The Guardian
Middle East crisis live: US and Israel in talks to revive Washington trip to discuss Rafah

Israeli PM had cancelled officials’ US visit to discuss planned offensive in southern Gaza after the US refused to veto a UN security council vote on a ceasefire

Bayan Abusultan, a Gaza city-based journalist, has not been heard from since 19 March when she tweeted that her only brother had been killed by Israeli forces “in front of [her] eyes”.

There has been no activity on her social media accounts since, sparking concerns about her safety.

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28th March 2024 11:22
The Guardian
Want to make it in the Republican party? Pledge allegiance to the Big Lie | Robert Reich

After a Trump-backed purge of the RNC this month, promoting the 2020 stolen election lie has become a litmus test for loyalty

If you’re seeking employment at the Republican National Committee (RNC), you’re likely to be asked in your job interview if you believe the 2020 election was stolen. And if you say no, well, you might as well seek a job with George Santos.

After a Trump-backed purge of the RNC this month, agreeing to the false claim has become a kind of litmus test for gaining employment – no less than it’s become a litmus test for running for public office as a Republican.

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28th March 2024 11:12
The Guardian
Russia-Ukraine war live: Putin rules out attacks on Nato countries

Kyiv’s forces shoot down 26 drones overnight as Russian president says suggestion of attacks on nearby Nato states is ‘drivel’

Security measures in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv will be tightened after a spate of Russian ballistic missile attacks and threats of escalation, a city official said on Thursday, according to Reuters.

Russia staged concerted airstrikes on Ukraine’s energy system last week in what Moscow said was part of a series of “revenge” strikes in response to Kyiv’s bombardment of Russian regions.

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28th March 2024 11:09
The Guardian
The experts: perfumers on 20 ways to make you, your house and your laundry smell fabulous

From picking a perfect fragrance to spraying your radiators and getting rid of the worst stinks, here is how to make sure your life always smells sweet

From a fancy fragrance to a simple bowl of oranges, scent can transform how you feel about yourself, another person or a place. But how can you work out what suits the moment? And the best way to get rid of a stink? Perfumers reveal how to make your world smell fantastic.

1. Smell is an extreme sensation
“Scent provokes a visceral reaction,” says Ezra-Lloyd Jackson, a perfumer and artist who makes wearable fragrances under the brand name deya and creates scent installations for art exhibitions. What fascinates him about working with scent is the process of transforming “something that is grotesque or alarming into something that is familiar and comforting, or vice versa”.

2. Your reaction to a smell is linked to memory
Maya Njie makes perfumes inspired by her Swedish and Gambian heritage. She tried to capture this feeling in other artistic forms before realising that what she really wanted was to portray the way it smelled. “We know that our sense of smell is directly linked to the part of the brain where our memories are stored,” she says. “So it makes a lot of sense that fragrance and smells are connected to our memories. If you smell something that someone has worn, or you go to a house that belongs to your grandparents, smelling makes you feel way more emotional than a photo ever could.” Jackson describes this as “internal time travel. It is another form of communication that isn’t linguistic.”

3. It is possible to train your nose
“That is what perfume is all about,” says Jackson. He didn’t have a very orthodox route into perfumery: “I went straight into a laboratory and got to work, but most people will train at one of the schools in France, where the first year is all about learning 500 smells.” Brighton-based French perfumer Elodie Durande, who works for Somerset label Ffern, honed her craft at the University of Montpellier. “You start out by working on your olfactory skills, remembering smells and describing smells,” before receiving a wide-ranging education about the perfume industry, she says.

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28th March 2024 11:00
The Guardian
Literary Theory for Robots by Dennis Yi Tenen review – the deep roots of AI

A secret history of machine intelligence, from 14th century horoscopes to 1930s ‘plot genies’ for coming up with storylines

Hark. The end is nigh. “In the industrial age, automation came for the shoemaker and the factory-line worker,” writes Dennis Yi Tenen near the start of Literary Theory for Robots. “Today, it has come for the writer, the professor, the physician, the programmer and the attorney.” Like the end-of-the-planet movies that pelted the multiplexes at the turn of the millennium, newspapers and – increasingly – bookshops are awash with economists, futurologists and social semioticians talking up, down and about artificial intelligence. Even Henry Kissinger, in The Age of AI (2021), spoke of “epoch-making transformations” and an imminent “revolution in human affairs”.

Tenen, a tenured professor of English at New York’s Columbia University, isn’t nearly as apocalyptic as he initially makes out. His is an oddly titled book – do robots need literary theory? Are we the robots? – that has little in common with the techno-theory of writers such as Friedrich Kittler, Donna Haraway and N Katherine Hayles. For the most part, it’s a call for rhetorical de-escalation. Relax, he says, machines and literature go back a long way; his goal is to reconstruct “the modern chatbot from parts found on the workbench of history” using “strings of anecdote and light philosophical commentary”.

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28th March 2024 11:00
Us - CBSNews.com
A question both Republican job applicants and potential Trump jurors must answer

Prosecutors pursuing a Trump conviction and Republican leaders have little in common except this question, which both are using to sift through jurors and applicants.

28th March 2024 11:00
... NPR Topics: News
Chevron owns this city's news site. Many stories aren't told

Chevron operates a major refinery in Richmond, Calif. It also owns the city's dominant news site, putting its own spin on events, and runs similar sites in Texas and Ecuador.

28th March 2024 10:58
The Guardian
The planetary health diet: ‘People mustn’t feel meat is being taken from them’

A group of hospitals in Germany serve up a menu rich in plants and light in animals – and say they have had few complaints

Patrick Burrichter did not think about saving lives or protecting the planet when he trained as a chef in a hotel kitchen. But 25 years later he has focused his culinary skills on doing exactly that.

From an industrial park on the outskirts of Berlin, Burrichter and his team cook for a dozen hospitals that offer patients a “planetary health” diet – one that is rich in plants and light in animals. Compared with the typical diet in Germany, known for its bratwurst sausage and doner kebab, the 13,000 meals they rustle up each day are better for the health of people and the planet.

