the gold, the 27-year-old American responded with two clutch putts at the end for a 4-under 67 and a one-shot victory over Rory Sabbatini of Slovakia in a wild finish to the men's golf competition. One was a six-foot birdie putt for the lead. The last one was a four-foot par putt for the win. Continue reading... |
| Chelsea beat Arsenal in game that shows Arteta revolution a long way off Posted: 01 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT
Perhaps it was a way to make a 25,000-strong crowd feel at home. The goal that afforded Chelsea half-hearted bragging rights on an afternoon of rollicking entertainment felt like a tribute act to Arsenal failings past. In the present it rather demonstrated that, with a dozen days remaining until the new season, the unresolved issues around this part of north London persist in significant volume. Related: Arsenal sign £50m Ben White and want BellerÃn and Xhaka to extend contracts Continue reading... |
| Why did Unesco drop Liverpool from its heritage list? Posted: 01 Aug 2021 07:00 PM PDT The city has become one of the few places to have been dropped from the UN body's global list of sites. What went wrong? Two centuries ago, more than 40% of global trade passed through Liverpool's port. The bricks and mortar that remain are steeped in this maritime history, and that's what made Unesco put the city on its heritage list in 2004, alongside illustrious others such as the Taj Mahal, Venice and the Great Wall of China. In recent years, though, developments in the old heart of Liverpool have raised the UN body's eyebrows. Warnings were issued about the property deals being signed off in the area, and now Liverpool has been removed from the heritage list. What's more, Unesco has issued a warning that other UK sites will join Liverpool if the government doesn't take better care of the country's heritage.  |
| Raves, musicals and a time-travelling diner: 20 must-listen indie podcast gems Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:00 AM PDT Podcasting may be attracting big tech investment, but lo-fi shows remain at the heart of the genre. Here are 20 of the best Continue reading... |
| Bad genes, not rock’n’roll excess, killed Elvis Presley, claims biographer Posted: 01 Aug 2021 01:30 AM PDT A new book by Sally Hoedel argues that the singer was a sick man supporting his family and friends Elvis Presley, who died 44 years ago this month, was not a drug abuser in the typical rock'n'roll lifestyle sense, a new book claims, but he was medicating to address a series of congenital illnesses. According to Elvis: Destined to Die Young, the singer's downward spiral, punctuated by health problems routinely written off as the consequences of addiction, could have been caused by Presley's maternal grandparents, who were first cousins. His mother's family – including three uncles – were cursed by early death, the author Sally Hoedel says. Continue reading... |
| Old review – M Night Shyamalan’s beach thriller is all washed up Posted: 01 Aug 2021 03:30 AM PDT Gael Garcia Bernal and Vicky Krieps are all at sea in this holiday-from-hell drama There's only a certain extent to which a director can flirt ironically with the clunky storytelling of a Tales of the Unexpected episode before it stops being ironic and starts being just ponderous and mannered. And with his accelerated-ageing mystery movie Old, M Night Shyamalan is long past that point. Gael GarcÃa Bernal and Vicky Krieps both seem ill at ease in the roles of a husband and wife hoping for one last family holiday at an elite and secretive resort. Not surprising, since they are constantly having the kind of conversations that are more about dumping exposition than they are about shaping credible characters. And if we can't believe the characters, how are we meant to accept the film's central premise? Continue reading... |
| Jungle Cruise review – theme park ride leaves the handbrake on Posted: 01 Aug 2021 03:00 AM PDT Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson fail to ignite in a Disney adventure that's long on tropes and short on sparks By casting Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, two actors of rare personal charm, this Disney adventure should have managed to transcend its somewhat unpromising origins (it was, like Pirates of the Caribbean, based on a theme park ride). But for some reason, while both are perfectly likable independently (Blunt in particular is a feisty joy as scientist Lily Houghton), they fail to gel on screen. Their lack of chemistry is not fatal to the film – director Jaume Collet-Serra creates a romp of a picture booby-trapped with adventure movie tropes (arcane curses, snakes, evil Germans) which, while they might seem familiar to Indiana Jones fans, still combine to make for a decent family flick. It's just that a movie that requires its characters to "mend a broken heart" as part of an ancient riddle should probably have a heart to begin with. Continue reading... |
