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Duke University neuroscientist urges international community to challenge Brazilian government over its failure to containBrazil’s rampant coronavirus outbreak has become a global threat that risks spawning new and even more lethal variants, one of the South American country’s top scientists has warned as it suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic.Speaking to the Guardian, Miguel Nicolelis, a Duke University neuroscientist who is tracking the crisis, urged the international community to challenge the Brazilian government over its failure to contain an epidemic that has killed more than a quarter of a million Brazilians – about 10% of the global total. Continue reading...

Spanish dramas such as Money Heist have been taking the world by storm in recent years. But why are film-makers now flooding to the country’s north-west to make their shows?Rosa Vargas’s arrival in a small town in north-western Spain to investigate the disappearance of a young girl marked an unlikely milestone. Vargas is the fictional police detective in O sabor das margaridas (Bitter Daisies), which, in 2019 became the first series in Galician, a language spoken by fewer than 2.5 million people, to be broadcast by Netflix. The series became one of the top 10 most-watched non-English language shows in the UK and Ireland just a month after its international release.A decade after Nordic noir captured the attention of international TV audiences, a TV genre some are calling “Galician noir” is emerging from the rainy corner of Spain. HBO made its debut in the Galician language last year with a Spanish-Portuguese miniseries Auga seca (Dry Water), a murder mystery set in the port city of Vigo, and was soon followed by the Galician-produced police thriller La unidad (The Unit) on the Spanish subscription platform Movistar+. More recently, El desorden que dejas (The Mess You Leave Behind), based on a novel by the screenwriter Carlos Montero, premiered on Netflix in December. Continue reading...

The attorney general makes a statement in Perth saying he will not step down. This blog is now closed

Aide alleged in 2018 that Duchess of Sussex’s behaviour had driven out two personal assistants, say reports

Accidental publication adds to growing body of evidence of Beijing’s efforts to persecute minorityChinese labour programmes in Xinjiang are designed at least partly to reduce the population density of the Uighur ethnic minority group, according to a study accidentally published online.The Chinese report, by academics of Nankai University, was taken down in mid-2020, but a copy was archived by the academic Dr Adrian Zenz. It adds to the growing body of evidence of Beijing’s concerted efforts to persecute Uighurs in what human rights experts and some governments have labelled cultural genocide. Continue reading...

Phased distribution plans in some states do not name population as a priority while CDC recognizes it as high riskAs many as 18 states in the US have not specifically prioritized the homeless community in their plans for distributing Covid-19 vaccines, despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizing the population as particularly high risk when it comes to the virus, a study has found.Research conducted by the National Academy for State Health Policy, a non-partisan forum of policymakers, focused on people living in homeless shelters and found that the phased distribution plans in such states as Maryland, Illinois and Minnesota did not explicitly name that community as a priority population. Continue reading...

The number of civilians reported killed in explosions nearly halved in 2020 to the lowest level in a decadeThe number of civilian casualties in conflicts around the world plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic, a new report shows.Last year, an average of 10 civilians a day were reported killed by explosive weapons, compared with 18 in 2019, according to analysis by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), a London-based charity. Continue reading...

Australian of the year says prime minister has ‘clearly not’ lived up to his expressed hope that rape survivors feel they will be believedThe Australian of the year, Grace Tame, has rebuked the prime minister for his rhetoric and handling of sexual assault claims that have engulfed his government.Tame, a survivor of sexual assault who has been a fearless advocate for fellow survivors and the need to change how the nation and the law handles their cases, was asked to address Scott Morrison admitting he needed his wife to understand the allegations raised by Brittany Higgins. Continue reading...

Photographer Andy Hall has been photographing the Square Mile throughout the pandemic, and has seen the financial centre turn into a ghost town of empty buildings and lone security staff Continue reading...

