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Once confined to the western states, the wolf’s adaptable smaller cousin has been carving out a niche in urban areas Donald Trump has a $269m golf course in New York City that is regularly prowled by feared, largely nocturnal individuals that instinctively prey upon those they deem smaller and weaker. We are, of course, talking about coyotes. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/36abRT3

You say you want a resolution? Writers, artists and adventurers share their ideas for kickstarting the year ahead Philip Marsden, writer Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QbQew6

Winning images from the year’s national and international wildlife photography competitions Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/35eB51t

Many of us now pay a monthly sum to have unlimited access to vast libraries of songs UK music purchases hit highest level since 2006 The consumption of music in the UK is now higher than in any year since 2006, when the industry was being powered by the downloadable mp3 file. Thirteen years ago, Crazy by Gnarls Barkley became the first song to get to No 1 on downloads alone as consumers switched over from CD singles and filled up iPods with individually purchased tracks (and, possibly, pirated ones too), while still purchasing plenty of CD albums. In the years since there have been seismic changes in the industry. As CD players in new cars and home entertainment systems become rarer, while vinyl’s tactility and size remains more appealing to some , the CD is becoming a marginal format (though they still outsell vinyl by more than five to one). Downloads appear even more anachronistic. Indeed, the very idea of ownership of music – most of all the ownership of intangible mp3 files ...

Papers unite to criticise former Nissan chairman, saying he had ‘lost the opportunity to prove his innocence’ The usually staid Japanese media has criticised Carlos Ghosn after the tycoon jumped bail and fled to Lebanon – reportedly inside a musical instrument case – to avoid what he called “political persecution” in Japan. “Running away is a cowardly act that mocks Japan’s justice system,” said the Yomiuri Shimbun, with Ghosn facing multiple charges of financial misconduct – all of which he denies. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZDCJZe

Evacuees and residents in Victoria band together to help one another, while cut-off NSW communities struggle to reconnect to the world outside Donations began arriving at Lucknow Memorial Hall, on the outskirts of Bairnsdale, at 1pm on Tuesday. Within 24 hours a second donation point had been set up at Lucknow primary school, because the hall was full. Clothes are stacked on three trestle tables in the centre of the hall, blankets are lined up on the floor, and food – staples such as cereal and long-life milk – are against one long wall. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37BggPp

This is the year to start taking happiness seriously. But how – and where do you find the time? Here are the tips and advice you need for a pleasure-filled year The last time I felt joy was at an event that would be many people’s vision of hell: a drunken Taylor Swift club-night singalong in the early hours of the morning a few weekends ago. I certainly experience joy, either as peaks of euphoria or in quiet, unexpected bursts. But as I go about my everyday business – sprinting to meet deadlines, standing in front of the open fridge – I wouldn’t say it looms large. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2u8Z45f

The Guardian’s political editor, Heather Stewart, rings in the new year and looks at what to expect on the podcast in 2020 Follow us on Twitter: @GuardianHeather and @DaniS1006 Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QuGADy

A young preacher wants to share his message of peace, love and fantastic cheekbones with the world in Netflix’s potent new thriller. But the CIA have other ideas Is he the messiah? Or is he a very naughty boy? These are the animating questions of the 10-part Netflix drama Messiah, a political thriller built around the advent in Syria of a young preacher man (played with grace, charm and passion by Mehdi Dehbi). Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Qf0rI1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Charging that Iran was “fully responsible” for an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, President Donald Trump ordered about 750 U.S. soldiers deployed to the Middle East as about 3,000 more prepared for possible deployment in the next several days. No U.S. casualties or evacuations were reported after the attack Tuesday by dozens of Iran-supported militiamen. U.S. Marines were sent from Kuwait to reinforce the compound. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday night that “in response to recent events” in Iraq, and at Trump’s direction, he authorized the immediate deployment of the infantry battalion from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He did not specify the soldiers’ destination, but a U.S. official familiar with the decision said they will go to Kuwait. “This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed i...

Move is hailed by Sir David Attenborough as ‘the most prestigious environment prize in history’ Prince William has announced what was described as “the most prestigious environment prize in history” to encourage new solutions to tackling the climate crisis. The “Earthshot prize” will be awarded to five people every year over the next decade, the Prince said on Tuesday, and aims to provide at least 50 answers to some of the greatest problems facing the planet by 2030. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/36l1U5u

In bestselling books, Ted Talks and podcasts, the famous love to tell us how they failed – and it seems we love to listen There is no better time to be a failure. Or, to put it another way, now would seem like a good moment to turn failure into success. The relentless focus on exams at school means most of us are reared to view failure as undesirable, a consequence of not knuckling down and doing your homework. But in the adult world failure is increasingly fetishised and monetised. Setbacks, both major and minor, are evidence of our struggle. We are all the better for having messed up. While some struggles may be ongoing, the popular narrative requires the protagonist to have triumphed Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2F6AXX2

