WorldAssociated PressCrime, conflict, chaos crushing Afghan hopes for tomorrow
There's also been a string of targeted killings, like the bomb planted on the car of a prominent cleric that detonated Tuesday in the middle of busy morning traffic, killing him and his driver — one of four such bombings that day. The tensions are increased because it's not clear who is behind the attacks. Some are claimed by the Islamic State group, who took responsibility for the cleric's killing and the killing of a judge Wednesday in eastern Nangarhar province.
PoliticsThe Independent‘If Biden acted quickly, we could’ve saved his life’: Immigration experts react to Biden’s new executive orders
Last week, Felix Montes de Oca, a 57-year-old Mexican migrant, died of coronavirus complications in a Georgia hospital after being held in a privately run Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility for about a month. Stewart Detention Center, which has a record of mistreating migrants in medical need and the second highest rate of Covid cases of any ICE detention centre, underscores the challenge for the Biden administration's ambitious immigration agenda. The president made big promises for change, but is getting things off to a measured start, signing executive orders rolling back or reviewing Trump policies, but not making law that replaces them.
WorldReutersGuyana nixes Taiwan office after Beijing criticizes 'mistake'
Guyana on Thursday abruptly terminated an agreement with Taiwan to open an office in the South American country, hours after China urged Georgetown to "correct their mistake." Taiwan's foreign ministry earlier on Thursday said it had signed an agreement with Guyana on Jan. 11 to open a Taiwan office, effectively a de facto embassy for the island that China claims as its sovereign territory with no right to diplomatic ties. Guyana's foreign ministry on Thursday afternoon said it was rolling back the agreement and that it continued to adhere to the "One China" policy.
WorldThe TelegraphPolitical bloodbath behind closed doors in Germany as tempers fray over vaccine fiasco
The political fall-out in Germany from the European Union vaccine debacle appears to be more serious than previously thought, as details of explosive rows emerge. Olaf Scholz, the finance minister and a pivotal figure in Angela Merkel's coalition, reportedly lost his temper at a cabinet meeting this week, launching an expletive-laden rant against Ursula von der Leyen and the European Commission until Mrs Merkel stepped in to stop him. Other senior ministers have been frantically briefing in an attempt to escape any blame for a fiasco that has left Germany, the country where the first Western vaccine was developed, facing shortages.
WorldAssociated PressIran receives its first batch of foreign coronavirus vaccine
Iran on Thursday received its first batch of foreign-made coronavirus vaccines as the country struggles to stem the worst outbreak of the pandemic in the Middle East. The shipment consists of 500,000 doses of Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines which arrived at Tehran's Imam Khomeieni International Airport from Moscow, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Also Iranian state TV quoted Tehran's ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, as saying that Iran has ordered 5 million doses from Russia.
PoliticsThe IndependentIlhan Omar blasts ‘Looney Tunes’ Republicans after they try drawing her into Marjorie Taylor Greene scandal
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has compared the Republican party to the 'Looney Tunes' after they tried drawing her into the ongoing scandal surrounding Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Minnesota Democrat told MSNBC on Wednesday that she was being scapegoated by several Republicans and Ms Greene, who used Ms Omar's picture in a money raising pitch in recent days. The poster, which was shared to Twitter on Tuesday, said “Democrats are trying to expel me from Congress,” and called on supporters to “Help me defend my seat from the DC Swamp,” with Ms Omar as a background.
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Hoyer displays image of Marjorie Taylor Greene holding gun in Facebook post and asks colleagues, 'Tell me what message you think it sends'
In a speech on the House floor Thursday, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer held up a sign showing a Facebook post by then-House candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene that has since been taken down. The image shows GOP Rep. Greene posing with a gun next to photos of Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib.
PoliticsThe WeekTrump's impeachment lawyers dismiss request for testimony as a 'public relations stunt'
Former President Donald Trump's legal team is dismissing a request for him to testify under oath as part of his upcoming Senate trial. House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Thursday demanded Trump testify "either before or during the Senate impeachment trial" set to begin next week, in which he has been charged with inciting an insurrection at the Capitol building.
