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Robovie uses lasers to measure social distancing, politely asks shoppers to cover up and guides them around the store

‘Mighty moss chicken’ brought back from brink of extinction is the first two-time winnerIt can’t fly and it hides during the day but a critically endangered large parrot is back in the limelight having been named New Zealand’s bird of the year for an unprecedented second time.The green and fawn kākāpō – the world’s heaviest, longest-living parrot – first won in 2008. After conservation efforts, the population of this large parrot has risen from 50 during the 1990s to 213 now. Continue reading...

Thursday: Grattan Institute study finds Coalition’s plan to return to ‘good old days’ of cheap gas is destined to fail. Plus: a missing renaissance masterpieceGood morning, this is Imogen Dewey bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Monday 16 November. Continue reading...

Negative expectations may play part, with adverse effects reported when taking placeboMany of the side-effects attributed to statins could be down to the “nocebo effect”, which occurs when someone expects to experience negative symptoms – even if the drug is a placebo – a study suggests.Statins are one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the UK, taken by nearly eight million people to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol levels. Continue reading...

Manuel Merino’s exit follows fury sparked by shootings at pro-democracy rallyThe interim president of Peru, Manuel Merino, has stepped down amid nationwide fury over the killing of two protesters in a brutally heavy-handed police clampdown on huge pro-democracy demonstrations on Saturday.In a televised address to the nation, Merino announced his resignation and insisted he acted within the law when he was sworn into office as chief of state on Tuesday, following congress’s removal of the elected president in an impeachment vote. Continue reading...

Leader of Ethiopia’s Tigray region claims responsibility for strike on capital city Asmara

The team behind our US election results tracker discuss how it came together, why readers around the world loved it, and how it came to be the most-viewed page ever on the Guardian’s websiteOn Wednesday 4 November, the Guardian recorded its highest-ever digital traffic, reaching more than 190 million page views and 52.9m unique browsers worldwide in 24 hours - exceeding all previous traffic records by an enormous margin. Our live results tracker – a collaborative project from the Guardian’s newsroom, visual journalism, designers and engineering teams – has received over 94 million page views so far since launch, and continues to draw in readers. Here, the team behind it explain why visual journalism is so critical to what we do.

Government expected to unveil funding and plans for battery-making factory in near futureThe West Midlands, south Wales and the north-east of England are among the regions vying to host the UK’s first “gigafactory” making electric car batteries, as the government edges towards a commitment to the key technology.The UK has said it will spend as much as £1bn on an automotive transformation fund, but is yet to detail what will happen with the bulk of that money. Continue reading...

At least 30 protesters were detained during big pro-democracy demonstrations in Peru, with multiple reports of heavy-handed treatment of largely peaceful attendees.The health ministry reported two protesters were killed and more than 30 people were being treated for injuries on Saturday after nearly a week of unrest over the controversial removal of Martín Vizcarra as president.Vizcarra's replacement by a de facto government is seen by many Peruvians as a coup and people have demanded the resignation of Manuel Merino, the former speaker of congress who was sworn in as president on Tuesday

My friend, Roddy Evans, who has died aged 97, was a skilled surgeon and a remarkable man, whose commitment to his worldwide community was highly significant.A Christian, he was drawn to the Moral Re-Armament movement (MRA, now Initiatives of Change) because it was based on practical Christianity: putting your own life in order first so that you can help others. Roddy lived a simple life and he believed that God would provide for him. Continue reading...

Confronted by my reflection at every turn, I armed myself with expensive beauty productsI have a theory – largely untested – that everyone is mentally “stuck” at a certain age: the one that best reflects their outlook. Mine is 17. At my core, I see myself as youthful, enthusiastic and not yet tainted by the bitterness of experience. I’m optimistic and forward-looking. A woman in my prime.But increasingly, the face and form I see reflected back in the mirror are none of those things. At first I blame harsh lighting for my transformation. Then I realise it’s natural light coming in from the skylight, not the gentle artificial light of a boutique store change room. There is, quite simply, nowhere to hide. Continue reading...