The pattern of bushfires is part of our lives. But these fires are not going out We know the sight by heart: corrugated iron on a low pile of ash with a chimney left standing. Another house gone. And the pattern of bushfires is part of our lives too. They burn until a cold wind blows up the coast when it buckets down dousing the flames. But that’s not the pattern now. The downpour has been postponed officially until late January . Things are looking up: it was April. Either way the experts are saying the weeks ahead are looking dry, tinder dry. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2SGoQrB

A visibly annoyed Pope Francis had to pull himself away from a woman in a crowd in St Peter's Square on New Year's Ever after she grabbed his hand and yanked him towards her. Pope Francis was walking through the square and greeting pilgrims. After reaching out to greet a child, the pope turned away from the crowd only for a nearby woman to seize his hand and pull her towards him. The abrupt gesture appeared to cause him pain and Francis slapped swiftly slapped at her hand before pulling his hand free Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZKp2rA

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the Trump administration of dragging its feet in nuclear negotiations and warned that his country will soon show a new strategic weapon to the world as it bolsters its nuclear deterrent in face of “gangster-like” U.S. sanctions and pressure. The North’s state media said Wednesday that Kim made the comments during a four-day ruling party conference held through Tuesday in the capital Pyongyang, where he declared that the North will never give up its security for economic benefits in the face of what he described as increasing U.S. hostility and nuclear threats. Kim’s comments came after a monthslong standoff between Washington and Pyongyang over disagreements involving disarmament steps and the removal of sanctions imposed on the North. “He said that we will never allow the impudent U.S. to abuse the DPRK-U.S. dialogue for meeting its sordid aim but will shift to a shocking actual action to make it pay...

Authorities responded quickly after activists set fire to barricades as city prepares for a huge march on New Year’s Day Hong Kong police fired teargas a few minutes into 2020 as pro-democracy protesters marked the New Year with midnight countdown rallies ahead of a huge march on 1 January. The city has been battered by more than six months of unrest with marches attended by millions, as well as confrontations in which police have fired teargas and rubber bullets – and protesters have responded with petrol bombs. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2F9gvET

The prime minister has used his New Year’s Eve message to try to pretend this disaster is not different There is a message woven into everything the prime minister says about these fires, carefully threaded through every pronouncement – that they are not extraordinary, not unprecedented. With the skill of a man who made a pre-politics career of messaging, Scott Morrison’s narrative is of a disaster in no way different from disasters Australians have faced in the past. A terrible event to be sure, but one from which we will recover with the resilience and “Aussie spirit” we have always shown during our long history of similar crises. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ua9pxR

Kim Jong-un also unveils plans for a ‘new strategic weapon’ after brushoff from Trump North Korea is abandoning its moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, state media has reported its leader Kim Jong-un as saying. Kim also reportedly said his country planned to introduce a “new strategic weapon” in the near future. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/39wlptu

Fox News Breaking News Alert Up to 4,000 US troops could deploy to Middle East amid Baghdad unrest, officials say 12/31/19 3:17 PM

Health service spends £150m a year treating migraines and £250m on headaches NHS England has announced plans aimed at preventing up to 16,500 emergency hospital admissions for headaches and migraines each year. Greater use of headache diaries, where patients record their symptoms, and faster access to specialist advice for family doctors are among the measures intended to reduce the pressure on frontline services. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2SKf1ZQ

Royal Mint will also mark George III’s reign and VE Day 75th anniversary in 2020 King George III’s reign and the 75th anniversary of VE Day are due to be commemorated on coins released this year, the Royal Mint has revealed. The new British coin collection will also mark 100 years since Dame Agatha Christie published her first novel and celebrate Team GB in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympic Games . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/35eYy2v

The nation’s scientists are racing to find ways to reduce the release of methane from cows and sheep, which accounts for one third of all emissions It is not exactly glamorous work. Measuring sheep farts is smelly, time consuming and expensive. But for Dr Suzanne Rowe, a scientist who is breeding strains of sheep that emit less methane than regular flocks, there is nothing more important she feels she could be doing. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MH0uKA

The defence of this precious, fragile part of the world is being sustained almost entirely by volunteers It starts a few days ago, with perfectly preserved eucalyptus leaves twirling out of the sky, brittle and scorched. I’m not sure anyone knows how it ends. Today was meant to be a birthday party. Instead, I’m woken before a dawn that never really arrives; checking the app to see the fire we’ve been tracking for the last three days has made a break for it. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/39mO9F4

