Groundbreaking biofuel rocket could be 'Uber for space'

Stardust 1.0 has become the first commercial launch of a rocket powered by bio-derived fuel.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3oz551p

Huge snowstorm heads for US east coast

Wind gusts of up to 80km/h are forecast for several days, creating blinding, blowing snow.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36vZXoF

Collingwood: Australian Football League club 'guilty of systemic racism'

Collingwood - one of Australia's biggest sporting clubs - has overseen "profound" harm, a report finds.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3pOkrk0

New world news from Time: Myanmar Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Detained, Sparking Fears of a Military Coup

Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other leading figures from the ruling National League for Democracy were detained by the military early Monday, a spokesman for the party told Reuters and other international news outlets.

Communications in parts of the country, including the capital, also appear to have been cut or hindered, according to reports.

The moves have sparked fears that a coup is underway in the Southeast Asian country after the military disputed the results of the Nov. 8 election. Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD won in a landslide victory, capturing 396 out of 476 seats, allowing the party to form a government for five more years.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party, a military-backed party, won just 33 seats.

Ye Aung Thu—AFP/ Getty Images Supporters of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party hold posters with the image of Myanmar state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi as supporters celebrate in front of the party’s headquarters in Yangon on November 9, 2020, as NLD officials said they were confident of a landslide victory in the weekend’s election.

On Jan. 29, the country’s election commission rejected allegations by the military that the election was fraudulent.

The same day, several Western diplomatic missions, including the U.S, issued a statement urging “the military, and all other parties in the country, to adhere to democratic norms.”

Joint Statement issued by the U.S. Embassy and other diplomatic missions in Myanmar: pic.twitter.com/kTEYwxqK2t

— U.S. Embassy Burma (@USEmbassyBurma) January 29, 2021

“We oppose any attempt to alter the outcome of the elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition,” the statement said.

Read More: Aung San Suu Kyi Defends Myanmar Against Rohingya Genocide Allegations at The Hague

Suu Kyi won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her non-violent resistance against the military dictatorship that kept her under house arrest for 15 years. But more recently, she faced international scorn for her response to a violent crackdown by security forces against the Rohingya, a mostly Muslim ethnic minority. U.N. investigators determined that the violent campaign of arson, rape and murder was carried out with genocidal intent. But Suu Kyi has publicly rejected accusations that the military waged a genocidal campaign against the Rohingya.

Saudi human rights under new spotlight in Biden era

After free reign under President Trump, will the kingdom now be held more to account?

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2MET65t

Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: What a blind man's death reveals

Asmelash Woldeselassie has given his eyesight, left arm and now his life to a succession of wars in Tigray.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3oBGXew

Three lives, one message: Stop killing Mexico's transgender women

In Mexico, the second most dangerous country to be transgender, trans women fight to be protected.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3ctvmMs

Romania's young history fans battle to save imperial spa resort

Volunteers try to breathe new life into a Romanian resort once a playground for European elites.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Ywy4IO

Now and then: Iceland's vanishing glaciers

See how much Iceland's Skaftafellsjokull glacier has retreated over the past 30 years.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3oCmKoY

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi 'detained by military', NLD party says

It comes amid tensions between the civilian government and the military, stoking fears of a coup.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3j612bZ

Saba Sahar: 'I survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban'

Afghan film director Saba Sahar is one of the few to survive from a recent wave of targeted killings.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3oycazn

Life in a Day 2020: Kevin Macdonald says documentary 'reinforces everyone's similarities'

British director Kevin Macdonald's new documentary of personal videos from around the world giving a snapshot on 25 July 2020.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3jbPfZO

Have US police departments become too militarised?

