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Residents take part in Becontree Forever project which promises to ‘celebrate estate’s radical past and reimagine future’ When it was built after the first world war, Becontree in Dagenham was billed as the world’s largest ever housing estate – a modern utopia where more than 100,000 war veterans and workers from Dagenham in east London would have an inside toilet, a proper bathroom and gardens front and back. A hundred years after the first “home for heroes” was completed in 1921, Becontree’s centenary is being marked by a series of events and public realm investments, including two fantastical playgrounds and a range of street furniture produced from upcycled rubble. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3r8ASIW

Vada pav – spiced potato balls in a soft roll – is the quintessential Mumbai street food. BBC presenter Leyla Kazim devours the city’s best Mumbai was the first stop on an eight-month, round-the-world trip I took with my husband in 2014. The longest time I’d spent out of the UK prior to this had been three weeks. I’d only ever visited three places outside Europe, and it took me a whole year to persuade my other half to join me. And our main objective for these months on the road? To eat. We hurled ourselves in at the deep end, starting in Mumbai. It is so vast and sprawling that it’s hard not to assume the entire country must lie within this city alone. It was at least 10 times as alive and chaotic and exhausting as I’d dared anticipate. Mumbai offers an unrelenting onslaught on all the senses, particularly hearing: the horn honking does not stop. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NNyg4G

Sky-watchers will be rewarded with contrasting celestial colours as red planet approaches blue-white stars Mars, the new home of Nasa’s Perseverance rover , closes in on the Pleiades star cluster this week to give sky-watchers a beautiful view of contrasting celestial colours. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZY91PJ

Netflix royal drama and Chloe Zhao were toast of the the night amid technical difficulties and against background of diversity issues Golden Globes 2021 winners – the full list The winners and their living rooms – in pictures With spotty wifi, lagging sound and Zoom chaos, the 78th Golden Globes was a half-virtual ceremony once again dominated by British stars but marred by technical difficulties and renewed scrutiny on the awards’ lack of diversity. Related: The full list of Golden Globes 2021 winners Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3r3jvsY

Analysis by transport group says battery electric vehicles are superior to their petrol and diesel counterparts Fossil fuel cars waste hundreds of times more raw material than their battery electric equivalents, according to a study that adds to evidence that the move away from petrol and diesel cars will bring large net environmental benefits . Only about 30kg of raw material will be lost over the lifecycle of a lithium ion battery used in electric cars once recycling is taken into account, compared with 17,000 litres of oil, according to analysis by Transport & Environment (T&E) seen by the Guardian. A calculation of the resources used to make cars relative to their weight shows it is at least 300 times greater for oil-fuelled cars. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3dWlZFJ

Department of Justice said to have asked WhatsApp for details of alleged targeting of clients in 2019 NSO Group appears to be facing renewed scrutiny by the US Department of Justice months after leading technology companies said the spyware maker was “powerful and dangerous” and should be held liable to the country’s anti-hacking laws. DoJ lawyers recently approached the messaging app WhatsApp with technical questions about the alleged targeting of 1,400 of its users by NSO Group’s government clients in 2019, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3bRwUxR

Her TV show has been No 1 in the US since 1998, but many have criticised her approach to justice. As she hangs up her gavel after 25 years, she discusses wealth, success and repentance Order, order. Court is in session, Judge Judith Sheindlin presiding, and while you are here you will follow her rules. Don’t throw paper on the floor. Hang on to your gum wrapper until you get to a bin. Don’t befoul your community. Try not to scratch other people’s cars and, if you do, leave your details on the windscreen. Don’t tell lies. Confront your problems and try to solve them. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3dWX8kX

The artists have responded to the pandemic with comic, haunting works showing themselves being buffeted around a chaotic London. They talk about lines of coffins, illegal raves and ‘shameful’ statue-toppling As they call themselves living sculptures, I can’t resist asking Gilbert and George what they think of all the statue-toppling that took place last year. When I ask for their verdict on the removal of public works that have been accused of celebrating slavery and colonialism, they are sceptical. “We would call that shameful behaviour,” says George. “And it’s very odd – because normally those statues are totally invisible. Nobody ever looks at them. I remember, very near my home town, there’s a statue of Redvers Buller , the hero of the Boer war, surrounded by dying Zulus and things. And if you asked people in Exeter, ‘Where’s Buller’s statue?’, none of them knew. It’s a bit silly. Rewriting history is very silly.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b14HFs

Mark Rutte enters final leg of race in dominant position despite ‘difficult phase’ of pandemic Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Coronavirus has “completely taken the wind out of Dutch politics”, analysts say, predicting little change in the makeup of the coalition government after March elections as the prime minister, Mark Rutte, begins cautiously easing restrictions. Despite three nights of rioting and 400 arrests after the night-time curfew, the first since the second world war, was imposed in January, and one of Europe’s slowest vaccine rollouts, Rutte enters the last two weeks of the election race in a dominant position. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3kzqkQh

British consulate general among crowds outside court voicing their opposition to latest crackdown under national security law About 1,000 people have gathered outside a Hong Kong court where 47 pro-democracy candidates, campaigners and activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law are due to appear. The group are accused of organising and participating in an unofficial primary poll in July last year aimed at selecting the strongest candidates for a legislative council election that the government later postponed, citing the coronavirus. Authorities said the informal poll was part of a plan to “overthrow” the government. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3r5acst

Very bright meteor, known as a fireball, was captured on doorbell cameras across the country A 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... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b58CkR

In 1991, the tycoon Robert Maxwell died in circumstances that have yet to be fully explained. Thirty years on, his legacy is still being felt, says the author John Preston In November 1991, the body of the business tycoon Robert Maxwell was recovered from the sea off the Canary Islands. His death made headlines around the world: was it an accident? Suicide? Murder? Despite numerous investigations, there is still not a clear answer. The journalist and author John Preston has spent months delving into the life of Maxwell for his new book, Fall . He tells Rachel Humphreys about Maxwell’s “technicolour life” – a genuine rags-to-riches story. But it is also a story laced with tragedy: the death of his family at the hands of the Nazis which haunted him through his life. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NRAShM

