A Pacific labour scheme has been transformative for Kiribati families but the loss of nurses has hit the country’s hospitals hardEvery night, sitting in her room in the remote Queensland town of Doomadgee, Bwerere Sandy Tebau calls her husband and daughter 4,300km away in Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati.“There is no sea!” Sandy says, when asked about the difference between her new home in the red desert of Australia and her island home in the central Pacific. “There is just a lake and in the lake are crocodiles!” Continue reading...
Reporters Without Borders calls increasing media oppression in China a ‘great leap backwards’ and says Hong Kong journalism is ‘in freefall’Xi Jinping has created a “nightmare” of media oppression worthy of the Mao era, and Hong Kong’s journalism is in “freefall”, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).In a major report released on Wednesday, the journalism advocacy group detailed the worsening treatment of journalists and tightening of control over information in China, adding to an environment in which “freely accessing information has become a crime and to provide information an even greater crime”. Continue reading...
Australian Open organisers say ‘all players, participants and staff’ must be vaccinated as Djokovic, who has not revealed his vaccination status, is included in tournament drawTennis Australia has hit back at suggestions it is seeking to exploit a “loophole” in border entry rules so unvaccinated players can compete in the upcoming Australian Open, as it included Novak Djokovic in the draw for the January grand slam.Djokovic’s inclusion in the tournament draw, which was released on Wednesday afternoon, followed intense speculation about the world No 1’s ability to enter the country.Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...
The legendary director used to get scolded by his parents for singing its songs at the dinner table. As his version hits the big screen, he talks about his own dancefloor prowess – and the ‘obscure movie club’ he formed with SondheimIt’s a winter afternoon and you’re about to begin a video call with Steven Spielberg. The perfect opportunity, then, to make a quick brew in your Gremlins mug (Spielberg produced that devilish 1984 horror-comedy) then brandish it in front of the webcam for the director’s benefit. “Oh, I love that, thank you,” he says, chuckling softly. Then he wags a cautionary finger: “Don’t drink it after midnight!”The most famous and widely cherished film-maker in history is all twinkling eyes and gee-whiz charm today. He is about to turn 75 but first there is the release of his muscular new take on West Side Story, which marks his third collaboration with the playwright Tony Kushner, who also scripted Munich and Lincoln. Spielberg is at pains to point out that this not a remake of the Oscar-laden movie but a reimagining of the original stage musical. “I never would have dared go near it had it only been a film,” he says. “But, because it’s constantly being performed across the globe, I didn’t feel I was claim-jumping on my friend Robert Wise’s 1961 movie.” Continue reading...
by Written by Alexander Stille, read by Lucy Scott, p on (#5SSVG)
We are raiding the Audio Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.This week, from 2016: When the battered body of a Cambridge PhD student was found outside Cairo, Egyptian police claimed he had been hit by a car. Then they said he was the victim of a robbery. Then they blamed a conspiracy against Egypt. But in a digital age, it’s harder than ever to get away with murder. By Alexander Stille Continue reading...
Niger state has been wracked by banditry for years. Now jihadists have moved in to communities just a few hundred miles from the capital, Abuja“They ordered everyone to come around, saying if you run, if you cry, you will die,” said Bala Pada, recalling the moment in April when jihadists rounded up people at a market in his home town of Kaure to witness the execution of two alleged vigilantes.Hundreds of jihadists have settled over the past year in Kaure and other remote communities in Niger state in Nigeria, according to displaced residents and local government officials. They began to arrive in November 2020, hoisting flags and declaring the communities under their control. Continue reading...
Scholz to lead coalition government after agreement was signed by party leaders on TuesdayOlaf Scholz is to be voted in as chancellor by the Bundestag on Wednesday, opening a new chapter in German and European politics as the Merkel era comes to an end.Scholz, the outgoing deputy chancellor and finance minister, will lead a government composed of his Social Democrat party, the business-friendly Free Democrats and the Greens, a coalition of parties never tried before at the federal level in Germany. Continue reading...
