World news

• Coronavirus: EU countries begin mass vaccination

  26-12-2020 23:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Countries across the EU received their first shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines.
  
  Read more

• George Blake: Soviet Cold War spy and former MI6 officer dies in Russia

  26-12-2020 23:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Blake was one of the Cold War's most notorious double agents and betrayed dozens of MI6 personnel.
  
  Read more

• Monolith made of gingerbread appears in the US at Christmas – video

  26-12-2020 22:54
  
  A monolith made of gingerbread appeared on a hill in San Francisco on 25 December.The large biscuit is the latest in a series of mysterious monoliths that have appeared – and disappeared – in the US and Romania'I guess this is a thing now, right?': monolith appears on California mountain – video report Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Elon Musk: How billionaire entrepreneur took Tesla and SpaceX to dizzying new heights in 2020

  26-12-2020 22:06 via independent.co.uk
  
  Business magnate ends the year as the world’s second richest man behind only Amazon’s Jeff Bezos
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Police searching home of ‘person of interest’ in mystery Christmas explosion in Nashville

  26-12-2020 21:24 via independent.co.uk
  
  FBI ‘looking at every possible motive’ as evidence collection continues while Tennessee governor requests emergency declaration over bomb’s ‘direct’ impact to telecommunications
  
  Read more

• Police chasing 500 leads over mystery Christmas explosion in Nashville

  26-12-2020 20:20 via independent.co.uk
  
  No arrests have been made and no suspects are custody a day after a Christmas morning blast in Nashville, but law enforcement has identified "a number of individuals" that could be connected to the explosion.
  
  Read more

• China to overtake US as world’s biggest economy by 2028, new report predicts

  26-12-2020 19:27 via independent.co.uk
  
  Country’s performance in shrugging off effects of coronavirus pandemic means it will likely surpass its western rival five years earlier than expected
  
  Read more

• Berlin shooting: Four people in hospital after Boxing Day gunfire in German capital

  26-12-2020 18:44 via independent.co.uk
  
  One victim pulled from nearby canal with gunshot wounds in what authorities say may have been organised crime hit
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• ‘Virus is now killing people silently’: Covid cases surge in parts of Africa amid second wave

  26-12-2020 18:37 via independent.co.uk
  
  Coronavirus is on the rise again across the continent, posing a new, possibly deadlier threat
  
  Read more

• UK’s ivory ban delay ‘costing lives of elephants’ as dealers still selling trinkets for thousands of pounds

  26-12-2020 18:21 via independent.co.uk
  
  We are working with conservation charity Space for Giants to protect wildlife at risk from poachers due to the conservation funding crisis caused by Covid-19. Help is desperately needed to support wildlife rangers, local communities and law enforcement personnel to prevent wildlife crime
  
  Read more

• Sweden and Spain become latest countries to report new coronavirus variant

  26-12-2020 18:10 via independent.co.uk
  
  They join Japan, Denmark, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and France in detecting highly contagious new version of bug – believed to have emerged in UK
  
  Read more

• Out of touch: Sex workers speak of poverty and anxiety during India’s long Covid months

  26-12-2020 17:25 via independent.co.uk
  
  In Delhi’s red light district, Namita Singh hears how workers have been affected by the pandemic in an industry that relies entirely on one thing – physical contact with strangers
  
  Read more

• Nashville explosion: Mayor praises police who ran into danger to evacuate area ahead of mystery blast

  26-12-2020 15:53 via independent.co.uk
  
  ‘They are heroes and I am grateful for them and all of Nashville’s first responders,' says mayor
  
  Read more

• Southern California hospitals overwhelmed by coronavirus cases

  26-12-2020 15:23 via independent.co.uk
  
  California this week became the first state to reach two million recorded Covid virus cases
  
  Read more

• VDL's EU 'success story' video backfires as public slams bloc: 'Pure madness!'

  26-12-2020 14:28 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  URSULA von der Leyen's attempt to boost confidence and morale ahead of the start of the coronavirus vaccination programme backfired as the top Eurocrat was met with widespread criticism on social media.
  