UK will be hit with rain, snow and freezing temperatures according to Met OfficeBritons will be hit with rain, snow and freezing temperatures in a “rollercoaster” weather cycle next week, according to forecasters.The Met Office has said the temperature will be significantly lower on Thursday compared with Wednesday, plunging by as much as 7C (12.6F) across all areas of the UK. Continue reading...

The Guardian’s picture editors select highlights from around the world Continue reading...

Exclusive: widow seeks punitive damages for 2006 murder, and payment of lost incomeThe widow of Alexander Litvinenko has submitted a claim against Russia to the European court of human rights (ECHR), seeking €3.5m (£3.1m) in compensation for his murder by radiation poisoning in London.Marina Litvinenko is requesting punitive damages and payment for accumulated lost income. A public inquiry concluded that her husband’s murder in 2006 was probably ordered by Vladimir Putin. Continue reading...

Fernando Simón, who appeared to blame doctors for some cases, accused of incompetence

Appointments made and contracts awarded during the pandemic have uncovered a web of connections

George Eustice says negotiations with Brussels have always been led by David FrostThe UK environment secretary, George Eustice, has denied that the departure of Dominic Cummings – one of the architects of Vote Leave – will have any impact on Brexit negotiations.As the Brexit deal deadline approaches, Eustice sought to downplay Cummings’ exit from No 10 by arguing it would not alter discussions with Brussels as UK negotiations are led by David Frost. Continue reading...

This year has challenged us all. But for Sarah Hughes it’s been particularly hard. Here, she talks about living with cancer – and letting in the light in the darkest of timesThe strangest thing about having an incurable illness during a time of pandemic is the weird but unavoidable sense that everyone has finally caught up with you. As people started talking about how worried they were, how they couldn’t stop thinking about the virus, how difficult life now seemed, how isolated, the temptation to say: “Hey guys, welcome to my world” was overwhelming.This had never felt more pertinent than last month, when social media lit up with Breast Cancer Awareness memes and pink ribbons and talk of fighting and beating the disease. For those of us with stage IV cancer such messages seem beamed in from another planet. As the campaign group MetUpUK points out, 31 people die every day from metastatic breast cancer, and countless more of us live each day with a disease that has a median survival rate of two to three years – a rate that drops considerably if you have a cancer that began as a triple negative breast cancer, as mine did. Yet our stories, which might force people to face the uncomfortable truth that we are not “winning” the “fight”, are rarely told. Continue reading...

The director and members of his brilliant young cast talk about his new BBC films, each one set in London’s West Indian community before most of these actors were born

Three Holocaust survivors reflect on a milestone in international justice and their struggle to come to terms with the pastAt 10am, the men were led into the courtroom and ushered into a specially adapted dock, flanked by American military police.It took the whole day to read out the 24,000-word indictment, which included conspiracy to wage war, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Continue reading...

Current environment led some special forces to believe rules did not apply to them, says academic whose work helped trigger inquiry

The portrayal of Santa’s Moor servant ‘Zwarte Piet’ is widely seen as offensive. Protesters applaud the decision to remove the character from children’s booksPublic libraries across the Netherlands are removing from the shelves children’s books depicting a black-faced Zwarte Piet, a side-kick to Sinterklaas, in the latest sign that the country is turning the page on a festive figure widely seen as being racist.For at least a decade, there have been protests against the practice of white people with blackened faces, curly wigs and exaggerated bright red lips depicting the character at the nationwide parades held in early December to herald the feast of Saint Nicholas. Continue reading...