The Y2K problem is now seen as a bit of a joke – but only a fool would be complacent about the vulnerability of IT systems On New Year’s Eve 20 years ago, Scottish air traffic controllers called the emergency room in London to say their radar had failed as they could see no aircraft. The radar was actually working perfectly. All flights had been cancelled because of fears that planes or airports would fail at midnight because of the “millennium bug”. Around the world, plenty of other people were anxious too. The first signs of this “Y2K problem” or the Year 2000 bug had appeared 12 years earlier in 1988 when a batch of tinned meat was rejected by a supermarket because it appeared to be more than 80 years past its use-by date. Four years later, Mary Bandar of Winona, Minnesota, was invited to join a kindergarten class because according to a computer she was four. Aged 104, she decided against. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37iy814

Thousands shelter on beaches as fires rip through Victoria and New South Wales Australia’s bushfire crisis has claimed at least two more lives, authorities confirmed on Tuesday, as dozens of fires tore through several towns on the east coast and forced thousands of people to take shelter on beaches. Two people – a father and son – died when fire hit the New South Wales town of Cobargo on Tuesday, while emergency services officials held grave fears for a third person, near Narooma, on the state’s south coast. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2SMlSSJ

Documents show prime minister followed up on letter suggesting the idea in 1996 John Major investigated the possibility of renaming Heathrow airport after Winston Churchill, documents released by the National Archives reveal. The prime minister was intrigued by the idea after a Mayfair businessman, inspired by reading the bestselling novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, lobbied him. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2tlexhW

New woodlands and wild places are needed to fight climate crisis and improve people’s health Half of the nation’s farmland needs to be transformed into woodlands and natural habitat to fight the climate crisis and restore wildlife, according to a former chief scientific adviser to the UK government. Prof Sir Ian Boyd said such a change could mean the amount of cattle and sheep would fall by 90%, with farmers instead being paid for storing carbon dioxide, helping prevent floods and providing beautiful landscapes where people could boost their health and wellbeing. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZDaMkd

With ever more tech in our lives, our data is vulnerable. Here are our six top tips to keep it safe in the new year Technology is changing our lives for the better; yet it’s also exposing us to organised crime, online scammers and hackers – and whole industries built around monetising our personal data. But you don’t have to be resigned to cyber-victimhood. Give yourself, and your devices, a security update for 2020 and start fighting back. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QCYgNq

The next leader must take an imaginative leap that Corbyn didn’t – and accept the need for progressive coalitions The general election was not just a crushing defeat for Corbynism. It was a resounding verdict on the entire history of “Labourism”. Labourism is the name of a specific political ideology – a habit of political thought and action – that is almost unique to the British left. According to this belief, there is only one true vehicle for progressive politics, the Labour party. Trade unions have their place – to represent their members at an “industrial” level, in workplaces and on shop floors – but actual political campaigning must be delegated to the party, and the primary focus of the party must be winning elections. No other party can ever represent the working class, and any political movement that is not subservient to either unions or party is to be treated with the greatest suspicion. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Qbm8sz

If the Tokyo Olympics aren’t enough reason to plan a trip to Japan this summer, Japan Airlines has an offer that could sweeten the deal—free tickets to a surprise destination in the country for 50,000 lucky travelers. To encourage visitors to travel more widely within Japan, the airline is giving away free round-trip tickets for flights within Japan to foreign tourists this summer. There are a few requirements: Travelers must fly to Japan on Japan Airlines between July 1 and Sept. 30. They must also be registered with the carrier’s Mileage Bank frequent flier program. Applications for the program will open in late February and the airline is expected to release more details in January. The free tickets will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. You can learn more about the program on Japan Airlines’ website. The airline offers direct flights to major U.S. cities, but travelers can book connections from other cities on the Japan Airlines website. Applicants...

Products often endorsed by celebrities are at best ineffective and can be harmful The NHS is warning those making new year resolutions not to fall for “quick fix” diets and fads that boast of taking the pain out of getting slim and fit but are too good to be true. Prof Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, said he applauded the intent to get in shape, but that diet pills, “tea-toxes” and appetite suppressant products, sometimes endorsed by celebrities, are at best ineffective and at worst can be harmful. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37g7shA

Exclusive: Union criticises bank inquiry into IT meltdown payouts that led to five workers being dismissed TSB staff whose own bank accounts were affected by an IT meltdown have been sacked for allegedly gaming the compensation system set up to help customers affected by the debacle. The Guardian understands that compensation claims lodged by a number of TSB workers after the IT collapse in April 2018 were re-assessed this year by TSB for signs that they may have used inside information to get the largest possible payout. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/39qsb47

The ascent of Katie Holmes, Billy Porter’s Oscars gown and the welcome end of the Victoria’s Secret show – we look back at the highs and lols to remember, as well as those best left behind For many, Holmes, now 40, will remain the awkward but erudite teen she played on Dawson’s Creek 20 years ago. For others, she is the woman once married to that famous Scientologist who declared his love for her by jumping up and down on Oprah’s sofa. But for followers of fashion, Holmes has become 2019’s answer to Celine Dion – with Monica from Friends a close second . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MItMsu

