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Showing posts from June, 2019

Japan resumes commercial whaling amid backlash

For the first time in more than 30 years, Japan is resuming commercial whaling, despite an international outcry. CNN's Ivan Watson reports. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2xjXhIR

Tens of thousands protest in Sudan to demand civilian rule

At least seven people were killed as tens of thousands protested in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, on Sunday, in the largest mass demonstration since the deadly crackdown on a pro-democracy sit-in earlier in June. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/3024LMZ

China wants even more control over rare earths

China is preparing to tighten its grip on the supply of a group of minerals the global tech industry can't live without. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2LraQyy

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes' trial set

Elizabeth Holmes, founder of failed blood-testing startup Theranos, will go to trial August 4, 2020, a federal judge ruled Friday in San Jose, California. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2XB6paW

G20 leaders urge social media firms to stop terror content – but what happens now?

Leaders’ symbolic statement doesn’t force tech giants to do anything or countries to make new laws like Australia’s The G20 leaders have urged Facebook and other social media companies to step up their efforts to prevent the wide distribution of terror attacks on their platforms in the wake of the Christchurch massacre . At the summit in Osaka, Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, succeeded in getting the leaders to put out the statement, despite reported hesitation from the Trump administration over free speech concerns. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XCsSEp

Black rabbits in the wild: Country diary 4 July 1919

4 July 1919 These dark-coloured animals are not the descendants of domesticated stock, but are a distinct phase of wild rabbit Very determined efforts were made last year to reduce the over-abundant rabbits, but, as far as one can see, without marked success. At the present time the corpses of infantile bunnies which have blundered through inexperience are very common in the woods. These youngsters will come out in the daytime and often get into stoat traps, spending many painful hours until mercifully destroyed by the keeper on his rounds. I may be too tender-hearted, but I confess that it spoils the enjoyment of a walk when I find it necessary to shorten the life of one of these beautiful little innocents. Related: Ben-Fur: Romans brought rabbits to Britain, experts discover Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YkNluE

Sydney and Melbourne property prices rise for first time since 2017

Sydney housing values had not risen since July 2017 while Melbourne’s had not risen since November 2017 Property prices in Sydney and Melbourne are up for the first time since 2017, analysts attributing the trend to lower mortgage rates and improved sentiment. Dwelling values in Australia’s two most populous cities rose 0.1% and 0.2% respectively, according to data released Monday by property analytics firm CoreLogic. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NymxGq

Australia’s biggest and most expensive jail sparks community concerns

Locals in Grafton, which has a high Indigenous population, say they’d rather see money spent on prevention than a mega-prison Australia’s biggest and most expensive jail is being built near the New South Wales north coast town of Grafton, and locals are increasingly worried about the impact it will have on their region. The $798m Clarence correctional centre (CCC) will house 1, 700 inmates on more than 90,000 square metres of rural land at Lavadia, south of Grafton. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Lq3M5f

Why is cocaine washing up on the beaches of Fiji? – podcast

A multibillion-dollar operation involving cocaine and methamphetamines is having a major impact on islands in the Pacific. Kate Lyons travelled to Fiji to investigate. Plus: John Harris on Facebook’s cryptocurrency Last year, 120 bricks of cocaine, each worth thousands of dollars, washed up on the beaches of remote islands in Fiji. With traffickers increasingly using the islands as a staging post in the supply of drugs from central America to Australia and New Zealand, Fijian police have found themselves on the frontline of an illicit multibillion-dollar industry . The Guardian’s Kate Lyons tells Anushka Asthana about the impact it has had on Fiji, which appears ill-equipped to handle the new reality of drug addiction on the islands or the trade’s wider societal effects. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RJ177R

Japan resumes commercial whaling for first time in 30 years

Fishermen set sail to hunt whales on Monday after country’s withdrawal from International Whaling Commission Japanese fishermen have set sail to hunt whales commercially for the first time in more than three decades, after Tokyo’s controversial decision to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission. The hunts are likely to spark criticism from environmentalists and anti-whaling countries, but are cause for celebration among whaling communities in Japan, which say the practice is a long-standing tradition. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Je4tf6

Anti-government protests in Hong Kong on anniversary of China handover

Mostly young, masked demonstrators block key roads as city braces for rally on landmark date Anti-government protesters in Hong Kong took over key roads early on Monday ahead of what is expected to be a huge pro-democracy rally on the anniversary of the city’s handover to China. The semi-autonomous city has been shaken by historic demonstrations in the past three weeks, when protesters have demanded the withdrawal of a bill that would allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KNDhXN

Trump-Kim meeting was 'amazing event' says North Korean media

Pyongyang official news agency says leaders ‘agreed to keep in close touch in future’ North Korea has described the weekend meeting between its leader Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump as “historic” and “amazing”. Trump became the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korea on Sunday when he met Kim in the demilitarised zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas and agreed to resume stalled nuclear talks. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2FKG5AK

White House press secretary scuffles with North Korean security – video

New US press secretary, Stephanie Grisham got hands on in her new role on Sunday, when she intervened in scuffles between North Korean security guards and members of the US media who were trying to cover the meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2FIthLn

Temporary House of Commons: another rotten parliament?

The design for a temporary new House of Commons while the Palace of Westminster undergoes a £4bn restoration feels like a missed opportunity Beyond the toxic imbroglio of Brexit and the unedifying psychodrama of the Tory leadership contest, something is deeply rotten in the “mother of parliaments”. The recent spectacle of a Commons sitting being suspended because of foetid water pouring into the chamber was just the latest and most televisual manifestation of problems with the ageing fabric of Britain’s creaking ship of state. Dating from the mid-19th century, with some parts considerably older, the Palace of Westminster has now reached the point where a £4bn programme of remedial action is required to make it remotely fit for purpose. Corrupted by decades of air pollution, its blackened Anston stone is now crumbling like feta cheese. Roofs leak, asbestos runs stealthily through its veins, vermin scuttle with impunity and antiquated Victorian plumbing cannot cope with modern volumes...

