By SAM ANDERSON from NYT Magazine http://ift.tt/2rTHAbq
What Cross-Country Skiing Reveals About the Human Condition
By SAM ANDERSON from NYT Magazine http://ift.tt/2rTHAbq
The First African Team to Compete in Bobsled
By As told to JAIME LOWE from NYT Magazine http://ift.tt/2rRIMw9
The Search for Stillness at the Heart of Biathlon
By BROOKE JARVIS from NYT Magazine http://ift.tt/2nrkgfG
Full Transcript and Video: Joe Kennedy Delivers Democratic Response to the State of the Union
By THE NEW YORK TIMES from NYT U.S. http://ift.tt/2nt0r7E
‘Gloomy.’ ‘Amazing.’ Trump’s Speech Divides the Pundits.
By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM from NYT Business Day http://ift.tt/2FvxiQV
State of the Union, Syria, the Moon: Your Wednesday Briefing
By PATRICK BOEHLER from NYT Briefing http://ift.tt/2Erk0FH
What’s on TV Wednesday: ‘Animals With Cameras’ and ‘Happy!’
By ANDREW R. CHOW from NYT Arts http://ift.tt/2DOSR2m
Melania Trump, Traveling Again Without Her Husband, Emerges at State of the Union
By KATIE ROGERS from NYT U.S. http://ift.tt/2rVQMw5
Kristaps Porzingis and Enes Kanter Lead Knicks in Rout of Nets
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports http://ift.tt/2nkLndi
Myanmar official in charge of troubled town stabbed to death
YANGON (Reuters) - A Myanmar official who was the administrator of a town in troubled Rakhine state when seven people died there in rioting earlier this month has been stabbed and killed, the government said on Wednesday.
from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2FvZPFY
from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2FvZPFY
Trump State of the Union address promised unity but emphasized discord
The president’s ‘new American moment’ speech stirred Republican applause while Democrats showed thinly disguised contempt
Donald Trump has promised a “new American moment” in a State of the Union address that sought harmony but succeeded only in underlining the deep discord at the heart of the country’s politics.
Related: Fact check: Donald Trump's State of the Union address analyzed
Continue reading...from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2GynQgS
Porn actor Stormy Daniels casts doubt on denial of affair with Trump
On Jimmy Kimmel Live! Daniels appears to question the authenticity of a statement denying the affair, only for her lawyer to insist it is real
The allegations that Donald Trump paid hush money to hide an affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels took another bizarre twist on Tuesday night during an interview with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that followed the president’s first State of the Union address.
Continue reading...from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2rOhZkk
Joe Kennedy gives Democrats' response to Trump's State of the Union - video
Massachusetts representative Joe Kennedy III says 'bullies may land a punch' and leave a mark but have 'never managed to match the strength and spirit of a people united in defense of their future', during the Democratic response to Trump's first State of the Union address
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Five things we learned from Trump's first State of the Union
US president boasted of strong economy and tax cuts, and called for infrastructure spending and a bipartisan deal on immigration
Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address is in the can. Here’s what we learned:
Related: Trump's State of the Union address promised unity but emphasized discord
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State of the union? Melania Trump faces public after Stormy Daniels claims
First lady arrived at State of the Union in separate car from her husband, amid speculation over the state of their marriage
Melania Trump faced the public and the media for the first time since reports emerged of her husband’s alleged affair with a porn actor, when she attended the State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
The relationship between the first lady and the president has been under intense scrutiny since news broke earlier this month of Donald Trump’s alleged relationship with Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels, in 2006.
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American carnage, diluted: Trump finally says something forgettable
Trump sounded far more like a typical politician in his State of the Union than he has in the past but, in doing so, made himself forgettable
The star of Celebrity Apprentice and performer in such films as Home Alone 2 and Zoolander played his greatest role on Tuesday. Donald Trump acted like a president. At the very least, a modern day one.
For over an hour, Trump read off a script and recited mostly rote, unmemorable lines. This was not a sign of a pivot or a transformation. It is simply the role of a president any time at any State of the Union.