Technology and economics could radically change our understanding of the family in years to come – and deepen inherited privilege In 2004, when the year 2020 sounded futuristic, the Guardian predicted it would by now be “very hard” to talk about a “typical family”. Domestic units would be formed in myriad ways and “children living with both their biological parents in the same household” would be in the minority. This hasn’t quite panned out. In the UK today, 84% of babies are born to parents who are married, in a civil partnership or co-habiting, although the statistics don’t reveal all the real-life complexities (many of the parents will be starting second families, for instance). In 2019, 61% of families with dependent children have married or civil-partnered parents (the children may not be biologically related to both). In the US, fewer than half of children are living with two biological parents who are in their first marriage. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://...

A host of celebrities including Tom Hanks and Motsi Mabuse join Graham Norton. Plus: Stormzy rings in the new year at Jools’ Annual Hootenanny. Here’s what to watch this evening The perfect accompaniment to the end-of-year revelry, this year’s BBC lineup is packed with starry turns. Graham Norton’s New Year’s Eve show sees him joined by Tom Hanks to talk about his upcoming film role as Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, plus actor Stephen Graham, Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse and Spice Girl Mel C. Then the UKG stalwart Craig David is at (a scaffolding-covered) Big Ben performing his easily digestible hits before the barrage of fireworks kick in over the Thames. Welcome to 2020. Ammar Kalia Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2F8mhXn

Global elite take out £1.8bn in mortgages for London houses in year to end of September The super-rich have taken out 185 £5m-plus mortgages over the past year to take advantage of historically low interest rates and buy expensive luxury properties in London. Members of the global elite signed up for the loans in the year to the end of September, according to figures released by the Financial Conduct Authority following a freedom of information request. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2td2IKR

Invoked by politicians in Mexico and Spain, the conquistador remains divisive Sword at his side, banner in hand and left foot resting on the head of a vanquished Aztec deity, Hernán Cortés looks out over his hometown, as resolute in death and bronze as he must have been in life and steel. Beneath the statue’s lion-studded plinth is the square that bears his name and the stone that marks the site of the house where he was born in 1485. On the wall outside the mayor’s office hangs a tapestry commemorating the 450th anniversary of the conquistador’s death. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/35ayoh9

Police cannot shoot people ‘because they are panicked or angry’, says Veby Mega Indah In late September, the journalist Veby Mega Indah stood on a footbridge in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district documenting another day of clashes between anti-government protesters and riot police. The demonstrators, crouched under umbrellas, inched forward toward police firing and retreating down a set of stairs toward the street. A journalist of 13 years, trained to work in hostile environments, she stood to the side, out of the way of the standoff and in a group of other reporters. She knew to wear goggles, helmet and a high-vis jacket clearly labelled PRESS. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/36cAG0K

Today in Focus talked to the climate change activist Greta Thunberg in March about the campaign of school strikes she started. As part of a series looking back at some of our favourite episodes of 2019, she told our environment editor Jonathan Watts how it all began This week we return to some of our favourite episodes of the year. Greta Thunberg spoke to Today in Focus in March, before her transatlantic voyage to address the UN. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/39qHSbA

In 2019, politics was dominated by spin doctors PR professionals and talented communicators while a ‘Year of Delivery’ failed to do just that Style isn’t always a bad thing in politics. There is a lot to be said for a politician who can channel emotions and values in a way that salves the soul or mobilises the masses. That’s the type of powerful leadership that makes history. Jacinda Ardern has been an exceptional world leader in this way. In 2019 the New Zealand PM responded to the 15 March terrorist attacks with an emotional and thoughtful response that was a lesson in leadership. Understandably Ardern’s strong and appropriate statements made her the “politician of the year” in nearly every political pundit’s end-of-year summary. Similarly her pronouncement about the Muslim victims that “They are us” was clearly the quote of the year. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2F7TL8w

Chairman Eric Xu warns that hit from US sanctions means telecoms firm must ‘go all out’ to maintain sales The embattled Chinese telecommunications company Huawei says “survival” is its first priority after announcing sales were hit hard by a boycott from western countries. Eric Xu, the company’s chairman, said estimated sales revenue would reach 850bn yuan for 2019 (US$121bn) - up roughly 18% from the previous year, but much lower than initially expected. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/36fC56E

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The newly appointed chief of Colombia’s army says he is willing to meet with soccer star Juan Fernando Quintero to discuss his father’s disappearance more than 20 years ago. Gen. Eduardo Zapateiro said during a military ceremony on Monday he “shares the pain” of Quintero’s family and added that he is willing to meet with the River Plate and Colombian national team midfielder to discuss his father’s final days. Jaime Quintero was last seen in 1995 at an army base in the city of Carepa, which was then commanded by Zapateiro. According to Quintero’s relatives, Jaime was carrying out his compulsory military service, and disappeared after falling out with Zapateiro, who wanted to transfer him to another base due to his unruly behavior. Following Zapateiro’s appointment as army chief last week, Quintero’s relatives gave interviews on local media in which they complained about the general’s promotion, saying he still had not answered questions on Jaime’s d...