No sex please: how Northern Ireland was united by ‘evil’ films

Leaders of Protestant and Catholic churches joined forces in the 1970s to stop ‘moral threat’ from across the Irish Sea It was the height of the Troubles, with Northern Ireland teetering on all-out civil war, but Catholics and Protestants found at least one cause to unite them: banning films. Conservative religious and political leaders from both sides rallied to block Last Tango in Paris and other “evil” films in the 1970s that were deemed threats to morality, according to new research. Protestant churches in particular sought to create a de facto cultural border along the Irish sea to separate Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK, said Sian Barber, a film studies lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3013qFZ

‘We’ve still got queues, but this year for water not wellies’

Festival shuts down showers and offers extra shady areas, while sales of ice-cream soar Long queues at taps and shower closures were seen across the Glastonbury site as the festival dealt with its hottest day as temperatures rose to 30C on Saturday. Showers were closed across the site as a precautionary measure to preserve water as temperatures soared and the festival’s management coped with the demands of 200,000 people requiring drinking water in challenging conditions. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NnSzEX

Children at the border: the crisis that America wasn't prepared for

Despite fears stoked by Trump, fewer migrants are arriving at the border than in past years – but most are now children headed to facilities that are ill-equipped to receive them At a border patrol processing facility in McAllen, Texas on 11 June, a group of lawyers and doctors met a 17-year-old girl from Guatemala. She was in a wheelchair and she held her tiny one-month-old daughter, who was swaddled in a gray sweatshirt so dirty it was almost black. Related: ‘People with no names’: the drowned migrants buried in pauper’s graves Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NwSQVQ

Love and Resistance review: priceless pictures of LGBTQ pioneers

Fifty years after Stonewall, photographs Kay Tobin Lahusen and Diana Davies pin the zeitgeist to the page The riot that changed America’s gay rights movement forever Forty-nine years ago, on the first anniversary of the riots outside the Stonewall Inn , thousands of “young men and women homosexuals” from all over the north-east marched from Greenwich Village to the Sheep Meadow in Central Park. As Lacey Fosburgh put it on the front page of the New York Times , they proclaimed “the new strength and pride of the gay people”. Related: We've been to a marvelous party: when gay Harlem met queer Britain Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XLDWPO

We've been to a marvelous party: when gay Harlem met queer Britain

Thirty years before Stonewall, in New York’s black Bohemia, a thriving, sometimes controversial cultural exchange occurred Long before the Stonewall rebellion , well before anyone ever dared fight for gay liberation or celebrate Pride , an LGBTQ identity could sometimes, just sometimes, act like a remarkable passport. In the 1920s and 30s black Harlemites went to Britain, seeking new experiences, opportunities and lovers. In turn, British queers and lesbians came to Harlem too. Related: Love and Resistance review: priceless pictures of LGBTQ pioneers Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XDTAwd

Christopher Pyne may face Senate inquiry into compliance with ministerial standards

Penny Wong says Labor is considering Rex Patrick’s proposal for Senate inquiry Labor is considering backing a Senate inquiry into compliance with ministerial standards which is being pursued by the Centre Alliance after controversy over Christopher Pyne’s decision to join a major consultancy firm. Pyne, the former defence minister, announced last week he had taken up a job with EY to help the consulting group expand its defence business. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZVOPf3

Syrian refugees forced to destroy their own homes in Lebanon

Demolition ordered by military leaves 5,000 families homeless again, says charity Syrian refugees in Lebanon are being forced to tear down their own homes in the face of an aggressive new campaign by the Lebanese authorities to pressure refugees into returning home. In the border town of Arsal, informal settlements that house 55,000 refugees were the scene of frantic activity under the hot summer sun on Friday as young men took apart the breeze-block homes with pickaxes, hammers and drills, covering the ground in rubble and dust. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZQVl6W

Democrats divided as pressure to impeach builds: ‘What are you waiting for?’

Dozens of Democrats have called for Trump impeachment proceedings in wake of Mueller’s report – but Pelosi has remained steadfast in opposing an inquiry In the House of Representatives the apparently frustrated Democratic congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, had one question for the leadership of her party: when would they impeach Donald Trump? “The thing that we’re struggling with is that we don’t know what we’re waiting for in terms of a caucus. And folks that are saying, ‘No, not yet. Not yet.’ OK – accepting that that’s your position, what are you waiting for?” the New York socialist said to reporters this week. “Are you waiting for some kind of revelation?” Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YmbLUD

Jodi McKay: new NSW Labor leader says party must regain the 'faith and trust' of voters

McKay says she can beat Gladys Berejiklian and education will be a ‘critical issue’ under her leadership Newly elected New South Wales Labor leader Jodi McKay says she is ready to start rebuilding voters’ faith and trust in the party. The Strathfield MP emphatically won the ballot against Chris Minns on Saturday to become NSW’s new opposition leader, with 60.5% of the vote, some three months after Michael Daley quit following Labor’s state election loss. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2FGPycC

Alek Sigley: Facebook page of Australian missing in North Korea briefly reappears

Scott Morrison says world leaders at G20 summit have offered assistance to help find Sigley The prime minister, Scott Morrison, says Australian authorities are still attempting to establish what happened to Perth student Alek Sigley, who disappeared in North Korea several days ago. Morrison told reporters at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on Saturday evening that he had been in contact with Sigley’s family. He said world leaders at the summit had offered their assistance in attempts to locate the young man. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XEm7C3

Labor accused of ‘verbal gymnastics’ while waiting for crossbenchers’ decision on tax cuts

Katy Gallagher says Labor will see whether Coalition able to pass tax cut package with crossbench before making final decision Labor will wait and see whether the Morrison government is able to pass its income tax cut package with the crossbench before making a final decision on whether to support or reject cuts for the highest income earners, according to the shadow finance minister. With federal parliament set to resume on Tuesday for the first sitting since the 18 May election, and with the $158bn package set to be introduced to the House on day one, Katy Gallagher told Sky News on Sunday Labor’s position was not locked. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KKtkdH

US-China trade truce must not harm Australian farmers, government says

Trade minister Simon Birmingham says Australia is ‘watching very closely’ to safeguard its exports The trade minister, Simon Birmingham, says the Morrison government will be watching “very, very closely” to ensure a weekend detente between America and China does not squeeze Australian agricultural exports. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the G20 reached something of a ceasefire in their escalating trade war, with the American president saying the US would not impose further tariffs in a conflict that threatens global growth. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NpoSTK

Trump to travel to demilitarised zone for possible meeting with Kim Jong-un

US president’s trip to border between Koreas comes as he hails China trade deal as ‘far better than expected’ Donald Trump will travel to the demilitarised zone dividing the two Koreas on Sunday for a possible impromptu summit with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un. In tweets early on Sunday Trump did not mention Kim but said his schedule for the day would include a speech to US troops and a “long planned” visit to the DMZ. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2FIgpVq