Cerebral palsy made my body a country of error and pain. It took me years to accept the part of me that craves intimacy

Health minister Brad Hazzard says he was not told which aged care facilities in the state are being vaccinated or of plans to use the ADF for distribution

Orthodox church says entry ‘praises the fatalistic submission of humans to the devil’s authority’The Orthodox Church of Cyprus has called for the withdrawal of the country’s controversial entry into this year’s Eurovision song contest titled “El Diablo,” charging that the song makes an international mockery of country’s moral foundations by advocating “our surrender to the devil and promoting his worship”.The Holy Synod, the church’s highest decision-making body, said in a statement that the song “essentially praises the fatalistic submission of humans to the devil’s authority” and urged the state broadcaster to replace it with one that “expresses our history, culture, traditions and our claims.” Continue reading...

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MPs say Commons vote is needed as funding budget has dropped below 0.7% of UK gross national incomeAid agencies say they are being forced to prepare to suspend health clinics in Somalia serving as many as 2,000 women and children a month, after they have been warned they may face cuts as high as 40% in their UK funding.Action Against Hunger’s East Africa regional director, Hajir Maalim, said: “We have been told to make no financial commitments into the next financial year, only a month away, and this makes it very difficult to plan. We are facing the further threat of food shortages and the spread of Covid. Our scenario planning is for likely 40% cuts, and that will mean the closure of frontline health clinics in Mogadishu. If those cuts go ahead it will be like taking the bandages off the wounded. What we need as much as anything is certainty.” Continue reading...

My father, Mike Kewell, who has died aged 83, was a weather forecaster turned transport economist who worked for many years for British Rail, including on planning for the building of the Channel Tunnel.Mike was born in Danbury, Essex, to Margaret (nee Tonkin), a machinist, and Frederick Kewell, a roofing consultant. He attended King Edward VI grammar school in Chelmsford, then worked briefly for Barclays Bank before two years of national service with the RAF as a progress clerk, rising to corporal. In 1958 he spent nine months as a purser serving on the SS Nevasa and SS Dunera, troop ships that also carried civilian passengers. Continue reading...

Inquiry’s report is being seen by experts as a crucial opportunity to address a failing systemAustralia’s aged care sector is set for a “generational paradigm shift”, according to Scott Morrison, after the royal commission into the system laid bare deep-rooted “neglect and abuse” of older Australians and delivered recommendations for a path forward.The royal commission has made 148 recommendations to address structural issues in funding and governance, formulated after evidence from 641 experts, residents and families over almost 100 hearing days since the prime minister ordered the inquiry in October 2018. Continue reading...

Group of 67 high-profile figures say they are ‘deeply disturbed’ by recent closure of LGBTQ+ centre in AccraSome of the UK’s most prominent Ghanaians have joined together to condemn their former homeland for its stance on gay rights in what will be seen as an extraordinary show of diaspora power.The influential names in fashion, film and media, including Idris Elba and the Vogue editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, have signed an open letter in support of Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community. Naomi Campbell, although, not of Ghanaian heritage, has also put her name to the letter. Continue reading...

Sarkozy found guilty of corruption and influence peddling but is unlikely to spend time in prisonA court has found Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling and sentenced the former French president to three years in prison with two of them suspended.France’s president from 2007 to 2012 was accused of forging a “corruption pact” with his lawyer and a senior magistrate. Judges said there was “serious evidence” of collaboration between the three men to break the law. Continue reading...

A new police science unit in France is deploying groundbreaking forensics and believes DNA will soon allow it to put faces on suspectsImagine a crime scene. The body of a man in a red sweatshirt and jeans lies dead on the living room floor of an apartment, a revolver near his right hand. There is a blood stain on the blue patterned rug and a bullet hole in the ceiling. On a low table sit an almost empty bottle of whisky and two glasses. The television is off.If this were an episode of the French TV crime drama Engrenages (Spiral) which ran for eight seasons, or the more recent Netflix hit Lupin, the mystery would have been solved and the killer caught before the screen credits rolled. Continue reading...