No sane government would contemplate a future without a proper deal with the EUBritish business and finance are holding their breath. Few can quite believe that a British government could drive the British economy this close to the brink. Surely no sane government, entrusted with our collective wellbeing, could calmly contemplate imposing on its citizens immense trade disruption, transport chaos, shortages in medicine, fresh foods and key technologies? Then there’s the rise in unemployment created by two lockdowns and widespread bankruptcies. Even a minimalist deal, as John Major said last week, will be far more brutal than anyone expects.Yet for what? A utopian conception of sovereignty that even in the full flush of empire never held true? Surely rationality must prevail and a deal that goes well beyond the skinny Canada-style deal with the EU – which Boris Johnson says is all he wants – will be struck? Continue reading...

The hostile environment appears very much in operation as documents show the Home Office focusing on exclusionsHome Office officials have expressed concern that the welfare of children and families who have crossed the Channel to the UK is being “compromised” by an intent to prosecute individuals for immigration offences, internal emails and documents reveal.At least one senior safeguarding official has resigned over what they described as an example of the hostile environment still being used to target vulnerable new arrivals. Continue reading...

Child mortality crisis is looming as nations struggle to make payments to west and China, says former prime ministerIt is being called the “great reversal”. After decades of progress, the international goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 is in jeopardy, Gordon Brown has warned, as developing countries battling the coronavirus sacrifice their health and education systems to pay western and Chinese creditors.“We need a comprehensive new plan that recognises the need for some countries to restructure and reduce debt,” Brown told the Observer. Ahead of a key G20 meeting next weekend, the former prime minister is calling for a global solution if an imminent child mortality crisis is to be averted. Continue reading...

The prime minister remains determined not to compromise over the terms of Britain’s exit from the European Union, say senior Whitehall sourcesBoris Johnson remains the “hardest in the room” in his unwillingness to budge to secure a Brexit deal, government insiders said this weekend, amid warnings that just days remain to finalise an agreement.After a torrid week for Downing Street which saw two former Vote Leave figures quit the prime minister’s senior team, ministers in favour of a deal said they hoped their departures would boost the chances of finally signing an EU trade agreement after months of brinkmanship. Continue reading...

Celebrated agitator admits Covid will mean a change of tactics for bid to lead country in 2022France’s veteran leftwing agitator, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is preparing once again to sally forth against his enemies on the right after announcing that he is standing in the 2022 presidential elections, the third time he has mounted a challenge to lead the country.The leader of France Unbowed (La France Insoumise, or LFI) promised last week he would put his name forward if 150,000 French citizens signed a petition supporting him. Within days, he had comfortably hit his target, and the signatures are still pouring in. Continue reading...

Go back to therapy and use the skills to better understand yourself and combat self loathing, says Mariella FrostrupThe dilemma I am a woman in my 30s. On paper I am bright – an Oxford graduate with a slew of prestigious qualifications, extracurricular achievements and a fairly successful career. The reality is I just feel pathetic, ignorant and gormless. I’ve got to where I am because I’m adept at analysing and memorising information, while clearly lacking other types of intelligence. I was bullied in school and continue to be bullied in adult life, which to me reinforces how pathetic I am.I am very physically and socially clumsy, can’t understand body language, have trouble processing what people are saying and take things literally. This has led people to comment that I am autistic. I have never sought a formal diagnosis because I do not want to use it as an excuse or even a weapon, which I’ve seen other autistic women do. Continue reading...

Decision sees international students go to the back of the queue while others are given special approval

Australia hopes 15-country Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will help reset economic relations with ChinaSimon Birmingham has urged China to respect the “spirit” – not just the letter – of the new 15-country Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.Australia is hoping the deal, signed on Sunday, will help reset economic relations with China after a rolling series of trade disputes or disruptions widely regarded as retaliation for Australian policies towards China. Continue reading...

After a grinding lockdown in Victoria and punishing border closures between states, Australia has arrived at something like normalityWhen the premier of Queensland held her regular Covid-19 update on Friday she couldn’t help letting a smile creep across her face.“Now, here’s a good one,” Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters. “I think all Queenslanders are going to be happy about it.” Continue reading...