Russia and Saudi Arabia agree to extend deal with Opec to curb oil output

Vladimir Putin says deal due to expire on Sunday will be extended by six to nine months Russia has agreed with Saudi Arabia to extend by six to nine months a deal with Opec on reducing oil output, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said, as oil prices come under renewed pressure from rising US supplies and a slowing global economy. The Saudi energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, said on Sunday that the deal would most likely be extended by nine months and no deeper reductions were needed. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RPq0yM

Scott Morrison wins G20 support to root out terrorist content on the internet

Australian prime minister convinces world leaders to take action following the Christchurch massacre The world’s leaders have pushed social media giants to root out terrorism and violent extremist content to protect everyone using the internet. The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, earned a significant victory at the G20 summit by convincing all leaders of the world’s major economies to agree to take action, inspired by the live-streamed Christchurch massacre. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NwCVa2

The Killers at Glastonbury 2019 review – anthemic headliners triumph

Pyramid stage Brandon Flowers and co – with a little help from the Pet Shop Boys, Johnny Marr and the pyrotechnics department – provide one of those special Glastonbury Moments Catch up on Saturday highlights on our liveblog A band that obviously have nothing in common musically with Stormzy, the Killers nevertheless share a problem: before they play, a shadow hangs over their headline performance. One rumour circulating around the audience is that they were the third choice for the Saturday night headlining slot, drafted in after big name heritage artists declined to sign up. Whether that’s true or not, something about Brandon Flowers’ demeanour onstage, at least initially, suggests a man who isn’t entirely sure how things are going to pan out. “At the end of this show, I don’t want anyone to say ‘They got away with it,’” he offers, early on in the band’s set. “I want people to look up to this stage and say: ‘Those are the sons of bitches that did it.’” Certainly, you’re stuck by...

US-China trade talks 'back on track' says Trump

President’s comments follow his meeting with President Xi at G20 summit as media reports suggest US won’t impose further tariffs Donald Trump has declared that trade negotiations with China were “right back on track” after a highly anticipated meeting with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Media reports said that Trump had agreed that the US would not impose further tariffs in an ongoing trade war that other world leaders have warned could threaten the global economy. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XFEuXd

Labour to propose new wellbeing law to inform policy decisions

Plan would recognise NHS as ‘economic anchor’ and link health measures to climate goals Labour is to push for a national law to ensure that new policy decisions are gauged against people’s future health and wellbeing, with an ambitious idea modelled on similar schemes already in place in Wales and New Zealand. The proposed Future Generations Wellbeing Act for England, to be unveiled on Saturday by the shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, would mandate measures such as a “health equality audit” of all government decisions, and put a new duty on local health services to reduce health inequalities. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RI7Kas

Canadian warship gets 'warm welcome' from fighter jets, Chinese media say

from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2ITbIdy

France smashes all-time heat record as Europe swelters

• How your body reacts to a heatwave from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2xgxZv8

Boiling mud 'geyser' erupts in family home

A New Zealand family has been forced to abandon its home after a bubbling mud crater appeared in the garden. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/31UQiEd

World's longest waterslide takes 4 mins

The downside to waterslides? The effort usually always exceeds the reward, at least where time's concerned. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2Fxbwi3

What critics dub a 'floating Chernobyl'

from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2JaEbdL

Heatwave cooks mussels in their shells on California shore

Temperatures lead to what appears to be largest local die-off in 15 years, raising fears for broader ecosystem In all her years working at Bodega Bay, the marine reserve research coordinator Jackie Sones had never seen anything like it: scores of dead mussels on the rocks, their shells gaping and scorched, their meats thoroughly cooked. A record-breaking June heatwave apparently caused the largest die-off of mussels in at least 15 years at Bodega Head, a small headland on the northern California bay. And Sones received reports from other researchers of similar mass mussel deaths at various beaches across roughly 140 miles of coastline. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/31ZzxYF

Plan to sell 50m meals made from electricity, water and air

Solar Foods hopes wheat flour-like product will hit target in supermarkets within two years A Finnish company that makes food from electricity, water and air has said it plans to have 50m meals’ worth of its product sold in supermarkets within two years. Solar Foods is also working with the European Space Agency to supply astronauts on a mission to Mars after devising a method it says creates a protein-heavy product that looks and tastes like wheat flour at a cost of €5 (£4.50) per kilo. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2IUhQlQ

‘People with no names’: the drowned migrants buried in pauper’s graves

As deaths in Rio Grande increase, Piedras Negras has buried unidentifiable bodies removed from water by first responders Most graves in the large municipal cemetery on the outskirts of the Mexican border town of Piedras Negras are well-tended by loved ones and the place has an elegance and peace about it, as a place of rest. Tombs feature headstones or metal crosses, bearing pictures of Jesus and the Virgin of Guadalupe, and many are decorated with bursts of color from vivid pink, orange and blue artificial flowers (that don’t wither in the summer’s brutal heat). Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2X9dEm3

Philippines: Isis claims bombing that killed five on Jolo island

Officials say local affiliate Abu Sayyaf was likely behind blast that targeted elite army unit Five people including three soldiers were killed in a bombing targeting an elite army unit in the Philippines’s restive south, which Islamic State claimed was a suicide attack, authorities and experts said. The military said the kidnap-for-ransom group and Isis-affiliate Abu Sayyaf was likely behind the midday blast on the island of Jolo on Friday, which also left nine other soldiers wounded. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/321bOXR

Theresa May pledges to make UK aid spending more eco-friendly

Prime minister will tell G20 leaders they are last generation that can limit global warming Theresa May is to pledge that Britain’s aid budget will in future be spent in a more environmentally sustainable way and tell her G20 counterparts: “We are the last generation of leaders with the power to limit global warming.” The prime minister has been keen to burnish her green credentials as she enters in her final days in office. Fresh from announcing a new target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 – in the face of scepticism from the chancellor, Philip Hammond – May will lead a session on the climate emergency at the summit in Japan. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RH0rQh

A rock star was asked what God's voice sounds like. His answer is beautiful

Nick Cave's website and newsletter, The Red Hand Files, has become a cyber-sanctuary for the Australian rocker to commune with fans and answer questions about everything from Elvis to the nature of evil. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2Lu1FgD

