General news

• Australia news live update: Barnaby Joyce tests positive for Covid; Victoria records 1,232 cases, nine deaths; 420 cases and one death in NSW

  08-12-2021 23:59 via theguardian.com
  
  Deputy prime minister returns positive Covid test in the US; Victoria records 1,232 new Covid-19 cases and nine deaths; NSW records 420 cases, one death; Queensland and Northern Territory pass 80% fully vaccinated mark; woman dies in floodwaters in Brisbane; a trivia night at a Sydney pub is the source of a new Covid cluster after 44 people were diagnosed with the virus. Follow liveMalcolm Turnbull backs climate-focused independents running in Liberal seatsDownload the free Guardian app; get our
  
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• Biden’s carbon-neutral order praised for ‘aligning government power with climate goals’ – live

  08-12-2021 23:43 via theguardian.com
  
  Biden signs order to make federal government carbon-neutral by 2050Capitol attack committee: ‘no choice’ but to advance contempt proceedings for Mark MeadowsBiden warns of ‘economic consequences’ if Putin invades UkraineSign up to receive First Thing – our daily briefing by emailJoe Biden took a few questions from reporters this morning, as he left the White House to start his trip to Kansas City, Missouri.Asked about his summit yesterday with Vladimir Putin, Biden
  
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• Barcelona dumped out of Champions League group stage after Bayern Munich defeat

  08-12-2021 23:41 via cnn.com
  
  Barcelona crashed out of this season's Champions League after a 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
  
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• Mounting evidence highlights the importance of Covid boosters

  08-12-2021 23:39 via cnn.com
  
  As the world learns more about the Omicron coronavirus variant and Delta continues to cause Covid-19 cases to rise around much of the United States, the need for booster shots becomes clearer than ever -- even beyond the growing data about waning vaccine immunity.
  
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• Covid live: UK reports 51,342 new infections; three Pfizer shots can ‘neutralise’ Omicron, lab tests show

  08-12-2021 23:32 via theguardian.com
  
  Latest figures come amid concern over spread of Omicron variant; Pfizer says third jab increased antibodies by factor of 25Three Pfizer jabs likely to protect against Omicron, tests suggestFinnish PM apologises for staying out clubbing despite Covid exposureWhy is there a row in the UK about Boris Johnson and Christmas parties?Anger as Jair Bolsonaro to allow unvaccinated visitors into BrazilModerna or Novavax after AstraZeneca jab confers high immunity: studyGermany reported 69,601 cases of Cov
  
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• Hear Hillary Clinton give her 2016 would-be victory speech for the first time

  08-12-2021 23:20 via cnn.com
  
  Hillary Clinton is sharing the victory speech she planned on giving after the 2016 presidential election for the first time on a Masterclass episode about "the power of resilience."
  
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• Three doses of Pfizer vaccine likely to protect against Omicron infection, tests suggest

  08-12-2021 23:16 via theguardian.com
  
  Initial findings indicate stark reduction in protection against new Covid variant from two vaccine dosesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThree doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are likely to protect against infection with the Omicron variant but two doses may not, according to laboratory data that will increase pressure to speed up booster programmes.Tests using antibodies in blood samples have given some of the first insights into how far Omicron escapes immu
  
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• Trump's former chief of staff sues House January 6 committee

  08-12-2021 23:13 via cnn.com
  
  Former Trump White House chief of Staff Mark Meadows is suing the House special committee investigating January 6 and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
  
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• ‘Overwhelming’ evidence against Jussie Smollett, says prosecution in closing arguments

  08-12-2021 23:07 via theguardian.com
  
  The Empire actor denies he falsified police reports about the alleged racist and homophobic attack in 2019Lawyers delivered their closing arguments on Wednesday in Jussie Smollett’s criminal trial where the former Empire actor is facing charges that he lied to Chicago police about an attack in 2019.Smollett denies the charges. Continue reading...
  
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• Sienna Miller says Sun used ‘illegal means’ to find out pregnancy

  08-12-2021 22:21 via theguardian.com
  
  Actor tells high court about her view of how details were discovered, which the publisher deniesSienna Miller believes details of her 2005 pregnancy were obtained by the then editor of the Sun, Rebekah Brooks, using “blatantly unlawful means”, a court has heard. Miller also believes phone hacking was practised by journalists at Rupert Murdoch’s daily tabloid newspaper.“I was told at the end of July 2005, by my friend and publicist, that Rebekah Brooks had found out that I
  
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• Finland PM Sanna Marin apologizes after being seen at nightclub following Covid exposure

  08-12-2021 22:12 via nbcnews.com
  
  Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin offered a public apology on Monday after being criticized for spending a night out in Helsinki following exposure to Covid-19
  
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• Camel causes chaos after fleeing Kansas nativity scene

  08-12-2021 22:08 via nbcnews.com
  
  Residents in the Kansas City, Kansas, area probably learned why the three wise men preferred transportation by camel after one fled a local nativity scene over
  
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• The world is unprepared for the next pandemic, study finds

  08-12-2021 22:07 via cnn.com
  
  The entire world remains unprepared for the next pandemic and most countries are underprepared even for small outbreaks of disease, researchers reported Wednesday.
  