Employees over 25 will receive a 6.2% pay rise equating to £930 a year for full-time worker Almost 3 million workers in Britain are to receive a pay rise of more than four times the rate of inflation from April, after the government said it would increase the official minimum wage. In an announcement designed to woo low-paid workers in the immediate aftermath of Boris Johnson’s election victory earlier this month, the government said the national living wage for over-25s would increase from £8.21 an hour to £8.72 from the start of April. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2u0ZOsV

Released papers expose ‘associate membership’ plan and Yeltsin’s drinking habits Russia could have become an “associate member” of Nato 25 years ago if a Ministry of Defence proposal had gained support, according to confidential Downing Street files which also expose Boris Yeltsin’s drinking habits. The suggestion, aimed at reversing a century of east-west antagonism, is revealed in documents released on Tuesday by the National Archives at Kew. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZBDUIy

Cancer charity expands helpline as patients find NHS staff too ‘rushed off their feet’ Growing numbers of people with cancer are seeking advice from Macmillan Cancer Support because overstretched NHS staff are too busy to answer their questions, the charity says. Patients are having to call its helpline for information and guidance instead of asking doctors and nurses in cancer services, who are often too “rushed off their feet” to have the time needed. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Q9hxXK

Orpheus (Maquette 1) from 1956 will go on display at Hepworth Wakefield gallery in February A sculpture by Barbara Hepworth is among three works by British modernist artists to be donated to a public collection. The artist’s bronze sculpture Orpheus (Maquette 1), will go on display at the Hepworth Wakefield gallery in West Yorkshire in February 2020 alongside a sculpture by Denis Mitchell and a painting by William Scott. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2F7gdhV

The Guardian and Observer sport photographer picks his favourite images from the thousands he shot during the past 10 years This is a collection of images I have shot during the last decade. I wasn’t selecting them because they were necessarily the biggest moments or the greatest stars – it was purely because I liked them as pictures and some had nice stories attached. What jumped out at me when choosing them is there should be far more sportswomen featured. The amount of women’s sport I cover has gradually increased but if I get to do a decade round-up in 2029, I want there to be a far more even balance between the sexes. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/366XYFi

(LOS ANGELES) — Zac Efron said he has “bounced back” after an illness while filming a show in Papua New Guinea. On his Twitter and Instagram accounts Sunday, the 32-year-old “High School Musical” actor addressed recent media reports that he had been rushed to the hospital in a serious emergency while filming his new reality adventure series, “Killing Zac Efron.” “Very thankful to everyone who has reached out. I did get sick in Papua New Guinea but I bounced back quick and finished an amazing 3 weeks in P.N.G,” Efron said along with a picture of himself smiling and waving amid a group of local children. He gave no details on what the sickness had been or what treatment he underwent. “I’m home for the holidays with my friends and family,” Efron said. “Thanks for all the love and concern, see you in 2020!” View this post on Instagram Very thankful to everyone who has reached out. I did get sick in Papua New Guinea but I bounced back q...

Delays, overcrowding, trash, rats and a chronic lack of money – New York’s subway is in disarray. Can an ambitious new blueprint fix things? It was the summer of 2017, as New York’s subway trains groaned along on near-100-year-old equipment, throttled by a decades-long lack of funding, when things really came to a head. In June, a train derailed in Harlem , injuring dozens. A month later, another derailed in Brooklyn . Elsewhere, footage went viral after a train broke down in the middle of a tunnel on a typically sweltering New York summer day. After almost an hour the temperature inside the carriages soared, causing, according to the New York Times , “some riders to panic and one woman to strip nearly naked”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MHgpZg

(BEIJING) — Three researchers involved in the births of genetically edited babies have been sentenced for practicing medicine illegally, Chinese state media said Monday. The report by Xinhua news agency said lead researcher He Jiankui was sentenced to three years and fined 3 million yuan ($430,000). Two other people received lesser sentences and fines. Zhang Renli was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 1 million yuan. Qin Jinzhou received an 18-month sentence, but with a two-year reprieve, and a 500,000 yuan fine. He, the lead researcher, said 13 months ago that he had helped make the world’s first genetically edited babies, twin girls born in November 2018. The announcement sparked a global debate over the ethics of gene editing. He also was involved in the birth of a third gene-edited baby.

