PoliticsThe TelegraphRepublican split widens as Donald Trump intervenes in party elections in Arizona
The acrimonious split within Republican ranks widened over the weekend as Donald Trump made his foray back into politics, backing the re-election of a hard-line supporter as chair of the party in Arizona. His wholehearted support for Kelli Ward was seen by allies as the former president firing a warning shot across the bows of any Republican senators considering backing his impeachment. Underlining Mr Trump's grip on the Republican grassroots, the Arizona party also voted to censure John McCain's widow, Cindy, former senator Jeff Flake and governor Doug Ducey, who refused to back the former president's claims of election fraud.
U.S.Associated PressUS judge blocks release of Tennessee man in Capitol riot
A federal judge on Sunday blocked the release of a Tennessee man who authorities say carried flexible plastic handcuffs during the riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell for the District of Columbia set aside an order by a judge in Tennessee concerning the release of Eric Munchel of Nashville. After testimony at a detention hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Frensley for the Middle District of Tennessee determined Friday that Munchel wasn't a flight risk and didn't pose harm to the public.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTed Cruz's 'Pittsburgh over Paris' campaign shows us just how dumb the Biden years are going to be
In response to Biden re-entering the US into the Paris climate agreement, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz has launched a "Pittsburgh over Paris" campaign. Cruz says that Biden rejoining the Paris agreement will cost the citizens of Pittsburgh jobs, but the idea makes no sense and is just another bad faith attempt at scoring political points. This is the norm for Republicans, and a sign of what's to come.
WorldReutersKremlin accuses U.S. of meddling in affairs, but says ready to talk
President Vladimir Putin would respond in kind if the new U.S. administration showed willingness to talk, a Kremlin spokesman said on Sunday, while also accusing Washington of meddling in mass protests in support of detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The Kremlin also downplayed the scale of Saturday's demonstrations, which saw police detain more than 3,000 people and use force to break up rallies across Russia. Prior to the protests, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow had issued a "Demonstration Alert", warning U.S. citizens to avoid the protests and naming the venues in Russian cities where protesters planned to gather.
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China rescues 11 miners after two weeks underground
Chinese rescuers pulled 11 gold miners to safety Sunday (January 24)-- after two weeks trapped underground following an explosion. But state media says 10 colleagues were still unaccounted for. Television footage showed the first miner as he was brought to the surface in the morning, a black blindfold shielding his eyes from daylight as he was lifted out of a shaft.
WorldThe TelegraphIsrael expands vaccination drive to include 16 to 18-year-olds in bid to save exams
Israel will ban passenger flights in and out of the country from Monday for a week as it seeks to stop the spread of new coronavirus variants. "Other than rare exceptions, we are closing the sky hermetically to prevent the entry of the virus variants and also to ensure that we progress quickly with our vaccination campaign," said Benjamin Netanuahu, the Israeli prime minister. It came as a study in Israel reported a 60 per cent drop in over-60s being hospitalised with coronavirus three weeks after being vaccinated, in the latest sign that the jabs are effective.
WorldAssociated PressFourth Zimbabwean Cabinet member dies of COVID-19 in surge
Four Zimbabwean Cabinet ministers have died of COVID-19, three within the past two weeks, highlighting a resurgence of the disease that is sweeping through this southern African country. President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the coronavirus is reaping a “grim harvest” in the country. Then came the death of the transport minister.
PoliticsThe IndependentRudy Giuliani ‘admits his associate sought to bill Trump campaign $20,000 per day to overturn election result’
Rudy Giuliani has admitted that his associate sought $20,000 (£14,600) per day from the Trump campaign in return for his efforts to overturn the US election result – representing a price hike of 10 times the usual sum, according to a report. Donald Trump's personal lawyer has consistently denied requesting such a fee for his services, following a Washington Post report suggesting the pair – previously fierce allies – had fallen out over demands for that exact amount, with the former president taking offence and ordering his aides not to pay it. According to The Times, which has seen a copy of the email allegedly sent to at least three Trump campaign officials from a Giuliani Partners account, it stated the firm was drafting an engagement letter and, rather than a typical daily fee of $2,000, “we will contract for $20,000 a day which will include all of the expenses for Mr Giuliani and his staff”.
