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Leading industrial nations support a possible $500bn rise in IMF currency reserves to help poorer states cope with Covid crisisThe world’s leading industrial nations have moved a decisive step closer to providing pandemic financial support for developing countries after they backed plans to increase currency reserves provided by the International Monetary Fund.After the US dropped its opposition to a fresh allocation of the IMF’s special drawing rights, extra funds to help developing nations cope with the economic effects of Covid-19 looks certain to be rubber-stamped next month. Continue reading...

The US president stumbled while boarding Air Force One on his way to visit to Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with Asian American community leaders. Biden tripped on the steps up to the plane, before recovering and carrying on unaided, turning to salute at the top. The 78-year-old fractured his right foot in November 2020 while playing with his dog Major

In a separate ruling, judge said he would allow jury to hear limited evidence from George Floyd’s 2019 arrestA judge on Friday denied a defense request to delay or move the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death, following the announcement a week ago of a record $27m settlement between the city and Floyd’s family, which raised concern about the prospect of a tainted jury.George Floyd was killed in the city last May when Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck in the street during an attempted arrest. Chauvin was fired and is now standing trial for murder, with opening arguments expected before the end of the month. Continue reading...

Warning: some viewers may find the following footage distressingThe FBI has released new footage of the deadly 6 January US Capitol insurrection as it seeks to identify 10 suspects involved in what the agency says were 'some of the most violent attacks on officers'. Law enforcement are still pursuing more than 100 suspects from the attack on Congress, which the then president, Donald Trump, was accused of inciting and led to his historic second impeachment.But the 10 suspects highlighted this week by the federal authorities are considered among the most dangerous still at large

Agency says suspects highlighted this week were involved in ‘some of the most violent attacks on officers’The FBI has released new footage of the deadly 6 January US Capitol insurrection as it seeks to identify 10 suspects involved in what the agency says were “some of the most violent attacks on officers”.Law enforcement are still pursuing more than 100 suspects from the attack on Congress, which Donald Trump was accused of inciting and led to his historic second impeachment. Hundreds have been arrested after the violent mob invaded the Capitol to try to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. Continue reading...

Statue of ex-president apparently had deep gouges inflicted by museum patrons who clawed and punched it, local report saidA wax figure of Donald Trump has been pulled from the display of a wax works exhibit after visitors keep attacking it, local US media have reported.“When it’s a highly political figure, attacks can be a problem,” said Clay Stewart, the regional manager for Ripley Entertainment, which owns the Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks in San Antonio, Texas. Continue reading...

The ease with which the alleged shooter acquired a firearm has generated outrage but also hope for legislative reformsProminent gun control groups angered by the ease with which the alleged Atlanta spa shooter was able to acquire his weapon are calling on politicians to convert their outrage at the massacre into a renewed push for legislative reforms.The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Giffords Law Center, the advocacy group named for the former congresswoman and gun violence survivor Gabrielle Giffords, say the deaths of eight people, including six Asian American women, merely hastens the need for action in Washington DC and at state level. Continue reading...

Residents express frustration over shootings and local law enforcement’s responseWoojin Kang, a young man of Korean descent, stood on the sidewalk in front of Gold Spa in northeast Atlanta on Thursday afternoon, wearing a black Adidas windbreaker, black shorts and black Nike sneakers, holding a neon yellow sign that read “Asian women’s bodies have been slayed” above the hashtag “#StopAsianHate”.The heavy rains of an eastbound southern storm front had subsided, and the skies had some clouds but otherwise were bright blue on Piedmont Avenue. Continue reading...

Strip clubs ask court to declare it a violation of constitution to keep establishments closed while letting other places open upA group of New York City exotic dancing clubs sued New York state Thursday, saying it’s not fair that they’re being kept closed when everything from axe-throwing venues to bars with live music and casinos can open up.The lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court claimed that thousands of employees are forced out of work by the state’s ban due to the coronavirus. Defendants included governor Andrew Cuomo and the state’s liquor licensing authority. Continue reading...