The biophysicist was guilty of illegal practice in trying to alter the genetic makeup of twins Lula and Nana The scientist who created the world’s first “gene-edited” babies has been sentenced to to three years in prison by a court in China. He Jiankui said in November 2018 that he had used gene-editing technology known as Crispr-Cas9 to change the genes of twin girls, causing a backlash in China and globally about the ethics of his research and work. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Q5BY7Y

Substance misuse is not a simple problem of brain chemistry. The most powerful influences lie outside our heads I used to think addiction was caused by screwy molecules in the brain, and would be cured by neuroscience . I began learning about how the brain works after I ended up in treatment for drug addiction in the mid-1980s, when hopes for neuroscientific cures were as overblown as the hairstyles. My own journey away from the destructive cycle of addiction has been sourced much more by factors outside my brain Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2FazPBz

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. carried out military strikes in Iraq and Syria targeting an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia blamed for a rocket attack that killed an American contractor, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Sunday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the strikes send the message that the U.S. will not tolerate actions by Iran that jeopardize American lives. “Precision defensive strikes” were conducted against five sites of Kataeb Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades, Defense Department spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement earlier Sunday. The U.S. blames the militia for a rocket barrage Friday that killed a U.S. defense contractor at a military compound near Kirkuk, in northern Iraq. Officials said as many as 30 rockets were fired in Friday’s assault. Esper said the U.S. hit three of the militia’s sites in western Iraq and two in eastern Syria, including weapon depots and the militia’s command and control bases. U.S. Air Force F-15 Strike Eagles carried out the...

Contest is in effect a referendum on the future of the self-governed island’s relationship with China Citizen groups in Taiwan are fighting a Russian-style influence and misinformation campaign that is believed to originate across the strait in mainland China with just weeks to go before it votes for its next president, Taiwan goes to the polls on 11 January to decide between two main candidates, incumbent president Tsai-Ing-Wen of the Democratic People’s party (DPP) under whom ties with Beijing have become fraught, and Han Kuo-Yu of the Kuomintang party (KMT), which advocates closer engagement with China. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2u4RXL9

2020 could bring another year of turmoil for Latin America after the dramatic events of 2019 from the Caribbean to Chile Celso Amorim joined Brazil’s foreign service nearly six decades ago and rose all the way to its top but even he struggles to recall a Latin American year like 2019. “Like this? Never before,” Brazil’s former foreign minister said of the tumultuous 12 months that have seen social and political upheaval rattle the region, from Buenos Aires to Bogotá. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37r9dIZ

Weak data used to send stocks down but the promise of never-ending cheap money from central banks means the only way is up With one day of trading to go, 2019 is on course to be one of the strongest in the history of financial markets after shares around the world racked up record after record in another barnstorming year. On Wall Street the Dow Jones industrial average has gone up almost 25% having reached record highs day after day, while the broader S&P500 is up 30% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq has grown 40% in value. The FTSE100 in London is close to its record high, as is the Dax30 in Germany. In the Asia Pacific, the Nikkei is up 15% while Australia’s ASX200 is still close to its highest ever point (reached in November). Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2rFwYOb

Jacinda Ardern’s media popularity has irked some, and spawned this hashtag. One Guardian staffer asked another to explain it ... quickly What is this “Turn Ardern” movement all about then? It was kickstarted by a 66-year-old Christchurch bricklayer and involves people turning over books and magazines featuring New Zealand’s prime minister on the cover so her face can’t be seen. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/359UyQA

(SEOUL, South Korea) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for his military and diplomats to prepare unspecified “offensive measures” to protect the country’s security and sovereignty, the North’s state media said on Monday, before his end-of-year deadline for the Trump administration to make major concessions to salvage a fragile nuclear diplomacy. Kim during a ruling Workers’ Party meeting Sunday also “comprehensively and anatomically analyzed” problems arising in efforts to rebuild the North’s moribund economy and presented tasks for “urgently correcting the grave situation of the major industrial sectors,” the Korean Central News Agency said. The plenary meeting of the party’s Central Committee, which began on Saturday, is being closely watch amid concerns that Kim could suspend his deadlocked nuclear negotiations with the United States and take a more confrontational approach by lifting a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. Kim, who h...

American military says four ‘terrorists’ killed in operation carried out in coordination with Somali government The US military has said it carried out airstrikes in Somalia that killed four “terrorists” of the al-Shabaab militant group following the deaths of at least 79 people in a car bombing in Mogadishu. “In coordination with the federal government of Somalia, US Africa Command [Africom] conducted three airstrikes in two locations targeting al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Qunyo Barrow and Caliyoow Barrow, Somalia, respectively, December 29,” Africom said in a statement. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2FgvhtP

This week we are returning to some of our favourite episodes from 2019. In October, the UK technology editor Alex Hern joined Anushka Asthana to discuss the social network that is growing its user base with shareable short videos set to catchy soundtracks. Is it being used as a tool of Chinese foreign policy? TikTok is a wildly successful Chinese-owned video-sharing app that is taking on the likes of Snapchat and Instagram. Its users share short videos, 15 to 60 seconds long, usually set to music or film dialogue. But its success comes with worries that it is being used to advance Chinese foreign policy aims and even export censorship. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3690n23