Violent scenes play out across country as police crack down against peaceful protesters Ye Swan Htet, 23, had joined a sit-down protest on a bridge in west Yangon when he saw police approaching. Officers were carrying guns, he remembered, but he didn’t expect them to actually shoot. The protest was peaceful; crowds were singing and clapping. Then, gun fire rang out all around him. Bricks burst open and a branch snapped from a tree. “There was a guy who got hit in his thigh by a rubber bullet, so I carried him to an ambulance,” he said. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3bLNmQa

Ex-president repeats false claims that he won 2020 election and floats possible run in 2024 in speech Donald Trump on Sunday launched his attempted political comeback, teasing a possible run for the presidency in 2024 and denouncing Joe Biden for “the most disastrous first month of any president in modern history”. The former president made his first speech since leaving the White House at the rightwing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, to an effusive reception. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3sza30x

CBS releases two brief clips from Winfrey’s interview with Meghan and Harry, in which they talk about Princess Diana The Duke of Sussex, who shocked Britain when he and his wife, Meghan, stepped back from royal duties, has told the US interviewer Oprah Winfrey that he had worried about history repeating itself. CBS has released two brief clips from Winfrey’s interview of the couple, which is scheduled to air on 7 March. It is the first TV interview they have given since making California their home last year. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MES4GY

A photo of the stage went viral, with thousands of Twitter users comparing its distinctive design to an odal rune The Hyatt Hotels Corporation called symbols of hate “abhorrent” on Sunday after the design of a stage at the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at one of its hotels drew comparisons to a Norse rune used by Nazis during the second world war High-profile Republicans including former president Donald Trump were attending the four-day event in Orlando, Florida, as conflict raged between Trump allies and establishment politicians trying to distance the party from him. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37RmvB5

Priti Patel understood to be concerned that some offenders are only being given three-year terms People 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... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b2xlWV

Female directors in financial services firms are paid 66% less than males, with many in non-executive roles Female directors at the UK’s largest financial services firms earn on average two-thirds less than their male counterparts, new research shows, underlining the pay gap that still exists between men and women at the highest levels in the financial sector. Average pay for female directors at financial services companies stands at £247,100, 66% lower than the average £722,300 paid to male directors, according to research by employment and partnership law firm Fox & Partners. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2O4YBei

Exclusive: letters to Dominic Raab and Lady Scotland say Princess Basmah requires urgent medical treatment Supporters of a prominent Saudi Arabian princess detained with her daughter in Riyadh have appealed to the British government to help secure their release. In two letters to both foreign secretary Dominic Raab and Commonwealth general secretary Patricia Scotland, the princess’s supporters urged them to intervene on behalf of Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and her daughter Souhoud Al Sharif, arrested in Jeddah two years ago. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/305tgux

More than 100 French artworks – on loan from Museum of Fine Arts in Boston – to appear alongside paintings by Australian impressionists More than 100 impressionist masterworks, including 19 Monet paintings, will travel to Melbourne from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston this year as part of the National Gallery of Victoria’s Winter Masterpieces exhibition. NGV director Tony Ellwood announced the blockbuster exhibition on Monday as part of the gallery’s unveiling of its 2021 program – an announcement delayed by two weeks due to Melbourne’s snap five-day lockdown in February. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rgFY61

An unusual semi-virtual kickoff to the awards season sees Mank, Nomadland, Schitt’s Creek and The Crown leading the way but there’s continued outrage over diversity and alleged corruption 12.47am GMT Dan Levy Good luck to the @SchittsCreek nominees, including our beloved @danjlevy ! pic.twitter.com/R0txRdfuIp 12.45am GMT So the LA Times continued to report on the HFPA, including the fallout from their original pieces earlier this week. Yesterday, they covered internal emails which blamed part of the problem on their own bylaws (sure) as well as former HFPA President Meher Tatna who said the group hadn’t had a black member for at least 20 years. It’s a mess and one that will take a huge amount of work on the HFPA’s part to start to fix and how they will address it tonight is to be seen but it will for sure be a part of the speeches. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3dSptJd

Mussels are relatively cheap, but they scrub up very well: this dish oozes opulence with its rich Asian aromas This is a star of a dish: rich and aromatic, sophisticated, yet entirely doable; it is also cheap, which is an added bonus. Depending on where you buy them, mussels can take a bit of scrubbing and some tugging to remove the beards, but I find the task rather pleasing and it makes the resulting feast all the more satisfying. Do this in advance, and the curry sauce, too, if you want, so you can have a glass of wine and produce the dish as if by magic. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MyYd7v

Covid vaccine acceptance also rising in Japan, Germany and Sweden ; South Africa lowers alert level; cases of Brazil variant found in UK Covid has connected UK communities and spurred volunteering NHS hospital bosses urge ministers to increase ICU beds in England Alarm over delays in border measures as Brazil Covid variant hits UK Top UK universities ‘use secret waiting lists’ due to Covid uncertainty See all our coronavirus coverage 11.41pm GMT Willingness to get a Covid-19 vaccine is on the rise compared to last year, a survey of six industrialised countries published on Monday showed. AFP: More people in the United Kingdom, the United States and even vaccine-sceptical France now accept the idea of getting a coronavirus jab, KekstCNC, an international consultancy, said in the survey conducted in February. 11.37pm GMT Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Helen Sullivan . Willingness to get a Covid-19 vaccine is on the rise compar...

Research shows more than 12 million signed up, from helping at food banks to fighting loneliness Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage He calls her his “wee ray of sunshine”; she says he brightens her day and talking to him breaks up the hours alone in the house. It’s an unlikely friendship between an 18-year-old student and a 70-year-old man, Chris, born out of the worst health crisis in a century. Freya Riley, from Kelty in Fife, saw an appeal for volunteers on social media last March and stepped forward. “I knew that people were feeling alone and I wanted to help,” she said. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3uDV9Ie

They’ve ditched the shaven heads but, despite recent setbacks, they remain a threat, says film-maker Christian Schwochow Inside a university auditorium in Prague, a young man in a crisp black shirt and white trainers is railing against the pro-immigration politicians he holds responsible for a recent Islamist terror attack in Berlin. To build a safer Europe, he yells, “we have to get rid of those responsible for these murderous policies”. A woman in the crowd voices her support with a shout of “Sieg heil!”, but he is quick to shut her down: “That was yesterday.” Like-minded movements of the future will succeed by remaining outwardly respectable: “We can protect the foundations of Europe by occupying them,” he proclaims, his blue eyes sparkling, “by becoming economists, teachers, judges.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3bRDNPQ

