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Showing posts from August, 2023

Buffalo Bills ease to victory as Tua Tagovailoa suffers concussion

The Miami Dolphins quarterback was helped off after being injured in the third quarter of the 31-10 defeat. from The Independent Sport https://ift.tt/Caq6jkx via IFTTT

‘A first in Paris’: city fumigates for tiger mosquitoes as tropical pests spread, bringing disease

Parisian health authorities treat French capital for the first time as Zika and dengue-carrying tiger mosquitoes advance through northeastern Europe Health authorities in Paris fumigated have areas of the French capital for the first time to kill disease-carrying tiger mosquitoes whose rapid advance through northern Europe is thought to have been accelerated by climate change. Roads were closed and people asked to stay in their homes in southeast Paris during the early hours of Thursday as pest control contractors sprayed insecticide in trees, green spaces and other mosquito-breeding areas. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/O3oI6zf via IFTTT

Tokyo braces for another ‘big one’ on 100th anniversary of deadly quake

Japan has learned key lessons from the 1923 earthquake that killed 105,000 people, but rapid growth of the capital has raised the stakes The earthquake that struck the Tokyo region two minutes before noon on 1 September 1923 was so powerful that it destroyed the central weather bureau’s seismometers. Over almost two days, fires triggered by household gas burners, chemicals and overhead wires raged through the wooden buildings of eastern Tokyo’s low-lying shitamachi neighbourhoods. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Q4dFHak via IFTTT

‘Freaky’: Australia’s foraging community shocked after parasitic worm found in woman’s brain

Some swear off picking their own food after infection believed to be linked to collecting and consuming greens from bushland Get our morning and afternoon news emails , free app or daily news podcast Australia’s wild food foraging community has been left shocked after a live worm was found in a woman’s brain following a parasitic infection believed to have been picked up after collecting and consuming greens and grasses from local bushland. The 64-year-old woman from south-eastern New South Wales last year had an 8cm-long live parasitic roundworm pulled from her brain in a world first. The creatures are usually found in pythons. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/YgSFQyX via IFTTT

NHS urges breast cancer patients from minority backgrounds to participate in trials

Research shows young black women more likely to have more aggressive cancer and receive poorer care An NHS body is encouraging women with breast cancer from minority backgrounds are being encouraged to take part in more clinical trials, after research found they are under-represented in studies that can offer life-saving treatment. The pilot project, supported by the NHS Race and Health Observatory, is intended to improve representation in breast cancer clinical trials partly through culturally sensitive communications to people from racially diverse backgrounds. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/br9B7tz via IFTTT

Niece of J-Pop mogul Johnny Kitagawa should resign over abuse allegations, panel says

Julie Fujishima, now president of Japan’s biggest boyband talent agency, had long been aware of accusations but failed to investigate, experts say The current president of Japan’s biggest boyband talent agency, who is the niece of its late founder Johnny Kitagawa, should resign over allegations that Kitagawa sexually abused recruits for decades, a panel has said. The panel, commissioned by Johnny and Associates to address the allegations of abuse, recommended on Tuesday that Julie Fujishima should resign because she had long been aware of the allegations but “neglected to conduct a probe”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/TreNA5D via IFTTT

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 553 of the invasion

‘Farewell ceremony’ for Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin; Moscow extends detention of former US consular employee A drone attack on the city of Pskov in north-western Russia damaged four heavy transport planes , state media reported early on Wednesday, amid multiple other reports of explosions in regions south of Moscow . Videos posted online showed major fires and explosions. Ukrainian drones also attacked the Tula and Belgorod regions, Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday, without indicating if there had been damage or casualties. A “farewell ceremony” for Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin , who was killed in a plane crash last week, took place behind closed doors, his spokespeople said on Tuesday in a statement on social media. Russian mercenaries also gathered for the funeral of Valery Chekalov, one of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s deputies who was killed with his boss in a plane crash last week, as the Kremlin said Vladimir Putin had no plans to attend Prigozhin’s funeral . Russia’s

UK home sales in 2023 will be lowest in a decade, says Zoopla

Interest rate rises on mortgages are weakening demand, property website says The number of UK homes sold this year is expected to fall to the lowest level in more than a decade, as the soaring cost of mortgages puts off homebuyers. House sales reaching completion are expected to fall 21% year-on-year to about 1m in 2023, the lowest level since 2012, according to a report from the property website Zoopla. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/kKxUVWg via IFTTT

Co-sleeping with children has biological benefits – but it’s not always the answer to a good night’s sleep | Sarah Blunden

Despite the fact separate sleep spaces are more available than ever before, the vast majority of adults share their bed at one time or another with a partner, child or even a pet Every parent knows the feeling of being woken up through the night by a small child stumbling their way into their bed. But why do children want to sleep with us? And why are they so reluctant to sleep on their own? Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/urWJ7gP via IFTTT

Hong Kong: Cantonese language group shuts down after targeting by national security police

Fears that China’s crackdown on dissidents is expanding into cultural sphere after linguistic group closes over a fictional essay about erosion of liberties A group that promotes the Cantonese language shut down on Monday after Hong Kong authorities said a fictional essay depicting a decline in liberties in the city on the group’s website violated the national security law , in the latest example of the city’s erosion of freedom of expression. Andrew Chan, chair of the Societas Linguistica Hongkongensis, said in a Facebook post that national security officers visited a home where some of his family members live last week when he was out of town. The officers, who did not have a search warrant, asked that he remove the essay from his group’s website immediately, he said. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/yqV8rPm via IFTTT