President Biden is reportedly looking to restrict local police from receiving surplus military gear.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3oCG8SK

Impostor syndrome: 'I feel like I don't deserve my success'

An influencer and a corporate professional from India share their experiences of impostor syndrome.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2YK1S4Z

Lionel Messi: Barcelona deny leaking forward's contract

Barcelona say they will take "appropriate legal action" after Spanish newspaper El Mundo published details of Lionel Messi's contract.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3oBjlXu

Covid: 'Lessons to be learnt' from NI vaccine row - Irish PM

We need to "calm down" after the EU reverses a plan to put checks on the Irish border, Micheál Martin says.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3tfOmnI

Covid vaccination: Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium 'closed by protests'

Protests by anti-vaccine and far-right groups forced the closure of Dodger Stadium, local media report.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2L2QVYK

UK applying to join Asia-Pacific free trade pact CPTPP

If successful, Britain will join a club including Japan and Australia and covering 500m people.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2MnK1xQ

Hilton Valentine, guitarist with the Animals, dies aged 77

The British musician's riff on The House of The Rising Sun is one of the most famous in pop history.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39wRyDh

Covid: Australian city of Perth goes into snap lockdown after guard tests positive

Schools, bars and gyms close in the Australian city after a guard at a quarantine hotel tests positive.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3ahbvNL

Donald Trump 'parts with lawyers' before impeachment trial

Donald Trump has reportedly parted ways with lawyers representing him in his impeachment trial.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3rdcqWt

Hong Kong residents now eligible for special UK visa

From Sunday, those eligible can apply for a special UK visa using a smartphone app.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3cq7pFD

When a hospital refrigerator in Seattle broke, nurses gave 1,600 vaccine shots to anyone they could find.

By Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs from NYT World https://nyti.ms/3pBx4im

For McCarthy and McConnell, Two Paths on Trumpian Crisis Management

By Jonathan Martin from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3pA8AWS

Trump Parts Ways With Five Lawyers Handling Impeachment Defense

By Maggie Haberman from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3j0ZjEK

A California University Tries to Shield an Entire City From Coronavirus

By Shawn Hubler from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3jacDH6

A Vast Web of Vengeance

By Kashmir Hill from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/3tc7a7b

The Silicon Valley Start-Up That Caused Wall Street Chaos

By Nathaniel Popper, Matt Phillips, Kate Kelly and Tara Siegel Bernard from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/3r6PEzf

G.M. Announcement Shakes Up U.S. Automakers’ Transition to Electric Cars

By Neal E. Boudette and Coral Davenport from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/3tc9US0

What You Can Do to Avoid the New Coronavirus Variant Right Now

By Tara Parker-Pope from NYT Well https://nyti.ms/2XYgMUO

Russia braces for latest Navalny protests

Metro stations are closed and movement is restricted ahead of rallies in support of Alexei Navalny.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36s7bu5

A 10-Year-Old GameStop Investor Cashed In. His Return? Over 5,000%

By Christina Morales from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/36qY5O5

Coronavirus in Algeria: 'No-one could travel to say goodbye to grandpa'

Algeria's coronavirus restrictions mean that people in the diaspora are unable to properly mourn.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2YuAgQZ

Covid: The pandemic's young widows and widowers

"The grief creeps up on you," says Pamela who is raising two children alone after losing her husband.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3tbNTml

Japan whale hunting: 'By-catch' rule highlighted after minke death

The death of a whale which got trapped in a net off Japan has once again exposed the hunting divide.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3pxScWM

Lebanon ambulance driver: 'Hospitals can't take our Covid patients'

Lebanon's hospitals are turning away patients as the country buckles under Covid and economic collapse.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3outCol

Could a vaccine get rid of malaria for good?

Seventeen-year-old Victoline explores progress to tackle the disease in her home country, Kenya.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36o9X3i

Japanese woman 'kept mother's body in freezer for 10 years'

The Japanese woman reportedly hid the body a decade ago because she "didn't want to move out".

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39szevc

Republican Ties to Extremist Groups Are Under Scrutiny

By Luke Broadwater and Matthew Rosenberg from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2MH8Q7G

Job Seekers With Trump White House on Their Résumés Face a Cold Reality

By Katie Rogers from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2YuYzy8

‘Trump Just Used Us and Our Fear’: One Woman’s Journey Out of QAnon

By Sabrina Tavernise from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3cp6Zzu

The ‘Roaring Kitty’ Rally: How a Reddit User and His Friends Roiled the Markets

By Nathaniel Popper and Kellen Browning from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2NO1pfM

A Pandemic Is Hard Enough. For Some, Being Single Has Made It Harder.