Sir Henry ‘Chips’ Channon’s diaries caused a stir in 1967. Now edited by Simon Heffer and published unredacted, they reveal even more juicy detail about British high society between the 1920s and 50s When the diaries of an obscure politician called Sir Henry “Chips” Channon were first published in 1967, they caused a sensation, and not only among those whose names appeared in their index (“vile & spiteful & silly,” announced the novelist Nancy Mitford , speaking for the walking wounded). Channon, an upstart Chicagoan who’d unaccountably managed to marry the daughter of an exceedingly rich Anglo-Irish Earl, moved in vertiginously high circles. As a friend of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, he had enjoyed a ringside seat during the abdication crisis; as the Conservative MP for Southend he had looked on with fawning admiration as Neville Chamberlain negotiated with Hitler, and abject horror as Winston Churchill succeeded him as prime minister (Channon was in favour of appeasement...

Scientists emphasise safety but younger women still hesitant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Amy Taylor was chatting to friends over a Zoom drink when the conversation took an unexpected turn. One of the group – all in their early 30s, mostly university-educated and in professional jobs – mentioned that she had concerns about the Covid vaccine because she wanted to try for a baby in the next year or two. “I was surprised when others said they were also a bit anxious. Then I started thinking maybe I should be worried too – even though I’m pro-vaccinations and I know this is the way out of the pandemic,” said Taylor*. “This really plays into the fertility insecurity that lots of women in their 30s have anyway – have I left it too late, will I need IVF, should I freeze my eggs? We don’t want anything else that could interfere with our chances of motherhood.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NLcVc6

Employees at Uline, owned by billionaires Dick and Liz Uihlein, have filed numerous safety complaints, investigation finds Employees at a private Wisconsin company owned by two top Republican donors in the US have faced significantly higher rates of Covid-19 infection and have filed numerous complaints about workplace safety to federal authorities, according to a Guardian investigation into Uline. Related: Billionaires backed Republicans who sought to reverse US election results Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b2h3NH

Scheme to remedy Covid education loss sees teachers paid a fraction of hourly rate charged The government’s decision to hire private tutoring companies to provide “catch-up tutoring” to disadvantaged pupils in England after lockdown will cost schools and the Department for Education up to four and a half times more than these companies will pay private tutors to teach the children. An investigation by the Observer reveals some private tutoring companies hired are charging between £72 and £84 per hour for tutors via the government’s flagship National Tutoring Programme (NTP) scheme. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3sAzaAk

From Betjeman’s London townhouse to Keats’ seaside cottage, these atmospheric writers’ homes all have a tale to tell South Lodge at Greenway, Devon The main house is so well preserved it’s as if Agatha Christie just stepped outside. In the drawing room it takes little imagination to picture yourself listening to one of her manuscript readings. If you are inclined to detective work, you’ll work out for yourself that the scratch marks on the bedroom door were made by the family dog. Christie’s holiday house, Greenway, is gracious and beautifully proportioned. It sits high above the River Dart, amid extensive grounds that slope steeply down to the water. “The loveliest place in the world,” is how she described it. Christie left it to her daughter, who passed it to her son, and he gifted it to the National Trust in 2005. Staying in South Lodge – once the gardener’s cottage, and one of three NT cottages to rent on the estate – you could spend all day watching light dance on the river, boa...

Guaranteed training, education or work placements would be geared to the needs of the post-pandemic economy Young people who have been furloughed before being made redundant, or out of work for six months, would be guaranteed training, education or work placements geared to the needs of the post-pandemic economy, under ambitious plans unveiled on Sunday by Labour. The pledge to youngsters , whose progress in the jobs market has been blighted by Covid-19, comes as party analysis of House of Commons library figures suggests that more than one million people will become “long-term unemployed” (out of work for more than a year) during 2021 and 2022. The data also suggests that 660,000 16- to 24-year-olds will reach a point where they have spent six months out of work, education or training during the same period, at what they hoped would be the start of their working lives. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/300FaWw

Conference seeks to shore up Trump’s position as Republican standard bearer even after he lost the presidency and Congress Donald Trump returns to the political stage on Sunday determined to show that he is still a major force in America and ready to purge his critics within the Republican party. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3r3mZf0

California medical board to investigate after plastic surgeon appeared at a virtual trial from an operating theatre Medical authorities in California have said they will investigate a plastic surgeon who appeared in a videoconference for a traffic violation trial while operating. The Sacramento Bee reported that Scott Green appeared for his trial at Sacramento superior court on Thursday, held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic, from an operating room. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b2vdhC

Your relationship sounds unworkable and toxic, says Mariella Frostrup. Find someone you can confide in or get professional help The dilemma My boyfriend’s work ground to a halt as a result of the pandemic, and his weed-smoking habit has expanded within that void to become a lifestyle. He buys, sells and grows the stuff, meaning that he’s meeting strangers on a daily basis, often in our home. My initial response was anger that he could so readily endanger my health for the sake of a habit I despise. Then I began to wonder if he was struggling mentally, so I tried to be more supportive. But it became clear he is just doing it for fun (I think he thrills at the criminal element). He comes from a wealthy family and my salary is ample to cover our bills if he falls short, so this isn’t a necessary earner. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3q01L07

From a white-walled restaurant in Clerkenwell, his roast bone marrow dish has gone on to conquer the world. It is November 2009 and I’m in a new restaurant on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles called Animal. I have been in the city for three weeks, serving as a judge on a TV food contest, all British piss and vinegar to the familiar American gush, and I’m missing my family terribly. No matter, for here on the menu is roast bone marrow with parsley salad, the dish made famous by the chef Fergus Henderson at his Clerkenwell restaurant St John . His guiding principle: “If you’re going to bang an animal on the head it’s only polite to eat it all.” 'If you’re going to bang an animal on the head it’s only polite to eat it all' Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3st349s

The Trump party is only interested in appealing to its base. Democrats in Washington have the public square to themselves Donald Trump formally anoints himself the head of the Republican party at today’s Conservative Political Action Conference. Related: Gilt-y: golden Trump statue pops up at rightwing CPAC summit Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3kwnifQ