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'Americans are dreamers too': Trump calls for immigration changes – video
The US president proposes immigration changes during his first State of the Union speech. 'So tonight, I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties – Democrats and Republicans – to protect our citizens of every background, color, religion and creed.' Donald Trump says while the US is 'a compassionate nation', 'my greatest compassion, my constant concern is for America's children, America's struggling workers'
from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2E2lDf4
Trump pays tribute to first responders in State of the Union address – video
The US president recognizes several public servants during his State of the Union address, including a US Coast Guard pilot who helped rescue victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston and a firefighter who helped save children from a summer camp threatened by wildfires in California. He also praises wounded Louisiana congressman Steve Scalise, who returned to work three months after being shot on a baseball court
from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2Fy0kiP
'Extraordinary success': Trump lauds first year at State of the Union – video
In his first address, the US president says his administration embarked on a 'righteous mission' to 'make America great again for all Americans'. Reflecting on the past year, Donald Trump says: 'We have endured floods and fires and storms, but through it all we have seen the beauty of America's soul and the steel in America's spine'
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The full speech – Trump's State of the Union address
The president gave his first State of the Union address at the Capitol in Washington DC Tuesday night
Mr Speaker, Mr vice-president, members of Congress, the first lady of the United States and my fellow Americans:
Less than one year has passed since I first stood at this podium, in this majestic chamber, to speak on behalf of the American People – and to address their concerns, their hopes and their dreams. That night, our new administration had already taken swift action. A new tide of optimism was already sweeping across our land.
Continue reading...from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2E3vVfe
Fact check: Donald Trump's State of the Union address analyzed
Alan Yuhas examines key claims in Donald Trump’s State of the Union address and separates fact from fiction
Since the election, we have created 2.4 million new jobs, including 200,000 new jobs in manufacturing alone. After years of wage stagnation, we are finally seeing rising wages.
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Clinton: given second chance, I would fire aide accused of sexual harassment
Ex-presidential candidate issues long statement about why she did not fire Burns Strider in 2008, saying she doesn’t always ‘get it right’
Hillary Clinton has said that given a second chance she would have fired a senior adviser accused of sexually harassing a staff member during the 2008 campaign.
Last week the New York Times reported that Clinton chose not to fire Burns Strider after the allegations were made, despite the recommendation of her campaign manager.
Continue reading...from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2Gxk1IX
Republican politician says 'illegal aliens' at State of the Union should be arrested
Representative Paul Gosar issues critical remarks following Democratic lawmakers’ plan to invite Dreamers to Trump’s speech
A Republican legislator from Arizona has said any “illegal aliens” who attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address should be arrested and deported.
Related: State of the Union: Donald Trump to give his first address – live updates
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Not gonna fly: 'emotional support peacock' turned away by airline
Bird named Dexter was banned from United Airlines flight from Newark to Los Angeles flight due to health and safety concerns
A United Airlines passenger who tried to take her “emotional support peacock” with her on a cross-country flight has had the bird turned away by the airline because of health and safety concerns.
New York City-based photographer and performance artist Ventiko says she bought a ticket for her peacock, Dexter, so he would have his own seat on Sunday’s flight from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty international airport to Los Angeles.
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Alex Smith traded from Chiefs to Washington, according to reports
- Kansas City quarterback moves in exchange for third-round pick
- Chiefs set to make Patrick Mahomes starting quarterback in 2018
- Trade would effectively end Kirk Cousins era in Washington
Hours after quarterback Alex Smith said he hoped to remain in Kansas City, the Chiefs reached an agreement to trade him to Washington, multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday night.
Smith, 33, spent the past five seasons with the Chiefs. His deal to Washington can’t be completed until the new NFL business year begins on 14 March. It is believed the Chiefs will get a third-round pick and an unnamed player in compensation. The Kansas City Star reported that the trade of Smith, who has a $20.6m salary-cap figure for 2018, to Washington would save the Chiefs $17m.
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'He cheats like hell': Trump's pro golfing partner on playing with the president
- LPGA pro Suzann Pettersen: ‘I just laugh’ at president’s tactics
- Trump is not only US president known for cutting corners on course
Suzann Pettersen, the 15-time LPGA Tour winner and a golfing partner of Donald Trump, says the president “cheats like hell” on the golf course.
Pettersen, who has known Trump for a decade and says she is fond of the president even though she does not agree with his policies, was speaking to the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.
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MLS failed in Miami before. Will David Beckham's team be any different?