WorldReutersSputnik-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trials to start in Azerbaijan, MidEast
Human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine combining a British shot from AstraZeneca and Oxford University with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine will begin next week in Azerbaijan and some Middle Eastern nations, a Russian official said on Thursday. AstraZeneca said in December it would start clinical trials to test combining the two vaccines to see if this could boost the efficacy of the British shot. Both vaccines involve two doses, an initial shot and a booster, and use harmless adenoviruses as vehicles, or vectors, to carry genetic instructions into the body to prompt cells to produce antibodies.
WorldAssociated PressProminent Lebanese Hezbollah critic found killed in his car
A prominent Lebanese publisher and vocal critic of the Shiite militant Hezbollah group was found shot dead in his car on Thursday morning, a brazen killing that sparked fears of a return to political violence in this country gripped by social and economic upheaval. The body of 58-year-old Lokman Slim, a longtime Shiite political activist and researcher, was slumped over on the passenger seat with multiple wounds from gunshots fired at close range, security and forensic officials said. To his friends, Slim was a fearless critic of Lebanon's powerful politicians, Hezbollah and its allies Iran and Syria, and a major resource on the history of Lebanon's civil war.
PoliticsThe IndependentRepublican senators seek to ban all undocumented immigrants from new round of stimulus payments
Republican senators have introduced an amendment to the 2021 budget resolution seeking a ban on any direct stimulus payments from being distributed to undocumented immigrants, as lawmakers debated the sweeping relief measures on Thursday afternoon. Senators Todd Young (R—IN) and Tom Cotton (R—AR) announced the amendment ahead of what's known on Capitol Hill as a budget vote-a-rama, in which lawmakers vote on a series of amendments in a procedure that can last hours long and well into the nighttime, expected to begin at 2:30pm ET. Undocumented immigrants have not been included in congressional relief payments, and recipients of the direct stimulus checks sent under the CARES Act were required to possess a valid Social Security number.
U.S.ReutersSmartmatic sues Fox News, Giuliani over election-rigging claims
Electronic voting systems maker Smartmatic on Thursday sued Rupert Murdoch's Fox News cable network and Rudolph Giuliani, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, claiming they falsely accused the company of helping to rig the U.S. presidential election in favor of Joe Biden. The defamation suit, filed in New York County Supreme Court, also names as defendants former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, Fox Corp and Fox hosts Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro. Smartmatic alleged Fox and other defendants invented a story that the election was stolen from Trump and made Smartmatic “the villain in their story."
ScienceAssociated PressJapan scientists to study source of high heat on asteroid
Japanese space experts said Thursday they will examine soil samples brought back from a distant asteroid in an attempt to find the source of heat that altered the celestial body, in their search for clues to the origin of the solar system and life on Earth. Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said they have made a preliminary examination of 5.4 grams (0.19 ounce) of soil, far more than the minimum 0.1 gram sample they had hoped for, which the Hayabusa2 spacecraft brought back in December from the asteroid Ryugu, more than 300 million kilometers (190 million miles) from Earth. About 3 grams (0.1 ounce) of the black granules are from Ryugu's surface and were gathered when Hayabusa2 touched down on the asteroid in April 2019.
LifestyleArchitectural Digest27 Best Desk Lamps to Brighten Up 2021
Let there be light Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden press secretary apologises for Space Force jibe – but is it just a bizarre Trump era project?
Joe Biden's top spokesperson apologised for her Space Force jibe as the president confirmed his administration remains firmly behind it. White House press secretary Jen Psaki had come under fire from Republicans who claimed she had been dismissive of the newest branch of the armed forces earlier this week. “I did send a tweet last night, maybe they're not on Twitter, that said we invite the members of Space Force here to give an update to you on all the important work they are doing and we certainly look forward to seeing continued updates from their team,” she said during her daily briefing on Wednesday.
WorldReutersAnalysis: As polls tighten, Hungary's Orban steps up pre-election spending
Ahead of an election next year, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is spending money on key groups of voters as opinion polls show a neck-and-neck race with an opposition united against him for the first time. The right-wing premier, in power since 2010, is under pressure to reopen the economy after a pandemic-driven crash that sent Hungary into its worst recession since the global financial crisis, ending seven years of steady growth. A tally by news website hvg.hu showed about a quarter of the spending channelled via a $12 billion COVID recovery fund last year was linked to the pandemic as Orban spent on other items, including support for ethnic Hungarians living elsewhere in central Europe, who backed him in previous elections.