The actor on football drills, online gigs and overdone potatoes How do your Sundays start? They start with a run. It’s vital to get something useful under your belt early doors. I love reading Irvine Welsh at any time, but Sunday mornings are best. Coffee, Radox, Francis Begbie. Very relaxing. Football is still a tonic. We do drills. He wears shin pads. It’s pathetic, really Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3q1ElHF

Several people reported injured in clashes in Yangon, as outspoken UN envoy is sacked by junta Police in Myanmar have fired stun grenades, tear gas and live rounds at protesters as the country’s military junta intensified its attempts to quell a popular backlash against this month’s coup. Several bloodied people were seen being helped away from protests in the main city of Yangon in images posted by media outlets, but it was not clear if they were hurt by rubber bullets or live fire. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2O5owCz

The Irish taoiseach, Micheál Martin, condemns ‘thuggish behaviour’ of demonstrators who threw missiles at police Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Ireland’s premier has slammed the “thuggish behaviour” and attacks on Irish police as anti-lockdown protesters stormed Dublin city centre. Up to 20 people were arrested after hundreds of demonstrators clashed with police as they marched through the city centre and attempted to make their way to St Stephen’s Green park. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pZWR3j

In a new book, Francis says he expects to die in Rome, not his native Argentina, either as ‘active or emeritus’ pope Pope Francis expects to die in Rome, still the Catholic pontiff, without returning to spend his final days in his native Argentina, according to a new book titled The Health of Popes. In an interview granted to Argentinian journalist and physician Nelson Castro at the Vatican in February 2019, the pope said he thinks about death, but does not fear it. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZWPbnN

California medical board to investigate after plastic surgeon appeared at a virtual trial from an operating theatre Medical authorities in California have said they will investigate a plastic surgeon who appeared in a videoconference for a traffic violation trial while operating. The Sacramento Bee reported that Scott Green appeared for his trial at Sacramento superior court on Thursday, held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic, from an operating room. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b2vdhC

Move prompts New York governor to request independent investigation into allegations A second woman has come forward to accuse New York governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment in a move that has prompted the under-fire Democrat to launch an independent investigation into the allegations. Charlotte Bennett, who was an executive assistant and health policy adviser in the Cuomo administration until November, told The New York Times that he had harassed her last spring, during the height of New York’s fight against the coronavirus – which Cuomo led and which at the time gave him an international reputation for good leadership. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3bLxwF9

Australian state of Victoria reports zero new cases ; Auckland seven-day lockdown begins ; UK records lowest cases in five months FDA approves Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose coronavirus vaccine Concerns grow as UK Covid testing labs scaled back before even opening House approves $1.9tn Covid aid bill despite minimum wage setback New Zealand: Auckland to go into seven-day Covid lockdown See all our coronavirus coverage 12.54am GMT The Australian state of Victoria has recorded no new Covid cases for the second day in a row. The state, which was plunged into a five-day lockdown earlier this month, recorded two cases on Friday which authorities said were linked to the Holiday Inn cluster. 12.53am GMT In case you missed this earlier: The British government said a further 290 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday, bringing the UK total to 122,705. Seven days prior, on 20 February, 445 further fatalities from the virus had been record...

Usually media-savvy Scott Morrison has been unable to find his footing dealing with the fallout of an alleged assault inside a minister’s office Scott Morrison, the Australian prime minister, prides himself on his ability to shape media narratives. A former advertising executive, he is used to controlling the message. But over the past two weeks one story has refused to bend to his will and exposed a weak spot: women. Morrison is struggling to manage growing anger over the handling of a young staffer’s rape allegation, the parliamentary culture at large, and how women working within it are treated. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZSnpsq

Emergency-use authorization boosts Biden’s vaccination plans J&J effort becomes third vaccine available to US public The Food and Drug Administration has authorized Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine for emergency use, making it the third vaccine available to the US public and securing another vital step in the US fight to control Covid-19. The decision was a formality after an independent expert advisory panel late on Friday afternoon recommended drug regulators approve the one-shot vaccine. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b1uk9q

Public spaces such as beaches and parks busy as temperatures reach up to 15C in parts of the UK Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Warmer temperatures have brought crowds to beauty spots including beaches and parks, amid calls from police not to make unnecessary journeys or meet up in groups. Large crowds could be seen at Hove seafront and Greenwich park in London, as temperatures reached 14C and 15C in parts of the UK. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b03hez

Dogs were dropped off at a police station in Los Angeles, while dog walker shot in the attack is recovering Two French bulldogs belonging to Lady Gaga that were stolen at gunpoint earlier this week have been recovered unharmed, police in Los Angeles have said. A woman brought the dogs to the LAPD’s Olympic community police station on Friday evening, said Jonathan Tippett, commanding officer of the robbery-homicide division. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aZTDIN

The end may now be in sight, but there are still frustrating months ahead. From new recipes to letter writing and Lego, writers including Matt Haig and Philippa Perry share their strategies I always think it is interesting that arguably the most hopeful song of the 20th century – “Over the Rainbow” – arrived in arguably its darkest year. The Wizard of Oz , adapted from L Frank Baum’s novel, opened in cinemas on 25 August 1939, the day Hitler sent a telegram to Mussolini to tell him he was about to invade Poland. Within a week, the second world war was under way in Europe. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MsT68G

The blissed-out symbol of acid house has been given a new meaning in 2021. Should ravers be up in arms? It was an emoji before emojis were born – an early viral image of the media age. The smiley can probably be traced back to 1960s US kids’ TV show The Funny Company but its paradoxical quality of simplistic ambiguity has made it endlessly adaptable. It’s been co-opted by Mad magazine , Nirvana, Talking Heads and the Watchmen comic series, but its most enduring usage surely began in the late 1980s when flyers for house pioneer Danny Rampling’s Shoom night in London featured the image. Before long, the smiley was on magazine covers and Top of the Pops; the beaming yellow face of a blissed-out era and a symbol of scandal, too – the implacable trickster facade of the latest tabloid moral panic. Related: The Guide: Staying In – sign up for our home entertainment tips Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NB7bBN

As a Canadian living in the UK, there’s one thing I still don’t get about the British: what’s so great about trudging through a muddy field to nowhere? There are lots of things about the British I do not understand: the national compulsion to clap along, in unison but off the beat, to any music; Mr Blobby’s Christmas No 1 ; the use of “quite nice” to mean “really not very nice at all”; bread sauce. Being a Canadian living in this country is a never-ending cycle of getting confused, asking for clarification, understanding, and then ending up somehow more confused. In the heady days of our bubbled summer of 2020, when such a thing was possible, I went on holiday to Sussex with my Canadian partner and three of our oldest friends, all Brits. Having met in our early 20s, we had always been too broke to holiday together. Now we were in our 30s and affluent enough to split a cottage five ways for four nights; this was a landmark moment. Look, I could spend a lot of time setting the scene, o...