The Miami Fusion flickered and died at the start of the century. But the league – and soccer in the US – is in a very different place these days
During the darkest hours of his four-year quest to bring a Major League Soccer team to Miami, which was finally approved on Monday, David Beckham may have taken heart from studying parallels with the region’s history.
In 1905 modern Florida’s founding father Henry Flagler decided to extend his East Coast Railway from Miami to Key West island, 150 miles south over land and sea.
from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2BEdlVA
Tom Brady hopes radio host who called his daughter 'a pissant' isn't fired
- Quarterback had cut short interview with WEEI after remarks
- Host Alex Reimer has been suspended indefinitely over incident
Tom Brady is not looking to have the radio host who called the quarterback’s daughter “an annoying little pissant” fired.
The Patriots star had said earlier on Monday he’s reconsidering whether to continue a long-running weekly radio appearance with the WEEI station. Hours later at the Super Bowl media night, he was asked about the incident in which host Alex Reimer made the remarks about Brady’s five-year-old daughter after watching the first episode of a Brady documentary called Tom vs. Time. Reimer made the comments on Thursday, four days before Brady’s weekly morning radio segment with different hosts.
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The Raccoons of the Resistance watch the State of the Uniom | First Dog on the Moon
Imagine if this was Bernie
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from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2DQdbAe
The kind of night Donald Trump loves best – when he can applaud himself | Richard Wolffe
At the State of the Union, Trump could pretend to be the president he never is, and accept support from a Congress that ridicules him
It was so heart-warming to hear about Donald Trump’s love of America and the American dream in his first official State of the Union address.
Just one day after he decided to go easy on Russia for manipulating American democracy, our “America first” president declared that “Americans love their country. And they deserve a government that shows them the same love and loyalty in return.”
Continue reading...from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2rS5nsf
How to combat the populism that gave us Brexit? Active citizenship | Ben Okri
There’s no mystery to this. The failure of a nation begins with the abdication of responsibility to political leaders
from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2E2BVEI
Citizenship is one of the most vexed issues in the human story. From the ancient Egyptians to modern times, who is deemed a citizen of this or that city or state has been at the core of what constitutes a human being with rights in this world. The first thing that is done in any colonial or imperial enterprise is to redefine the idea of the citizen. Usually the colonising power revises downward the citizenship content of the indigenes, and revises upward their own status.
During the colonial enterprise, the indigene was no longer quite a citizen as citizenship then was determined from the centre of power, with the queen or king at its head. The indigenes were deemed to be living on the periphery. They were outsiders in their own land. This was true with the Romans in Britain, with the Greeks in Persia, with the Spaniards in Peru, and with the English in India and Africa.
Continue reading...from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2E2BVEI
Pain is political – we're unequal even when we're suffering | Arwa Mahdawi
The way we talk about the US opioid crisis speaks volumes about whose pain gets taken most seriously
Not to sound like a serial killer or an angsty teenager, but I am obsessed with pain at the moment. This is partly due to an excellent essay by Lili Loofbourow, recently published in the Week, on “the female price of male pleasure”.
The article has gone viral, so you may be familiar with it already. If not, the premise is that, when it comes to sex, “we live in a culture that sees female pain as normal and male pleasure as a right”. Loofbourow points out, for example, that PubMed, a biomedical search engine, “has almost five times as many clinical trials on male sexual pleasure as it has on female sexual pain”.
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Trump may be many things but he’s not a ‘nutter’ – and I should know | Clare Allan
I’ve been sectioned and know plenty of ‘nutters’ but none is a bombastic bully like Trump. Politics and psychiatry don’t mix
from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2rU0pLy
There is no question that Donald Trump makes many people, myself included, profoundly uncomfortable. His politics are repulsive enough, but it’s more the way he conducts himself personally. Above all, it’s the apparent belief that he can bulldoze his version of reality through clear evidence to the contrary – that, a year on from his inauguration, has many still struggling to process the fact that this man is US president. Those of us who have been diagnosed with mental health problems face an additional head-twister.
We are repeatedly told by friends and colleagues and commentators in the media that the man is “barking”, a certified “nutter”, a “lunatic”, and any number of other choice terms used to describe the tribe of which I am officially a member. For I am indeed a certified nutter. I have been sectioned, and it doesn’t get more certified than that.
Continue reading...from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2rU0pLy
Super Blue Blood Moon 2018: What, when and where
On Jan. 31, a total lunar eclipse will occur with a blue moon, known as a Super Blue Blood Moon, something that hasn't happened since 1866.