Russia accused of intimidating US consulate staff with Ukraine war spying charges

State department says allegations against Robert Shonov are ‘wholly without merit’, as rare footage of detained US citizen Paul Whelan emerges The United States has accused Moscow of attempting to intimidate and harass US employees, after Russian state media reported that a former US consulate worker had been charged with collecting information on the war in Ukraine and other issues for Washington. The FSB security service has accused Robert Shonov, a Russian national, of relaying to US embassy staffers in Moscow information on how Russia’s conscription campaign was affecting political discontent ahead of the 2024 presidential election in Russia, according to Russian state news agency Tass. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/8xpVasM via IFTTT

Music may reduce babies’ pain during jabs or heel-prick tests, study suggests

Newborns suffered less pain during heel-prick blood tests if they heard a Mozart lullaby, researchers report Playing music such as a Mozart lullaby to babies may help reduce their suffering during painful procedures, research suggests. Minor medical procedures such as injections or heel-prick blood tests are commonly performed on newborn infants, and while some people have argued that babies’ brains are not developed enough for them to really feel pain, recent research has suggested that they experience it much like adults do. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/C5ED3bF via IFTTT

California school district sued over new policy that could forcibly out trans kids

State attorney general Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against schools having to notify parents if their children change gender identity California’s attorney general sued a southern California school district Monday over its new policy requiring schools to notify parents if their children change their gender identification or pronouns, the latest blow in an intensifying battle between a handful of school districts and the state about the rights of trans kids and their parents. Rob Bonta, the attorney general, said policies like the one adopted by Chino valley unified school district will forcibly out transgender students and threaten their well-being. But the district’s board president and supporters say parents have a right to know the decisions their children are making in schools. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/BtaEQrd via IFTTT

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 552 of the invasion

US accuses Moscow of trying to intimidate US employees; five die in overnight attacks on Ukraine The United States on Monday accused Moscow of attempting to intimidate and harass US employees after Russian state media reported that a former US consulate worker had been charged by security services with collecting information on the war in Ukraine and other issues for Washington. Russia is seeking to question two US diplomats at the embassy in Moscow over the case, in a break from diplomatic tradition. The European Union should get ready to admit new members from eastern Europe and the Balkans by 2030, EU chief Charles Michel argued Monday. With Russia’s war in Ukraine continuing and Moldova’s pro-western government scrambling to reform, senior officials have previously been reluctant to offer precise timetables. “To be credible, I believe we must talk about timing and homework,” Michel said, addressing the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia. “As we prepare the EU’s next strategic age

Prehistoric bird once thought extinct returns to New Zealand wild

Return of takahē – large, flightless bird – to alpine slopes of the South Island marks a conservation victory in New Zealand Tā Tipene O’Regan, 87 years old, leaned into his carved walking stick and reached down to a large wooden box. He paused a second, then slowly lifted the lid. Out shot the hefty body of a bright turquoise bird, legs windmilling, launching from its cage like a football from a slingshot. “I am now largely blind, but I still saw them,” O’Regan says: a flash of blue feathers and bright red legs racing for the tussocks. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Te1BGSx via IFTTT

Papua New Guinea killings: what’s behind the outbreak in tribal fighting?

Up to 150 killed in Enga Province as experts say weaker legal systems, weapons access and ‘loss of hope’ fuel deadly clashes An outbreak of violence has killed up to 150 people in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, local police said, in what one expert described as a “bushfire that has got out of control” as more forces are sent to calm clashes in the region. While tribal fighting is not unusual in parts of Papua New Guinea, the issue attracted international attention last week after disturbing footage appearing to show three naked men, tied-up and dragged behind a truck as onlookers cheered, circulated on social media. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zcSptyX via IFTTT

I have studied emperor penguins for 30 years. We may witness their demise in our lifetime | Barbara Wienecke

As Antarctica warms and sea ice disappears, the breeding of emperor penguin chicks is in peril – a hostile environment even they cannot overcome Last week I saw a headline announcing that last year thousands of emperor penguin chicks had died in the Bellingshausen Sea, when the fast ice broke out unusually early. I was deeply saddened and devastated, but not surprised. The region where this dreadful event occurred has been one of the fastest warming areas on Earth, and as temperature records are being broken year after year, a catastrophe of this kind was a matter of time. For nearly two decades, scientists have developed models to predict the potential impact of raising temperatures on emperor penguins to establish what the future would hold for these magnificent birds. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/PY501Cw via IFTTT

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 551 of the invasion

Russian committee confirms Yevgeny Prigozhin killed in plane crash; Ukraine says a second vessel has safely travelled through the Black Sea from Odesa Read all our Russia-Ukraine coverage Russia’s investigative committee, which looks into serious crimes, said it had confirmed that the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was among the people killed in Wednesday’s plane crash . After forensic testing, all 10 bodies recovered at the site had been identified, and their identities “conform to the manifest”. The committee did not offer any details as to what might have caused the crash. A senior Ukrainian government official has confirmed the safe passage of a second vessel through the Black Sea from Ukraine’s port of Odesa, after Russia’s withdrawal in July from a UN-brokered deal allowing the export of grain. Russia’s defence ministry said it sent a fighter plane in response to a US air force reconnaissance drone over the Black Sea. The Tass news agency said the