Merger with Centene Corp covers 500,000 patients fuelling calls for inquiry into ‘NHS privatisation by stealth’ One of the UK’s biggest GP practice operators has quietly passed into the hands of the US health insurance group Centene Corporation, prompting calls for an official investigation into what campaigners claim is “privatisation of the NHS by stealth”. The merger is expected to create the largest private supplier of GP services in the UK, with 58 practices covering half a million patients. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3soEjLA

Two-thirds of doses delivered to country have yet to be dispatched to vaccination centres Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Two-thirds of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine doses delivered to Belgium have yet to be distributed to vaccination centres, officials have admitted, as the country became the latest in Europe to report a sharp rise in coronavirus infections. Belgium said infections were up 24% compared with the previous week, at a daily average of 2,300. All age groups were affected except for over-80s, who have been prioritised for vaccinations. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37QTvcw

Cardiff University calls on education secretary to correct the record over claim Germaine Greer was banned The education secretary is using “completely misleading” and “dubious” research to justify introducing new legislation on free speech in universities, according to the head of Cardiff University. Gavin Williamson sparked anger in universities when he unveiled plans on 16 February to counter what he called “unacceptable silencing and censoring” on campuses. He plans legislation to allow speakers who are “no-platformed” to sue universities for compensation if they feel their rights have been infringed. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3syjzBm

Family-only service given honour in recognition of veteran who died at 100 after raising £38m for NHS A second world war-era plane will fly over Captain Sir Tom Moore’s funeral service in honour of the war veteran, who raised almost £39m for NHS charities during the first coronavirus lockdown. The C-47 Dakota, part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which operates from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, will perform the flypast. Moore, who died this month at the age of 100 after testing positive for coronavirus, will have his coffin carried by six soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment. A firing party of 14 will each fire three rounds in unison, and a bugler will sound The Last Post at the end of the private service. Related: Captain Sir Tom Moore obituary Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3kub9YJ

Bitcoin mining – the process in which a bitcoin is awarded to a computer that solves a complex series of algorithm – is a deeply energy intensive process It’s not just the value of bitcoin that has soared in the last year – so has the huge amount of energy it consumes. The cryptocurrency’s value has dipped recently after passing a high of $50,000 but the energy used to create it has continued to soar during its epic rise, climbing to the equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of Argentina, according to Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index , a tool from researchers at Cambridge University that measures the currency’s energy use. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3kuUvIz

Rishi Sunak warns of risk to economy; Joe Biden tells US ‘now is not the time to relax - follow all the day’s news as it happens Van-Tam warns against giving up on Covid rules Experts criticise Boris Johnson for putting dates in Covid roadmap See all our coronavirus coverage 8.56am GMT In the UK , former Conservative chancellor, Ken Clarke, has said Rishi Sunak should not halt emergency job support schemes yet, while adding that the public debt must be reined in. Clarke, who was led the Treasury under John Major, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “He has to keep in place things like the furlough scheme, the successful parts of the package that stopped the economy collapsing and kept alive good business, good jobs, that will revive if we can get ourselves through the end of this Covid crisis. 8.43am GMT Russia has reported a further 11,534 Covid-19 cases, including 1,825 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 4,234,720 since the pandemic began. There were an additional 4...

Queensland border reopened to greater Melbourne as New South Wales reports no new cases for 41st consecutive day The Queensland border has been reopened to greater Melbourne after the region was declared a hotspot on 13 February following a Covid-19 outbreak at the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel in the city. It means travellers can enter Queensland without a border pass or quarantining, with Victoria recording no new cases of community transmitted coronavirus on Saturday as restrictions were again eased. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aWTjdK

Company contacts affected gas and electricity customers, telling them to change passwords Npower has permanently withdrawn its mobile app after hackers used it to access its customers’ personal details, including the sort codes and the last four digits of their bank accounts. The hack, which cybersecurity experts said left the firm’s customers “wide open to fraud”, is understood to have taken place around the start of February. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37OHZhJ

Most of us will holiday at home this year, but that needn’t mean busy resorts. These unsung shores offer seclusion and hikes galore According to the Ordnance Survey, mainland Britain has around 11,000 miles of coast, which may seem excessive in a country that is just over 600 miles long. That is because we wiggle a lot – what mathematicians soberly call the Hausdorff dimension. But if you swam around the island, keeping about half a mile offshore, you’d probably only need to cover about 2,000 miles (which seems so much more doable!). Whichever number you choose, long stretches of the UK coast don’t get the attention they deserve – and as lockdown drags on, their salty call intensifies. Here are five of my favourites – worthy of exploration, as restrictions allow. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3qZmvq1

Comedian’s work ethic on celebrity shout-out app takes him to 10,000 videos and £300,000 - leaving global A-listers in his wake Sarah Jessica Parker will wish you a happy birthday. Jack Nicklaus will tell you golf stories. John Cleese will read out your poem. Of the thousands of stars who signed up for the celebrity shout-out app Cameo last year, though, only one was popular and industrious enough to make 10,000 videos. For a very reasonable fee, the man behind them will enthusiastically call you a “briefcase wanker”. The most prolific performer in the world on Cameo in 2020 was James Buckley, the catchphrase-happy British actor and comedian beloved by a generation for his performance as Jay Cartwright in the Inbetweeners , new figures shared with the Guardian reveal. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3r0EZ9M

Study reveals unemployment among BAME people is double the rate for white people Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The coronavirus pandemic has held up a “mirror to the structural racism” in the UK’s labour market, the TUC has said, as a study reveals that jobless rates among black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups are now double the rate for white people. There are 1.74 million people out of work across the UK, the highest level in five years, and business shutdowns are disproportionately affecting women and ethnic minorities. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3qYLaLC

Every year, thousands of British children are conceived with the help of donor sperm. But few ever meet their siblings... Caroline Pearson, a podcast producer from London, was a few days into her maternity leave when she discovered that her unborn daughter had two sisters. She had visited a website a friend had told her about, which allows recipients of donated sperm (such as her) to search for families who have used the same donor. If they’ve registered with this website, they could be anywhere in the world, since the US sperm bank chosen by Pearson and her husband, Francis, ships internationally, and the website, Donor Sibling Registry (DSR) , is also US-based with an international reach. Pearson couldn’t resist, and typed in the donor’s reference number. “Suddenly, I was overwhelmingly curious,” Pearson says. She didn’t expect to find anything – let alone two families living within a half-hour radius. The first profile was a single mother to a two-year-old girl, living nearby in L...