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2rVEJik
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2rVEJik
Jack the Ripper letter mystery solved? Expert sheds new light on notorious case
A forensic linguist has shed new light on mysterious letters supposedly written by Jack the Ripper during the killing spree that sent shockwaves through Victorian London.
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2Fte9ih
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2Fte9ih
Elephants' fear of bees may help protect them
Researchers tramped into a national park in Sri Lanka, played a recording of agitated honey bees within earshot of elephants, and got the reaction they hoped for: The elephants developed a serious case of the heebie jeebies.
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2rTVdaC
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2rTVdaC
If your cat swats with its left paw, it's probably male
When your cat knocks your favorite coffee mug off the counter, does it use its left paw or its right?
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2GwfM06
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2GwfM06
School-bus sized 'Holy grail' dinosaur discovered in Sahara desert
Paleontologists have discovered a new species of school-bus size dinosaur in Egypt’s Sahara desert, marking an important prehistoric link between Africa and Europe.
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2DMyfDL
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2DMyfDL
Tractor beam levitates large orbs with sound
A new "tractor beam" can levitate large objects in midair, using only sound.
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2Ft2AaT
from FOX News http://ift.tt/2Ft2AaT
Trump State of the Union address promised unity but emphasized discord
The president’s ‘new American moment’ speech stirred Republican applause while Democrats showed thinly disguised contempt
Donald Trump has promised a “new American moment” in a State of the Union address that sought harmony but succeeded only in underlining the deep discord at the heart of the country’s politics.
Related: Fact check: Donald Trump's State of the Union address analyzed
Continue reading...from The Guardian http://ift.tt/2GynQgS
Wednesday briefing: Trump delivers first State of the Union address
President plays to base with familiar themes on immigration and terror … I’m no quitter, says May en route to China … and 100 years of universal suffrage
Hello and welcome to this hump-day briefing. I’m Warren Murray accompanying you on keyboard.
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'I'm not a quitter': Theresa May insists she will fight next election
On visit to China PM faces down critics but admits she needs to communicate better with MPs and public
Theresa May has faced down her backbench critics as she landed in China, insisting she would fight the next election but admitting she needs to communicate better with both her MPs and the public.
Beginning her three-day trade visit, the prime minister repeated she was “not a quitter” and said the next election would not be until 2022, as disquiet mounted back in Westminster from backbench Brexiters as well as more liberal Tories who have said they want to see more bold policymaking on issues such as housing, education and the health service.
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Houses of Parliament could be placed on 'at risk' register, MPs told
Historic England delivers warning ahead of vote on planned restoration works
MPs have been warned that the Palace of Westminster could be placed on Britain’s “at risk” register for heritage sites if they further delay plans for a major project of restoration and renewal during a parliamentary vote on Wednesday, it can be revealed.
A briefing note drawn up for politicians by Historic England that has been seen by the Guardian, also claims that such a move could place parliament’s Unesco world heritage site status in jeopardy.
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UK car production falls for first time since 2009 as Brexit fears hit sales
Total production of 1.67m cars falls below forecast, fuelled by 10% drop in domestic buyers
UK car production went into reverse last year for the first time since the depths of financial crisis in 2009, as Brexit fears took hold and consumers turned their backs on diesel vehicles.
A total of 1.67m cars rolled off UK production lines in 2017, down 3% compared with 2016 as demand for British-made cars dropped both at home and abroad, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
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EU migrant visas 'should be for those working antisocial hours'
Post-Brexit immigration policy should cut number of low-skilled migrants, says thinktank
A post-Brexit immigration policy should include a deep cut in the number of low-skilled European migrants coming to work in Britain, with the priority given to only those willing to work antisocial hours, a leading centre-right thinktank has urged ministers.
A report from Policy Exchange says that Britain needs to “wean itself off low-skilled migration” and suggests that lower-skilled EU nationals who do come to work in Britain should be given temporary two-year work permits, be fingerprinted and issued biometric ID cards, and denied access to housing benefit or tax credits.
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Sydney seaplane location 'totally inexplicable' before crash, operator says
Aircraft ‘should not have been where it was’ when it crashed into Jerusalem Bay on the Hawkesbury river, killing six people
The operator of the seaplane that crashed north of Sydney on New Year’s Eve, killing six people including a leading British businessman, has said the aircraft “should not have been where it was”.