Scott Morrison has confirmed that Australian officials will not attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, joining the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the event. Morrison said a deterioration in the diplomatic relationship between Australia and China led to the decision, but said athletes will still attend.► Subscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTube
More fatalities expected as search for survivors continues following eruption at Mount Semeru on SaturdayIndonesia’s president has visited areas devastated by a powerful volcanic eruption that killed at least 34 people and left thousands homeless, and vowed that communities would be quickly rebuilt.Clouds of hot ash shot high into the sky and an avalanche of lava and searing gas swept as far as 11 kilometers (7 miles) down Mount Semeru’s slopes in a sudden eruption Saturday triggered by heavy rain. Villages and towns were blanketed by tons of volcanic debris. Continue reading...
by Vincent Ni China affairs correspondent, and Helen on (#5SSQA)
Analysis: After two decades of major financial aid, Beijing is rethinking its strategy on continent amid Covid crisis and fierce competition for power, analysts say
Boris Johnson denies staff gatherings took place or rules were broken during last year’s lockdownDowning Street is facing renewed pressure after TV footage emerged showing senior No 10 officials joking about a Christmas party during lockdown last December.In the leaked video, obtained by ITV, an adviser to Johnson is seen joking with Allegra Stratton, the prime minister’s then press secretary, about “a Downing Street Christmas party on Friday night”. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker, Aubrey Allegretti and Jamie Grierson on (#5SSND)
Exchange between Ed Oldfield and Allegra Stratton took place last December days after alleged party took placeBoris Johnson is facing accusations of lying after senior No 10 officials were filmed joking about a lockdown Christmas party that Downing Street insists did not take place.Johnson and his aides have repeatedly denied that the event, reportedly held for staff at No 10 in December last year, broke Covid rules or took place at all. Continue reading...
The head of the Foreign Office has been accused of covering up the prime minister’s involvement in the decision to evacuate pets from Kabul at a select committee hearing.Labour MP Chris Bryant made the accusation to Sir Philip Barton and read out a leaked letter from Boris Johnson’s parliamentary private secretary which he said implied Johnson’s 'fingers' were 'all over' the controversial decision.Barton did not accept the charge and, in a separate interview, Johnson dismissed the accusation that he was involved as 'complete nonsense'
by Kim Willsher in Paris and Stephanie Kirchgaessner on (#5SS2T)
Police say man, named as Khalid Aedh al-Otaibi, was arrested as he was about to board flight from Paris to RiyadhFrench police have arrested a man on suspicion of being a former member of the Saudi royal guard accused of being involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.The man, named as Khalid Aedh al-Otaibi, was taken into custody at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport as he was about to board a plane to the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Continue reading...
Vote seen as a blow to conservative presidential candidate José Antonio Kast, who won majority of votes in November’s first roundA historic vote granting equal marriage rights to same-sex couples in Chile has been heralded by activists as a triumph and a blow to the conservative agenda of presidential candidate José Antonio Kast.Kast won the majority of votes in November’s first-round vote, instilling a wave of fear among the country’s LGBTQ+ community. A tight runoff between Kast and his progressive opponent, former student protest leader Gabriel Boric, is scheduled on 19 December. Continue reading...
by Julian Borger in Washington and Andrew Roth in Mos on (#5SSDA)
White House says the US president voiced ‘deep concerns’ about the Russian military buildup in the two-hour video callJoe Biden and Vladimir Putin held a virtual summit on Tuesday but made little apparent headway in defusing the crisis over Ukraine in the wake of a Russian troop buildup, and instead delegated officials from both countries to stay in contact.The two leaders talked by videoconference for just over two hours, during which they laid out their positions. Continue reading...
Sir Philip Barton refused to say precisely when Raab had been on holiday in AugustThe head of the diplomatic service has admitted failing to show leadership after he began a three-week holiday two days before the Foreign Office internally accepted Kabul was about to fall to the Taliban.Sir Philip Barton stayed on holiday until 28 August and during bruising evidence to the foreign affairs select committee, he admitted this was a mistake. Continue reading...