Ken, 60, sales director, meets Shelley, 63, Spanish interpreter What were you hoping for? A great conversation with a view to possibilities. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3qYLolW

I imagine a thriving mouse community going about its business behind the plaster, with an occasional member stopping to say, ‘I think I hear someone typing out there’ The oldest one is complaining about a mouse that he says lives in his bedroom. “It scrabbles about under the floorboards,” he says. “It sounds big.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3swvMWX

For a generation used to freedoms that have come with democracy, going back to military rule is unthinkable In the searing afternoon sun, Myo, 21, stood in front of a police barricade near Yangon’s Sule Pagoda – one of just a handful of protesters to gather at the rallying point on Wednesday. He stood alone, a towel wrapped around his neck to soak up the sweat, and held a sign that read “humanity” in front of the officers. “The military took away my future,” said the digital artist. “My work can no longer pay me. This country had barely started trying to develop and now it’s 2021. I don’t know what made them think they should stage a coup.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3r2l3TT

Dogs were dropped off at a police station in Los Angeles, while dog walker shot in the attack is recovering Two French bulldogs belonging to Lady Gaga that were stolen at gunpoint earlier this week have been recovered unharmed, police in Los Angeles have said. A woman brought the dogs to the LAPD’s Olympic community police station on Friday evening, said Jonathan Tippett, commanding officer of the robbery-homicide division. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aZTDIN

Spanish officials recommend 864 cows that have been at sea for two months are no longer fit for transport More than 850 cows that have spent months aboard a ship wandering across the Mediterranean are no longer fit for transport anymore and should be killed, according to a confidential report by Spanish government veterinarians. The cows have been kept in what an animal rights activist called “hellish” conditions on the Karim Allah, which docked in the south-eastern Spanish port of Cartagena on Thursday after struggling for two months to find a buyer for the cattle. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZRISlw

Notorious gangster Arnel Joseph shot dead at police checkpoint after more than 400 inmates escape in country’s biggest breakout for 10 years More than 400 inmates have escaped and 25 people have died in a prison breakout in Haiti , authorities say, making it the country’s largest and deadliest one in a decade. A prison director and a powerful gang leader were among those killed. The breakout at Croix-des-Bouquets prison on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday was believed to be an attempt to free gang leader Arnel Joseph, who had been Haiti’s most wanted fugitive until his 2019 arrest on charges including rape, kidnapping and murder. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b0jO2a

1,582 Brazilians die in a day amid slow vaccine rollout President Jair Bolsonaro again discourages mask use Brazil has passed two grim landmarks, as deaths from Covid-19 passed 251,000 and the country saw its highest daily toll since the coronavirus was first detected there one year ago. A total of 1,582 Brazilians died from Covid-19 on Thursday as the country struggles with a slow vaccination rollout, new variants of the disease and an uncoordinated government response. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3dUjfbR

In a country where pneumonia, malaria and TB are much bigger killers, doctors say ‘resource-intensive’ Covid-19 is diverting precious resources Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage When stocks of medical equipment in the general ward of Tengandogo University hospital in Ouagadougou ran low as resources flowed to the coronavirus unit, medical staff bought the essentials themselves. Blood pressure monitors, glucose monitors and oximeters were needed. Even the ink in the printers had to be replaced. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/386I2WH

‘Non-fungible tokens’ are unique images, clips or poems traded online for increasingly large sums Pudding Daintytot is a pink cat, with hearts sprinkled over its chest, a rainbow cresting behind it, draconic horns, wings and a tail. “Born” in January 2019, Pudding is a “cryptokitty”: an example of what is known as a “non-fungible token”, the latest cryptocurrency craze – unique images, film clips, animations and even poems, which are bought and sold online for increasingly large sums. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pWYKOe

Documentary photographer Kirsty Mackay examines the causes of the ‘Glasgow Effect’ in a highly personal project. She looks at Glasgow’s excess mortality in comparison to the UK average and shifts the focus from the individual to government policy. The Fish That Never Swam will be published as a book later this year. In Glasgow people’s lives are cut short: male life expectancy in Possil is 66, in Penilee three young people took their own lives within the space of one week this June, suicide in Glasgow is 30% higher than in English cities, male life expectancy is seven years short of the UK average and women’s is four years less. This is not isolated to areas of deprivation – Glaswegians across all social classes experience a 15% reduction in life expectancy. We have known about the “Glasgow Effect” for more than a decade. However, the root causes for Glasgow’s excess mortality are not in the public domain. The explanation lies in government policy – not with the individual and t...

France’s response to #MeToo was unenthusiastic but its attitude towards sex is coming under increasing scrutiny in a wave of memoirs alleging abuse It was the fate of another girl that made Vanessa Springora realise how little things had changed. In 2018, newspapers reported that a 28-year-old man had lured an 11-year-old to his home in the Paris suburbs . Though the girl’s parents had reported rape, the charge was reduced as the girl was deemed to have consented because the man hadn’t used threats or force. “I was disgusted,” says Springora. It was then that she decided on the title of her memoir – Le Consentement (Consent). Springora first met the prize-winning author Gabriel Matzneff at a literary dinner in 1986. She was 13 years old, and her mother, who worked in publishing, could not afford a babysitter. Matzneff, the guest of honour, was 50. Over the next year, the two embarked on a passionate affair: he fought for her mother’s blessing, helped her with her studies and wrote of...