The Asian American lawmaker Grace Meng called out the violence and discrimination against her community at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday. 'Our community is bleeding. We are in pain. And for the last year, we’ve been screaming out for help,' she said. She told a panel the rising tide of anti-Asian bigotry was fuelled in part by rhetoric from Donald Trump and his allies, who have referred to Covid-19 as the 'China virus' and 'kung flu'

A first trip to a restaurant is bliss. But reopening has brought new tensions tooIt’s a weird time in the life of the pandemic as the vaccinated, half-vaccinated and yet to be vaccinated venture out and tentatively try to co-mingle. I’m half done, shortly to be full, on the basis of which, in a moment of rashness, I promised to take my children to a water park in New Jersey on spring break. Too late now, but it’s something which, on reflection, it might have been worth living without antibodies for a few more months to avoid. Continue reading...

The two countries clashed over human rights, democracy and power at their first summit of the Biden administration. Plus, lawmakers said anti-Asian hate was at ‘crisis point’Good morning.The US and China butted heads in extraordinary scenes at their first high-level talks of the Biden era, which took place in Alaska yesterday. The secretary of state, Antony Blinken, took aim at China’s human rights record as well as cyber-attacks on the US and “economic coercion of our allies”. Continue reading...

When men harm women, we obscure their role. Instead, we blame women for the injustice that happens to themThe alleged murderer of eight people, six of whom were Asian American women, reportedly said that he was trying to “eliminate temptation”. It’s as if he thought others were responsible for his inner life, as though the horrific act of taking others’ lives rather than learning some form of self-control was appropriate. This aspect of a crime that was also horrifically racist reflects a culture in which men and the society at large blame women for men’s behavior and the things men do to women. The idea of women as temptresses goes back to the Old Testament and is heavily stressed in white evangelical Christianity; the victims were workers and others present in massage parlors; the killer was reportedly on his way to shoot up Florida’s porn industry when he was apprehended.Related: Why do so many straight men come to resent the women they find attractive? | Moira Donegan Continue reading...

The increased presence has provided relief for some, while others argue it’s a temporary and ineffective solution to a crisisPolice in cities across the country increased foot patrols in Asian neighborhoods following the shootings at three Asian-owned spas in the Atlanta area.From San Francisco to New York, Chicago to Philadelphia, police departments this week directed officers to step up their presence amid fears of anti-Asian violence after a shooter killed eight people, six of them Asian women, on Tuesday night. Continue reading...

The ex-England captain is playing for San Diego, living in Las Vegas and has a baby on the way. No one said America would be easy“I was talking to Ben Foden and telling him the pitches are so hard here, because obviously it’s the desert. And he said, ‘Well, they’re harder here – because they’re frozen and covered in snow.”Chris Robshaw, 66 caps as an England flanker and most often captain, is speaking from Las Vegas about Foden, 34 caps at full-back and wing, shivering in New York. Both are preparing for Major League Rugby, which kicks off on Saturday with Robshaw’s San Diego Legion facing Foden and Rugby United New York. Continue reading...

The Texas governor has sent troops to fortify the border while advocates say the immigration numbers are being politicizedAlong the winding road which follows the Rio Grande west from Mission, Texas, dozens of armed border patrol agents, state troopers, soldiers, and state and local police are dotted about to catch undocumented migrants entering the country from Mexico.This is a so-called hotspot for irregular migration – folks crossing the border river without permission to enter the US – in what the Republican party and anti-immigrant activists are calling a crisis at the border. During one afternoon this week, there were more law enforcement vehicles cruising along this dusty 15-mile stretch towards Los Ebanos, a tiny border community connected to Mexico by a hand operated cable ferry, than there was local traffic. Continue reading...