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• UK Covid live: Met police will not investigate No 10 Christmas party allegations

  08-12-2021 22:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Latest updates: Scotland Yard cites ‘absence of evidence’, as PM triggers plan B Covid restrictionsFull story: PM triggers plan B Covid measures in EnglandAllegra Stratton resigns after No 10 Christmas party videoJohnson ‘apologises unreservedly’ over Christmas party videoThree Pfizer jabs likely to protect against Omicron, tests suggestDowning Street sources are saying this morning that “no decisions have been made” on a move to plan B. But, frankly, an FT st
  
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• Woman found dead after car floats near edge of Niagara Falls

  08-12-2021 21:59 via nbcnews.com
  
  A woman was found dead Wednesday afternoon after a car floating in Niagara River came close to going over the Falls, authorities in New York said.
  
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• Scott Peterson, convicted of killing pregnant wife Laci Peterson, resentenced to life in prison

  08-12-2021 21:58 via nbcnews.com
  
  Scott Peterson, who was convicted of killing his pregnant wife Laci Peterson and their unborn baby in 2002, was re-sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.
  
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• Supreme Court poised to chuck separation of church and state out the window

  08-12-2021 21:43 via nbcnews.com
  
  Such a ruling means taxpayers will have to pay for religious indoctrination that's not only contrary to their own values, but also denies their own equality.
  
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• 'No one with power is listening:' Activists warn redistricting moves in the South threaten Black political power

  08-12-2021 21:42 via cnn.com
  
  Nicole Love Hendrickson made Georgia history last year, becoming the first Black woman elected chair of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners.
  
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• Biden signs executive order to make U.S. government carbon neutral by 2050

  08-12-2021 21:37 via nbcnews.com
  
  The president is aiming to leverage the federal government’s massive buying power to jumpstart the market for clean energy, electric vehicles and more efficient buildings.
  
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• Ghislaine Maxwell trial: third accuser’s ex-boyfriend corroborates her account

  08-12-2021 21:36 via theguardian.com
  
  ‘Shawn’ says he drove Carolyn to Epstein’s house every few weeks, after she testified Maxwell scheduled sexualized massages with EpsteinThis article contains depictions of sexual abuseThe former boyfriend of the third accuser to testify in Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial in New York corroborated details of her account during his testimony Wednesday.This accuser, Carolyn, had testified Tuesday that Maxwell scheduled sexualized massages with Jeffrey Epstein starti
  
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• Met police say they will not investigate Downing Street Christmas party

  08-12-2021 21:35 via theguardian.com
  
  Force cites policy of not investigating past alleged breaches of Covid rules and lack of evidenceThe Metropolitan police has said it will not investigate the Downing Street Christmas party widely reported to have been held last year.In a much awaited statement, the force said it had a policy of not retrospectively investigating alleged breaches of coronavirus laws. Continue reading...
  
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• China’s indebted property sector highlights a fading economic revival

  08-12-2021 21:07 via theguardian.com
  
  Xi Jinping’s mission is not only to control the housing bubble, but rein in untethered industries and foreign capitalChina’s economy has become heavily dependent on property development over the last decade. High-rise apartments have mushroomed across hundreds of cities to house a growing white-collar workforce, while glass and steel office blocks are dominating city centres, mimicking Shanghai’s glittering skyline.Valued at more than $50tn after 20 years of rapid growth, Chine
  
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• Cornish town with 1,440 residents seeks to become UK’s smallest city

  08-12-2021 20:53 via theguardian.com
  
  Marazion, opposite St Michael’s Mount, faces stiff opposition from larger areas in contest for city statusIt may not boast a cathedral, a university or a major sports team – the sort of features often associated with a typical British metropolis. But the town of Marazion (population 1,440), perched prettily on the south coast of Cornwall, has nevertheless launched a bold campaign for city status.Marazion, which does have a couple of churches, a primary school and rowing and sailing c
  
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• Allegra Stratton resigns after No 10 Christmas party video

  08-12-2021 20:53 via theguardian.com
  
  Boris Johnson ‘sorry to lose’ spokesperson for climate summit who was seen in footage joking about party during lockdown
  Allegra Stratton has stepped down as the government’s spokesperson for the Cop26 climate summit after footage emerged of her joking about a party at Downing Street during the peak of lockdown rules in December last year.Boris Johnson told a coronavirus press briefing on Wednesday that Stratton had been an “outstanding spokeswoman … I am very sorr
  
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• Rep. Ayanna Pressley spearheads resolution that would punish Rep. Boebert for her Islamophobic remarks

  08-12-2021 20:42 via nbcnews.com
  
  It would punish Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., for her comments toward Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., by removing Boebert from her committee assignments.
  