Secret escape slide for Taiwan’s former leader draws in the crowds – just don’t ask for a go

Passageways built under Taipei’s famous Grand Hotel during the Chiang Kai-shek era are attracting tourists keen to know their history Over the years there have been many rumours about the secret tunnels under Taipei’s Grand Hotel. Some say they were secret passageways to the presidential office five kilometres away. Others say they led to the Songshan airport or a secret military base. Now, the rumours are that the tunnels will shelter VIPs should the city come under attack from China’s People’s Liberation Army. The tunnels were built in the 1970s, as part of a major renovation of the hotel, amid the twin fears of the cold war and a Chinese attack. They were designed to provide an escape for Chiang Kai-shek, the ageing authoritarian leader of the Republic of China (Taiwan’s formal name) and any world dignitaries who happen to be visiting. Construction was completed in 1973, just two years before Chiang’s death. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/fTMmo47 via IFTT

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 550 of the invasion

Kremlin orders Wagner fighters to sign oath of allegiance; three Ukrainian pilots die in mid-air collision See all our Ukraine war coverage Vladimir Putin has ordered Wagner fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state after the plane crash that the Kremlin said killed Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of the mercenary group. Joe Biden said US officials were trying to determine how Prigozhin’s plane was brought down, leaving no survivors . Russia criticised Biden for expressing his lack of surprise that Prigozhin had been killed and said it was not appropriate for Washington to make such remarks. Russia reported a drone attack on Moscow in the early hours of Saturday forcing authorities to again shut down all three major airports serving the capital. Ukraine said on Saturday that three of its air force pilots including a renowned pilot with the callsign Juice were killed in a mid-air collision on Friday. Pope Francis urged young Russians to be “sowers of seeds of rec

Oleksandr Usyk knocks out Daniel Dubois in ninth round to retain titles

Champion wins despite being felled by low blow in round five Usyk down in distress for prolonged period before rallying Oleksandr Usyk retained his IBF, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles when he stopped Daniel Dubois in the ninth round of an increasingly dramatic fight which changed course after the champion had been hurt by a borderline punch which was ruled a low blow. After dominating the fight with his superior skill Usyk was suddenly in real distress as he slumped to the canvas in round five after Dubois landed a heavy shot on the beltline. Shaking his head and in obvious pain, the Ukrainian was allowed almost four minutes to recover. The referee might have considered it an illegal blow but he did not deduct a point from the 25-year-old British challenger, who then had his best spell of the fight. But Usyk dropped him twice to seal his victory in the early hours of Sunday morning in the Polish city of Wroclaw. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/IsAb1zJ

Niger coup leaders give French ambassador 48 hours to leave country

The ultimatum was rejected by France’s foreign ministry, which said it did not recognise the junta’s authority Niger’s junta said on Friday it had ordered French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country within 48 hours, as relations between the west African country and its former colonial ruler deteriorated further. The junta-appointed foreign ministry said the decision to expel the ambassador was a response to actions taken by the French government that were “contrary to the interests of Niger”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5dZVuQ2 via IFTTT

Orange army expect Dutch Grand Prix to be celebration of Max Verstappen

The world champion will be looking for a record-equalling ninth consecutive victory as F1 returns with his home race Even with a chill wind sweeping across the sand dunes of Zandvoort and the threat of rain for Sunday’s race, nothing will dampen the ardour of the fans at the Dutch Grand Prix. They expect a celebration, perhaps even a coronation of sorts, as their man, Max Verstappen, comes home to adulation as the pre-eminent force in Formula One. Their admiration is of course unsurprising but it extends beyond the orange army to Verstappen’s contemporaries, who acknowledge we are witnessing a racing phenomenon. Verstappen goes into this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix in this seaside town outside Amsterdam as world champion elect. More than 100,000 fans will attend this first race since F1’s summer break expecting the Red Bull driver to move one step closer to closing it out and in so doing equal a remarkable record. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/b6DW3np via IF

Drivers warned of copycat websites overcharging for Ulez fee

Which? advises drivers paying London ultra-low emission zone fee to make sure they’re using official TfL website Drivers are being ripped off by copycat websites that add extra fees to the ultra low emissions zone charges in London, consumer champion Which? has warned. As Ulez expands across all boroughs in the capital from Tuesday, Which? has found a series of identical, unofficial websites targeting people trying to pay the charge. This has led to drivers paying more than the £12.50 daily fee. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/VnWFKdX via IFTTT

‘I felt the victim of aggression, a sexist act’ – Jenni Hermoso’s statement in full

Spain’s No 10 breaks silence on the actions of Luis Rubiales Spain women’s team refuse to play until FA president resigns After Spain had won the Women’s World Cup, the country’s FA president, Luis Rubiales, grabbed the forward Jenni Hermoso by the head and kissed her on the lips. On Friday Rubiales refused to resign and claimed that Hermoso had said he could give her “a little peck”. Later on Friday Hermoso released this statement: Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lEcL2gM via IFTTT

