- Pakistan employs new measures to deal with nearly 70,000 people affected daily by hazardous smog The Associated Press
- India, Pakistan blanketed in smog so thick, it's visible from space: See pictures USA TODAY
- Life in Lahore, the world's most polluted city DW (English)
- How India, Pakistan and China Might Cooperate On Air Quality Forbes
- Pakistan's smog is visible from space. This activist is 'frustrated' but won't give up : Goats and Soda NPR
Biden to meet for a final time with Xi this week as a new Trump era of China relations begins – CNN
- Biden to meet for a final time with Xi this week as a new Trump era of China relations begins CNN
- Biden to Meet With President Xi Jinping of China During Summit This Weekend The New York Times
- Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet in Peru this weekend CBS News
- A diminished Biden heads to APEC summit in Peru, overshadowed by China’s Xi The Associated Press
- Biden and Xi will meet on Saturday, the 3rd and likely final time during Biden's term NPR
Exiles ask King Charles to rescind honour awarded to king of Bahrain
Buckingham Palace accused of ‘burying’ news of GCVO bestowed on King Hamad, whose regime is accused of torturing opponents
King Charles has been asked by exiles from Bahrain to rescind an honour he bestowed this week on the ruler of the Gulf kingdom.
Charles was told in a letter by the exiles: “It is personally difficult for us to view this honour as anything other than a betrayal of victims who have suffered at the hands of King Hamad and his brutal regime.”
Continue reading...What Trump could do on day one in the White House
Trump has said he will "make heads spin" as he moves full-speed ahead after his inauguration.
‘Minuscule’ amount of novichok could have been fatal, scientist tells inquiry
Witness from Porton Down laboratory says ‘many lethal doses’ of nerve agent were applied to Sergei Skripal’s door
A “minuscule” amount of the nerve agent used in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal – as small as a sixth of a grain of salt – could have been enough to prove fatal, a government scientist has told an inquiry.
The scientist, an expert in chemical and biological weapons, said “many lethal doses” of novichok were daubed on the handle of the former Russian spy’s front door in Salisbury and it was so pure that it must have been manufactured by a sophisticated laboratory.
Continue reading...Argentina withdraws negotiators from Cop29 summit
Move adds to concerns about the stability of the Paris agreement after the election in the US of Donald Trump
Argentinian negotiators representing the government of the climate science denier Javier Milei have been ordered to withdraw from the Cop29 summit after only three days, adding to concerns about the stability of the Paris agreement.
More than 80 representatives from the South American country are in Baku, Azerbaijan, for two weeks of negotiations about climate finance for the energy transition. Argentina’s far-right leader has previously called the climate crisis a “socialist lie”, and during his election campaign last year he threatened to withdraw from the Paris agreement, though he has since backed down.
Continue reading...Church of England abuse survivors call for further resignations – BBC.com
- Church of England abuse survivors call for further resignations BBC.com
- The Fall of Archbishop Welby | Carl R. Trueman First Things
- The Anglican church’s long history of failing to act on abuse The Guardian
- Archbishop of Canterbury Resigns Over U.K. Church Abuse Scandal The New York Times
- The archbishop and the abuser The Economist
US wants Gaza fighting pause, Blinken says, but will not limit arms transfers despite Israel missing aid deadline – as it happened
This live blog is closed
The US wants real and extended pauses in fighting in Gaza so assistance can get to people who need it, US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, told reporters on Wednesday.
More details to follow …
Continue reading...Trump will understand Chagos deal, UK government says
The Reform UK leader said the agreement to hand over the islands is opposed in the United States.
From high tariffs to isolation, what a 2nd Trump term might mean for foreign policy – NPR
- From high tariffs to isolation, what a 2nd Trump term might mean for foreign policy NPR
- Opinion | Trump Had It Easy the First Time The New York Times
- The End of American Exceptionalism: Trump’s Reelection Will Redefine U.S. Power Foreign Affairs Magazine
- What Trump’s second term could mean for the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East NBC News
- Opinion | Trump’s rise signals the end of US global leadership South China Morning Post
Guardian quits X social media platform, citing racism and conspiracy theories – Reuters
- Guardian quits X social media platform, citing racism and conspiracy theories Reuters
- Why the Guardian is no longer posting on X The Guardian
- The Guardian to stop posting on X, calling it "a toxic media platform" CBS News
- Don Lemon and the Guardian left Elon Musk’s X after the election. But is it a mass exodus? Don’t be so sure CNN
- The Guardian quits ‘toxic’ X over Elon Musk using it to influence politics POLITICO Europe
Ambulance patients killed in Haiti attack, charity says
The charity says its ambulance was attacked and patients and crew ambushed by Haiti officers.
US official charged over leak of Israel plan to attack Iran
Asif Rahman was arrested in Cambodia and brought to federal court in Guam to face charges, according to court documents.
Macron to visit Notre Dame Cathedral before reopening after 2019 fire
French president to give ‘republican and secular’ speech outside monument days before it reopens to public
As firefighters doused the embers of the blaze that threatened to destroy Notre Dame Cathedral on 16 April 2019, Emmanuel Macron promised the church would be restored “more beautiful than ever” within five years.
In two weeks, the French president will visit the monument that has been returned to its former glory with the help of millions in donations and hundreds of specialist artisans using age-old skills.
Continue reading...Hegseth, advocate for firing ‘woke’ military leaders, picked for defense secretary – Reuters
- Hegseth, advocate for firing 'woke' military leaders, picked for defense secretary Reuters
- Trump's defense choice stuns the Pentagon and raises questions about the Fox News host's experience The Associated Press
- Pentagon stunned after Trump picks Pete Hegseth for defence secretary The Guardian US
- 'Frightening': Van Jones reacts to Hegseth's military ideology CNN
- 'Who?' Some Republican senators surprised by Trump's defense pick NBC News
‘Welcome back’ – Watch moment Biden congratulates Trump
The president and president-elect shook hands as part of a long-standing tradition signifying the transfer of power.
South Korean actor Song Jae-lim dies aged 39
Star of Korean dramas Moon Embracing the Sun and Queen Woo was found dead at his home in Seoul
Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in dramas Moon Embracing the Sun and Queen Woo, was found dead at his home in Seoul. He was 39.
Officials at Seoul’s Seongdong district police station didn’t immediately comment on the cause of death.
Continue reading...Swedish firm censured for use of C-word in ads for vaginal health supplements
Regulator deems posters offensive, though Elexir Pharma argues term is ‘not loaded in the same way as in the UK’
The Swedish advertising ombudsman has criticised a company for using the C-word in posters to promote vaginal health supplements, saying the use of the “gross profanity” is offensive to consumers.
The ads, displayed on public transport in Stockholm and Gothenburg, feature the phrase “you can cunt on us” in pink writing.
Continue reading...Watch: Málaga flood turns street into river
Video shows people in Calle Alcazabilla struggling to cross a road as flood water surges through it.
Notre-Dame Cathedral Is Ready to Reopen in December – The New York Times
- Notre-Dame Cathedral Is Ready to Reopen in December The New York Times
- Macron to visit Notre Dame Cathedral before reopening after 2019 fire The Guardian
- Notre Dame Bells Ring Out for the First Time in 4 Years, Heralding its Upcoming Completion December 8th Good News Network
- Opinion: A joyous sound unites Paris and Portland Press Herald
- Video New details revealed for the Notre Dame’s grand reopening ABC News