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• Nike will stop selling sneakers at one of America's largest shoe chains

  08-12-2021 20:37 via cnn.com
  
  You won't be able to buy Nike sneakers and apparel at one of America's largest shoe store chains in 2022.
  
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• US accuses El Salvador of secretly negotiating truce with gang leaders

  08-12-2021 20:24 via theguardian.com
  
  In 2020, Nayib Bukele’s administration ‘provided financial incentives’ to MS-13 and the Barrio 18 street gangs, US treasury saysThe US has accused the government of El Salvador president Nayib Bukele of secretly negotiating a truce with leaders of the country’s feared MS-13 and Barrio 18 street gangs.The explosive accusation on Wednesday cuts to the heart of one of Bukele’s most highly touted successes in office: a plunge in the country’s murder rate. Continue
  
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• Scott Peterson sentenced to life in prison, after being spared a death sentence

  08-12-2021 20:15 via cnn.com
  
  [Breaking news update, published at 2:15 p.m. ET]
  
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• Scuba diving YouTuber discovers submerged car of Tennessee teens who disappeared 21 years ago

  08-12-2021 20:11 via nbcnews.com
  
  A scuba diving YouTuber may have cracked the cold case of two Tennessee teens who disappeared 21 years ago after discovering the car they were last seen in at the bottom of a river.
  
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• Mobile phone apps make it almost impossible to get lost these days. And that isn’t good for us | Adrian Chiles

  08-12-2021 20:05 via theguardian.com
  
  In an era of mobile phones, we rarely lose our way - which means we miss out on the joy and relief of finding it againA travel company called Black Tomato, in return for a significant sum of money, will drop you in the middle of you know not where, and leave you there. The product is called Get Lost and is surely more evidence that we’ve, well, lost our way.Which isn’t to say that it’s a daft idea. As a matter of fact, it quite appeals to me. I’m used to feeling psycholog
  
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• Biden to set 2050 net-zero emissions target for US government

  08-12-2021 19:57 via cnn.com
  
  President Joe Biden will sign an executive order Wednesday directing the federal government to get to net-zero emissions by 2050, using the power of the federal purse to buy clean energy, purchase electric vehicles and make federal buildings more energy efficient.
  
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• Better.com CEO who laid off 900 workers over Zoom apologizes for it to current staff

  08-12-2021 19:53 via nbcnews.com
  
  The CEO of the mortgage company Better.com is apologizing for laying off 900 workers during a Zoom video call, saying he made a blunder and failed to show his employees respect.
  
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• Plumber who discovered money in wall of Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church gets $20,000 reward

  08-12-2021 19:44 via nbcnews.com
  
  A plumber who discovered stacks of cash and checks inside a wall at celebrity televangelist Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church last month has been awarded $20,000.
  
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• China and Russia attack Biden's 'so-called' Summit of Democracy

  08-12-2021 19:40 via cnn.com
  
  Chinese and Russian state media are working in overdrive to denigrate the Biden administration's Summit for Democracy taking place this week, calling the project hypocritical.
  
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• Why scientists think our immune systems will be primed to fight the omicron variant

  08-12-2021 19:22 via nbcnews.com
  
  Even as antibody levels wane against the variant, the immune system may still be primed by vaccines or from previous infections to “remember” the virus.
  
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• Flood insurance costs rise in areas once deemed lower risk

  08-12-2021 19:14 via nbcnews.com
  
  Under a revamped federal flood insurance program rolled out this fall, millions of homeowners are set for rate hikes that officials say more accurately reflect a property’s risk.
  
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• 3 Better.com executives resign after CEO lays off 900 over Zoom

  08-12-2021 19:14 via cnn.com
  
  Days after Better.com's CEO unceremoniously fired 900 people over Zoom, several executives are handing in their resignation letters.
  