By Daniel Victor from NYT Style https://nyti.ms/3aw25hF

Marco Rubio Deserves Ivanka Trump

By Frank Bruni from NYT Opinion https://nyti.ms/2MkOKQS

Legal Pressure on Trump Increases With Judge’s Order in Fraud Inquiry

By Ed Shanahan and William K. Rashbaum from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/39u8B91

Elon Musk Becomes Unlikely Anti-Establishment Hero in GameStop Saga

By David Gelles from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/2MxQMNr

In Afghanistan, Follow the White High-Tops and You’ll Find the Taliban

By Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Fahim Abed and Jim Huylebroek from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2YuYz16

The G.O.P. Is in a Doom Loop of Bizarro

By Paul Krugman from NYT Opinion https://nyti.ms/3owyZDM

Cuba helicopter crash: Five dead after aircraft left Holguín

The aircraft crashed after leaving eastern Holguín for a short trip to Guantánamo province.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3j3KscS

Marjorie Taylor Greene: Democrat to move to get away from controversial Republican

Cori Bush said Marjorie Taylor Greene targeted her "unmasked" in the House of Representatives.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3iY5ARL

Brian Sicknick: Officer killed in Capitol riot to lie in honour

Brian Sicknick died after sustaining injuries during the pro-Trump violence at the US Capitol.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3ravUel

Australian Open to allow up to 30,000 fans to attend per day

Up to 30,000 fans a day will be allowed to attend the Australian Open, Victoria's minister for sport has announced.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3j7bYWL

Russian anti-Putin anger spreads: 'We have to protest'

Russia is seeing some of the biggest demonstrations for a decade over the imprisonment of Alexei Navalny.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36sj56W

Amsterdam drugs: Tourists face ban from cannabis cafes

The mayor of Amsterdam has angered coffee shop owners, who fear that drug gangsters could step in.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3pwK3lF

Jonas Gwangwa The South African jazz icon who stood up to apartheid

Remembering iconic trombonist and exiled anti-apartheid activist Jonas Gwangwa who has died aged 83.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3r8Iwmb

Coronavirus: What's behind Latin America's oxygen shortages?

Some Latin American countries struggle with insufficient oxygen as Covid-19 continues to spread.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2L2hopv

Black Lives Matter foundation wins Swedish human rights prize

Organisers of the Olof Palme prize praise the group for promoting "peaceful civil disobedience".

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36nh5Nk

Covid: Argentina imposes new tax on wealthiest

A one-off tax on Argentina's richest people will pay for medical supplies and help for businesses.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39tld0m

The exiles: Hong Kong at a crossroads

Pro-democracy protesters face a tough decision over continuing to fight or fleeing to the UK.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2MaeCPE

Surfing duck: Pet becomes local celebrity at Australian beach

The duck - called Duck - has become renowned locally for his daily forays into the sea.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3cnn7Bj

N.Y. Severely Undercounted Virus Deaths in Nursing Homes, Report Says

By Jesse McKinley and Luis Ferré-Sadurní from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/3cfRsBY

Novavax’s Vaccine Works Well — Except on Variant First Found in South Africa

By Katie Thomas, Carl Zimmer and Sharon LaFraniere from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/36j6NxK

How the Coronavirus Turns the Body Against Itself

By Apoorva Mandavilli from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/39qzjzm

G.M. Will Sell Only Zero-Emission Vehicles by 2035

By Neal E. Boudette and Coral Davenport from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/2KYq0NL

McConnell Was Done With Trump. His Party Said Not So Fast.

By Nicholas Fandos and Jonathan Martin from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2Mi4jJ7

Coronavirus: Crowds torch government building as lockdown unrest continues

More than 100 people are reportedly injured in the city of Tripoli in a fourth night of protests.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3pvEiEv

Indomie: Creator of cult favourite 'mi goreng' instant noodle dies

Nunuk Nuraini invented Indomie's "mi goreng" noodle, which has fans across the globe.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3r6FjDD

China warns Taiwan independence 'means war' as US dismisses comments

The warning comes days after China stepped up military activities near the self-governed island.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2L2tkHQ

Australian Open tennis players begin to exit hotel quarantine

They have spent 14 days in isolation under anti-Covid measures that have drawn criticism and praise.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KWnnfk

Can striking oil turn Cambodia's economy around?