French online hate speech bill aims to wipe out racist trolling

Abuse on social networks pushes MP to draw up law that could be copied across Europe France’s tough new law against online hatred aims to wipe out racist and homophobic trolling on social networks and could be replicated across Europe, according to the politician spearheading it as she faces daily racist abuse on Twitter. Laetitia Avia, a business lawyer who grew up in the low-income Paris banlieue suburbs where discrimination is rife, was hailed as a symbol of French diversity when she entered parliament for Emmanuel Macron’ s centrist party in 2017. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2LoJQzD

To ban or not to ban: Victoria's mobile phone move divides experts

The federal education minister wants to take the state’s initiative nationwide but not everyone’s buying the argument At lunch time, Mia* and her friends talk to each other. The year 11 student at the Newtown High School of Performing Arts uses her phone mostly to message friends. She has a tracker on her device to monitor her time on social media, which she limits to 30 minutes a day. Sometimes in class, she will use her phone to take a picture of notes or instructions on the board. But during lunch at school, she chats with her friends. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2xlu1Sa

Donald Trump praises Mohammed bin Salman for doing 'spectacular job'

US president ignores media questions about murder of Jamal Khashoggi in meeting with Saudi crown prince at G20 Donald Trump has praised Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying he was doing a “spectacular job” as the pair met on the sidelines of the G20 summit. “You have done a spectacular job,” Trump told the powerful crown prince on Saturday, calling him “a friend of mine”. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2JbeKc7

NDIS sent letters to vision-impaired and blind people in format they could not read

The problem will finally be rectified next month, although Blind Citizens Australia raised it about three years ago It seems like an obvious thing for a national disability program: don’t send letters to blind Australians in a format they cannot read. But since the national disability insurance scheme began its rollout, blind and vision impaired participants have received vital correspondence – such as their support plans – in the form of regular letters, or as PDFs that do not accomodate a screen reader. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Lspaqg

'Hear us, see us': a plea to the UN for Indigenous women

June Oscar tells of trauma, discrimination, and the link between jailing mothers and child removal The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner has used a speech to the UN in Geneva to demand the federal government take action on the rising rates of Aboriginal women in jail. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women represent 2% of Australia’s female population but make up 34% of all women in prison, June Oscar told the Human Rights Council on Friday. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2FF90pY

How do you win the climate change war? – Australian politics live podcast

As parliament is about to resume for the first time since the federal election, Katharine Murphy talks to Helen Haines, the new independent MP for Indi. With climate change a top issue in her seat, how will she use her position on the crossbench to push for action? And what solutions does she have to break the policy deadlock? Katharine Murphy: New member for Indi is determined to shift the dial in Canberra Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XGvS2x

Nokia: Huawei's problems are 'positive' for us

The US campaign against China's Huawei has been "net positive" for rival telecommunications equipment maker Nokia. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2YgDAh1

Democratic debate: candidates fail to grasp centrality of climate crisis

The 10 candidates on stage in Miami accurately conveyed the urgency of global heating but missed chances to show how it underlies all key political issues The second night of the first Democratic 2020 presidential debates on Thursday demonstrated just how far the US political system still is from contemplating the climate crisis as a challenge that will touch almost all areas of American life and policymaking. Once again, debate moderators waited until nearly 80 minutes into the debate to pose questions on climate change. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YgaGh3

Warren Mundine approved for Sky News government grant before applying

Indigenous figure became Liberal candidate several months after $200,000 awarded for his TV show, Mundine Means Business Warren Mundine received approval for government funding for a second season of his Sky News TV show before his application for the grant had been submitted, documents obtained by Guardian Australia reveal. Mundine, a former president of the Australian Labor Party who became Scott Morrison’s pick for the seat of Gilmore at the 2019 federal election, had hosted two seasons of a Sky News TV series showcasing Indigenous businesses called Mundine Means Business . Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Ni9BnR

Court dismisses ACCC claim 'flushable' wet wipes labelling is misleading

Choice says the decision is terrible news for people who care about the environment and waterways Australia’s consumer watchdog has failed to persuade a judge that Kimberly-Clark Australia misled customers when it said its wipes - moist towelettes - were flushable. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission claimed the company made false or misleading representations by labelling the products as flushable, leading consumers to believe that they had similar characteristics to toilet paper. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2xf6GBz

Man allegedly set on fire at NSW home fights for life in hospital

Police have arrested a 46-year-old man after another person was doused in petrol at Wellington, near Dubbo One man is behind bars and another is fighting for life in hospital after allegedly being doused in petrol and burned in NSW. Emergency services were called to a home at Wellington, near Dubbo in the state’s central west, about 5pm on Thursday following reports of a blaze. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ITmvnZ

'Giant wombat' fossil discovered by council workers in Australia

Fossilised jaw of baby Diprotodon, a type of megafauna extinct for millennia, extracted in NSW by Australian Museum A “giant wombat” fossil has been discovered by local council workers in the Monaro region of southern New South Wales. Two Snowy Monaro regional council employees found the fossilised jaw of a baby Diprotodon last Friday at an undisclosed location known for such paleontological findings. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZUf2Lc

Has Saudi Arabia got away with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi? – podcast

A UN report on the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi has said there is credible evidence linking the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to the crime. Nick Hopkins and Stephanie Kirchgaessner discuss the killing and the fallout in Saudi Arabia and among its allies. Plus: Patrick Timmons on the political reaction to the deaths of a father and daughter in the Rio Grande A report on Jamal Khashoggi’s assassination published last week by the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard, said the murder was premeditated and that the state of Saudi Arabia was responsible under international human rights law. This week, she presented the report to the UN human rights council as the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman – the man she believes liable for the murder – flew to Japan for a G20 summit. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2IU59Y8

Trump fact check: is the Chinese economy really 'going down the tubes'?