| Not all narcissists are grandiose – the ‘vulnerable’ type can be just as dangerous Posted: 01 Aug 2021 04:00 AM PDT The introverted narcissist is harder to spot and may be more sinister We pretty much know what narcissism is by now. The description "narcissist" is a buzzword, a darling of amateur analysts. Those needy, charismatic attention-grabbers stride across the world's stage, using and confusing those who fall for their charms. They have the perfect platform in a culture obsessed with both celebrity and social media. They rule countries, they mesmerise, they manipulate and wreak havoc. But beyond the more showy and recognisable type lurks a lesser known and essentially more dangerous sub-species. Where your standard overt narcissist is a wolf in wolf's clothing, the covert narcissist is a wolf in sheep's clothing. "The more silent and subtle variation is often more confusing and sinister," says Dr Sarah Davies, psychologist and author of Never Again – Moving on from Narcissistic Abuse and Other Toxic Relationships. Continue reading... |
| How to raise a boy: my mission to bring up a son fit for the 21st century Posted: 01 Aug 2021 02:00 AM PDT Increasing awareness of the price of toxic masculinity has led many parents to wonder how best to prepare the young men of the future. One father consults the experts My little son has a gang he roots for. All boys, dudes everywhere – they're his gang. I figured this out, recently, when we sat down to watch the Grand National. He'd picked a horse in the family sweepstake and his choice was out in front for most of the race. When it fell back, out of contention, my son paled a bit. Possibly he'd already spent the sweepstake winnings in his head (on stickers, sweets, toy balls) but he took the disappointment quite well, I thought, for a four-year-old. The race was won in the end by a female jockey. It was the only time a woman had ever finished first in a Grand National, the commentators shouted. And all at once my son did cry, real fat gushers, instant snot moustache, the works. Now this was too much, if a girl had gone and beaten all the boys. Where does it come from, I wondered, this kneejerk allegiance that distances little boys from little girls and makes an us-v-them of gender distinctions, right from the get-go? Where does it lead, as those boys become men? These are questions I've been wondering about a lot as my son gets older. He's a friendly, curious kid who adores his older sister but his sense of himself, just now, seems to come across most clearly when he emphasises the contrasts between them. Along with millions of other little boys he will be coming of age during a richly complicated time for young men, and I want to help him get this right. Continue reading... |
| Eimear McBride: ‘Women grapple with shame because we’re held to a higher standard’ Posted: 01 Aug 2021 01:30 AM PDT The novelist on her first book of nonfiction – about women and disgust – and the complexities of prize culture Eimear McBride, 44, is the bestselling author of three novels: A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing, which won the Women's prize for fiction and the Goldsmith's prize, The Lesser Bohemians and Strange Hotel. Her first work of nonfiction, Something Out of Place: Women and Disgust, is the result of an invitation by the Wellcome Collection to explore its museum and library, housed on Euston Road in London. She lives in east London with her family. How did your new book come about?  |
| It’s too hot for sleep, or anything except restless thoughts… | Eva Wiseman Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:00 AM PDT Cardboard beds, norovirus, stinking wheely bins… summer's heat brings agitated nights It's late at night on the hottest week of the year and the air is made of meat. I am lying in the dark thinking about the Olympians' cardboard beds. A runner posted pictures of the beds – long boxes, creatively stacked – before they were installed at Tokyo Olympic Village, explaining they'd been designed to withstand the weight of a single person in order to avoid intimacy between those competing. Another athlete called them "anti-sex beds". If I were an Olympian, which I'm currently not, I would take this as a challenge. Wouldn't there be some glory in travelling to Tokyo after all this, these years of dampened fright, and losing immediately? And then, enjoying the best holiday of your life, eating all the food you'd denied yourself over months of training, exploring a new country, and finding new and yogic ways to sleep with the fittest people in the world on beds that collapse when wet? Yes. Continue reading... |
