Category Archives: World News

Best served chilled: green tech keeps the cool on India’s dairy farms – photo essay

Posted on by

Photographer Prashanth Vishwanathan captured a network of community dairies helping off-grid farmers in Maharashtra keep milk fresh as temperatures rise. All pictures are from Climate Visuals

As global temperatures climb, a lack of refrigeration makes a big impact on people trying to make a living from farming. Especially dairy farms.

There are more than 75 million smallholder dairy farmers in India. Most are in off-grid areas without refrigeration, or reliant on expensive and polluting diesel generators. This locks people out of national supply chains, and farmers have to spend hours transporting milk to markets, or sell at a lower price to middlemen. In Maharashtra, western India, a network of community dairies has been set up, using sustainable refrigeration technology, where people can bring their milk to be tested, chilled, and sold on.

Continue reading...

Christchurch: Treasures arise from cathedral ruins, 10 years after earthquake

Posted on by

Finds include 1980s time capsules, old collection boxes and a nativity scene with figures heads ‘taken clean off’

Ten years on from Christchurch’s devastating earthquake, the Catholic Diocese has discovered that it is missing a pair of angels.

As work continues to deconstruct the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Barbadoes Street – extensively damaged in the 2011 quake, along with most of the central city – many treasures thought lost have been recovered.

Continue reading...

The gap between Labour’s soaring rhetoric on mental health and the reality is galling | Oliver Lewis

Posted on by

When it comes to mental health, New Zealand’s government has lost sight of what’s important

They call it a last resort, but for people placed in seclusion in New Zealand mental health units it can feel like the beginning of a nightmare. “Seclusion” itself is something of a euphemism, a gentle name for locking someone in a room for an average of 27 hours at a time. It’s meant to be a last resort to stop people from hurting themselves or others, but the practice can itself be traumatising. One woman, recalling her seclusion experience, describes how – even now – she doesn’t like the sound of keys being rattled. It reminds her of being locked up, she says, of feeling hopeless, frightened and alone.

“Being taken into seclusion is absolutely awful, scary and daunting.”

Continue reading...

Chauvin’s use of force on George Floyd was ‘in no way’ policy, says police chief

Posted on by

Medaria Arradondo says on sixth day of trial that ex-officer’s treatment of George Floyd breached regulations

The Minneapolis police chief, Medaria Arradondo, told the Derek Chauvin murder trial on Monday that he “vehemently disagrees” that there was any justification for the former police officer to keep his knee on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.

Arradondo said on the sixth day of the trial that Chauvin’s treatment of the 46-year-old Black man breached regulations and showed a disregard “for the sanctity of life”.

Continue reading...

Derek Chauvin trial: Minneapolis police chief says use of force violated policy – live

Posted on by

The court is just coming back from a short break, but here is a stark detail from the court room.

Coronavirus risks have imposed heavy restrictions on court. Only two media “pool” reporters are allowed into the court room itself. And defendant Derek Chauvin and the family of the late George Floyd were each allocated just one seat to use in the court room.

Here is the most important clip of the day so far. After so much harrowing video footage and lingering stills of then-officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck in the first day or two of last week, the jury and public has been spared.

But the prosecution decided it needed to show one of the defining images of the whole Floyd disaster, that picture of Chauvin, hand in pocket, sunglasses on his head, looking directly into a bystander’s phone camera, while Floyd is pinned under him.

Incredibly damning testimony from the Minneapolis police chief:

Derek Chauvin's actions were "not part of policy, not part of our training, and certainly not part of our ethics or values." pic.twitter.com/gS0RpTGGP0

Continue reading...

Biden’s $2tn infrastructure plan ‘needs to be changed’, says key Democrat Manchin – live

Posted on by

That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Lois Beckett, will take over the blog for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

The Guardian’s Abené Clayton reports:

The bankruptcy trial for the National Rife Association (NRA) kicked off this morning, and for the first time embattled CEO Wayne LaPierre and other NRA executives will be testifying about the organization’s finances in open court.