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28th March 2024 10:54
The Guardian
Rayner denies wrongdoing over council house sale amid police review

Labour deputy leader says she can provide tax advice given at time following Tory complaint to Manchester force

Angela Rayner has said she did “absolutely nothing wrong” when she sold her council house after the police announced they were reviewing a decision not to investigate.

The deputy Labour leader told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she was confident she had not broken any rules.

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28th March 2024 10:53
The Guardian
Best podcasts of the week: Guantánamo gets the Serial treatment

In this week’s newsletter: The all-time great podcast returns for a fourth season, investigating the infamous detention camp. Plus: five of the best hip-hop podcasts

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Serial
Widely available, episodes weekly
The OG of podcasting returns for an excellent fourth season, with Sarah Koenig and Dana Chivvis’s history of Guantánamo. It’s a story they have been wanting to tell for years, but until now haven’t been able to get too far beyond the official line. Today, staff and detainees are ready to talk: while the former report partying their “asses off”, the latter – who each cost $13m a year to accommodate – discuss their fears. Hannah Verdier

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28th March 2024 10:45
... NPR Topics: News
Sam Bankman-Fried is about to get sentenced for his FTX crimes. Here's what to know

Prosecutors are asking for 40 to 50 years, citing the severity of Bankman-Fried's crimes. Lawyers of the disgraced former head of FTX are asking for far less.

28th March 2024 10:41
The Guardian
‘It’s mission impossible’: fear grows in Kenya over plan to deploy police to Haiti

Deal to send hundreds of officers to Caribbean country amid spiraling gang violence is facing intense public and legal scrutiny

Haiti’s raging gang insurrection has prompted growing concern in Kenya over plans to deploy hundreds of paramilitary police officers from the East African country on a UN-backed multinational mission to counter the violence.

“If they come back in body bags, what will [Kenyan President William Ruto] tell the nation?” said Ekuru Aukot, leader of the opposition Thirdway Alliance, who last year filed a legal challenge against the deployment.

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28th March 2024 10:30
... NPR Topics: News
Why a town on the front line of America's energy transition isn't letting go of coal

Kemmerer, Wyo., is on the front line of America's energy transition, with its coal plant slated to close and a nuclear plant in the works. But some think the rush to quit fossil fuels is impractical.

28th March 2024 10:08
... NPR Topics: News
'Struggle, struggle, struggle.' What new and expecting mothers are facing in Gaza

Women who are pregnant or who have recently given birth in Gaza face serious challenges amid daily airstrikes, continued ground fighting, high rates of disease and a growing lack of food and water.

28th March 2024 10:01
... NPR Topics: News
For Baltimore-area residents, bridge collapse means longer commutes and uncertain prospects

The Key Bridge collapse is upending life for countless people in the Chesapeake region. Residents say it's not just infrastructure — it's their identity as people who live close to the water.

28th March 2024 10:00
... NPR Topics: News
'Worry' is a disturbing and honest picture of what it's like to be in your 20s

Alexandra Tanner's debut novel, Worry, centers two sisters in their 20s struggling with the love, anxieties and truths that they hold about each other.

28th March 2024 10:00
The Guardian
Kung Fu Panda 4 review – Jack Black and Awkwafina in hurricane of slapstick more miss than hit

The lead pair make a brilliant double act, but the franchise has run out of its signature sweetness and charm

The cuddly kung fu master is back. Jack Black returns as dumpling-loving panda Po, the unlikeliest of lean, mean fightin’ machines. It’s been eight years since Kung Fu Panda 3, and on the evidence here, the delay can’t be put down to KFP4 being a labour of love, the product of animation studio DreamWorks’ A team pouring in enormous amounts of effort. It’s a hurricane of slapstick (some of it in fact very funny) and age-appropriate energetic fight scenes, but lacks the sweetness and charm of the franchise at its best. It failed the wriggle test on my seven-year-old cinema date, who was squirming in her seat around the hour mark.

The plot is a bit overfussy for its target audience of small kids, though the scriptwriters have been careful to make it work for newbies – no previous Kung Fu Panda experience necessary. It opens with Po being promoted from his role as Dragon Warrior to spiritual leader of the valley, taking over from his mentor Shifu (Dustin Hoffman – no expense has been spared on the vocal cast). But before he can appoint his successor, Po apprehends Zhen (Awkwafina), a streetwise thieving fox. The two of them make a brilliant double act: Black is adorable, Awkwafina terrific as the cynical wisecracker.

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28th March 2024 10:00
... NPR Topics: News
Some foreign-made cars might be delayed as auto companies figure out port deliveries

The deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse blocked off much of Baltimore's harbor, which handles more cars and trucks than any other U.S. port. Companies have some options to keep imports coming.

28th March 2024 10:00
... NPR Topics: News
In Florida, there's détente in the battle between Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis

Disney and a board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have settled lawsuits over who controls development in the 40-square-mile district that's home to its Orlando theme parks.

28th March 2024 10:00
Us - CBSNews.com
Star-studded Biden NYC fundraiser is expected to bring in over $25 million

Thursday's event with former Presidents Obama and Clinton will set a new fundraising record for the president's re-election campaign.

28th March 2024 10:00
Us - CBSNews.com
Two bodies recovered from vehicle underwater at Key Bridge collapse site

Maryland State Police Colonel Roland Butler said divers located two men around 10 a.m. in about 25 feet of water at the middle span of the bridge.

28th March 2024 09:56
U.S. News
Top ad guru Martin Sorrell downplays chances of Trump's Truth Social capturing serious market share

Advertising guru Martin Sorrell questioned the prospects of Donald Trump's Truth Social platform, describing major ad sales as currently "unfathomable."