The DHC-2 Beaver aircraft, operated by Sydney Seaplanes, crashed into Jerusalem Bay on the Hawkesbury river after taking off from Cottage Point in north Sydney for a scenic flight to Rose Bay.
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Folic acid: new research is a 'game-changer' in push to fortify British foods
Study concludes there is no need for an upper limit on folate, removing a further barrier to mandatory fortification that would prevent birth defects
Bread and flour should be fortified with folic acid in the UK to help prevent babies from being born with neural tube defects such as spina bifida, according to new research.
A study by Queen Mary University of London and the School of Advanced Study at the University of London concludes that there is no need for an upper limit of folate intake.
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Orcas can imitate human speech, research reveals
Killer whales able to copy words such as ‘hello’ and ‘bye bye’ as well as sounds from other orcas, study shows
High-pitched, eerie and yet distinct, the sound of a voice calling the name “Amy” is unmistakable. But this isn’t a human cry – it’s the voice of a killer whale called Wikie.
New research reveals that orcas are able to imitate human speech, in some cases at the first attempt, saying words such as “hello”, “one, two” and “bye bye”.
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Hunky Tory? Attractive people more likely to be rightwing, study finds
Good-looking people also get treated better and therefore feel the world is just and fair, leading to ‘blind spot’ when trying to understand hardships of others
It is a finding unlikely to prove popular with Guardian readers, but a study has concluded that attractive people are more likely to be rightwing.
Previous research has found that those who are good-looking are generally treated better, achieve higher social status and earn more money, leading them to see the world as a just and fair place.
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End domestic violence, vanquish trolls and defeat body shame: feminist fights for the next century
One hundred years after suffrage, there is still so much to campaign for. Women including Jo Brand and Archie Panjabi set out the change they would like to see by 2118 – from unisex loos to challenging the dominance of male desire
I’d like to think that in 100 years’ time men will have come round to the idea that their passivity has been contributing to holding back the progress of women, so that women no longer remain objects to be gawped at, patted, stroked, patronised, verbally and physically abused, paid for like commodities, smuggled, threatened, humiliated and all those other negative actions that are rained down on them purely because of their gender. Am I hopeful? No comment.
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Julius Caesar review – Hytner delivers a visceral, politically urgent tragedy
Bridge theatre, London
Ben Whishaw and David Morrissey star in Nicholas Hytner’s promenade production, which shows putative dictators can be populists
Like Shakespeare’s Mark Antony, Nicholas Hytner is a “shrewd contriver”. He has created a promenade, modern-dress production of this suddenly fashionable Roman play that is both viscerally exciting and intellectually subtle. I was reminded of the Henry V that opened Hytner’s tenure at the National Theatre in that, without distorting the text, he makes the play politically urgent.
from The Guardian http://ift.tt/2DMFdsh
No surprise Helen Dunmore's book was judged a winner
Inside the Wave is a deeply moving exploration of family and memory, and a worthy Costa winner
The news that the novelist and poet Helen Dunmore had died after a long illness was announced on 5 June last year. That evening I received an email from her poetry publisher, Neil Astley at Bloodaxe Books, saying that Dunmore had sent him a final poem for publication, written less than two weeks before her death. It was called Hold out your arms and began with the lines “Death, hold out your arms for me / Embrace me / Give me your motherly caress”.
Related: Helen Dunmore wins Costa book of the year for Inside the Wave
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In 2011 Preston hit rock bottom. Then it took back control | Aditya Chakrabortty
The outlook was grim, until someone asked: why give money to multinationals in London when we can spend it locally?
The city of Preston in Lancashire dates back to Roman times. It is listed in the Domesday book as Prestune. It’s where inventor Richard Arkwright kickstarted the cotton trade. Yet ask local people to tell you its history and they jump straight to 2011. That was Preston’s year zero, when the grand schemes for the city fell apart. For more than a decade the council had bet everything on a massive shopping mall. The Tithebarn would sprawl over the city centre, cost £700m and be built by two of the biggest developers on the planet. It was going to have a Marks & Sparks, a multiplex and a huge John Lewis store. It was the lottery ticket, said the council leader. The lifeline, the turnaround, the magic bullet.