The country's first oil project has finally started pumping the black gold after 15 years of false starts.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3iVttZW

Ella Emhoff Gets a Major Modeling Contract

By Vanessa Friedman and Jessica Testa from NYT Fashion https://nyti.ms/39sr5qv

Ford to start building electric Mustangs in China

The US carmaker wants to compete with the likes of Tesla and other Chinese electric carmakers.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2M4z8kF

US-Mexico border: The gruesome attack that shocked a village

Families look for answers after 19 people were killed then set alight on the US-Mexico border.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3oxilUd

Africa's week in pictures: 21-28 January 2021

A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent and beyond.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Mdry7g

UK BNO visa: Can Hong Kong residents now live in the UK?

The government has granted millions of people in Hong Kong new opportunities to live and work in the UK.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39udLCe

NY undercounted nursing home coronavirus deaths by thousands

The report directly undercuts Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has boasted about his pandemic response.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3owgpeK

Why roller skating is making a comeback

It's become so popular in the past year that there's now a worldwide shortage of skates.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3ptF312

Navalny defiant as judge dismisses appeal

The prominent anti-Putin campaigner decried his detention as "illegal" in a video link hearing.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3tgomsi

Covid-19: Novavax vaccine shows 89% efficacy in UK trials

The Novavax jab is the first to show it is effective against the UK variant of the virus.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KWHv0T

Daniel Pearl: US 'outraged' after Pakistan's court acquits men accused of murder

The American journalist was abducted and beheaded while working on a story in Pakistan in 2002.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3iYslFe

Climate activists on Biden plans: 'We're celebrating key victories today'

Two young US campaigners react to the Biden administration's proposals on fighting climate change.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36lXoWq

The story behind the inauguration's sign language Pledge of Allegiance

Fire Captain Andrea Hall stole the show - and there is a personal story behind her unique pledge.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36iZVQP

Congresswoman confronts Parkland survivor

Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene confronts David Hogg over his gun control stance.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36lmbK5

Marjorie Taylor Greene reportedly endorsed executing Democrats on Facebook before she was elected to Congress.

By Catie Edmondson from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3cj863K

U.S. faces heightened threats from violent domestic extremists after Capitol attack, Homeland Security says.

By Zolan Kanno-Youngs and David E. Sanger from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3t11HzX

Amanda Gorman, Poet, Gets Modeling Agent and a Stage at the Super Bowl

By Sandra E. Garcia from NYT Style https://nyti.ms/3ou4uhA

No More Lies. My Grandfather Was a Nazi.

By Silvia Foti from NYT Opinion https://nyti.ms/3onTUZC

Who’s Making All Those Scam Calls?

By Yudhijit Bhattacharjee from NYT Magazine https://nyti.ms/3iUEniF

Biden, Emphasizing Job Creation, Signs Sweeping Climate Actions

By Lisa Friedman, Coral Davenport and Christopher Flavelle from NYT Climate https://nyti.ms/3ch7R9a

Cloris Leachman, Oscar Winner and TV Comedy Star, Is Dead at 94

By Robert Berkvist from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2YlnaFJ

‘Paramedic of the Year’ Is Arrested After Covid-19 Vaccine Theft, Sheriff Says

By Neil Vigdor from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3oqNNU4

Made in the U.S.A.: Socialism for the Rich. Capitalism for the Rest.