The president reckons Beijing will jump at a trade deal because the country’s growthis slowing. M artin Farrer takes a closer look Donald Trump has claimed ahead of his crunch meeting with Xi Jinping that China’s economy is “going down the tubes” and that Beijing is desperate to do a trade deal to avert a bigger slowdown. So is there any truth to the US president’s claims? Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2J7A8Pi

'Our whole life is disrupted': hope dries up as Chennai battles historic drought

As residents queue for daily rations and businesses suffer, city’s politicians squabble over how to tackle shortages Travelling through Chennai, it is not hard to find a row of empty pots dotting the pavements. Deep in the slums of Mylai, a long line collects behind a bright yellow tanker. The driver fills the public tank while people wait their turn to fill four pots of water. Any more than four is considered risky and can provoke clashes. Related: India heatwave: rain brings respite for some but death toll rises Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KFClox

Disappearance of Australian in North Korea 'troubling', Scott Morrison says

PM says he has no new information on Alek Sigley, while Bob Carr says finding him will require ‘deft diplomacy’ Prime minister Scott Morrison says he’s been unable to obtain any new information about the “troubling” disappearance of Australian man Alek Sigley in North Korea. Family and friends of Sigley, who has been living and studying in Pyongyang, have not been able to speak to the 29-year-old from Perth since Tuesday, which they say is “unusual” . Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2JbKr4X

Call for national mobile phone ban in public schools to face resistance

Victoria and NSW have moved on the issue but Queensland, NT and ACT have no plans The federal education minister, Dan Tehan, is expected to face resistance when he asks some state counterparts to consider a ban on students using mobile phones during school hours, at a meeting in Melbourne on Friday. The meeting comes just days after Victoria’s decision to ban mobile phones at public schools from next year, in an effort to tackle cyberbullying and distraction in the classroom. The NSW government announced a ban on phones in public primary schools late last year. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Ni970O

After 30 years, Japan prepares to resume commercial whaling

Fishermen in remote Pacific port plan to depart for hunt on Monday, despite global outcry On Monday morning, after a short ceremony to pray for a bountiful catch and safety at sea, five ships will slip out of a port in northern Japan to hunt whales for profit for the first time in more than 30 years. They will not head to the southern ocean, the controversial hunting ground for Japan’s “scientific” whaling programme since the late 1980s, but to coastal waters, six months after the country announced it would leave the International Whaling Commission [IWC] on 30 June. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RJfp8n

New Zealand woman wakes to find giant, mud-spurting geyser in garden

Visitors flock to see volcanic phenomenon that threatens to engulf property in Rotorua When Rotorua resident Susan Gedye was awoken at 2am by “a lot of shaking and jolting,”, she thought it was an earthquake. But then she headed downstairs at her suburban home and saw that her kitchen windows had steamed up and a large mud geyser had appeared in her garden. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2J9PKlh

Artist protests using fake real estate images – and dupes investors

Imaginary billboards in Berlin, advertising ‘projects’, led to serious inquiries A Berlin-based artist who put up billboards advertising fake real estate projects in protest against runaway property development received more than 200 calls from would-be investors who didn’t get the joke. Three billboards appeared six weeks ago across Berlin advertising luxury new-build developments at in-demand locations. “Available 2021,” the billboards state. “No commission – reserve now.” They list a Berlin number to call. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XEH13M

Shepherd's Bush stabbing leaves teenager dead

Murder investigation under way with stop-and-search order imposed after 18-year-old was found fatally wounded in London road A teenager has been stabbed to death in west London. The victim, believed to be aged 18, was found with a stab injury in Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, on Wednesday night. The Metropolitan police said officers were called at about 9.20pm, along with paramedics and the London Air Ambulance. Despite the efforts of medics, the teenager died at the scene a short time later. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZQHkGo

Full employment is the most urgent task for social democrats | Emma Dawson

Any coherent response to the rise of populism must place the creation of real, sustainable jobs at its heart • Next left, part one – Culture shock: politics upended in era of identity • Part two – Bold change comes when we energise hope As much as we like to think that Australia, with its system of compulsory preferential voting, is protected from the kind of “populist” uprising that has unleashed the Brexit mess and installed Donald Trump in the White House, the result of the last federal election indicates otherwise. Just as in the UK and the United States, Australia has experienced the bewildering phenomenon of people across society voting against their own economic interests . The urgent task of social democrats the world over is to understand why, and to develop a coherent response – a task we have been skirting around for at least decade, since the limits of supply-side economics, or “neoliberalism”, became plainly evident during the global financial crisis. Continue readin...

'If I can hear you, I can find you': the woman teaching kids to dodge bullets in their neighborhood

Elana Bolds has held ‘active shooter’ drills for decades in her northern California community, where exposure to gun violence is almost inevitable “Boom, boom, boom,” Elana Bolds called out. The bangs froze the small group of children playing on the new jungle gym on this sunny northern California afternoon last week. The kids stopped swinging and playing tag and ran full speed to hide behind buildings and the garbage cans. They sat silent for a few moments before Bolds called them out of their hiding places. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XakTiv

Christian Porter confirms tense exchange with Turnbull over Dutton's tilt at PM

Attorney general says he gave ‘accurate and correct’ legal advice to embattled leader Christian Porter says he believes he gave “accurate and correct” legal advice to Malcolm Turnbull when he told the former leader that he could not stop the governor general from appointing Peter Dutton as prime minister. After reports on Thursday revealed that the attorney general had clashed with Turnbull after he made a last-ditch attempt to save his leadership by raising constitutional doubts about Dutton’s eligibility to sit in parliament, Porter confirmed that the pair had disagreed over the matter. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KHQxNt

World's 50 best restaurants for 2019 revealed

There's a new world's best restaurant -- and it isn't the one that many were expecting. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2NctqwN

Facebook says it can't handle election misinformation crisis alone

Speaking at Aspen Ideas Festival, Mark Zuckerberg says private companies shouldn’t have ‘final word’ on such decisions Mark Zuckerberg has said Facebook cannot be expected to manage the crisis around election misinformation campaigns on its own. The Facebook CEO, speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival on Wednesday, said that while the company was focused on questions of election security and interference before the 2020 US presidential election, “those are really hard questions to answer”. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XDjvnO

Why aren't Hong Kong's protesters backing down? – podcast

Millions of people have taken to the streets over the past three weeks in opposition to an extradition law. The Guardian correspondent Emma Graham-Harrison discusses covering the demonstrations and what could happen next. Plus: Angie Zelter on why she doesn’t regret being arrested at an Extinction Rebellion protest Hong Kong has been rocked by its biggest political crisis in decades, with millions of people taking to the streets in central business districts to protest against a proposed law that would allow the extradition of suspects to mainland China, where the court system has a conviction rate as high as 99%. The chief executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, eventually suspended the bill and apologised. Emma Graham-Harrison , who has been reporting from the special administrative region, tells India Rakusen about the murder case that prompted the extradition legislation and why those in Hong Kong fear Beijing is attempting to erode their democracy. Continue reading... from Worl...