  Read more

• British double agent George Blake dies in Russia at 98

  26-12-2020 14:18 via independent.co.uk
  
  George Blake, a former British intelligence officer who worked as a double agent for the Soviet Union, has died in Russia
  
  Read more

• EU mayhem: Yanis Varoufakis tipped Germany as FIRST country leave eurozone

  26-12-2020 14:02 via feedproxy.google.com
  YANIS VAROUFAKIS claimed the break up of the eurozone would not be because of crisis-hit Greece or Italy but because of Germany, with Berlin the first capital to drop out of the monetary union and print Deutsche Marks.
  
  Read more

• Large explosion damages buildings in Nashville at Christmas – video

  26-12-2020 14:01
  
  Footage filmed after a vehicle exploded in Nashville early on Christmas morning shows damage to several buildings. The explosion is being considered an 'intentional act' by local police as vehicle broadcast an apparently recorded message telling people to evacuate the area before the blastLarge 'bomb' blast wrecks buildings in downtown Nashville Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• George Blake dead: Notorious British traitor and Cold War spy dies in Russia aged 98

  26-12-2020 13:59 via independent.co.uk
  
  Infamous double agent exposed hundreds of western operatives in Eastern Europe - many of who were executed as a result
  
  Read more

• Joe Biden vs China: US president-elect issued dire warning as Taiwan tinderbox smoulders

  26-12-2020 13:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  JOE BIDEN is being pressured to "be strong" and make the defence of Taiwan a "red line" in the struggle to contain China's expansionist efforts.
  
  Read more

• Citizen journalist faces court case over Wuhan reporting

  26-12-2020 13:14 via independent.co.uk
  
  Zhang Zhan, 37, will go to court on Monday in the first known trial of a chronicler of China’s coronavirus crisis
  
  Read more

• When will Joe Biden take office? Timeline for President's 2021 take over

  26-12-2020 13:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  PRESIDENT-ELECT Joe Biden will soon take over from Donald Trump, making the incumbent a rare one-term President in 2021 despite his widely disputed claims of election fraud. When will Joe Biden take office?
  
  Read more

• New Covid strain already in France before Macron closed border

  26-12-2020 10:54 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  FRANCE has recorded its first case of the new variant of coronavirus, in a man who had returned to the country from the UK before French President Emmanuel Macron closed the border.
  
  Read more

• Coronavirus live news: millions more wake up to tier 4 in England

  26-12-2020 10:49
  
  Follow all the latest on the coronavirus pandemic across the worldMillions wake up to tougher restrictions in UK
  South Korea at ‘crossroads’ as concern mounts over variantsCovid led to huge London property exodus, says Hamptons
  Australian golf great Greg Norman tests positive for Covid-19 9.49am GMT It was over breakfast on the wintry morning of January 24 that Ozlem Tureci and her husband Ugur Sahin decided, “we need to fire the starting gun on this”.Sahin “had con
  
  Read more

• China to overtake US as biggest economy in world by 2028 due to Covid crisis

  26-12-2020 10:45 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  CHINA will overtake the US to become the biggest economy in the world by 2028 as America struggles to shake off economic harm caused by Covid-19.
  
  Read more

• Covid hotspots NSW: list of Sydney and regional coronavirus case locations

  26-12-2020 10:12
  
  Here are the current coronavirus hotspots in New South Wales and what to do if you’ve visited themAustralia border restrictions: here are the new state and territory Covid rules for NSW travellers
  Sydney Christmas restrictions: how many guests are allowed under Covid rules?
  Download the free Guardian appNew South Wales health authorities have updated a list of hotspots Covid-positive people have visited while infectious.Those who attended some locations must isolate immediately for 14 days
  
  Read more

• ‘The idea was to put smiles on faces – and it snowballed’: the people who saved 2020

  26-12-2020 10:00
  
  From the Spider-Men who rescued the children of Stockport, to the women who won the Nobel prize, here are seven people who brightened the darkest days When Andrew Baldock decided to don a Spider-Man suit for his daily jog in March, to cheer up locked-down children on his estate, he never expected such a huge response. “The original idea was just to put some smiles on faces and then it snowballed,” says Baldock, 45, who lives in Stockport, Greater Manchester. “Everyone loved it.
  