The world’s poorest are becoming poorer as the impact of Covid compounds existing crises, says Disaster Emergency Comittee

Export delays have caused price of catch to drop, along with wages in historic Devon harbour

Hatice Cengiz calls on Joe Biden to serve justice after US finds Mohammed bin Salman approved journalist’s killingJamal Khashoggi’s fiancee has said Mohammed bin Salman must be “punished without delay” after the publication of a US intelligence assessment found the Saudi crown prince approved of the journalist’s killing.“The truth – that was already known – has been revealed one more time, and is now confirmed,” said Hatice Cengiz, a Turkish researcher who was engaged to marry Khashoggi, in a statement on Monday. “Yet this is not enough, since the truth can only be meaningful when it serves justice being achieved.” Continue reading...

Several European countries opted not to give the jab to older age groups due to lack of data

Following a recent similar Royal Mint slip-up, the Westminster Collection’s new 50p coins have sent Carroll experts down an internet rabbit hole to source false quotesAs Oscar Wilde famously never said, don’t trust Goodreads as a source for quotes. A month after the Royal Mint released a new £2 coin to celebrate HG Wells with an inaccurate quotation (and a tripod with four legs), Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll is the latest to be immortalised in currency through words they never wrote.A collection of 50p coins celebrating 150 years since the conclusion of Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland tales has been released by the Westminster Collection, who described them as featuring the characters’ “best known quotes”. Unfortunately, eagle-eyed experts spotted that, though some of the lines feature on Goodreads and numerous inspirational posters, they were never penned by Carroll. Continue reading...

The assault happened hours before A Current Affair broadcast a segment on an Australian far-right groupThe leader of an Australian neo-Nazi group has been filmed assaulting a Channel Nine security guard just hours before the network’s A Current Affair broadcast a segment about the organisation.Thomas Sewell, one of the leaders of the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network, was filmed assaulting the guard on Monday afternoon after he and another man came to the network’s offices in Melbourne before its tabloid current affairs program aired a segment about the group. Continue reading...

Jeremy Samuel says the incident ‘was a very, very heavy weight on her. I’m incredibly sad for her on so many levels’Jeremy Samuel says he met the woman who has alleged she was raped by a cabinet minister in January 1988 during that same year.“I was her friend,” Samuel told Guardian Australia on Monday. “I just want to say that my friend was an incredibly smart, witty, talented and capable person.” Continue reading...

The absence of I May Destroy You was the most memorable part of the small-screen awards, where voters had seemingly binged the biggest streaming hits – and little elseIt has always been hard to care about the Golden Globes, and God knows that it’s difficult to rouse the enthusiasm to care about anything one year into a pandemic. So, in truth, last night’s special pandemic edition of the Golden Globes – an entertainment awards show made in a year when most entertainment has either been cancelled or postponed – barely even deserves acknowledgment.In fact, if last night’s show will be remembered for anything at all – which in all honesty seems like a stretch – then it will be the swirl of controversy that engulfed its nominations. In summary: when its shortlists were announced, the best TV show of the year (I May Destroy You) was nowhere to be seen. But the worst TV show of the year (Emily in Paris) was. It’s also worth noting that many lavish treats were gifted to voters by the production a year ago. All that, plus it was just revealed that not a single black person participated in the voting process. Continue reading...

Prime minister pledges $450m for aged care after royal commission final report. This blog is now closed

PM will not stand down minister in question, admitting he was aware of ‘rumours’ of alleged assault earlier this yearScott Morrison says the cabinet minister at the centre of historical rape allegations has “vigorously rejected” the claims, while admitting he was aware of “rumours” of the alleged assault earlier this year.The prime minister has so far declined to launch an independent inquiry into the allegations, declaring he was “not a police force”. Continue reading...

As illegal, and often violent, pushbacks of asylum seekers continue – human rights groups also report growing hostility

‘There is a huge amount of damage you can’t see – the mental trauma’, says Syria Relief report author

Despite its empty promenade and quiet beaches, Blackpool charms our photographer Christopher Thomond once again Continue reading...

