Tag: uncreative writing

The loyalty of Afghanistan’s military is being stretched to breaking point

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The loyalty of Afghanistan’s military is being stretched to breaking point by rival claims to the country’s presidency, raising the prospect of a catastrophic civil war, according to the son of a renowned resistance hero. Ahmad Massoud — whose father Ahmad Shah Massoud was known as “The Lion of Panjshir” for leading the fight against Soviet forces in the Eighties, and who commanded the Northern Alliance against the Taliban until his assassination in 2001 — told The Times that sectarian divides in the security forces were being widened ever further by the leadership crisis in Kabul. The South African military … Continue reading The loyalty of Afghanistan’s military is being stretched to breaking point

This is the disgusting moment a man ignored coronavirus fears

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This is the disgusting moment a man ignored coronavirus fears, licking his fingers and scratching his genitals before smearing his hands around the inside of a lift. CCTV footage from last Friday morning shows the young man committing the bizarre act at a metro station in Bangkok, Thailand. The cheques of $1,200 for every adult earning less than $75,000 a year, and $500 per child, could be held up by growing obstacles to a quick vote in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. Lower amounts will be paid on a sliding scale for all those earning under $99,000. Plans to avoid … Continue reading This is the disgusting moment a man ignored coronavirus fears

The US Senate has finally agreed a massive bipartisan $2trn (£1.7trn) stimulus package with the White House

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The US Senate has finally agreed a massive bipartisan $2trn (£1.7trn) stimulus package with the White House to boost the country’s economy in response to the deadly coronavirus outbreak, the bill providing tax rebates, four months expanded unemployment benefits and a slew of business tax-relief provisions. Donald Trump is meanwhile under fire for suggesting on Tuesday that he hopes to have America open for business again by Easter, a deadline denounced by everyone from Democratic 2020 front-runner Joe Biden to state governors. Congresswoman Donna Shalala called his aim “dangerous and immoral”. The freelance event producer was shocked when he had … Continue reading The US Senate has finally agreed a massive bipartisan $2trn (£1.7trn) stimulus package with the White House

The US has said it will cut its aid to Afghanistan by $1bn

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The US has said it will cut its aid to Afghanistan by $1bn, blaming the failure of President Ashraf Ghani and his main political rival, Abdullah Abdullah, to agree on a unity government for talks with the Taliban. A further $1bn could be cut in 2021, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said after a surprise visit to Kabul on Monday failed to persuade the two men to make a deal. Pompeo suggested the aid could be restored if they changed their minds. “When I’ve made suggestions he’s taken them. He’s never countered or overridden me — the idea … Continue reading The US has said it will cut its aid to Afghanistan by $1bn

Coronavirus patients have been filmed laid out on hospital beds along the corridors

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Coronavirus patients have been filmed laid out on hospital beds along the corridors of an Italian hospital in a chilling clip, while military trucks have been deployed to transport scores of victims’ coffins to be cremated.    Footage from one overcrowded Bergamo hospital showed patients lying on hospital beds which were lining the corridor of an intensive care unit. But as Moscow and other Russian cities introduce stricter preventative measures against the coronavirus, election officials have discussed the possibility of home voting or other ways to pull off a nationwide plebiscite in a country of 140 million when health officials desperately … Continue reading Coronavirus patients have been filmed laid out on hospital beds along the corridors

As China and America trade accusations of blame for the coronavirus pandemic, there is increasing talk in US government circles of “decoupling” from China

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As China and America trade accusations of blame for the coronavirus pandemic, there is increasing talk in US government circles of “decoupling” from China — the disentangling of economies and supply chains, reduction of co-operation and erecting of new trade barriers. Beijing’s state media and diplomats have not only disputed whether the global pandemic originated on Chinese soil but have pushed unfounded speculation that the US was the source. It came as Italy recorded a record 4,207 infections and 475 new deaths from the virus yesterday, squashing hopes that the unprecedented national lockdown was beginning to slow the spread of … Continue reading As China and America trade accusations of blame for the coronavirus pandemic, there is increasing talk in US government circles of “decoupling” from China

French coronavirus patients will be moved to Germany as the country is struggling to cope

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French coronavirus patients will be moved to Germany as the country is struggling to cope with a rising number of Covid-19 cases. Hospitals in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg have offered to treat some critically ill patients from the neighboring Alsace region in France. At stake are the succession plans of Hamengku Buwono X, the first sultan of Yogyakarta to practise monogamy, who has five daughters but no sons. The 73-year-old has made no official proclamation but has been rewriting centuries-old rules and titles to allow his oldest daughter to succeed him as the first female monarch in the 265-year … Continue reading French coronavirus patients will be moved to Germany as the country is struggling to cope

Last year’s summer was so warm that it helped trigger the loss of 600bn tons of ice from Greenland

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Last year’s summer was so warm that it helped trigger the loss of 600bn tons of ice from Greenland – enough to raise global sea levels by 2.2mm in just two months, new research has found. The analysis of satellite data has revealed the astounding loss of ice in just a few months of abnormally high temperatures around the northern pole. Last year was the hottest on record for the Arctic, with the annual minimum extent of sea ice in the region its second-lowest on record. Elsewhere, Donald Trump has crowned himself a “wartime president” fighting an invisible enemy, and … Continue reading Last year’s summer was so warm that it helped trigger the loss of 600bn tons of ice from Greenland

Joe Biden vowed to pick a woman as his running-mate as polls suggested he is set to cement an unassailable lead over Bernie Sanders

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Joe Biden vowed to pick a woman as his running-mate as polls suggested he is set to cement an unassailable lead over Bernie Sanders with victories in four state primaries tonight. Mr Biden, 77, made his pledge on his vice-presidential choice during a feisty duel with Mr Sanders in their first head-to-head TV debate. Polls gave him double-digit leads in Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. The document, seen by the Daily Telegraph, proposes that these criteria ‘must include age of less than 80’. Doctors have already described making life-or-death decisions about who can be treated and who may effectively be … Continue reading Joe Biden vowed to pick a woman as his running-mate as polls suggested he is set to cement an unassailable lead over Bernie Sanders

A Japanese man has been sentenced to death after killing 19 disabled people

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A Japanese man has been sentenced to death after killing 19 disabled people in a knife-wielding rampage in 2016. Satoshi Uematsu, 30, admitted to stabbing to death or injuring the victims at a care centre for people with mental disabilities where he had once worked in Sagamihara, southwest of Tokyo. It was the standout development of a joust overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. Originally scheduled to take place in Phoenix, Arizona, the debate was moved to Washington and had no studio audience. The two candidates’ podiums were placed precisely six feet apart, in accordance with public health guidelines, and they … Continue reading A Japanese man has been sentenced to death after killing 19 disabled people