  Read more

• Ten reasons why we got Covid-19 vaccines so quickly without 'cutting corners' | Adam Finn

  26-12-2020 10:00
  
  The speedy rollout is thanks to a combination of foresight, hard work and lucky breaksCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe speed at which effective Covid-19 vaccines have come through to authorisation has caused surprise. Compared with previous vaccines, the process has been very fast and so, naturally, people are asking how can it have happened without some kind of compromise on standards and care. Explaining it all as simply a result of the wonders of the lates
  
  Read more

• 'Humans need the ritual of saying goodbye': the Covid life of a small-town funeral director

  26-12-2020 10:00
  
  George Charlet has witnessed a disaster up and close and personal – and has learned to prepare for the worstBeing a funeral home director in Zachary, Louisiana, means sometimes your neighbor calls when they see cars in the parking lot, to ask: “Who died?”Zachary, a suburb of Baton Rouge, has a population of about 18,000. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Charlie Brooker: ‘There’s a certain release in laughing into the abyss’

  26-12-2020 09:00
  
  Black Mirror co-creators Brooker and Annabel Jones discuss new comedy special Death to 2020, and the importance of being silly in the face of disasterI have been uncharacteristically optimistic this year,” Charlie Brooker says cheerfully from his west London living room, a prop sign from Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch episode behind him. “Partly because I’ve always been a pessimist and feared the worst. Suddenly, I don’t have to worry about the worst happening, because
  
  Read more

• Storm Bella: gale warnings as Bedfordshire residents urged to leave homes

  26-12-2020 08:42
  
  Police tell more than 1,300 households to evacuate due to flooding risks as country braces for storm on Boxing DayMore than 1,300 households have been urged by police to evacuate their homes due to a risk of flooding in parts of Bedfordshire as large swaths of the UK brace themselves for Storm Bella.Torrential rain has brought widespread flooding to the country, with people having to be rescued from vehicles and others evacuated from their homes. The arrival of Storm Bella on Boxing Day will bri
  
  Read more

• The best songs of 2020 ... that you didn't hear

  26-12-2020 08:16
  
  In an unusual year that’s kept us most of us away from live music venues, Guardian writers pick the songs that deserve to have made more impact Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• What links Bob Dylan with Queen and AC/DC? Weekend's bumper Boxing Day quiz

  26-12-2020 08:00
  
  From cricket to Washington Redskins, stay on the ball with our 2020 brain teasers 1 Which 94-year-old took under five hours to reach a million followers on Instagram?
  2 Which Welsh town was overrun by Kashmiri goats in March?
  3 Who announced a “Spring 2020 transition”?
  4 Which fortification was built in the 12th century by Bernard I de Balliol on the banks of the Tees?
  5 How is Joseph Maldonado-Passage described in the title of a Netflix series?
  6 Which item is inscribed with “
  
  Read more

• Made in Germany! The little-known WW2 plan which paved way for the 'anti-competitive' EU

  26-12-2020 08:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  THE "anticompetitive" principles which underpin the European Union - eventually triggering Brexit - have their roots in a little-known blueprint developed by Germany in the midst of World War 2, an economist has revealed.
  
  Read more

• Daniel Howell: 'If young people aren't supported it's going to screw everybody'

  26-12-2020 08:00
  
  In our latest report for this year’s Guardian and Observer charity appeal, we talk to the Young Minds ambassador and YouTube star• Please donate to our appeal hereDaniel Howell has spent the pandemic in “a slight apocalyptic nuclear bunker”, with terrible internet. It is quite the revelation for someone who shot to stardom documenting his life on YouTube, with his channel reaching more than 6 million subscribers.Speaking over a Zoom call, the former BBC Radio 1 presenter j
  
  Read more

• Israeli jets strike Gaza after rockets fired across border

  26-12-2020 07:08
  
  Israeli army says it targeted three Hamas sites in Palestinian territory, including a rocket-manufacturing facility Israel has targeted a number of sites in Gaza after the army said Palestinian militants had fired rockets into the south of the country.The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said Israeli aircraft had struck three Hamas targets including a rocket manufacturing facility, underground infrastructure and a military post. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• 'It's as if we've learned nothing': alarm over Amazon road project

  26-12-2020 07:00
  
  Memories of Brazil’s dictatorship as plan threatens biodiverse home of three indigenous communitiesBrazilian activists have voiced alarm over their government’s plans to bulldoze a 94-mile highway through a biodiverse corner of the Amazon along the border with Peru that is home to at least three indigenous communities.The planned road is an extension of the BR-364, a 2,700-mile highway that links São Paulo with the Amazon state of Acre, and would connect the town of Cruzeiro d
  