28th March 2024 09:37
U.S. News
Don't sweat the prospect of no Fed rate cuts, economist says — markets will still march higher

Markets will continue to rally even if the Fed chooses not to cut interest rates this year, according to Steven Blitz, TS Lombard's chief U.S. economist.

28th March 2024 09:31
Us - CBSNews.com
3/27: CBS Evening News

Investigation into how ship lost power before bridge collapse; Good Samaritans help after Florida traffic accident

28th March 2024 09:14
The Guardian
‘Rental places will surge back’: readers on the fight to preserve physical media

Readers share their thoughts on maintaining the world of DVDs and Blu-rays after a feature looking exploring the phenomenon

At home we have been getting into the habit, when we identify (a knack in itself!) a show or movie we are confident we will want to re-watch, of ordering an inexpensive DVD copy.

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28th March 2024 09:05
The Guardian
Euro 2024 power rankings: a look at the 24 teams going to Germany

While France and England are among the favourites, Austria could spring a surprise

This was not a vintage window for Didier Deschamps’ side with a home defeat against Germany followed up by a shaky 3-2 win against Chile in Marseille. The captain, Kylian Mbappé, had a difficult few days and the absence of Antoine Griezmann, who missed his first France games for seven years because of injury, was clearly felt. There were positives, however, with the 18-year-old Warren Zaïre-Emery having a good game against Germany and Randal Kolo Muani scoring and assisting against Chile. Deschamps made nine changes for the second game with William Saliba getting a rare start in Marseille, even though the coach had said beforehand that the Arsenal player “does things he doesn’t like”. Still the team to beat. Marcus Christenson

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28th March 2024 09:00
The Guardian
F1 quiz: can you name these old race circuits from the photographs?

Study the Formula One images for clues and see if you can steer yourself to a decent finish by guessing the correct tracks

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28th March 2024 09:00
The Guardian
‘Every single work is a masterpiece’: the once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of the greatest Flemish drawings

A new show brings together historic sketches from Bruegel to Rubens and more, capturing fleeting snapshots of everyday 16th- and 17th-century life

The women gather in a circle, talking intensely and unselfconsciously, their attention passing from one animated face to another as the conversation darts around the group. They seem completely unaware, from a window above the courtyard where they’re chatting, the artist Jacques Jordaens is sketching them in quick red chalk and brown ink.

It is 1659, Antwerp, and, according to Jordaens’ scribbled note at the bottom of the paper, these so-called “gossip aunts” are discussing local political “disturbances” – perhaps the recent strike of the painters’ guild. “It’s a snapshot of daily life that you don’t usually see,” says An Van Camp, the curator of Bruegel to Rubens: Great Flemish Drawings at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum.

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28th March 2024 09:00
The Guardian
Choice by Neel Mukherjee review – parables for our times

A bleak, brilliant moral maze of a novel about ethical dilemmas, from global poverty to the climate crisis

In the middle ages, morality would be transmitted in images. Churchgoers would commonly find above the altar a panel of three paintings relating a biblical parable or commandment. Such altarpieces could be found in Buddhist shrines, too, which might be adorned with three scenes from the path of enlightenment. A knack for envisioning moral precepts has seen the triptych translated across many cultures and now, with the UK-based Indian writer Neel Mukherjee’s formally daring new novel, even from image to text.

Composed of three narratives about 21st-century ethical and political dilemmas, Choice has been termed a triptych by its author and, like its visual forebears, the novel needles our moral impulses. The issues in question, from climate change to global poverty, are modern, but the novel’s interest in sin and virtue is redolent of the triptych’s medieval preoccupations. Where Choice differs is that, in its world, there are no unambiguous rights or wrongs. As one character observes of another: “No escape was offered by making what one thought was the correct moral choice.” This is a triptych for a secular age – without hope of salvation, however hard humans try.

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28th March 2024 08:30
The Guardian
Rare and raw: never before seen Rolling Stones – in pictures

In 1981, photographer Brian Aris was invited to join the rock’n’roll legends at rehearsals in Boston. He captured their intense musical bond – but couldn’t corner Charlie Watts

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28th March 2024 08:00
The Guardian
Airbnb host increased price by 39% after booking

We were forced to cancel when the host wanted thousands extra, but were still charged a fee

My daughter used my credit card to book a five-month stay using Airbnb after taking up an internship in Toronto. After the host accepted the booking, she got an email saying the price for the overall stay had increased by £4,000 – a further 39%.

Panicked, and unable to afford the extra sum, she cancelled. Airbnb has taken a £1,962 fee, plus a further £682 for cleaning and taxes. As my daughter cancelled immediately, it is extremely unlikely that a booking was lost.

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28th March 2024 08:00
The Guardian
Rightwing populists have many countries in their grip. Come to Poland: see how they can be pushed back | Anne McElvoy

Donald Tusk is working hard and fast on a great transformation, but travel the country and it’s clear what a difficult task that is

My formative journalistic years were spent reporting on the final freeze of the cold war – days of hard times and soft currencies. When I return to those countries now, I test myself on how well I guessed what would follow in the three decades since. On Poland in particular, I would have been hard pressed to predict the giddy zigzag of power still featuring a generation who marched to topple communism, but whose protagonists feud bitterly about how to govern the country in the 21st century.

We talk a lot about places that have recently bought a one-way ticket towards authoritarian politics – Russia and Turkey for the full-fat versions, and Hungary’s democratic backsliding and stifling of independent institutions.

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28th March 2024 08:00
U.S. News
SEC scores big win in lawsuit against crypto exchange Coinbase

The ruling in favor of the SEC comes as Coinbase has become a go-to partner for big Wall Street asset managers looking to offer cryptocurrency trading options.

28th March 2024 07:58
The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: ‘Russian terror’ as guided bombs hit Kharkiv

Ukrainian spy chief hints at assassination of traitors; Putin claims F-16 fighter jets won’t make a difference. What we know on day 764

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28th March 2024 07:41
The Guardian
Jannik Sinner cruises into Miami semis as Collins and Azarenka progress

  • Australian Open champion faces rematch with Medvedev
  • Azarenka still in contention to win fourth Miami Open title

Jannik Sinner eased past Tomas Machac 6-4, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the Miami Open on Wednesday where the second seed will face the defending champion Daniil Medvedev.