Former prime minister tells the Guardian the world must be better prepared for the next pandemic World leaders could have cut the length of the Covid outbreak by three months if they had collaborated on vaccines, testing and drugs, Tony Blair has claimed as he launched a report on preparing for the next deadly pandemic. The former Labour prime minister urged the UK to take the lead in developing a new “health security infrastructure” that would ensure countries coordinate better in identifying emerging new threats as well as developing, testing and manufacturing vaccines and treatments. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZSFCXa

Headteachers worry tests and masks not compulsory … Saudis brace for Khashoggi murder findings … warm poo could heat your home Hello, Warren Murray here – let’s launch headlong together into Friday’s news. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3dOR4v6

Scheme will issue vouchers to just 49,000 people by end of March at current rate, analysis finds The government’s flagship green homes grant scheme will help just 8% of its target 600,000 households switch to renewable energy by the end of March, analysis reveals. The £2bn for the scheme is being withdrawn at the end of next month. Analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit thinktank reveals that at the current rate it will issue vouchers to just 49,000 members of the public by that time. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3pYhbSB

Photographer says he won ‘nature’s lottery’ when he spotted unique bird among thousands of animals on a beach on the South Georgia islands A pale yellow-feathered king penguin spotted among hundreds of thousands of animals crammed on to a beach in South Georgia has sent the nature-loving world into a frenzy. Belgian photographer Yves Adams was on a two-month expedition to the Antarctic peninsula when he captured the unusually-coloured penguin. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/37NG4KD

When the shock-rocker returned to the place of his birth in the 60s, he found a raw paradise of unsegregated rock’n’roll. As Cooper releases an album celebrating the city, he and his peers relive one of the US’s greatest music scenes In the beginning there was the production line; the hammering and the pumping and the noise. Always the noise. “Detroit was an industrial city,” says Alice Cooper. “It was like Newcastle. Everybody worked for Ford or Chevrolet or GMC. Everybody’s parents worked on the assembly line. The kids were street kids. I think the Detroit sound has something to do with working with big machines; it made people feel at home hearing big, loud, rock music.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2O20eJE

Coronavirus pandemic meant the envoys and their families had to travel home in an unconventional way In normal times, most diplomats can expect to end a foreign posting with an official – if not always fond – farewell from their hosts and a comfortable journey back to their native country. But for one group of Russian envoys and their families, the coronavirus pandemic meant there was only one way home – under their own steam on a hand-pushed rail trolley. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3uBLOk8

Father Jamie Spears ‘saved Britney’s life’ says lawyer in response to the #FreeBritney movement that has advocated for the pop star Fans of Britney Spears who believe her father should be ousted from his role overseeing her conservatorship “have it so wrong”, his lawyer has said. The pop star’s finances and personal affairs have been controlled since 2008 by a contentious legal agreement that has given her father, Jamie Spears, control over her estate, career and other aspects of her personal life. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3qXARr8

Social media network also announces ‘Spaces’, a Clubhouse competitor that lets users participate in audio chats Twitter has announced it will launch a “super follow” feature, which lets users charge followers for access to exclusive content, later this year. The move comes as Twitter is branching out from advertising to find more ways to make money — both for itself and for its most prolific users. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aVj1zt

Health leaders say threat of NHS being overwhelmed has receded but vigilance is still required Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK’s Covid alert level has been downgraded from “critical” to “severe”, as cases and deaths continue to fall and the threat of the NHS being overwhelmed recedes. The move, which means transmission of coronavirus is considered to be “high or rising exponentially”, was recommended by the Joint Biosecurity Centre. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3qUj6ZR

RJ Cutler’s two-hour-plus Apple documentary on the pop phenom reveals an exceptional artist grappling with both superstar fame and lame parent jokes By age 19, the singer Billie Eilish has reached heights of fame and success that feel both otherworldly and familiar, carried by the same tides of generational mega-popularity that have buoyed such teen music idols as Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus before her, but with a Gen Z twist. It’s Eilish publicity canon that the then-15-year-old rocketed to social media fame after her older brother and co-producer, Finneas, posted a song they recorded for her dance class, Ocean Eyes, to Soundcloud, that they recorded her smash debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? in his childhood bedroom, that the two MaGyver everyday sounds – a dentist’s drill, the slurp of Eilish’s Invisalign retainer – into songs that garner billions of streams. Related: The betrayal of Britney Spears: how pop culture failed a superstar Continue reading... ...

Guardian music writer Laura Snapes, singer-songwriter Arlo Parks and musician Nitin Sawhney discuss the impact that Covid, Brexit and the ‘streaming economy’ are having on the sector The Guardian music writer Laura Snapes talks to Rachel Humphreys about why this has been such a challenging period for the music industry. Not only has Covid prevented musicians from touring, but the Brexit rule changes will now make it tricky for them to work in the EU. She fears the inability of the EU and UK to strike a deal to help the creative industries will hold back UK artists from a fast-growing market. Rachel also talks to the singer-songwriter Arlo Parks and the musician Nitin Sawhney . They speak about how they miss touring and the impact that the Brexit rule changes will have on their industry. They also discuss how the economic model of streaming platforms is challenging artists’ ability to earn a living. The major record labels take around three-quarters of streaming revenue every month...

Unanimous decision by highest court hailed a step towards acceptance of LGBT+ people A Malaysian man has won a landmark court challenge against an Islamic ban on sex “against the order of nature”, raising hopes for greater acceptance of gay rights in the mostly Muslim country. In a unanimous decision, Malaysia’s top court ruled on Thursday that the Islamic provision used against the man was unconstitutional and authorities had no power to enact the law. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3knfxsD

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary says after 35 years police still unable to explain why black people are targeted more often Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary has castigated police forces over stop and search, saying that 35 years after the power was introduced they were still unable to explain why black people are more likely to be targeted. The watchdog said in a long-awaited report published on Friday that public trust was in danger, with police unable to provide evidence of why black people were nine times more likely to be stopped than white people in England and Wales. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3kmNwkW

Auditors say emissions down just 1% since 2011 and target of zero emissions by 2050 is a long way off Carbon emissions from passenger cars across Britain have fallen by just 1% since 2011, despite a steep rise in the sale of electric and hybrid vehicles, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has said. The National Audit Office said the popularity of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and an increase in road traffic were among factors that have cancelled out expected reductions from low-emission car sales. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3qWGm9s