The United States and China publicly rebuked each other in the first face-to-face talks between senior officials from the two countries since Joe Biden took office. Representatives from the two countries met in Alaska, where a highly unusual extended back-and-forth took place in front of the cameras. When US secretary of state Antony Blinken pointed out "deep concerns" over China's actions relating to "Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyber attacks on the United States, economic coercion of our allies", China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi responded with a 15-minute speech in Chinese lashing out out at what he called a struggling democracy in the US, poor treatment of minorities and foreign and trade policies.

House legislators hold hearing as Biden and Harris plan meetings with Atlanta leadersAsian American lawmakers and leaders warned that violence and discrimination targeting their community have reached a “crisis point” following the shootings in Atlanta this week that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent.The hearing, the first to examine anti-Asian discrimination in more than three decades, had been scheduled weeks ago amid a surge in violence against the Asian community since the pandemic began. But it took on heightened urgency after the mass shooting that left Asian Americans in Atlanta and across the country shaken and afraid. Continue reading...

Measure, which aims to undo Trump’s hardline immigration policies, is likely to hit a wall in the evenly divided SenateThe US House of Representatives has passed a bill that would give undocumented immigrants, including “Dreamers”, a pathway to citizenship.

Joe Biden said the US will have successfully administered 100m vaccine doses by 19 March – his 58th day in office. ‘That’s weeks ahead of schedule, and even with the setbacks we faced during the winter storms,’ he said. Upon taking office, Biden set his administration the target of reaching the number in his first 100 days.

CDC data found that the state has given a smaller proportion of vaccines to counties with the most vulnerable residentsCalifornia has failed to equitably distribute vaccines to residents in its poorest and most vulnerable regions, according to a new report from federal researchers that found the nation’s most populous state has one of most unequal vaccine programs.The report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that California ranked among the worst five states for unequal vaccine distribution. Researchers from the CDC analyzed vaccines administered from 14 December to 1 March, and compared where doses were distributed against county-level demographic data. Continue reading...

In his first speech as a US senator, the Rev Raphael Warnock warned Americans of a rightwing attack on voting rights. Here are his remarks

Atlanta shooting victim, 33, would go out of her way to help others and often take in friends who were in need of a place to stay

The 54-year-old who worked at the Youngs Asian Massage had served in the US army and at one point owned a home security and theater businessPaul Andre Michels was a handyman at Youngs Asian Massage who was among the eight killed in the spa shootings in the Atlanta area on Tuesday.Related: Atlanta shootings: House holds hearing as representative warns of 'crisis point' for Asian Americans – latest updates Continue reading...

Concerns appear to fade that settlement will derail trial of ex-officer as two jurors seatedConcern appears to be fading that a massive settlement for George Floyd’s family will derail the trial of a former police officer accused in his death, with most potential jurors saying they avoided news of the settlement or could set it aside.Related: Minneapolis to pay George Floyd's family $27m in police custody death lawsuit Continue reading...

The Democrat is ready to take on the Trump devotee in 2022 – but it’s no easy task in a deep-red Georgia district“I’m taking on the queen of Qanon: Marjorie Taylor Greene,” reads one tweet from Holly McCormack. “Retweet if you think Marjorie Taylor Greene is an embarrassment to our country,” says another.America’s midterm elections may be 20 months in the future, but a campaign is already under way to unseat the extremist Republican congresswoman and Donald Trump devotee. In a rural district of Georgia that Taylor Greene won with three-quarters of the vote last November, no one thinks it is going to be easy. Continue reading...

Lawsuit claims prison officials and administrators failed to take precautions when transferring men between facilitiesThe family of a man who died of Covid-19 in a California prison has filed a federal lawsuit against the state’s prison system and high-ranking prison administrators over their handling of the pandemic.On Wednesday, attorneys representing the family of Daniel Ruiz filed a wrongful death lawsuit against California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) officials and several medical administrators at the California Institute for Men (CIM), an all men’s prison in southern California. Continue reading...