By Thomas L. Friedman from NYT Opinion https://nyti.ms/2NM0ixf

Coronavirus: EU and AstraZeneca seek to resolve vaccine supply crisis

Both sides pledge to work together after a reported 50 million-dose shortfall for the 27-member EU.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3r3wdYh

John Kerry: UK climate summit is world's 'last best chance'

The new US climate envoy says time is running out for the world to address the climate crisis.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3psaskf

Teen held for Christchurch-inspired mosque plot

The 16-year-old boy in Singapore planned to knife Muslims at mosques and livestream the attack.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3qT3Vzm

‘Dumb Money’ Is on GameStop, and It’s Beating Wall Street at Its Own Game

By Matt Phillips and Taylor Lorenz from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/3iU7vqv

Covid Australia: Queensland to reopen to Sydney after outbreak contained

Travel bans ease across Australia after a Covid outbreak in its biggest city is brought under control.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Mtz1if

Chinese New Year: Clamping down on going home for the holidays

China is striving to curtail the world's biggest mass migration event when people go home to see family.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2M19mxJ

Antony Blinken: Who is America's new top diplomat?

The 58-year-old is on home turf in the state department, vowing to restore trust after the Trump era.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3ptVquC

Sani Abacha - the hunt for the billions stolen by Nigeria's ex-leader

A phone call in the middle of the night led one Swiss lawyer to pursue Nigeria's stolen money.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3iRMFYw

What tech can the US president use?

From the ObamaPad to Joe Biden's Apple Watch and Peloton, being president can be a tech challenge.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Ym0Snq

New world news from Time: The Biden Administration Is Already Calling on China to Do More on Climate Change

Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry wants the world to know the U.S. is humble as it rejoins the international conversation on climate change. In his Jan. 21 remarks to the international business community hosted by the G20 group, Kerry used the world “humility” to describe America’s reentry to climate talks five times.

But when it comes to China, humility is in short supply. Two days later, speaking at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Kerry called China’s efforts to reduce emissions insufficient, and said that if the country doesn’t bolster its commitments, countries working to fight climate change are “all going to lose credibility.”

On Wednesday, he reiterated the call for China to do more in remarks delivered virtually to the World Economic Forum. “China’s done a lot. I’m not insinuating they haven’t,” he said. “But they also are funding 70% of the coal-fired power plants around the world in the Belt and Road Initiative. So we have big challenges ahead of us here. We’ve got to be honest.” Later that day, Kerry and Secretary of State Antony Blinken both emphasized the U.S. would not bend on other issues it had with China in order to make a deal with Beijing on climate.

In particular, Kerry called China out for giving itself a longer timeline to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions than other nations, including the proposed timeline laid out by Joe Biden during his presidential campaign. China announced in December that it would peak its greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 and eliminate them entirely by 2060, a full ten years later than the deadline the European Union, Japan and other top-emitting nations have given themselves to eliminate their carbon footprints. “It’s one of the few nations that has said something other than 2050,” Kerry told the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “Needless to say, we don’t want that to stand.”

It’s a bold statement considering that until a few weeks ago, the official position of the U.S. was open derision of almost any effort to tackle climate change. It’s also a wake-up call to the policymakers around the world who had hoped that climate change could once again serve as an olive branch around which the U.S. and China could rebuild their troubled relationship under the Biden Administration.

The U.S. and China are the world’s largest emitters, together accounting for nearly half of global emissions and, as the world’s only superpowers, they inevitably shape how the rest of the world responds to the universal threat of climate change. Those factors put climate change policymakers on high alert for any signs of how the two work together — or don’t — on climate policy. “This is the most consequential climate relationship that we’re going to have,” says Alan Yu, a former director for Asian Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy, who is now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. “Obviously, it’s a complicated relationship.”

The U.S. dynamic with China has grown increasingly fraught in the past two decades. At the turn of the century, when the country’s economy was roughly the size of Italy’s, American officials hoped Beijing would gradually adopt a market economy—with an increasingly open and democratic society to follow. But China has remained committed to an authoritarian political system and its own model of economic growth, combining a market economy with heavy state influence. A number of disagreements between the governments have united American politicians across the political spectrum against China, from a dispute over territory in the South China Sea to China’s policy of forcing American companies to share their technology in order to do business there.

In the face of these disagreements, the Obama Administration used climate change as an avenue to maintain a working relationship with China. In the months leading up to the negotiations that yielded the Paris Agreement, the nations made an important bilateral deal that gave the rest of the world confidence that they would both work to reduce emissions. In turn, the two countries used that collaboration as a foundation for other partnerships. “Our bilateral understanding on climate helped steady the relationship at a time of turbulence on economic and security issues,” Paul Bodnar, senior director for energy and climate on Obama’s National Security Council and now a managing director at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a U.S.-based NGO that works on energy and climate, said last year.