Trump warns China is 'ripe' for new tariffs and suggests Vietnam could be next

Trump also attacks Germany and Japan as he set off for the G20 summit in Osaka President Donald Trump flew to the G20 summit on Wednesday sounding warnings that China was “ripe” for new tariffs and suggesting that Vietnam, which he called “the single worst abuser of everybody”, could be next. Air Force One took off on a fiercely hot day from Washington and Trump seemed to promise heat of his own when he meets leaders of the G20 countries in Japan. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2LkcbXP

United extends ban on Boeing 737 Max after regulator finds new problem

American and Southwest airlines have also cancelled flights until September as planemaker scrambles to find a fix United Airlines has become the latest carrier to extend its ban on using the Boeing 737 Max after the US aviation regulator said it had identified a new potential risk with the plane. As the Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday that Boeing must address the new issue before the jet can return to service, United joined American and Southwest in continuing to ground the plane through August. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/31V52TJ

POW and MIA in Iraq and Afghanistan Fast Facts

View CNN's Fast Facts about POW/MIA's in Iraq and Afghanistan from 1991 to present. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2GGqb8W

Recommendations from Opal Tower debacle not acted on

Engineers say changes are years overdue and obvious before Opal or Mascot Towers evacuations Australia’s engineers say the recommendations from Opal Tower have still not been acted on, as the Mascot Towers apartment buildings in Sydney continued to sink further into the ground this week. An emergency report into the cracked Opal Tower was completed in February by prominent university deans of architecture after the brand-new building was dramatically evacuated in December. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RCv1KE

Winter Olympic Competitions Fast Facts

Read CNN's Winter Olympics Fast Facts to learn more about the athletic competition. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2FChqhP

Former Manus Island detainee tells UN 'human beings are being destroyed'

Abdul Aziz Muhamat delivers a plea for urgent action to the Human Rights Council Since Abdul Aziz Muhamat left Manus Island for the last time, he has climbed a mountain in his new home of Switzerland, and then returned to advocating for the resettlement of the hundreds of men and women he left behind. The Sudanese refugee spent more than six years in Australia’s offshore processing and detention system in Papua New Guinea, before he was granted residency in the European nation earlier this month. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2xd41bo

Ancient Europeans lived alongside a half-ton bird nearly 12 feet tall

Inside a Crimean cave was a gigantic ancient mystery just waiting to be uncovered: a bird so large that it weighed nearly as much as an adult polar bear. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2KHFXWL

Rich nations could end cervical cancer within decades, say experts

Study shows HPV vaccine has greatly reduced infections among girls and young women Elimination of cervical cancer in wealthy countries such as the UK may be possible within decades, say experts, following a major study showing the success of the HPV jab in protecting women. Human papilloma virus, which is sexually transmitted, can cause cervical cancer as well as anogenital warts. Data from high-income countries shows vaccination has led to an 83% reduction in HPV infections in 15- to 19-year-old girls over five to eight years. Among women aged 20 to 24, infections are down 66%. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2IP44kc

Reddit 'quarantines' its biggest pro-Trump message board

Visitors to the subreddit The_Donald will see warning about its ‘encouragement of violence towards police and officials’ Reddit has taken steps to “quarantine” the largest pro-Donald Trump community on its site, The_Donald, due to “repeated rule-breaking behavior” and, in recent days, “encouragement of violence towards police officers and public officials in Oregon”. Visitors to the The_Donald message board, which describes itself as “a never-ending rally dedicated to the 45th President of the United States, Donald J Trump” and has more than 750,000 subscribers, will be greeted with a message about the reasons for the quarantine before they can click through to the site. The quarantine also restricts the message board, known as a subreddit, from generating revenue and limits its popular posts from reaching an audience in other parts of Reddit. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RCr09b

Australian student Alek Sigley reportedly arrested in North Korea

Department of foreign affairs confirms it is providing support to family of a man detained in North Korea An Australian student has reportedly been arrested in North Korea. The department of foreign affairs and trade has confirmed it is providing consular support to the man’s family. South Korean and Japanese media identified the man as 29-year-old Alek Sigley, a university student living in Pyongyang. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2IQsda7

Theresa May to meet Vladimir Putin at G20 summit in Japan

Russian president aiming to improve relations with Britain, Kremlin says Vladimir Putin will meet Theresa May at this week’s G20 summit in Japan with a view to seeking improved relations between the countries, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. The outgoing UK prime minister’s spokesman stressed that the meeting with the Russian president did not represent a normalisation of ties. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/31UKiLQ

US House passes $4.5bn emergency aid package for migrants held at border

Bill to support families and children, passed along party lines, sets up clash with Senate as White House threatens veto The US House of Representatives has passed a $4.5bn emergency border aid package to care for thousands of migrant families and unaccompanied children detained after crossing the US-Mexico border. The bill passed on Tuesday along party lines, after the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, quelled a mini-revolt by progressives and Hispanic lawmakers who sought significant changes to the legislation. New provisions added to the bill were more modest than what those lawmakers had sought, but the urgent need for the funding, to prevent the humanitarian emergency on the border from turning into a debacle, appeared to outweigh any lingering concerns. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YdQMDg

Trump and Xi trade talks loom large over G20 meeting in Japan

The US and Chinese presidents are expected to discuss the year-long dispute, but experts say substantive agreement is unlikely A meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to discuss trade is expected to loom large over the upcoming G20 summit in Osaka, where the two leaders are expected to talk on the final day of the event. Despite the highly anticipated meeting between the US and Chinese presidents on Saturday, the first since trade talks broke down in May, few expect a substantive agreement to end almost a year of trade tensions and months of deteriorating ties between the world’s two largest economies. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2RzDbUc

'He offered me the deputy leadership': Dutton reveals Turnbull's final move – video

In the Sky News documentary Bad Blood, Peter Dutton claimed that former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull offered him the role of deputy leader during the 2018 Liberal party leadership spill. Turnbull has disputed the claim, and the only other person in the room at the time, Mathias Cormann, refused to confirm or deny the conversation took place, citing a policy of not discussing 'private meetings' Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2LkrIqv