Initial signatories of campaign include billionaires fashion mogul Francois-Henri Pinault and Arianna HuffingtonGlobal business leaders launched a campaign on Thursday declaring their opposition to the death penalty, urging governments everywhere to end the practice and asking their peers to join them.Speaking to the virtual South by Southwest festival, Sir Richard Branson, one of the campaign’s leaders, said: “The death penalty is broken beyond repair and plainly fails to deliver justice by every reasonable measure. It is marred by cruelty, waste, ineffectiveness, discrimination and an unacceptable risk of error. Continue reading...

To be able to experience sexual attraction without it becoming a source of rage requires a degree of respect that the Atlanta suspect, and men like him, do not possessIt’s unclear if Robert Aaron Long, the 21-year-old white man who killed eight people on Tuesday – seven of them women, and six of them Asian women – in a mass shooting across three different massage parlors in the Atlanta area, even knew his victims’ names. After he was arrested and taken into police custody unharmed, Long promptly took responsibility for the shootings. He told officers that he had frequented the massage parlors, which appear to sell sexual services, and that he considers himself to be suffering from a “sex addiction”. He claims that he shot up the massage parlors in order to rid himself of “temptation”. By “temptation” he means, presumably, the temptation that was presented by the women’s existence, and which he thought could be eliminated once they were no longer alive.Related: 'A specific kind of racism': Atlanta shootings fuel fears over anti-sex-work ideology Continue reading...

‘The hypocrisy is astounding’: the Georgia company says it’s determined to combat racism – so why isn’t it speaking out?Happy Thursday, Continue reading...

House voted 413-12 to award congressional gold medals to all members of Capitol force for their efforts on 6 JanuaryA dozen Republicans voted against a resolution honoring US Capitol police for their efforts to protect members of Congress during the insurrection on 6 January.The House voted 413-12 on Wednesday to award congressional gold medals, Congress’s “highest expression of national appreciation”, to all members of the Capitol police force. Continue reading...

A Georgia sheriff’s captain was criticised for appearing to characterise the actions of the suspect in a mass shooting in Atlanta as him having had 'a really bad day'.Robert Aaron Long, 21, was charged with killing eight people in Atlanta, six of them women of Asian descent, on Wednesday.Atlanta police said Long had declared Tuesday’s attack was not racially motivated. He claimed to have a 'sex addiction' and authorities have said he apparently lashed out at what he saw as sources of 'temptation'

Advocates for sex workers say the spa attacks combined sexism and toxic Asian stereotypesOn Tuesday night, a 21-year-old man named Robert Aaron Long allegedly went on a deadly rampage at three Atlanta spas, killing eight people, including six Asian women. Long’s shooting spree, police say, began at Youngs Asian Massage Parlor on the city’s outskirts, where he killed four people, two of whom were Asian, and injured one; he then allegedly fled the scene and proceeded to Gold Spa, killing three more people, all Asian women; and then he entered a spa right across the street, Aromatherapy Spa, where he killed his final victim.Following an interview with authorities, the Cherokee county sheriff, Frank Reynolds, maintained that Long “gave no indicators” that his crimes were racially motivated. “We asked him that specifically and the answer was no,” Reynolds said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

The shooting of six Asian Americans has amplified calls from anti-hate groups for greater awareness and recording of anti-Asian crimes. Plus, the oil industry knew of pollution risks for 50 years but lobbied against clean air measures anywayGood morning.Law enforcement agencies are under pressure to ramp up efforts to combat a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, with particular criticism centring on poor reporting of the incidents. The issue came under new scrutiny following a spate of shootings in massage parlours Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday which left six women of Asian descent dead. Continue reading...

I’m struck by the beauty of a tribute to the dead of all pandemics – the ones forgotten and the ones still to comeJust over two years ago, my friend Janet came over to commiserate with my husband, whose leg was in plaster after a road accident. We immediately noticed a change in her. This sharp, funny woman in her mid-60s, who had nothing good to say about men (with the exception of her three beloved sons, whom she had raised almost single-handedly) had softened.Not only was she happy, we realised, but it may have been the first time we had ever really seen her that way. She soon admitted she was in love. She couldn’t get over the fact that she had met the man in question, even if it had happened relatively late in life. Her happiness was infectious. It was a jewel of an evening that only shines more brightly in my memory because of what happened next. Continue reading...