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• Mispronounced words: how omicron, cheugy and Billie Eilish tripped us up in 2021

  08-12-2021 19:02 via theguardian.com
  
  The world is divided on how to say the name of the latest Covid-19 variant. But however you pronounce it, we can all agree: it’s not as annoying as someone asking for ‘expresso’Name: Omicron.Age: The new and potentially more virulent Covid-19 variant was first detected in South Africa at the end of November. Young, then. Continue reading...
  
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• UK ‘embarrassed’ into funding Mozambique gas project, court hears

  08-12-2021 18:56 via theguardian.com
  
  Friends of the Earth cites documents suggesting UK’s reputation could suffer if it pulled $1.15bn of promised supportThe UK was “embarrassed” into funding a huge gas project in Mozambique while considering ending overseas support for fossil fuels, a court has heard.During a three-day high court hearing, Friends of the Earth highlighted government documents that suggested there would be “obvious repercussions” if the government did not follow through on $1.15bn of su
  
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• Waukesha parade suspect Darrell Brooks hit with new charges in previous car attack against girlfriend

  08-12-2021 18:51 via nbcnews.com
  
  The Waukesha Christmas Parade suspect, who plowed into a crowd and killed six last month, has been hit with new charges for intimating his girlfriend in a separate car attack.
  
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• Finnish PM apologises for staying out clubbing despite Covid exposure

  08-12-2021 18:49 via theguardian.com
  
  Sanna Marin says she should have checked guidance given to her after her foreign minister tested positiveCoronavirus – latest updatesFinland’s prime minister has come under sustained criticism after it was revealed she stayed out dancing until the early hours on the weekend despite knowing she had been exposed to Covid-19.Sanna Marin, 36, apologised on Monday after a gossip magazine published photos of her at a Helsinki nightclub on Saturday night until almost four in the morning, ho
  
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• Tiger Woods set to return to competitive golf at 2021 PNC Championship

  08-12-2021 18:46 via cnn.com
  
  Tiger Woods confirmed on Wednesday that he will return to competitive golf following the injuries he suffered in a February car accident at the 2021 PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, US.
  
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• Brazil soccer legend Pelé hospitalized for colon tumor

  08-12-2021 18:46 via cnn.com
  
  Brazilian soccer legend Pelé has been hospitalized for chemotherapy treatment of a colon tumor Wednesday, a spokesperson at Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein hospital confirmed to CNN.
  
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• 'Ukraine isn't in NATO': Biden rules out US troops but vows sanctions if Russia invades

  08-12-2021 18:40 via cnn.com
  
  • China and Russia attack Biden's 'so-called' Summit of Democracy
  
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• How a lax culture at Downing Street turned into a holiday mess for Boris Johnson

  08-12-2021 18:18 via cnn.com
  
  UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing fierce criticism after a leaked video recording obtained by CNN affiliate ITV News shows senior Downing Street staff joking about when Johnson allegedly threw a Christmas party for his staff during last year's lockdown.
  
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• Boris Johnson's latest scandal is the worst yet

  08-12-2021 18:18 via cnn.com
  
  UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing fierce criticism after a leaked video recording obtained by CNN affiliate ITV News shows senior Downing Street staff joking about when Johnson allegedly threw a Christmas party for his staff during last year's lockdown.
  
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• Leaked video shows former UK aide joke about alleged party during lockdown

  08-12-2021 18:15 via cnn.com
  
  UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing fierce criticism after a leaked video obtained by CNN affiliate ITV News shows senior Downing Street staff joking about an alleged Christmas party last year, for his staff during last year's lockdown. Johnson apologized for the video during Prime Minister's Questions in parliament, and says he is "furious" to see the clip.He says he has been assured there was no party and no Covid rules were broken.
  
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• Chilean presidential candidate’s father was member of Nazi party

  08-12-2021 18:14 via theguardian.com
  
  Revelations appear at odds with José Antonio Kast’s own statements about his father’s military serviceThe German-born father of Chilean presidential candidate José Antonio Kast was a member of the Nazi party, according to a recently unearthed document – revelations that appear at odds with the far-right candidate’s own statements about his father’s military service during the second world war.German officials have confirmed that an ID card in the count
  
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• Accused spy hoped to flee U.S. because she hated Trump, say lawyers

  08-12-2021 18:00 via nbcnews.com
  
  Lawyers for a Maryland woman jailed along with her husband for alleged espionage say she wanted to flee Trump, not arrest.
  
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• Jan 6 committee says it is moving forward with criminal contempt for Mark Meadows

  08-12-2021 17:57 via cnn.com
  
  The House select committee investigating the January 6 riot informed Mark Meadows that they have "no choice" but to advance criminal contempt proceedings against him given that former President Donald Trump's former chief of staff has decided to no longer cooperate with the panel, according to a new letter.
  
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