The first set of the match played in humid conditions hinged on a Machac service game at 3-3 where the unseeded Czech’s forehand missed its target on break point to give Sinner a 4-3 lead.

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28th March 2024 07:40
Us - CBSNews.com
Migrants using deadly Arizona border crossing amid Texas crackdown

As Texas continues its crackdown on illegal border crossings, many migrants are attempting to cross the border in Arizona. But that crossing can be much more dangerous. Camilo Montoya-Galvez gets a first-hand look at the risky route.

28th March 2024 07:21
Us - CBSNews.com
How climate change is impacting seasonal allergies

Millions of Americans who suffer seasonal allergies are seeing their symptoms start earlier and last longer. Dave Malkoff takes a look at what's causing the change and how people are dealing with it.

28th March 2024 07:05
The Guardian
‘We’d like to shoot them all’: growing army of wolfdogs raises hackles across Europe

Experts say the hybrids risk ‘polluting’ the genetic stock, but scientists disagree on how to deal with them. In Piedmont, Italy, the sight of a blond wolfdog signals the risk of another new litter

  • Photographs by Alberto Olivero

From the moment the rangers first saw him on their trail cameras, the problem was apparent. The wolf, spotted deep in the woods of Italy’s Gran Bosco di Salbertrand park, was not grey like his companion, but an unusual blond. His colouring indicated this was not a wolf at all, but a hybrid wolfdog – the first to be seen so far into Piedmont’s alpine region. And where one hybrid is found, more are sure to follow.

“We thought he would go away,” says Elisa Ramassa, a park ranger in Gran Bosco who has tracked the local wolves for 25 years. “Unfortunately, he found a female who loves blonds.”

Elisa Ramassa and fellow ranger Massimo Rosso search for wolf tracks in Gran Bosco di Salbertrand park

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28th March 2024 07:00
The Guardian
Sam Bankman-Fried will grow old in jail. But don’t forget those who basked in his orbit | Aditya Chakrabortty

If the high-rollers surrounding the disgraced FTX founder had any qualms about taking his money, they didn’t show it

Later today, a man who has recently turned 32 will be hauled in front of a Manhattan judge. Already convicted of huge fraud, he knows he’s going to prison. The only question is for how long. If the US government gets its way, he will not emerge before his 80th birthday.

This is the final disgrace of Sam Bankman-Fried. The judge, politicians and the world’s press will declare him one of the biggest swindlers in American history. They will note how within three years he built a marketplace for digital currencies, or crypto, that was worth around $32bn – and made himself the world’s richest person under 30. Still it wasn’t enough. He spent perhaps $8bn of his customers’ savings on luxury homes, risky investments and whatever else took his fancy.

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28th March 2024 07:00
The Guardian
Surge of new oil and gas activity threatens to wreck Paris climate goals

World’s fossil-fuel producers on track to nearly quadruple output from newly approved projects by decade’s end, report finds

The world’s fossil-fuel producers are on track to nearly quadruple the amount of extracted oil and gas from newly approved projects by the end of this decade, with the US leading the way in a surge of activity that threatens to blow apart agreed climate goals, a new report has found.

There can be no new oil and gas infrastructure if the planet is to avoid careering past 1.5C (2.7F) of global heating, above pre-industrial times, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has previously stated. Breaching this warming threshold, agreed to by governments in the Paris climate agreement, will see ever worsening effects such as heatwaves, floods, drought and more, scientists have warned.

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28th March 2024 07:00
Us - CBSNews.com
Family of Boeing whistleblower speaks out after his death

John Barnett died last month of what the coroner ruled an apparent suicide amid his whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing. Mark Strassmann spoke with Barnett's family about his issues with the company and what comes next.

28th March 2024 06:43
Us - CBSNews.com
Good Samaritans help after Florida traffic accident

A group of good Samaritans lept into action after a scary car crash in Daytona Beach, Florida, helping flip an SUV back upright.

28th March 2024 06:29
Us - CBSNews.com
Investigation into how ship lost power before bridge collapse

Officials are investigating how the cargo ship lost power before striking a support column on Baltimore's Key Bridge, causing it to collapse. Recovery efforts for missing workers who were on the bridge continued Wednesday. Kris Van Cleave has the latest.

28th March 2024 06:22
Us - CBSNews.com
Joe Lieberman, former senator and vice presidential candidate, dies at 82

Joe Lieberman, a former senator from Connecticut and the Democratic vice presidential candidate in the 2000 election, has died at age 82. Major Garrett looks back on his legacy.

28th March 2024 06:18
Us - CBSNews.com
Remembering the 6 killed in Baltimore bridge collapse

Six construction workers who were filling potholes on the Key Bridge when it collapsed are presumed dead. Nicole Sganga spoke with a local Baltimore pastor who knew some of the victims.

28th March 2024 06:15
The Guardian
Nick Cave on love, art and the loss of his sons: ‘It’s against nature to bury your children’

In the past nine years, the musician and artist has lost two sons – an experience he explores in a shocking, deeply personal new ceramics project. He discusses mercy, forgiveness, making and meaning

Nick Cave has a touch of Dr Frankenstein about him – long, white lab coat, inscrutable smile, unnerving intensity. He introduces me to his two assistants, the identical twins Liv and Dom Cave-Sutherland, who are helping to glaze his ceramics series, The Devil – A Life. The twins are not related to Cave. His wife, the fashion designer Susie Cave, came across them one day, discovered they were ceramicists and thought they would be able to help him complete his project. It adds to the eeriness of it all.