John Setka ordered to complete men's behavioural program

Victorian CFMMEU boss will also have to donate $1,000 to an Aboriginal legal service after pleading guilty to harassment charges The Victorian construction union boss John Setka has been ordered by a magistrate to complete a men’s behavioural program. Setka, 54, faced Melbourne magistrates court on Wednesday to plead guilty to charges of breaching a court order and to one other charge. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Fwu4yO

Thailand's controversial airport beach

It's 9:55 a.m. and all's quiet on Phuket's Mai Khao Beach. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/2XD1iqq

'They wanted the American dream' – reporter reveals story behind tragic photo

Julia Le Duc gives details of the father and his toddler daughter who died trying to cross the Rio Grande Warning: graphic images Julia Le Duc is a reporter for La Jornada in Matamoros, the Mexican city directly across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas. Her shocking photographs showing the bodies of Salvadoran migrant Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his daughter Valeria cast a fresh spotlight on the migration crisis at America’s southern border. Here she describes how the images came into being. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2IMIg98

Australia plays waiting game on US-Iran tension as UK fears 'accidental war'

Sanctions under review as minister condemns Tehran’s ‘destabilising behaviour’ Australia is so far taking a watch and wait approach on ratcheting tensions between the US and Iran, with the trade minister, Simon Birmingham, pleading for calm. With presidents Donald Trump and Hassan Rouhani escalating their rhetoric against each other, traditional US allies have expressed concerns about entering “an accidental war”. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NgHmWy

Robert Mueller to testify before Congress in July

Special counsel agrees to testify in open session on 17 July Special Counsel Robert Mueller has agreed to testify before Congress at the end of July. Mueller agreed to testify before the House Judiciary and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in an open session on 17 July, the chairmen of the committees announced on Tuesday. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Y8jYeR

Synthetic opioid use booms worldwide amid Africa 'crisis', UN says

Death in US are still rising due to fentanyl addiction, but report highlights alarming take-up of painkiller tramadol in Africa Synthetic opioid use is booming around the world, acccording to a United Nations report that showed deaths in the United States from overdoses are still rising and a “crisis” of tramadol use is emerging in parts of Africa. The estimated number of people using opioids – an umbrella term for drugs ranging from opium and derivatives such as heroin to synthetics like fentanyl and tramadol – in 2017 was 56% higher than in 2016, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said in the report published on Wednesday. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KBImlZ

The Pacific is in danger of becoming a semi-narco region

Caught in the middle of a drug trafficking route, island countries are in danger of falling under the control of drug cartels Four years ago I stood in front of a top level security conference and warned that we have just a few years to get on top of the problem of drugs being trafficked through the Pacific region or it could turn into a semi-narco region, controlled by criminal syndicates. In the four years since I gave that speech, things have gotten worse. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XsTU13

Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency faces questions from international regulators

Chair of Financial Stability Board says company’s plans could spark closer scrutiny of cryptocurrencies Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency is facing increasing skepticism from international regulators days after ambitious plans for it were unveiled by the social media company. On Tuesday, Randal Quarles, chair of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), a policy coordinator for G20 countries, said Facebook’s plan to expand into retail payments could lead regulators to take a closer look at such financial instruments . Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2X3pm6B

Where it all begins: Colombia's peasant farmers fuel Pacific drug trade

The wave of drugs arriving in countries like Fiji starts in the jungles of South America where ‘coca is everything’ The cocaine market is booming in Australia and New Zealand, causing ripples throughout the Pacific region . But long before it is snorted in cities such as Sydney or Auckland, the drug is produced by peasant farmers in Colombia, where coca crop output is at record highs. In 2017, around 171,000 hectares (423,000 acres) of the South American nation’s land was used to grow coca, the plant whose leaf is the base ingredient of cocaine – up 25,000 hectares (17%) on the year before, according to the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/31R7vOU

Denmark's youngest prime minister leads new leftist government

Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democratic party forms minority government Denmark has became the third Nordic country this year to form a leftist government after the Social Democratic party leader, Mette Frederiksen, finalised terms for a one-party minority government. Aged 41, she becomes the country’s youngest ever prime minister. “It is with great pleasure I can announce that, after three weeks of negotiations, we have a majority to form a new government,” Frederiksen said on Tuesday. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2J5lwjr

'Blatant inequality': men-only tennis club told to admit female members or close

Adamstown Rosebud tennis club in Newcastle only allows men to become members and until recently prevented women booking courts at a discount An Australian tennis club that bans the membership of women has been told to change its rules or be evicted. The constitution of the Adamstown Rosebud tennis club in Newcastle, New South Wales, only allows men to become members, which, until recently, meant women could not access a “heavily discounted” member rate when booking courts. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2KCy8C2

I spent a day eating food cooked by robots in America's tech capital

Vivian Ho befriended an electronic arm and grappled with a defunct tea maker during a trip through Silicon Valley Around the world, an industry has emerged around automating food service through robotics, raising questions about job security and mass unemployment while also prompting praise for streamlining and innovation . In the epicenter of Silicon Valley, where innovation is exalted beyond all else, this industry has played out in various forms, from cafes, burger shops and pizza delivery to odd vending machines. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2YaJTCL

737 Max pilot sues Boeing for 'emotional stress'

An anonymous pilot is suing Boeing, alleging the company "demonstrated reckless indifference and conscious disregard for the flying public" in its development of the 737 Max. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2J4XXaA

World's favorite super-cheap computer gets upgrade

Raspberry Pi is a credit card-sized desktop computer that has won over millions of hobbyists. It just got a big upgrade: The first major new edition of Raspberry Pi since February 2016 launches Monday, promising faster speeds and support for more modern devices. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2N9rPYG

Xiaomi gets art students to design its smartphones

One of China's biggest tech companies is launching a new smartphone line that is designed by art majors and aimed at young shoppers. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2X2L5Xg

Malaysia PM: China won't bow to US demands

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad tells CNN's John Defterios he is not hopeful that the US-China trade war will end soon because China won't kowtow to the US demands and President Donald Trump is "determined, but erratic." from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2KzCs4H

McDonald's bet on fresh beef is paying off

Fresh beef is helping McDonald's sell more burgers and gain market share. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2KwLU8Y

Iran says US sanctions on supreme leader means 'permanent closure' of diplomacy

Foreign ministry spokesman accuses Trump administration of destroying peace and security Iran has said that a US decision to impose sanctions on the country’s supreme leader and other top officials permanently closed the path to diplomacy between Tehran and Washington. “Imposing useless sanctions on Iran’s supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the commander of Iran’s diplomacy (foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif) is the permanent closure of the path of diplomacy,” foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in a tweet on Tuesday. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2II1fS2