Relations with China grew markedly worse under Trump, who introduced sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods, blamed Beijing for the spread of the coronavirus, and tightened visa rules for tens of millions of Chinese citizens, among other measures. As Biden emerged at the top of the Democratic ticket, many climate advocates hoped climate would return to its place the olive branch in the spiraling relationship. Eventually, they hoped, the two countries would once again work together to catalyze the rest of the world to decarbonize the global economy.

Now climate experts with experience in China say the possibility of winding back the clock with a comprehensive climate partnership seems increasingly distant. The new administration has adopted a broadly aggressive posture toward China from day one. Administration officials have given no indication that they plan to lift U.S. tariffs on goods imported from the country. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin described China as “the most significant threat” to the U.S. during his confirmation hearings. And Biden’s team has stood by the Trump Administration’s categorization of China’s forced “reeducation” of millions of Uighurs as “genocide.” “Strategic competition with China is a defining feature of the 21st century,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday. “China is engaged in conduct that hurts American workers, blunts our technological edge, and threatens our alliances and our influence in international organizations.”

On Wednesday, during a White House press briefing, Kerry sought to put rest any concern that the Biden Administration would cede ground on other concerns to pave the way for a climate deal. “Obviously we have serious differences with China on some very, very important issues,” he said. “Those issues will never be traded for anything that has to do with climate. That’s not going to happen.”

Still, even if an Obama-era like partnership is out, there are a range of ways U.S.-China engagement on climate could unfold, with a variety of implications for the global fight against climate change. In Dec. 2019, weeks before the first presidential primary, Kerry laid out a model for competition with China in an op-ed co-written with Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat. The pair called for a “clean energy race” in competition with China, whereby the U.S. invests in a slew of new technologies that will play a crucial role in a 21st century decarbonized economy.

“Energy is the largest market the world has ever seen,” they wrote. “Our China strategy should be premised on becoming the undisputed global leader in the new-energy market, and the nation all others seek to emulate in tackling the climate change crisis.” Framing the U.S. posture toward China on climate as a competition also sends an important signal to Republicans on Capitol Hill who in recent years have cited China’s emissions as a reason the U.S. should be wary of reducing its own.

Climate policy experts say the two countries, now that they’re both back at the table, will need to find some common ground. Development finance and aid offer a critical area where the two could collaborate, says Kelly Sims Gallagher, a professor of energy and environmental policy at the Fletcher School at Tufts University who formerly advised on China and climate policy at the U.S. State Department. In recent years, China has offered billions to finance fossil fuel projects abroad while the U.S. has shrunk its international development commitments. If both committed to finance green projects, it would be a breakthrough, Gallagher says. “It will be important for the two countries to break the ice in a very pragmatic way.”

One thing everyone agrees on is this: For Kerry’s mission to succeed with China, or any other country, the U.S. first needs to get its act together at home. That means enacting a broad suite of policies that will bring down U.S. emissions — and doing it fast. On Wednesday, Biden signed executive orders to do just that, from a policy pushing the federal government to buy electric vehicles to a moratorium on new leases for oil and gas drilling on federal land. In the end, experts say, concrete policy moves are far more likely than harsh rhetoric to convince China that the U.S. poses serious competition in the race for a clean energy future. “Each action the United States takes will build confidence” that the U.S. is committed to climate policy, says Gallagher. If that happens, she says, it may once again feel like “we’re on a race to the top.”

Covid-19: US regulators issue warning over 'toxic' Mexico hand sanitisers

Dangerous levels of toxic ingredients are found in many alcohol-based sanitisers imported to the US.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2MwFBEy

German Lübcke trial: Far-right defendant faces killing verdict

Stephan Ernst admits firing the shot that killed prominent pro-migrant politician Walter Lübcke.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3okY7gp

Biden: 'Time to act' on climate crisis

President Joe Biden signs executive orders on climate change, saying the US has waited too long.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39mxqDN

Kristal and her students are fighting to eradicate ocean plastic

Kristal Ambrose set up the Bahamas Plastic Movement in 2013 in a bid to reduce pollution.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3ciemZp

Joe Biden: The team he hopes can fix the US economy

The new US president has called on a team of Ivy League-trained economists and lawyers to "heal" the economy.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36xElsj

Most Republicans vote against trying Trump, signaling he is likely to be acquitted of the impeachment charge.