Good morning. Today is the first day of the @NRA’s trial in bankruptcy court. For those of you who can’t wait, here are some disturbing excerpts from Wayne LaPierre’s deposition (filed over the weekend). #nrabankruptcytrial

Continue reading...

Nearly 2,000 prisoners escape jail in south-east Nigeria

Posted on by

President Buhari condemns ‘act of terrorism’ after gunmen destroy part of prison walls in Owerri, Imo state

Almost 2,000 prisoners have escaped after a jailbreak in south-east Nigeria blamed on armed separatists, in the latest in a string of armed attacks on law enforcement authorities.

A prison facility and police command centre in the city of Owerri, Imo state, was targeted early on Monday by gunmen who destroyed part of the prison walls with explosives, freeing 1,844 inmates. One police officer was shot and injured in the attack.

Continue reading...

Covid live: Saudi Arabia reveals Mecca restrictions; Italy reports almost 300 daily deaths

Posted on by

Only vaccinated people will be allowed to perform umrah; Italy death toll reaches 111,326

Mexico’s government has reported another 252 more deaths from Covid, and a further 1,247 cases, according to the health ministry on Monday.

It means that 204,399 have now died from the virus, and there have been 2,251,705 infections. The country’s government says that real both figures are likely to be significantly higher, and the death toll itself may be 60% above the confirmed figure, Reuters reports.

Hospitals are coming under mounting pressure in Poland, where daily infections have been above more than 35,000 in each of the last two days.

Continue reading...

Mecca to accept only ‘immunised’ pilgrims from Ramadan

Posted on by

Worshippers must be vaccinated against Covid or have recovered from the virus, say Saudis

From the start of Ramadan, only Muslims immunised against Covid-19 will be allowed to perform the umrah pilgrimage, Saudi authorities have said.

Unlike hajj, the shorter umrah pilgrimage is non-compulsory and can be performed at any time of year.

Continue reading...

Vladimir Putin passes law that may keep him in office until 2036

Posted on by

Presidential terms ‘reset’ to allow Russian leader to run for presidency twice more in his lifetime

Vladimir Putin has signed a law that will allow him to run for the presidency twice more in his lifetime, potentially keeping him in office until 2036.

The Russian president signed the legislation on Monday, ending a year-long process to “reset” his presidential terms by rewriting the constitution through a referendum-like process that his critics have called a crude power grab.

Continue reading...

Haiti has no Covid vaccine doses as violence looms larger than pandemic

Posted on by
  • Caribbean republic’s 11m people have yet to receive a single jab
  • Doses due to arrive in May but delays expected

Haiti does not have a single vaccine to offer its more than 11 million people over a year after the pandemic began, raising concerns among health experts that the wellbeing of Haitians is being pushed aside as violence and political instability across the country deepen.

So far, Haiti is slated to receive only 756,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through a United Nations program aimed at ensuring the neediest countries get Covid-19 shots. The free doses were scheduled to arrive in May at the latest, but delays are expected because Haiti missed a deadline and the key Indian manufacturer is now prioritizing an increase in domestic demand.

Continue reading...

EU pledges backing to Ukraine after Russian military buildup

Posted on by

European envoy says Kiev has its ‘unwavering support’ while Moscow denies threatening behaviour

The European Union has pledged its “unwavering” support for Ukraine’s government amid concerns of a military escalation in the east of the country or a possible new offensive against the Nato ally after recent Russian troop movements.

Ukraine has accused Russia of massing thousands of military personnel on its northern and eastern borders as well as on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014. Online researchers have identified troops being transferred to Ukraine’s borders from western and central Russia, including artillery from as far away as Siberia.

Continue reading...

Netanyahu’s corruption trial resumes as political future remains unclear – video

Posted on by

The Israeli prime minister’s efforts to remain in power face a double-pronged challenge, as he attends a Jerusalem courtroom for his corruption trial. Meanwhile critical talks on his political future were held after last month’s inconclusive election.