Cave, 66, is one of the world’s great singer-songwriters – from the howling post-punk of the Birthday Party and the Bad Seeds to the lugubrious lyricism of his love songs (Into My Arms, Straight to You and a million others I adore) and the haunted grief of recent albums such as Skeleton Tree, Ghosteen and Carnage. He is also a fine author (see his apocalyptic novel And the Ass Saw the Angel), thinker (his book of conversations with the Observer journalist Sean O’Hagan, Faith, Hope and Carnage), agony uncle (at his website, the Red Hand Files), screenwriter (The Proposition) and now visual artist. Which is where he started out half a century ago.

‘These losses are incorporated into the artistic flow’ … Cave’s sculptures go through the glazing process. Photograph: courtesy of Liv & Dom

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28th March 2024 06:00
The Guardian
UK membership of Dignitas soars by 24% as assisted dying in Scotland moves closer

Bill being laid before Scottish parliament could, if approved, allow people in Britain to take their own lives within the law

UK membership of Dignitas, the Swiss assisted dying association, has jumped to 1,900 people – a 24% rise during 2023 – as an assisted dying bill is laid before the Scottish parliament.

People from the UK now make up the second largest group who have signed up to the organisation, which is based near Zurich and helps people take their own lives. The largest group is currently Germans, although they can now get help to end their lives at home after a 2020 court ruling.

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28th March 2024 06:00
The Guardian
How child labour in India makes the paving stones beneath our feet

Despite promises of reform, exploitation remains endemic in India’s sandstone industry, with children doing dangerous work for low pay – often to decorate driveways and gardens thousands of miles away

Sonu has one clear instruction from his boss: when you see an outsider, run. In the two years since he started working full time, he has had to run only twice. Sonu is eight years old. His mother, Anita, said that almost every time an outsider comes to their village of Budhpura, in the Indian state of Rajasthan, she receives a phone call telling her not to bring Sonu to work. “Only adults go to work on those days,” said the 40-year-old, cradling her youngest child, who is three.

Sonu and his mother work eight hours a day, usually six days a week, making small paving stones, many of which are exported to the UK, North America and Europe. Sonu began working after his father died of the lung disease silicosis in 2021. “First, he made five stones, then 10, and then he quit school to work full-time,” his mother said. The pair sit on a street close to their home, amid heaps of sandstone rubble, chiselling rocks into rough cubes of rugged stone. Sonu is paid one rupee – less than a penny – for each cobblestone he produces. These stones have a retail value of about £80 a square metre in the UK.

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28th March 2024 06:00
The Guardian
The virus that infects almost everyone, and its link to cancer and MS – podcast

On 28 March it’s the 60th anniversary of the discovery of Epstein-Barr virus, the most common viral infection in humans. The virus was first discovered in association with a rare type of cancer located in Africa, but is now understood to be implicated in 1% of cancers, as well as the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis, among others. Ian Sample meets Lawrence Young, professor of molecular oncology at Warwick Medical School, to hear the story of this virus, and how understanding it might help us prevent and treat cancer and other illnesses.

Read an obituary of Sir Anthony Epstein, who died in February 2024

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28th March 2024 06:00
The Guardian
‘Sport is never just sport’: Olympics exhibition in Paris reflects 20th century’s highs and lows

Les Jeux Olympiques: Miroir des Sociétés opens ahead of Paris Olympics and puts previous games in context of conflicts and injustices

From the Nazi stadium propaganda in 1936 Berlin to the 1968 Mexico City podium protest of medal-winners Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who were expelled from the competition after raising their gloved fists in a Black Power salute against racial injustice, the Olympic Games have held a mirror up to some of the darkest moments of 20th-century history.

Now, as the Paris Olympics prepares to open this summer against a backdrop of war from Ukraine to the Middle East – with Emmanuel Macron saying Russia will be asked to observe a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Games – a new exhibition in Paris takes an unflinching look at the social and geopolitical impact of the Games over the last century.

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28th March 2024 06:00
Us - CBSNews.com
"CBS Evening News" headlines for Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Here's a look at the top stories making headlines on the "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell."

28th March 2024 05:54
Us - CBSNews.com
Hunter Biden asks judge to dismiss tax charges

Hunter Biden's attorneys argued Wednesday that the federal tax charges the president's son is facing in California are part of a prosecution fueled by politics.

28th March 2024 04:38
The Guardian
From a graceful turn to a dangerous toy: the World Nature Photography awards 2024 – in pictures

The World Nature Photography award winners have been announced from a pool of entries from all corners of the globe – including a baby elephant in Kenya and an owl-like plant in Thailand. The top award and cash prize of $1,000 went to Tracey Lund from the UK for her image of two gannets under the water off the coast of the Shetland Islands. Lund and her fellow winners were drawn from thousands of images

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28th March 2024 04:04
The Guardian
Daniel Kahneman, renowned psychologist and Nobel prize winner, dies at 90

The Israeli-American’s first book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, was a worldwide bestseller with revolutionary ideas about human error and bias

Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist who pioneered theories in behavioural economics that heavily influenced the discipline, and won him a Nobel prize, has died at age 90.

Kahneman, who wrote bestselling book Thinking, Fast and Slow, argued against the notion that people’s behaviour is rooted in a rational decision-making process – rather that it is often based on instinct.

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28th March 2024 03:41
The Guardian
Baltimore bridge collapse: two bodies recovered from water, officials say

Authorities say bodies of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera found by divers in pickup truck

The bodies of two men trapped in their vehicle have been recovered from the waters beneath the Baltimore bridge that collapsed early on Tuesday when a container ship crashed into it, officials announced on Wednesday.

The authorities identified the men as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, a 35-year-old originally from Mexico who was living in Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, who was from Guatemala and was living in Dundalk, Maryland.

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28th March 2024 03:23
The Guardian
Why didn’t New Zealand impose sanctions on China?

New Zealand did not follow the US and UK in imposing financial restrictions after accusing Beijing of links to cyber-attacks

Politicians, journalists and critics of Beijing were among those targeted by cyber-attacks run by groups backed by China, western intelligence services said this week.