By Nicholas Fandos from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2KVzf1k

C.D.C. officials say most available evidence indicates schools can be safe if precautions are taken on campus and in the community.

By Roni Caryn Rabin from NYT World https://nyti.ms/36fYz9G

Capitol Police chief apologizes for security failures during the assault, including a delay in calling for Guard troops.

By Luke Broadwater, Emily Cochrane and Adam Goldman from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3iRShlS

In the first blow to Biden’s immigration agenda, a federal judge blocks a 100-day pause on deportations.

By Miriam Jordan from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3phpMQN

From Navy SEAL to Part of the Angry Mob Outside the Capitol

By Dave Philipps from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/39nxp2o

Did an Alien Life-Form Do a Drive-By of Our Solar System in 2017?

By Dennis Overbye from NYT Books https://nyti.ms/3a6B3Nw

Israel’s Early Vaccine Data Offers Hope

By Isabel Kershner from NYT World https://nyti.ms/3ogDAcY

$200,000 Settlement for Texas Man Pepper-Sprayed While Recording Son’s Traffic Stop

By Azi Paybarah from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3cfLTTS

The World’s Rarest Turtle Has a Shot at Escaping Extinction

By Rachel Nuwer from NYT Science https://nyti.ms/3qTsM6j

Rare Violin Tests Germany’s Commitment to Atone for Its Nazi Past

By Catherine Hickley from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/3oqB0Rz

Rescued Chinese miners 'feel reborn' after harrowing ordeal

Two Chinese miners have described how they survived while trapped underground for two weeks.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2M8KyUf

US actress Jane Fonda to get Golden Globes' lifetime achievement award

The 83-year-old Hollywood royalty is also known as an active climate change campaigner.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/39nRPbT

Goldman Sachs boss takes $10m pay cut for 1MDB

David Solomon is being punished for the bank's involvement in the fraudulent Malaysian investment fund.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2MtAS6A

Elliot Page: Canada's Juno star to divorce Emma Portner

The Oscar-nominated actor and his choreographer wife describe as "difficult" their decision to split.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3cdHilb

Keystone XL: Why I fought for - or against - the pipeline

President Biden has cancelled the permit for the controversial US-Canada project.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3ols8gf

When your 'pandemic puppy' doesn't work out

Lockdown seemed like the perfect time to get a dog, but for some, the excitement turned into regret.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2MuME0t

Holocaust Memorial Day 2021: 'It's sad when I sit there alone'

Already a difficult day, honouring those killed by the Nazis will be different this year, as the pandemic prevents survivors and their families being together.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36crzin

Coronavirus: AstraZeneca defends EU vaccine rollout plan

The pharmaceutical giant said the late signing of contracts limited time to sort out supply glitches.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3cbZEmz

California’s Governor Newsom eases Covid restrictions - why now?

The governor has lifted the state’s stay-at-home order as test positivity rates have steadily fallen.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2YkPfwE

The child environmentalist receiving death threats in Colombia

Francisco Vera, 11, was threatened after calling for better access to education during the pandemic.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2YeKKUw

How women played a major role in Yemen's Arab Spring

Yemeni lawyer Ishraq al-Maqtari shares her memories of being one of the first women to take to the streets in Taiz city, which later became known as the 'cradle of the revolution'.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/36eul75

Iraq killings: Who's behind a series of murders?

BBC News Arabic investigates a series of killings and the power of Shia militia groups in Iraq.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3om22JV

As Trump Seeks to Remain a Political Force, New Targets Emerge

By Maggie Haberman and Reid J. Epstein from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/39juubb

Senate Confirms Yellen as Treasury Secretary as Stimulus Talks Loom

By Alan Rappeport from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3plmXht