Then came the banking crash, and cranes across the country stopped dead. Businesses grew cooler on the Tithebarn until, in November 2011, John Lewis pulled out. The council found its sums no longer added up, and killed the entire scheme. Where once there was a masterplan, Preston now had a vacuum.
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'His death kills me each day': Mosul residents return home – to what?
After Isis were driven out of Mosul, traumatised families slowly returned to their devastated neighbourhoods. Over more than two months, they told Mona Mahmood their harrowing stories
Warning: this report contains distressing details
Overwhelmed with grief and anger, families have been returning to what is left of their homes in the Old City of Mosul, following its liberation from Isis.
In a set of interviews conducted over more than two months, people haunted by the memories of their loved ones gradually opened up about the traumatic experiences they survived, and the uncertain future they now face.
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Dark twisted fantasies: why are sitcoms tying themselves in knots?
Jaw-dropping narrative developments are everywhere in comedies at the moment from The Good Place to Search Party, but are these plot twists asking too much of their fans?
The Good Place was enjoyable enough as it was. A cute and clever high-concept comedy from the makers of Parks and Recreation that traced the paranoia-filled days of Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), a heartless young woman who is accidentally sent to heaven when she should be in hell. But during the series one finale, what had been a smart sitcom was transformed into something else – something gasp-inducingly, mind-bendingly brilliant – all thanks to an earth-shattering twist.
A great plot twist is a thing to be treasured. A floor-buckling revelation that shifts the parameters of a fictional world can leave you reeling for days – sometimes even years. But now the twist is beginning to sprawl outside its natural habitats (the final stretch of a whodunnit; auteur-helmed appointment drama) into less traditional realms, like the sitcom. Alongside The Good Place, there’s Back: the Mitchell & Webb comedy in which Robert Webb plays his Peep Show compadre’s one-time foster brother (is he evil or just extremely lovely?); Search Party, part-mystery noir, part-millennial sadcom, whose twist subverts the entire mystery genre; sci-fi animation Rick and Morty, whose alien adventures are liberally sprinkled with labyrinthine plot twists; and the musical sitcom Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which examines the tropes of mental illness with, according to Vulture, a “fully developed, Lost-style twist”.
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Star Trek: Discovery is reminding me of everything I loved about Enterprise
Could Star Trek’s new series boldly go back to undo the worst season finale in sci-fi TV history? Surely in Discovery’s multiverse, anything is possible
Star Trek: Discovery is the sixth live-action series of television’s most beloved, and enduring, cult franchise – and it is fun, oh my. We’re not even a full season into its story of an experimental spaceship in an interstellar war and yet, already: Mutinies! Drunken sex! Space rhinos! Alien face surgery! Mushrooms! And Michelle Yeoh turning up – twice, and in two guises – to smack the crap out of some bad guys!
Critics are nicknaming the series “Disco”, and it’s not hard to see why. So many lights; so many frantic steps. And with the ship under the present command of a talking, bald, bipedal horse, there’s more than a little disco-biscuit aesthetic to the whole shebang.
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Brexit must not endanger the Good Friday agreement | Simon Coveney
As Britain leaves the EU, it’s vital we protect the greatest UK-Ireland achievement of recent times
• Simon Coveney is Ireland’s foreign minister
To say Ireland and the UK are close friends and neighbours is more than just a platitude. For many generations, Britain was the first place where our people sought work when our economy faltered. And Britain was enriched by the arrival of Irish people too. These women and men provided a much-needed labour force that helped build the infrastructure in British cities and provided the teachers and nurses who taught and cared for communities. The legacy of that was a deeply integrated Irish community, which has contributed greatly to the development of this country.
Our economies are closely intertwined across so many sectors. There are now more than 60,000 Irish-born directors on the boards of UK companies. We have a trading relationship worth over £55bn a year, sustaining more than 400,000 jobs across both islands. The flow of people across the Irish Sea every day has made the Dublin-London air corridor the second busiest in the world.
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The UK promised us Hong Kong would never walk alone – Theresa May has to keep that promise
The Chinese government is waging a fully-fledged crackdown on opposition in Hong Kong. The prime minister must speak up before it is too late
In 1996, on the eve of handover, the British prime minister, John Major, vowed: “Hong Kong will never have to walk alone”.
With Xi Jinping refusing to respect the autonomy and freedoms Hong Kong was guaranteed after its return to Chinese control, it now falls to Major’s Conservative party heir, Theresa May, to make good on that pledge.