Witnesses describe Ryder Cup winner’s behaviour on British Airways flight as ‘completely bizarre’A Ryder Cup-winning golfer has said he was “embarrassed and felt horrible” after being accused of drunkenly groping a woman on a flight.Thorbjørn Olesen, who was ranked 51st in the world at the time, was on a British Airways flight from the US to the UK when the alleged incident happened. He was travelling with other professionals, including England’s Ian Poulter, 45, and Justin Rose, 41, after the World Golf Championships-FedEx St Jude Invitational in Memphis. Continue reading...
Speculation about listing comes amid reports of Porsche and Piëch families considering their VW stakeVolkswagen is still considering a stock market listing of its luxury sports car brand Porsche, according to reports, as it looks to raise capital for a costly shift towards electric vehicles.Estimates for what Porsche could be worth as a standalone company range between €45bn and €90bn (£38bn and £77bn). Continue reading...
by Hosted by Jane Lee. Recommended by Mike Hytner. Wr on (#5SS5A)
The Q-League is a far cry from the refugee camps where some of its players learned to play football using scrunched up plastic bags. Guardian Australia’s sport editor Mike Hytner introduces this story about the inclusiveness of sport and a player’s memory of holding a real football for the first timeYou can read the original article here: Rohingya United: the football team bringing together refugees
Analysis: why the UK is bracing for a second winter storm and where it is coming fromThe UK is facing a second big storm, Storm Barra, while some homes in the north are still lacking power after the devastation of Storm Arwen just over a week ago. Continue reading...
Man, 67, convicted of assault for removing testicles of several people and causing one person to dieA German court convicted a 67-year-old electrician of aggravated, dangerous and simple assault for removing the testicles of several men at their request, causing one person to die, the dpa news agency has reported.A Munich regional court sentenced the man to eight years and six months in prison. The defendant, whose name was not released for privacy reasons, had initially also been charged with murder by omission but prosecutors later dropped that charge. Continue reading...
The arrival of the Omicron variant and rising infection rates has led to myriad new rules that travellers have to negotiate before setting offSpain has banned all non-vaccinated Britons from entering the country. The ban is expected to last until at least 31 December, at which point the rules will be reviewed. Continue reading...
Businesswoman had made claims about journalist’s inclusion in a contact book owned by Jeffrey EpsteinAndrew Neil says he has launched legal action against Jennifer Arcuri, the US businesswoman and former lover of Boris Johnson, after she made claims about the veteran journalist’s inclusion in a contact book owned by the deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.In a public spat that started with a disagreement over the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines, Arcuri tagged the former BBC presenter in a now-deleted tweet that read: “Citation for @afneil: Not only is he a paid for pharma puppet but here he is on the pedo elite train. Everyone knows what happened on that plane.” Alongside were the hashtags #itsOver and #ticktock, a picture of Neil arm in arm with a woman, and a screengrab from Epstein’s address book purportedly showing Neil’s name. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#5SRXT)
Apology comes as dozens of junior officials to former ministers face investigationThe government has apologised for failures in the lead up to the Grenfell Tower fire, admitting to “errors and missed opportunities” that helped create “an environment in which such a tragedy was possible”.It told the public inquiry into the disaster it was “deeply sorry” and conceded it did not know how building regulations were being applied on the ground. It said the “system failed”. Continue reading...
Patrick Zaki was detained last year and still faces charges of ‘spreading false news’An Egyptian court has ordered the release of researcher Patrick Zaki, whose detention in February last year sparked international condemnation, particularly in Italy where he had been studying, his family said.“I’m jumping for joy!” his mother Hala Sobhi told AFP. “We’re now on our way to the police station in Mansoura,” a city in Egypt’s Nile Delta, where Zaki is from. Continue reading...
Cheese and chocolate are your friends, but keep them bite-sized. Top chefs share their favourite nibbles …• Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.comWhat makes the best party snacks?