| Nigel Slater’s recipes for ice-cream sandwiches, and aubergines with coconut Posted: 01 Aug 2021 02:30 AM PDT A gently spiced dinner and summer's most fun dessert It is the fleeting nature of ice-cream that appeals to me – the idea of catching something at its brief moment of perfection. In the case of ice-cream, that's somewhere along the road from rock hard to milky puddle. They may bring with them a sense of peace and lazy summer days, but ices also come with a sense of urgency. I was the kid that would always choose a wafer over a cornet, fascinated by the way the fragile biscuits stuck to your lips, but also enjoying the race to finish before the block of vanilla ice-cream dripped down my shirt. The ice-cream sandwich has come a long way since I was in short trousers. Its flavourless wafers have now been ditched in favour of crisp cookies that flatter the flavour of the ice. I made a lemon version this week – a simple no-churn job with yoghurt, cream and lemon curd – and held it between thin, crisp biscuits speckled with grated orange zest. Matching wafer to ice-cream can be fun: chocolate ice-cream and ginger cookies; almond wafers to raspberry sorbet; pistachio biscuits holding saffron ice-cream. You can make almond tuiles, ginger snaps or the one I especially like, a softer shortbread-style cookie that doesn't go too hard in the freezer. Continue reading... |
| Evictions crisis: Ocasio-Cortez says Democrats cannot blame Republicans Posted: 01 Aug 2021 10:41 AM PDT Progressive is angry her party allowed the clock to run out on renewing measure that lapsed Saturday night Democrats who control the House of Representatives cannot blame Republicans for a looming crisis over evictions, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, after a federal moratorium lapsed on Saturday night. Related: Fauci backs new masks guidance as Florida reports highest one-day Covid case total Continue reading... |
| Sarah Palin hints at Alaska Senate run against Republican Lisa Murkowski Posted: 01 Aug 2021 05:52 AM PDT
The former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin has hinted at a run for US Senate. Related: Rudy Giuliani says 'I committed no crime' while working for Trump Continue reading... |
| Ex-SpaceX engineers in race to build first commercial electric speedboat Posted: 01 Aug 2021 09:44 AM PDT LA-based Arc Boat company announces $4.25m seed fund to start work on 475-horsepower craft A team of former SpaceX rocket engineers have joined the race to build the first commercial electric speedboat. The Arc Boat company announced it had raised $4.25m (£3m) in seed funding to start work on a 24ft 475-horsepower craft that will cost about $300,000. Continue reading... |
| TikTok star Anthony Barajas dies after California movie theater shooting Posted: 01 Aug 2021 10:23 AM PDT
A young TikTok star who was on life support after he and a friend were shot at a southern California movie theater has died, police and his family said. Anthony Barajas, 19, was watching The Forever Purge at a theater in Corona with Rylee Goodrich, 18, on Monday when they were both shot in the head. They were found by an employee after the last showing of the night. Continue reading... |
| Senate expects to move forward with infrastructure bill Posted: 01 Aug 2021 01:44 PM PDT
A vote on a $1tn bipartisan infrastructure bill could be held "in a matter of days", Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday, as negotiators scrambled to finish writing the legislation. Related: Trump tries to defend 'just say the election was corrupt' demand Continue reading... |
| A ‘safe space for racists’: antisemitism report criticises social media giants Posted: 01 Aug 2021 08:38 AM PDT Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok failing to act on most reported anti-Jewish posts, says study There has been a serious and systemic failure to tackle antisemitism across the five biggest social media platforms, resulting in a "safe space for racists", according to a new report. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok failed to act on 84% of posts spreading anti-Jewish hatred and propaganda reported via the platforms' official complaints system. Continue reading... |