The separate cyber-attacks hit the US, UK and New Zealand – all members of the Five Eyes alliance. The network of five countries, which also includes Canada and Australia, share security related intelligence.

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28th March 2024 03:02
The Guardian
Macron calls proposed EU-Mercosur trade pact ‘very bad deal’ lacking strong climate commitments

French president tells Brazil forum both parties need to be ‘much stronger’ on biodiversity and climate

Emmanuel Macron has called a proposed trade agreement between the EU and South America’s Mercosur bloc a “very bad deal” that lacks proper climate considerations.

“As it is negotiated today, it is a very bad deal, for you and for us,” the French president told Brazilian businessmen in São Paulo on Wednesday while on a three-day trip to Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy.

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28th March 2024 02:16
The Guardian
India summons envoy after US criticises Delhi chief minister’s arrest

US called for fair legal process for opposition figure Arvind Kejriwal amid claims that challengers to Narendra Modi are being targeted ahead of national elections

India has summoned a top US diplomat after Washington warned it to ensure a “fair, transparent and timely legal process” for a senior opposition leader jailed just weeks ahead of parliamentary elections.

The US state department had said it was “closely watching” events after Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi, was arrested last week in connection with a long-running corruption investigation.

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28th March 2024 02:10
U.S. News
Moderna moves three vaccines into final stage trials as it works to rebound from Covid slump

Moderna will chart its post-Covid future Wednesday during its fifth annual "Vaccines Day," an investor event in Boston.

28th March 2024 01:22
Us - CBSNews.com
Family of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett speaks out following his death

John Barnett died earlier this month, in what the coroner called an apparent suicide, just before he was set to resume testifying in a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing.

28th March 2024 01:03
... NPR Topics: News
California judge recommends disbarment of pro-Trump attorney John Eastman

A California judge found that attorney John Eastman committed "exceptionally serious ethical violations" in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and recommended disbarment.

28th March 2024 01:03
U.S. News
Trump targets New York hush money trial judge's daughter day after gag order

The Truth Social posts by Donald Trump were written after New York Judge Juan Merchan imposed a gag order limiting what Trump can say about the case.

28th March 2024 00:42
Us - CBSNews.com
Who are the victims in Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse?

The search for six construction workers turned to a recovery effort Tuesday night, following a collapse at Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.

28th March 2024 00:35
The Guardian
Travis Head stars as IPL records tumble in 523-run game

  • Head scores 62 from 24 balls in Sunrisers’ IPL record 277-3
  • Mumbai’s 246-5 makes it highest-scoring T20 match ever

Records tumbled in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Indian Premier League victory over Mumbai Indians, which set a new mark for the highest-scoring T20 match in history.

The hosts set a new IPL record of 277-3, but Mumbai put up a fierce fight in their chase before ending up 31 runs short on 246-5.

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28th March 2024 00:08
... NPR Topics: News
An appeals court says 'undated' Pennsylvania ballots don't count

A federal appeals panel says mailed ballots arriving on time but in envelopes without dates handwritten by Pennsylvania voters shouldn't be counted. This case is expected to reach the Supreme Court.

28th March 2024 00:05
The Guardian
King lauds friendship ‘in time of need’ in first comments since princess’s diagnosis

Pre-recorded message for Maundy service in Worcester Cathedral will be played as Camilla stands in for monarch

King Charles will highlight the importance of friendship “in a time of need” on Thursday in his first public comments since the Princess of Wales announced that she was receiving treatment for cancer.

In his second Easter message as king, Charles will say how Christ set an “example of how we should serve and care for each other”, and how as a nation “we need and benefit greatly from those who extend the hand of friendship to us, especially in a time of need”.

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27th March 2024 23:30
The Guardian
‘A national disgrace’: Oxford rail at River Thames pollution ahead of Boat Race

  • Oxford’s rowing coach critical after high levels of E coli detected
  • Race organisers have warned rowers against entering water

The University of Oxford’s rowing coach has called the pollution in the River Thames a “national disgrace” after high levels of E coli were found on the Boat Race course.

Sean Bowden, who has coached Oxford since 1997, also admitted that the health risks could also stop the tradition of the winning cox being thrown or jumping into the river.

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27th March 2024 23:30
The Guardian
UN picks Saudi Arabia to lead women’s rights forum despite ‘abysmal’ record

Kingdom chosen to chair Commission on Status of Women after unopposed bid, to dismay of human rights groups

Saudi Arabia has been chosen as the chair of the UN commission that is supposed to promote gender equality and empower women around the world, after an unopposed bid for leadership condemned by human rights groups because of the kingdom’s “abysmal” record on women’s rights.

The Saudi ambassador to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, was elected as chair of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), by “acclamation” on Wednesday, as there were no rival candidates and no dissent at the CSW’s annual meeting in New York.

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27th March 2024 23:29
The Guardian
Ireland backs bid to include blocking of aid in definition of genocide

Dublin joins South Africa’s case in the international court of justice, arguing that stopping delivery of essentials may constitute ‘genocidal intent’

Ireland is to seek to widen the definition of genocide to include blocking humanitarian aid in a landmark international court of justice (ICJ) case against Israel.

The Irish government will intervene in the case taken by South Africa and argue that restricting food and other essentials in Gaza may constitute genocidal intent, the foreign minister Micheál Martin said on Wednesday.

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27th March 2024 23:25
The Guardian
Mayra Ramírez opener eases Chelsea into WCL semi-finals despite Ajax rally

Chelsea progressed to the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League despite being held at Stamford Bridge by a stubborn Ajax. Mayra Ramírez fired the hosts ahead before Chasity Grant levelled in the second half to ensure parity on the night. It was a result that mattered little, however, as Chelsea went through 4-1 on aggregate.

The manager, Emma Hayes, acknowledged the test while expressing her contentment with her much-changed Chelsea side. “They could have scored; we could have scored more in the first half,” she said. “But when you make so many changes, you have to expect there will be a disruption … [At 4-0 up] we relaxed a little. We’re through and I’ll focus on that.”