Mark Rutte enters final leg of race in dominant position despite ‘difficult phase’ of pandemic

Very bright meteor, known as a fireball, was captured on doorbell cameras across the countryA large meteor blazed across UK skies on Sunday night, delighting those lucky enough to spot it.The meteor was spotted shortly before 10pm and was visible for around seven seconds. It was captured on doorbell and security cameras in Manchester, Cardiff, Honiton, Bath, Midsomer Norton and Milton Keynes. Continue reading...

Priti Patel understood to be concerned that some offenders are only being given three-year termsPeople smugglers could be handed life sentences under plans to ramp up penalties in an effort to stop migrants crossing the Channel.At present, the maximum sentence for people smuggling is 14 years in prison. The Times reported that Priti Patel wants to lengthen jail terms because of her concerns that the average sentence received is three years. Continue reading...

Northern MPs tell chancellor his budget should protect high street and tax online retailers such as AmazonRishi Sunak is under increasing pressure from Conservative “red wall” MPs to go beyond existing support for the UK economy in Wednesday’s budget and cut taxes for thousands of retailers.MPs across the political spectrum are increasingly uneasy that he may introduce income tax rises for middle earners, and the chancellor is facing calls from 45 northern Tories to make “a bold move to reduce business rates”. Continue reading...

Police and troops crack down on rallies held across the country in defiance of juntaAt least 18 people have been killed, according to the UN, after security forces in Myanmar used lethal violence against anti-coup protesters in the most deadly crackdown since the military seized power at the start of February.Live bullets, stun grenades and teargas were fired at demonstrators in several towns and cities as police, backed by troops, attempted to stamp out countrywide rallies held in defiance of the junta. Continue reading...

At least 18 people have been killed, according to the UN, after security forces in Myanmar used lethal violence against anti-coup protesters in the most deadly crackdown since the military seized power at the start of February

Healthcare workers with obesity found to produce only about half the antibodies healthy people do

US seeking resolution to express ‘deepening concern’ over Tehran’s cooperation with UN nuclear agencyIran has threatened to pull out of a deal struck with UN weapons inspectors last weekend if western countries go ahead with plans to censure it over its failure to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Authority.Western leaders are planning to table a motion at the IAEA next week condemning Iran for pulling out of the overarching agreement with the UN body giving inspectors access to its nuclear sites. Continue reading...

Faced with evidence of crimes against humanity, we can’t rely on the glacial pace of international law to provide justiceIt’s a scene that’s been played out both in high drama and a blockbuster thriller, in Death and the Maiden and in Marathon Man – a victim chancing many years later upon their tormentor – but in Berlin in 2014 it happened for real. Anwar al-Bunni was in a grocery shop when he ran into a fellow Syrian émigré whose face was familiar. It took him a while to realise that the man was a former intelligence officer who, al-Bunni was sure, once interrogated and jailed him.That encounter led to a trial in a Koblenz court of both that officer and an underling, and this week the more junior of the pair, Eyad al-Gharib, was found guilty of aiding and abetting a crime against humanity inside one of Bashar al-Assad’s jails, a crime that included torture. The verdict was hailed as a first encouraging crack in the impunity of the Assad regime, which has not yet faced justice for the hundreds of thousands of Syrians it killed as it suppressed an uprising that began a decade ago. Continue reading...

The Eurovision homage UK Hun has entered the charts ahead of Rita Ora and Pink, and leads a new wave of drag queens sashaying away from novelty popIf you’ve spent the past fortnight with the words “Bing-bang-bong sing-sang-song ding-dang-dong” reverberating around your brain, Freddy Scott would like to apologise. “To those who say they can’t sleep because they have UK Hun? stuck in your head,” the songwriter says, “I’m sorry–ish.”Scott and his co-writer Leland are the creators of the viral hit from the British edition of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Written as a homage to Eurovision and performed by the show’s drag queen contestants, UK Hun? by United Kingdolls, with its earworm chorus, entered the UK Top 40 at No 27 last week, ahead of established pop acts such as Rita Ora and Pink. It beat the reality TV show’s previous highest chart entry, Break Up Bye Bye, which peaked at No 35 in 2019. Continue reading...