WorldReutersPhilippines universities reject accusation of Maoist rebel recruitment on campus
Four Philippine private universities rejected accusations on Sunday by the authorities that they serve as recruitment grounds of Maoist rebels, days after students protested against security force patrols at some university campuses. President Rodrigo Duterte's government has stepped up efforts to end a Maoist-led rebellion, one of the world's longest insurgencies that has killed more than 40,000 people. Last week, Philippine students and activists protested against a government decision to allow security forces to patrol the campuses of the country's biggest university, the University of the Philippines (UP), which authorities also accused of being a breeding ground for communist rebels.
HealthLA TimesCDC says severe allergic reactions to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine are 'a rare event'
The authors calculated that there were 2.5 cases of anaphylaxis for every 1 million doses of the Moderna vaccine that were administered. A similar study of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech reported that there were 11.1 cases of anaphylaxis for every 1 million doses of that vaccine during its first 10 days of administration. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can be fatal if not treated promptly.
WorldThe TelegraphUAE cabinet approves establishment of embassy in Tel Aviv in further sting to Palestinians
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the establishment of its embassy in Tel Aviv as the US national security advisor announced that America hopes to build “on the success of Israel's normalisation agreements” under the Biden administration. The UAE cabinet decision to approve establishing the embassy comes after they signed the Abraham Accords in September, becoming the first Gulf state to establish a full diplomatic relationship with Israel. No further details about the embassy were given in UAE media.
PoliticsReutersProminent Senate Republican warns Trump trial could spark more impeachments
A prominent U.S. Senate Republican warned on Saturday that former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial could lead to the prosecution of former Democratic presidents if Republicans retake the chamber in two years. "If it is a good idea to impeach and try former Presidents, what about former Democratic Presidents when Republicans get the majority in 2022? Think about it and let's do what is best for the country," Senator John Cornyn, a 19-year veteran of the Senate, said in a Twitter post directed at Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderThe Bidens were reportedly left waiting outside the White House on Inauguration Day because Trump sent the staff home
Biden reportedly wasn't greeted by White House staff on Inauguration Day because Trump sent them home. Trump reportedly sent the butlers home so "there would be no-one to help the Bidens when they arrived." Chief usher Timothy Harleth left his role before the Bidens arrived at the White House.
WorldThe TelegraphChinese fighter jets enter Taiwan air space for second day as tensions rise days into Biden term
China ramped up its pressure on democratic Taiwan over the weekend, with an unusually large number of fighter jets approaching the island in a "test" for the new administration of US President Joe Biden. On Sunday, 12 Chinese fighter jets entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone, along with a reconnaissance aircraft and two anti-submarine aircraft, Taiwan's defence ministry said. A day earlier, China sent eight bomber planes capable of carrying nuclear weapons and four fighter jets to the same area to the southwest of the island, as well as one reconnaissance aircraft.
U.S.Associated PressFor 1st Black Pentagon chief, racism challenge is personal
Newly confirmed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will have to contend not only with a world of security threats and a massive military bureaucracy, but also with a challenge that hits closer to home: rooting out racism and extremism in the ranks. Austin took office Friday as the first Black defense chief, in the wake of the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, where retired and current military members were among the rioters touting far-right conspiracies. Austin, who was confirmed in a 93-2 vote, has made clear that accelerating delivery of coronavirus vaccines will get his early attention.
BusinessReutersSaudi sovereign fund to double assets in next five years to $1.07 trillion: Crown Prince
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund plans to double its assets to 4 trillion riyals ($1.07 trillion) by 2025, Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Sunday, a move that would make it one of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds. The fund would invest 3 trillion riyals in new sectors over the next 10 years, said the prince, who is Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler and chairs the fund's board. A new five-year plan would make the fund "the leading catalyst for Saudi Arabia's economic transformation and diversification," the prince added in a speech on state TV.