Jude Bellingham hits Real Madrid winner while Leipzig go goal crazy

English midfielder sees off Celta Vigo to extend dream start Leipzig score five in 25 minutes; Monaco draw 3-3 at Nantes Jude Bellingham scored in the second half to earn Real Madrid a third straight win as they beat Celta Vigo 1-0 in La Liga to maintain a perfect start. The 20-year-old once again led the Spanish giants’ attack, scoring for the fourth time in his first three league games following Rodrygo’s missed penalty earlier in the second half. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/RY7gxWh via IFTTT

Fukushima: China accused of hypocrisy over its own release of wastewater from nuclear plants

Plant in China releases water with higher amounts of tritium, scientist says, calling into question the reason for seafood ban imposed on Japan As China bans all seafood from Japan after the discharge of 1m tonnes of radioactive water from the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, Beijing has been accused of hypocrisy and of using the incident to whip up anti-Japanese sentiment. Scientists have pointed out that China’s own nuclear power plants release wastewater with higher levels of tritium than that found in Fukushima’s discharge, and that the levels are all within the boundaries of levels not considered to be harmful to human health. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zdSF423 via IFTTT

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 548 of the invasion

Putin says Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin ‘made some serious mistakes in his life’; US will begin training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in October See all our Ukraine war coverage Vladimir Putin has called Yevgeny Prigozhin a “talented businessman” with “a difficult fate”. In a meeting at the Kremlin, the Russian president addressed the crash of the Wagner chief’s business jet for the first time, offering condolences to the families of the 10 people onboard. He said that Prigozhin had returned to Russia from Africa on Wednesday and had met “some officials”, without specifying whom. “He was a man with a difficult fate. He made some serious mistakes in his life,” Putin said. An explosion onboard probably brought down the plane presumed to be carrying the Wagner leader, a preliminary US intelligence assessment concluded. US and western officials said it determined that Prigozhin was “very likely” targeted and that the explosion falls in line with Putin’s “long history of trying to s

Indonesia’s tropical ‘Eternity Glaciers’ could vanish within a few years, experts warn

El Niño weather pattern could accelerate melting of 12,000-year-old glaciers, with one expert saying he was now able to document their ‘extinction’ Two of the world’s few tropical glaciers in Indonesia are melting, and their ice may vanish by 2026 or sooner, as an El Niño weather pattern lengthens the dry season, the country’s geophysics agency has said. Indonesia, home to a third of the world’s rainforest after Brazil and Congo, expects the dry season could run until October as El Niño increases the risk of forest fires and threatens supplies of clean water. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/NfuG0Xy via IFTTT

Belligerence and hostility: Trump’s mugshot defines modern US politics

From Bugsy to Bowie, every decade had its defining booking photo. Now we have ours for these politically spiteful times Mugshots define eras. Bugsy Siegel peering malevolently from beneath his fedora in a 1928 booking photo summed up the perverse romance of gangsters in the prohibition age. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/MGOD8q6 via IFTTT

‘They won’t buy it’: fish traders anxious after Fukushima wastewater release

The release of water from the Japanese nuclear plant has already caused the price of produce from surrounding coastal areas to drop Awa-jinja is a place of pilgrimage for the more superstitious fishers of Shinchi-machi, a coastal town in Fukushima, who come here to lower their heads and ask the Shinto gods to look kindly on them as they prepare to steer their boats into the vast Pacific Ocean. Today, though, the “safe waves” implicit in the shrine’s name are of little concern to the men and women coming to the end of the working day at the town’s fishing port. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CzbSZB7 via IFTTT

Burna Boy: I Told Them review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week

(Atlantic) Eschewing the political controversies of his interviews, the Nigerian musician’s seventh album is streamlined, swaggering and rich with perfectly deployed vocal samples You could view the title of I Told Them as defiant: Burna Boy ’s seventh album arrives preceded by controversy after its author told a journalist about his desire for Black Americans to return to Africa . It is a regular topic with the 32-year-old Nigerian, who is very big on pan-Africanism: he has claimed his ultimate career goal is “the eventual unity of Africa”. This time, however, he unwisely suggested that the reason Chinese and Italian immigrants in the US have “respect” and “don’t go through the things that African Americans go through” was because African Americans lacked knowledge of their own roots. You can understand the storm that followed: as more than one outraged commenter pointed out, he seemed to have overlooked the fact that Chinese and Italian Americans came to the US of their own volitio

Is God a Feminist?