WorldAssociated PressUS urges Ethiopia's PM to allow 'immediate' help to Tigray
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a call with Ethiopia's prime minister on Thursday expressed “grave concern” about the crisis in the embattled Tigray region and urged “immediate, full and unhindered humanitarian access to prevent further loss of life,” a U.S. spokesman said. There was no immediate comment from Ethiopian officials. The call is the latest this week that world leaders have held with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as Ethiopia faces growing pressure to open Tigray to journalists, independent investigators and far more humanitarian aid.
PoliticsAssociated PressUS ends deal with Arizona restricting Biden on immigration
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has terminated an unusual agreement that Arizona's top prosecutor signed with the agency in the waning days of the Trump administration to try to restrict President Joe Biden's ability to overhaul his predecessor's immigration policies. The agency's action was revealed Wednesday as Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, sued to stop newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas from carrying out Biden's 100-day moratorium on deportations. A federal judge in Texas has already put it on hold.
WorldAssociated PressIn thrice-demolished village, a Mideast battle of wills
This is what remains of the herding community of Khirbet Humsu in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli forces demolished it for the third time in as many months. On Wednesday, just minutes after the army left, Palestinian residents were at work repairing their fences — hoping to gather their sheep before dark, knowing the army might return the next day. We build it up and they tear it down,” said Waleed Abu al-Kbash as he stretched fencing between two posts.
U.S.INSIDER'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley hasn't eaten in a week and lost 20 pounds in jail because he'll eat only organic food, his lawyer says
Jacob Chansley, aka the "QAnon Shaman," has refused to eat while in jail, his lawyer said. Chansley says that because of his religious beliefs he eats only organic food — and he isn't getting any. The jail system in Washington, DC, denied his request for an organic diet.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBiden supports canceling $10,000 in student loan debt, but Democrats are calling on him to forgive $50,000 through executive action
Press Secretary Jen Psaki said he wants Congress to pass a bill and send it to his desk. Congressional Democrats are urging Biden to forgive $50,000 per borrower through executive action. President Joe Biden supports relieving some federal student loan debt to help tackle the economic crisis caused by COVID-19, but congressional Democrats are urging him to raise the bar.
PoliticsBusiness Insider'She doesn't answer to you': Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's staffer scolds reporters ahead of her vote to be stripped from committees
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Thursday ignored questions from reporters after she gave a speech on the House floor about her past support on social media for conspiracy theories and political violence. The Georgia Republican, who is likely to be stripped from her committees in an upcoming House vote, has repeatedly dodged speaking with the press this week.
CelebrityINSIDERGigi Hadid says she didn't know her natural 14-hour home birth was over until Zayn Malik caught their daughter in his arms
Gigi Hadid had a natural home birth at her Pennsylvania farm in September 2020. Gigi Hadid said that Zayn Malik caught their newborn daughter Khai in his arms after the model went through 14 hours of labor. In a Vogue profile published on Thursday, the 25-year-old supermodel gave an in-depth account of her natural home birth in September 2020.
WorldBBCFarmers' protest: Rihanna tweet angers Indian government
India has accused "foreign individuals" and celebrities of "sensationalism" after a tweet by pop superstar Rihanna, extending support to protesting farmers, drew global attention. Hours after the singer's tweet, teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg and the US vice president's niece Meena Harris also tweeted support for the farmers. Their widely shared tweets went viral, garnering thousands of responses.
U.S.Associated PressImmigrants in sanctuary in churches hope Biden offers relief
For over three years, Maria Macario has been too afraid to leave the white steepled First Parish church just outside Boston. The 55-year-old Guatemala native moved in to avoid deportation, living in a converted Sunday school classroom with a kitchenette. Gone are the regular church gatherings and volunteers stationed around the clock in case immigration officials come.
“We need to reverse this catastrophic choice to keep kids at home by ensuring the health and safety of our teachers.”
“It is decades of disinvestment in the public education of our most vulnerable students that’s keeping students out of classrooms.”
“We ultimately have to choose: bars and gyms or schools and daycares? Choose wisely.”
“Labor groups are continuing to flex their political muscle, most often pushing for a more conservative approach.”
“The terrible and mounting toll of the pandemic has caused positions to harden on both sides of the reopening debate.”