| JetBlue ready to launch low-cost New York to London flights Posted: 01 Aug 2021 09:39 AM PDT US-based airline aims to tread where others have failed – and in the teeth of the Covid pandemic A low-cost airline service with a brand new business class cabin, flying London to New York? As Frank Sinatra might have said: if you can make it there, in the teeth of a global pandemic when the US bars British citizens and advises its own to stay put … well, you can make it anywhere. On 11 August, nonetheless, JetBlue will launch transatlantic flights that could rattle one of aviation's normally most lucrative markets. The airline, one of the biggest in America but without the global presence of the "big four" US carriers, will launch its first services to the UK with the promise of driving down fares, particularly for the business traveller. Continue reading... |
| Tourists evacuated from Pescara as Italy records more than 800 wildfires Posted: 01 Aug 2021 12:26 PM PDT Wildfires burn across Italy, Spain, Greece and Turkey in heatwave bringing temperatures above 40C At least five people have been wounded and holidaymakers evacuated after wildfires devastated a pine wood near a beach in Pescara, Italy, as one of the worst heatwaves in decades swept across south-east Europe. A five-year-old girl was taken to hospital but her condition is not believed to be life-threatening, according to reports. Continue reading... |
| Jacinda Ardern apologises for New Zealand ‘dawn raids’ on Pasifika people in 1970s Posted: 01 Aug 2021 05:13 PM PDT The raids on Pasifika migrants and their subsequent deportations separated families and devastated communities New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has issued a formal apology for historic racist policing of Pacific people and offered scholarships to Pacific students. Hundreds of people packed Auckland town hall on Sunday to hear the apology for the "dawn raids" of the 1970s during which authorities hunted for visa overstayers. Continue reading... |
| ‘Highly likely’ Iran was behind fatal oil tanker attack – Dominic Raab Posted: 01 Aug 2021 09:54 AM PDT Foreign secretary backs Israeli PM's claims Iran was behind drone strike that killed Briton and Romanian The UK has said it is "highly likely" that Iran carried out an "unlawful and callous attack" on a ship in the Middle East, which left a Briton dead. The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said the government believed the drone attack on the oil tanker off the coast of Oman was "deliberate, targeted, and a clear violation of international law by Iran". Continue reading... |
| Scottish independence vote will happen if public wants it, says Michael Gove Posted: 01 Aug 2021 06:20 AM PDT Gove says referendum will occur if there is 'a settled will in favour', as Ian Blackford says voters have already spoken The UK government would not stand in the way of another vote on Scottish independence if it is the "settled will" of voters, Michael Gove has said. Westminster has repeatedly rejected requests from the Scottish government for the necessary powers to hold another vote but the Cabinet Office minister said if the public desire a second referendum, "one would occur". Continue reading... |
| Israel supreme court decision expected on Sheikh Jarrah evictions Posted: 01 Aug 2021 07:33 AM PDT Verdict due in case that could lead to Palestinians being forcibly displaced to make way for Jewish settlers Israel's supreme court is due to make a decision on whether to evict Palestinian families from the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, in a final hearing in the controversial case that helped spark communal violence inside Israel and a new war with Hamas earlier this year. A verdict in the deeply contentious case, which could lead to the neighbourhood's current residents being forcibly displaced to make way for Jewish settlers in a decades-old dispute, is expected on Monday morning. Continue reading... |
| Extreme heat cooks mussels in their shells on Canada coast – video Posted: 01 Aug 2021 02:43 AM PDT More than 1bn marine animals along Canada's Pacific coast are likely to have died in this year's heatwave, highlighting the vulnerability of ecosystems unaccustomed to extreme temperatures. Christopher Harley, a marine biologist at the University of British Columbia, walks along the shore of Porteau Cove Provincial Park in British Columbia. The crunch heard in the video is the shells of dead mussels underfoot that perished during low tide as temperatures spiked across the region Continue reading... |
| Dawn Raids apology and an injured cat in Turkey: Weekend’s best photos Posted: 01 Aug 2021 06:56 AM PDT |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Guardian. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment