Business

Italian PM wins confidence vote, but tougher test comes next week

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte won a crucial confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday, hanging on to power after a junior partner quit his coalition and opened a political crisis amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Had he lost the vote, Conte would have been forced to resign. After his appeal to opposition and non-aligned lawmakers to back him following last week’s walk-out by former premier Matteo Renzi’s Italia Viva party,...

Pandemic review panel criticises China, WHO for acting too slowly on Covid-19

China and the World Health Organization could have acted faster to avert catastrophe during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak, a panel of independent experts has concluded. The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response said its evaluation of the start of the crisis in China “suggests that there was potential for early signs to have been acted on more rapidly”. Containment measures should have been implemented...

Parler partially reappears with support from Russian technology firm

Parler partially reappears with support from Russian technology firm

NHS warns social distancing remains ‘critical’ as vaccine is rolled out

Scientists fear the public could drop their guard as the coronavirus jab is delivered across the country.

German zookeeper seriously injured by camel bite

A zookeeper is in hospital with serious injuries after being bitten by a camel in northern Germany. The 54-year-old man was cleaning out the camel enclosure and feeding the animals at Perleberg Zoo on Sunday morning when one turned suddenly and bit him in the face, police said. The worker, who has not been named, was taken to a local hospital for treatment after sustaining “serious” injuries. The zoo, located between Berlin and Hamburg, is...

Mary Berry says pandemic has taught us to use what’s in fridge

Dame Mary Berry has said changes brought on by the pandemic have taught people to adapt when it comes to home cooking. The Celebrity Best Home Cook judge, 80, said she hoped fewer shopping trips results in smaller quantities of food going to waste. Asked how the last 12 months have changed home cooking, Dame Mary said: “It has taught us all to use what’s in the fridge and store cupboard and to adapt if something wasn’t available. “Shopping once...

Portugal tightens Covid-19 lockdown amid record numbers of new cases, deaths

Stricter lockdown rules are being enacted in Portugal, the government announced Monday, as a surging COVID-19 pandemic sets grim records and pushes hospitals to the limit of their capacity. Prime Minister António Costa said too many people had taken advantage of exceptions included in the lockdown that began last Friday, with authorities reporting 70% of normal movement over the weekend. “We are going through the most serious phase of the...

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says city to extend social distancing measures

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says city to extend social distancing measures

Mexico's president hopes Biden will pass US immigration reform

The president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said he hoped Joe Biden would reform US immigration policy during his presidency.

Inauguration Day 2021: schedule and celebrity concerts

Dominion threatens to sue MyPillow CEO over baseless claims of voter fraud

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has received a letter from Dominion Voting Systems, warning him that litigation is "imminent" due to his false claims that the company's machines were rigged to change the outcome of the election. Lindell, an enthusiastic supporter of President Trump, has been spreading baseless claims of widespread voter fraud for months. In the letter, Dominion's lawyers told Lindell, "You have positioned yourself as a prominent...

What the papers say – January 19

Tuesday’s front pages feature a range of stories on the coronavirus and beyond.

Acting Pentagon chief: No indication of insider threat before inauguration

Acting Pentagon chief: No indication of insider threat before inauguration

Guatemalan military clears U.S.-bound migrant caravan from road

Guatemalan military clears U.S.-bound migrant caravan from road

A woman wearing a face mask is reflected in a shop window while walking in Lisbon on January 15, 2021 as Portugal entered a fresh lockdown over a surge in coronavirus cases.

A woman wearing a face mask is reflected in a shop window while walking in Lisbon on January 15, 2021 as Portugal entered a fresh lockdown over a surge in coronavirus cases.

Indonesia air crash investigator hopes for recovery of cockpit voice recorder

Indonesia air crash investigator hopes for recovery of cockpit voice recorder

Tory rebels could block post-Brexit trade deal with China by backing Labour’s ‘genocide clause’

Tory MPs are being urged to “vote with their consciences” when Labour attempts to reverse post-Brexit trade deals the UK has made with countries that are committing genocide. Ministers want to reverse key amendments to the Trade Bill, recently passed by the House of Lords, when it returns to the Commons on Tuesday – including one which would force the government to withdraw from any free trade agreement with countries the High Court rules are...

Biden to propose 8-year citizenship path for immigrants

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration, hoping to provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal status, a massive reversal from the Trump administration's harsh immigration policies. The legislation puts Biden on track to deliver on a major campaign promise important to Latino voters and other...

How Can A Government That Spends Billions On Mass Testing Quibble Over Helping The Low Paid?

You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing. Sign up now to get it by email in the evening. When politicians appear to defend the bureaucracy of a system rather than the needs of the public, they can sound tone deaf. When that defence involves matters of life and death, they risk coming across as robotic at best, callous at worst.‌ So it’s not hard to imagine that if Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford were a Tory minister, he...

Bidens will be greeted to White House by former Trump hotel worker in historic snub by president

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania are eschewing the tradition of meeting the incoming first family – instead leaving Joe and Jill Biden to be greeted by White House chief usher Timothy Harleth. Traditionally, the outgoing president and first lady invite their successors into the White House for coffee ahead of the inauguration and travel to the ceremony together. Indeed, Mr and Mrs Trump were hosted by former president Barack Obama...

Facebook claims it does not conduct business in Australia in Cambridge Analytica appeal

Facebook is claiming it does not conduct business in Australia and does not collect and hold data in the country in its effort to avoid liability over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Last year, the privacy commissioner took Facebook to court over an alleged mass privacy breach involving the use of Australians’ Facebook data in a vote-influencing operation involving Cambridge Analytica, a company that assisted the Trump campaign and was then...

Biden shoots down Trump decision to lift UK, Brazil and EU travel bans as new Covid variants surge

Donald Trump announced plans to revoke bans on travel from the UK, Europe and Brazil, but the move was swiftly slapped down by Joe Biden’s incoming presidential team amid concerns over emerging Covid variants. Two days before leaving the White House, the outgoing US president rescinded restrictions barring non-US citizens arriving from Britain, where coronavirus cases have been surging, as well as Brazil and the European Union. He said the ban...

UK weather: ‘Major incident’ declared as Storm Christoph barrels towards country

A major incident has been declared in South Yorkshire as Storm Christoph is set to bring widespread flooding, gales and snow to parts of the UK. Forecasters have issued an amber weather warning for Tuesday and Wednesday for central northern England. The warning says there is a “danger to life” due to fast-flowing or deep floodwater and a “good chance some communities cut off by flooded roads”. Up to 70mm is expected to fall in areas around...

Meghan’s bid to throw out Mail’s defence to privacy claim begins at High Court

The Duchess of Sussex is suing Associated Newspapers Limited.

Trump news – live: Biden team hits back at decision to reopen travel to UK and Brazil despite Covid surge

One his way out of the White House, Donald Trump lifted Covid-related travel restrictions on the UK, Ireland, the European Union, and Brazil. The incoming Biden administration hit back almost immediately, saying it wasn't the time to ease restrictions when. It wasn't the only Easter egg being left by the outgoing administration, with Nancy Pelosi raising the alarm of a "Trump loyalist" being installed just days before the president leaves...

Free school meals: 272 Labour MPs vote to guarantee full value of food and laptop access in non-binding vote

The motion will not change government policy

5G roll-out should stop while ‘suspected adverse health effects’ investigated, expert claims

The global roll-out of 5G should be halted while further investigations are conducted into potential risks associated with the next-generation network technology, a health expert has warned. Professor John William Frank from the Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh claimed that no more transmitter towers should be built in order to limit public exposure while safety standards are reviewed. In an opinion piece published in the Journal...

U.S. lawmakers aim to curtail face recognition even as the technology IDs Capitol attackers

U.S. lawmakers aim to curtail face recognition even as the technology IDs Capitol attackers

Capitol protester accused of trying to give Pelosi laptop to Russian intelligence

The FBI is investigating whether one of the Capitol protesters stole a laptop or computer hard drive from the office of House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and tried to pass it to Russian intelligence.

Clashes in Sudan’s Darfur region leave dozens dead

The latest inter-ethnic violence to rock Sudan’s restive Darfur region had killed nearly 140 people by Monday, tribal leaders said just weeks after a peacekeeping mission ended operations. Clashes left 55 people dead in South Darfur on Monday, after a separate round of violence in West Darfur reportedly killed 83 and displaced tens of thousands over the weekend. It was the worst violence reported since the signing of a peace agreement in...

'This is what keeps Americans safe'

Census Bureau director to resign following criticism over data

Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham announced on Monday that he will resign on Wednesday, the day President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated. Dillingham's term was set to expire at the end of 2021, but last week, a watchdog agency said it found that Dillingham pressured employees to use state and federal administrative records to determine how many undocumented immigrants are in the United States. He wanted a report on the information filed...

Pink seesaws across US-Mexico border named Design of the Year 2020

A collection of bright pink seesaws that allowed people to interact over the US-Mexico border has won the prestigious Design of the Year award, with its creators saying they hoped the work encourages people to build bridges between communities. The Teeter Totter Wall, which bridged across El Paso in Texas and Ciudad Juárez in Mexico during a 40-minute session, was described as not only feeling “symbolically important” but also highlighting “the...

Field of Flags lit up on National Mall for Biden inauguration

The Presidential Inaugural Committee for Joe Biden and lights the 'Field of Flags' Art Display on the National Mall, Washington DC. The flags represent those Americans that cannot attend the inaugurtation ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic.

UK vaccinates 4million people including half of over-80s and care home residents

The latest figures come as the mass rollout moves to the next stage, with over-70s and the clinically extremely vulnerable invited to book their jabs

Inauguration day 2021 updates: Joe Biden tasked with healing US as Donald Trump ‘to issue 100 pardons’

President-elect Joe Biden will be tasked with healing the US when he enters the White House on Wednesday as outgoing President Donald Trump is reportedly set to issue 100 more pardons and commutations. Mr Biden will be sworn in as US President in person atop a specially built platform. There will be no parade this year, however, and the number of attendees will be reduced. Tensions are high in the US after a closely fought election shrouded in...

Biden reportedly plans on canceling Keystone XL pipeline permit

Following his inauguration on Wednesday, President-elect Joe Biden plans on rescinding the cross-border permit for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, three people familiar with the matter told Politico. "President-elect Biden is showing courage and empathy to the farmers, ranchers, and tribal nations who have dealt with an ongoing threat that disrupted their lives for over a decade," Jane Kleeb, founder of Bold Nebraska, told Politico. The...

Government urged to reconsider plan to reopen schools for special needs pupils

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and public health officials took part in a Department of Education webinar for school staff.

Trump orders assessment of security risks of Chinese drones

From Bush Sr to Trump: Read the last five presidents’ inauguration speeches in full

As Joe Biden prepares to becomes the 46th president of the US, read the inauguration speeches given by the previous five commanders in chief as they took office Donald Trump, 2017 Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, fellow Americans and people of the world – thank you. We the citizens of America have now joined a great national effort to rebuild our county and restore its promise for all our people....

Australia says 'no' to tennis stars amid calls for quarantine change

Australia says 'no' to tennis stars amid calls for quarantine change

Coronavirus news: ‘Don’t blow it now,’ Hancock warns as four million now have vaccine

Matt Hancock has warned people in England not to “blow it" as lockdown measures succeed in bringing coronavirus under control. “We’re on the route out,” he told a Downing Street briefing. It came as the government announced more than 4 million people had now been inoculated, with half of over-80s having received their first dose. Ten new mass vaccination centres opened around England today as the over-70s and extremely vulnerable people began to...

The Story Of The 1981 New Cross Fire

This is the inside story of the fatal 1981 New Cross fire and the groundbreaking demonstrations that followed. The fire, a suspected racist attack, led to the deaths of 14 young people. Speaking to us last year, survivors and activists reflect on the fire and what’s changed for Black Britons in the last four decades.

Drone tested for search and rescue in Wales bought by Canada to save whales

EXCLUSIVE: Experts hailed the Ottawa government for bringing in the unmanned aircraft - and said the devices could be used to monitor UK marine environments

More criminals are escaping with a slap on wrist, report reveals

More criminals are getting away with a slap on the wrist instead of being prosecuted since the pandemic started. A report warns this could make the public lose faith in the criminal justice system.

Case backlog threatens UK criminal justice system, say inspectors

Urgent action is needed to tackle an “unprecedented backlog” of court cases built up during the pandemic that has “severe implications” for victims, the UK’s four justice chief inspectors have warned. The plight of prisoners locked up for most of the day because of Covid-19 and disruption to services for young offenders were also highlighted in a report by the inspectors of probation, police, prisons and the Crown Prosecution Service. They...

Herd immunity is not the only goal of vaccinating Australians during the pandemic

Last week a controversy played out in the media regarding the vaccine strategy in Australia. This was as a result of calls to delay the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout because of the potential availability of other vaccines that have a higher vaccine efficacy. While not discounting the importance of asking questions and raising concerns, it’s important to highlight that this call was driven by a misunderstanding of what we are aiming for in terms of...

Magic Breakfast to expand vital food support for thousands more children in 20th anniversary year

The expansion means Magic Breakfast will be doubling the number of schools it works with compared to last year

Report: On 1st day in office, Biden to propose overhaul of immigration laws

On his first day in office, President-elect Joe Biden will propose a sweeping overhaul of the country's immigration laws, while also addressing the reasons why people migrate, The Washington Post reports. Biden's legislative proposal will include an eight-year pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants; the expansion of refugee admissions; and a security plan that deploys technology to the border, at and between ports of entry. To...

Biden pushes unity two days before taking over crisis- laden White House

According to US media, one of Trump's final actions could be announced Tuesday at the latest: scores of pardons for convicted criminals.