The Guardian’s picture editors select photo highlights from around the world, including the reopening of Sydney’s Opera House, New York Fashion Week, and the festival of Purim Continue reading...

Opposition leader faces accusations over nationalist past but allies call for support to ensure his safetyThe Kremlin is taking aim at Alexei Navalny’s reputation, as the opposition leader was sent to a prison colony in Russia, a journey into a “grey zone” where supporters say he will need maximum international support to ensure his safety.For years Navalny was a phantom in Russian state media, his name studiously absent from the lips of top officials and news anchors. A favourite game among the opposition was to write his name on a snowbank – municipal workers would often arrive shortly after to sweep it away. Continue reading...

Skrillex, Erol Alkan and those close to the French duo chart how they went from being industry outsiders to defining the trajectory of dance musicFollowing their split this week after 28 years, Daft Punk have ascended to pop Valhalla. Perhaps they’re sitting next to Prince, whose pirouetting falsetto funk and emotional vulnerability inspired the duo’s 2001 masterpiece Discovery, and Led Zeppelin, from whom they cribbed double-necked guitars and 10-tonne drums on 2005’s Human After All. Yet those albums were met with a mixed reception – audiences and critics alike had to learn to trust Daft Punk’s vision of the future.For British producer-DJ Erol Alkan, whose fan forums were an essential incubator of the blog house movement that swept through club culture in the 2000s, the Parisians had a “deeply profound impact” on a generation, including Alkan. “They were a gateway into so much music that I love, and a big part of that admiration comes down to their position as outsiders,” he says. Daft Punk’s magpie approach to songwriting and visual art was a dominant story of early 21st-century music, similarly colouring the work of MIA, 2ManyDJs, the Avalanches and other sample-stitchers. Although some commentators queried how much inspiration could actually be bound up in recycling, Alkan thinks that in Daft Punk’s case, “the references are strong and familiar, and there is enough of themselves in there for it to always remain theirs”. Continue reading...

Begum, who fled as a schoolgirl to join Isis in Syria, will not be able to re-enter UK to fight case in person

Yanshui beehive fireworks festival was almost cancelled but has gone ahead to hopefully ward off virus

Family investment firm of French billionaire Bernard Arnault, and L Catterton agree €4bn dealThe French family behind Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior is to take control of the German sandal maker Birkenstock in a €4bn deal.Financière Agache, the family investment firm of Bernard Arnault, the French billionaire who controls the designer brand conglomerate LVMH, and L Catterton, a private equity firm part-owned by LVMH, has bought a majority stake in the family-owned footwear firm. The value of the deal was not confirmed but is understood to be in the region of €4bn (£3.5bn). Continue reading...

Archaeologist Gabriel Zuchtriegel takes controversy in his stride as he develops programme for siteGabriel Zuchtriegel is used to ruffling a few feathers. In 2015, the German archaeologist was hired to manage Paestum, a vast park of ancient Greek ruins in the southern Italian region of Campania. He was among the first crop of foreigners picked to direct an Italian museum or cultural site as part of what was a contentious drive to revamp the management of the country’s heritage. Not only was he foreign but he was the youngest person in charge of a major site.Six years on, Zuchtriegel, now 39, provoked a fresh quarrel last week after being appointed director of one of the world’s most treasured archaeological sites: Pompeii. Within hours, two of the park’s board members resigned, with one of them telling the press that Zuchtriegel – who was credited by the culture minister, Dario Franceschini, for having done an “incredible job” at Paestum – didn’t have enough experience to take the helm at Pompeii. Continue reading...

Getting up at dawn used to be vital, but pandemic productivity levels show early risers no longer have the moral high groundA study from Finland has discovered – I paraphrase slightly – that early risers are better than night owls. As I am an extreme night owl writing this at nine o’clock in some morning or other, I dismiss the findings utterly and assume the researchers have to be in the pay of Big Lark. Continue reading...