  Read more

• ‘I expect my elderly parents to die – but to suffer alone?’: the truth about caring through Covid

  26-12-2020 07:00
  
  Toilet-roll paranoia, terminal shortness of breath: my nonagenarian parents and I were there before it went mainstream. How would we cope with the pandemic?Two hundred and twenty days into the pandemic and I am uncertain which is the bigger threat to my father – my impatience or Covid-19.Bad news about the new lockdown, I offer. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• The Latest: Beijing residents told to stay put for holidays

  26-12-2020 06:51 via independent.co.uk
  
  China’s capital has urged residents not to leave the city during the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays, implementing fresh restrictions after several coronavirus infections last week
  
  Read more

• Millions wake up to tougher restrictions as UK Covid deaths pass 70,000

  26-12-2020 06:15
  
  Six million more people in England enter tier-4 restrictions as new measures come into force in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales See all our coronavirus coverageMillions more people will be waking to harsher coronavirus restrictions on Boxing Day when new tier changes come into force in England.New lockdowns are set to be introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland, while restrictions that were eased for Christmas Day in Wales will be reimposed on Saturday. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Boeing 737-8 Max: Air Canada jet shuts down an engine and diverts after mechanical issue

  26-12-2020 05:20
  
  Emergency signal sent from Montreal-bound plane carrying three crew before the plane was rerouted to ArizonaAn Air Canada Boeing Co 737-8 Max en route between Arizona and Montreal with three crew members onboard suffered an engine issue that forced the crew to divert the aircraft to Tucson, Arizona, the airline says.Shortly after the take-off, the pilots received an “engine indication” and “decided to shut down one engine”, an Air Canada spokesman said on Friday. Continue
  
  Read more

• Donald Trump sparks Twitter outrage as he announces special Christmas broadcast for troops

  26-12-2020 05:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  DONALD TRUMP has announced plans to address American troops deployed abroad on Christmas but he would not invite reporters to cover the speech.
  
  Read more

• Putin critic detained in Navalny poisoning row – Russian police cover up apartment camera

  26-12-2020 04:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  RUSSIAN police have detained prominent Putin critic Lyubov Sobol - a lawyer and close ally of dissident Alexei Navalny who fell ill after a suspected poisoning during a flight earlier this year.
  
  Read more

• Letter from Africa: Somalia's Christmas birthdays and lost memories

  26-12-2020 03:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A former refugee considers the importance of memory for those who lose everything in the chaos of war.
  
  Read more

• Coronavirus: France finds first case of new variant

  26-12-2020 02:55 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The health ministry says an asymptomatic Frenchman who arrived from England tested positive.
  
  Read more

• Business review of 2020: Covid-19 and Trump

  26-12-2020 02:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  2020 saw countries grapple with coronavirus, balancing both public health and economic concerns.
  
  Read more

• Boat capsizes on Uganda's Lake Albert, leaving 26 dead

  26-12-2020 02:43
  
  Twenty-one people rescued after sinking in high winds, with official saying no more survivors expectedAt least 26 people died when their boat sank on Lake Albert, which marks the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ugandan officials have said.The boat was carrying passengers between two Ugandan locations in the lake’s north-east on Wednesday when it “hit a strong wind” and went under water, local official Ashraf Oromo said on Friday. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Trump plays golf as key Covid relief bill remains unsigned – $2,000 payments uncertain

  26-12-2020 02:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  CHRISTMAS Day celebrations in the US have been marked by uncertainty over whether or not US citizens will get jobless benefits or not.
  
  Read more

• Nashville explosion: Camper van blows up in 'intentional act' on Christmas morning

  26-12-2020 02:19 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Three people are injured in the blast and possible human remains are later found near the site.
  
  Read more

• Ex-England cricketer and commentator Robin Jackman dies aged 75

  26-12-2020 01:42
  
  Former seamer played four Tests and 15 ODIsFollows death of old Surrey teammate EdrichFormer England and Surrey bowler Robin Jackman has died at the age of 75.Jackman played in four Tests and 15 one-day internationals for his country, while he took 1,402 wickets in a 399-game first-class career between 1966 and 1982. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

Follow @uk_worldnews on Twitter!