Getting paid by big companies is the worst part about running a small business – and it’s become even more frustrating during the pandemicAs Washington debates whether to tax big corporations that don’t pay a higher minimum wage, maybe now’s the right time to also fix another corporate sin: paying their smallest customers on time.For me – and countless others like me – getting paid by big companies and big government is the worst part about running a small business. Sure, most of my clients pay their bills when asked. But there’s always a few that pay well past 30 days. And those few are almost always my largest customers. Continue reading...

In a city flooded with reports of violence, leaders say the Asian American community has been left to fend for itselfThe morning after the Atlanta spa shootings, a man struck an elderly Asian woman on San Francisco’s Market Street in a seemingly unprovoked attack.Over the past few months, the Asian American community in the San Francisco Bay Area has been inundated with reports of attacks like these – from robberies to burglaries to deadly assaults. Continue reading...

Restrictions would include prohibiting drive-thru voting and cut early voting hours in already one of the hardest states to vote in USTexas Republicans are pushing new legislation that would make it even more difficult to cast a ballot in a state that is already one of the hardest places to vote in America. Continue reading...

Which team should you hate in place of Duke? Who is this year’s Cinderella team? Our writers break down the bracket for the NCAA tournamentIona. Rick Pitino has resurfaced in New Rochelle despite facing no meaningful consequences from the NCAA following the FBI corruption probe that prompted his messy ouster from Louisville. Must be nice. These Gaels are a Cinderella by weight class only. BAG Continue reading...

US health experts say Europe’s spike in new infections and hospitalizations should be a warning against dropping safeguards earlyOptimism is spreading in the US as Covid-19 deaths plummet and states ease restrictions and open vaccinations to younger adults. But across Europe, dread is setting in with another wave of infections, which are closing schools and cafes and bringing new lockdowns.The pandemic’s diverging paths on the two continents can be linked in part to a much faster vaccine rollout in the US and greater spread of contagious variants in Europe. Continue reading...

This week’s roundup also features France v Wales classics, rabona goals and March Madness1) Sabine Schmitz, the “Queen of the Nürburgring”, has died at the age of 51. Schmitz is the only woman to win the German track’s 24 Hours race, in 1996 and again in 1997 – you can see some highlights here and a tribute from the track (in German) here. Schmitz went on to join the Top Gear team, memorably racing round her favourite circuit in a Transit van and a Volkswagen Golf GTI, and also putting some vintage vehicles to the test on Fifth Gear. Here she is doing what she did best: tearing through the field with jaw-dropping precision in this exceptional on-board video. Continue reading...

Hooligans are up to all sorts of impish mayhem in this rote action flick apparently modelled on The RaidRussia’s hooligan set will have a new Friday-night post-pub favourite with this martial arts film, modelled on Gareth Evans’s The Raid. In a literal hostile takeover, former Spetsnaz sniper Nikita (Ivan Kotik) leads a squad of tracksuited casuals into a vodka factory/mafia front on behalf of a shady businessmen (Ilya Antonenko) looking to seize it – but he also has a personal beef with the owner.For reasons half-explained, the squad are forbidden from carrying guns, and the chief heavy (played by real-life MMA fighter Vladimir Mineev) chafes against Nikita’s command from the off. They work their way up through the factory’s security to the C-suite, with much fisticuffs, mostly in the fashionable MMA style – with heavy emphasis on grappling and backhanded slaps that look prissy but probably aren’t. The standout is a corridor-hemmed brawl against three juggernauts wielding a host of medieval weaponry, with director Denis Kryuchkov often keeping us locked in with the combatants with swaying, reeling Steadicam. Continue reading...