Asking if God is a feminist doesn't seem necessary as he was one before the term was ever needed. But because sin altered the world in which he created, God compensated for the broken hierarchy that evil subsequently established. from Christianity.com https://ift.tt/M6DQxAa

Biden points finger at Putin as Prigozhin’s reported death seen as a warning to ‘elites’

Joe Biden ‘not surprised’ by death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner founder killed in plane crash, while Kremlin and Russian president himself stay silent See all our Ukraine war coverage Joe Biden has strongly suggested Vladimir Putin’s involvement in the apparent death of Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash, as Ukrainian officials interpreted the incident as a warning to Russian “elites” and flowers were laid for the late Wagner chief outside the organisation’s St Petersburg headquarters. “I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised,” the US president said after a briefing after the crash of Prigozhin’s private jet between Moscow and St Petersburg. “There’s not much that happens in Russia that Putin’s not behind. But I don’t know enough to know the answer.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ko8sAdV via IFTTT

Spanish football president in kissing row denies new misogyny allegations

Tamara Ramos claims Luis Rubiales asked what colour her underwear was when they worked together Spain’s football federation president Luis Rubiales was at the centre of new misogyny allegations on Wednesday, as he faces growing calls to be sacked for kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the country’s World Cup victory. The country’s football federation (RFEF) chief, 46, has been widely condemned for planting a kiss on the lips of the footballer after her team’s 1-0 triumph over England in the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney on Sunday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Ea8RmFs via IFTTT

Files reveal terms ministers were warned not to use in Northern Ireland

Advice was part of briefing for Peter Mandelson when he became Labour’s Northern Ireland secretary in 1999 It was sound advice for anyone visiting Northern Ireland in 1999 and remains so today: do not refer to Protestants as “Prods”, or to Catholics as “Fenians” or “Taigs”, and whatever you do don’t refer to your visit as “being out here”. The tips were part of a briefing paper for Peter Mandelson after he became the Labour government’s Northern Ireland secretary, according to files declassified on Thursday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/r02mPiB via IFTTT

UK bank holiday weather will be ‘mixed picture’, says Met Office

Low 20s expected for northern regions of Britain and high 20s for the south, with no heavy rain or high temperatures Forecasters are predicting a “mixed picture” for the bank holiday weekend weather as temperatures return to normal.. The Met Office expects temperatures in the low 20s in southern regions, while northern areas may get temperatures in the high teens. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Rd1g6OL via IFTTT

Austria’s fastest melting glacier gives up decades-old corpse

Alpine guide makes discovery on Schlatenkees glacier in Tyrol province, a few weeks after other human remains were found An alpine guide has discovered on Austria’s fastest melting glacier what are believed to be the remains of an Austrian who died more than 20 years ago, according to a statement from local police. The discovery follows the finding of other human remains on the same glacier less than two months ago. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/qmpx8iU via IFTTT

Cowboys, puppet witches and toilet humour: joyously queer Edinburgh fringe shows

Coming-out tales, ventriloquism, a musical set in a public loo and glamorous late-night cabaret are among the festival’s uplifting LGBTQ+ shows No one ever pays attention when you’re handed a flyer at the fringe. It’s only when I take a proper look that I realise I haven’t been handed a promotion but a protest. Offered with a smile, the leaflet is designed to look like medical information but warns, avidly, against the dangers of drag, LGBTQ+ sex education and “what they’re teaching our children”. Too flustered to be angry, I give it back, politely (too politely) tell the gathered group I disagree with them, and run to the show I’m late for. At this year’s Edinburgh fringe, LGBTQ+ artists have made the majority of the joyful, audacious, uplifting work I’ve been lucky enough to see. In fact, this is such an overtly queer-positive festival that while the blatant anti-LGBTQ+ misinformation is at first deflating, it then feels almost ridiculous. Good luck being heard above all this glori

‘Neglected’ but beloved youth theatre on west London estate forced to close

SPID theatre raised £2.6m for renovation but says Kensington and Chelsea council has not carried out repairs As a little boy, Kris Lalaj would watch with envy as his big sister ran around Kensal House estate in west London, being trailed by a video camera. From his balcony, he could see her howling with laughter, being chased by other children who were making a film with the well-loved but rundown community theatre that sat at the bottom of the estate. “I wanted to be like her,” he says. “It’s what got me into acting, really.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mR5GWKt via IFTTT

Children referred to social care twice as likely to fail GCSE maths and English

Research found 53% of teenagers in England who had been referred to services did not achieve a pass in both subjects Children in England who are referred to social services at any point in their childhood are twice as likely to fail GCSE maths and English, according to new research published ahead of results day on Thursday. Analysts looked at 1.6m pupils’ exam results over a three-year period and found that 53% of teenagers who had been referred to social care – as detailed in the Children in Need census – did not achieve a grade 4 pass in both English and maths GCSE. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Gelm2cd via IFTTT

A horseshoe crab: it is only when you see the shell wet from the water, close up, that you know they are real | Helen Sullivan

They have milky blue blood that can detect toxins – and people in lab coats want it Every day in bright clinical rooms in countries all over the world, horseshoe crabs are strapped into specially designed harnesses and drained of a third of their blood by people in lab coats. Then they are put back into rivers and oceans to swim-scuttle out their days. Horseshoe crabs are prehistoric and they look it: a fossilised Roomba most of the way through eating a stingray. The horseshoe crab looks mainly like it should not be alive right now. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ENGYhF8 via IFTTT

Trump confirms he will skip Republican primary debate

Ex-president is said to believe counter-programming would benefit his campaign and humiliate Fox News Donald Trump has confirmed that he will not attend the first Republican primary debate on Wednesday, in a post on Truth Social, amid reports that he is weighing several options in an attempt to upstage the opening event in the party’s nominating contest. The former president confirmed on his social media platform that he would be attending no primary debates. “New CBS poll, just out, has me leading the field by ‘legendary’ numbers… I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/WK80GX2 via IFTTT