Ex-president continues annual tradition of sharing his favourite movies, TV shows, books and music Shortly after releasing a list of his favourite literary works from 2019 , the former US president Barack Obama has turned his critical eye to the silver screen. Obama’s list of favourite films from this past year, shared on Twitter and Instagram, is heavily in favour of gritty drama, with the likes of The Irishman, Diane, and Just Mercy alongside the Chinese mobster drama Ash is Purest White, the Senegalese ghost story Atlantics, and the Colombian crime film Birds of Passage. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2thz5YE

Dictator’s comments come ahead of a year-end deadline for US to soften stance on missile programme North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for “positive and offensive measures” to ensure security at a ruling party meeting ahead of a year-end deadline he has set for denuclearisation talks with the United States, state media said on Monday. Kim convened a weekend meeting of party officials to pore over important policy matters amid rising tension over his deadline for Washington to soften its stance in stalled negotiations aimed at dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZBlQOP

Price rises have far outstripped inflation with dual fuel bills costing on average £1,813 a year Energy bills have risen by 40% in five years, taking average UK household costs up to a record of £2,707 a year, research has revealed. Comparethemarket’s study examined the costs of energy, home and motor insurance since 2015, and found that gas and electricity price increases were largely responsible for this year’s changes. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2rHHEfc

At first I tried to hold out against the cultural juggernaut that is Elsa and her gang, but in the end I was powerless to resist When I was pregnant with my daughter, I naively imagined that I would soon have a small person I could completely mould. I imagined us having all the same interests and being able to guide her in choosing fun and interesting hobbies. And then I gave birth to this tiny person who, from the minute she was born three weeks earlier than expected, had her own ideas about when and how she would do things. Eventually I came to realise that as much as I believed I would hold this incredible sway over her tastes and interests, many times she is the one influencing me. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZBho2z

Separate report says almost 300k retail roles mostly held by women cut in past decade UK high streets have shed more than 140,000 jobs this year as store closures and retail failures made 2019 one of the most challenging years in a generation. More than 2,750 jobs were lost every week, according to a detailed analysis by the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) published today. It predicts the picture will worsen in 2020, unless the government intervenes, with high business rates one of the factors blamed for accelerating chain store closures. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/358W2uD

Government list includes some of most notorious cases from the Northern Ireland Troubles Some of the dozens of victims killed by the IRA for supposedly “informing” during Northern Ireland’s Troubles were not working for the police or security services, according to official documents released in Belfast. A sample list of alleged informers shot dead by the Provisional IRA between 1978 and the 1994 ceasefire has emerged from government files released to the Northern Ireland public records office on Monday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/36c5oqA

Industrial action to cause disruption for commuters, partygoers and shoppers A lengthy strike in the dispute over guards on trains enters its final week on Monday, causing continued travel misery for passengers, including those attending New Year’s Eve events. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union on South Western Railway (SWR) have been on strike since the start of the month, with industrial action continuing until New Year’s Day. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MExset

Poll of more than 2,000 people found 26% of respondents were told they had something else More than a quarter of people with Parkinson’s disease were initially misdiagnosed, new research has found. The poll of more than 2,000 people found 26% were first told they had something else, while 21% saw their GP three or more times before being referred to a specialist. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/368wyyN

Mohit Bakaya will prioritise programmes that help people ‘discover common ground’ The new controller of BBC Radio 4 has promised to prioritise programmes about “solutions” not “arguments” as the UK enters another decade. The station has announced a series of factual programmes for the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 that will allow people “to discover common ground, in a civilised manner”, starting with Positive Thinking, which will air every morning this week. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2svITyn

The massive popularity of horror films like Joker and It have been a real downer for happy, family clowns. Mark Wilding hears how the entertainers are fighting back In the corner of Matthew Indge’s kitchen is a photograph of the entertainer Kerby Drill. For many years, Drill was both a clown and a comic voice of authority. He toured the nation’s schools and appeared on television shows, often promoting road safety, until he passed away last year, aged 97. Indge describes him as his “clown hero”, but he recognises that Drill represents a very different era of clowning. “The truth is,” Indge says, “these days, I don’t know if kids are going to listen to a clown saying be careful on the road.” Indge has been clowning for 32 years, since he was eight years old. In a way that wasn’t necessary for Drill, Indge must now take steps to prove to his audiences that he doesn’t represent a dark and sinister threat. When we meet, he’s preparing for a performance as Zaz the Clown at a five-year-old...