'Most complex health crisis in history': Congo struggles to contain Ebola

Political, security and cultural complications – not least a refusal to believe that Ebola exists – have thwarted efforts to overcome DRC’s deadly outbreak Moise Kitsakihu-Mbira has lost his brother, his grandson and 11 other family members to Ebola. When he himself fell sick he sought treatment in secret. His family don’t believe the virus exists and think a man in their village poisoned them. Refusal to believe in the existence of Ebola is one difficulty for doctors who say the current outbreak of the deadly virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the “most complex public health emergency in history” and warn it could drag on for months. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2WYj5UF

Drone sightings disrupt flights at Singapore's Changi airport

Second incident in a week causes delays and diversions at one of Asia’s busiest airline hubs Drone sightings have disrupted flights at Singapore’s main airport for the second time in a week, authorities have said. About 18 arrivals and departures were delayed and seven flights diverted at Changi airport late on Tuesday “due to bad weather and unauthorised drone activities”, Singapore’s civil aviation authority said. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2WYhRJ3

Manus Island asylum seeker who set himself on fire to be charged with attempted suicide

Papua New Guinea police say man will also be charged with arson, which carries a sentence of up to life in prison The Papua New Guinea police will charge a man with arson and attempted suicide after he set fire to himself and his room at asylum seeker accomodation on Manus Island. After initial treatment for burns to his face and hand, the 30-year-old man, who has been denied asylum, was taken to the police station and held overnight before he was evacuated to Port Moresby for further medical treatment. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/31KVx9s

Myanmar cuts internet to Rakhine state amid unrest

Military has been clashing throughout the year with Arakan Army insurgents, who want political autonomy for Rakhine Buddhists More than a million people in Myanmar’s conflict-ridden Rakhine state have been plunged into an information blackout three days after authorities ordered telecommunications companies to stop providing internet services to the area. Rights groups have condemned the move as threat to civilians’ safety. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2J2ohlD

Trump sexual assault accuser E Jean Carroll considers police complaint

Writer open to working with NYPD in criminal investigation Carroll to CNN: ‘He pulled down my tights. There was a fight’ E Jean Carroll, the celebrated advice columnist who has accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s, has said she is considering bringing a complaint to the New York police department. Related: Donald Trump accused of sexually assaulting writer E Jean Carroll Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2XvJzBp

G20 nations triple coal power subsidies despite climate crisis

Major economies pledged a decade ago to phase out all aid for fossil fuels G20 nations have almost tripled the subsidies they give to coal-fired power plants in recent years, despite the urgent need to cut the carbon emissions driving the climate crisis. The bloc of major economies pledged a decade ago to phase out all fossil fuel subsidies. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Xyr7rN

Peter Dutton has manipulated the truth so much, how can Australians trust him? | Kristina Keneally

The home affairs minister has so regularly been caught crying wolf, what will happen when we face a serious risk to our national security? The beauty of fables is that even though they are incredibly old, many of their lessons still hold true today. None more so than Aesop’s The Boy Who Cried Wolf, written in 600BC. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2XutUSY

Upset about the plastic crisis? Stop trying so hard

We make good-faith efforts to help the planet by recycling, but what we really need to do is even simpler All the plastic ever made: the fate of 8.3bn tons Did you ever decide to get off a jammed freeway and take the backroads even though deep down you knew that it wouldn’t be any faster? Are you constantly switching to the faster lane on a busy freeway even though you notice that cars sticking to their lanes keep catching up with you? Both are examples of action bias, the phenomenon in which people prefer doing something over doing nothing, even if the likely outcome of the action is worse than the outcome of inaction. Research has shown that actively managed portfolios tend to do worse than passive investments. And one study found that soccer goalkeepers prefer to jump left or right during a penalty kick, even though the best thing would be to stay put in the middle. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2YeVcde

You Can Sue Media Companies Over Facebook Comments From Readers, Court Rules

Former youth detainee Dylan Voller is suing News Corp, Fairfax Media and Sky News. View Entire Post › from BuzzFeed News https://bzfd.it/31NVz0k

China will not allow G20 to discuss Hong Kong, says foreign minister

Foreign powers have no right to interfere in ‘internal affair’, says Zhang Jun, as Beijing also calls for trade compromise China has said it will not allow the G20 nations to discuss the Hong Kong issue at its summit this week, assistant foreign minister Zhang Jun said on Monday. Millions of people demonstrated on the streets of the city this month against a bill that would allow people to be extradited to the mainland to face trial in courts controlled by the Communist party. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2KBHbTp

French parties unite in call for referendum on Macron's airports sell-off

President accused of ‘flogging family silver’, as communists and Sarkozy MPs join forces Emmanuel Macron’s plan for the biggest wave of French privatisations in a decade is under threat after opposition politicians took the unusual step of joining ranks to push for a referendum on the sale of Paris airports. The centrist French president wants to sell the state’s controlling stake in Aéroports de Paris, the profitable operator of Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, which are used by more than 100 million passengers each year. It would be among the biggest privatisation operations in French history, alongside Macron’s plans to sell other stakes in the national lottery as well as the gas and power group ENGIE. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2KyTJLl

Arab world turns its back on religion – and its ire on the US

Survey of 25,000 people in Middle East and North Africa also shows 52% of 18- to 29-year-olds are thinking about migrating The Arab world is turning its back on religion and on US relations, according to the largest public opinion survey ever carried out in the region. A survey of more than 25,000 people across 10 countries and the Palestinian territories found that trust in religious leaders has plummeted in recent years. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2X2awbn

Labor says it will oppose Coalition's 'economically irresponsible' tax cuts for wealthy

Anthony Albanese says $95bn cost of third stage of plan cannot be justified in a soft economy Labor will resist pressure to support the government’s $158bn tax cut plan in full, saying it is “economically irresponsible” to offer relief to higher-income earners in a slowing economy. Instead, the opposition is calling for immediate economic stimulus, urging the Coalition to bring forward tax cuts for those earning up to $120,000 and “shovel ready” infrastructure projects. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/31S4ZrC

Britain's most impressive hats on show

Hat lovers can appreciate the work of a good milliner any day of the year, but one occasion stands above the rest: Royal Ascot. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2L5IfPc