Tropical Storm Hilary brings flash-floods and tornado warnings to southern California – follow live

National Hurricane Center warns of torrential rains and high winds from Mexico to Nevada, as Los Angeles hit by earthquake Tropical Storm Hilary brings flooding to California It’s just after 5.3opm in Los Angeles and the eye of the storm is just north of the Mexican border, according to US National Weather Service meteorologist Lisa Phillips, who held a briefing at 4.30pm. As of 2 pm PDT (2100 GMT), Hilary was about 115 miles (185 km) south-southeast of San Diego, California, the forecaster said. It was moving north-northwest at 23 mph (37 kph). Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/s6Ow7eM via IFTTT

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 544 of the invasion

Netherlands and Denmark to donate up to 61 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine; Volodymyr Zelenskiy vows retaliation for deadly strike on city of Chernihiv See all our Russia-Ukraine coverage The Netherlands and Denmark have announced they will donate up to 61 F-16 fighter jets between them to Ukraine once pilot training has been satisfactorily completed , as Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited both countries after months of entreaties to bolster the Ukrainian air force. The Ukrainian president also said that Kyiv was “getting closer” to obtaining Swedish Gripen fighter jets during a visit to Sweden . “Our soldiers are already starting to test them,” he said in his nightly address, adding that he had discussed the matter with Sweden’s prime minister, Ulf Kristersson. Zelenskiy vowed retaliation after at least seven people were killed and 144 injured in a “vile” Russian missile strike that hit a theatre and a central square in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv . “I am sure our soldiers

la déclaration lunaire de Laurent Blanc

La suite après cette publicité L’OL n’est pas encore en crise. Pourtant, après une défaite inaugurale à Strasbourg, les Gones ont été giflés ce samedi à domicile face à Montpellier. Un revers humiliant qui pose forcément des questions sur la suite de la saison lyonnaise. De plus, l’étau se resserre froidement sur Laurent Blanc, qui multiplie les sorties surprenantes ces dernières semaines. Ce samedi, le champion du monde 1998 s’est encore fendu d’une sortie pour le moins lunaire au micro de Prime Video : «ce qu’il faut changer ? Il faut changer d’entraîneur. Si je veux partir ? Non, mais vous me demandez ce qu’il faut faire alors je vous dis qu’il faut peut-être changer d’entraîneur. Je serai un petit peu plus modéré par rapport à vos propos : si on a un effectif de qualité ce soir, alors l’effectif de Montpellier est de très très grande qualité.» Ambiance… Pub. le 19/08/2023 22:33 MAJ le 20/08/2023 03:03 L’article la déclaration lunaire de Laurent Blanc est apparu en pre

‘Rise up’: monks urge WA towns to fight minerals exploration in vulnerable Jarrah forests

After seeing off a bid to explore near the Bodhinyana monastery, the forest monks are encouraging others to ‘keep the pressure on’ Get our morning and afternoon news emails , free app or daily news podcast Buddhist monks who have sought enlightenment in a globally unique forest in Western Australia are standing defiant after fighting off an attempt to explore their area for minerals. Conservationists say the northern Jarrah forest in the state’s south-west, already under pressure from climate change, is the target of several mining companies looking to explore for minerals needed for the clean energy transition. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/u0w2xny via IFTTT

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 543 of the invasion

Russian missile attack on Chernihiv’s central square kills seven and injures 144 as Zelensky vows ‘notable response’ See all our Ukraine war coverage A Russian missile strike on a central square in the historic northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv killed seven people , including a six-year-old child, and injured 144 on Saturday, authorities said. Denise Brown, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, condemned it as a “heinous” attack. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces would give “a notable response” to the “terrorist attack”. Of the injured, 15 were children, he said. Fifteen others were police, interior minister Ihor Klymenko said. Most of the victims were in vehicles, crossing the road or returning from church, he said. The strike occurred during the Orthodox holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Forty-one people were in hospital on Saturday, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said. Training had begun for Ukrainians to operate US F-16 fighter jet

Location, Location, Location star Phil Spencer’s parents killed in car crash

News of death of Anne and David Spencer confirmed by co-presenter of long-running Channel 4 series, Kirsty Allsopp The parents of TV presenter Phil Spencer have been killed in a car accident near their home, his co-star, Kirstie Allsopp, has confirmed. Location, Location, Location presenter Allsopp told fans to join her in “sending so much love” to costar Spencer, following the death of his mother, Anne, and father, David, on Friday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/kjzxYqM via IFTTT

Is it Really a Sin to Be Rich?