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In this age of propaganda, we must defend ourselves. Here’s how | Natalie Nougayrède
Distortion has become the new normal in Russia – but technology leaves us all at risk if we cannot recognise lies
Rarely a day goes by without reference to “propaganda”. The outgoing German ambassador to the UK regrets there was “so much propaganda in the media” at the time of the 2016 Brexit referendum. Turkish authorities have this week put 300 more people in jail for “propaganda”. Reuters recently reported that “Twitter may notify users exposed to Russian propaganda during the 2016 US election”. But how to define it?
Related: German ambassador: second world war image of Britain has fed Euroscepticism
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Resurgent Swansea make Petr Cech pay as Sam Clucas double sinks Arsenal
Arsène Wenger had better hope that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a man of his word because this was the sort of listless performance that could easily prompt a rethink. Arsenal, as has been the case so often this season away from home, delivered a meek and spineless display that suggested it will take much more than a club-record signing up front to address their problems.
Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Arsenal on a sobering night for their manager and players. They conceded within 60 seconds of taking the lead, Petr Cech then presented Swansea with their second goal when his awful miscue landed at the feet of the indefatigable Jordan Ayew and Arsenal’s ignominy was complete when Sam Clucas scored his second of the evening in the closing minutes.
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Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino bamboozles flat-footed Huddersfield
Liverpool’s epic victory over Manchester City this month was beginning to look like a Pyrrhic one through being followed by two unexpected defeats against teams from the bottom of the Premier League, so there was considerable relief when first-half goals from Emre Can and Roberto Firmino helped Jürgen Klopp’s side stop the rot in West Yorkshire.
“It was not brilliant but it was deserved,” the Liverpool manager said. “It was the reaction we needed. Sometimes a little bit of pressure is not too bad, it can make you perform.”
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Chris Robshaw and Mike Brown recover to give England a lift for Six Nations
• Jack Nowell also declared available to face Italy on Sunday
• Eddie Jones upbeat after ‘best training week we’ve had as a team’
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• Eddie Jones upbeat after ‘best training week we’ve had as a team’
Physically and mentally England are suddenly in a better place than they were a few days ago. Eddie Jones, 58 on Tuesday, has certainly had worse birthdays with Chris Robshaw, Mike Brown and Jack Nowell all back training ahead of schedule and available for this weekend’s Six Nations kick-off.
Jones even used the word “miracles” to describe the return of Robshaw (back), Brown (shoulder) and Nowell (ankle), all of whom he had previously classified as doubtful starters against Italy in Rome on Sunday. Only Zach Mercer, who has a viral infection, was unable to train in Bagshot, a testament to the hard work of England’s medical and strength and conditioning staff.
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Trump warns Americans of nuclear threat from 'depraved' North Korea
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Branding North Korea’s leadership “depraved,” President Donald Trump told Americans on Tuesday that Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear missiles could “very soon threaten our homeland” and vowed a continued campaign to prevent that.
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U.S. lawmakers blast Trump decision to hold off on Russia sanctions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Members of the U.S. Congress, who passed new sanctions on Russia nearly unanimously last summer, criticized President Donald Trump on Tuesday for not imposing them, accusing him of being soft on his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
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May says will give parliament 'appropriate analysis' before Brexit deal vote
WUHAN, China (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday that lawmakers would be given official analysis on any Brexit deal before they are asked to approve it, dismissing a leaked document showing the economy would be worse off under all exit scenarios.
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Mexico may allow U.S. air marshals to use stun guns on flights
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico is in talks with the United States on whether to allow U.S. federal air marshals to travel with Taser stun guns on cross-border flights with U.S. airlines, National Security Commissioner Renato Sales said in a TV interview on Tuesday.
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South Korea sends athletes for joint training at North Korean ski resort
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea will begin a joint training program at the Masikryong ski resort in North Korea on Wednesday as had been initially planned, the South's Ministry of Unification said, with a 45-person delegation engaging in a two-day trip.
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China says plenty of space separates Taiwan flights amid route row
BEIJING (Reuters) - China rebuffed Taiwan's objections in a deepening row over the opening of new flight paths in the Taiwan Strait, saying on Wednesday that the space separating routes over the waterway was more than is mandated by international standards.
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from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2GzADzx