The Newsnight presenter defends the organisation against accusations of bias in the recent general election Emily Maitlis has defended the BBC against accusations of bias, saying that people often think something is a conspiracy when it is a actually a “confluence of cock-ups”. The debate about whose side the BBC is on, both politically and otherwise, gained traction during a particularly fractious general election campaign that saw ministers repeatedly grilled by presenters on Radio 4’s’ Today and other programmes. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ME3pno

Labour’s endless squabbles over ‘purity’ risk another 10 years of Tory dominance Farewell to the 2010s. The decade was captured by an intellectually bankrupt right wing for all the wrong reasons, above all because of a fear of foreigners. Yet for all that, it did give us a measure of progress – from our smartphones to declining poverty, although even on that metric, Britain managed to buck a global trend. From the perspective of any British believer in Enlightenment values, good riddance to the dying decade . Yet in 2009, matters did not look promising for the libertarian right. New Labour had been in power for 12 years and on all the key challenges of the day, the only effective policy responses were forms of collective action, whether on climate change or terrorism, the declining effectiveness of antibiotics or the power of multinationals. The financial crash of 2008 was the consequence of hyper-deregulation, following the palpably absurd rightwing faith that markets were magic. The...

The state has a duty to protect the vulnerable young, not simply entrust their care to the highest bidder When we look back on the 2010s, the decade of Grenfell and Windrush, there will be plenty of contenders for what we as a society got most wrong. But among the most shaming is how long it took to expose the epidemic of child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs across a swath of British towns and cities. Thousands of children have had their lives blighted as a result of being passed around groups of men to be raped and sexually abused, while the adults supposed to be protecting them – police, social workers, councillors – turned a blind eye. Even as authorities were pledging to learn the lessons in towns such as Rochdale and Rotherham , still it went on in places such as Telford and Newcastle. One in three homes operated by the two largest private providers were classed as inadequate or requiring improvement Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2tW4T5O

Four ex-Tories who led the fight in last parliament – and who all lost their seats – tell of likely pitfalls in ‘getting Brexit done’ The next year will see a fresh Brexit crisis, parliament sidelined and a renewed threat to the union – but there is still hope for supporters of progressive politics, according to some of the leading figures who took on the government over Brexit. The 80-strong majority secured by Boris Johnson at the election ended the parliamentary stalemate that left the prime minister unable to push through his Brexit deal. The election also ended the tenures of key figures responsible for leading the battle to oppose his plans. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZylRmx

A look back at another big year of sporting soap opera: Warnock on Brexit, VAR on armpits, and the ref who yakked up his tea • Neil Warnock , January – asked about Brexit while sitting in front of a “Visit Malaysia” sign put up by a Cyprus-born chairman to help fund his 11-nationality Cardiff squad: “I can’t wait to get out, if I’m honest. We’ll be far better off out of the bloody thing. In every aspect. Football-wise as well, absolutely. To hell with the rest of the world.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZvpSIw

Live updates from the fourth day at SuperSport Park The Spin: sign up and get our free weekly cricket email And feel free to email Rob here 7.35am GMT Joe Root and Jos Buttler are at the ground and apparently feeling better. It’s on! 7.34am GMT Pre-play reading Related: Rory Burns rumbles South Africa to keep England’s first Test hopes alive Related: Graham Thorpe says England have ‘fighting chance’ of sealing unlikely win Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2slTaxc

You’ve mired yourself in a fairytale of nostalgia and yearning, says Mariella Frostrup. It’s time to get real… The dilemma I’m a married man in my mid- 40s with two deeply loved children. Nine months ago I found and reread some old letters from my first love. I cried my eyes out and ever since she’s been in my thoughts day and night. For 15 years I have buried my feelings for her, yet the release valve has been opened and I am unable to shut it off. At the time she was married to a cheating husband who had supported her through some horrific experiences when she was younger – and I was emotionally insecure and unstable . Yet we came together and my relationship with her remains the most beautiful and profound experience of my life. It ended because we both gave in to fear – mine of attachment and hers of letting go of the security of a (broken) marriage. We have had no contact since. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Q6mLDW

If you love vibrant Mediterranean dishes, Bubala will be your East End sweetheart Bubala, 65 Commercial Street, London E1 6BD, (020 7392 2111). Small plates £5-£7.50, larger plates £9-£11, desserts £4-£5.50, wines from £25 Shortly after sitting down at Bubala , I felt a chill breeze. I looked across to the front door, which was flapping open. As a customer left, they pulled it shut behind them. It sprung open again, just enough to let in a gust of frigid air. I studied the narrow, L-shaped dining room with its textured walls in light shades of oatmeal, and its bar tiled in jade green, and its hard-wooden banquettes, with their sky-blue panels. The colours may have changed, but everything else was familiar, including my plummeting core temperature. I got out my phone and did something I never, ever, ever do, because it’s hideously vain and I am absolutely not that person. Not at all. Not me. I Googled myself. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Q5mnoT