Inmate says police refused to open doors amid blaze that left 38 dead and 69 seriously hurtA massive fire ripped through an overcrowded prison in Burundi before dawn on Tuesday, killing dozens of inmates and seriously injuring many more, the country’s vice-president said.Many inmates were still sleeping at the time of the blaze that destroyed several parts of the facility in Burundi’s political capital, Gitega, witnesses said. Continue reading...
Alexander Layton repeatedly stabbed James Stokoe, who had shouted at him for crossing the road carelesslyA pedestrian who fatally stabbed a driver who shouted at him for crossing the road carelessly has been convicted of murder and sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in prison.Alexander Layton was convicted of murdering James Stokoe, a 40-year-old married father, in his BMW in Thornaby, Teesside, in May 2020, following a trial at Teesside crown court. Continue reading...
Nato not sending a clear signal would mean ‘glue that keeps us together’ has failed, says foreign ministerA swift reprisal package against Russia – including US troops and Patriot missiles stationed in the Baltics, the cutting off of Russia from the Swift banking payments system and reinstated sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline – must be prepared now in case it invades Ukraine, the Latvian foreign minister has said.The warning from Edgars Rinkēvičs comes as Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin prepare to hold talks about the growing tensions. Continue reading...
As he releases his latest film as a director, what do you want to ask the man who played the ultimate Euro-iceman in 80s action flicks?Here’s some things you might not know about Dolph Lundgren: he’s got a masters in chemical engineering, Jerry Springer played the US president in his directorial debut The Defender, and his real first name is … Hans.Well, would Hans Lundgren have been the same big deal? The ultimate Euro-iceman in the 1980s, he played a villain in Bond film A View to a Kill (at the behest of then-girlfriend Grace Jones, who had a starring role in the film), and man-mountain Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in the fondly remembered Rocky IV (so fondly remembered, in fact, that director-star Sylvester Stallone, weirdly, felt the need to release a director’s cut a few weeks back). Lundgren, notoriously, put Stallone in hospital with a dangerously swollen heart after he was allowed to whale on his co-star, no holds barred, for a few seconds. Continue reading...
‘National working week’ aimed at improving work-life balance and economic competitivenessThe United Arab Emirates is cutting its working week to four-and-a-half days and moving its weekend from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday in a major shift aimed at improving the country’s competitiveness, officials have said.The “national working week” will be mandatory for government bodies from 1 January and bucks the regional norm of a full day-off on Friday for Muslim prayers. Continue reading...
by Mostafa Rachwani (now) and Caitlin Cassidy,Elias V on (#5SR16)
Scott Morrison has made a statement about George Christensen’s appearance with Alex Jones; Adam Bandt says Greens want to ‘improve and pass’ Labor’s climate policy, not block it; Reserve Bank leaves cash rate unchanged at 0.1%; David Littleproud says ‘conversations are happening’ about Olympics boycott; NSW teachers’ strike closes nearly 400 public schools; Victoria pandemic bill becomes law; Victoria records 1,185 cases and seven deaths; NSW records 260 cases and two deaths – follow all the day’s news
Beijing dismisses no-show and says American officials had not been invited in the first place, as other countries consider their positionsChina has reacted angrily to the US government’s diplomatic boycott of next year’s Winter Olympics, as more countries said they would consider joining the protest over Beijing’s human rights record and New Zealand announced it would not send representatives to the Games.Chinese officials dismissed Washington’s boycott as a “posturing and political manipulation” and tried to discredit the decision by claiming that US diplomats had not even been invited to Beijing in the first place. Continue reading...