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27th March 2024 23:04
Us - CBSNews.com
Joe Lieberman, longtime senator and 2000 vice presidential pick, dies at 82

The longtime Connecticut senator died from complications from a fall, his family said.

27th March 2024 22:56
The Guardian
French PM backs school head who faced death threats after Muslim veil row

Gabriel Attal says state will file a complaint against student over accusation against principal who had to resign for his safety

The French prime minister, Gabriel Attal, has defended French secularism following the resignation of a Paris school principal who received death threats after asking a student to remove her Muslim veil on the premises.

Attal, a former education minister, said the state would be filing a complaint against the student over falsely accusing the headteacher of mistreatment during the incident in late February.

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27th March 2024 22:39
Us - CBSNews.com
Settlement reached in lawsuit between Gov. DeSantis allies and Disney

The settlement ended almost two years of litigation

27th March 2024 22:20
Us - CBSNews.com
Employer of missing Baltimore bridge workers vows to help their families

An executive at Brawner Builders, the missing workers' employer, said "the company is broken" after bridge collapse tragedy.

27th March 2024 21:49
U.S. News
Novo Nordisk's $1,000 diabetes drug Ozempic can be made for less than $5 a month, study suggests

Researchers found Novo Nordisk's Ozempic could be manufactured for an estimated 89 cents to $4.73 for a month's supply, figures that include a profit margin.

27th March 2024 21:41
U.S. News
Altimmune says weight loss drug minimized muscle loss in trial results, which may set it apart

The results are a sign that Altimmune can address an area of concern around weight loss drugs, which is that they shrink critical muscle mass.

27th March 2024 21:40
U.S. News
Hyundai considering hybrid vehicle production at $7.6 billion Georgia EV plant

The reassessment comes amid slower-than-excepted adoption of EVs, as well as the Biden administration revising emissions rules.

27th March 2024 21:40
U.S. News
Yellen warns China's surplus of solar panels, EVs could be dumped on global markets

Janet Yellen said she will confront her Chinese counterparts about their solar, EV trade practices in an upcoming visit to China.

27th March 2024 21:05
Us - CBSNews.com
How the lottery became a national obsession

Just one winning ticket was sold for the $1.1 billion prize to someone in New Jersey who's chosen to stay anonymous. Most of these gigantic jackpots for games like Mega Millions and Powerball have happened in just the last two years, after lottery organizers made the games much harder to win. Americans are now spending record amounts on all types of lottery games. So, how did the lottery come to play such a big role in our lives?

27th March 2024 21:03
Us - CBSNews.com
Longtime Chiefs cheerleader dies after giving birth

Krystal Anderson, a former Chiefs cheerleader who was passionate about women's health died after giving birth earlier this month.

27th March 2024 20:44
U.S. News
Disney agrees to settle Florida lawsuit with special district backed by DeSantis

The suit was related to the takeover of the district at the behest of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after Disney had opposed the state's "Don't Say Gay" law.

27th March 2024 20:22
Us - CBSNews.com
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg addresses economic toll of Baltimore bridge collapse

In the aftermath of the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg talks about the significant repercussions on national supply chains.

27th March 2024 20:20
The Guardian
Women who used abortion pills on US supreme court mifepristone case: ‘It’s maddening’

Three women share their stories of getting medication abortions, and their thoughts on that access being curtailed

Mercy’s periods had always been very regular, so when she missed one in 2016, she immediately took a pregnancy test. It was positive, and she managed to get an appointment at an abortion clinic the next day.

Despite being able to act quickly, she was in her seventh week of pregnancy by the time she could take abortion pills in Ohio – a state that was, at the time, debating banning abortion from the moment embryonic cardiac activity is detected (usually around six weeks). Ohio has since enshrined abortion rights in its state constitution following a referendum.

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27th March 2024 20:19
U.S. News
Close to half of Americans back a ban or sale of TikTok, CNBC survey found

In all, 47% of participants support a ban or sale of TikTok, according to the CNBC All-America Economic Survey.

27th March 2024 20:07
Us - CBSNews.com
Taylor Swift's dad will not be charged in alleged assault on photographer

The incident allegedly occurred in February, when Swift was in Melbourne for her Eras Tour.

27th March 2024 20:03
The Guardian
Argentina: trans women among victims of ex-officers guilty of dictatorship-era crimes

Eleven found guilty of crimes against humanity after trial that heard testimony on torture, rape and forced disappearances

A court in Argentina has convicted 11 former military, police and government officials of crimes against humanity committed during the country’s last dictatorship in a sprawling trial that heard, for the first time, about atrocities suffered by trans women.

The three-year case focused on the forced disappearances, torture, rapes and homicides that occurred at or were connected to three clandestine detention and torture centres located in police investigative units on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. They were known as the Banfield pit, the Quilmes pit and “El Infierno” – or “hell” – by the officials who worked there.

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27th March 2024 20:01
The Guardian
Luis Rubiales faces possible 30-month jail sentence for Jenni Hermoso kiss

  • Spanish prosecutors issue two charges against Rubiales
  • Three others alleged to have coerced Hermoso

Luis Rubiales could face a prison sentence of two and a half years if convicted of kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips against her will, court documents have shown. The former Spanish football federation chief has been charged with one count of sexual assault and one of coercion in the aftermath of the kiss, offences carrying jail terms of one year and 18 months respectively.

The 46-year-old grabbed ­Hermoso and kissed her on the lips on 20 August during the awards ceremony after Spain beat England in the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney, sparking global outrage and ­causing a national debate in Spain about ­sexism. ­Hermoso and her teammates said the kiss was unwanted and demeaning, but Rubiales argued it was consensual and denied any wrongdoing.

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27th March 2024 19:54
Us - CBSNews.com
A timeline of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed​ when a cargo ship lost power and crashed into it. 911 calls show how events unfolded.