PoliticsBBCCovid-19: Why the US hasn't hit vaccine targets so far
President Joe Biden has pledged to boost the rollout of Covid vaccines in the US, and has criticised the speed of the operation under the previous administration. It's been "a dismal failure thus far," the president said, and he's committed to overseeing 100 million vaccine doses administered in his first 100 days as president. As of 20 January, the day Mr Biden became president, about 16.5 million vaccines had been administered in the US, according to official statistics.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump wants to set up ‘MAGA party’ to challenge Republicans who voted to impeach him, says report
Donald Trump reportedly wants to set up his his own “MAGA Party” to challenge “disloyal” Republicans who helped impeach him in the House – or else are considering voting to convict him in the Senate. On Monday, a single article of impeachment is set to be transferred from the House of Representatives to the Senate, where members of the upper chamber will next month consider Mr Trump's fate. If Mr Trump, who is the only president to have been impeached twice, is convicted in the Senate, he could also be barred from ever running for federal office again.
U.S.Business InsiderSome Capitol rioters could go free to stop local courthouses being swamped, report says
DOJ and FBI officials are considering not charging all the Trump supporters involved in the Capitol siege. Others have pushed back against this proposal, saying it would undermine the DOJ's credibility. Justice Department and FBI officials are reportedly considering whether or not they should charge all the individuals involved in storming the US Capitol earlier this month, the Washington Post reported.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastDems Urged Not to ‘Waste a Second’ Negotiating as Republicans Back Away From COVID Relief
Democrats are facing new objections from Republicans over the Biden administration's COVID-19 relief package, a maddening reality that has set off alarm bells among progressives who fear hard-fought issues could be left on the chopping block. While President Joe Biden has long touted a working ability to inspire bipartisanship, some on the party's left wing are already warning against spending too much time trying to negotiate with the GOP, citing double control in the House and Senate and playing up the importance of providing fast monetary relief to Americans during the pandemic. “Democrats need to just plow ahead,” said Larry Cohen, chairman of Our Revolution, a grassroots network that supported Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) presidential bids.
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Sydney endures first heatwave of 2021
Sydneysiders sweltered through the first heatwave of 2021 on Sunday (January 24) as temperatures reached into the thirties. People cooled off at Sydney's beaches as the Bureau of Meteorology predicted there would be no relief until Tuesday (January 26) or Wednesday (January 27). Gabrielle Woodhouse, the Senior Meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said to expect severe to extreme heatwave conditions in the next couple of days across parts of the state of New South Wales.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump to use threat of the new Patriot Party to pressure Republican senators not to convict him in an impeachment trial: Report
Unlike other former presidents, Trump has signaled that he will continue to play an active role in politics. Former President Donald Trump is threatening to create a new political party which he can use as leverage to pressure senators not to convict him in his impeachment trial, The Washington Post reported. While most former presidents largely keep a low profile after leaving office, Trump has signaled that he could continue to play an active role in the battle for ascendancy among moderate and hardline factions of the GOP following his election defeat.
CelebrityINSIDERPoisoner who targeted a gifted dancer on Grindr sentenced to life for killing him with a date-rape drug called 'devil's breath'
A Grindr predator killed a talented Irish dancer with a date-rape drug scopolamine, known as 'devil's breath.' Joel Osei, 26, of Seven Sisters, north London, poisoned Adrian Murphy, 43, to rob him. Osei was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 32 years' imprisonment.
U.S.Business InsiderBiden apologizes to National Guard chief after 5,000 soldiers had to reportedly sleep in a DC parking garage with only one bathroom
President Joe Biden called the National Guard's chief on Friday to issue an apology. National Guard members were forced to vacate the Capitol on Thursday, according to Politico. President Joe Biden has called the chief of the National Guard Bureau to apologize after images circulated online of troops sleeping in a parking garage.
SportsAssociated PressUS America's Cup challenger: heart still beats after capsize
American Magic's race boat Patriot might have been battered and broken when it capsized at speed during the America's Cup challenger series in Auckland, but skipper Terry Hutchinson says its proud heart is still beating. The United States team remains in a race against time to repair Patriot, to make it fighting fit in time to face Italy's Luna Rossa in the semifinal of the Prada Cup series beginning Friday. Hutchinson is fully confident Patriot will be at the start line and as good as new after tireless efforts from American Magic's shore team and help from America's Cup defender Team New Zealand.
“By encouraging this act of terror on our capital, Trump’s legacy is destroyed.”
“Both backers and critics of Trump agreed that he remade the federal judiciary — a change that will impact America for decades.”
“He was largely responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans who did not need to die.”
“I do know what the future should hold for this country. That is to say, a policy of Trumpism without Trump.”
“It will be decades before the consequences of his tenure are fully known.”