This is how sin enters — when wealth becomes a person’s treasure and when riches become the idol one worships and act as if there is never enough. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). from Christianity.com https://ift.tt/V7onQiZ

Verratti ? « Luis Enrique lui a dit : ‘tu dégages’ »

Non convoqué pour le match contre Toulouse ce samedi (21 heures), Marco Verratti pourrait quitter le Paris Saint-Germain cet été. La question anime les débats depuis plusieurs semaines : Marco Verratti sera-t-il encore un joueur du Paris Saint-Germain au mois de septembre, après la clôture du mercato ? En l’état actuel des choses, rien n’est moins sûr. Le petit italien n’a jamais caché son attachement au club de la capitale et à la France. Un discours qu’il tenait encore il y a 8 mois, après avoir prolongé son contrat. Arrivé en 2012, le milieu de terrain est le joueur qui a la plus grande ancienneté dans le groupe parisien. Lire aussi – Le capitaine du PSG est enfin dévoilé Mais ce beau décor a été terni par les événements du printemps. Fragilisé par un rendement sportif plus contrasté, Marco Verratti n’est pas apparu à son aise. Lassé par un climat de tension permanent, l’international italien a aussi été pris à partie par des supporters en fin de saison, au même titre que Lio

Canada wildfires: British Columbia in state of emergency as 19,000 flee Yellowknife fire

Premier says days ahead will be ‘extremely challenging’, as firefighters in neighbouring Northwest Territories fight to save city The premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia has declared a state of emergency, saying authorities there were “facing the worst wildfire season ever”, as thousands were evacuated from cities east of Vancouver. Premier David Eby said on Friday night: “Over the past 24 hours, the situation has evolved rapidly and we are in for an extremely challenging situation in the days ahead.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/QBS27nk via IFTTT

‘A cold, calculating killer’: how the papers covered Lucy Letby’s conviction

Saturday’s newspapers dominated by jury’s verdicts after more than four weeks of deliberations The conviction of nurse Lucy Letby for the “persistent, calculated and cold-blooded” murder of five premature boys and two newborn girls reverberates across today’s newspaper front pages, with some questioning whether she could have been stopped earlier. The Guardian says “Britain’s worst child serial killer: nurse guilty of seven murders” alongside a large image of Letby, 33, and points to further stories including an interview with a whistleblower , who said the babies would have survived if hospital executives had acted earlier on concerns. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Sco9qYQ via IFTTT

What happened in the Russia-Ukraine war this week? Catch up with the must-read news and analysis

Ukraine now the most heavily mined place on earth; Nato downplays idea that Kyiv could give up land for membership Every week we wrap up the must-reads from our coverage of the war in Ukraine , from news and features to analysis, visual guides and opinion. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/0MIeKm5 via IFTTT

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 542 of the invasion

Russia’s possession of nuclear arms is response to threats, Lavrov says; rise in Ukraine battlefield casualties brings total close to half a million See all our Ukraine war coverage Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow’s possession of nuclear weapons protects the country from external security threats , while reminding the west of the risks of a nuclear conflict. “The possession of nuclear arms is today the only possible response to some of significant external threats to security of our country,” Lavrov said in an interview for state-owned magazine The International Affairs. Lavrov warned the US and Nato allies risk ending up in “a situation of direct armed confrontation of nuclear powers”. “We believe such a development should be prevented. That’s why we have to remind about the existence of high military and political risks and send sobering signals to our opponents,” Lavrov said. The number of battlefield casualties in Ukraine is approaching nearly 500,000 Russ

Cheese and chips: parmesan producers fight fakes with microtransponders

Counterfeits are the bane of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, which is now trialling tech in the rind When is a cheese not what it seems? When it’s a fake parmesan. Italy’s renowned parmigiano reggiano, favoured for finishing off bowls of pasta and rocket salads, is one of the most counterfeited cheeses in the world. Now its manufacturers have found a new way to hit back against the lookalikes: by adding microchips. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/fvkYPlN via IFTTT

‘Ben has a great pelvis and it’s wonderful to show it’: Ira Sachs, Franz Rogowski and Ben Whishaw on their erotic new film

Rogowski and Whishaw star in Passages, Sachs’ film about a gay couple whose marriage is upturned when one has an affair with a woman. They talk power struggles, micro-gestures and a sex scene that proved too much for US censors ‘These interviews are full of shit,” says Franz Rogowksi, eyeballing the webcam in his Berlin apartment, a slash of Sunday morning sunshine streaking the wall behind him. This would be an awkward moment were the vulpine 37-year-old actor not wearing a lopsided smile, his voice free of rancour or complaint. What he is trying to get across is that there are certain conventions when promoting a movie. “People say: ‘Oh, this is so amazing, the project was so amazing.’ You and I would be having this exact same conversation even if this movie was shit. But I truly love what we’ve done.” The movie in question is Passages , a caustic, concentrated, jaggedly funny and aggressively erotic portrait of a relationship in freefall. Rogowski plays Tomas, a film-maker living

Surprise ! Neymar et Mbappé se sont encore retrouvés

Transféré à Al-Hilal en Arabie saoudite, Neymar a fait un dernier passage remarqué à Paris pour saluer ses coéquipiers. Les retrouvailles avec Kylian Mbappé étaient scrutées. Il était parti au Moyen-Orient en catimini, 6 ans après son arrivée en grandes pompes dans la capitale. Neymar ne pouvait pas quitter le Paris Saint-Germain par la petite porte. Bien que le bilan en France de l’artiste brésilien reste très contrasté, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi n’a pas pas hésité à employer le terme de légende pour qualifier l’attaquant. Lire aussi – VIDÉO : Le dernier passage de Neymar au Campus PSG Neymar est donc repassé une dernière fois saluer ses coéquipiers cette semaine. Dans l’après-midi de jeudi, le Paris Saint-Germain a publié sur ses réseaux sociaux une vidéo dans laquelle on voit le Brésilien de passage au Campus pour faire ses adieux aux joueurs, au staff technique et aux employés du club. Sourires, accolades, photos et haie d’honneur ont immortalisé ce moment de communion. Neymar-Mba