27th March 2024 19:44
The Guardian
The Guardian view on Evan Gershkovich’s year behind bars: Moscow should free him now | Editorial

The Wall Street Journal correspondent is not a spy. He is a journalist, and should be released immediately from his Russian jail

Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, has spent nearly a year in a Moscow prison, awaiting trial for a crime he did not commit. Mr Gershkovich was arrested last March in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg and jailed on espionage charges. He is not a spy. He is a journalist, and should be released immediately. Hostage diplomacy lies behind his incarceration. As the US ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, said, Mr Gershkovich’s case “is not about evidence, due process, or rule of law. It is about using American citizens as pawns to achieve political ends”.

Vladimir Putin indicated in February that a prisoner exchange could lead to the release of Mr Gershkovich. There have been high-profile prisoner swaps in the past. In December 2022, Moscow traded a US basketball star convicted of a drugs offence in Russia for a Russian arms trafficker. But a journalist’s detention to secure the release of a Russian hitman would underscore Russia’s retreat into a Soviet past. In 1986 an American journalist, Nicholas Daniloff, was arrested and charged with espionage. He was let go after two weeks when the US released a Soviet diplomat accused of spying. Mr Gershkovich has been inside for nearly 12 months.

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27th March 2024 19:38
The Guardian
Water companies in England face outrage over record sewage discharges

Call for environmental emergency to be declared after data reveals 105% rise in raw sewage discharges over past 12 months

Water companies in England have faced a barrage of criticism as data revealed raw sewage was discharged for more than 3.6m hours into rivers and seas last year in a 105% increase on the previous 12 months.

The scale of the discharges of untreated waste made 2023 the worst year for storm water pollution. Early data seen by the Guardian put the scale of discharges at more than 4m hours, but officials said the figures were an early estimate.

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27th March 2024 19:21
The Guardian
Ukraine prepare to make some noise at Euro 2024 in fight for freedom

The further the team go at the tournament, the louder they can shout about their country’s plight – a fact they are well aware of

After everything, after the celebrations on the pitch and the celebrations in the stands and the Icelandic-style hand claps, a curious blankness seemed to descend on the Ukrainians. One by one, player after player shuffled towards the team bus in a kind of crumpled stupor, not yet able to process what any of this meant.

“I’m very tired, there are no emotions,” Georgiy Sudakov said with a sigh. “I left everything in the locker room,” said Oleksandr Zinchenko.

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27th March 2024 19:06
The Guardian
Beatings, humiliation and loss of self-worth: how Edinburgh Academy victims were scarred

Former schoolboys at the private school give raw testimonies about abuse meted out by John Brownlee

The enormity of the abuse suffered at the hands of the Edinburgh Academy teacher John Brownlee became clear when the first witness was asked a simple question about the moment his mother left him alone at the boarding house of the elite private school.

John Graham, now a trim 56-year-old with a goatee beard, was asked: how did he feel? Until then fluent and factual in the witness box, Graham froze. His face crumpled. In that moment, Graham again became the eight-year-old boy who had felt “not good” that day, but with the awful adult hindsight of the abuse he would endure there.

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27th March 2024 19:04
The Guardian
A Kentucky mining disaster killed dozens and destroyed homes. Will a lawsuit bring change?

Chase Hays and more than 50 neighbors are suing Blackhawk Mining after a silt retention pond burst and killed 43 people

Chase Hays knew it was time to evacuate when he saw his neighbor’s home float through his front yard. It was just after midnight on 28 July 2022, and Lost Creek, Kentucky, was experiencing a catastrophic rainstorm.

As Hays would later learn, the rains caused a silt retention pond to burst at a nearby mine, sending a torrent of rainwater and sediment down the mountain.

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27th March 2024 18:46
Us - CBSNews.com
Earth is spinning faster. Clocks may have to skip a second to keep up.

The planet is headed towards what one expert called a "negative leap second."

27th March 2024 18:45
Us - CBSNews.com
Guatemala's president says U.S. should invest more to deter migration

"Cooperation is not sending money. Cooperation can be by creating conditions in which we can invite you to invest in Guatemala and establish factories," Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo told CBS News.

27th March 2024 18:38
U.S. News
Trump is selling $60 Bibles with 'God Bless the U.S.A.' singer Lee Greenwood

The Donald Trump and Lee Greenwood partnership comes as the GOP presidential nominee has seen his net worth explode by billions of dollars on paper.

27th March 2024 18:19
The Guardian
How can Donald Trump’s loss-making Truth Social be worth $9bn?

The rightwing social network’s flotation, supported by fans of the ex-president, makes it look like part of the ‘meme stock’ phenomenon

Business live – latest updates

Donald Trump’s social network went public on Tuesday and quickly achieved a valuation of almost $8bn (£6.3bn), a gain of more than 15% on its initial public offering (IPO) value. Shares rose again in volatile trading on Wednesday, rising 14% and valuing it at $9.6bn. That enormous success has raised questions, and not all of them are easy to answer.

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27th March 2024 18:18
The Guardian
Trump mocks ex-RNC chair Ronna McDaniel for being fired by NBC

Ex-president makes remarks after backlash prompted McDaniel’s firing four days after hiring

Donald Trump mocked the former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel, for her firing by NBC days after being hired as a political analyst.

“Wow!” the former president and presumptive Republican nominee, who ejected McDaniel from the RNC in favour of his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, wrote on his Truth Social platform.

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27th March 2024 18:17
Us - CBSNews.com
Subaru recalls nearly 119,000 vehicles over air bag problem

Short circuit could stop front passenger air bags in some Outback and Legacy vehicles from deploying in a crash, automaker warns.

27th March 2024 18:13
U.S. News
Boeing needs to be led by engineers, time is not on its side, Emirates Airline president says

Aviation analysts and former Boeing employees have criticized the company's reported sidelining of engineers in its senior management ranks.

27th March 2024 18:10