Man was cleaning stables when he was hit by female, knocking his head against bars of enclosure A zoo worker in Spain has died after he was struck by an elephant’s trunk, knocking his head against the bars of an enclosure, the zoo and local officials said. The female elephant weighing around 4,000kg (8,800lb) hit the 44-year-old with her trunk on Wednesday morning at the Cabarceno Natural Park near the northern city of Santander, the zoo said. The man was rushed to hospital where he died from his injuries some three hours later. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3kpZfiL

Company says sewage plan would avoid 105,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years Thousands of homes in south-west London could soon be warmed by the waste from their local sewage works as part of England’s first poo-powered district heating scheme. Thames Water hopes to harness the heat of human waste from its treatment plant in Kingston upon Thames to warm more than 2,000 new homes that form part of a regeneration plan for the borough’s Cambridge Road estate. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3dMJqRD

French PM says worrying Covid spread in 20 areas; global death toll passes 2.5m; Brazil death toll passes 250,000. Follow latest updates Biden hails 50m vaccine doses since he took office Moderna forecasts $18bn in sales of Covid vaccine this year Queen urges Britons to ‘think about others’ and get vaccinated Revealed: four in five Oxford Covid jabs delivered to EU not yet used See all our coronavirus coverage 12.56am GMT The Bosnian government on Thursday denounced delays in the global Covax vaccine scheme, as infections worsen in the country which has received very few inoculation doses. The government said it had been informed that Pfizer is seeking further consultations on the cooling chain and administrative procedures for delivering the vaccines. (The Pfizer jabs must be kept supercooled in transit and storage to remain effective.) 12.42am GMT South Korea has launched its vaccine campaign, with the first jabs of the AstraZeneca’s injection going to nursing home worke...

Marathon runner Eddie Izzard, solo sailor Pip Hare and explorer Levison Wood explain what they have learned about enduring the seemingly unendurable It just goes on and on, doesn’t it? Despite the millions of vaccinations, and Boris Johnson’s “roadmap” for easing the lockdown , this pandemic is feeling increasingly like an endurance test – a marathon, followed by another marathon, followed by another. Or trudging for miles and miles across the desert for day after day. Or sailing alone around the world, battling storms and loneliness. How do you keep going? There are people who know a thing or two about that – keeping going, endurance, deserts and storms. Perhaps they might even have some advice. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3uvHFyl

President says 50m effort in 37 days is ‘weeks ahead of schedule’ and ‘the more people get vaccinated, the faster we’ll beat this’ Joe Biden said on Thursday that 50 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered across the US since he took office last month, outpacing his administration’s goal to distribute 100m shots in his first 100 days in office. The moment came days after the US reached the devastating milestone of 500,000 coronavirus deaths – far more than any other country in the world – and before a meeting with America’s governors on plans to speed vaccine distribution even further. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MtxxoE

Britain suffering worst economic damage since Covid crisis began, analysis shows Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Rishi Sunak is preparing to deliver next week’s budget with the British economy at a pivotal moment before lockdown is relaxed, with businesses and workers still under severe strain, according to a Guardian analysis. After the prime minister set out the government’s roadmap for dismantling Covid restrictions over four key stages this spring, the chancellor is expected to use his 15th major tax and spending announcement in less than a year on Wednesday to pledge further financial support to steer the economy towards recovery. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aNTSGJ

It was a spring afternoon in 1955 when a teenager’s spontaneous act of defiance changed US history. Why did it take 40 years for her to get any credit? It was 2 March 1955, and an unusually humid spring day when students at Booker T Washington high school, a segregated school in the heart of the Jim Crow south, had been let off early to make their way home. A group boarded a segregated public bus, which wound through segregated neighbourhoods gradually filling up with passengers. A 15-year-old gifted Black student, with aspirations to become a civil rights attorney, took a window seat near the exit door. She gazed outdoors until the white driver instructed her to give up her seat for a white passenger standing nearby. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3qUE2j5

Although femicide is a recognised crime in Mexico, when a woman disappears, the authorities are notoriously slow to act. But there is someone who will take on their case On the night of 30 October 2019, as many Mexicans were preparing to celebrate the Day of the Dead, the family of Jessica Jaramillo stood in the pouring rain watching two dozen police search a house on the outskirts of Toluca, the capital of Mexico State. At about 9pm, the authorities carried out a dead dog, followed by two live ones and a cat. Then they pulled out a woman’s body. Jessi, a 23-year-old psychology student at a local university, had gone missing a week earlier. On 24 October, she hadn’t appeared at the spot where her parents usually picked her up after class. Within a few minutes, she called her mother to say she was going out, abruptly hung up, then texted to add, “Don’t worry, I’m with Óscar”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3aSYgnU

The Highlands, Texas, India and the Chilterns are among places that have inspired our writer – herself a bluegrass fiddler – through music I first met the trio behind this track in a hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond. They were recording for a TV series, and the vast window behind them looked out across the water’s placid surface to hills that seemed to constantly change colour, from grey to green to purple to blue. The wistful way this track begins – halfway between melancholy and joy – captures the wild beauty of theScottish countryside for me, before it breaks into an upbeat jig, like the sun coming out. It whisks me back to heather-strewn glens and lowering munros, to the serenity of inland waters and the weathered beauty of the coast, and in my mind I can picture myself in the Highlands, driving through scenes of unfathomable splendour towards a cosy pub, and a shindig. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3bRHmFJ

With public art collections closed we are bringing the art to you, exploring highlights from across the country in partnership with Art UK. Today’s pick: Aldeburgh’s Double Concerto For more than 35 years the composer Benjamin Britten and singer Peter Pears lived together as life partners, their work together as musicians underpinned by a deep and fixed relationship that the two men described as a marriage. Although it was an open secret, for much of their lives that relationship was illegal and a plausible deniability had to be maintained at all times. For nearly 20 years the two men made their home together in The Red House in Aldeburgh , and in the hall is a painting that tells a vivid story about their lives as gay men at this time. Double Concerto was commissioned by the two in 1967, very shortly after the Sexual Offences Act made their relationship legal at last. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3sraZnL