China’s struggling property giant Evergrande files for bankruptcy protection in US

The company’s chapter 15 protection will protect its US assets while it attempts a restructuring deal China’s Evergrande Group, the world’s most heavily indebted property developer and the poster child for the country’s property crisis, has filed for bankruptcy protection in a US court. The company sought protection under chapter 15 of the US bankruptcy code, which protects its US assets while it attempts a restructuring deal. The code also provides mechanisms for dealing with insolvency cases involving more than one country. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/hu6QzVO via IFTTT

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 541 of the invasion

Nato chief says only Ukraine can decide conditions for peace; US approves sending F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv The head of Nato has said only Kyiv can decide conditions for peace talks with Russia following a territory row. Jens Stoltenberg’s comments came after his chief of staff suggested Ukraine could give up land as a condition of Nato membership. Stoltenberg said: “It is the Ukrainians, and only the Ukrainians, who can decide when there are conditions in place for negotiations, and who can decide at the negotiating table what is an acceptable solution.” The United States has approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands as soon as pilot training is completed, a US official has said. Kyiv has actively sought the US-made F-16 fighter jets to help it counter Russian air superiority. Washington gave Denmark and the Netherlands official assurances that the US would expedite approval of transfer requests for F-16s to go to Ukraine when the pilots wer

Outcry in New Caledonia over shark culls and net plans despite attacks

Shark control measures provoke backlash while swimming remains mostly banned at Nouméa beaches after fatal attack Nouméa resident Aline Guémas swims in the city’s beaches every day. She’s part of a snorkelling group at popular beach Baie des Citrons and says the waters are filled with sea life. “It has exceptional biodiversity, almost half of the species present in New Caledonia inhabit its coral reef,” 65-year-old Guémas says. “Some endangered species come to reproduce here like the zebra shark.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/6DBHAGp via IFTTT

First cargo ship leaves Ukraine port since end of grain deal despite Russian threats

Civilian vessel left port of Odesa and travelled down temporary corridor set up after Moscow pulled out of UN-backed Black Sea grain deal A civilian cargo vessel has left Ukraine’s southern port of Odesa, Kyiv has said, despite warnings from Russia that its navy could target ships using the Black Sea export hubs. The announcement raises the spectre of a standoff with Russian warships, after Moscow pulled out of a key deal last month brokered by the UN and Turkey, which guaranteed safe passage for grain shipments from three Ukrainian ports. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pTKcAHs via IFTTT

‘Gangster tactic’: the true aim behind Hong Kong’s pursuit of overseas dissidents

Police targeting pro-democracy activists abroad have questioned their family and put out bounties, but there is a broader, more chilling, objective behind the operation In recent weeks, Hong Kong national security police have embarked on a tactic more commonly associated with their counterparts in mainland China. In early July, Hong Kong police announced arrest warrants and HK$1m bounties for eight dissidents currently in exile overseas. Just days later officers began showing up at their families’ homes in Hong Kong, taking away parents, siblings, children and in-laws for questioning. None of the family members have been arrested or charged. Observers and supporters say while there is still fear that could happen, it isn’t really the point. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/w3WCFrA via IFTTT

‘An activist blob’: Tory party attacks on lawyers – a timeline

Critical language used to blame lawyers for thwarting immigration policy dates back to Boris Johnson era Tory attacks on ‘lefty lawyers’ could fuel abuse, barristers warn Conservative attacks on “lefty lawyers” blamed for frustrating the government’s immigration policy date back to the era of Boris Johnson’s government, with Priti Patel as home secretary. However, Rishi Sunak and his senior colleagues have not shied away from this language either. Here’s how Tory criticisms of legal professionals have developed over the past three years. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/smQ4qDT via IFTTT

Booing and walkouts after the Killers tell Georgia audience Russian is their ‘brother’

Backlash after lead singer Brandon Flowers welcomes on stage fan from country that invaded and still occupies part of former Soviet state The Killers have apologised after lead singer Brandon Flowers was booed for bringing a Russian fan onstage at a concert in Georgia – the former Soviet state that Russia invaded in 2008 – and urging the crowd to think of each other as “brothers and sisters”. Towards the end of the concert, held on Tuesday night in Batumi, Georgia, the band invited a man to play drums with them during the song For Reasons Unknown. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/QxXTLdk via IFTTT

Janet Yellen inadvertently ate hallucinogenic mushrooms in China – and started a trend

‘I was not aware that these mushrooms had hallucinogenic properties. I learned that later,’ the US Treasury secretary told CNN US treasury secretary Janet Yellen has started a craze in China for a magic mushroom-based dish called Jian shou qing, or “see hand blue”, after she was spotted eating the fungi, known for being hallucinogenic, while on a visit to Beijing in July. “I went with this large group of people and the person who’d arranged our dinner did the ordering. There was a delicious mushroom dish I was not aware that these mushrooms had hallucinogenic properties. I learned that later,” she told CNN. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/OiRCBat via IFTTT
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