The worst parts of this week’s annual results have already been trailed – but what a terrible year it’s beenNo flights, no planes, no crew, no fares – November! Late autumn is, even on easyJet’s standard aviation calendar, quite the worst time of any year, but 2020 has been something else.On Tuesday, the airline unveils its annual results from what it can only hope are the depths of the Covid-19 abyss. A trading update last month warned on much of the misery – losses of up to £845m, not counting “non-headline items” such as a £145m bad bet on fuel hedging, and the immediate £120m cost of laying off about a third of its staff. The cash burn of around £50m a week over summer “compared favourably” with the previous three months, it said. Continue reading...

Councils not briefed about policy change despite concerns about homelessness and Covid risks

It’s critical that health measures are seen to be based on the science and proportionate, experts say

Teddy James Thomas has so far raised over £10,000 by walking 100 laps of his gardenA six-year-old has raised thousands of pounds for a hunger charity by walking 100 laps of his garden dressed as Captain Sir Tom Moore.Teddy James Thomas from Manchester has been undertaking the challenge on Saturday after being inspired by the centenarian’s charity efforts. Continue reading...

Residents of Kalbajar district raze properties before deadline for disputed territory is returned to AzerbaijanVillagers outside Nagorno-Karabakh set their homes on fire Saturday before fleeing to Armenia ahead of a weekend deadline that will see some disputed territory handed over to Azerbaijan as part of a peace agreement.Residents of the Kalbajar district in Azerbaijan, which has been controlled by Armenian separatists for decades, began a mass exodus this week after it was announced that Azerbaijan would regain control on Sunday. Continue reading...

Mummies and up to 40 gilded statues found in a vast Pharaonic necropolis south of CairoEgyptian antiquities officials have announced the discovery of at least 100 ancient coffins, some with mummies inside, and about 40 gilded statues in a vast Pharaonic necropolis south of Cairo.Sealed sarcophagi and statues that were buried more than 2,500 years ago were displayed in a makeshift exhibit at the feet of the famed Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara. Continue reading...

Mission accomplished, Boris Johnson’s chief adviser takes his leave•You can buy your own copy of this cartoon Continue reading...

Fears fighting in country’s north could reopen long-running feuds and spread across national bordersLeaders of Tigray in Ethiopia’s north on Saturday claimed responsibility for rocket attacks on two airports in a nearby region and threatened to strike neighbouring Eritrea, raising concerns that the escalating conflict could spread across national borders.The attacks – and threats of more – fuelled concern that a conflict Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed vowed would be quick and contained could instead snowball and destabilise the broader Horn of Africa region. Continue reading...

Andreas Michli finally shut his Wood Green gym after police stopped customers entering

Festivities upended by pandemic as fears rise smog may worsen crisisMore than one billion Indians celebrated Diwali on Saturday amid twin concerns of a resurgence in coronavirus infections and rising air pollution that is enveloping the country’s north in a cloud of thick toxic smog.Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is typically celebrated by socialising and exchanging gifts with friends and family, and lighting oil lamps or candles to symbolise a victory of light over darkness. Fireworks are also a major part of the celebrations. Continue reading...

Storm may bring dangerous winds, storm surge and as much as 30in of rain to Nicaragua and HondurasTropical Storm Iota was brewing in the Caribbean early on Saturday, threatening a second tropical strike for Nicaragua and Honduras, countries recently ransacked by Eta, a category 4 hurricane.Related: Devastating 2020 Atlantic hurricane season breaks all records Continue reading...

(Columbia)

With the world feeling more distant than ever, photographers were this year called on to translate their vision of the new humanity into images seen through their own eyes. David LaChapelle and Steve McCurry are among those who contributed Continue reading...

Donald Trump appeared to come close to acknowledging Joe Biden's election victory in a Rose Garden press conference.Discussing the possibility of a national lockdown, the president said: 'Whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration it will be, I guess time will tell ... this administration will not go to a lockdown.'Donald Trump has refused to concede to the president-elect, instead making false claims of mass voter fraud