After 30 years in exile, it’s easy to doubt that it will ever be safe to live and work in Sudan. But the action being taken by young people shows democracy will rise again“All the goodness and the heroisms will rise up again, then be cut down again and rise up,” John Steinbeck wrote to a friend in 1941, just before the US entered the second world war. “It isn’t that the evil thing wins – it never will – but that it doesn’t die.”Growing up, I was always interested in politics, politics was the reason I had to leave Sudan at the age of 11. At school, we weren’t allowed to study or discuss it, and it was the same at home.For years, I lay in bed and listened to my father and his friends as they argued about politics and sang traditional songs during their weekend whisky rituals. They watched a new Arabic news channel, Al Jazeera, which aired from Qatar. All the journalism my father consumed about Sudan was from the London-based weekly opposition newspaper, Al Khartoum. The only time he turned on our dial-up internet was to visit Sudanese Online. Continue reading...
Comedian says he ‘hypnotises’ hand to stop it shaking but laments condition stopping him writingBilly Connolly said he has learned to hypnotise his hand to stop shaking due to Parkinson’s disease, but lamented not being able to write by hand due to the condition that has forced him to retire from live standup comedy.Speaking during an interview with the Radio Times, Connolly said he treated his illness the way he used to deal with hecklers at his comedy shows. When he starts to shake, he stops what he’s doing and faces it down. Continue reading...
As he stars alongside Olivia Colman in a drama about the Mansfield Murders, the actor talks about his discomfort with Naked, doing night shoots with Julie Walters – and growing old grotesquelyDavid Thewlis, speaking by Zoom from his home in the Berkshire village of Sunningdale, has set his screen at a jaunty angle. His manner is equable, nerdy, eager to please. Nothing like what you’d expect, in other words – unless you had watched Landscapers, a new four-part TV drama in which Thewlis stars opposite Olivia Colman. Perhaps he’s one of those actors who doesn’t de-role until he’s on to the next character.Landscapers is true crime, in so far as the protagonists are Susan and Christopher Edwards, the so-called Mansfield Murderers convicted in 2014 of killing Susan’s parents and burying them in the garden 15 years before. Yet it is absolutely nothing like true crime. It jumps through time and genre, smashes the fourth wall then puts it back together as a jail cell. It is vividly experimental yet recalls the golden age of British TV, specifically Dennis Potter and his dreamlike, restless theatricality. “I didn’t think of that while we were making it,” says Thewlis. “But when I saw it, I thought of The Singing Detective – which I was in!” Continue reading...
Modern society has largely exiled death to the outskirts of existence, but Covid-19 has forced us all to confront it. Our relationship to the planet, each other and time itself can never be the same againWe have been asked to write about the future, the afterlife of the pandemic, but the future can never be told. This at least was the view of the economist John Maynard Keynes, who was commissioned to edit a series of essays for the Guardian in 1921, as the world was rebuilding after the first world war. The future is “fluctuating, vague and uncertain”, he wrote later, at a time when the mass unemployment of the 1930s had upended all confidence, the first stage on a road to international disaster that could, and could not, be foreseen. “The senses in which I am using the term [uncertain],” he said, “is that in which the prospect of a European war is uncertain, or the price of copper and the rate of interest 20 years hence, or the obsolescence of a new invention, or the position of private wealth-owners in the social system in 1970. About these matters there is no scientific basis on which to form any calculable probability whatever. We simply do not know.”This may always be the case, but the pandemic has brought this truth so brutally into our lives that it threatens to crush the best hopes of the heart, which always look beyond the present. We are being robbed of the illusion that we can predict what will happen in the space of a second, a minute, an hour or a day. From one moment to the next, the pandemic seems to turn and point its finger at anyone, even at those who believed they were safely immune. The distribution of the virus and vaccination programme in different countries has been cruelly unequal, but as long as Covid remains a global presence, waves of increasing severity will be possible anywhere and at any moment in time. The most deadly pandemic of the 20th century, the Spanish flu at the end of the first world war, went through wave after wave and lasted for nearly four years. Across the world, people are desperate to feel they have turned a corner, that an end is in sight, only to be faced with a future that seems to be retreating like a vanishing horizon, a shadow, a blur. Nobody knows, with any degree of confidence, what will happen next. Anyone claiming to do so is a fraud. Continue reading...
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