The witness testimony and evidence stage of a case assessing whether the 71-year-old leader is guilty of bribery, fraud and breach of trust – repeatedly delayed because of the pandemic - began on Monday morning

Continue reading...

Sanctions only escalate tensions. It’s time to tackle the Uyghurs’ plight differently | David Brophy

Posted on by

The west needs to make a credible case that its opposition to China’s policies is not geopolitical manoeuvring

“Wholly counterproductive”, was how Newcastle academic Joanne Smith Finley described China’s sanctions on her, along with a series of British politicians and lawyers, as punishment for their advocacy for the Uyghurs. That was putting it mildly. But is it the case that western sanctions on China will be, by contrast, productive? Sadly, that seems unlikely.

International outrage at China’s policies of incarceration and social coercion in Xinjiang continues to grow. As someone who has been engaged with the region for two decades, I see that as much needed. But it’s crucial the energy being generated is put to good use. The gloves may be off, but what is the strategy?

Continue reading...

Fauci hits back at rightwing criticism and says attacks on him ‘bizarre’

Posted on by

Scientist forced to defend himself from attacks by Trump allies and says ‘I can’t be bothered with getting distracted’

Anthony Fauci has described attacks on him from Republicans as “bizarre”, after a barrage of criticism from senior GOP figures.

Related: ‘There is a solution’: a Covid survivor’s life-or-death battle for Medicare for All

Continue reading...

Germany faces calls for nationwide approach to Covid restrictions

Posted on by

Frustration grows over patchwork arrangements across the country as infections rates continue to rise

Calls are growing in Germany for the introduction of nationwide coronavirus restrictions amid confusion and frustration over patchwork arrangements across the country as the infection rate continues to rise.

The majority of Germans are in favour of a more unified approach to tackling the virus, now in its third wave, according to a poll, ahead of an expected tightening of rules after the holiday weekend.

Continue reading...

Turkish ex-admirals arrested over criticism of Erdoğan’s ‘crazy’ canal scheme

Posted on by

Officials interpret criticism of plans for new Istanbul waterway as direct challenge to civilian government

Turkey has detained 10 retired admirals over their public criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “crazy” Istanbul canal project, which will create a new waterway from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean in addition to the existing Bosphorus strait.

The arrest warrants issued on Monday came a day after a group of 104 former senior navy officials signed an open letter warning that the proposed canal could harm Turkish security by invalidating an 85-year-old international treaty designed to prevent militarisation of the Black Sea.

Continue reading...

Nicaraguan ruler Ortega rolls out vaccination campaign amid secrecy and doubt

Posted on by

Doctors say details on strategy are lacking – a lack of clarity that has characterized the authoritarian leader’s pandemic response

The first person in Nicaragua to receive a coronavirus vaccine was Marco Antonio Aráuz, 62, who was given a dose of the Russian Sputnik V treatment at Managua’s Blue Cross hospital.

Related: Nicaragua leaders face backlash after forming space agency amid human rights crisis

Continue reading...

Jordan’s Prince Hamzah defiant after being put under house arrest

Posted on by

King Abdullah’s half-brother says he will disobey the army’s orders not to communicate with outside world

Jordan’s estranged Prince Hamzah bin Hussein has said in a voice recording that he will disobey orders by the army not to communicate with the outside world after he was put under house arrest.

The half-brother of King Abdullah and the former heir to the throne said in the recording released on Monday by the country’s opposition that he would not comply after being barred from any activities and told to keep quiet.

Continue reading...

‘I miss school’: 800m children still not fully back in classes

Posted on by

Rights groups warn that children across the world are being pushed into abusive situations, from early marriage to child labour

Across the world 800 million children are still not fully back in school, Unicef is warning, with many at risk of never returning to the classroom the longer closures go on. There are at least 90 countries where schools are either closed or offering a mix of remote and in-person learning.

The UN agency’s chief of education, Robert Jenkins, told the Guardian that the closures are part of “unimaginable” disruption to children’s education.

Continue reading...